Overpriced. And portions weren't great. If you get the cheese basil pizza, expect one basil leaf clearly torn to fit across the whole pizza. (Insert eyes rolling here). Likely the least expensive thing in the kitchen (basil) and they can't put a bit more on the dish? Maybe they were low on basil. But come onnnn! Basil! Pile on the basil! Service was aloof and the bartender will eat off your plate if you let him. Crazy thing to say to someone when they ask for a to go box -- ~ can I eat that? Maybe he's new. Either way... get your phalanges off my plate and get my to-go box, because I'm off to find more basil! Beet salad was good. But still kinda small. Multiple TVs were the saving grace. read more

LOVE ChurchKey. It's near Logan circle. When you enter the door, you'll head directly upstairs for this bar. The drink menu is extensive, particularly in terms of beer, but their cocktails are equally delicious. Although a google search describes this spot as a bar, don't miss out on their food. We tried their loaded potatoes, fish and chips, pizza, and wings. Their fish and chips may have been our favorite, and the portion size was huge! No reservations, but the booths are large enough to comfortably accommodate parties of 6 in addition to the bar seating. Visit this place!!! read more

Sat down in the bar and after 15 minutes of not getting any service and seeing two rats run across the floor just got up and left. The entire staff appears to be a hot mess, won't be going back read more

ChurchKey is such a unique space to eat and drink and it resides on what I would call one of the coolest stretches in DC, 16th street. The first place I experienced, on one of my earlier DC trips and 16th street ventures, was The Pig. ChurchKey would prove to be no less great. A long stairwell ushers you up to the second floor where you find a dimly lit area that somewhat resembles being inside a church. Giant windows, lots of large hanging lights and what I will deem "the world's most comfy bar stools" are all adorned about the place. So far I was feeling quite cozy. Service came fairly quickly and the fun began. Beer, this place has a ton of it! One of the most unique things about ChurchKey is all the beer is served precisely at the recommended temp it is supposed to be at. First I never realized beer was supposed to have all the temp constraints. Two it definitely made for a one of a kind tasting experience. The entire menu was littered with brews and the temps they were to be served at. So far I was digging it. The food! Oh man, so good. Menu may seem confusing at first as there is no separation of appetizers and entrees but with a little help from our server we got up to speed quick. I enjoyed the lobster roll! Lots of fresh, juicy, chunky lobster and a great sauce to boot. Also had the tot pocket which was this potato cake stuffed with cheese, bacon and this chilies sauce and an egg! It was just so damn good. The rest of table seemed to enjoy all the food they had too. From burgers to chicken sandwiches everyone was satisfied. If ever in DC I will make it back to ChurchKey I am reformed and converted. Cheers so well worth the jaunt! read more

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Ignored by waitress who walked past me multiple times. After 10 minutes of waiting on a very quiet Monday I left. Was never made to feel welcomed and not offered water or a drink or a menu. Yikes one of the worst experiences. Really disappointing as the beer menu looked great. read more

I came here a few months ago and loved the experience. Back then, I had the best steak and eggs here and a delicious asparagus appetizer. This time around, I was thoroughly disappointed and frankly embarrassed as I brought friends from out of town. They were definitely understaffed. It showed judging by the fact that it took us sitting there for fifteen minutes for anyone to come by and give us our menus. (It's open seating) Then it's just endless waiting for things that shouldn't take this long. I once again ordered steak and eggs, and to my dismay, everything was so salty. I even had to scrape sauce off of my eggs and steak in order to consume them. The beer selection is great and the five beers that we tried were all wonderful. I will be back for beer, and nothing else. read more

I would've gave this place zero star had it not been for the extensive beer list. Skip the table, sit at the bar. Brunch: First we had to wait over 10 minutes to get the menu after we were seated and we had to ask for it ourselves. We didn't get to order food for over 30 minutes. While the food came out relatively quick, service was painstakingly slow. When we ordered a bottle of wine, it was left on the table without an ice bucket to keep it chilled. Again, had to ask the server to chill it. Our water cups remained empty until we asked again. My bucatini was undercooked to a point where it was impossible to call it aldente. It was just not cooked, overly salted, and I left it untouched. Biscuits and merguez gravy was also salty. There was three people on the table and all three of us was disappointed with the food. I didn't bother sending back the bucatini since it was unclear when our server would be around. I'm never not going back. read more

