Meridian Pint

Just tried to have some nachos and beer. Was told I couldn’t sit in the numerous empty tables up front. I needed to go to the already over crowded bar. There was no way I was going to be able to sit or let alone eat at the bar with that crowd. Rules for the sake of rules. The place across the street got my money instead. And will continue to…

Somehow I ended up here twice in one week. Once for a date (bad idea, never again), and once for a quick drink with friends. They have a good selection of draft beers, but I’m not a beer person, so I ordered a cocktail. It was subpar and tasted like a glass of lime juice with a few ice cubes in it. I can’t speak to their food, but everything I saw seemed like your typical sports bar fare. The basement can get VERY noisy, even if you aren’t there for a game. Overall, good for what it is – a neighborhood spot for a beer and catching a game.

After having spent the better part of two days here (thanks, OPM!) There’s really nothing but positive things to say about Meridian Pint. First, the selection of beers is pretty extensive with a lot of local brews. I don’t think I’ve had any of the beers I’ve had here before and the ones I did try were chosen well.
I spent the majority of their time in the basement where they had snow day movie marathons. The basement is like a rec room on steroids, with a video games, pinball and a pool table. In addition they have table taps-​which weren’t working at the moment but why limit yourself to two beers when you could have a metaphorical rainbow of options to choose from?
Service wise it was great-​whether it was the low key nature or when it was packed and loud the bartender was great with beer and food orders and everything was cleared off quickly-​keep in mind the system may be different under normal conditions, I’ve only been there during their snow days.
The food was great. I had the chili-​which is more like a chili dip since it comes with a big plate of tortilla chips and it was good. The buffalo wings are big and meaty and have a good kick to them and the breakfast burrito was so good I ordered it two times, not during the same visit, sillies! Two CONSECUTIVE visits, which somehow makes it sound worse.

Great brunch spot with plenty of options on the menu. Lots of beer options, obviously. The staff is really friendly and service was great.

Came on a Sunday morning, no wait for two people. Food came impressively quick, and was delicious. I had the Red Neck burger and it was great. The sweet potato wedges were a little mushy, but not terrible. If you leave here hungry, it’s your own fault. Also, try the grapefruit mimosa.

Finally stopped by. Went here for dinner in a cold night. Had a glass of the Cabernet Sauvignon along with the pork chop entrée. The food was just delicious and well prepared. A place to repeat.

I’ve eaten here twice. The first time I had the lentil Barley Burger Red neck style (with BBQ sauce, bacon & cheese) and it was great! And I’m not Vegan. It was huge and was very flavorful. The 2^nd visit I was with my boyfriend and we dined in. Our waitress was a bit slow and inattentive… A bit disappointing. I ordered the grilled chicken burger red neck style and it was dry and very over cooked. I was starving so I ate it anyway, but I wouldn’t eat it again. My boyfriend ordered the Peruvian roasted chicken. He felt the chicken was dry as well. We did enjoy the sweet potato wedges. I gave this place a 3 b/​c it looks like they have some winners, but still have room for improvement in the chicken department.

Meridian Pint has a good selection of draft beers, including some local favourites like DC Brau, and a decent food menu that has more options for a health-​concious eater than your regular bar. Food portions are very generous (especially the nachos). The downside is that downstairs gets crazy loud during any kind of major sports events and service can be painfully slow. Overall, it’s good for what it is — a neighbourhood beer bar where you can watch sports and eat things that are not necessarily great for your waistline.

A lot of places that get labeled «beer bars» either have no food at all or phone it in with average greasy bar food, since the kitchen isn’t really the focus of attention. Like most beer geeks I put up with it as a necessary evil in the pursuit of our liquid obsession, but it’s nice for a change of pace to find a bar that puts as much effort into the dining experience as the drinking experience.
The place was buzzing at 6:45 on a weeknight, but they take reservations so you can plan ahead. The overall aesthetic is a mild version of the industrial chic trend I guess, dimly lit with dark wood and metal, really subdued and not trying too hard to be anything distinctive. Our server was fantastic, friendly and constantly checking in, and both beer and food came out pretty fast. The draft list isn’t as long as some places but it’s got a lot of variety in both style and region, and they do 4 oz. pours so you can try several in one sitting. I was a little surprised that this deep into winter the list was dominated by saisons and IPAs and lacking many darker options like stout or wee heavy, but I’m told they change out taps frequently so maybe the mild December left them with a surplus to work through. The food, as I alluded to, was really above average. My chicken quesadilla had plenty of gooey cheese and a nice chipotle kick to it, and the arugula salad with cherry tomatoes was fresh and light and had a glob of burrata the size of my fist, which always makes me a happy camper.
The American beer scene is getting quite snobby and DC is getting ever more hip and chic and gentrified, but you can escape all that pretension here and settle in for some good beers accompanied by a quality meal. If I still lived in the neighborhood, this would be my Cheers.

