Perfectly located amongst the Barracks Row scene (do they still call it that or is it just Eastern Market) You really can't go wrong with Matchbox, especially with their sliders. They are as perfectly cooked with perfectly toasted brioche buns as they can get. The onion straws were also perfectly seasoned and piled onto a mountain onto your place. Delicious! read more

Only come here if you have a reservation but don't care if you are seated at that time and when you're finally seated you want to sit in spilled drinks and old food! read more

matchbox - This is underneath the able we were just sat at - Pizza Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Today the customer service and food quality was Horrible . I placed a to go order that consist of the crab cake dinner and old bay wings with ranch. The crab cake was ok, the fries was brick hard, the wings were tasteless and not completely cooked. I would have taken it back but I had to go to work. I will be contacting the manager tomorrow and corporate office. T read more

Beautiful restaurant. Great place for an early weekend brunch. Go just before noon and sit at the bar. When I was there today, sections of the newspaper were neatly folded at each place setting at the bar. Matchbox doesn't take reservations or "call-aheads," and the wait on a recent Sunday night was 45 minutes! I recommend going at off-peak times. They're known for their 'sliders,' or mini-burgers. The pizzas are also very good. The brunch offerings looked delicious. The portion sizes are large, as are prices, so if you're the frugal type you could consider splitting something. I recommend. This is one of the handful of 'better restaurants' around Capitol Hill Southeast. read more

I'm a fan. Woodfire grills are perfect for pizza but only if you do it right. And Matchbox does it right. Thin and crispy just like a pizza from Naples. And yes, I've had pizza in Rome and Naples. However the toppings are Americanized, yup overloaded. And that ain't a bad thing. Meat cooked perfectly, just burnt slightly. Sauce is pretty good too. I've come here multiple times and pretty much just get the pizza because it's pretty good. read more

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Updated from 1 Star to 3 stars because the General Manager reached out and I honestly believe this was a one off incident. Recently had the worst experience here I have ever had at a restaurant. We sat down to dinner a couple nights ago and were immediately greeted by server #1, she took our drink order and left us to look over the menu. A little while later a new server (#2) comes over and says he's taking our table over. Okay no big deal something came up. He takes our food order (salad and appetizer to share and then pasta for dinner). Our first course is dropped by server #3. We eat and when finished the bus boy comes and clears the table. Our server never checked on us after the food came out. We wait over an hour and a half and no second course.. no server... we try flagging him down but he's not paying attention. Finally we get a different servers attention and ask if she can help get the manager. The manager takes another 20-30 minutes to come over. We explain it's been about 2 hours at this point and no dinner and no server. He gave us his card and apologized about the whole ordeal and asked that we send him an email. We sent the email a couple days ago and have not heard from the restaurant so I figured they wanted us to leave a review. I would stick to other matchboxes, this one doesn't have their staff in order. read more

NOTE: Reviewing for tonight's visit only. See very bottom sentence for mention of prior visits. After waiting for several minutes on hold, we ordered a pizza and salad for curb-side pick-up at about 7:25 this evening. Was told it would be 20-25 minutes. Showed up at about 7:55 and called to tell them I was ready for my order. After waiting several minutes out on the street, a restaurant employee came out to ask my name again. He went back in and came out a few minutes later to tell us that they didn't have our order... he didn't think. He said he'd check again using our phone number and if it wasn't there, he'd re-place our order and call us when it was ready. At about 8:15 he called to let us know our order was ready -- almost an hour after we'd placed our original order. Out he came with our order, with a bill charging us full price. No coupon. Nothing. A vague apology was all we got. I believe firmly that restaurants should hold themselves accountable for their mistakes if they want repeat customers. On top of that, our "large" spinach salad, which cost over $10, was pretty paltry -- not really enough to split as an appetizer. And, our create-your-own pepperoni, basil, and olive pizza was overloaded with a horde of salty pepperoni that drowned out the taste of the olives and the basil. Overall pretty disappointing. We have done brunch there and sat at the bar. Service that day was excellent. The food was okay. The brunch cocktails were delicious. The jazz was lovely. I'd rate that day 3.5 stars. read more