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Incredible tap menu of beers from around the country. Great interior space and atmosphere but very poorly trained staff. Came in with a group very excited to go to churchkey and were let down by rude waiter who seemed uninterested in taking drink orders or food orders. The drink selection and food make this place absolutely worth it but it is a little pricey and the staff at least for our experience was not on their A-game. read more

Walked out after 25 minutes. The host was rude and sent us upstairs because we had a kid in our party. After waiting 10 minutes with no acknowledgement, we finally got menus. Waited 10-15 more and never saw anyone again. Understaffed and rude. Waste of time. read more

There are hundreds of different beers here. They also serve food. As you enter you can stay downstairs and visit the restaurant or you can go upstairs to the bar. I went upstairs to check out their beer selection. There were only a couple on draft that I tried, porters from Anderson Valley brewing. They were good. So then I moved on to bottled beers. I asked for a list and was handed a binder with a 30 page list of beers. It took a while to choose the perfect ones. But I found some choice ones. Be ready to pay a premium for these beers. They average about 10 to 15 dollars. It would take forever to try all the beers here. But that would be a fun challenge. I did not eat the food so I can not rate it. However the beer is well worth a visit. read more

ChurchKey - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This bar is fantastic. Plenty of seating. Goodnfor small or large groups. Mood lighting. Friendly staff, great menu, and excellent drink choices. They even have blantons by the ounce at a great price. read more

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This place is a bit over-hyped. Take note, ChurchKey is located upstairs and not on the ground level. Clearly a lot of people get confused based off of the attitude from the host downstairs, which is a different restaurant. Maybe better signage would help? The lighting is dark here, too dark. The lighting might work for 11 pm, but not 7:30 pm. Seating is all first come first serve, which means you have people scanning the room and positing themselves at tables trying to grab the next open spot. I wasn't a fan at all and hated having people lurk over our table as we finished up our meal. Speaking of meals, I wasn't a fan. If you like pizza, good pizza like the kind from New Haven, CT, don't order pizza here. It's super small for the hefty price tag of $18, under-seasoned and doughy. Seriously, this was the most expensive pizza for the size I have ever eaten. The poutine was ok, a little greasy, but nothing special by any means. Drinks were fine and I think that's what people really come here for over the food. The service was slow but they were packed. Overall, not impressed and I wouldn't come back anytime soon. read more

ChurchKey - Does this look like it's worth $18? - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great vibe and a TON of drink selections. Bartender was by herself but was killing it. She was able to carry on a conversation and keep slinging drinks. The beer selection here was unmatched to anywhere I've been in some time. read more

This is a great place for a long list of options for cider. I am a cider lover and I was so happy with it. The ciders also came in 2 sizes (I'm assuming the smaller is for tastings). I really loved the Beautiful Island cider. Unfortunately, the bar was overwhelmingly full and the tables were seat yourself. There were so many tables that could have sat a much larger group taken up by 2 people, which made enjoying my time there difficult. read more

Okay I have tried their food now and I am a big fan of this place. I always like their tots they are so soft on the inside almost like whipped mashed potatoes, but the outside is crunchy and crisp! I have no idea how they get it to be like that! Just the perfect bite. Also, I LOVED their duck confit fritters. When I first saw them I was shocked at how small they were for the price. They only give you four small fitters for $12.00, but once I put them in my mouth I completely understood why! The fritters were fried perfectly. They were crisp and crunchy, but every bite was filled with flavorful duck! It was so hearty and delicious. I also loved the sweet jam sauce that came as the dipping sauce. It was heavenly. Also tried their deviled eggs which were so good too! They were smoked, so it tasted like smoked salmon. The yolk was creamy and perfectly sweet. Also, they have an extensive beer menu! I would recommend this place for a good hang out spot with your friends! read more

ChurchKey - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Tavern pizza with chorizo was fine, and the beer selection was very good. Staff was attentive, but it was a little pricey for my tastes.

