DC Boathouse

I didn’t actually eat here but my husband did with his stepmother. The waiter somehow charged my husband the bill for the table next to them and he had to pay for their bill as well. Luckily my husband noticed but it will take a few days for them to refund the money back to our credit card. The waiter did apologize but if I was the manager I would have comped their dinner.

I want to like this place. It’s around the corner from my house and I’d love a good local option but this just isn’t very good. I’ve gotten sandwiches, burgers and apps and everything is just ok. Yesterday I got the lamb souvlaki which was four tiny pieces of lamb an insanely disproportionate amount of lettuce and tzatziki– for $ 15. It was 95% lettuce. And it was just terrible. The fries are good though. Another issue here is the service– every time I’ve been I see at least one person get up from their seat to get the attention of the waitstaff. It’s pretty dismal.

Quaint little neighborhood restaurant. Good food and service. Crab cakes were fresh and full of lots of crab. Portion are nice size, you’re definitely full but not stuffed when you’re done.

I had a great experience at DC boathouse. I had the ham and provolone and it was simple but delicious. Additionally, our waitress was pleasant and the relaxed atmosphere was the perfect respite on. Sunday afternoon.

Fun neighborhood atmosphere and good food with a twist. With a good wine and beer selections, there should be something for everyone’s taste. I will definitely be back!

My family and I went to the DC Boathouse last Wednesday night for dinner with friends. I had been there before, many years ago, and had a good experience. Unfortunately, this time was anything but. The steak salad was gristly, and undercooked. The fried chicken was «not as good as at Safeway» according to one of the diners in our group. The wine and cokes took longer than the appetizers. And, to top it all off, another waitress spilled creamy thousand island style dressing in both of my daughters’ hair as she breezed by our table, far too close and in too much of a hurry. When we notified our waitress of the incident she said oh, huh, sorry. No offer of a discount on our meal, but rather an offer of dessert when our table had already had dessert.
Surprised that our waitress was not more concerned about the poor level of service, I asked to speak to the manager. Instead of trying to smooth things over, she nodded while I informed her of the thousand island spillage all the way down the length of half of the restaurant, including in two patrons’ hair, and then said «oh, sorry». Neither the manager nor the waitress offered us a discount on the meal nor a heartfelt apology. Their attitude was dismissive and short, instead of apologetic and conciliatory. As we were leaving the restaurant, the manager did offer us a discount on a future meal. By that time, the negative reaction and poor service had taken its toll. The time to smooth things over when there is bad service like this, and sloppy waitstaff, is when the bill is presented. Not afterwards. We were very surprised. And very disappointed. I don’t recommend the dc boathouse, and can’t imagine going back to take them up on a half-​hearted discount offer that was not even in writing. (There is a star on this review only because I can’t give it zero stars. It deserves a negative star rating).

Elegant in a beautiful location. Service was great during lunch time. Great Greek salad. Pricing was fair the great food

Basic bar food that isn’t really exceptional. Sort of dated menu/​atmosphere, but nice service.

One of the best hidden gems in DC. A great selection of foods with Greek specialties being the highlights. The lamb souvlaki is definitely one to try! But Im a big fan of the crab cake Rueben too! A perfect place to go on weeknights with the family for a nice dinner or after work for dinner and drinks at the bar with coworkers.
Always excellent customer service as well. The weekday bartender Reagan is specifically great! Always a big smile and remembers every ones faces! Hes like your very own Sam Malone (Cheers reference). All around, the Boathouse is a very satisfying place.

One of those restaurants you feel at home the moment you walk in. Great food and great service!

Great neighborhood place — standard menu but good location and everyone from young to old can find something they like.

Upscale casual Greek/​American food.
They have some good Souvlaki, chicken & beef.
An extensive menu, wine and cocktail list and well stocked bar.
Better than average service and pro staff.
Nice relaxing atmosphere.
We each had the Lamb Souvlaki which was plenty for a meal
and quite tasty, maybe a bit lite on the lamb and heavy on the onions.
The spicy shrimp appetizer’s were tasty and more than adequate for two.
The also have a nice selection of draught beers on tap; Guinness, Stella, Sierra Nevada and they recently added Goose Island ‘312’ IPA.
I like the grouped sofas and love seat area where you can have a beverage
talk and relax either before or after your meal
Parking might be a challenge as it’s street parking only.

Exactly what you expect, and what you should expect, from a neighborhood eatery. Comfy, casual, decent food and great waitstaff. Stick with what you know: burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc and you can’t go wrong. A nice way to enjoy a family meal out.

Great neighborhood hangout! We like to sit at the bar and watch the game. But you have to show up around 5pm to get a seat at the bar because it fills up fast. They also have good happy hour drink specials. The ribs are my favorite thing on the menu (tender, good sauce). Sunday they have a Greek soup (avgolemono) that is the ultimate comfort food. Staff is very friendly– a lot of family members working together.

