A dependable go to. They have a nice wine selection and the burger is craveable!! Well-seasoned, big, and perfectly cooked to temp. The buffalo wings are also very good (crisped before sauced), but also extremely pricey. Everything else is good, but no real standouts beyond what I mentioned. Service is spotty. It's either stellar (especially the manager. I forgot his name but he's fantastic!) or not at all (which is why we met the manager. there was an issue, but he addressed it perfectly). Maybe it's time for a menu refresh? read more

Unfortunately the way we were treated is why I have to give a 1 star review. Online it says the place closes at 11pm. No where on their website does it say different either. We enter and get seated. The waitress gets our drinks and we look at the menu. 1 minute later she comes over and tells us they're closing soon and asks us to order. It was all rushed and we weren't even given an opportunity to leave. We randomly picked items off of the menu. As soon as our food comes, the waitress brings us pizza boxes and tells us to just put them somewhere for when we're done. The food was pretty good but I wish I had time to order and eat. We were rushed and they didn't even let us know until it was too late. read more

matchbox - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We went there twice for their happy hour and had great drinks, service and food. The riblets and wings were so good! The read more

matchbox - Spicy margarita - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Look at my Google review profile and you will see I have never left a 1-star review anywhere. That is important here. I'm sure the manager or whoever reads this will try to counter this story below with a false narrative, so beware. It was my wife's birthday yesterday. We had an event nearby at 4:30. I made a reservation for 3:15 at this matchbox location. At 3:04 pm, I had friends show up early to check us in for our reservation. The hostess told them that our 6 person table wasn't ready, so my friends should wait at the bar. At 3:11 pm, I'm texting my friend. They tell me the restaurant hasn't gotten our table ready. The restaurant texts me at 3:20 pm and calls me at 3:21 pm (see the photos for proof) and I respond to the text to confirm we want the table. When I arrive, I see my friends at the bar. I am unsure why they aren't at our table. I stand patiently while the hostess talks to other guests. The place is busy, I'm not trying to be a bother. Eventually, I call the restaurant (see the photo) knowing that it might be easier than asking people without reservations if I can push in front of them. Places sometimes cancel your reservation if you're 15 minutes late. I didn't want that to happen because we were there. The hostess says, "You aren't here, so we gave away your table." I say, "I'm standing right in front of you" and start to wave at her. She sees me and says, "Well we contacted you and you didn't respond." Dear reader: this is FALSE. I walk up to the stand now to get some explanation and, hopefully, a table. Instead of trying to offer anything, the hostess continues blaming me saying I didn't respond to their calls or texts. I show her my phone, so she knows I responded AND the restaurant responded with "Great! We'll see you shortly." She ignores this and says, "Well, we called." You can see in the other photo they called at 3:21 pm which is 6 minutes after my table was supposed to be ready. I texted them at 3:22! I ask her why she didn't tell my friends she sat at the bar that the table was ready. They were sitting patiently at the bar, why didn't she get them when the table was ready? She has no response. The manager walks up saying they gave away the table and I should've responded to their text. Again, more blaming me. This should not have happened. I show him that I did respond. He looks at my phone, doesn't apologize for blaming me and being WRONG, and says, "Well, we gave away your table, so you will have to wait." My friends - still sitting at the bar because they were never called over - come to the hostess stand to ask whats going on. I explain that the hostess gave away the table. Of course upset because they were never told and were only sitting at the bar because she told them to, they ask why this happened this way. Instead of trying to be accommodating at all, the hostess then claims my friends WANTED to sit at the bar instead of getting our table?? This makes no sense. They clearly just didn't want to seat us. They say again that I didn't respond to the text, which is just shocking to me because at this point they both clearly know that isn't true. You can't fake facts. Maybe they kept saying this to make us seem irresponsible to the people waiting in line around us? Or maybe they were treating us this way because I'm a young black man and my friend who checked us in is Puerto Rican and Iranian? It wasn't lost on me that 99% of people in the establishment were white. I assume that kind of thing shouldn't matter in 2025, especially in DC, but it's hard to know for sure seeing how they were treating everyone else with kindness. So, instead of trying to accommodate us, offer us anything, or even lend us any compassion, the manager says, "We can get you a table in 30 minutes." With our event being at 4:30, I explain to my wife the situation. We frantically search Google to find a new place and leave. Our time at matchbox was the worst part of our day, and almost threw the entire thing off. read more

The Pepperoni Hot Honey pizza scorched perfectly at Matchbox Penn Quarter--blistered crust, spicy-sweet kick, gooey cheese pull divine--paired with crispy chicken sandwich and bottomless brunch mimosas on the buzzing patio. Seamless happy hour timing amid theater crowds; portions generous for sharing. Neighborhood staple nailed it! read more

The food was only meh. Got the chicken pesto pizza and a house salad for lunch. Server was nice but the food was flavorless

Food was amazing. Service was great. Definitely try the BBQ Chicken Pizza. The place had a great environment and very chill.

