Judging New Restaurants – Drafting Table

Anonymous

Meh. Unimpressive. Expensive. Had a burger and it was very undercooked, almost raw.

The Jimmy

Same new, same new.

Anonymous

Logan Circle is the capital of restaurants that look really stylish and fancy, but have awful food. It feels like they’re all trying to attract patrons who appreciate good interior design but have absolutely no taste when it comes to food.

Anonymous

I have to disagree here. Sure, it’s got Masa 14, El Centro, and Pearl Dive (I’ll never understand why people like this place). But it also is the only strip in the area that also has good restaurants: Estadio, Birch & Barley, Posto, Standard, Matchbox, and Cork.

P Streets restaurants are HORRIBLE, 17th Street restaurants are TERRIBLE unless you’re rich and eating at Komi or Sushi Taro, and U Street is full of mediocre to disgusting places too.
- indc
  
  I’d add Agora into that mix (and it’s considerably less expensive than Komi or Sushi Taro) — there’s also Little Serow. I have to say, too, that Adams Morgan received several good restaurants in the past year – Mintwood, Pho 14, Taan, Sakuramen. While 14th street has a few good restaurants I feel it’s over-hyped compared to what it delivers – almost like Clarendon plopped down into the middle of the city. It’s perfectly fine, but really that’s it.
- bunny
  
  i have to disagree with you about the pearl dive comment and almost put them ahead of birch and barley and most certainly in front of posto?? the staff at posto are rude and pretentious

Spen

Long wait for overpriced mediocre food. I found the menu to be very limited. They would have been better off just being a bar that serves pub food. I won’t go back. There are plenty of other decent restaurants on 14th that garner repeat business. This is not one of them.

ep_jhu

Meh. Drinks weren’t bad but food was just ok. Their French toast wasn’t bad but it was just too sweet. Chairs are not that comfy. Portion sizes are huge.

Anonymous

Went for drinks and was underwhelmed. Very lacking in atmosphere

Anonymous

I appreciated that this place had dishes for under $20 (still overpriced, but this neighborhood is out of control), but my experience here wasn’t good. the service was really awkward and slow, and the food was pretty mediocre — which wasn’t helped by the terrible dishes they served it on. they only really half-heartedly executed the theme too so it just seemed like they were trying too hard without trying at all.

I’m dying for something on 14th that’s casual, inexpensive, and DECENT!!!!

diploj

Great Wall Szechuan House it is, then.
- Anonymous
  
  Can you tell me what to order at this place? I know a bunch of folks who swear that this is the best “hole in the wall” joint in the hood, but the 2 times I went the food was pretty bad. I sometimes think people say they like it just to pretend they have some underground place to go to, but in reality it’s just a bad restaurant.
  - logancirclegal
    
    I am a huge Great Wall fan! If you can handle spicy, try anything off their Ma La menu. Ma la chicken with vegetables and ma la cucumber are both amazing and different from any other Chinese food I’ve had in DC. Their review on yelp offers a lot of suggestions if you’re looking for ideas.
    - Anonymous
      
      I love, love love Ma La chicken

picky eater

I’ve only been once so far but the fries were some of the best I’ve ever had, the food not super creative but solidly good (and a rare place that did not over salt), and the service was great. It was a bit loud but not more so than the other places on the neighborhood (or maybe I’m just getting old now that I’m commenting on the noise).

Anonymous

Expensive? Are you new to DC? Can someone please explain how a restaurant with no items above $15 is expensive?

hma

Another “meh.”

No atmosphere and the food is mediocre.

Anonymous

Good beer selection, tasty fish and chips- what’s not to like?

dccheesehead

Everything else apparently.

z

meh. mediocre food. shoddy service. odd/disorganized menu. haphazard “decor.”

pchip

I was not impressed. We sat at the bar and despite only 4 people at the bar, neither of the 2 bartenders cared to pay any attention to us. We were able to get 2 drinks each and would have loved to order food, but decided to go elsewhere after being ignored again and again. When the check came, two of the drinks were not on there, so I thought maybe they were being nice since it was clear we were annoyed. However, once they ran my card, they added them back to the bill.

rtoaster

Went there really early for brunch- they are one of the few places that opens before 10:00 for weekend brunch.

Had the egg sandwich and a bloody mary and thought both were great. Agree that it feels more expensive than I would like it to be, and wish that they had more happy hour deals. The inside is gorgeous.

