Penn Commons

Looks nice but fails to deliver. It is ridiculously hard to just get a beer, the food is meh, and it’s super loud. The bartenders haven’t been trained to scan the bar and as a result, people get frustrated trying to get their attention. At this point, I’ve learned to order a single drink and pay immediately because God only knows if I’ll ever flag down those space cadets.
Second, the food choices are not calorie or vegetarian friendly (for my friends), and it fails to deliver. Too many fried options or cream-​based options in general, gross. Came here the other day for a noon lunch with colleagues. They were out of the one daily special brisket sandwich nearly everyone wanted, including me. They were out of the falafel sandwich my vegan friends wanted– one had to settle for a dip for lunch, the other just had fries. Don’t bother with the $ 10 steak salad lunch special. Total rip-​off. If I hadn’t been with coworkers I would have sent it back. I was served some teeny undercooked strips of steak (like, 1 oz at most) over a skimpy pile of iceberg lettuce, a few cherry tomatoes, and some shards of tortilla strips.
Once a lady I chatted with at the bar later accidentally left her shopping bag. When I tried to leave it with the staff they refused and told me to take it and try to get it back to her. Thankfully she’d given me her card but wtf? This is a common courtesy for patrons.

Stopped in today. Pretty awful, to be honest. Service left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t very crowded, but that didn’t stop it from being painfully loud. Food was thoroughly «meh,» and they somehow managed to get egg-​shells inside the poached eggs. Very bland is being kind.
All in all, pretty disappointing. I can’t imagine we’ll be back.

A great atmosphere prior to a Caps’ game up the street at Verizon Center. The place was filled with red jerseys and a sporty attitude but equally filled with local business folks coming for a happy hour or meal before heading home.
Drink specials were decent — draft beers for five bucks including some really good options. With a beer, sangria, and prosecco on the table, we turned to some massive onion rings saddled with a horseradish sauce that would make Caligula blush.
Entrees were equally delectable. A fish special, country fried steak, and some chicken concoction. A tab of three with drinks, an app, and entrees for about 80 bucks wasn’t bad.
Will definitely be back when I’m back in DC especially before a game at Verizon. Penn Commons is a great option when in the Gallery Place/​Chinatown area.

I feel like this is a hidden, undiscovered gem in Gallery Place. It’s located on the backside of Verizon Center and is rarely crowded. They offer great happy hour specials from 4pm-​close. It’s great for groups as there are large tables in the bar area. Their pimento cheese spread is very good as are the no bean chili and warm pretzel bread.

I’ve been here several times (for lunch and happy hour) and have never had a bad experience. Usually pretty light at lunch time, which is great for limited work breaks, and even during busy happy hours, I was able to sit comfortably. The food is delicious (I am partial to the shrimp and grits and the fish tacos) and I’ve always gotten excellent service from the staff. I haven’t tried out the brunch yet but I’m looking forward to it!

Unleash the Fury!
Pre Caps game tonight. Place was full but not elbow to elbow — great crowd.
Drinks at bar-​Amanda makes super drinks with a smile too. She is the size I remember in my youth; that reminded me that I need to start my diet… next week because I was not leaving without the trio of dips & bread AND pretzel bread! Only $ 3 for this buttered & salted baguette with roll-​your-​eyes-​back-​in-​your-​head beer mustard butter.
Dinner was fabulous. four of us. My attempt at healthy went pretty well after the trio of dips: we had the pimento cheese, tzatsiki and eggplant. YUM!!!
Arugula salad with pistachio nuts and ample goat cheese fritters — so creamy with a red bell pepper vinaigrette. I added shrimp for a small cost. The $ 12 burger was so plentiful that two guests couldn’t finish it. Other guest had salmon (cooked perfectly) with a generous salad.
Mel (our server) could be nicknamed Mel the Master of All. Everything timed perfectly and we enjoyed ourselves until we rolled out of our seats to the Caps game.
They beat the Canucks: 4 – 1. What a night! Rock the Red!

