Nest Cafe

I tried to go there for brunch today but they were closed for renovations. It would have been nice if that were on their
Website.

Under new management with a new chef. We liked this place before but it is significantly better. Outstanding food tonight for dinner.

Nest Café’s food is amazing! I have had so many different meals there and they were all fabulous. Never had a trouble getting a table.
The chef Michelle is so friendly and makes you feel special. All of the staff I have met were very friendly.
Foods I have had that were all amazing:
Chicken Wings
Waffles
Cuban sandwich
Jalapeño poppers
Steak and cheese sandwich
Fish tacos
Steak tacos
Meatballs
Fries are incredible too! I am now craving the wings again.

Nest was one of our go to spots, but seems ownership has changed and not for the better. Food has gone way down hill. From the last visit we’ll make, Strike 1: we weren’t given menus, had to get them ourselves, Strike 2: waited 15 minutes before we had to flag someone down to order. Strike 3: Screwed up the order. Bonus strikes: they now use kraft singles for their american cheese and it took another 15 minutes to pick up the check.
Again, this was one of our favorites but it really has been run into the ground by new ownership. Plenty of good food around Bethesda. Don’t waste your money here.

My husband and I stopped by the Nest Café in Bethesda last night and were warmly greeted by one of the employees there named Lando. He was so hospitable and kind. He showed us a great seat outside on the patio where he helped the bar tender to get us one of their specialty punches made with fresh squeezed juices, vodka, rum, and tequila. Quite the mix! It had more fruit in it than some san grias that I’ve gotten at other restaurants. They had live music outside on the patio, and it felt a little like you were on a mini vacation. Although we didn’t get a chance to try their food, I am looking forward to heading back there in September. Till then, they’ll be undergoing some renovations for the next 30 days.

The food and drinks are decent and the outdoor patio is a great summer spot, but the service is terrible. I wanted to make a reservation for my birthday and could not reach anyone on the phone; I was directed instead to the website. I made the reservation online and requested a conformation call or email since we were a fairly large party.
I received nothing for two days, even after several voicemails and additional requests via the website. I showed up early for my reservation just in case and they said they had no record of it. When I told them I had made multiple requests for confirmation, I got little more than a shoulder shrug and «well the manager usually calls» in response. Nevertheless, since the restaurant was empty expect for a few tables, I asked if they could take us without a reservation. They refused, saying they couldn’t accommodate my party in their empty restaurant. Not only were they unaccommodating, they showed no remorse for essentially ruining my birthday. Luckily my party and I were able to find a table at another resident and salvaged the night, but I do not plan to go back to Nest anytime soon.

Forgettable food and the waiter was so high he spilled wine in my lap, he apologized and then wandered away. Didn’t try to clean off the table or offer me a another napkin.

Went here despite some of the Unilocal reviews I read. I had Googled where you could get half-​price bottles of wine in Bethesda. The Nest came up as one of those places, unfortunately, if that’s what you’re looking for, the Nest no longer does that. No fault of the restaurant, I should have called to make sure what I found on Google was correct.
I will say, even though it is off the beaten track, it was relaxing, the service was good and the food I had was tasty. I had the Ahi Tuna and I had to try the sweet potato fries. The tuna was fresh and prepared just right, I just needed to add a little soy sauce. Most places that serve sweet potato fries cannot make them crispy enough for me. The Nest did a great job! Nicely crisp and great taste! I will go back again.

We love coming to Nest! Love that it’s a bit off the beaten track (away from Bethesda Row and Woodmont Triangle), it’s family-​owned and they curate their art from young, local artists — Nest is a rare unpretentious food spot in Bethesda. Sometimes, the food has been spectacular and sometimes it’s been so-​so, but overall their food is really very good. Both sweet potato fries and Italian fries are good, the ahi tuna app is good, the pasta is good, the sandwiches are okay… (we come here often)… burgers are pretty good, and I’ve heard good things about their brunch. So, the chef can be inconsistent at times (hence the 4 stars) and there seems to be staff turnover often, but there’s something really special about Nest (!) and we always go back there, either to eat in the cozy restaurant portion or to sit outside on the fun bar deck.

Great service and the food surpassed my expectations :) try the spinach artichoke dip!

4 not 5 only because their service isn’t very timely… I think they get over loaded with customers and can’t keep up. Overall nest is awesome their Grapefruit crushes are A — M — A — Z — I — N — G !

A bit ‘off strip’ in Bethesda, Nest offers a quainter outdoor experience, a welcome repose. Informed by my server that the chef is Jamaican, I ordered the Nest chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries. The chicken seasoning was really good — flavorful but not overpowering, my one complaint with the sammy is that there wasn’t enough chicken. I’m not sure if it was just a small breast or butterflied or what.
The sweet potato fries were crispy and covered in a balsamic reduction. Yum. I got to try my friends regular fries, which are more thickly cut and seasoned with parsley I think? I’ll be back.

Positives:
Good summer happy hour place to bike
Or walk up to and sit out on the deck. Friendly staff depending on whose working (nice owners). The dinner food is pretty delicious, I recommend the calamari and the tuna burger.
Negatives:
Brunch experience here was not great. We went a while back with a large group of family (all over 21) most of whom had been to the nest at least once. The waitress kept bringing practically virgin drinks to the younger looking family members and a very clearly cheap vodka was used when a few of the others had ordered grey goose. They called this out simply bc they had been there before (and know the difference in quality). Also, one or two people asked for slight alterations of a dish (vegetarian replacement, and a hold off of a sauce) and the waitress huffed and puffed and said they were too busy to make special requests… not very good customer service.
But for drinks and quick hangouts its (usually) a good spot!

