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Categories: American (New), French
Neighborhood: Glover Park
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So many haters for this restaurant! First of all, it's not French - it's good ol' Southern food, buttery, fat and SO tasty!
I finally let my husband pick a brunch place (I lost a bet), and since he's been reading Esquire in the bathroom, he decided we were going to Blue Ridge. We call to make a reservation and the gentleman on the phone was so sweet - he suggested we sit outside on the patio because it's such a beautiful day out. 1 point.
We get to the joint and are warmly greeted by the elderly man, he's quite funny actually. Out waitress was really helpful and nice as well. They didn't have the Corn Fritters on the Brunch menu, but they made them anyway. We didn't want the Bacon, and asked for the Fried Green Tomatoes instead "No problem" she says. We ordered the following: Fritatta with Goat Cheese, Funnel Cake Donuts, Sticky Buns, Eggs/Potato/FGT. Here's my breakdown on everything:
-Corn Fritters, really tasty and with a good aioli dipping sauce
-Fried Green Tomatoes, the best I've had so far in DC
-Fritatta with Goat Cheese, Really tasty, very well balanced and the goat cheese on top was very fresh and actually different from any other type of goat cheese I've ever had - 1 point.
-Funnel Cake Donuts, WOW! Enough said.
-Sticky Buns, the rum raisins were good, everything else I could have lived without.
Everyone was really happy with their meals and the service is impeccable. We'll def. be back here on a warmer night to enjoy the back patio.
And really yelpers, give this place a chance!
So, a friend of mine flew into town, and upon arrival commented on how they had read about Blue Ridge/Barton Seaver in Esquire on their flight in and thought it would be neat to try it. I asked to see the article given my previous experiences, had my misgivings, but since I hadn't been in 3 months, I thought maybe things had improved and I'd be the dutiful host and let them try it.
Well, I'm not sure if the the writer from Esquire has actually ever been to Blue Ridge or if this was just another example of some unfounded PR hot air. Furthermore, I'm not sure if I'm madder at myself for not learning from my previous mistakes or mad at Blue Ridge for not learning from theirs. The bottom line is the place is not good, and it was another comical experience which I will avoid getting into detail on since it wasn't much different from previous experiences. They try to talk a good game, have a good space, but the food blows and the service is inadequate. It's one star this time because there's no excuse at this point for the many things that they continue to execute poorly. Additionally, its November - its going to be cold for 5 months - there's truly no saving graces now that the back patio won't be open.
So this is what's been hyped for the past 6 months?
Sometimes I feel the need to grade on a curve in…
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Great space, some great dishes and some abject failures.
Great: The space - the patio is the best in the Deece. The fish dishes are pretty much uniformly fantastic. The cocktails are extremely good.
The failures: Brunch - aside from the coffee, OJ and bacon which are all wonderful, the brunch dishes are poor. My omelette was awful: the eggs were overcooked and must have been left under a heating lamp to dry out. There was no salt, no flavor and their texture was very unappealing. The potatoes were rock hard and completely unseasoned. Others were also unhappy with their food. For the best patio in DC to have such a bad brunch is unacceptable. As for dinner, the only poor item was the sweet potato fritters: Sound delicious, but basically they are flavorless hard little balls.
The wine list really needs work. There aren't many good selections and, for a place that charges this much for an entree, the focus on cheap wine undermines the food and the overall experience.
The reason I'm focusing on the negatives is that this place has SUCH potential. The fish dishes are unbelievably good. There are good ideas in the menu. As noted, the space is fantastic. The service is not bad. The cocktails are quite good.
Go for dinner on a nice night, sit on the patio and eat the fish and you'll be ecstatic. Otherwise, don't say I didn't tell you.
Rats in the garden on one occasion and on the last, mice running through the restaurant. Manageress admitted problem. After witnessing three different mice running amock, the food was irrelevent.
I recently ate here on a Tuesday night, and it was surprisingly so busy that I had to sit at the bar. The casual, yet polished décor and atmosphere allow you to relax while still feeling like you're out for a nice dinner.
The bartender was knowledgeable about the menu and ingredients as well as very helpful in recommending dishes.
The sweet potato fritters were delicious-- perfectly sweet and savory. (And no, it's not only because they're fried).
The untraditional meatloaf was extremely satisfying, yet the tomato sauce on top was a little sweet.
