Little Ricky’s

Hey Ricky,
I know you went from Cuban to Southern, but, sweetheart, you got some ’splainin’ to do.
I have come by 3 times in the past 2 months and I find the place all locked up.
Perhaps I need to use a different accent.
Like: Are y’all open for business or what?

Their calamari is amazing! It is so fresh! I really enjoy their pulled pork. Their happy hour specials are great! They are a little pricey. The staff is super friendly!

I really wanted to like Little Ricky’s after they changed their menu to «southern cuisine». I did. Being from the south this sounded enticing to say the least. That being said, living in the brookland neighborhood in dc I had grown fairly accustomed to getting really good Cuban food on a regular basis from the «old» little Ricky’s so I will admit I was wary of the change. We did decide to go in and try it last night however and sadly were pretty disappointed. Browsing the menu, I’m sorry this is not southern cuisine. This is what I would call a deep fried menu. Southern food is so much more than just throwing food in a deep frier. Yes they have a gumbo and I may venture to try that some day, but I’d say 75% of the menu relies on the deep frier and that is just not the essence of southern food.
Thinking maybe the pulled pork would be a decent bet, at the waiters suggestion I opted for that. While the sandwich was fine, it was a bit soggy from all of the sauce. The menu suggested it was a vinegar based sauce but this was clearly a thicker Memphis style sauce.
My dining partner opted for their special which was an Atlantic cod over creamed spinach. This was highly recommended by the waiter. Awful. The cod was like a rubbery brick and the spinach was nothing special.
Since I live in brookland and this is one of a few walkable restaurants I want this place to succeed, but with food like this and management decisions to suddenly change concepts I don’t see how it can survive.

They have changed the menu to southern style cuisine — and man do they know southern! We have been back four times since the new menu. Yummy! The shrimp and grits are creamy and rich. The fried fish and hush puppies are delish! I had a cod special tonight — holy amazing! The fish was fresh and laying on a bed of spinach in a tomato cream sauce. My hubby had piled pork sandwich — his words — ‘literally the best pulled pork sandwich ever.’ Next time I go I am getting the bucket of boiled shrimp, potatoes, corn and mushrooms — oooohh weeee! The drinks are also all southern inspired with mint julep and whiskey varieties. We are so happy this place is in our hood! And so thrilled to be southern :-) We highly recommend it!

No longer Cuban… it’s southern BBQ and holy shit is it good. Many places can’t get ribs right — they do. Fall off the bone delicious. Sauces are fantastic, drinks are divine but not too strong. It’s a fantastic neighborhood place to eat.

Great Service! Food was delicious and so was the coffee. Def recommend this… Loved the atmosphere and the salsa playing in the background. Place is very chic and clean!

Came here with a friend for dinner. From the 4 stars, I was expecting some really good food and I was a little disappointed. I ordered the Cuban Pollo Encebollado after debating between that and the Ropa Vieja. Server told me there was no Ropa Vieja that night so I went with the Cuban Pollo Encebollado. I raised an eyebrow at the price — $ 15.89 for a chicken breast, rice, and beans — but decided not to judge until the food was out.
When the food eventually came out, I again silently raised an eyebrow at the portion. It’s not small but it’s not what I expected for the price. You get a piece of tenderized chicken breast that’s been breaded and fried topped with onions, next to some rice, drizzled with beans, and some veggies like carrots and peas next to it. Food was pretty good but like I said, for the price, I was expecting bigger portions. It’s nothing mindblowing or super creative but it was a tasty piece of chicken. Rice and beans were decent too.
Our check came in a paperback Cuban book which I thought was cute. Service was good although a little slow. There was only one bartender and one server so getting our check took more than a couple of minutes. There’s a lot of artwork hanging on the walls which is pretty cool too. This was my first trip to Brookland and my first restaurant in the area so I’m not sure if I can objectively say whether this is one of the better places to eat in the area. All I can say is that food is decent enough although pricey for the portions you pay.

Great food and service!
I’ve been curious to try Little Ricky’s since I saw them open but never got around to it however I’ve been there twice in two weeks. Each time I really enjoyed myself!
The menu in the restaurant offers a bit more than the menu that’s posted online which is a nice surprise. The restaurant is small but has a nice vibe and has been full each time I’ve been there.
The staff and servers are very attentive and the food is very reasonably priced. My first time there I tried the Fred Mertz hamburger which was delicious but not nearly as good as the pulled chicken BBQ sandwich that I got last time… I definitely recommend! It was beyond delicious; I cleaned my plate even though I wasn’t that hungry.
Overall if you’re looking for a nice Cuban restaurant or happen to find yourself in Brookland it’s definitely worth a visit! You won’t be disappointed!

