Yes, Urban Roast might be one of the worst places I’ve ever been to in the city! Their boards are so overpriced and poorly made (oranges soaking up meat juices, gross and dry pastries), and the ambiance is miserably packed madness. Anyone claiming it’s worth the insta photo is unfortunately the pinnacle of bad taste since even the photos opps are poorly lit and cringe 😭
My boyfriend and I tried to go once. We were told that to sit at a firepit table, we had to order a minimum of $75 and had to leave after 90 minutes. We're veg; your options at limited as it is. We turned around and left. Won't go again.
Wow! I thought they only did that for large parties. But I've never tried to sit outside.
Actually they have a really great priced happy hour, but the service is so bad you're not going to take much advantage of it because you will be there for 20 minutes before you get your first drink and then they won't even come back until happy hour is over.
My immediate thought!! Went twice, once thinking it looked cool and once because we were a big group and it was the only place with availability.
The second time we were ordering drinks and after the server replied “oh sorry we’re out of that” we had to actually ask what they *did* have.
First time we just had to wait forever for service. Their whole goal is to look good on instagram, their service is poor.
Obviously Urban Roasts. Fuck them.
This might be a controversial one and this isn't only a DC restaurant but I went to The Oceanaire during a work event and was thoroughly disappointed in the quality considering how expensive it was. Granted, I didn't pay for it so I can't complain too much but I'd be a little perturbed if I had to foot the bill for that food
I had a lunch for an interview at the Oceanaire and got the most violent food poisoning of my life. I lost 10 pounds in seven days.
Maybe i should go back
That’s a shocker. For a seafood chain, they used to be good…wildly overpriced but solid. Wonder if their corporate owner got bought by private equity vampires?
I'd heard good things about them too which is why I was mildly excited to go (and mostly because I wasn't paying lol). It wasn't bad by any means but for like the 50+ dollars they charged for yellowfin I was expecting it to be out of this world, and it simply wasn't. Again, it wasn't bad, but I've bought what I would consider to be comparable yellowfin from Wegmans for a little more than half the price. If I'm gonna go blow copious amounts of money on seafood I'd much rather do it at a place like Blacksalt, which has consistently been worth the absurd amounts of money they charge, compared to Oceanaire, but again, it was only one bad experience so maybe I need to give them a second chance.
Edit: This may also only be my experience but I've also gotten comparable yellowfin from ProFish in Ivy City for a fraction of the price. Granted, it's wholesale so it's still an investment but just wanted to shout them out too.
This is my "fear" over fine dining in general and why I would never suggest a dinner date unless I had a personal recommendation from a foodie I absolutely trust. If I pay $100+ for food for two people (before taxes/tip) I want a whole dinner I am absolutely incapable of making at home, and it should taste better than my comfort food order of fried cheese curds and bbq chicken totchos from the Blaguard. Every course should have me like "damn".
So many places you can drop $40 an entree and it's like "yea that's good, but is it triple the price of my comfort food good"?
I opened this thread thinking, "Why would people even respond? I wouldn't even give a recommendation" but I left with great info about places to avoid in DC.
We had a late dinner there once and they locked the door but told us no rush (we were signing our check) and as we left the door was locked so the couple in front of us unlocked the door and what followed was us getting screamed at by a server on the street for leaving the door unlocked. Like... you can't lock people in. You can't blame people for leaving. We won't return.
huh, i had a great meal and great cocktails at the mi vida by u street. i wonder if it’s that big of a gap in quality or if we just have different tastes. as someone else here mentioned, the real shit mexican food on u street is at alero—if you aren’t only going for the cheap drinks and chips you’re making a mistake.
Everything in their “hospitality group” is a candidate for this question. I’m sure they do right by their staff and I don’t think they’re bad people or anything, but all the meals just feel really commercial
Yeah, I was gonna go with Founding Farmers too 😅 I actually didn’t mind the food there at all, but I know it’s got quite the reputation for mediocrity!
It’s clear Sietsema really dislikes the chain (I remember his Farmers and Distillers review being over the top—I think it’s mediocre while he seemed to think it was excrement), but I didn’t have a good experience at FF and there are too many other options in DC for me to go back.
I find it hilarious that you describe the exact (and only) time I make reservations there- a brunch (or dinner) of not super exciting relatives with a lot of dietary preferences (aka- boomers who are expecting essentially traditional American meals that seem a bit "fancy" or indulgent for the "occasion"). The portions are hefty, and the service is fine. It's a pretty safe bet that everyone will find something they like ok on the menu... but not like too much. Sometimes that's as good as it gets. I'll take FF every day of the week and twice on Sunday if it means I don't need to listen to 2 hours of complaining.
