Fantastic dinner options before the comedy show they had last night. I had the chicken tenders with truffle fries. My friend had the jerk chicken wings with fries. She said her chicken was moist and tangy. Okay read more

Not the place to be if you are Black, born in America and don't like people singing the N-word in unison on a Saturday night when you are just trying to have fun. I was OK with the crowd. I was OK when they removed the tables and chairs from our area to make room for a dance floor. I was even OK when someone spilled a drink on me because it was so dark and crowed he couldn't move around me. But, I draw the line at the DJ playing songs with "Nigga" in it. Hanging with three girlfriends, we landed on Cafe Saint-Ex this Saturday as an after thought. We headed downstairs for some drinks. At first we were actually excited they had a DJ. The music was mixed, the crowd a little unruly but it was OK for a Saturday night. The DJ was all over the place with his music selection but I appreciated the fact that he had to appeal to everyone in the crowd. UNTIL, he started playing a Ray Charles song. You know the song, it was sampled by Jamie Fox for his "Gold Digga" record. As soon as they started playing the song my girls and I looked at each other. We whispered, "let's see where he goes with this." I knew they were going to cut to "Gold Digga" but I NEVER thought they would use the unedited version with the "N" word in it. I also NEVER thought the crowd would take such joy in dropping the "N" word as if it isn't a superlative. Let's just make a long story short and say I was asked to leave after my "protest" and I NEVER go to this establishment ever again. In addition, I will make sure the combined 4,500 people in my social networking sites know this place is a racist, socially unconscious club that should never be frequented by people of color. Racists should have their place to party... that's fine... this is America... I just don't have to give them my money OR give them a good review. read more

Passed it everyday. Curious about it. Fan of the author and his books. Glad I walked in. First tried it New year eve, eve. I loved the cozy atmosphere, warm bar, signature drinks and rustic WW2 theme. It's a quiet unassuming local watering hole in an otherwise pretentious and popular part of 14th. Very friendly and generally attentive staff that give you your space to have your drink and relax. What it lacks in original dishes it makes up in atmosphere and signature drinks. It's cozy, friendly, had a good photo of St. Exe. Test the staff, ask who he was. It's a great place for Sunday brunch, a quick stop to warm up or cool off, pre-holiday drinks and night caps. Always hosts a NYE. Interesting crowd. Have gone back several times. read more

I was once standing at the bar downstairs when I overheard a guy tell his friend "this place used to be a gold mine for me in my 20's." That was a pretty good summary of the dance floor at Cafe Saint-Ex. The crowd is mostly mid to late 20's crowd. Mostly people who fit the mold described on stuffwhitepeoplelike.com. You actually have men dancing here too, which is cool and harder to find these days. Came dancing on Saturday night and thought the music was a danceable mix of the not-overplayed 80's and 90's dance music. But the floor is really small and it's hard to show off your skillz without people constantly bumping into you and walking in front of you. If you come here with a fun group of people - as I did - you'll have a great time. But this won't turn a mediocre night into a great one. read more