The pork tenderloin was very flavorful and perfectly cooked. The collard greens that came on the side, however, were a bit too salty (a common complaint), but alas, that's southern food for ya.
Overall, the place is a cool spot to grab a quality dinner. If you feel like you might be paying too much for food that is subpar, then just stick to the more reasonably priced dishes -- don't knock the place altogether.
Came here for brunch. The decision to eat here was made entirely on the basis of it being a nice day, yet too sunny to eat brunch outside at next-door Bourbon, because their tables were too reflective and there weren't any in the shade. As we wandered next door to Blue Ridge and looked at the menu, the host mentioned their patio in the back. Sold.
The food was standard brunch fare, and pretty good, when it finally came, that is. How long can it possibly take to make an omelette? If you answered 45 minutes, you may enjoy eating here.
Lovely mix of country/upscale atmosphere and food. We ate here Friday, and after reading the below reviews, I knew we had a 50/50 chance of what our experience would be like. We sat in the garden out back which felt like a country house. Lovely little garden and covered space that felt miles from DC. Our server was great, she was attentive and quickly brought us our appetizers of barak-wurst and deviled eggs. Both very tasty - the barak-wurst is made by a local sausage artisan and had a hint of lemon that was delightful.
For our mains, we tried Arctic Char, a burger with goat cheese and bacon, and sirloin steak. All of our meals were great, I will admit the veggies with the fish were a bit over-salted but still delicious, the burger was perfect as were the fries, and the sirloin was delicious. We also ordered the grit cake appetizer which was perfect!! Crispy on the outside and creamy inside with tons of lovely mushrooms on top.
We sampled some local Virginia wines, and looked longingly at the nice dessert menu - pies and ice cream floats, how cute!
I would definitely return to Blue Ridge and I just loved the ambiance. The inside eating area was also lovely, with a hamptons-style feel inside, very "Country Elegant."
Finally got the chance to try out Blue Ridge and I was incredibly impressed. It was a Sunday night but there were plenty of tables and we were seated instantly. The menu is small, but packed with options. We ordered the sweet potato fritters to start, which were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and amazingly delicious.
I ordered the smoked bluefish Caesar, and my dining companion ordered the meatloaf. My bluefish was amazing. I can't emphasize that enough. AH-MAY-ZING. The fish just melted in my mouth, and was nicely complemented by the bed of fresh butter lettuce and lemony dressing. I tried the meatloaf as well, which was also incredible. It was cut-with-a-fork tender, topped with BBQ sauce. The mashed potatoes it comes with are made with yogurt, which gives them a really interesting taste. They're kind of tangy and have a little spice. Everything we had was spectacular!
I highly recommend Blue Ridge. The food is delicious and unique and makes for a great dining experience.
Went here in June right after its opening for my boyfriend's birthday. I think it's so cute that they bring out popcorn for an appetizer instead of bread. I had the fried green BLT and it was delicious!
Love that this place is walking distance to my apartment, but even if it weren't, I'd visit it.
I love the country atmosphere, and the rocking chairs on the porch are a plus in my book. :-)
I'm so mad at myself for not yelping this neighborhood gem right after I dined there, because I'd be able to wax a lot more poetically had I yelped within 24 hours. That said, the fond memories of my experience at Blue Ridge linger nearly a month later.
My favorite things: grilled okra, crispy grits cake (my MVP), the mixed potato salad (I don't even like potatoes usually) and the salmon, which I believe was a special. Had a bite of Maggie P's fried green tomato BLT, also amazing.
Charming space (the patio's a dream!), Southern hospitality and colossal portions of comfort fare make this hot spot a place I can't wait to revisit (especially for brunch!). One little thing: spray some OFF! on yourself if you're going to sit outdoors. You'll want your BR leftovers, but probably not any bug bites.
The Fried Green Tomatoes were so good I was waiting for Kathy Bates to come out of the kitchen at any moment. They do Okra the right way over skewers and whole. Their 'Barrack-wurst' might even make Ann Coulter smile.
And for dessert: I was shocked to have a choice of Root Beer or Cream Soda Floats. The decision process got even more involved when they asked 'What kind of Root Beer?' Didn't even know there were KINDS of Root Beer.
I was pretty bummed that I went on a 'Vietnam Hot' day in DC because we couldn't eat in the Garden out back. I poked my head out and heard the fountain in full force but then started to sweat like crazy so dining room it was. Some other time Garden, some other time!
The service.. Eh, left a bit to be desired.
