Bread & Salt

I had brunch here with my girlfriend and another friend on MLK weekend 2016. It was my first time at Bread and Salt. It was also my last time. I am not a very demanding restaurant patron, but my experience here was bad enough that I will actively discourage friends from going here.
Here are several examples of the bad service. (1) My friend asked if the orange juice was fresh squeezed. «Yes, it’s fresh, it comes from a box.» No, if it comes from a box it’s not fresh squeezed. There’s nothing wrong with not having fresh squeezed orange juice, but don’t pretend to have items you don’t have. (2) My girlfriend asked our waiter what kinds of berries were in the compote offered with the pancakes. His response? «Uhh, you know, just regular berries.» What in the heck are «regular» berries? If you don’t know, go find out. (3) My girlfriend asked if they could put bananas in the pancake batter. «Yeah, I think we can do that.» When the pancakes arrived (quite some time later) they clearly did not have bananas in them. «Oh, no, they didn’t put them in, but I’m going to bring some to put on top.» Again, there’s nothing wrong with not being able to make menu alterations, but be honest about it! (4) We repeatedly had to ask for things that should’ve been brought or that a competent waiter would’ve at least asked us if we needed: the toast that was supposed to come with my omelette, the syrup for my girlfriend’s pancakes, more coffee, etc. This is stuff that even IHOP or Denny’s can get right. (5) My friend’s knife was disgustingly dirty. Not just a little speck of something that didn’t come off in the dishwasher, but rather like it had never been washed at all.
Food was quite mediocre as well. (1) I ordered a Spanish omelette, which allegedly contained chorizo. I think there was maybe a single bit of chorizo in the entire omelette. Also, this was the smallest supposedly «3-​egg» omelette I’ve ever had. (2) The toast that I had to ask for was the bland white bread that had barely been toasted. It was just like eating stale bread. (3) The kitchen forgot to put syrup on my friend’s croque madame. (4) My girlfriend’s pancakes were pretty small and boring, markedly worse than what you’d expect from even a greasy-​spoon diner. (5) I witnessed at least two other parties (out of about four parties total in the restaurant) having to return items that were not what was ordered.
So, on the whole, it was a remarkably disappointing dining experience. Too many instances of incompetence to just be an off day. I won’t be back and would encourage others to look elsewhere.

Worst experience ever. Server brought us much more food than we ordered, which was all tasteless. Pizza is horrible. We ordered a few desserts, and when we told the manager they were bad, he brought us different ones. We ended up being charged for everything– and much more than we had ordered. Will not be returning.

This place has a great brunch menu! The breakfast quesadilla is amazing. They also have the bottomless mimosa option and they are delish as well. The Only issue I have is sometimes there are only 1 – 2 people working and when it’s busy you get lost among other customers though even during this time they still do their best. Still worth it to check and prices are good too!

ONE WORD…
AWESOME!!!
I live in the area, and it’s nice to have the kind of difference in the neighborhood. If anyone can’t appreciate the level of detail that went into this establishment, then «F**K You». I mostly eat out, never cook at home, it’s been a disaster to find the kind of restaurant that meets all tastes in a single stop. So what about the price, this restaurant has a «Cordon Bleu Chef»! SERIOUSLY, a Cordon Bleu Chef!!! I was almost in utter shock, that this restaurant has one.
I can’t honestly remember paying these cheap prices for such a treat, so for those B***Hing about prices and food quality, this just means, you have never «FINE DINED».
REMEMBER, IT TAKES TIME AND PATIENCE FOR GOOD F**King FOOD, PEOPLE.
SO, SOME ADVICE FROM A EPICUREAN; SHUT THE F**K UP and WAIT PATIENTLY!

