GCDC Grilled Cheese Bar

I’ve been here a few times but this review is for my most recent experience:
The location is right off of the White House, very easy to get to by Metro– wouldn’t recommend driving at all. The restaurant itself is a decent sized bar with a small dining area surrounding it, and a few tables outside for days with nicer weather, it’s got a cute ambiance.
Came with a friend after work for a tasty bite, and a drink. It was a Wednesday, so the location wasn’t overly crowded, but was still full. We were seated outside, and given menus promptly. This is one of those places where I’m really happy the menu isn’t incredibly large– every single thing on the menu just sounds divine and decadent.
My friend and I both ordered beers– they had an okay selection– and then settled on the Chicken Parm and Fig&Prosciutto grilled cheeses with tots. Our order’s came out in about 15 – 20 minutes. Both looked great, but the Fig&Prosciutto was the clear champion of that duo. The flavor profiles were both on point, and provided us both a tasty meal.
We attempted to get desert, there was a Cinnamon Bourbon Ice cream sandwich (or something close to this), which sounded like a nice treat– so we ordered 1 to split. We were expecting what most people may picture if they’d ordered an ice-​cream sandwich– a (warm) cookie for the bread, with some flavor of ice-​cream in the middle. What we got was… well, not entirely that. We were brought out 4 grilled cheese shaped triangles of sandwich, which were filled with some kind of ice-​cream. The bread looked like some kind of toast– it was soft to the touch, but not warm. On the first bite, both my friend and I gave each other a knowing look– we simply didn’t like or expect what we received,
Now I’d like to take a moment here, I don’t blame the restaurant for this– this was a conscious choice that we made and it turns out we did not enjoy our choice– that said, our waiter clearly saw the grimace my friend and I had on our faces. He walked over and asked if we were enjoying it– when we both asked for the check, he made a chuck and said if we didn’t enjoy the desert, he would happily take it off the menu. While unsure how to react to this, we took it in stride, asked for it to be taken off– thanked him, and received out check a few moments later. I’m giving the customer service a 5 stars for this one, that is above and beyond what was needed.
Overall, GCDC is a great casual/​date restaurant– come for the entrée’s for sure. But maybe leave desert for some place else.

I’ve been here twice now and will come back for a third. Cool happy hour drinks and great food!

Great place to come for lunch and a comforting bite. The grilled cheese is what you would expect and the tots were amazing. Would’ve appreciated better service the day I came but wouldn’t stop me from coming back again. The food overall was good (soup was rather enjoyable).

Good location to get some lunch while checking out the National Mall.
Who doesn’t love a grilled cheese? From original to crazy, GCDC has an option for any lover of pressed bread and cheese. Our group enjoyed some tots, plus a few different sandwich varieties.

A solid 3 for the first try. The tomato soup was not my favorite, but the sandwich was good. I’d go back and try something different if I’m in the area again :)

Really debated three and four stars for this place and realized I need to go back again. Main reason being is we ordered the buffalo Mac and cheese and the meal cheesy tater tots. So I really need to try the actual grilled cheese before giving it my final review. For now sticking to three stars because both of those were sub-​par.
The menu sounds amazing. I loved every part of it, with all he interesting sounding grilled cheese and other unhealthy by delicious sounding options. They also have a bar and a good amount of seating. A nice alternative to chopt and some of the other options around. The folks behind the counter and the manager were great as well.
The tater tots were more like the flat Dunkin Donuts hash browns and pretty soggy. Size was decent. The buffalo chicken mac and cheese had a great taste and cheesy sauce. Chicken was not fried and little boring strips. Both of these things are waaaay better at Tonic nearby.
I still want to try the grilled cheese because I saw those go by and they all sounds excellent. More to come.