Three of us went out to grab dinner here on a Friday evening. The weather was nice and we sat in their outdoor seating area outback.
The Food-
Overall I'd say the food was good but INCREDIBLY SALTY! No seriously, wicked, horrifically salty. The fries were good (not to greasy) but the orka was nothing to write home about.
The Service-
The service was incredibly intermittent. At random times during our meal, someone would check on us 2 or 3 times every 7min or so, other times (such as when a friend of mine ordered a drink) we would not see anyone for 15min!
The Atmosphere-
The place is nice. You somehow get a upscale yet relaxed feel with only the following exception- I know having everyone wear cowboy shirts is "your thing" but it reminds me of a gimmicky chain restaurant.
We were here for lunch during restaurant week and were very happy. Place has plenty of breathing room in a sunny, country way. Starter salads were good. The fried grits cake with yummy mushrooms were way too fat--if the cakes were flatter it would have been much better as it was it diluted the mushrooms/sauce.
I am a sucker for meatloaf and was not disappointed in the smoky flavored version on top of mashed potatoes. The hangar steak was also stellar. Desserts were good enough--the crust on the pecan pie left something to be desired but the blueberry pie was better. Service was pretty slow--especially given that the lunch crowd was about 6 tables.
Want to go back and hit up the seafood next time.
This place has so much potential- a beautiful space, a huge private patio, a great location- yet our dining experience was disappointing in every way possible.
The service? What service? It was as if our waiter wasn't just new to the restaurant, but new to being a waiter, period. It wasn't just him, either. The busboys were practically non-existent. Our table was set wrong, and the utensils were dirty and had to be replaced. Our food took 35 minutes for two burgers, and when it came the toppings were wrong. My water glass sat unfilled for the entire meal. When we were done eating, the dirty plates sat in front of us for at least 20 minutes. It took another 15 to track down the waiter and ask for the check.
The food wasn't good, either. The menu is small and even though appears to have a lot of options, most are part of the meat or cheese plate. There are actually only 4-5 appetizers and 7-8 entrees. The sweet potato balls were undersalted and bland. Our burgers, despite being ordered medium, came out 100% raw in the middle. The outside was chewy and overcooked. I literally had to use a fork to pull out all the raw meat- which made a sizable ball on my plate- and then ate the overcooked stuff in the bun.
In addition to the bad food and service, I couldn't help but to get the feeling that the owners were trying to cut costs at every chance possible. The popcorn you get instead of bread was a tiny portion and cold, and tasted like day-old movie popcorn. Beers came in 12 oz glasses. The burgers came with a few chips and not fries. Even the limited menu appeared to be a cost-cutting move.
I wouldn't come back here unless I was getting drinks on the rear patio, which actually looked quite nice. Otherwise, avoid this place at all costs.
Good brunch alternative; hard to beat funnel cake donuts and French Press coffee for a starter. Liked the Barrackwurst, trout and burgers. Blue fish Caesar was something I would have again although the Bluefish may not be for everyone. Grilled grean beans were okay- might not have those again.
Service needs a little help, though. They should push their servers to try to be a little more on the ball and the whole experience would be up to par.
Like to rear patio, with shade!
Blue Ridge has finally opened in the former Busara space. The owners are the restaurateurs of Sonoma, Mendocino Grille and Redwood fame.
The food is new American/ creative Southern and focuses on local and fresh ingredients (trendy, I know, but a good trend that is hopefully here to stay!). I had the green tomato BLT which was mighty tasty, bordering on BLT perfection. I washed it down with a punch cocktail and was immediately craving another glass.
The space is nicely laid out and includes a back deck and upstairs lounge. I can't wait to return!
I love this place. Barton Seaver and crew have put together a great wonderful menu that centers around sustainable seafood with a cutting edge.
The space is beautiful and the outdoor courtyard is one of those rare quiet outdoor finds in D.C. I have eaten there twice and both times were fantastic.
So far I have tried the Bluefish caeser and the Bluefish Sandwich which were both prepared perfectly. (yes I love bluefish) The corn chowder was delicious and the oyster app is killer.
Again the best part has to be the outside space, great for Sunday brunch. I have had nothing but great experiences with the staff as both times they were very attentive and warm.
As I love my coffee, I always look for that hard to find great coffee in a restaurant and I have to say this too was awesome. They use Dallis Coffee and serve table side in a press. This fits in perfectly with the organic look and feel of the restaurant. I had a nice Yirgacheffe which was great.
