Chi-Cha Lounge

Update: Shortly after writing my previous review I received a call from KD and he was willing to meet me to return the money. I was very open and provided feedback and appeared to be very receptive and apologetic.

Off putting staff. Not sure that I’ll spend my money here again. With all the pretentiousness I’d much rather introduce my guests and friends to a much friendlier DC vibe. Very misaligned with the historical U Street vibe that I grew to love. Another great example of gentrification’s negative effects on DC community culture. Too bad. I like spending my money but not here.

Décor is a little played out, but ambiance and service is still good. Nice mix of a crowd and decent food. A fun place to go with 4 or more people.

Our 1^st stop of the night & wasn’t disappointed. Although I don’t partake in Hookah, the environment wasn’t overbearing with smoke & the ambiance had a nice neo-​soul going on.
My family crew was situated in the back, but I caught myself making my way around the venue to look around. Nice living room stage for the lounging area & of course there was a long bar.
After being interiorly nosy, as the furniture & lighting was class act of stylish, I came back & had a glass of wine waiting on me. Thanks to Eboni, our server who was very friendly, we enjoyed ourselves the next few hours. I got up a few times to rock to the DJ, who was doing it on his turntables.
Although I ate before arriving, I still had to look over the menu & I can’t wait to go back just to eat LOL! The great selections of Tapas made me want to be greedy & stuff myself, yet I press pause on my cravings & continue to flow with a good time of FAM & libations.
Eboni had her table service on point while taking care of her many other patrons & keeping on track with us… really good service.
The interaction amongst strangers didn’t seem strange as everyone was friendly, saying hello, trying to get a step or two when I was dancing solo… what a very enjoyable time.
I know bar backs/​busboys never gets the high fives, but our guy was on it, he seemed to circle back every time one of us finished a drink.
Again, very great experience for my 1^st time & look forward to making this my go to stop before a night of hanging out… or even to try out Happy Hour.
Thanks Eboni your service rocked & will be back to enjoy myself again.

Solid spot for hookah, drinks, and snacks. Came here with some friends on Wednesday. It was dead which makes sense since it was the day before Thanksgiving. The atmosphere is clubby (big sofas, dark lighting, etc.) I’ve heard the place is usually packed but it was nice to experience it on an off night. The hookah was great and the snacks were tasty. I’d definitely return.

I love ChiCha! I came here after attending a birthday brunch. It was about 10 – 15 of us within the group. The hookah was definitely on point. I had the rose-​mint flavor. Our waitress was very nice but not really attentive. I decided to close my tab with her and go to the bar directly in an attempt to take full advantage of the happy hour prices (yes, saving the coin is important)! The food there is decent. I really enjoyed the sushi options. My favorite employee at ChiCha is Ms Rae! She is an excellent bartender. Look for her, she’s the beautiful one! I would recommend a visit during Happy Hour. The hookah is half price along with their drinks!

I visit this place every time I go to DC– Great music, great hookah, and great drinks.

Love Chi Cha. Great happy hour. Drinks are good. Hookah is amazing – easily the best in the entire DMV. Not the cleanest place, but doesn’t really have to be I guess. Oh, and be sure to stay clear away from the bathroom. It never doesn’t reek (lol).

The customer service wasn’t that great. We sat for 30 minutes before we received any good help. The décor and furniture need major upgrades, they all seemed so old and worn down and not very comfortable. Prices were a little on the high side.
The hookah was on point though… along with the wings.

This place was conveniently placed near U street and 14^th street (around 3 blocks away). We were trying to go for a low key place for happy hour and wanted to try the place out. It is mainly a hookah place so there were a lot of couches and seating areas.
I liked the place because they have good deals for HH, but I wouldn’t want to try the place again or go back unless there are no other options. The bartender was playful, which made the experience nice. The drinks were nothing too extravagant, but were not watered down which was nice.
Overall, nothing much else to say, but it was an acceptable place.

My friends and I were craving some hookah, so we decided to check this place out. $ 5 cover charge to get in, only to find out that you can either a) smoke by the bar for free or b) get a table where there is a $ 25 per person minimum. Problem is, the bar was packed full (the general bar area was pretty small), and none of us felt inclined to drop at least $ 25 each on a place that already asked for cover. Not to mention, the individual hookahs themselves were pretty overpriced compared to other places I’ve been to, and the ambiance of the place is pretty… meh.
I would not recommend this place at all, which is a shame, since I really, really wish there was a great hookah place around U St. If I could give this place 0 stars, I would.

