District Commons

Food was ok but service is horrible… Slow… Unfriendly… I asked 3x for water and never got any… No one checked on me etc… Wouldn’t go back…

I like district commons! Brunched with my friends. I got the shrimp and grits which I heavily recommend! My counter parts ordered the Huevos Rancheros and Omelet Louisiana. Reviews on all three:
Shrimp and Grits: AMAZING! Super creamy grits, spicy sausage. Tons of flavor in the sauce. Also, super rich. So, if your tummy can’t take richer foods, stay away.
Huevos Rancheros: If you’re a big eater, stay away. This portion is small. My friend ended up ordering a side of Mac n cheese to top off her appetite. She did say the meal was good, just not filling. Also, mentioned the Mac is SUPER cheesy!
Omelet Louisiana: Good portion, great taste, sloppy presentation. An overall decent meal.
The service: it was Saturday brunch. 1:30pm. And the service reflected it. I’m not a service snob. Our waiter did the best he could working our table and the 20 person table to the side of us. They ended up wanting their checks spilt so toward the end of our meal, we were VERY neglected. And I mean, sitting for 25+ min with dirty plates, empty glasses, and wanting our check. He kept eyeing us, but couldn’t, or didn’t want to sneak away from dealing with his large party. He could’ve grabbed a manager to cash us out. We wouldn’t have minded. But to leave us of almost a half hour with no contact was not pleasant.
Overall, a good brunch. Not great. Okay service. Nice atmosphere.

I am usually only here for Happy Hour, since this place has one of the better happy hours in the Foggy Bottom area. The signature cocktails are $ 5 a pop and are both delicious and boozy. My favorites are American Beauty and Mary Pickford. There’s also a yummy Pretzel Baguette for $ 3, which is a steal in this city. Cheap and tasty food and drink happy hour deals is always a win!

SUMMARY: Awesome location, but otherwise it’s just ok.
FULL STORY: It’s not like I’ve had anything terrible here. The food is ok. The service is ok. The place looks ok. And then it’s super expensive.
Note: I recommend trying Ris instead.

Went here for brunch and was NOT disappointed with what I ordered! To start, bottomless mimosas for two hours (ends at 3 pm). Enough said.
I ordered the Caesar Salad which was better than I expected (no anchovies though… yuck). Leaves of lettuce with one of the best Caesar salad dressings I’ve had, croutons, and great slices of Parmesan cheese. For an entrée I had the J&B Breakfast Hash: braised beef short ribs, Yukon gold potatoes, and sunny-​side up eggs. Oh my goodness was it delicious. I had my doubts about what the quality of the short ribs was going to be like, but they were surprisingly good. Very flavorful! The presentation was also amazing — a neat little patty of potatoes with the meat of the short ribs mixed in, and eggs on top of that.
My friend ordered the Steak and Eggs: grilled skirt steak, sweet potato hash, over medium eggs. Her meat was juicy and not dry as well. We both decided that between the two, my dish was better but hers still was not something to complain about.
The wait staff was not very friendly though. He made us feel awkward and as if we were an annoyance to him. For example. we arrived at 2:00 pm and ordered the mimosas. He warned us that the bottomless ended at 3:00 pm, but he acted as if it was such an annoyance to him that we ordered this. Obviously an hour is plenty of time to enjoy a bottomless option so I’m not sure why he acted like this — maybe he was sick of running around filling up mimosas.
Overall, don’t expect the friendliest service ever and you’ll enjoy it! I’ve never been here for dinner, but brunch is amazing!

Food? 5 stars. Service? 1 star.
The brunch flatbreads were awesome– I’m craving the chipotle shrimp allllll day. Big beer menu, large dining room.
Our service experience was rotten. The hostess station pretty much ignored us after they found out we didn’t have reservations, didn’t answer my question about if we could just sit and order at the bar, and eventually RAN us through the crowded dining room to our uncomfortable booth in the back corner. Our waiter was worse. He looked straight up annoyed when we tried to order food after he left us with menus for 15 minutes before returning. He knew NOTHING about the beer menu, and by that I mean he didn’t know if the menu was accurate? I’m chalking him up to being a new hire.
I don’t think I would go back due to the severe lack of service.

If you like New American, you’ll like it here — and vice versa.
District Commons is a New American joint in Foggy Bottom, right on Washington Circle, and is pretty consistently packed. As such, reservations might be helpful. Prices are reasonable for the area.
I tried this place for lunch and go the North Carolina Mountain Trout and some pretzel bread. The pretzel bread was rather tasty and highly recommended — it was both a great start to the meal and surprisingly tasty with the accompanying mustard. The Mountain Trout was equally tasty, though perhaps a little under-​seasoned.
There’s not much else to say about this place — it’s yet another New American place in D.C., both for good and bad.

