Love this neighborhood spot, especially for brunch. They have a lovely patio on a shady street surrounded by trees. The staff is absolutely wonderful and have a great sense of humor. Plus, parking is super easy in the neighborhood. They have creative yet accessible menu that will find something for everyone. The Pretzel Bites are a MUST! They are fried and served with a mustard mayo dipping sauce that is to die for. The fries served with many entrees are hand cut and delicious (ask for more of that mustard mayo to dip in!). Our party had the Tony's Breakfast Club (served on French toast - yum!) and the Breakfast Burger. Both folks loved their sandwiches and were large portions that will easily scare off even the gnarliest of hangovers. I had the Huevos Rancheros which were very tasty. They were a bit watery, which I sopped up with a napkin, but I removed it before it got the tortillas soggy. They also offer a full bar full of local options. So grab a chair, order a cold one, and enjoy! read more

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Service was not the greatest. Forgot my drink and then we felt rushed. I have t been here in a while and it's changed, a lot. Not sure if I would return, as the food I had was very mediocre and didn't fit the description. read more

Food was not great. I got the breakfast burrito it just tasted like the cooking oil/product they use to cook. Same with the other brunch entree ordered. Brunch drinks were poorly made. Service could have been more attentive. Sat at bar and even then felt the need to get attention of a server/bartender every time something was needed. Ambiance was kinda cold and not very welcoming. I've been here a few times but think this is the last time since it seems to be declining a bit. read more

The breakfast burrito I had here was divine. Perfectly seasoned and flavorful. Our waiter was good despite us being in the midst of a busy brunch rush. The restaurant is cute but casual with local artwork on the walls. I'd definitely come back. read more

They took a little long to get out drinks to us. Overall the food was decent. Had a tasty burger. Had to get the drinks adjusted because it didn't taste quite right. They said the bar tender was new. Wouldn't have super high expectations here but it's a cool neighborhood spot and the food is pretty good. I'd come back here again. read more

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Dined here with my coworkers and we left stuffed. This is a hidden gem in the NE area. Loved the rustic home vibe here. All you get here are innovative flavors with some wholesome comfort food. My coworkers and I ordered the lamb shank, salmon kale salad, colonel burger, deviled eggs, soup of the day- squash/ apple soup, The lamb shank fell off the bone. The mashed potatoes and mashed potatoes were no joke. The salmon was delicious and grilled perfectly. The onion rings that came with the burger were huge. As big as the bun. If you're a fan of onion rings this is a must order. My coworkers were very pleased with our service and food. Lunch portions are generous and I think we all took something home. If your in the area looking for some delicious comfort food this is the spot! read more

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This local bar and restaurant is a favorite haunt for my girlfriend and I. The food is always stellar the bar and service staff always seem in a great mood and happy to talk about their new offerings. The best part is their menu is really approachable, our favorite is to order a few snacks and share an entree. Drinks are local and affordable. Our bartender the last time we were in was excellent and deserves a shout out, thanks miles! We recommend the onion rings but ask for them to leave the ketchup in the kitchen the house sauces offered on other dishes are a much better pairing! read more

Brookland's Finest - Tempura Onion Rings - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was really bland. Was not impressed at all. Service was nice and good, but the food was at best average.

Food here is top tier. From a burger to their salmon. Service is always helpful and friendly and it's a clean space with a cute outdoor portion of the bar with a small seating area outside. Very cute read more

Food and service both five stars! The blackened chicken club was unimaginably delicious The spicy cocktail (forgot the name) was also 5 stars, maybe ten as I had two of them! Shrimp and grits was... ok As for ambiance, this place is pretty chill. It's on the corner of a dense neighborhood block. Indoor and covered patio seating. Plenty of street parking. Staff was extremely friendly, even those who weren't waiting on us. Definitely recommend! read more

Came here with some friends and we wanted to try so many items, we opted to go family style. We tried the shishito peppers, onion rings, poutine, quesadilla special, Mac and cheese, beet salad, and drinks. The beet salad was delicious. Highly recommend. The quesadilla was okay, the meat was a little overly fatty for my liking. The mac and cheese was delish, a hit for the whole group. The poutine was a little disappointing. The flavors were good but it came out with three (yes just three) pieces of fried cheese curds. The cheese curds were half the length of my thumb. Disappointing. We ended up mixing the poutine with the mac and cheese because poutine should have cheese on it! The shishito peppers were good, I got a couple spicy ones! And the onion rings were loved by the friends, I thought they were just okay. The service left things to be desired. She forgot to tell us about the special until we were mid order, she also forgot to tell us what they were out of until we were mid order (of course they were out of something we wanted), and she also forgot to tell us what time the kitchen would be closing. We wanted to order more food and tried to place our order and were told the kitchen had closed at 8:00PM. It was now 8:45. For a group doing family style, the time the kitchen is closing is important information. For any group really. The food was good enough that I would return and hope the service was better. read more