I went to this new capital hill location early Monday evening when it had finished snowing and snowing and it was cold (13F) and windy outside. The place was a buzz of activity and atmosphere that enveloped me in its simplistic elegance just like the one in China Town had the first time I visited. We had the Veggie Pizza with some blended cote du Rhone. The pizza here is really amazing. It is not salty, greasy, or sugary like so many cheaper chains. The cheese is of high quality. The crust is thin and crisp. The sauce is perfectly balanced and flavorful. The service was excellent. The hostesses and the waitress were extremely nice and inviting. By the time we left around 7:45 there was only one table left. Especially for a snowed in arctic breeze Monday, this place does some business. We got seated right away, but I wouldn't expect that if you came after seven or so. Parking on 8th street while available has kind of gotten a little ridiculous. The meters go till 9:30 now so remember to check the time and make sure you put some money in the prepay box. I hope this meter till 9:30 business does not become a city wide phenomenon! read more

This branch's fire and smoke pizza is significantly firmer, crunchier, and thus more delicious, than the droopy H Street version. Also recommended: the "simple salad," for its crispy parmesan wafers. Staff attentively kept our water glasses filled on a warm afternoon. Our server was also very well-informed, providing detailed, vivid descriptions of all the specials. The restaurant's got tons of big booths with high walls, good for privacy. I bet it's the site of much political intrigue. read more

Five stars for the pizza! DAAANG! The fire and smoke is PERFEITO!!!!!!! Spicy heaven. Loved the fact that I, an Indian who grew up on spice overdose, had to drink cups and cups of water to make it through this dish. And I was not complaining, the tears were tears of joy! I did at one point even shove a huge slice in my mouth that sauce dripped everywhere (felt sorry for my dinner companions!). Just couldn't help it. Though everything else was mostly a blur, I do remember the ambiance (warm and soothing) and pretty good service. I still think the shining star of this place was definitely the pizza. Particularly if you're a vegetarian who likes spicy stuff and want a spark to your typical pizza, this place will certainly not disappoint. read more

"Hit the Wall" I'm a little tired, so you guys are gonna luck out with a quick review. Intro: I came here with a group of 7 and we enjoyed ourselves. This was an excellent choice for the occassion of linking up and having a few laughs. Decorum: The establishment is nice. Very tidy and well decorated. Not too high on itself where you can't let your hair down. Food: I got the crab soup, which was really good. I got the Italian salami pizza. The pizza looked like it was going to be basic, but the quality and texture of the meat really saved it. Neither knocked my socks off, but they were both filling. I think I have hit the wall when it comes to food being able to "wow" me. Economists call this, "The law of diminishing returns." That's like the only thing I remember from my econ degree. Customer Service: The customer service was OK. Our guy seemed to get ghost every now and again, but he was accurate and kind. Closing: I have been to Matchbox twice now and I think it's a nice establishment. I feel like 4 stars is a little high for how I "felt," but I think that has more to do with me than the establishment itself. I deliberated a long time between a 3 and a 4, but this is accurate. tip: Take the metro there. read more

Excellent service and friendly staff. My waiter explained everything on the menu and I ended up getting a pizza that was a pizza and burger mashed into one. I forget the name of it but it sounded extreme. Once my food came I was ready to dig in until I took my first bite. It was extremely dry with no sauce. I was confused at first because a pizza is suppose to have sauce then cheese. As well for a burger it usually has a sauce then the burger. I took another bite and thought of the flavor but I couldn't describe it. The chicken was extremely dry and over done. I had to pick that part off. I also got a side of fries which were alright. They passed as fries but, i've had better. The only reason why this place is getting 3 stars is the extremely friendly staff, otherwise I would've given a 1.5. read more

matchbox - Pizza Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Close my eyes, spin the wheel and wah-la! Matchbox it is! Glad I came here on a whim and was not disappointed. I didn't even consult you yelpers before i came here!! I love great customer service and I got a second helping of it here. My waitress and bartender were fantastic. I love the huge variety of food here. Good possibility of eye-candy here, so not the place to come in your "im just gonna run out real quick" getup. Because you'll probably run into someone you haven't seen in years and they'll be looking fabulous and you'll be muttering "damnit... the one time I...." under your breath. Pizza, mini burgers and everything else we got her was great. Nice place to for brunch with friends. read more