**** 4.5 stars **** I've been a fan of Café Saint-Ex for quite a while now, even though my first experience wasn't ideal, but it was my most recent dinner just the other night that finally inspired me to write a review for them. One of the great things about CSX, aside from being so close to my new house, is its versatility as a dining or drinking option at various times throughout the day, or moods that may inspire you to go. I definitely went under very different circumstances every time I've been, but always wind up having a relatively good time. The beer list here, while being loaded with tons of super unique or hard to find items, is always still consistently good, being dominated by lots of small craft breweries, both on draft and by the bottle. My first visit here was during the most recent World Cup for a Team USA match viewing party, so obviously under very atypical conditions. Niki and I arrived well before the game to ensure we got a seat downstairs, in order to avoid the madness that we saw the week before in Dupont where people were constantly jockeying for position just to see the TVs. The staff managed to somehow keep up with all of the orders in a pretty timely fashion, and it was nice to see the entire place my first time through, as I'm sure many patrons don't even realize the lower bar exists. The one knock I had on the place that day was the food, which almost made me not return again. The scrapple sandwich I ordered was a major disappointment, and yes I'm very familiar with the product, as it's akin to livermush, which any Southern boy growing up in NC likely eats for breakfast more than he should. It just kind of sadly fell apart on under-toasted bread, and the cheese was barely present, but it did at least taste pretty good and the side of sweet potato fries was fantastic. Niki's pupusas were even worse, containing virtually zero filling, and they brought out the wrong side (and took so long to replace it we basically gave up waiting). It was actually a complete accident that resulted in me having lunch here with Ashley one nice spring day. It was the first really warm and sunny day of the year, and we were hoping to have lunch at Standard, which had just opened, as we were both really craving some BBQ. It turned out they didn't serve lunch, so we continued hunting somewhere with a patio so we could sit outside and people gaze while we enjoyed the weather. CSX provided the perfect opportunity to do so, and finally gave me a chance to take advantage of their really nice patio. This time around I went with their highly acclaimed fried green tomato BLT (http://bit.ly/l39Fap) with an order of fries, and it delivered 100%, with generous portions of perfectly cooked bacon. This now ranks as one of my favorite DC sandwiches anywhere, and is an excellent go-to item if you're ever in doubt. The fries were very solid as well, one of the better versions I've had in DC. I also discovered a new love of mine, the beer-liquor mixture known as "Bees in a Beer" featuring Lagunitas IPA with Wild Turkey honey bourbon poured in, and a little stick of actual honeycomb (http://bit.ly/ied2gI) to swirl around. I could describe this drink to you, but honestly I really want you to take my word for it so you can be surprised...it's just that phenomenal. The great thing about this drink is it works for every season, cooling you down when you're hot and warming you up when you're cold. I sampled a few bites of Ashley's grilled cheese and found it to be extremely well done too, as they use high quality Hook's cheddar, which really makes a difference compared to others in the city, and only add tomato for a slight bit of crispness. Note ladies, when wearing super short shorts on these patio chairs, be prepared to look like you've got fishnets on after, as they pattern sinks into the skin pretty deep. Since discovering my love for the BLFGT (this abbreviation seems a bit odd comparatively...) I've returned to CSX many times to enjoy it, but never ventured anywhere else on the menu until my most recent visit with Tiffany, Mary Ellen, Kate, and Andrew, after a happy hour at Tabaq Bistro. I actually had no intention of eating or drinking, but since it was my idea for everyone to come here I figured I couldn't pass it up. This time I went with the burger and added blue cheese and bacon, paying the $1 additional each, which seemed a bit egregious given that it's already $14 by itself. I think it's worth it though, as I was very pleasantly surprised by this burger, and it reminded me of a similar one in another unassuming location, 411 West in Chapel Hill. Both places don't strike you as a place to get an outstanding burger, or feature it as so, but they both deliver an incredibly solid version. The regular fries here are pretty good too, but I think I'm still partial to the sweet potato ones. read more

Cafe Saint-Ex - "Bees in a Beer": Lagunitas IPA w/ honey bourbon and real honeycomb - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Three of us came here a week or two ago. It wasn't our first choice, but a lot of U street places seem to be closed at lunchtime. We stumbled along the blocks in the Spring sunshine and found this place. It was open. It served food and beer. We walked in. It was busy - every table was occupied, but we spotted the wide open bar, free and unclaimed like mid nineteenth century Oklahoma. We staked our claim and One-M got home base, with and Two-M and me the runners on the corners as we waited for the bar man to pitch us our beers and play offence all afternoon. One-M on home base? Not quite a perfect metaphor for the prime corner position on the bar - maybe he was like Jesus, at the center of it all whilst Two-M and I where like the good thief and the bad thief, pinned on either side of him and asking if he could heal himself, or ask his Dad to get him out of this predicament. But it was not a predicament to be gotten out of. It was an incredibly pleasant place, wth fine beer on draft and great food on the menu- although I will say the menu was a wee bit thin. We drank merrily and almost unbeknownst to us another customer joined us and started drinking 2 or 3 martinis. At lunchtime. You know you are in a world class city when you see that - I certainly don't get any of that in my normal lunchtime haunts beyond the beltway. We tasted all the beers and joshed with the bar man. We had lunch. We talked. We laughed, It was a perfect way to spend the middle of the week and I want to do it like that every week. read more

ARH! Every time I stop here it is SO crowded. Last night was no exception. I couldn't tell you what the decor, other clients, or drinks looked like here as it is so dark. When I can't tell the sex of someone (I don't want to find out I am checking out a girl), or be able to see my friends I am not happy. They should rename this place Silhouettes. The music was...interesting. Thats all I got. When the only one of sense that I had in use was abused--I had to get out. read more

