Hudson Restaurant And Lounge

Solid drinks

Less than one star… our server stopped coming to our table after the eggs Benedict was served as hard boiled eggs… the bloody mary tasted like clam juice and vodka… why did we give this place a second chance…

If you want a posh dinner or happy hour spot, Hudson may be your place.
I’m a creature of habit, so I typically order the same thing when I visit this place. I always get the fried chicken, which is an entrée, and the mac and cheese, which is an appetizer. So yummy for my tummy!
The fried chicken comes with a biscuit, mashed potatoes, and cole slaw. You get very little slaw, but the little you get is soooo good. The mashed potatoes are good, too. The biscuit… not so good. The mac and cheese is DIVINE! Its almost sinful.
If you go during happy hour (4 – 8 PM), you get drinks at a discounted rate. I saw Moscow Mule on the menu and after hearing Oprah rave about them on her show, I thought I’d give the drink a try, especially since they were only $ 5. Um, call me a lush, because they were so good, I had three! I see why Lady O loves the drink so much.
Hudson’s location is near Dupont Circle on M Street before you get to Georgetown. If you’re driving, don’t worry with finding a garage, because if you park across the street at either of the first two meters, you can park for free since they’re broken. (wink)
The restaurant’s layout is chic, but after not having been here for sometime I realized during my recent visit that the place is starting to look a little run down. They offer outdoor/​patio seating. The door leading to the patio was shattered and the bartender told me it had been like that for awhile. Also, the upholstered barstools are in desperate need of a good steam cleaning.
I don’t know if Hudsons is cash strapped, but these little things make all the difference when customers with expectations dine or lounge there and they are the reason for 4 stars vice 5 stars.
Overall, I like the place, the vibe, the drinks, and the food, so I’ll likely return. I hope management get those things fixed, because they are an eyesore.

I stopped by here after work one evening to meet a friend that I hadn’t seen in a long time. I got there about 30 mins early per the usual for me so I sat at the bar and enjoyed a wheat beer from their tap. There were about 3 people behind the bar who were very attentive yet not pushy. The atmosphere is nice but the interior seemed a little tired; I don’t know how to explain it but I guess it has seen it’s better days.
My friend arrived around 7:30 and it wasn’t crowded at all so we were able to sit outside on a perfect night. I had the White Sangria Fusion Margarita which was awesome. I hadn’t had a drink that good in a long time and would have gotten another if I didn’t have to drive home later.
In addition I got the happy hour hamburger which was literally just a burger and a bun. Nothing else. I was offered ketchup when I ordered it but I didn’t know I would need it to make it palatable. Anyways the burger was very good but a little bit under-​cooked from the Medium I asked for. The bun was fresh and buttery. I would order the burger if I went back but probably not the happy hour burger which was like $ 5 or $ 6.
I would certainly go back just to have another White Sangria Margarita and try some of their other food.

It’s been a year since I last ate at this restaurant and I’m kicking myself for taking so long to come back! A friend and I just had a thoroughly fabulous dinner here, stuffed ourselves full with appetizers, entrees, plus a dessert, and then had our minds blown when the check came in at less than $ 90. For a posh dinner. In DC. Did I mention that there was wine involved too?
My friend loved her cauliflower and cheddar bisque appetizer, topped with crispy little chorizo bits. My beet salad was delicious, with golden and red beets, greens, and some fluffy whipped goat cheese. It was dressed with a light hand, so the flavors of the veggies weren’t overwhelmed.
The entrees here are sizable. We both ended up taking half of our meals home with us — not a problem in my book. Her veggie flatbread could have easily fed two; that thing was huge! My risotto was more filling than enormous, a very hearty dish. Both were terrific. The risotto was full of big chunks of roasted, slightly caramelized cauliflower and plump golden raisins.
Our waiter suggested the white chocolate cranberry cheesecake, and glutton that I am, I could not say no. Really glad I didn’t, because this is one of the best pieces of cheesecake I’ve ever tasted. It was so creamy and rich, and the tart cranberries kept it from being overly sweet. Generally speaking, at upscale restaurants, I anticipate a daintier dessert portion. Not here. This was a great big slice — easily enough to share, if you were so inclined.
Great service, cute restaurant, way more reasonably priced than I anticipated, and wonderful food!

