The Riggsby

My partner and I and a few friends went back to the Riggsby after we had a very good meal the first time. (In fact, my review was the DC Review of the Day back in March.) However, my first impression was not the lasting impression, as the Riggsby has turned from pretty busy and buzzing to half-​empty with a lot of consistency issues.
We were able to get a reservation here the day before, which is a big come down from the wait we had to have earlier this year. I have since been here for drinks, and the bar aspect is nice and hip. That area is generally pretty busy, but probably because it’s a hotel bar so there are guests who stay there.
We were seated at a nice table right next to the kitchen. I generally like the kitchen view, and the Riggsby has a very busy chefs area. The waiter was boisterous to begin, but kind of disappeared halfway through the meal.
The food this time around was only just OK. Most of the entrées are very expensive — the price point is in the upper $ 20 and $ 30. Combine that with the fact that the menu is not that large in the first place, there aren’t that many choices. This is definitely not a place to dine on a budget.
The white strawberry and fennel salad as an appetizer was just not good. White strawberries are such a chart and tangy ingredient, you can’t just serve them straight up with some weak fennel, you really have to explore the ingredient and the restaurant did not do that. My burrata appetizer was tepid in flavor, but the hot pepper sauce on the bottom completely masked any flavor that the cheese would have in case it had any. It was just a whole lotta spice ladled on.
Entrées were fine. My burger tasted good, but they had a bun-​to-​meat ratio problem. That can happen to anyone, and with two burgers at the table, neither of us finished all the bread. The pork entrée was overcooked and there was random sausage thrown in that didn’t really fit with the dish.
Overall, after having high hopes after my first visit, I was disappointed with the Riggsby. The bar scene is pretty good it is worth going to for that, but only that. And looking at the fall off in the crowds, I think people are getting the hint.

We had a delicious Saturday brunch. I had the veal schnitzel with Sunnyside up egg and frisee salad with bacon. It was
and felt like a unique dish that you can’t order just any place. Only could eat half of it, as it was large. My husband had the crab cake benedict. It was very good, as well. I enjoyed the cocktails I had, though I can’t recall which I had. Cool atmosphere and nice bartender (we sat at the bar).

All the food was fresh and great quality. Each plate was expertly put together with beautiful attention to detail. The only thing topping the amazing food was the friendly and professional servers. The service was the best we have ever experienced. Plus the ambience of the restaurant was on point. Would you recommend 100 times over!

My boyfriend I and celebrated our anniversary. We started with a Cesar salad witch I find ultimately the best in town and beef carpaccio. We shared the striped bass and a burger.
The bass was perfectly cooked and juicy, but the burger was served on an staled bun.
The wine list is a good value and well selected.
Service was great and professional and our waitress Denise was very polite and comforting. After all we had a great meal and wonderful time.

The food was not bad but service was the definition of worst. I came here to celebrate Mother’s day dinner. I thought I was lucky to get a reservation but the restaurant was empty. At first we got seated in the middle section but it was too dark so we requested to move to another dining area.
From start to end, our server never paid attention to us n only checked back once. So thankful for the busboy who was helping us throughout dinner. For starter, we got the deviled eggs and it was delicious. For entrée, I got the bacon onion jam burger with fries that was bland. My mom got the fresh spaghetti with ragu and it tasted decent.
Our server kept forgetting our check and it was really annoying. Would not recommend this place!

Reading all the amazing reviews of the Riggsby, I had high hopes when I booked a reservation from brunch. Unfortunately, it fell a little short for me… buttt let me start with the good: the space is adorable (bright, spacious, and trendy — check the chanedelier) — the service is on point (available without hovering, water glasses always filled, etc.) — and the food options cater to many diets (we found food for the dieter, the non dieter, and the chronically allergic). The bad is that none of the food wowed me — like it was good, but nothing left me obsessed and planning my next visit. The sausage was definitely my least favorite as it was a bit dry, and the crab avocado toast was my favorite but it was the smallest dish which lead to me being unsatisfied after my three bites.
The service and space are the saving graces though — so if someone ever planned an event here, I would attend, and try out some of their other menu items.

