Local 16 Reviews - D.C. Restaurant Finder

Address	1602 U St., Washington, DC 20009
Phone	(202) 265-2828

Review by pmdav on March 17, 2007

This place has a minimalistic decor yet is elegantly cozy. Each table is staged with a small plate, silverware, and a lit candle before you even sit down. Reminds me of a diningroom showroom, except you can actually get a meal here. Downstairs has wonderfully large windows to bring the outside in like you are dining at a cafe. There's a large bar but it doesn't intrude on the dining experience. Upstairs is an intimate, darkly lit room with bankett seating and two small bars for socializing around the room. The crowd is young and upwardly mobile. Prices are fair and the staff is friendly. Meet here and enjoy others!

Review by Zak on January 23, 2006

Local 16's new chef has tranformed a decent neighborhood choice with numerous vegetarian options to an overpriced, poorly executed mess. And the lone vegetarian entree (the menu is no longer mezze) on the menu now is a $16 grilled portabella mushroom that is about as good as the one that you can get at the Diner up the street for half the price! Come for drinks and the patio in the summer--not the food!

Review by lindylu on March 25, 2005

Local 16 during the week is much nicer than weekends--less bridge and tunnel crowd, space to sit, less of a scene. But the food is over priced, dishes are small, server was grating, but everything we ordered appeared rapidly. I did not find it better than other similar places, but it did have a few new things to try--grilled endive, new eggplant dish.
Desserts were a pleasant surprise--interesting things not other mezze/mid-east menus.

Review by PaxRyan on September 16, 2004

Go here for the drinks, not the food. "Mezze" might as well translate into, "Sucker for small food, big prices" because there are places around to get the SAME foods at the SAME quality at much better prices.

Review by kitchenwhisperer on August 21, 2004

The food and wine this time was very good but overall it is usually inconsistent, along with the service. This is a very suburban 9-5ers haven. The whole place is copping an attitude. Why do I go there? The bartenders are awesome and the Dj's are great.

Review by PaxRyan on July 30, 2004

Review by cjmindc on July 12, 2004

A great location, inviting decor and great service always make poor food more disappointing and this is what happened at Local 16 last week. Everything was going great until the food arrived and then things went downhill a bit--but not all the way. The dishes that were good were great! However, of the items that my group sampled there were some really disappointments--the completely unimpressive trout, lightly fried but completely tasteless, the chicken curry with more color than flavor. And then on the other hand, the successful dishes were great--the special quail appetizer was flavorful and the salmon entree was very tasty as were the accompanying roasted potatoes and vegetables. Overall, a nice restaurant but some of the food could be better. . .

Review by PaxRyan on July 10, 2004

What fantastic atmosphere and style! This place has presentation done right! And, the delicious (and rare) New Castle on draft is worth the trip all by itself. The several dining rooms give the feeling of a swanky Hollywood movie set (in a good way.) Very nice:-)

Review by sanderml22 on June 1, 2004

Local 16 has a cool roof top bar and a good menu selection. Try the marinated chicken stuffed with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes--one of the biggest portion sizes on the menu and very flavorful. The mussels under the appetizers are also a great choice. The staff is very laid back, which can be mistaken for a lack of attentiveness so keep that in mind.

Review by briucla on May 25, 2004

This was the first time I visited this restaurant and was impressed with its decor and varied, but concise menu.

Food: I had the Mahi Mahi. It was an excellent dish with some cajun spice, vegetables and a great sauce. Oh yes, this is finally one place that knows how to make excellent Lemon Drop martinis, strong and without lemonade!!

Service: The service was average. The waiter was very short, but not rude...but he was foreign so he might not have been accustomed to American service expectations.

Decor: Deep red. It'd be an excellent first date, romantic dinner, or dinner with close friends. Prices are typical DC, around $20/meal.

Review by clfost on May 5, 2004

For a happening 25-35 year old young pro crowd and an expansive outdoor deck, you can't beat Local 16 in the city. The bar scene is great (and not yet flooded by the bridge and tunnel folk), but for dinner, it was generally alright. Unfortunately we were not "roped off" like the other tables and had a nice view of barflies' bums for part of the night. However, the ambience was buzzing and breezy and the waiter was as nice as he could be for fighting the crowds. The friendly bread service and consistent water filling was awesome. very impressive. As for the food, 2 friends ordered the swordfish...I suspect for the creamy garlic mashed potatoes, which were 'lick-the-bowl' delicious. The Caesar salads (with chicken or steak) were also a hit. Don't feel awkward cutting your lettuce - it comes whole. The setbacks included dirty glasses and as the night went on, a crowded dinner table. Work harder to only put tables where bar goers won't be! Nonetheless, Local 16 provides decent food for the view - much better than other "rooms with a view" (ahem...SEQUOIA.) As for the bill, it was fairly/moderately priced...we just enjoyed one bottle too many of wine.

Review by nhalpern on May 5, 2004

The rooftop makes for a wonderful place to eat on a cool evening. A top pick for date for sure! The food was delicious and the waiter was very attentive and friendly.

I was also very taken with the interior of the restaurant with its red walls, dim lights and inviting decor. Local 16 has great ambience no matter where you sit and I'm definitely planning to go back again next week to try another great item from the menu.

Review by ctaaffe00 on May 5, 2004

We were given the prime table in the window--the one with the comfortable living-room chairs--and served with great care and attention. The food was excellent and we felt comfortable enjoying a leisurely meal, even though the server did request we close out our bill because his shift was ending. The ingredients seemed fresh and the meals were presented well.

Review by ameagher on April 23, 2004

Our table looked out over 16th street and the atmosphere was romantic. The service was great, the food was even better. My basalmic steak was amazing. A perfect cut of meat cooked to perfection. The sides were equally exceptional. The mashed potatoes were almost pureed and had a great texture to them. The green beans were young and cooked just long enough to keep their crispness. This was the first time in a long time that I actually cleaned my plate at a restaurant. It was a phenomenal dining experience. The only thing I would change would have been the loud music. There was a DJ and he was playing fantastic stuff, it was just a little too loud and conversing was difficult at times.

Review by akhandc on January 8, 2004

I've been to Local 16 a few times but mostly during the summer time when their patio is open. So I never really experienced the indoors dinning. So I went in on a cold January monday night for late dinner. It was a bit awkward when you first come in b/c there was no hostess and the place has a feel like you're intruding someone's living room..which isn't a bad thing..once you're also part of the patrons. We just headed towards the bar and ended up sitting their. The bartender was very courteous and inviting, I didn't feel bad bothering him for food suggestions. Overall the atmosphere is great...the bar is very cozy and one can easily chat up anyone sitting next to you.

Review by katycrum on December 22, 2003

very noisy!

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