The food at Little Ricky’s was solid (we went for brunch), and we appreciated the waiter turning a pitcher into glasses of sangria for the table that definitely exceeded the amount a pitcher would ever hold… but I had to dock two stars for the service, which was overbearing to the point of being abrasive.
The manager/​waiter was jokey, which was fine, but it occurred to the point of interrupting our conversations and making us a little uncomfortable. The key highlight of this fact was when we paid and he proceeded with a ‘your credit card was declined’ joke. Which a) isn’t that funny, b) is definitely not funny when you let it go for a solid 2 minutes before explaining you’re kidding, and c) was especially not funny given the financial status of the person he pulled this on. Definitely left the entire table embarrassed and uncomfortable, and skewed our impression of the restaurant in general.
I’d love to check this place out for dinner, but to honest if I see the same manager, I might turn around, get back in my car, and go somewhere else. Disappointed, since it’s not that far from my house!

So mediocre, I can’t even say. My wife and I have been here 3 or 4 times and each time we are disappointed. No Cuban sandwich at a «Cuban» restaurant. What?
Came once for brunch and it was late and cold and tasteless. This place seems to exist on the fact that it’s kind of the only game in town.
We only came here because we live near here but probably won’t be back. Better off eating Tex-​Mex down the street.

The food was great and the service was too. We had a very attentive waiter who checked in on us often (without being annoying). There were three in our party — we ordered salads, entrees, and dessert. Everything was yumm. My friends had the ropa vieja and the crabcake sandwich. I tried the french fries and they were legit. I had the fried catfish with rice and beans and maduros. Yumm-​O. I cleaned the plate. We had flan and mango key lime pie for dessert. Both tasty.
Big thumbs up. Wasn’t sure what to expect based on mixed reviews but I really enjoyed my meal and will def go back.
P. S. I’m not Cuban but I am Latina and I know good Cuban food. This place has great food, ambiance and service.

Reeeee-​alllly wanted to like this place.
It’s in my new neighborhood!
It lists Gluten Free items on its menu!
It’s Cuban! (I love authentic maduros!)
It taught me a new word! («paladar»)
But I doubt I’ll be back. When their slogan on their web page says «No fuss», they really mean it.
No fuss.
No esprit.
No service.
No coffee.
No clue!
It’s Saturday morning. I’ve been waiting outside your door in drizzly rain for a half an hour (I thought it opened at 10:30, not 11, for Saturday brunch). When you finally let me in, can I get a cup of coffee? A glass of water? A smile? A witness, people?
Because after one of the *chef’s* finally let me in (the bartender/​only server on shift couldn’t be bothered to do it) I was told to sit anywhere (fine by me, I’m the only one there) and then I just… waited. For something– anything– to happen.
Again, I’m the only person there, first one in at 11am for Saturday brunch. Asking if I’d like coffee, water, and/​or juice is not a giant leap in reasoning!
I won’t bore you with the rest of the details, but the bartender/​server and the chef and the gm (or owner?) were in perpetual «negotiations» about the level of the music and the lights. The lights are going up and down several times in my 45min– 60 min there, the music getting softer and louder… I feel like I hangover and I haven’t even been drinking!
Actually, it seemed like there was a lot of tension or passive aggressive warfare or– put bluntly– someone was getting his dick shut in the door all the time. Unpleasant.
Though gluten free is on the menu, the server/​bartender was baffled by it. To her credit, she did go ask in the kitchen. To be gluten free and get a brunch I’d like, I had to go «off menu», ordering different parts of plates (poached eggs without the bread part; a side of bacon; and the fried maduros to see if they were actually any good). Most of the items I ordered «a la carte» out of necessity could be priced as sides– I was really trying to not be a pain– but as I was one of two customers there, I thought it would be okay.
Again, the bartender could hardly be bothered, and then I was tremendously overcharged because the computer didn’t have options to charge me for less than two eggs (as one example). The gm/​whatever was thoroughly unpleasant: though I had no interaction with him, he seemed to be more interested in micromanaging the bartender and looking at the order entry computer, etc. Though I was trying desperately to get someone’s attention to pay my check, he looked right past me– or through me– not so much as asking the bartender to pick up my card and run it!
On a good note, the coffee was okay– reasonable for Cuban. And the maduros are, in fact, amazing. Like, mouth watering good. Jump up and slap grandma good!
Too bad I’m going to have to weigh picking up an order of them against my own sanity next time I’m craving some.

