By DCist contributor Maya Pottiger
After a months-long wait, balls have finally dropped on 14th Street. The District has its own Meatball Shop—the first location of the Italian chain to open outside of New York. Originally set to open over the summer and delayed multiple times, the restaurant finally opened last Friday for dinner.
For the first two days it was open, the shop had a line out the door, according to store manager Karyn Galianese.
“The buzz of us being in this neighborhood with the windows blocked for so long, I think just shedding the mystery has been fun for our newcomers,” Galianese says.
The choice to open in D.C—and on 14th Street—was a carefully thought-out one.
“There are a lot of people in D.C., on 14th Street that are really interested in having a great meal, having great drinks, listening to great music, and just hanging out,” says Meatball Shop CEO Adam Rosenbaum. “We like it that it’s this restaurant row.”
Daniel Holzman, a co-founder of The Meatball Shop, says D.C.’s proximity to New York makes it an obvious and convenient second city to open a restaurant.
“Being close to New York City is incredible because we can take the train down, so we can manage it with the same team,” Holzman says. “We don’t need to have a whole new team of people and have a close eye on it.”
The Meatball Shop’s menu, helmed by executive chef Daniel Sharp, is small, but customizable. Diners choose a ball, sauce, and sides. Ball options include beef, chicken, pork, salmon, and veggie. Sauces include tomato sauce, spicy meat sauce, parmesan cream, pesto, yogurt dill, and lemon butter. There will be a special meat and special sauce switched out, often on a weekly basis. Four balls with a side of focaccia (the “naked” option) are $10.50, stretching up to $20.50 for the priciest protein option: lobster balls. Make it a bowl by adding balls to pasta, veggies, risotto, polenta or other base options for $17.50.
Can’t choose? There’s also an option called the Baller Plate, which is a selection of the staff’s favorite meatballs.
“It helps people understand how to eat at The Meatball Shop if they’ve never been here before,” Rosenbaum says.
Additional items include mozzarella balls, a selection of salads, and sandwiches, including a crab po’ boy exclusive to the D.C. location.
The Meatball Shop is a sit-down, full-service restaurant, and guests can also order takeout. The restaurant is also open late for drinks and with its full menu available.
The Meatball Shop seats 70, and there is space for private parties. With exposed brick walls and exposed pipes, the restaurant, designed by New York-based restaurant design studio MP Shift, feels dark and intimate. There are a few smaller tables around the walls with two large shared tables down the center of the room.
The bar area is very prominent, and the mirrored wall behind it only makes it look bigger. There is plenty of bar seating and space around the bar to accommodate guests. Offerings include beer, wine, $11-$12 cocktails, and jello shots.
There’s also a speciality cocktail made in partnership with Cotton & Reed: the Mellow Ball, made with the local distillery’s Mellow Gold Rum, Campari, strawberry, and lime. The $12 drink is available for the shop’s first month.
All along the walls are framed drawings and large framed photographs, all of which were created by The Meatball Shop team (they also designed the wallpaper in the bathroom). The bathroom doors are marked “Balls” and “No Balls.”
Though there’s nothing specific planned right now, Rosenbaum says he wants to open more shops in the District and surrounding markets, like Arlington and Bethesda. When the first Meatball Shop opened in 2010, Holzman said he had a dream that it would one day have multiple locations.
“We were hopeful that we could have multiple restaurants and tried to make decisions early on that would allow us to do that, but we were really concentrated on having one great restaurant,” Holzman says. “Ultimately, it exceeded our expectations.”
The Team’s Favorite Meatballs
Daniel Holzman, co-founder: “Most recently, we got these salmon ($15.50) and lobster ($19.50) balls. It’s a little ridiculous because it’s The Meatball Shop, but meat without feet is very delicious. The salmon balls are so great. That’s what I’ve been eating.”
Daniel Sharp, executive chef: “The Buffalo chicken balls ($7). Chicken wings are one of my favorite things and during my first meeting ever with Holzman, it was our shared love of wings that made me think, ‘I could work with this guy.’”
The Meatball Shop is located at 1720 14th Street NW. Open for dinner only through Oct. 28, after which time hours are Sundays 11 a.m.-midnight., Mondays and Tuesdays 11:30 a.m.-midnight., Wednesdays and Thursdays 11:30 a.m.-1 a.m., Fridays 11:30 a.m.-2 a.m., and Saturdays 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