Pretzel Bread — 7 stars
Wings — 5 stars; Papaya Salad that comes with — –2 stars stop this nonsense
Calamari — 3 star needs some jazz
Pulled Pork Puff — 1 star not good
Mac n cheese — 5 stars — add some bodka sauce to that and you will be a go-​to
Kona Beer on Draft — 5 stars (had 15 of them — thanks)
Service from el salvadorean dude — awesome

Definitely enjoyed this nearby spot before the Caps game! Pretty place with cozy booths. Only setbacks were disinterested hostess (though it was after Christmas so can understand) and it’s a bit noisy to carry conversation (quieter than other nearby places though). Service was so friendly. Our waitress had great recos and was very knowledgeable about the menu. And when you’re encouraged to order the pretzel bread, get it! Very delicious. Enjoyed the mushroom and caramelized onion ravioli (always love mushroom rav and this did not disappoint) along with broccolini with pine nuts. The tilapia stuffed with lobster was also wonderful. We finished with a sorbet trio: blood orange, lychee, and black cherry/​earl grey. So good.

Overall atmosphere was great! There is just something about bad service that can really ruin an experience for me. Our server, Michael, was rude and not helpful at all. The football games were on, so I understand he was busy, but when we would flag him down to order something else, he would act like he had to go out of his way to get it for us. I ordered the green salad and chicken wings. The salad was JUST LETTUCE. No toppings at all. So that was weird. The wings were great! I asked for ranch, but Michael never brought it. I ordered wings at 12:49 and he said I was not allowed to order the wings until 1pm. REALLY? Come on… that is rediculous. This restaurant has a great location and a great atmosphere, they just really need to work on hiring a better wait staff and maybe sprucing up their salads. Oh forgot to mention, the Bloody Mary was really good!

I’ve gone back and forth with how I would rate Penn Commons considering both the food I consumed and the service I received this past Friday night. If I were basing my review solely on the food, I’d have to go with a 4. We ordered four items and three and a half were excellent. Our service started out quite attentive and I thought this was going to be one of the better restaurant experiences I’ve had overall recently, however, time would prove that assumption to be quite premature. Since I must combine both aspects of my experience, I will give Penn Commons three stars with the footnote that I would love to add another star if my service experience is better next time. We booked a table for two on OpenTable and arrived at 7:15pm and had no problem being seated in the dining area. The bar area, probably due to the Wizards game, was swarmed with people. We were greeted within a few minutes of sitting down, and our drink orders were quickly taken. They have happy hour Monday-​Friday from 4pm until close in both the bar and dining room. Draughts are $ 5 as are some select cocktails and wines. Penn Commons is a craft beer drinker’s dream with no less than 30 beers on tap highlighting many respected regional microbreweries and those more known on a national scale. Being a fan of IPAs, I wanted to try a new one to possibly add to my typical rotation, so I chose Legend Brewing Golden IPA, which is brewed in Virginia. It had a very nice hoppy taste and was quite the steal being on draft. Unfortunately, I only got the chance to consume one even though I asked for another (but more on that later). Also to note on the beer menu, they list a few that will soon be on draught-​I guess so you can plan your return visit! Flights are available for $ 10 if you cannot decide on a single beer. My boyfriend had one of the cocktails and he thought it was quite tasty.
Our server explained the style of menu and, as it has been noted by others, suggested the pretzel baguette as most tables start with that. We took her suggestion (as well as the many other Unilocalers who said it is an absolute must!) and began our meal with the baguette. It came out very quickly, before we even ordered our entrees. The beer mustard butter served with the pretzel was light and fluffy and a perfect accompaniment to the salt highlighting the pretzel. The butter had a slight horseradish taste which we both enjoyed too. Thanks again to other Unilocalers for suggesting the «pick three» dip selections. While I could not convince my boyfriend to indulge me and order three, I was able to convince him to order the goat cheese, spinach, and chopped dates dip. Served with toasted country bread, the dip was so light and creamy! I loved the creaminess of the goat cheese with the hint of sweetness from the dates! I also loved the presentation as the dip was served in a mason jar. Several other dips looked excellent (including the ricotta cheese with red chili peppers and zatziki and olive tapenade) and I do look forward to sampling more.
My boyfriend and I decided to order two entrees and share. We ordered the shrimp and grits (gulf shrimp, country ham, holy trinity, and creamy grits) and the single crab cake entrée. The shrimp and grits was the favorite of the two for both of us! There were plenty of plump, juicy shrimp in this dish and I loved the smoky, flavorful ham mixed throughout. While the grits was not cheesy as I always prefer, it was creamy and provided a nice backdrop for the proteins. The crab cake was very little filler as our server said, but the portion size was ridiculously small! We split the cake in half and each literally had two bites. I did enjoy the Old Bay tartar sauce that came with it and found it to be a nice dipping sauce for the super-​limp fries to make them somewhat tolerable. The coleslaw was simply purple cabbage dressed in vinegrette. This is where the three and a half items were tasty comes in as half of this entrée was just horrible. I would certainly not order the crab cakes again especially since we both only enjoyed two bites of this dish that cost $ 17.
Ok, now for more about the service. It started out very well, but after our food was dropped off it took a nosedive. After bringing out our meals she asked if we needed anything, and we replied ketchup and that I’d like another beer. Neither of these ever came. This server zipped and zoomed by our table MULTIPLE times and could clearly see not only the empty drink glasses but the empty water glasses, and not once did she stop to inquire if we needed or wanted anything. Anytime we attempted to flag her down, we felt blatantly ignored. After our plates had been empty for quite some time, she finally came by and asked if we wanted dessert or additional drinks. I wanted to say I would have LOVED the beer I asked for 20 freaking minutes ago, but naturally, I bit my tongue. Being a former server in college, I can tell when someone is busy and is «in the weeds». This was clearly not the case he