Sorry, I just can't get past this stupid pretentious name. Saint-Ex? Oh, pleeze. I guessed right away that it was short for St. Exupery, as in the French writer Antoine Saint Exupery who wrote romantic aviation novels about 75 years ago that often took place in North Africa. So they put up this big stupid wooden propeller in the bar just to tie all this together for you and make you think you were flying over the desert or something romantic like that? You wanna talk flying? Take a look at my profile pic and you'll see what I mean. I INVENTED flying and now Saint-Ex (I really like that stupid hyphen) is trying to capitalize on it? And, of course, when you have a stupid pretentious name, what kind of crowd do you think shows up? That's right, Sherlock! A stupid, pretentious crowd. Most of these slugs have never heard of the author and couldn't find France or North Africa even if you glued their finger to the right spot on a map. Anyway, maybe I'm being a little harsh, but why go here when you can walk half a block to the promised land of Masa 14 or El Centro? read more

This is where I learned that a fancy education doesn't necessarily afford a person something cool to talk about, an enlightened perspective, or an unsheltered view. (a snippet of conversation from a previous visit) Me: Harry Potter's counter-culture?! Her: Yeah. Totally goth. Its weird, but I'm into freaky stuff like that. Don't tell anyone. Me: Sure thing. Your freakish nature is safe with me. (mental note: don't mention any of my hobbies while here) ..... The food's pretty average. The prices suck. If it's not too crowded, Ex can be a fun stop. Bring your own friends. read more

It's not often that when going out for dinner with friends, i think, "Gee, where could we go for horrible service, a sub-par meal, and maybe even have the waitress forget to place my order?" If I were to think this and was looking for the ambiance of a VIP section minus the velvet ropes, then Cafe Saint Ex would be the place for me! Although the waitress forget to place my order, she did manage to have a wonderful time sitting and chatting with her friends who were yacking it up at the table behind us. Oh yes, my meal was comped, and it was a good thing because I would have felt guilty paying for such a sad excuse for a hamburger. At least the waitress enjoyed herself! Ahh gentrification...you bring us such soulless restaurants and bars and make us feel so uncool when we actually ask for respectable service. read more

Two words to describe the mess going on downstairs: go-go. And if you don't know what that means here is a synonym: jungle music. You see, this place played only go-go. The same drum beat over and over. And over. That's what go-go is. They pack too many people in there. Sorry to say this, but it's a tragedy waiting to happen. Also, it reeks of piss. It's dark, damp and smells and feels dirty. Like, you don't want to touch anything for the risk of getting tetanus. Upstairs looked nice and the food looked great, so I'll give this side of them a chance sooner or later. Not many places can pull off a dual personality like this. read more

It's not Saint-Ex's fault, but I'm just too old for this place. I do not like dark, dank basements with wet floors and sweaty strangers. I used to... I don't anymore. The music was geared towards my generation though, which confused me about the target demographic. It was so loud that I lost my voice after attempting to say a line here and there to my friends. But I knew it was time to go when a girl sitting along the wall knocked over a full beer, and it managed to get on my back, my jeans, and well into my knee-high boots. I'm not fancy, but my Friday night clothes are too nice to be drenched in old alcohol, especially when it's cold outside! If you, your friend, or your younger sister is looking for a place to dance, and you're not into the lounge scene, then this is a convenient spot. read more

I am very surprised that they have really good jerk wings. When I looked up the restaurant it said it was in American eatery so I was expecting burgers and pizza but I'm very happy that I got the food. I think they could've done a little better on the mac & cheese though, it had no flavoring just cheese and macaroni. read more

All I really remember about this place is standing in the basement feeling quite short as all the tall people kept pushing me around to get by. It was quite dark and hard to get around the crowds. Oh yeah, the other thing I remember is Jeff saying to me repeatedly, "I just don't get how people go out to do this. Like the girls, out there dancing...hoping some guy comes up behind her to dance. I just don't get it." "Is it just me? Or do you like doing this?" It wasn't long before he and Michelle left, followed by Kevin and I in search of food. I'm not sure Saint-Ex is for me but I could be convinced to try it again if in the proper state of mind (i.e. not sober and not hungry and totally drunk). read more

