Menomale Pizza Napoletana

Decent pizza, but it’s definitely not the best brick oven game in town. What really lost points for me, though, was the lack of quality service and general atmosphere of chaos. This wasn’t your nice, bustling urban eatery vibe, but instead a frantic staff that clearly had too few waiters and hosts on shift, to the point where we just had to accept that we weren’t going to flag someone down to get more than one menu for our table, or that the waiter seemed to talk to us as he moved past our table rather than having the time to stop.
Also, using the pizza shears for slicing, while a cute gimmick, is a pretty bad idea in practice, given how the brick oven pizzas will inevitably get soggy halfway through and make it extremely difficult to cut.

Drop dead amazing pizza. Some of the best I have ever had since being in Italy. I highly recommend the place. The only drawback would be that the place is limited in size, so I would suggest it as a good place for a date, but not for a large group of friends.

I like pizza. And, unlike some commentators, I like the pizza scene in DC. I am a fan of many places (&pizza, District of Pi, Pete’s, Wiseguy, the list goes on) but I have landed on Menomale as my favorite in the District.
Their crusts consistently emerge from the oven with a delectable char, and their menu options are fantastic and vegetarian-​friendly (with a couple of special vegan toppings and a gluten-​free crust, not always available at the finer pizzerias). Their pizza is delicious plain, in calzone form, or with toppings, and their multivegetable Terra is just about my ideal specialty pizza. Where other places either don’t have much besides pizza (or don’t have much that I want to eat), the appetizer selection here includes a wondrous baked feta/​hummus mix (Coccio) with more of that perfectly charred bread and some celery for dipping. Only recently have I gotten to their desserts, but the chocolate truffle dusted in cocoa powder was as rich as I might have hoped.
The location is oddly isolated in a residential neighborhood east of where I usually venture for food, but isn’t that far from the Metro, and because there’s no other businesses, you can find street parking. An apartment complex is going up across the street; we’ll see how the neighborhood changes. The place is small indoors, with a covered outdoor patio that’s great during the summer. The atmosphere is quieter and the clientele pleasanter than I’m used to; kids are less likely to be rambunctious and adults less likely to be obnoxious. Service here is always pleasant and casual, and you walk by the pizza oven on the way in so you can catch the action happening.
As my original review noted, I stumbled in here a bit by accident, but after several return visits, I’m not sure where I’d rather be.

Think brick oven pizza made fresh to order. This place is delicious and very classy inside. I was very happy to see this in the neighborhood when I resided in NE DC. The staff was great and everything was fresh to order.
I recommend.

I loved Menomale as I live in the neighborhood and started going when it first opened. The quality was so great, however the food’s taste has gone completely down. I feel as though the restaurant is using cheaper ingredients which is why it taste poor.
Also I had one of their calzones and was so sick after eating it. Now it’s just another restaurant in the neighborhood that I no longer frequent.

I was skeptical about Menomale. I mean, the pictures on Unilocal literally made this place look like someone’s house that they decided to start a pizza shop in. Not that those places are bad, but usually those are the places where carboardy and greasy NYC style pizzas are born, not brick oven Neapolitan greatness. Mind you that I LOVE pizza and that if I could be on an island with only one type of food, it would be pizza.
So despite all the doubt I was feeling in my heart, I decided to give this place a go. My skepticism reached a peak as I drove into this place around 8 pm on Sunday night — at the insistence of my friend. The neighborhood is quite sketchy and the malfunctioning neon lights of the Chinese takeout place right next door were definitely not helping out with the anxiety I was feeling. Of course I wondered why we had to come to THIS neighborhood and at one of the most deserted hours to boot.
However, once we actually got in front of the restaurant, it was a completely different story. My suspicions that this place was probably someone’s house at one time in the past was confirmed: it’s some kind of rowhouse that they had completely remodeled and converted into a restaurant. But man, they did a fantastic job. It was so nice and pristine and definitely felt like a hipster restaurant. They even have a tented area outside so that you can enjoy your pizza from the safety of the plastic tarps. My adrenaline levels started to drop at this point.
I checked out the menu and they definitely had a solid selection of different pizzas. I went with the Diavola (spicy) and my friend had a Chef’s Special, which is prosciutto, arugula, on a garlic white pizza. This entire time I’m slightly in awe because of how clean and quaint the restaurant is. I also even went over to admire their brick oven, which takes up about half the house so I could definitely see this place getting crowded during peak hours. When the pizzas came out, I was mindblown. Great dough, chewy crust, with slight charring to give it great depth of flavor. They also did not skimp on meat or cheese like some places do *cough* 2 Amy’s *cough*
In all honesty though, despite not being the safest neighborhood in the world, it is actually not that sketchy and there is a nice lot you can park in right next to the restaurant. AND this may be the greatest Neapolitan pizza I’ve had in D.C. I’ve had all the other big names (2 Amys, Pupatella’s, Il Canale) and I think Menomale takes the crown. I believe they recently received a DOC certification for their pizza and they most definitely deserve it. Thank you for the amazing experience, I will definitely be back soon. Hopefully this time with a girlfriend.

