ETA: Parking - seriously, where do the meter maids come from? I shit you not, I walked two feet from parking my car to pay for parking and the lady already started printing out a ticket. There is little to no parking available, and when there is you will get ticketed even when you are legitimately parked. ETA part 2: You can't compare Good Stuff to Rays just because they are both burger joints. they are in two different worlds. i'm too lazy to go into any further detail besides that. moving on. That said, the plain burger was meh, but the Obama Burger is where it's at. I wake up at night craving this thing. I wouldn't even question getting this for lunch every day, were i not concerned about DC meter maids booting my car. Obama Burger consists of Applewood Bacon, Onion Marmalade, Roquefort Cheese & Delicious Horseradish Mayo Sauce. Yum, yum, yum. It was cooked medium when I asked for medium rare (which apparently I was being humored, since they don't allow you to choose your temperature anyways), but the toppings were super fantastical and the bun was out of this world. HAND.SPUN.MILKSHAKES. The toasted marshmallow is awesome, but dulce de leche is where it's at. were i not concerned about my digestive system inverting itself, my diet would consist solely of the obama burger and the dulce de leche shake. Also, they open strictly at 11:30 AM, so there was already a line before the place even opened (some people don't get the concept of a line, and the people working there don't enforce anything besides not serving anyone until after 1130, so if you want to get out at a decent time elbows might need to be thrown). Lunch rush is generally not awesome, but to be expected for DC, and certainly not as long as other places. read more

Good Stuff successfully captures the "urban farm" with its distressed wooden floors, giant cowbell, noise pollution, and crowd herding. The Restoration Hardware decor is endearing and redeeming, though overshadowed by the restaurant's painfully bad layout. At first glance, it seems to make sense to have customers enter in the front and stand in line only to end up back in the front near the door and stairs leading to the upstairs seating. However, this plan fails miserably when people wait for their food near the front of the line, creating a huge herd of confused, frustrated, hungry folks in the middle of the entryway/stairway/counter. Brilliant! The burgers themselves are excellent. I can speak mostly for the turkey burger, which, topped with avocado, is delicious. The problem is that no burger is worth a 30-60 minute wait and that much frustration, not even with 'special' mayo (mango, sriracha), or an egg on top, or ... . The same can be said about the overly sweet dulce de leche shake and village fries, which I personally enjoyed but received mixed reviews from my party. The fries are definitely better than In N Out's or Five Guy's but are cut so small that they give the appearance of being the leftovers at the bottom of the fryer. Really, this is a burger joint that is trying too hard to be something more without having figured out how to first be a burger joint. Obviously, there are major kinks to work out after opening night, but I wonder if there's actually a deeper design flaw.... read more

Walked in & liked the vibe; staff at the register was pleasant & helpful. However, burgers & fries were cold & overdone. So disappointed--I really wanted to like this place. read more

Good Stuff = Amazing Stuff. My favorite burger joint hands down! I first discovered this place when I was interning on the Hill and just getting out of the office for lunch. Little did I know what an amazing find I stumbled upon. The lines are always long for lunch, but I decided to wait- and it was worth it. At first I was wondering why I paid $7 for a tiny burger, but when I took my first bite, I was in burger heaven. I recommend the good stuff melt and the obama burger. Also, do not forget the village fries- they're seasoned with rosemary, thyme and sea salt, which makes them incredible. I like to dip the fries in the mango mayo, but that's just me. If you're on the Hill, don't miss out on Good Stuff! read more

I went here last night to try and give my stomach a little help in soaking up the alcohol I was planning to consume. I am a cheapo when it comes to certain things and a burger and fries would be one of them but since we split the fries it evened out to about how much I would spend on a burger at the bar. The burger was pretty damn good. It is very flavorful and juicy. The buns are so good. They are similar to potato bread buns which I love. I wish they would bottle the sriracha mayo. Because of its name I expected way more heat but it is still yummy on the sandwich and when used as a dip for the fries . My friend had the chili burger which looked sloppy and delicious. I tried some of the chili and I have to say that it beats Ben's hands down (sorry in advance to the Chili Bowl worshippers but that chili is way overrated). Overall I could have done with less salt on the fries but it was a very satisfying experience. read more