UStreeter

Ugh. The gf and I went when it first opened. Sat down and saw basically NOTHING on the menu that appealed to me (probably the only time that has happened to me — I’m not that picky.) The food we eventually ordered was just so-so at best. Now every time the gf and I drive by, we wonder out loud how long that place is going to be open.

–

you might be wondering for some time….Commissary and Tortilla Coast remain open so this neighborhood clearly enjoys mediocre food.
- Anonymous
  
  excellent point. all the restaurants on P street piss me off. we gay men are supposed to have taste! why do we keep commissary, logan tavern, dupont italian kitchen, and la frontera cantina open?
  - dc
    
    So true. It’s a personal affront to the gay stereotype.
- Anonymous
  
  I like commissary
- lindz0722
  
  Despite Commissary’s mediocre food and service, I think it stays open because it’s the only place around you can get a sit-down breakfast on a weekday (or before 11am on a weekend). There are enough work-from-homers in the area that it’s always been pretty busy when I’m there at those hours.
  
  No clue on Tortilla Coast, though.

JPK

i thought everything about the place was bizarre. it was as if they did all of the planning, decorating, staff training, etc over a weekend. my guess is it won’t be around by the spring.

Matt

I can always count on PoPVille to make me second guess trying new places.

Anonymous

Like

Gumpper

The Post noted that the “executive chef” was last seen baking cupcakes at Red Velvet. That tells me all I need to know.

homerule

I have to say, we went there for brunch to watch premier league football, and enjoyed our time there. I brought my laptop and did work while my fiance watched the game. We both just had coffee for the first hour or so, and they were perfectly fine with us doing so. We did order a breakfast entree and split it–and were glad we did huge portions.

Anonymous

Wanted to like this place, but it just not good: Boring factory beer selection (aside from DC Brau). I had horridly salty yet bland falafel and a really disappointing burger which were way overpriced. While I was there, two different groups of people were seated at the table next to and after looking at the menu and waiting for the server, both groups they decided to leave. Service was horrible, too. There were some staff who were just wandering around when several tables were trying to find their server.

theheights

Maybe I’ll wait a bit to try this concept. It looked sustainable and farm-to-table enough, but the reviews aren’t encouraging.

indc

Sounds like the owners need to go back to drawing board on this one. Bah-dum-bum!!

Anon

So terrible. The bar back had to get a bartender to come serve me… I was seated at the bar. Bartender made me pay before bringing me my beer (really?). Both bartenders were then too busy doing shots with their friends (at 7:30pm!) to bring a menu (again, the bar back helped me) or take a food order. Later.

U Street

Don’t understand the unfavorable reviews. Had the roast chicken, which was a huge portion, garlicky and delicious. Server comped a glass of wine after my friend and I had to wait a while for the main course, which was totally understandable given that we were there during the first week the place opened. Far worse is the feeling I get from other new restaurants in the neighborhood that I’m being rushed out the door. The noise level was not excessive, allowing my friend and I to carry on a conversation. I also like the drafting table theme, a play on the local construction boom.

DCThisWeek

Went to this place about a month after it opened. I always support 14th Street bars and restaurants so it deserved a chance. I arrived and sat at the high communal tables. No water nor drink was offered to me for 15 minutes as I waited for a friend. They were half full and servers running around frantic trying to look busy as a photographer shot photos of the place and food that was brought out. I was floored no water was offered and would have left had I not been waiting for my friend. She arrived. We stayed. Had wine and beer and fries. The beer was nothing special (no Church Key) and overpriced. Wine was fine and equally priced. I expect to pay $10 plus for wine, but for mediocre beer? Fries were fine. Won’t be going back. Ashame because its a great location. But cursed. Nothing last there and I think it will close within a year or two.

RozCat

Hoping that in 2013, the following can be retired from online restaurant reviews:

1. “Meh”
2. “Underwhelmed”
3. “____ at best”

Anonymous

Interesting “concept”

Alex

Went with a friend a few weeks ago. Sat at the bar. Bartender was totally indifferent. Mt friend ordered coffee and IaAsked for Iced tea and was told they dont serve it. My friend asked if they could brew hot tea and pour it over ice. Bartender grunted and walked away to come back 5 minutes later with a glass of ice water with a tea bag in it. After looking at the menu for ten more minutes while being ignored we decided to leave. Bartender gave us the bill for the coffee and “iced tea” I explained there was no way I was paying for that. Again he shrugged, no apology, just took the bill and came back with one with only the coffee on it. First time in my life i have left 0% tip. This place is a joke and nothing on the menu looked interesting. Wont be back

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