The Heights

The Heights is a Columbia Heights staple in that it is literally across from a Staples. I come here with my friends David and Terence occasionally because we get tired of other brunch places and it’s very close to our respective hovels. It has good food in general. The portions are a bit small however. I ordered a calamari one time and there were like ten pieces, but it was fried and seasoned beautifully. They also have decent brunch items that are more bountiful. There is a lot of potential here but they’re not going to be a great restaurant until they lower their prices and get comfier seating in their outdoor area. My butt hurts and not because it’s pride week.

Review Update: Previously, I left a 5 star review. Service was excellent, food was great, and bartenders were proficient at their craft. I’m unsure of what happened but quality service has declined. bartenders are slow and not attentive. I was just there tonight. Whenever I asked the bartender a question, he got an attitude. The place wasn’t even packed. Management needs to look into this issue asap. it’s like they don’t want to be there. I visit this spot about 3 times a week. So, it’s safe to say I am a regular. Most likely I won’t be coming back anytime soon. On top of that, I waited an hour for my food and it never came. I don’t recommend this place at all. Guess it was good while it lasted.

Killer brunch menu! My smoked salmon benny was perfect – nicely poached eggs and fresh salmon. We also enjoyed an appetizer of French toast sticks with walnut-​caramel syrup – which is amazing as it sounds. Their Bloody Marys are tasty and come with a variety of things jammed in the glass – blue cheese, bacon, a pickle, potato strings, etc. Dinging a start for service though. Our server was always chatting behind the bar and we constantly had to flag down other servers for water refills. I would have had ordered another Bloody but he never came by!

Came here for a working dinner and they were very accommodating. They have wifi and didn’t rush us out after eating. The menu did not have too many options, I ended up getting a salad which is rare but because there wasn’t anything else on the menu I was in the mood for. Their shrimp and grits were delicious and we split it as an appetizer at the cost of an entrée.
Overall, a nice place to catch up and easy to get a table. Food is not going to blow your mind but the service was great!

The Heights is neither here nor there in terms of brunch: the food certainly won’t make you moan with pleasure, but it will be fine. It’s vanilla. I’d deem it a Tier II (or III) brunch destination.
I showed up at the Heights with three friends on a Sunday morning at 10am with a reservation, which ended up being unnecessary given the vast expanse of emptiness. I fell in love with our warm and friendly waitress, whose inner sunshine lit up an otherwise rainy day. We started with mimosas for the table ($ 32 for a bottle of champagne + juice). To my delight, the waitress announced that we could choose two different juices as our mixers, including such unexpected options as pear. We went with grapefruit and a thick-​ish mango nectar. To be sure, the Heights is not a bottomless brunch-​type place, filled with young beautiful people laughing and having loud fun. Rather, it offers a subdued environment in which to enjoy a reasonably priced $ 8 mimosa made of okay champagne.
While I normally go ape-​sh** for a bread basket, the one that we were served contained cold, dry slices of raisin/​walnut and cheddar bread. At least they offered two choices. The mango jam that accompanied the basket made for a weird pairing — maybe butter would have been a superior, more neutral choice? Also, on my way to the bathroom, I passed a couple plastic bags of raisin/​walnut loaves sitting on the kitchen counter, which made our basket seem even sadder and more unappetizing. It robbed me of my far-​off fantasy that they had just baked the bread in-​house, oh so freshly.
As my entrée, I ordered a bowl of the French Onion Soup, which was fine and non-​descript. It did the job of satiating my hunger. The cheese was a bit too congealed by the time it reached our table, but it wasn’t overly problematic. Come to think of it, nobody at our table once commented on the food, which is a sign of how vanilla it was.
My biggest annoyance was that the menu stated that the green tea was «naturally decaffeinated,» prompting me to order it, but when it arrived, the tea bag read that it was Tazo Zen green tea. I know for a fact Tazo Zen green tea has a decent amount of caffeine. Fix your deceiving menu, Heights — some of us don’t like being too caffeinated!