My experience here was so-so. I enjoyed their patio, and I enjoyed the overall atmosphere. Service wasn't bad, but it wasn't super amazing. Food was alright. My friend got the half chicken and I ordered a burger. I liked how the burger was cooked, but the bleu cheese was a disappointment. Would I come back? Yeah probably simply because the patio is spacious and quaint. That is enough to draw me back in since there aren't a ton of these on 14th Street. read more

Honestly. Any Atlanta-esque song is requested, and the best you can do is "Bombs Over Baghdad?"?! And don't go telling me that you're too cool for it: if you can play "Push It," you can play T.I. For serious. read more

Good place for those who love: - lines. - being skintimate with sweaty strangers. - being on a packed dance floor with no AC. - DJ's that go from a Journey song to a super sped up version of MIA's "Paper Planes" with zero transition. - disgustingly strong drinks. Bad place for those who don't love: - See Above. read more

This is usually what happens when I walk into a bar in DC: "This is a long shot, but would you happen to have FERNET?" (Blank stare; they probably think I don't realize I'm in a bar) "Huh?" "Fernet Branca. F-E-R-N-E-T. It's an Italian digestif. I just moved from San Francisco, and all the bartenders drink it over there." "Uh... you want vodka or something? Beer?" "Never mind." At Cafe Saint-Ex, the bartender responded, "No, but I've been trying to convince our GM to get it for us!" It was love at first acknowledgment of Fernet. He knew - he actually KNEW! I'd give it that final star if they actually had the stuff. Oh, well. Maybe someday... read more

There I was, minding my own business, dancing to the obscure retro-90s rap groove spinning from Mr. DJ. Grooving with some friends in a dimly-lit basement bar with the vibe of revolutionary-plotting underground cafe with walls covered in retro posters. There I was grooving in a small spot with the rest of the crowd when I felt something on my back. For a moment I thought it was someone just getting close just to walk by me, navigating through the people packed nearly wall to wall in the dark groovy basement. When I noticed that whatever it was was moving to the same beat I was dancing to, I realized it was actually a black jacket-clad young fellow trying to quickly make his moves on an innocent girl. As soon as I realized what was happening, quickly with the help of a friend I made a mad dash across the small circle of dance friends away from the dude to escape his prowess. He immediately left the circle and was never again found. And all this time the hubs merely observed, very entertained at what just transpired. That's alright - I'm used to it. I can defend myself. Beyond that experience this place made for a nice casual hipster dance scene. Someday I'll get around to dining at the upstairs restaurant. read more

My Saturday Night at Saint Ex: 10.45: Let's stop into Saint Ex to warm up! 10.47: Why don't we try going downstairs? 10:50: It's so dark! Can you see anyone? 10.51: You guys ready to move on? read more

Always walked by....never walked in.....and I shouldve kept it just like that. There's a good reason too... 4 ladies walking along looking for a reasonably priced brunch on a Saturday afternoon. Stopped at Cafe Saint-Ex to check out their menu. Good prices....and they have Mimosas by the pitcher...SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER, right? Wrong....boy...was I wrong. We were seated on the patio...Very nice. Our waitress was a sweetheart, at first. She made recommendations, took our orders (we all ordered the Steak and Eggs and a pitcher of Mimosa) and brought our food out fairly quickly. Here's where it goes downhill.....our steaks were small (about the size of a child's fist) and my friend ordered hers med-well....and she received a bloody steak. I love bloody steak but, she wasnt happy with it so she sent it back. 15 min later (and after we finished our food), our waitress brings out the same baby steak cooked to a crisp...oh boy.... So...we wait....we wait....we wait...to get the check. Our waitress is inside tending to her other tables inside the restaurant. I end up getting up and asking the hostess for our check. She gives me the check....we wait.... we wait...we wait and no one picks UP the check so again, I go inside and give the hostess our credit cards to run. By that time....I am not a happy customer...so I stand there until I get the credit card slip to sign. I sign and walk out as the hostess cheerfully sings "Have a great d.." "Eat my dust." No...never again. read more

Cocktails are amazing, and the dance floor in the basement is also amazing. The DJ has always been good when I've gone--GREAT for no cover!! Careful, though--because room capacity is most likely always surpassed and it's probably a fire hazard to be down there on Friday/Saturday nights...but you make lots of new friends when you're dancing so close!! read more