Every neighborhood should have a place like this. Chesapeake Egg Benedict… MMMMMMMMMM

Food is surprisingly good and well priced. Great neighborhood spot, excellent atmosphere and wonderful service — Reagan is the best bartender in dc

Came here with my family for dinner last week on «Wine Wednesday» night, but I had beer. Casual space in a non-​touristy area near Foxhall Road. Decorated in a collegiate crew theme, including shells (boats) flags, team shirts, etc.
Had the crab cakes entrée ($ 25) which was among the best I’ve ever had anywhere, and I’ve had many.
So food, décor and vibe were all cool, but our beef was with the service. It seems like the top criteria for the front of the house staff is to look good in short shorts, but unfortunately, the important elements were lacking. Hostess was trying to discreetly text anytime she wasn’t dealing with customers. Waitress was pleasant but slow and not detail oriented. Messed up my beer order. Had to fix my bill twice, long chit chats with other customers and took forever to wrap up our leftover desert.
So leave plenty of time, adjust your expectations and enjoy.

Read the reviews AFTER I went for lunch. You won the first battle DC Boathouse, but you will never win the war! Will NEVER go back to this place! Order the Lamb Soulokvi!!! or something which was a makeshift gyro.
It consisted of a MOUNTAIN of iceberg lettuce sprinkled with onions. The entire plate was lettuce hid the pita bread on the bottom. On top of this pathetic mountain of lettuce were 4 – 5 sugar cubed sized pieces of lamb. I was insulted! If I’m going to pay $ 16 for lunch, I’d like to get value. It came w/​some fries and a ladle full of cucumber sauce. To add injury to insult, they put a damn pickle on the side…
Keep your damn pickle, keep it…

Whoa, people, whoooooa. Let’s step back, maybe, and reassess our expectations of DC Boathouse. I definitely don’t think it’s as bad as its 2.5 star Unilocal average might suggest.
Based on its Palisades location, it’s probably a safe bet that regular menu price points are going to be *prett-​yyy* lofty; going on façade alone, it’s pretty obvious not to expect anything upscale or gourmet; and walking into the joint, it’s even more obvious that this is just a homey, neighborhood bar. DCB doesn’t really make pretenses otherwise. Frankly, most patrons live in the area and are here to get their drink on – maybe supplement the beverages with some generic bar food — and socialize. So walk in expecting a casual good time, generous pours on your drinks, average but expensive food, and you’re good to go.
The best piece of advice I can offer concerning DCB is to come during Happy Hour (4 — 7 pm weekdays). This is where DCB’s value is readily apparent, and how colleagues and I discovered its charm. A coworker who lives nearby suggested checking out DCB as an alternative to our normal HH spot. It turned out to be a *great* idea. During Happy Hour all draught and bottled beers are half price; the selection isn’t inventive (Yuengling, Sierra Nevada, Miller, etc.) but for $ 2 — 3.50 you really can’t beat it. A selection of wines is also half price, making them $ 3.50 — 5, another steal. House liquor and a few of the appetizers are also half price. Monday is half-​price martini night, Wednesday half-​price wine-​by-​the-​bottle. These are pretty darn good deals. Five or six of us can down several rounds apiece, share a few appetizers, and get out for under a hundred bucks. Not bad, not bad at all.
The food is okay — typical spinach artichoke dip with chips-​from-​a-​bag, ordinary calamari, standard mozzarella sticks — but the prices are right, and it hits that spot that cries out for bar food. Especially when you’ve knocked back a few and the idea of something deep-​fried becomes exponentially appealing.
The crew-​themed atmosphere is cozy, laid-​back, and truly feels like a neighborhood watering hole. Get there early enough and snag the comfy couch area in the back for your group, and you might never leave. Well, until HH prices run out at 7, anyway.
DCB’s tucked away location, casual vibe, cut-​rate HH prices, and passable bar food make this spot a real Happy Hour haven in the city.

What do they say? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me? Well, I think it’s like fool me way too many times.
Lunch today just confirmed that fact. Where I was miffed before at high kids menu prices for minimal food and draft pints at 7 $ the entrees and sandwiches seemed ok. Today though the 18 $ steak salad with minimal steak and mostly gristle to boot is unacceptable. While I will give credit to the 2, yes two, people working the front (including the bar) of a full restaurant, the price is nowhere near commensurate with the food.
So, at long last, although the kids like the «t-​shirt» place, we will never grace their digs again.
Please don’t be as stubborn as me and give them the time that I have. Good luck and good eating.
FYI, the newly opened salt and pepper is much friendlier and the price a better match.