DC Restaurant Under Fire For 'Pill Cosby' Cocktail

(Updated at 5:21 p.m. Monday) WASHINGTON, DC — A U Street Corridor pop-up restaurant is under fire after the Washingtonian reported that the business served a cocktail called "Pill Cosby" — a tequila-based hibiscus drink topped with a garnish of empty capsules, named after actor and alleged rapist Bill Cosby. Diet Starts Monday, open now until the end of July, initially served the drink to "raise awareness" about the risk of drugs being slipped into drinks that takes place in bars.

The cocktail was one of the various drinks named after other black celebrities linked to DC, including Dave Chapelle, Duke Ellington and Marvin Gaye. Co-founder Davin Gentry told the Washingtonian that the drink "lets people be a little more aware" of the issue. On Monday afternoon, Diet Starts Monday announced that the cocktail was taken off their menu.

Cosby was slated to make what could be his final appearance in Pittsburgh on Monday in Pennsylvania, when jury selection begins in his trial on charges he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand, a former Temple University basketball official. The alleged assault took place in 2004 at Cosby’s suburban Philadelphia estate.

Many recall Cosby as the famous comedian who starred in "The Cosby Show,"which TV Guide says was TV's biggest hit in the 1980s. Viewers remember him playing Dr. Cliff Huxtable, the patriarch of an eerily near-perfect family that lived in a Brooklyn brownstone. More recently, they can recall the monstrous accusations against Cosby. Nearly 60 women have accused him of sexual misconduct, of displaying a predatory pattern dating back to the 1960s. Cosby has pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges and has denied all accusations by the numerous other women.

Diet Starts Monday is a provocative clothing and sneaker line turned pop-up restaurant started by Gentry and DC local John Geiger. The fashionistas launched the pop-up restaurant in the space that previously held The BBQ Joint after they were approached by DC restaurateurs Eric and Ian Hilton. The men signed with a third partner, Scooty Hallums, and hired Chef Jourdan "Red Beard" Davis to run the kitchen.

Patch reached out to the Diet Starts Monday group and will update this post when we hear back.

Gentry told the Washington City Paper that the restaurant is named after the idea that a diet is something people procrastinate on and normally put off on the weekends. The bar and restaurant, open Thursday through Sunday, serves fatty foods like fried chicken served on a glazed doughnut bun, cheesesteaks, burritos and more.

Although Diet Starts Monday is meant to be a playful and suggestive brand, social media users are posting on the restaurant's Facebook and Yelp page criticizing the drink.

"If you want to be part of this community you have to realize that there are high standards and all people must be welcome," one user writes. "Touting a drink like 'Pill Cosby' promotes rape culture and is incredibly ignorant and painful. If you want to make money that way, you won't last long. We are waiting for you to step up." Another user said: "'Pill Cosby' drink is not funny, and neither is profiting off of rape. Don't spend your money here."

On the other hand, a Twitter user posted: "It's a bar. It's a joke. People are taking this Pill Cosby thing way too seriously and obviously have way too much time on their hands." Another said: "Please raise your hand if you are upset with the pill Cosby drink but have had an Irish car bomb before."

On Monday afternoon, Diet Starts Monday tweeted that they removed the drink from their menu.

During a recent interview with SiriusXM host Michael Smerconish, Cosby was asked about recent remarks by two of his daughters that racism is behind the sexual assault claims. “I just truly believe that some of it may very well be that,” he said.

In January, a large mural featuring the likeness of Cosby that was painted on the sides of Ben's Chili Bowl in D.C. was removed by the famous D.C. eatery. Ben's Chili Bowl didn't address the allegations against Cosby, a former friend of the restaurant who helped open another location in nearby Arlington, in a statement posted to its website.

"The mural alongside Ben’s was painted in 2012," the statement reads. "Now, after 5 years of braving the elements, its time to refresh and repaint the mural and we want your input! Below you will have the opportunity to pick your top 6 nominees from those listed below. You may also pick your favorite group of people, write in a name for consideration, and write in a complete group of your own. Thanks for your support and suggestions for our 2017 Mural."

Cosby wasn't the only figure removed: Barack Obama and others were also featured on the mural. Ben's Chili Bowl held a vote on the next mural, and Cosby was on the list of nominees, along with Dave Chappelle, Duke Ellington, Harriet Tubman, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Martin Luther King Jr., Maya Angelou and more.

Additional reporting by Patch Editors Justin Heinze and Dan Taylor

Photo: Getty Images