Hawthorne

I wish I could review the food and the bar separately, because the food was one of the most delicious things I have put in my mouth. I went with a big group of people for dinner to start on a Saturday night. I had the brisket burger with brussel sprouts and crispy pork belly, and had a taste of the lamb sandwich, and both were amazing (I think the lamb wins, however). I really wanted to try one of the desserts but they were out, so the waiter very kindly (and unnecessarily, but it was still so appreciated!) offered me a free drink. I tried the Hawthorne with blackberry and lemon, and it was made nice and strong. We later went up to the rooftop to hang out and then down a floor for some dancing. The line to the rooftop got incredibly long by the time we had gone down to the dancing floor. Overall it’s a pretty fun place, but the food is my favorite part.

I hosted my 30^th birthday party on Hawthorne’s roof this past weekend and cannot say enough good things about the experience! Hawthorne allows you to reserve any or all of their four gorgeous floors for private functions FOR FREE. Having a summer birthday, I thought the roof would be a perfect location for my party. I worked with Kati to coordinate the date/​timing for the party and she was not only incredibly responsive and helpful, but she also went above and beyond by offering drink specials for the entirety of the event (5 hours!). When I got there, everything was ready for us, the space was absolutely gorgeous, and the best part was that there were two large A/​C units on either end of the rooftop so we were comfortable up there even on a hot summer day. Our bartender Cody was very attentive, friendly, and even changed the music when we asked for a different station. And when he was being bombarded with drink orders, he kept his cool and got us all of our drinks quickly and with a smile. We ordered some food off of their brunch menu and everything was delicious and came out very fast. All of my guests told me that they had an amazing time! Hawthorne will be my new go-​to for when I’m planning a party. Great addition to the neighborhood and I can’t wait to come back!

While most know Hawthorne as an excellent watering hole, make sure not to miss their amazing food. Their 7 day a week happy hour is hard to beat with half price mussels that rival any others in the city in taste and quality (bacon and beer is my personal fave) After you eat make sure to visit the rooftop for an excellent view of the DC skyline while enjoying a Hawthorne Smash, a fresh made premium signature cocktail with a noticeably non premium price.

I had my boyfriend’s surprise birthday party here and it was absolutely perfect! They really went above and beyond. We had a whole floor reserved with drink specials on a Friday night. We had wristbands for the evening and they made a happy birthday sign. The bartenders were super friendly and the whole night was just smooth. You won’t find another bar that is that welcoming to parties.

I hosted a birthday party for one of my best friends and working with Kati Karolyi was great. It was easy to set up the time, drink specials, wristbands and other details. We had it on the rooftop which was the perfect setup and view! The bartenders were so friendly and overall the service was next to none.
I will definitely contact Kati in the future to host more events with friends. Thanks again for a great night and for making my friends birthday a success!

I decided to throw my birthday party at Hawthorne last week, and it was extremely easy to reach out to the bar to figure out what would work best. They had a menu of all the available choices for reserving spaces and bar/​food packages. Their bar tab minimums were a bit higher than what I thought I could definitely meet (I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough people to hit a $ 1500 tab, which was the lowest option), so I decided to go with just a wristband deal which is free and honestly was the best choice for this type of event. A few days before my event, I emailed to confirm the event and was told that I had a guest list of about 15, which I thought might be a little low. I easily changed it to 30 – 40 without a problem.
On the night of, all of my guests just said my name at the door to get wristbands that came with drink specials. The drink specials were $ 5 Blue Moons, $ 6.5 Kamikazes, and $ 7 Tito’s cocktails and were available on any floor. The drinks were good, not watered down. Overall, I’d definitely recommend Hawthorne for a birthday party like mine, since my friends get drinks at any bar, could roam around the floors to enjoy different types of atmospheres (dancing vs. roof vs. bar/​chiller vibes) and could come and go as they please.

Not a bad location to go out to on a Friday night. Each floor has a different feel so it’s almost like multiple bars in one. The drink prices are really reasonable but the only issue I had was with the door. We were in line for 45 minutes at 11 PM on a Friday night and when we got in the first floor was almost empty. I was upset until I realized that the other floors was almost at capacity and then I rethought my emotions. Good place and pretty okay music.

In the heart of U street amongst the hustle and bustle enjoy a nice lunch or happy hour at Hawthorne in DC. Great location to host an event with the rooftop terrace and open floor space. The food was reasonably priced and the crab cake sandwich was a tasty delight that hit the spot. Looking forward to returning for happy hour or a gathering with friends.
#datenightwithmrglenn
#hawthornedc
#fallynsfoodieexcursions
#lifeinthecity

I hosted a networking, happy hour for a nonprofit on the Hawthorne’s rooftop. We lucked out with great weather! The space was awesome as was the staff. The event managers were super responsive from start to finish and provided extended happy hour specials for our group. It’s less than one block from U St. metro. I will definitley plan future events at the Hawthorne.

