Scion Restaurant

Scion is hands down my favorite brunch spot! My boyfriend and I regularly go to Scion for weekend brunch and definitely take advantage of the bottomless mimosas! The food on the menu is to die for. Nothing that we have ever ordered has been bad.
The service there has always been prompt and the hostess/​servers have always been professional. When I think of DC brunch, I think of Scion. I always rave about the food, atmosphere, and great service.

Pros: the meal itself was pretty good (I had the crab linguini).
Cons: no reasonably priced wines. We had one of the cheapest on the menu, at $ 60(!!!). It was probably marked up by at least $ 40. So you’re paying a *huge* markup on wines here.
Loud heavy metal music played throughout the meal. What 12 yr old boy chose your playlist?
The restaurant décor screams: dentist’s office, suburban Indiana.
All in all, the kind of restaurant that would last about a weekend in NYC, and for some reason flourishes in DC.

(3.5 stars) I always find it hard to discover a brunch place in DC that actually has great brunch food. This is not one of those places, but the food is still pretty good. What gives this restaurant a bit of a boost is its fresh fruit buffet (though not the best selection), reasonable prices, and solid cup of coffee.
Ordering a brunch entrée entitles you to partake in their fresh fruit buffet. It’s an intriguing idea, considering that I imagine everyone thinks of getting fresh fruit but decides not to because it’s expensive and always a small portion. The options are not that special: mediocre sliced apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, and I think honeydew. That said, I still had a few plates full.
For my actual dish, I built an omelette and had some breakfast potatoes. The omelette was a jumble of turkey sausage, cheese, and a bunch of different veggies so naturally it seemed disjointed and tasted like a scramble of a variety of things. Still, it was well-​prepared and the add-​ins were enjoyable. The potatoes were okay: super oily and thin, like soft potato chips. They were hard to resist but heavy. At only $ 13, it was very reasonable.

Overview of this Visit:
This was a really really nice place for brunch. It was not overly expensive and we had a great time. Our service was really nice, the server was very helpful and was very patient. The food was very tasty and at times didn’t look to be enough; however, half way through, you’d probably struggle.
We didn’t get an starters but were glad we didn’t because we were very full without it. Our entrees were:
Lobster Hash:
This was an amazing dish. I couldn’t believe how good this was. This was certainly one of those, «oh ok… this is it?» dishes; however, once you dig in, it was definitely satisfying and filling. The best thing about this is, the hash they used wasn’t just potatoes. They had sweet potatoes mixed in as well and that was one of the things that made me go oh wow. The price was appropriate I believe. Lobster and the portion, it was definitely worth it.
Cinnamon Vanilla French Toast:
This dish was also very good. It was very simple but what was simple was made up in portion. This was super generous, it’s definitely for those who love French toast and you’ll get a heaping portion ontop of that.
Additional Dishes:
Chorizo:
This was just a side plate; but, man I wish I could just have a full plate of this. It was so amazing savory and delicious, words fail me.
Drinks:
We both had the endless mimosa, we had about 4 jar fulls so it was definitely worth the $ 14 they were charging for endless mimosas.
Issues or Concerns:
This place was definitely not as crowded because we got there at 10 and our reservation was at 10AM so it was definitely worth it to come early. It was around 10:30 and the place was packed.
Parking was also an issue, as it is with every street in DC. This was a pain in the butt; however, somehow, fate had it in for us to have a good time so we found something literally outside of the restaurant.

Came here for dinner on my 21^st birthday. Overall good food and drinks. Happy hour is 5 – 7 for ½ drinks, so I recommend going around that time if you want a drink or two. I order the portabella panini– very delicious and big (i only ate half). They brought out chocolate mousse and sang happy birthday to me (only bummer is that we had to pay for it, even though we didn’t request it). I believe all of my friends enjoyed their meals and drinks!

Not that good. Overall poor customer service. Water was never refilled and they forgot the appetizer until after the actual meals came. The Dr. Pepper also had no degree, so it wasn’t even real Dr. Pepper.
Also when I asked for a Coke they said «Is Pepsi okay?». No, it is never okay.