Located inside Kimpton’s The Carlyle on NH Ave. Head to the right when you walk in.
We made reservations for brunch at 9am morning of for a Sunday brunch for 2 at 11:30am. No problem.
Seated quickly, she opted for the Bloody and I opted for Right Proper’s sour on tap. We perused the menu, choosing the devil’ eggs to start. Three were served.
She went with avocado toast and a side fruit bowl. I got the burger, medium w/​fries. Her toast came with avocado and crab meat on 5 bite-​sized bread pieces. My burger had onion jam and bacon with cheese. I really enjoyed.
Service was on point for a Sunday morning.

Came here for Easter Brunch and had a great meal. This restaurant feels like walking back in time, from the décor, menu and even their gorgeous colored plates.
They had a prix fixe menu for Easter, and I went for the overly indulgent chicken pâté and the burger. The pâté was just super rich, and way too much to polish off by myself. Luckily my family gladly helped me as it was passed around with toast points. The pâté was velvety and layered with I believe beef gelatin. Just fantastic starter.
I did have some room left to attack the All American Tavern Burger; great smoky blend with a ton of full flavor. Went with a perfectly cooked medium rare, with just tons of juices sopped up with the excellent bun. The bacon-​onion jam on top was a great compliment.
Excellent service; overall great time.

My friend and I had a delightful time at The Riggsby bar on a rainy Sunday. The two gentlemen bartenders (whose names have unfortunately slipped my mind) were so much fun to chat with and made some delicious drinks. I enjoyed the mezcal cocktail and the old fashioned, though had to abort mission about halfway through in favor of beer because I was getting rather tipsy (note to self: water works, too!).
The chips and dip are a delicious bar snack. The jalapeño tots were tasty but the chips had the edge for sure. Great spot for a drink and friendly conversation.

3.5
We double dated to The Riggsby on a busy Friday night. Located inside a Kimpton hotel on New Hampshire Ave above Dupont, the restaurant has a retro supper club feel to it. Not too over the top, it was cozy and a nice in between of fancy and casual.
There seemed to be some confusion at the host station when we arrived and did have to wait a good 20 minutes to be seated which was not a huge deal since we grabbed some drinks from the bar while we waited.
The food was good. It wasn’t really anything earth shatteringly intriguing or inspiring but it offered appetizing American dishes that were executed in an above average fashion. We started the evening with some broccoli and burrata, calamari, and jalapeño tots. To be completely honest, the jalapeño tots were the star of the night and were so delicious we ordered two rounds. The burrata and calamari were both executed well but nothing to write home about. I was craving beef and did the strip filet. The steak was okay. I thought it was a bit on the chewy side. I thought the pork chop entrée was a lot better. It definitely had a little spice kick to it. The fat was lightly crisped in some places and was quite pleasing. The dish was huge and we took plenty of it home.
For dessert, we tried the crème brûlée and the goat cheese cheesecake. The crème brûlée was tasty and the goat cheese cheesecake was a decadent treat. It was definitely goat-​ey so maybe don’t do it if you don’t like goat cheese.
Service was friendly. We took a leisurely dinner and everything flowed smoothly. I would recommend this restaurant if you want a throwback place that does American food pretty well.

I came here with girlfriends for brunch. It has a good atmosphere, but we came late and the crab Benedict (best thing on their menu) was out. Most of us ordered the breakfast burrito, which looked like the next best thing on the menu. It was good but not the best brunch meal I’ve had in DC. I’d give this place 3.5 stars.

