We got there early for our reservation but were seated on the second floor right away. Had a nice college student as our waiter and despite being busy he was attentive. Our drinks came quickly as did our food. Hubby said the Thai Chili were some of the best he's had. The tater tots are their signature and did not disappoint. He had the TacoTots and they were yummy and plentiful. I had a basic burger and it was juicy and delish. Downside was that it was a little loud. But overall we enjoyed being in the heart of the GWU campus and the great college atmosphere. read more

Came here with a large group and the staff were super accommodating! Cheese sauce on the Charlie's Cheese Fries was stellar. Great food, easy to talk and be heard. There's a neat book exchange on the second floor, which is a lovely touch. Overall, a cool, historical place to eat in Foggy Bottom! read more

Yummy tots, Mac n cheese and pulled pork. Food was good as were the drinks. Our server was attentive and friendly. Dine inside bc there is a rodent population outside that was noticeable in the evening. We did ask to move inside but there were no available tables. read more

Tonic - Pulled Pork Platter (subbed Tater Tots instead of slaw) - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food all tastes like what I'd imagine licking the grill at any time day or night would taste like . I also suspect no real butter has been used in the prep of my $13 grilled cheese. There is also a 3.5 "surcharge " added to the bill to cover "inflation ". read more

Tonic - These are the bugs on the ceiling over the booth next to us . - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Given that I've dined here for dinner and happy hour more times than I can remember, I am surprised that I've not left a review. Tonic used to have two locations. The one in the Mt. Pleasant residential neighborhood closed several years ago. This one has gone on strong---particularly because of its proximity to the George Washington University campus. During the period when school is in session, expect big crowds of college kids but also the downtown worker bees as well. There are two patios on either side of the building in which Tonic sits--an open one without a roof (but several umbrellas) and one area with a roof. Street metered parking on G Street is usually available (free on Sundays), but there's also a garage right next under the restaurant at 2028 G Street NW if you don't want the hassle of searching for a spot. I've mostly visited for happy hour with coworkers at my last job and now coworkers at my new job. The restaurant has delicious tots, bone-in and boneless wings, nachos with meat, and hummus plates on the happy hour menu. Also, $4 rail drinks (the only other place that I can think of that has drinks at that price is Recessions). It's always packed for happy hour, and the slightest indication of sunny weather and you're looking at tight standing room only, spilling half your drink to get to the rest of your group, and mostly being verbally hijacked by louder, drunker college students barking their drink orders. If you're looking for a quiet place to have a meal, go elsewhere during the happy hour time frame. There is quieter non-happy-hour table and booth seating on the 2nd and 3rd floors, but that's sometimes reserved for private parties and booked for special events (I've done a few for work myself). read more

Some experiences one remembers for a moment. Others one remembers for a lifetime. Still others transcend the boundaries of time, and embed themselves in the collective consciousness of a people. This was one of those moments. The food was inedible. The service, reprehensible. The sauce, incomprehensible. That this restaurant remains open is one of the great mysteries of life, rivalling questions like why does God allow suffering, what is the nature of consciousness, or how many throw pillows does one woman need. In 2016 my extended family and I walked into Tonic with the simple hope of sharing a meal that would satisfy us until the morning. Yet the memory still nourishes our conversations eight years later and will surely remain with us for a lifetime. read more

Yes. This place is so dang good. I got here a little after noon on a Saturday, and they were still serving their brunch menu, which is honestly pretty expansive. I ordered the impossible burger with a house salad, and my friend got tots with her breakfast burrito, so I was able to taste some of those too. Everything was absolutely delicious. I usually don't even like fake meat that much but this burger was excellent. The salad was great, too, and the TOTS! Crispy, flavorful, just so so good. I will be coming back for those tots!!! read more

We ate on the front patio on a Sunday, not realizing there is also a back patio where they have live music Had a nice G&T and fish tacos...and wine The tacos were fine, not great, but the ambience and servers were terrific. My son had a pulled pork sandwich, which was also just fine. It had too much on it (coleslaw and an onion ring) so it was difficult to eat and the flavors didn't mesh well. Of course, we had to order some tater tots...and they were crispy and tasty. This is a GREAT place for drinks and people watching with friendly servers (and apparently live music) and snacks to soak up the alcohol. read more