For my brunch review I was very torn between a 4 and 5 stars. It depends on what you are looking for in a brunch, but District Commons did have a bit of all.
Service: it was WONDERFUL! Everyone was very nice, patient, helpful. Every single person we encountered in this visit.
Drinks: I appreciated that they did not make you choose between all bloody mary’s or all mimosas. When you buy an entrée, for $ 16 you can get bottomless for both. I usually enjoy a bloody mary to and then dive into the mimosas. The bloody mary was definitely one of the best I’ve had in any kind of bottomless deal.
Food: the food was good, but not great. I got the huevos rancheros (14) which was good, but somewhat small and even I was still a little hungry after. This might actually be a good thing because usually I leave brunch feeling too full and in a food coma. My friend got the sandwich (I forget it’s official name) but it was delicious. Next time I go back I will probably order that. The other orders at the table were not too memorable. Everything was good but did not hit that great mark. My suggestion would be to put a couple more classics on the menu, and add some options for that hungover folk looking to soak up last night’s booze and get started with some fresh drinks (cheesburger with an egg, breakfast sandwich and hashbrowns, etc)
Overall I would say 4.5. I would definitely come back or recommend this place to a friend. A great, reasonably priced brunch in DC.

We came for the late night happy hour– I mean what a great deal. 2 burgers, 2 fries and 2 PBRs for $ 12. Well, our food came out before our drinks which was a bad sign. Out of the 4 burgers 2 were mostly raw. We sent one back and after nuking it for 30 seconds we received back a mushy, still raw burger.
I know it’s a happy hour deal and the restaurant was busy but that’s no excuse for raw meat.
Also there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the speed that food came out. Nearby friends who had ordered well ahead of us were still waiting on food when we got ours.
The only reason I gave the experience 2 stars was because our cocktails were delicious.

Well I thought District Commons was going to be good, but I was let down. I came here with 4 other ppl during the Army 10 miler weekend. I decided to make reservations here after trying their sister restaurant Acadiana with my husband.
District Commons was not as good as Acadiana. Some people started with drinks. My husband got some type of beer that was in a bottle. He didn’t like it. It had a hint of strawberry. It was different. I started with a Caesar Salad. It was not good. They had anchovies and my husband and I didn’t know it. We didn’t look at the menu. We ordered it last minute as a second thought. Haha. We picked them out it the entire salad tastes like anchovies. The dressing was not good either. It was like a Caesar vinaigrette which I’ve had before but this was not good.
Onto the meals. As a group this is what everyone ordered. My myself and another person got the meatloaf, three other ppl ordered the chicken. One person ordered the shrimp pizza. The plating of everyone’s food was excellent, but the taste was not good. Very mediocre. The food lacked seasoning. It was like they tried to season their food with sauces or broths. They forgot a little well a lot of salt and pepper and/​or herbs. However, the shrimp pizza was good. It had a chipotle sauce on it that was good and have seasoning. Some of us had dessert. We had the brownie sundae. That was actually the best thing. The brownie has chucks of chocolate that gave it a nice crunch. The ice cream was also good. The only thing I didn’t like was they put to much cream on top of the ice cream.
Overall, it was ok. Nothing special. I highly doubt we will come back.

I enjoyed the dinner bell special here recently. After 10pm (8pm on Sundays), the dinner bell rings and there is a $ 12 special available. Definitely recommended for fellow penny pinchers — you get so much delicious food with the special! When I was there, the meal was fried chicken, mac n’cheese, collard greens and a biscuit. The fried chicken was so juicy — I’m not always a fan of this, but this one is worth the indulgence.
My friend and I sat at the bar and enjoyed glasses of wine with our dish as well. We also tried the hot pretzel baguette. The mustard butter served with it made the app! Highly recommended for a classy night out in DC. Regular prices are high, but the dinner bell makes this reasonable — count me in for a return trip.

My friend and I were in the need for a bite to eat after visiting the Philips. We walked to the foggy bottom area to eat at the Bayou. Apparently it was closed for some reason and we ended up here.
There was no wait and we were promptly seated. We waited for over 5 minutes before our waitress came over. Actually my friend asked this lady if we had a server since we were being ignored. Funny enough the lady was our server. Hmmmm…
My friend and I both ordered the Seafood Cobb salad which came out quickly. The salad description: chilled seafood, benton bacon, avocado, blue cheese, louie dressing. I liked the salad and the portion was more than enough. I would have liked a little more bacon on the salad. It really added to the flavor plus who doesn’t love bacon besides those weirdo vegans and vegetarians (j/​k)

We stopped in here for some celebratory drinks while in DC with a large group on a Saturday night. We were fortunate to get a couple of tables together in the bar area. Our server handed out a bunch of menus and let us figure out our orders.
The first thing we noticed was that they had an impressive selection of beers. Since our group was predominantly beer enthusiasts, this worked out well. Most people had two or more beers, and I didn’t hear any complaints about their selections. As for food, we had both the dinner menu and the bar menu to choose from. The Man and I opted for The Pig Board as well as the Hot Pretzel Baguette. Several other people also got the pretzel bread, and we also saw a Southwestern Grilled Shrimp flatbread passed around.
Considering how busy the restaurant was, our orders came out fairly quickly. The pretzel bread was definitely a hit — we could have just kept ordering it all night! The Pig Board was delicious, but the portion size was barely suitable for sharing between two people. I’d have expected just a bit more for the price.
The service was great, the brews were cold, and the food was very tasty. Our group had a great time, and I’m definitely not opposed to going back the next time we’re in the area.

