Ooh, is it a train? Is it a bar? Is it a train-bar? Color me confused! It's new and different and exciting and omg there's a train on the wall! And once you get over the initial novelty of being in D.C.'s alcoholic homage to the Metro, you realize it's just another bar. The on-tap beer selection is not impressive. Decent happy hour deals (which go until 9 p.m. on the weekdays; that actually makes it worth going to). There's a few small tables out front for warm summer days. The server I had was reasonably attentive and friendly. I'd go back if other people were going, but I wouldn't make a special trip for it. As far as transportation themed-bars go, I'd rather spend my money at Fly Lounge. read more

The security guys are rude, the bartender was a jackass about it when he screwed up our order and the music really isn't my bag, baby, and, you know, I should really just stop going out in Adams Morgan altogether because never, ever, ever have fun (exceptions made for: Toledo, Pharmacy, Blaguard). Drinks are not cheap and the rail vodka tasted like it was brewed out back in a large copper pot by a one-eyed hillbilly under a full moon, and then put into a plastic jug covered with cyrillic gibberish. BUT the male patrons here don't hassle you. They just line up along the walls and stare, much like prepubescents at a middle school dance. Extra star! read more

Gentlemen: Dash your loins with Johnson's baby powder. Put on your newest drawers and amply splash yourself with Cool Water cologne. Put out that hand and let it bob slowly to Wale and Kanye West. Cause, son, you about to get laid. Ladies: Throw on that skank ass blouse you bought in the clearance aisle of Forever 21 for $7. Don't worry, your mother ain't watchin. Hose yourself with JLo's newest fragrance. Time to get rid of those inhibitions, girl. Slip on those black stiletto fuck me boots (you gotta take out those ho-hoppers some time) and hump someone's knee like you're at a Prince concert and its 1999. You know its true. read more

It's a place like GC and a review like this that make me question my sanity. You'd think with all of the awful experiences I have had here, I would hate this place, but for some reason I keep going back... by choice! So the bartenders are assholes, plain & simple. I have been yelled at here before, and I am not that awful of a person... I swear! But apparently if you try to order a drink here and you challenge the bartender's action to help the girl with no bra who walks up to the bar and immediately gets served, you're going to get yelled at. I suggest you double-fist like I do (not a sexual term) and order 2 beers instead of 1. Btw - if you go upstairs, that bar is smaller, but you tend to get served quicker. So the dance floors are grimy and dangerous. There are spilled drinks and beer bottles everywhere. I have literally cut my foot from kicking a broken beer bottle as I was trying to get my groove on. I still have the scar on my big toe where blood gushed - btw, thank you to you 3 random drunk girls in the bathroom who actually helped me with my bloody toe by ensuring I had sufficient amounts of paper towel. Anyway, your shoes will undoubtedly get sticky from all the spilled beverages, so I highly suggest you don't wear your fancy shoes to this place. So the majority of the patrons here are grimy. I have been acosted too many times to count.. anywhere else I'd file a police report and probably have my likeness featured on an episode of Law & Order SVU, but this is just how GC is... so like it or leave it. You will get bumped and grinded on, fondled, and maybe even impregnanted, so if this scares the shit out of you, avoid the downstairs dance floor at all costs. It is too dark to tell who the culprit is anyway. After all that, though, liking GC to me is like having a crush on the popular guy who - even after he treats you like shit - you still kinda wanna get with him. Here's why: most of the bars in AM are all the same: bars filled with frat boys or girls who are so overly dressed, you'd think it was prom. Every other bar will undoubtedly start the night with Beyonce's Single Ladies.. and end with Journey or Bon Jovi as last call is announced. Some of the other bars further down 18th street try to be classy and charge you a cover --- seriously?! All in all... GC is just what people say it is. If you like to dance and you do not mind being humped from the front and back simultaneously, you will have a fine time. Go upstairs where it is less crowded and you will have a better time.. and if you don't, these words are not intended to be a verbal contract and, thus, are not legally binding. read more