Tonic - Fish Tacos - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came to Tonic for the first time for happy hour on Thursday (Happy Hour is from 4-7pm M-F). I was so excited because I've been wanting to come here for a while and it always looks PACKED when I pass it. I came here with a group of 7 friends to celebrate a friend's birthday after classes. If you go to the garden bar, it is self seat and you go up to the bar to order. We got tator tots and tachos! We've been wanting to try it forever--and the tachos fell short of my expectations by a LOT. I will never get them again...It was hard to eat, not tasty, and very disappointing. You are better off with the regular tator tots. They also have $0.75 wings which is a steal--especially in DC! I didn't get them though...so dont know about the taste. The hosts at the front of the restaurant recommended a surprise Brownie Sunday Dessert for our friend--she described and said that it's a peanut butter chocolate brownie with a choice of vanilla or chocolate ice cream and that they would put a candle on it for us. They told us that we had to order it at the bar. When I went to preorder it the bartender was being very sassy and said "you can't preorder, I'll forget". When I went to order it later, I described the dessert to her AGAIN bc she was confused. She said "Hell no, we dont have time to put a candle on it" and started complaining how busy they are. I understand it may be busy and they dont want to put a candle on, but she had horrible people skills and she has absolutely no manners. I was very unimpressed by the service and was a bit taken aback. One of the bartenders (female & African American working on Thursday, February 21 @ 5-7pm) was literally the worst. I understand that they may be stressed but she was rude, mean, and very incompetent. Well, I definitely will not be returning--which is a shame because it is in such a convenient location for me and I thought that I couldve found a regular bar place in DC. Too bad. read more

Tonic - tachos - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Stopped in for a business lunch today. Customer service was nonexistent, seems like maybe the staff got some bad news today or something because they all seemed to be in a mood. Do not order the pizza, the crust is paper thin and wont hold together the toppings. Great place for cheap drinks and college kids but otherwise I would not recommend. read more

Great atmosphere, Great service and Great food! Outdoor seating is perfect. The waitress was so sweet and made my Birthday great. Will definitely return. read more

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

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An old favorite spot. You have to get the tater tots with curry ketchup. Super good especially when the tots are made just right. Jerk chicken wings were okay I would get a different flavor. Turkey wrap is good and so is the blood orange cider. Good quick service and obviously young environment. read more

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Not sure why the reviews aren't better. We made a 6:45 reservation for 4 and got seated right on time. Service was perfect and didn't really have to wait long for anything. Teen boys got burgers, my wife got a wrap and I got a Buffalo chicken sandwich. All were good. Visiting from out of town but would go again. Place had a cool vibe to it. read more

We walked in and were greeted by a wonderful vibrant atmosphere even in these trying times. The staff was friendly, attentive, and it was a great place to go after spending a day on the mall with friends. It takes a maybe ten minute walk from the mall to this restaurant and it is well worth the trip. The food was good, most things have a little spice to them which I enjoyed as did my guests overall my tacos were good, my friend enjoyed his impossible burger and his brother enjoyed the chicken sandwich. If you're in the neighborhood this is a solid stop for an afternoon lunch! read more

Tonic - The menu as we walked in! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This establishment has a great ambiance with good food and drinks. I especially love the outdoor patio which is fantastic for an after work gathering in the summertime. The wings are delicious too. I especially enjoyed the sweet Thai chili wing flavor and the famous tater tots coupled with the jalapeño aioli. read more

