For nearly a century, Martin’s Tavern has been a Georgetown institution known for its political history and old-school DC charm.
Now, the iconic Washington DC tavern is getting attention for a very different reason: a surprise appearance to open last weekend’s episode of “Saturday Night Live.”
The longtime gathering spot was used as the backdrop of a sketch Saturday featuring Matt Damon, Colin Jost and Aziz Ansari, quickly putting the establishment back into the national spotlight.
Here’s what to know about the sketch and how Martin’s Tavern responded.
What was the Martin’s Tavern ‘SNL’ sketch about?
The sketch opened with Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who entered the 93-year-old bar and greeted the bartender, played by Kenan Thompson.
“It’s just nice to have my sneaky bar here, where I’m not going to run into anyone from work,” Jost’s Hegseth said. “Because none of Trump’s people like drinking as much as I do.”
But he was quickly joined by Damon as Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Ansari as FBI Director Kash Patel, and they traded quips about their alleged drinking habits.
Their topics of conversation included the Iran war, Patel’s personalized bourbon and Damon’s Kavanaugh joking that “we’re gonna let Trump do a third term.”
They closed the sketch by singing Chumbawamba’s “I Get Knocked Down” together.
What did Martin’s Tavern say about the ‘SNL’ sketch?
Martin’s Tavern wasted no time responding to the ‘SNL’ cold open, posting a video on its social media channels Sunday.
“1933 Established. 1953 JFK proposal. 2026 Featured on SNL,” the caption of the video read.
The video shows four Martin’s Tavern workers mouthing, “Wait, is this f****** play about us,” referencing a scene from the HBO series “Euphoria.”
