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The Red Hen Washington Reviews
The Red Hen may honestly be the best Italian place in DC
The Red Hen may honestly be the best Italian place in DC hands down. The vibes are perfect for date night with a dark ambiance and lovely candles set on the table. The food was delicious. While the cocktail drink was a bit too strong for my taste, it was still lovely presented. The salad was delicious and helped cut into the heavy pastas. The pastas were all spectacular and the pork chops were so tender and juicy. The desserts were immaculate. The tiramisu is a must get when you come here. The berrry crumble cake was a special of the day so not sure if they'll have it year-round but if it's being offered, please get it because it is just the perfect amount of tartness and sweetness. All in all, the experience was great and will definitely come again!
Just the worst, from rude service to inedible food! The
Just the worst, from rude service to inedible food! The whole experience was one of the worst times I've ever been to a restaurant. The food is lack luster and portions were at best raw , couldn't believe the rudeness of the staff who just doesn't seem to care about their customers!!
The tuna crudo is so delicious.
Great service and atmosphere. Can't go wrong with pasta.
Red Hen is an amazing spot for homemade pastas and rustic
Red Hen is an amazing spot for homemade pastas and rustic Italian food. Everything is delicious but you must try the pastas. The rigatoni and squid ink linguine are out of this world. Also the tiramisu and ricotta toast are must tries!
Ambiance was fine and the service we experienced during our
Ambiance was fine and the service we experienced during our meal was adequate. Unfortunately, the food was not very good and the way they handled the bill left me feeling deceived and disrespected. We had the burrata, pea toast, rigatoni, garganelle, and a few beverages. The burrata was not very exciting, but it did the job. The color on the pea hummus was dull and unfortunate, and the toast was of some of the lowest quality I have had at a restaurant. I suppose great bread might be difficult to source, but passable bread is everywhere. This tasted more than a few days old. It had a nice char, which brought out some good flavor, but that's about the only kind thing I can say. The rigatoni had good flavor and the pasta itself had fine texture, but the dish was unremarkable. The garganelle with lamb was not up to temperature, and was pretty dry and sauce-less. We could have easily made the burrata/rigatoni at home, and the pea toast/garganelle were of lesser quality than what an average chef can likely make at home. This all would have been forgivable if the check was handled better. Let me first say that I have worked in restaurants my entire life and I know how difficult it is to get things right on a nightly basis. On a given night, any number of things can go wrong. Maybe there was a disruption in their bread sourcing last night or they had a stage on pasta duty and the quality control guy had to leave early for a family emergency. It happens, and I'm willing to forgive a lot. If I don't like a place, I usually just quietly decide not to eat there again. But I'm no longer willing to tolerate shady practices with the bill. At the conclusion of our meal, we were presented with an itemized receipt; I gave it a quick glance and put my card down. When they returned the check to me, the itemized receipt was gone and I was left only with a bill that displayed the total. How is the customer to know what to leave as a fair tip without knowing the tax or whether there was a service charge included? I'm sorry that after my meal and a few drinks I didn't study the bill or take a photo of it before it came time to do calculate my tip and sign. It's not paranoid to think that the server/restaurant intentionally does this so that diners will tip more than they intend to or face the embarrassment of having to flag down their waiter to get this basic information. I have worked with individual servers who did this and I can recognize it when it happens. Maybe this time it was a mistake, but this is the one part of the interaction that the restaurant has to get right. It shows contempt to your customers to not give them the information they need to complete the transaction. I over-tipped because I am a sucker, but I don't plan to go back.
This place was honestly unbelievably mid.
The green macaroni was gross, tasted like mashed up pees and not much else. DC food in general tends to be meh but for the " hype" this was a total letdown. Def solely hyped up middle management fed gov types. Would highly recommend going to tortino or literally even just sette osteria over this. Way better lol -- and ive been everywhere in dc
cozy spot in DC
Great for casual night out. The pasta is the must tryyy. Service is alwaays friendly. Definitely worth a visit if you're in this area.
Probably my favorite meal this time back in D.
C.! Cool bar area great for happy hour. Definitely make reservations. Service is fantastic and worth the wait!
I've been to this place twice and loved the food, service
I've been to this place twice and loved the food, service and ambience. Wish parking was easier. Maybe Uber will transport us to our next visit! Definitely recommend The Red Hen
Superb in every way.