I don’t know if the chef was just having a bad day, as I’ve eaten here several times and it’s always been good, but lunch today was just lousy. The bread was stale and my friend’s soup and the mussels he ordered both arrived cold. The kitchen heated them up and gave us fresher bread. But my friend said the soup wasn’t good and he didn’t finish it. I had salmon tacos. They seemed ok but they upset my stomach. The wait staff was very attentive. I think they need a new chef.
Update: The manager responded to my review and apologized for the poor service and offered to discuss the issue with me to make it right. This is exactly how managers should respond. I’m willing to give them another chance.

Came for the much-​lauded brunch and it didn’t disappoint! We were a large party and didn’t have a reservation, but we were able to get outdoor seating without any wait. Had the banana beignets, french toast with caramel pecan sauce, and a pitcher of sangria. All very tasty. Service was great, friendly and attentive. Seating is plentiful. Would definitely return.

I have walked by The Heights at least 10 times in the past few months, but I have always been on my way to a different destination with no reason to pop by quickly. One Friday night when I was looking to have an early dinner and call it a night since I had to be up quite early the next morning, The Heights came to mind as a place I could easily meet my boyfriend on the Yellow Line after work for said early dinner. The Heights is about a two minute walk from the Columbia Heights metro, making it an ideal choice for when it is particularly bone chilling outside, as it was on this evening. I saw the restaurant was on OpenTable with an abundant amount of reservations still open, so I snagged a table for two at 7:00pm.
When we arrived, we were told that they «overbooked» reservations, and that they would seat us as soon as possible. It was very busy even though it was early in the evening, and I noticed a healthy mix of young (er) people and families. Luckily, they were able to seat us within about five minutes. Unfortunately, we were seated near a door that was quite drafty. We had plenty (and by plenty I mean nearly 15 minutes) to peruse the menu before someone finally came over to be our server. This same person visited both tables on either side of us 2 – 3 times each before he eventually even made his way over to introduce himself. This basically set our service tone for the evening, obviously leaving much to be desired.
As for the food we ordered, it was a mixed bag. My boyfriend ordered The Heights burger (cheddar, fried egg, bacon, and aioli) with regular fries. He loved his burger! It was cooked perfectly to his medium well specification, and to my surprise after trying a bite, the burger was not dried out at all and was very juicy and flavorful. The fries were hand-​cut and really could have been tasty if they had been hot. On the plate they were inching towards lukewarm at best. My boyfriend was given a small cup of ketchup, and to get more, he had to flag down a different server as ours was continuously busy with every other table but ours. I ordered the drunken fig and goat cheese flatbread (raisins, aged balsamico, pine nuts, arugula) and was moderately pleased. I loved the contrasting flavors of sweet (raisins) and salty (goat cheese), and the goat cheese was plentiful on each piece of the flatbread. I felt the pine nuts neither enhanced nor detracted from the dish, but I did feel there could have been a tad more balsamic to round out the projected flavor profile. This flatbread was a true flatbread as it had a crunchy, crisp, thin crust. I do wish perhaps the portion would have been a bit larger too. It wasn’t a bad dish per se, but it didn’t blow me out of the water, and in my opinion, could have benefitted from the addition of prosciutto (yes, I’m aware The Heights has an expansive vegetarian menu, this being one of the vegetarian options). I was going to order a cup of French onion soup as it sounded perfect on this chilly night, but being everything service-​wise was slower than a snail’s pace, I didn’t think my soup would be hot on arrival. Instead, we ordered a shared side-​macaroni and cheese, which was topped with toasted bread crumbs. The mac and cheese lacked any flavor whatsoever. It was cheesy, the noodles were cooked well, and I love that they used cavatappi noodles in this dish. I also liked the fact it had a toasted bread crumb topping. Again, though, it was extremely bland. We added pepper from the shaker on the table, making it somewhat more enjoyable, but for $ 9.00, I expect at least some flavor to already be in this dish. I would not order this again.
I would absolutely be willing to return to The Heights, but I would order differently next time. The bison burger was what I almost ordered, and perhaps I would have been more satisfied with that choice. I’d love to return for brunch as they have a wide variety of benedicts, one of my favorite brunch dishes! Also of note, they have a small beer list, but it is quality with an emphasis on local craft brews.