Probably 2.5 stars. In a word, I was underwhelmed. My cousin and I were looking forward to meeting Spike (we had emailed ahead and worked it out). Being big fans of Top Chef and also starting our own cookbook challenge with the Top Chef Cookbook, we were looking forward to tasting foods conceptualized by a one of the chef-testants. We dragged our significant others and some friends out for the experience on Wednesday for dinner. There was a somewhat long line even at 8 pm, and the tables outside were packed, which I thought were signs of good eats to come. The setup is you order first, get your fountain beverages and condiments, wait for your order to be ready, and then seat yourself. The condiments feature the usual, ketchup, mayo, and mustard, as well as more unique mayos -- sriracha, chipotle, etc. During busy times, it borders on fustercluck around the order line, so make sure you're actually in the line! First sign of the downturn of events was that Spike had already left. We had corresponded with his sister who said to check with her prior to coming in (we did) and she confirmed he'd be there. I shrugged it off, I can imagine that schedules get busy and what not, so whatevs. I was still looking forward to the burger, fries and shakes. I ordered Uncle D's Chili-N-Cheddar, Village snack fries, and the soursop hop strawberry milkshake, which ran me over $16. At this point, I'm thinking, this better be damn good. After what felt like a long time, I finally get my food. The food comes in a paper bag, which is on a red basket. I pull out the burger and am immediately disappointed at the small size of the burger. When I open it, I'm even more disappointed that the bun has been smushed and became soggy. I could barely taste the cheddar and the chili, which was described as spicy, barely had any heat. the bun tasted like the buns I could buy at the supermarket. The meat was good and tender, but no consistency to the temperature. Although none of us ordered our burgers at any specific temperature, we received a variety, ranging from medium rare to well done. The fries were okay. The rosemary and thyme added to the flavor, but unfortunately, the fries were slightly soggy. Other than that, they would have been pretty good. My shake was good, though I wouldn't have been able to distinguish between that and the one at McD's. A friend got the chocolate cake and was nice enough to share. It tasted like it could have come from the grocery store. So yes, underwhelmed I was. Perhaps my expectations for this place were too high. Either way, Good Stuff Eatery didn't live up to its name. read more

I'm not used to such literal restaurant names. I'm glad they didn't name it "Best Stuff Eatery" or "Awesome Stuff Eatery" because this would be a very different review. I had a yummy burger that was moist, a little pink, and deliciously flavorful! I tried some fries which were good, and some vidalia onions which were over salted and clumpy. I got a beer (I went with the "small") and had a sip of my friends' milkshakes, yummy! I'm not sure about the mayo bar...most of them were pretty unappetizing.(Mango? Maybe not a good idea.) Am I going to schlep across town for one of these burgers? Maybe not super often. But if I do, I'll probably decide it was a good choice. read more

After reading the reviews here, I wearily went to Good Stuff with a large group of friends for dinner the other night. I can sum it up with one word: overrated. Good food, terrible service, and high prices. It's definitely not worth waiting for. After waiting 30 minutes outside and 30 minutes inside, I finally got to order my food. I ordered bacon cheese burger, spike's fries, and toasted marshmallow shake. It was nearly $18. The burgers were pre-made and sat under warming lamps that we walked by in line. That doesn't really give me a good impression when at Five Guys they make them fresh. Ordering the milkshake was a problem in the fact that I then had to wait 20 minutes for my food because they had no clue how to keep up with the demand for shakes. Other people who ordered shakes after me got theirs before mine and it was not until I started to complain loudly that I got my shake. Meanwhile my food had been sitting in a bag for 10 minutes waiting for the shake so it started to get cold. They don't know how to run a fast food-esque burger joint and I certainly hope they work out the kinks before they start franchising, which Spike's dad told me they would be doing soon. Luckily the food helped to compensate for the terrible service. The burger tasted good, but was extremely greasy. Spike's fries were surprisingly good and I didn't mind that they were short fries. And my toasted marshmallow milkshake was outstanding, even if it didn't taste like marshmallow (it tasted much more like cake batter ice cream as someone else wrote). The mayos for the fries were also a nice touch. Despite the food tasting good, I'm not going back anytime soon. They don't have a clue what they are doing, the lines are too long, and it's awful expensive for an experience that is only so-so. read more