This is one of my favorite places in DC. The food is amazing.
The service is hit or miss — either completely fantastic or complete crap (like when they forgot our waiting party at the bar for 45min and didnt care at all). I was mad for a week, but got over it. The food is just too good.
Get the appetizer plate– its ‘expensive’ but its worth every single penny. Cheeses, meats, squids, etc.
Try the dipping olive oils — the three dips are amazing. The orange one is this blended red pepper type dip, and its to die for.
Try all the pizzas.

If you’re looking for genuine restaurant, bar, high funk factor sights and shopping, Menomale is great place to start your Ward 5 | Brookland | 12^th St NE crawl. I lived in the neighborhood very near Catholic University and the pizzeria is much loved by everyone in the area.
Must try on the pizza menu are the Diavola with spicy salami, the Aragosta with lobster, and the owner’s namesake, the ‘di Ettore’ with prosciutto crudo, arugula, and grana padano. A favorite of mine was the Quattro Stagioni with artichokes and marinated olives.
People seem to get a little confused on how wood fired, Italian style pizza is cooked. For the comments I’ve seen about a ‘wet center’ — that’s how it’s done. If you prefer a crispier crust, let your server know you’d like it ‘extra crispy’. It takes only an extra minute for the pizzaiolo to turn it in the oven a little on a ventilated board. The scissors are pretty cool, esp. if you’re dividing up the pie for kids. If you’re there and you see folks next to you tearing it up and eating it with their hands or using a knife and fork — those are Italians. ‘Non grazie’ to the scissors.
A tip I got from folks on the staff — customize! The ‘Brooklandissima’, described as vegetarian, is great with the addition of sausage or chicken. The same goes for the ‘Coccio’ baked hummus appetizer. One of the server/​bartenders likes to give herself credit for having invented the Coccio with chicken and cherry tomatoes. Not!
The wine selection is really excellent. I think they do a very good job of keeping both domestic and Italian import wines that are contemporary to today’s winemaking trends; varietal blends, and new regional interests like Sardinia and Sicily. But, having worked in beverage retail outlets and worked with distributors and resellers, making wine selections and buying for smaller restaurants that do lower volume can be tough. For all the variety of wine out there and people’s tastes, it’s unreasonable to expect restaurants to stock a huge cellar — esp. at today’s wholesale prices and higher prices in DC anyway.
Beer choices at Menomale are awesome; with good local brewery and, even better, on tap.
If you’d like something different from the 14/​U and H Street Corridors, consider this on a Friday night or Saturday. Red Line Metro to Rhode Island Avenue Station (there’s gotta be something you need at Home Depot). North of Home Depot is 12^th Street and up just three blocks is Menomale. Up the street and you might never know it at 12^th and Franklin Jazz Trumpet artist DeAndre Howard and world-​class musician buddies drop in on ‘be in the know’ jam sessions at JACS (Jazz and Cultural Society) and a great revival of DC Westminster music tradition. From there up the street are the Serendipity Coffee/​Bar/​Piano hang out, then up at 12^th and Monroe are 1) Brookland’s Finest 2) the worlds last real hardware store 3) Steel Plate and 4) the Public House.
Round out the day/​night begging for mercy for all sins you committed at CUA, and then you’re steps away from Brookland/​CUA Red Line Metro.
Menomale and all these places are, I think, ‘best of’ in DC and small business bringing something authentic to the community.

Menomale is the spot. I make my way to this hidden Brookland gem probably three times a month, and my experience is always perfect. The place just smells of authenticity, and the food perfectly illustrates that. I’ve done takeout, dates, birthdays, and work outings here, and Menomale has consistently been amazing.
They do not take reservations which can be a bummer sometimes, however the staff is very accommodating for larger parties.
Some of my favorites are the Aragosta Pizza, Barchetta, and the Antipasto Misto.

me had some amazing pizza at Menomale. And by amazing pizza, I mean REAL Neapolitan pizza, even better that the pizza I had in Italy! The crust was just perfect and the mozzarella was out of this world. I loved the salads and the prosciutto was so delicious. The service was very friendly and the cocktails were to die for. I’m so coming back on my next visit to DC!

