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Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
"I went back to Fado on Saturday after a movie at E Street Cinema, and I had a 5-star experience! My sister had just returned from studying…" read more »
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Elephant & Castle is close to work, so the few times I've been here were for happy hour. When I say happy hour, I am referring only to the fact that it was in the hour(s) after work and not to any "happy hour" specials. Because there weren't any. Okay, I think you could get a Miller Lite draft for $4 and Woodbridge wines for $5, but it was very limited and the regular prices and somewhat high considering that its a fake pub chain.
The share plates are a decent deal, and there are several options. You can buy one share plate (appetizer size food) for I think $6.50 each, or 3 for $16. I would verify on their website, but it was verrrry slow earlier this week when I looked at it and I'd rather not go through that pain again. Anyway, I've had the sweet potato fries (yum), pretzels (three small-medium size pretzels that are fried and were very oily and heavy), and chicken tenders (again, very oily). Too bad they were too oily because they tasted okay.
I've never had an issue with service here, though the host stand seems to get backed up for seating pretty quickly.
Overall, this place is okay if you are in the neighborhood and only looking to have a drink (really, if you are looking to have a beer on tap that you can't find on most places. go somewhere else for a real drink). As for me, I'm hoping to convince my coworkers to head somewhere new for our next happy hour.
Wow, this place was really bad. My husband and I went there for dinner one night and sat in the bar area.
No one came to bus the table from its three empty glasses, so we did that for them, with nary a thanks from the barstaff. We ordered the spinach-artichoke dip and two burgers--two things that are so easy, you have to be a terrible chef to mess them up.
The spinach dip was foul. It was hard on top and liquid in everywhere else, with chunks of artichoke that weren't fully chopped up and threads of spinach for apparent decoration.
The burgers were gross...because they came out cold. Like, not lukewarm or warm because they had been sitting under heat lamps for 15 minutes, but like they had been sitting out, not under heat lamps for 15 minutes. Disgusting.
I asked for mayo and A1 sauce and she brought two things of mayo and HP sauce, which is not A1 sauce, nor is it remotely similar to it. When she brought it to the table, I apologized for having to ask her for something else due to how busy it was, but could we get salt and pepper, please? She told me to borrow someone's and walked off. What kind of service is that? Terrible.
I don't think I'll go back, unless it's just to drink and not at all to eat. That place had bad service and worse food.
I got really excited with i saw fullers on tap. Then i got upset but the curry. Well what can you expect from a Anglophile restaurant such as this. I was visiting between Lunch and Happy Hour, so there was a lull in patrons.
The Service here was awesome. And when i say awesome i mean awesome. Our Waiter was more than happy to make suggestions on the menu, comment on the selections and ensure that our pints were refilled promptly.
Curry, you call this curry! It seemed like this dish came out of a Jar (probably did!). The vegetables in my curry were not cooked enough and they weren't cooked remotely in the sauce at all. If your interested in tasting the curry regardless of this review i highly recommend the curry chips (Fries with the curry sauce itself). This seemed like the better option after I watched another guest have some delivered to their table. My Company ordered the Bangers and Mash, which was served a little dry and cold, mash gluey, and lovely bushes baked beans to boot!
I would go back but only for the Fullers...and i if i happen to be downtown.
This is a nice British pub with reasonable prices. I have not tried the food, but they have a great selection of English beers. They have at least three types of Fuller's, London Pride, Boddington's, and several other English standbys. No accents, though
This was the one place my sisters and I could decide on (all of us being British and all) and I am glad that we did. We sat outside on the patio and were able to people watch and sight-see all at the same time. The surrounding buildings are beautiful and it made a great atmosphere.
The staff was all friendly, smiles everywhere. Both the restaurant and the restrooms were very clean.
I ordered the Shepherd's Pie, which was very good. It came with a side salad and green beans which were tasted fresh and rounded out the meal. The pie itself had good flavor, and reminded me of my childhood. The red mashed potatoes on top were great! One small request though...add peas! I had never eaten one without peas before and that would have made it perfect.
Prices were reasonable, especially since I thought D.C. was more on the expensive side of things. I am glad we arrived early (like 5 PM) because by the time we left the entire patio was packed with people.