Love love love love this place! I have been to this location and the location in Chinatown. I like this location better because it is less packed even though it is packed. I jump on every chance I get to come to this location as I am not in this area very often. The pizza was delicious as usual and our waitress was great. The food comes out quickly and it is gone almost just as quickly. :-) I usually only get the pizza when I come here because I want to try them all. The spicy meatball is my favorite, and those balls are spicy!!! I have heard that the pastas are burgers are delish. I would be willing to give those a try. I love the ambiance, it is trendy and casual, but not too casual. You can actually hear the other person talking which is unusual for places in DC that are this popular. They have a decent selection of wine and they have pretty decent rail drinks and specialty house drinks which is one of the reasons that I love coming here. I had the banana peach cocktail and though I am not a big fan of rum, I loved this combo. I do hope to try some of the "manly" martinis. They also have a full bar and a decent sized bar. Really close to the metro station. They also have a happy hour which I would love to check out. It may be a little bit more on the expensive side, but the food is definitely worth it.They have many options such as carry out and ordering online. Great place for a date, to have a group dinner, or just to shoot the breeze with a friend. A DC gem all around! read more

There has never- in the entire history of humanity- been a valid reason to have a heated argument on a cellphone while sitting on the toilet in the only stall of a public bathroom. Instead of just doing your business and letting the next person in line (who happened to be me) go, this guy spent several minutes arguing about how Eric stole his stuff. I think he was belaboring the point as we all know that anybody named Eric is a klepto. That's why you should never trust an Eric. If you are named Eric you may expect to trust yourself not to steal your own things but this would be a foolhardy assumption. Just wait until you wake up and realize you have pawned all your stuff. You have no one to blame except yourself, Eric. Although I want to point out that it wasn't the establishment's fault an Eric-trusting bathroom hog used their bathroom. In the future, they may want to consider screening bathroom users before allowing them in. A simple application form would do the trick. For example, the first bit of information should be the name- Erics can only use the urinals. Further questions can involve personality profiling techniques and details regarding cell phone usage and billings. Then the application should be put through a computer- to ensure impartiality- and the person can be allowed access to the bathroom or forced to go in an alley like a stray animal. Then I will be free to poop without waiting. read more

What can I say? I love Matchbox and I'm really happy they have a location right down the street in Cap Hill now. We love it. I took my older brother and nephew here over the Christmas holiday timeframe when they were in town to pick up my other nephew from the airport. They loved it, so much that when it was time to take nephew #2 back to the airport my older bro and all 3 nephews came and we went back in the span of a week. The pizza is just damn good. I consider myself a pizza guru as some may as well. My first job was at a Dominoes when I was a kid. I worked several more chain pizza resturants back then as well as two original pizza resturants. I spun dough, made sauce, cut the cheese ( oops ) ha. etc. etc. I always make it a point to seek out good pizza, interesting pizza, gourmet pizza. I tried making gourmet pizza on my own and I never quite got it right. Well, I found it at Matchbox...exactly what I was trying to achieve on my own. Yes, I used the word gourmet. I think it fits. I can't say enough good things about their pizza. Their calamari salad, sliders, and scallops are really good too. You can't go wrong really from what I can tell. I love having matchbox in my neighborhood. My only complaint is that their bar area, at both locations, is a little claustrophobic..you know, wallflower time if you don't get a seat at the bar. Other than that, its tops. Thanks for coming to Cap Heeeuuuuuuuulllllll Matchbox. read more

