Ebbitt Express

Overly priced for very mediocre food. We had to wait a while to be seated. Ambiance is great but the food does not live up to it at all. $ 7 for 2 dried up chicken strips and cold fries on te children’s menu. You’re better off getting a hot dog at the street stands.

As of Friday, February, 15,2013 i will say with a heavy heart and now an empty stomach that this Hidden Gem, Diamond in the Rough… BEST DAMNED KEPT FREAKING SECRET IS CLOSED!

When I didn’t have time to go out for lunch, Ebbitt Express was definitely my first choice. The service was generally fast, the food always solid, and for downtown D.C., the prices were reasonable. Unfortunately, as of tomorrow, Feb. 15^th, it is closing. I am totally bummed. Sure, the you can get take out from the Old Ebbitt, and it is the same food, but the service is never as fast, and the prices are 3 to 7 bucks more expensive for literally the same thing. It is sad. Ebbitt Express, I will miss you!

The atmosphere is fun. Seems to ALWAYS be busy. I ate at the bar so I wouldn’t have to wait for a table. I had the Rueben w/​potato salad. Both were great.

Made an order online for pick up at Ebbit express today, my second time ordering from here, and when I arrived to pick up my crab cake platter and soup I was surprised to learn I had to pay more to receive my order! The lady Lisa B? clasped two pieces of paper and jabbed at it saying how the platter was more than what I had paid. (I paid online so the mistake was not mine.) From my viewpoint I couldn’t really see the paper but the line was busy and I did not want to make people wait so I paid the extra amount, $ 3.85. She didn’t even give me the pieces of paper only the receipt for the $ 3.85. When I got back, I looked up the price for the crab cake platter online and it was $ 12.95, She had said they had listed the price wrong at $ 9.95. Honestly I would have no issue paying the extra amount but when I did the math, I only owed $ 3 and including tax it would only be $.30 extra. Therefore not only did I have to pay extra money but I got CHARGED more for my meal! Furthermore I would have not ordered the platter had I known it was $ 12.95.
The food itself wasn’t great but what would I expect at that rate. But then if I had known it cost more than it was I would not have ordered it in the first place.
I would have given them one star but The first time I went the food was good.

Stay away from the catfish and cornbread! Don’t get me wrong OEE is great on salads, especially in a taco shell. I decided to try something different today and it was an epic failure! The catfish was heavily breaded to the point it was hard and too crunchy, seemed to have been fried in old grease too because of the dark color of the fish! The cornbread looked tasty but was very dry!

The best thing about this place is the price. reasonably affordable.
Outside of that, the food is ok. nothing to write home about, but its ok. The service is a bit odd … very disorganised.
All up it was ok for an on-​the-​run food place. good price when you consider everything else in the area is so expensive.

Call it luck or the grace of God, but I somehow managed to get lunch for $ 3.05, including tip.
I felt like a burger, but didn’t want a thin, greasey patty, a la Five Guys (which is great, but sometimes, a girl just wants something different). I wanted something thicker and meatier, meaning, I would have to go to a proper restaurant for takeout.
I figure OEG is right near where I’m interning, so why not get one from there? I whiz through the Internets and place my order for pick up. Then — like magic — it says I have a voucher for $ 10, and guess how much my order was for? YAH! So, with tax and tip, lunch today was $ 3.05. Woooooo!
Anyway, the burger was delicious — thicker than a burger joint’s, and juicy, but not overwhelming. They cooked it well, but it still had pretty good smoky flavor. I wanted fries with it, but turns out, they don’t do fries. But to make amends for my order getting lost in a paper shuffle, I wound up receiving fries anyway, and they were tasty, especially on the roof of my office building, where on a cloudy summer day, one can actually stand to sit outside and enjoy the beauty that is Washington, DC.

The. Best. Salad. In. DC.
And now I can order through LivingSocial Takeout and Delivery.
Some would say that the move to a single menu is a bad thing. I think it’s an incredible thing, largely because the make-​your-​own-​salad, a fixture solely of Mondays and Wednesdays in days prior, has made its prime time move to every day (With huge tortilla bowls available for $ 1.) For 8.95, I get:
Mixed lettuce
Scallions
Tomatoes
Radish
Cheddar Cheese
Tabbouleh
Salmon Cake
If you don’t like fish, get grilled chicken. Pair it with the honey mustard dressing. Trust me. I want them to name it «The Matt.» They probably won’t, but I’ll keep ordering.

What happened??? Why did they have to mess with one of the better lunch options around here?
Issues:
1. PDF menu on website no longer updated daily.
2. Price raise on the soups (and probably other things)
3. Daily deli-​style salads gone, replaced by generic, sad-​looking vegetables to make lettuce-​based salads.

Hit or miss, but usually good. I’ve gotten sick off the brussel sprouts there before. (They usually have some sort of vegetable with their entrees for lunch, I’m glad they switched back to green beans.)
This place gets packed during the 1230-​130 hour and sometimes experiences rushes around 2 – 230 as well. My advice to noobs. Order your food at the counter, then clear out so some one else can order.
Oh yeah, pretty much no cell phone reception while you wait or in the seating area, but that can be welcome during my lunch hour.

