WAY Over Priced

The restaurant itself looks great inside and out, but both the food and service are mediocre at best, and certainly don’t justify the exorbitant prices. A couple friends and I went on a Monday evening when it was less than half full, yet it still took at least 15 minutes for us to get our drinks. I had a Manhattan, which costed $16. The cheeseburger I had was bland and falling apart. Don’t waste your time or money.

poor service and awful food

i made reservations for my birthday dinner for a party of 8. they ended up sitting us at the loudest table in the middle of the bar. When I asked for alternative place to sit, i was yelled at. Seriously, full on voice yelling. to top off the horrible service, the food was awful. i ordered the scallops and lobster macaroni and cheese. the scallops were chewy and small and the lobster was flavorless and heavy. I also sampled a few other dishes from friends, including meatloaf and fried chicken. both were just okay. The only positive was the corn bread. i will never come back here.

Hit or Miss

My first trip to FF was excellent, our service was great and the food was excellent. Our second trip was a disaster. Our waiter appeared to be on something organic the whole time. He forgot to the drinks for our table several times. Trying to get our water refilled was like attempting to get blood from the stone. They were out of several items on a friday night. The food was adequate but we are now over the hype. If you get Gordo's section try to get another table.

Tom got it wrong on the food but kind of right on the service

I go to FF at least 2-3 times a week for lunch. Have tried a lot from the menu. The food is of great taste due to the fresh quality of the ingreditents. It can, though, vary a little from time to time just as two pieces of pottery made by hand by an artisan will never be the same. The blackberry ice cream, for instance, was a disappointement. It tasted more cream than blackberry the day I tried. A few dishes are heavier (enchillada and steak for instance) but there is a lot to choose from. Now, while the service has improved from when it opened in September 2008, management still has to figure out how to manage the tables and reservations better.

The Flavor of Founding Farmers

I go there a lot - meeting friends and business associates and yes, there may have been a couple service flaws here and there, but the food, drinks and choices have always been very good. The bartenders are really friendly and meticulous, which is important in cocktails, and because I've been there at breakfast, for lunch, dinner numerous times, and even late night after a show, I've never been inclined to complain to a manager about anything. Portions are huge - but there's great value in the menu pricing. Share dishes if it's that big a deal. I hear the new summer menu is out and I'll be interested to see what's been changed and will be eager to try some new dishes & drinks!

Service = borderline insulting

The food is good enough, but I have been here four times (not by my choice) and every time I have been so put off by the service that I vow never to return. Please don't insult Cheesecake Factory by comparing it to FF, I get much better service at Cheesecake.

The Post has it wrong!!

I couldn't have been happier with my last visit to Founding Farmers!! I went for brunch, at it remains one of the best brunches I have had in DC yet!!

Mediocre, at best

To sum it up, the drinks are overpriced, the food is ok (nothing to write home about), and the service is snooty. While I dig their ambiance and colorful cocktail list, I don't know how many more times I'll return. Side note: if you have a server named "Lauren" be forewarned. She was our server for my friends birthday party and her attitude can be described as indifferent, borderline rude (i.e.) would roll her eyes when she "had to" take our order, and gave the overall impression that she just didn't want to be there.

Dead On, Tom

Big Boy's with a Green marketing scheme.

Is the Post crazy?

I love Founding Farmers Restaurant ... food, ambiance, perfectly trained waiters. So why do we have such a grumpy review from the Post? Is it a fact that if it wasn't for Tom Sietsema's bad taste, he'd have no taste at all!

A real restaurant run by real people

Yes, I'm more than a little bias. I'm a partner in the firm that developed and runs FF for the farmers who own it. To our fans, I say THANK YOU, and let me know if I can ever be of service. To any guests that we've let down, please know that I want to connect with you and make things right. You can reach me through the feedback form on www.wearefoundingfarmers.com...For the poster, and Tom, who think that "corporate restaurants" are a bad thing, I'm not sure what that means--because we make a profit? because our staff is professional and not partying in the restaurant after their shift? because we have good bookkeeping and accounting systems? My firm is a small business, I live in Garrett Park, MD, and I'm in the restaurant frequently.

Fresh Ingredients, Friendly Service, Cool Environs

I've been to Founding Farmers a number of times, and on almost each occasion, it has been really good. I tend to go either for a late lunch or early dinner, and never have a problem getting a table.The salads are innovative, fresh and seasonal. The fish always comes out just as you request. And wine and dessert lovers will find much to be happy about here.For a large and very busy restaurant, the food is very good and the prices reasonable. There's plenty to like about Founding Farmers.

Brunch was great!!

A group of us went for brunch over the weekend and we had a great time. There was no wait, the service was on point and friendly, the bloody mary's were the best around and the eggs were cooked just right. Not sure about dinner but brunch was defintely a hit!! And the "popcorn of the day" was a fun appetizer and only $2!

I Won't Go Back

The service was so atrocious that the 4 of us will never go back again. With a 7:30 p.m. reservation, we weren't seated until after 8:00 p.m. It took over 45 minutes until there was any food on our table. The food was middling to good but it didn't make up for the horrible lack of service.

Why do I hate restaurant reviewers?

Because they try to find reasons to say negative things. Perhaps it is because they think their credibility improves if they give out more negative reviews. In this case, I gotta say, Founding Farmers is delicious and this review a a load of crap.