Food in upper NW is generally nothing to write home about, so I was excited to try Bread & Salt. The first thing I thought was that this place has a major identity crisis. Is it a diner? The menu is ginormous. Is it a bar? There’s a long bar, a wine cellar, and lots of TVs (which by the way, I HATE TVs in restaurants). Is it a bakery? There’s a pastry case. I was quite baffled.
Large menus scare me because there’s no way that everything can be fresh. I quickly noticed that despite the «Mediterranean Bistro» signage, the menu is all over the place. I ended up with a «Moroccan omelette,» which was the most Mediterranean thing I could find among the breakfast options. It was fine, but nothing to get too excited about. I was hoping for some pita or lava with it (again, «Mediterranean Bistro»), but all I got was a choice of white or wheat. There were peppercorns in my omelette which I did not appreciate, and not enough sausage, but it tasted good and was the right size.
Service was okay. At times it was very attentive and then the staff would disappear. I got my food quickly but others seemed to have been waiting a long time
My suggestion would be to pick a concept (diner, gastropub, or bar with food), and prune down the menu to something that can be nailed with excellence. I was honestly overwhelmed by the 100+ choices on the menu, and would prefer fewer options if everything was fresh and cooked-​to-​order.
Parking is metered in front of the restaurant but there’s free street parking about a block away.

We dropped in for a late lunch about a month ago. As noted by other reviews, the menu is rather eclectic but we found the Mediterranean fare to be delicious, with very fresh ingredients and vibrant flavors. The fresh pita bread was addictive — eat it quickly as it turns a little hard once cooled. We shared the mezze platter and the falafel platter. Either one is fine as a moderate lunch portion.
Our waitress was very friendly and attentive. We went during an off-​hour so there were only a few other tables dining and we enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch. The front of the space feels like a café, with large floor-​to-​ceiling glass windows and a bakery counter. The back is set up more like a restaurant, with additional tables and a bar. There are mixed review about this setup but I found it to be a nice large space with a European ambiance.
Food: 4, Service: 4, Ambiance: 3

Absolutely awful experience. After 2 hours we cancelled most of our orders, some people eventually got their meals, but half of those were wrong. One of us ordered a bagel, after 90 minutes, they came back and said there were no bagels. Most of us left without eating. Awful.

Possibly the worst «restaurant» I have ever eaten in in Washington DC. They took an HOUR to fry the three eggs I ordered for brunch (which were cold and undercooked when they finally got to me). They charged $ 18 for a microscopic kebab my wife ordered (about 2 inches long with almost no accompanying rice or salad). They kept bringing white toast even though we ordered whole wheat. Scam restaurant, avoid.

SO GOOD.
My first time here and everything was excellent. I’m gluten-​free and they accommodated me so nicely when I ordered the Moussaka by not putting a crust on it. I’ve never had Moussaka before, and was a little nervous it might be salty with béchamel sauce, but it was just perfect. The presentation is beautiful, the food is hot and the service is top-​notch. Fredo was our waiter and he was very personable. Sam (?) the Manager came over and introduced himself and the owner thanked us during cappuccinos.
When you walk in, it is a huge space and at first I was a little confused if this was a sit-​down place or order at the bar and then carry your food to the table kind of place. Perhaps if the sections were quartered off for brunch or dinner or something, it would be a little more clear. Unfortunately, not a lot of people have discovered this place so with the vast amount seats, it looks empty. But you shouldn’t let that deter you– go visit!

Our family settled on Bread & Salt while walking the area looking for a place for a Saturday lunch that would satisfy four different palates. The sign said it was a Mediterranean bistro, and we all like Mediterranean food.
The first thing we noticed was that this gigantic (perhaps 100 seats) restaurant was practically empty. Not a promising sign. But we stayed. Then we noticed that the menu options were, um, eclectic, to say the least. While there were Mediterranean staples such as falafel and mezza plates, there were also Southern staples like chicken & waffles and biscuits & gravy. HUH??? There was also a duck burger, several interesting egg dishes and whole boneless trout. Oh, and a unique stuffed quesadilla, just to confuse things further.
One in our party ordered the chicken & waffles, another just plain waffles, and two others both ordered the blue crab cobb salad.
Long story short, the food was outstanding. Fresh, well prepared and presented beautifully.
As other reviewers have noted, the combination of a bar-​pastry shop-​Mediterranean restaurant seems odd, and the service was a bit slow (but not terrible), but the staff was very friendly and accommodating, and the food will keep us coming back when we are in the area.
BTW, as we were eating, we noticed a gentleman who might have been an owner or manager go outside to cut fresh mint for one of the dishes. When we left, we saw a large herb garden. There’s a lot to be said for a restaurant that grows its own herbs!

