DCUM foodies, what are the most overrated and underrated restaurants in the DMV?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most overrated in my view - Founding Farmers.

+1 FF is not good

One or Sietsema's most scathing reviews ever was FF. Who's saying it's good?

Came here to say the same thing. Sietsema basically said they couldn't even handle making a martini and the food was pure trash. How is it "overrated?" Even before that review it was a restaurant for the tourists.

In my experience, people talk about how great FF is. I find it gross.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I find the whole concept of regularly eating out itself to be highly overrated, especially given how reliant restaurants are on addictive ingredients like fat, salt, and sugar.

It took me 35 years to realize that I can cook better tasting and healthier foods at home.

No you can't. This is the lie that dieters/health nuts tell themselves to make themselves feel better about not allowing themselves to eat what they want, but it's never true.

If you could actually cook food that was healthier and objectively better tasting than any restaurant then instead of posting about it on DCUM you'd be talking about it on the Today Show after receiving your Michelin stars and opening the 500th franchise of the restaurant that made you a multimillionaire.

The foodservice industry spends billions every year on healthier alternatives and the best they can come up with is a veggie burger that tastes exactly like a real burger if the only real burger you've ever had came from a public school cafeteria. What do you think is more likely, that you figured out a secret that every massive restaurant group in the world somehow missed, or that your food isn't really as good as you say?

DP. I'm by no means a great chef, just a decent home cook who has been cooking a lot more lately. My food is often better than average restaurant food. Even my DH agrees! There are some things that are hard to duplicate at home, but the fact is, most DC restaurant food is not that great. The really good stuff that I couldn't replicate is the more humble fare, like a great bagel or Bahn Mi.

NP but agreed. I have been so disappointed by the Michelin-starred restaurants in DC for the most part, and I don’t think I’m snobby. I really enjoy going to all of the various hole in the wall ethnic restaurants much more than most of the acclaimed DC spots. I will say, however, that I really enjoyed Tail Up Goat (not overrated at all IMO) and Masseria, which I rarely hear mentioned of the DC Michelins, is awesome. Those are the only two that stood out to me.

[Anonymous]

Like some others in this thread, I prefer Bullfrog to CYM (and I grew up in NYC, so have some prior delicious bagel experience).

For takeout during COVID, I've really liked Copycat Co. Good value food (especially the crab fried rice and dumplings) and inventive cocktails. I've also really enjoyed the new sushi place in The Roost. Anju was great pre-pandemic and does great takeout now.

I really like Rose's Luxury and don't think it's overrated. It's a lower price point than one would expect given the hype, so you have to keep that in mind. I love P&P for a big splurge. I also really like Rasika; yes, it's not traditional Indian food, but that's obviously intentional. Masseria is great, though the takeout we've done has split 1 amazing and 1 pretty awful. Tail up Goat is amazing... but so sadly inconvenient to the Hill!

I've never really thought Maketto's dinner offerings lived up to the hype.

[Anonymous]

2 Amys. Overrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2 Amys. Overrated.

+1

[Anonymous]

Five Guys. Thumbs down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Jaleo is desperately overhyped and overrated (it’s only pretty good), and I am surprised that Marcel’s is not in the conversation more as one of the best restaurants in DC, I just don’t come across it being mentioned that much anywhere.

Jaleo was amazing 15 years ago. Now it’s drab and tired.

Marcels was amazing 15 years ago and still amazing when I went there maybe 2 years ago. It’s my favorite splurge restaurant. I agree that it is underrated.

[Anonymous]

Underrated- Bistro Aracostia in the Palisades. Everything we’ve had there has been delicious. Annabelle is also totally worth the splurge.
Overrated- definitely Rose’s Luxury. Went once abs never need to go back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I ate at Rose's Luxury in the first year that it opened and was blown away - did NOT expect to be. But, maybe it has gone downhill since then? Literally one of the top ten meals I have had and I do eat out a lot in DC and pre-COVID all over the US and Europe.

That said - Call Your Mother is vastly overrate but I like the ambience so I'll hangout.

I used to love Table in Shaw but it closed -thought it was vastly underrated. I find Vinotecca for what it is to be underrated.

Haven't eaten out in almost a year now...the sadness.

Someone asked about Sfoligna - it's good but not nearly as good as the ravs. But good and a very nice place to eat. Hit the bar for happy hour specials on food and drink.

Up in Van Ness/Forest Hills - I think Bucks is vastly overrated. Had one of the worst meals ever there. But again, a great place to hangout and I have had some good meals there. It has been better as late.

Comet - overrated for the food but fun.

