The Square is a high-end food hall with high ceilings, elegant lighting, and spacious interior on K Street between 18th and 19th NW. The space is very nice, and I feel like it's where a lot of employers in the Downtown area have their post-work happy hours. I've been to this food hall on multiple occasions throughout the past year and have eaten at a few spots: Kiyomi (before it got its own brick and mortar), Casa Teresa, and Taqueria Xochi. There's also a bar (which is where all the work happy hour crowd seem to go), Donisima (a donut spot), Las Hermanas Coffee (coffee stand open during working hours), Mirai Sushi (which took over Kiyomi's spot), and more. Despite the aesthetic interior and convenient location, this food hall is not budget friendly. Most, if not all, stalls are priced pretty high, even for a more casual place like Taqueria Xochi (as an example, priced at least $6 for a taco). Overall, it's very nice looking and clean, but food is not very affordable if that's what you're looking for. But that's most of DC, unfortunately! read more

Love love this place, they have monthly workout classes for free on Saturday mornings and that has introduced me to the different food vendors in the space. It is nice to have such an inviting space because this was previously so ugly and desolate, it is nice to have something to come to on the weekends. Make sure to check out the coffee shop, and my go to is the kombucha place. read more

Right by the Farragut West Metro is a food hall inside the lobby of an office building. Walk inside and you'll see a beautifully decorated space with high ceilings, an art gallery, plenty of seating, and several food vendors. For coffee, go to Nativo. There are restrooms, a few outlets, and wifi. read more

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I take it that this is a nice food court located on the ground floor of International Square. The Square has quite a few places to grabs some snacks and adult beverages. Some businesses within The Square include: Above Board Bar (general bar), Casa Teresa/Brasa (Ruben Garcia restaurants), Flora Pizzeria (self explanatory), Nativo Coffee (self explanatory), and a taco spot whose name I primarily spent my time at Above Board Bar. Overall, I thought the service was great, and the bartenders made my drinks pretty strong. I'm not sure if this is fine with all of the business, but the folks at Above Board Bar allowed me to take my drinks to another business. I was visiting The Square to meet a group of folks that was hanging out at Nativo Coffee. Since I was not in the mood for coffee at 4 pm, I was really appreciative that I could have an adult beverage while hanging out with my group at Nativo. While I probably would not go out of my way to visit The Square, I think it's a great meeting point before planning to go elsewhere. read more

Very nice location. I was here for a convention and the space downstairs is really really nice. I came into the food court and got an ice cream which was really good too! Atmosphere is nice. Location is very central. Lots of great restaurants and shops nearby. read more

I can't say enough good thing about the bar--and especially about the bartender, Special K. From the moment we walked in, the vibe was warm and welcoming, but Special K took it to the next level. Not only did they remember our drink preferences after the first round, but they also made some incredible custom cocktails that blew us away. The balance of professionalism and fun was perfect: fast service without ever making us feel rushed, great conversation when we wanted to chat, and spot-on recommendations when we couldn't decide what to order. The drinks were expertly crafted, the atmosphere was lively but not overwhelming, and it all came together to create the perfect night out. If you're anywhere near this spot, do yourself a favor and grab a seat at the bar. Ask for Special K--you'll leave with a new favorite bartender and a smile on your face. read more

Review of Taqueria Xochi AND Yaocho [[Food: 1 of 5]] @ Taqueria Xochi -mix n match tacos| birria | al pastor | (cant remember the third one) - $21.50 included avocados (extra $3) and up charge for birria (.50 cents) -Birria : meat was dry, consume drenched my whole tortilla and fell apart within the first bite. Although the consume drenched my tortilla, the meat itself was very dry. -Al Pastor : salty .. i just have no words for how these tacos tasted -Esquites : watery, and the corn did not mix well with the mayo or chili powder - everything tasted like you were eating it separately in one bite instead of melding and meshing together - this was definitely not worth $8 //Drinks- they offer cocktails here which I did not get the chance to have/try; but I got 2 mexican sodas and didnt realize theyd be $5 each so that was kind of a sucker punch! [Food: 4 of 5] YaoCho Chicken Sandwich : so big and juicy, the outer coating of the chicken was slightly salty but it was super delicious. the bun was black so it was kind of cool to see, i wonder what its made of..? The pickles in the sandwich were refreshing as well, I don't like pickles but enjoyed these since it didnt have a strong "pickly" vinegary taste. [Service: 5 of 5] In the "lobby" area, I noticed a few gentleman standing around with name tags which I assume are managers there to keep everything in good condition to run smoothly. They also constantly have "wait staff" or "cleaning crew" who circle the tables and chairs to clean up after someone has finished eating, so you can be rest assured knowing this place is well maintained and clean. [Ambiance: 5 of 5] No complaints on ambiance, its exactly what you'd expect from a food hall. They have tables you can sit and eat at or a few comfy cozy chairs just to hang out. There's also an outside sitting area as well to enjoy the nice weather. All in all, my experience at Taqeria was a flop but I fairly enjoyed Yaocho. I would definitely come back to check out their churros @ Junge's read more