Three and half star. I read lots of positive reviews on brunch so I thought to try their brunch menu this time. I was there at around 2pm but it was still busy and packed. I had to wait for about 10 minutes to get a table. I and my friend got banana bread french toast , prosciutto and Gruyere cheese waffle sandwich and cast-iron bacon and egg. If you like banana bread, you would like banana bread french toast. I wasn't very happy with the dish because it was nothing like french toast. The server said it was dipped in egg batter and fried but it didn't have french toast texture or feeling at all. Just warm banana bread. Not bad flavor or texture. Portion was good and the bread was moist but I just wanted something more like french toast. waffle sandwich was good. waffle was fluffy and thin. Iron bacon and egg was good with mozzarella cheese but slices of baguette were total disappointment since they came out dry and cold. Again, cold bread is worse than no bread. I think matchbox is a good option if you are looking for something not-too-ordinary read more

I'm not sure why people freak out about this place, the food isn't that great, the service was snotty (at best), and we had to wait almost half an hour at 9 PM on a Wed night. The only thing I can think of is that it's pretty-- nice design can mask not-so-great food because people FEEL like they're getting something special. The food is overpriced although the sliders are great. If I ever go back I'll skip the pizza and just order a plate of sliders. Pizza was spicy but without flavor-- just heat. Plus, the crust wasn't so great. I'd STRONGLY suggest going to Paradisio or 2Amy's if you're craving good pizza. I found the bartenders inattentive and a little rude. Although they were out of the wine I asked for the bartender did not suggest any alternatives. Our waitress was nice, helpful, and knowledgeable about the menu but pushed dessert REALLY hard, and was slow with the check. read more

I've been attempting to try the H Street location for years with no success, since I refuse to wait two hours for a table. However, I haven't seen too much of a wait during any of my weekly walk-bys of the Barracks Row location, so I figured it was a safer bet. Brought my family here for brunch on Sunday to celebrate my birthday, and everyone had a great time. We were seated promptly in a large booth in the bright and spacious upstairs, and our server was cheerful and engaging. We started off with cinnamon rolls for the table (six in a cast-iron skillet) - they were tasty, but not too different than your standard Grands tube from the grocery. I would have preferred more cinnamon and brown sugar and less cream cheese frosting, but I am more of a sticky bun person. The of-age among us ordered bloody marys (or in my dad's case, a bloody beer, which he said reminded him of college). I had the 9, with bacon and an Old Bay rim, and it was good. Not as thick as I would have liked, but definitely spicy. For entrees, we ordered the gamut from fruit salad with yogurt to brunch dishes (short ribs benedict and eggs with mozzarella & basil) to a pizza and a chicken sandwich with prosciutto. Everything was fresh, tasty, and reasonably portioned for the price. Since it was my birthday, our server brought out a complimentary chocolate chip bread pudding, served with a caramelized banana sauce that had a hint of rum. I was too stuffed to try more than a bite, but it was very good - moist and not too sweet, topped with fresh (house-made) whipped cream. Another nice touch was the live jazz combo playing downstairs during brunch - it really added to the festive and friendly environment. It's rare that one restaurant pleases my entire family, but Matchbox fit the bill. I really enjoyed my brunch experience and will definitely return to try out their lunch/dinner options. UPDATE: Came back for dinner. Service (hosts, bartenders, servers, managers) was excellent all around - Rustico, take a note. Salad and sliders to die for - those miniburgers don't even need cheese, they are phenomenal. Pizza okay - nice char to the crust, but a bit too crackery for my liking. Also, the server recommended we get a large for two people when the small would have been plenty. 4 beers, a salad, a plate of 3 sliders, and a large pizza plus tax and tip ran ~$75. The quality of the food, combined with the warm and relaxed atmosphere on a cold rainy night, made the place a hit with my out-of-town guest and cemented Matchbox's reputation as a place I wholeheartedly recommend. read more

