Restaurants
Next Door
Quick Take
A bar from the family behind Ben's Chili Bowl.
Reader Reviews [9]
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Reviews
Birthday Dinner at Ben's Next Door
We went to Next Door-for the first time- when my eleven year old niece Brianna arrived by train from Raleigh NC to spend time with us on her birthday. We were fortunate to get a waiter named "Drew" who was very knowledgeable and personable. The food was fabulous! Drew recommended a cocktail, the Blueberry Caiprioska, which was excellent! Drew overheard us talking about Brianna’s birthday. When the meal was over, Drew did a spontaneous, GREAT version of Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday to Ya!” Another waiter joined in singing as the whole restaurant started clapping to the beat. When we left, the usually very shy Brianna walked down U Street singing “Happy Birthday to Me” in the Stevie Wonder beat.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Great!
Dined at Next Door with my wife and friends. Although the bar was packed watching the Redskins, the dining area in the back was clean and spacious. The beer selection was great with a nice selection of your regular Bud, Heineken, Stella, etc. However, they had a nice selection of micro brews and Delirium on Tap. Enjoyed a bottle of Brother Thelonious. The food menu has many $20ish entrees, but I chose to order from the bar menu. The ribs and classic chilli cheese fries brought over from Bens Chilli Bowl was amazing. A friend's pasta and the burgers also looked good. Finally our waiter was friendly and efficient. The owner stopped by a couple of times. He seems to like anyone who cheers for the Redskins! Go give it a try if on U Street.
Flawless brunch
Discouraged by the long line at Creme, two friends & I tried "Next Door", and were glad we did. We were invited to wait at the spacious bar. We were so comfortable there that we ended up eating at the bar. While the mimosas were very pricey at $11, our bartended offered the $15 bottomless mimosa option. No such luck with the Bloody Marys, which had a nice Old Bay kick. Two of our group devoured the fried chicken & waffles, while I swooned over the shrimp & grits. The saffron & tomatoes brought this dish to another level. Service was excellent, and we felt that the entree prices were reasonable for such an outstanding dining experience.
Terribly Disappointing
Last night's experience was nothing short of tragic. We waited over 15 minutes for service only to order appetizers that required an even longer wait. When we brought it to the attention of the owner/manager, she was repugnant and left much to be desired. It seems like the restaurant has more to learn about the importance of customer service, the value of return customers and problem resolution. Until then, stay away! Comfort food shouldn't require a fight. On second thought, run...don't walk to another option.
Hit or Miss
The service was friendly but very unpolished. I had the short ribs which were amazing, but my girlfriend had the fried chicken which was very very bland. Our appetizers were also very small for the price and not very good. Its an alright place, but definitely not for the price.
Great comfort food
What a wonderful treat. Incredibly good southern comfort food. Ribs, chicken, mac and cheese, greens. One of the best meals of its kind I've had in DC. Well worth the visit if this is your kind of food.
Expertly prepared 'comfort food' with top notch service
This place is great from start to finish. The atmosphere is warm, casual, and most of all comfortable. The bar was full but not overly crowded. Great beer and martini menus. Past the bar in the back of the restaurant is the cozy, two-level dining room. The servers are very friendly and entirely attentive. Chef Rock Harper found time, in between pushing out fanstasic apps and entrees, to make his way through the dining room, greeting guests with his easy charm. The menu is simple and well executed. The duck fricassee, braised short ribs with whipped sweet potatoes, and crispy salmon with spinach and 'perfect' mashed potatoes were all excellent. Simply put, Ben's hit a home run with Next Door. I'll go back again the next chance I get.
The Food was fair
I went to Next Door a couple of weeks ago, and just seeing the atmosphere made me anxious to get in and get a seat. However, I was surprised at the limited menu of options. However, the waiter stated that more is to come. Can't wait to try it again!
Great Service
I visited "Next Door" this past saturday and had a great time. The service was excellent and the crab cakes were good enough to fight over. I'm on my way there again tonight.
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