They currently have a fruit fly infestation. We spent the entire breakfast swatting at flies and avoiding getting them in our mouths and open glasses. It was disgusting. Upon telling the waitress, she said, «ya, we know, its because the bartenders don’t clean the bar enough.» Then the manager came over and was very rude and defensive about the problem and tried to tell us that it was because it was spring and everyone had that problem.
Oddly enough, they are the only place I’ve been this spring that has a fruit fly problem…

I really hate doing this. I feel like I’m about to tell the story of a bad date with a realllllly nice guy. But it needs to be done. For the good of the people.
Hudson tries so hard. So hard that it’s difficult to complain when something goes wrong, because you want them to succeed, or at least want them to think they are while you’re there.
The décor here is fun. Really fun! But who is it for? I can’t imagine a guy wanting to lounge around here, so is their target young women? Or just look trendy enough that people will think this is ‘the spot’ to go. And on a weeknight, at 8pm, techno music blasting from the bar area, this was the only conclusion I could come to.
But see, there were more people seated for dinner than at the bar. So why not switch it up, play some Sinatra? Make it romantic, or sexy. The waiter tried to make dinner as enjoyable as possible despite the house beats dropping 15 feet away from us. He was funny, personable and very attentive.
But the food… wasn’t so good. The lobster hush puppies just tasted like regular hush puppies. And apparently this was something new on the menu, so the waiter specifically asked me how I liked it. I had to respond honestly. He took the constructive criticism well, but I felt so uncomfortable telling him! Then the truffle mac and cheese… it was okay, but I’ve had better. MUCH better (see Umun, just opened up in Georgetown). I got some strange Salmon dish, good but I wouldn’t pay 20 dollars for it. And the burger we ordered, came out medium, not medium well like we had asked. But of course we didn’t say anything, because the waiter was so damn nice.
So there you have it. A really bad date with a really sweet guy. He obviously was trying hard, and is more than eager to learn. But I’m just not that girl anymore. Maybe if I were younger I’d stick around, try to mold him. Because I do see potential there. But at this point in my life, I need someone more… mature.

I live in general area and Hudson is my go-​to trendy lounge for drinks and snacks when I don’t want to leave the neighborhood. I just LOVE the over-​the-​top décor. For a long time I referred to this place as «the pink restaurant» since the place glows pink. There are chandaliers hanging from the ceiling and the furniture is very modern.
The kitchen is open late compared to other restaurants in the foggy bottom area. The key to Hudson is eat the fancy bar food, they excel at small twists on classics but are underwhelming when it comes to more difficult meals. Do go in the next couple days for Unilocal week and try the white fusion sangria… OMG it is one of the most delish drinks! It’s sweet but not too sweet and comes with this «whipped air» a la oyamel. In addition to the sangria I got…
–the short rib tacos: two hard shell tacos filled with pulled meat, the lettice came on top of the taco. and came with a dipping sauce which I think had horseraddish undertones (B)= $ 5 for happy hour
–Vegitable flatbread: Actually more like a thin crust pizza with many veggies. The pizza was pretty good but I would have cut the veggies in smaller slices so diners could eat it more delicately.
From other times I recommend…
–Mac N Cheese (A+)…this is one of my absolute favorites. SO SO Good. :)

SERVICE: Don’t try making a same-​day reservation. You’ll be shoved into the back room next to the pillar. The three of us were given the worst table in the house. I spent the evening staring at a pile of chairs outside the opposite window which hadn’t yet been put in to storage for the winter. I added a photo to the business photo folder if you care to see.
Next, our waiter waltzes in and is the most overbearing person I have ever experienced. He took his time handing out our menus and spent about 5 minutes going over each section of the menu, pointing out his personal favorites. He eventually pointed out the Rockfish entrée, but didn’t know where the fish was from– only that it was «local.» Maybe they pulled it out of the Potomac.
He literally DOLED OUT our appetizers for us (and it was the truffle mac & cheese so there were cheese strands that took a very long time for him to sort of). It was completely bizarre. My family and I shared annoyed glances at one another, but he never noticed.
He was training a young waitress, so maybe that’s why he was so odd. Poor girl. We could see it in her glances that she will never treat her customers the way this guy was teaching her. Either way, I wouldn’t want to return to this place out of fear of getting seated in this man’s section again.
FOOD: First of all, a bit of positivity– the Half Moon Punch cocktail was to die for. Second– they were out of Sauvignon Blanc on a Friday night. Get it together, guys.
The truffle mac and cheese was creamy, but it was basically a white pizza in macaroni form. Reeks of garlic.
My father didn’t enjoy his fried chicken, I thought my wilted green salad was so-​so. My mom enjoyed her Veg-​Out flat bread. I tried a bit, but didn’t think it was all that great.
I wouldn’t recommend this place. Altogether, the service seemed quite lobotomized and odd.