The Square - Mix n Match Tacos & Esquites 8 oz - Food Court Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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My friend and I met her before a concert and decided to have a few tacos. Since it was happy hour, the tacos were only $5 apiece. I got a mushroom and shredded chicken taco. I really like the mushroom taco, but both had a lot of liquid that was not drained before being placed in the tortilla shell. This caused the bottom to be soggy, and the taco fell apart quickly. Hopefully, that'll be improved in the future. read more

The Square - Mushroom and chicken taco - Food Court Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'm excited to have this food hall nearby! It's more expensive than other fast casual but it's still welcome and my first experience was great. I had a trio of tacos from Taqueria Xochi and also got to sample chicken from Yaocho. Everything was very good. There's plenty of seating, WiFi, and areas open to the outside for fresh air. I'm hoping they add a coffee place that opens earlier so I can work from there as well. read more

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This is a cool food market. It's a great place to work. The food venues are great but there are not many. Most of the places are quite overpriced tho read more

specifically a review for kiyomi sushi: what a delight to find somewhat affordable omakase in DC! this is a weekday lunch pop up by chef uchi (formerly at sushi nakazawa). a permanent store location will open later in this food hall. 7 pieces of nigiri, miso soup, and 1 handroll. fish imported from japan and then shipped to new york before arriving here, so it's not as fresh as manhattan, but the freshest you can get in DC at this price point of less than $100. Total was $55 per person after tax. There were just 8 seats per session, 30 minute sessions, so there is a wait if you don't arrive early. While there weren't any extremely unique fish (such as uni, eel, or scallop), the selection that was here was still a delicious dance in my mouth. My favorite was the ocean trout. The setting is humble and no frills. So delightful to get to converse with the chef as he handcrafted the nigiri! read more

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Maybe it will take more visits to decide for sure but so far I'm loving The Square! It has a casual yet upscale vibe. It was hopping even early on a Wednesday but there was still enough seating around. I had an excellent cocktail from The Atrium called Radical Apathy. My friend and I shared a chicken parrillada from Brasa and agreed it was great and a reasonable price. Then we tried a couple tapas at Casa Teresa (see separate review for that place, since it's in the food hall but also a stand-alone still it down place). I'm looking forward to coming back and trying more food options. read more

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We had been looking forward to visiting this place for awhile and have to say it was disappointing. We went on a Saturday evening, and despite it being peak dinner time (5-6), the place was very dead with a few people at the bar and a hired singer. The place itself is very spacious, clean, and inviting but the food was disappointing with small portion sizes and underwhelming flavors. We tried the parrilla sample platter and the flavors were underwhelming and the meats were very dry. It seemed like the vegetables were out for a while and they just heated it up with no grill or smokiness to them; the chorizo was the best part but other than that, it was not worth the price point. We also tried charcuterie board from Jamón Jamón, and for 20 dollars, it was extremely disappointing with very thin slices and the unappealing presentation. We did try the fresh churros, which were good but not the best. Overall, we wouldn't go out of our way to come back but it is worth a try for first timers. read more

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An elevated food hall with several excellent options to dine. I particularly enjoyed the quality of the food coming from Cashion's Rendezvous, a seafood driven concept. The raw/grilled oysters were an excellent starter, and the crabcake was full of flavor and not packed up with fillers. Shrimp po' boy is a hearty sandwich served with fries or coleslaw, and the pasta looked excellent. The bar top area looks directly into the kitchen, which I loved. I dined in a little later in the afternoon, so Chef was able to talk me through some of his favorite menu options before making my decision-- top notch service! No vegetarian or vegan options as of current, but I have noticed they've been adding new selections as things get rolling. read more

