Polly’s Cafe

I am absolutely broken-​hearted over this/​I’ve been going to Polly’s since I was 10 years old. As a kid I’d get sick of the same old ET food at Langano across the street, and would walk over to grab a burger instead.
Polly’s may have been my first introduction to Alternative. A wide-​eyed child surrounded by patched-​up, unwashed grunge-​babies who couldn’t have been kinder to a curious kid. This was long before it was fashionable for white people to hang out on U St.
And the food! It was the only place I could think of where you needed a good amount of work with a knife and fork to even see your burger underneath the toppings — melted muenster, swiss, cheddar, blue cheese, bacon, chili, avocado, lettuce, onions, mushrooms, over a half bound of beef and a bun that had to be called resilient under the circumstances. Sounds like a party to me.
The reviewers are right. This hole in the wall couldn’t have been called much more than a dungeon, but that was so much of its charm. Bandannaed patrons eating potato wedges with Tabasco at the bar.
If I were to be completely honest, it did gradually decline over the years. The staff’s become a little crabbier, the burgers a little less artfully crafted. I choose to remember it as it was. And as it’s now gone, and this review can no longer mislead anyone, I don’t suppose it really matters.

Went there after looking for a low key place to have some food and cheap drinks late at night. I ordered their chicken sandwich with cheese and fries. For the kind of bar it is i though the food was good. A good piece of chicken, crispy fries and fresh tomato and lettuce. The bar had some good music and it was extremely laid back.
They dont accept credit card, it is cash only. I was not surprise but their service was bad. The waiter was there for his pleasure, all he did was talk to the bartender and do his thing. He didnt come when he saw us calling him and we had to ask him twice for everything. It was annoying after a while… but it made the night interesting.
Would i go there again? Yea, why not, they were cool overall. It was inexpensive and laid back.

A patron at the bar told me I had the most deep, soulful eyes he ever saw. After a few (no wait, several) $ 2 buds, rails, and PBR I may have actually believed him.
But on the real, a low key place for happy hour with co workers before you head to Ben’s. It’s not the cleanest or the hippest but you can have the place practically to yourself most weekdays and have full reign over the digital jukebox. Pearl Jam? MGMT? TI… You can have whatever you liiike.

Two and a half stars. Maybe it’s all of the new alternatives on U Street these days, but Polly’s seems to have lost some of its luster. A U Street pioneer, Polly’s used to be packed for weekend brunch, but a recent visit found the place almost empty. The draft beer selection has changed for the worse, and they were out of two of the six drafts, including my top two choices, Peak Organic and Shock Top Wheat. I settled for a Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat. A grilled ham and cheese was only so-​so. The best thing Polly’s has going for it: a fire place for those cold winter months.

Polly’s offers really cheap beer, PBR in a can, etc. It’s a cool place to check out before going to a pregame spot. If you can get a seat outside, it a great place to people watch. The crowd at Polly’s is not typical U St. Very diverse. The buffalo wings are incredibly spicy, so beware.
Polly’s doesn’t accept credit cards so bring cash.

This is my weekend brunch spot in DC. While I haven’t researched every last waffle in DC, I’ve basically stopped looking. The bacon is always done perfectly (not too crisp, not too soggy) and the waffles are always very crisp on the outside and nice and light on the inside. My coffee cup rarely goes empty, and I drink at least 5 – 6 cups at each sitting. I’ve always been happy with the service and very comfortable with the hole in the wall atmosphere. All of my Brooklynite friends I bring down here are thrilled with what they order and won over by the time the check arrives.

I’ve been here for brunch a dozen and a half times and for drinks, maybe 2. I love their brunch. Don’t come to Polly’s if you’re looking for pomp and fanciness. The brunch seems a little pricey, $ 11 for a waffle, but you get so much food with it that it’s a deal. I mean plate-​overflowing-​with-​food deal. The mimosas are good, not outstanding, but pleasant. And the fireplace is great in the winter!

It literally is a hole in the wall and is in the basement. The reviews so far on this place are a bit harsh and I won’t brush off anyone’s bad experience there I would say Polly’s is no frills
Cons:
— It was cash only for a long time.
— The bartenders can be a little spacey
— Your order will take a while
— its in the basement
— Its dark in there. I suggest sitting with your back to the window
Pros:
— I have no idea how they do this but their turkey burger is the best you will ever have. Thick, juicey, cooked perfectly, and SEASONED.
— it really is what it is. A place to go grab a bite.
— If you go on a regular basis all the things that could annoy you will vanish
— there is 1 bartender there that is really cool and laid back.
I had a salad there once. Bad idea jeans. I only order the turkey burger. Even when I go for brunch. That turkey burger is really the bees knees.

This place is a cool little hole in the wall. Nothing special about the greasy bar food and the wait service is brusque, but I was particularly impressed with their bar selection despite the tiny size. Vermont Gold Vodkas and Domaine de Canton, large, fancy bars have trouble stocking this stuff, so it was really impressive to see these among other items in stock. The bartender was great! And the fireplace is nice in winter, but can get the whole place a bit smokey. I smelled like I had been camping when I got home that night.
CASH ONLY! ATM in the pizza joint next door.