I’m mixed, thought the night got off to a rocky start, but the food (beet salad, truffle Mac) was really good. Combined with the free bread we absolutely stuffed ourselves on 2 apps. Finished with the cookie and milk for 6 bucks, which we really liked.
Drinks were good, but weak. Seemed like they had a few too many employees running around as well.
Would return for an app and dessert but without the groupon it’s a little too expensive for my tastes.

I finally was able to use my living social deal I picked up for this place a few weeks ago. And from what the other reviews say, I kinda dig the pink décor… Different and subtle.
First thing me and my friend ordered was the truffle mac and cheese since that is the appetizer to get here. Now anyone and everyone knows what your typical mac and cheese is like, boring. But with truffles though, its on a whole another level. I would honestly come back just for the truffle mac and cheese they have. It is really that good.
My main course was the steak, which wasn’t that special though and for the price on the menu, it was a disappointment. You’re much better off going elsewhere, like Rays for a steak.
Finished the meal off with the cast iron skillet brownie, which was topped with vanilla ice cream. Both me and my friend decided to do it and each got our own. It is the served in the same skillet that the mac and cheese is served in, so don’t expect to finish it since neither of us did. Good, but obviously a dish you would want to share.
Cocktails here are pretty good, but stay away from the ginger one, which isn’t listed on their website. It was similar to drinking a Chinese herbal medicinal tea, but the bad kind.
I honestly would only come back for the cocktails and the truffle mac and cheese. Parking here can be a pain since its located way down M street. And the food here is kinda pricey, considering what we had wasn’t exactly that good.

Went there for a friend’s birthday dinner. Although we had a group of about 8 ladies, the restaurant was able to give us a private table in the back. The hostess was polite, the restaurant manager, Beau (sp?) was easy on the eyes which turned my friends into love struck teenagers and made for very entertaining conversation. Moses, our waiter, was very attentive and kept the sangrias coming (a must have).
If you do visit, I highly recommend the truffle macaroni and cheese and sangria. Overall, the food and service was great and I would gladly visit again.

My wife and I came here only for dessert so this review will need to be updated some other time.
I ordered the brownie skillet served with vanilla ice cream. It was really good and HUGE! It can easily serve 2 people.
My wife ordered the lemon semifredo dessert and really liked it.
Hudson is a nice and trendy place with outside dining available. The have a nice bar area with flatscreen tv’s.
We will be back for dinner and drinks next time.

Upon first glance, Hudson Restaurant and Lounge seems to be a cozy, relaxing place where you could relax and talk to some beautiful women. After spending about two hours here, I confirm that the Hudson Restaurant and Lounge seems to be a cozy, relaxing place where you could relax and talk to some beautiful women. The overall atmosphere reminded me of a scene in Perfect Stranger, sans the white curtains and me making out with Halle Berry.
This was the last stop on a Friday night adventure in DC in which I came here to check out the drink specials. This was another one of the businesses participating in Unilocal Drinks Week, so I first started with the Scorpio in the City, laced with 44 huckleberry vodka, fresh cranberries, cointreau, lime and cranberry juices. It was a good mix which had some flavor to it; I didn’t taste too much alcohol though which is OK. My fellow Unilocaler friend got the Pamela’s Tickled Pink and she seemed to have no problems devouring her drink.
After finishing those two drinks, we decided to get a half-​pitcher of the White Sangria Fusion Margarita. Between two people, we were able to finish about 95.67% of the half-​pitcher. The drink was surprisingly good nonetheless. The drinks served at Hudson’s were savory, which is a good signal that I need to make a comeback here.
The waitress we had for the night was attentive and nice, while the bathrooms were clean. I’m not too fond of the beaded curtains going into the men’s bathroom, but I guess it is what it is. Hudson’s ended my night on a positive note and that’s all that matters.

I was at this restaurant for a private event so this review is for such an occasion.
The ambiance and location is great though I would have easily walked past this restaurant without noticing it. They need to do a better job to stand out from the surrounding!
Staff here was excellent — very attentive to all the guests and the cocktails were well made too!
We had buffet dinner with live pasta stations and all but one pasta was excellent. The buffet spread was very good with good choices for everyone — fish, chicken, steak and even veg!
I will definitely come back for dinner and even happy hour!

Oh look it’s another spendy, posh lounge in DC. Surprise. Not my typical place. It’s highly pretentious and trying too hard. Joined a party for dinner on a Thursday evening. I ordered the Dark and Stormy, dark rum and ginger cocktail which was very tasty but not a lot of alcohol. I started with the Boston Salad and it came like a wedge salad. It was OK. Then I ordered the Truffle Mac N Cheese that was so rich it was hard to eat. I honestly felt like I was eating a stick of butter. It was good but I would be curious if it would sell if they had to put the caloric content on the menu. It has to be at least 800 calories.
Our waiter wasn’t very friendly and he just seemed like he wanted to just take our order and be done with it. He got a bit annoyed with us when we asked him to take off our friend’s dish who worked there. Maybe he was weeded but he just seemed not to be bothered. The manager did come by several times to check on us. I would go if someone wanted to go but I wouldn’t choose this place as one of my go to places.