It is completely plausible that I'm a fan of this place because Capitol Hill suffers terribly from a lack of yummy food in normal price ranges. Or perhaps any place that offered this many flavors of milkshake would rope me in at any price. At any rate, I've been here at least once a week since I first went a few months ago, SPIKE! Why are you doing this to me??? Next I'll have to write a review of Results Gym. I don't eat much red meat, but in a slick moment of reviewing by proxy, I'll tell you that these are my boyfriend's favorite burgers, and they taste pretty good to me when I steal a bite while he goes to refill his dipping sauces. I typically get the turkey burger, which is good, but I do wish they offered more flavors of turkey burger toppings for those of us who are frequent Good Stuff offenders. I agree with those who say the fries are just okay, but the onion rings are truly delicious. They're not even really rings, they're just balls of friedness with onions inside, and they go beautifully with whatever orange-tinted mayo you may choose to drown them in. The milkshakes are pretty fabulous. The Milky Way one has a well of chocolate goo at the bottom, and the time they accidentally gave me a chili-cheese burger for take out rather than my turkey burger, I had a large milky way milkshake as my entire dinner and was very, very happy. The dulce de leche one is perhaps my favorite, though. It has ground espresso on top- who would have thought it? Berry is also yummy if you feel like you'd rather have something healthy. read more

The flavors of the burgers are robust and surprisingly complex. A five guys burger really mostly tastes the same to me, no matter what I order on it, but here there's a world of difference between The Prez Obama burger, the Melt, the Smokehouse... and I've enjoyed every one that I've tried. The fries can be a bit limp, but the Mango Mayo makes up for it- I could eat that stuff straight. The chili is also pretty good, but it's better on the burger than by itself. The shakes. Oh. My. God. I'm really lactose intolerant, but I'll happily burn through half a box of lactaid for half a kiddie sized shake, because they are THAT GOOD. The whipped cream? Not fake crap. The shakes underneath? They taste like the pure, unadulterated flavor of whatever it's called. The seasonal Cookies&Cream has got me on a C&C binge since. They can get REALLY busy, between Congressional Staffers and tourists, so I try to time visits during non-peak times. If you're there when it's busy, just go find a seat after you've ordered, they gave you a buzzer for a reason. read more

Why the hell does everyone seem to love this place? Is it because they have burgers named after Obama and Michelle? God I hope not, but then again, it is Washington D.C. We went in Good Stuff as a group because we had heard about how good their burgers and shakes were. I ordered a burger without fries with an oreo shake to go with. The burger tasted pretty good and all, but it was an extremely small burger. I had it gone in about 5 bites. Pretty disappointing for the price you pay. On to the shake. I seriously think that half of my shake was whipped cream, at least that's what it felt and tasted like. I mean the thing wasn't even cold. And I wasn't the only one in our group that felt that way. As if the food didn't piss me off enough, the bill made me even angrier. First of all it was over $14 for a burger and a small shake. Secondly, they had added on a charge for the environment. How liberal do you get? If I wanted to donate my hard earned money to the environment, I'd be happy to do it myself. A restaurant shouldn't be adding it on to your bill, at least not without asking. On the way out, I noticed a big sign praising Pres. Obama. Seriously, you need to turn a burger place into a liberal shrine to a guy. I don't care if you're in DC, I don't like my dining experience to turn into a debate on politics. All in all, I felt that this place was totally not worth my money. It is EXTREMELY overrated. The food wasn't great, the shake sucked, and the decor made it very clear that people on the opposite side of the house (Republicans) are unwelcome at this establishment. read more

First let me start by saying I was so hungry after walking around and not knowing where to go for food in DC. We found this place, it was incredibly crowded, but was amazing! I loved my burger, I don't even know what I got, it was probably something plain, as I don't typically try out of the box stuff. However, my husband convinced me to try their Mango Mayonaise after I was disappointed in the fact that they didn't have just regular or light mayonaise. Let me tell you what my new favorite condiment is...yes, who the heck would have thought to put mango and mayonaise together?! It works and it's delicious. I'm a well done burger fan, but these come medium well, I'm not much on complaining so I ate around the pink, which still filled me up. Worst part about Good Stuff Eatery...they're closed on Sunday! We raved about this place to my dad who was visiting just for the day as he was leaving town that Monday early morning, I wish we could have made him a fan as well. read more

Ate here for lunch on August 9. I ordered a fountain drink, but all of the soda choices were just running clear with soda water. I told the guy at the counter, and he told me the water still works, but they couldn't fix the sodas at the moment. I asked if I could get a refund, and he told me I needed the cup, so I dug it out of the trash to give to him. At that time, he offered to replace with bottles of soda instead, which I accepted. I noticed that the entire time I was there, they continued selling sodas despite being aware that the soda was out. I got my burger, but it was undercooked (cold red center). I took it to the guy at the counter, and he asked me if I wanted to keep it or throw it away. He did not offer to replace it, so I asked if he would either make me a new one or refund me. He agreed to make a new one. While I was waiting at the counter for my replacement, several other people approached the counter with issues. Also, I was charged a 5% COVID surcharge. Too many issues-- I don't recommend! read more