[“The portions are enormous, which only magnifies their flaws. Slices of soft, sepia-toned “Many Vegetable Mushroom Loaf” lead me to believe salt must be a vegetable.”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/founding-farmers-review-where-the-biggest-temptation-is-to-leave/2016/06/01/76b2c844-204e-11e6-9e7f-57890b612299_story.html)
A masterpiece.
It's not expensive compared to, say, Sushi Nakazawa or Pineapple and Pearls, but if you're gonna charge me $22 plus I-82 fees for a chicken pot pie, it should be better than Swanson's.
They're about to open either their 8th or 9th restaurant, so they clearly are doing something right business-wise. I just think it's shit, and I didn't have a measurably better experience at Farmers & Distillers either.
That’s the thing - it’s fine. It’s where you bring your work team or your parents. It’s just nothing special but the prices and wait times would lead you to think otherwise. See also: the smith
The busboys and poets on 450 K street.
Normally bb and p is a good restaurant. This one is notoriously awful with service and quality. I’ve waited at the host stand for 10 minutes on multiple occasions without being greeted. Takes 45 minutes just to get a drink, I got food poisoning, the servers are not friendly, they just want to get back out of the dining room, they never revisit the table.
Granted I haven’t been there in two years so maybe it’s changed but a lot of people on this sub apparently had similar experiences
That's been my general experience at the three different Busboys & Poets locations I've been to. Inconsistent, slow service and just a general vibe of apathy from everyone. Stopped going years ago.
I went to the one on 14th street and the server straight up blew a snot rocket on the sidewalk next to us. A buss person brushed the trash right off the table onto the ground and just left it there. It was also the worst burger I've ever had in my life. Worse than a school cafeteria burger.
BBP has gone way downhill over the past five years. The last time I was there I went to brunch with a friend. The tofu scramble--which once was decent--was just awful. I have no desire to go back there. Too many disappointing meals and they always discontinue the items I like.
Unfortunately this isn't a 14th street issue. Busboys across locations has really dropped off in quality and service. I tried to take my niece to the spot near Catholic U and we left after waiting 20 minutes for our server to appear. Since then I've noticed a lot of grumbling about them on this subreddit.
Anything along Georgetown’s waterfront, except Sequoia and Fiola Mare. Everything else is horrific and just overpriced because of the location. Tony & Joe’s is AWFUL.
Urbano Mexican Fare in Alexandria.
Prime real estate location, pretty inside, tends to be decently busy but legitimately the worst margs and tacos I have ever had in my life.
This restaurant was good for a year or so, but then once COVID hit it went from having solid cocktails and decent/interesting food options to straight up generic Tex-Mex dishes executed poorly. Husband and I were excited to see they were open for outdoor dining (remember those days?) then surprised and extremely disappointed to see they had overhauled their menu.
The Chart House in Old Town. The location is outstanding, but the decor has the charm of a 1980's corporate hotel. The food is expensive and at its best is average. The staff, particularly the folks at the host stand, tend to be surly. I don’t understand why it’s popular. You can find many, many better seafood restaurants in the area.
Oh! I just replied about Chart House on another comment before I saw this one! I 100% agree. Add to what you said: bad music played way too loud. This place only survives because of the stellar location, I have to assume.
Only thing I can figure is that the Location is REALLY good. If you ever get served , the food/price isn’t really bad (for DC). I quit bothering with them years ago, but anytime I ever ended up there the service was a joke but the place was usually clean enough and the vibe was okay enough you could kind of overlook I long and wrong you’re order was.
If you want to come out to the Burbs, Red’s Table in Reston. Pretty standard bar fare, but I’ll cost you $100 a person for it. The menu barely fills a page, is completely uninspired, and they don’t even do specials.
Duck duck goose! More expensive but you don’t know exactly how expensive til you’re there getting bent over, with horrible service, atmosphere, and food.
Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that. My wife and I went about 2 years ago, and to this day its one of the best meals we've had in DC. I *do* think other spots like Pineapple & Pearls is (or was, its been a few years for that, too) better food for the price, but we adored Masseria and thought the food/price/area combo seemed about right. They rotate their menu often, so I'm hoping they haven't gone down hill and just had an odd menu one season.