Brookland's Finest - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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First of all, If you're gonna charge $5 for a Budweiser, at least let it be a bottle... Second of all, your Brussels sprouts are garbage..... read more

Brookland's Finest - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Ask me how I ended up here twice in 24hrs? Anyhoo, Brookland's finest has an array of options from brunch. The menu is suitable for all eating types. It's great for groups and even kid friendly. It has an adorable little library section for children. Hey, don't forget us adults! The bar has TV's for all your sports entertainment needs. When it's nice out the outdoor seating also allows for bar seating. I ate the salmon and grits, and the salmon was cooked to perfection. It included what my palette identified as a lemon honey glaze. The grits were nice and creamy. I also had the Brussel sprouts small plate and they were nicely crisp and seasoned well. I'd come back just for these. My fellow diners had Catfish which was fried to perfection. I gave it 4 stars because when my guests and I arrived it took a while for someone to greet us and when the host came she was not friendly at all. Our waitress was okay at the end of our meal she kept hoarding over us about the bill. I ended up here for drinks the night before. Go see Miles at the bar, he has excellent service and serves em' strong! Overall, a good dining experience. read more

The food is great, and plenty of comfort food options for brunch. Parking is always easy.

i rarely leave bad reviews, but brookland's finest really annoyed me tonight. i ordered take out. i paid $20 for shrimp and grits, and the portion size is laughable. please see the picture. this is a $10 plate, at best. and this is why dc food gets a bad rap. high prices for subpar food. and the flavors were lazy. this dish was on the "mains" list, but the side dishes i ordered had the same amount of food. speaking of side dishes, i ordered the chili brussels sprouts, and they were a complete disappointment. i did not taste the chili oil at all, and the brussels had an overwhelming lemon flavor. it did not taste good. for clarity's sake, it tasted bad. i will say that my experiences dining inside the restaurant have been much better than this. the servers and kitchen are attentive and gracious. but i will never order take out from them again. read more

Brookland's Finest - Bay Shrimp and Grits - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I really like BF and have frequented since it opened. A couple of things caught my attention this visit (not in a great way): 1) Their entire staff was white. How and why?! I had to do a double take like am I in the right spot. Maybe it was just this shift but about 7-8 staff and all white.... In NE DC. They really need to ensure they are hiring locals and having a diverse staff as a restaurant in a diverse neighborhood. 2) I ordered the kale salad... my fav!! It's supposed to come with pickled onions and it was just cut up red onions. No mention of needing to swap. It was okay. read more

Yum, such a great meal. All my favorite comfort foods and sweet specialty cocktails to pair. I really like the vibe of this place. Feels like your favorite local haunt where everyone is happy to see you and knows what you want. I am definitely going to be a regular in 2024. read more

Nice neighborhood bar. Thinks too much of itself (reservations? Please dear, it is a bar!). Service could be better, so don't expect much from that. Food is usual pub fare, and the beer selection is good, although it's getting harder to find pints as (like others) they are shrinking the glass sizes (but not the prices). read more

We came here for brunch on a Saturday. After a short, 15 minute wait due to the busy restaurant, we were seated. Visiting from the Philly area, I was thrilled to see pork roll on the menu as I did not know it was popular this far south. I ordered Tony's Breakfast Club. It consisted of perfectly cooked, thick cut bacon, a nice piece of pork roll, a hefty bit of fluffy, scrambled eggs, and nicely cooked French Toast that was not one bit soggy and served as the two pieces of bread in a great way. The salad it came with was plentiful and nicely dressed. Although I was happy with my sandwich and ate the entire thing, the service was pretty poor and made the experience here less than desirable. Our waiter seemed completely bored, and he seemed like he didn't want to be there. He made every question we asked seem like a chore to answer and that he was doing us a favor. It's a bummer when lame service can really put a drag on things. read more

Brookland's Finest - Tony 's Breakfast Club - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We stopped in for brunch after a long walk around the city. It was bustling, bUT we didn't have to wait for a table. Service was excellent. I had a blood Mary, which was quite spicy for me (the house mix is spicy so could not have made it less spicy). I had the fried green tomato Benedict, which was excellent. This is a unique offering of Benedict but was excellent, with perfectly fried green tomatoes with nice runny poached eggs. The salad accompaniment was dressed with a very light but flavorful vinaigrette. My sister also really enjoyed her Huevos Racheros. Great ambiance. Enjoyable brunch. read more

