The Mussel Bar and Grille Restaurant Story

Inspiration for Robert Wiedmaier's Mussel Bar is an old-world Belgian roadhouse serving Bière, Moules & Frites, the kind of place where Chef in his youth would head late night to unwind with kitchen colleagues, eat simple food and listen to good music. He's one of the first to 'muscle' the craze and honor his Belgian roots in the DC area with bringing the savory mollusks to the forefront of his own gastro-pubs with the original location in Bethesda, MD that opened in July, 2010 and Arlington in August, 2013 (closed Dec, 2025).

Much more than mussels, Mussel Bar & Grille offers a wide range of casual dining fare that includes grilled and brick oven fired dishes, seasonal salads, soups, and hand crafted desserts. Belgian classics such as frites, oysters, cheese and chocolate weave their way throughout the menu to accompany our expansive Belgian beer list,wines, and custom seasonal cocktails all expertly crafted.