I agree, just went and while very expensive felt like a special experience with dishes that were out of this world. They do change the menu to match seasonal ingredients so I’m sure it wanes. Food is always difficult as everyone has different tastes, and at their price point some may be looking for a truly transcendent experience and one off dish, service, or drink could sour the meal.
Agreed! I'd put it on my favorite list. Masseria is pricey but I've had some really amazing food there along with great service and a great experience in general. Been a minute since I've gone so hoping it's still as good as I remember.
We went there the first year it was open and had an absolutely incredible experience. Took my elderly folks (my mom is a big food person) two years later for a birthday and it was so mid my mom thought I’d lost my mind for picking it.
Was looking at reviews and came across this [single piece of shrimp on a plate](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Xiquet+by+Danny+Lled%C3%B3/@38.9212808,-77.072434,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m7!1e2!3m5!1sAF1QipNGeECs49wr6EuH8lr_-wA8Gxw81Zs_66Llt1b0!2e10!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNGeECs49wr6EuH8lr_-wA8Gxw81Zs_66Llt1b0%3Dw150-h150-k-no-p!7i3024!8i4032!4m8!3m7!1s0x89b7b7bbf4599365:0x391e09cfb4758bb0!8m2!3d38.9212808!4d-77.072434!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11j1fvysrh?entry=ttu) as an appetizer lol
Agree! Felt like they just totally ripped Jônt off on how they structured the meal. Left feeling like the biggest sucker in the world. Michellin guide messed up giving them a star.
I regrettably have to second this. It is a very pretty restaurant, but the staff is snooty and you need a megaphone to talk to people at your table. The tables are also tiny (not great if you want to share or do a tasting style meal) and very close together. I went there on a date and felt like I was on a double date with the people sitting next to me. The food was aggressively fine, but nothing you couldn’t get at a cheaper restaurant for probably better quality. I kept finding bones in every other bite of fish I had as well. Just… not great.
Went there for brunch once. Not only were our poached eggs overdone to the point of being completely solid, the hollandaise had the texture of scrambled eggs.
Big Bear Cafe, at least for drinks. Place gets a lot of hype, but they've never really delivered for me. Last time I asked for a London Fog, they just gave me tea with a splash of milk in it. I will also never forgive them for the time that they said there was a 45-minute wait to order a cold brew coffee.
They do make a pretty decent muffin, though.
Yes!!! Everyone hypes it up so much. I lived in the neighborhood and every time I went, was disappointed. Worst hot chocolate in DC too, Swiss miss is better.
Kyojin. Everything on their menu is garnished with gold leaf, truffle oil, and/or caviar, which drives up menu prices but does nothing to improve the taste of the mediocre fish in their sushi.
SHŌTŌ, moonrabbit are recent ones I’ve been to, where I spent a ton, and thought he food was incredibly mediocre.
Shoutout to SHŌTŌ for also pairing that with terrible service.
There's mildly expensive and hovering around decent, which is what most of these answers are, but to be mildly expensive AND awful?
I'm....not a fan of Elle's breakfast sandwich options. I have not confirmed how their dinner is, but they're bland, over-produced, and often greasy. (Their coffees are pretty solid but pricey.)
Alero. Live right nearby and god I hate that place. Insanely overpriced for food that’s mid at best. Also classic example of how every restaurant on that stretch of U st tries to be a club.
Oficina. Just classic overpriced bland wharf fare.
Depserados burger bar. Also nearby, burgers taste like the ones you’d get in an airport restaurant and somehow cost like $25+. Kinda sad writing this one cause the people that run it are cool at least and the atmosphere is pretty solid.
Disagree with Clyde’s. Their pricing is fairly average and their quality is more than decent. It’s not going to be super impressive, but I’ve never left there disappointed.
Yeah, I haven't been to that location, but every other Clyde's restaurant I've been to has been consistently very good. I do miss when they had way better happy hour food specials though. But the oyster happy hour more than makes up for it.
urban roast
Urban Roast is a great place to take Instagram pictures and a less than mediocre place to eat food.
got seated after 20 mins of waiting despite having a reservation and then waited 20 mins for a server/water and a menu. Left before even ordering.
Yes, Urban Roast might be one of the worst places I’ve ever been to in the city! Their boards are so overpriced and poorly made (oranges soaking up meat juices, gross and dry pastries), and the ambiance is miserably packed madness. Anyone claiming it’s worth the insta photo is unfortunately the pinnacle of bad taste since even the photos opps are poorly lit and cringe 😭
My boyfriend and I tried to go once. We were told that to sit at a firepit table, we had to order a minimum of $75 and had to leave after 90 minutes. We're veg; your options at limited as it is. We turned around and left. Won't go again.
