Tenley Bar & Grill

I used to be a regular, but this review is not about the food (adequate) or the ambience (good), but about the way they treat their guests.
I was there with a party of twenty, and in the mêlée left my credit card. I called, confirmed they had it and asked my assistant to drop by. She stopped by three times but was told to come back when the manager was in. The fourth time Christian was there, but he wouldn’t give her the card — or even mail it to the card’s address — even though I offered to email my ID and passport. He insisted on a fax (who has a fax machine anymore?) because he «doesn’t trust email». But he trusts faxes?
Point is, there was no attempt to resolve the problem — he was looking for ways to NOT help. He wouldn’t talk anymore because he had to meet with investors. Good. They’re probably losing money and this is why.

We had a party of 10 for a happy hour and the hostess refused to sit us at a table until she saw at least 5 people. Waiter literally dropped a whole shot of Fireball on my hair and dress, burning my eyelid and eye. Then he handed me a wet and dry dish rag and apologized. Someone else then apologized and said the next shot was on the house. What he failed to realize was that I WAS NOT THE PERSON WHO ORDERED THE SHOT. And of course they charged gratuity given the size of the group.
I have seen this place transition over the last year and I have to say that I have never experienced worse service than I did tonight. If something like this happens, much more than a shot’s worth is due. Otherwise, you’re better off getting what you pay at some place else like Guapos or even Kitty O’Sheas across the street.

Don’t come here for the food. Chicken in our chicken tacos was burnt — tasted bitter and acrid. Sweet potato fries were overdone and rather tasteless. Crab cake was OK. Fish (salmon) was terrible — one dimensional acidic lemon sauce, over cooked fish and low-​flavor runny polenta. For $ 21 it was abysmal. If you come to eat stick with burgers and fries and don’t expect much. Maybe the pizza is OK but we didn’t try it. Service was fine and they took off my fish when I mentioned that it wasn’t good. Crowded and loud at 6pm on a Friday. My teens liked watching the March Madness games but I would have been just as well off at home with a frozen dinner.

What a great little find in this area! It looks nice from the outside, but I didn’t expect the awesome food and service inside! I can’t remember the name of the brussels sprout appetizer, but it was really good. I had the steak salad as my entrée and was really surprised! The dressing was just lemon juice and it complimented the salad very well. i usually like the creamy dressings more– but this was delicious!
The décor of this place was really modern. Its definitely a sports bar atmosphere, but they were doing some karaōke later in the night and there were families all around (until later I’m sure).
There is a nice patio I can see myself having a drink or two on in the next few weeks and an upstairs area that I didn’t look at my first visit. We plan on going back very soon.

I hate having to write a bad review but after sleeping on it I replayed my experience from the day before and the disappointment still exists. We went there for lunch on a Saturday with a group after a basketball game. They knew we were coming as we made reservations in advance even though we knew that would not be necessary for this establishment. When we arrived, the place was empty with only a few patrons at the bar watching sports. Unfortunately, the staff was abysmal and apathetic. They took forever to take our drink and food orders. Just to get a few beers, bloody marys, and sodas took over 20 minutes after the order was placed. The waitress never showed back up to let us potentially order a second round of drinks so members of our party had to go directly to the bar to try and get what they wanted. Simple food items (salad, mac & cheese) never materialized after waiting 90 minutes and putting in multiple inquiries with the waitress and manager … who seemed unable to either explain the delay or fix it. We finally told them to close us out and we left starving to eat elsewhere.