(4.5 stars) The Riggsby is an excellent spot for dinner with lovely service and a super swanky atmosphere. (It’s the kind of place I imagine where Howard Stark would hang out.) From the outside and the hotel in which its set, you wouldn’t imagine it having the décor and jazzy feel it does.
Given how classy it was, I was leaning toward getting one of the nicer dishes on the menu. But after seeing how massive the burger was and asking our waiter how it was, to which the response was simply «phenomenal,» it was an easy choice. It was crazy good, as were the French fries. The sweetness of the bacon-​onion jam contrasted the grill flavor of the burger beautifully. The meat itself was juicy and shockingly large. The bun was grilled too and actually added to the burger as opposed to simply being a placeholder. Although it may not seem like the place to get a burger, it’ll surprise you just how enjoyable it is.
Of course we had to get dessert, so we went with the old fashioned chocolate chocolate cake. It was better than most chocolate cakes but a bit too rich for me. It was large enough for two or three to share, and the almonds added some nice contrasting texture. A nice way to cap off the meal but not the best choice if you’re not a fan of sweet desserts.

The multiple hosts and hostesses that manned the hosted station and answered the phone were pleasant, truthful and accommodating as they could be. I had made a reservation on Opentable for prime time on a crowded Friday night but due to circumstances beyond my control, had to call several times to move it.
I started off with a drink at the bar (standing room only) while I waited for the table. It was worth the wait– my drink and the table were excellent.
I had the Final Frontier cocktail, a bourbon based drink with amaretto, lemon, and cinnamon. I would get this drink again. Delicious and it and other drinks were served in fancy glasses (next time I’ll bring a bigger purse– just kidding!!). The place was full of people mostly in the 30 – 40 year old range.
Once seated we were served classic chewy Italian bread. The butter had salt on it. I tried to resist…
We had brought our own wine and that went seamlessly. Our waiter (Sam?) brought big glasses out immediately and offered to open the wine. There is nothing more annoying than waiting for the opener or glasses as I have at other places. But not here– Sam was on it!
I started with the creamy burrata and it was heavenly! I would get this again despite that, even splitting it, it was filling.
I got the bass for my main course. My fish was really good but the skin a little fishy.
The Chicken was delicious– big portion as Sam warned.
The bourbon pecan pie with extra ice cream was delicious. Thin– not much of the gooey center. Ice cream awesome
Overall the place is a little loud but in a good way. There was music but I couldn’t really hear it. But it sounded like good music.
Valet parking.

DC Restaurant Week — Brunch Review
Before I begin my review, I have to acknowledge the horror that was Twist, which inhabited this space last year. This was a groupon scam that would not stop. I actually think the Georgetown location is still running… But it was the worst dining experience of my life. So I was so excited when I showed up to a last minute brunch, at the same location, to find that it was Up. Graded.
I tried to talk to the hostess about the space, but she and her colleagues were uninterested in engaging us in conversation. I wasn’t able to get much information about Riggsby, other than confirmation that they used to be Twist. It wasn’t very obvious, because the place was completely gutted and transformed. I wanted to get some information (for my review obviously) but they were being jerks. What I do know is that this is the same owner/​chef? as Tico. So this is a professional operation.
Which to this I just want to add — this strange trend of Hosts and Hostesses in nice DC restaurants acting bothered by customers… you need to get over yourself or get a new job. You are ruining the first impression, and it damages the hard work that every single other staff person in the restaurant is doing for the customer that you just pissed off.
Anyway — take a look at the Riggsby photos — the space is gorgeous. We opted for the restaurant week brunch so I can’t speak too much about the general menu. But the food is good enough. One of the appetizer options was a smoothie. That’s pretty unique! So nothing melted in my mouth but it’s good, solid food with good solid service. I recommend this to anyone looking for a relaxing semi-​upscale restaurant experience. I would absolutely come here again for a date or group dinner.

An excellent bar. The happy hour is terrific, including some classic cocktails like the «Nick and Nora Martini» and the «Nick and Nora Manhattan» for $ 6 each. Traditional glassware adds to the ambience.
French fries and potato chips and dip are also very tasty.
Bartenders are courteous and knowledgable.
One downside is no wifi except for guests of the hotel. The bar will not provide an access code.