I don’t know why didn’t think this place would be insanely crowded at lunchtime, but I think from the website I thought there might be more tables. Anyhoo, I scheduled a lunchtime meeting with three other women, and I probably wouldn’t do that again (though it all worked out as one had a conflict and the rest of us huddled at the bar and got things done).
I had the sourdough bacon tomato cheese, and oh my god was it good! Not on did the idea of grilled cheese hit the spot on an extra cold and rainy spring day, but this was like the Jack in the Box grilled sourdough chicken sandwich (which was one of my go tos back in California) but minus the chicken and way better. Saved calories and it was yummy.
The setup is a little confusing with order pickup but also table delivery. The staff were friendly and helpful though, and got my tots to me quickly after forgetting the first time. I don’t blame them as things seemed pretty chaotic. It’s probably easier in better weather when they can use the space in front of the restaurant (I think there were some tables) but then again, cold rainy days are meant for grilled cheese.
I doubt I would ever indulge in loaded tots, but next time will get the tomato soup ‘dip’ which is a genius idea.

Really cool concept. Had the Reuben. You know, just like I expected a Reuben to taste. I enjoyed the whole thing. I would certainly hit the place again. Had the black tea for my beverage which was a nice deviation from the standard iced tea.

Perfect lunch after a day of tourist attractions. Friendly staff, delicious beer and a/​c!

Under-​whelming, over-​rated, and over-​priced.
Let’s get right down to it… the name of the restaurant starts with a G for ‘grilled’, yet there’s no grill in the restaurant! Instead, the folks behind the counter depend on five convection ovens to prepare *everything*. The ovens are the same kind you see at Starbucks and, sitting at the counter, it was interesting to watch the grilled cheese sandwiches, the tater tots, the mac and cheese, and pretty much everything else make their way through one of those five convection ovens. Yes, the sandwiches come out toasted, but are they truly ‘grilled’? I think not.
The bartender wasn’t quite into the whole customer service thing. When I asked whether the regular grilled cheese sandwich could be made with gruyère rather than cheddar, it was made clear that would be a problem (really more like a bother) rather than saying something like «Let me check and see what we can do». Off-​putting at best.
The sandwiches themselves were just okay — both the regular grilled cheese and the chicken parm were nothing memorable, and the convectionated tater tots reminded me of what you’d get in a high school cafeteria or a fast food outlet. The tomato soup was fine, with a bit of a kick to it.
So, around $ 40 for so-​so service and two so-​so toaster oven sandwiches. GCDC does a brisk business given its proximity to the White House, but I’d recommend tourists and locals head elsewhere — preferably somewhere that actually has a grill.

Recently, I was on the side of town for lunch and stopped into GCDC with two friends. I did a make your own (sourdough, cheddar, bacon and tomato) which was a good take on a classic grilled cheese (and *super* filling, too!). Then, I tried a bite of my friend’s grilled carbonara sandwich, which was so creamy from the goat cheese. The three of us also split a side of the loaded totes which were so, so good. Overall, I like this place but I did feel as though paying $ 10 for a grilled cheese is probably a little much for something I could easily make at home. Our sandwiches also took longer to come out than I expected, given that we were the only customers at the time.
I did, however, just take the time to look at their dinner menu… fig and prosciutto GC? maine lobster GC? yeah, i’ll be back for those.

This place is really smart. They have a tiny menu that they do really really well. Don’t count on the menu you see here or online necessarily because the one we saw in house was not the same. I would say that GCDC is an excellent lunch spot, a great quick and casual dinner spot, and an OK date spot. They have a good beer and drink selection but one star comes off because their Bloody Mary either had bacon or bacon flavoring in it and did not advertise so. A grilled cheese place is naturally going to draw a lot of vegetarians so I feel like that was something they should have disclosed about a $ 10 Bloody Mary.
On the other hand, I had the jalapeño popper grilled cheese and my boyfriend had the traditional grilled cheese and both were awesome. The tomato soup and macaroni sides were good too. We will definitely be back.

