CIRCA at Foggy Bottom

Still a fan of Circa Foggy Bottom… service outstanding and staff are so pleasant. Near the metro so you can grab a late lunch… on the way home.

The food was the only reason to give this restaurant 2 stars. I would like to give 4.5 stars for the food and ZERO stars for the service. 2 stars is the net result.
We were there on a Saturday night. It was admittedly quiet as we approach the holiday. Just in case it was busy I made a reservation for 4. When we arrived there were less than 30 people in the restaurant total. With such a low number AND a reservation we couldn’t figure out why the hostess tried to dump us into a completely average table. Why did she think we bothered to make a reservation?
Our server greeted the table promptly and returned with our first round of drinks but then he literally disappeared for two hours. After 25 minutes of being ignored I went and got the bartender. He actually told me that the server ‘probably went to get something to eat’! What exactly did he think we were there to do!!!
From that point on I had to check back with the bar every so often to let a revolving cast of workers know what our party wanted next. I don’t think I worked with the same person twice. No one ever approached our table to take care of us, I had to seek them out.
The irony is that after literally two hours our server re-​emerged to hand us our bill.
The food was very good but the service was atrocious. The problem is this atrocious service is what you should expect at most places in Washington, D.C. When every restaurant consistently hires the lowest common denominator the end result can only be a bad experience.
That bad experience is exactly what we got at Circa Foggy Bottom.

Great atmosphere. Love the outdoor space and bars with TV. Conveniently located across the St from Foggy bottom metro. I highly recommend the cobb salad wraps and mushroom flatbread. Not a bad price for location– I come here a lot and always am interested in going again and bringing friends!

I really don’t have any complaints about Circa, they’re close enough that I can grab lunch during the workday and/​or happy hour immediately after work.
I’ve done happy hour a fair number of times there– the place is always packed, no matter the weather or the day of the week. That being said, if you get there much later than 5 – 530 and expect to claim a spot at a table or bar for happy hour… You’re outta luck.
My favorite lunch item by far is their Salmon Salad. This is the second time I’ve ordered it here (we call the orders in ahead of time and make sure we reserve the table for lunch). The salmon has always been cooked perfectly. I would highly recommend the call-​ahead method if you want to get in and out in an hour, otherwise you’ll be pushing 1.5−2 hours and that can be tricky.
The only reason I can’t give them «5 stars» is really the price. Both normal menu fare and happy hour items (and drinks) are really quite high for the fare. Again, the food is GOOD– but it’s not something I’m willing to pay for on a regular basis.
Definitely worth checking out though !

Good place to grab dinner and drinks before seeing a show at the Kennedy Center. If you’re trying to drink, I’d recommend either the Vodka Mojito or sangria. The food menu is solid and they always have specials that change from time to time.

I got the burger for about $ 12, and then some wings for $ 8 during happy hour. The wings were probably an 8 out of 10, but the burger was shockingly amazing. 9.6 out of 10. I ordered it medium rare, and it came out perfectly cooked and extremely juicy. I’d go back again just for the burger and beer… This place has a pretty big bar that is pretty classy looking too. Nice DC spot, for a chain restaurant.

Really great lunch! The steak salad was delicious, cooked just how I asked. The greens were very fresh including the avocado which I don’t see as often in the east coast. The prices were very also affordable. My friends had breakfast dishes which looked really delicious as well. The only downside was that it was a cold day, we sat outside and the heaters were half working. The staff could have done a better job in accommodating us inside but we were told all the tables were reserved. During our lunch of an hour and 15min, two tables remained empty inside. That was disappointing. Otherwise, the food was great.

Daily soup special was a crab chowder garnished with toasted parmesan crisp… absolutely delicious. I sat at the bar, the bartender David was wonderful.

Cool spot in Foggy Bottom with very dim lighting. We hoped to sit out side but it was closed for a private party, but that was okay. The menu offers a lot choices and was able to find something to stay within my then diet! We sat at a small table with comfy chairs. I ordered the chicken sandwich with a side spinach salad, I really liked the choice other then fries. The sandwich was yummy and very filling. The salad was perfect to go with the meal. The service was friendly and kept the water flowing. Great experience!