On a Friday night, Grand Central was PACKED. It's in AMo so therefore it can't be completely devoid of the B&T crowd, but I felt like it had a teensy bit more diversity than the other places on the street. They had a coat check which was nice ($2), no cover, and I liked the layout. Two bars in the main room and then and upstairs and downstairs dancefloor. We were able to get a drink surprisingly quickly and the guys that hit on us were the much preferable "let me buy you a drink" guys rather than the typical "let me grab your ass" guys. It was too crowded for me to handle, especially since I had been drinking for about 6 hours by this time. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm back at Grand Central when I'm ready for a ridiculous night out in AMo, ready to handle the insanity. read more

Wow. Stepped foot in this place after literally almost 4 years after moving out of DC and it was like a damn time warp. No cover here is a huge selling point to this place, but the multiple music floors also is sweet since it brings different crowds. The basement playing gangster rap that has kids grinding like an unchaperoned middle school dance, upstairs with a mix of top 40 and edm stuff and the main level with whatever the Dj spits out. The service is fast and the drinks aren't horrifically expensive (from what I see on bar tabs?) I remember coming here in college and after and there are a ton of broke 20 somethings so it's your typical watering hole. The ceiling is architectural, looking like...omg...Grand Central. The ironic part is that this is DC and that's why it's supposed to be funny. So go sit in the photo booth and order a RumChada college style even if you're not. read more

This place sucks. I've been here a few times and thought it sucked ALL of the times. I tried to hang around for a while but the music was generally just not a very good mix of danceable hip hop/whatever. I listen to everything and dance to anything so I think im a decent judge of that. If you are gonna dance with badly dressed dirty college kids... at least go somewhere they are actually DANCING like TOM TOM (nevermind how grimey tom tom is....). Sausage fest: This place has the worst ratio I have ever seen. Which probably also contributes to the packed yet dead atmosphere (ie a bunch of men standing around staring). I think the booze was cheap. I dont drink much so I can only say so much about that. read more

This place is a GREAT place to get drunk with your friends and just chill listening to music. It's definitely funny to see the younger guys approach girls dancing in groups attempting to grind dance. I think the ladies callem' CREEPERS now and days.....lol. My words of wisdom: Fellas- Stop it, stop it, and stop it. It does not work!!! Quit thinking these young ladies in heels want you, or even want to dance with you. The higher the heels and the more skin you see, only screams they want attention. Do yourself a favor, set your standards low. If you think you're a 7 look for a 4. If you're a 2 shoot for the 9. I've found that, the more unattractive you are the ladies don't mind giving you a teaser dance just because they feel bad and want all the......attention. Ladies- Are you tired of all the creepers in the club? Well cover up, quit dancing in girl groups. Better yet bring your man along. The only actual way to keep the creepers at bay is with your own man. If you don't have one, rent a guy friend to keep the creepers at bay. The moment the creepers come creeping, grab your guy friend and dance with him. For one he's going to feel like the MAN dancing with all the ladies, and two, he can be that guy after the club for security from what I call, the after club creepers. Just make sure you treat him right or this would be his last outing To sum it up ladies cover up - Fellas set standards a little lower, Check out Grand Central, drink up party hard *Former and retired rent a guy read more

Visited Grand Central for the first time after going to Bar Pilar, Marvin, and Wonderland during a holiday trip to D.C. and Virginia. I found it rather unmemorable, especially considering that it followed two great bars. Cheesy 99.5-esque pop makes it classic Adams Morgan. $15 for a glass of Dalwhinnie vs. $10 for Macallan 12 elsewhere makes it drop one star from the relative neutrality of the three star rating. Now I shall commence with description via analogies to other bars and dessert foods. Grand Central : Bar Pilar Ben & Jerry's : nonfat, sugar-free J.P. Lick's froyo Grand Central : Wonderland Cake Love : Stacy's Grand Central : Marvin Mrs. Field's : homemade chocolate chip cookies created using a Kitchen Aid stand mixer *and* a few sneaky bites of dough even though raw egg is bad for you read more

Let's be honest. If you're in AdMo at 1am on a weekend night, you are probably looking for the things that Grand Central does pretty well. Reasonably priced well drinks? Check, $5. Top 40s sprinkled with some Journey? Check. Boozed up college kids? Check. Crazy Europeans from the nearby hostels? Check. A fun dance party with a crowded dance floor? Check and check. There are definitely better places to go for the bar atmosphere (the roof deck at Reef and Bourbon come to mind), but you won't find a better place to dance the night away while singing along with the lyrics. read more