The grilled cheese sandwiches here are something special. GCDC has taken a classic comfort food and given it an upgrade.
My boyfriend and I started out with the loaded tots. The crispy tots were under the perfect amount of a cheddar sauce, bacon, jalapeños, and pico. We loved them and a few days later I am still thinking about those tots…
I had the the Carolina BBQ grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup as my entrée. The sandwich was just as good as the tots! GCDC has mastered the exact amount of cheese, mac & cheese, bbq pork, bacon, and jalapeños to be sandwiched between two slices of grilled white bread. After my first bite I was instantly a fan. Each sandwich comes with a side of your choice. I went with the tomato soup since we had already had the tots and it was good, but I ended up passing it over to my boyfriend in the long run.
The service was good and I loved the contemporary vibe of this little sandwich shop. The only thing I would have changed would have been how cold it was in here. I know it wasn’t really their fault that the door kept being opened and closed with people coming in and out and the restaurant being so small.
I WILL BE BACK FOR MORE LOADED TOTS AND GRILLED CHEESE GOODNESS SOON.

Okay, so I’ve been to only one other specialty grilled cheese place (The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, San Francisco) and I’d just like to take a minute to say that I feel like GCDC takes the cake (or, cuts the cheese?)
Granted, I like my grilled cheese the way your average 10 year old likes their grilled cheese. Just bread and cheese. But, you know, I’m a grown up so I should «expand my horizons» or whatever. TOTALLY worth it.
Personally, I’m all about the District Cemita (maybe it’s my Mexican heritage, maybe it’s the chorizo). The cheese, the avocado, the chorizo, the sauce, oh my gosh THE SAUCE. Tater tots make for a good side, and someday I hope to build up my appetite enough to order a side soup for dippin’.
This place is great, not a ton of seating (especially if you’re coming in during lunch hour), but if you’re around, it’s definitely worth it. A must for any lover of cheese.

We got very very hungry after an exhausting morning at Renwick Gallery. We took a stroll down Penn Ave to see what dining establishment was open on MLK Jr. Day. My buddy noticed GCDC lights were on, so we strolled across the street and went inside.
It didn’t even dawn on us that we got there before the lunch rush. Because after ordering our meals, getting our drinks ($ 5 house wine for me, water for the buddy) and finding seating, we looked down to see the line stretched to outside! Which was a shame for the folks outside because it was very much cold and windy that day.
I really like the option of having your lunch as either a grilled cheese sandwich, mac & cheese, or quesadilla. My lunch choice was The Mediterranean. Well, I’m still not sure about paying money for any kind of grilled cheese sandwich and wasn’t really in the mood for quesadilla so I was left with mac & cheese. And I love me some mac & cheese so no complaints here. For a side, it was the Loaded Tots. Now tell me why I thought that was a side? I realized my mistake when the server arrived, and both meals were in the same sized bowl. I ordered two entrees. Oops. But hey, comfort food for a cold ass day. Fit the bill.
The mac & cheese was tasty but, boy oh boy, was the Loaded Tots even better. Still salivating over here thinking about all that goodness. While driving home, I was even tempted to make a u-​turn back into the city, heading back to GCDC, double parking outside the venue, and rushing inside to order Loaded Tots to go. It was that good. So good.
Note: Not enough seating because GCDC is a small narrow space. First come, first serve to sit. So go there with a mindset of, hey, if I can’t find anywhere to sit, I’m okay with taking my food to go.