I found this place boring & limited seatings for group parties.

While it was tasty, the price was exorbitant. I went in today for a falafel plate. It was more like a falafel saucer. Not worth the price.
Besides, the online menu said $ 10. Surprise! They changed their menu and it was now $ 15 with tax. They refused to honor the online price.
I will not return to Bread and Salt. Overall, not anything special for their price.

To me, this place is somewhat confusing. This establishment tries to be a bar, pastry shop, and restaurant at the same time. This is not necessarily a bad thing though, it’s just that I feel service sort of suffers as a result of it. For example, my waiter at one point ran over from the restaurant section to the pastry shop section to sell a cupcake.
It also appeared that the restaurant staff is unorganized. Only after I had ordered and waited for quite some time did my waiter come out and tell me that they had ran out of an item for my dish, and that they would have to replace it with something else. I was okay with this, but then had to wait even longer for my food. At one point, the waiter assured me that my food would be out in just «a minute,» despite taking an additional 10 minutes.
However, the taste of the food is fantastic, and that’s what saves this place from a two star rating. I had the lamb, and it was seasoned and cooked to perfection! The food was also presented very well, with the sauce layered in a decorative fashion. Portion size was decent as well.
The atmosphere is inviting yet modern, which gives an element of class to this restaurant.

Bread & Salt is a Mediterranean restaurant located off Wisconsin Avenue in Tenleytown. They have patio seating as well as indoor seating. As you enter, you’ll see the bakery counter with desserts such as Apple Strudel, Lemon Bars, Napoleon, Strawberry Tart, Chocolate Eclairs, Tiramisu, Lemon Meringue Tarts, Cupcakes, Assorted Cookies, and Animal Shaped Bread. The restaurant has a large contemporary style dining room with dark granite tables and orange chairs. I really like their chandelier lights.
For drinks, they have wine but we stuck with iced water. For entrees, we got the Pasta A La Tenley and Seafood Pot Pie. We fell in love with the Pasta A La Tenley! The Pasta A La Tenley consisted of rigatoni cooked with crabmeat, tomatoes, garlic, and shallots in olive oil and brandy cream sauce. It was garnished with old bay and parsley. The pasta entrée was crabby, creamy, and cheesy just the way we like it. It was served with two toast points. It would have tasted better if they were garlic bread. The Seafood Pot Pie consisted of spiced salmon, crabmeat, and shrimp stew with vegetables (such as asparagus, green beans, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes) baked in a red dish topped with cheesy pie crust top. The pie crust top was harder than expected. I felt that pie crust top could have been more crispier. From the description, I thought that there would be crust all around the bowl like a typical pot pie. Instead of eating desserts at the restaurant, we bought a palmier cookie and chocolate frosted butter cookies!

Loved the décor. If I could rank the décor they’d get a full five. The restaurant is spacious, with a full bar and gorgeous but simple outdoor seating. It was modern and trendy décor that hit the perfect spot between comfortable and sophisticated.
Unfortunately, we didn’t like the food. It was so bleh. I ordered the Pasta a Le Tenley, which was a rigatoni crab pasta. Nothing special. I felt like I could get crab in a can and make this myself. Other items: Moussaka and the Chicken Pot Pie. Didn’t like those either, however, the Moussaka might have been good if you like that flavor profile. The menu is pretty diverse: pastas, pizza, oven pot meals, and the usual more pricey entrees. This would be okay except it’s a diverse menu with mediocre items. It’s also a Mediterranean restaurant yet they don’t really offer Mediterranean food.
I will say, though, that I loved the bakery portion. The raspberry filled cupcake is one of the best that I’ve ever had and I’m a cupcake foodie. We got four desserts and liked them all! Service was also good. So in short. Space, décor, atmosphere, service, and desserts are on point. Entrees leave much to be desired. Because that’s the point of going to a restaurant, as great as the other things they have going for them we will not be returning.

I got the Gravlax w/​Two Poached Eggs on a English Muffin from the brunch menu and was just blown away. Everything about this meal was delicious. The smoked salmon was cooked perfectly and the poached eggs were beautiful. They were still running inside, just like how good poached eggs should be. My coffee was delicious as well, if you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, they have almond milk if you ask for it.
Only downside was the poor service. It took me a long time to order and then to get my food. But my meal was so delicious, I don’t really mind the wait. Would come back.

In a word; confusing. [wish there was 2.5 stars] I didn’t hate it and yet I really can’t be too enthusiastic either. There is quite a bit about this place that is «almost right». The menu is clean and simple; rather than see that as limited I like it.
Do a few things and do them well (my own, so far, successful formula for life).
The setting is nice, clean, almost spartan… but somehow missing in «elegance». Our waiter was okay, not the worst-​but nothing to really draw me back either (maybe it was language limitations?).
I use the club sandwich as my personal metric for a new place I am trying. They have a tomato pesto club. It was very pretty. The taste, good, but didn’t match the appearance of the big buttery looking toasty bread. The turkey, while ample in serving size was cold and strangley tasteless. I barely detected tomato (saw it) and as for pesto… no hint.
It’s like that woman thats really gorgeous from across the room… you summon up the courage to go over and then are bored 5 minutes into the conversation. There was just something, some spark, some verve, some «taste» missing.
The fries were so basic (and slightly burnt) and a small portion. You can really make «money» with a big serving of fries-​they are cheap but filling and impressive when plated properly.
I hold out some hope for this place. I would try it again if I am in the area. I would never make a special trip to come though. They will have to improve quite a bit, really punch up their service (get some attractive engaging AU co-​eds [in tight black waitress pants]…the foreign hunk guy thing doesn’t work in this space) and food flavor to get to the destination restaurant designation in my book.
One other note. From the street the place looks like (and the sign hints) that it is a grocery store/​bakery where you can pop in and get Bread & Salt. The big open glass front just has that store feel to it. I’m not a designer, I don’t know what to do to fix that — but if I owned the place I would hire someone who could. I am sure they miss quite a bit of foot traffic because of the confusion their first impression makes from the sidewalk. If I had not been brought in by a local I would have walked right by it.

Affordable prices thanks to the nearby AU campus, simple homey fare with basic seasoning. Ample natural lighting thanks to the glass cage aesthetic. Bakery case was sparse and the existing options lacked wow factor when we stopped in on a weeknight. Small bar if you’re looking to belly up to a game, but screens are strategically placed around the restaurant. Service became spotty towards the end of meal despite there only being 3 – 4 other tables filled in the whole place. Small but decent beer options, bartender mixed slightly sweet cocktails. Meats were moderately tender; I preferred the moussaka over the beef forrestier. We may come back to try the crispy buttermilk fried chicken & Belgium waffles, croque madame on brioche, or pasta a la Tenley.

Came back for dinner a few weeks ago and nearly experienced an agonizing death as I had to choose from all of the amazing-​sounding meals. We ended up with the calamari with an aioli to die for, a mint fettuccine lamb ragut with olives, & the Spanish burger, which practically melted away in deliciousness in my mouth.
Fast forward to this past week, when I returned to find a completely overhauled menu (new chef) with about half the number of dishes, and not one of which really called out to me – they got rid of some of the best menu items. I ended up with the Spanish burger, which was different than my last Spanish burger and not nearly as good. The chorizo & beef weren’t mixed together, the bun kind of fell apart, it wasn’t really juicy, and the cheese wasn’t as melty and strong. I definitely will not be coming back for dinner. The brunch menu online is still similar to the old one that I raved about, so I might come back for brunch again for my final decision.

Hmm. Where to start?
The donuts were terrible. I was expecting soft warm donut holes and what came out were room temp balls that were the consistency of scones.
We had a waiter who it clearly seemed to be his first day and a more senior waiter was following him around helping him. The junior waiter had no clue about anything on the menu we asked him. It was so bad that when we asked for Bloody Mary’s he had to go back and ask someone if they served them. I was puzzled as to how one wouldn’t know the drinks offered at brunch.
I had steak and eggs. It was Meh.
This is a newish place and although I read other not so go reviews I wanted to try for myself. Save yourself sometime and wait several months before trying. They have a huge outdoor patio that will likely be nice in the summer.