Popped over for lunch today because I am starting to have allergic reactions to the Chinese buffet style joints near Fed Ctr SW and was quite pleased with myself for making this brilliant decision. It was definitely crowded with lots of very lost looking tourists with their ragamuffin kids but....the kind and quick service made up for all that. I opted for the Vegetarians Are People Too 'Shroom Burger and Village fries. The fries didn't even make it two blocks with their delicious sea salt, rosemary, thyme combination. Nom nom nom. The burger didn't disappoint either with its gooey cheesy filling and nummy yummy sauce. I would recommend to any non meat eater on any day of the week. read more

Dining at Good Stuff Eatery is a bit of a mixed bag. On the positive side, their milkshakes are very creamy and are a real treat on a hot day. The burgers are also tasty though I am not as big a fan of the flavored mayo choices as my wife and many others are. On the not so good side, the french fries are cut too small and they are greasy. Also, we felt like the service is fairly unfriendly, not what one expects at a high-end burger place. Overall, GSE does not offer the best value. With numerous burger options throughout DC, the wife and I prefer to spend our hard-earned dollars elsewhere. read more

So I finally made the trek over the hill to Good Stuff and I have to say I was disappointed. Fortunately, I was able to wash it all down over at Hawk and Dove. Before I get to the food, the location is pretty cool. Very spacious and the service was reasonably good. Of course if there were lines, I could imagine not being too pleased. I had the Big Stuff Bacon Meltdown, village fries, and a toasted marshmallow milkshake. The buns were kinda soggy and were too small for the amount of meat. The burger was juicy, but not enough bacon for the double patties. The slivers of red onion did help cut the flavor nicely. I think the burgers reminded me of a poorly executed shake shack burger. Village Fries, don't go near em. Soggy and for all the rosemary, they weren't salted enough. Just a greasy mess and totally not worth it. I would've given this place 1 star if it wasn't for the milkshake. Creamy, rich, and extremely flavorful. Sriracha mayo is also muy bueno. Sriracha should be mandatory at every restaurant. If you must come here, just stop for the shakes, pass the burgers and fries. Came for the top chef love and because I love burgers, but I'd still rather go five guys in DC. read more

The "Vegetarians Are People Too" 'shroom burger. Get it. It is magical. It is a religious experience. Apparently it's somewhere in the neighborhood of 2000 calories, but believe me, it's worth it. The toasted marshmallow milkshake lived up to the hype, too. A tasty, filling meal for under $10 + pleasant, reasonably quick service? I'll be returning. read more

I always come here in the evening, so the lines and wait aren't usually bad. If they were, it would not really be worth it - although they do play great music. I went last night with my daughter and the burgers seemed bigger and better than on previous visits - I hope this is a permanent thing. The meat is high quality and the buns are great - not too big. If you like pickles, the ones they put on the burgers are quite tasty, sliced lengthwise. The village fries are delicious and I especially love the chipolte mayo, but the fries are sometimes crispy, other times on the soggy side. The onion rings aren't as good. I've been a couple of times with a friend who ordered salads. They were fine although they got her order wrong once. I went for a milkshake once and it was good, but after a burger and a half order of fries, it's really too much. They do have smaller desserts, ie brownies and cookies. Spike is smart to focus on a reasonably priced place in this environment, even though it's on the high end for a burger joint. Even folks who are lucky enough to have a decent job are watching their money - at least I am. read more

Bottom line: Food is good, service is terrible. My wife and I were there on May 19th at around 8:15 in the evening to grab a burger for my birthday. We were excited to try the burgers and shakes, as we'd heard a lot about them. So, let's start with the food. We both got burgers, which yes, are small, but make a good meal size. I thought they tasted somewhat like Wendy's burgers (which isn't a bad thing in my book), but a little fresher. We also enjoyed the village fries and a black and white milkshake. The service was terrible. We asked a few questions of the woman taking our order and she barely gave us an answer while not looking at us - it was clear she didn't want to be there. Then, we basically had to make sure our food came out ourselves. We had to badger them for our burgers and when they finally handed us our food, it was without the beer we had ordered too. It was very disappointing on that end. read more