I go at least a few times a year, most recently last week. They are always solid. This time, we shared the vegan nachos (always yum), and I tried the vegan moussaka this time around. I loved it, and there was enough for lunch the next day (actually, I think I ate it cold. For breakfast). My friends both had the veggie burger and also took theirs home. The sweet potato fries are giant chunks of deliciousness.
I also had some delicious beer and cider. I’m definitely a fan.

Nice hole in the wall bar/​restaurant. Some of the tables have taps on them which is a nice touch. They have really great nachos and chili as well. Good place for a bar snack.

Yum. Meridian Pint was a great find. Looking forward to going back and trying their sister restaurants.
First, fun beer and drink selection. Lots of beer I’d never seen before and that sounded really interesting. I got one that I didn’t end up absolutely loving, but was so glad I tried. It was the Beast Grand Cru. Perhaps due to its very high alcohol content, but it kind of burned. Not in a bad way, though?
To eat, I got two appetizers: sweet potato wedges and hummus with veggies. Both were satisfying and tasty, especially the sweet potato wedges. Are these fried in deliciousness? Are they even fried? Whatever they did to those sweet potatoes, bless them. I wish I hadn’t gotten so full because I couldn’t finish eating them when I really wanted to. The hummus plate was also nice; good assortment of veggies included *cooked* broccoli, and a pleasant hummus. Between the two, I’d definitely get the sweet potato wedges again and highly recommend it to others.
My husband and brother-​in-​law each got a sandwich: one a steak sandwich-​type thing and the other a lentil burger. Both came with fries. Huge portions for all of it. All tasty from the bites I had.
Good atmosphere, too. Just kind of laid back but also nice. We came in late, too, (maybe 10pm?) so it was helpful that they were still serving full meals.

Food and beer! How can you go wrong?
I’ve had the nachos and a few other appetizers, it’s the perfect weeknight spot. Their beer selection is really what it’s best for. The vibe is definitely a bar vibe but with fun games downstairs. It’s a great first date spot but also a great place to grab beers with friends.

I really love the beer and food menu. It includes vegan options which I truly appreciate. They have a great variety of beers. However, the night I went there, the Washington post had just published an article talking about the place having award winning beers on tap. So when I went there, I ordered a flight of those beers and my friend and I ordered food. The food came before the beer! For a brewery type restaurant, they should be prepared for people to order flights and lots of pints. But apparently at 7pm on a Wednesday they were changing all the kegs. We still had a nice time and the server made up for it with a free 3 ounce of a really nice beer.

I’ve been taking a yoga class in Columbia Heights lately and my fellow yogis mentioned that they love to go to brunch at Meridian Pint. I had a good experience at a Vegan Drinks event there in 2012, but hadn’t been back since so I was way overdue. I joined them on two occasions.
Meridian Pint is a large restaurant that focuses on craft beers and environmental sustainability. The first floor is traditional dinner seating while the downstairs features these amazing huge booths where you can get beer on tap. The atmosphere is relaxed and the lighting dark.
I started with an orange juice and perused the menu. I was so delighted to see that items were marked as vegan or vegan optional, which made it so easy to understand. I decided to go with the housemade lentil barley burger served as Mother Earth and I’m so glad I did. This hearty, fresh burger is loaded with flavor and served on grilled ciabatta with caramelized onions and Daiya as well as fresh lettuce and tomato. I think this burger is better than the Science Club’s black bean burger, quite frankly. The salad was also very good and came with a light vinaigrette dressing.
A friend of mine ordered the Thai Noodle with Avocado, Basil, Tomato, Peanut and Arugula and said it was very good.
On my second visit, I was so tempted to order the same thing, but instead went with something new. I started with a delicious mimosa and had the Vegan Curry Burrito. I noted that the vegan burrito was misspelled as «burritto» while the regular burrito was spelled correctly so it was kind of funny. This burrito looked very plain, but was anything but. Again, I got that great salad. The burrito was filled with black beans, onions, roasted eggplant, and avocado and served in a very fresh wrap that was grilled perfectly.
The burger was $ 12 while the burrito was $ 13 so it wasn’t cheap, but given the fresh, high-​quality ingredients, I had no complaints. The service was quite good and the atmosphere inviting. Overall, I am very happy with where this restaurant is going. The food is excellent, the menu is labeled appropriately, and the drinks are top-​notch. Meridian Pint has just jumped back up on to the top ranks of my favorite casual restaurants in DC.

