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District Chophouse & Brewery, 7th Street NW across from Capital One Arena, and Open at Dulles Airport


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I stopped into the District Chophouse for a post-hockey beer this week, and I'm aghast that I'd never been there before. I didn't realize they brewed their own beer, and the menu looks to be good steakhouse fare at a much lower cost than most steakhouses.

But all I had the chance to try was beer.* Who's been in to eat? I'm thinking of taking dad there next week when he's in town. Advisable? Recommendations?

*The bourbon stout was very interesting, but two of us thought it got pretty tired and overwhelming about a half pint in. The ale was terrific, and there are a lot of other interesting brews I'm interested in trying.

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I stopped into the District Chophouse for a post-hockey beer this week, and I'm aghast that I'd never been there before. I didn't realize they brewed their own beer, and the menu looks to be good steakhouse fare at a much lower cost than most steakhouses.

But all I had the chance to try was beer.* Who's been in to eat? I'm thinking of taking dad there next week when he's in town. Advisable? Recommendations?
*The bourbon stout was very interesting, but two of us thought it got pretty tired and overwhelming about a half pint in. The ale was terrific, and there are a lot of other interesting brews I'm interested in trying.

In my experience the beer has vastly outperformed the food (their mashed potatoes being an exception)

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District Chophouse is a fairly predictable chain restaurant. The beer, pizza, burgers, and salads are straitforward-not bad, edible, and fairly priced. It's not going to win any awards but I don't think anyone who eats there is expecting that. It is "safe food" and affordable for those who are afraid to eat outside a concept.

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District Chophouse is a fairly predictable chain restaurant. The beer, pizza, burgers, and salads are straitforward-not bad, edible, and fairly priced. It's not going to win any awards but I don't think anyone who eats there is expecting that. It is "safe food" and affordable for those who are afraid to eat outside a concept.

Exactly. If you are going to go, do so for happy hour at the upstairs bar and pay $2 for your drafts. Pizza and onion rings are solid, but this is not a place to go for original or exciting cooking.

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I didn't realize it was a chain. Where are the others?
What does this mean?

Chophouse is a chain with locations in Denver, Boulder, Cleveland and DC

To me "safe food" is really unfettered, simple and just for nourishment. If you look at the menu, it's nothing exciting or different. For example- a hamburger-basically a piece of meat with a bun and cheese(monterey Jack if your wild). Nothing that really requires culinary daring or special skills. Arguably, we can differentiate between quality of beef and toppings in a burger realm, but one doesn't go to chophouse to see what the Chef can do. Safe food is basically simple and without much imagination-which at times is just what we want, but please don't expect to be wowed or discuss its levels of culinary depth-because its just not there.

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To me "safe food" is really unfettered, simple and just for nourishment. If you look at the menu, it's nothing exciting or different. For example- a hamburger-basically a piece of meat with a bun and cheese(monterey Jack if your wild). Nothing that really requires culinary daring or special skills. Arguably, we can differentiate between quality of beef and toppings in a burger realm, but one doesn't go to chophouse to see what the Chef can do. Safe food is basically simple and without much imagination-which at times is just what we want, but please don't expect to be wowed or discuss its levels of culinary depth-because its just not there.

 
Sorry. I know what safe food is. I meant--what is "afraid to eat outside a concept"? Do you think people with a fondness for pub grub are skittish or unadventurous eaters?

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I posted about the Chophouse a few weeks ago on another thread and my post was deleted, probably because it was in an inappropriate thread.

Anyway, I went to the Chophouse recently and found the food to be incredibly blah. I had some sort of a chicken sandwich, but one of my dining companions ordered the pizza and could not eat it. The crust looked like a big cracker and the toppings like Chef Boyardee.

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Sorry. I know what safe food is. I meant--what is "afraid to eat outside a concept"? Do you think people with a fondness for pub grub are skittish or unadventurous eaters?

 
No, not generally. I personally enjoy pub grub if it fits the occassion or whim, just like I would go to Charleston or Eve if I wanted a truly special dining experience. But I think many people who don't have a passion for food, unlike most people on this site, tend to eer on the side of caution or a budget. If it's not meat and potatoes, chicken, or a Caesar salad with chicken on top, many folks won't venture to try something different. Obviosly it's not one size fits all, but I think that the majority of people who frequent chains as their go to choices for dining are lost on the independent restaurant concept and are denying themselves some good times. BTW-don't be a stranger-would love to see you back for a glass of wine wink.gif

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No, not generally. I personally enjoy pub grub if it fits the occassion or whim, just like I would go to Charleston or Eve if I wanted a truly special dining experience. But I think many people who don't have a passion for food, unlike most people on this site, tend to eer on the side of caution or a budget.  If it's not meat and potatoes, chicken, or a Caesar salad with chicken on top, many folks won't venture to try something different. Obviosly it's not one size fits all, but I think that the majority of people who frequent chains as their go to choices for dining are lost on the independent restaurant concept and are denying themselves some good times. BTW-don't be a stranger-would love to see you back for a glass of wine wink.gif

 
Yeah, I agree. Most times I pop into a chain out of ease or laziness, and I end up chiding myself for settling for the middling glop I'm served. Then I wonder why, then I eat well for another for six months, then I get lazy... Lather, rinse, repeat. rolleyes.gif

Thanks for the invite! Now if I can just start getting out of the office at a reasonable hour, I'll take you up on it!

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District Chophouse is a fairly predictable chain restaurant. The beer, pizza, burgers, and salads are straitforward-not bad, edible, and fairly priced. It's not going to win any awards but I don't think anyone who eats there is expecting that. It is "safe food" and affordable for those who are afraid to eat outside a concept.

 
I think you've summarized District Chophouse perfectly. Not a bad steak in there but not great. Less expensive than the traditional chain big boys but can't touch RTS. I'm a fan of their beer, although I think that bourbon stout is far too sweet and to me is undrinkable.

I'll add that I very much like the decor of the place. Not only downstairs, but the smaller lounge and pool tables at the upstairs bar. The piped in 40's music is also an attraction. I'm a fan. Stay away just before or after gametime if you don't like crowds.

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I agree.... it's not a bad place once in a while.... but not habit forming. Service is slow here. I do like the upstairs lounge, particularly when I get there early enough to grab the couch. And the beer is decent. Re: the food.... it's a bar, if you keep to bar food, you'll do ok. Overorder.... and you're bound for disappointment. I almost always get the chicken sandwich with swiss + bacon + honey mustard.

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happyguy's post above is the perfect description. A lot of my coworkers love this place, so I have been more times than I would like, and they are all the type of people who would be happy if they could eat hamburgers, french fries, pizza, and pub appetizers for every single meal. Not to say that there's anything wrong with that, but I don't even think they do a particularly good job of executing on any of those things, they are all really generic versions of those types of dishes.

Order the onion rings as an appetizer, they're the best thing I've tried on that menu.

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Over the weekend a friend mentioned a good meal they'd recently had here. I happened to be walking by at lunchtime yesterday and remembered the compliment.

$18 lunch of a sizable medium-rare New York strip, cheese mashed potatoes, and a skillet of freshly baked corn bread. High concept fare it was not, but it definitely was a good meal at a good price.

So mark this down as another place added to my Penn Quarter lunch rotation of Cedar, America Eats, Zaytinya, Jaleo, Fiola, and Zengo.

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