Super cute place but always gets packed fast so come early.
I didn’t really like the minimum charge that you have pay. Kind of tacky but I guess the rest makes up for that.
Overall, a nice place to hang out at.

My favorite spot for drinks and hookah nation wide. I have been to hundreds of hookah bars

Never ever again! The manager is so rude. Her name is Asiata. A short East African women with braids that have outgrown their stay. She pushed me and told me to move when I asked where are server was after been there for 20 min. With no one asking if we needed anything. It’s fight night so one would tho l that the servers would be about those money. I left because I can only control my action, not the actions of others.

Stopped by this past Saturday night. $ 5 cover charge.
If you don’t have a place to sit this place isn’t really as much fun. The manager kept asking us not to block the service lane even though it was impossible to get the attention of a bartender because the bar was so packed. He wasn’t rude… it was more of a inconvenience.
The prices are a bit high. The Sangria was $ 9 and the Ciroc/​Cranberry was about $ 12. Seems a little high but it’s DC.
I had the hookah before on another visit and it was ok. The music is cool. They were playing old school reggae. I would come again with a reservation.

I was in town real quick over the weekend, decided to check out my old favorite, Chi-​Cha Lounge. Arrived at about 11pm Friday night, wanting dinner, drinks, and sheesha.
We were charged a $ 5 per person cover at the door. even though we were there to eat dinner?
It took a few minutes for a hostess to meet us, and she told us there were no tables, but there would be very shortly, that we could wait at the bar, and she would come and find us.
So we went to the crowded bar and ordered drinks– standing room only. Waited about 30 minutes, and the hostess never came for us.
The crowd in here has changed dramatically. It used to be very diverse and international, but that no longer seems to be the case. In fact, I even caught some hostility in here– completely unprovoked, apparently simply because I’m a blonde white girl. So we left. Never to return.
Bye-​bye, Chi-​Cha!

Fun night out with the girls. After dinner and drinks downtown Silver Spring, we took the party to DC for some shisha! There was no cover but to get a table there is a $ 25 minimum per person which was not bad at all. Our wait for out table was not too bad. I kept an eye on all the patrons to see who was coming and going and which table was free because the hostesses seemed a little overwhelmed and all over the place. Once I spotted an opening I pointed it out to a hostess and she escorted us over. We were seated in a secluded spot since the tables front and center were booked for the night. Not a bad spot and we met some awesome people. The apps we ordered were alright. Guac and chips and wings. We ordered 2 bottles of merlot (yummy and had an amazing kick!) and our shisha was on point. What a fun night!

Came here for girls’ night out and had a blast! We didn’t have a reservation, but happened to luck out when a large table full of people left. The service wasn’t too bad at all, even though it was a Saturday night. Our waitress was so attentive to us and our food came out at a decent speed. Since we had dinner before we came, I only ordered the Plantain Chips & Guac as a snack. We had so much fun! Probably too much lol.
I recommend getting a table near the front, to the left of the main door. It’s a more private atmosphere and you don’t have to worry about someone bumping into you and your hookah. I will be returning.

Visited here for a friends bday party.
The food is indeed delicious. Order the crab Bruschetta, you will not regret it. It’s filled with loads of crab and not the imitation one.
The reason for giving only 2 stars is because of the Hookah. This has to be the worse spot for decent hookah. It fills with smoke quickly and you’re inhaling nothing but smoke. It’s overpriced — $ 25 dollars and the machinery is old. Some are falling apart. With all the money this place is brining in they should at least invest in electronic hookahs or better machinery.

Chi Cha is my go to spot for weekday drinks, hookah, and good times with friends. I love this place! It is fairly decent in size and the atmosphere is very relaxing. From the comfy couches to the perfectly made hookahs, Chi Cha is the place to go for a relaxing, yet fun, night with your friends or significant other. The feel is very Mediterranean Modern. They also play great music; very versatile. You will hear anything from EDM to pure Old School Hip Hop. Every time I come here I get a Mint/​Mango Hookah and a Mango Mojito. It is the best combo EVER! Chi Cha also serves food, but I have found that I am not a huge fan of their food selection. The customer service varies based on your server, but it seems that they starting to hire some great new people and getting rid of the few «Debbie Downers» that are left. Overall, this is a great place to go for long talks, great drinks, and delicious hookah. The night flies when you’re here! I would give Chi Cha 3.5 stars if I could.
Faves: The Mango Mojitos are so refreshing; they are always made to perfection. Mint/​Mango Hookah … So yummy! **NOTE: $ 10 Hookahs during happy hour.
Would Change: After a few drinks, it’s no fun going down the steep staircase to the bathroom 0. o haha Also, the menu could use a revamping.