Went to the Riggsby last night for the first time and had a great time — great food, good vibe, reasonable prices.
Arrived around 7pm for an 8:45 reservation hoping that we could maybe either be seated early or try to snag seats at the bar. The former didn’t happen, but after waiting for about 10 minutes, two seats opened up at the bar and that’s where we ended up dining. The bar (as well as the restaurant) is designed as a ‘supper club’ and I really liked the cool, casual, yet polished vibe. Our bartender was Alex who was helpful and friendly all evening.
Started off with a glass of bubbly for me, a gimlet for my husband, and an order of the chips and green onion dip and deviled eggs. My husband loved his cocktail and my bubbly was great. I really enjoyed the homemade chips, which were crunchy and not greasy at all. The dip was smooth with a great flavor. I also loved the deviled eggs, especially the hint of pepper on top. The filling was really smooth and flavors spot-​on.
We continued by ordering appetizers — the sauteed calamari and Caesar salad. I didn’t try any of my husband’s calamari, but he loved it and it looked fabulous. I liked my Caesar (if you’re not an anchovy fan, ask for them to leave them off, but they were fresh) which had great parmesean flavors.
We decided to split the NY strip filet at Alex’s recommendation. It was plenty for two (especially given all of the other food we ate). It came with crispy frites and the steak was cooked beautifully. My husband loved that the bernaise came on the side, which is nice so you can control how much you used.
The restaurant was busy all evening, and bar crowds ebbed and flowed. I can see why it is popular! I would definitely return.

Restaurant is a throwback to the dark wood panels era. Feels a bit stuffy, and definitely classy. Service was great, here are two examples: my partner spilled a bit of sauce on the table from the calamari dish, and the server came along and laid a clean napkin over the spot, so we could continue holding hands. Another was when we got the broccoli rabe removed from the check, because we both took a bite and disliked it. It might have been the vegetable itself, I was expecting more of an EVOO/​garlic flavor. That was nice of them to do that.
We got the heritage farm pork chop and the scallops. The pork chops were surprisingly spicy, but both of us liked that. The sausage in the dish was also very flavorful. I don’t eat seafood, but I enjoyed the vegetables in the scallop dish.
The bourbon pecan pie was rich and we tasted the bourbon. I was glad we shared the dessert because it might’ve been too much for me to finish by myself.
It was a good meal overall.

After a long flight & drive, hubby and I were starving and we inquired about grabbing some food at the Carlyle’s restaurant, The Riggsby. On Wednesday nights it closes at 10:30pm (the kitchen, NOT the bar). Uh Oh, it was 10:20pm. We swiftly entered the «keyhole» entrance to a loud & happening bar scene. Hostess sat us immediately to the restaurant portion and I was grateful that the restaurant portion of Riggsby was quieter and intimate.
Our server, Natalie, immediately greeted us and we grimaced telling her that we needed to eat STAT, although the kitchen was closing shortly. She assured us it was not a problem to get us some food before the kitchen closed. AWESOME. She put in our food order right away.
As each item was brought out, we were delighted with each dish. DELISH.
What did we try that first night (I specify first, because we returned several more times.)
Deviled Eggs: Excellent
Jalapeño Tator Tots: I only got to try one, hubby took these down
Mussels Mariniere: Great. Broth had a bit of a kick and the standard shallots, butter & chives
Barrel Cut NY Strip Filet cooked Medium Rare: Hubby told Natlie we wanted to split this and she had the kitchen split it in half on plates. NICE! (Usually, places just hand you an extra plate.)
Drinks:
Mule on the Mind: Excellent. We loved this twist on a Moscow Mule.
Glass of Bouchard Pinot Noir: Very Good and paired nicely with the NY Strip
Our dinner experience was definitely 5 stars. Service & Food was Outstanding.
However, we returned for breakfast & lunch and service wasn’t as spot on as it had been at dinner. Plus, I found a few items that I didn’t like from the menu.
Favorite additional items:
Breakfast: Maryland Crab Hash & poached eggs, crispy potatoes, piquillo peppers & old bay hollandaise. Excellent.
Beef Carpaccio-​shaved mushrooms, lemon arugula: delicate & light & tasty
Classic Caesar Salad: Lots of shaved parmesan & 2 anchovies. Yum.
Also, they carry a great Sancerre.
Items to pass on:
Avocado toast
Cheese plate
Cappuccino
The bar scene is happening and loud. Lots of people like to stop here and grab a drink. Because The Riggsby was just named as food critic, Tom Sietsema’s Top 10 restaurants in DC in the Washington Post, reservations strongly recommended on the weekend.