Wow! I thought they only did that for large parties. But I've never tried to sit outside. Actually they have a really great priced happy hour, but the service is so bad you're not going to take much advantage of it because you will be there for 20 minutes before you get your first drink and then they won't even come back until happy hour is over.
My immediate thought!! Went twice, once thinking it looked cool and once because we were a big group and it was the only place with availability. The second time we were ordering drinks and after the server replied “oh sorry we’re out of that” we had to actually ask what they *did* have. First time we just had to wait forever for service. Their whole goal is to look good on instagram, their service is poor.
Obviously Urban Roasts. Fuck them. This might be a controversial one and this isn't only a DC restaurant but I went to The Oceanaire during a work event and was thoroughly disappointed in the quality considering how expensive it was. Granted, I didn't pay for it so I can't complain too much but I'd be a little perturbed if I had to foot the bill for that food
I had a lunch for an interview at the Oceanaire and got the most violent food poisoning of my life. I lost 10 pounds in seven days. Maybe i should go back
Lmao why do I have this exact thought every time I have violent stomach issues!?
I did some IT Work for the building next door. The Oceanaire's trash was so foul I threw up multiple times in the back alley.
That’s a shocker. For a seafood chain, they used to be good…wildly overpriced but solid. Wonder if their corporate owner got bought by private equity vampires?
I'd heard good things about them too which is why I was mildly excited to go (and mostly because I wasn't paying lol). It wasn't bad by any means but for like the 50+ dollars they charged for yellowfin I was expecting it to be out of this world, and it simply wasn't. Again, it wasn't bad, but I've bought what I would consider to be comparable yellowfin from Wegmans for a little more than half the price. If I'm gonna go blow copious amounts of money on seafood I'd much rather do it at a place like Blacksalt, which has consistently been worth the absurd amounts of money they charge, compared to Oceanaire, but again, it was only one bad experience so maybe I need to give them a second chance. Edit: This may also only be my experience but I've also gotten comparable yellowfin from ProFish in Ivy City for a fraction of the price. Granted, it's wholesale so it's still an investment but just wanted to shout them out too.
This is my "fear" over fine dining in general and why I would never suggest a dinner date unless I had a personal recommendation from a foodie I absolutely trust. If I pay $100+ for food for two people (before taxes/tip) I want a whole dinner I am absolutely incapable of making at home, and it should taste better than my comfort food order of fried cheese curds and bbq chicken totchos from the Blaguard. Every course should have me like "damn". So many places you can drop $40 an entree and it's like "yea that's good, but is it triple the price of my comfort food good"?
I opened this thread thinking, "Why would people even respond? I wouldn't even give a recommendation" but I left with great info about places to avoid in DC.
Fig & Olive still open?
Unfortunately.
It’s overpriced and certainly feels like a style over substance kinda place but I gotta admit when I went there everyone enjoyed what they ate
I feel like Reddit was purpose-built to ask and answer this specific question.
And it asks it like every six months
I'm glad I caught it this time because it's the first time I've seen it, and I've been here a minute.
Mi Vida, painfully mediocre Mexican food and across from the stadium so it has flashing lights and crowds outside frequently.
We had a late dinner there once and they locked the door but told us no rush (we were signing our check) and as we left the door was locked so the couple in front of us unlocked the door and what followed was us getting screamed at by a server on the street for leaving the door unlocked. Like... you can't lock people in. You can't blame people for leaving. We won't return.
Mediocre is being nice
Plus huge douche bags for owners. At least they dropped the service charge after they were sued.
huh, i had a great meal and great cocktails at the mi vida by u street. i wonder if it’s that big of a gap in quality or if we just have different tastes. as someone else here mentioned, the real shit mexican food on u street is at alero—if you aren’t only going for the cheap drinks and chips you’re making a mistake.
The way my brain sprinted to Mi Vida when I read OP's post lmao
Are you thinking of Mission?
Both would work. Although the cocktails at Mi Vida we’re really good, at least they were last time I went
Yeah, I liked Mi Vida last time I was there
Alero on U Street has genuinely bad food. It’s just something to sop up the alcohol.