Thank you so much for a great dinner, great service Adam. To the manager who suggested the great white Clouds Rest Amazing Wine. I will be back its because of the people I met tonight. EVERYONE THIS IS A MUST…

Decent spot for dinner, but not great for happy hour. They don’t have any happy hour appetizers. They do have happy hour priced beer and wine. I ordered a pinot gri. I also ordered a roasted eggplant, pine nut, and hummus with pita bread appetizer. Not bad!
I ordered two Twelve Buck Chuck burgers (BTS custom ground beef, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, American cheese, AP sauce, and a side of fries) for myself and my fiancé to-​go. By the time I got home, the burger was cold and tasted funky. Even after it was warmed up, it didn’t taste quite right.
Service was also pretty slow.
I would go back, esp since the place is spacious and is a fun spot for groups, but I doubt I’d go back for the food necessarily. Maybe just drinks next time.

It’s tough being the younger sibling, isn’t it? Not that I’d know, being the eldest, but it seems like it must be hard having someone else set an expectation and then trying to live up to it. In the case of Penn Commons, I’m not sure it quite lives up to big brother’s standards (that would be District Commons in Foggy Bottom, for those not close to the family) but it’s still a solid dining choice.
First off, learn from my mistake and don’t ever go for dinner on a night when the Caps have a home game, unless you want to fight your way through a loud mosh pit of red jerseys. The interior design isn’t quite as inviting or stylish as District Commons, with plain concrete floors and bare ceilings that do nothing to absorb sound, which meant the place was noisy as heck, even when the masses had finally decamped for the Verizon Center at game time. Our server seemed to be rushing us a little at first despite the fact that we were clearly waiting for two more members of our party, but she calmed down once we ordered some drinks and turned out to be quite patient and personable.
The menu is pretty similar to older brother’s as well, upscale riffs on classic Southern comfort food. I can’t recommend highly enough the «pick three» option from the list of dips and spreads as a starter, there’s something to please everyone and all were light and exquisite. When your server tells you that most people start with the pretzel baguette, don’t argue, just get it. Trust me. The arugula salad must have depleted a full acre of some farmer’s crop, so bring a few friends, but not so many that you have to spar over the delicious goat cheese fritters it’s garnished with. I will confess to being a tad disappointed with my country fried steak, since when I first cut into it the fry and the steak separated completely, meaning I had to work to get both onto my fork in each bite, and the succotash didn’t have lima beans, which I always thought were a staple ingredient. The other entrees around the table looked good though, so I may have just chosen poorly, especially given how good the meatloaf looked from across the table. The beer list is every bit as extensive and excellent as District Commons, highlighting both local breweries and the best of the rest across the US microbrew scene, and they’ll even pour you a flight of four, always a plus in my book.
Overall, this isn’t a bad choice for dinner out downtown, but having the yardstick of District Commons to measure against, it falls a little short. The décor and noise level make it a less pleasant space to spend the evening, and my entrée fell a little flat, but the service was solid and the drinks and starting courses were splendid. I’d have a hard time recommending it over Graffiato across the street, but if you’re looking for a serious craft beer selection and some tasty Southern victuals (and have durable eardrums), this is your spot.

