Bold Bite

I can’t believe the excellent reviews of this place on Unilocal.Yes, the burger was cooked to order, but it was ordinary at best, with one very skinny patty. I should have been tipped off by the fact that no one but me was ordering at lunch time, while the other places in the food court. I have to admit, however, the fries were excellent (even without a sauce). But if you are looking for a good burger, this is not the place. Even Shake Shack is better, and they are pretty far down on my list of best burger places.

My son and I traveled to Richmond from Chicago for my father’s funeral. We had a three hour layover in DC. Starving after a 18 hour train ride we looked for a place to eat in the food court at Union Station. Our hopes were not high. Being from Chicago, food is aplenty and delicious. We stopped at Bold Bite and were blown away. The burgers were incredible and the fries we couldn’t get enough of. The food was so good that on the trip home we had another layover in DC and you can bet we stopped for Bold Bite burgers for the ride home.

I have been all over the states and I think I may have just found my favorite hamburger.
I walked in there totally by chance mostly because I saw someone eating the burger through the window and the fries looked like they were hand made. In my experience, anytime I see a place that goes to the trouble to make their own fries indicates that there’s a little more than than meets the eye going on.
So I walked into the place and ordered the Bold Burger with fries. The staff was «on it» as they say, a nice break from the typical dead-​eyed fast food order taker. Despite being very busy, I got my food very quickly.
The burger was simply amazing. It was smoked, but just enough so the smoke didn’t overpower everything, and the toppings were fresh and crisp and made for the perfect balance of hot and cold. Then the magic happened! The crispy potato sticks take the thing to the next level! They add the perfect crunchy texture and just round the whole thing out. It lasted about five bites and it was gone.
Next time I am in DC, I will make this place a «must visit.» I’m already jonesing for another Bold Burger.
By the way, this was Bethesda.

Had the Banh Mi smoke shack and it delivered. Its one day later and i want another. The dog was crisp and the slaw and flavors on top exact. Only criticism was that its on the expensive side.

While waiting for a train, and you have to grab a bite, you could do worse. The burger was cooked well but lacked seasoning. The out off the bag bun could have been better for the price of the meal. The toppings were at least fresh… The alleged top 10 fries were limp and barely salted, except for the bunch at the bottom that had a huge crust of salt… For $ 13 for burger, fries and drink, you could do better at Johnny Rockets. This beats Taco Bell and McDonalds but for the price it is in the same league… This should be renamed Blah Bite

3.5 stars. I don’t usually have high hopes when it comes to food court selections, but Bold Bite turned out to be a Decent Bite.
The cheeseburger was tasty, although slightly reminiscent of Wendy’s. But hey, I don’t hate Wendy’s. The fries looked more appetizing online than they were in person, although they too were alright. The garlic aoili was a fantastic accompaniment that bumped the fries up to the next level. The DC classic was pretty good if sausage-​like foods are your thing.
I wasn’t blown out of the water, but this was a perfectly acceptable stop for a post-​bus ride binge.

ABSOLUTELY delicious, flavorful, perfectly cooked half-​smokes. I asked for mine «Chicago style» which is something they offer for their all beef hotdogs. The sports peppers (like a cross between mini pepperoncini and jalapeño) sesame seed hot dog bun, etc. all came together to satisfy my craving. I also had a chili cheese dog which for my taste was just okay but I’m convinced that if I get it with the sports peppers next time I’ll be much happier with it. The lady at the register said that at their Bethesda store they call my order the «windy city» (get it… Chicago style… but with half smoke).
Hands down my new half smoke spot in DC.

Hot dogs or even half smokes for that matter aren’t something I would venture out seeking. However, I found myself in Union station during lunch and in deciding between shake shack and bojangles I decided to go healthy and just get a half smoke. Without any fries because you know… healthy. I opted for one of the signature ones (DC Guac) and it came topped with a version of pico, Guacamole, cheese, and crunchy tortilla strips. Wow. The explosion of the first bite left me wanting more and more. The size of the half smoke was plenty big and perfect for lunch. I will gone ahead and admit this was not a healthy meal but it was really good! All their food appears to be made to order and they run am efficient shop.

We had a Chicago dog and a naked dog. They were good to slightly better then average. The fries are where it is at!!! We had cheese fries and they were delicious. I bet the chili cheese fries are awesomeness!