But the white pizza is so good and their house salad dressing is just right. There's no where better in the neighborhood!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I ate at Rose's Luxury in the first year that it opened and was blown away - did NOT expect to be. But, maybe it has gone downhill since then? Literally one of the top ten meals I have had and I do eat out a lot in DC and pre-COVID all over the US and Europe.

That said - Call Your Mother is vastly overrate but I like the ambience so I'll hangout.

I used to love Table in Shaw but it closed -thought it was vastly underrated. I find Vinotecca for what it is to be underrated.

Haven't eaten out in almost a year now...the sadness.

Someone asked about Sfoligna - it's good but not nearly as good as the ravs. But good and a very nice place to eat. Hit the bar for happy hour specials on food and drink.

Up in Van Ness/Forest Hills - I think Bucks is vastly overrated. Had one of the worst meals ever there. But again, a great place to hangout and I have had some good meals there. It has been better as late.

Comet - overrated for the food but fun.

But the white pizza is so good and their house salad dressing is just right. There's no where better in the neighborhood!

2 years ago I had an AMAZING meal at Rose's Luxury.

Bresca is underrated.

Thip Khao is underrated.

I'll go a bit against the grain: I think Maydan is overrated. I don't love the cuisine so maybe that's it, but it's just... fine.

Hank's Oyster bar flies under the radar, but I really like it. Underrated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Underrated- Bistro Aracostia in the Palisades. Everything we’ve had there has been delicious. Annabelle is also totally worth the splurge.
Overrated- definitely Rose’s Luxury. Went once abs never need to go back.

I love Bistro Aracosia but post-Covid they only do pickup and delivery within a mile. Basically only to the Palisades. I wish they would get on some apps and keep it up. They did pre-Covid, so not sure what's up with that.

/posting from Dupont. Not THAT far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Like some others in this thread, I prefer Bullfrog to CYM (and I grew up in NYC, so have some prior delicious bagel experience).

For takeout during COVID, I've really liked Copycat Co. Good value food (especially the crab fried rice and dumplings) and inventive cocktails. I've also really enjoyed the new sushi place in The Roost. Anju was great pre-pandemic and does great takeout now.

I really like Rose's Luxury and don't think it's overrated. It's a lower price point than one would expect given the hype, so you have to keep that in mind. I love P&P for a big splurge. I also really like Rasika; yes, it's not traditional Indian food, but that's obviously intentional. Masseria is great, though the takeout we've done has split 1 amazing and 1 pretty awful. Tail up Goat is amazing... but so sadly inconvenient to the Hill!

I've never really thought Maketto's dinner offerings lived up to the hype.

Also from NYC and agree I think Bullfrog is better than CYM. My favorite place though for best bagels is Bagels Etc. Their issue, especially during Covid, is that it is a cash-only operation with no take-out or curbside or delivery options. So...that's limiting! But I prefer them over both CYM and Bullfrog if you're in the area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most overrated in my view - Founding Farmers.

+1 FF is not good

One or Sietsema's most scathing reviews ever was FF. Who's saying it's good?

GW kids who drag their parents their for brunch during Parents Weekend and the 20s-30s Instagram set. They seem to LOVE IT for some reason.

Maybe the 20s-30s “Instagram Set” who live in Reston and Germantown. I’m a millennial who lives in DC and I don’t know a single person who would eat at FF. Who even goes to that part of the city?

Pretty much this. It's Cheesecake Factory for Downtown DC and I can't imagine any District Millenial thinking it was at all "cool." It's pure schlock for the Sioux Falls set.

[Anonymous]

Almost every restaurant in Bethesda is mediocre as hell. All of the good eats on the MD side are in Silver Spring, Rockville, and a few spots in Gaithersburg.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Most overrated in my view - Founding Farmers.

+1 FF is not good

One or Sietsema's most scathing reviews ever was FF. Who's saying it's good?

GW kids who drag their parents their for brunch during Parents Weekend and the 20s-30s Instagram set. They seem to LOVE IT for some reason.

Maybe the 20s-30s “Instagram Set” who live in Reston and Germantown. I’m a millennial who lives in DC and I don’t know a single person who would eat at FF. Who even goes to that part of the city?

Pretty much this. It's Cheesecake Factory for Downtown DC and I can't imagine any District Millenial thinking it was at all "cool." It's pure schlock for the Sioux Falls set.

First off, the attempted put down of the “Sioux Falls set” is really trying too hard.

FF and Cheesecake Factory are the kind of restaurants that exist to serve groups—everyone from kids to grandma can find something on the menu. They have their place. Does anyone really go there expecting to be blown away by the food? Not really.