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I now know why it's called Brookland's Finest! HITS: Veggie Sandwich = delicious (my friend completely raved about it - particularly the patties used!) Burger = equally delicious Tempura onion rings = crispy and so tasty ROOM for IMPROVEMENT: - Fries are nothing to rave about - Doughnuts for dessert... It was a no for me. I've had waaaay better in NYC and wouldn't get this again. It just tasted like fried bread. - Super cold inside! Feels like I'm sitting outside.... it's about 50 degrees today so that's not good. Looking around people have on their jackets... one girl is wearing her winter hat... Anyways, hopefully they change that! Otherwise, would recommend! read more

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Visited on a Thursday around 5p. When we arrived (my mother and I), the place was halfway full. We were immediately seated by a hostess. The place is cozy, not too big, not too small. There is a medium sized bar that was packed and a few TVs to watch sports. The server was nice and explained the menu. Food is American and is pretty basic. Not a lot of options or variety. We both ordered the Maryland catfish which comes with super spicy greens (the menu warns that they are spicy) and another side, which was really good (idk what it's called). The catfish was really good, with a tasty batter. My meal was good, the greens were just too spicy to me. My only critic is the menu could give a few more options, besides that everything tasted good. By the time we left, the place was packed so I'd suggest coming before rush hour or making a reservation. read more

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Came here for Lunch on Saturday. Sparkle is my favorite server. She has so much energy and is so talented with remembering complicated orders! I came here to meet friends and we ordered deviled eggs and mimosas. The deviled eggs came with relish on top and were great as a shared dish. Then i ordered the salmon with spinach over cheesy grits. They had so much flavor and were so creamy! I definitely recommend going for lunch or dinner. read more

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I would prefer to only write good reviews for neighborhood establishments, but this place is way too expensive for what it is. E.g., August 2024, $27 for spaghetti & meatballs? It tasted just fine, but it was not especially memorable. The whole concept seems like elevated bar fare - good! - with four- or five-star menu prices. I can't justify going back, would take the same money & go somewhere else for a better overall experience. read more

My sincere suggestion to the this establishment's management is to lease the majority of the space to another vendor, retaining only a section of the building (perhaps the patio-facing windows) for Brookland's Finest and rebranding the restaurant entirely as an all-day pretzel bites location (like an upscale Auntie Anne's), as the white truffle oil pretzel bites amounted to the only aspect of this experience that was not utterly underwhelming. The host greeted us with an apathetic demeanor that quickly became the visit's running theme, but the disappointment (and associated feelings of wasted money and time) came with the rigidity of the server and kitchen staff. Want tomatoes or cucumber on your salad? That minuscule addition requires chef consultation to see if the materials are available and, if so, whether incorporating them into a salad can possibly be done. Want cheese removed from your panini? Too bad, the sandwiches are pre-made, but we are still happy to charge $15 for them! However, disappointment gave way to sheer comedy with the arrival of the salad. The requested tomatoes? Evidently available, but placed on a side dish for you to slice and introduce into the entree yourself. Furthermore, the "grilled lettuce" came in the form of two bulky lettuce heads that could easily have just been uprooted from a back garden. What a misrepresentation and manner with which to really drive home this restaurant's passive attitude toward customers. Needless to say, I will happily never return, but good luck to Brookland's Finest if this account represents the typical non-brunch customer's experience - you will certainly need it. Three stars solely for the comedic value of the "salad." read more

Brookland's Finest - "grilled" caesar "salad" - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This review is 3.5/5 stars for the record. Cool lil neighborhood place in brookland, they have a large bar area and some restaurant seating. I came during brunch and it was jumping so there was a little wait; we were told we couldn't order brunch because of the time we came in and we would have to wait 39 minutes before we can order food, so we had bar snacks in the meantime. Once we were sitting at the bar we saw that other patrons were ordering brunch! I hate being misinformed so that wasn't cute. The food was good, I had deviled eggs (not like my mother's but they were straight), French Fries, and the colonel burger which was the show stealer. I LOVED the huge onion rings that came on the side, really tasty. The service was great, outside of the misinformation and not being allowed to order brunch. The actual restaurant is cool, although I had to wear my parka and eventually move seats becAuse they had the fans on in the middle of winter, like what?! The food was inexpensive and if I ever find myself on that side I may come back. read more