We were huge fans of the Chinatown Matchbox, so were happy to see that it moved to Penn Quarter and we could once again experience our Matchbox favorites. It had been way too long since we'd been to DC. The mini burgers were actually better than we remembered. Didn't remember the grilled flavor that these had. I will say they are no longer showering the onion straws with Parmesan, but really didn't miss it. These were terrific, and three are perfect for the two of us to share. Because we also had to share a small half pepperoni, half spicy meatball pizza. Still pizza perfection! Loved every bite. And it was so good to see the delightful Twin Gals that are still working hard. Our high top table for two near the bar gave us a great view of the other great looking items coming out of the kitchen. read more

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The food and service were outstanding! We travel to Washington, D.C., annually for work and absolutely love it. This was our first time dining here, and it's now a must-visit for us moving forward. The restaurant has that perfect divey atmosphere with a great vibe, and our waitress was fantastic. We would definitely come again and try new items! read more

Matchbox failed to impress us on several levels. Host - when we reached the host, she seemed busy on her phone and made us feel that we were causing her inconvenience. It was Saturday night, she should be looking out to help customers rather preferred to chat on phone. Seating - we sat outdoors first but the heaters were not working. Finally, the server was able to find a heater that was working but not enough heating so we moved inside. Inside was moderately busy with casual ambience. Food - we ordered their famous sliders with onion rings. The meat patty was missing salt and the food was very greasy. I mean I ordered fried food, so at some level it was expected. But there should be an attempt to drain the oil before plating. Not impressed. Drinks - were slightly expensive but decent. My only complaint is when someone asks easy on ice, I expect less quantity but giving me glass much less than half filled was not expected. But I would drinks were ok, not bad. Service - our server was polite and attentive. Overall, our experience was not great. And with the limited menu options, I don't think I will be back. read more

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Food was AMAZING. Don't let the pictures deceive you. It doesn't look all that but wow oh wow it was DELICIOUS! Service was excellent. We sat down and waited for a long time for a server. But once we got someone to serve us. It was quick and smooth sailing from there. Note that our server turns out to be the bartender so understandable. On top of that the manager actually helped us out as well. Came by to check in multiple times which was awesome. (We didn't complain either and just waited until someone came, they just got that white glove service) Ambiance was great. They got TVs which was great. I got to watch the football game. read more

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Started to post a review but realized we were at the Capital Hill location- this is the review : Stood at the front without being acknowledged or seated for a while- that's with a reservation and them not busy. Should have left then. Maybe under staffed? Friday night and the place acted like they couldn't care less to have any business. Finally seated, ordered. Drinks took another inappropriate long period of time to arrive and when their in-house beer arrived (the Matchbox Lager) it was flat. The server actually noticed and said she would fix it and get me another then after another long wait she just came by and asked if I wanted something else. I chose water. Pizza arrived. This is not a pizza place, it is a place that also serves mediocre pizza. And if you have kids the sauce is spicy and it was too much for one of ours so he didn't eat. Spend your time and money somewhere else. Oh, and then the bill came and through some smoke and mirrors the bill shot up to $90 - for two pizzas three kid's sodas and my wife's Margarita. (The waitress said she removed the flat beer) - It is not at all clear on the screen that they are already including a 20% tip (we are a party of 5). Then they ask on the next screen after you swipe your card if you want to tip MORE. I tip always but it was just odd is what I'm saying. Other than a lack of hustle the server was ok and again- she did notice the flat beer without having to be told. In the end it's a Friday night out for dinner with my family in DC that I would never repeat. I wish we had walked out when we were not being noticed at the hostess station way back at the start of the night. For what it's worth the sliders that were delivered to a table near us looked amazing on the tray- order envy for sure. read more

Service The manger on duty is not welcoming. Appears he is having a bad day. He stares at you without any reasoning. Wait staff never refills water glasses nor checks on you. The food is decent and drinks from bar are good. My salad came out with main meal and I had to ask I did not feel welcome here. It was a recommended place to eat and I had better expectations. I will never come back nor recommend to friends and family. read more