I visited GCDC on a weekday lunch after viewing the nearby Renwick Gallery. I was done at the Renwick around 11:30 and I didn’t want to fight the lunch rush, however, my hunger pains from skipping breakfast were fierce so I decided to brave the possible crowds and just go for it. I ended up arriving, after a slight detour, around 11:45. There were a couple of people in front of me and, surprisingly, a lot of diners already eating. I was quickly waited on, and while the weekly special chicken cordon Bleu grilled cheese looked appealing, I chose the French onion, which was Gruyère and caramelized onions on challah. I also ordered a tomato soup dip and a Bells Two Hearted Ale. My total came to $ 17.25, which in my opinion, is overpriced for what it is, although $ 5 of that was my beer, which is actually a good price for that particular brew. Note: house wines and all beer are $ 5 at lunch. They had two on draught and countless bottles with a decent craft selection.
Most of the tables in the back were taken, and because I didn’t want to occupy a whole table at this busy time, I took my number (they bring out your food after you order) over to the bar (the actual 4 seater bar not the row along the wall when you walk in) to await my meal. I noticed the continually growing line while I was waiting for my food, so I patted myself on the back by arriving right before noon and avoiding the line. They do a good job at controlling the crowd though: they had two people taking orders and one person (possibly the manager) handing out menus and answering questions about the sandwiches.
My meal was brought to me within less than 10 minutes of ordering. When I first laid eyes on the sandwich it looked great (minus the fact I’m pretty sure it was white bread and not the advertised challah. I grew up eating challah every Friday for Shabbat and this bread did not taste like the fluffy, thick challah I remember from my youth)-crispy but not burnt bread, gooey cheese, and a plentiful amount of perfectly carmalized onions. Taste was yummy too; it’s hard to wrong with oozey, cheesy goodness. I enjoyed the tomato soup dip with the sandwich. It was very flavorful and I could detect distinct basil flavoring. I also like how you have the option of the dip ($ 2), a cup ($ 4), or a bowl ($ 6), and honestly, the dip was more than enough for my sandwich and for me to have leftovers to eat separately. And not only do they have tomato but they had chili and butternut squash soup too. My tray was cleared for me by a manager, whom also asked me how my meal tasted, which is more service than you get at some «fast food» style places. The menu heavily expands come dinner time, so I’m looking forward to returning to be able to try the fig and prosciutto grilled cheese which is not on the limited lunch menu.

Hearty grilled cheese sandwhiches, lots of cheese and some great combinations. Had then poutine fries and they were so so. Good lunch spot, rated average for me as I frequent it but it’s not my go to. However if you’re craving a good grilled cheese sandwhich with an adult gourmet flair this is the spot.

Good variety of grilled cheese fillings, but I wasn’t blown away by my carbonara sandwich. Ordering is a bit confusing and the food took a while to come out. The staff was friendly and offered great suggestions. I’d like to check out their happy hour some time, but I’ll pass on GCDC as a standard lunch option.

Ended up at this restaurant unexpectedly after failed attempts of checking out 2 other places nearby. GCDC is located right near Renwick Gallery (which is where we wanted to check out) so that was convenient for us. Of course their specialty is grilled cheese so the four of us ordered 4 different grilled cheese sandwiches (fig and prosciutto, chicken Parmesan, bacon jalepeno popper and Carolina BBQ). All of them were delicioussss! I thoroughly enjoyed my fig and prosciutto sandwich, perfect amount of cheese and meat! I loved how the sandwiches weren’t too greasy/​oily. Each entrée came with one side so of course we ordered the tomato soup to complement our sandwiches. The soup was just okay… personally I like my soup to be hot but mine came out barely warm. But it did go well with the sandwich. We also ordered a side of Mac and cheese, that was just okay as well.
Overall, it was a good lunch spot for a Saturday afternoon!

Surprisingly amazing! I had heard mixed reviews about GCDC and they were mostly negative, but I visited with a friend this week and actually truly enjoyed the food and experience. Yes, it’s a bit overpriced for grilled cheese, and that’s why I’m giving it a 4 instead of 5, but the food was truly tasty and they have some great selections. There are so many great grilled cheese sandwiches to choose from, but I ended up going with the chicken parmesan grilled cheese sandwich, which came with a gruyère blend and mozzarella with chicken braised in their house marinara sauce, basil, and a garlic crumble crunch on buttered white bread. served with tomato soup dip. I really enjoyed the tomato soup dip and my sandwich also came with another side — I ordered the mac n cheese, which was truly delicious.
Service was great and attentive throughout and we didn’t have a wait at all around 7:00pm on a Wednesday. I like the décor — very unique set-​up.
It’s nice that they stay open late in the evenings, as a lot of casual restaurants in the Foggy Bottom /​Farragut area typically seem to close for the day after lunch or by 7/​8pm.
Bottom Line — Delicious grilled cheese sandwich, great sides, great choices, and though a bit overpriced, that’s to be expected at a restaurant in downtown DC. I would certainly visit again.