Do yourself a favor and go anyplace else. This place is the absolute worst bar in a terrible bar city. To call this place a bad joke would be an insult to the idea of comedy. If you're looking for a microcosm of everything that makes D.C. lame, this is your place. From annoying and over touchy bouncers, to mediocre patrons, to barely edible food, this place has it all. They even have a dress code to make sure that nobody dressed less lame then their staff gets in the doors. read more

Grant Central has a purpose. It is for those nights out where you truly don't give a f*ck. You just want to dance to some good hip hop music, judgement-free, and get Amsterdam Falafel after. Yep. That is Grand Central in a nutshell. There is never cover which is awesome. The drinks are reasonable and its always an interesting crowd. I've seen some things, yet I keep coming back for more. Thank you, Grand Central, for being there for me during my weaker moments, and also my STRONG ones. read more

I was here on the Sunday before memorial day, so people (including myself) were partying like it was a saturday, but it wasn't as packed as it could have been considering that many people were out of town. The music allowed me to shake my booty multiple times. Downing bottles of Corona in this club was a fun time for me and my cohorts. Considering the location and the people though, I can only imagine how packed and crazy this place must get on the weekends...straight-up adams morgan style. I imagine I'll be pretty drunk whenever I go there, and if I'm not, I'm sure my goal will be to drink as quickly as possible. read more

This review is coming from a lady who lives and parties in NYC and coming here on vacation and going out. To be honest I'm really shocked! It's such a small party place but filled with so many people! It was fun to socialize and they played mainly top 40 but it's always fun to sing and dance along. I still am shocked that there were so many people out partying till late at night. To me it seemed like a huge college scene with drinking and partying but the one negative is that it seemed like a sausage fest if you catch my drift. Drinks were reasonable, bathrooms were ok, but I find myself visiting again and going back. Plus I like their ceilings and then I took the metro lol. read more

Will definitely stop by here when I visit D.C again. Why? I ordered a cider, gave the bartender a $20 and she gave me back more than $10. $4 more in fact. On a Saturday night. At 11:30 PM. read more

The coat check is the only thing classy about this place. That and your drinks are served in real glass. I even saw a girl with a wine glass. On a Saturday night you can be certain to get in the door without a cover. $2 for the coat check is reasonable and appreciated. Drink service was unremarkable, though my friend waited 25 minutes to close out his tab. He was furious and finally ended the night yelling profanities to get her attention. Everyone is dressed casually. Even though many of the guys slipped a sports coat over their shirts, it is not "dress to impress". Mostly it was to abide by the uniform, so they'd get through the door. But most guys had on pullovers or buttoned shirts. The ladies weren't dressed up either, unless you consider a lot of make-up being dressed up. It's not someplace memorable for personal expression. A word of caution if you're drinking mixed drinks all night. The liquor is cheap and generic. I caution against multiple cocktails mixed with unrefined vodka. I'm sure it causes tumors in lab rats. You'll only get a massive hang-over the next day. The music was tired. There were some fun current songs mixed in with Michael Jackson and New Order. A new DJ wouldn't hurt. There were good areas for dancing! Though it was pretty crowded. Some of the fellas were aggressively recruiting girls to dance with them. No subtlety there! Where is the lost art of eye contact and body language? I liked the upstairs room and think it's great that there's a bar tucked up there. The music is the same on each floor. Wouldn't it be cool if it was a different variety in each room? Shower curtains in the bathroom were kinda skeevy. There's a sweet woman graciously handing paper towels to women in the ladies' room. She sort of directed traffic and made sure each stall was occupied, since it would be chaotic otherwise. read more

I'm not sure if it's the $3 price point (Thursday all night), the extra strong rail drinks, or the scores of law students mobbed around the bar, but every time I've been to Grand Central I've managed to get the most drunk I've ever been and enjoy drama of all levels along the way. Grand Central is never as packed as some of the other Adams Morgan establishments, and definitely not as popular with the youngins (ahem Tom Tom), but has two dance floors, two bars with friendly barkeep, and standard hits for your dancing pleasure. Around 12:30, couples start to make out on the dance floor or by the bar (see strong drinks supra) - grab a spot near the railing upstairs and you can peer down right as your friend makes the move on a homely fat girl or a fellow law student. There's never any cover and the manager Brian is great to work with. If you come early to, say, man a table for a fundraiser, try the chicken nachos. Yum. As a caveat though, I've never been on a night where there hasn't been a special event so I can't speak for the regular crowd. But for your special event or $3 drink needs, Grand Central does the job in Adams Morgan. read more