My boyfriend and I had the opportunity to eat at this restaurant the first night of our recent trip to DC, and I must say, we were looking for excuses every night to go back! We started the meal with the 3.6.9 Mini Burgers, and though a (little) heavy on the cheese, they were perfectly prepared and delicious! The crispy onion straws were light and thin, and truly the perfect compliment to this first course. I ordered the Jalapeno Margarita, and my boyfriend had some kind of "punch" type mixed drink. The name escapes me but he enjoyed it to the last drop. The jalapeno margarita was so fresh and crisp, with just a hint of spice. Compares to or even tops every jalapeno margarita I've tried. For dinner, I decided on the apple / pear salad and a 10" prosciutto and black mission fig pizza. The sweet, light salad, though absolutely delicious, might have been paired better with a meatier, smokier pizza, as the prosciutto and black mission fig pizza is made with sweet, salty prosciutto, sweet figs, and a drizzle of clover honey. On their own, each were delicious, but together, it left me craving something a little more savory. (My fault, not theirs!) My boyfriend ordered the Italian Sausage Rigatoni. I had to fight for it, but he gave me a taste. SO good!!! He enjoyed it so much, and nearly licked the plate clean! As for service, I cannot tell you how pleasant and accommodating the staff was in this location. From the moment we walked in the door, the hosts were engaging, funny, and helpful. We showed up early for our 6:30 reservation, and they sat us immediately. Our server was equally pleasant and friendly, and came back several times to check on our satisfaction. One gentleman (maybe the manager of the location) came by twice to check in with us as well. You can tell that the folks at this restaurant REALLY care about their patrons, be it regulars or out-of-towners like us. Great customer service is unfortunately something rare in this world, but this place is a shining example. I cannot compliment the staff enough, and I wish I were great with names so I could call out everyone who took the time that night to make our first night in DC a great one! Thanks Matchbox Capital Hill! read more

Great location close the Eastern Market Metro on the orange/blue line. Good bar scene but mainly couples.Great place for date night. There is usually a wait of 15 minutes or more if you arrive after 6pm on Friday or Saturday. For a starter, try the mini burgers they are a good size and totally worth it. Main course it is best to stick with the pizzas, I personally love to build my own. I have sampled some other items on the menu but I always come back to the pizzas. For dessert, coffee and donuts is a must. As far as drinks, stick with the beer on tap, their mixed specialty cocktail just aren't worth it. read more

I went here for a happy hour, and it was out of our way (we worked across town) but it was worth it. I prefer this location to the other. This one has a cavern-ous dark yet fresh feel to it. The fact that it's dark really lends itself to when they light their signature greek cheese on fire right at your table. I admire the dude who's job it is to do this throughout the day, he must have really resilient eyebrows. There happy hour stands out because it includes discounts on their eclectic list of martinis, they have all types of fruity, spiced-up concoctions. ONLY WARNING, the food during brunch was terrible here once, but the happy hour is worth it. read more

Been wanting to try out this place forever and finally had a chance to go with some friends. Not bad, not bad. Really...how can you go bad on pizzas? Not sure what to expect here so I went safe. Had the pepperoni pizza which was great with mozzarella. Basically, food was good. Service was ok. It would have been great if only the waitress took the time to actually write down our orders and not memorize them. Because, then, what happens? Wrong order for a friend. And, this isn't a fast food restaurant. So...more waiting. Next time, I'll try something more...exotic. read more

My second Matchbox experience, first in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Went here with some co-workers after work and opted to sit outside. They don't offer happy hour specials but not to fear, we were there for a celebratory drink and some appetizers. Like at their Merrifield location, Matchbox has an extensive wine, beer, and cocktail list. After reading through the menu and having not one but 3 different waiters/waitresses suggest the Matchbox Punch, I figured I should give this cocktail a try. It's good but strong. It's basically all liquor with I think a splash of juice? Trust me on this one. Someone in our group ordered the mini sliders to share: scallops, crab cakes, and burgers. The mini scallops were just yum. Evenly seared on both sides which captured the flavor. The mini burger was good too. Relaxed atmosphere and a great place to wind down after a long day. read more