I was with a party of 11 — which proved to be tasking for the establishment. However, they did a good job serving us in a timely manner.
We were a New York based group with high expectations for Italian food and this placed delivered — pizza, cannolis and espresso.
I wouldn’t recommend this venue for a large party — but 4 and under would be great. I’d visit again.

Omg! My fellow Unilocalers I am so let down. This place served me the most soggiest pizza ever. It was a busy Friday night and the place was packed. I ordered take out, got home (short drive) and began to consume my pizza. As I started to cut towards the middle and eat the pizza I noticed it wasn’t cooked all the way. Starving, ready to enjoy my Friday night and having just shelled out $ 40 I took my chances and ate the pizza thinking it’s not a big deal right? WRONG. I spent the entire next day sick and throwing up. I honestly will never be back, I’m sure they can do a good pizza, but with all the toppings I order I can’t be bothered with trying to manage whether my dough is cooked thoroughly. I just don’t feel like it!

This spot is a lot of fun. There’s a very cozy inside seating area but when it’s nice out a lot of people choose to sit on the patio which is enclosed by an unfortunately cheap looking plastic tarp. When it’s cold They have space heaters so it still feels worthwhile to be outside. Their specialty of course is individual pizzas and they have about 25 on the menu.
There’s a very good vegetarian one with eggplant and Gorgonzola cheese but there’s also a couple of good ones for meat lovers with sausage or prosciutto.
They make a very nice ginger Mojito and I can highly recommend.
I’d say their wine section selection seems pretty limited if you just want to glass. And I’d also say you pay quite a bit for those individual pizzas — more than I would care to.
And the night I went, my pizza was a little runny or watery in the middle and should’ve baked for a little bit longer before coming out.
The crust and the ingredients are top notch and the staff is nice.

The verdict isn’t out on whether or not Menomale is better than 2 Amy’s in Cathedral Heights, but the jury has spoken about the dough– BEST DOUGH IN DC. All Menomale’s pizzas are neapolitan certified getting their ingredients from a certain part of Italy.
I ordered the prosicutto cotto (Ham) pizza and it was amazing. My friend ordered the Chef’s Special, which is pizza with proscicutto and arugula on it. Both are great choices. And that dough… wow…it’s perfectly hot and amazing.
Menomale also has cider on their extensive drink menu including a cider I’ve never heard of– Sonoma Cider from California (Perfect blend of sweet and tart).
The servers are nice and attentive. The space inside is a little cramped, but some say that adds to the feel of this place.
I’d go back to Menomale for sure!

Based on my interactions with the waitstaff, who were upbeat and courteous, and my experience of the restaurant space itself, I’m looking forward to dining in sometime. But this review is based solely on my take-​out experience.
I called in my order for the Patata pizza. The person on the other end of the phone was polite, and there was not so much noise in the background that it was difficult to hear him. (This is one of my take-​out pet peeves!) Calling in my to-​go order was painless and simple.
I arrived to find a short line out the door of people waiting to be seated. I explained to a server passing by that I was just picking up a to-​go order. He motioned for me to follow him up to the host stand, where I could see chefs in the open kitchen kneading, twirling, and rolling pizza dough. There was also a little collection of Italian grocery items for sale: infused olive oils, truffle spreads, dry pasta, etc. The area was clean and bright.
The Patata pizza features cream of potato, mozzarella, calamata olives, and Italian sausage on Menomale’s signature wood-​fired crust. The crust was by far my favorite thing about the pizza. It was light and crispy where pockets of air had developed in the crust, and slightly chewy otherwise. I could have just eaten the crust dipped in some herbs and olive oil. I’d prefer it slightly less salty than it was, but otherwise I have no complaints.
I was surprised that the Italian sausage was very mild in flavor and didn’t seem to add much taste-​wise. Aside from that, since the potatoes were pureed and spread thinly across the crust, the pizza reminded me (in a good way!) of the Pittsburgh-​cuisine wackiness that is a pierogi pizza, all the way down to the sharpness of the cheese used.
It’s definitely nice having a good pizza joint like this in Brookland. Is it the best pizza I’ve ever had? No. But it’s well-​crafted, not unreasonably-​priced, and served by friendly staff in a congenial setting.

This place doesn’t inspire confidence at first glance but you’re more than likely going to love the food. Great pizza and fantastic service. We ordered calzones and all kinds of pizza (all kinds). Honestly, yeah it’s pretty doughy and the middle becomes a puddle like some reviews have suggested but I like that so if that’s not your thing you might not want to go here. They have espresso, cappuccinos. and an outdoor seating area. The inside is tiny and can accommodate at most twenty people maybe? They don’t take reservations by the way and you have to park on the street.