So after an employee at Grand Central robbed me of my iPhone...and the owner and manager refused to give me the time of day until the police got involved...apparently they found it appropriate to add my email address to their distribution list. Sweet marketing, guys! This place is a joke... read more

Grand Central is generally one of the place I go in AdMo. Now that I'm out of college, I really dread when my friends drag me out to AdMo, but I actually always have a good time at Grand Central. I usually skip the downstairs dance area and head upstairs - there's another bar up there (which is exponentially less crowded than the one downstairs) and more room to dance like an idiot. Boys can be sketchy, but that's why I'm always armed with a group of gal pals in case things get a little too creepy. Drink prices are typical for AdMo - I rarely get mixed drinks at bars because they're so expensive, but I think they're somewhere in the $7-8 range. I usually get beer (the cheaper the better). It's probably something like $4 for a Miller Lite. In my experience, the guy working the upstairs bar has always been nice and not all in a huff like some of the tenders downstairs. Also at the upstairs are giant fans built into the walls - stake out a spot nearby and have your own personal air conditioning all night! Plus you'll look hot with the sexy hair in the wind move. read more

Have you had a long week? In a fight with your boyfriend? Want to have a GURLZ ONLY night? GO HERE. Want to take 30 shots of fireball and then go somewhere that it's ok? GO HERE. Trying to lose five pounds via the art of dance tonight? GO HERE. If you are looking for a sweaty pit of despair (in a great way!) to drown away your sorrows and dance away the pain, this is your place. Cab your sorry butt to Adam's Morgan's lovely offering of Grand Central, one of the most fun/drunk places I've had the pleasure to attend. The main draw for me is the dance floor, complete with with LAZERS (which, lemme tell you, really make you feel like a superstar on the flo'.) The DJ blasts all sorts of high-energy pop music, and you can get your grind on. Typically you will be surprise-humped by some random bro but can easily fend them off or run away. Shake your tailfeathers and leave your cares behind. Drinks are cheap, and it's easier than shooting fish in a barrel to get someone to buy you shots. Another bonus of Grand Central is the photo booth! Want to have hard photo evidence of your sweaty, grimy, drunken night? Get in there! Typically the bathroom lines aren't awful, which is nice. Another BONUS: Jumbo Slice next door. Done. read more

A NYC girl finds herself free on a saturday night in DC. What does she do? She finds two NYC boys in the area and heads over to Adams Morgan for some fun. Out of all the bars/lounges we stuck our noses in, this one was decent enough to hold our very short attention span. The bouncer told my friend he couldnt wear his sunglasses on top of his head... so me, being the chick with the purse, got to hold his glasses ::groan:: Not having been in DC nightlife before, i proceeded with caution, hence the two males with me. However, single ladies note: there is an abundance of sausage at this place if you know what i mean. My two guys, while totally awesome, were definitely keeping me out of the trouble i wanted to get into. The place was PACKED. I definitely think i was grinded on several times (can you blame them?) and the music was decent. We spent a large chunk of time trying to find the staircase that went to the 2nd floor. For those that want to be awesome on the 2nd floor, pretend you are on your way to the bathroom and make a LEFT into the dark stairway. Boom. 2nd floor! There is a bar up there too- its tiny but its nice if you land yourself a corner spot at the bar. The bartender made a strong Jack and Coke. My NYC boys partied so hard they fell asleep standing up leaving me to dance with the bannister near the bar. Good thing DC bars close at 2am. As we were leaving, there were random couples making out in corners - guessing they were probably meeting for the first time. And some of the guys there had a thing for dry humping- aka dancing. Looked more like dry humping though, Hope no one got knocked up. Despite having left early, i could see myself coming here again to hang out. read more

My night at Grand Central: prime seating at the bar watching a FIFA game, digging the DJ's picks of early 90's hip hop, enjoying a Miller Lite (yeah, yeah). As the place became more crowded, the DJ sold out and started playing the usual top 40's stuff. Umbrella, anyone? It was the night before Fourth of July, there were many youngsters there. We felt OLD. I still had fun dancing though. Ladies' bathroom: shower curtains instead of actual doors for the stalls. read more