French fries is very good, reminds me of five guys fries. Perfect Belgian fries, well-​seasoned and good texture.
Burger is not bad, but nothing special. I should have just ordered a hot dog instead, even though Im more of a burger person.

I got the DC Guac, fries, and a drink for about $ 11. Half-​smoke had a little kick of spice and bread was soft. Fries are ok but better if you dip on one of their house sauces.

The burger was delish. Tasted a mix between grilled and charred with those burnt peices. The fries were fresh cut and according to their sign, voted a top 5 of DC. They have coke products which annoys me because I prefer Pepsi. If you’ve been out and about for a while just get a large drink. I gotthe regular and had to go back for a refill for an additional $ 1.10. The cashier looked annoyed as hell which is why I removed a star. I’d rather the employees just be indifferent vs. annoyed.

Bold Bite is a hot dog place located in the food court downstairs at Union Station (they also have one in Bethesda). While offering hot dogs and half-​smokes, they also have smoked burgers, breakfast sandwiches, kiddie options, housemade doughnuts, and fries. I tried the House Dog, but swapped out the all-​beef frank for a half-​smoke; this came topped with finely-​diced onions, cabbage (simple slaw), ketchup, mayo, mustard, and potato sticks (shoestring potato snack) — this was pretty tasty, and came on a NE-​style bun rather than a regular dog bun. I also tried a side of their Belgian-​style fries, which were salted perfectly and freshly-​fried; I requested chili and cheese on the side, and I loved how they put each of the toppings in an individual container (grant it, it was in a hot dog styrofoam box, so spillage is unavoidable!). The cheese was nacho-​esque, but a bit more thicker in consistency; the chili had finely-​ground beef and it was actually pretty tasty. Don’t forget that your batch of fries come with one fry sauce of your choice — I tried their House Aioli, which was like a garlic mayo — really delicious! The food is made-​to-​order, so you do have to wait a few. The cashier, Monica, was such a sweetheart and made sure that the order was correct. They are kind of stingy with the condiments, so just keep that in mind. I’d like to try out their other dogs, like the DC Asian or the DC Guac (sans the pico de gallo), as well as their housemade doughnuts!
+can swap out the all-​beef frank for a half-​smoke!
+Belgian-​style fries!
+House Aioli (fry sauce)
+stingy on the condiments!
+ask for Monica: D
+located downstairs in the food court in Union Station (between Crêpe Lena and Subway)
+limited free 2-​hour residential parking a couple of blocks away on F St

Went there for a late lunch and got the DC Asian with fries with their cilantro lime dipping sauce. Very good! Even got a 1980’s Pop serenade from a food court patron who had been on station since 8:00am singing for all who could stand to listen! The cashier was very nice and shared a good natured laugh as I paid for the meal.
Definitely visit this place!

The family was visiting DC and wandered over to Union Station specifically to give Bold Bite a try. We had read good things and were excited to give this place a try.
It was easy to locate in the food court area. The woman at the register didn’t seem particularly amenable to us taking time to look over the menu. I got a Chili Cheese Dog (no onions) and a House Dog (no onions). I appreciated how smothered the chili cheese dog with the aforementioned toppings. That dog was a mess to eat but real tasty. Thought, nothing stood out about it. I felt like a place called «Bold Bite» might kick up the cheese sauce or the chili in some way.
The House Dog was good as well. The cabbage and crunchy potato sticks added some good texture. Again, I just expected a bit more flavor. The combo of ketchup-​mustard-​mayo was good but lacked a kick.
We split a large order of fries with the cajun ketchup (which needed more seasoning). The fries themselves were really good.
Being gluttons we also split a DC Asian. Now this, is what I’m talking about. Creative, bold flavors. I really really enjoyed this Dog.

3.5 stars. I would have given these guys four stars just for the grilled hot dog buns alone BUT the DC Guac dog was too salty. For me, striking the right balance with salt is all important. Hot dogs are already salty, so you need to cut back somewhere.
Otherwise, the service was quick and the people were pleasant. I can see why it’s popular. If a fellow Unilocaler can recommend to me one of the hamburgers there, I’ll give it another shot!

