The Airedale

Decent food but it took over an hour and they messed up ²⁄₃ orders. Not recommended if you’re very hungry or have anywhere to be.

Service outstanding. Arrived to standing room only and bartender saw us and immediately offered us a menu. Impressive selection of European beers on tap and in bottle. Great place to view a game or enjoy a beer outside.

Visited Airdale and thought it was a very cute dive bar in WDC. We had their brunch which had a limited amount of items but that wasn’t bad. The service was excellent and they have bottomless mimosas. I had the Monte Cristo which was good and new for me. Their deviled eggs were delicious. I only gave 4 stars because it would have been nice to see more options on the menu. Excellent Dive!

I definitely dig the vibe here– very chill, relaxed, welcoming, and unpretentious. We came here for happy hour, which is 5 – 8, on a Friday night before dinner elsewhere. There was another patron at the downstairs bar when we arrived around 7ish and a few tables occupied on the patio out front. Little did I know, until I went to use the restroom, that there is a whole section upstairs with both a front and back patio, neither of which was that crowded at the time of my visit. There are a couple of TVs at the downstairs bar-​both were showing the DC United game. The bartenders were very friendly and seemed to be aware of the few regulars that trickled into the bar during our visit.
The draft list is quite respectable, focusing on local and craft. Props to them for having Dogfish Head Bitches Brew on tap– I haven’t seen that in quite some time. Happy hour desks are $ 4 wells, $ 2 off drafts, and $ 6 wines. The drafts at HH prices range from $ 3-​$ 6 for the most part. If you don’t like their draft selection, they have even more options by the bottle, although not at HH prices. The food menu, while small, looks interesting and is surely priced right– most sandwiches I noticed were in the $ 10 – 12 range. The poutine I saw next to us looked fabulous! I’m definitely going to return for the croque Monsieur and the French onion soup burger! On a logistical note, you can either walk from Columbia Heights or Georgia Avenue and be here in 10 minutes. We chose to walk from Columbia Heights and it was very easy– straight up 14^th and you’ll hit it on your right.

This slice of gentrification in a predominantly low income neighborhood sure sticks out! Nice outdoor seating and patiano. I didn’t think that yuppies and hipsters wandered this far up 14^th street. Alas, I was wrong. I brought my friend David, my brother Matthew, my adopted brother Alex, and my little sister Julia (no inquires please) to this joint in northern Columbia Heights for a nice dinner because that’s what you do. That’s what you do. I soon found out that they don’t have wait service and that you have to order your food at the bar. And that might be their blessing as well as their curse. We all ordered the royal with cheese from what looked like a drive thru window that separated the bar inside from the beer hall tables outside where we were seated. While that was convenient because we were right next to said window, it was a little awkward always having to flag down this ex-​Kings of Leon bass player for every little thing. Can I get a napkin up in dis jingle bell? And top of that, it took a while for us to get our food, all of us. The burgers were good but not great. However, my brother Matthew was quick to point out that they actually did cook it medium rare instead of just cooking it medium and trying to pass it off as pink which is what I guess Quaker Steak and Red Robin do? You tell me. I haven’t been to one of those chain suburban wonders in a while. But I believe him cuz he’s my brother and I trust him dearly. So they don’t fuck around.. . They cook it how you want it which is something to be valued. But enough about the burgers. They’ve got tough competition in that category. I would really just come back here to order the poutine. Not many places have poutine. They also have Radler. Not many places have Radler. That scores points and if it means me coming back then they’ve earned their 3 stars.

Good taps, good food (try the schnitzel and house salad), and malört. What more could you want?

Just stopped in for a beer on a sunday afternoon. Sadly we were the only patrons. Not sure why because it is a nice clean space, and they were showing football action. Decent list of cheap drinks, too. They have a solid looking brunch menu, but we were only here for a drink. There are some really cool outdoor spaces upstairs that look pleasant during warmer months. If people give this place a try, it can be a fun spot to hang out for sure, a nice neighborhood place in the making.

They now have a burger/​fries/​soft serve for $ 14 deal! Affordable and delicious!

$ 16 entrée mussels came with exactly 13 mussels, beer sauce tasted like a greasy bomb, tasted only of oil.
The tomato tartine had been sitting under the heat lamp for so long that it was a soggy mess.
The service was great and offered free soft serve to make up for it after we mentioned to him. The soft serve was ok but the rest already had such a bitter taste (pun intended) the sweet was of no help
Stick to the good pretzel bread, bratwurst and awesome beer selection, everything else is a miserable.