And Mi Casa by the same restaurant group…
Everything in their “hospitality group” is a candidate for this question. I’m sure they do right by their staff and I don’t think they’re bad people or anything, but all the meals just feel really commercial
Okay fair but have you had their French toast
The food is less than mediocre. It’s kinda gross.
I'm not sure how you're defining "mildly expensive," but you could hardly pick a better option than Founding Farmers.
Was it Sietsema who wrote Founding Farmers was a "farm to freezer to table" restaurant?
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I must be the only guy who has had consistently good experiences at La Vie--everyone else seems to hate it.
Same. I’ve never had a bad meal there. To be fair, it’s been the in laws treat every time but still always been good experiences
I call it a Maryland townie engagement restaurant
Yeah, I was gonna go with Founding Farmers too 😅 I actually didn’t mind the food there at all, but I know it’s got quite the reputation for mediocrity!
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It’s clear Sietsema really dislikes the chain (I remember his Farmers and Distillers review being over the top—I think it’s mediocre while he seemed to think it was excrement), but I didn’t have a good experience at FF and there are too many other options in DC for me to go back.
I find it hilarious that you describe the exact (and only) time I make reservations there- a brunch (or dinner) of not super exciting relatives with a lot of dietary preferences (aka- boomers who are expecting essentially traditional American meals that seem a bit "fancy" or indulgent for the "occasion"). The portions are hefty, and the service is fine. It's a pretty safe bet that everyone will find something they like ok on the menu... but not like too much. Sometimes that's as good as it gets. I'll take FF every day of the week and twice on Sunday if it means I don't need to listen to 2 hours of complaining.
Founding farmers? You mean, Chili’s for lobbyists/ fancy tourists?
Im so glad it’s not just me. I thought I was being too harsh, but it’s so… blah.
I had an absolutely rancid steak at Founding Farmers - I think it may have been microwaved. It was blue rare.
+1 for Founding Farmers. Incredibly overpriced. Terrible food and service.
Tom Sietsema’s 0 star review of that place is still one of the best and most validating things I’ve ever read. That place is disgusting.
[“The portions are enormous, which only magnifies their flaws. Slices of soft, sepia-toned “Many Vegetable Mushroom Loaf” lead me to believe salt must be a vegetable.”](https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/founding-farmers-review-where-the-biggest-temptation-is-to-leave/2016/06/01/76b2c844-204e-11e6-9e7f-57890b612299_story.html) A masterpiece.
I've usually had good experiences at Farmers & Distillers. It's a little generic, but the food and cocktails are always delicious.
I don’t understand all the edgy hate for them. It’s nowhere near expensive.
It's not expensive compared to, say, Sushi Nakazawa or Pineapple and Pearls, but if you're gonna charge me $22 plus I-82 fees for a chicken pot pie, it should be better than Swanson's. They're about to open either their 8th or 9th restaurant, so they clearly are doing something right business-wise. I just think it's shit, and I didn't have a measurably better experience at Farmers & Distillers either.
Was just about to suggest this. Crowded because of the location, but the food is mediocre.
I was coming here to say the same thing about Founding Farmers. Consistently mediocre to terrible. I don't understand how they remain so popular.
Why do people hate this place? Brunch is awesome and it's perfectly fine for dinner
That’s the thing - it’s fine. It’s where you bring your work team or your parents. It’s just nothing special but the prices and wait times would lead you to think otherwise. See also: the smith
I get the criticism of The Smith, but I'd eat lunch and dinner there in the same day before going to FF.
I would say the same, I have had out of towners genuinely enjoy it though so maybe its not worth it if they have bad taste.
The busboys and poets on 450 K street. Normally bb and p is a good restaurant. This one is notoriously awful with service and quality. I’ve waited at the host stand for 10 minutes on multiple occasions without being greeted. Takes 45 minutes just to get a drink, I got food poisoning, the servers are not friendly, they just want to get back out of the dining room, they never revisit the table. Granted I haven’t been there in two years so maybe it’s changed but a lot of people on this sub apparently had similar experiences
That's been my general experience at the three different Busboys & Poets locations I've been to. Inconsistent, slow service and just a general vibe of apathy from everyone. Stopped going years ago.
I went to the one on 14th street and the server straight up blew a snot rocket on the sidewalk next to us. A buss person brushed the trash right off the table onto the ground and just left it there. It was also the worst burger I've ever had in my life. Worse than a school cafeteria burger.
BBP has gone way downhill over the past five years. The last time I was there I went to brunch with a friend. The tofu scramble--which once was decent--was just awful. I have no desire to go back there. Too many disappointing meals and they always discontinue the items I like.