Overall a good meal, a good location, and now I am wishing we had one back home!
How in the world does this place get 3.5 stars? Ammmaaazzzziiinnggg. Here's a quick summary. I ordered a grilled cheese. BAD. The bread was stale and you could taste the oil on the bread and it wasn't good oil. The CHEESE. So sad. It was dried, orange and cold when i got it. I don't know how you can do so wrong with a simple grilled cheese sandwich but these people are horrible with it. Also there is something wrong with the ranch dressing. I've been here twice now.. the ranch is funky. I always order it then decide to not have it.
Let's see.. my coworker ordered the shepard's pie and she picked at it and then said it wasn't very good. perhaps they are truly trying to be british and making bad food on purpose.
Our weekly group outing had us visiting Elephant & Castle last Wednesday. The service was OUTSTANDING. Our group fluctuates in attendance so having a reasonable server is always a plus. Our server voluntarily split the bill without asking and was thorough in his service.
The food was decent (slightly better than typical bar fare) and the beer selection was great. Only one small issue, they had a new computer system and prices had changed for Happy Hour (read: Increased) and they had not changed the table tents. Otherwise, a location we will certainly visit again.
TERRIBLE. When we told a friend who texted where we were going and he wrote, "horrible, just horrible" we should've known better.
I joined a group of friends who'd had dinner and we ordered a round of drinks. At the end of that round, 2 needed to leave and we asked to charge off that portion of the tab. The waiter came back a little bit later and said "Oh... we can't do that because it was the first half." What does that even mean?! We assumed he was new, and took his suggestion to close the tab and start a new tab.
When he cleared our empties and didn't ask if we'd like more, we thought it was odd. When time passed, we started to wonder what was up. Finally, we asked another waitress what was up and she sent him over, and he asked, "do you want me to open a tab for you at the bar?" What does that mean? We said we didn't care -- honestly it's been like 10 minutes... how about a drink? -- and we ordered a round.
More time passed -- finally, we flag the other waitress again (who's still waiting tables like ours, mind you) and explain the situation -- she condescendingly explains that our waiter's shift finished and he want home and we should just go to the bar and get our own drinks. Uh, he took our drink order and then went home? We all have waited tables. You get fired for that kind of crap.
The icing on the table is that we decided the hell with this place -- and waited for friends to finish drinks so we could move on. Only then did our waiter eventually appear in normal clothes heading out the door. We kept our mouths shut instead of asking him to explain himself.
Here's a tip from people who've waited tables -- if your shift is over, explain that you're transferring the tab to another person. Or if a restaurant has a policy that after a certain point people need to go the bar, explain that instead. We'd have gone!
Making up some nonsense about why you had to close the tab and then spacing on an order so you can go home is capital BS. We went to Chef Geoff's and had a great time -- won't be back to this pit. "Horrible, just horrible" is 100% right.
I've only been here once but it was a good experience. Elephant & Castle is a small chain with a handful of locations scattered around the country, this one is only a couple blocks from the White House on Pennsylvania Ave (E&C is #1201, White House is #1600). Part pub, part restaurant I opted for sitting and eating at the bar rather than waiting for a table (being next to the white house you can imagine how crowded they can get around lunch/diner time). It was a great day so had I wanted to wait I probably would have leaned toward their spacious outdoor patio area.
I got the chips and curry and the bangers and mash. This was my first time trying either so I can't compare to other places but they tasted great and had the right portion size and price range. The place is classy and is well kept and everything seemed pretty solid.
So I'm not one to take things personally, generally speaking, but I went into Elephant and Castle the other day to pitch an idea that my company had to help E&C promote its restaurant to a bunch of people in the DC area for free (yes, for free) and I found the manager to be so rude that I have decided I will never go back to this establishment. Perhaps part of my sales pitch should be something like, "I've spent $1000 here in the past 3 years;" maybe that would garner a different reaction, but I literally felt like this man felt I was totally intruding on his day. It was 4:45 in the afternoon and the restaurant was empty...what could he have been doing that was THAT important?
I realize that merchants are wary when they see a sales guy, but like it or not, sales guys are PEOPLE and PEOPLE spend MONEY at RESTAURANTS. If you treat PEOPLE like shit, PEOPLE will not come back to your RESTAURANT.