Oh yeah and the on site water carbonation for sparkling water is nice too.
Another great find worth checking out.
Cheers
I give Blue Ridge an optimistic 4 stars, or more like 3.5 stars. The place has been open less than a month and the food is great.
The service is lacking and some of the problems others complained about are true, but I'm inclined to let some of that go for a month or two.
I had a great cesar salad with smoke fish. Everyone else was really pleased with their meal as well. The BLT comes with fried green tomatoes. The veggie pot pie looked delicious.
I'm sure I'll be back, and if in a few months the same service issues remain I'll amend my rating. For now I'll give it 4 stars with the hopes that they can continue to improve their service.
I've only had brunch here so it won't be a full review until I get to return for dinner.
The owners took over the Busara's dated 80s neon space and turned it into something much better. Here is the brunch.
Sparkling water, asked if I wanted lemon or lime. A plus for sure. With sustainability in mind, it's carbonated filtered water, free refills.
Sweet potato fritters - app - damn good, kinda cheesy, a bit crispy. not sure where the sweet potato comes in cuz I didn't taste any of it in there. Still delish.
Meat plate - app - sucked. (see review of Cafe du Parc or Proof for the top 2 meat plates in town) We got 3 items, prosciutto, ckn liver mousse and BBQ ham. Prosciutto stuck together, so gotta get your fingers in there, no hint of BBQ in the ham, mousse was good though it just melted into ckn liver liquid in the sun. (but patio as it has always been is still, FAB)
The boys had trout, they seemed to enjoy it. The root veg mash was a hit. I had the grits cake with mushroom gravy, gravy was more like just some sauteed mush - not quite the sauce I anticipated (Mark and Orlando's have the best grits cake ever - I hear that they are remodeling and due to open again sometime in the next few months, fingers crossed), had 2 sunny side eggs, which were cooked ALMOST perfectly save for the runny whites still left over. Grits needed seasoning. Side of collard greens, also bland, needed salt.
Ambiance was good, chill laid back in the sunny garden. Service was attentive, thank you Emily. The upstairs bar is due to open in a couple of weeks, it looks rustic and cozy while elegant.
It's also just a couple of blocks from my house so I want to give it another go for dinner before passing final judgement. I am beginning to see that most places in DC are under or way over salted and hard to find "just right". I hope they figure out the salt issue soon.
3.5! The outside patio was lovely for an alfresco dinner. I felt as though I was down in the country on a picnic.
The food was great too. We started with the sweet potato fritters which were awesome! They were filled with a creamy Gruyere cheese and had an awesome mustard accompaniment . We also had the chicken liver mousse, a cheese plate, the grilled squid and some salad. the salad was less than memorable, but the mousse, cheese and squid were all delicious.
The wine selection was also very nice. We tasted two before we decided on a California red, but I was impressed by the amount of Virginia wines offered.
It's a great neighborhood spot to enjoy a glass of wine and share some apps! I will definitely have to come back and check out the entrees.
One word: SALTY. And that word does not really ever escape my lips. I'm the person that always says, "Do they have salt back there?" Regardless, the meal was over salted.
But let's start from the beginning. My boyfriend had planned a couple's evening (I'm new to the area, so am trying to meet people, get to know neighborhoods..you know the deal) with a guy he works with, they're great and they like food too. So, back to Blue Ridge, the restaurant itself is nice, nothing fantastic though. We were seated in the back patio, this is a great space and we were lucky enough to have an evening that was not too warm. So, we nestled in and took a look at our menus.
The menu is mostly comfort food dominated. They have snacks: deviled eggs, "barack-wurst" skewers, sweet potato fritters are they ones we ordered..I have to say, they were all really good, we cleaned our plates. We also ordered the crispy grit cake appetizer. HUGE disappointment...seriously, no flavor, completely devoid of anything that tasted of anything. No joke. And for our entrees, we ordered the steak special, the pork chop, meat loaf and the fried green tomato BLT thing. So, first off the two women at the table, got the biggest portions I had ever seen. My meatloaf was served atop a small mountain of potatoes in a tiny cast iron skillet. It looked ridiculous. And like I said, so salty I needed a pitcher of water at my side. Same thing with the FGTBLT, the thing had a life of it's own and it came with potato chips and greens. So, here's where it just didn't seem right. Across from us, were 2 much smaller in size portion plates. My boyfriend ordered a sirloin steak, all fanned out over a little slice of a potato gratin with a frisee salad (which apparently contained only the white parts..yuck) and his friend got a pork shop with a couple of pieces of mango on top and some kind of charred greens (we still don't know). There was just no balance to the portion size for all 4 plates. We did get a dessert menu, which looked good. I do enjoy a good piece o' pie, but we were all a bit skeptical and I needed to go and buy some water. So, we payed the bill, which was a $140 for 4 with a bottle of wine and 2 cocktails. Not bad, but not great for a sub-par meal. Maybe someone else will have better luck, I hope so.