Had the best time at Cafe! The aroma when I first walked in immediately reaffirmed my decision to try this place out for MLK Brunch. Sat at the bar and Natalie, the bartender, was absolutely delightful. Energetic, friendly, and attentive. I tried the Fried Green Tomato Benedict, while my fiance tried the Shrimp and Grits. Both dishes came out gorgeous, but unfortunately I wasn't too impressed with the Benny. The crab cake could've used much more flavor, so this dish was mostly saved by the perfectly poached egg, creamy hollandaise sauce, and the FGT. The Shrimp and Grits had a light tomato-y flavor, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. The bits of FGT and the bbq butter threw both of us off, however, due to the sweet flavor. Would def go again The ahi tuna caesar salad looked amazing! read more

Cafe Saint-Ex - Shrimp and Grits, with a perfectly poached egg. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I don't know if I would ordinarily go to Cafe Saint Ex. From what I'd heard and from reviews, didn't seem like it would be my scene. Enter Halloween, 2 cocktails, and a Michelle Obama costume, and I made it fit. Apparently, the Halloween crowd wasn't typical, nor was the music (hip-hop/R&B), but I looooooved it! Truthbetold, thanks to the really strong cocktails, I don't remember what songs they played. But they must have been good because I danced with a very smelly guy who couldn't dance all that well (I only remember that because he smelled REALLY REALLY BAD, God bless him). Let me visit it again sober and I'll see if it deserves more stars. read more

I like this place. I really like it. It's got a good vibe going. Their food is actually pretty tasty, considering the fact that it looks like a typical ol' dive bar. Their beer selection is excellent--or maybe it's their cute bartenders, I can't remember what I drank. My favorite thing about this place, though: the once-a-month New Age DJ night hosted by WaPo's Chris Richards called GLIDE. Soothing tunes, good beers, cute men: yes, please! read more

I wrote this up from a visit a few months ago so I guess there's a small chance things have improved by now... This was an awful experience. The food was decent but the service was so horrible that my friends and I felt awkward and and annoyed throughout our entire meal. First, even though there were numerous open tables outside and in plain sight, the hostess questioned whether there would be any availability for our small group. We eventually got one of the six empty tables. Second, one of us had an old (not expired! But non-DC) license proving that she was 21 and they refused to serve her. Then when we finally ordered our drinks and received them, the waitress brought my friend a beer when she ordered a wine. We were completely fine with the mistake, and didn't make a big deal about it but just asked nicely for the correct beverage. She then accused us of ordering the wrong drink and said repeatedly that "I confirmed it with you." She was so disrespectful. Eventually she brought my friend the correct drink but still charged us for the incorrect beer. Best part of it all, 20% gratuity was included (despite being a group of 5) so we had no choice if we wanted to tip the average 15%. There are numerous other places to go on 14th St. Don't waste your time here. read more

Oh, I don't even know where to start with how disappointing and just plain terrible this place is! A friend and I were forced to eat here because Matchbox across the street hadn't quite opened yet. The menu selection was sparse, but we each found something that sounded decent. I decided that I also wanted an Irish coffee, but first wanted to clarify what type of alcohol they put in it, because some places will throw a shot of Baileys in coffee and call that an Irish Coffee. Our waiter gave me major attitude and without answering my question, informed me that they know exactly what they are doing there. Ok, then. Consider me told. Hey, if you are that much on your game, I'm not gonna get huffy if you sling a little well-deserved attitude my way provided you can back up all that big talk. So I was thoroughly surprised to get a glass of unsweetened lukewarm coffee that was mixed with whiskey and skim milk. In retrospect, I should be grateful that I even got whiskey. Everything tumbled further downhill after that. Our food was lousy, not very fresh, and definitely overpriced for what we got. Neither of us wanted to finish our meal. Server never returned to see how we were doing, and it took forever to get his attention when we were ready for our check. Both of us left wondering how this place has stayed in business. Worst dining experience I have had in DC. read more