Okay, I read all the reviews here about Good Stuff after friends and I decided to go there and decided, I'm still going. We all liked it a lot more than most of the people here. My first comment/question is who gets french fries with thyme and rosemary??? They're french fries people, just because they offer them with fancy seasoning does not mean you should get them. Now that I have that out of the way... I got the Toasted Marshmallow shake, the Colletti's burger and shared an order of REGULAR fries. The shake was tasty but if you're not a coconut fan, don't get it as there is quite a bit of coconut flavour in there. The buger was super tasty and the fries were great. I got some of the chipotle sauce for dipping the fries and would recommend it though they were just fine with ketchup. My boyfriend got the D-Lechable Leche shake and the 5 Napkin burger. His shake was by far the best one at the table and I really wish I had ordered it. He had to keep it far away from me the entire time we were there. He loved his burger and would recommend it to anyone who loves them some fried egg on their burger. One of our friends ordered the Farmhouse Cheese and ran into something that perhaps I can help others avoid: Mayo. If you do not like mayo, and she doesn't, make sure to order your burger without "Good Stuff Sauce." Apparently the Good Stuff Sauce is mayo based and a lot of the burgers there come with it. If you hate on the mayo, this is good advice for you. Once she had the burger replaced minus the sauce all was good. Her husband ordered the Good Stuff Melt and loved it - it looked like some gooey yumminess - I'm getting that next time. He also ordered fries for them to share and a chocolate shake. They too liked the fries and he got some Old Bay dipping sauce to go with their fries which he loved and his wife stayed away from since it was mayo based. Oh and their shake was tasty too - good thing we all like each other since everyone tried everyone else's shakes. So there you have it, Good Stuff Eatery was tasty and I'd go there again, only next time I'll get the Leche milkshake. read more

We wanted to try this place since we watch Top Chef and let me tell you that this isn't any hype. The burgers and fries are the real deal! I got the sunny burger which had a fried egg on it and it has changed the way i will eat a burger from now on. There fries must be double fried and the dipping sauces were fantastic. My favorite was the chipolte horseradish. I will be bak for sure if Im ever In DC again. read more

Good Stuff Eatery - Burgers Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Come back, Spike! They've hijacked your restaurant! I had lunch today (a Friday) with a friend, and the experience was awful from start to finish. The line at 12:45 was at the door, moved slowly, and then stopped. Just stopped. Why? Because they ran out of pagers. Why? Because they stopped making burgers. Why? I have NO idea. For about 10 minutes things just came to a halt while they started making more. Did they stop making anything else? No, they did not. So fries kept being made, and milkshakes sat for at least 10 minutes in the hot waiting area while their burger orders very slowly caught up. It took about 45 minutes from entering the place to sitting down with food. They forgot one of the fries, so downstairs to get another order. At least that was quick. The bun on one of the burgers was burned. The burgers were incredibly sloppily prepared. Despite the grill guys pressing down on the burgers as they cooked, they were decently flavorful. [Hello? Grilling 101: DON'T PRESS DOWN ON THE BURGERS.] The fries were a greasy, heaping mess. What's the point of giving a customer too many fries if 2/3 of them aren't even worth eating? The shake one of us had was borderline warm (see above). Spike, if you're reading this: Come back and see what they're doing in your name. It's not pretty, it's not good, and you need to re-train your staff. I remember being there during your first weeks in business, and it was a great spot with great potential. Bring it back. Please. read more

The food here is great! Best burger spot in town for sure...spike village fries are the best however this location has mice..so I would highly recommend going to another location read more

I walked into Good Stuff at noon on a Tuesday, was handed a pager, and emerged about 20 minutes later with my bag-o-burger/fries/4 dipping sauces and a vanilla shake. I should say that the service was friendly, especially Chef Spike's dad who was over the top gregarious. The burger was fine. Better than your average medium slab of beef. The fries were fantastic, and were made even better by the offerings at the dipping station, most notably the Chipotle Mao. The shake-- the straw was no match for it's thickness.. Good but a bit overpriced.. Complaints: the wait and the size of the somewhat over seasoned burger... Suggestion-- try to avoid the 11:30-2pm lunch rush, especially when Congress is in session. Still, for 10$ you can have your little burger, fries, a possible sighting of Chef Spike, a drink (noooo, not a milkshake) and as many of the fantastic dipping sauces that you can fit into your pocket. That's a pretty decent deal to me. read more