I really liked E&C for the atmosphere and beer selection, but I will not go back simply because this guy made me feel like a total asshole, which I am not. There's a right way to say "i'm not interested" and a wrong way - he did it in the wrong way and in exchange I am saying in the rightest way possible: "I'm no longer interested."
If I had a castle and an elephant, I would hope it'd be as cool an arrangement as this place, which… Read more »
My crew and I have been going to this E+C religiously for the past year..... mostly for the location.
The plus: location, service, outdoor seating, beers on tap, solid pours on liqour.
The minus: The food is nothing spectacular --- but consistent.
FYI: Just like any bar in DC, please make an effort to introduce yourself to the bartender. They are pros... treat them as such and it will be worth your while.
Enjoy!
For so long I had been intending to go to E&C but just never did. I finally got the chance, as my friend chose it for the venue of her going-away party. The bar was full of people watching the soccer game, but there were plenty of places to sit in the bar area and it cleared out a bit after the game was over. Our waiter seemed to be really busy but once we chased him down we were able to get orders in.
They serve Strongbow on tap (yay!) and Sam Adams seasonals on tap (yay!) and a very nice selection of beer on tap. Thus I was set in the beer department. I ordered the Union Jack sandwich (basically grilled bbq chicken sandwich). The bbq sauce is a Guinness blend, so it was nice and malty. Very good.
The bbq festival was going on outside on Pennsylvania Ave, and when several of our party came into the restaurant toting some pulled pork sandwiches, our waiter was totally cool with it. Bonus!
I had never heard of the place until my wife mentioned it while we were in DC. So, we made our way there one evening before hitting the National Mall.
I really didn't expect much more than your typical sit-down burger. And, that's about what I got. Granted, that might not be the best item to order off their menu. It was a good burger and fries, but not much more than that. I'm not a beer drinker, so I can't talk about that aspect of the visit.
In the end, it was a semi-fun environment. The food was a little better than average and the service wasn't bad, but wasn't anything to get giddy about.
Turned out to be one very average E&C dining experience.
Just your standard British pub in the Federal Triangle neighborhood. Atmosphere swanky enough for the DC working crowd though reasonable in price and offerings. Decent beer selection in addition to hearty British pub fare. I know the British aren't known for their food, the beef with pastry dish (Yorkshire pudding?) didn't win me over.
Holy trivia overdose, Batman. After Yelp trivia at Wonderland on Monday and E&C with Mike T's team yesterday, I don't think I'm going to make it to my regular Wednesday at Saphire. I feel like I have some added perspective on what goes wrong and right with these things, though.
THUMBS UP:
Generous portion of sweet potato fries with just the right density and amount of salt
Quick rounds that get you home by 9:45
Extensive beer list
Name-that-tune!!!
THUMBS DOWN:
No. food. specials. Seriously?! Who do these people think they are? I ended up paying SIXTEEN DOLLARS for a wrap and a beer. I think I need to swing by Pret first next time...
No second or third place prizes as of last night
Audio quality was poor, and the MC rushed like she had somewhere else to be
Whoever told me this wasn't trivia for the faint of heart wasn't kidding. These were the toughest questions I've encountered -- I'm going to need to bring someone really smart with me for backup next time.
Yes, I know it's a Canadian chain, but it did replace a TGI Friday's, so it's a step in the right direction. It's got a nice bar and a great outdoor seating area overlooking Pennsylvania Avenue. Service can be a bit spotty, but, with the closure of John Harvard's, it's one of the few places in the area you can get a decent pint. It has a better than average draft selection, but most importantly, they have Fuller's (ESB, London Pride and London Porter) on tap, something which not even Commonwealth, the British Gastropub has. So laugh all you want, I'm stopping in for a pint!
My wife and I had dinner here last night. We both had the trout fish and chips, which you pay more for, but it was much better than your average F&C. Great beer selection, nicely poured (not too cold).
We ate outside, which was nice. Inside looked pretty nice.
So...really good...I'll go back...but I can't go 4-stars.
