I visited Open City a few times while I was on vacation with my family. It had the best service, food, and prices in the neighborhood. Sits on a perfect corner with both patio and indoor seating. I love the fact that it had a coffee bar do that I could start my morning off right with a Carmel Latte or enjoy a nice local beer with my dinner after a long day of sighting seeing! I wish I had a cafe like this close to my house! read more

Went here today for brunch and was pleasantly surprised. A good selection of food - I am a vegetarian and they had a lot of options. The food was pretty good overall, and the portions are very generous. Maybe we came at a very busy hour, but the place did not seem that clean and our server seemed very rushed we only saw him once or twice. Also, their brunch cocktails seemed a bit pricey for what they ended up being/tasted like. I would come back if I were in the area - also to try their pizzas which sounded great, and they have some good drink specials during the week (I saw a sign for 1/2 price wine bottles Tuesdays). read more

No more gluten free menu!? Pout pout pout. Change the web site information to reflect that, please. Their GF selection is... not horrible? There are like four things that the gluten-sensitive can have on their breakfast menu. Still, I was able to get a decent bite here yesterday for breakfast before going to the zoo with my BFF. I had a fabulous cherry-almond muffin (GF!) and a big bowl of Greek yogurt with honey and fruit. I felt bad for the waitresses; they seem to have only two of them covering the entire dining room, and it's a big dining room. A third person would go a long way to making a more seamless dining experience. I also had a Cuban coffee, which was just okay -- I would have liked a little more milk in with the espresso, but oh well. The waitress we had was really sweet and I could tell she was busting her butt (it was pretty busy at 8:30 on a Monday morning!). If I'm ever local to the zoo again, I'll stop here and give it another shot. That muffin really made my morning. read more

Split a salad and steak frite. It was really nice and quaint. Coffee was tasty, especially since it's from tryst.

Amazing brunch! Reasonably priced, delicious and if you go early there's no wait. Plus animal crackers served with coffee is an especially sweet touch. read more

Yummy food, very friendly staff, and nice ambiance. I came here for breakfast while on vacation and loved it! And they give you animal crackers with your coffee-who needs more than that? :) read more

I've eaten breakfast here several times, and I've never had less than a wonderful experience. The wait staff is always friendly, helpful, and easy to flag down, and the food (while a bit on the pricy side) is delicious! Last time I ate there was right during the breakfast rush on a Sunday, and we only waited about thirty minutes for a table with no reservation! read more

Today my partner and I had brunch. I ordered chicken waffles and he ordered some Basic pancakes eggs bacon and grits. The food was not that great the service wasn't that great. My chicken was bland tasteless and it needed an off a lot of salt. This is my first and most likely last time to eat at this place. Poorly seasoned hicken breast with burned Panko breading with no flavor costs 12 bucks ??horrible. The best part about that restaurant was leaving it. read more

Frequent customer but after our service on new years day they have lost my patronage. Waited 45 minutes for a table for two which is fine but after we got seated they did not send a waiter our way for 20 minutes. Our waitress was seen chatting away with a table of old men (who tipped almost nothing to my pleasure) the entire time. Finally another waitress took our table but there was an mix up in the kitchen and we did not get our entrees for another hour. Never coming back here again which is too bad. read more

Meh. Food ok, service inattentive, and THEY CHARGE FOR COFFEE REFILLS. What in the world? Made for a not very cozy experience. Usually this kind of comfort food place is more comfortable than this. I will seek other venues. read more

Came in on a Saturday at 11:00am and had a table for two within 15 minutes. The service was lightning fast and helped me decide my order (between arepas benedictos or chorizo scramble). I went with the latter and it was perfect, very savory. The coffee here is on point as well, supplied by Tryst. My friend had the eggs Kalorama and was also impressed. Reasonably priced, great menu, and friendly service. I'll be back to check out dinner/evening drinks. read more

I've been to Open City, many years ago and several times recently. On a late winter night, it's a charming respite from the cold and a great place to have coffee with friends and warm your hands before returning to the metro. In fact, I strongly prefer Open City late at night. By morning, it's all hustle and bustle-- extremely packed on weekends, so either arrive early or late in the day or expect a long wait (The neighboring hotels use this place as a recommendation to all their patrons who ask, thus fueling the fire). The food is quite good, with a few spicy options among the brunch menu. The sweetest thing about this place is that they keep dog treats in their entryway, thus catering to dog owners who will bring home a snack for the pooch who couldn't come out to breakfast. read more

Good food. Good space. Dessert looked yummy but I did not partake. Teas and coffees.