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This is a really cool space. I came here twice yesterday and enjoyed both experiences at Kiyomi and Casa Teresa. It seems the star of the show after work is the Atrium Bar, which was completely packed around 5. If you're looking for a festive vibe with some eye candy, this is the place to be. read more

The food was decent, nothing to rave about but still good. The atmosphere was nice but wish I could order from my table. Overall I would recommend but it is on the expensive side. read more

The Square - Fried chicken sandwich, disco tots, and Thai iced tea - Food Court Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Not sure why the reviews are so low. Who doesn't love a food hall?? I've visited a couple of times because my plan is to check off every place lol. There's plenty of seating, bars and even a couple of sit-in restaurants with unique menus. read more

Decent enough food in a great location, but definitely on the overpriced side. We tried the chicken tinga and beef birria tacos from Taqueria Xochi and the fried chicken sando and tater tots from Yaocho. The tacos were a decent size but a bit plain, especially the chicken, which I felt didn't really have much flavor. The sauces that they gave helped, but I think you can definitely get better tacos elsewhere. The fried chicken sando was pretty good, although the breading was more on the crunchy side than the crispy side, but it was reasonably priced compared to some of the other options. I actually thought the tater tots were my favorite because they were the most unique - the bonito flakes and togarashi mayo gave them an upgrade over regular tater tots. I don't know if I'd come back for the food, but I'm hoping that they'll open a place for coffee as there's plenty of seating and natural light - would be a great place to sit and do some work! read more

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Give the interior designer a raise bc whomever renovated and designed the place did an amazing job! The open space and beautiful skylight help make this food hall feel bright and airy. Also, kudos for having family restrooms that have a changing station. It's appreciated! read more

We wanted to like it, but it just wasn't very good. We had the taco trio and guacamole and chips from Taqueria Xochi. The tacos were okay, nothing special. The guacamole and chips were both bad. Neither were prepared fresh. Chips were cold and had been sitting in a paper bag and guac was served in a plastic to go container that looked and tasted like prepackaged guac from the grocery. All of it was pretty expensive too. 6 dollars a taco so we paid over 50 dollars (25 each) for a mediocre at best lunch. You can go to a real restaurant and have a really nice meal at this price point. Then we tried the soft serve from Junges. No real flavor other than sugar and served in a shot glass sized cup for 6 dollars. I regretted it. This food hall is a lot of hype that doesn't deliver. The quality just isn't there. We won't be back. read more

First week so they are working out the kinks so things are not running entirely smooth and slow to order The service charge was surprise as others have mentioned. I ordered my food, picked it up myself, bussed my own table and also when I asked for a cup of tap water was told I had to walk across the space to the single water fountain next to the bathrooms to fill up my cup because they couldn't give me one at their stand. It is expensive and the portions are small for the price you pay. I work across the street but will not be going back.... read more

We ate the shrimp po boy that was offered on the first day (which got swapped out for a 28 dollar tiny crab cake the next day) and it was so bad, I threw it out and got sick for the rest of the day. The tipping service charge is insane and overall, it recks of rich people wanting to take advantage of working class people. I do not recommend. read more

Charges a 12% service fee for you to give your order at the counter and for you to pick up your food at the counter. They state the fee is due to tipped service going away in DC, but what service is there? We didn't have servers, we placed an order at the counter. This is an unacceptable business practice and everyone should boycott this place. Tips shouldn't be forced when there are no servers. read more

I want to support anything that brings people back to downtown DC. I like the space and the restaurants open so far. We had both trios of tacos, the birria and mix and match. I liked them all and the salsas and birria dip were good. Ordering on your phone was best due to the long lines. Easy and fast. I liked the outdoor seating too. Too bad there isn't a separate water dispenser anywhere besides the one by the bathroom. No fountain drinks either but ok. They're on the way. And be sure to stop for soft serve. The swirl is delish! I'm interested in going back as other places open. read more

I was excited to eat at this food hall and try the options but I was disappointed when I did. Of the opened places, Cashion's is the best. The food at Yaocho was bland especially the asian coleslaw; the chicken was tasteless; the bread, well, forgettable. I haven't tried the tacos or sushi but at this point, I'm not inspired to go back. read more