Matchbox in Chinatown is one of my favorite restaurants in the city... so I was excited to finally make it to the newer Capitol Hill/Eastern Market venue. We got there on a saturday evening around 5pm and were told that we'd have only a 20-25 min wait. For a table of 5. Ehh, no problem... we went to the bar to order a round of beverages. By the time I had maybe 2 sipsof beer, the buzzer went off-- it became maybe a 10 min wait. We ordered 6 miniburgers--which were spectacular as usual! and 3 large pizzas all to share among our table. The quality of the food were just as good as the Matchbox in Chinatown, so I cannot complain. Though Eastern Market is further away, it is a nice option whenever I'm in the SE part of town. read more

I went to Matchbox for dinner and drinks this weekend. It was the Sunday before Labor Day, so I anticipated it to be crowded, but was pleasantly surprised that it was not. I sat at the bar, and there was a great selection of beers on tap, wine and of course cocktails. However, I stuck with an old faithful - Stella Artois. The menu was very broad, but we were set on ordering pizza, so my focus narrowed. Being vegan and seeing they didn't offer soy cheese, I wanted to order something with some flavor and just skip the cheese on my half. Their standard veggie pizza was delicious. Cremini mushrooms, roasted poblano peppers, onions, garlic, fresh herbs and - the kicker - fingerling potato crisps (essentially, tiny potato chips) made this one of the best pizzas I've ever had. I totally didn't even miss the cheese. The ambiance is really chill, too. Really cool staff (at least the bartenders) and just a fun place to hang out on a random gorgeous night in DC. read more

I'm still dreaming about my proscuitto olive-stuffed blood mary with sea salt and pepper on the rim... I'm still smiling thinking about our waiter who restored my faith that customer service is, in fact, alive and well. I'm still drooling about the cinnamon rolls. I'm still thankful our wait for 5 was only 20 minutes on a Sunday around noon-time. And I'm grateful there was nice music playing that kept the 2 year old in our company entertained. And last by not least, I'm now certain that I was mexican in my former life because the huevos rancheros were the most diiiiiiivine things ever. ENJOY! read more

After spending an afternoon with some friends in the Eastern Market area, we stopped in here for dinner on a Saturday since I had heard great things about Matchbox and have been wanting to try it. We were seated right away, but at 5:30 we were a tad early for the dinner crowd. The restaurant was still relatively busy, and really filled up throughout the course of our meal. The ambiance was what you would expect for a trendy restaurant: Lower lighting, fairly loud, and a busy feel (especially since we were seated near the bar, in view of where the pizzas were being made). I enjoyed the antique matchboxes that were incorporated into the tables. I started with a Jalapeno Margarita, which I thought was great. I love the mixture of spicy and sweet, and this was a fine cocktail indeed. I also was pleasantly surprised to see it was $8. For a cocktail with some unorthodox ingredients in DC, I am usually prepared to shell out a lot more. Maybe they were able to save some overhead by not thinking too hard about the name. Onto the food: My dining partner and I ordered 6 sliders and the small fire and smoke pizza, both to share. I thought the burgers were pretty good alright, but they came out closer to medium than the medium rare we asked, which is standard for many restaurants, and there really wasn't much cheese on each one. I enjoyed the giant pile of onion straws that accompanied them, possibly more than the burgers themselves. The pizza, on the other hand, was perfect. Just the right amount heat and smokey flavor so that one isn't overpowering. This is a must-try. We finished with the donuts (which came out hot and fresh) and coffee (which came out cold for dipping). By this time we were stuffed, but ended up finishing the dessert because it was so delicious. Overall, this is an experience that, for once, lived up to the hype. I'll definitely be returning to try more! read more