Although trendy and bustling with corporate types and a hungry semi upscale lunch crowd, Circa cuisine falls below what it’s prices should deliver.
Just ordered a flatbread which I had to carry back to GW Hospital for a patient. I was told it would take between 20 – 25 minutes to have ready. It was cold by the time got it (meaning that it probably took them 15 minutes to throw together). And … It was bland — and was in essence a pizza rather than a flatbread!

Was always curious about this place because it looked happening every time I walked past it on the way somewhere else. My shrimp roll was pretty good (generous amounts of shrimp, crispy brioche roll, side of tasty fries) but there was too much mayo/​sauce. However, our server was not attentive throughout the night and that was a bit of a turnoff.

Great location across the street from the metro station and GWU hospital and a couple of blocks away from the Kennedy Center. Beautiful inside and a nice patio bar.
Unfortunately, when I ordered the pasta primavera their pasta was done a little too al dente, downright crunchy for some pieces. Gave me a tummy ache afterwards. Confusing when we had a long wait for our food.
Their kitchen closes before 11pm on a weekday by the way. It’s not clear that the listed midnight closing on Unilocal is correct when their website indicates no closing time.

My boyfriend and I came here with a group of about eight people the first night we were in DC on our most recent visit. CIRCA was picked by another member of our party and reservations were made a few hours before our meet time of 7:30pm on a Thursday.
CIRCA is easy to find and free street parking is around it… we got lucky and snagged a spot across the street.
I liked the vibe of CIRCA. It was very hip and modern. Noise level is a bit high, so it may not be good for an intimate date though. We sat on the patio, and we enjoyed our views and the table was big enough to fit out big party without feeling too cramped.
The menu at CIRCA was American, ranging from anything to burgers to salads. I opted to get the Steak Salad and one of their beers on tap. My salad was very good and flavorful and I enjoyed it. My dish was more on the pricey side at about $ 16. Beer was about $ 5. Everyone else at our table seemed to enjoy their meals too.
One thing I really enjoyed about CIRCA is that even though our server forgot to put in my salad in for the cooks to make and we had to wait an extra 15 minutes or so for it to be made and come out, the manager personally came out to our table to apologize and comped my salad. I thought this was great customer service and they handled it very well.
Would I come back to CIRCA? Yup!
Cheers!

We made a group reservation for the patio at 6:30 on a Friday night. If you have the ability and foresight, you should try to make one, because the place can get pretty packed.
We were seated at a large table on the eastern edge of the patio area. Unfortunately, it started raining on-​and-​off, and most of us at the table had to open our umbrellas to avoid getting soaked. The patio area is covered, but there are holes in some parts, and the water was hitting us because we were close to the edge.
We asked our waiter if we could be seated indoors. He got the manager, and she arranged an indoor table for us. It was much cooler, quieter, and thankfully, dry. They managed to move us before too many people in our party got their food.
Happy hour ends at 7, and I asked the waiter if it was still going on. He informed me that happy hour drinks could only be ordered at the bar. I must have shown some disappointment on my face, because he later came back and offered to give us the first round at happy hour prices. Yay! He did skimp on my beer, though. It was visibly less-​filled than my boyfriend’s glass, who ordered the same thing.
I had the grilled chicken sandwich. The flavors were solid (I love pesto) and the fries were crispy. I do wish the ciabatta roll was a bit more toasted/​crusty.
Circa wins on service, and it’s a solid place for food and drinks.

Came here with a few colleagues for happy hour and I would say this place surprised me! Walking past it a few times I didn’t expect much.
During happy hour, the outdoor bar area is open to stand around and talk, however the tables are «reserved» for patrons who would like to sit and have a meal. Though we were at the bar, a waitress allowed a few of my friends to sit as long as no one claimed the table for a meal.
The mango chili wings are grrrrr-​reat. A tad spicy but the sweetness and juicy wings were an enjoyable side with a beer. The beers on tap were all great choices ranging from IPAs to ales. My friend who is a beer fanatic was very happy with the choices of craft beers. I stuck with my favorite Allagash White Ale and was a happy camper. The waiter was also courteous and fast with his service.
Great place to check out for an afternoon drink.

Great Crab Cakes, great Service. Always loves going to Circa.
Service was very good even with a full restaurant.