Hot damn, I wish I had more opportunities to be on Capitol Hill if only so that I could have the turkey burger more often. I've visited Good Stuff twice now - both on the weekends - and have really, really enjoyed the food. We always end up eating just a little too much, but that's kind of hard to avoid when the burgers are tasty and generously topped with, well, toppings - the fries have a cornucopia of dipping sauce options - and the shakes are thick and yummy. I'm a particular fan of the turkey burger, which has all the right stuff - avocado and cheese and deliciousness all in a pile. Seating is limited. It just is. That kind of sucks. It's also pretty expensive for a burger joint, which is the main reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 4. The food is definitely, definitely worth the 4 stars, though. Check it out and don't get all hyped about the celebrity aspect of it. read more

Good Stuff Eatery is located about three-four blocks down Pennsylvania from Eastern Market, near Hawk & Dove bar. I wandered in today, after my weekly Saturday morning ritual of gathering produce from EM & hauling it around with me all day while I check out other things. I've been wanting to check it out for weeks so I was glad to be able to finally do it today. The layout's a little confusing - people are waiting for their orders right when you walk in, you struggle through them and then a line wraps around in front of the counter while you watch cute guys prepare burgers, see Spike flip meat and dance around in his infamous hat, and finally make your way up to the cash register where you order and pay. I ordered the Lunch Bag special - cheeseburger, fries, and a fountain drink. When I finally got my order about twenty minutes later, I had a regular hamburger... no cheese. I contemplated bringing it back (which I usually would do) but the line was monstrously long and that would have taken forever. The food was good. Unfortunately not as good as Five Guys. The fries were delish but eat them before they get cold. Once they get cold they just taste a little too greasy. Plenty of outdoor seating, classic rock music blasting, everyone's nice and friendly, free refills on fountain drinks, and overall good food. It's great for Capitol Hill. Good place for a quick bite to eat during the weekend. read more

Before visiting DC, one of our friends recommended this place for us to go eat after visiting the Capitol and the Library of Congress. This place is just a short walk from there. The location itself is next to a beautiful neighborhood. They have a pretty simple menu and will gladly help you decide on what to get if it's your first time. I decided to go with the Prez Obama burger, Village fries and the Toasted Marshmallow shake. I fell in love right away. The Prez Obama burger can be a bit greasy but if you don't mind that too much it may make your top burgers list. The fries were pretty heavily seasoned but are easy to shake some of it off depending on how you like it. And to finish off the tasty meal I had the life changing Toasted Marshmallow shake. The consistency is a rare shake consistency, it is a smooth and creamy shake with an amazing flavor. My wife and I still talk about this shake and would come to Good Stuff Eatery just for this shake. Overall I was impressed with this place. If a greasy burger is not your thing, this will not be your place most likely. read more

One of the better burger places in DC! I think it lived up to its hype, though a meal here is pretty pricey. The burger is small but very savory, the fries are fresh, and the shakes were good. However, this place is kinda overpriced for the amount of food you get. I guess their business plan is make you wanting more and getting you to dish out more cash :/ I got the Obama burger, and the meat was deliciously greasy, blending perfectly with the cheese and onions. It didn't come with vegetables though, making me feel guilty for eating something so greasy and fattening but sooo delicious. The onion petals were oily but good. I dipped them in mango mayo, it was soooo good. Good Stuff was one of the best meals I had at DC, and I would recommend it after studying at the Library of Congress or if you're close by the Capitol. I wish the prices were more reasonable though, but I guess DC overcharges for everything -_-' Tip: Don't go on Sunday! Like many DC businesses, they close on Sunday. It's weird in the West cause only Chick-fil-A is closed on Sundays... O_o read more

OK I'll address this off of the bat. I've had friends, (well a friend) who has eaten nothing but Good Stuff every Friday for the last month and a half. First of all, his doctor is going to be pissed. Second of all, it's not worth it. The burgers are good. The meat mix they use is tasty. It's also small. It's also expensive. But most importantly it's competition is vast, and does it better. How so? The burger was good like i said, the cheese had a subtle flavor to it as not to overpower the beef, but beyond that it was... and hamburger. My socks didn't fall off, my hair didn't grow back, and my intestines didn't jump for joy once I started eating it. Their fries are Boardwalk/5 Guys clones, which are always good. Yes they have condiments. But condiments do not make a great food, in fact I've always believed the more condiments you need, the worse the food is. Chiptole mayo is exactly like what they sell at the grocery store, and not quite as subtle as what Panera has. The Mango mayo is ok, a little sweet tang added to a regular mayo taste. I dunno. I'm not impressed. Good burger, good fries, but that was about it. Nothing special. read more