I've been here 3 times for brunch and once for dinner. B matchbox chicken sandwich - a safe choice, you really can't go wrong with a grilled chicken sandwich. A- cast iron baked cinnamon rolls - good good. They were lighter and not as sweet as they looked. Cream cheese icing gave it a zippy tang. I could eat the whole cast iron pan. Really I could. But I'd love it if they were heavier/sweeter. B- 3.6.9 mini burgers - I don't like it when food is served with a major ingredient that isn't listed on the menu. So even though I said no cheese; (they arrived without cheese on the burger), it had some kind of grated parmesan literally dumped all over the top. Not a light dusting either. kinda ruined it for me. Onion "straws" were on the greasy side. C poached egg & frisee salad - just didn't come together for me. Even the color; it was just a mass of white and off-white stuff on a plate. A- bloody mary burger - excellent choice; crazy good bloody mary sauce. This is a solid choice for food. An inviting menu and great atmosphere. It doesn't knock your socks off but it's a good standard place. Get ready to wait, every time I've been there has always been a wait. read more

When I was still working at my company's office down off of 7th and E, NW, I used to hear so much about the Matchbox in Chinatown....and about how the wait to get in on weekends could be as long as FORTY-FIVE MINUTES...IF you were 'lucky'. So it wasn't a place that my partner and I never went near, even though we love pizza so much, we should start our own chapter of "Pizzaholics Anonymous." So, fast-forward to a few days before Thanksgiving, when we decided to meet family members near Eastern Market. They decided to stop at Matchbox for a quick nosh and we joined them there. We KNEW there was a new Capitol Hill location, but hadn't yet found an opportunity to try it out on our own, so we lucked out this time. The place was busy but not crowded, and we ate outside, since the weather that day was unusually beautiful. The pizza that the girls ordered was some kind of chicken pesto, if I remember it right, but what got my attention was the TASTE. Thin, crispy crust, fresh spices, generous (but not REDONKULOUS) toppings...everything you could possibly want in a great pizza. Fast-forward AGAIN. November 25th...We managed not to OD on turkey and all the trimmings the night before, and after the drive back from the relatives' place out in the Maryland 'burbs, we wanted something great for brunch, and so managed to make it to Matchbox right at opening time. The Spicy Meatball pizza was all that and a couple of cans of Pringle's, but what stuck with me from our second trip more than anything, was the immortal numbers: "3-6-9". I will remember that combo now until my dying day, because up until now I have NEVER had sliders that were as great as the ones served at Matchbox. I had the "3" as appetizers, but with my first juicy, sexy bite, I cursed my over-enthusiastic choice of the pizza as my main course. Heaped up with the ambrosial onion straws - light, crispy and deep-fried but by no means greasy - by the time I finished my last bite, I KNEW what I was going to have on my next trip to this wonderful place. The service was as great as the food, and we made sure that our server got a generous tip. My "generous tip" to you who have read this far: I can't vouch for the Chinatown location, but if you're tired of waiting like you're waiting to buy tickets to a Dave Matthews Band concert, try the Capitol Hill location...but if you can, make reservations. It is MORE than worth it! read more

Excellent food, great atmosphere, great location, and relatively inexpensive for what you get. I was unaware of this place until recently, and was very impressed on my first visit. I tried three of the pizzas, and all were really good. The atmosphere is lounge-ish, but booths are private and the music isn't so loud that you can't have a conversation. The greatest part about Matchbox is the price for what you get. Great food, good service, right across the street from the Verizon Center make this a great place to frequent! read more

Let me preface this review by stating, it took a couple of visits and I was probably ordering something that wasn't to my liking on at least one occasion. Overall Matchbox is a great place with a good concept. Wood oven pizzas, great selection of appetizers and salads and a well stocked bar with a decent beer selection. I have only visited the Capitol Hill location, but have been about 4 times. The first time I ordered Spinach salad and enjoyed it immensely. The different sweet and bitter flavors of the feta and the orange and candied walnuts complimented each other very well. On one of my following visits I had the sesame crusted tuna. I wasn't really a fan after discovering you really could over sesame crust a tuna. On my last visit, I had the grilled romaine and steak salad. That was a VERY good dish and one that would have me coming back for that alone. I haven't branched out much further than the salads thus far as I have only been for lunch, but I have been with parties who have ordered things from different parts of the menu and the food, at least by appearances looks good and certainly well presented. In an area of DC that is seeing more and more new restaurants popping up to support barracks row and the Department of Transportation, Matchbox is definitely a must if you find yourself in this part of town. read more