Since I usually have to wait for my MARC Train I decided to test out the Bold Burger. I asked for the medium and it came out perfectly cooked and tasted good. The combo came with a lot of fries, but they were a tad salty. After demolishing my burger I decided to grab a half smoke to go. I ordered the «DC Guac» a ¼ lb half-​smoke topped pico de gallo, guacamole, Monterey Jack cheese, shredded crispy tortilla strips and cilantro lime sauce on a toasted bun. I ended up eating it on the train ride home as I could not wait! This was a great combo of flavors.
Customer service was OK… the first female that took my order was chatting it up with friend/​customer and I heard a few curse words that should not be said. But when I came up to order she was nice and courteous. When I came back up for my second order, a different female took my order and gave me a 15% Military Discount (I was in uniform). Too bad I wasn’t given one the first time, but it’s all good :)

I came here for a Unilocal CMYE and now am reviewing my second time here. And its bad, all bad.
First of all the cashier was having a bad day, she used cuss words and had the nasty/​nice attitude (Miche’le calls it Nicety). Apparently the cooks were messing up orders. You could cut the tension in there with a butter knife.
Im gonna call this review. Nicety.
They messed up a customers order and it was taking too long. The customer got testy with the cook. I was just look at her shakin my head like, chic he has the sanitation of your food in his hands. you really wanna go all postal on ur extra 5 minute wait?
Then I overheard the cashier have a titty attack; «I cant stand this f*k-face»
Whoa, who peed in her Wheaties?!
Anyway the food was amazing. I had the Asian Half Smoke… mm yummy just like I remember it. My friend had the vegetarian hot dog.
The handcut fries were amazing as well. They ran out of truffle whip cream :-(
Food Amazing, Customer Service and Professionalism is LACKING – BIG TIME!
I gave it 2 stars because of this. And scrolling through the reviews, it looks like this is not the first time. Very disappointed BB
(Oh but Ill be back)

Killer salty hot crispy Belgian fries at Bold Bite, the size «small» is a huge paper cone with enuf for two peeps easy and only $ 3! Maybe a bit too salty tho. An order comes with one free sauce, the smoky hot is a habanero concoction that has some respectable heat to it.
Here’s how it’s done :) First order your fries. Then while a fresh batch is frying up just for you, stroll on down to the pizza joint for a draft beer. Hurry back to pick up yer order and enjoy cold beer with smokin hot fries, you’ll be glad you did.
I missed the BB Unilocal event on ²⁄₆ ah well. Some good stuff here, better than you have any right to expect in the Union Station food court.

I’ve got to check through my many reviews because I feel like this might be a rare happening. I am giving a fast food joint 5 stars. 5 effing stars to a place in a food court. But gosh darnit they deserve it. When you ask someone in DC about a burger they’ll ⁹⁄₁₀ times say Five Guys, and while I like Five Guys, it’s pretty basic and mundane. When you say the phrase half-​smoke in DC I promise you everyone is screaming Ben’s Chili Bowl, which I absolutely despise and feel like it’s poverty food at best, the official restaurant of the Great Depression. Then I stumbled across this place.
Let’s start with the owners and chefs. 2 brothers from Venezuela, Michelin star restaurant trained. They know food. For their burgers, they acquire fresh beef from the area and cold smoke it daily to give the flavor then sear it as to not dry out and lose the juices and flavor. I mean remember this is a food court spot. Unheard of. The classic bold burger was pretty darn good and included lettuce, tomato, onions, potato sticks, and BOLD sauce. The spicy burger really had some kick and included monterey Jack cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, smokin’ hot sauce, crispy tortilla strips, cilantro lime sauce.
The half smokes. The DC Classic which had onions, spicy mustard and chilli. My favorite the DC Guac was loaded with Pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro lime sauce, monterey Jack cheese and crispy tortilla strips. A second favorite, with a touch of spice to it, was the DC Asian with Asian slaw, Hot & Bold sauce and toasted sesame seeds.
Now the fries. Alone they were good, but nothing special, but then we get to their fry sauce which changes the game. Fry sauces included a cilantro lime, chesapeake cajun ketchup, house aioli, a bold mild and hot, and a few others. You can spike your fries for $ 2 (chili, cheese, or both) as well as whip your fries for $ 2 (add a truffle whipped cream).
Oh then there’s the other basics. It’s in the bottom level of the food court inside union station. Thus you’ll either be visiting here as a traveler, someone on the metro, or someone who works in the area where walking is convenient. After hours you may find convenient parking on Louisiana Ave. This is a must try place.