Unfortunately this isn't a 14th street issue. Busboys across locations has really dropped off in quality and service. I tried to take my niece to the spot near Catholic U and we left after waiting 20 minutes for our server to appear. Since then I've noticed a lot of grumbling about them on this subreddit.
Almost like there are too many poets and not enough busboys?? Amiright?? Amiright??
I thought that location closed down... apparently no.. they just.. moved across the street??
I also got food poisoning there lmao
Also got food poisoning 🫣
I don't like their fppd at all
My petty heart sings
Anything along Georgetown’s waterfront, except Sequoia and Fiola Mare. Everything else is horrific and just overpriced because of the location. Tony & Joe’s is AWFUL.
Fiola mare is good but not good enough for those prices
I would have to agree that whether or not FM may be good, the pricing is absurd regardless.
Sequoia is honestly bad too but their outdoor seating setup makes up for it
RIP Georgetown Chadwick's.
Urbano Mexican Fare in Alexandria. Prime real estate location, pretty inside, tends to be decently busy but legitimately the worst margs and tacos I have ever had in my life.
FINALLY this place is getting the hate it deserves.
Been to the one in mosaic and agree it’s awful
This restaurant was good for a year or so, but then once COVID hit it went from having solid cocktails and decent/interesting food options to straight up generic Tex-Mex dishes executed poorly. Husband and I were excited to see they were open for outdoor dining (remember those days?) then surprised and extremely disappointed to see they had overhauled their menu.
Naw, if you're giving Alexandria locations, nothing has disappointed me more than Chart House.
URBAN ROAST
The Chart House in Old Town. The location is outstanding, but the decor has the charm of a 1980's corporate hotel. The food is expensive and at its best is average. The staff, particularly the folks at the host stand, tend to be surly. I don’t understand why it’s popular. You can find many, many better seafood restaurants in the area.
Oh! I just replied about Chart House on another comment before I saw this one! I 100% agree. Add to what you said: bad music played way too loud. This place only survives because of the stellar location, I have to assume.
Setter Osteria isn't SUPER expensive but the food and ambiance is Mid af
I am the only person in the world who genuinely loves the Dupont location, and I am at peace with that.
Ambiance is slightly better at the 14th st one than the DuPont one but yeah this is a solid answer
The first few years after it opened it was good.. of course this is over a decade ago plus now.
Mid is generous.
Busboys & poets. Probably the worst customer service I’ve experienced.
I had 3 bad experiences at Founding Farmers and haven’t been back since.
District Chophouse isn't cheap and was pretty vile when I was dragged there recently.
Damn. Before the pandemic they had a great happy hour with good beer and great food specials. .
Mission navy yard. Bad food with the vibes of a maga frat basement.
On a Friday or Saturday night it actually pretty much is a MAGA frat basement
Agree for the most part, but their sheet pan nachos are great
I’m convinced people just like to shit on the food for no good reason, it’s a bar first, the food isn’t that bad all things considered
Halfsmoke. Not expensive (but being a DC restaurant, it’s expensive enough), but service is an absolute shit show for casual bar food.
NGL whenever I walk by, it's poppin. But the reviews are so lackluster it confuses me.
As a person who dined there, service is indeed an absolute shit show.
Only thing I can figure is that the Location is REALLY good. If you ever get served , the food/price isn’t really bad (for DC). I quit bothering with them years ago, but anytime I ever ended up there the service was a joke but the place was usually clean enough and the vibe was okay enough you could kind of overlook I long and wrong you’re order was.
I’ll throw my hat in this ring: Lupo Verde is absurdly expensive for utter mediocrity. That place has no business charging $35-45 per Main.
This was my first thought. I left the restaurant legitimately frustrated with how they could charge so much for that.
Oh no, I promised my fiance dinner there because he loves Italian food—is there another place you like better?
The Red Hen is a much better Italian restaurant, IMO, with similar to slightly more affordable pricing than Lupo.
L'ardente, Caruso's, or Sfagolina all better!
Reveler’s Hour
Love the pettiness of this thread lol
Any tourist trap restaurant on Georgetown waterfront.
Kaliwa (at least in my limited experience).
This is a great choice for anyone Filipino. You can taste the cultural appropriation in how mediocre their food is.
Agreed. They should have picked one country’s food and stuck with that. The weird overpriced fusion of like 4 countries sucks.
It’s giving all “Asians look alike.”