HARD 2 get a reserve - we went 2 the bar. Vegans stay home. Meat service was like the recently-deceased Urban BBQ, except not as mountainous. Service was what you used to come to expect. Quiet. Civilized.
Best Italian restaurant in DC! Great food and service.
Also has a nice ambiance. The only downside is that it's difficult to get reservations.
Cozy atmosphere, and great service that provided the right
Cozy atmosphere, and great service that provided the right balance between attentiveness and not pressuring you. They did not rush the coursing, which is a rarity nowadays and much appreciated! The food was delicious: lamb pasta was the star of the show, short rib with polenta was delicious (but not as warm as it probably should be), and grilled octopus with cannellini beans. We will definitely return. Great food and fair price.
I got bad food poisoning here.
Saw the cook in the bathroom come out of a stall and did not wash his hands before going back to kitchen. Disgusting !
Food Poisoning for both of us !!
Got food poisoning here. Sorry wont be back !! Saw the cook exit the bathroom stall and not wash his hands. Maybe thats the problem who knows.
Impeccable service, food, and beverages in a cozy
Impeccable service, food, and beverages in a cozy atmosphere. You will have the best pasta of your life here, among other things.
Ambiance and service was great! Food was really tasty.
They are very attentive and knowledgeable on their menu. I highly recommend for a nice date night but the vibes are pretty laid back
I love the ambiance of this restaurant.
The food was tasty, the chef is bold in the pairing of bold & interesting flavors. A friend and I shared the linguine and the beef ribs. Both were delicious in distinctively different ways. The staff is super kind and helpful. Reservations are recommended, we got lucky and sat at the bar. The bartender Andrew helped to make the night enjoyable as well.
I think I didn't order well and want to come back to
I think I didn't order well and want to come back to re-review this spot. Absolutely charming Italian spot with the range of late workers at the bar, friends catching up, and families gathering. I ordered the mafalde (mushroom porcini pasta) and unfortunately found it to be on the bland side. I ordered the grilled rustic bread and anchovies and it was such a dream blend of flavors and carbs I would highly recommend. I also got the carrot cake by the recommendation of my server and it was good but the ginger gelato it's paired with made it DELICIOUS. I got the I shall be warm ( a mezcal drink) and I did not like it at all, I should've stuck with wine. I want to give this place another try because I feel like it has gems I just didn't try.
I've heard so much about this place and couldn't wait to
I've heard so much about this place and couldn't wait to go! It was worth the wait. We got the whipped ricotta crostini, burrata, cacio e pepe arancini, rigatoni, and wild mushroom mafalde. The cacio e pepe arancini was definitely the star of the show! Tons of vegetarian options and there was ability to substitute too if the dish wasn't vegetarian. This was not your typical italian food but was delicious nonetheless!
Good but uneven
Enjoyed our recent visit but would say it was a bit uneven and could have been better. Husband and I shared the ricotta toast, arancini, octopus, and rigatoni pasta. The whipped ricotta toast was fantastic (and I don’t really like ricotta.) the rigatoni was also phenomenal. Both were good size portions and great for sharing. The arancini and octopus I have definitely had better multiple times. Our courses were not served in the order we requested, and the first three were piled together and felt super rushed. Then about 20 min before our next course. Would give them another chance if in the area again but would order more selectively and definitely not place my entire order at once.
Obviously love the fennel sausage rigatoni but a must-try
Obviously love the fennel sausage rigatoni but a must-try is their "off menu" cacio pepe. A true DC gem!
The Red Hen remains one of my favorite DC staples, and
The Red Hen remains one of my favorite DC staples, and serves what is surely the best pasta in town. The restaurant is equally accommodating for casual meals and more formal celebrations. We joined for yet another date here on Valentine's Day. And let me tell you, getting that reservation at 12:00 AM was painful, but it was so worth it! While their menu hasn't changed much from a year ago, it continues to impress. The pasta, as always, is fresh and perfectly cooked, and the service is impeccable. If you decide to join, definitely get their whipped ricotta toast. It's so simply yet incredibly flavorful. Honestly, it might be the dish that keeps bringing us back. RECOMMENDATIONS to the restaurant managers: (1) Please consider changing your reservation system. You are fully aware that your reservations are in high demand. Forcing your clients to stay up until midnight is not considerate of their time and normal schedules. (2) Try to spice up the menu with at least a few new and exciting selections. I didn't recognize a single dish that was new from a year ago. (3) The desserts, while tasty, are too comfortable and normal.
