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More Details on Dickie Dickens and Dan’s Cafe

[This provides details that did not fit into the author’s stories found in “How A Man Not Named Dan Came to Own Dan’s Cafe for Six Decades,“ published June 10th in the Washington City Paper. For a deeper dive into who Dan was, click here. For a deeper dive into the story of the restaurant immediately before Dan’s, click here.]

From Dickie Dickens’ Funeral Program Flyer – Credit PoPville Facebook comments
Dickie with his sons and 90s era customers, including Mary Mason (left) who provided photo and spoke at funeral, saying “one of the best things about Dans back in the day is that everyone there was family“
Photo by Carol M. Highsmith, obtained from Library of Congress. Circa 2010
Original Application for Certificate of Occupancy

More about the Dickens Family

  • Dickie was born in Roseneath Township in Halifax County, NC
  • When Helen Martin started working at 2315 18th St. NW in 1948 as an 18 year old, it was called Charley’s, one of the first Black-owned restaurants in the neighborhood, according to Dickie Dickens
  • Helen was called as a witness to testify in front of grand jury that indicted her boss John Suber for killing her boyfriend/customer Charles Henry Watson
  • Helen proposed marriage to Dickie
  • Helen died in 2006 at the age of 76
  • Pictures:

More About Dan’s Cafe

  • 1990 LA Times article about Adams Morgan & Dan’s Cafe
  • in 1990s, Dan’s was an after-party bar for teams from co-ed intramural kickball
  • Picture of Exterior of Bar From 1990s by Toby Hayman
  • Was open 5 days a week (Tue-Sat) as late as 2008
  • Before ~2012 or so, only chilled shots/shooters (e.g., SoCo Limes) were sold in squirt bottles, so if you talk to people who went a lot before, they talk about making their own drink, not squirt bottles
  • November 4, 2015 ABRA Hearing Transcript for Dan’s Cafe
  • December 2, 2015 ABRA Hearing Transcript for Dan’s Cafe (squirt bottle defense)

More About Property

  • July 1910: Cesar Casanova got building permit to build a 20′ x 59′ one story building as a store/grocery store. Architect: M.T. Vaughn. Builder: Howard Etchison
  • Names of stores: Elphonzo Young’s, John Kracke’s, Mid-City Market, Central Market
  • 1922: Louis Browdy (and wife Celia Browdy) who opened grocery stores all over DC, sells building to Sara Friedman
  • Offered for rent in 1924 for $125/month ($2350 in 2025 dollars)
  • Sanitary Grocery
    • opened in March 1926
    • chain started in 1909, bought by Safeway in 1928 to create east coast presence, brand phased out in 1941
    • Sept 1938: burglar stole 18 pounds of cooked ham, 35 cartons of cigarettes, 4 boxes of chewing gum, and a case of ginger ale
  • Dec. 1939: space leased to Mary Gustafason for restaurant
  • 1942: restaurant operated by Hassan Amin
  • July 1942: burglar entered through skylight and stoke $28.65 ($565 in 2025 dollars) from cash register
  • Today, property assessed at around $800k

Barred in DC

2 responses to “More Details on Dickie Dickens and Dan’s Cafe”

  1. Shots Before Midnight – Before Dan’s Cafe – Barred in DC

    […] [This is a deeper dive into one of the author’s stories found in “How A Man Not Named Dan Came to Own Dan’s Cafe for Six Decades,“ published June 10th in the Washington City Paper. For a deeper dive into who Dan was, click here. For more details about Dan’s Cafe and Dickie DIckens (including pictures) click here.] […]

    Reply
  2. A Story of Immigrants: Who was Dan of Dan’s Cafe? – Barred in DC

    […] [This is a deeper dive into one of the author’s stories found in “How A Man Not Named Dan Came to Own Dan’s Cafe for Six Decades,: published June 10th in the Washington City Paper. For the first of these deeper dives, click here. For more details about Dan’s Cafe and Dickie DIckens (including pictures) click here.] […]

    Reply

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