The Heights was busy, even on a Sunday night, but my friends and I were seated almost immediately. They have a great selection of cocktails (Port of Call was yummy!), beer, and wine. I ordered a Down South burger, which came with some sort of jam, blue cheese, and veggies on it. And let me tell you, it was delicious! The sweet potato fries that came on the side were very obviously fresh and tasted incredible. My friends liked the Carolina Trout, fig and goat cheese flatbread, and the salads as well.
My only complaint is the vibe. The atmosphere is an odd mix of gothic art, pop music, and sports on the televisions behind the bar. It’s also dark and quasi-​romantic feeling. It just didn’t seem to go together in my mind. It’s also a pricier then I’d like for a casual meal. My cocktail and burger came to about $ 30.
Food is 5 starts, atmosphere 3 stars.
Still, a great, convenient place for some tasty food in CoHi.

Two words – ginger calamari. This is one smokin’ appetizer. Comes with a wicked ginger reduction sauce and a dynamite side of pickled red cabbage. One of the best in the DMV – and – customers get a very generous portion of food, too. That, in and of itself, I love.
My other go-​tos:
–French onion soup
–New England clam chowder (seasonal)
–Heights burger
–Kale and brussels ceasar salad (get dressing on side)
–House salad
–Any fish dish (chefs know how to cook fish)
If you haven’t been here in a while, you might want to return. It’s had a re-​do.
The Heights oozes high energy, particularly in the evenings, but in a pleasant way; it doesn’t overwhelm. It’s kid friendly, too, but it’s decidedly not a kid restaurant. A big plus for this parent who wants a «dining» experience.
Has a lot of specials running all the time – good value there.
Love the large booths and bar inside, and the patio area which accommodates 80 outside. Great place to sit and watch life go by in the wonderfully vibrant neighborhood that Columbia Heights is.
I gotta admit – am partial to the place, so I might not be as unbiased as others. It’s something that I keep in my back pocket; I pull it out when friends ask me to pick a spot.

Waiter was forgetful but so kind and knowledgeable and eager to please. Mocktail underwhelming. Steak salad was great as was Portabello burger. Great outdoor patio area for a lovely evening, but lots of ganga in vicinity kept wafting our way. Listed on OpenTable.

This place is rad. Had dinner a few nights ago and came back for brunch today.
Dinner: fried deviled eggs for appetizer. Super bomb. I love deviled eggs. Fry em and they’re even better.
Bison burger for dinner. Very good and juicy.
Brunch: banana beignets to start. Yummy. The chocolate sauce might be the best chocolate sauce I’ve ever tasted.
Pulled pork and corn cakes. Very very good. Added syrup to satisfy my sweet tooth.
Staff is great! I don’t remember my servers name from dinner but she was super nice. Brunch server was Nick and he was also very good. The manager Brian is a real good dude and very friendly.
Stoked on this place!

After I wrote about my negative experience with a male host staff on last Saturday, I received a phone call from the Manager Clarence (I hope I get his name right), he is the nice gentleman who wear glasses … He handled my negatively professionally and apologize for my experience. He further offer me a gift card to be sent to my place or be left at the restaurant. I stressed that I don’t write negative review in order to get freebies, they are genuine feedback.
I offer to bump up their review because I appreciate the phone call, but it was important for the restaurant to know that one of their hosting staff did not know how to do his job.