Spike's milkshakes brings all the boys (and girls) to this greasy, glorious yard and after two bday dinners and a quick lunch here, I have to admit it's better than yours (or in this case, the Golden Arches). As a Top Chef addict, I feared my love of the show would set me up for disappointment. Luckily, Good Stuff Eatery lives up to its name. I have been impressed by all three selections I've sampled so far. The free range turkey burger boasts avocado and muenster - perfect touches to this dish that tastes as good as it's beef-tastic counterpart. The vegetarians are people too mushroom burger is ridiculously good. Note to self: stuffing a portobello mushroom with cheese, rolling it in panko crumbs and flash frying it makes it tastes better than red meat. During my more recent visit, I found they'd added chicken as an option and you can select any burger on the menu and sub chicken in. Less guilt, still (very) good stuff. As hard as I've tried over the years, I've never really liked french fries. This confession usually inspires gasps, shrieks, suspicious glares, but seriously, I just find potatoes bland. Not the case here at Good Stuff- I actually found Spike's Village Fries to be a tasty spin on the classic comfort food due to the addition of rosemary, thyme and pepper. The mayo bar and amazing milkshakes (hello, toasted marshmallow) seal the deal for me here. On my third visit to GS, Spike was serving dinner and chatted my group up while we waited for our order. After confessing my border-line obsession with bananas, Spike shared the milkshake he was working on- a banana custard concoction that I'm praying will be on the menu when I return. If you can nab it, the large table upstairs is ideal for a casual, but fun bday dinner or an office excursion during lunch. But no matter where you sit, this is Great Stuff. read more

Just now coming off the high of another fabulous season of Top Chef, I decided I should probably review the restaurant of the guy who made fedora hats cool again. After reading reviews, I decided to wait a few months for the hype to die down, and I'm glad I did. If I had to wait an hour for my food, this review would have probably been two stars. Since I'm not a huge fan of burgers, and generally drawn to anything with avocado, I settled on the turkey burger. While the avocado was ripe and delicious, it could not save the flat, tasteless, burger. It was as if all the juice had been sqeezed out of it, so that the only thing left was a piece of cardboard with a pinch of salt. The Village Fries, while a bit stumpy, were delightfully greasy and flavorful. I was, however, sorely disappointed by the dipping sauces. Maybe it was because the rosemary and thyme already added enough flavor to the fries, but the sauces seemed more distracting than complimentary. In the end, I found ketchup to be the best pairing. It also goes without saying (even though I will) that the toasted marshmallow milkshake is off the hook. read more

Wow, there is a lot of Good Stuff hate out there, and I feel that I must step up defend my neighborhood greasy spoon. Yes, GS is pricey, but I have never left this joint hungry so it's no big deal, and secondly, you really shouldn't be eating here very often, so think of the cost as a built-in deterrent. The only burgers worth eating are the specialty ones. Yes, some people don't like their burgers with a lot of decoration, and I am usually included in this, but I'll make an exception. I only get the Obama or the Colletti smokehouse, both usually delicious and cooked to perfection. The seasoned fries are also amazing and especially delicious when combined with Mango mayo. Oh, mango mayo, my love for thee is unbounded. I usually frequent this establishment at night or on the weekends when it is not even close to crowded. I have only once braved the lunch crowds to go (and had my one and only bad experience hence the 4 stars) so I can reasonably understand when some people think the hype is unworthy of a place you waited 45 minutes to get an overpriced cheeseburger. Take my advice if you want the perfect good stuff experience: 1) Go during the evening 2) Specialty burger menu ONLY 3) Split the large village fries with a friend 4) Get the mango mayo 5) Milk shake fans get a mini-moo shake. It's cheaper and more than enough. 6) forget ordering a soda and ask for a cup for water which they are more than happy to give you. 7) Say hi to Spike, he's usually around. The rest is silence... read more

I stumbled across Good Stuff around 4 years ago with my first trip to DC and I was so happy to go back again this December. Simple and good at what they do, Good Stuff makes delicious burgers (of bovine and poultry and veggie variety) and great sides to go along. You really can't go wrong with anything that they make and a personal favorite is the milkshakes. I've had the regular burger before and this time the hot chicken sandwich (a southern speciality) that left me dreaming of trips back to Tennessee. read more