No arroz con pollo
No «Cuban» sandwich
My hubby found this place via Unilocal.It’s close to our neighborhood, so we gave it a try. First thought: the décor is amazing! I want one! Next, Yay, gender neutral bathrooms! My husband really liked the ropa viejo (pulled pork with a wine sauce). This is a real restaurant with an actual chef– not a dive, so be prepared to wait for fresh food. I was a bit disappointed that they were missing the «classics» (or even a take on the classics) like arroz con pollo and the «Cuban» sandwich. Overall, a nice night out. Oh, and the host/​waiter was awesome!

We loved this place so much we went twice in two days! It also helped that we were staying just down the street. Little Ricky’s is clean, quaint, and charming. The prices are wonderful — $ 5 – 6 for cocktails and sangria. We were obsessed with this salad that had avocado in it. We also enjoyed the crab cakes appetizer and the slow cooked pork as an entrée. The plantains were only mediocre — a bit heavy and much for two people. The service here is fantastic and everyone was just so nice. I definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the area or willing to travel a bit out of the city for a nice meal!

If this space seems vaguely familiar, you may been here when it was the not-​much-​missed Tropicana. I had, but the interior was much larger than I remember or expected (maybe they bumped out the back?).
Now it’s well-​lit and cheerful, with a ten-​seat bar plus three high tops and banquets along the wall. They’ve done a nice job of decorating with handicrafts and that evoke Cuba. And then there are the paintings. These are something else. Many of them quite large, they cover the walls and evoke a 1940’s/50’s vibe with some modernism (and the occasional Cyrillic) thrown in.
But what about the food? The masitas de puerco were not as crisp or crunchy as anticipated, but they pared very nicely with the pickled onion, the sweet and sour of the onion a nice contrast to the richness and saltiness of the pork. It came accompanied by stir-​fried vegetables and my choice of yuca en mojo as a side. Now I love garlic as much as the next guy, but even for me the amount of garlic on the yuca was a bit overpowering. A nice mojito made with Conch Republic rum from the U.S. Virgin Islands, and arroz con leche rounded out the very agreeable meal.
No draft beers, but five by the bottle including Key West Wheat for $ 5 and Florida Lager for $ 6. Additionally there are 13 exclusively Spanish and Latin American wines by the glass. Service is great, and your check comes in a book about Cuba. This place is something Brookland (and DC) has been sorely missing. I look forward to a repeat visit soon.

I have to agree with Illeana S!
A hidden gem in Brookland area. The drinks are great, the atmosphere is relaxed and upbeat, the owners are on site and approachable.
The food — it’s awesome. For those who say it’s not ‘authentic Cuban’, I’d like to know where they are getting their Cuban food, outside of Cuba. I’ve heard this complaint from every Cuban restaurant in DC! I want a restaurant to be inspired and make their recipes their own… in fact I expect that. If you want abuela’s black beans… well, you know where to get them.
The roasted and fried chicken is fantastico!
I hope to make this my regular paladar!

Meh. The food was bland and lacked the Cuban feel I’ve grown to love from the cuisine. I ordered the pork dish and it came out dry and overcooked. I’m hoping they figure themselves out soon because the concept has potential in that neighborhood.

I hate to rain on the Little Ricky’s fan parade, but it’s just not that great. Service is friendly, décor is fun, drinks are cheap. Yay!
But food-​wise, Little Ricky’s is not authentic Cuban. The appetizers are pretty good – ham croquettas are nothing special, but the choripan sliders are tasty (though not on Cuban bread).
Mains are another story. A friend of mine who is dating a Cuban got the picadillo. She ate two bites and pushed her plate away. She isn’t a picky eater, but she said it was definitely not picadillo. No tomato sauce, no olives. And the ground beef tasted like poorly seasoned taco meat. I don’t know Cuban food, but I had to agree. The masas de puerco (fried chunks of pork) is fine, but not fried hard enough.
I think it’s a great addition to the Brookland neighborhood, and it’s always been busy when I’ve been. It’s definitely provides a boost to 12^th Street’s dining options. It’s just not a great addition to the larger DC food scene.

Great place. where to begin. the food was fantastic. seasoned just right
PLaintains were awesome…
Service was amazing. the host was very personable…

This place is a breath of fresh air to the neighborhood. We ordered a pitcher of sangria and were not disappointed. I had the fried chicken entrée with the yucca fritas — it was so delicious.
The service was wonderful and one of the owners was there going from table to table making sure that everyone was pleased. I can’t wait to go back again.