This venue is amazing! Food was excellent, drinks on point
This venue is amazing! Food was excellent, drinks on point and the waitstaff left you wanting nothing! The atmosphere was inviting. Will definitely be back!
A place that never misses! This was my fourth trip here and
A place that never misses! This was my fourth trip here and I have left happy every time. The servers are all attentive but not overbearing and the ambiance is intimate and small but not too loud or overwhelming. Every single item is always on point, the whipped ricotta toast is my single favorite menu item in all of DC, and it is always 10/10!!! Everything else we ordered was also delicious, my friend claiming the pork chop Milanese was "the best schnitzel he's had outside of Germany." Can't recommend this place enough, even if it's just a seat at the bar for a solo dinner.
Loved this place!!!!
We loved this place!!! Full of locals. With a lot of flavor. Cozy little restaurant with the best bar while you wait for your table. I had one of the best Negronis!!!! The service was very friendly and helpful. Their menu looks delicious. And the food WOW!!!! I had parpadelle with braised rib and it was really incredible!!!! For sure will be back!!!
The Red Hen Rocks!
Fantastic food and wonderful service! The Red Hen is a delicious and delightful experience in every way!
Rudest. Bartender. Ever.
What an awful evening at The Red Hen. We were a party of three without a reservation, but we knew that sitting at the bar was an option. When we checked in, the hostess told us there was a party of three at the bar that was paying their check, so we should be okay. Following her instructions, we went to check in at the bar and get on their separate waitlist. When the party of three left, however, the bartender unapologetically told us we could only have two out of the three seats, and said that the hostess only "knows a little" about the situation at the bar. When I asked if anyone else at the bar was about to get up, the bartender said very snidely, "you'll be the first to know." We ended up walking out without ordering dinner. The restaurant business is the hospitality industry. I have never encountered so little hospitality -- and so much attitude -- as we did tonight.
Dinner was the strongest course
The environment is attractive if a bit loud. The chairs are comfortable and tables a reasonable distance apart. Service was attentive without being pushy and my whole party enjoyed their dinners. But the experience was average overall because drinks and dessert were lackluster, at best. I found nothing on the wine list I wanted, the Potter's Petite Cider was like a flavorless seltzer, and when I inquired about the Fever Tree specialty sodas the server looked confused about their selection and I don't think I got what I ordered. While others said their desserts were good, my "dark" chocolate "gelato" reminded me of grocery store chocolate ice cream, pale and lightly flavored.
Great Food and An Act of Kindness
Great Food and An Act of Kindness We made dinner reservations at The Red Hen, Washington, DC, after hearing all the buzz regarding its latest guests. We arrived before the 5:30 pm opening, and spent the time walking around the beautiful historic Bloomingdale neighborhood. I had time to study the menu; naturally I had to have its famous Mezzi Rigatoni. The fennel tomato sausage ragu was not a heavy tomato ragu, and the fennel added a different spin to the ragu. It was true to its high reviews. We ordered 2 appetizers: Chicken Liver Mousse and Grilled Spanish Octopus, which complimented the flavors of the Mezzi. The Crispy Pork Chop Milanese covered the entire dinner plate! It was breaded and well-seasoned. The restaurant filled up very quickly; it is a nice, attractive neighborhood place with the bar in the center . Our server was congenial and most attentive but not overly so. Lastly, we would like to extend our appreciation to Red Hen’s Manager for the kindness shown us. Her thoughtfulness in offering an Uber when we couldn’t hail a cab was beyond hospitable. We will return to The Red Hen again. This restaurant is clearly a 5 Star on all counts!
Wonderful dinner at the Red Hen
The restaurant has a family and friendly atmosphere, slightly away from the center of DC. We tasted the famous Mezzi rigatoni with Italian sausage and fennel stew. Little cooked in France, the dish is really excellent and deserves its reputation. The fennel is very correctly dosed, slightly spicy and brings a subtle taste to the dish. The reception was perfect and very friendly. A big thank you to the manager who booked us an uber to return to the hotel. He will recognize himself. In short, an unforgettable memory of my visit to Washington. I recommend.
