Smith Public Trust

The bartender, i forgot his name, but he has a big beard not hard on the eyes and informative. Its my first time here, i asked for him to make a drink for me. Its good. The only thing that throws me off are the art work on the wall. Its no correlation. It makes no sense to me but i guess that’s what they wanted. The atmosphere is chill. Very diverse crowd and menu.

I love the laid back atmosphere and chicken nachos. Good times had here. We had a group happy hour after community service and they opened early for us! I love that they care — during the snowstorm they fed local kids who were unable to get schools’ free lunch. #HU owned. Love this place.

Went to have lunch, a handwritten sign posted on the door greeted us, «we will not be opening until 1pm today» (an hour late). Total fail.

I ate here yesterday for lunch, and the customer services were bad, not friendly at all. It was not like they were busy when we walked in no one greeted us and it seemed like two or three of the staff just standing at the bar talking. Now for the food, the pulled chicken taco was very short on flavor. The steak and eggs are served with a big heap of dry scrambled egg in the middle of the plate sitting on a slice of toast and some kind of unidentified over cooked meat (steak) sliced in bits that circle the rim of the plate (sorry forgot to take pictures). I had the red velvet waffles with fried chicken strips. The waffles were a little heavy but okay; the chicken strips had no taste at all, and I had about three tiny pieces that were about three inches long and were greasy.
I thought I would try a local neighborhood restaurant, and I was very disappointed, I will and can not recommend this place to anyone, Save your forty dollars and go someplace else.

This place is gross, I understand this is supposed to be a haven for hipsters but this place looked like an abandoned bar with filthy floors.
For seating they have a filthy old church pew that has hair stuck to it from 1940.
The bathroom sink for what every reason is sideways and not efficient for cleaning your hands.
I ordered the burger medium rare, however I received a thin skinny patty that was well done. The side of fries were delicious.
I really am concerned that this place is not up to sanitary code with the dingy floors and dirty church pews

We celebrated my nephew’s birthday and ate amongst us guacamole with chips as an appetizer, chocolate covered churros with marscapone for desert, short ribs with sweet corn, Barbour sliders, shrimp and grits and red velvet waffles with fried chicken tenders. Several beers and cider were also consumed. Everything was really good and fresh. The place was quiet on a Wednesday night. With patrons playing chess and quiet conversations. Our waiter/​bartender/​music producer was really nice and gave great menu and beer suggestions. It’s rare to find a restaurant that scores high in all respects — most importantly is that all of the food was really good and quite modestly priced. I really liked that the place was quiet. Too many places are so loud people shout and strain to hear each other. A very relaxing and enjoyable evening. Thanks for turning on the flower slide show and the Brendan Frasier movie. They have a stage and Mic set up for entertainment. None the night we were there but apparently they have comedians and musicians frequently and the whole place is frequently reserved for parties — from mommies with babies to librarians. We didn’t have any trouble finding Parking on the street and the metro red line is about 1 ½ short blocks away.

The braised short ribs were very good. The service was horrible no refills on water had to remind them to bring silverware. The waiter was nice enough but aloof.

Popped in gor a quick bite with a friend during happy hour. I had a HH special with was a tequila and pineapple juice with grenadine. It was really good! I ordered the chicken pupusa. It was ok. I thought it was bland with the salsa.
Overall, good food from a cute spot with interesting décor.

We went here just before the storm hit on 1÷22÷16. It’s not as cute as it looks online. The bartender was nice enough but when we needed a few more minutes to decide on what to order, he disappeared for a while. We had to wave him over when we found him. We started with the onion rings. You get a basket of 5 and my goodness these were the greasiest things ever! We went through napkin after napkin trying to soak up the grease. It was shocking they were even willing to serve this to us. And there was barely any onion in them. Gross!
I ordered the shrimp tacos and my wife had the grilled cheese. The bread appeared to be toasted rather than buttered and grilled. She asked for no red peppers but got plenty of red peppers. I feel like the shrimp tacos would’ve been good if my mouth wasn’t burning from the spiciness. We had to endure the pain because no one checked on us for a while so we never had a chance to ask for water until after I’m sure we had already lost a few tastebuds in the fire at which time we saw some other guy and begged for water.
The only good think was the dark stout beer my wife had. She enjoyed it, and me not being a beer drinker thought it was pretty good.
Won’t be going back!