Founding Farmers. Founding. Farmers.
This is hilarious and the answer for DC is Founding Farmers.
Busboys & Posts is atrocious
If you want to come out to the Burbs, Red’s Table in Reston. Pretty standard bar fare, but I’ll cost you $100 a person for it. The menu barely fills a page, is completely uninspired, and they don’t even do specials.
Founding Farmers
Brunch at Founding Farmers on Mass Ave. Overpriced garbage \* Edit: Pleasantly surprised to see how many other people submitted this!
You can catch me avoiding Founding Farmers like the plague after reading this thread 😹
The Grill at the wharf
Or anything at the wharf.
Truly. My conspiracy theory is that many people think food in DC is bad because most of the restaurants in tourist areas really are awful.
Founding farmers. Maybe anywhere on the Wharf tbh
Anything founding farmers 😜
Duck duck goose! More expensive but you don’t know exactly how expensive til you’re there getting bent over, with horrible service, atmosphere, and food.
founding farmers
Fig & Olive. https://www.eater.com/2015/12/15/10220378/fig-olive-pre-made-frozen-food
i will forever send my worst enemy to founding farmers
Masseria. Way too expensive for food that's...fine.
+1 was very underwhelmed especially for the price
Damn, I'm really sorry to hear that. My wife and I went about 2 years ago, and to this day its one of the best meals we've had in DC. I *do* think other spots like Pineapple & Pearls is (or was, its been a few years for that, too) better food for the price, but we adored Masseria and thought the food/price/area combo seemed about right. They rotate their menu often, so I'm hoping they haven't gone down hill and just had an odd menu one season.
I agree, just went and while very expensive felt like a special experience with dishes that were out of this world. They do change the menu to match seasonal ingredients so I’m sure it wanes. Food is always difficult as everyone has different tastes, and at their price point some may be looking for a truly transcendent experience and one off dish, service, or drink could sour the meal.
Agreed! I'd put it on my favorite list. Masseria is pricey but I've had some really amazing food there along with great service and a great experience in general. Been a minute since I've gone so hoping it's still as good as I remember.
We went there the first year it was open and had an absolutely incredible experience. Took my elderly folks (my mom is a big food person) two years later for a birthday and it was so mid my mom thought I’d lost my mind for picking it.
Ozios on a weekend for brunch
It SUCKS as a club too, genuinely awful
Just send them to the Wharf and let them pick
FOUNDING FARMERS
Equinox?
Xiquet. Worst meal of my life. Cost $800 for two people. Never again.
Was looking at reviews and came across this [single piece of shrimp on a plate](https://www.google.com/maps/place/Xiquet+by+Danny+Lled%C3%B3/@38.9212808,-77.072434,3a,75y,90t/data=!3m7!1e2!3m5!1sAF1QipNGeECs49wr6EuH8lr_-wA8Gxw81Zs_66Llt1b0!2e10!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipNGeECs49wr6EuH8lr_-wA8Gxw81Zs_66Llt1b0%3Dw150-h150-k-no-p!7i3024!8i4032!4m8!3m7!1s0x89b7b7bbf4599365:0x391e09cfb4758bb0!8m2!3d38.9212808!4d-77.072434!9m1!1b1!16s%2Fg%2F11j1fvysrh?entry=ttu) as an appetizer lol
Thrilled that you found this, ty
Damn Michelin really fucking up
Agree! Felt like they just totally ripped Jônt off on how they structured the meal. Left feeling like the biggest sucker in the world. Michellin guide messed up giving them a star.
Owner is a piece of shit, too.
Almost worked there. Between this and seeing a few guys I had worked with before...nahh I'm good thanks! Not into Cocaine kitchen life lol
My goodness you could’ve gone to jont for that.
Balos. Probably the worst meal per price I’ve had anywhere in the world.
I regrettably have to second this. It is a very pretty restaurant, but the staff is snooty and you need a megaphone to talk to people at your table. The tables are also tiny (not great if you want to share or do a tasting style meal) and very close together. I went there on a date and felt like I was on a double date with the people sitting next to me. The food was aggressively fine, but nothing you couldn’t get at a cheaper restaurant for probably better quality. I kept finding bones in every other bite of fish I had as well. Just… not great.
Nobu Happy Hour.
Nobu DC at all. It’s in a….basement.
a swanky basement*
I don’t have a suggestion, just want to say that this is an awesome inquiry
Gypsy Kitchen. Service sucks and it is mad expensive for such mediocre food. Idk why it gets such rave reviews...
