Epicurean and Company

I have to say, I would never eat anything from the buffet; especially after seeing one of the workers dig his nose and then touch the serving utensils. That being said, this is a great place to go for a drink on the way home (which is why I gave them three stars). Happy hour goes from 3 – 9 (yes, that long!) and the white wine and beers offered are definitely more than what I expexted.

Umm, no.
Pros: if you’re not sure what you have a «taste» for, there is variety.
Cons: what you eventually decide you have a taste for, doesn’t taste good. And, it’s pricey.
(1.5 stars, half star for nice seating area) Despite the reviews; despite the lack of customers in here and despite my initial gut feeling when I saw the food, I still decided to grab a few things from the buffet because I didn’t feel like straying too far away from work and it had ample seating. Now, I’m sad because I wasted both money and daily calories on a sad, sad lunch. I had small spoons of about 5 things and there was not one thing that I can say is worth mentioning. Oh, the cucumbers were okay. But, they didn’t make those.
p. s. I’m only reviewing for the hot items.

The place is so so. There are a lot of options and different types of food. But it just seems to muddle the focus and prevents anything from being really delicious. It’s fine, but I wouldn’t suggest going unless you want a quick lunch while at the office. I had the crispy chicken sandwich. The chicken was crispy, but the mustard dressing was lack luster and he fries served were limp and tasteless.

I want to preface this by saying I WAS a frequent customer (usually 4 trips a week) and I like that the management here seems to be quite kind to the homeless folks who occasionally hang out here. Also, the cashier, Nida, is wonderful and sweet. That said, some negative experiences with the grill stop me from setting foot here again. This place was usually good for a quick breakfast, or after-​work salad bar pickup — even if the salad bar is on the overpriced side. Lately I’ve been getting a grilled cheese sandwich for breakfast, and I had two bizarre experiences in a row that have stopped me from returning. The cook who took the order both times (I think her name is Laticia), just… didn’t want to do it at all, and refused at least one part of the routine order. The first time, I waited 15 – 20 minutes for someone to come out to take the order. No biggie. I really wanted a grilled cheese sandwich, so I waited. Then, she takes my order, but says that the «Spatula is dirty right now» so she won’t press the sandwich bread together after toasting the cheese. I asked her if she can press the sandwich together. Nope. So I got a half-​melted, «toasted» cheese rather than grilled cheese. I felt annoyed that I even took and payed for the sandwich — but I justified the sunk cost at having waited 15 minutes for the blasted half-​melted cheese sandwich. I shook that experience off and tried again a few days later. This time, Laticia begrudgingly pressed the sandwich bread with the spatula and melted the cheese (yay, an actual grilled cheese, with melted cheese!)…but she was palpably annoyed to be taking my order and REFUSED to put my sandwich (and the accompanying pickle) in a box to-​go, like they always do. WTF? Why would you refuse to place the sandwich in a to-​go box? It’s just a weird arbitrary refusal about one part of the order or another, every time I go there now.
At this point, I think this lady either just hates working there and picks and chooses who to help or how much of the order to complete, or she just has an issue with taking my order. It’s just a damn grilled cheese sandwich. So now, what was once a staple for me… is no longer an option. The woman who mans the grill first thing in the morning at 7am is great, and she’s the reason I came back to try the grilled orders again… but I can’t always get there first thing in the morning specifically to get the lady who DOES fully take/​complete orders. Two negative experiences in a row now stop me from going there. Which is a shame because most other folks are delightful.

This place is so so. Nothing super remarkable. I wish the had less carb loaded and greasy options and more simple proteins instead. Their meatballs and grilled chicken are good options and their selection of fruit is on point. I may just be being picky but I have gone in on occasion and left because I couldn’t find anything I was interested in. Staff is nice. They don’t rush you out or make you feel unwanted.