$ 15 bottomless mimosas for brunch. Our waiter brought us a carafe when she realized we were taking it seriously. So that was nice.
We loved all of our dishes. I had the mushroom and spinach egg Benedict which was delicious. They roast potatoes for their home fries. Yummy. Also they have cholula hot sauce so they know what’s up! My friends had the crab benedict and the banana pancakes. All winners.
All reasonably priced. In DC. What what.
Docking a star because it is super drafty and we were all the way towards the back in a booth. Not very cozy

Airedale is this little spot north of Columbia Heights that I never gave that much thought. I had passed it a few times here and there but never really thought about going there until a friend who lives close said we had to go.
This was Sunday, at 11am.
We get there and order the bottomless brunch because that’s what any reasonable hard working individual who works too much does. Upon getting our mimosa carafe we personally felt that the oj to champagne ratio was a bit off. Now, that could be more of a statement about us than about Airedale itself, however I brought it up to our waitress in a very respectful manner and she was kind enough to pour a bit out and top it off with more champagne. I then went and sat back down at our table very satisfied with that response. But wait! The server, being the angel that she was, brought out another carafe that was nothing but champagne so we could adjust the ratio accordingly!
Before things got really foggy I went with the Croque Madame which was really delicious, and the potatoes that came along with it exceeded expectations and were definitely above average for potatoes that you usually get in DC.
We grazed until brunch cut off and thankfully my friend didn’t mind if I passed out on her couch for a few hours, because… well. you get the idea.
With great service and great food I’ll definitely be going back.

I have been meaning to try the Airedale since it opened, and, as a soccer super fan, I was super excited that a soccer bar was opening! Its a little far from my bloomingdale apartment, but I trekked up here this past weekend for a lazy brunch with a girlfriend.
I had been to this spot before when it was that weird momo’s place, and never came back. The space is nice, though there is a ton of outdoor space, so I imagine its even more impressive in the warmer months. We walked in around noon on sunday and it was practically empty. By the time we left it had filled out a bit, but I fear this spot between neighborhoods has a hard time attracting that much foot traffic.
Although I was driving and therefore not drinking (that much, jk), I dont think they offer any type of bottomless situation on the weekend. Or if they did, I missed it (and I thought I looked for it on the menu). That may bring in more crowds, though perhaps they dont want that type of crowd haha. I like what St Ex and other places do, where the first drink is like $ 12 and the rest after that is $ 1.
Anywho, I got a bloody mary, which was delicious (and cheap at $ 6, at least for what I’m used to). All the food on the menu is super heavy, so don’t come to the Airedale if you are on a diet! I got the crab cakes Benedict, which was essentially 2 large, delicious crab cakes, topped with 2 fried eggs and a rich hollandaise sauce. The dish worked without any bread, and in hindsight I would 86 the hollandaise, as it overwhelmed the flavors a bit, but was still delicious.
Our bartender/​waiter was nice enough, but the vibe of the place was a little off. I’de be interested to see the place in the summer with the patio open!

Ok. This restaurant just opened up a couple of months ago. My friends and I decided to come here because it was close to the rec field where flag football happens on Sundays. When we walked in, the ambiance was super cozy and casual. Loved how the restaurant looks inside. The seating inside was a bit odd, but the outside seating looks awesome. We didn’t sit outside because it was full and it was a bit too chilly for my liking. They also have unisex restrooms which were great! My wife loved that! So progressive.
The food was phenomenal also. My wife and I ordered the wild mushroom plate.
The restaurant does offer unlimited mimosas which is always a plus. However, the service was awful. I’m not quite sure if our server was the only one on the second floor but we waited for a while. We did get our food before our drinks. One of my friends came in late and ordered bottomless mimosas; however, he got his food order wrong as well as no mimosas. When we talked to the bartender who walked by us (because we haven’t seen our server) about the mimosas, his response was, «but did you order from me?» Which I thought was completely rude.
Our server did redeem herself at the end, but by that time, we were all over the restaurant and ready to leave. Sadly to say, I probably won’t be back.

I was looking for a close but fun place for brunch to share with my mom and aunt, who were in town to join me for a Saturday morning 5K race. I had spotted The Airedale in passing while running or biking but had never had the chance to actually take a look at the menu. We mozied over to 14^th Street to read over the menu and decided that even though it looked a little pricey, it also looked super cute and we wanted to give it a try.
The interior is adorable and absolutely the sort of pub that my husband will enjoy going to in the future. They are constantly playing soccer on the TVs, the walls feature a great deal of exposed brick, and the artwork and posters on display are a wonderful reflection of their personality. The staff is pretty laid back, which was great for a relatively quiet brunch hour but could be problematic if the place got busy. Our server was friendly and fun to be around, and there was only one mistake with our order that wasn’t a huge deal (my aunt was given salad as a side when she had asked for potatoes). It was nice to have a waiter whose personality matched the overall vibe of the restaurant and made us feel welcome.
The beer selection is strong and features beers that rotate by season, so needless to say we found a lot of Oktoberfest options when we were there. They also have bottomless mimosas during brunch and a good selection of bottled beers. The food options were suitable for diverse interests, with many options for GF individuals as well as vegetarians. My mom and I ordered the wild mushroom benedict and my aunt chose the crab cake benedict. While the plates looked small on arrival, we sure all felt full after we were done eating. The vegetables had great flavor, the eggs were cooked to perfection, and the salad was light and flavorful. My aunt is a Maryland native and still thought that the crab cakes were so delicious that she ate the whole plate of food, to her surprise but complete satisfaction.
Our experience here was lovely and I am very much looking forward to going back. The prices may not allow us to go as frequently as we would like, but even if just for happy hour or drinks during a soccer match, we’ll be returning for sure.