Head over to this swanky, sexy, lounge for a truly happy Happy Hour experience. The pink back lit bar, servers in matching pink ties and ceiling to floor windows are all very alluring.
Pizzas are ½ off Tuesday nights. Their margherita pizza is my choice for preventing me from getting too tipsy off their pretty pink martinis.
If you are looking for a cool, Sex in the City style girl’s night out, Hudson is the place for you.

Our party of 7 came here for a birthday dinner. We were seated on the outdoor patio, which was nice and bustling on a Friday night. We ordered drinks and sat around for a while before getting around to dinner. Definitely enjoyed the ambiance — it was cozy but definitely still chic and modern.
The food was okay, but it wasn’t great. I got a veggie pizza, which wasn’t too exciting. One of my friends got the mushroom pizza — better than mine but pretty oily. One of the folks got a burger (pretty good but overpriced) and a pasta dish (small portions).
Don’t expect split checks here — we got a lot of crap from the waiter about the notion of split checks. Also, they don’t give you any special treatment for your birthday, so expect to shell out some dough for any «birthday» dessert you order!

Hudson seems like a perfect hit-​or-​miss bar. If you make it after work with some out of town business partners and stick to beer (pretty good seasonal and international stuff on tap), this place is a hit. Great mix of D.C. professionals and people with different jobs that allow a little more style in the way they dress (think people with $$$). The service can be a tad slow on crowded days, and I’ve never tried the food.
Hudson misses where it really shouldn’t. Hand crafted cocktails at highish prices take 5 – 7 minutes to make, and still taste like something you did at home yourself. The service can slow to almost a crawl, and I would have fallen over backwards if I saw one of the bartenders crack a smile! This place still gets 3 stars because I know they have it in them. On a very late night stop by (you know, that «one last drink» drink) we had the whole bar to ourselves. With the complete attention of the bartender, Hudson was… for a single gleaming moment, a perfect lounge. The bartender listened to our taste buds, and actually went through three different drinks before satisfying one of my friends request. He did so with no complaints, and didn’t charge for the extra drinks (but still let us finish them)! NOW THAT was a Hit!
It’s in there somewhere, I’m just not sure if Hudson’s batting even a 50% average. Pick a slow day, and tell me what you think! I might give it another try!

Although I’ve never considered myself a «pink» kind of girl, the hot pink décor at the Hudson does me right. Have no fear. The place doesn’t look like a Pepto-​Bismol bottle exploded all over it. It’s subtle, modern and clean with stylish accents.
I’ve come here for cocktails before, but today was the first time I’ve dined here. We arrived around 1pm for lunch and were surprised to see how still the restaurant was at this time. With a bevy of business offices just off the restaurant’s intersection, I expected a bustling lunch crowd on a Friday afternoon. This was not the case today.
Our waiter was extremely professional, personable and cute in his own little way. I ordered the Truffle Mac and Cheese for a starter and a Grilled Caesar Salad for lunch. In the interim our waiter brought us out a sourdough bread that was crisp but a bit too chewy for my taste. At a restaurant that is semi-​formal, I felt like a Rottweiler gnawing on a bone.
The Mac and Cheese was tasty although a bit too runny. My Caesar Salad was composed of two large stalks of grilled romaine lettuce, a tasty crustini and shaved parmesan. I loved the flavor but the lettuce was a tad bit soggy at the edges, so the texture was a bit slimy.
For the lunch alone I would give the Hudson 3-​stars. However, their ambiance and drink selection boosts the Hudson up one more star.
Their White Sangria Fusion Margarita (white sangria fusion of grapefruit, pear, sage, lavender and fusion margarita topped with sweet lime espuma) is amazing and can be purchased by the pitcher. I also love, love, love their Mango Tango Tea (house made peach and passion fruit tea infused with absolut mango, firefly iced tea liqueur, x-​rated fusion, fresh mangos, peaches, and lemons). Just talking about it makes me thirsty. There is nothing more enjoyable than to sit outside at The Hudson on a summer afternoon and sip on these after work.
The cocktails alone are enough for to make the Hudson stand-​out. Although they have nice variety of food menu items, I’m not yet sold on the food. So for now just bring me another pitcher of whatever you got!