PHOTOS: Scarlet Oak in Navy Yard Slated to Open Next Week

A forthcoming restaurant has cleared a major hurdle in its journey to begin serving hamburgers, grilled octopus and homemade pasta in Navy Yard next week.

Scarlet Oak at 909 New Jersey Ave. SE passed its final health inspection yesterday, allowing it to open Wednesday. Peter Lupo, who is running the restaurant with his brother, Anthony, said the inspection was the last hurdle for the eatery before it could open.

“It’s frightening,” Peter said of the inspection. “You try to do it all right, but [have] one thing [wrong], and you can lose a week. With rent, employees waiting and everything, one week can be crushing.”

Anthony and Peter are restaurant industry veterans, who already own Southern Hospitality in Adams Morgan.

Some items from “SoHo,” like fried chicken and short ribs, make a cameo on Scarlet Oak’s menu. But Peter said they’re aiming for a new aesthetic at their Navy Yard restaurant.

Peter said he and his brother are trying to create a comfortable and welcoming space, like Southern Hospitality. Scarlet Oak, however, will be more “food-focused,” he said.

The eatery’s menu will feature American foods like pizza and hamburgers, but also grilled octopus, beef carpaccio and homemade pasta cooked in squid ink.

Although menu items max out at $27, most dinner items cost $20, and sandwiches, salads and small plates all are priced between $10 and $13. House cocktails will cost from $9 to $11.

The restaurant has about 100 seats inside and eventually will have more room for people to sit or stand outside.

There’s also a wall made of scarlet oak wood inside Scarlet Oak. It’s located behind the check-in desk.

“We were approached in the NoMa region, in Georgetown and near the Verizon Center,” Peter said. “But this is the location that really appealed to us. It reminded us of Adams Morgan. It’s really up-and-coming. There’s so much untapped potential down here.”