I’m so torn… the drinks here are phenomenal. The nachos are sinfully good, the red velvet waffles were delish, the pulled pork sliders were yummy, and I could’ve eaten two baskets of fries myself. But everything else tasted like it had stayed on the stove 2 minutes too long.
I had the shrimp and grits… the flavor was there, but the grits were dry. My friend got the Christopher Wallace T-​Bone steak and eggs… she asked to have the steak cooked medium, but the server (who was awesome) told her that the steak, per the chef, is «cooked to perfection.» If «perfection» equals «hockey puck,» he was right on the money. Another friend ordered the plantains, and man… dry doesn’t even cover it.
Between the five of us, we had enough food to split/​share so that all of us got full. But I suggest you come here more thirsty than hungry.

I came here for breakfast on MLK day and there hardly was anyone in here. I ordered the «from scratch» pancakes & eggs with a side of bacon. The pancakes were humongous! And were nice and fluffy. The bacon was also nice and crispy. As for the eggs they were so dryyyy! They definitely slacked on the salt & pepper in the eggs. Or maybe they could’ve added some more cheese. Overall, the pancakes and bacon were the stars of this show. The meal was enjoyable but I wouldn’t say it made me want to rave about it to my friends. Service was ok. I came with a large party so he may have been overwhelmed which caused him to forget a lot of things. But it also wasn’t many people here that morning so I’m not sure what the real cause was.

Another bookmark checked off my never to return again list! While at the local Costco I figured I’d do something different for lunch and ended up at Smith Public Trust. I mean, the reviews were overwhelmingly positive and I’m a sucker for non-​commercialized neighborhood spots. The interior is eclectic, open and pretty much no frills. Huge bar with ample flat screens. I chose to sit at the bar. I was waited on promptly by the bartender so there’s no complaint about service minus he had the personality of a Monk. Mum was the the word with this big bearded fellow. No biggie, because I didn’t feel like talking anyway. lol I came to eat! I was a little disappointed with the limited menu but I’m easy enough when I comes to food. I settled on the red velvet waffle $ 8 and add $ 6 for three of the most anorexic chicken strips I have even seen in my life. The bartender caught the look on my face when he put my plate down in front of me, but I do my complaining on Unilocal!I RARELY send food back if you know what I mean. Lol The waffle was freezing cold which made me scratch my head because the order came out pretty fast. The mini chicken strips I must say were super tasty. Add about two more of those lil suckers and I would have considered giving them three stars.
I try my best not to give negative reviews first time out but I just don’t see me ever coming back. Especially since there’s a Busboys and Poets just a few blocks up on Monroe… Sorry, but I had to do it!

I am not in this neighborhood too often, and decided to venture here to see what is available. Popped into this place for a drink and something to eat on a Saturday night. The place is funky, with graffiti mural like on the walls. Friendly service, good vibe, definitely get crowded just before the band started playing at 7 pm. What is even more surprising is that the kitchen turned out good food. I never expect much from a bar, but this one was good. I had a burger, and it was real medium rare, and the sweet potatoes fries was great, The kale salad was good and generous portion. My vegetarian friend had a Portobello Mushrooms Sliders, he said it was great, another buddy had the braised short ribs. All was good. Definitely be back in the future. OH! One thing, no dessert according to the server, even though the menu had churros on it.

I like Smith Public Trust, the look is definitely eccentric, it appears they randomly through the décor together out of whatever was on sale at the local thrift store but I feel it adds to the charm of the place. Inside has nice wide open spaces, I sat at the bar but they have sitting for larger groups in the open space in the middle of the bar. They also have a small outdoor patio for when the weather is nice.
Staff was very friendly, nice guy and girls behind the bar, they were friendly and helpful. They weren’t overly pushy and allowed you to sit and relax with your food and drinks.
One issue, how dare they call their steak and egg dish, «The Christopher Wallace», the late great Biggie Smalls was a big guy and if I order a meal named in his honor I expect the steak to be biggy sized, not the small little piece that was provided to me. Even though the size was skimpy, the steak itself was cooked well and was tasty. Eggs were also cooked well and enjoyable for an afternoon meal.
Their nachos should actually be named for a guy like Biggie because this portion size was huge and delicious. I would definitely come on a Sunday football game day and order this dish again as it would go perfectly with the game and their decent beer selection.
I enjoyed Smith Public Trust as a nice little afternoon spot to grab some decent eats for happy hour. Since it close to the Metro and also a short drive away from home for me I could see a return visit in my future.

