Bistro Bohem

Pretty awesome stuff! Neat concept, nice decorating and lighting. Reminds me a lot of Czech food I ate years ago.

My dad's family is Slovak, and while I make some of our traditional dishes at home, it's always nice to find them out in the world. It's very rare. So when I saw this place in DC (yes it's Czech but that's close) I got here when I had a chance.

It's a little place. It looks like a corner bar. It's cozy, and friendly, and nice enough but not super fancy. The menu is very interesting, with lots of Czech classics, some updated versions, and and some very good bar food. Decent beer and wine list.

I had a Czech beer, Praha Dark. Malty and smooth. I had the pickled Brie, which may be close to some Czechoslovakian cheese dishes, but who cares? It was good Brie, marinated in garlic and herbs and oil, served with excellent multigrain bread.

And then there was the halusky. Dumplings, basically; my family's version has sauteed onions and farmer's cheese. Some versions have cabbage. This version had both. Tender cabbage and onions, lots of perfect little handmade dumplings, and three big perfect strips of bacon on top. I was moaning while eating it. I was having flashbacks to my childhood, I was probably getting hardened arteries, I was hoping the meal would never end. It was amazing. Service was great. Prices are pretty good. I wish we had something like this back home.

I came here last Friday on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. The place gives off a small bar bistro vibe. It was a slow mid-day so only the bartender was working. He immediately greeted us and gave us menus when we sat. The place specializes Czech and Central European cuisine, which I was unaware of before entering. I love trying new food so i was excited.

We asked the bartender/server what he recommended and for traditional Czech dishes he said go with the halusky (potatoes gnocchi) or beef gulas. He also said their shnitzel was a go to. I decided to go with the halusky and my friend got the pork schnitzel With mushrooms, sauerkraut and cheese. Her dish also came with fries and she added a salad. Our food was so good! I LOVED the halusky, it was similar to risotto more than traditional gnocchi, but it was delicious! Creamy and cheesy. The schnitzel also did not disappoint! The mushrooms, sauerkraut and provolone cheese on top was delicious! We also got cocktails. I got the curious Collins and my friend got the Praha mule. Both were good and delightfully refreshing. Overall, we had a real good experience and would definitely recommend trying them out!

Czech food is sadly undervalued. Bistro Bohem will enlighten you. I had the halusky. It fills your mouth with layers of flavor. The egg spaetzle are beautifully complemented with the mild sharpness of the housemade sauerkraut. Wash it down with a bright, crisp Czech lager and you are in Eastern European taste heaven.

I took off a star because my wife was not pleased with her Bratwurst sandwich. The Bratwurst was cut in half and fried to hardness.

Bistro Bohem is a secret gem in the neighborhood that I hope stays around for a long while. They serve traditional Czech food and drinks but also have some dishes to please everyone.

The restaurant consists of two small dining rooms, as well as an awesome patio. Everyone there is super friendly, and they even have Czech servers. They have deals on most nights - burger night ($10 for burger/fries) is on Monday.

For dinner - the fried cheese appetizer is amazing. Will probably need two orders next time we come back, we fought over this. For entrees, honestly everything was amazing. The duck breast was cooked perfectly and complimented by a delicious mushroom risotto, right up my alley. The duck leg with potato dumplings was also executed very well, and the pork chunks with bread dumplings was a delicious dish that reminds me of the best meals in Prague.

We've also had the Pilsner burger for takeout, which is seriously good. Pretzel bun, cheese, caramelized onions, pickles, just one of the best burgers in DC for sure. It's messy and delicious. Comes with a side and there are so many options - we've had the red cabbage, fries, and spaetzle so far which are really good. May be coming back every Monday for the burger.

**WARNING**
I checked in which offered a 10% off for brunch or lunch and they refused to honor it. This is the first time EVER I've run into a business that would not honor a check-in offer on Yelp. It's been almost 4 months apparently and they have not removed this check-in offer! This is a terrible business practice and they should be ashamed of themselves!!!