Dance Dance Revolution, you ain't got Sh** on the dance party happening downstairs at Saint Ex!!!!! I've had several friends say the same thing to me, "you HAVEN'T BEEN THERE YET!?!?!" in complete disbelief,...nope, sorry. I was late with this one guys and gals. But no worries, I stayed there long enough to sweat out my shirt that I was wearing and slide in, 'Doing the Butt' too (if you don't know what that song is, then I just feel sorry for your soul and music selection). The space was oh so right, the bar staff was awesome and quick and can we talk about the prices for what I got!?!?! Talk about a hook up! YES PLEASE! I will be back...again, and again, and again...kinda like the energizer bunny but WAAAY cooler than the 90's. read more

Wow, reading these reviews has made me wonder if I really enjoyed myself as much as I thought I did. So I will qualify my review by stating that I was here for NYE. It was no cover and low key which was exactly what we were looking for. We hung out downstairs at like 8pm and the place was relatively empty. A few tables were eating but we were able to grab spot on the eleveated booth-like area along the wall. The decor was heavily wooded, not like log cabin...just a lot of wood. It was cavernous which I didn't mind. By ten PM the place filled up and we shared and the DJ kicked in. He played all classic stuff, top 40, best of the 80s, a lot of good mashups. By midnight it was impossible to move. I guess what I loved was the sincerety of the place. On such a major night there was no prentention. They were confident to have no cover and no champaigne toast and they probably ended up making just as much as all the other bars that did the opposite. Because of this, I felt like I'd want to come back again on a regular evening. read more

Good stuff: great place to get a drink - good beer and wine selection love the outdoor seating area when it is warm. (great people watching) the food is really good and not too expensive. close to black cat and 9:30 club Bad stuff : there is almost always a wait downstairs area is a madhouse on weekends read more

There are two aspects to Saint-Ex: the daytime and weekday dining spot, and the nightclub aspect. The place has excellent food at reasonable prices and a very nice selection of beer. I've found things there that I haven't seen elsewhere in DC aside from the Brick (Delerium Tremens! Ayinger Celebrator! on tap!). Don't expect too much barfood, though -- that was pushed from the menu a few years ago in favor of the higher-end stuff. Upstairs decor is more comfortable than downstairs, but both have a good ambience. The bar downstairs is more of a club atmosphere, with a DJ on the weekends. It turns very quickly from a quiet neighborhood pub to a meat market (as does pretty much every place around U St.) on the weekends, so if that's not your shtick, avoid it. Gets very hot in the summer, but all in all, a good time. read more

This is one of those "DC institutions" that completely baffles me. Is it supposed to be chic? friendly? serving tasty food? neighborhoody? Because it's none of those things. It's full of pretension without merit though... which I guess is a reflection of the town it finds itself in, really. read more

Here for a conference, had a great time last night. Tonight we came back and had issues bringing in a single pizza to feed a group of hungry drinkers. Manager on duty had an issue with the pizza and asked us to leave as we finished the last piece. Their loss as we had an insane bar tab for the night. At the other locations. Manager had the option to make several hundred, yet instead he kicked a 8 person party out over a pizza.... When their kitchen was closed. Avoid if your drinking and hungry. Awful customer service. read more

Poor table service, and our waitress had an attitude while taking orders. Food itself was fine, so no fault to the kitchen. We had a table for 8 and we wanted separate checks but we were told they couldn't remember who had what, so we had to write out who had what. Once we received our checks it took 20 minutes to complete the transaction. Also took one of the patrons change (they paid cash). The staff also take shots while working. Overall the service was quite disappointing. Will not return. read more

It was 100F out last night, so while I plan on trying Saint Ex's nicely priced 3-course $36 fixed price dinner next time, I was searching for lighter fare. I settled on the exquisite chilled corn soup for a starter. The quality of the raw materials for this simple soup really made it sing. Fresh pureed corn, fresh avocado puree garnish and chopped fresh basil. The perfect summer starter. For my main I had the oft-yelped fried green tomato BLT, and it lives up to its reputation. I admire Saint-Ex's ballsiness to offer such a homely entree next to their salmon and wagyu steak lineup. The execution was great. Friend green tomatoes took this BLT in a new direction for me - crunchy and chew mouth feel, and more uh verdant flavoring than most BLT's. Sweet potato fries are always good, and SE's are no exception. Atmosphere is great - casual, dark, and lively. Think Brooklyn's Atlantic Ave, but in our home district! Note to our charming server with the short blonde hair: your helpful positive vibes really made our night perfect, and the Malboc you recommended was robust and spicy enough to balance out my BLT. [Beer Notes: good. 10 craft drafts of the Hoegaarden, Dogfish Head variety, plus bottled Chimay and the like] read more