the only reason I gave the extra star is for the fresh mangos (always ripe! and sometimes the pineapple too!) at the salad bar and the creative sushi dude (this might be unorthodox, but I think once he used the hashbrowns from breakfast in a roll! tasty!) The rest of the food is ok-​ish I guess… just verrry pricey– everything is weighed, and cleverly, the dense & heavy items seem to be the tastiest, so if you’ve got the funds, and love a buffet, it’ll keep you fat & happy.
The grill section however leaves much to be desired… the chicks back there are clearly burnt out or mistreated, because I’ve never seen a more surly pair of heifers… on one occasion, one actually repeatedly and aggressively questioned me if the special she just announced for which I waited patiently for quite some time and actually watched as my very ticket came up on her section, was mine or some other fool who came long after me… then after whispering to her partner in spanish, to which the other one confirmed that it was indeed mine, handed it to me begrudgingly… really, querida??? was this particular turkey wrap housing the crown jewels as well as sprinklings of wilted shredded lettuce and not quite ripe gmo tomatoes? such a power you wield…
I’ve just gone for lunch… I understand there’s a bar as well? There’s alot going on here– maybe too much

Fucking awful. A case of the lunatics running the asylum. They have a huge captive audience in the office workers who work in the building and the law students next door and it shows with high prices and terrible food. Soft drinks that cost $ 3+. A salad bar that costs $ 10+ for a medium-​sized lunch.
Then there’s the staff — rude manager, sushi chef feuding with cashiers, and insanely inept bartenders.
I can’t even tell you the number of awful happy hour stories I’ve personally experienced. Hair in my drink. Terrible drinks. Bartenders actually mouthing off to patrons for not tipping. Bartenders mouthing off to me about my friends not tipping in the past. Being verbally harassed by crazy people at the bar. Bad beer.
This place has the class and charm of a feeding trough with the added bonus of barnyard smells and random weirdos.

I’ve had better…
Pros
–proximity to UDC
–big enough space that I can make calls without bothering others
–sushi and fries are decent
Cons
–food tastes really greasy, especially from the buffet
–prices are a bit high for the quality of the food

The only reason I ever ate here was because I went to the law school nearby. The staff has no interest in customer satisfaction and no appreciation for their regulars. The place smells and the food is over-​salted, over-​priced, and the majority starts out frozen. Its also way too greasy (and not in the good way). They would get one star except that they provide a decent toasted bagel and shmear in the mornings before class.

Incredible happy hour prices for solid draft selections. And happy hour is the happiest hour when it lasts from 3:00 — 9:00…
I didn’t try the buffet or salad bar, but my husband and I enjoyed several sushi rolls, and all of them were top notch. We’ll be back for more beer and sushi, and I’m looking forward to trying the salad bar for a quick lunch sometime. It looked very fresh and plentiful.

Didn’t know where else to really go since I’m in unfamiliar territory and my phone was dying so I couldn’t check Unilocal for any places. Everyone I was with was cranky so we just decided to go here since it was near our hotel.
Got a plate of food that had one hashbrown, one overcooked sausage link, a tiny rectangle of an omelette, and a very hard blueberry bagel. Total after being weighed? (Yeah, they go by weight which is curious to me) $ 5.19. The plate weighed more than my food… Granted it was almost time for lunch so there wasn’t much food left. Okay really there was like two scoopfuls of each food item. Which is like really weird because I mean usually at food buffets or whatever the heck this place is, has food coming out like crazy. Even if the lunch rush is starting they should be bringing it out.
I say if you’re in the area around 10−11AM, might as well eat someplace else nearby because this place barely satisfied anybody. Even the employees were eating whatever was left of the food. The food didn’t even look appetizing.

They have very decent sushi, and a very generous happy hour. Definitely the best place to chill after a day’s worth of classes at UDC.
Bar staff has always been really nice too!

Yaaaaaaaaaaas!!!
This is for their volcano roll.
I’ve seen their buffet. I’m not really a fan of buffets (exposed food that anyone can breathe, cough, sneeze on, etc.) but their volcano roll was perfection. It was a perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and salty. The guy behind the sushi bar knows his stuff. Perhaps this is the best sushi I’ve had in DC … Which doesn’t say much but so much better than that monstrosity Sushi Para, whatever it is called, across the street. *Shudder*
To think I’ve been picking up sushi at Giant’s due to laziness. Never again.
Epicurean has definitely got a repeat customer in me. The roll was so well balanced I did not need any soy sauce or wasabi. As close to perfection as I have had around here and not especially costly. $ 12.95 for one roll.
In general the restaurant is clean, and has a warm and inviting atmosphere. I can definitely see this place being a cost-​effective group hangout if you get tired of grande caramel frappuccinos and leeching off the wifi from Starbuck’s next door. FYI, this place has free wifi too and way more seating! There’s also a flat screen tv in the bar area if you want to watch the game or what not.
It’s a nice little neighborhood gem that’s so unassuming in the strip outlet that it inhabits that you could easily pass it by on your way to Van Ness metro.
They’re also open until 10:30 p.m. Most nights.
I can’t believe I didn’t check this place out before. Great stop when you’re in the mood for a volcano roll (not sure about their other sushi; haven’t tried it yet).