Came here for Sunday brunch with a group of seven. We had reservations, and it looked decently crowded inside when we arrived at noon. We started with the fresh fruit buffet, which had a nice selection. The menu had both breakfast and lunch options. I got the Vermonter panini, which was okay– the turkey was more lunchmeat style and thin sliced, whereas I would have liked larger, carved pieces– but the cheddar and apple combo was good.
I tried some of the huevos rancheros, and wished I had gotten that instead. I think if I came back again, it would be for the drinks rather than the food-​bottomless mimosas or bloodies for $ 14, which we didn’t take advantage of this time (but should have!)

Great good, great service.
I recently had a private event here and everything was fantastic. Our server was great – the bride was running late and they were super accommodating.
We order a bunch of plates to share and everything was really good!
Starters:
Mac n cheese
Endive wraps
Crab spinach dip
Jambalaya croquettes
Entrees:
Avocado pesto
Duck ravioli
Champagne risotto

I had brunch at Scion last Saturday with my son, who lives at DuPont Circle. He’s two or three blocks away from Scion.
They have a really great menu here. Starters choices are from avocado toast to smoky five cheese mac & cheese to edamame hummus with rice crackers. My son and I split the hummus for our starter. I had the Wasabi Caesar Salad with grilled shrimp. Excellent! My son had the Scion Burger (which had smoked mozzarella and sautéed onions) and raved about it. And yes, we enjoyed the «bottomless mimosas». I’m glad that we walked all the way through Georgetown and back to walk it off.
We’re hitting Scion again on my next trip back to DC.

I had a lovely experience at Scion for brunch on a Sunday afternoon. Scion’s service was impeccable, and it served as the perfect space to catch up with a few friends.
Previously, I had made a reservation for my Sunday brunch on OpenTable. Scion followed up to confirm via phone the Friday before, and my party and I were promptly seated once we arrived at the restaurant. Scion offers a few different dining area options: there’s the seating in the atrium/​greenhouse closest to the main entrance; seating on the main restaurant floor; and additional seating in back private rooms. Although the inner areas of the restaurant are darker (the paint job and carpets rob the space of any of the bright, airy ambience you can get from the atrium area), the back room where we were seated afforded us a bit more privacy and peace (it can get a bit noisy during the brunch hours). The back rooms are also warmer (away from the entrance) and somehow are a great fit for gloomy, chilly days.
Onto the food! Scion offers a variety of brunch and lunch entrées during their 10AM-3:30PM brunching period on the weekends. I opted for the Monte Cristo sandwich, which is apparently is an American take on the French Croque Monsieur. I really liked Scion’s rendition, which was a very generous portion. The sandwich is lightly grilled to perfection and filled with turkey and ham and oozing cheese. Served with maple syrup for dipping and home fries (which are delightfully crispy), I was definitely satisfied with my choice of the Monte Cristo. My friends opted for the two Eggs Benedict dishes, and they enjoyed their meals as well. Brunch also comes with an all-​you-​can-​eat fruit buffet — sounds really amazing, but it isn’t much more than different fruits served on a few plates (if you sit in the back areas of the restaurant, you’ll have to travel to the atrium area to get the fruit). For those interested in bottomless brunch, you can add that to your meal for $ 14.
Service-​wise, our server was polite and respectful throughout our meal. She gave us plenty of time to make our meal choices and to converse (we stayed for over two hours until the end of brunch). Our food also came out really quickly from the kitchen, which was a great plus.
Overall, a good brunch place that’s also pretty affordable (entrées ranged from $ 11-​$ 20). With the fruit buffet (vitamin boost!) and dining space fit for those gloomy days, I’d definitely recommend Scion for brunch this coming winter.