It is not difficult to find indifferent service and bad food in Washington DC but this place is one of the worst. They really act like they are doing you a favor by bothering to come by your table. If they were really really cheap then one could put it in perspective, but they aren’t. Save your money for a nicer place.

I’ve only ever been here once but much of what other reviewers say is true. The service wasn’t special and they seemed annoyed with us. It’s def. a little grimey in there, and has an hmm, interesting, crowd. BUT, BUT, the turkey burgers were some of the best i’ve ever had and i didn’t find it to be too expensive, i would go back.. .

I do like the fireplace.
Otherwise, they’re always out of whatever beer you want off their short list. The food is ok but there is better on the same block at a better price. They don’t take cash. I just don’t feel happy about a trip to Pollys.

So my last experience during the decline of this place was really bad so I am going to vent and tell yah what I really think of Polly’s because this is DC not outer bum chuck and we people don’t need to spend our money on mediocrity.
I have been going to Polly’s since Pierre opened it in the early 90’s. It was a pioneer in the location, the food was great, the service was good, the place was rockin. Fast forward to 2008… Pierre sold the place eon’s ago and this now place SUCKS and I cannot put a big enough spin on SUCKS. So let me run this down for you –On my last visit and I do mean LAST vist the waitress was tweaking, the bartender was freak who thought she had better things to do than her job, the bar was filthy, the crowd was annoying, …and oh yeah they are cash only and way to expensive for being a completely run down dump.
So my advice is this –if you are looking to hang out in a would be neighborhood hipster bar with bad service, meet the local junkies, crackheads and people playing dress up wearing fake red-​neck gear that they paid way to much for at urban outfitters who aren’t from DC but wanna pretend like they are — then this is the joint for u… Bring lots of cash and have at it. Otherwise go to one of the awesome places with good service, good food, good prices, and cool people that surround it.

This place has some potential, but falls short. I felt like a weirdo drinking wine here, which was partially my fault. The space could be cool — have a Belgian or Dutch vibe in a basement, etc. BUT, between the lighting, the crowd, and the music, it’s just not that cool. And, not cheap. And, the people were just bleh; like people who were in third-​rate fraternities in the Midwest, 4 – 6 years after graduating from colleges.

A good dive bar with a warm atmosphere. The main reason I’m posting is to recommend their spicy wings. They are similar to buffalo wings but with a great concoction of unique spices that require ample amounts of water.

It does appear that Polly’s better days are behind her.
Left behind are menus so grimy you can barely read them, a waitress intent on sharing her hate for the world and its inhabitants with you, overpriced burgers and undercooked fries.

I’ve been going to Polly’s for about 5 years now. I really hate how dark it is down there or I would go more often. I also don’t like that they are cash only. That’s it for the bad. Let’s move to the love.
Hands down Polly’s has the best turkey burger in DC. It’s thick, juicy and well seasoned. I’m sure the other food is good but the tureky burger is the reason I go back.
I’ve been for breakfast but it was a long time ago so I can’t really comment.

Ah the nights we’d linger over brandy at Polly’s. And by «brandy» I mean PBR, and by «linger» I mean chainsmoke. I like this spot even more since the smoking ban, though it certainly had that smoky dive-​thing going for it back in the day. I enjoy the brunch here — the food is decent and unfancy, and the menu offers more than a few vegetarian options. With an atmosphere completely devoid of pretension, Polly’s is a great place for a small group of friends to catch up over a snifter of brandy (by which I mean a few cans of PBR).
(NB: Polly’s *does not* take credit cards — the CASH ONLY signs are EVERYWHERE!)

I came here for the $ 2 PBR happy hour, I stayed for the atmosphere.
Nestled in a narrow basement with its exposed brick, cool things hanging from the walls, a working fireplace and one tiny TV at the end of the tiny bar that no one even watches, is Polly’s Café. No widescreen plasmas to gaze into; no deafening, slippery sex music to rub up against strangers to.
Polly’s is the type of bar for meeting friends at either the beginning or end of a night out. It is not the type of place you go into alone, with a fistful of cash and a heartful dreams, expecting a «wild time.» It does not get very crowded very often, but if it does, please take pity on the ONE waitress they have working the floor.
I had a snack only once and do not remember the price nor quality, so I can’t comment on the food. Although, for what it’s worth, Ben’s Chili Bowl is a block up the street.
If I worked in DC I would definitely do a Friday (or whichever day you can stumble back to the office) lunch, every week.

Polly’s is an unassuming little spot that wasn’t too busy on a Saturday night — we were able to find a table to sit and although there were definitely patrons there, it wasn’t too loud to prevent conversation.
My friend frequents Polly’s as they serve PBR on the cheap. To be honest I didn’t take note of the price of the beer but it was significantly cheaper than the subsequent rounds of miller lite — let’s just say that we paid just under $ 14 each for two miller lites and a pbr. It was unfortunate they’d run out of PBR, but we stayed and perservered through lesser and more expensive beer because of how laid back everything was — meat markets and happy hours are quite the opposite of Polly’s.
Our waitress was also rather cute — pleasantly fiesty with a Eastern European accent — she poked fun at us for insisting on the last PBR even though it was warm. She served it to us in a tiny pitcher of ice water in which my friend proceeded to spin his PBR for five minutes in order to yield something drinkable. Really, you can’t beat any bar that allows you to laugh at your friends for things like that.