Matchbox is a small, local chain restaurant that's basically a smaller, more local version of big chain restaurants. It's pretty good if you set your expectations accordingly. They have a decent happy hour from 3-6 PM M-F with discounted beer and appetizers. They offer $2 off 16oz beers or $3 off 20oz beers -- if you do the math, $2 off is the better deal. The beer selection is okay, with some local and some macro-craft. The service in the bar area is fine, but can be a little slow, since one bartender usually serves both the bar and the tables. On my most recent visit, I got the spinach and artichoke dip. I expected it to be fine but it was really good, with a nice layer of cheese on top, and recognizable chunks of artichokes in it that made it seem homemade. It came with good garlic bread slides. I was pleasantly surprised. I also got a large spicy meatball pizza, which was also good. They put a few larger meatballs on it, but they should really chop up the meatballs more into smaller pieces. A reasonable option in the Chinatown / Penn Quarter area, and surprisingly one of the only pizza places in the area. read more

matchbox - Spinach and artichoke dip - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Saturday night, February 28, We make a reservation for a sit down table as opposed to a highchair bar table. We are seated at a bar table. The manager, or what looks to be the manager, says I don't have a sit down table. I said, you offered a choice, I made a reservation for a sitdown table. He says, if I had a sitdown table I would seat you at a sit down table. I said, you don't have what we specified. Why not? He repeats the same thing, as if it was relevant, "if I had to sit down table, I would seat you at a sit down table." And then a third time. Passive aggressive. No apology, no round of drinks. He had tables, but he was saving them for larger parties. We were short on time so we stayed. I don't like those bar seats because they give me a backache. Which is what I have now. read more

Great spot in Penn Qtrs. Outdoor seating. Great server! Great drinks and food (lemon drop martinis, vodka martini, house bread, and calamari). It was all delicious and we are going back for a take out pizza tonight! read more

Everything was great. My to go spot food always fresh. The service is always attentive and friendly. read more

matchbox - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was exceptional. Trey was an incredible server! Whether you go with Pizza, the Burger, the Chicken Tenders, or the Table Bread you will not be disappointed! 10 out of 10! read more

What a fantastic lunch! Finished the Whitehouse tour and then the Visitors centers and checked Yelp For a great lunch spot. This was it and it was delicious! Not very busy on a Saturday afternoon, menu looked great and the service was on point! Linens & a tall bottle of ice cold water was a great start. Our server greeted us immediately and took our order. The water was very good. I only drink water so it's a big deal to me that it tastes good. Food came 10 minutes later and it was hot, fresh & delicious! I enjoyed their hamburger & fries with a crisp pickle wedge. I would have preferred a slice of tomato vs. the tomatoes chutney type spread but it was still great! Their ranch was so good, BBQ was ok. Hubby ordered a side pear & walnut salad and the sliders. With a MOUND of freshly fried onions strings. So good! They offer a brunch menu on the weekends until 4 I believe. Absolutely epic sized portions from what I saw. Take the time to walk the extra 15 from the WH for this place. read more

matchbox - Burger & fries. Delicious! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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It's a chain, but still has decent food (focusing on pizza, but with higher-end things like ribeye, fish and scallops to make for a decent upscale/business dinner) and local craft beer selection combined with a dark, but relaxing vibe. Came here for a small-ish business dinner (7 people) and everyone seemed happy. None of the food blew anyone away, but some people got pizza, others got steak or fish and some people got chicken. The arancini, bread, and fried calamari appetizers were all yummy, although only slightly better than run-of-the-mill. The local craft beer selection was a notch above what you'd expect with Atlas's Blood-Orange Gose and Right Proper's Raised By Wolves being my choices. I got the smoked, spicy pizza and it was yummy and distinct with clear smoke from the smoked gouda and heat from the sauce, but no real toppings or something to balance it out. The service was hit and miss and a bit rushed, but didn't interfere with things. The server just always seemed to need to run off to the next thing. She still came back frequently. Overall, I'm not dying to go back, but a decent, easy spot for a future work dinner. read more

Inferior customer and culinary service. It took 45 minutes to get a single beer, and my chicken dish was overcooked.

