Carving Room

Everything about this place is fantastic. Meats are all done in-​house as is everything else such as dipping sauces. The «cigars» are to die for. Great sandwiches. One cannot go wrong on the food here — everything is well done.

My favorite spot in the Penn Quarter/​Chinatown neighborhood. The food/​beer selection is excellent and the vibe is relaxed and approachable; I recently moved to DC from Denver, and it reminds me of home in that respect. I go for the lox on ciabatta, my boyfriend gets the Carving Room burger with a fried egg. Both are superb. I normally like to try new things, but I can’t help but get the same sandwich, sitting in the same spot at the bar, drinking the same hefeweizen on draft here. Simply perfect.

Best things that we tried: the cigars, matzoh ball soup, eggplant dip. (all delicious)
House-​made corned beef was good but the rye it was served on was a little dry and day-​old. Kinda wrecked it for me. The roast beef melt on roll was better because the bread was much softer.
Great beer menu.
Service was slow, but friendly. I will go back for matzoh ball no matter what because its hard to find in DC.

My first experience with Carving Room was a small brisket sandwich with horseradish and au jus that I bought at the Parcel Market in Navy Yard a couple of months ago. It was only $ 5, so while the portion was small, the flavors were amazing and the brisket so tender, I vowed to visit the brick and mortar location soon. I visited Carving Room on New Year’s Day around 2:30pm. Besides a handful (maybe 5) of individuals at the bar, we were the only patrons here at this time. At first, I was disappointed to discover they were only serving their brunch menu. I had studied the full menu earlier, and really wanted to order either the roast beef on weck (oh to have that delicious horseradish sauce again!) or the carving board, where you have the option of three different meats with a variety of accoutrements. However, neither of those choices was on the brunch menu. The brunch menu was pretty egg-​centric, and while I love brunch foods, I was really craving a good sandwich and no booze, particularly after NYE. I noticed the Rachel sandwich was available, and I quickly became not so disappointed anymore! The Rachel is always my go-​to sandwich when I’m craving one and don’t know what to order. Sandwiches come with the choice of a side as well, and I chose a mixed green salad. They had a couple of brunch specials that day, including the «Eggy Italian», which is what my boyfriend ordered.
Despite us being one of the only tables in the place, our food took an agonizingly long time to come out, and when it did come out, my Rachel came out first, followed by my boyfriend’s meal about 7 minutes later. When everything was said and done though, WOW-​I can with full confidence say this was a stellar Rachel and any lingering disappointment about not being able to order what I originally intended to was a long, distant memory of the past. The turkey was freshly carved, the sauerkraut was not overpowering, and the Russian dressing was evenly distributed and did not cause the crisp, toasted rye bread to become soggy. The size of the sandwich was monstrous; in order to finish all of the meat, I had to forgo some of the bread, but I was not complaining-​the fresh carved turkey was the star of the dish! The salad was a perfect accompaniment, lightly dressed with balsamic and plenty of carrots, cucumbers, peppers, and onions-​all of which were pickled! It was composed of a spring mix which, for me, is always preferable to iceberg lettuce. My boyfriend’s dish was essentially meatballs in marinara sauce with baked eggs and garlic bread. I sampled the meatballs and these were excellent, very well-​seasoned and full of flavor. The marinara had a nice spice to it, and of course, the bread was perfect for the excess sauce. Both of us loved our meals!
Service was excellent! She was very sweet and helpful in descriptions of some of the salads, and she acknowledged both the long wait for our food and the discrepancy in the delivery of it. Just acknowledging that meant a lot to us after we had an absolutely abysmal service experience a couple of weeks ago at a popular brew pub where nothing was acknowledged (even though we were missing food items and those we did receive were incorrect) and mistakes were laughed off. My boyfriend had left a work folder on the table as we were leaving and she ran outside to make sure he got it back! While food is the most important aspect of any dining experience, service can either make or break it too, and the service we received enhanced an already great meal!
They have about 10 craft beers on tap, a selection of wines and cocktails, and a bottomless mimosa brunch special for $ 29. I saw how the bartender was making them −90÷10 split in favor of champagne, just how I like them!- so we will be back when we are in the mood for a boozy brunch. Also, they have some great happy hour specials, including $ 2 off draft beer, $ 4 wine, and $ 4 rail drinks. Of note: Friday 10pm-​close is also HH, Wednesday is HH all day, and Monday is neighborhood discount night (15% off 7pm-​close).