A group of 6, we travel to Saints games and always like to try the local places. This one was by the Hotel Palomar, where we stayed.
We had a bunch of appetizers for lunch:
Spring Rolls — Excellent
Surf and turf sliders came with 1 burger and 1 crab cake burger. They were pretty good. I preferred the crab.
Fried pickles. They’re all about the same and these were the usual, with ranch dressing. Good but not memorable. I mean, it’s just fried pickles and you can’t do too much with them, right?
Hand cut fries. Tasty
Crab spinach dip. Served with crostini and it was very, very good. They keep bringing crostini until you stop them :-)
Seared scallops were also very good, by the way.
The waiter was super informed and helpful about the beers. A buddy and I are «beer snobs» — not really, but we just consider light beer and most commercial beers to be garbage. So they have a bunch on tap as well as a large bottle selection.
We sampled a few of the taps: 21^st Amendment, Founders Backwoods Bastard, and the Sam Adams Kosmic Mother Funk Grand Cru.
And the winner is… the Backwoods Bastard. Thick, creamy, 10% alcohol (ouch!) and malty with a smooth taste and not too hoppy (although we like IPAs and they had a nice selection too). Gee, sounds like a wine review, just not pretentious enough :-D
Nice people, nice place, good food and a low key atmosphere. Definitely a must if you like beer and varieties you can’t normally get.
Also, the bar drinks were good, the ladies inform us, so there you go.
Oh, and mind your step when you go in. Just a bit of a step up so don’t trip.

This place was so good we had to visit a second visit.
Being across the street from our hotel we decided to give it a try without reservations on a Saturday morning. Luckily there were a few bar seats open and we got right in.
With your meal you also get t visit a fresh fruit bar which is nice. I ordered the same dish both visits — a scramble with egg whites, sausage, Monterrey /​cheddar blend, spinach and red/​green peppers and my husband ordered the cinnamon vanilla French toast & second day ordered a breakfast sandwich (eggs/​bacon/​pita bread /​potatoes on side.
Also, can we talk about their breakfast potatoes? They’re like thick potato chips with a nice amount of seasoning.
Highly recommend this spot but make sure you get a reservation!

I’ve been to Scion for brunch two times since living in Arlington and I have to say I’ve had a great experience each time I’ve been there!
We were most recently here on Halloween day with 23 people in our party. First, it was awesome that they were able to accommodate all of us! They have a room in the back with two long tables for larger parties so that’s where we were set, away from everyone else which was probably a good thing.
We were there from 12:30 to probably 3 pm and the service the entire time was awesome. I don’t remember our server’s name but it was him for all of us and he absolutely killed it. Everyone’s orders were correct and he brought out so many mimosas just constantly which made everyone extreeeemely happy.
I got the steak and eggs for my entrée and although it was a little bit bland, I’m just going to chalk it up to it being a ridiculously busy day and the chef preparing a million plates at the same time. The first time I was there the food was awesome so no harm, no foul because we came there to drink anyway.
If you’re looking for a good brunch spot for a big group, Scion is definitely your place. It’s reasonably priced, the food is decent, and they will keep the drinks flowing if that’s what you want.

Came to Scion for brunch last weekend. They do take reservations — I would recommend making one in advance.
My friend and I were seating in the enclosed patio. I thought the décor could use some upgrading — felt a little outdated.
Menu is pretty straightforward and I would say the general vibe of Scion is no frills. I opted for the Healthy Start — egg beaters, avocado, toast, tomatoes, and feta ($ 11). My friend got the New Orleans benedict ($ 15). I got a coffee as well (they don’t do lattes). They did offer a complimentary fruit bar, which I didn’t check out.
I was pretty impressed with the portion size of my Healthy start plate — 3 eggs! but only one piece of toast lol.
I would say the food is good, not great, no fuss. No complaints but nothing stood out to me.

Good food and drink with reasonable prices. Their healthy breakfast and lobster/​potato dish are excellent; the latter has real chunks of lobster in it. Service was fast. The number 1 minus I’d identify is that the din got so loud we could barely hear each other at our table. Also, for a place that prides itself on brunch, the coffee is extremely disappointing.

I was craving mac and cheese for some reason. I happened to find Scion and I am glad I did because the craving got satisfied! They have a nice wine and bourbon list but I wasn’t drinking on this particular day. The bartender who served me was friendly and efficient.
I got the LBJ mac and cheese which is apparently a signature thing. It is definitely yummy! There was relatively little lobster though which was kind of disappointing. The lobster that was in it was certainly cooked well, it was tender and flavorful, not rubbery. The bacon was smoky and the jalapenos gave it a nice kick. It was definitely one of the best mac and cheeses I have ever eaten at a restaurant.
One slightly weird, well maybe really weird, thing that threw me off was this– their bar top is made of copper. Now, I have a most sensitive sniffer. I may have been compared to a bloodhound on occasion. The scent of the bar was very offputting to me, like I was eating in a room full of rusty pennies. If I was to return, I would certainly sit elsewhere so I didn’t have to deal with the smell.

