It looks like the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue has shut down TruOrleans, suspending the tavern at 400 H St. NE very suddenly this afternoon, to the bewilderment of employees showing up for work at 2:30 p.m.

“It just happened,” said one employee, standing off to the side of TruOrleans in the shade with four co-workers. The notice from D.C. states starkly: “The certificate of registration … has been suspended. No retail sales can be transacted.” It’s dated Sept. 10, and signed by Bobby Tucker, chief Collection Division/Compliance Administration, Office of Tax and Revenue.

Jessica Sidman at the Washington City Paper’s Young and Hungry Blog reported last week that TruOrleans’ landlord was seeking to evict its tenant for failure to pay rent, taxes, etc.

Still, anything to do with the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue begs a few grains of salt, given the harrowing stories in the Washington Post this week about how the office callously auctions off liens on people’s homes to predatory investors for non-payment of trifling amounts.

TruOrleans’ website was down during the afternoon but went back up in the evening. Calls to the establishment have not been returned.