This place seems a little confused about what type of establishment it is, and even for the area, the prices are completely outrageous considering the quality. Despite this, I’m giving it 3 stars since it’s a fun place to grab a quick meal and/​or grab some late night buffet to go if you live in the area. The sushi happy hour also deserves a shout out as being very reasonably priced and of high quality.
This is basically 3 joints in one– a bar like place, a sushi counter, and a pay by the ounce buffet which is always well stocked but crazy expensive. There’s also a gelato counter and a place to get hot sandwiches. This makes it ideal for any combination of quick bites but makes the atmosphere a bit confused.
Customer service is borderline nonexistent. I’d advise going with low expectations in that regard.
I’d be a far more frequent customer if the buffet were more reasonably priced. Overall if you’re in a hurry and not counting pennies, it’s a cool place for a quick bite.

Two words: food poisoning. Yesterday I ate from the salad bar and had a piece of sushi and have been very sick, throwing up all night.

Is a food court? Sushi joint? Deli? Bar? I’m not entirely sure. We came here at a weird time — around 11am. No bagels from the deli (they stop serving those at 10am). I got a basic turkey sandwich with a side of chips & a pickle. My two dining companions loaded up on the buffet — a little Chinese, some quesadillas, egg rolls. The buffet price is steep. This is the type of place to go if you’re not sure what you want — but don’t expect the most amazing food.

I only come here because I go to school nearby. I definitely would never go out of my way to eat here.
The pros:
–Decent, reasonably priced sushi
–Buffet is half off late at night (and I take night classes, so usually by the time I’m done with class, the buffet is discounted)
–Full bar
–Salad bar usually contains a great selection of fresh veggie salads and fruits
The cons:
–The regular price of the buffet is pretty steep
–Items on the buffet are often not labeled, mislabeled, and/​or unidentifiable. Especially problematic when you are a vegetarian or have any dietary restrictions. One night recently, I asked 3 different employees if the unmarked egg rolls were vegetarian. All three said «I don’t know». Ridiculous.
–They often run decent specials at the bar, but their regular prices for drinks are pretty steep (although it is DC so that’s to be expected)
Overall, if you’re in the area, you’re super hungry, and you have no dietary restrictions, it definitely beats the other options nearby (Potbelly, Quizno’s, 7 Eleven).

Reasons why someone might like this place:
*loving white-​collar office employee lunch offerings so much, that you want to revisit a buffet line for dinner
*complete inability to make up your mind on what to eat, so you can have a little taste of everything
*money to piss away, or an incredibly small stomach
*having a deep nostalgia for elementary school days when you walk around with a tray in your hands and look for an unoccupied seat in the cafeteria, hoping it’s not next to the smelly kid or the nose-​picker-​and-​eater
*enjoying a rowdy miniature bar with loud music blasting from a portable stereo player
*Lost in Translation moments with the staff
I don’t think I fall into a single one of these categories, so it’s a no-​brainer that I will never return to Epicurean and Company.

This is an interesting place.
The food is not great, but it has a little of everything.
It has a giant buffet, although they charge a lot per ounce. The fried food is very fatty, but they also have lots of fresh fruits.
There is a sushi bar. Sushi is just $ 1 during happy hour, although it is not great sushi.
There is a grill for sandwiches, an ice cream section, a bar, and all sorts of Japanese candy.
There is free WiFi, a few televisions, live music at night, and half-​price food after 9:30.
So most of the food is just okay, but there is a ton of variety. I strongly recommend the fruit in the buffet, because it is very fresh. I always get the strawberries, kiwi, and so on, and have never been disappointed with that.

I like this place a lot — it’s a great work-late-don’t-want-to-cook standby. The buffets have a lot of variety and you can take your time and carefully craft your meal (you know, and pretend you’re on Top Chef or something).
Nothing ever tastes overly stale, the hot foods are kept hot (such a no brainer, I know but you’d be surprised how many people screw that up!) and the cashier is efficient.