I don’t give out 5 stars too often, however, after discussing our meal here, my husband thought that The Riggsby was deserving when it came to 5 stars.
I subscribe to Zagat’s newsletter for DC. In the latest issue, they had a feature «8 Must Try Chicken Dishes in DC». On that list was The Riggsby’s «roasted chicken». That convinced me to give it a try. I normally don’t order roasted chicken when eating out because often it is dried out and flavorless. The way the dish was described by Zagat had me wanting to try it.
We made a reservation for 5 p.m. on a Saturday. It turned out that a reservation wasn’t necessary because at that hour, most people had gravitated to the bar for drinks and food items that are on the bar menu.
As other Unilocalers pointed out, The Riggsby is in the Carlyle Hotel. Upon entering the hotel, walk up a few steps and turn right. The entry to the restaurant is shaped like a keyhole.
The friendly hostess seated us immediately. Shortly thereafter, our server came to our table. He was friendly, efficient and knowledgeable about the menu. More than once, people who worked there asked if we had been here before. We told them it was our first time and how we came to know about the place.
We started with drinks. I had a cocktail called «Last Frontier». It consists of: «bourbon, amaretto, lemon and cinnamon». I was impressed with this drink as all the flavors were there and worked very well together. My husband ordered a French Chardonnay called «Nicholas Potel, Pouilly Fuisse (from Burgundy). He said it had a bit of a bite in the beginning but became smoother after a few sips.
For an appetizer, we chose «Creamy Burrata». It consists of: «with summer tomatoes, good olive oil and bottarga». After getting home, we looked up bottarga. It’s either grey mullet or tuna roe. It was grated over the burrata and gave it a somewhat fishy taste. The server was thoughtful enough to have the burrata served to us in separate plates which made it easier than having to divide it up ourselves. The heirloom tomatoes were at their peak and very flavorful. A piece of toasted bread was served with it and when the burrata was put on top of the bread, it cut down on the fishy flavor of the bottarga.
Of course, I ordered the roasted chicken and it was amazing! The skin was crispy and flavorful and the meat was tender and juicy. This dish also has in it: «with broccoli rabe, roasted potatoes and mustard». In addition, there were also a few pearl onions, some thinly slivered garlic and black peppercorns. The roasted potatoes were small ones that were perfectly roasted. The broccoli rabe was sauteed, and of course, on the bitter side. Yet I found that taking a forkful of chicken, broccoli rabe and potatoes caused the flavorings to meld together very well. My husband tried some of my chicken and he, too, was impressed.
My husband ordered «seared scallops». There are 5 scallops per plate. This dish also consists of: «with mushrooms, onions and peas». However, instead of peas, his dish had asparagus, which he didn’t mind. While he enjoyed the scallops, saying that they were cooked to perfection, he said that the veggies almost put the scallops to shame, they were that good. As he put it, they could have stood on their own.
We actually had some room for dessert. My husband had his eye on the strawberry shortcake which comes with Chantilly cream that is put between 2 biscuit halves. He said that the strawberries were ripe and flavorful and that the cream didn’t appear to have been sweetened but he liked it that way.
I had the Tahitian vanilla crème brûlée which was good with lots of vanilla beans. It also came with 2 strawberry slices, 2 blackberries, 2 blueberries and a sprig of mint. While I’ve had better crème brûlée, I found no fault with it here.
Service was excellent. The manager even stopped by to see how things were going. Our server was attentive without being obtrusive. Our table was cleared of dishes as soon as we were finished. We, of course, took photos and our server wondered about that and asked if they would be put online. I told him that they were going on Unilocal and let him know that they needed more photos of their food put on the page.
We really enjoyed our meal and I recommend that if you like roasted chicken, head on over to The Riggsby! The décor brings the 30’s and 40s to mind. The background music tended towards old Spanish and Cuban songs. Some of the dishware was colonial in design — so the design features weren’t very consistent but somehow it all worked out well.
Before the tip, dinner was $ 127 + change. A splurge to be sure but you can eat more cheaply at the bar or order less items than we did!