How have I not reviewed this place yet?! Boyfriend and I used to be regulars for trivia, but right now we’re watching our wallets and calories a bit more so we haven’t been in a few weeks.
I was going to add a rant about how much I dislike Public and am glad it’s gone, but let’s focus on the positives instead.
The place now is much less sports-​bar and more upscale, from slight changes in the décor to the menu to the professionalism of the staff. Food-​wise, I would agree with others and say that it had a rough first start. However, as «regulars,» we’ve noticed a continual evolution of the menu and a strong improvement of most dishes. Some of my personal favorites:
–Truffle fries
–Mac and cheese bites
–Pesto pasta with chicken
–Chicken sandwich
The staff here is also extremely friendly. They take care of you without getting too much in the way, and are especially attentive if you’re there watching a sporting event (calmly!) or playing trivia. We have had several waiters and waitresses and they all appear to be well trained and/​or highly experienced.
Trivia here is pretty fun– more people should go! There are too many TV questions for us, but most other people will probably enjoy the mix of history, science, and pop culture of the questions. The Emcee is good and is usually a good sport about loud/​drunk parties shouting answers or generally yelling.
Next idea is to come for brunch. Someday!

Super friendly bartenders! Came in to grab a bite to eat on a weekend trip. We were sitting at the bar, and as we finished eating the bartender started making conversation with us! She gave us tips on good places to go in DC and its surroundings, great place, very nice! Would definitely recommend, 100%!

Went to grab dinner and watch some games. Unfortunately, I was under the impression that there would be a wide variety of games available to watch based on all of the TVs. That was not the case. So not a key spot to watch sports. Pretty standard pub food. Nice, efficient servers. However my biggest complaint… worst music!!! Definitely degrades the experience.

I’m ranking these guys five stars. You should note that my friend and I didn’t order any of the entrees (though they looked good), but we did order the following: buffalo wings, chicken quesadillas, truffle fries, hummus+pita. Every item was perfect given that we were at a pub. The chicken quesadillas in particular are some of the best I ever had. The drink menu had a lot of your typical beers and then some. I tend to go for a particular type and they had my favorites: blue moon, hoegaarden, leffe, allagash white. Depending on what you got, you could be getting a beer for only about $ 5.
This was the only bar that was open the day after the blizzard before 3pm and we didn’t leave until closer to 6. This allowed us time to have a couple of drinks while watching the Broncos and Pats game. They were packed until dinner, yet the staff never strayed from being professional or friendly the entire time. Thanks for being open you guys! You were all great!

So, gave it another shot last weekend. Better than my last experience and much improved menu… but not necessarily much improved execution. Burger average — bun was a little stale or over toasted. Did appreciate the side Caesar which was well dressed and burger was cooked to order, but nothing superlative. Buffalo wings were good but we got one of the last orders… at 1pm on an NFL playoff weekend. That’s weird.
BBQ wings had a strange overly smoky taste, but I appreciate the choices and expanded menu from my last visit. Pleasant bartender and nice Miller lite specials. Won’t avoid it, but still needs some more attention in the kitchen and more/​different beer choices to make it legit as a goto in the neighborhood. Look at George and The Dragon in Minneapolis in how a neighborhood pub should execute.

Nothing to see here. Sub par bar food and weak cocktails. Come for games or hanging out, stay away if looking for anything more.

Pretty impressed with this place (was here before but underwhelmed).The music isn’t too overpowering and they’re TVs all over. Great place to watch the game without the hustle and bustle. We ordered the wings and they came out hot and fresh! I’ll definitely revisit. Step up from Breadsoda which is right next to the house. Bathroom is clean and the staff is friendly as well. We even talked «Skins» football with Tony!!! The only thing they’re missing is a cool Happy Hour! However, I’d still recommend them!

I came here for brunch with a Living Social or Groupon deal… can’t remember which. I hadn’t been before, and I live nearby, so I wanted to check it out. It’s definitely more of a sports bar than a restaurant. If you want to go on a weekend to watch the game while you brunch, this would be a good place to do it. They have bottomless mimosas and bloody marys, the food is good (but not memorable), and the portions are sizable. If you’re looking for a place with a great brunch, but you don’t care about sports, you can find better brunch food elsewhere.

The only bad thing that happened was that we didn’t get greeted right away, nor seated right away. Which I didn’t appreciate and my friends and I almost left. But once we were seated our waiter was so nice and he helped two picky friends enjoy a great dinner. For a bar it wasn’t too loud and the selection of music was amazing. I had the mussels and also had a side of truffle fries and they were perfect! My friend and I shared an appetizer and we were fighting on who got the last bite. The food came in a timely manner the drinks were strong but oh so good. I’ll for sure be back.