My boo and I have heard A LOT about Meridian Pint and, in general, about the restaurants over on 11^th, so taking advantage of the long weekend, we headed over on Memorial Day Monday to check them out. We wanted to eat outside (weather was gorg) but the tables were mostly all taken and those that weren’t were «reserved,» Idk if that meant a rezzy or what, but the hostess said no wait for inside so we sat inside.
The restaurant has a very cool vibe. There are couples on dates, friends drinking beer, and young families with babies in high chairs. Very cute scene. We drank a ton over the weekend so we stuck with waters (I know…) and started with a caprese salad which was delicious. We each got a burger, he got the BBQ one with chips and I made my own with avocado, goat cheese and bacon and a salad. The burgers were delish! I wasn’t sure about the combo of flavors of the toppings I chose so the waitress offered to bring me the goat cheese on the side and it was perfect. I was able to use some for the salad and some for the burger — so good!!! I loved the dressing on the salad but I didn’t love how much radish was in it! (but that’s just cuz I don’t like radishes). My boo LOVED his BBQ burger.
It’s great to have finally tried this place! Looking forward to trying out more menu items!

Our first dinner in DC was a winner here.
The menu is varied and they have some solid vegan options if, like us, you have a friend who’s vegan, but it also appeals to carnivores. The beer list is great and I love being able to select small pours.
We started with nachos — regular and vegan. Ours were great; I tried the vegan ones and the chili was really yummy, but the vegan «cheese» is a bit weird to me. Didn’t taste bad, but the texture was a bit rubbery. I suppose if you’re vegan you’re used to it.
I had a po’boy which was on special — it was really tasty but I will say I was expecting whole fried oysters and instead it was sort of ground oyster bits. My husband had a sandwich; I have promptly forgotten which one but I know he liked it :) Our friends seemed to enjoy their food too.
And, like I said, great beer list. Solid service. A cool neighborhoody spot.

The service, food, drink, portions and atmosphere at meridian pint have always been on point.
The upstairs is a dedicated restaurant area. The downstairs is where they host their events. It’s complete with a bar and tables where you can pour your own draft beers and the full menu can be ordered here as well.
There’s tons of seating though I have had to wait, especially for weekend brunch.
Highlights from our last trip include:
–beer selection, they have Sooooo many to chose from!
–wine, even the house wine is delicious
–pulled pork nachos are some of the best I’ve ever had. Toppings are plentiful, meat is so flavorful and chips are incredibly tasty
–our main entrees «from the grill». These are very easily customizable.
The menu in general. It’s large and there really is something for everyone

Really awesome hangout that I frequent !! They have great options for vegans which are clearly marked on the menu. For appetizers they have nachos with vegan chili and daiya cheese, vegan chili by itself and more. Options for entrees include tofu salad, homemade vegan burger, butternut squash & chickpea vegan stew etc. So impressive for vegan bar food.
I must say the homemade vegan lentil burgers are amazing. One of my favorite vegan burgers in the area especially since they don’t just stick a frozen patty on a bun.
Pricing= $ 13 – 15 for a burger (a little pricey), $ 15-​$ 18 for entrees, ~$ 8 – 10 for appetizers.

On a recent trip to DC, a friend suggested meeting for brunch at Meridian Pint. I was in the mood for a good Bloody Mary, so I ordered one. For some reason, it tasted like peanut butter was in it. It wasn’t just me, my friend agreed something was seriously off with hers as well. Later on in our meal, she ordered the Bloody Mary with the beer base, I can’t recall the name of it, but it had the same odd peanut taste as well. Super weird. I ordered a beer off of their expansive beer list and was happy with that choice.
I’m always uncomfortably full after brunch, and luckily, my friend who was with me is always down to split meals. We ordered the breakfast burrito with the bacon on the side accompanied by sweet potato wedges. The burrito was tasty and half of it was super filling. The sweet potato wedges were the highlight of my meal. I wished I had my own order! All in all, there are tons of brunch places in DC, so I don’t know that I’d go back to DC on another visit, but it was a good experience. I just wish their Bloody Mary was a little bit better.