If you walked past the corner of 2950 Clarendon Blvd in Arlington today, you wouldn't see a stuffed koala or a blue-painted ceiling meant to mimic the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian dream of Oz Restaurant and Bar Arlington has been over for a while. Honestly, for many locals and Bravo fans, the place feels more like a fever dream from a 2017 episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac. It was flashy. It was weird. It served kangaroo.
But why did it actually close? Was it the food, the drama, or just the reality of the brutal D.C.-area restaurant scene?
The Reality TV Shadow
Let’s be real: most people didn't go to Oz just for the meat pies. They went because they wanted to see Ashley Darby or catch a glimpse of the filming crew. Opening a restaurant is hard enough without having your marital spats and financial "growing pains" broadcast to millions of people on Sunday nights.
Michael and Ashley Darby opened Oz in September 2015. Michael, an Australian native, wanted to bring a piece of Melbourne to Virginia. Ashley, a former Miss D.C., was the face of the operation. On TV, we saw a lot of friction. Michael was the "money" and the stubborn visionary; Ashley was the one on the ground trying to make the menu actually appeal to humans who live in Northern Virginia.
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That Infamous Kangaroo Menu
The food was... a choice. In the beginning, they were really leaning into the "Exotic Australia" vibe. We’re talking:
- Kangaroo skewers (marinated for 24 hours in pineapple juice to stop them from being shoe leather)
- Emu wraps
- Camel sliders
- Vegemite biscuits with maple syrup (actually a sleeper hit)
The Washington Post wasn't kind. They gave it a one-star review early on, calling it "bland." That hurts. Especially in a neighborhood like Clarendon where you have to compete with heavy hitters and established bars. People in Arlington love a good brunch, but do they want to eat a flight of exotic meats when they're hungover? Maybe not.
The 2017 Pivot
By 2017, the Darbys realized the "Outback" thing was a bit too niche. They brought in Chef Brad Feickert, a Northern Virginia native who had spent time in Australia. He tried to ground the menu. He added more Asian-Pacific influences—think Nasi Goreng and mussels in curry sauce. They focused heavily on the "boozy brunch" crowd, offering unlimited small plates for about $36 to $39.
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It worked, for a bit. The restaurant actually started turning a profit, despite the drama on the show. But the reputation of a "failing restaurant" is hard to shake once it's been a plot point for two seasons.
Why Oz Finally Closed Its Doors
Oz officially served its last meal in June 2019. If you ask the Darbys, the reason was simple: family. They were expecting their first child together, and they claimed there wasn't enough time to run a massive 200-seat restaurant and raise a baby.
"We are replacing one Aussie baby with a new one-half Aussie baby," Michael told the local news at the time.
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But let’s look at the logistics. They occupied a prime corner in one of the most expensive real estate markets in the country. Running a restaurant of that scale is a massive drain on resources. Even with Michael’s real estate money, the math has to make sense eventually.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of people think Oz failed because it was a "fake" restaurant for a TV show. That’s not quite right. The Darbys actually lived in the Odyssey condo building nearby. They were part of the community. They were frequently seen circulating the floor and talking to guests. It wasn't just a set; it was a real business that lasted four years—which, in the restaurant world, is actually longer than many survived in that specific Clarendon pocket.
What's There Now?
If you're looking for Oz today, you're out of luck. The space was eventually taken over by Wagamama, the UK-based noodle chain. It’s a very different vibe. No didgeridoos. No emu.
Actionable Takeaways for the Curious
If you’re a fan of the show or just someone who misses the Australian experiment in Arlington, here’s how you can still get that fix:
- Follow the Talent: Chef Brad Feickert is still a name in the culinary world. If you liked the food during the "good years" of Oz, keep an eye on his new ventures.
- Aussie Food in D.C.: True Australian spots are still rare in the DMV. If you're craving those flavors, you might have to look toward coffee-heavy spots like Bluestone Lane or specialized bakeries.
- The "RHOP" Tour: You can still visit other filming locations in the area, but Oz is officially a ghost of reality TV past.
The story of Oz isn't just about a restaurant closing. It's a case study in what happens when you try to mix a very niche culinary concept with the high-stakes world of reality television. Sometimes, the drama is the only thing that stays on the menu.