Came here for the USWNT game against The Netherlands. Bartender seemed annoyed we were there. Only checked in on us about every 30 minutes. Asked about the World Cup deals advertised and was told that only starts tomorrow, even though this was the 6th day of the World Cup and the advertisement specifically mentioned this game. They were out of 3 of the 6 beers I tried to order. Restaurant itself seemed nice enough, but would not recommend based on service and products provided. read more

ChurchKey - Deal offered that wasn't. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The Stoop was the ideal sandwich and delivered in taste, portion, and flavor profile. The fries were good but mine were a but room temperature not hot at all. Make sure to get the ranch/blue cheese combo to dip in. It's a hit and the perfect combination. Also try and sit in the window seats to get some good people watching in as you enjoy your meal. read more

Great layout and potential. Our server was having a bad day-maybe?! We asked for a certain whiskey and a vodka-he said they didn't have it but we could see it from our seat. Asked for ranch to go with our grilled cheese and burger and he said they didn't have it. Though when we asked another staff member, they eagerly found it. Tots were good, smash burger was messy and good. read more

Went to ChurchKey for the first time yesterday to watch some football since we we're staying in a hotel within walking distance. Definitely wasn't crowded when we arrived around 3p (on a Sunday) and most people were sitting at the bar. We sat at one of the booths across from the bar and ordered two drinks and some tater tots. The drinks came to our table in what we thought was a bit longer than expected, but whatever, right?! Well, the tater tots NEVER showed up!! I'll say that again...the TATER TOTS NEVER SHOWED UP!!!!! The couple sitting in the booth next to us we're getting their food orders quite often, but for some reason nothing from the kitchen could make it to our table! Wonder why? Still trying to figure that out.. While we waited for a some sort of miracle to occur with these tater tots, I decided to order an Old Fashioned cocktail. Bad move on my part!! There were TWO bartenders behind the bar and between the two of them it took about 20 minutes to START making my cocktail!!! One of them was more concerned with texting on her cellphone! By that point we both were so annoyed and frustrated, we decided to cancel both the tater tots and the freakin Old Fashioned...and take our business somewhere else!! We had high hopes for ChurchKey since the Yelp reviews were really good and the online pics made the place seem inviting. Unfortunately, our experience wasn't as exciting as others and we most likely won't return. One positive note is that when we requested to speak with the on-duty manager, he showed up and apologized for the situation we experienced. If you're in the DC, give ChurchKey a visit and evaluate the place on your own personal experience. The two stars are for the ambiance and the manager's response. read more

First and foremost, I am not a beer snob, so this spot was not my choice of places to check out, but I ended up really enjoying it. They are notable for having 500 rotating craft beers, but there was also a substantial wine list and crafted cocktails. I ordered the Interpretive Dance, which is a bourbon cocktail, because I tend to order all bourbon options when I'm out of town to compare them to what we make in Kentucky. This one was overwhelmed with the taste of the cherry bark vanilla bitters, unfortunately - the traces of the Buffalo Trace bourbon were barely there. My brother ordered three different beers which he was overly ecstatic about, so success there. We also tried a couple of small plates: the deviled eggs (the presentation was fabulous), and the chicken pot pie croquettes. The pot pie bites were delish! They tasted more than little balls of chicken cordon blue, rich and savory, and we were in love with the gravy they were resting in. Kudos to the snacks. This place was packed - like seriously wall-to-wall, standing room only packed on a Friday night at 9pm, but we found a couch to sit on in the back that was a community seating area. Our server was fantastic despite the crowd, the drinks and food arrived promptly. No complaints here! read more

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Make sure you go up stairs for a layback vibe! Went here Friday night thought was gonna be jam packed but it wasn't. It had customers but wasn't crowed. Food was GREAT! Service was GREAT! Would recommend for sure if your in town! read more

If you live in DC and like beer, you HAVE to go to Churchkey (they also have good cocktails). Service is great, food is good too.

Still solid five stars, even though the tot sundae is off the menu! Had the awesome, kicking Smoked Brisket Flatbread, sans red onion- still nice and spicy! Friendly, knowledgeable waitstaff, and friendly patrons at the bar who enjoy God's food and drink. Will be even harder to try other places! read more

ChurchKey - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Loved this place. Note* my family does this weird thing where before we eat at a restaurant we essentially bar hop as a prelude. This was our second stop along the journey to Jaleo. My cousin heard good things about ChurchKey and wanted to check it out. Since the guys got to choose the bites at the last place, the ladies got to decided what appetizers to order at ChurchKey. We got the tot poutine and the chicken pot pie croquettes. Botha were very good! If I come back I might try out that bone marrow cause man that looked delish especially with that black garlic. For drinks I got the scratch - blackberry and lavender. It was very unique and a bit tarts but I enjoyed it and would at least recommend you try it even if it wasn't for you. read more