When I say this is probably the worst place I've ever visited, I'm not exaggerating. From the outside this place looks like a cute, quaint little bar. The inside is clean and neat....looks like a nice place overall, so I didn't expect the experience my coworkers and I had. As a college bar, I wasn't expecting anything grand, but the staff didn't even reach the bare minimum of customer service. This was my first outing with my coworkers and let's just say we now have a shared awful experience to bond over. To start off, we were met with friendly service, which didn't last at all. Within the first 10-20 minutes of us being there, we were told to move from the large booth because it was a fire hazard. That was understandable, but it could have definitely been said a bit nicer. We didn't know what exactly the fire hazard was, so we ended up spreading out in the reserved space. While waiting for the waiter, my coworkers decided to head down to the bar to get some drinks. The waiter throughout the night took quite a bit of time to come to our table, so my coworkers went down to the bar multiple times to get more drinks. When the waiter found out they were going to the bar, he reported this to the manager who came and aggressively told them to stop and order from the server only. She explained she didn't want them going up and down the stairs. Again, she could have nicely asked instead of fussing at us like a mother. They weren't aware of this rule and only did so because the waiter didn't check on the table for a bit nor did he catch the first time they went down to the bar ....because he wasn't around. At this point, it felt like we were being treated like children and our waiter constantly went to his manager to "tattletale" on us. Our experience only gets worse from there. Some of us decide to order food. About 4 people ordered the tachos (tater tot nachos) and 1 person ordered nachos with just beef and cheese. One of the first people to order the tachos never received her order because it was given to someone else who ordered later on. She waited over an hour for her food, which didn't come before she left so she canceled the order. My coworker ordered nachos, which were cold and tasted like they had been sitting out for awhile. She asked for them to be remade and said she wanted them to be hot. She waited about 30-40 minutes before asking where her nachos were as nachos usually don't take long to make. When the waiter brought them out, he mentioned they were really hot. They were lukewarm at best. I told my coworker it wasn't fair for her to pay for the nachos at this point. Having hot food is the bare minimum. The flavor was okay, nothing spectacular, which is to be expected at a college bar. However, the food could at least be hot! We never even mentioned that the nachos weren't supposed to have tomato in them (she ordered just beef and cheese). There was a chunk of tomato that wasn't even chopped properly. Not a huge deal, but it really adds to the fact they don't seem to care about the quality of food. We would have ignored it if the food was hot. When we brought this to our waiter's attention, he became annoyed and said, "What's the problem now?" Then stated that the nacho pan was hot when he carried it over....the nacho pan is metal. If it was truly hot, he wouldn't have been able to carry it with his bare hands and would use his towel. Instead of apologizing for the nachos being cold for a second time, he snatched the nachos up and snapped at us saying that he would just remove it from her tab. We sat there for a good minute shocked at his attitude/behavior. My manager was in such disbelief that she asked, "Is this real life?!" Because it really felt like no experience we've ever had. Some of my coworkers have been waiters in the past and explained that his behavior was so unacceptable even if he was having a hard day. It was amusing but honestly not acceptable how disrespectful the staff was. I could understand if we were being rude in any way, but we were respectful and just wanted small things like straws or as I stated above, hot food. The rudeness didn't stop at the waiter and manager. The bartender also wasn't very nice apparently to my coworkers. All they did was ask what beers they had. Overall, the staff was rude, and the food wasn't good. We didn't think that asking for a menu, ordering at the bar, or wanting hot food was unreasonable, yet we were met with rudeness from 3 different people. Coming from a person who didn't even order anything, because I was hesitant about the staff/food, I am shocked at how awful we were treated. I'm glad I reconsidered ordering food, because it was awful and asking for hot food is apparently too much. Kind, courteous staff and hot food is the absolute bare minimum. I understand the difficulty of working with disrespectful, young students, but we were respectful and only wanted a good experience. We definitely won't be back. read more

Ordered a burger to go with fries. The service was fantastic and the burger was amazing. California burger. Cooked perfectly, assembled perfectly, so so good! Bartenders were attentive and courteous with my to go order. read more

Food was really good - the totchos are excellent. The only problem was the noise level - we sat upstairs and it was really loud. But our food was great, and our server was nice and helpful. I thought the dessert menu looked great but my family made me leave... next time read more

Third time he in a week. Great drinks(something in the watermelon and Tonics old fashioned my faves). Great vibe, big upstairs. Bar staff (Ethan) attentive and friendly. read more

Should be spelled TOXIC. Seated at a shitty, wobbly table upstairs, just inside the door, lied to by hostess that this was the only available table. The pictures showing table linens are a lie, at least on a Friday night. Looks like a college bar...if that's the case, dont try to dress it up in the description. I hope the symphony measures up...dinner hasn't. Update: the food was pretty ok, and almost made up for deficiencies. The waiter tried his best, but seemed to have had little training and little support. read more

Came here for a work luncheon...I was a little turned off because they wanted our party of 12 to sit in a booth...now I admit, the booth was oversized but that just wasn't going to work for us. Everyone seemed to have enjoyed their food which was mainly burgers...but 3 of us ordered the Curried Veggie Bowl. Two of the three came out room temperature and cold rice...I didn't send mine back but my co-worker did and when it returned it was nice and hot. The main reason I didn't return mine was because I wasn't moved by the flavor and didn't think heat would help. I did like the space so I plan to go back to try a different item for a better review...maybe with a smaller party to get a better experience. read more

Tonic - Curried Veggie Bowl - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Good food but service was slow and the sign that advertises the $10 Gworld special is wrong. We were charged full price for our meals and were told we couldn't get a refund after. Good decor and ambiance but i won't be returning. read more

Stopped by for happy hour and Trivia night and had a great experience. There was a wide selection of drinks and the loaded tots were very filling. One of our drinks ended up having a piece of glass in it and the waiter quickly switched it out for us. Definitely a great spot to grab a drink with friends or coworkers. read more

Tonic - Flight - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Usually great service, always nice selection of brews. Always enjoy the food. Happy to go back.

