Sixth Engine

I don’t review or «bash» places very much, but I feel like my experience at 6^th Engine can’t go unwritten. I went to 6^th Engine with a friend who highly recommended it to me. I read online that this was a favorite in the neighborhood, and I was excited to check it out. Unfortunately, my experience over the next couple visits at 6^th engine were HORRENDOUS. Their food was INEDIBLE and hardly resembled something that I would actually consider eating. Also, their managerial staff was REPREHENSIBLE, rude, and completely unprofessional. One positive, the only reason they deserve even one star, is that their bartenders were lovely and accommodating (upon further review, they are probably THE ONLY reason this place gets any good reviews at all) I won’t be going back.

The place looked cool from the outside so we decided to pop in after visiting friends in the area. The food wasn’t that great and service was a bit slow. A little overpriced for what you get.

If you’re frustrated at the waits in Chinatown, Sixth Engine is a good alternative not too far away.
While a little on the pricey side, the food was solid. Seated on the first level (which has sound absorbents [thank GOD]) and even TV for the dining area we got the dinner off right with a complimentary plate of house chips and onion dip. Not fancy, but tasty.
I ordered the scallops. $ 24 for 4 scallops is expensive, but they were perfectly seasoned and seared. Husband ordered the pork loin which comes with a side mac and was WAY more bang for your buck on portion.
We also split the bacon siracha brussel sprouts, $ 6 for a hefty portion of nicely zippy sprouts.
I was very satisfied with my meal but 1 beer + 2 wine + 2 entrees + 1 app = $ 100 after tip. So be prepared to shell out.

Under-​rated!
We’ve been here for brunch, dinner, and drinks on separate occasions. The staff is great, the food is delicious, and the location is truly unique. Prices aren’t bad, especially considering the quality.
Recommended for brunch: chorizo and egg tostadas, and French-​pressed coffee. Also very good Bloody Mary!

My wife and I ate dinner here last night. It’s a great space — a redone firehouse — with a very clever twelve foot painting on the brick wall of Norman Rockwell’s «No Swimming», adopted for firemen.
The service was very good starting at the front door and continued good throughout the meal. But the food was not that great. I had a side salad for an appetizer which any 12 year old could have made. My wife had an Asian fried cauliflower appetizer which was the best thing we had all night. And a very large portion, plenty for 2.
I had the pork chop, which was moist and cooked properly. They topped it with applesauce, which was pretty average. The big disappointment was the mac&cheese side. I love mac&cheese, but when I took my first bite I tasted a tanginess I wasn’t expecting — goat cheese. I’m sure some people would love that surprise, but since I don’t like goat cheese at all, the mac&cheese went uneaten. I double checked the menu and there was no mention of goats anywhere.
My wife had the salmon, which she was told would be served medium but was undercooked.
The Malbec by the glass was OK. No dessert. We got out of there got $ 120, including the tip. We won’t go back.

Seemed surprisingly quiet for a Saturday night — plenty of tables for my group of 10+ to sit at. We were helped very quickly by a really nice guy who made sure to continually check in on us and refill our water and drinks as requested.
We shared the nachos, cauliflower, and chicken wings — all of which were eaten quickly because of how delicious they were. We were only able to order from the late night menu, which was okay since the variety of choices were still great.
My whiskey sour was delicious, I could tell it wasn’t an over abundance of sour mix, as I usually get at bars. I would definitely go back to this bar if I find myself back in the area. The ambiance was nice and relaxing and I didn’t feel overwhelmed by people and noise.

Been here multiple times with my wife and friends. We absolutely love everything about it. Food, drink, atmosphere, staff, bar, and the historical and gorgeous old firehouse. I am a career firefighter so I’m bias toward old firehouses and especially ones with restaurants inside. This place is great and their brunches are amazing.
My favorite drink is the shandy and wings are great! My all time favorite dish is the eggs Benedict. So Damn Good!
When you go, because you will after this review, make sure you go upstairs and check out the painting on the wall. I love it so much a good friend repainted it for me on canvas as a gift.
You’re welcome!

