‘The city is dead’: D.C. restaurant reservations drop amid federal crackdown

[Anonymous]

Restaurants ate dying because DC sucks and iripoff.

Entrees are running $30, 40, 50, even 70 a pop. Cocktails and wine glasses are costing $15-25 ea. $25 appetizers. But the worst are the service fees, liveable wage fees, equity fees, whatever BS they tack on. They always conveniently calculate those fees after taxes too. Then they stand over you while paying and try to tell you those fees are not tips that go to the waiter, insinuating that you need to tip 20% more on top of all of that. Ridiculous, I'm not paying 40% over price.

Even stupid burgers and tacos at fast casual places in DC tack on al these fees and expect tipping when you have to bus your own tables, get your own food, and get your own drinks. You can spend $60+ now buying a stupid lunch for 2 that are just tacos and drinks.

DC dining is a ripoff. It needs to all collapse and be re-started again once they readjust prices to be far more reasonable. We almsot never go out in the city anymore because of the ridiculous prices and tipping/fee BS. And now they want $25/h min wage yet will still.havr the gall to demand 20% tips when they are making min wage. Have fun spending $500 for a dinner for two at a medicore place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Trump is the reason this is happening. I can’t even step foot into dc without the orange thug crossing my mind, taking away my appetite. It’s obvious this is all the fault of maga and I can’t even think straight when I’m trying to sit down and talk to my small liberal arts college friends in Takoma park. The humanity!

I just can’t get my arms around people who are afraid to come into the city now that it is demonstrably safer. It’s some sort of self loathing psychological disorder. I’m starting to think TDS may actually be a legitimate mental disorder.

It is as safe as it always has been, certainly not "demonstrably" safer. Sheesh, performative NG troops on high traffic tourist areas makes no difference to the safety in the rest of the city.

You’ve seen seen tourists at the Anacostia Metro station and in Mount Pleasant?

Why are you listing those two places? Mount Pleasant has been and is perfectly fine and has a bunch of good restaurants…while Anacostia is Anacostia…but neither are tourist spots (and neither have NG troops either).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Not anymore. I just no longer want to go into DC since the National Guard has occupied it. It's just too depressing, between that and half the white house torn down.

Some of my coworkers, who are foreign nationals and here legally, are afraid to go into DC as well, since they are brown.

I’m not a trump apologist at all, but frankly find this ridiculous. I live in Logan Circle and there aren’t that many national guard walking around.

That's fine. But I don't live or work in DC and used to come from the suburbs on the weekends to eat out or go to an event. Just find it too depressing now and want to hunker down at home.

I live and work in DC and now I go out more often. I used to hunker down when I was much more likely to get car jacked in broad daylight.

You are full of shit. Those of us who actually live and work in DC haven’t been afraid to do anything within reason (yeah, I will admit that I am not walking or driving around Anacostia at 2am).

Your racism is showing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants ate dying because DC sucks and iripoff.

Entrees are running $30, 40, 50, even 70 a pop. Cocktails and wine glasses are costing $15-25 ea. $25 appetizers. But the worst are the service fees, liveable wage fees, equity fees, whatever BS they tack on. They always conveniently calculate those fees after taxes too. Then they stand over you while paying and try to tell you those fees are not tips that go to the waiter, insinuating that you need to tip 20% more on top of all of that. Ridiculous, I'm not paying 40% over price.

Even stupid burgers and tacos at fast casual places in DC tack on al these fees and expect tipping when you have to bus your own tables, get your own food, and get your own drinks. You can spend $60+ now buying a stupid lunch for 2 that are just tacos and drinks.

DC dining is a ripoff. It needs to all collapse and be re-started again once they readjust prices to be far more reasonable. We almsot never go out in the city anymore because of the ridiculous prices and tipping/fee BS. And now they want $25/h min wage yet will still.havr the gall to demand 20% tips when they are making min wage. Have fun spending $500 for a dinner for two at a medicore place.

I see little difference in DC prices compared to Arlington and Alexandria (the latter have really high dining taxes).

I get comparing DC to places far outside the DMV…but there really isn’t any difference around the DMV.

[Anonymous]

I think even republicans can agree that the Trump admin cultural vibes are terrible. Tense, hostile. Nothing powerful seems fun and nothing fun seems powerful. It’s the opposite of Camelot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

So, it’s obvious you don’t go to DC or NY restaurants because NY restaurants are far more expensive (that’s NY…always has been the case).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants ate dying because DC sucks and iripoff.

Entrees are running $30, 40, 50, even 70 a pop. Cocktails and wine glasses are costing $15-25 ea. $25 appetizers. But the worst are the service fees, liveable wage fees, equity fees, whatever BS they tack on. They always conveniently calculate those fees after taxes too. Then they stand over you while paying and try to tell you those fees are not tips that go to the waiter, insinuating that you need to tip 20% more on top of all of that. Ridiculous, I'm not paying 40% over price.