The place itself isn't anything too phenomenal, the back patio is nice for brunch but the inside is kind of dark and cramped. However, the reason I'm writing this post is because the food is surprisingly good and the menu is pretty big and diverse... given it's essentially a bar in the middle of a college-y area. I've been consistently impressed with the food and have been for both brunch and dinner. Good portion sizes and proper amount of meat in the dishes plus seemingly fresh ingredients. Again for a place I'd expect crummier food, it's good!! Try something beside the tots, I note people complaining about the food on here are mostly referring to the tots. read more

Tonic - Mini Mac and salad - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Tonic is a great spot for lunch in DC. The staff is nice and you can usually get right in. The location is nice and scenic in downtown DC. They are famous for their tater tots but I would recommend sharing them with a friend because there are a lot of them. My friend and I split tater tots and a salmon salad, and we both had enough to eat and stayed within our budget range for a lunch out. The salmon was fantastic, although a little expensive. read more

Tonic - Tater Tots - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I am not quite sure why the rating is so low for this restaurant but I loved my experience here! The server was absolutely wonderful! Not only was she knowledgeable of the menu but she was very attentive and even brought my pups a bowl of water. The means we ordered were delicious and cooked perfectly. It was a pretty enjoyable time! read more

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

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If you looked at the photo of my mac & cheesy burger and have read any of my past reviews you'd probably say "this place is definitely getting 5 stars from Jason". And don't get me wrong, the burger looked fantastic. The burger is exactly as advertised but it was definitely missing something . . . . and a $15 burger ought to have that "something". The 4th star is for the service, which is always great. Also because I've been here before and will be here again because you can't beat comfort food when you're escaping your office building for lunch. read more

Tonic - Mac & Cheesy Burger - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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$6 Totchos (tator tot nachos!), $4 draft beer, and $4 rails?! Definitely coming back for happy hour. Tip: One order of their totchos is more than enough for two people to split. read more

Tonic - Totchos - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went to Tonic on a recommendation by a co-worker before going to the Kennedy Center. From the outside they looked pretty laid back had a nice patio on the backside with some umbrellas and a good Brick building backdrop. We asked at the front desk if there was seating out there, and they said it was first come, first serve seating. Then we asked if service was slower out there and they said yes. So we went to the front patio which is smaller and more porch sitting like. Our server came by fast to get drink orders. My coworker ordered an order of ToTs (which came out very quick). I was not sure what I wanted and saw it was happy hour on the menu, but it wasn't indicative what drinks were on happy hour (mixed); it listed food items. I wanted to order a gin and tonic, just a normal gin and tonic with a lemon slice. They had a gin and tonic premade on their list with lime and the waitresses suggested that. Eventually, the waitress and I had an understanding that I wanted them to make a drink with gin, tonic they had behind bar, and add a lemon; and did not want them to use the premix one. Ordering food, the menu seemed to be "just bar food" with a couple of salads (which I should have probably ordered). On the menu were things like Mac and Cheese, Pizza, Burgers and wings. I ordered a pizza (the specialty they had mamma something pizza). I asked for oregano on the side. Waitress automatically said it comes with what it comes with, they don't have oregano in the kitchen upstairs. I asked if they would have it anywhere in the restaurant maybe on another floor and after a few back and forth, she said she would check downstairs where they keep spices. The pizza came out and we had the Tots with three dipping sauces. Overall, I was not impressed with the food. The pizza cheese was already settled by the time it had made its way to the table. They did bring out a side of oregano, which I was very pleased about! The tots were just tots, and the sauces were nothing special with little to no flavor. Two were mayo based and one was just ketchup. The enthusiasm of the waitress and to me what seem to be the unwillingness to deviate from anything on the menu was exhausting. The whole experience reminds me of a dive bar but without dive bar prices... If you are popping in for a drink or two with a coworker I would say this place is fine and they have two choices of outdoor space and an upstairs bar that can accommodate a trendy HH. I personally wouldn't get food here (unless possibly the salad) or make it a destination. read more

Tonic - Not your moms Italian pizza - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here tonight after playing tourist in DC and wanted to eat somewhere unique to the area. We had the fried pickles, Buffalo chicken mini mac, and entree pork belly Mac. It was all delicious but I think the pork belly Mac was our fave! The prices really aren't bad at all, especially considering the generous servings! read more

Tonic - Mini Mac - Buffalo chicken - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a go to place for happy hour near GW campus and within a few blocks from the Marvin Center. Tonic benefits from its location, which means that it draws from GW, World Bank, State Department and so on. The food is meh at best and the beer selection is on par with most bars and restaurants near Foggy Bottom. I will say that happy hour prices are decent for DC, but service is lacking. If you are looking for a decent place for happy hour to grab a beer (or whatever your preference is) with friends, then Tonic is a likely scenario. If you are looking for a great meal then I would suggest elsewhere. There are plenty of fantastic restaurants within a short distance, so grab a beer or two with friends then make your way to dinner elsewhere. My advice is that get there at the start of happy hour, so around 4-4:30. Chances are you will get the attention of the bartender. Another plus is that the outdoor seating on a nice day is well...nice. So go for the outdoors if it's not too humid! read more