I found out the restaurant opens at 5 pm and no sooner when I slid the pocket doors to the sides and found no one at the hostess stand a few minutes before. After walking through the key shaped door frame to enter The Riggsby, I was immediately struck by the retro styled restaurant with its open kitchen, wood tables, deep leather booths, oak panels, wonky pictures, and white tablecloths. The restaurant is definitely larger than one would expect with plenty of bar area seating (some near a window) and plenty of dining room seating.
For awhile, a friend and I were the only ones there so we were careful not to speak too loudly as the number of workers outnumbered the diners. To my surprise, when we left around 6:45 pm last night, the number of people at the bar was quite large.
I believe our server’s name was Sam. He promptly greeted us and welcomed us and offered the drink and dinner menus. He came back a couple of times to check on us and asked if we had questions. I asked how large the NY strip filet was, and he told me it was about 8 — 9 ounces.
Complimentary bread and butter was offered with the bread being offered one slice at a time. It’s a typical rustic bread: porous with a good crunchy crust. I ended up eating three slices! :-(
My friend and I shared the chorizo stuffed mushrooms, which came in a group of six in a cast iron pan. Sam came over to ask how things were, and I told him it was very hot, but good. He asked if that meant temperature or spice level, and I indicated the former but noted there was some kick to the mushrooms.
Our dinners came out at the same time, with Sam pouring the cherry tomatoes, sausage, onions, and potatoes onto the pork chops at the table. I thought that was unusual and did not understand the rationale for that. My friend, who ordered the entrée, did not either.
We traded a couple of bites of our entrees. I really thought the pork chops and my steak were fantastic. Although I ordered the steak medium, it looked a little more medium rare, but no problem as it was juicy and tender and paired well with the spinach which had large and thin slices of garlic. The béarnaise sauce was an overindulgence. I could have done without the French fries and did so for the most part, as they were cold pretty quickly and before I could get to them, which is a good thing because I wanted dessert.
My friend and I split the old fashioned chocolate chocolate cake although he took two tiny bites, and I devoured the rest.
Dessert is my favorite course, and The Riggsby do not disappoint. (I wonder if I can come here and just eat dessert?) The chocolate cake had three layers interspersed with chocolate mousse and was coated with a chocolate shell. On top of that was a toasted coconut topping and a mint garnish, which Sam pointed out was the only thing left on the plate when he cleared it. The plate also had some caramel sauce, almonds, more coconut shavings, and a vanilla gelato. Note, it’s not ice cream and is slightly icier and more refreshing and light than ice cream. YUM!
Everything is very flavorful and service here was great. People came over to fill our glasses throughout our meals (I think things were a bit of a salt bomb for me. I ended up going home drinking more water and forcing fruit down to counter the salt intake); bread crumbs were swept away; plates were swapped; utensils changed as per our orders. Sam came over and asked us how things were and it was clear he was watching us without being obtrusive. Plates were cleared promptly, and only once, because I had cut a larger piece than I should have, was I caught with food in my mouth and did not answer right away.
Other random tidbits: We saw Chef Michael Schlow being photographed for the Post. I did notice the mismatched plates, and someone in a suit, whom I presume to be the GM, came over to check on my friend and me towards the end of the meal. I was very impressed with our experience and quality of food and service.