Outstanding! Started with the Cigars sampler and the bacon cheese fries. For my main meal I got the Carving Room Burger and it was absolutely wonderful. It comes with Siracha mayo, which I put on the side, and put it on as I went. Very good! I will definitely be back!

First timer! Maybe it was because it was a Sunday night but I had excellent service! The food was very good. I tried the sampler based on reviews and wasn’t disappointed. The salsa for the chorizo was spicy. The Russian dressing was good. I had a entrée salad which used multigrain croutons. Dessert was delicious. A strawberry and peach crisp. The topping was generous with perfectly cooked and sweetened oats! My only disappointment was $ 17.80 for four cups of espresso– which came from a Nespresso pod! Otherwise s very enjoyable experience and will go back again!

Walked here the other night with my husband and had a really underwhelming experience. Unfortunately, the food was really really great, however the service will keep us from returning. We were seated by someone who ended up not being our server, so when we didn’t get our menus for quite some time, it was a bit confusing to figure out who to flag down. We ordered cocktails, and they took a while to be delivered. The bar looked pretty busy, so I guess that’s why.
We ordered the cigar sampler, which came with two of each meat. They were fantastic! I still can’t decide which one was my favorite. I definitely recommend getting the sampler if you’re there with another person — it’s not too much food, and you get to try one of each. It wasn’t very expensive either. Mid-​way through our appetizer, we finished our cocktails and were ready to switch to wine and beer, however, our waitress was nowhere to be found. When we did see her, it was almost like she was purposely avoiding looking in our direction! It would have been rude to yell to get her attention, so we didn’t. Eventually she came, and we ordered more drinks and our entrees. We split the turkey burger, which seems pretty weird for this type of restaurant, but neither of us were that hungry to begin with, and the burger just looked amazing on the menu. I’ve actually never had a turkey burger before, so I have nothing to compare this too, but I thought it was delicious! It wasn’t dry like I thought it’d be, and it was dressed perfectly. They even cut the burger in half and halved the fries for us. Everything was delicious!
That was it, however. After we finished, it was about 30 minutes before we saw our waitress again. I think that’s a bit ridiculous. She never even came to ask us how our food was. We actually wanted to stay for drinks because the Friday special is a late happy hour, 10pm-​close, but we decided to take our business elsewhere. I’d like to give this place another shot, but the service was just so awful, I’m not sure that I have the patience for it.

Good location. Didn’t like the fact that the HVAC equipment was not covered up. But the bar was nice and the inside of the restaurant is cozy. I had the steak and egg sandwich. Very good. Just make sure that the chef fries the egg hard instead of over easy

Came here for lunch one day and ordered the special they had that day – it was a pork dish cooked and served in a skillet (the official name is escaping me at the moment).
The dish contained: a biscuit (which I was told was made fresh that morning and it definitely tasted like it), eggs, cheese, tomatoes, pork, and topped with an avocado cream and scallion. The dish was delicious and all the flavors worked really well together!
The service was quick and everyone was pleasant. You order at the register and then find a table… you’re given a name tag holder which you place on your table and your meal is brought directly to you once it is ready. I thought it was really nice that one of the chefs took a few minutes to speak with us about the dishes.
I would absolutely love to eat this dish again (I hope they add it to the menu) and would definitely visit The Carving Room again!

The food is here is really good! Loved the steak and egg burger and the Bloody Mary. Great brunch deal $ 29 for entrée and bottomless mimosas.

Could be a good spot for a book club meeting. The place wasn’t busy at 2:30 pm Saturday. Service was at a very relaxing pace. They had cups of mini candy bars at the window table, and I grabbed a Reese’s PB tree. We ordered the cigar sampler. We liked the corned beef hash the better of the three.
We ordered the pastrami poblano with an eggplant dip as a side (for an extra .50 but worth it) and pita bread. The poblano came hot and delicious with a great blend of flavors. Loved the egg in it! We also ordered the roast turkey with carrot salad. We were too full to eat the turkey and boxed it up and brought it home. I was disappointed with the amount of avocado spread in it. I love avocado. The turkey sandwich was boring compared to the pastrami poblano.
I would go back. I love interesting sandwiches and especially interesting sides. I feel as if this place really cares about being interesting.

Sorry to say that I had a thoroughly disappointing & underwhelming experience here.
Had lunch here on a veryyy quiet Monday. Quiet as in, nobody else in the restaurant at 1:45pm.
Had looked at the menu in advance (thanks Unilocal!) and had an idea of what I wanted. Ordered the three cheese sandwich and added turkey.
First of all, the sandwich was wayyyy too… oily? Buttery? I couldn’t honestly tell. Whatever they used in the pan to melt the cheese — it had absorbed all of it. I felt slightly ill after eating. Turkey had no flavor. I tried it by itself. The peppers appeared to be canned, although I can’t swear to it. They definitely weren’t freshly roasted peppers, that’s for sure. Also, was definitely not worse the cost. The sandwich was $ 8, but to add turkey it was an additional $ 4. That’s a $ 12 glorified grilled cheese.
The fries had a very odd flavor that I can’t place. Like they were fried in something weird, or maybe the oil was old? Or they had been frying something else in there? I got a dipping sauce to try (chipotle mayo) and hated it. Willing to admit the mayo may just be my palate. I’ve never seen a chunky chipotle mayo though…
I thought I’d give the restaurant a chance to redeem itself by ordering dessert. I now wish I had snapped a picture of the dessert menu, because I can’t seem to find a complete one online anywhere. The dessert I ordered is called «Mini Blinis», and I wish I had the exact description in front of me. It was something along the lines of … fried dough around mini cheesecakes. First of all, the presentation was horrendous (see picture). Normally, I’m of the mindset that if it tastes good, I don’t care much about presentation. However, when I’m paying $ 6 for fried dough (more on this) AFTER a disappointing main meal, this presentation was really lacking. Secondly, the dessert basically was not what was advertised. I took several pictures showing that there was nothing inside these little bits of fried dough. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing inherently wrong with fried dough coated in cinnamon sugar, but when I order something that includes cheesecake, forgive me, but I expect some semblance of cheese or cake.
The good: The bartender was attentive without being overbearing. The music — amazing. Happy hour seems like a good deal — $ 2 off drafts — although I didn’t partake.
Overall, I wouldn’t return after this experience.

2.5 stars
Try out the Carving Room when someone else offers to buy you lunch. I’d say the burgers are about $ 3-​$ 4 dollars overpriced.

My husband has all sorts of pregnant lady cravings — burgers has to be one of his most frequent ones. We decided to come to Carving Room for their steak and egg burger. From the very first bite, husband became an instant fan! Beautifully charred, juicy patty, crispy pastrami strips, sunny side up egg stacked between perfectly toasted bun. He kept examining his burger between every bite — trying to figure out the secret to this exceptional treat.
After reading all the glowing reviews of their «sweet and savory», I knew I had to give it a try. I had another cereal crusted (captain crunch to be exact — from Blue Moon Café in Bmore) French toasts prior and it was the best sweet brunch dish I had to date. Carving Room’s version was good but nothing mind blowing. They were drenched in jam and syrup which ultimately canceled out the cereal’s added texture and taste. The chorizo scramble was dry and rubbery. I thought I was eating dry tofu? It didn’t have one bit of egg flavor. What a drastic contrast between my husband’s and my dish!
5 stars for my husband’s burger, 2 stars for my brunch dish. Service was okay — the servers were busy attending to the bottomless mimosa guests. Ambience — way too loud with music, sport games, people chatting. Value — fair, plus 10% off thanks to Spotluck app! Overall — 3 stars — if my husband ask to come back for their burger, I am willing to give their menu another try.

UNBELIEVABLE.
My husband and I came in here so that I could do an assignment, but ended up eating here afterwards anyways. We came in a little after they had opened at 11am (just in time for brunch) and the aromas coming from this place were hypnotizing. You could literally smell the meat being cooked and had your mouth watering before you entered the front door.
There’s plenty of outdoor seating and indoor seating. A little bar also lines the inside with 2 televisions behind the counter. Other TVs are scattered around as well. Ambiance is on point, especially with the music they play (employees take turns selecting the music).
Anyways, my husband and I got the Steak & Egg Burger and I SWEAR this is the best burger I’ve ever eaten (egg is over easy by the way). Hubby chose french fries as a side and I chose the deli slaw (SO GOOD). We also got 2 pickle slices each, and it looked like it was made fresh. SO DELICIOUS. I’d really like a whole jar.
From all the ingredients I saw in the kitchen as well as all the preparation I was able to observe, pretty much everything is made IN-​HOUSE. Even the meats are cured in-​house. You can tell the owners take pride in what they do, because they work behind the kitchen counter helping prepare meals. They didn’t take a break one time during the few hours I was there, just back-​to-​back orders.
The drink selection at the bar is so great! TONS of craft beers to choose from and some specialty drinks. I chose the Bloody Mary since I saw about 10 of them made in about a 15min period. It’s strong and FULL of flavor, but it was pretty good in my opinion.
Customer service was pretty great and the employees all had smiles on their faces, which just made it even cooler. If you’re even in the D.C. area, just go and eat there. They have cornhole to play if you think you’ll get bored, which you won’t.
Happy munching!

We stopped by for their happy hour on a Monday, which is followed by 15% off all drinks through close — a couple of solid deals!
A few things bugged me about the happy hour:
First, the slider, that’s right — it’s singular– is over priced at $ 3.50. The one we ordered was good, but that’s too expensive for two bites of pulled pork and horse radish. The fries were the «value item» on the hh menu, and they were actually really good, except they were not garlic fries as the menu said. They were just plain fries, which is fine by me, but it wasn’t technically what I had ordered.
We came in at the tail end of hh with about 15 minutes to spare. So, like any good cheap 20 something’s, we wanted to double up on hh priced drinks so we wouldn’t have to watch the clock or chug. The bar tender told us this is against their policy, as each patron can only have one drink at a time. That’s annoying.

Cereal Crusted Challa French Toast. You must get this.

This is a hidden gem with a delicious array of food. Great spot on the corner of Mass Ave that should get even better once they finally complete all of the Mass Ave construction. The Carving Room has some great outdoor seating with cornhole, is dog-​friendly, and has its own deli for those on the run.
The service was good and food was great! We got a lot for our money and between 2 hungry people we could not finish an entrée and 2 small plates. They have a great cocktail list and some very good daily specials:
Monday: Neighborhood discount
Tuesday: $ 5 selected craft beers
Wednesday: All day happy hour
Thursday: Tacos
Friday: Late night happy hour
Saturday/​Sunday: $ 29 bottomless brunch
Given the menu, service, and location, i’ll be back soon. This is a hidden gem with a delicious array of food.

I was looking for something on the cheaper side and fast because I had traveled all day and hadn’t eaten a full meal. I was meeting my sister and she hadn’t eaten either. The front door was difficult to find.
I got the pastrami poblano with carrot salad. The food was amazing! And completely unique. The carrots salad is spicy and extremely heavy on the cumin but I loved it. The place was practically empty at dinner time on a Saturday which is strange if you consider the quality of food and low price. I also got a dr pepper. Total was about $ 14.
The girl server was very attentive but seemed new to her job. No complaints but there were only two other customers in the place.
The place has a bit of a themey quality to it but it doesn’t detract from the experience. Food is awesome and cheap. Place is way clean and no wait. Really what else is expected of a restaurant? I would suggest a portable sign on the side walk because the entrance is difficult to see and at least my map navigator indicates wrong address. I highly recommend.

This place has amazing food. The service is less than stellar, but it’s not intentional. I think they might just have staffing problems.
Between the six of us in my group, we ordered the cigars, burgers, a sandwich and the sweet and savory (french toast and chorizo scrambled). Each dish was delicious. (Actually, the cigars were good — I got the sampler — but after seeing everyone else’s dish, I would order something else next time. Cigars are just plain meat in an egg roll shell.) Serving sizes aren’t huge, but neither should they be. You will be satisfied but not overstuffed.
Granted we asked the waitress to give us a little more time, but we didn’t order drinks or food until 40 minutes after we got there. I got my drink somewhere around 50 minutes after getting there. The server at once point moved us because they wanted to seat a different group there. I don’t like that. Our food came out relatively close together, if by close together you mean five minutes apart. Honestly, five minutes isn’t that long… unless you’ve ordered hot food and you’re waiting for others at your table to get served before eating. I only saw one staff in the kitchen. Like I said, it wasn’t intentional. The staff were all super nice. But it was slow.
Carving Room does have outdoor seating and a deli where you can get meats to go. Also, this place is LOUD. It was really hard to hear anything.