Commissary

Cocktails are delicious here. They were having a fun competition between bartenders — each came up with a cocktail recipe and the most ordered one wins. For food I recommend the roasted chicken and allll the sides. I would eat that Mac and Cheese forever.

I was in DC for business over a two week period living out of a hotel. There was a nightly struggle with what to eat. Well I did a Unilocal search and looked at this place. I figured it was just another pizza, burgers, and other American fare. I went ahead and ordered the chorizo and pepperoni calzone. It is absolutely delicious. I have a week left here and may have to revisit and try some of the other menu items.

I came here during snowmageddon (Monday after the blizzard) to meet up with a friend and escape the cabin fever. We waited a while which makes sense since it was pretty packed with people trying to get some air… and bottomless mimosas. We were finally seated an almost an hour later when we finally ordered some breakfast.
We sat and leisurely ate as most other folks were doing. Our server was really friendly and attentive. Unfortunately, towards the end of our time there, someone who came over to introduce himself as a manager (even though our server was still on his shift) comes by to let us know that there is a 4:45pm reservation at the specific table we sitting at… Meanwhile there were about 5 – 6 open tables plus it the place had generally cleared out.
It was really rude and we were pretty turned off since we still had drinks in front of us. The funny part was when our neighboring foodies leaned over to tell us that the manager was a complete jerk and urged us to ignore him. They apparently frequented the place and recognized his behavior as typical.
The food was okay (pretty mediocre) and the mimosas were actually good (especially if you sub a different juice). I would have given a better review if it wasn’t for the manager ruining our mood trying to kick us out and making us feel really unwelcome.

I love Commissary, and I go there all the time. The staff is outstanding, and Val is one of the most professional managers I’ve seen. However, as of lately, the amount of laptops taking up the bar instead of the lounge is driving me crazy! There is a lounge!
Furthermore, I have noticed a disturbing trend of hordes of groups piling up at the bar, behind the sitting patrons, acting like this is a bar. It’s not. It’s a restaurant. A great restaurant.
I just want it back to the way it used to be. Will still go, but will have to weigh my options when laptops and large standing groups are dominating the scene.

A quick update: The marketing rep, who responds to every review, reaches out to you and the interaction stops. It’s a façade and it’s evident that this organization from the greeter to marketing is poorly ran.
Good luck to anyone who eats or works for EatWellDC.

The Commissary is my neighborhood spot — great food, staff and vibe. I keep coming back! My meal of choice is the tuna melt with sweet potato fries.

Great food and pricing. Our waiter was very attentive. Went there for brunch with a friend and our bottomless mimosas were NEVER empty. Even after the check had been paid for he still kept refilling our glass! Definitely will be back because of the food, prices, and fast and friendly service.

This place is kind of a gem. We were greeted immediately (I think a rarity in the DC restaurant scene) and our server was great. Everything on the menu looked really great. My friend and I split the spinach salad, brussel sprouts and ginger sesame chicken lettuce wraps — so good!

Came here about a month ago and order eggs and pancakes and she had huevos Ranchero. Her food was great the pancakes were too doughy and the top would separate. I rather had ihop. But I would have given this place 4 stars off the strength of her meal. Came here today and ordered a small plate before our meal and they came out at the same time. We had the lettuce chicken wraps which were ground chicken. (Very odd but ok) So this time I ordered huevos Ranchero with Chipotle pulled chicken… there was no Chipotle and these were the most flavorless huevos I have ever had. I doubt I will come here again the quality of the food was terrible. If you charge a premium price you better have premium food. Add in the hassles of parking won’t come here again.

I enjoyed the Sparkling Lavender cocktail and the Sweet Potato Goat Cheese Gnocchi, but I found the service subpar. I waited over 15 min for my drink (I know, because CNN was showing a countdown to the State of the Union address). It really wasn’t that busy and I was seated at the bar; the bartenders were just impossible to make eye contact with until I pulled out my credit card and dramatically plopped it down with the tab. I would have ordered another drink, but if they don’t want my money, I’m happy to take it elsewhere.
Also, I heard a John Mayer song in this place. Inexcusable.

After going for a Sunday brunch I returned for a weekday brunch. Our server came to our table only 3 times, the restaurant was almost empty so there was no excuse for the lack of service. We ended up eating our breakfast without beverages. My husband ordered an omelette with chicken, there was no meat inside and his omelette was in a pool of grease. After this experience we won’t return.

Big fan of this spot. I’d especially note that service was extremely friendly and quick. Could not have been more helpful with splitting checks (for 7 of us) and alerting the kitchen of any food allergies. I got the beet kale salad and a side of bacon (weird cravings that day, I know) and both were really delicious. Restaurant is very casual and laidback.