When we first walked in, we didn’t know whether to wait or seat ourselves. A party of four was in the same boat, so there were six of us by the door confused and trying to figure it out. Nobody paid us any attention so eventually we just sat down.
That was when the wait continued. We watched the host fill each water glass in a painfully slow manner, not with a pitcher, but with the soda tap. Water trickled at a sloth’s pace while we stared, thirsty and starving. Eventually we received two glasses of water (again, this took a loooooong time) and our server disappeared again.
They were out of the beer I wanted, so I asked whether they had a similar beer. The server didn’t know. At this point I was pretty peeved from the waiting, but the bartender saved the day and came out and explained that they did have a similar beer, the Rodenbach, which is delicious and a perfect recommendation.
We ordered the monte cristo, which was DELICIOUS. It was obviously a decadent meal but I thought the mustard seeds were a wonderful touch. The potatoes on the side were also very flavorful and a nice contrast to the bland potatoes I am accustomed to elsewhere.
All in all, I think this place will catch its groove soon when staff isn’t as new because the beer selection and food are on point.

I have been here 3 times: happy hour to drink, happy hour to eat, drinking at night.
Happy Hour to drink: The selection is fine, my problem was the deals. The happy hour deal was 1 dollar off of everything, that is a terrible deal. My desire to drink an 11 dollar cocktail is functionally equivalent to my desire to drink a 12 dollar cocktail. You can just find things 1 dollar cheaper in this part of Columbia Heights at any time.
Happy Hour to eat: This place is too expensive for the neighborhood it is in. I got a happy hour special currywurst for 8 dollars. The flavor was very average and it was about the size of a grocery store bratwurst, there was also a small side of fries. I was quite hungry after. My friend got schnitzel ($ 14) and it was enough food for him to immediately go and get a second dinner. There are plenty of places in Columbia Heights where you can get uncomfortably full, with much better tasting food, for 10 dollars. Also we got poutine ($ 8), it tasted fine but was not poutine, it was cheese fries with a bit of gravy, there were no cheese curds.
Drinking at night: 6 of us went and all ordered with a shot or a beer, the waiter came back 3 times to reask our order and finally a manager came and took it. The drinks came out very slowly and were fine I guess, nothing too special in either selection or price.
The outdoor spaces are nice; so that’s why 2 stars instead of 1.

New place with a great beer list. The menu has a strong German influence. Bar tenders are attentive. Perfect for a neighborhood hang out. And good to watch soccer matches.

I listened to fellow Unilocalers and ordered the Monte Cristo. That thing was deadly… Really bad. Extremely heavy dish even if shared with two people. It’s so deep fried and carby that my stomach still hurts few hours later. Also ordered the bratwurst plate, which was better, but just ok. The people there were nice though, and so was the rooftop area.

Beer garden is a strong word. At the risk of sounding too American, the lack of boots or supermugs is a little depressing. That said, the tap options are fine, the prices are right, service is pleasant and attentive, and the food is on point. Okay brown liquor list if you’re prioritizing your carbs budget to food rather than drinks. Multiple outdoor areas to choose from with varying degrees of shade and communal seating, assuming you aren’t hiding inside to escape the heat.
Their poutine completely melts the curds, but the fries are seasoned and crispy and there’s just enough gravy for every bite to get a coating. The Monte Cristo is a heart attack on a plate: the sandwich you already knew, gone Southern for batter and deep-​frying before sprinkled with powdered sugar. I wish they had patted down the sandwich a little before the last step, as the oil pockets were very apparent in the patches where the sugar adhered in clumps. It’s still a decadent sweet treat thanks to the wine jelly, and despite the satisfying savory notes in the middle. Out of consideration for your health, I recommend sharing it to avoid hogging the entire brick in one belly.
Lots of street parking in adjacent neighborhoods, if you don’t feel like walking from either nearby Metro. Hope this place manages to succeed on the outskirts of the hipster bar map. Future hit list: croque madame, strammer max, brats with pretzel bread, wild mushroom polenta, currywurst.

A very welcomed addition to the neighborhood! The Airdale appears to be a German/​Belgium place, with lots of beers and a amazing sounding menu. We think we were there for the soft opening, so I’ll give them a pass on some of the little things they’re probably still working out.
There wasn’t a happy hour or grand opening drink/​food specials menu. The beer prices ranged from about $ 3 to $ 8. My $ 6 Weinstephaner (spelling?!) was big! Like half a liter (not noted on the menu).
I’m not a poutine connoisseur, but my friend said «this is not poutine. This is cheese fries with some sauce on it.» Good none-​the-​less. Seemed like their using really good ingredients!
The deviled eggs had bacon on top and were great.
There were enough servers, but they seemed a little lost at times and awkward at others. (That’s the detail km sure they’re still working out.)
The place was full Friday and Saturday night, and hopefully will continue to be full!