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Hubs and I stopped by for a late afternoon Saturday drink after strolling through the 14th and 18th street neighborhoods. We had tried to get in after seeing a show at Studio a few weeks ago and it was so packed that there was nowhere to sit or even stand and enjoy a drink. That was disappointing...and also somewhat frustrating, because staff never so much as made eye contact. This time around, we seated ourselves and enjoyed mediocre service and expensive drinks from the extensive menu, plus a pricey cheeseboard full of DC's smelliest. Seriously, $50 for two beers and a cheese board (and one with a chintzy portion of crackers, to boot!)? It might not have been so bad if service was better...but it wasn't. Look y'all, I know this place is super trendy...but maybe spare your wallet and your expectations and give it a miss. read more

ChurchKey - Cheese plate with my glass of Native Confusion and husband's glass of Fluctuation - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The lighting is on the dark side,which made it hard to read the menu. I had the pastrami sandwich. The pastrami was cut think, which was awesome. The ingredient slid around, so I ended up cutting the sandwich which also allowed me to cut away the fat on the meat. Yes, I would go to this restaurant again. The beer was good and there are other things on the menu I'd like to try. read more

Good beer selection on tap. The bartenders weren't super friendly. Is more of a laid back place to watch sports. I didn't try the food so can't comment on that. Would give it another try to see if the people were more friendly next time. read more

I went a little late at night just to get take out food. The servers seemed too busy and unapproachable to be attentive to anyone not at a table. The one server I managed to flag down (because it's so unnecessarily loud in there) said I'd have to order through DoorDash. Turned out to be incorrect. I just went and ordered my food from the bar - easy peasy hot wings. I specifically asked for them to be extra crispy. But by the time I finished my 5 minute walk home to eat them, the meat was rubbery and the battered skin was soggy. This place seems only good for drinking. I'm sad to say I have no desire to return read more

Will keep this one short. Strictly for the bar, nothing else. This is one of the best bars on the east cost, easily top 10, probably top 5. Every time i'm in DC, I come here. I'm never overwhelmed with their tap list, but their bottle list is what I live off of, and second to none. Go here. read more

Best tap list that I've ever seen in DC. The staff was friendly and helpful, even though the place was packed to the brim. I can't wait to come back and try it again. read more

ChurchKey - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

**BEER HEAVEN IN D.C** 50 drafts, 500 bottles and 5 cask ales. That's a lot of damn beer. AMBIANCE ======== Located upstairs of Birch & Barley. Super crowded on weekends. Lots of BROS. FOOD ===== CRISPY CHICKEN & GRAIN SALAD - $10 Wheat berries, quinoa, millet, kale, pecorino, and almond tasted great with that crispy chicken. RATING: 4/5 GRILLED CHEESE - $7 Parkerhouse loaf, Fontina cheese, truffle oil, and tomato soup dip were good. I wished it came with a bowl of tomato soup instead of a dip. I couldn't finish it and it tasted good the next day. RATING: 3.5/5 BEVERAGE ========= ALLAGASH WHITE - $6 I like this beer. Refreshing. RATING: 4/5 I tasted a few beers with other people on the list. Overall, if you love beer, you would love this place. BARTENDERS =========== Efficient, not necessarily friendly. RECOMMEND for beer and gastropub food lovers. read more

ChurchKey - Allagash White. - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Beer mecca. This is where I take every hophead who's new to the area and doesn't know where they ought to be drinking. I feel free to taste around the beer menu via smaller pours without fear of commitment, and even have a nip of scotch or two if the mood strikes me. Crowded? Yes. Am I here for food? No... though I'm happy to make do if I'm too lazy to face the cold. I've nibbled around their menu and a good portion of it falls into the category of generic bar grub, with a few novel ventures into the intriguing. The nosh typically hits somewhere between three to four stars... but again, this isn't my destination for dinner. Fig and prosciutto flatbread has a generous layer of gorgonzola, and is sparser with the port caramelized onions. It's nice to share since I typically get sick of figs by the fourth square, but the sausage & egg version with kale wins me over. Disco fries have a squeaky mouthfeel, a good bar bite even if its prep time seems to take longer than other menu options. As much as I love sauerkraut, I'd still get the muffaletta panino again over the brat burger. Wouldn't recommend the quesadilla, it's fairly boring. Shishito peppers and tots are tastily simple, and the Cookie Monster dessert pairs well with darker beers. I love that the phone tree notes that this place has a "crazy amount of bar seats" upstairs. Grabbing a seat is pretty cutthroat, you're better off sniping a purse hook under the bar and milling about nearby. