November 21, 2006
Breakfast Among Friends
Breakfast at Dos Gringos feels like--and kind of is--dining at an eclectic friend’s place. Signs in the converted Mount Pleasant row house gently remind company that it’s a cell phone-free zone. Mismatched tables and chairs make it feel homey. Fresh squeezed juice is served in soda fountain glasses, and the coffee in house mugs. Thankfully, though, the café stops short of getting too cutesy. The fare isn’t completely vegetarian, but it’s definitely a wee bit Birkenstock with Tex-Mex leanings. We wouldn’t go there expecting to gorge on a stack of pancakes with a slab of bacon, but rather to partake in a light, fresh breakfast with a twist.
Previous attempts at breakfast taught us that Dos Gringos often sells out by noon, so we phoned ahead for a status report. After hearing that there was only one customer (which wouldn’t last long), we were urged to “come on in for great service.” And great, friendly service we got, even as a crowd poured into the small dining room. After ordering at the counter, the cashier handed us a toy fish to identify our table to the wait staff. We were promptly served at our table in front of the sunny bay window. The pre-ordering system is so fetch (sorry, I just watched “Mean Girls”) because it means someone knows we’re here and we don’t have to spend twenty minutes trying to flag down a waitress to place an order.
We could’ve done with a quick continental breakfast, with their wide selection of breads and espressos, but that seemed like a waste of such an adventurous menu. We shied away from the fried kosher salami and opted for veggie sausage instead, which was a mistake. The two ginger snap-sized sausage patties had that weird aftertaste that plagues most fake meats. We fared better with the Cilantro Egg Wrap. Our cilantro scrambled eggs with slivered onions were wrapped in a spinach tortilla – one of several from a rotating tortilla selection – swathed in a layer of Havarti cheese and then drizzled with chipotle salsa. They got a little wrap happy, though, as mucho tortilla layers dwarfed the egg filling. But we were otherwise pleased. Our peppery roasted potatoes came topped with cheese and chipotle salsa, which lent some appreciated heat.
Next time our friend has us over, we’ll try the frittata, then the Mexicali toast (a bagel toasted with veggie chili), then the Belgian waffles with fresh fruit. Dos Gringos is one friend’s house where we can never wear out our welcome.
Dos Gringos
3116 Mount Pleasant St., NW
(202) 462-1159
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Good God, I didn't think the health department could let a place like this exist. Dos Gringos is hell on earth for like 500 different reasons. Crap food, disturbingly silent atmosphere, general feeling of dirtiness, rude and uninviting staff, shabby decor. In a contest of "cruddiest establishment in DC," I'd give Dos Gringos the narrow victory over Adams Morgan's very own Dan's Place. I'm sorry, I love the idea of indie shops and catering to a settled DC population, but people, let's have some friggin standards.
Interesting comments. I've enjoyed Dos Gringos for the last couple of years, but refuse to go back now. I've never understood how you continually "run out of breakfast" each and every week. Simply plan to make more, the demand is there. That aside, the service there has been nothing short of rude on every visit. If they've completely changed staff I might give them another shot, but I've even been treated poorly by one of the owners.
Maybe they just hate people named Jeff. Every time I've been in Dos Gringos I've been treated extremely terribly by the staff (I think she's one of the owners). I don't mean to knock a place, and the food is pretty good, but she was quite possibly the rudest person I've ever come across in a customer service setting. And it happened, not once, but twice. Stay away from Dos Gringos.
Hmm. No one has ever been rude to me at Dos, it never seemed particularly dirty, and sure, they were out of the frittata once, but when I've gotten there early enough on the weekends, it's been pretty tasty. The food can be hit or miss overall, but the main reason I don't go more is that the dining room is tiny and I don't feel like jockeying for a table when it's busy.
Of course, I don't think there's any restaurant in DC you could post about without getting comments like those above. Someone always hates every place. I'd say Dos Gringos is unfortunately like most all the places in Mt. P; okay, but not really worth a trip for if you don't live there.
I'd say Dos Gringos is unfortunately like most all the places in Mt. P; okay, but not really worth a trip for if you don't live there.
Sounds like a Tex-Mex Jimmy T's.
Im with you. I love the idea of Dos Gringos, I love Mt Pleasant and I'd love to be a regular at a place like that, but no amount of indie credibility can hide the fact that their food is consistantly bad, the staff is indifferant at best, and the coffee isnt even good! In fact, why doesnt someone open a nice little place in MtP with good coffee and a few good sandwiches and breakfasts? Like a Sparkeys or something.
After deciding not to go to Dos Gringos anymore I made the mistake of going to Marx Cafe once. That has to be the most absurd place I've ever been. After waiting 45mins to be served cold Sysco food the bill for breakfast came to almost $30 for two people. Hardly food for the proletariat.
I once had a Dos Gringos waiter yell at me (loudly, and in front of several customers) for not holding the door open for him - even though I couldn't see him - while he was carrying plates of food. I also enjoy being admonished for wanting waffles after 10:30 a.m. I don't care how close it is to my house, I don't patronize places that treat me like I'm a child.
I've had nothing but singularly horrible customer service experiences at Dos Gringos. The last time I went I had to go through two menu options before finding something that they weren't out of, and then waited 45 minutes for a sandwich. A sandwich! Meat, bread, cheese, boom, done. I shudder to think what would have happened if I'd asked them to toast it...
Like most commenters (and a discussion thread on the Mt. P message board), I like the *idea* of Dos Gringos, but just can't enjoy anything about the reality of it. There are better options in Mt. P, including Tonic (far better for brunch than dinner) and Hellers (just don't expect to sit down). Hell, for that matter, I'd prefer to go to Don Jaimes.
This glowing review would surprise me more if I weren't so generally mystified about how this place manages to be busy all the time.
The food and coffee are acceptable at best and I have to strenuously agree with the other readers' complaints about the service.
In a city notorious for rude service, Dos Gringos rivals the dreaded CVS. Once, I witnessed an employee actually yelling at a customer for forgetting to lock the bathroom door.
As another commenter noted, the presence of Marx Cafe in the neighborhood is the only thing saving Dos Gringos from the distinction of having the worst service in Mt. Pleasant.
(Oddly enough, my name is also Jeff.)
I really wish this place was good, but it's not. I live close by, and tried it many times just to support a neighborhood business. No more. It's dirty, the food is awful, and the owner and staff are incredibly rude.
Wow, if I lived closer I'd check this place out, simply because my name isn't Jeff. :)
I got to say, I'm with the commenters. The food is fine but it's often really difficult to find a table, and the staff is RUDE. All there is too it. Rude, indifferent, the food is often cold, if they're not out of it. I think with better management this place has the possiblity of being great, though.
Dos Gringos = the worst place in America. Dogwood bark has no place in a six-dollar "fruit bowl," "iced coffee" does not mean "please pour boiling coffee into a cup of ice to make tepid latrine swill," and doucherockets who quite clearly don't want to be bothered by customers shouldn't, you know, front a business.
Dear benevolent God: please smite this place with extreme prejudice and replace it with a chicken and waffles shack, or at the very least, a smoldering tire fire.
I live in Columbia Heights...so now I feel obligated to check this out, just so I can have an opinion about it.
Re: the first poster and the comment about Dos Gringos being only slightly worse than Dan's Cafe (not Place)...Dan's is a tavern (C/T license and everything) and doesn't serve food, so you can't compare the two.
Dos Gringos food isn't great, but at least they have more interesting fare at a lower price than the other breakfast spots around the area. The Fritata is always decent, as is the special, and most of the sandwiches aren't bad either.
The staff aren't the most professional, but it's not really that kind of joint. I've only ever seen them be mean to people acting like total douchebags. And while the dining room doesn't have that sterile hospital feel to it that commentors appear to prefer, I've eaten at the bar plenty of times and the kitchen looks more than adequately clean.
Also it's one of the few brunch spots in town that has a reasonable number of vegetarian options.
I probably wouldn't come from very far away to go there, but all things considered I think it's a great neighborhood joint and better than most places I've been in DC with the same price range.
woolf - You are my new god. I will pay your bail.
I find it amusing that some residents beg and plead for tiny, quaint, mom-and-pop businesses and when they get them, a lot of them turn out to be completely lousy. These are the same people who rant about corporate necrophile vampire stores putting these same mom-and-pop dumps out of business.
Just because it's a chain (like Chipotle, for instance) doesn't mean it sucks. Conversely, just because it's a small, local, minority-owned shop that pays a living wage and uses only free-range, cruelty-free tofu doesn't mean they know how to run a business.
Dos Gringos is by far the worst eating establishment I've been to in D.C. I could forgive the food being subpar if only the service made up for it. When they don't "run out" of food, they make it a habit of ignoring your presence. The first and last time I went there with my girlfriend for brunch, the man behind the counter (I believe the owner) gave us a plastic elephant for our table after we ordered and paid for the food. So, we then went to sit down with this supposed marker. One would imagine this is a sign for the wait staff that you have paid but not received your food yet. We sat at the table for 25 minutes. No one said a thing to us. Apparently, our food had been sitting with the man at the counter all of this time and he never bothered to let us know. It was now cold, however even if warmed up would have been terrible. What exactly was this elephant for?!? On another note, he did feel obligated to harrass the girl next to us about being on her phone. A loud talker would have been annoying. But she was quitely discussing something with her friend and not bothering a soul. I know this is supposed to be a quiant restaurant with a touch of home, but let's face it Mr. Owner. Get off your high horse. This is not your house. Next time, perhaps you should take care of your "guests" before you start belittling them with your house rules. NEVER again.
I'm comparing the two because my presence in both inspires thoughts of shutguns in my mouth and throwing babies against a wall.
I wish that Dos Gringos had good food. But really, it's quite bad. Everything is pre-made. The potatoes often seem microwaved and the fritatta (for the writer's sake) is not . For good Mt. Pleasant brunch go to Don Jaime's. It's cheaper, fresher and they don't run out of things.
n fact, why doesnt someone open a nice little place in MtP with good coffee and a few good sandwiches and breakfasts? Like a Sparkeys or something.
----------
You are describing Heller's Bakery.
Don
Also, it's just not fair to compare anything to Dan's Cafe. Dan's is the most disgusting petri dish in the entire mid-Atlantic. God bless them for serving alcohol by the flask (although when the moved from just handing you the flask to pouring it into a glass, the novelty was gone) but I'd be willing to bet there are five different strains of bird flu alive in those bathrooms.
Sorry to harp on this, but this place is really quite awful, and I have free time, so I'm obliged to spread the gospel, esp. when I read something like this:
"Dos Gringos food isn't great, but at least they have more interesting fare at a lower price than the other breakfast spots around the area."
Yes, well, I used the same reasoning when it came time for my bi-annual cosmetic surgery, and it's how I ended up with this hook-nose.
By which, I mean pirate hook. It's interesting -- a conversation piece, certainly -- and mighty convenient when I need to speed down a zipline and my hands are full, but that doesn't mean it's worth a singular flopping damn.
Pleasant Mounters: don't settle.
Perhaps it's time for IHOP or Denny's to make moves into the district. Maybe miserable food, but at least you know what you're getting yourself into.
New city proposal: Ginormous Denny's for former Convention Center site!
Fear not local business proponents--Dos Gringo's can keep rodents away from our new city gem by lining 11th and 9th Sts with a wall of past-due, dry tortillas.
That's the thing, at least with Denny's, you know what you're getting. If you're not white, they'll give you lousy service, keep you waiting for hours for a table, and probably spit in your soup.
The least Dos Gringos should do is put up a sign on their front door saying, "Our food is lousy, we yell at you, and we treat customers like a shoe filled with cat poo."
I tried to like do gringos, really really hard. The first time I went I had a flavorless vegentarian chili.The second time I had the worst chai latte of my life accompanied by rock frosted with toothpaste masquerading as a cucpcake. I actually liked the service but stopped going after paying for food I hated, twice.
I tried really, really hard to like Dos Gringos. The first time I went I had a flavorless vegentarian chili.The second time I had the worst chai latte of my life accompanied by rock frosted with toothpaste that was masquerading as a cucpcake. I actually liked the service but stopped going after paying for food I hated, twice.
The breakfast places in Oakland are a daily snapshot of who hooked up with whom the night before, and where the food is totally secondary to the ritual of keeping the nookie database current.
come, come. it's really not *that* bad.
they have nice outdoor seating looking out to a lively street venue. the food is fine. not great, but fine. i've never personally had a problem with the customer service--they just seem a bit understaffed. in fact, i always thought they handled the stress well. shows what i know.
as they say, it's easy to criticize..
The people who run Dos Gringos should be ashamed of their coffee. I've had a better cup of joe at a Jersey Turnpike rest area (shudder). Don't even get me started about their baked "goods".
If any of you had the cream cheese at the Dupont location of Chesapeake Bagels between 1987 and 1990, you have tasted the seminal fluid of a crackhead named Rod who used to work in the back. Trust me, I know. So consider yourself lucky that all you are getting at Dos Gringos is bad food and service.
What the hell, I'll pile on Dos Gringos too. I've lived in MtP for 4 years and every time I've been there it's been a disappointment, with the exception of their ice cream, which is quite good. The food is merely okay and the service is generally terrible. Sadly the best you can do for 'brunch' in this neighborhood is a donut from Heller's.
okay, so this place blows, but where are the good breakfast places? don't crush the hopes of a west coast transplant who just wants some home fries on sunday!
New city proposal: Rod's House of Semen for former Convention Center site!
"as they say, it's easy to criticize.."
And apparently hard to run a brunch joint that doesn't suck. After 33 comments the breakdown is 16 extremely negative, 13 that expressed no discernible opinion, and 3 positive (with one double post). And even the three positive reviews feature such glowing language as:
"The food can be hit or miss overall, but the main reason I don't go more is that the dining room is tiny and I don't feel like jockeying for a table when it's busy."
And
"Dos Gringos food isn't great, but at least they have more interesting fare at a lower price than the other breakfast spots around the area."
And
"come, come. it's really not *that* bad."
That's not a ringing endorsement, and it seems like the consensus of commenters isn't anywhere near the review that was given. Hell, even the reviewer says "Previous attempts at breakfast taught us that Dos Gringos often sells out by noon." I'd be interested in *when* this particular DCist went by- in a half hour after opening?
Yes, there will always be negative reviews of any restaurant. I'm sure that some people have had bad experiences at Galileo and 1789. But that shouldn't serve as cover for places that pretty objectively suck.
Wow, guys. Opinionated much? I love this gig because I never can predict what'll strike a nerve. *Dies laughing reading comments*
I got great service, but I went very early and was the second or third customer there. However, if all of you are PAST ready to torch the place, I'm inclined to believe you.
I can only write about my personal experience, which happened to be pleasant. But I can't defend a place based on one visit and one dish, especially when all evidence points to the contrary. There are places I WOULD defend 'til death, but this is not one of them. Thanks for all your comments.
I’ve lived in Mt. Pleasant for around 7 years and went to Gringo’s everyday for morning coffee for years. That was until the morning of 9/11. I had no idea what was happening, just groggy/slightly hung over, stumbling into Gringo’s for coffee on my way to work.
I was greeted by a kid who informed me what was happening and he was practically cheering all of the events on. I believe he had an interest in some sort of “anarchist” way of living based upon the conversations I had heard him have while in there in the past. I’m pretty sure he was also the younger brother of that hack job writer, Jason Cherkis, for the Washington City Paper.
I’ve never gone back since because I would not be able to control my rage and anger if I ever saw him again.
To you, wannabe anarcho punk, I sincerely hope that that was a phase you were going through at the time and that you’ve grown up some in the years since.
PS…Dos Gringos, if I wanted microwave eggs and sandwiches, I’d do it myself at home.
Sorry guys and gals, but having read these comments my overwhelming opinion is--you had it coming to you. Why would one even venture in to Mount Pleasant? It's not pleasant, the food sucks, it's not safe, and you don't see a popped collar ANYWHERE. Radius!? Is that the best MtP can do? Some half-assed pizza place that doesn't light a candle to a nameless mom and pop shop in NYC. You can pile Dos Gringos in with the rest with them...they should level MtP and make it a parking garage for people coming in to Adams Morgan for some real food.
I used to be a stoner and work in a bagel shop. I know what it's like. But never ever never ever did it take 45 minutes for me to put together someone's order. Never did I yell at or otherwise shit on a paying customer.
I miss a lot of stuff about living in Mount Pleasant, but Dos Gringos ain't one of 'em.
I'm enjoying this thread. Instead of being boosters for mediocre restaurants all in the interest of neighborhoodliness, we need a flame forum where we can rip on the bad ones. They shouldn't be propped up, they should fail, and I'm all for helping speed things along. We should all demand and expect better.
Forgot to mention . . . I was dismayed during the big blizzard when it took them over 24 hours past the end of the storm to shovel their walk. Not exactly neighborhood friendly behavior, is it?
I know SO many guys who would patronize a place called Rod's House of Semen. Not too many ladies though, unfortunately. But the queens I know would patronize THE HELL out of it.
Sadly I just moved around the corner from Dos Gringos and thought I may have found a decent place for brunch sandwiches etc.
I have to take it from you posters (except that guy talking about the lack of popped collars--what a douchebag) that Dos Gringos sucks.
A shame. In any other city no matter what if a restaurant sucks it goes out of business. Thats why cities like NY, Boston, SF etc have good food because no one continues to drink swill coffee or eat shit food. Why on earth would you continue to patronize the place?
If we dont go it will go out of business and hopefully something better will take its place.
But that is not the way it seems to work in DC. It seems hard to find any decent restaurant anywhere here. The reviews are generally glowing for aplace and then when you go there you relaiz the reviewer just lacks all sense of taste, culinary or otherwise. Sadly lack of culinary tradition is just one more reason the rest of the world gets to be down on DC.
After moving here 6 months back i can firmly and wholeheartedly say the food in this city sucks balls. 90% of the restaurants should have gone out of business a long time ago.
Apparently Dos Gringos is one of them.
iag - There's good food to be had in this town and environs, you just have to know where to look.
And I beg to differ, but I'd say 50% of the restaurants in this town suck balls. That's better odds than Tempe, AZ.
Monkey - Your link doesn't work.
http://www.chowhound.com/boards/14
Dos Gringos: where folks go to eat shit. Seriously, incredibly bland, unappealing food, but douchebags in their 30s seem to love it.
I thought the broken link was supposed to signify the utter lack of anyplace good to eat in DC. Not that I find that to be true, but have heard it said enough on this site to no longer be taken aback by it. My mistake.
I'd also recommed www.donrockwell.com
Amazing- if you go by the number of comments on recent threads, we all care more about brunch than democracy or the 2nd amendment. Who knew.
iag, after SIX MONTHS you claim to able to say "firmly and wholeheartedly" that 90 percent of the food in DC sucks? That is the height of arrogance. DC has some excellent restaurants helmed by world-class chefs. As monkeyrotica said, you just have to know where to look. Why don't you spend a little more time here before you proclaim yourself an expert on all things DC. If you last a year (which you probably won't), then you can tell us how things work in DC. Dilettante.
I take offense at "iag's" suggestions that I am a douche-bag (notice the correct use of the hyphen) simply because I noticed the lack of popped collars. I happen to like the popped collar look especially in the winter when the collar protects my neck from the elements. I've been doing it before Izod and members only were cool...we're talking 1981 here people. What is a douche-bag anyway? I'm a assuming it is a container full of used douches? That would be a good side dish for the shit sandwhiches you get at dos gringos.
Amazing- if you go by the number of comments on recent threads, we all care more about brunch than democracy or the 2nd amendment. Who knew.
I think it may be a reflection of the fact that we can actually do something about shitty restaurants. As residents of the "last plantation" there's not much we can do about the other issues you mentioned.
Okay, I know this is a dead horse, but I need to share, b/c I think Dos Gringos tried to kill me via, revulsion. So this is a psa. My one time there I ordered an iced tea with lemon. They gave iced coffee with lemon syrup. Blarg!!! Gah, you can't even imagine how gnarles in charge it was. I took it back to the owner, who totally dead eyed me. She was all like "What!" Um, yeah, I didn't order an ipecac, thanks. She finally grabbed it, threw it down the drain and told me I was S.O.L as there was no more tea. Then she tried to charge me. If I had just had a baggie of cocaine burst in me, maybe that drink would have come in handy and been worth the price. But on that particular non-burst baggy day, it was just plain nasty.
I'm more curious about the "douche rockets" woolf mentioned.
I love this. DCist has finally become an environment that haters such as myself can THRIVE IN.
HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE
Speaking of Mt. Pleasant, does anyone ever bother to venture into the little Hispanic joints that litter the area? I used to go by this place called Nestor's in Brooklyn, run by a crew of Salvadorans. Eggs, toast, sausage, and a grape soda for around $3 or $4 dollars. I swear, no exaggeration.
Brush up on your espagnol, take a risk with your stomach!
I'll second (or thirty-second) the bad service comment.
On my last visit there, the cashier actually reached across the counter and grabbed the cash out of my hand, as I was counting it to give to him. Granted, there was a line of people behind me, of which I was fully aware. I was trying to give him exact change, but I guess that wasn't good enough. So I grabbed my money back and marched out. Never again.
Scratch that, I am going back this weekend and having a very loud and personal and long cell phone conversation in the middle of their dining room.
Come on. Dos Gringos isn't that bad. I'm really not sure what vision y'all have of a good coffee shop or restaurant, but I'm sure whatever vision an owner/manager came up with, it'd be criticized roundly. That's too bad.
I like the cell phone policy. I've also never had rude service. Maybe I'm so nice to the staff they return the favor. Also, when did brunch become a serious outing? We're not talking about a five diamond dinner at DC Coast. It's a coffee shop. Uptown. In Mt. Pleasant. Isn't U Street the new requisite neighborhood for 'extreme customer service' establishments (starbucks, maggie moos, quizno's)? It shouldn't be. Neither should Mt Pleasant. It's an in-town neighborhood people.
Wow.
K: Depends on what hispanic joints your talking about. The aforementioned Don Jamies is one, and it's not bad. Pollo Sabroso is the local rotisserie place, and it's pretty good. Haydees really hits the spot every now and then- if the spot that needs hitting is greasy Tex-Sal-Mex and Margaritas. None of these places are gastronomic powerhouses, but I sure prefer them to Dos Gringos. I'd say that most of them are definitely worth a shot, at least once.
Dos Gringos-
I'd guess it was pretty welcome post-riot post-shotgun stalker addition for many in Mt Pleasant. Probably the Peace Corps types who used to live there (because they could afford to) liked it fine, and some probably even found the name ironic in a socially-consious sort of way. Clearly times have changed.
Rich White Guy- The popped collar look works just fine for you, I'm sure.
is that most of the people commenting on this thread appear to prefer a Chipotle or Cosi be there instead.
There are some better brunch places in DC, but not a whole lot. Tonic is over-priced version of what I make at home, and none of those Salvadoran joints (with the notable exception of Don Jaimes, which is amazing), make brunch/breakfast.
Hell hath no fury like a scorned brunch customer...boil in hell, gringos!!! Bwahahaha!!!
Everyone slamming this place is dead-on right. I've lived in MTP since 2001 and have visited DG maybe 6-7 times.
One time in 03 I actually cut my lip on one of their bagels. How do you cut your lip on a bagel? When it's a week old, that's how.
And the cashier? You're probably talking about the owner. She's just a dried up old lesbo that lives over on Lamont st. I would gladly start a fight with one of the hippies that works there over their stupid policies, but that would mean I'd have to return.
Maybe I'll print this out and stick it on their bulletin board.
Having said all of that, don't slam MTP street or the other establishments. With the exception of the Salvadorian grease joints/brothels there are plenty of great places to eat in arguably the best neighborhood in DC.
WWWTT: I'd actually prefer Dos Gringos to stay there- just not to suck quite so vigorously. I like their location, decor, and (generally) their menu. I think that there's one change that would make quite a few of us haters instantly start going there again: A sign on the door that said "Under New Management." Not a single person has so much as hinted they'd prefer a cosi or a chipotle, rather that they won't prop up a shitty local business, just because it's a local business. The complaints here are quite dominantly about service, with varying opinions on food or price or menu.
Case in point- I buy every thing from lightbulbs to rat traps to air filters at Pfeiffer's Hardware. Yes, it's more expensive than Home Depot, but Todd's a great guy, and Henry is the cutest baby in the world. They'll special order anything, and are more than willing to help if you need it. Service matters.
Mt. Pleasant's best brunches, as ranked by the Washingtonian Magazine:*
1.) Tonic, excepting the lukewarm grits. Tonic: fix your grits.
2.) Don Jaimes.
3.) Hellers.
3.) Spilt contents of the flayed gullet of any filth-caked, rat-eviscerated pigeon lying dead next to the Seven'Leven (ironically containing mostly rat meat -- and the circle of life wheels merrily along).
4.) Whatever Cheetos and press-on nails you can harvest under The Raven's booths. Also, a PBR.
5.) Ericilias (please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery).
6.) The magical land of your IMAGINATION! Whoo! I'm-a ride a UNICORN!
7.) Kill yourself.
8.) Georgetown.
last.) Dos Gringos.
* - I don't know how to read.
well, looks like the dietitians have it right. breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! :)
a raw egg in a Steel Reserve is cheaper, easier, less time consuming, and tastes better than brunch at that third-world-groupie cesspit.
Yup...I've been here 6 months...
But if you can't find a decent brunch place in 6 months you know the culinary scene sucks balls.
3 quick comments:
Monkey-thanks for that sight. May be useful though seemingly Baltimore centric.
Popped collars suck balls. The fact you were popping your collar in 81 means you sucked since 81.
Brunch is the Apex of a weekend. There is never a wrong time for brunch. There is never a wrong food for brunch. There is never a wrong amount of alcohol for brunch. Those places that have perfected brunch have transcended the mortal world and applied a small time-space of nirvana to the dusty hole the rest of the week is.
i hate to get existential but it really is the perfect weekend outing.if you have never enjoyed the pure bliss of eggs benedict (or florentine my veg friends) and a mimosa with a slice of melon to top it off, then you probably live in DC where as of yet I have been hard pressed to find a decent brunch place within reason.
As someone who has lived in Mt.P. for 12 years, I was very excited when Dos Gringos opened up but then quickly disappointed in the place. It plain old sucks. One can get better breakfast fare at the 7-11 and the owners and employees know even less about customer service than they do cooking. I notice that many of the people who patronize Dos Gringos are not from Mount Pleasant. If people would stop giving them good money for really bad food then perhaps something better could move into the space.
That said you can get some pretty good stuff at Hellers Bakery from the grill and the people who own the place and work there are very nice. Don Jaimes has some seriously good breakfast fare for a very reasonable price.
I've only bothered going to Dos Gringos once since I moved to the neighborhood a year and a half ago, since I'd already heard it wasn't much good from friends of mine who'd been there longer. Tasty ice cream, not much else worth eating, I agree.
As for the Salvadoran joints, Ercilia's, at Mt. Pleasant and Irving, is quite tasty, as is the pupuseria just north of them. Pollo Sabroso is pretty delicious, too. Heller's is great for brunch, but the problem with all those spots is you basically need to take your food back home with you if you want to sit in an atmosphere more welcoming than McDonald's. I do like patronizing neighborhood businesses and I'm no fan of chain stores, but I have to say I wouldn't exactly be sobbing if Dos Gringos closed down and was replaced by, say, another outpost of the Tryst/Diner/Open City empire.
Bottom line: Besides Haydee's, Tonic and Radius, Mt. Pleasant could still use one more spot to sit down and get decent food.
A. A douchebag does not get a hyphen.
B. Douchebag is the male version of a sandy twat. They're meant to be together, obvs.
C. Dos Gringos- new heights of douchebaggery. Why not just go to Mixtec and get a breakfast burrito? And mole! Oh, the mole! I know it's not Mount P. but please see posts 1-66 for why it's just not worth it.
Woohoo! 5:00! I think I'll go to Mixtec RIGHT NOW. Mmmmmm, mole.
I can promise you that being nice to the people working there has absolutely no bearing on the way you are treated in return. None. Whatsoever. I've been there twice and saw perfectly nice people getting yelled at. One woman had the gall to very politely bring her sandwich back to the counter because it wasn't hers. Got yelled at. One woman answered her cell phone and all she said was, "I'll call you right back" before quickly hanging up. Got yelled at. I asked where the list of ice cream flavors were (on the wall). Got yelled at.
There are sex clubs for people who like to be treated this way. I'm sure they are crawling with weird old Senators wearing diapers and drinking formula from a bottle. But for the rest of us grown ups who like to settle our business with a minimal of scolding, this place sucks.
And believe me, I worked in a coffee shop/cafe for years. Yes, I was rude as s*** to people but at least I was cute and could be counted on not to wear a bra 75% of the time. Service wise, we sucked but at least the food was good and we never ran out of anything.
Anyway, I go to Heller's because the staff is friendly and better looking and there's usually at least one hot guy milling around. Plus there's that pole in case I need to give an impromtu dance.
Henry is the cutest baby ever!I used to work at Hellers and got to play with him when Tom came to visit.
Like many others have said, we'll buy indie, we'll pay more, we'll put up with a whole heck of alot but you can't suck this hard and not expect a reaction.
Dos Gringos has a few choice Bfast items: toasted bialy's, hot cinnamon buns, and fresh orange juice. And great ice cream. Plus, the porch is lovely.
For a great breakfast try the soups, or huevos y frijoles at Pupuseria San Miguel, a downstairs storefront about 30 feet south of Dos Gringos.
Brunch is not a birthright. Get your hungover ass on the 42 bus for a 4 minute ride to Adams Morgan for $12 waffles and watered down mimosas, but quit whining about how deficient Mount Pleasant retail is.
But when these little joints go, they'll all be replaced by Subway Restaurants.
To poster Joe:
Thanks for mentioning my work at Washington City Paper in your post! I love free press. But I have just one quibble. I'd like to correct something for you. The person you described as cheering on the events of 9/11 inside Dos Gringos could not have been my younger brother since he a) is not an anarchist punk; b) was not living in Washington, DC at the time; and c) when he did live in the District, he hated Dos Gringos and wouldn't be caught dead inside its shop. So I believe you have him confused with someone else.
Thank you, Joe. And keep reading Washington City Paper!
Okay, seriously.
It's called "Dos Gringos." In a Salvadoran neighborhood. It's teeming with people so white they could be clear if they tried hard enough.
I've never seen so much contrast in one place. When I'm going to get my Pollo Sabroso on, I have to wear shades when I walk by that joint.
Eff that place.
I'm in love with woolf
I have always enjoyed Dos Gringos though I agree with the commenter that said it's great if you live in the hood but it's not a destination place. As far as Mt.P restaurants go DG and Marx Cafe are about the best. If you really want something to complain about try Tonic. That's the only place I have had consistently bad food and worse service.