This place is really hit or miss depending on the days that you go. There are sometimes where they'll have this amazing special and I absolutely love the bartenders. There are other times that I think that the drinks are too expensive and the bartenders are rude. These times were all on Friday and Saturday, their busiest nights. I've been here eight to ten times, and they really have a great dance floor and that's primarily the reason that I go. I wouldn't go unless you really like to dance. The DJ at this place is also very hit or miss, with the last time that I went it was a complete miss. I still have a place in my heart for this place because of the awesome dance floor, and I wouldn't change that. read more

Last night was my first time at Grand Central. I went for an event I learned about through a third party. The World Series was shown on all screens and a lot of people were there to watch the game. We stood for a while because there were maybe 20 chairs available in the whole place including the upstairs bar area which was semi-closed off. I was with a friend who has a disability and we were going to leave so she could sit down somewhere because she was in a lot of pain from standing. A large group left and some seats opened up at the bar, so we decided to stay. We ordered some drinks - which were completely watered down, by the way...I watched her pour from a vodka bottle into the cup, but tasted no vodka, just a watered down cup of cranberry juice - anyway we were about to order food when security came over to ask for our chairs. At this point it was maybe 9:30. I asked why, he said he needed to pick them up. I asked why again and he said they had too many people in there. The bar was nowhere near full. There was a ton of room and a lot of people were in the upstairs or downstairs areas watching the game or hanging out. My friend said she can't stand because of a disability and offered to move the chair back toward the wall. He said no. I told him there was a lot of space elsewhere and asked if a chair could be moved somewhere else. He said no AND STARTED TO PULL THE CHAIRS WE WERE IN AWAY FROM THE BAR! The lack of compassion was bad enough, but not allowing us to get out of the chairs before trying to put them away was egregious. Cool atmosphere inside, friendly bartenders, terrible ADA policy. Won't be back. read more

Please see review of Tom Toms The last place I want to be on the weekend is somewhere that looks like a metro station. read more

I hate this place. The first time I came here, Grand Central decided to be the first bar in the entire DC Metropolitan area to deny me access because I 'tripped' on the step leading into the place and they said I was "too drunk." I came back three minutes later without my hat, which they don't allow you wear anyway, and they let me right in. Good job, dudes. I've been back two more times since then and it is just another one of those bars where all the meathead's of the world convene. The only thing I will say is that the layout is kind of cool and they do have a good "person funnel" to keep it from getting to horribly crowded. But the staff are generally a-holes, the alcohol prices aren't worth it, and there isn't anything fun going on inside either. It's just a crowd of people pretending to enjoy themselves until they've scavenged like some sort of drug addict for enough beers or liquor drinks to be drunk enough to leave and not feel like it was a total waste. If you absolutely have to go out in Adam's Morgan, go to the Reef (where at least they don't pretend to not be pretentious and will usually serve you a drink fast) or a smaller dig like the Pharmacy. read more

Grand Central can be considered an Adams Morgan staple. It's larger than most of the Adams Morgan bars and comes complete with 3 floors of music,drinks and fun. There is enough space for the folks that like to dance and a few fans that can help you cool off. The drinks are okay and usually they have different specials available. The music is a pretty good blend of everything top 40, sometimes the dj has been fire and other times lackluster. I enjoy the space, the fans and the fair drink prices. It's a good place for a group. I came once on a date during the week and the place was pretty dead but they did have good drinks specials and the bartender poured up a pretty good drink. Overall with respect to other bars in AdMo I'd say Grand Central is an above average bar worthy of a stop during your late night bar hopping. read more

I came here a couple of Saturdays ago with a friend who was in from out-of-town. It was my first time visiting, but the long line and no cover charge intrigued all of us. "Well, if it's as good as these ladies think it is..." my buddy said. To be honest, it was. Most people go to Adams Morgan to get sloppily drunk and hook up with some random person at a bar. That's what Adams Morgan is. People who come during a Saturday night don't care about ambiance or decor, it's about the ladies, the fellas, and the music. It was so crowded that I didn't even notice the homage to the Metro or any of the other train-related paraphernalia that other posts have mentioned. The music was good, the ladies looked fine, and even the guys brought the class. It's not an after-dinner party in the lobby of the Four Seasons, but if you're in AdMo and looking for "whatever," Grand Central should be your destination. read more