Hopped by this pub/restaurant on the way to watch 'Big Fan' at E Street. This English pub sits right on Penn Ave - it's fitted with the traditional english pub bar design with the wood and stained glasses that was quite beautiful. Since it was a nice day out, the outdoor seating was packed with people we requested to sit outside as well unfortunately though it was filled with smokers so all I smelled was cigarettes. It's such an unattractive thing if smokers would realize that! The drink menu looked great that had all kinds of beer I liked that they had Scottish ale too! We started off with the St Pete's organic beer because my friend and me both like that beer. It was $13 for the beer that came in a big bottle. Anyhow I ordered the roast beef with yorkshire pudding and my friend ordered the curry chicken! The food came out at lighting speed it was amazing! The roast beef was delicious with freshly mashed potatos, yorkshire pudding and gravy! The yorkshire pudding could have been more warm which explained why food came out so fast. The curry had a strong taste of mace and nutmeg! In a funny way I really like english food. Haha maybe it reminded me of home, an ex-british colony.
After an evening full of side-splitting laughs and political satire at Capitol Steps at the Reagan Building, we needed some serious grub to help make up for all those calories burned during the show. This restaurant was a mere 200 yards from where we were, so we made a beeline over.
Right when you walk in, it looks pretty much how you'd expect an Irish to pub to look: rich dark wood, enormous landscape paintings, and a bar decorated with glasses of every size you can't help but wonder what you have to drink in order to get one of those in your hands.
We were greeted and sat immediately, and described the daily specials. After selecting a couple of beers, we dove into the menu to see what could fill us up the fastest. I went with the french onion soup and a rosemary chicken sandwich. The soup was covered in heavenly cheese, always a way to score brownie points with me. The broth was nice and rich, with a robust flavor of beer that complemented the tender onions perfectly. The chicken sandwich itself wasn't anything special, but I truly enjoyed the focaccia bread it came on. Moist, chewy, dense bread can make even a liverwurst sandwich taste phenomenal. I liked the thick cut french fries, and the fact that malt vinegar was within arms reach. No need to send the server running back to the kitchen to fetch some.
My date decided to go adventurous and order roast beef stuffed yorkshire. Truly, a man of sophisticated taste. His large mound of food looked delectable, but an incredibly salty gravy would soon prove otherwise. The meat was definitely moist and tender, the mashed potatoes thick and full of flavor, but the mixed vegetables had definitely been sitting in water for hours, a soggy, over-saturated mess. Doubtful there was a nutrient left in those limp little guys.
I have not given up on this place, as there are other interesting dishes to choose from. But I think the more beer you drink, the better it must start to look.
I finally tried this pub near my work and it was worth waiting for a patio table. The beer list is great and the appetizer deals aren't bad (3 for $16 but some portions are small). I highly recommend the sweet potato fries. Finding Leffe Blonde one the menu was a huge plus. Service was very good also. I will be back.
I've been to two happy hours here, and I've been satisfied both times. The outdoor seating is a great spot for Pennsylvania Ave. people watching.
The drinks are very reasonably priced for downtown D.C. and the seating can accomodate small groups or larger crowds from the nearby offices.
The menu consists mostly of British gastropub fare, like fish 'n' chips, shepherd's pie, and bangers 'n' mash, but they also serve a few salads and seafood dishes for the few of us who aren't into "beer-battered" fare.
I'd definitely go back here for a happy hour; I have yet to sit inside!
It's a standard yuppy bar with a decent beer list. I usually only go if my office hosts a happy hour. Otherwise, there are better bars out there.
My one recommendation is that you try their pretzels. I always enjoy them.
Listen, it was not my idea to spend 2 hours in D.C. watching football.
And it sure as hell wasn't my idea to try to get a table at the ESPN Zone. [I'm more of an MSNBC Zone fan, myself. Maybe CNNBC Zone, if we're talking breakfast. Hashbrowns and Squawk Box? Hells yeah!]
So, when the latter didn't work, I made up my own plan, and got a table at the nearby Elephant & Castle. And everyone else followed me, whether they wanted to or not, because I, at least, HAD a plan.
Fish & chips are very good, buffalo wings are good, Newcastle on tap is excellent.
And when I walked in and said "table for 8" the hostess didn't bat an eye. She just made it happen. And when 4 more people showed up, they made that work, too. Immediately.