Isn’t it the best pizza you’ve ever had? — she asked.
I was about to say, «Don’t you know I’m D-​List Unilocal celebrity? «
“It was great»
What it wasn’t was readily accessible.
I’m from Brooklyn, but this is Brookland. And the closest metro is Rhode Island. It’s not a long walk, but if you’re bringing your high heeled sweetie or a stroller, take a vehicle.
Parking — DC is one of those weird places where you think there should be parking, but you don’t ever see any. That’s always been my impression of Brookland. It’s not the city proper, but it’s not suburbs. Just dense enough to be annoying.
Décor — In my mind’s eye, I’d say it was Italianesque with a side of Brooklyn. It was straddling a neighborhood eatery, chic downtown kinda spot, and a corner slice place. Not that it matters, you’re not here to shoot your Tour De France Cyclist Hat Ad spread for FXYS.
Seating — they had an outside and an inside. It was fairly warm that day, and after the hike over there, plus my personal «insulation», I opted for the inside.
Clientele — Where there is pizza, there are children. I’ve never been to an «upscale» pizza place that didn’t have a mom and dad with 2 screaming toddlers. It just doesn’t happen. I’m not exactly sure why they think Junior and Lil Sis can truly appreciate a leopard spotted crust — but I guess you gotta start em young.
Kids…There were kids in the patio when I came in. There were kids in the dining room. Luckily the place has a full bar. I don’t recommend their Trippel, because I like my Belgian beer a little more malty/​roasty/​fruity like a Chimay. But a little bit of alcohol for you (and send a bottle to the parents), and everything is copacetic.
Service — Seated quickly and nicely. Attended to by a great young lady. Perfect as far as I could tell.
But let’s get to the dough.
Naples style pizza
— have a nice cornichon with char spots
— fresh mozz
— a little «soupy» for American palates
They say once you go Naples, …actually I don’t think they say anything about the OG of pizza styles. This is pizza. Everything else out there is NY style pizza, Chicago Style pizza, Midwest Styled pizza (most of the huge American chains are from Kansas, Michigan, and Indiana). You gotta throw a adjective on other styles of pizza to describe it. This is what pizza was intended as.
I went with the Diavola. Salami, Red Peppers, Basil, Mozz, Tomato sauce.
Great pizza. Not the best i’ve had. Not even the best I’ve had in DC to be honest.
But it’s worth going «out there» to eat it. It’s a very solid pie, with all the hallmarks of good pizza. Great ingredients, cooked well.
Recommended

Very quaint Italian place with a special focus on authentic stone oven pizzas. There is a nice patio out front that is covered so all weather dining possible. Kids loved the pizza and especially the cool pizza cutting scissors that the give you to ‘slice’ up the standard 12 inch pizzas.
Nice location, nice staff, great lunch location!

Finally made it for dinner after hearing how great the place is and driving by it to meet friends at other places on 12^th St. If you love fresh authentic pies, you’ll love Menomale.
My friend had and love the caprese salad — every ingredient was perfect! We then shared a basket of warm focaccia topped with olive oil, oregano & sea salt — yuuuummmy!
We each got a pizza, which is easy to do since they’re light airy and the size equivalent of an American medium pie. I had the Salaiccia (tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, sausage, mozzarella & extra virgin olive oil) with added arugula. My friend had the tasty and spicy Diavola with mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, spicy salami and red peppers. I loved mine but I’ll order my friend’s pizza on my next visit for sure!
Another bonus — craft beer offerings. Beer and pizza go together like hugs and kisses so when you get more than your run-​of-​the-​mill domestic brands, you’ve hit the jackpot.
This place shows you how pizza should be done. Don’t get me wrong, a pie heavily slathered with mounds of toppings, globs of cheese and buckets are sauce does serve a purpose BUT this was as good as REAL pizza gets — at least in DC.

Eat here. You will not be disappointed. The restaurant feels like something that belongs in Chelsea (NY) instead of a tucked away neighborhood in DC.
I had the Caprese salad and it was phenomenal. The tomatoes were perfectly ripe and juicy and the freshest mozzarella was fresh and tender. Tender is a weird word to use when you think of mozzarella but this truly was! I also had the Margarita Pizza that comes with pizza shears so you can cut it right at your table. I was so full from the salad I only ate half of my pizza. The only thing I wish is that my pizza had a little more basil. I just had to leaves and it was so fresh and delish that I wanted to have some with each slice.