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

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Tonic is a hot spot for GW undergrads - it's across from the main quad on campus. This can be both good and bad. It's a busy restaurant with decent food- prices are okay- the GWorld burger (show GWID) is a good deal ($12.95 for a burger and a drink). Salmon salad is delicious!!! Drinks are also good. The outdoor patio is nice in the fall and summer! Worth visiting! read more

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You might think, "if this place has been here so long, surely it's gotta be good." That would be a mistake. This place is thoroughly mediocre, both in terms of service and food. When you then consider its relatively high prices, the restaurant is a disappointment. I think the only redeeming features it has are its trivia, jazz and comedy nights. I have not been to those, but I could see them keeping the place afloat. Otherwise, we had a burger with the fixings, Buffalo Mac and cheese, tater tots, wings, and some drinks. The burger was quite disappointing because it seemed to be premade or pre frozen rather than freeformed. Meanwhile the max sauce was weird like velveeta and the Buffalo pieces just like chicken with random sauce on them. Tater tots and wings ok. Overall overpriced for a relatively low value, so do not recommend. read more

Decent place. We had drinks here and the bartender was very attentive. Great location and everything was pretty clean. I was surprised to see some of the negative comments. Definitely a decent place, clean, with friendly staff. I'd go back there. Only criticism would be bathroom up 2-flights of stairs, but that's not an easy solve. read more

Just started working at GWU and a colleague recommended we grad a beer at tonic and some nachos. When the bill came it included a "surcharge" of 3.5%. I guess I should be honored to be allowed into the place- sort of like a cover charge. Guess what- never going back there EVER again. This idea that you can just add on a surcharge is ridiculous. Also- their nachos are criminally bad. Avoid at all cost! read more

I came here at noon, there was plenty of seating inside but the hostess decided to seat us outside despite me and my dining companion telling her we preferred inside. We then spent the entire meal swatting away bees and mosquitoes. The I got fish tacos and my friend got the crusted tuna and soup. The fish was alright, the soup was below average. We also got fried pickles which came with a flat and bland sauce. As we were leaving the hostess didn't even acknowledge us. The bug assault wasn't the restaurant's fault, but the horrible service from the hostess was. Combined with the average at best food, there's definitely better places to spend your money. Not to mention they've decided to add a 3% surcharge on all meals, which is outside of the gratuity. The worst meal I've had in D.C. in a very long time. read more

Have been here several times and have always been satisfied, but I do want to shout out my most recent experience. Came in with a group of 4 just after 9 pm on a Sunday night. The host told us the kitchen was closed, but he could double check for us to see if they could let us order, and they did! We were all able to order and get our food very quickly, and I think we were all pleased. I was definitely happy with my cheeseburger and tots, and would definitely come back for another burger. The one area of improvement I would flag is the menu experience itself. Right now you use the QR code on the table which is totally fine, but the web menu requires you to scroll past all of the wines, beers, and cocktails before you get to the food. A few links to navigate the page more quickly would be very helpful. read more

Awesome for happy hour, which goes until 7pm and gives you lots of $5 drink options, including the Frose - my favorite. Sitting in the bar area, tables seat up to 8 and you can just order from your phone, which makes it easy to pay for your own items without burdening the bartender/server to split your bill. Staff brought drinks within *seconds* of me ordering. I think this spot is halfway between a neighborhood bar and dive, but I like that. A huge order of tater tots were also only $5 during happy hour, and hit the spot. read more

I wanted to grab a light bite to eat before visiting the Museum & the exterior menu had me sold. I was unsold when I got inside, seated, placed my order & was told only the Brunch Menu was being served. From the Salmon BLTA, to asking if I could make the Salmon Caesar Salad into a Sandwich (no dice), I settled for the Baja Veggie Burger...very bland. Since the sun was out, I sat on the patio that had an uneven foundation & not quickly accessible getting up & sitting down. Even though this 'Pub/Bar' sits in the small artery of George Washington University (Foggy Bottom Campus), I could have enjoyed my outing much more if it wasn't for the table of college students dropping the F-Bomb every other minute. My food & service was OK (I had to ask for a pen to sign my check), yet the presence & the sounds of the birds made it worthwhile. Won't return. read more

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