I host happy hour around the city for a fairly large group of people (as many as 20) and its hard to find a good spot for a group that large. I contacted Hawthorne and they were tremendously accommodating! The manager, Kati, was a pleasure to work with. She let us host the happy hour on their rooftop, which has stunning views of the city. Our bartender, Teresa, was fantastic. She provided great customer service and was on point all night, even as the group got larger. It was some of the best service I’ve seen in the city (and the drinks she made were fantastic).
For food, we had the mussels and pork slides, both of which were delicious. There is a generous amount of mussels in the order, which was a pleasant surprise. Their duck fat fries were amazing as well.
The décor centered around exposed brick and dark hardwood was classy. The rooftop is decorated in a white theme and has Edison lights on strings, adding to the ambience. The glass retractable roof was nice because it can be used year round in any weather.
Overall it was a great experience and everyone in my group had a blast. I will definitely be back.

Cool place but payment system is terrible they keep ur card and then you get a surprise charges on your account which you will find out if you lucky to notice and check your statement 3 times, thats what happened to me the i called to ask how did that happened but instead of fixing it give ur email and we will be in touch … Really .
I wont go there again

Great spot off U street metro. Love their glass rooftop during the cold times, I’m assuming summer nights here will be even more fun. Expect a crowd and lots of stairs but great music and ambiance I always have a great time. Also I highly recommend the bison burger so good!

Sometimes you get the urge to move from your favorite introverted spot on your couch. Because you haven’t lived out your dream of being an eccentric disdainful old Jewish writer with a poodle yet. So you subdue your Fran Leibowitz soul and you make nice with the locals. It’s Cinco de Mayo and the Trump Presidency might be a reality. Better we be merry while we still have the will to live. So yes I will try the Hawthorne margarita. The place is putting its name on the drink so should be adequate for a $ 7.50 drink on a traditional $ 2 – 5 drinking day. (Look, I do not expect value or exceptionalism in DC food or liquor. I know we all got to pay the high DC rents). LORD but why is my bartender pouring my drink out of a premixed margarita bottle easily obtained from any store? Your establishment is damn ballsy and hella ridiculous… but I can appreciate the hustle. These yuppies gonna feel this U St gentrification.
But I was astonished at the thought process of my bartender. Astonished. After the worse margarita in my life, I said I would close my tab. I would have asked if they were doing the traditional happy hr specials as well, but that drink was soul crushingly bad. Gave a $ 20. Asked if I needed change. (Seriously??? You poured something from a bottle. But again. Ballsy. And I can dig that. Closed mouths don’t get fed). Sure, give me back $ 10. To my amazement, girl ran my card AND took $ 10. Where do dey do dat at? (The Hawthorne apparently). Really, you think for that wack ass drink that you were being tipped over 100%? Shouldn’t you have gotten me drunk first?!! Shouldn’t you have actually mixed something? Girl, if you don’t give me back my $ 10.
And overall I get it (if you can’t stand capitalism, get out of America) but flagrant disregard for quality and middling service comes off disrespectful to your customers.

After a failed attempt to go to Hawthorne on a Monday night a couple of weeks after they first opened, (FYI: they have since updated their website that they are closed Monday, but this update was NOT listed on this original attempted visit) I had been putting off attempting another visit, mainly due to annoyance at this first visit, but also due to the fact Tom Sietsema ripped them apart in a semi-​recent dining review. His review, coupled with multiple quite mediocre reviews on Unilocal,did not make me any more excited to try Hawthorne. Despite my hesitations, I made a dinner reservation for a Friday night around 7pm to finally check this place out.
When we arrived promptly at 7, there were no other tables in the dining room, although the downstairs bar was filled. We were quickly sat at a table, and our server immediately came over to get our drink orders. We just missed happy hour (5−7pm Tuesday-​Saturday), but I still had a glass of Malbec, which at $ 9 was as expected. The food menu is what I would call «limited». There are a few sandwiches, a couple of entrees, a few app choices, and four styles of mussels. From the descriptions, everything on the menu sounds well-​curated and appears to be «upscale bar food».
I ordered the grilled manchego with duck prosciutto, date marmalade, and tomato on sourdough with mixed greens as my side option. The duck prosciutto was crispy, and I enjoyed the saltiness of the prosciutto combined with the sweetness from the date marmalade. I loved the creamy manchego, although I think there could have been more of it. The contents of the sandwich barely filled the thin pieces of sourdough bread, which was nicely toasted, that was holding the ingredients together. The mixed greens were lightly dressed with a balsamic vinegrette, but that’s all it was-​just mixed greens, not even a carrot or tomato to speak of. The pickle on the side, which is house made according to the menu, was tasty too. My dining partner ordered what I was going to order if he had not — the lamb sandwich, which consisted of shaved leg of lamb, caramelized onions, feta cheese, and pomegranate BBQ sauce on toasted flatbread. While the grilled manchego was tasty, one bite of this sandwich made me jealous that I was not eating the whole thing myself! The lamb was tender and flavorful, the caramelized onions were perfectly cooked, and the flatbread was soft and fresh, very lightly toasted. The saltiness of the feta and the sweetness of the pomegranate BBQ was a delicious combination! This sandwich was very hearty portion-​wise, and be forewarned, it’s extremely messy (but the best things usually are, no?) but totally worth it. I would love to return just to eat a whole one myself! He ordered the duck fat fries as his side, and while the dipping sauce with them was flavorful (definitely mayonnaise based but garlicky), the fries were lukewarm upon service. On a positive note, they were clearly handcut and the portion size was large.
The plan after dinner was to enjoy the rooftop bar, however, it was closed for a private event that night. It leaves me to wonder how hard it actually is to get on the rooftop on a Saturday or Friday if that is where they hold private events. Before coming here next time, I’d definitely call in advance to ensure the rooftop is open, as that appears to clearly be the highlight of Hawthorne! Although I wouldn’t rule out returning in the future for that delicious lamb flatbread…