Dear Ebbitt Express,
Relationships change overtime. It’s just one of those things. I’m afraid I’m just not into you anymore.
For the past 7 years we’ve had our on-​again, off-​again love affair, but we both know — for the better part of the last year it’s been more off again.
You’re on your 2^nd chef change in the past year. I’ve given both a fair tryout — at least the current one is trying to undo some of the culinary train wreck caused by her predecessor (for awhile there the chicken taco salad was some chicken, a scoop of bland salsa and a heaping pile of romaine — WTF??? — thankfully salads are getting back to salads w/​vegetables).
But I’m just not that thrilled with some of the changes that you’ve made. Whether they are the result of decisions made in the kitchen, or in a bean-counter’s boardroom I don’t know. I just know I’m not wild about them.
I suspect — it’s your bean counters — as a lot of what I loved was the constant daily variety you offered. Now your focus seems a little less on quality and A LOT less on variety. You still have some special dishes each day, but too much of the menu seems focused now on serving up the same fare each day. And the things that have always been daily regulars are noticeably changed — example: the sauces on the pasta have all been thinned out and the flavors significantly muted.
There are just other better options in the area and I’m sorry — yes I’ve been cheating on you for months now. You’re still an ok choice, but I find myself not excited to see you. The thrill of peering at your menu doesn’t send my heart aflutter any more. But when it”s pouring outside — or roasting — I might drop downstairs for a quickie and save myself from being exposed to the elements.
Don’t take it too hard, I’m only dropping 1-​star. I’d like to say «it’s not you, it’s me» … but I can’t.

Came in on a Monday about noon. Ordered the large salad… wow, it was enough to feed 2.5 people… fresh, crunchy romaine lettuce with cut up slices of cool peeled cucumbers and juicy tomatoes. I requested slices of red onions as well. You get a selection of in-​house made dressing, I opted for the balsamic vinegarette which had a tangy, sweet flavor. Menu price $ 4.95
All food is prepared fresh and for takeout.

Ate here 3 times in my first 3 days of working nearby — twice for lunch once for breakfast.
They have a deli sandwich and salad counter, a pasta counter and a grill. Each section has standard dishes for every day as well as specials that rotate in and out — check the menu link daily to find out what’s on it for that day.
The breakfast is really good — had a egg and cheese sandwich and then also got a bowl of grits.
The make your own pasta thing is a really good deal. There usually is a burger on the menu everyday. Friday they had crabcakes as well as crabcake sandwiches.

Man do I not like continental food. Nothing could be more boring than «grilled and peppered this with a side of mashed potatoes».
But old ebbit is an excellent american style restaurant. I like dine and dash places where you aren’t supposed to linger around. The Old ebbit/​express combo is EXCELLENT. Separate a dining area that curtails to different customers. The service is typically quick but the ordering lines are typically a mess. The patio is quite small so good luck getting a table during lunch.
They use quality ingredients and they sure know how to cook. My coworkers like getting the steak. I jump around the menu from pasta, to chicken, to the salmon. All have tasted quite good. Although I wouldn’t recommend the salmon, bang wasn’t worth the buck.

Burger is big. German platter — the snausages are on point.
Went for lunch with a coworker. We got a little lost because there’s no sign on the outside for the restaurant that’s says «Ebbitt Express»; however, go to the door/​entrance to the immediate right of the Old Ebbitt Grill Entrance and walk in. The restaurant is on your left.
An interesting mix of clientèle of blue and white collar that know a good thing.
I had the burger and my buddy had the German platter (brats, knock wurst, mashed potatoes and sauerkraut). Also we had the clam chowder. Prices are reasonable for the quality of food.
The salad looked really good; some curry chicken salad and some other stuff that looked tasty.
Bottomline: I will go back

One of the best and fastest lunch options downtown. Simple as that. I go for the macaroni and cheese, the taco salad, the pulled pork sandwich, or the cod. I love that they have so many options and that they always have different items on special. Everything is really reasonably priced at $ 8-​$ 11 per dish. The menu is available online, and I recommend checking it out before you go– helps you get in and out fast. The prepared salads are okay, but they do go half-​off after 3PM, which is awesome.
ONE THING: The food is heavy. This is the kind of lunch that makes you NOT productive– you will be in a food coma after eating. The food is great, but if you don’t want to get fired, save half for later.

I’m going to write my review similar to how your experience here will be: quick and to the point …
Order the Mac and Cheese. It’s FANTASTIC! I get this EVERY time I go (and I go sparingly because it’s easily 1400 calories of yummyness — it has a baked, cheesy, crumble, ‘crust’ on top).
Find the line, order and move out of the way.
This place is hard to find because you have to enter the bldg. that Old Ebbitt is connected to. I didn’t know about this place for months until someone took me here and it’s worth every penny for when you need some good food in a pinch.

Yep, Yep… In and out. That’s how we like it … Lunch break, cramped for time, space. and not trying to reach to the bottom of your pocket? Try Ebbitt Express! It’s not Old Ebbitt, but the pasta hit the spot! Salad galore! Flavors for all types. and, well, time is money, so they keep it moving!

I am such a fan of Ebbitt Express!
My favorite day to go is Tuesday — the chicken francais is delish!
They are quick and have more than your regular sandwich fare.