I wanted to love this place...and truth is the food was great. However, the service was basically an afterthought. I ordered a Caesar salad and calzone. I specifically asked for the salad first...but both came together. The waitress gave an obligatory apology but seemed unconcerned as my calzone sat for 10 minutes as I ate my salad. I normally would not be this critical but the table (directly next to mine) had similar service issues to the point they started laughing at how bad it was. Coincidence??? Likely no. Ironically the WIFI password was "voteforus"... Really? But, eat here for the food. That's why we eat out, I suppose. read more

Great for Breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack Monday to Friday especially when staying at the Omni Shoreham by Woodley Metro. Very good coffee. Busy spot but worth a short wait if busy! read more

This was a good place to get a nice breakfast the turkey sausage was a good surprise as well as the grits. The place is clean and well run

I've been to Open City 3 times now and experienced brunch, lunch and dinner. Personally, I find the food acceptable but nothing special. I ordered fish for dinner and found it to be pretty bland. Another time I tried the french toast and it was good, but nothing special. My servers have been friendly but the service has been slow every single time - from getting water, to checking how the meal is, to getting the check. I want to like this restaurant more than I do because I live nearby, but I think there are a lot of better options in this neighborhood. read more

Always a huge line at brunch on the weekends, but totally worth the wait. The food is always great, easily one of the best brunch spots around. If you have a long wait, go inside to the walk-up coffee bar and get a coffee to go. Their coffee is from Tryst. Delicious coffee drinks and also a small local business. read more

Terrible service. Inattentive waiters, very slow service. Food was good otherwise. Breakfast was delicious but average. Would not return.

I ate here when I was in town for work. I had someone picking me up and after waiting a while for the waitress I knew I wouldn't get my food in time if I didn't order to go. I did and ate inside. my next time in the waitress told me since I was ordering to go I couldn't sit inside of the empty restaurant even though I had spent twenty bucks on a sandwich and coffee! I had to eat my food outside! Horribly rude. I will never eat here again read more

Fun experience. Clearly this place draws a Sunday morning crowd. Long wait but worth it. Food was good and inovative. Coffee was also up to my standards. If you are looking for a quiet place to eat this is not it. read more

Saturday morning breakfast. Good coffee, decent plain food, fairly slow service. Wife had French toast, eggs and bacon and was happy. I had brisket and eggs. For the price I would have expected a bit more than basic eggs, a lump of plain beef and some fried potatoes and English muffin dumped in the plate with a cup of mediocre salsa. No butter, no jam. Luckily my wife's came with butter so I used that. When the waitress checked in about half way through the meal, I asked her for Worcestershire sauce and she didn't have any idea what that was. They didn't have it anyway, she said. Amazing. Left full but unmotivated to return. Crowded. I'm guessing there isn't much competition. About $18/person. H read more

Brunch all day! I was a bit skeptical on the Benedict Crepes, but they work wonderfully. Eggs perfectly cooked, peppy hollandaise, crepes with just the right amount of crisp, and a smooth savory filling. Bloody mary was also top notch. Service just a bit slow, but friendly. Clearly a very popular place for good reason. read more

One of my favorite places for a casual meal in DC. Although they have a very extensive menu, I have yet to have anything bad here. My favorite 2 items have been the turkey burger, and their beat salad. They also have a great beer selection. Although you may have to wait for a few minutes, it's always pretty easy to get a table here regardless of time of day. read more

I had a college interview here so I just got the hot chocolate but it was amazing and to die for. Definitely recommend! The service was great and the waiters always came by to check up on us. I'm planning to come back here to try a full meal this time :) read more

I really enjoyed the toasted pear salad and the peanut butter cheesecake was TDF. Being an out of stater I was thoroughly impressed. However, what knocks these guys down a notch is the inability to call-in ahead. I'm here for a conference and only had a few minutes to spare. I ordered to-go and got there faster than anticipated, so I asked if it hadn't been made yet, if I could eat in. Eventually the "issue" was raised to the manager who then took care of it, but it really didn't have to be that big of a deal or deemed a problem. Anyway, all in all not bad experience and I'd recommend it to a friend, but probably won't be coming back myself due to the slower nature. Enjoy. read more

Traveling for a conference. Staying at the Marriott. Open City is across the street and is a good place to unwind and hang out as I a climate to time zone change. Breakfast all day and plenty of room at bar for single diners. Service was excellent and the folks working here are amazing and friendly. read more

We came here with my 4 tired kids after a day at the zoo at around 5:30. They accommodated our party of 6 quickly and easily. Waitress was laid back and patient. Food didn't come quickly but was mostly worth the wait. The waffles were delicious, cheeseburgers and fries were just ok. We lingered for almost 2 hours and weren't at all rushed, even though the place started filling up as the evening went on. For a larger than normal family, that was much appreciated. I would love to come back without the kids in tow and enjoy a couple drinks with dinner while sitting in the patio, which looked like a pleasant place to sit, especially into the evening. read more

I've been here three times and something is always off (e.g. had to send chicken back). Outside of prime location and a decent layout, this is a highly-priced tourist trap masquerading as a local favorite. read more

This has been our go to spot on our stay, excellent vibe, great wait staff and excellent food. Thanks for making our breakfast and coffee starts the best on our trip... read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants of all time. I have to stop here at least once whenever I'm in the DC metro area. The food, service and ambience is fantastic. The prices are also reasonable and the restaurant remains open until fairly late which is a huge plus. If you're staying at the Omni Shoreham which is right across the road this restaurant will be convenient for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Highly recommended. read more

Love this place! California omelet was delicious. My favorite is the Bloody Mary. Instead of salt and pepper around the rim they use old bay seasoning. Only thing is the wait... but it was worth it. read more

It was open till late night. Not bad good. I recommend if u can't find a restaurant at night go here

I went here for the first time over a decade ago, and remember wanting to love it because it's such a nice place, but being disappointed with the food. I had the same experience again recently, after going with my family on our way to the zoo. Again, the place and the people were lovely, it was a gorgeous summer day and the windows were all open. The food is just not good though, I ordered some kind of egg burrito dish and my husband had a traditional eggs/meat/toast dish, and we can definitely make it much better at home. I would go back if I had to just because of the convenience to the zoo but otherwise I would go elsewhere. read more

If the wait staff could let you sit down at the bar instead of closing out for the day shift the food may be good.

Very hard to mess up breakfast, but Open City managed. Pancakes were obviously premade (at least hours old or frozen), sausage had no taste, and egg order came back incorrect. Pretty sad. read more

This place was the epitome of a relaxed, comfortable, and tasty dinner. It had an open patio, which was a great combination with the less-humid weather today. The staff were very friendly and it felt as if they genuinely liked to help the guest, which complimented the very tasty food. I'm a diehard breakfast guy, so when I saw the breakfast pizza, I immediately went for it. It's safe to say that I have no regrets, and my stomach is content. read more

Every time I've been here, the food has been great, but the waitstaff has ranged from mediocre to terrible. They're constantly rushed and rarely check on you, which I blame on management for understaffing the restaurant, even during peak hours. But when they do visit your table, they're very curt and occasionally even rude. One waitress spilled both soda and ranch dressing on people at my table and simply threw napkins at our table, refusing to help clean us her mess or even apologize. If you like good breakfast food combined with rude waitstaff, this is the place for you. read more

Espresso martinis are my favorite after dinner drink. I've had them in several cities when traveling - San Francisco, Boston, New Orleans... Mehdi at Open City makes the best espresso martini I've ever had. Mehdi and all the staff are genuinely nice and welcoming. Great food, too. read more

Just an update to Jaclyn S -- we were there yesterday (3/21/09), and still no wifi working. They're getting ready to open the patio up as well - there was one brave soul out there yesterday, freezing her butt off while she enjoyed her eggs. read more