I had lots of fun here with my friends. Good drinks, decently priced. No cover! The music is good and fun. We could have gone downstairs to be with all the other dancing people, but we decided to stay near the bar and enjoy ourselves there. Some of my friends had fun dancing in front of the mirror wall. I'll definitely come back here again! Note: they have people hand out paper towels for you in the bathrooms. be prepared to pay a tip or use toilet paper to dry your hands. read more

Coming to this place gives me the heeby-jeebies, whatever that means, sounds about right though. If you're into popular music -- you have to hope each time they play a new song that it's going to be semi-danceable (maybe 1 in every 10 songs), and I really hate having to do that each time a song switches... I came here on a Friday night and the people here were... sketchy. I kept hoping that those shady guys standing near me would not try to inch any more closer. If you're looking for class and some decency, this isn't the place. This place is gross, and the only good thing about it is that it's free entrance. Yuck...bad memories. read more

Went here for the Professionals in the City Halloween party. Twas an interesting time. This year I was pleasantly surprised as people dressed in normal costumes - well except for the penis costume guy that was checking IDs. Or the dude who wore a white trash bag with a piece of tape across his chest that said 'douche'. Yes, he was supposed to be a clever rendition of a douche bag. Anyway, the place didn't seem bad - of course I wasn't going under a normal night so it could be better. Bartenders were surprisingly fast compared to other places I've been. I wasn't cool with a girl ripping off of my tie (I was Fred Flintstone) and having it land on the floor - it was wet for a while so I had to tuck it under my costume and in true Halloween fashion, I put it back on when it dried off. A place that I'll certainly go to again - but after this hangover is out of my system. read more

I like Grand Central. I don't mind being loud and proud about it. What's not to like about no cover, good drinks, and top 40s music. I mean granted it isn't the best place ever and sometimes their weirdos that just want to grind up on you, but I've always had a great time. It's another great spot to pass through as you bar hop through Adams Morgan. The building is structured in three levels. You walk in on the main bar then you can go down some steps to dance or proceeds upstairs. On the top level you can see down below. To me honestly, it seems slightly upscale than the other places in Adams Morgan. Guess you'll have to see for yourself. They do have a coat check, but i never needed to use it. Have fun. .I promise you will! read more

My friends were visiting from New York City on a Friday and I was really excited to show them how great DC is. When we go to this bar, not only did they not let my 23 year old friend into the bar, but they basically ripped her ACTUAL ID apart. It was unbelievable. In addition to that, the bouncer took my other friend's ID, which is a New York ID and fairly flimsy, and basically crumpled it. What the hell? Do these people REALLY think that people want to get into their crap bar THAT badly!?!?! It's one thing to think that someone's ID is fake (even when it's real) and question it; it is quite another to basically DESTROY a person's ACTUAL ID when they are on vacation. Unreal... read more

Pros: - Walk inside and it indeed looks like a grand train station, arches and all! The multileveled space is vast, and the mirrors make it look even larger. Impressive. - On a warm Saturday like tonight, we had fun people-watching from our outdoor table on 18th St. - I liked that the bathroom stalls had shower curtains instead of doors. Something new. - There's a photo booth! - Staff seemed nice. - My friend liked his burger, crispy outside and medium rare on the inside. - My friend enjoyed her crabcakes (though she also said they were on the salty side). - I liked the Grand Central salad, esp. the fresh mesclun greens and deep purple olives. Also the small was still big enough for two to share as appetizer. Cons: - My fusilli broccoli was greasy as hell. Pasta marinating in an oily puddle. Also they were out of fusilli (got penne instead). - My husband didn't love his BBQ chicken. He expected something cooked in BBQ sauce, but instead it was as if they grilled the chicken plain and then added BBQ sauce as an afterthought. He also found the portion too small. - They were out of lasagna tonight. - The posted dress code was long and struck me as odd. Examples: No sleeveless shirts. No athletic wear. No construction shoes. (What are those anyway?). Maybe this dress code applies more to the club/lounge clients rather than to diners. Opened April 6, where Fasika used to be. They could still be working out the kinks. read more