Even stupid burgers and tacos at fast casual places in DC tack on al these fees and expect tipping when you have to bus your own tables, get your own food, and get your own drinks. You can spend $60+ now buying a stupid lunch for 2 that are just tacos and drinks.

DC dining is a ripoff. It needs to all collapse and be re-started again once they readjust prices to be far more reasonable. We almsot never go out in the city anymore because of the ridiculous prices and tipping/fee BS. And now they want $25/h min wage yet will still.havr the gall to demand 20% tips when they are making min wage. Have fun spending $500 for a dinner for two at a medicore place.

I see little difference in DC prices compared to Arlington and Alexandria (the latter have really high dining taxes).

I get comparing DC to places far outside the DMV…but there really isn’t any difference around the DMV.

Montgomery county has way cheaper food. I'd rather go up to Baltimore for half the psnd arguably just as good dining options, if not better than DC.

[Anonymous]

^ stupid auto correct.

Baltimore half the price and just as good, if not better dining

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

So, it’s obvious you don’t go to DC or NY restaurants because NY restaurants are far more expensive (that’s NY…always has been the case).

I go up to NY all the time. Of course NY will be more expensive if you're only talking about high end dining. NY has tons of mid range and cheap eats that DC simply doesn't have. NY is as expensive as ypu want it to be, unlike DC where everything is expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

So, it’s obvious you don’t go to DC or NY restaurants because NY restaurants are far more expensive (that’s NY…always has been the case).

I go up to NY all the time. Of course NY will be more expensive if you're only talking about high end dining. NY has tons of mid range and cheap eats that DC simply doesn't have. NY is as expensive as ypu want it to be, unlike DC where everything is expensive.

+1. And when I go out in NY (or Philly) I am reasonably assured that the food will be worth the money. Not so in DC.

I have discretionary income but I haven’t been to a high-end DC restaurant more than twice in the past 2 years, and both of those were for birthdays where I didn’t have a choice. The first one had one dish that was actually disgusting and was otherwise way overrated (and I am not that picky). The second one was better but not at all worth the money - I can literally make better at home.

The only higher end restaurant I have been to in DC over the past few years that is worth the money is Albi, which is amazing (both food and ambiance).

The next time I have a special occasion I will probably make a trek to one of the suburban ethnic food places, probably Chinese up in Rockville.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Restaurants ate dying because DC sucks and iripoff.

Entrees are running $30, 40, 50, even 70 a pop. Cocktails and wine glasses are costing $15-25 ea. $25 appetizers. But the worst are the service fees, liveable wage fees, equity fees, whatever BS they tack on. They always conveniently calculate those fees after taxes too. Then they stand over you while paying and try to tell you those fees are not tips that go to the waiter, insinuating that you need to tip 20% more on top of all of that. Ridiculous, I'm not paying 40% over price.

Even stupid burgers and tacos at fast casual places in DC tack on al these fees and expect tipping when you have to bus your own tables, get your own food, and get your own drinks. You can spend $60+ now buying a stupid lunch for 2 that are just tacos and drinks.

DC dining is a ripoff. It needs to all collapse and be re-started again once they readjust prices to be far more reasonable. We almsot never go out in the city anymore because of the ridiculous prices and tipping/fee BS. And now they want $25/h min wage yet will still.havr the gall to demand 20% tips when they are making min wage. Have fun spending $500 for a dinner for two at a medicore place.

Ya know what holds its value even though it’s gone up? Five Guys. But you have to go in person to get the fries right out of the fryer. So good and ginormous portions. A family of 4 could split one regular fries.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

So, it’s obvious you don’t go to DC or NY restaurants because NY restaurants are far more expensive (that’s NY…always has been the case).

I can still get a slice of pizza in NYC for $3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

So, it’s obvious you don’t go to DC or NY restaurants because NY restaurants are far more expensive (that’s NY…always has been the case).

I go up to NY all the time. Of course NY will be more expensive if you're only talking about high end dining. NY has tons of mid range and cheap eats that DC simply doesn't have. NY is as expensive as ypu want it to be, unlike DC where everything is expensive.

NYC doesn't have tons of mid range and cheap eats at all. Let's stop just making shit up to fit a narrative. I was literally in NYC over the weekend, so if you are claiming you need to travel to the ends of the outer-boroughs to get these cheap eats, then that's not particularly relevant or useful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Over 90 closed this year. 70 last year. 2026 probably will close 100 more. They can't afford to pay the wages and stay open.

WFH is killing them.

Haven't WFH 2+ years. We don't go to DC restaurants anymore because of the price. It is simple as that. It is probably even more expensive than NYC, and DC can't even hold its water next to NY.

So, it’s obvious you don’t go to DC or NY restaurants because NY restaurants are far more expensive (that’s NY…always has been the case).

I can still get a slice of pizza in NYC for $3.

Now add the bridge tolls and congestion pricing in.