Gypsy Soul

In Northern Virginia you have to give stars on something of a sliding scale. Hey bros and H – s, this ain’t NYC!
The Gypsy was good to us tonight. They passed the Soft Shell crab test, which is to say the did a good job with a dish that could be poison in another established. So kudos to GS for no BS on the crabs.
Fries Chicken Skins. Very good. I drank the rest of the honey sauce that it came with. Yellow tuna tartare. Very nice. Etc. a good place. It looked like folks were digging all sorts of dinner standards here.

Despite not having a palate for or experience with Southern Food, I enjoyed the menu items selected. I am torn between 3 and 4 stars, for the following reasons:
Price/​Value: 2
Service: 5
Food Preparation: 4
Food Selection (dietary needs): 2
Ambiance: 4
My one wish would be to have more vegetarian items (or any) and to list the ingredients. I sway back and forth on the vegetarianism, so I tend not to be strict, but I certainly notice when my Smoked Gazpacho has bacon on it (menu never said bacon). Jenna’s Jam Flatbread was good, non-​greasy and nice alternative to a salad. The chocolate cake was heavy (more like a fudge than a cake), but you’ll never hear me complain about chocolate.
I truly enjoyed the fresh ingredient homemade juice/​soda/​mocktails, despite their $ 6 price.
The waiter was pleasant, witty and charming. The ambiance has solid décor and high ceilings. The nicest part was it wasn’t too noisy with music and talking.
I hope to return and see if I can’t find that 4 Star, my hope is this new Southern style of cooking will have more dairy free and or vegetarian accommodations indicated in the future. Not a bad experience, but not as good as it could have been with very minor tweaks.

OK, so this is how i feel about this place. First, our waitress was A+ (this is why there is 4 stars). She made me a drink that wasn’t on the menu and has no name but taste great. I absolutely loved it. Don’t know what it was but it was pretty awesome (maybe she does this for all her tables).
Now about the food, So… the thing is the food wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great either. I had the fried chicken, mac and cheese and Mashed potatoes. There were very few things that i could actually eat on the menu (as I cant have pork or shellfish) and these were the only things that sounded OK. Well, the mashed potatoes were great, i just wished that i got more of them. The chicken was not as good as i hoped and the mac and cheese was OK. Nothing was bad but nothing was great. In regards to the southern style, the food could have used a little more flavoring, but that is my opinion.
Over all the service was pretty nice. The restaurant its self had nice décor and the atmosphere was pretty sweet. I am not a fan of being asked a lot of questions while I am eating or having dinner with friends and there were a few times when my conversation was interrupted by someone who was working there, this person was not our waitress. I understand that you want my opinion on how things are going but for whatever reason I didn’t like the constant interruption of my meal and time with my friends. I wont take a star off for that however. Just maybe ease up on the questions. If the service is bad, trust, I will let you know. But this asking me every couple minutes if I like the food isn’t cool.

Pretty pricey for small dishes. The best part about this place is the homemade ketchup, the ahi and their drinks. The crab cakes were pretty good also but just pricey for the small portion. I would come back here though just for drinks because the bartenders here are awesome.

Up-​front: I am just not a fan of Southern food.
I went in with an open mind.
Décor was above average and the ambiance + music was spot on…
Had a drink @ the bar.
This place earns 4 stars purely for Brent — top notch bartender.
Food was as I expected.
Pork chop was perfectly well done. Mac and cheese was just meh.
Dessert was disappointing, I never get dessert … why did I get dessert? I knew it would be off. No restaurant even wants you to eat dessert on a busy night. Sorry I even tried.
One of the better NoVA attempts @ «Southern» comfort food I have come across yet.
If fried squash blossoms, fried chicken, or porkbelly are your thing … I suspect you’ll be pleased.