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Visited this place for the first time last week and had a really good experience. It was a nice day, so they had outdoor seating ready for those wanting some sunshine. I went around 7 pm and it was pretty crowded around that time. The crowd was mixed with singles, couples, groups and families. As a starter, we ordered the Mac and cheese, which was good. If you're a bacon lover, this one is for you. Next, I ordered the seared salmon and grits and it was amazing. The portion was slightly smaller than I expected and I wish I had a bit more grits with the salmon, but it was seasoned very well, so that made up for it. The spinach was a nice addition to help fill the dish out more. My friend had the grilled salmon blt which looked really good. It was also a big portion and she was able to get another meal out of it. For dessert, we had the brioche bread pudding which came with bourbon sauce. The bread pudding was on par with other dc restaurants. It isn't my favorite dessert, but still good. I will come here again to try several of their other dishes. read more

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LOVE THIS PLACE. It helps that I am in walking distance, but the food and drinks here are very good. There is a great selection of food and local beers. The place feels semi-fancy and chill at the same time. I've been here a few times and have had many of the appetizers (my favorite is the Brussels sprouts) and entrees (the colonel burger). Everything was delicious. They have a nice patio with outdoor seating and open up the outward facing bar during good weather. I highly recommend this place for any occasion. read more

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The food was really great for brunch and the place is super cute. Very kid friendly in that they welcome families and have books to read, coloring books and even sidewalk chalk if you sit outside. We enjoyed the quiche and the blueberry waffle was awesome!! The yogurt parfait with homemade granola and fruit was delish (albeit a tad sweet), and the eggs were seasoned well. The one reason I took a star off was that the way they seat people is a little silly. They refused to put two top tables together and they sat people at one of the only huge tables who didn't have their whole party. We had two young kids with us and there were tables that could have been pulled together. We waited more than 20 mins while others were sat ahead of us (we were 5 and a party of 4 were sat!). After 20 mins I finally asked if we could sit outside (no one was there). We were sat there and the service was ok... not great (ie when you order coffee at a brunch place you expect it to keep coming... there were no refills (of anything)). The food was great and we would come back... but they need a better seating system. read more

Brookland's Finest - Seasonal quiche with salad and potato hash. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

They have Taylor ham. As a New Jersey-an, this is epic. (Pork roll for you other fans). Good place for brunch. Casual attire - like I wore leggings and sneakers casual. Great prices for D.C. $12-15 brunch entrees, but $23 for steak and eggs. $8 mimosas $10 bellinis $8 bloody Mary's. I got Tony's breakfast club. Which was French toast with eggs, bacon, and Taylor ham inside. Was supposed to come with greens, but I swapped out for potato hash. Meal was yummy, hash was good but a little spicy for my taste and could've used more salt. Luckily there was no wait, but they do let you call ahead. Service was fast and decent (they were training). Would go back again. read more

Brookland's Finest - Tony 's Breakfast Club with potato hash - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here today for brunch. I got the "snack" biscuits and sausage gravy with a side of scrambled eggs with cheddar. I enjoyed it. It could have used a little more gravy but i liked it. I will say their portions are really small. Mine was just right but all my friends' dishes seemed a little small for the prices. I also got a Bellini which was good but nothing amazing or out of the ordinary. Overall, I had a good experience. The service was good and the food came out quickly. A solid brunch option. read more

Brookland's Finest - Biscuits and sausage gravy "snack" with a side of eggs with cheddar. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great atmosphere and service. The salmon and grits were very good - would recommend specifying the cook on the salmon to be more medium well done. Definitely will be back read more

This is easily my favorite neighborhood eatery -- and with good reason. Not only is the food outstanding, but the beer and cocktails are good, and the atmospher feels homey without any grunge or grease. We had the salmon BLT, Colonel burger, deviled eggs, and barbeque sliders (the special that night). The deviled eggs are some of the best I've ever had -- don't sleep on them. They have a sweet pepper relish that cuts the salty, fatty yolk filling perfectly. The salmon BLT (my pick) featured perfectly cooked, flakey, juicy pink salmon that was complimented perfectly by the crispy bacon. Barbeque sliders I could take or leave -- but they were nice to try (as a native North Carolinian, I'm just very picky about my barbeque). My only qualm is that I wish the salmon filet was a little bigger on the sandwich so that the bread-to-salmon ratio was a little more even, but that's a small thing. It certainly didn't warrent knocking any stars off. All in all, this is one of my favorite restaurants in DC. I'm excited to come check out the brunch service sometime soon! read more

