Wicked Bloom

I waited for over 45 mins for a carry out order: showstopper with fries, potato salad and an extra side of brisket. While the two guys were very apologetic during the 45 min wait, the order came out without sides and cold. So then I waited some more for what I was promised would be a «ton of fries and some extra wings.» What I got was a few fries from the bottom of the pan and 3 tiny cold wings. If I had not already been waiting for an hour at this point, I would have gone back in to complain. I get the «growing pains» of a new location but Wicked Bloom is a shell of the awesomeness that DCity Smokehouse use to be.

The best brisket in DC! I’d give it another star if it had more ambiance. The first time we went, we sat at the bar. The light was dim and it felt like, well, like a restaurant. The next time we went, we sat at a table. The lights were bright, we had to go to the bar to order our food and it felt more like a carry out spot that happened to have seats. It almost seemed as if they didn’t WANT people to stay. Hoping that was just an off night.

I ordered a just a single sandwich to go, that was 28 minutes ago. There are 12 people here and it’s 3:30 on a Saturday. The ventilation system must be down because there is a thick smoke in the air, it’s not the good kind. There is a 5 year old running food.
I’m going to keep typing until my brisket sandwich comes.
I could write about the several people who are dining in and do not have water or anything to drink in front of them.
No, I think I’ll write about the smoke. It is awful. It’s BBQ smoke and it’s not appealing.
32 minutes for one sandwich.
Just a sandwich
Wait. I see a young lady boxing up some food.
Here it comes. Fantastic. Won’t be back.

Delicious, delicious, delicious! We had one of the platters that came with wings, rib tips, ribs and your choice of a ½ lb of meat plus 2 sides. We opted for the brisket, collard greens, and potato salad. The wings were the truth; would certainly come back for just a very big plate of those. They were perfectly crispy on the outside. They really don’t need sauce but they did have 3 options on the table. A bbq sauce, some kind of white sauce that was great, and a ranch that I wasn’t a huge fan of. The collard greens had a bit of sweetness to them; yummy. Also had a selection of beers and a full bar. My only complaint was the ventilation… my hair does smell a bit like a bbq smoke pit– but so worth it.

OK so not sure where to start I think the best thing to say is they are still on a learning curve. The food you should stick to the sandwiches they are the best. Wings are good too. The ribs came out a little cold and should have been warmed up more or however they do it. The Pork Belly was not that good, had a blah taste to it and it was overcome by fat. This is why I say stick to the sandwiches they are good! The greens are spicy and served a little runny with juice but I get it. The potato salad was good. So why only 3 stars well they are a bar too. The selection is good but the service was OK but not really great. One guy knew what he was doing, a gin and tonic gets a glas filled with ice then the gin then the tonic and lime. The other guy a couple of cubes that melted before we got to the table and soda water insisting it was tonic even after he was asked. The drink was returned by me to the guy that knew what he was doing. The other guy gives me a beer in a brandy glass, yeah why you don’t have bottle beer in a BBQ place is beyond me! Then for my second beer it was warm, did you not feel it warm? My 3^rd beer I went to the guy that knew what he was doing and he gave me a cold beer so its not like you didn’t have any!
The place is pretty cool but loud outside with all the traffic. Inside is comfortable and very friendly staff to greet you. I’ll go back but sticking to the sandwiches and to the bartender that knows what he is doing. It’s an art people don’t screw it up!

3.5 Stars
I realize that Truxton Circle is starved for nightlife/​dining options, but the mob scene here early on a recent Friday night was incredible. With DCity Smokehouse around the corner now closed pending the opening of their new sit down location in Bloomingdale, this is THE spot to get your BBQ fix as was evidenced by the crowd.
After managing to snag a corner of a table, my buddy and I shared the «Bacon and Eggs» (eggs topped with pork belly and a few cucumber slices thrown in for good measure) which was, predictably, excellent, but I can’t say that I’m a fan of the set up. You order your food when you come in and the line stretched to the door, which was confusing for those that just wanted a drink. Speaking of drink, they only have four drafts, including Victory Storm King Porter, but you can get a Narragansett tall-​boy with a shot of Dickel for $ 4.
Hopefully as more options in the area open (I’m looking at you Anxo and DCity) things will quiet down a bit, but for now, manage your expectations.

I love the vibe of this place! The service was great and the music is good! I just wish the food was better.
What I ordered:
Brisket nachos: I’ll pass on this. I think briskets are delicious on their own. So when a place decides to smother it in beans, guacamole, and sour cream, I am skeptical. The chips aren’t anything special. They tasted like those giant Costco bag of tortilla chips. The beans and bbq sauce just over power the brisket. I don’t recommend this.
Chicken wings: I prefer my chicken wings fried and crispy. However, I did like the wings. The meat was falling off the bones. Overall, the dry rub was good.

