CarPool Beer and Billiards, a popular sports bar in Ballston before it relocated to its now closed Fair Lakes, Virginia, location four years ago, is making a Ballston comeback.
CarPool owner Mark Handwerger has signed a lease for 6,400 square feet at 900 North Glebe Road, most recently home to Bistro 1521, which closed three years ago.
The new CarPool will open sometime in October.
The Fair Lakes CarPool closed in May after pandemic-related negotiations to re-lease the location fell through, according to Handwerger.
There is another CarPool location in Herndon, Virginia. Handwerger was one of the founders of that location but sold his interest to his brother-in-law.
Handwerger calls the Herndon CarPool a “cousin-establishment.”
The Ballston location will have a capacity of 300 guests, garage doors that open to a large patio, billiards, pinball and an extensive draft beer selection. The space can host private parties.
The original CarPool, a half mile away on Fairfax Drive, opened in 1995, and closed in 2017, when its one-story building was replaced by construction of a 22-story residential building.
“Everything that our customers loved about CarPool is coming back: the décor, the staff, the vibe, the fun. It’s all there,” Handwerger said.
Handwerger co-owned another longtime D.C. establishment, Buffalo Billiards in Dupont Circle, which closed in 2019 after 25 years.