Went for brunch, loved it! Breakfast sandwich and hash browns were great, so was the bloody mary. Good atmosphere!

If Sixth Engine were a character in a role-​playing video game about wizards and dragons, it would be the one that has pretty equal levels of every trait. Good at magic, good with a sword, not expert at any of them but nicely well-​rounded. It’s upscale enough that you could take your parents or a date there, but low-​key enough that you could pop in for a bite after a game at the Verizon Center or a lazy weeknight when you don’t feel like cooking. I’ve been for brunch and dinner and it will definitely stay part of my regular rotation.
The ambiance is no-​frills, dimly lit and classic décor, classy but not fancy. My only minor nitpick is the large number of TVs around the dining room (we were on the ground floor), which are an unwanted distraction when I’m only there for dinner. The service was wonderful, our waitress was friendly and checked in regularly, didn’t rush us despite having some indecisive diners in our group when ordering and kept our water replenished. The menu doesn’t have anything too exotic, just some good hearty American fare and a beer list that isn’t extra long but has some great choices with an emphasis on local brews. We started with the hush puppies, which were absolutely killer, I could have polished off several dozen and called it dinner. Tried some of the queso fundido too, smoky and gooey with what appeared to be homemade chips, not some wimpy Tostitos lookalikes. My ribeye steak was cooked to medium-​rare perfection by a cook who knows how to treat a good piece of meat, made super savory by a puck of bone marrow butter, next to a heaping pile of perfect crispy fries.
Everyone left full and happy, which is the sign of a good dining experience. Sixth Engine isn’t trying to ride the latest trend or specialize at anything, it’s just a good all-​around place to eat and drink, which is timeless.

Pros: Brock the bartender was super pleasant. If not for him, they’d probably get 2 stars.
Cons: Food was bland and boring, also not many options. Atmosphere inside is boring, uncomfortable. Only 2 TV’s. Overpriced. Only IPA’s and craft beers, no regular stuff or imports.

I’m sort of digging this trend of putting restaurants and bars in old fire houses; my first experience was at Jack’s in Philly a few years back. Of course it’s nothing more than adaptive reuse and much depends on the quality of the purveyor, but atmosphere can add a lot to one’s perception of the experience…
So, what about the Sixth Engine experience? I liked it! Was it my best meal ever in DC? No. But was a pleasant place to hang out? Sure. It’s located in DC’s oldest firehouse (built in 1855) with the bar on the ground floor (tip: great al fresco seating area out front), and the restaurant up the stairs. There are huge, romanesque windows in the main dining area and a cool mural on the exposed brick wall (complete with firehouse dog), but it could still use a little livening up.
The bar area is a little more intimate, with lower ceilings, a long, wooden bar that seats about a dozen. They had eight drafts including 3 Star Saison and Union Craft Old Pro Gose when I stopped in; there are another 35 in bottles and cans, including Evolution #7 Porter. The food tends to modern takes on comfort food, but since I’d already eaten, I stuck to liquid sustenance, plus a dessert: the Cherry bomb — ice cream with coconut and marshmallows. It was better in theory than execution, but eating it in an old firehouse made for a memorable experience.

Brunch Review:
Met up with Elite Kendal Ann M for a boozy bottomless brunch at Sixth Engine. Its one of the those places I’ve walked past a thousand times but never ventured inside. As we are usually early brunchers we made an 11am reservation. I was amazed at how busy the restaurant was so early. Usually the brunch crowd doesn’t roll out until 12pm but not at Sixth Engine.
Bottomless mimosas run $ 15 which is a great deal because one costs $ 7. They serve both their brunch and lunch menu but we both opted for brunch items. I ordered the eggs benedict and Kendal ordered the breakfast sandwich. Admittedly we both LOVE hash brown and the presence of hash brown on both dishes influenced our decisions.
Sadly the «hash browns» were cold, raw potato shards. They were probably the worst hash browns I’ve ever had. My eggs benedict was fine and it was a very large portion.
Service was okay, we drank through to the bottom of our mimosas quite a few times and because it was so busy they were left empty. They should consider leaving carafe on the table instead if they cannot keep up with the demand of bottomless drinks.
Overall it was a pleasant brunch but nothing special.