Solid brunch here. Wonderful freakin’ cocktails. Probably one of the better blood mary’s I had during my time in DC.
I have tried the eggs benedict here as well as a combo breakfast. Both were really good, but they do skimp a bit on the hollandaise sauce — if it were up to me, this would be a crime.
Overall a solid place to grab brunch, especially if you want to skip the long lines of busier brunch spots.

3.5 stars — CIRCA at Foggy bottom is a perfectly decent a dining destination, especially with its convenient location near the Kennedy Center. Pops and I came to CIRCA for a quick bite on Superbowl Sunday before seeing Gigi at the Kennedy Center. We were seated promptly, and the two-​top tables have these big comfy arm chairs which were kind of fun, if not slightly awkward to eat out of. The two-​top tables are also reeeeally close together so it was hard not to eavesdrop on the ladies sitting right next to us.
We ended up sharing a mini-​smörgåsbord of small plates — which really should be named medium plates cause some of them are huge! We got:
Soup of the Day: a shrimp bisque which was quite nice
Beet & Black Kale Salad: delicious and quite generous, with a whipped goat cheese or some kind of crème thing that was super tasty.
Pork Ribs: Came with an Asian glaze, and you get like EIGHT ribs. Definitely not a «small» plate.
Filet Mignon Sliders: These were my favorite! You get three sliders and the beef is suuuuper tender and really works in slider format. I worried it’d be hard to bite through the steak the same way you would a ground beef patty, but it was awesome. Definitely would get these again!
Mac ‘n’ Cheese: Can’t see mac on a menu and not get it! This was very good — creamy and rich, with a light crumb topping and a bit of pancetta (I think) inside. This was the only dish that came out in an actual «small plates» portion, IMO.
The only real thing that made this a 3 over a 4-​star experience is that our service was a little bit, I don’t know how to describe it, casual? I don’t think CIRCA knows if it’s trying to be fine dining or more of a family joint.
There are a bunch of TVs on the wall (granted, for Superbowl Sunday I guess this is a big plus — and it was pretty cool that the entire restaurant went silent when Idina Menzel started singing The Star-​Spangled Banner… except for this one guy who kept squawking while folks gave him the evil eye) but the tables are all white tablecloths and cushy arm chairs. The dishes are definitely elevated (with prices to match) but our server was super casual when offering the specials (he forgot one) and taking our order (he repeated it wrong at first).
Either way, I’d definitely head back to CIRCA next time there’s a show to be seen at the KC. The food was tasty, the location convenient, and there are definitely other things on the menu I’d like to try next time!

Nice place with kind service but: no wifi, knife Was too Smooth to cut the pizza, chicken Was too dry un the bbq chicken piz.
Sûre that this place Will become a good one very soon :-)

Great brunch spot!
Reasoning:
— Atmosphere: very open and bright. Not crowded, which was nice because as a group of 10, we had great service. Did not feel rushed at all either
— Service: Top Notch. Our drinks were kept full and and food arrived on time and correct
— FOOD: pretty good. Nothing out of this world, but everyone really liked everything they had.
–Crab cakes Benedict is pretty solid. Be careful for the «shells» though!
–Sandwich is an awesome go to if you are hungover. Perfect amounts of salty breakfast meet, an egg cooked to order, and cheese all smacked together in perfect goodness (I’m salivating…)
Fully recommend for brunch!

(3.5 stars) Came here for a relaxing brunch on the weekend and the food was quite good. This place is always a madhouse on the weekdays after work; thankfully, on the weekend, its quite the opposite. Its not too crowded, not too loud and you don’t feel rushed at all.
As for the meal itself, I ordered the french toast, which is my typical breakfast/​brunch choice. Although it was somewhat heavy (as one would expect given bread, syrup and cream) and didn’t come with a profusion of berries, it was pretty great. The corn flake crust was tasty and different, and I really enjoyed the marscapone cream. It wasn’t too overbearing and didn’t make the meal feel too sweet when used abstemiously. After the first two pieces of french toast (it comes with four), the dish loses some of its originality and feels like it has a one-​note taste. Nevertheless, it was still a great dish and overall pleasant brunch experience.