The roof top is a great spot for happy hour and not too crowded. There weren’t very many drink specials but the one cocktail special is worth it alone. The bourbon «smash» (cubed ice, not shaved) with your choice of fruits is the perfect summery drink for a rooftop evening. It’s easy to drink too many of these, especially since they’re only $ 7 There is a small menu offered on the roof deck, mostly under $ 20, and everything I’ve had so far has been really good.

why is it that every place in DC you have to climb 1000 flights of stairs to get to the bar?! lol A Saturday night in DC and man oh man did i get a workout here. This place consists of 4 floors and each floor was PACKED. Half the time i was thinking i hope the floor doesn’t give way i cant die like this… the other half of the time i was thinking how hot it was in there. Definitely was only in there for maybe like 30 – 40 minutes. Couldn’t do it. lol music was nice until the 4^th floor speakers went out, but i could hear the song continue on the third floor… pretty sure that was when my gf’s decided it was time to leave.

A little disappointed with the steak frites. The steak was small and not that flavorful and the fries were just meh. If I’m going to spend money on steak frites, there are better options around town.

Happy hour review only.
— Beautiful, rustic décor
— Huge space (4-​floors; they rent out for private parties, as well)
— Enclosed rooftop w/​windows that can be opened when it’s nice out
— Great views of the Washington Monument and The Capitol Building
— Excellent service (shout out to our bartender Steven)
— Delicious, not-​too-​sweet cocktails
— Happy hour 7-​days a week from 5 – 7 PM (mussels, signature cocktail, beer, etc).
Drinks —
Love the Hawthorne Smash — their signature cocktail where you pick your own fresh fruit mix. I tried blackberry & lime and my date had orange & raspberry — both delicious & only $ 7.50 during HH (we were 5 minutes late for HH but Steven still honored the price which is HUGE in my customer service book).
Enjoyed the Vodka Radler, as well. Both cocktails came with really fresh fruit.
Appetizers —
Wings were perfect! A little spicy, thick, and served w/​chunky blue cheese.
Duck fat fries were a huge hit with my boyfriend, as well.
Looks like it turns into a late night dance party on Fridays & Saturdays when they clear the tables & host a DJ.

This spot has changed names over time and in my mind it still is Tabaq… but Hawthorne it is!
Overall we had a pretty decent experience… I like the ambience but seems like it is now a victim of the already gentrification and established cool vibe of the U St/​14^th Street area so going in, there was nothing new or different about the place… it has that cool hey we are crafty and want to be modern but still look timeless a la one wall will be all brick and the other wood cliché vibe to it… again not a bad thing but also nothing to get excited about.
We got seated pretty quickly via our open table reservation and our waitress was super nice.
As far as the food… they definitely have a nice mussels selection… I went Asian with the Green Hornet; the pot size and number of mussels was plentiful and the broth was quite tasty and good enough to soak more bread into it. So kudos to this part of the menu.
We also got the crispy pork shoulder and holy moly it was just a big slab of meat right there lol… I guess we were expecting something more of a pork belly like dish. Again, nothing bad particularly with the huge amount we got but it was all about the meat and not the whole dish itself. The risotto that came with it did not pull its own weight to balance out the dish.
I got a few of their signature cocktails (the Hawthorne Smash) in blackberry and then lemon… nice, refreshing and light and sure would order those again on a repeat visit.
This is where I would say so and so restaurant is such a great addition to so and so neighborhood… for Tabaq… I mean Hawthorne, it seems like it’s always been there… the change did not really step it up to a whole new level but I’m sure particularly for DC newbies this place has the potential to draw them in.
But for those who’ve been in DC for awhile… this place probably isn’t a repeater except when you are in the mood for rooftop brunch…

Absolutely stunning place! Four floors and a basement, four bar areas, two dining rooms and an incredible glass rooftop with a 360 degree view of the city and monuments. Even more so, the owner, bartender and staff are so friendly and top notch. Hawthorne has a very trendy appeal with exposed brick, black walls and dark woods.
I was here for a large private party but with the amount of space available, it’s perfect for events of all sizes.
All-​in-​all it’s a fantastic place that I’m excited to see join this vibrant neighborhood! I can easily see it becoming a new favorite of mine.