I met my friend from out of town here for an impromptu brunch. Surprisingly not too crowded around 1pm on a Saturday, which was very convenient. We ordered the avocado toast with an egg over easy and we split a Vermonter Panini. The avocado toast came out first & that was delicious! It was wheat toast with an avocado spread topped with nuts (I can’t remember what kind) & the over easy egg. The egg costs extra, but it’s well worth the add-​on. This is a must have starter for brunch. It wasn’t too hearty, but packed a lot of flavor. The Vermonter Panini was very tasty as well. Not as memorable as the toast, but still a solid kinda light choice if you’re not looking for a huge brunch meal. I would definitely consider coming back here again for brunch, and I’ll have to check back to see what they’re regular dinner menu is like.

I went for my birthday brunch. I enjoyed the fact that I was able to start my bottomless mimosas at the bar and then move them to our table. I also liked the fact that there is a fruit bar that comes with every meal. I was weirded out that they cut up the bananas. Which lead to less than appetizing looking bananas.
The food was good, the entire table got super quiet as they ate. Which means it was tasty. I had the Huevos Racheros so tasty and filled with jalapenos sitting on 2 fried crispy tortillas. The only down side is that I asked for my egg runny, over easy and there was no juicy yolk to be found.
Also, I didn’t like the potatoes, they were a slightly less crispy potato chip. I like homestyle potatoes or hash brown type things not weird potato chips. Had I known I would have swapped them out for something more appetizing.
Over all great experience. Very full for brunch so always make a reservation or be prepared to wait for 30 min — 1 hour or more. I could never find street parking which is why I’ve just now visited this restaurant but 2 of my friends drove and found parking within 2 blocks of here.

I came for brunch this past Sunday for two main reasons: 1) the free fresh fruit buffet, and 2) bottomless brunchin’.
Wait — Came around 11:20am for a group of three and got seated for the last table outside. Aaaawesome.
Food — The Monte Cristo ($ 13), Huevos Rancheros with chorizo, and Lobster Hash are ALL yummy choices. The fruit buffet is small but filling (coz unlimited, duh)!
Drinks — Mimosas & poinsettias (champagne & cranberry) bottomless are interchangeable and come in carafes for $ 14. Bottomless Bloody Mary’s also an option but not interchangeable.
Overall it was a nice place to brunch that’s close to Dupont Circle. Didn’t eat inside so can’t speak to the ambiance there but the outside is lovely on a sunny day.

Went here for brunch with a few friends today and had an alright experience!
Food & Drink
My two favorite dishes hands down were the lobster hash and the Juevos Rancheros. The rancheros look a little weird but it was bustling with different ingredients (beans, cheese, eggs, corn tortilla-​just oozing of good stuff). The lobster hash had a great hollondaise sauce even though the lobster lacked seasoning. I loved how perfectly poached the Eggs were, on top of the bed of sweet potato/​potato hash! My bacon pieces were quite burnt but still loved the combination of all these flavors! Your entrée also includes a fruit bar.
I wanted to love the Fruit Bar, but I just couldn’t. I wouldn’t even call it a fruit bar. It is a cool concept and the fruit is cut and laid on the table. I tried it the first time, but the second time I went back up, one of the kitchen staff consolidating some of the fruit onto other plates. Since I have a heavy allergy to kiwi, I was annoyed that they put the kiwi and pineapple on the same plate. They also had one serving tong for all the fruit. Not only was this messy, but it just doesn’t account for anyone’s allergies or anything. This was a big no no for me.
In terms of drinks, For $ 15 you can get bottomless brunch drinks (mimosa, poinsettia — champagne and cranberry, Bloody Mary). Personally preferred the mimosa over the kinda overly sweet poinsettia. They also serve your drink in a carafe so you can always ask for another carafe when you are almost done. NO NEED TO WAIT!!!
The service was also really great and we were seated immediately at 11:30 am. I love the outdoor seating a lot and would suggest going when it is more warm! It was cold for most of my Brunch, but so glad the food was warm and the drinks kept going!