If i could rate zero stars, I would. Walked in for brunch at 1:30pm, not really busy plenty of available tables, yet the hostess seem clueless where to seat us. After we finally pretty much told her where to seat us, we sat at the table for 20 minutes, no one came to get our order or offer any drinks so we decided to leave... no staff member seemed to give a damn. read more

Come here if you want a side order of pretentiousness with your dramatically overcrowded, tiny bar. This hipster hangout on U Street once prided itself as being the anti-Smith Point by banning popped collars. It also prides itself on it's trendy beer selections, and its music in the basement. On my recent Saturday evening trip, the main level bar was packed, and it was nearly impossible to order a beer. When I ordered a Miller Light, I saw scorn in the eyes of the bartender, either because I was wearing a preppy Lacoste shirt or because I didn't order a trendy Oberon or Brooklyn Brewery beer. Sometimes I just feel like drinking watery beer to maximize consumption and I guess I left my Indie rock t-shirt at home. I was here to meet up with a friend, who wanted to head down to the basement with his girlfriend. It was packed. This scene reminded me of my frat days more than any other place, in some ways more than Smith Point. Wall to wall people, loud music, difficult to move. The only thing different is that instead of Journey and Bon Jovi, there was MGMT. The scene here is fine if you like crowds. Me, I guess I'm a little claustrophobic. I don't really like people touching me or constantly pushing through the crowd. The basement also smells like pee and puke. I don't really see a reason to torture yourself by going to Cafe Saint-Ex. There are better options nearby. Many of them. Unless you really are looking forward to some skinny jeaned bartender giving you the stink eye. Then Cafe Saint-Ex is your place. read more

Disclaimer: Do your kegel exercises (or whatever the male equivalent is) prior to going to Saint Ex. Without fail, there will always be a 30 minute wait for the bathroom during the weekend, so plan accordingly. Sidenote: Is there a male equivalent to a kegel? Is it still in fact a kegel? Okay...Okay...I digress. Have you not quite figured out the lady you are taking out? You haven't figured out what her groove is? If so, Saint Ex will always hit the mark. It has a little something for everyone. If you are a foodie, the food selection is impressive and quite good. Is beer your thing? The selection of beers will easily hit the mark. If the bar scene is your thing, then grab a table and spend your evenings in the upstairs area with a full bar. Finally, the downstairs basement is a dance club, usually with a pretty good DJ. Essentially, you take your date to four places rolled into one. Be warned though, the weekend will carry large crowds. In short, its a good spot that has something for everyone. Drop down and get your kegel on at saint ex. read more

The brunch was amazing, a beautiful day, outside seating, fast service. I love when they leave a pitcher of water on the table. I had the steak and eggs, the steak was wagyu beef, totally tender, perfectly cooked (and I can't stand overcooked beef) yum. The eggs were yummy, except the popped on the crispy fries. And when I asked for mayo on the side (for my fries) the waitress looked at me weird lol. My boyfriend had the eggs and grits and wow those were some pretty awesome cheddar grits. I'm not a big fan of grits but I found myself eating his plate too lol. It was reasonably priced too and I enjoyed it very much. read more

Cafe Saint Ex, I'm disappointed. This isn't a review about their food, cocktail menu, service or atmosphere. I'm disappointed because this is the third time I tried go to brunch here and each time it has been a ridiculous wait. Today's experience pushed me over the edge to the point of writing this review. A few of my friends have been eager to try Saint Ex so we called ahead to try and make a reservation. We were told that they don't take reservations. OK. With this in mind we arrived at 11:15, prior to the brunch rush, and were told it would be a 40 minute wait - not because it was busy but because there were large parties that had reservations. With the exception of 8 people (2 four tops), the entire restaurant was empty. How was there a 40 minute wait? Fine. We waited 30 minutes and came back. Again, the restaurant was empty yet once again we were told it would still be another 40 minutes. Really?! This is just poor management of the front of house and unacceptable. I would love to change this Yelp Review to a positive one -- but until I can actually eat here I will continue to just be disappointed. read more