Brine Oyster and Seafood House is abruptly closing this weekend. It includes the original H Street, Northeast restaurant which opened more than three years ago, and the new Dupont Circle location for Brine, which opened less than a year ago.
Co-owners Aaron McGovern and Arturas Vorobjovas blamed crime and the economy for the decision to close.
“Unfortunately, the challenges of the restaurant industry since the pandemic, the current economic climate, and the spike in violent crime have made it increasingly difficult to operate and impossible for us to survive,” the two said in a joint statement.
The Dupont Circle location, at 1800 Connecticut Avenue in the ground floor of the former Russia House, opened in February of this year.
Citing crime in part for closing is a “one-two punch” for McGovern and Vorobjovas, who owns the building that was home to Russia House since 1991.
Russia House was targeted by vandals on several occasions shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which led to the decision not to reopen the restaurant, which had been temporarily closed. Neither McGovern or Vorobjovas have any ties to Russia.
Closing the original H Street, Northeast location is the second business on H Street, Northeast McGovern and Vorobjovas have closed this year. In June, they closed Beirgarten Haus, next door to Brine, after 13 years in business.
Brine was popular for a big selection of oysters, whole Maine lobsters and fresh catch of the day dishes.
The owners signed off their social media announcement of the restaurants’ closings fittingly, saying, “Gone Fishin’ Forever, Aaron and Arturas.”