I'll caveat this to say we didn't ask to speak to a manager regarding our service and opted to just leave and not cause a scene or miss our show at the theater. While we're a matchbox loving family we will likely not return to this location based on the service we received here. The host sat our party right away (in a booth that was probably too small for us; but I didn't bring this up so no real negative points for this) it was almost directly in front of the door and with the cold windy December air made for a less than stellar experience (not sure if adding in those heaters that pump air down would help or this is just a design flaw). It took a while for our server to greet us but she brought back waters quickly. Once she came back later to take our order we put in drink orders and then our food orders. Our food came out before drinks (2 peach Bellinis, strawberry lemonade, lemonade, and espresso martini). We had to ask the food runner about our drinks and they asked for the order again. The drinks came about 5-7 mins later (the same time as the last dish to the table-pancakes). The drinks were amazing... and honestly probably worth waiting for but I'm not used to food coming faster than drinks. We also never got to get a second order in for drinks... chicken and waffles was good... was missing the whipped butter but the chicken was delicious and the waffles were decent. We had been waiting for a check for quite a while before I went to the host stand to ask for some help. Later the server arrived with the itemized receipt and upon reviewing it there was a two dollar charge for adding baileys to the espresso martini (which I did not ask for). I'm not sure if the martini I had included it or not (like I said it was delicious Bruce unsure what the ingredients were after this blunder). I didn't bring it up and we opted not to wait to flag someone down and just left. read more

matchbox - Chicken Waffles - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Matchbox is a chain of American bistro restaurants that opened in Washington, D.C. in July 2003. It was founded by restaurateur business partners Perry Smith, Drew Kim, and Mark and Ty Neal. After the four partners relocated to DC, they found an old vacant building in the Chinatown neighborhood. This was to be their first restaurant. They named it "Matchbox" since the building was three stories high and narrow (resembling a matchbox). The menu features American bistro fare that includes wood-fired pizzas, mini burgers, fresh salads and chef-inspired entrées. Following the original location's success, the restaurant has expanded to now include a dozen locations throughout DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Florida. The original Chinatown location closed in 2019. As of 2018, the chain is now owned by the Thompson Hospitality Group. My family and I recently visited Matchbox's Penn Quarter location while we were staying in the area for a short vacation. This particular location opened in 2019. We thought it sounded like a good place to grab lunch in between visiting some of the Smithsonian museums. The interior of the bistro was cozy, inviting, and the staff were very accommodating. To drink, I ordered a draught pour of Right Proper Brewing's "Raised By Wolves" (Pale Ale) while my wife ordered the "Patio Pounder Lemonade" (watermelon-infused vodka, lemonade, fresh watermelon). They were both light and refreshing. For food, we definitely had wood-fired pizza on our minds. My wife and I ordered and shared the "Fig + Prosciutto" (roasted garlic purée, bleu cheese crumbles, black pepper honey, mozz, arugula) and the "Bacon Bianca" (roasted garlic, ricotta, bacon, fresh herbs, arugula, avocado, mozz). They were soooooo good!! Both pies had excellent topping combos. Our two sons ate off of the Kids Menu. Our older son had "Pepperoni Pizza" (tomato sauce, mozz, pepperoni) while our younger son had the "Grilled Cheese" (challah bread, butter, American cheese, French fries). Both of them were happy with their choices. Matchbox was a great place to grab lunch in-between museum hopping and we give them our seal of approval! read more

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Me and a group of my friends came here before a concert at Capital One. The host was welcoming and our waiter was nice and patient. We all enjoyed our food, all 9 ladies said we would return again. I had the chicken pesto pizza and it was good. The star of the table seemed to be the seafood/lobster pasta. 3 of the ladies had that and they all gave high remarks. They did however say the only negative was the garlic bread on the side was extremely hard. I would come again for sure! read more

matchbox - Chicken Pesto - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The service was fantastic. We ordered pizza and had some bread as an appetizer. It was great. Despite it being quite busy, it wasn't too loud and everything flowed well. We were seated immediately and the food came quickly. The pizza was great, and the cocktails were amazing. read more

I brought my clients from overseas, who have mobility issues and don't speak English, to try the famous crab cake sandwich. Maria was incredibly kind--she seated them in the comfortable booth seats and made sure I could assist them with the server in English. Such a thoughtful person! Thank you! read more

The staff were professional and friendly, the food flavorful and beautifully plated. Definitely one of the best spots in town!