The two things i love most in this culinary world are hamburgers and mashed potatoes. So when you put them together, that is absolute heaven for me. And whenever i see a British Pub, there is only one thought that goes through my mind... Shepherd's Pie. I came to E&C wanting nothing more than a giant plate of shepherd's pie. And I was not disappointed! The mashed potatoes alone were great, but put them with perfectly seasoned beef with veggies and coated in gravy? YUM. It was served with a side of green beans and nice salad, which i also gobbled up.... and i dont like green beans! It was such a perfect meal to help me forget the fact that i forgot my breakfast and lunch at home that day!
The sweet potato fries that someone else ordered were awesome... might even be better than the Argonaut! They just tasted less like fries and more like actual sweet potatoes! Also there was a great deal on beers. I got a huge "Hefeweissen" style glass full of good beer for only $5! Great deal!
The place, particularly the trivia area, had a great cozy atmosphere, perfect for a quiet dinner. They also had a packed outdoor porch that was perfect for the fall atmosphere.
Overall, it was a great place for me to celebrate my British heritage.... aka eat shepherd's pie
This is based solely on ambiance and service, as we didn't eat.
Following a disappointing swing thru the BBQ festival, my friend and I were on our way to the subway and pondering possible additional refreshment. As we were standing right in front of the place, we decided to give it a shot. The hostess was very welcoming and assured us that it was fine for us to occupy a table outside and just have drinks. (we made a point to inform her of our intentions, as the patio appeared to be more of a dining than drinking area and we didn't want to have an irritated server). She gave us only drink menus, and apparently informed our waitress that we weren't eating. Nice touch. The waitress was very friendly as well, and when I asked what was on tap, she POLITELY explained that they have 19 beers on draught and they were listed on the menu, then proceeded to direct me to the correct page. In my defense it was a hot, humid day and the plastic pages of the menu had stuck together so I missed the beer page. My point is, she could have easily done the typical eye roll/sigh maneuver, but she took the high road. She brought our drinks, checked back at appropriate intervals and always seemed to be at an arm's length if needed. All in all, considering the simplicity of our 2 rounds of drinks, we received a level of service completely unexpected in today's world. Woohoo!!
The beers were reasonably priced at $6 for a 20 oz. pint.
On what I'm sure will be a wildly unpopular side note, there was an added little nicety that I'd given up on ever seeing again, an actual ashtray on the table. We had selected our table based on wind direction and proximity to other patrons in the vain hope of being able to sneak half a cigarette before the glaring and faux coughing began, so it was a truly unexpected bonus to be able to enjoy an hour of guilty pleasures without feeling like a leper.
So my friends and I stopped in here on the day before the Inauguration. We were walking aimless on the streets of DC and we were starving and freezing and stumbled upon this place.
Overall, we were pretty darn impressed. They seated us immediately. Food prices were completely comparable to what you pay here, in Calfornia. And the food was hot and good. Service was always perfect. Between us we had the Beef Stew, Beef Dip, BBQ Burger and Turkey Sandwich. I tried a bite of everything and nothing was over-the-top OMG exceptional, but everything still tasted pretty good.
We would totally hit up this place again.
$5 Miller Lites. This pretty much tells me a place is not somewhere I would want to go to drink. Not that I drank them, but if the MIller Lites are $5, what will something decent cost?
So we came here for trivia, and the trivia wasn't anything particularly interesting. It was a good round, but it was hard to be competitive with only 7 teams playing. We came in dead last, but at least we didn't go over in the tiebreaker. The bar restaurant didn't really seem ideal for bar trivia. Just something about it seeming ever so slightly more classy than should be expected. Maybe it was the glossy wood (venear?) walls, or the glossy wood tables. In any case, it just didn't seem like the right location. But hey, the service was pretty good.
And yes, I have the sense of humor of a five year old some times. Shut up.
Elephant & Castle is a chain restaurant out of Canada masquerading as a British pub. Although it is not at all authentic (but what place is?), it is a good place to go for lunch while sightseeing or for a beer after work.
The food is OK - stick to the basics such as hamburgers, fish & chips and the shepherd's pie and you should be satisfied. What this place excels at is its beer selection. Beer lovers will appreciate the fine selection of international beers, especially the ones from the UK.