FOOD: Gross. Honestly skip this restaurant!
Farmers Omelet $13
Potatoes, Ham, Mushrooms, Peppers, Tomatoes, Onion, Toast

Spinach & Roasted Tomato Omelet $13
Egg White Omelet, Spinach, Roasted Tomatoes, Toast

Potato Pancake $4
Potato pancake had a gummy texture, I'm not even sure it was potato?

BOTH omelets had the overcooked egg crust which tasted like a plastic wrapper. It comes with toast, but it's literally put on top of the omelet - it's no longer toast, it comes as soggy bread!

SERVICE:
What service? Took order, food was dropped off, didn't see server until I had to track her down to get the check. Maybe check on us to see if we need anything after the food is dropped off? We both wanted toast not soggy bread but we couldn't ever get the attention of our server to help us. Also wanted pepper (there is no salt/pepper on the table) and more coffee. Again - no service.

Bistro Bohem made my day, my week, my month, and even my year.

I couldn't ask for a better way to eat a restaurant for the first time (on the patio) after quarantine. Everything was sanitized, the staff were incredibly kind and sat us without a reservation.

The limited options was honestly better so there is less decision making and everything was delicious and tasty. We got the burger and the chicken schnitzel sandwich. Can't wait to go back.

I came here for dinner on a Friday night without reservations and was seated immediately.

I split 2 entrees with a friend - the beef gulas and roasted duck. The gulas was pretty average.

The gulas was okay. The beef was a little dry, and I wasn't a fan of the bread dumplings. They were also pretty dry. The serving size was a little small.

The duck was REALLY good. The meat was really tender and flavorful. The potato dumplings were amazing - a little crispy on the outside and super chewy in a good way. I'm usually not a fan of cabbage, but the braised cabbage was the perfect compliment to the dish - a little sweet, a little sour.

A hidden gem in Shaw. Brunch or dinner you can't go wrong. Menu favorites include: Pirogies, Schnitzel and Waffle, Portobello sandwich, Potato pancakes and of course their fries. A lot of options for different types of people and vegetarian options that aren't bland. I always take out of town guests.

I like the front sitting room for small parties. It's nice and quiet. Service is good and attentive.

Only gripe is the iced coffee is bad & tastes like water.


It's across the Street from Shaw's Tavern. Parking can be tough but you can park by Cordoza High School (unzoned) for a 8 minute walk.

We stopped in on a Thursday night around 8pm with a party of three. 2:3 had never been here before but we were excited to check it out.

The first thing I noticed is there is not a lot of seething for parties bigger than 2. We ended up being placed at the only high top table (seats 7). The second thing I noticed was how hot it is inside. Yesterday was a really hot day so maybe they weren't prepared but we were sweating throughout our visit. Service was good, our waiter was friendly and refilled waters pretty frequently.

We ordered two sparkling pears (cocktails) $11 each and a medium beer for $8. The sparkling pears were good but small portion considering it was served in a champagne flute. I was hoping for more carbonation since it was called "sparkling" but I would recommend it. We ordered a couple sides of potato pancakes $4- each side came with 3 pancakes and sour cream. They were really good and I would highly recommend them. We ordered the Smasacky $8- twist on a fried mozzarella, 5 in an order and while they were good they were very greasy. We also ordered the breaded chicken Schnitzel $16 with a side of mashed potatoes. My boyfriend loved this and kept saying it was exactly like he remembered from his childhood. Our total was $65 which seemed on point with the area.

Things I would change- the number of 4 seater tables. Also- how hot it was inside, with temperatures hitting over a 100 this weekend there's no way I would be back until it cools down outside. Lastly- having two types of pierogis. Unfortunately there was only one and it had meat inside- doesn't help us vegetarians. There were three vegetarian options but none that spoke to me like the pierogies were doing.