Brunch is the Apex of a weekend. There is never a wrong time for brunch. There is never a wrong food for brunch. There is never a wrong amount of alcohol for brunch. Those places that have perfected brunch have transcended the mortal world and applied a small time-space of nirvana to the dusty hole the rest of the week is.
i hate to get existential but it really is the perfect weekend outing
iag - Very well put, sums up my feelings on brunch very succinctly.
Try Ellington's on 8th (Barracks Row), I've only been there once but they had live music and unlimited mimosas/bloody marys for like $6 over the cost of the brunch buffet. No melons on the mimosas there, but tasty home-style comfort food (grits, bacon, etc.) that I can never get enough of.
"Speaking of Mt. Pleasant, does anyone ever bother to venture into the little Hispanic joints that litter the area?"
That litter the area??? Please, just move to Bethesda. No one wants you in the neighborhood. Go. Buh-bye. Adios.
And, btw, Kramer is dying to share brunch with you. You'll have a lot to discuss.
This place is hilariously bad. Tried it three times, and all the usual complaints, but also this one -- the coffee was BELOW room temperature every single time. I know it doesn't sound possible, but it was definitely cold. I'm not even talking the Cake Love 70 degree stuff...
Did somebody disparage Dan's Place (I asssume they meant Dan's Cafe)
Wow, I'm madder than hell.
I am shocked by everyone's rant about this place... I have been in a handful of times and have never experienced anything like that...
I found it quirky, and the sandwiches a different fare than usual... creative... tasty.
I was there one day when they ran out of breakfast - I talked to a guy behind the register who said that they get all their food in fresh each day, and try to run out before the end of the day so that they can get fresh again in the morning...
Seemed like a neat idea.
That's just my experience.
:)
Actually, I think it's a bad idea. For one, if they can so accurately calibrate it to run out each morning, they can calibrate it to just not run out. While they may end up with some excess food, they would get the added benefit of selling more food (and, not inconsequentially, avoid pissing off potential future customers). If they are so bothered by selling one-day old food (and how many food products are so time sensitive? Bread, maybe, but come on, most items can last at least two days before losing freshness), they can just donate the food or throw it out and buy more food the next day. I don't know what the source of all these negative experiences are (I've never been there myself) but the only reason I can see for intentionally running out of food would be as a markeing gimmick to make people think the food was crazy fresh and exclusive, but this thread seems to indicate that any marketing benefits are pretty much null.
I agree with Reid. There are *plenty* of restaurants that buy fresh on a daily basis and don't make a habit out of running out of food.
Not so sure about the DG (although I have heard their ice cream is good), but I can vouch for the late night goodness of Haydees. Great Margaritas and greasy Mexican/Salvadoran food. Staff is always friendly and the crowd is usually pretty mixed.
Gotta echo the love for Ellington's on Eighth. Small, excellent, and exceedingly classy. Anyone distraught over DG should head down to SE and check them out.
washington dc is a crap excuse of a capital filled with shite chain stores a bunch of hopeless wanks who are so self absorbed they can't even open their eyes to the fact that its unnecessary to have 10 Cosis within a 5 block radius or the fact that washington will never be a great capital like london or paris. it will, at best, be on par with fake ass capitals like brasillia or abuja.
peace
what's so great about London or Paris? Foul, squalid hellholes with tower blocks of public housing and generations upon generations of useless layabouts soaking up the dole. Color me impressed. At least Abuja and Brasilia have wildlife.
Greatest. Comment. Thread. Ever.
It's interesting how many people have tried to like Dos Gringos. The appearance of any half-decent place should woolf them in three months. No great loss. It's on our list of places not to go to. Ice cream is OK, but hard to get hold of, especially on sunny days, it seems. Brunch? Walk to Mixtec? Hike to Domku? Learn to cook? Those are my 'solutions'. We'll try Don Jaime's, thanks for the tip.
Kaloramaist - What's so great about London or Paris? If you have to ask....
Greatest. Comment. Thread. Ever.
Tried to like this place, don't like it. Ice cream is good, but hard to get hold of, especially on warm sunny days, when the ice-cream parlor *will* be closed. Or so it seems. I'm glad that if a good place opens up nearby, this place will be woolfed in a few months. Brunch? Walk to Mixtec, or hike to Domku? Learn to cook? Those are my 'solutions'. Thanks for the Don Jaime's tip, we will try it.
Kaloramaist - What's so great about London or Paris? If you have to ask.....
+1: Greatest comment thread eva.