The best reason to go there is for the Tuesday night trivia game held during the winter, spring and fall (why not the summer too, guys?). There is a comfortable room dedicated to the game so you don't have to be crammed into some bar area to play. You can actually eat dinner while you are playing, if you can concentrate on both things at the same time.
The game itself is a well-made national game (Pub Stumpers) that the restaurant purchases for its trivia nights. It is challenging and diverse, with fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice and name-that-tune sections. My trivia team makes regular appearances here, and we are looking for more teams to challenge us. So bring it on!
Gross. It's an overpriced, British version of Fridays. EW.
I was forced to go here on a day trip to DC by an incompetent person who planned my group's trip. She was sweating the place hardcore, but I harbor hatred for the place. When you're going to a city you don't live in (I'm from Philly), why on earth would you willingly dine at a chain restaurant you can get at home? (We've got one in our downtown area, too!)
Even as a non-vegan, I would so much rather eat at Sticky Fingers any day.
Grab a burger and have a beer or two. This pub has a reasonably nice outdoor eating area during the warm weather, and a fairly priced lunch menu. If you're just in the mood for a casual pub with decent food this is your place. Extensive beer list that I find excludes a few of my favorites, but overall pretty good.
I like this place. Its fun, its casual. I'm there every week for the trivia league on Tuesday nights. The staff is very friendly and attentive.
But I also, like the food. Its simple pub fare, but its at least done well and its a good place to take visitors for lunch after hitting a few museums. Even the pickiest of eaters should be able to find something here to enjoy. I like it enough that when I found out my hotel in Seattle had REALLY crappy food for the restaurant and room service, I happily popped a few blocks down the street to the local E&C and ordered up a few of my favorites for take-out.
I've had nearly everything on the starters/appetizers menu. Among the recommended:
- Fish Bites (the crisps that come with these are very good too)
- Pub pretzels (just be prepared for a bit of a surprise - they are deep fried)
- calamari (the aioli dipping sauce can be a bit peppery though)
- pot stickers
- Veggie Spring Rolls
- mushroom soup (this is very good, but its a Soup-of-the-day option so not always available; also good - its a bit larger than a cup, but not a swimming pool of soup)
- Bread pudding dessert (huge portion, but worth it if you have someone to share with)
Recommended from the rest of the menu:
- E&C Ploughman's Platter
- E&C Fish 'n Chips (I get the cod - never had the halibut)
- E&C Club Sandwich
- Thai Chicken Salad
Disappointments
- The salsa served with the chicken quesadilla can some times be off. Taste it (its served in a ramekin) and send it back if you need to.
- The chips (french fries) are usually an incredible disappointment, which is a shock for a place styling itself as an English pub.
I'm not a burger person so I can't comment on those. I have friends who like them. Be sure to check out any seasonal specials they have. I've found usually one or two of those is tasty as well.
The place has a back room in addition to the bar and dining room (and outside seating). So its good for an office outing as well.
I experienced an epiphany after drinking 5 beers here: I'm a Fobabee. For those not in the know, here's the definition: http://www.urbandictio...
I have evolved from a twinkie to a Fobabee. I hope to reach the Superfob status one day...maybe even a Gangsta Fob. So yeah, $1 off beers during HH. Really really unhealthy bar food. Pretty good service. See, I am useful.
This place is fantastic!! I went here during a touristy trip to DC, got a referral from a docent at The Natural History Museum and was NOT disappointed! The chocolate martini was right on and the steak and blue cheese was delish, especially the grilled onions. My friend had the Salmon salad and it was just as good. I can't wait to go visit their San Diego location!
Boyfriend and I had to go here once we couldn't get into Chef Geoff's for 1/2 price burgers and were in a time crunch to make it to Screen on the Green. I agree with the other posters - this place is the UK TGI Friday's.
However, I give it three stars because: the sam adams was on special and was $4; the fried chicken seemed to be dipped in batter used for fish and chips normally, which was light and crispy; and their patio is nice. Otherwise, it was mediocre food. The potato skins sucked. I wouldn't go here unless you were in a pinch.