I love everything about this restaurant EXCEPT the lurking insulting manager! Went here for a late night Sunday night football drink and some apps. Ryan is an awesome an attentive bartender. Good food and drinks. Get yourself some cheesesteak rolls! Atmosphere is casual and welcoming… Until the manager creeps out from around the corner and rips on middle-​class people who post reviews on Unilocal. He overheard me talking about Unilocal and started trash-​talking people that post on here! He was so unnecessarily rude. (His name is Chad, btw). Who the hell insults and argues with their paying customers?! Haven’t really felt the need to go back since then. Don’t really care to see that manager again.

A coworker and I were in DC and unexpectedly had zero plans for dinner. We decided we wanted something super low key and the concierge at our hotel recommended Sixth Engine.
It was perfect.
My coworker has seriously odd food allergies, and the kitchen and waitstaff were totally accommodating to all of her requests. The food was delicious and the beer menu was on point. We sat upstairs and it had a great vibe. I would definitely recommend it and hope to return soon!

Came here for brunch the other day with a friend as we were looking for something different from our normal picks. They have both inside and outside seating, so on a nice day, it is a great spot to sit outside. Sixth Engine’s brunch is a la carte for food and you have the option of unlimited Mimosas or Bloody Marys for $ 15. They also have other brunch drinks, as well. One plus is that they don’t require everyone at the table to get the unlimited beverages. A downside is that once you pick mimosa or bloody mary, you have to stick with that choice. My friend chose the unlimited bloodies, whereas I went a la carte with their brunch punch (tasty, refreshing, and reasonably priced at $ 7 each).
We split a few items. Started off with the hush puppies which may be the best hush puppies I have ever eaten. They were actually light and the butter they were served with was the perfect compliment. We then split the queso fundido and the shrimp sandwich, which was a take on a shrimp po boy. The queso fundido was definitely stronger than the sandwich as it was packed with flavor and lots of yummy ingredients. Truthfully, I’m not certain I would order the shrimp sandwich again as it kind of fell flat, especially when compared with the other two items we ordered.
The service was okay, not great, but that can always vary based on the day and your server. All in all, a good place to check out for brunch.

I’ve been here twice, and have had two totally different experiences. The first time I came was great, and enough to bring me back. The second and likely last visit left a bad taste in our mouths (figuratively and literally).
First Visit:
Service was solid, and we got seated right away even without a reservation. Our server hit all the right beats, like greeting us promptly, checking in on how we like the food, and generally just being very attentive. I got the Pork Panini and the fritters, both of which were very delicious. The clincher, though, was my wife’s hash browns. They were a weird, delicious fusion of hash browns and mashed potatoes, and she demanded we return to get them.
Second visit:
We made a reservation and requested outdoor seating. When we arrived, they told us that all the outdoor seating was reserved, which was frustrating because there were about 3 empty tables out there and, uh, weren’t we one of those reservations? Anyhow, we sat for about 5 minutes in a nearly empty restaurant before being greeted. We were waited on by a team of 2 servers and the hostess (manager?) who greeted us, so virtually every time we got served it was a different person. When they dropped off our food, our drinks were empty. Refills didn’t come for about half of the meal, so there was a table of people desperately salivating so they could swallow their food.
They tried to kill us with their food. Well, my friend who asked for an allergy-​related exclusion from her meal was convinced a plot was afoot. She literally said, «Please leave it off. It will kill me.» Her dish came with the murder weapon on it, and when she sent it back, they came out with a newly cooked dish which excluded not only her requested item, but also the bacon. THE BACON! She gave up and ate it. My wife, meanwhile, who came here for a hash brown reunion, instead received what were clearly leftovers. You know that grainy, stale texture of reheated potatoes? Yeah, that. Guess who had to drive home with this angry hash brown hater? Interestingly, I liked most of my food. The fundido with chicken tikka was flavorful, and I enjoyed my fritters once again, though they were only lukewarm by the time they hit the table.
But I don’t think I’m going back. Every other person at the table hated their meal and the service was almost nonexistent, so I feel like I’m tempting fate by going back.

