Horace & Dickie’s Seafood Carryout

i am planning to come back again. the rating i gave was because normally when i come back i never get the same quality i like to give it 2 times before giving a big rating. but i will come back soon.

Hands down top 5 classic DC spots !!! Fast service, great portions! Support good business

I’ve been here 5 times and have only had one bad experience with the quality of the fish. Other than that, the fish is nice and hot and crispy. The fries are great and the customer service is amazing.

This is a great example of an «experience» rather than just a meal. There were such awesome and amazing characters in this joint. I walked in nervously and awkwardly after a 1 hour trek from my hotel. I timidly asked for the «Man Vs Food» and the responses I got were genuinely hilarious. «Oh, you want that? You must be huuungry.» The cook then shouts out, «I got you boy check this out!» I watched him begin to create and outrageously absurd ‘sandwich.’ When the hot sauce went on I said, «oh man I’m excited.» The cook said, «aw you just wait I ain’t done!» I took it back to my hotel with a Brisk iced tea and invited my friend to come in and share it with me. OH how we laughed! And it was so good! Delicious fried fish and tarter sauce and coleslaw. It’s really as simple as that and yet so tasty and so much fun!
Note that there is NO PLACE to sit. Get your food and go!

We stopped here on our way home for a quick bite. They were very generous with the portions and this fish was delish! Fresh out of the fryer with slice bread. We also ordered the mac and cheese which was slightly cool, but tasted good. Would definitely drop in here again when I’m in the area for a quick bite!

The number one place for the best fried fish and wings in the DMV area. Always HOT fresh I’ll always get my fish here if I’m not frying it myself when you come in the people make you feel like your coming in to there kitchen Big Mama always have me laughing she’s the heart of it all. Me and my family been coming for years and will continue

Hi, it was around 12:00 noon. Only four of my family members came in the restaurant to order. However we had no problem with waiting. The problem was the man with the rude tone at the counter. He was rude to everyone. 1^st impressions are lasting impressions and the one he gave was so much of a nasty tone. Great customer service can go a long way when used. Maybe a change of staff is needed. By the way we waited two hours to eat at Sylvia’s and the staff was very courteous. Although the long wait at her restaurant, the staff treated us EXCEPTIONALLY WELL. we also waited an hour at Any Ruth’s. Her staff were great also. Ooohs & Ahhhs one hour and a half. Great attitudes all the way. The way I spoke of Horace & Dickies my family would have waited two hours if they had to as it was #1 on my list.

This is a for sure hole in the wall but it’s a perfect late night place to grab a bite to eat to soak up the liquor from a late night of partying. And if partying isn’t your thing it’s a perfect place to ruin a diet. Don’t plan to sit down and eat here because you get everything to go at this establishment as there is no seating within.
I do not know why my friends insisted on getting individual meals because the portions are large and plentiful enough to share between 2 at least. This was not a gourmet meal but after hanging out all night drinking, who is looking for gourmet. This is perfect late night food. It hit the spot and kept us from going to bed hungry. Fortunately we were going to bed afterward because our clothes smelled like fried foods when we left.
We had enough fish to make grits the next morning and have breakfast with what was leftover on our plates.

Horace & Dickie’s is a hood landmark. It’s one of those spots that when I describe it to friends of mine, they know exactly what type of experience you’ll get. A proper fish sandwich is a bunch of pieces of hot fish, loaf bread, and hot sauce. Everyone there is cool. Old school neighborhood DC folks… which is sadly going the way of the dodo bird. There’s been a number of times that I have driven all the way from upper NW DC just to get a plate. People reviewing here saying that «it’s just some fried fish» just don’t and won’t get it.
Once I lugged it back on the Metro up the Red line one late Saturday night and stunk up the whole car. Pro tip: don’t do that.
A little factoid: back during the era of Reaganomics when DC got hit hard, H&D’s actually lowered their prices so people could still patronize them. You have to respect them for surviving that era and still being here. Salute.

We started a day-​long DC cheap eats food tour here. Of the 7 places we went, this had by far the best value. For $ 7, we got 8 large pieces of Fried Whiting and two slices of Wonderbread (lol).
In terms of food quality, I’d give this place about 3 stars. It’s just your basic frozen fried fish. There is no special breading or exotic sauces. Just tartar from a massive plastic tub. But, if you’re like me and just want to fill up for cheap sometimes, this is a great choice. The fish is pretty good and the portions are massive. They fry to just the correct level of crisp where the outside is golden brown but the fish is still tender and juicy.
You won’t get a special service experience here, nor will you be able to sit down. But, for a cheap meal, this is your best value in DC in my opinion.