As you can see from Scott’s response, their are not interested in gaining customers nor doing «all we could to assist you under the circumstances.» Sorry Scott, but I have a few people who heard the manager use such rude language with my family. Thankfully, Living Social takes customer complaints seriously and refunded my money. Which I will use at an establishment that values, respects and appreciates customers.

We’ve come here for group get-​togethers multiple times, and the staff and management have handled us professionally and with great organization every time — and always with smiles and grace, even when we’re a little too much too handle. When you go, try the wings and ask for Austa!!! Highly recommended all around!

The revamped Tenley Bar & Grill is fantastic! I wasn’t expecting much but I’ve been to the new space a couple of times already and each time had a wonderful, fresh, and scratch meal. The crab cake sandwich blew my socks off, and you won’t find another French 75 cocktail this perfect in Tenleytown.
My mother and a couple of other friends enjoyed their food too, which ranged from hearty egg dishes to savory veggie sides to juicy gourmet burgers.
The inside, with its high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and chic lighting feels like a charming eatery, even though it obviously doubles as a sports bar. The patio is nice– small but sweet. And I like that it has the open-​air vibe so that you can sit next to the open spaces and feel the breeze without actually being outside. I haven’t been upstairs yet, but even before the redesign it was attractive enough.
The place is relaxed, but nice enough to take someone on your second or third date. Must be the new owners’ European flair coming through.
Don’t be put off by the «so-​so» reviews: the service is still getting the kinks worked out, but the food is worth the trip. Get here before everyone else gets in on this neighborhood gem. You won’t regret it.

Great chopped salad with grilled salmon and a hint of basil-​lemon vinaigrette was divine
Owner came by to introduced herself to our table.
Will definitely return

Great place! Owned by European couple, Italian celebrity chef who makes everything from scratch and his wife who is supper nice and will greet you at the door. You can see and taste the difference immediately if you’ve been to the old Publics. I am excited to have this place in my neighborhood. The meatballs, truffle fries and brick oven pizza are to die for, beats all the famous pizzerias in the area. Variety of cocktails, my fav is the vodka martini straight up with olives and Jin and tonic with cucumber and mint. For the sports fans you can still watch your favorite games. Very nice and attentive wait staff.

We live around the corner and have been meaning to try this place for some time. Tonight we stopped in and were seated immediately outside, which was great.
We ordered the special, which was soft shell crab (only one) and side of your choosing (we decided on brussel sprouts, which were incredible, but my fiancé had to order another crab because the portion was so small (it was another $ 7 for a very small crab). We also had their house salad, which was actually very delicious but with a bit too much dressing for my taste, as well as the meatballs, which were probably the best part of the meal besides the brussels.
In addition to the small portions, we had to wait for nearly 40 minutes for our food to arrive. The restaurant was nearly empty except for the small patio outside, so we were a little confused as to why there was such a long wait. To top it off, the crab was cold when it arrived to the table.
We will likely be back because we live so close by, but probably would go out of our way to come back otherwise.

Good food, good drink specials, nice location. We’ve been here three times: once for Happy Hour, once to eat and watch a game, and once for brunch. Enjoyed each time. Had the burger, pizza and a few apps. All has been good.
Would recommend the burger, for DC it’s pretty good. Also they have a special everyday so check out that. Brunch is pretty standard deal for DC — bottomless mimosas or Bloody Mary’s.

We came here for brunch using a living social deal: Brunch and bottomless mimosas for two for $ 39! Drove instead of taking the metro and were pleasantly surprise that Tenley has parking!
Sunday at 12:30 the place was practically empty. Our server was super nice and the mimosas were pretty good– decent sparking and light on OJ. We sat outside, busy street but nice.
I had the eggs Benedict with bacon on the side (vegetarian, gave the bacon to my bf). It looked plain but was delicious. The home fries were awesome! Salty, oniony and well cooked. My boyfriend had steak and eggs, which was also good. The steak came sitting on chimichurri sauce, which wasn’t listed on the menu, but he really enjoyed it.
Good food, good deal. I’d come here again.

