1905 Restaurant

Long flight up and hostess wanted to stick us in the corner. When I make a reservation and get there timely I expect better service. Hubby ordered a beer and I believe it was one of the rare times it wasn’t poured for him. I ordered the tuna and asked for it seared. The fish itself was fine but all the veggies were awful. The olive tapenade looked too dark and unappealing and tasty too salty and crunchy, the green beans had too much vinegar and I live eggplant and that was also not good. I ate the potatoes off my husbands plate and liked the smoked broccoli. We went elsewhere for dessert.

Great rooftop bar, great food, good atmosphere, solid service. I have been just for rooftop drinks and also went for dinner with a group of people from work. It’s a great place to get a drink, but I was a little concerned about a group that size for a meal. Big groups of people are a serious test for a small restaurant and they passed with flying colors. I had a watermelon salad and a fish special, both of which were excellent. I also sampled a coworker’s hush puppies, which had crab and were a bit foodier than hush puppies should be – I think there was quinoa involved. We got prompt service, and they brought everyone’s food more or less at once, so I’d say it’s good for groups, despite being pretty tiny.

Our group had been wanting to try this place for awhile, so we finally locked down and committed to an unseasonably warm Saturday in February for dinner, party of 4.
We were seated at the larger booth table, which was extremely cozy and inviting, although the two «end cushions» we’re a little odd. You’ll understand what I mean if you ever sit here. Our waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu– always a plus. The décor is a bit reminiscent of a speakeasy-​ish vibe, although it certainly is not a speakeasy in any sense of the word. They do have a nice upstairs roof bar however. Back to dinner:
We decided to start with some appetizers, the «caviar and tater tots» as well as the «corn bread with bacon butter». Let me say that for $ 2, the corn bread completely surpassed our expectations AND the serving size was enough for all 4 of us to have a legit portion and a second helping. The caviar and tots, while a novel concept, lacked in presentation. Let me explain: it’s served on a gray slate, no issue there– except the caviar blends in to the point that you really have to search for it. It’s also just kind of dolloped on there, in between a nice sized platter of tots and a cup of amazing dipping sauce. Meh, it wasn’t bad but maybe just put the damn caviar on top of the sauce so we can find it next time?
Entrees: my boyfriend opted for the «tuna steak», seared rare. It was good, no complaints, however I personally didn’t care for the sides. I regrettably cannot recall what those said sides were, but he loved it. I had the «pan seared organic chicken breast.» I know, I know, «who orders chicken?» But let me tell you this was some amazingly flavorful chicken, presented atop a perfect bed of polenta and greens… And I don’t even like greens! I seriously ate all of it and wanted more. The table agreed– possibly best dish of the night. My girlfriend ordered the special, which if I recall correctly was a sirloin– served with a side of black eyed peas mixed with green tomatoes. The special aioli sauce served with the steak she felt wasn’t great, and she said that although it was good, she wouldn’t care to order again. The presentation of this dish was also very odd– the sirloin came atop a toasted piece of bread… And then the entire rest of the plate was just dollops of aioli. The side of black eyed peas actually was served in a second, small skillet. Her boyfriend felt the aioli was actually more reminiscent of mayonnaise– yikes! Our last companion ordered some sort of short ribs– fall of the bone style– and he also devoured. He did comment that it tasted a bit like pot roast rather than short ribs– but still delicious.
Great drink options, so definitely would come back! The ambiance is nice enough that it stands for a classy date night establishment.

I can’t speak to the food as much since I came here for a holiday party and only indulged in a few fried cheese balls (yum) and meatballs (pretty good). However they were very welcoming to our big group and provides great service. They have the Flying Dog Hefeweizen which I love. It was a cute cozy little place and I would certainly go back to try it out for a real meal.

Came for dinner and drinks at the bar last year and we had an awesome time.
We came back for a friends birthday recently. The service was fine, although it seemed the server was more interested in what was happening on his phone.
The cocktails were okay but nothing really stood out. They do have absinthe though which is awesome for after dinner. The meal itself? Bland. All the dishes seemed very one note. Do they smoke everything??? The dessert we tried was dry. I would come back for the roof deck and happy hour drinks

I absolutely loved coming here. About 10 of us came during a cold night, but they had heaters on the rooftop so everyone was comfortable. We eventually moved inside to sit down, and got some food. All of it was delicious! I highly suggest getting the appetizer pork belly/​grits/​egg.

I hadn’t been here in a couple years and I still love the space. Others calling it a dimly lit speakeasy environment are right. Exposed brick, nice banquettes and chandeliers. This visit, I was very disappointed. First words out of servers mouth «We’re don’t have the first three (of 6) specialty cocktails and we’re out of the pork loin.» I asked «What about lamb?» «No, that’s not even on the menu tonight.» Lamb was on their online menu and one of my group wanted it. Another had wanted the pork loin. They got burgers instead, a disappointing runner up choice. We ordered caviar tater tots as appetizer. A white bowl of tots with a side white bowl of dill sauce both brought to the table on a black raw slate «slab». We were finished the tots before we realized the black caviar was on the black slate under the stainless steel demi spoon (dimly lit made it hard to see). I ordered short ribs, which were very tender but dry. It needed a mild pepper glaze or some reduction drizzle. My friend asked for well done burger and it arrived rare, he sent it back and it came back pink, not well done. Other friend ordered burger asking «Do you have something besides American cheese?» Both the host and the waiter said «No.» But when his burger arrived it did have a different cheese, which was good. They comped us a dessert. We chose the flourless chocolate cake. It was dense and soft but slightly dry and though it had ice cream on the side, it would’ve benefited from a topping of fudge or nutella.
I’m so disappointed. For years Ulah had been my go-​to place and now that it’s closed I was hoping that 1905 would fill that void, but the food just wasn’t good enough.

Whiskey sour was okay, but the food was outstanding!
We had a late dinner here on a Saturday night and it wasn’t hard to get a reservation, but the place was full!
Great service for our party of five. Drinks came out fast and strong. We split the deviled eggs, which were excellent as well as the tater tots (served with a tangy sauce and roe). Four of us ordered the short ribs for our main course and this dish did not disappoint! The meat was tender and flavorful and the smoky broccoli on the side was amazing! A few crispy potato wedges rounded out the meal.
The dark dining room of this bistro is tucked away on the second story of busy 9^th and U, but it’s a hidden gem you have to try!

Love this place. The atmosphere is cozy and chic. Whether it’s brunch or dinner you can’t go wrong. And the roof deck is one of the best in town.

Average fare: average food, active bar, okay staff. Nothing crazy awesome stands out, but it’s not a miss either.

So, I took a friend here for Brunch on 7÷19÷15 to catch up on life things. I’ve been to this place, but for dinner during the week. I ordered the Corned Beef hash and my friend ordered the truffle grits and pork belly. The food came out really quickly, which was a pleasant surprise because we were starving. My friend enjoyed her dish immensely, but mine was mediocre at best. The corned beef was mostly fat, the «hash» was half roasted potatoes. My recommendation would be to dice the potatoes into smaller pieces and to trim the fat from the corned beef. I did not enjoy my food, but didn’t want to ruin the moment with my friend, so I grinned and consumed it.
Chef needs to put a bit more detail into the dishes, small adjustments make the dining experience memorable.
the noise level in this place for a brunch meeting was on 10! Not a good place if you want an intimate quiet brunch experience.

Like a few other reviewers, I’m shocked that anyone could rate this place lower than 5 (or at a minimum 4) stars. Say what you will about the location or the space, but the food is incredible. Joel, the executive chef, is a master of his craft. I’m very hard to please when it comes to eating out in D.C./northern VA, but every aspect of my recent experience at 1905 knocked my socks off. My dining companion and I got to sample quite a bit of the menu, so I feel comfortable making a global recommendation. For appetizers/​starters, the beets and the deviled eggs are fantastic. The ham shank entrée is fall-​off-​the-​bone tender and absolutely delicious. The cocktails, while a little small, are well-​crafted and appropriately strong without tasting like it.
We’ll definitely be coming back often now that we’ve discovered this little hideaway. One thing we didn’t get to experience on our first trip was the rooftop (simply due to lousy weather) but I’m sure it’s a great place to enjoy some awesome food on a nice summer evening.