Horrible service. Conveniently located but expect to wait at least 15 minutes before a waiter sees you, and then 1/2 hour for the second touch. read more

Whoever was working as manager and hostess on Saturday, March 22 ruined my day. They were rude and belittling to my friends and I. They gave away our reserved table even though we had friends there early to check in. They sent our friends to the bar and didn't tell them when the table was ready. I expected more from an establishment like this and really hope they do not treat everyone this way. Even if they made a mistake by giving away our table, I assumed they would do everything they could to get us another table. At least offer an apology. At least don't try to belittle us in front of other customers. The manager did nothing except told us to wait 30 minutes for another table. Keep in mind that the friends who arrived early had already waited 30 minutes at this point, so they would have had to wait an hour for a table we reserved and they showed up early for. I can't believe this happened. We had to leave and find another restaurant. read more

Don't get the chicken and waffles. Pizza is fine. 3 small little pieces of chicken for $26. It was $4.50 for one fountain coke. Go somewhere else. Service was pretty bad too. read more

matchbox - Chicken and Waffles - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

2023 is here!!!! So here goes it....my first review in 2023 I was very impressed by the ambiance of Matchbox. I stopped in at lunchtime and I thought it seemed like a nice after work hangout spot. I ordered to-go at the bar so I was able to see a few drinks made and they looked yummy....I also saw several groups having a really good time at the bar - they even offered to share some of their appetizers. Nice gesture! I was definitely happy to see the pizza oven....ohhhhh! this should be a great crust! ooohhhh....the possibilities, the menu had lots of possibilities.... I didn't get carried away.... The pizza was good not as good as I thought...not the best pizza ever but fresh and the crust was chewy... I will go again - give it another try... read more

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Manuel was amazing, friendly, and an awesome bartender. 5/5!! Great service, food and the drinks were amazing. Definitely stop by if you have the chance! read more

matchbox - Ribs were and the drinks were awesome. Definitely come here if you have the chance. Awesome service, great food, strong drinks! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I discovered Matchbox at the Rockville location. When my girlfriends and I left an all-day concert, we decided to eat here because the concert venue had subpar food. You really can't go wrong with any of the dishes. I have tried many different dishes, and every time they are fresh and delicious. The atmosphere is cozy but still a little fancy. The service is always friendly and fast. Don't sleep on the pizza, it's what they are most known for. Highly recommend! dishes, read more

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Another favorite to try in DC! Great flavors and fun presentation. A great brunch spot with nice ambiance (we sat outside in the street patio) loved the feel of this place. Our waitress was fabulous and the food was delicious and moderately priced- especially for DC. Every dish tastes like it's their specialty! You can tell someone put a lot of thought behind the menu choices. We got the sliders which were piled high with delicious crispy onions, A fantastic chicken sandwich which was tender and juicy, the spinach dip was to die for! I order spinach dip everywhere I go and this is top 3 easily. We actually ended up ordering a second for our meal lol. Great place over all with a variety of tasty dishes! read more

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First off I'm picky! There are not many sit downs near the Nation Mall and Matchbox was GOOD! The pizza has that thin, cracker, pizza oven crust. Just what makes a perfect pizza. We sat outdoors which is always another plus. read more

The pizza is very good. The complimentary bread was delicious. We got some sliders cooked to perfection. Clarance was the best waiter ever. Very kind and friendly. He went over the menu and made sure we got the best meals. Place is very roomy snd comfortable. Will be back. read more

I had the best time at Matchbox! The food was delicious-crispy pizzas, juicy sliders, and everything came out fresh and flavorful. The vibe was laid-back but lively, and the service was super friendly. Definitely a spot I'd go back to for a fun night out! Follow my IG account for Curated Google Maps list for brunch, happy hours, rooftops, parks, wineries & more in the DMV area: @yourdmvbestie read more

Female Host was rude and restaurant not clean. Host was very put out when we didn't want to sit by a crying child. We love kids but just wanted dinner. read more

5 stars for service, 1 star for food, and maybe 3 stars for ambience? The place was loud and full. I can see it's popular. We got the sliders and a few drinks. Server was very nice and accommodating to my kids needs. Now for food, sliders were pretty tasteless. We needed a lot of ketchup and hot sauce to down them. Beef was completely bland and not seasoned with even salt and pepper. Onion rings were oily. It felt like we were eating oil. Quantity was a lot and we don't like wasting food so we didn't get anything else but I'd skip this place the next time I'm in town. read more

matchbox - Sliders - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a tasty restaurant in downtown DC, a great location not far from the Metro Center and Gallery Place metro stops! We started with a spinach artichoke dip. It was fine but nothing special. It could have used some additional seasoning, and for the high cost, the number of tortilla chips was disappointing. The entrees were delicious! The fire smoke pizza had a perfect spice level, and the fresh basil on top was a wonderful treat. It really freshened the dish! The chicken Alfredo was also very tasty. The cream sauce was thick and luscious, although the chicken was just slightly not tender enough. The garlic bread was tasty too! The location is very convenient with a nice interior and a good playlist. The service was good too, as many other reviews have stated. read more

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