I had previously seen reviews on Instagram for the filming of BET Music Matters tapping and decided to check it out for Saturday lunch. It was fairly empty but that’s because we did get there when it first opened I guess. (12pm)…We both had the red velvet waffles and chicken tenders. Great dish! The seasoning on the chicken was very flavorful.
The only con I would say is we felt like we were cheated with the tenders. They were very VERY small. I would suggest to them to have bigger tenders instead of chicken tenderloins (literally). Overall, great vibe and I love the art and décor. Very different. Will have to come back for happy hour. Great hidden gem!

LOVED this place! Easy walk from the metro and in a cute little up and coming neighborhood.
The service we experienced here on a Friday for Happy Hour was hands down some of the best we’ve ever had. The bartender was very attentive, explained the specials right away, checked on us timely and provided excellent recommendations. He didn’t try to over-​serve us and he didn’t neglect us. It was the perfect balance of attentiveness.
We only had the nachos for food and they were REALLY good. Like, very tasty. We mixed them up so the cheese spread onto every chip.
The décor and ambiance of this place is really chill. The artwork is neat and we had plenty of room between the tables.
I had the watermelon drink which was really tasty and my fiancé had a few of the HH beers which were 3 $. Nice beer selection and 5 $ rails on HH.
We are really excited to get back to this neighborhood and do some more exploring. We will most likely stop in here for some more nachos and drinks.

I’ve frequented this bar a few times and have had a different experience each time. For that reason, I’m going to try to give an approximate account of my overall impression.
When you first walk in, you’ll notice that the bar is decorated rather strangely. It really looks like the owners were having problems choosing between 2 or 3 different options. honestly, the first time I walked in, I almost walked right back out because it made me skeptical as to the type of bar I had found myself in.
Now if you’ve managed to seat yourself, I advise that you opt for the cider. I’ve had a few of their mixed drinks and I didn’t find them to be particularly good. In fact, one tasted almost like juice. Now, the cider seemed like a good middle point both for people who like their drinks sweet and for those who like it a little bit more sour or hoppy. I don’t remember the name of the cider, but it’s the only cider they carry. Plus, they will often give it to you in a Game of Thrones glass. (Score!)
I usually opt for the nachos because when I visit I am either starting or ending my night. The nachos are delicious and the ingredients taste fresh. They come with jalepaneo sauce, pico de gallo, sour cream, queso, and your choice of meat (except for beef). One order will fill you up or you can opt to share with a friend and use it as an appetizer.
The menu has other, more filling, options available, but I have yet to try any of those. Also, I’ve run into some issues in the past with splitting checks, so be prepared to have your own means of addressing that situation.

So many options to choose from… full menu so you can please whatever craving you may have. Laid back crowd with decent music. Bartender was a pure gem. Attentive during my whole stay.
Ordered the nachos because of all the great reviews and I haven’t had nachos in years. Glad I decided on them because I would have them again tomorrow if I could. Full of flavor with all the right ingredients.
I will definitely be back :)

I would give this place about 3.5 stars. The drinks were great, the spring rolls were pretty good. I had the shrimp and grits which was also good. I think the grits were a little sweet, I like butter in mine. My partner had the short rib left something to be desired. The sweet corn was not sweet. I would visit again.

With a hankering for some grub after spending time at Unilocal’s Totally Bazaar, my party walked a couple blocks down from the Monroe St Market to Smith Public Trust, drawn in by its fabulous Unilocal reviews. The place was admittedly pretty dead for a Saturday at lunchtime, but the space is big, open, and super Unilocaly. There’s a long bar and then several tables with a variety of seating — some big cushy chairs, some regular tables — and a large live-​music space.
We took a seat and ordered some lunch — the braised short rib with corn for me, burgers for two of my party, and the tacos. The short rib and tacos were excellent (the corn especially was to die for!) but the burgers were a little lackluster, unfortunately. They come with a ton of fries, so that’s a plus, but the burgers themselves were overcooked (one was ordered medium, one medium-​well, and they both came out well-​done). Still, ²⁄₃ dishes being good isn’t too bad!
What unfortunately drew the rating down ultimately was the slowness of the service. Our waitress was really nice, and she was the ONLY person working the front of house, so I’m very sympathetic to how hard I’m sure she was working. That said, we were sitting waiting for water refills and for our checks for a really long time.
If I find myself back in Northeast DC, I’d definitely pay Smith Public Trust another visit. That corn was life-​changing, I tell ya. And I’m sure the scene is pretty great at night, what with the live music and the super open feel of the place. As a lunch spot, though, I’d say «A-​OK» definitely sums it up.