Calling Penn Commons American (New) is a bit misleading. Their menu was southern. That said, southern is one of least favorite types of food so I found myself not appetized by any of the mains on their menu save for the skirt steak, which sounded good, but was too rich for my blood at $ 27. In fact, most of their meals were on the pricier side.
Hubby ordered chick Ground Chicken burger — he was also underwhelmed. There was nothing special about the burger from a seasoning or topping perspective, the aloli sauce was helpful but not the best we’ve had of that either being a little devoid of flavor. The side fries were a little undercooked and had no seasoning. I ordered a side of pimento cheese which was creamy and slightly runny. The flavor profile was almost there, but if you want pimento, go to boss shepards.
Hats off for offering the all night happy hour, the bar area is huge and I would have loved it in my 20s, but trying to dine while the bar is full is not a good experience, being unable to escape the din of noise from the bar.

They were great. Went there for my birthday for an easy dinner after work with the wife. We went for Penn Commons instead of District commons because there area lot of similarities on the menu, but Penn Commons is usually $ 2 – 3 cheaper then District. The atmosphere is pretty wide open when you walk in and they have a huge bar area if you are going for happy hour. They also have a small patio that looks out onto 6^th street.
Had the meatloaf and it was wonderful. My cocktail was just Ok, but don’t count that against them. They had specialized menus for my birthday and were very accomodating. Service was on point.

Happy hour every day from 5 pm till close. Beer and Some cocktails $ 5. Restaurant gets loud.
FOOD: ⁴⁄₅
SERVICE: ⁵⁄₅
AMBIANCE: ⁴⁄₅
VALUE: ⁵⁄₅
OVERALL: ⁴⁄₅
Came here today for the 2^nd time in a month. Their happy hour really is the best in the area. Beer and select cocktails are $ 5 from 4 pm to close on Mondays. I really enjoy their food selection of what I’ve had. A few months ago I had some entrees that were impressively tasty.
A safe bet to accompany your drinks are the breadsticks with dips. They come in small hinged glass jars and 3 on a wooden board. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve tried: smoked eggplant with pesto and pinenuts; ricotta with red pepper; steak tartare, whitefish.
The interior: Huge bar with 2 sides, dining space flanking those sides, and additional room. It works well for lively happy hours and meals, but not a great choice for quiet dates or dinners.
All staff were very friendly from the hostess to the waiters.
I’d have to have more food to give it a thorough rating :)

Meh. While I give them 5 stars for the ambiance and décor, their food just didn’t do it for me.
I ordered fish tacos, which were described as having ‘typical’ toppings. As a taco enthusiast I figured they meant typical fish taco toppings, but that could be misleading to others. We were told we could only order from the bar menu at 4:00 in the afternoon, what I was served was a full on meal! Those tacos were huge, having almost a full fish filet in each. This also made them a little difficult to eat because the corn shells ripped. I also sampled some of the steak tare tare and found it to be bland. In a city with so many great choices I say go elsewhere for food.
If you are only looking for drinks, that’s another story. They advertise a happy hour, even on the weekends, from 4-​midnight. Draft beers are $ 5 and there are a few special coctails for $ 5 as well.

Came here for happy hour after work and had some pretty good beer and food, but wasn’t crazy about the place. It has a really cool space and the service around the bar was great, really fast and attentive. The happy hour though was weak: $ 2 off each draught and no food specials.
For food, I ordered a hot pretzel baguette and the spicy chili & garlic glazed «Tuk Tuk» wings. The pretzel was fresh, soft, buttery and tasty, but I couldn’t get into the beer mustard butter which was way too strong for me. As for the wings, with a name like that, I couldn’t not get them. At first bite they were really great, a thick, bold wing sauce. But after the first few, they started feeling overwhelmingly heavy… I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish them; of course, I did.

This (new?) place was great! Good food at good prices. My group was only there for brunch and they had a 3 course brunch with bottomless mimosas or bloody mary’s for $ 32.
DEFINITELY get the «pick two» dips and spreads. They were delicious and a great deal. Also the desserts all looked, and from what we had were, fantastic. I attached that menu.

Came here for lunch during restaurant week. Ordered the crabcake sandwich with fries, the texas chili and dessert.
The chili wasn’t as spicy as I thought it would be especially for being «Texas Chili» but I did enjoy the topping and the corn bread in the shape of a star lol. The crabcake sandwich was mediocre and not worth going back for– I’ve had better down at the National Harbor at a fast food spot. The dessert, which was the main reason I came, wasn’t even available, chocolate cake with passionfruit ice cream :-(
Overall, I give this place 3 stars.