Great newish restaurant in Glover Park--which we are lucky to have. Great food, good service, nice open courtyard seating in the back. The food is the highlight though with heriloom tomatoes, fresh corn soup, fantastic fish and great chicken pot pie this place is one of my local favorites.
Went for brunch and all in all I'd say it was ok/pretty good. I ordered the 3 egg omelet with vegetable root mash - the omelet was standard, but the vegetable root mash was excellent! My friend ordered the grit cake with mushroom gravy, and FYI it's not a gravy at all, just some sautéed mushrooms, though she did like it.
Food was a little slow to come out, but otherwise the service was good. I loved the back patio area and it seemed like a great place for dinner. I did look at a dinner menu and the prices were very fair (mostly around $15 for an entree), but it did look basic. Lots of grilled fish, some meat dishes and two veggie options.
Skip it. Food not that good. If you do go, stay away from the okra, the ``Barackwurst,'' and don't believe the hype on the sweet potato fritters. Anything deep fried is edible. I long for Busara in that space...but alas I am in a minority of these reviews. My dinner companion agreed, though.
It pains me to say this, but I miss Busara.
As a fan of Mendocino, I eagerly anticipated Blue Ridge's opening for months. I went opening week and sat outside on the lovely (not at all renovated) patio. When I say not at all renovated, I mean that Busara's koi pond and Japanese garden remain intact. Banzai trees don't exactly scream shaker house chic to me, but I ordered an unremarkable (and exorbitantly expensive) champagne cocktail and tried to look past it. We had a large party, so the service was understandably a little slow, but I am not sure there is any excuse for the fact that part of our group received their apps and entrees before my end of the table had even been able to secure water refills (let alone any food). I sampled the trout which came atop a baby food like vegetable puree and the fried green tomato BLT. Neither was particular offensive, but neither was especially tasty either. I left confused, disappointed, and sort of hungry.
Several weeks passed, and I decided to give it another go, this time on date night. We went later in the evening on a Sunday and were seated in the uninviting, and virtually empty, dining room. Several things immediately struck me. First, it appears as though they liked Busara's lighting concept as much as they liked their garden. The strange blue neon glow of the ceiling is odd, and distracting. Second, the gorgeous quilts they have hanging from curtain rods throughout the space are held in place by large, black, plastic binder clips. Maybe I am being too picky, but I refuse to believe that it would be difficult to execute this idea a little better.
Onto the food..We got the root vegetable chips to start. The dip that accompanied them was enjoyable, but I honestly would have preferred potato chips. If your concept is classic and simple, why go out of your way to be so contrarian with the menu? I got the burger, the BF got a steak, and we split the grit cake. My burger was good, but nothing special, he wasn't impressed by his steak, and I was completely upset by the grit cake. I love grits. I don't care if they are a trendy menu item on their way out, they are delicious. This grit "cake" was dry, tasteless, and presented on an empty white plate. In summary, I would eat this meal again if it was free.
Blue Ridge is just confused. They have their servers wearing plaid lumberjack button downs straight out of the urban outfitters sale bin. The menu is seafood heavy, but claims to be an homage to classic American comfort food. The decor is a cross between an Amish barn, an abandoned saloon, and a dated Thai restaurant. Like I said, I miss Busara.
While we enjoyed much about our meal at Blue Ridge; the sweet potato fritters, grilled calamari (just like they do in Italy!), halibut and salmon, our desserts were a *big* disappointment. We ordered the blueberry and pecan pies at $6 a piece. The pecan was good, the blueberry, awful. Our waiter asked if we wanted them a la mode and then neglected to tell us it was $3 per scoop (and mighty tiny scoops at that!). $12 for pie and $6 for ice cream just wasn't worth it! My advice? Save your $18 bucks and have dessert elsewhere!
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