I’ve lived in the neighborhood for several years now and always thought about stopping by The Heights. From the outside, it looked like a pretty typical American restaurant serving up pretty typical American fare. From the inside, it was exactly that.
Having walked in for a random dinner, my wife and I were really just hungry and eager to eat. Thankfully there wasn’t a wait and the service was quick. We started with a french onion soup, their kale caesar salad, and shared their fish and chips. Soup was fine, beefy with just the right amount of croûton and cheese melted over the top. Fish and chips were fine too, breading was a bit too heavy and resulted in the last few bites being soggy. But the kale caesar salad was off… and not because of flavorings or presentation… but because it was actually an ARGULA salad. Nothing against it, and I actually probably preferred it to the overplayed kale… but if someone is getting that wrong, it doesn’t bode too well.
Minor mistakes aside, the meal was meh. We were satiated and had accomplished our goal of putting food into our bodies after a day’s work. What really makes me not want to go back though was the price. Not overly expensive by DC standards, but really not worth the meal. For the two of us with a couple of drinks, I feel we definitely could’ve spent that money much better. Don’t know if we’d be going back… or at least it won’t be at the top of our lists when we’re considering options.

I was so pleasantly surprised by my brunch today! I came in with pretty low expectations, having been here a few years ago for happy hour (underwhelming). We had delicious food, excellent strong coffee and great service.
The Bubble and Squeak was an excellent choice for a paleo :) my mom had the egg white omelette which was awesome and my stepdad stole the show with the Huevos Multeños — such a delicious dish!
We will be back :)

Chain type restaurant in the heart of the 14^th street neighborhood. Shockingly big on the inside, so probably a good place to host large group dinners. I was here for dessert and vino. The vino was reasonably priced, so it’s a good location for beveraging at lower price points in the area. I got the s’mores sundae (consisting of vanilla ice cream, nutella, graham crackers, and house made marshmallows) for dessert, and it was so good! My only gripe is that there could’ve been more nutella (though, to be fair, I’ll *always* want more Nutella), and that the server brought out 3 spoons — did I say I wanted to share my dessert? I’m joking. kind of, maybe. I get a little territorial over dessert, mmkay?
The menu didn’t appeal to me because it seemed like generic American dishes for the most part, but I wouldn’t be opposed to going back for the sundae and drinks.

I didn’t enjoy my visit.
First and for most — the table was dirty and so sticky!
Besides, the dish I took (STIR FRIED TOFU), was small and not good. The tofu wasn’t even cooked properly and the inside of it was cold!
On the bright side the waiters were nice and the beer was good.

First time here! I came for Sunday brunch. We arrived around 1:30 but we had a reservation so there was no problem getting a seat. The restaurant didn’t seem super packed. They have a pretty good selection and very reasonable prices. I ordered the «Best» French Toast. It came w home fries and 2 slices of bacon. The caramel pecan sauce they pour over the French toast is amazing. Overall it was pretty tasty. I tried my friends huevos mulentos, and that was also good. I had a peach, strawberry and mango smoothie as well. Too stuffed for dessert. I would return.

Had a fantastic brunch experience here! Stopped in on a Sunday and snagged a table for two pretty easily (though later on it got more crowded). Ambiance is a great mix of natural light but also cool and shady inside for those of us nursing hangovers…
Their Bloody Mary menu is amazing! We had the Dirty Harry and High Noon — they were really different but both so good. I’d come here for these alone.
The food was great too – we had the «Best» French Toast and the «Bubble & Squeak». The french toast was good and the caramel pecan sauce was really yummy, but the bubble & squeak was AMAZING, definitely something I would order again!

If you are into Bloody Marys this should be your place. If you like Bloody Marys and you’ve never been here, add it to your list!
Brunch here is awesome! For an early raiser like myself, I love that they open at 9 am on the weekends. Note, they don’t start serving alcoholic beverages until 10 am though.
Brunch options:
+Bison Burger — the caramelized pear intrigued me from the start and that is what made this a perfect bison burger.
+Fried Chicken Benedict– spicy-​honey hollandaise compliments this perfectly. It’s like chicken and waffles, but with a twist.
+Huevos Motulenos w. Crisp Tortillas– ask for these with the eggs on the side, so your tortillas don’t get soggy.
There is a fairly large patio that is open for seating, which is perfect for a nice day. Make sure to get there early before all of the spots are taken.
Shot out to Axle– awesome waiter! He really made our experience at The Heights worth it! This man deserves a raise!