Came here one Sunday with my husband and at first was not excited at all. It just didn’t seem like a brunch place to me. We walked in and the place was empty. I was optimistic because within 15 min, the place was packed. We had a bottomless signature drink that was awesome and I thought well if the food is mediocre then at least the drink is good. I ordered Chicken and Waffles and when it came out it was exactly that, a waffle with a piece of chicken. I don’t know how they managed to pack so much flavor in a dish that looked so simple but it was so moist and delicious. We finished off the day drinking more signature cocktails on their roof top terrace.
I work in the service industry and whenever a client asks for Brunch recommendations I tell them to come here.
I guess I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover because this little hidden gem is certainty a diamond in the rough.

This restaurant is definitely underrated! We were a little skeptical at first because we were judging from outside appearances but when you get upstairs it’s really a neat place.
We loved the food and the interesting combination of eastern european and southern cuisine. Our waiter was great and overall we had a fun time! Good cocktails too!

Went for brunch. It was fine, but I don’t know if I would recommend it unreservedly, especially with so many fantastic brunch options within walking distance of the place.
Server was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. The interior could use some real work. While they may be going for the vintage vibe, it feels more like my great grandma’s delapidated living room. I can’t put my finger on it, but the lighting was just.terrible. Could barely see my food and had to strain to read the menu.
I ordered the bloody mary, which was awful. It hadn’t been mixed well, so the vodka was all floating on top, and it had been filled so full that my attempt to stir it resulted in me spilling most of the alcohol on the table. On top of that, it just didn’t taste that great.
The bread basket was good, though a bit too crumbly. My entrée tasted fine, same for my gf’s (she had pork belly with truffle grits). Overall, nothing was terrible enough to make it an overall negative experience, but nothing was so great as to make it a memorable experience.

I’m wondering why this badazz restaurant has only 3.5stars when they are freakin AMAZE-​balls! I see ppl are complaining about the cocktails and service, and those are the two things that were quite fine with me… But the FOOD??? OHmahgosh, it’s enough to make ya panties wet! The 3 of use totally cleared the menu (limiited options) but every single thing on that teeny menu was freaking wonderful!
I’m the restaurant guru in my circle of friends and this joint by far is by far among my top 3 faves in DC….

Great secret hideaway spot few people seem to know about. Excellent food – rich, but consistently good. Wednesday nights are their burger nights (half price) and the toppings available range from pork belly to eggs. (I get everything, which they call a scooby burger.)
Rooftop is great and rarely crowded, but I haven’t been on weekends. A great quiet spot to wind down with a friend after a long day.

Awesome bar and patio, great food. Super hip décor. Need more bartenders working outside on warm nights, but cool-​chic place overall. Would definitely return.

Decent place. My bf and I were in the mood for a rooftop with the amazing weather we’ve been having so we opted for this place. It was cool. The HH had good pricing for drinks, but the roof only had one bartender who was pretty busy. Ordering a drink took about 10 min.
I prefer a more mixed crowd, but what can you expect in DC these days. Also, I would suggest not getting the angus burger. I figured a double patty would be too much meat so I opted for just one patty. What I didn’t realize is how much bigger the bun is than the patty. It was OK for the $ 14 price, which came with a side salad.
I would stick to stopping by this place for a drink or two and heading somewhere else with a better crowd, better food prices, and maybe some music? I don’t really remember hearing any at all.

I REALLY wanted to like this place. If you can get over your fear of falling through the poorly assembled roof, its really not bad up there. The cocktails can be made at home, and the food is something comparable to what you would find at Applebees. I recommend saving your money and going to a park/​your apartment roof to grill out with some beers.
It’s pretty hipster. Not the fun, trendy hipster with the funny handle bar mustache you find at Chaplin’s or American Ice Co… Like, the actual hipster that smells questionable and has that outgrown beard with food in it.

Good for a special dinner or event. The food was really delicious, but rich and heavy. The staff was friendly and informative and the drinks were really good. I ordered some sort of pork belly app which could have been my entire dinner and I was at first appalled by how much (fat) was on my plate. But then I proceeded to eat… the entire thing.

I recently came here and spent my birthday on the wonderful rooftop. 1905 has a solid drink menu, and the bartender was great. The other great thing about the roof is that it’s covered, so if you encounter rain like I did, you don’t have to leave the bar, and you can stay on the roof!

Wow. This place blew us away. Drinks were creative, kale salad like none other, the daily specials were amazing.
We chose this restaurant for distance to 9:30 club.
Great way to start our fun evening.
Very talented chef !!

Soooo good.