BRUNCH. That’s all I can say. For only $ 16 you can get bottomless mimosas or bloody marys to accompany your brunch. And when I say bottomless I actually mean it. They don’t judge you or cut you off. Depending on how many you plan on drinking, this is important to consider.
The food is amazing. You have to start with the pretzel bread and cinnamon baguette. For only $ 3 each it’s a steal. I then tried the coconut and pineapple pancakes and they were are heavenly as they sound.
The service was perfect. We never felt rushed and were never left without anything we needed. Next time I’m back in DC I’m coming here for brunch again. I’m actually getting hungry thinking about it. Anyways…

A friend and I visited District Commons for dinner before we headed to the Kennedy Center for an evening performance. The restaurant is very conveniently located a block and a half away from the Foggy Bottom metro station. It has a very modern, yuppie vibe to it with large window panels and a very clean and crisp interior.
We ordered the famous hot pretzel baguette (which came with beer butter mustard) as an appetizer and truly enjoyed it! Very, very delicious and also very picturesque if you like taking photos of your food like I do. Our waiter offered to comp this for us, since it was our first time trying it, which was very generous!
For my entrée, I ordered the North Carolina mountain trout, which came with broccolini, pine nuts, and citrus burnt butter on top and a creamy sauce underneath. I liked the trout, but for $ 21 I was expecting a bit more food. My friend ordered the Roasted Portobello Mushroom and seemed to enjoy her food.
Our service was excellent. Out waiter was both helpful and friendly and even brought out two complimentary coconut macaroons for us after our meal! Awesome: D
Definitely a nice place to stop by for dinner and drinks, especially if you’re heading to the Kennedy Center (a mere 10-​minute walk away) afterwards.

This is a nice place to come to before a show at the Kennedy center. The shuttle is right around the corner. It has a full bar and is pretty big, which means it can get pretty loud even if it’s only half full.
I found the food tasty but nothing incredible. I had the flank steak and it was decent.
A solid option that is a little upscale.

Dressy-​casual American restaurant with great brunch options.
I came here with a friend seeking a delicious, possibly Southern-​style brunch. We were given a spacious corner booth affording excellent views of the restaurant and street. Our server was exceptionally friendly and attentive, and gave great menu recommendations. The food service was also very fast. The dress code seemed casual though the atmosphere itself was on the dressy side.
My friend had the fried steak with grits, which he said was well-​seasoned, perfectly crispy, and satisfied his desire for Southern-​style food. I had the huevos rancheros, which initially seemed like a small portion but was so flavorful it was ultimately very satisfying. They gave us a complimentary cinnamon sugar pretzel bread with a side of scrumptious strawberry butter and mini macaroons. The bread was fresh and just a little bit buttery in such a good way, and paired perfectly with the strawberry butter. The macaroons were an excellent end to a great brunch. Our dishes were $ 15 and $ 14 respectively, which I felt was a good price for the quality and size of our meals.

I really like District Commons for their drinks. They are always strong and well-​made. My favorite is probably the Jack Rose (I love Applejack). I also love their famous pretzel baquette. It’s delicious and addictive.
But the rest of the food is lacking. I’ve had the mussels, a few flatbreads, and the calamari, and nothing stands out. There’s nothing I can even write about these dishes, because they just aren’t memorable. Plus, the last time I was there, I had awful service. My server barely acknowledged me and was not friendly at all. Service at the bar has always been good though.
Passion Food Group is one of my favorite restaurant groups, but they miss the mark with District Commons. It’s got a good location, nice interior, and reasonable happy hour (drinks only), but overall, it’s not a place I’d rush to.

Came in for another delicious brunch.
Tried the sweet version of the pretzel bread this time (topped off with cinnamon sugar and served with strawberry butter). Its just the right amount of sweetness, and will satisfy any sweet tooth.
This time I got the Grilled Shrimp flatbread, topped with corn/​beans, pepperjack cheese and a spicy creamy sauce. It comes on a huge serving board, and will leave you stuffed! (I could only finish half!) The bread was deliciously crispy, the shrimp juicy and the sauce… well, spicy!
My two guests got the Eggs Benedict (nothing out of the ordinary), and the Classic Monte Cristo. The Monte Cristo is definitely a «go big or go home» sandwich– sandwiched between two slabs of soft brioche is a brick of turkey, ham and swiss cheese. This behemoth comes with a serving of fries and sweet mustard, raspberry jam, and ketchup! Definitely something I want to try next time.
As always, service was great.
Can’t wait to come back.

I came here for brunch with a large group & we had a great time. The group was about 14 people and they had no trouble accommodating us (we did have a reservation). We all ordered from the brunch menu & did not have to use a special private menu for large groups which was a plus.
Most of us had the bottomless mimosas and the staff kept them coming. We were there for about 3 hours and really enjoyed ourselves. The food, drinks & company were phenomenal.
I’ll definitely be back for brunch with a large group!