Warm, inviting ambiance, very friendly staff, excellent brunch menu. The ‘build your own bloody marys menu’ was a special treat, and the eggs benedict was great. I’d highly recommend Nest to others.

Came back 2 more times since my last April review.
Once was with another date, who ordered grilled cheese but asked to sub spinach for ham. Unfortunately they didn’t adjust the mustard, so it was super radishy. Sweet potato fries were a winner once again.
Second time I ordered the blueberry salad and i asked to leave off the candied pecans. Ten minutes later, the salad shows up and it has… the pecans! Also, strawberies, but not blueberries, which peeved me off. Should have asked if it was okay if I wanted to substitute something else. Def can use better service.

Not a respectful experience here. I came in with a friend who is my age (mid 20’s), and transgender. The bartender, an old white guy who was drinking on the job, was serving everyone but us. It took us about 30 minutes to get service (sitting at the bar!), and the entire evening he not once made eye contact with us.
The dressed-​up, money-​slinging, yacht club members next to us were getting pampered to high heaven, but us? Ignored.
The food was overpriced and pretty bad. The artichokes were canned and fried beyond belief so that the end product resembled anything but an artichoke. Even the calamari was tasteless. For the first time in my life I didn’t tip.

Located near the intersection of Uncle Julio’s and Urban Country, across Cork 57. Metered street parking is right in front of the store. I prefer parking at the parking garage near Nando’s, Georgetown Cupcakes, etc.
We were promptly seated when we arrived. I called ahead and let them know that about 15 – 20 people would come around 830 for dinner (it was actually 11 people). They had all the tables ready for us! :)
The restaurant was very cute and cozy. There is outdoor seating with a roof on top. We looked through the menu and placed our orders, but before ordering I asked if they still had the ½ bottle wine on Monday nights and they said no. The waiters did not know about any of the deals on Unilocal.I am assuming the information about all the daily deals does not exist anymore except for the music and the waiter told me it was only one day (not sure if it was Friday or Saturday).
It felt like the food took a long time to come out. I ordered the Nest sandwich. It honestly seemed like a typical chicken sandwich on a ciabatta bread. The sandwich was good because of the bread. The sandwiches come with salad or fries so I asked for the sweet potato fries. The sweet potato fries were crunchy with a little drizzle of balsamic. My cousin ordered the tilapia with risotto and asparagus (on the special menu). The risotto was flavorless and bland and I imagined the meal to have risotto and another side of asparagus but the risotto and asparagus was mixed together. My other friended ordered the salmon crusted salad and it was not crusted. My other friend ordered the pizza and the pizza was not good. The consistency of the dough did not seem like pizza dough and it was not memorable. Other friends ordered different dishes and I’d have to say everything we ordered was just mediocre.
Service was okay. I don’t know if it’s because I had low expectations but the service was fine but the waiters did not seem knowledgeable.

Overrated. I get what they are trying to do, but the food and service need improvement.
I work across the street. I’ve eaten lunch there once before and it was pretty forgettable. Today I was stuck in the office and since they were right there I figured I would try them for lunch. Their ahi tuna burger is advertised on their website as seared rare and topped with Asian slaw. It came with Italian Fries. The tuna had NO pink whatsoever, which was a major disappointment. The slaw was boring. I was totally starving and didn’t even finish it. The Italian Fries were boring, run of the mill french fries with little to no flavor. They came with pepper on top, I guess that’s what makes them Italian?
After I got back to the office, I realized they hadn’t given me ketchup. After trying a fry and realizing they desperately needed ketchup, I went back (work right across the street remember) to get a side of ketchup. I waited about 5 minutes before a kitchen guy came out, made direct eye contact with me, then went back to the kitchen. I then waited another 5 minutes before the bartender came out, and then I finally got ketchup.
I probably won’t come back. My meal sucked, I’m still hungry, and it took way too long. No thanks. If you’re looking for a sugar mama, I suppose this might be a good spot.

Hidden gem! Off the travelled path, doesn’t have a highly noticeable front, and can be overlooked if you’re driving by but the Nest Café is worth finding your way to. It’s a cozy inside, they have outdoor covered seating, nice décor, super friendly and helpful staff and the food is delicious. They also have live music every Friday and Saturday evenings.
Definitely try the Gnocchi with Sweet Sausage — the gnocchi is very soft and is clung to by just the right amount of a light sauce and you’ll want to keep scarfing the pieces of sausage! I had to make myself stop so that I could have some leftovers. Also delicious was the grilled cheese and tomato soup… sounds boring until you look/​taste it. It’s tangy cheddar cheese with tasty bacon grilled panini style and served with home-​made tomato soup. I’ve always wanted to try fresh home-​made tomato soup and theirs was awesome. Great date locale or to go with a group

Nest Café is totally on the D.L. Do you know where Nest Café is? It’s on Bethesda Row. Haven’t seen it? It’s on the other side of Bethesda lane– across Arlington Road. Ohhhhh, THAT side. Along with Penang Malaysian, Bethesda Crab House, and Cork 57 (which I didn’t know existed).
So what is Nest Café like? It’s a little quaint modern restaurant that boasts menu items that are fairly trendy. Brick oven pizzas, Seared rare Ahi Tuna Salad/​Burger, Seafood Risotto.
Every time I have been there, things have been delicious. The last time I went I got the Ahi Tuna Burger which was well cooked. I wish the chop on the tuna would have been a little finer, but that’s getting picky. My friend had the Ahi Tuna Salad and said that it was one of the best she’s ever had. My other friend had a mid rare burger that looked more rare then it should’ve been. It’s no BGR though– who essentially served him livestock the last time we went. (That Review:
)
Nest Café does have a small patio area which is enclosed by light clear flappy things. The prices are reasonable, the menu is pretty solid, and the wait staff is on point. A solid 3.5−4 stars.