A real-life restaurant in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood served as the fictional setting for the opening sketch of the most recent episode of the popular "Saturday Night Live" TV show, drawing attention to the historic eatery and the corner of the nation's capital where shop and restaurant space is in high demand.
When the clock struck 11:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, the weekly comedy show kicked off with an exterior shot of Martin's Tavern at 1264 Wisconsin Ave. NW before transitioning its broadcast to its New York studio for a skit that imagines top government officials convening for a drink at the dining establishment's bar.
The sketch portrayed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, played by "SNL" cast member Colin Jost; Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, played by actor Matt Damon; and FBI Director Kash Patel, played by comedian Aziz Ansari, discussing current events.
"I was flooded with text messages on Sunday morning," Martin's Tavern owner, Billy Martin, said in an emailed statement to CoStar News. The first floor, home to the dining area, bar and kitchen, is 1,500 square feet, while the entire building contains over 4,500 square feet, including the upstairs office, bathrooms and basement, a spokesperson for the restaurant told CoStar News via email.
The cameo for the restaurant, well known for nearly a century for serving prominent figures in the nation's capital, comes as Georgetown is experiencing an increase in retailers and traffic volume.
"The SNL sketch came at a time when the tavern was already buzzing," Martin said. "We're sold out Wednesday through Sunday for Georgetown graduation weekend. We love that word is spreading to New York and beyond!"
Georgetown saw 57 new businesses open in 2025, while 32 businesses closed. As a result, the ritzy commercial district saw 25 net-positive business openings, according to a year-in-review report from the Georgetown Business Improvement District. The area attracted 13.2 million domestic visits in 2025, a 3% increase over 2024, the BID said.
More than a dozen retail and restaurant openings are slated for this year in the neighborhood, the report notes, further fueling the area's retail scene. They include the PopUp Bagels chain, which began welcoming customers last month, and The Salty, a donut chain that started serving customers at its new location a few days ago.
The current Georgetown retail vacancy rate of 5.2% is down from its five-year average of 6.4% and 10-year average of 6%, according to CoStar's latest report.