The Players Lounge has survived five decades of change. Here's its secret.

The Players Lounge, a Ward 8 landmark, doesn't try to compete with the polished appearance of newer restaurants.

There are no marble floors. No fancy lighting. No trendy redesign.

Located on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE, across from the historic St. Elizabeths Hospital campus, the Lounge began life in the 1970s as a restaurant, then evolved into an adult entertainment bar, and more recently became a neighborhood gathering place with food and Wednesday night karaoke. There have been upgrades over the years, including renovations to the bathrooms, and Vegas-style gaming machines now sit toward the back. But its homey, friendly character remains constant.

Walking inside can feel a little like showing up at your granny's house to catch up with your cousins while your auntie pours you one of the strongest drinks you've ever had. Nobody seems particularly concerned about impressing you. They're more concerned with making sure you're comfortable and feel welcomed. The Lounge has been a sustaining force in my own life: it provides meals and support for the grieving family support group I founded, Momma’s Safe Haven Healing Center. 

On August 2, the Lounge celebrated 54 years with an event honoring its owners, Steve and Georgene Thompson. The bar buzzed with conversation as customers laughed and caught up. Booths were filled with people of different ages and backgrounds. Near the back sat longtime customer Tanya Brown, displaying the jewelry she sells inside the restaurant. Beyond her booth, a pink rose wall led to the celebration area, where guests wore matching red T-shirts bearing photographs of Steve and Georgene.

I came to write about a restaurant that had survived more than 50 years. But after talking with the people at the anniversary event, I realized survival was only part of the story. The word that came up most often in my conversations was “family.”

Five decades of history

Steve worked at the Navy Yard and Georgene was an electrician before the couple pursued their dream of owning a restaurant. In September 1972, Steve purchased an establishment known as Massey’s Tavern, which he later named The Players Lounge. Over the decades, it became a highly popular neighborhood restaurant and gathering place known for food, music, politics, and community.

As a host, Steve wanted to create an atmosphere shaped by his experiences as a bar regular. He remembers visiting clubs in D.C. and feeling like a stranger — even after returning to the same establishments several times. This hadn’t been true in other cities, he said. 

“I went to a spot in Baltimore, and the people were friendly,” Steve recalled. “I went to a club in New Jersey, and everybody knew everybody. Even if it was your first time, everybody would speak to you.”

He wanted The Players Lounge to have that same feeling: a place where someone walking through the door for the first time could feel as welcome as someone who had been coming for years.

“I wanted everyone to feel welcomed,” Thompson said. “And I think I accomplished it.”

After more than 10 years as an adult entertainment venue featuring dancers, The Players Lounge entered a new chapter, expanding into catering and serving the homestyle soul food that would become part of its identity — pork chops, fried chicken, liver and onions, seafood, salmon cakes, and traditional sides.

The restaurant’s popularity is particularly notable in Ward 8, where residents have historically had far fewer sit-down dining options than residents in many other parts of the District. In December 2024, The 51st’s George Kevin Jordan reported on Ward 8's food-access challenges, noting that new sit-down restaurants had been opening at a slow pace even as entrepreneurs and city investments began bringing more dining options to the neighborhood.

The Players Lounge was serving Ward 8 long before its recent growth. Over time, it has become increasingly connected to community and political life in the District. Former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry held meetings at The Players Lounge. The restaurant became a place where neighbors could eat and socialize just a booth away from some of the city's most important political figures.

Its role in Ward 8, however, has never been limited to politics. Steve said The Players Lounge has provided Thanksgiving meals to families for about two decades. At Christmas, the establishment distributes toys to children in the community.

The restaurant's importance has even been recognized by District leaders. In 2022, the D.C. Council approved a property tax exemption for The Players Lounge, providing relief to the longtime establishment following the financial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through all the changes, Steve and Georgene Thompson’s vision has remained remarkably consistent: Walk through the door, and you shouldn't feel like a stranger.

“We Treat Our Customers Like Family”

For Angela Thompson, daughter of Steve and Georgene, The Players Lounge is part of her family’s legacy.

“We treat our customers like family,” said Angela, who will carry the tradition into the next generation. Along with her children, she plans to take over the bar after her parents retire. “My mother is the mother of every customer that comes in here, every police officer, fire department — we are all one big family.”

Many in our community have described belonging to that family. James Butler, who works security at The Players Lounge, said the hospitality brought him back after leaving.

“It’s like family,” he said. “It’s not like you’re sitting next to strangers. Here you’re sitting next to friends.”

For DJ Unique, the relationship goes back even further than his work behind the DJ booth.

He first walked into The Players Lounge in 1989, shortly before leaving for Army basic training. His father lived about five blocks away.

In 2004, he began DJing there and says Steve has supported him through difficult times.

“They treated me so nice,” he recalled. “They were so kind to me that I always came back.”

Brown, sitting toward the back of the party with her jewelry displayed across a booth, has been coming to The Players Lounge for nearly 20 years. Over the past six years, she has operated her jewelry business, and Steve and Georgene have given her space inside the restaurant to display and sell her merchandise. For Brown, having a longtime neighborhood establishment welcome her business is another example of the support she has received from the owners.

“They support me and support my business,” Brown told me. “I love it because it feels like home.”