The Red Hen is worth the visit
I saw an article on Red Hen before we went to DC and knew I had to try it. I love good food and this place was known for it. My Brither in law made reservations well in advance so we could get in. We went on a Monday night at 6. The restaurant filled up fast. We started with grilled bread and cultured butter with radishes and burrata and spring pea pesto. Bothe appetizers were amazing, and our waitress brought us extra bread. For drinks, we had wine and beer. We let our waitress select our options. Main course was the Pan Roasted Halibut, Spaghetti Vede, and Mezzi Rigatoni. All the dishes were fabulous. Try the Hazelnut Torte for desert. Our waitress was exceptional. I would recommend this place when in town.
Im not crazy about the food here like so many others are.
It's not authentic and i like authentic. I also like place where i can at least not see the roaches crawling up the walls as my friend i was dining with did a got this photo. The server acted as if it was an everyday occurrence and brought us complimentary gelati. I couldnt even finish my meal and sure didnt was dessert which is apparently the prize you get for catching a roach on film. I know one thing, where there's one words there are hundreds haven't been there since I don't plan on going back.
It was a just perfect get in have a great diner with my
It was a just perfect get in have a great diner with my 13 year old daughter and head home.We sat at the service bar were the service could not have been more attentive
Absolutely looove this place.
Everything is always so good, service, food, and drinks. We got the rigatoni and short rib pasta with burrata to start.
This was recommended to me as the best pasta in DC.
Firstly the whipped ricotta crostini with truffle oil was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I listed to another review that said don't let the ratio of ricotta to bread scare you- it's true. The ratio is perfect and the ricotta is light and not heavy at all. There is a slight sweetness that also cuts through the savory. I'm glad I went just to have this appetizer. The pasta itself...meh. There really wasn't much flavor or sauce in the mushroom mafalde I had. It was basically just mushrooms and noodles. So I was disappointed by that. Overall I'm not sure I would recommend this place but service was good and it was a nice atmosphere. Maybe one of the red sauce pastas would taste better?
Great food, very consistent, nice ambiance! We are happy to
Great food, very consistent, nice ambiance! We are happy to live down the street from here.
Fresh pasta, fun staff, fast service = *chef's kiss*I had
Fresh pasta, fun staff, fast service = *chef's kiss*I had the rigatoni and scallops (not pictured) and it was cooked to perfection. Make a reservation & go! Or walk in & sit at the bar.
!!!! People of color be aware !!!!! This restaurant used to
!!!! People of color be aware !!!!! This restaurant used to be a very nice neighborhood restaurant. However since the recent media buzz this restaurant has become very racist and the service quality has gone significantly down. The hostess would not seat or given any attention to customers that were of color. The manger and hostess sat a party that was on the waiting below my party that were white and completely ignored my party when we asked why this had occurred. If you are a person of color stay away from this racist establishment.
The food was average at best.
The chef tries to do too much with the pasta dishes, resulting in nondescript, muddled flavors.BUT THE WORST PART: THE RATS! We sat by the window next to a nearly empty outdoor flower bed (see photo). First, one small rat poked its head out of a hole, then a bigger rat, then several large rats. By sunset, there were 8-10 rats of all sizes frolicking about to the horror (or entertainment) of some patrons.I know that rats are a problem in DC, but how hard would it be to add blinds or tinted glass, or hire the Pied Piper?
Food average - cool place for drinking
The place is very nice, wine is good and the staff is friendly. Food is average and we wait for one hour before having our table. We ordered as a main “gemelli alla genovese” and “mezzi rigatoni fennel ragù” The gemelli were overcooked and not really good. We also ordered 2 desserts: hazelnut tart and panna cotta. On the hazelnut tart it was clearly mentioned on the menu that it was with “Nutella” but it was not true. The hazelnut tart was not really good and came with the mascarpone ice cream that also was not good I don’t suggest to come for dinner, maybe only to take a drink
I have had The Red Hen on my list for a while now, and it
I have had The Red Hen on my list for a while now, and it did not disappoint! The ricotta toast was delish to start, and the rigatoni absolutely hit the spot. The perfect spot for a gals night or a date night!
First time at this eatery, was not impressed! Food is
First time at this eatery, was not impressed! Food is mediocre, I ordered chicken piccata, too lemony!!yikes. Staff not attentive, got up twice to request missing silverware and drink refill. A bit too noisy as well. Most likely will not return to this establishment next time I'm in DC.
An absolute must
Super food! No nonsense, well made tasty exceptional food. Nice winecard, good service, excellent atmosphere. Good price/quality. Will be back
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Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to The Red Hen Washington at 6 PM the same day.
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