To a proud, Trump-​voting member of the Floridian peasantry like me, one who typically watches E! or Joel Osteen’s Revival Worship GodCast while inhaling Taco Bell® Doritos® Fritos® Locos Chalupa Slammers™ and drinking Mountain Dew™, this place was a real winner. I guess some foodie types disagree, but I was thrilled with the whole experience.
We had several hours to kill before leaving your fair city, and ended up here completely by accident. We proceeded to bless up, which could mean anything you want it to. In this case, it meant eating some very tasty meats. I recall some chicken wings and some ribs. Both meats were good; the ribs were a bit dry, especially after cooling off. However, we were able to bless them up with three outstanding sauces. For those of us with unrefined palates, anything can become delicious with the right sauce.
One complaint is regarding the cole slaw. It was blessed up a bit too much with pepper, to the point where about 15% of the mass and 100% of the taste were pepper alone.

Go here. Seriously, great smoked meats. I had the sampler which came with smoked brisket, ribs, Pork belly and chicken. Every bit was outrageously good. We had greens, potato salad and beans. They were all very good, the collard greens were the best I have ever had. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. Great selection of local craft beers as well.

Was so excited to try this place because of all the good stuff I heard. GF and I came in on a Saturday night and sat at the bar. First issue: service! They barely said hi to us and took us forever to get their attention to order some drinks. The beer selection was pretty good, we ordered a couple tasty brews.
We also got a BBQ platter to share. The food was good, but nothing to rave about. The best was the chicken, IMHO, which I am shocked by, because I’m a big red meat lover. They don’t have mac and cheese as a side… we got the crispy onions which were delish (and not on the menu) and the potato salad, which was ok.
Overall, it was just OK, food was good but not good enough to make me forget the bad service (if you serve me amazing food, I would be so distracted by it that I would probably forget bad service, but unfortunately that didn’t happen here). Also, we both got stomach aches after? So most likely that’s my first and last time there.

This place is pretty cool. Nice beer list that offers $ 5 craft beer happy hour. I ordered the chicken wings and rib tip combo with one side. So tasty! The potato salad was to die for! I wanna go back for a platter of BBQ.

Having been a DCITY regular, going to Wicked Bloom is like seeing a close friend take up with a terrible new girlfriend who is ruining him in every way. Its tragic, because we know Wicked Bloom has great roots, but this new style is terrible, and worse, the food is not that good anymore.
A) Service. Extremely slow. At DCITY you could be in and out during the time it took us to place an order at Wicked Bloom.
B) Atmosphere. Old people and tote-​bearing hipster dudes. Basically, people who read about this place in Washingtonian, and don’t actually care for food. and DCITY’s rap music is now replaced with pop.
C) Food. Not good. Just two examples, the brisket chili literally had NO brisket. None. The wings were dry and largely flavorless. The meats are still tasty, but the rest of the experience makes it not worth it.
Considering how good DCITY was as just a walk in, its shocking how bad Wicked Bloom is. Pour one out for those no longer with us…

Wicked Bloom is a decent place but nothing overly special. I was there during happy hour, place is on the small size with a small bar and several times, nice open window looking out on the street. Bathrooms are unisex but spacious and clean.
Staff is decent, place wasn’t overly packed but was filled up as the night went on, no table service, orders are taken at the bar and food and drink are picked up there as well.
Decent happy hour special, mainly focused on rail drinks and the different beers on tap, in the bottle and can.
I had their version of a BLT, no bacon but pork belly, pork belly was tasty and moist, nice flavor, pork belly is not ideal on a sandwich because it is chewy and falls off the bread easily. Lettuce and tomato were fresh and this sandwich was pretty good overall.
I would return for the BBQ but I’m not crazy about the bar as a whole.

Yeah. About Wicked Bloom… No.
When I went to Wicked Bloom a few weeks ago, I was highly disappointed. I live about 3 blocks away, so I walk by the place all of the time. I always wanted to go inside but never had time, so the one day I did have time, I went in and walked right on out. The woman at the front was being rude and I just didn’t have time for it.
A friend of mine also wondered what it was like in there so she convinced me to go back there with her. Listen, I’m not going back in there again.
The bartender was also the waitress and she was just inattentive and almost mean. She did not seem like she even felt like being there or looking at us.
We ordered some sliders and they were ok. My friend’s drink was also pretty good, or so she said. My drink was some booty. I sent it back… and I hate sending things back. I usually try to just make it work. Didn’t work. Couldn’t work. Wouldn’t work. And the bartender was so cold and mean-​acting, that I didn’t mind sending that drink back one bit.
The drink wasn’t one off of the menu. It was just something I asked her to make… like a cranberry and vodka with a splash of pineapple… because she couldn’t do anything with an order for a «fruity and potent» drink. That’s fine… not all bartenders are creative. But at least you could send me a cranberry vodka with a splash of pineapple that doesn’t taste like all pineapple (no cranberry and no vodka)…the drink was actually an off yellow color.
I don’t even feel like writing about this place any more. It’s exhausting. Food is good… Nothing else is worth visiting for… in my opinion.