Despite being bothered and begged for food by a few homeless people that night while eating on the sidewalk, My Horace & Dickie’s experience was a good one for the most part. It kinda of smells iffy inside, but all you’ve gotta do is hold your breath in for a few minutes and you’ll be alright. I tried the fish platter (4 pieces of fried fish) that came with two slices of bread and got a side of coleslaw. I would not have been able to finish if it wasn’t for one other person, so prepare to go in with an appetite. If you want a quick and cheap bite to eat, I recommend this place. Just be warned that you might have people smelling your food and wanting some too.

Huge disappointment I got 5 pieces of fish and a slice of chocolate cake. The fish had no taste whatsoever. They were generous with the fish and it looked pretty but no taste (not even a fish taste). I added salt and pepper and had hot sauce but nothing helped. Obviously from frozen. On the other hand the cake slice was an afterthought at the register BUT it was obviously homemade and was DELICIOUS !! ITs been so long since I have had cake and could taste the butter in the cake. I almost doubled back for another slice. I only ended up here because Fish N the Hood is closed Sundays.
Had to be around 5:30 — 6:30 pm that I was there. Staff was great !

I used to visit this location about 3 – 4 years ago and used to love it. I recently went this weekend and so disappointed. I got an order of fried wings and whiting. The fish was so bland and just overcooked. The chicken is getting the 2 stars and the service was pretty good. I don’t know what happened but I am not sure if I’ll be returning. They give you nice portions but what’s the point when quality is terrible. Q

Horace and Dickies is one of my favorite places to go for crab cakes and fried fish. It’s a staple in the city, not as known by the tourists like Ben’s Chili Bowl, but those of us raised in the DC, especially uptown are very familiar. The shrimp salad can be really good! Had it for the first time about a month or so ago and it was excellent, went back for more a few weeks later and it had entirely too much celery, so much that I literally crunched the entire way through it.
Lines can be a little long if you go during lunch rush, but the food is always fresh. Don’t expect fine dining style customer service, but it’s kinda what you love about it, too. Everybody is cool, just know what you want, because you run the risk of getting trampled over if you don’t.
If you’re in the mood for excellent fried fish, it gets no better. Definitely worth a visit if you’re near H street!

I think Horace and Dickie’s is FINE.
This is a very low-​end divey kind of carry-​out joint that was once in the company of enormous amount of competition throughout much of DC before the age of gentrification. Even just a decade ago, every corner of 14^th street was populated this kind of low-​tech fish n’ chips carryout. Unfortunately only a few have survived since — one being Horace and Dickie’s which has made a lot of money especially after making appearances on popular food channels so don’t be surprised to see people take selfies by the sign or holding up a Styrofoam container of freshly batter-​fried whiting filets in an otherwise seedy neighborhood. I think that the batter tastes pretty good and I think this can be a good meal in two different ways:
1. When you are too lazy to cook after work and just want something delicious, fast, and unhealthy before skipping the gym and vegging out to Monday Night Football. The whiting platter can easily feed two to three people — probably even four! This is a very cheep meal at only $ 12
2.When you are completely and utterly bombed on a Saturday evening leaving H-​Street Country Club and need something to soak up all the booze swishing around in your system. In this case, the whiting platter is enough to feed ONE person.
I know that this is a wildly successful business but I still think it could be cool if they changed it up every now and again and served up some other types of fish. I mean they don’t have to be expensive kinds of fish either — I’m thinking something like blue fish, butter fish, and perhaps even skate which can be quite delicious. I’ll still come back to Horace and Dickie’s every now and again to satisfy my unyielding appetite for fried stuff — next time I would really like to try the collard green side and the potato salad. As a warning to the hipsters with ironic beards and Garbage Pail Kids t-​shirts coming in, make sure to read the menu plastered on the wall that clearly spell out what the dishes are — they take no substitutions.

Walked in the the establishment the customers were wall to wall. The business is small and family friendly I was greeted when I walked in by one of the staff. There was little confusion on where the line to order started, no sign indicating order here. The service was quick, I would have given them 4 stars so let’s get to the cons-​there were elderly people present when one of the cooks and the older gentleman got into an argument about some food that sat on the counter. I mean that was very unprofessional as this is a place of business not street talk. If my grandmother were present I probably would have went off. Profanity amongst customers in a business setting is a no no and degrades the business. Also, on my way out the older gentleman implied I should tip him next time as if he did me a favor… Sir, You were using profanity amongst women and elders#bye Felecia and have a seat
I got the catfish meal– the fish was hot and tasty a little salty but I washed it down with a coke. The mac n cheese was ok I guess I got a older batch it lacked the cheese that other helpers raved about. However, it was better than the greens which lacked seasoning. I would come back again due to the yum catfish.