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Brookland's Finest is located in NE, so it's a bit off the beaten path for me. However, the atmosphere is pleasant and the menu is interesting. We went for brunch and ordered the Blueberry and Ricotta Waffle and Tony's Breakfast Club. The Blueberry and Ricotta Waffle had Bourbon maple syrup, whipped cream, and fresh fruit. The waffle was delicious and I'd order it again. If I could change something, it would be the Bourbon maple syrup; the Bourbon was overpowering and not sweet enough. Tony's Breakfast Club was french toast stuffed with applewood bacon, taylor pork roll, cheddar eggs, dijon maple syrup, and served with mixed greens. We will go back. I want to try this place for dinner next time. read more

Brookland's Finest - Blueberry Ricotta Waffle - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

When you call yourself Brookland's Finest that is what you need to but this was just aight. I went with my cousin on a cold, rainy night so the crowd was a decent size. The tables are close together so be prepared to make friends or have people in your conversation. Initially, no one was on either side of us so we spoke freely but people showed up when I was having desert and we actually chatted. When you sit that close to each other you feel like you should make friends. Lol First, when I arrived, I asked for a straw. The hostess comes back with her hands all over an unwrapped straw and plops it in my drink. That's unsanitary. Most places bring it in a napkin or wrapped up. That's a pet peeve of mines. On a positive note, our server Theo was great. He recommended a refreshing cocktail, helped me back a dinner choice and was attentive without being a pain. I had the mussels and they removed the sausage for me. They were decent. For dessert I had the beignets. I'm not from New Orleans and I only had them once, over a decade ago so I don't remember what they should taste like but if you want a good sense fried donut, they were good. I enjoyed them. I just don't want someone from New Orleans thinking I am saying they are the real thing because I don't know. If you live in the area it's fine but I wouldn't go out of my way for the experience. read more

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Went to Brookland's with my family and I must say we were pleasantly surprised. The food was great. The chicken sandwich, the catfish and the appetizers were delicious. Will definitely be back! Thanks Tessa for the phenomenal service! read more

Quality food and spot in the Brookland neighborhood. I've been here a couple times over the years and mostly had a great experience. Most recently stopped in for burgers. I will say, that burger is tasty! They seem to have figured out the exact proportions for toppings, meat, and bun. The ground beef is weirdly (in a good way) soft?! Not sure how to explain it. It's not an overwhelming amount of food but will keep you full. The pretzel bites are okay- they don't really taste anything like a pretzel. Right now they are only doing outdoor seating and it looks like they got rid of brunch/lunch hours. Nicely spaced out tables. I have been before where they aren't as pleasant. Met with a friend for dinner and got there 50 minutes before closing, but said the kitchen was closed. They offered us to order to go, which doesn't make a lot of sense if the kitchen was closed. Not the end of the world, but if you stop seating tables an hour before you close, that's a helpful thing to put on your website! Overall, worth checking out. Quality food and people. read more

Great place in Brookland!! The salmon blot was really good! It does get kind of cold in here so bring a jacket! I'll definitely be back to try other things on the menu! read more

Brookland's Finest - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I can't believe I've never reviewed this place! Ive been coming here since my move to DC 3 yrs ago. I've tried both Brunch and dinner and sometimes I just stop in for a drink at the bar after work. It's one of my favorite bars in Brookland. I've tried the majority of the items on the menu and I love when they bring out the grill and open the garage style windows at the bar on warm evenings. The Brussel sprout chips are a must. I don't think I've ever visited without getting them. I love the friendliness and welcoming staff. It kinda reminds me of Cheers. It's definitely a great addition to the neighborhood. Service is always great. The only con I have about this place is that they charge a "To Go" fee. Like why do I have to pay you a fee for a call in order? It's not like you delivered it to me. Anywho, I took away one star for that because sometimes I just want to enjoy my food in the comfort of my home. I shouldn't be charged for that. read more

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I've been to Brookland's Finest twice now. The food is excellent. The flavorful, well-prepared dishes easily beat the offerings of most similar spots in DC. There's a pretty good selection at the bar. And the ambiance is nice: exposed brick with warm lighting. Both times I've been there, though, I've been turned off by the service. While it's not super quick, it's not slow enough that I'd complain about it. I've just detected a subtle air of resentment from the servers I've had. I asked for a second drink and the waitress replied with a curt "Fine." My friend tried to flag down the server to add something to his order and got brushed away with a brusque "Not right now." The tone made it kind of uncomfortable. I get that people have bad days and try not to expect servers to be a constant wellspring of warmth. But across two visits they came across as condescending. It's not the end of the world... I'd probably go back for the good food. But I found it a little off-putting. read more