She Said..."After walking all over dc during the cherry blossom fest we found this resturaunt to eat at. This happens to be the only resturaunt near the monuments, we couldnt find anything else. Anyways, we finally go here and ordered. First of all, all the sodas were flat and our waitress didnt really seem to care to fix the problem, so our table of 12 was kinda pissed about that. Anways, the beer battered chicken tenders and english chips are pretty good. I wanted the meat loaf...and after wating about an hour to put in our order she tells me they are out of meat loaf and then when my brother ordered the beef tips...well they were out of that too. Maybe we just came on a bad day since it was packed in here...but our waitress wasnt too friendly about any of this.I got the jack burger which was good, and the rest of the table seemed happy with their meal. I guess the only reason it doesnt have 5 stars is because of their staff...they kinda looked at us like we were inconvincing them. The waitress literally said oh my god when she saw our table at first and walked away. Just glad she came back, oh and she mixed all our tabs up so we ended up paying for eachothers meals somehow. They have good food and yummy pina colodas but they def need a staff change."
He said, "Well I always have doubts about any restaurant named after an animal..let alone an elephant..but this place wasn't too bad. The waitress did seem overwhelmed by having a party of 12...but isn't that her job? I mean I didn't pick her job..so don't complain. I had Jameson's chicken and either it was really good or I was hungry because I devoured the entire plate. We had the cheesecake for dessert, but I wouldn't recommend it. The cheesecake tasted weird and not like regualr cheesecake. The beer battered chicken was very good and the English chips that it came with were good too. They get three stars for their service...so if you ever wonder around DC go here...bc its okay when your hungry."
So I'm on my own personal Inaugural Tour through D.C. and my family, friends and I wanted to eat after hitting up the Museum of Natural History. Being that we didn't want to eat inside the museum we decided to venture out to see what we could find along Pennsylvania Ave. We walked for a while and decided to stop at E&C. There were six of us and we were seated promptly. I ordered the Union Jack Beef Burger, and decided to replace my regular "chips" with sweet potato fries and aioli. Seriously, I can't remember when I've had a better burger! The burger was a nice size, but it wasn't this heaping hunk of meat that a lot of places give you. The bacon was crispy and the bun was toasted perfectly. The fries and aioli were really good too! I thought I was going to need a box so I asked our waiter, Oleg for one, but once he got back, I'd decided that I wanted to finish my food right then and there. The prices were also a lot better than I expected, even with paying $2 extra for the sweet potato fries and aioli.
There are a few E&Cs in the Philadelphia area, so I'll definitely go back the next time I have a taste for a good burger.
This is like a glorified Fridays. The waiter was way too persistent - came back like every 30 seconds to take our order, when we were clearly deferring. The food was decent pub fair, but nothing special.
It's actually pretty good. Any time I have been downtown I have avoided going here like the plague for several reasons:
1. The magnificent Les Halles is just next door.
2. Duh, I'm in downtown DC why the hell do I want to go to a Brit pub?
But I recently went and I enjoyed it - decent food, great beer selection, good service and a lovely patio. But unless you're still savoring victory at Agincourt try Les Halles next door first.
I sought this place out as I tried to find a decent British pub in DC. Unfortunately, this is not it.
I believe the Elephant & Castle is a franchise/chain, and this in and of itself is not a problem; there are similar franchise pubs in England. The problem is, like any franchise trying to capture a particular feel, it suffers from feeling plastic, artificial. Other negatives were the value of the appetizers (basically we paid $6 for half a baked potato, sliced as potato skins) and the service (the majority of the staff couldn't speak English and didn't care that we could).
About the only positive was the beer selection, which is very good and gets this place 3 stars on its own. There are numerous British breweries on tap for about $6 a pint, which is pretty good value.
I wouldn't recommend this place, but the next time I want a decent pint, I'll go back. I'll just eat first.
The sidewalk patio was lovely on a warm evening, and it cleared out by about 8pm. The fish and chips, however, were a bit disappointing. The fish was tasty but the chips were kind of sad.
Thus, I will continue my search for the perfect fish and chips in DC.
Washington, DC
Category: Lounges
Neighborhood: Federal Triangle
Category: American (New)
Washington, DC
Category: American (New)
Washington, DC
Category: Greek
Washington, DC
Category: Bars
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