Absolutely loved this place. My wife and I have never been and she’s been craving BBQ so I decided to cave. She’s been wanting to try this place, and I’m not a huge fan of BBQ so I prolonged as much as possible.
The seating is minimum. You do have to seat yourselves AFTER you order at the bar. I didn’t like that process. They do being out your food for you and clean up after, so still tip well. We ordered the BBQ sample platter; it had ribs, brisket, and a side.
I’m not much of an expert on BBQ, but my wife seemed to enjoy it. I love seeing her so happy when she likes something. The ribs were on point. BBQ does come on the side so don’t expect your meat to be smothered by BBQ. It’s pretty good sauce also. The brisket is fatty so heads up. As for the sides, I enjoyed my cole slaw and my wife was slightly disappointed with her potato salad.
They also didn’t have wipes for you which is slightly disappointing since your hands get messy after a while.
Definitely try this place out for their pop up, DC Smokehouse. We’ll definitely be back.

You know how sometimes you would drive all the way to DCity Smokehouse to pick up your delicious summer BBQ treat just wishing for a second they had extra counter space? Here it is!
Shady, rough and dark are the surroundings. Cozy, buzzing and lively is the inside. The two together make a perfect mix, with the bar still unknown enough to get a spot here any day. It is very laid back, very well priced and a perfect place for a larger group. The menu runs a bit small for my taste, but the best thing — you can just grab whatever you want at the Smokehouse around the corner (they will even bring you the menu!) — and enjoy it here alongside yummy cocktails the bartenders fix.
Come and enjoy the place before the DC building frenzy turns this into another ‘up and coming’ (aka overpriced) neighborhood!

After a long trip from NY, looking for a decent spot in the area for a quick drink and a quiet atmosphere. Walked into this place late on a Friday and surprised to see plenty of tables available.
Kitchen just closed (midnight) so settled on drinks instead. Local drafts at $ 5 for a 16oz. They were out of one of the beers I wanted so got the DC Brau Pilsener. Took to an empty table and was able to have a conversation since they got the memo that blaring music at a bar can get annoying.
Food looked okay walking by, but the real reason to be here is for a few drinks with friends. Also would be a good pregame spot.

We were staying with friends nearby on a Friday night and they all slept at 10pm so we decided to go find a bar on our own! Stumbled upon this place at around midnight and decided to check it out. It wasn’t crowded and there were several tables available. Very nice, chill atmosphere and quiet enough to have a conversation. I tried the Star Wars themed The Force Awakens cocktail ($ 10). It was a very different combination of flavors but one that grew on me the more I had. It was fairly strong, too, so you get your money’s worth. We had just missed the kitchen cut-​off at midnight so didn’t get to try any food but it looked awesome. If I’m in the area again, I’d love to come back a bit earlier to try more drinks and the food. Solid choice if you need a chill place to grab a drink with friends.

Ummmm YUM! Bring outta towners here.
With a rotating menu, it can go either way, but this place knows exactly what they are doing. They tickle your taste buds in both the eats and drinks categories!
Eats:
The half smoke chili dog was outstanding. The spices of the chili and snap of the half-​smoke brings memories of home! Hold on to your hats for this one, if you aren’t interested in anything with a kick, this might not be the dish for you. The half smoke had a kick that [personally, I think] anyone can handle.
Brisket Nachos– They weren’t amazing by any stretch of the means, but with that being said I also don’t think this is the place you come to order nachos. On that note, there is always room for improvement when it comes to nachos. More jalapenos, keep the cheese warm and the brisket was at the bottom, which kinda stunk because it was cold and there were just a few shavings.
Drinks:
Happy hour 5−7pm with Moscow Mules and Drafts for $ 5.
There are some really creative drink names, which I am into. The Brian What Are We Doing Tonight is a solid cocktail choice. Cocktails here aren’t too adventurous, so give it a try.
I would come back to this neighbor joint. Get a half smoke. Get a local brew and enjoy the atmosphere and company around you.

This place gets an extra star for opening up in a dodgy part of Bloomingdale/​Truxton Circle. The best thing to clean up North Capital is to keep getting new businesses to open, so bravo to Wicked Bloom (and Pub & The People) for your commitment to the neighborhood.
I knew I would like this place when I heard the DCity guys were opening up a bar around the corner. DCity, despite its popularity, has maintained humility and a great neighborhood feel, and Wicked Bloom expands on that.
I stopped by to check it out briefly while on the North Capital Art All Night tour. The crowd was diverse and the place had a great energy. We stood at the corner of the bar and ordered two beers. Despite it being super packed, the bartender was very nice and managed the crowd like a pro!
The décor of the place is awesome, I’m especially impressed by the re-​purposed «S» presumably from the previous occupant Subway! They also did a great job with the layout, leaving a ton of space in the entrance area for people to mill around while drinking their beers.
I can’t wait to try some food at Wicked Bloom, or even pick up some DCity and bring it over!