This place for me is a once every three months guilty pleasure. Anything more and I may start worrying about my health, but wow is their fried fish great. Just get the basic fried whiting with coleslaw and wheat bread. Slather it all up with that orange sauce, a bit of salt and get enough tartare for the road.
Make yourself a sandwich out of that and load on the fish because you’ve no worries, you have enough fish for two freaking sandwiches. Portion sizes here are worthy of giants.
If’s fried, it’s satisfying, and the place itself, literally a bit of a hole in the wall joint, should not worry one, it should intrigue and warrant investigation once your nose smells that fish. The seagulls should be a good hint.

Their fish plate ($ 11) with two sides is HUGE and enough to feed two hungry adults. My husband and I were stuffed to the gills (pun intended) both times that we’ve eaten from them. This place is carry-​out only, and some residential parking. On busy nights, everyone is double-​parked in front.
The first time I stopped at H&D’s, there weren’t too many people. I ordered the fish plate with mac and cheese and collared greens. I was recommended the cake but didn’t opt to get it since I had dessert at home. The service was quick and the fish was FRESH! Absolutely delicious with tartar sauce and perfect for any type of dip that you might have at home. (They have hot sauce there too if you like a little spice.) The mac and cheese was nice and cheesy and still warm. Although, the collared greens were cooked to oblivion. They were overcooked in my opinion but maybe I’m must not that used to collared greens either. I didn’t have too many questions since I pretty much knew what I wanted so the service was A-​OK.
The second time I stopped at H&D’s, the place was hoppin’ and the line went out the door. I tried to order chicken but all their fryers were at full force frying up fish and shrimp. I tried ordering shrimp too, but the person in front of me ordered 8 or 10 orders and I just wasn’t in the mood to wait in a crowd. Therefore, I opted for my tried and true fish plate with two sides. Again, I got the mac and cheese and the collared greens since they only had french fries and onion rings at that moment. Besides, I wanted to give the greens a second chance (overcooked again). The service was so-​so but I can’t blame them since they were slammed. This wasn’t the night to ask too many questions, but they were thorough in asking what kind of bread I wanted and what sauces I needed.
During this second visit, I found a handful of fish bones, but I’m always cautious about that anyway so it wasn’t a problem. (I’d complain if this were a Michelin-​rated restaurant.) The mac and cheese was only slightly warm and the oils started to separate from the cheese and noodles. I think I was given the last of the mac. I also opted to get a slice of their cake ($ 2) this time, which was a really nice way to finish the meal. It was a small slice of a lemony pound cake with a sweet sugar glaze. It tasted homemade!
Overall, this place is an incredible deal. If you’re looking for freshly fried fish with a nice selection of sides, this is the place to go. I personally think their fish is made for dipping so be sure to ask for extra tartar and/​or hot sauce. Be patient if there’s line because it’s worth the wait. However, be aware that this fish is not good for reheating! We tried putting it in the oven to reheat our leftovers and it turned out chewy. You need to eat it within 30 minutes or it just won’t be the same.

I want to be clear here. I’m writing this review as a white male, who grew up in suburbs. I love fish, and of you do too, welcome to heaven. Lines are long for a reason. It’s the freshest fish I have ever eaten. Simple fish sandwich for me. No sides, no fries. I’ll take wheat bread with tartar and hot sauce. I’ve read reviews of people intimidated by employees and have felt disrespected. Grow up! This is a southern style carry out. No one is trying to hurt your feelings. Get off your high hoars (pun intended). Could a sign be made with ordering policies? Absolutely. Just like in Philadelphia with the famous pats and the other guys cheese steaks. I can agree that ordering is a little challenging.
I also want to address the Unilocalers that said batter is «tasteless» and «thin.» If you know anything about fish, the flavor is on the fish! You don’t want thick batter to take away the flavor of the fish! The fish is delicious and the batter doesn’t take away the fishes glory.
They aren’t famous for their sides ! So don’t expect to be blown away. Are the sides good? Absolutely. Be sure to ask what sides they have because they do run out.

Fish… thin with little seasoning. I had to put old bay on it to make it edible but even then… it was so thin that when it was fried… it dried the fish out.
Chicken… was good but other places are just as good (hip hop chicken is just as good imo).
The wait was long.
This place was extremely unorganized… confusing as to where you order and pay.
One of the male staff who fulfills the orders was a douche bag. I asked if they had mac and cheese… he said no. I said «what… why»… I guess he didn’t like me questioning him cus he gave me a look like he wanted to have me murdered and didn’t answer.
They give u a dry slice of bread … from the dollar store in ur order…
Fries are frozen… not fresh.
…so underwhelmed with the entire meal.
Oh wait… the crab cake was actually pretty good. It looked gross and overdone but was shockingly tastey. And a good price. $ 13 for a crap load of fish and 2 shrimp and a crabcake.
Other staff were loud and super hood. I wouldn’t go back because they were not welcoming nor was the food great. Just because ur in the hood doesn’t mean u can’t show hospitality.