My friends and I visited Gypsy Soul for brunch and tried a couple of things in the menu: the shrimp and grits, crab cakes, the catfish with wild rice, the bread sampler appetizer (I can’t em ember the actual name of the dish) and the donuts. Truthfully, I was underwhelmed. The food wasn’t bad but nothing about it stood out as mouth-​watering delicious. The shrimp and grits was fishy-​tasting and priced at a whopping $ 32!!! For shrimp and grits! That’s mind boggling! The catfish was bland. The crab cakes are teeny tiny and also ridiculously overpriced. The doubts were delicious. They also don’t allow substitutions.

Five of us went for dinner to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday. Gypsy Soul’s modern interior and upscale ambience fit perfectly in the Mosaic District. We were seated in a comfortable booth in the corner and the manager, Jason, made us some crazy drink concoctions that did not disappoint.
We ordered several appetizers and the top favorites were the tuna tartare, cornbread and chicken skins. Applewood Smoked Ahi Tuna Dip was smoky and unique, and although I do not like deviled eggs, my friends certainly liked them!
The standout dish of the evening was the 9 oz Wagyu steak. Talk about melt-​in-​your-​mouth tender. It was perfection. The southern fried chicken entrée also comes out on a rustic metal tray and they do not skimp on the portion size.
Awesome bar set up. Great date night spot. Will definitely be back!

I Love this place. The food is terrific the wine is fantastic and service is second to none. Oh, and the music! Always something i love in the background. The atmosphere is comfortable and fun.

Made birthday reservations and came in with high expectations for Gypsy Soul, but I guess I made the wrong choice. Gypsy Soul food was lacking… soul. A most unfortunate pun of a circumstance.
Grilled octopus did not seem fresh and had the taste and texture of chicken, though this seems to be intentional per our waitress. Which is fine but when you have a supply of good quality octopus, it’s just a waste.
Whole snapper was fried beyond its unfresh long-​ago death and had a fishy fishy taste despite lemon vinaigrette toppings.
And the pork belly, which never fails to please my taste buds just by being pork belly, was lackluster plain bbq ish tasting over saltyyy barley rice though the hazelnut cut it a bit.
Skipped out on dessert I was afraid of being disappointed again in favor of another Mosaic food source.
Stellar service and beautiful beautiful interior keeps this place up at 3 stars. But unfortunately I shall not be making another visit.

Look forward to going again!

Fried Chicken Skins?! YES YES YES!
I had read about Gypsy Soul’s infamous chicken skins in a list of the top 10 places to get fried chicken in the Washington DC area and decided that my life would not be complete without trying it.
I was really impressed with the interior décor. The restaurant is decorated quite snazzy with an open kitchen, beautiful bar and spacious seating area. Great for a date. I chose to sit at the bar and was served by Brent, the head bartender. Brent is an awesome guy who has passed the first level of his sommelier training. His knowledge of wine, liquor and food is amazing and he made our dining experience very memorable.
I wasn’t that hungry so I had only ordered the fried chicken skins, which were fantastic and served with a sweet, honey sauce. Wow. The next time that I am craving fried food (which is way too often), I will be sure to come back to get some more of these delectable chicken skins.

Went here today with a group of girls for my sister in laws surprise birthday lunch and I was very disappointed. The atmosphere and décor is very pretty though. The server was very slow and customer service sucked; they weren’t even busy. I can barely understand what this one server was asking.
I ordered the kids food first and I got them the kids Mac & Cheese which are $ 6 each. That was delicious but it was pretty small. For myself I got the southern fried chicken which comes with a side of gravy, collard greens, and mashed potatoes which was $ 24. Came with pretty big pieces of chicken but the food really wasn’t all that great or flavorful — I would’ve ate Popeyes chicken instead.
Def won’t be coming back because this isn’t a restaurant that I’ll rave about to anyone and I didn’t leave satisfied.