Night time club/lounge only review Grand Central is your typical Adams Morgan establishment, meaning it's not great, it's not horrible and it will do depending solely on your mood and the amount of alcohol you have ingested. There are some good things about Grand Central, the drinks are strong, the bartenders aren't stingy with the alcohol, there is no cover charge which is always a plus no matter the establishment. The music is decent and they have multiple dance floors for your dancing pleasure. There are some bad things about Grand Central, it's just not that fun, because the drinks are strong people tend to drink too many and act like idiots, it's starts strong but after about 1 it clears out pretty quickly and nobody likes an empty dance floor. Like I said, it's your typical Adams Morgan bar, it can be fun at times and other times it sucks, I still say roll the dice and take a chance that you hit on a fun night, last time I was there I actually had a pretty good time, also had like 10 drinks so that might explain that. read more

Every time I go to Grand Central I never have a bad time. Great atmosphere, good music, tons of people. The "dance floor" is kinda awkward being sunken in from the main area, but it's pretty chill and there are always a lot of people down there. Plus the interior design with the "Metro" vibe is really unique among the bars in AM. I heard they serve food, but no offense, this is a straight up BAR. I don't know why you would ever eat there considering all the brunch options in AM. Only sore spot about Grand Central is that one time I left my credit card at the bar, and next morning when I went to retrieve it they closed out my tab and automatically put a pretty large tip on there (enough to buy at least another drink, and Grand Central is not cheap). I mean, I'm not a stingy guy when it comes to tipping, but is that really necessary? read more

Most people have reviewed this place as a bar, but I just went there my first, and probably last, time today, for brunch. THE GOOD: You can eat outside on the cozy terrace with a roof providing shade and cheery sunflowers on the tables, AND (unlike most places in the 'hood) there is typically no wait. THE BAD: There's a reason there is no wait. The food isn't very good. I ordered the broccoli and cheese omelette. It tasted so salty it was as though the salt container was accidentally knocked over into it. My friends tasted it and agreed. I sent it back and got a new one which was slightly better. The "home fries" taste a bit like they were made from frozen potatoes--not a lot of taste. The bloody mary was bloody awful. MUCH too spicy with an underlying heavy sweetness. Tasted too much like a bad bloody mary mix. My friend ordered medium rare steak and eggs and the steak came out mooing. The head chef came out and was very friendly, but you can't eat friendly. So it was good for atmosphere, but I really did NOT enjoy my meal or drink at all and I felt sick that day. A friend who studies agriculture said that, more likely than too much salt, it's possible the eggs had sat at room temp too long and started to go a bit bad which can make them taste really salty. I hate to think of it. I've lived 10 years in Adams Morgan without going to this place until today. I believe I could happily live another 10 or longer without going back again -- at least for the brunch. read more

Beware all hoodie enthusiasts! I visited on a cold Saturday night and, due to their "no hoods allowed" policy, was forced to coat check my zip up hoodie. So basically I paid someone $2 to look after an article of clothing I bought for 25 cents. Great... Extra star because it's across the street from Julia's. read more

Note: I think the 4 plus times I've been here have always been punctuated by some sort of drama, but I don't think it taints my review. I've been here a few times for law school bar functions and a few just to stop by because other places were too crowded. I'm not a big fan of crowded bars and when there's a law function it's wall to wall people. Very hard to get near the bar, everyone on the dance floor is sweaty, and mix of recent hits and general bar music is hit or miss. It's definitely not my type of scene. There's really nothing that makes this place better than any other Adams Morgan establishment. The times there was not a special function, it's been pretty dead. I don't like crowds, but not many people in a bar is also not a good sign. I'm not quite sure why it there was such a lack of people, especially when it seems like adams morgan is always crowded. They don't let guys with hats in, which I think is pretty pretentious (I know Madam's Organ won't let you either) and ridiculous considering this isn't a high class establishment. It's fine for what it is, but I won't be trying to go to Grand Central of my own volition any time soon. read more

Since this is in Adams Morgan and i am usually drunk when im here this may not be a fair rating but with that being said. When I do come here I always have a good time dancing and drinking. It's three floors but it can still get crowded pretty easy. The music is a mixture of top 40 hits, and the crowd is ur usual adam morgan party goers. I did have a sober experience here for a Yelp event and I was able to try the food and it was pretty good. It was the usual bar food, and it pleasantly surprised me on how good it was. read more