Commissary is a chill spot. Met here with a friend for HH drinks on a Monday so it was pretty slow. On this particular night they were having a private Christmas party for their staff so our time here was limited (good thing i read the sign on the door). I didn’t want to order my usual jack & coke so i decided on their HBIC which the bartender assured it wasn’t too sweet. The HBIC was surprisingly good and well balanced, just as he said. On to the food… well they didnt have wings, which always makes me sad but the quesadillas were good enough to stop my stomach from growling. As far as atmosphere goes the bar is long enough to accommodate many and their lounge section looked comfy, my only gripe is that as we were having our drinks one of the servers stood on the bar… over top of us… to hang up lights. It didnt bother me much, probably because of the 3 drinks, but an excuse me would have sufficed. I always like to end on a positive note so i’ll go ahead and say their service was attentive and HH prices are cheap so if you don’t feel like shelling out 12 bucks for rail drinks then come here! Just remember… no chicken wings :(
Will be updating this review soon for their brunch or dinner.

I’ve been coming here for years, and in a town of underwhelming and overpriced eateries, Commissary occupies a sweet spot in the rare intersection between price and quality.
The food is consistently top notch. There’s nothing exotic or «nouvelle» on the menu. Just well-​executed, modern takes on American classics. I am a huge fan of their fried chicken and fish and chips. You really can’t go wrong no matter what you pick, and best of all, most entrees are under $ 20, which is a rarity in DC. Service is consistently attentive and friendly.

I came here three times in one week: brunch, hh, and dinner. I wasn’t too happy about my brunch experience since most everything wasn’t gluten friendly… I just stuck to salmon and egg scramble.
Happy hour was enjoyable. I had a strawberry infused vodka w/​lime, mint, and wine drunk which was good and only $ 5! I will definitely return for the snacks.
And today I came for dinner with my partner and we shared chicken nachos and Kung Pao brussel sprouts. The brussel sprouts were awesome! I could have honestly of eaten all night if it was completely gluten free. I also had the shut up and dance drink and loved it as well. I can’t wait to come back.

This place is a solid choice! My boyfriend and I go here frequently for brunch. It’s located on P street, right off of 14^th, across from the Whole foods. During off-​peak hours, it’s surprisingly easy to get a parking lot on the street. However, this area is generally very crowded in the evening and on weekends, and parking is generally not as easy.
The inside of Commissary is pretty much what you would expect from a casual bar. They have a nice outdoor patio as well, where I usually opt to sit.
The menu is diverse and provides a lot of options. I think the 2 entrees with 2 coffees and a pitcher of bloody marys for $ 55 is a sweet deal for anyone looking to drink at brunch! Today, I got the fish tacos and my boyfriend got the burger. They were both good. The staff is consistently friendly, and the service is quick.

They take reservations!
Server Steve was pretty awesome and super informative of the menu, although he spilled some water on me it was still cool.
Pulled Pork Eggs Benedict were a hit and definitely enjoyed the cornbread that it was on. Felt like they skimped a little on the home fries but it wasn’t bad at all for the price!
Vibe inside was really nice along with the music being played. Would come back!

The service was excellent. The food was pretty good. the drinks were not up to par with what they advertised. I liked the cold coke I had to beat the heat, more than the juice of the day with champagne.
The potatocakes with applesauce was a bit disappointing. The custom made omelet I had with mushroom, onion, tomato, spinach was solid. Would go back again and just stick the regular drink rather than the specials. Might even try their bloody Marys.

3.5 stars — slightly above average :)
The commissary has a good selection of different types of food including entrees and sandwiches. I opted to get the salmon with rice and Brussels sprouts. The salmon was cooked a nice medium and the rice and Brussels were tasty as well. The guy at the door was very friendly and our server was quick and efficient. I think it’s a good, safe option in the area to get a quality meal in an inviting space; however, there are some more exciting menus around town. They also have a very neat little lounge of chairs in the center of the restaurant with private desks for people that are a party of one that want to do work or use their laptops– I highly recommend this place to use the WIFI to study, work remotely, or just relax on your computer.

There was nothing not to like on our visit. The décor was welcoming and «boho» chic. The service actually got Commissary their fifth star, as I might have went with a four plus. Our server was Talia, who was informative, personable, and attentive with out being obtrusive… anticipating before I could ask. The logistical design of placing the service hub in a vantage point to see all the tables was smart.
My wife and daughter had «regular» breakfast entrees, while I had a brunch special of Pulled Pork Benedict on cheddar cheese cornbread. It had a bbq hollandaise sauce that I was original a bit skeptical of… but it worked… more tang than sweet. Don’t be afraid of having a dessert after breakfast… especially with a brunch specialty coffee.
I would recommend this place, as I would put it in my rotation if I lived in DC.