The Matchbox on 8th Street has become a Capitol Hill institution and one of the anchors of Barracks Row. It's big, which means more seating opportunities and shorter waits. It's got a wonderful combination of food quality and atmosphere -- it's very comfortable, with very professional and friendly staff and outstanding food. I'm addicted to the Fire and Smoke pizza and find it hard to order anything else. My wife can't leave without sliders, and my kids always get the mac and cheese. Suffice it to say there are large expanses of the vast menu that we have not explored. But if it ain't broke... They give the kids little balls of pizza dough to play with. (They used to do this automatically, though we've had to ask for them the last couple of times.) It amazes me the degree to which these can focus my kids' attention on things other than bothering everyone else in the restaurant. They make cookies. They make M&Ms. They make baseballs (not to be played with until we are on the street). Sometimes, I snag a pinch for myself and enjoy the satisfying sensation of squooshing a yeasty dough between my fingers. This location has huge, deep booths, which is very nice when your kids are bouncing around like ping pong balls. You can use your own bodies as stoppers and let them go nuts on the inside of the booth. It's also a very attractive restaurant, with stepped tiers, tall ceilings, and exposed architectural details. read more

Seven dollars for a Draft Beer? Oh and it includes attitude. Pizza is marginal at best. Beautiful place - great concept - but too bad it's another overpriced Capitol Hill expense account restaurant. Someone, please, open a true neighborhood pizza joint on capitol hill. read more

Best pizza i've ever had!! Came here on a rainy day on the fourth of July before the fireworks show just trying to stay dry and ended up with an amazing experience. Great service, pricey but worth it. I wish we had a Matchbox in Nashville! read more

This place keeps going down hill. I've been here many times in the last two years and every time is worse than the last. Our sever took our order and it's been 17 minutes and our drinks haven't been delivered. The tables next to us who sat after we ordered have their drinks. Our server has been talking to the manager at the front desks the entire time. Seriously? What a horrible experience. read more

Not bad - a good copy of the Chinatown location placed conveniently in Eastern Market. I met a friend of mine here after we'd been missing each other for over five months. It was good to catch up over a bottle of wine and a plate of sliders. Honestly though, with the sliders, the gorgonzola is the best choice of cheese - the gouda just doesn't cut it and is appropriately priced at $1 a slider. I can't say what the bill was since my friend intercepted in honor of fete-ing me for my bday but I do know that it wasn't cheap based on our choices. But being able to eat on the sidewalk was desirable and allows this one to get a respectable four stars. read more

Matchbox is a great all around place to stuff your face. Pizza=amazing sliders=addicting drinks=drunk making This place did not reinvent the wheel, they just consistently produce good food. Do yourself a favor and share the sliders with some friends, and split a pizza or two. Ask for it well done, otherwise it can be a bit soggy. read more

I love this place. Their food is delicious and we had an excellent waiter. Although it's no longer on the menu they still let me order the fish and grits! It's their salmon with jalapeño butter, spinach and cheese grits. I really wish they would add this back to their menu as this was my favorite. You really can't go wrong with anything here from their food to their drinks. read more

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Terrible service. We watched our server chatting at the hostess stand for the majority of our meal. It was very difficult to get her attention for refills or to order more food. She would walk past our table and refuse to make eye contact. It was not busy as we went after the rush. I could understand if she was handling multiple tables but she was just upfront talking with other staff members. The bathroom was also extremely dirty with piles of used papertowels all over the counter and floors. The bathroom stalls were a fright. Food came out lukewarm. The quality of the food was also subpar compared to the other Matchbox locations. Giving two stars because the manager checked on us a few times to see if our food came out or if we needed refills. Our server was completely checked out. read more