My first visit was July 25 2015 and I had just missed brunch. I had made a joking comment that the brunch menu looked alot more appealing than their lunch menu (and it does). My server actually said I can leave and just come back tomorrow! Wow. Didn’t expect that.
Ordered steak roll and a hamburger. Steak roll was not anything special. The prime rib didnt taste of any kind of marinade or seasoning. You can get the same but bigger in alexandria at arlington cinema and drafthouse and it’s a FILLING at their location. This was more of an appetizer.
The hamburger was… meh. The patty looked like one of those pre made patties and the saving grace to the burger was the bacon. Nothing about the burger was novel.
Water was warm. I don’t understand why it’s summer time and I can’t have ice or my water served cold.
I got the green beans instead of French fries… I liked having a healthyish option. Except it was really salty and it didn’t help my water was warm to wash down the salt.
I wish I could say I would go back for their brunch… but the unpleasant server and small portions to pricing is enough to keep me away.

Family was in DC from out of town and it was suggested to them that this would be a good place to meet. It certainly was!
We arrived at the bar late at night. The kitchen was closed. I can’t remember the bartender’s name, but she was super cool with short hair, glasses, and some bad ass tattoos.
The vibe here is certainly unique. It was upscale, hip, and a bit eccentric. It’s evident that a great deal of thought has gone into style here – each drink was served in a specific glass and each glass was beautiful and unique. One glass was shaped like a soda can with an etched checkerboard pattern.
I can’t say much for the food, but the drinks were great!

This was my first visit. As it happened, the place opened only about 10 minutes before our arrival. Now, in my humble opinion, once a business opens, for…“business,” the staff should be ready to meet the needs of its customers. Perhaps this is an assumption that others do not share with me.
In this instance, the manager was actually still meeting with the servers to coach them on the day’s dishes when we were seated. While waiting for someone to take our order, we heard all about which items were unavailable, we learned about the flavor profiles of the specials, and we nearly memorized various price details. Unfortunately, since the waitstaff was occupied with prepping for the day’s opening, they were unable to actually wait on customers like us, so our initial service reception was definitely subpar.
As for the menu, non-​meat lovers beware. The restaurant boasts a vegetarian menu, but it’s very limited in choice and flavor. Vegans take special caution because besides the traditional salad, you’ll only find a dish or two, one of which is pricey for the offering.
Once our order was taken, it wasn’t long before we received our salads. They were nicely presented, and although nothing special, the lettuce was fresh and the dressing was seemingly homemade. Our meals followed shortly after.
My baked mac & cheese was a good dish, not anything I’d write the folks in my hometown about, but I’m from the south, and we bake a MEAN mac & cheese! My wife’s club sandwich was large, well toasted and she enjoyed the sauce. The fries were actually the best part though (for both of us).
I must add, our server was polite and friendly. After her meetings and the day’s prep work were finally complete, she did her very best to be attentive and thorough; we actually had no complaints that were any fault of hers.
So, I’m giving the place three stars because… well, it was better than two, but have I felt the need to make a return visit? No.
In short, I wouldn’t say Sixth Engine warrants a special trip just to dine there, but I don’t feel the need to caution you to avoid the place either.

I think this was probably the best meal we had while in DC. Two words. BRUSSELS SPROUTS.
Oh my god. We took care of about three helpings of the bacon Sriracha brussels and I have tried to make them at home (not the same), and all the other food was amazing as well (I had the tacos)
The drinks didn’t necessary wow me, but the cocktail menu is unique and they have lots of beer and wine options. Service was wonderful and patient with our large party and separate check nonsense.
I would definitely go here again and it was even worth the couple mile walk in the bitter cold!