Denny’s Coming to the corner of Bladensburg and Mt. Olivet Rd, NE

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by Prince Of Petworth November 1, 2011 at 1:30 pm 35 Comments

Thanks to a reader for sending the photo above. Any Denny’s fans? Do you think this is better, worse or the same as an IHOP?

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SF

CAPITOL CITY DINER will continue to get my diner dollars.
- IMGoph
  
  Amen to that.
- Anonymous
  
  woot woot!
- dt
  
  Except when it’s closed – which is pretty much all the time now (except weekends). Hopefully Denny’s doesn’t siphon too much business away from them during their open hours.
  - Matt Ashburn
    
    DT,
    
    We’re open 7am-3pm Tues, Web, Thurs, and 24hours on the weekend (6am Fri – 5pm Sun). Not sure how that’s closed “pretty much all the time” so wanted to clear up the confusion.
    
    Open for breakfast and lunch during the week, 24hrs on weekends, and closed on Mondays.
    
    Matt
    Capital City Diner
    - Anonymous
      
      Most of us are at work from 7-3 so it essentially feels like these daytime places are never open. I have a sandwich shop near my house that I thought was out of business because I’d never seen it open until it expanded to weekend hours.
    - Anon
      
      Because that is closed “pretty much all of the time.” You’re apparently closed on Mondays completely, and open up (on the days that you’re actually open) *after* many potential patrons would visit. I mean, 7am, really? I pass Capital City on my commute, but can’t stop because I don’t have time with your weird schedule.
      
      And let’s not even talk about closing at THREE PM!! LOL. At least expand your brand like Dennys and have some dinner options.
      
      By the way, closing at 5pm on Sunday (a weekend day, FYI) is not being open “24hours on the weekend.”
      
      Luckily Denny’s is 24 hours (real 24 hours, not Capital City “we’re open the 17-hour-24-hours on Sundays” Diner). I’m looking forward to a good sit down breakfast once Dennys opens. Capital City will have to compete or go out of business, which is fantastic because maybe they’ll start competing by deciding to open during reasonable hours.
      - Prince Of Petworth
        
        Just last week a friend of mine wrote me asking if Cap City Diner had closed. So clearly there is a perception problem at the very least.
      - Matt Ashburn
        
        Anon,
        
        We were open for dinner for about a year and a half with not enough dinner business, so scaled back the hours to better meet our customers’ demand. Re: 7am opening, that’s what our surveyed customers (and the numbers) showed as the best time to open.
        
        As a result of altering our hours to meet actual demand, we immediately became much more profitable and are able to offer better pay to our current employees, which is better for the long-term.
        
        Bladensburg Road, in a few years, could likely support a non-chain sit-down dinner service, but we’re not there yet.
        
        Matt
- Trinidaddy
  
  A STRONG amen and a hallelujah!
Janet Chumpson

Way better than IHOP. Denny’s Grand Slam Breakfast free on your birthday, too! And they have lots of menu items that are loaded with bacon.
TG

Tough location for a 24 hour shop like Denny’s.
- Rick
  
  Yep, it’s both isolated and close to the city’s most notorious housing projects at the same time. But I’ll go anyway. I love Denny’s and you can’t beat the Grand Slam deals.
  - Anonymous
    
    i give up. where is the city’s most notorious housing project?
    - Anonymous
      
      Close to that Denny’s, that’s where!
      
      Sheesh, don’t you people ever actually spend some time in the neighborhood or do a little research before buying those half million dollar condos?
      - Anonymous
        
        so you don’t know?
      - Prince Of Petworth
        
        Sorry that Anonymous tries to be funny with comments like the one above. He is never amusing though often confusing.
anon

Denny’s is soooo much better than IHOP! Try the new pancake puppies! You won’t regret it!
Allison

Bleagh can’t stand the food at either IHOP or Denny’s. Makes me feel like an oily brick is sitting in my stomach, not to mention my hair smelling like grease and other unidentifiable cooking oils for the rest of the day.

Sadly, this will probably just contribute to obesity and other health problems in the neighborhood.
- oink
  
  +1. Denny’s and McD’s are two things I just can’t eat anymore.
Chris

It’s also right across the street from the Mt. Olivet Cemetery, which is perfect.
- Anonymous
  
  Because after you’ve finished placing flowers on your grandmother’s grave, nothing quite hits the spot like a Denny’s Grand Slam™ breakfast.
Brookland Rez

It will be nice to have another 24 hour dining option in NE. Somewhere to go after a show at RNR Hotel.
Fellow Petworthian

Four words: Moons Over My Hammy
ZZinDC

To me, Denny’s vs. IHOP is a draw — if we can believe that Denny’s has changed its ways, after the several racial discrimination suits it settled. All in all though, in that location, I doubt I’ll go, being car-less.
- Anonymous
  
  If they haven’t changed their ways, then they sure picked a helluva place to build a Denny’s!
Mr T in DC

This may just be an urban legend, but I heard that nothing is freshly prepared at Denny’s. Instead, all the entrees are made and frozen in some factory somewhere, and simply thawed out and either microwaved or thrown on the grill for a few minutes when you place your order. Not sure where or when I heard this so take it with a grain of salt…
- Identified
  
  So, it’s more like fast food than crappy restaurant food.
  
  I am shocked I tell you.
- Leroy
  
  Strange, I always assumed they used locally sourced artisan meats and milled flour for their organic breads and pancakes.
Anonymous

I wonder how long it will be open before there’s a shooting/stabbing. My guess is 6 days.
dy no mite

i own Denny’s stock so yes, glad to see this!
- Anonymous
  
  what made you inest in dennys?
20001dc

Denny’s Crushes IHOP. A big second for Moons over my Hammy! and their biscuits and gravy are delicious!
Anonymous

I’m sorry but the New York avenue/Bladensburg Rd intersection would have been a much better location for Denny’s, especially with the hotels that are there. It would have complimented the new Walmart very well and could have been its outparcel. I don’t understand why Denny’s seems to like to locate itself in the extreme ghettos of DC. Soon this will be similar to the location on Benning road ne. It will do nothing for the community but contribute to hypertension and crime. They will have to hire a ton of cops to patrol the parking lot just like the Benning Rd. location where you wait for 2 hours or more for someone to even acknowledge your existence, then another hour to get your food. Between it and the Eddies Carry out, that is really going to be a ROWDY intersection. You know it’s true.
OnOrren

Denny’s is just….awful. Tried the cap coty diner and they have awesome chicken & waffles, so it’d take a lot for me to go elsewhere now.

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