My 2^nd dinner and a very good one.
Started with burrata toast and deviled eggs. Both good.
The entrees shone brighter. The fried chick is served with mashed potatoes, gravy, and extraordinary greens. Let the chicken cool for a few minutes tallow the juices to settle. Other main was the shrimp and grits — a little pricey @ $ 32 but seasoned just right.
We really liked the Manhattan-​like bourbon and bitters cocktail and the wines by the glass selection is very interesting. Try the white from the Alta Rioja.

Cyndy’s Bottom Line: Well executed food and a delicious changing menu.
This review update is long over due since our first visit when Gypsy Soul first opened.
The service is great! We always sit on the bar and receive excellent friendly service from JoJo and Jason!
The food is deliciously consistent and the changing menu adds more interesting dishes to the already delicious menu.
This is what we ate/​drank:
We love the chicken skins. Crispy yumminess!
Gypsy chips & dip. Thin, crispy chips fried in house.
Yellow tuna tartare. Fresh, high grade tuna, seasoned well.
Cornmeal crusted blue catfish. Perfectly cooked. Moist on the inside and a nice dusting of cornmeal on the outside.
Pork chop cooked to pink perfection.

Gypsy Soul is located in the heart of the trendy Mosaic District and fits right in with its open kitchen and farm2table concept. We arrived a tad early prior to their 5pm opening time and were still graciously accepted/​seated. We were told that only the bar menu would be available until 5 pm, but that was more than sufficient for us. I was really hoping to get the smoked ahi tuna dip but was informed that they did not have that available :(Instead, we settled for the deviled eggs (delicious, wish the portion was larger), and the chicken skins (novelty item, nice to have one or two pieces but definitely way greasy and fatty to have the whole dish). For our entrée, we split the belly, but found the meat to be less than tender unfortunately. Overall, the food left me underwhelmed but perhaps we just tried the wrong items, or happened to visit on an off day?

I left there pretty pissed off tonight. A four star review for that? Well, here goes…
We got there at 8:10 for an 8:15 reservation. The host stand seemed a little uncoordinated, but we were seated exactly at 8:15. Nice.
We sat down and within a few minutes put in our order for apps, entrees, drinks. 35 minutes of wonderful conversation goes by. Then the manager comes to the table, and informs us that they’ll be comping our pimento cheese bread crackers. He explained that it got sent back not once but twice — because it wasn’t up to the chef’s standards. This was delicious! A few minutes later some killer deviled eggs came out, compliments of the house. These were presented so well (a common thread), but were a tad uneven /​salty.
Next came the entrees, which were piping hot. A little warning next time? That blister on my lip will heal, perhaps I should slow down a bit. We were enjoying some really great food and one of the best IPAs in the world (Racer 5 — get some).
What happened next really annoyed the hell out of me. The server at the table next to ours spilled a bowl of gravy on the sleeve of the guest, and it fell to the floor and broke to pieces, flinging it’s golden nectar all over my Patagucci vest. It’s got a waterproof membrane, so you can’t simply dry clean it without ruining the waterproofing ability.
Naturally I was pretty upset, how could I not be? Well, the manager came out and apologized profusely. He offered to take it into the back and clean it, but unfortunately that wouldn’t work. Next, he comes out with some print outs from
which had detailed instructions on how to specifically launder my garb. He explains that any and all costs will be covered, including replacement, and gave me his card.
They handled every misstep with class on a busy Friday night. They comped the whole check without me even asking, and naturally I insisted on tipping the full amount. I ended up feeling bad for the server, that has to feel awful. It’s important to get things right the first time, but it’s even more important to handle things well when they go wrong. The server also gave me his name and number, as he’s usually a bartender, and he offered me some free drinks when I come back.
The jacket is in the wash with some tech wash, and I’m sure all will be fine. I plan to go back next week after work. But, not to take up the offer for free drinks, rather to buy these two gentlemen a drink instead. I also really need to get those duck fat beignets which I left without having…

I didn’t get the best first impression but I can feel the potential of this place. My chicken soup was definitely one of the best I’ve had, and the kale salad was good too. Definitely pricy for the portion sizes.
However the service was spotty …
— I asked if one of the drinks had added sugar, she said no, no added sugar or syrup… And when I get it it’s extremely sweet… And she’s like, «oh yea, must be the coconut syrup». At least I wasn’t charged for the replacement coffee… Not sure if that was courtesy or an accident though because I wasn’t informed
— my friend ordered over-​medium eggs and they came extremely cooked both times…
Overall, I’d probably come back and try again. But definitely not while I’m trying to eat healthy though-​not much on the menu that’s not smothered in cheese, butter, drowning in sauce or fried.