OK food, awful service, cool space

I'm glad that Mr. Sietsema finally published his review of Founding Farmers so that I too could throw in my two cents. After four visits: Pros: - Great location, easy to get to and in a nabe needing non-college, moderate-priced group options. - Excellent cocktails. Cons: - TERRIBLE SERVICE, and the reviewer nailed it when he suspected it of being corporate: Vucurevich Simons Advisory Group is the team that trains/manages the place. The waiters don't all speak/understand English, don't seem to have restaurant experience and sure don't care about the customers' experience. - Oversize portions of artery-clogging so-so food.

Fresh, Fantastic

I'm not one to jump on the organic bandwagon, but when I tasted FF's scallops, I saw the light. Plus, their service is excellent.

Don't venture beyond a salad

Listen to Tom. Run in the other direction if you are looking for cooked food. The salads are great, due to the excellent sourcing, but if they go beyond that, it is really crap. I mean truyly inedible. I am as mystified as anyone as to the popularity of this joint. Can there be that many raw food nutballs in DC? Perhaps drunk raw food nutballs? If they put half the effort into the cooking as they have into the cocktails, sourcing and design I might get it. This ranks as one of the worst new DC restaurants for sure.

Try a cocktail

Had a terrific Blood and Sand cocktail, with Scotch and blood orange juice. High point of the meal. Food was good but not great. Would stick to appetizers another time. Our service was good.

Horrible

After we sat down, our waiter came by to take our drink orders- then we didn't see him for over an hour. After we'd been seated for almost an hour and a half- he finally came by to take our entree orders. The food was passable (flat breads were good, if completely overpriced- and my "roasted chicken salad" turned out to be a lump of greasy chicken-salad over four leaves of lettuce- definitely not worth the price. And since this was some of the worst service I've ever encountered at a restaurant, I certainly won't be going back there.

Fab!

I loved it all! I appreciate a restaurant that cares about what they do, yet don't take themselves to seriously. Our server was super-friendly and knowledgeable, and the food was delicious.

Service is no longer dire

Despite mixed reviews of the service at Founding Farmers, my boyfriend and I took my parents to this restaurant for dinner. Everything was superb: food, service, and atmosphere. It's not the place for "swank," but the food is truly excellent and our service was impeccable--both friendly & timely.

Good food, bad experience

Went to FF for brunch today. When we were seated we were told they were out of waffles. When we ordered our drinks (which took forever to come out) my friend ordered a belini and the server told us they were out of belinis. Our drinks took a long time to come out and the server took forever to take our order. Once we ordered, two orders of pancakes and two orders of french toast, the manager came out and told us they were out of the bread they use to make french toast, so we ate french toast made from hamburger buns. Don't get me wrong, it was hands down the best french toast I ever had, but I the dining experience was so frustrating. The kitchen also tried to skimp and only put two pancakes instead of the usual three on the plates.

Restaurant Week Let Down

I am very disappointed in the limitation of choices at Founding Farmers. I ate there before and had such a wonderful meal that I made a reservation for several friends during restaurant week. Having little choice of appetizer or dessert and limited choice of entree is not a selling menu for restaurant week in my opinion. They usually have such an excellent and varied menu. I am really disappointed and considering canceling the reservation. Has anyone eaten there this week? Impressions?

Service is still dire

Fifty minutes it took for three us to get a cup of coffee. Some of what we ordered never arrived and our waiter was running - a big no. Food arrived and hour and fifteen minutes after we placed it and was quite tasty. I won't be back.

Late Table and No Drinks, but they recovered

Our reservation was for 7:30, we weren't seated until 7:55. Out of four first drink orders they were out of 3 juices. Needless to say, they didn't start off well. The staff more than made up for it with a visit from the manager to apologize, a free round of drinks, and excellent service for the rest of the way. Our meals were tremendous; the large cheese plate and fried green tomatoes, frisco burger, cedar planked salmon, butternut squash ravioli, and roast beef sandwich, everything was great. I don't post often, but this place deserves the recommendation.

Maybe if they don't have to cook it!

I ate at the bar on a crowded Saturday night. If you can find a seat (they need more bar seats), the bartenders provide excellent service. The late harvest salad was delicious. I should have stuck with salad. The fried chicken and waffles were just awful. The chicken was dry and not crisp at all. The waffle came with less than a teaspoon of syrup so what's the point? The veges and mac and cheese with it were excellent. This leads me to believe that pricise cooking is not this joint's forte. Perhaps they just have too much stuff on the menu to do fried chicken well or maybe these family farmers need more soul! I shall not be in a hurry to go back. I shall continue to go to Marvin's for the best fried chicken and waffles in town.

Great food, great service

My friend and I decided to try Founding Farmers for lunch after a visit to the Renwick and were thrilled that we did! Even though there were 4 other parties waiting in line when we arrived, we were seated immediately as we had a reservation. Our server was prompt, helpful, and attentive throughout our meal. The house specialties looked great so we ordered steak and enchiladas (fabulous) and the 18 vegetable salad to share (also great). The portions were more than ample and the food was delicious! Lovely decor! Street parking around GW. We will return!

Yummy food, excellent service

My fiance and I went to Founding Farmers on a Saturday night in early December. After reading other reviews, we were expecting lack-luster service and a long wait for our table. Much to our surprise, we were seated immediately and the service was excellent! Attentive, friendly, warm, and thoughtful. I really think that our waiter was one of the best we've had in months (and we dine out often). The food was delicious - I had the halibut and my fiance had a great dish of turkey, mashed potatoes, and mac 'n cheese. Comfort food at its best. Plus, they had one of my favorite wines on the menu, for a fraction of the price at other trendy DC restaurants. In sum, good value, yummy food, and excellent service. We'll definitely be back!