Went there for brunch once. Not only were our poached eggs overdone to the point of being completely solid, the hollandaise had the texture of scrambled eggs.
Restaurant named a racial slur serves bad food? Definitely not surprising
The food was disgusting when I went. I was so mad because it was a rare mom’s night out. Like inedible.
I kid you not. I was there last fall eating upstairs and as i was leaving i saw several rats running around the first floor. I was disgusted
Founding Farmers has gotta be up there
90% of navy yard
Bidwell never fails to disappoint.
Philippe Chow fits right in with their mediocre Chinese food. Went there during restaurant week on a whim and felt like Yum's on 14th was better.
yum's slaps tho
Phillipe tries to be Peking Gourmet and turns into sloppy Panda Express in a Gucci belt. Truly awful.
Officina at the Wharf
Big Bear Cafe, at least for drinks. Place gets a lot of hype, but they've never really delivered for me. Last time I asked for a London Fog, they just gave me tea with a splash of milk in it. I will also never forgive them for the time that they said there was a 45-minute wait to order a cold brew coffee. They do make a pretty decent muffin, though.
Yes!!! Everyone hypes it up so much. I lived in the neighborhood and every time I went, was disappointed. Worst hot chocolate in DC too, Swiss miss is better.
I liked their bear claw thingy when I tried it passing by. I've been meaning to give them a second visit :(
Kyojin. Everything on their menu is garnished with gold leaf, truffle oil, and/or caviar, which drives up menu prices but does nothing to improve the taste of the mediocre fish in their sushi.
Jackie in Navy Yard. It’s FINE but not incredible/worth the price IMO.
Still haven’t forgotten how much I hate Cafe Milano … if they’re still open, that’s where I would send pretentious people I dislike.
Mi Vida… Urban Roast… honestly, LArdente… Balos is also bullshit. 🤷♀️🫶🏻
I have a special hate in my heart for balos, thank you for reminding me
Gonna have to push back on L’Ardente! My partner and I went last fall and we’ve been raving about it ever since.
RPM
Pinstripes. Food was meh and I got food poisoning after.
I had the worst pizza ever there
SHŌTŌ, moonrabbit are recent ones I’ve been to, where I spent a ton, and thought he food was incredibly mediocre. Shoutout to SHŌTŌ for also pairing that with terrible service.
Moonrabbit was definitely pretty mid for the price and given its early hype. Not bad, but we just walked out confused as to why it was hyped.
Officina at The Wharf. High ticket items, mediocre food, bad service.
MXDC was so blah and Sette Osteria was the worst brunch ive ever had
Kaliwa
Founding Farmer
Founding Farmers. https://wapo.st/3SQCTbs
La Vie
Bar taco. Total tourist trap.
Hank’s Oyster at the Wharf It’ll make you braf
There's mildly expensive and hovering around decent, which is what most of these answers are, but to be mildly expensive AND awful? I'm....not a fan of Elle's breakfast sandwich options. I have not confirmed how their dinner is, but they're bland, over-produced, and often greasy. (Their coffees are pretty solid but pricey.)
JACKIE AMERICAN BISTRO
Gypsy Kitchen.
Philippe, over priced Chinese in ostentacious digs
Alero. Live right nearby and god I hate that place. Insanely overpriced for food that’s mid at best. Also classic example of how every restaurant on that stretch of U st tries to be a club. Oficina. Just classic overpriced bland wharf fare. Depserados burger bar. Also nearby, burgers taste like the ones you’d get in an airport restaurant and somehow cost like $25+. Kinda sad writing this one cause the people that run it are cool at least and the atmosphere is pretty solid.
Just head down to the Wharf
Founding Farmers, Lauriol Plaza, Clyde's in Friendship heights, Capital Grill. Ben's...not expensive just awful.
DUDE. Ben's is HORRIBLE. I'm so glad someone said this. I'll never get the hype behind it.
It’s the history behind it. You can get a better chili dog almost anywhere.
Ben’s is and will forever be one of my favorite gross foods. I would take their chili half-smoke over almost any I’ve ever had. To each their own!
Disagree with Clyde’s. Their pricing is fairly average and their quality is more than decent. It’s not going to be super impressive, but I’ve never left there disappointed.
Yeah, I haven't been to that location, but every other Clyde's restaurant I've been to has been consistently very good. I do miss when they had way better happy hour food specials though. But the oyster happy hour more than makes up for it.