Ugh. I’m so sad. I live very close by and want this place to be a success! Drink specials are good, atmosphere is good, new wait staff is very friendly and professional. But, my experience with food situation during happy hour was so bad.
All of the happy hour food is $ 6. We ordered wings, calamari, and chicken tacos. The wings were so-​so, but you basically get 6 wings for $ 6. Not a steal and not even that great tasting. The chicken tacos were pretty weak — there were two and the chicken inside was dry and sparse, although it tasted fine (I was hungry). The calamari portion was embarrassingly small. There were maybe 10 pieces of regular old once-​frozen, now-​fried calamari on the plate! And for $ 6! We are not cheap people by any means, but I do get pissed when someone is telling me I’m getting a «deal» (happy hour special) when they are actually ripping me off. A dollar a bite? Maybe when it’s sushi, but not for happy hour bar food. The server took it back to the kitchen (because even she thought that someone ate half of our portion), but they told her we had the appropriate happy hour portion.
Despite all this, we were really enjoying each other’s company… we were obviously still hungry and the server was SO nice that we decided to try something else. I mean, they’ve just GOTTA get the burger right, right? Oye nooo. One of the mushiest and grossest I’ve ever had. I’m still kind of gagging about it. Sorry Tenley Gastro Pub!!! We are still routing for you, but I’ve gotta be honest. You can’t say «gastro» and perform like this. Get some new kitchen staff!!!

This place cheapens the term gastro and on the pub side one would expect a better beer selection. At least they have a DC Brau and a few microbrews but hardly enough to qualify it in the Gastro pub category. Way too many run of the mill or lame beers.
Mushy brussels sprouts and burnt dates don’t really qualify as fancier food items. The menu says crispy, your tongue says burnt. Most of the menu is bar food — nothing special. The meatballs were okay but the stretchy mac & cheese tasted pretty stale. Starchy mac & cheese would be more appropriate. Other reviewers have it right, it really is a sports bar pretending to be more. Not sure how it’s rating higher, but the food is a real downer.
The service was ok, the upgrade furnishings/​interior are nice. Blaring crappy pop music is a buzz kill.
This place seems to be having an identity crisis. Are you trying to be a club, a sports bar or do you really want to be a Gastro pub? If it’s the latter, they need to improve the quality and really upgrade the menu. Time to call John Taffer or Gordon Ramsey for an intervention.
We left hungry and thirsty and with a headache.

Amazing food, amazing environment. Great space for private parties upstairs or just for happy hour.
Service is phenomenal and the owner is always available…
Cool place. Highly recommended

The service is so much better now that they have new management. Frannie was especially helpful. The wings were delicious, so was the mac and cheese!

Went to Tenley Gastropub on a whim and was pleasantly surprised by the ambiance, the menu, and the quality of service. When I go to a bar the volume/​ambiance is the number one factor that determines whether I’m going to stay or not. Tenley has just the right ratio of background chatter mixed with low level music (juke box upstairs) that makes it possible to enjoy the company around you (meaning have a conversation) without the awkwardness of everyone else hearing what you’re saying. It’s perfect.
The food is substantially better for essentially the same price as Public. I ordered the Soft Polenta Plank w meatballs and it was delicious. It couples perfectly with the various beers on tab. I also ordered the C.M.P. which is a tasty gourmet Chocolate pot de crème, toasted marshmallow cream with crunchy peanuts. Serving size was perfect as it’s quite rich.
Finally the service was impeccable– especially for a semi-​new staff. I was impressed with the managerial staff and the bar tenders. They were attentive but not annoying and remembered my name and the food came out really fast! Also the chef came out and I was able to compliment him first hand. Will definitely be going back! Welcome to tenley town, TG!