I'll preface this review by saying I'm addicted to Top Chef and that Spike was one of my favorite contestants because of his ingenuity and talent as a chef... I am relatively new to the area and was in the mood for a good burger. I forget that Spike's digs are just "right around the corner" from me and finally tonight, during my quest for a good burger I remembered! I got in the car at 7pm from NoVA and got on 66-E. After sitting in traffic for what felt like 6 hours, I arrived to Capitol Hill and drove past the shining red awning of the burger mecca. I, in fact, drove by the red awning many times while looking for a parking spot; possibly another 6 hours. As I approached the Eatery, the smell of fresh burgers filled my sinuses. GOODNESS GRACIOUS! It was glorious. I must admit, I was a little bummed that it wasn't more like a sit-down-and-be-served place but I liked the vibe the place gave off. I placed my order (got a Farmhouse Bacon Cheese). I also decided to completely negate my earlier workout at the gym and ordered a milk shake --- Cookies & Cream. Great choices. The burger was cooked perfect - medium to medium-rare - and the bacon was crispy! The veggies were all fresh and vibrant in color. The fries went down real easy too along with the different seasoned mayo's used as dipping sauce. The shake was to die for and I wish that there was a large-bore straw to expedite the indulgence. After consuming 45,000 calories I must say that it felt good. I was almost tempted to order another for the 6 hour trek back through traffic. Bottom line: This is a great --- no, it is a fantastic fast gourmet burger joint. This was worth the trek through traffic, hands down. Only thing you have to remember is that this is not a sit-down eatery it is a grab-an-awesome-burger fast and get back out in traffic.... read more

The burgers here are great. It is a bigger party than you would get at similar places (Shake Shack etc). If you're up near the Capitol building, it is worth the stop. read more

Yum yum yum. The burgers are pretty good, but I come for the rosemary fries one large enough to share with a friend (and hopefully you do). I had a little mini heart palpitation when I realized that there was Siracha mayo (genius) in addition to the other flavors. I have yet to try the milkshakes because I can't justify eating a burger, fries AND a milkshake. And I am not willing to give up the latter two nor die of a cardiac arrest. The wait is annoyingly long but the beeper/buzzers at least don't tie you to waiting in a hungry crowd for your food. An anecdotal side note: I actually saw two grown men playing light savers with their beepers.... read more

I wanted to give GSE an extra star but it is just too darn pricey for what it is. Don't get me wrong, I will pay top dollar for a fantastic burger dining experience. And for the record GSE is all about providing a fantastic burger, it's the dining experience that falls short. It just seems wrong to have to wait in line to order, wait for my food at the counter, hunt for a table, and still end up with a tab that doesn't reflect the work I put in just to get the burger in my mouth. I think the quality of GSE's meat and toppings are far superior to Five Guys (and Ray's Hell Burger), but they cannot touch Five Guys' fries. However, that shortcoming is completely made up for with their shakes; the toasted marshmallow is yummy and the Milkyway shake is insane. read more

I'm not really a watcher of Top Chef. I don't live in DC. I happened to be visiting some friends, and they thought this would be a good place to stop for some lunch on our way to a ballgame. It was a Saturday afternoon, there were a few people ahead of us, but the line wasn't crazy. We were able to snag a table outside on a gorgeous weekend afternoon. The farmhouse bacon cheeseburger was smaller than I expected, but it was honestly the perfect lunch size. It was juicy and cooked perfectly, toppings were fresh. The fries were good, and there's a seasoned mayo bar, at which you can get samples of different flavors for dipping. I'm no expert, but it tasted like good stuff to me. read more

I don't really remember too much about my good stuff eatery eating last night. It could have been the food or the pitcher of sangria at jazz in the park. Bear with me as I write this (or bare with me, if you prefer). Here is my recollection: farmhouse burger, fries and a ginger ale. Nice ginger ale, tasted home brewed rather than mass produced soda pop. I like ginger ale. I guess I liked this one. The burger was good. Like previous posters, it would take a lot to mess up a burger. But Five Guys is closer and I could get more food for less money. Shit, I would travel the extra distance and hit up Rays before I think of coming here again. Fries, I love the idea. When I make fries at home I use red potatoes so I loved that they did as well, but they just didn't taste good. They didn't taste like anything. No seasoning (I refuse old bay), I am not even a salt person but I would have preferred that over nothing. I tried the chipotle mayo mixed with some ketchup. Not really a fan. Maybe I accidently pumped the mango mayo because it tasted more sweet than spicy. All in all I was surprised with the lack of burger goodness. You would think a top chef-er would do better than a fast food looking burger joint. I understand the kitsch, but like the ginger ale when left open for too long... it fell flat. read more

Yum yum yum! I want rosemary Village fries right now. And a melt. And a marshmallow shake. And...it's 10:30 am. If We the Pizza is as tasty as Good Stuff, I'll be there on opening day! read more