Gypsy Soul takes you on a culinary taste adventure all without needing to leave the Mosaic District. They bring flavors and ingredients that you would expect to find in upscale restaurants, without trying to be upscale and fussy. On their menu, they say they are supporters of farmers, fishers, and foragers which is interesting to see.
My friend and I came here on a weeknight and it wasn’t super busy. The hosts were welcoming and seated us within a few minutes of arriving. The menu can be a little overwhelming, especially if you are unfamiliar with some of the items. They use meats such as rabbit, quail, seafood, and seasonal vegetables which makes for some interesting dishes. We each ordered a beer to sip while perusing the menu. I ordered an Allagash White, something I’ve had before and enjoy.
Our server was nice and patiently waited while we decided what we wanted. He also gave us some tips in ordering (i.e. certain dishes take longer to make than others so order them earlier in your meal). I initially wanted something simple but then a gentleman (I believe it was the owner) came by and made some suggestions. We started with an order or periogies to share as our appetizer. For my meal, I ordered the pork belly and my friend ordered the chicken. We really enjoyed the periogies. The vegetables the dish came with complimented the periogies well. The pork belly was flavorful and tasty.
The set up of Gypsy Soul is modern and open. They have an open concept where you can see the kitchen and the chefs working from any seat in the restaurant. Sitting at the bar is highly recommended if you like watching the action. It’s bright, well lit, and clean. Overall, Gypsy Soul is good addition to the ever growing Mosaic District.

I really like the outside decoration and vibe of this place. (I posted pictures so take a look!) this place is located directly across a parking garage so don’t be like me and park in Target at the mosaic district!
The service was absolutely wonderful. Our waiter knew the menu– we went during brunch– and gave great suggestions. I’m not a fan of bloody mary’s with other types of alcohol but the variety was excellent. The waiter suggested it with scotch– and wow it was good, also each selection comes with its own distinct garnish. The Bloody Mary with scotch came with quail eggs!
My friend had the omelet ($ 20-​ish) and it was good! Went well with the arugula that came with it. Me and my other friend had the swordfish sandwich. We didn’t know it was a sandwich but it was so tasty regardless. The homemade chips were outstanding.
The reason why it’s not a «5» is because the seating is a little weird. Although you have your own space, and there’s a little divider between you and another table, it’s like you’re having a meal with that section. I completely understand the open room feel but when you’re eating– it’s a little awkward. Also the price was a little bit high.
Check out the pictures I posted :))

Really surprised that Gypsy Soul has a three-​star average review — my experience was 4+ with an emphasis on the +.
Went with my husband for a late dinner after starting our evening at B Side. Gypsy Soul has an awesome open kitchen and we figured what better way to experience it then to plant ourselves right at the bar in front of it? Done. RJ Cooper wasn’t in the kitchen that night, but that didn’t stop our meal from being fabulous. We started with two glasses of Cabernet and ordered the deviled eggs — next to Ray’s the Steaks, the best deviled eggs I’ve ever had, with the crisp country ham nicely complementing the creamy egg. For dinner, we split the beef cheeks — they were so tender that I didn’t even need a knife to cut them. The Mac and cheese was awesome, too. Absolutely delicious.
It was a lot of fun watching the kitchen work — the Chef certainly had an eye for quality — he checked EVERYTHING before it left and I saw him send back several items. Love that!
Can’t wait to go back and try more of the menu.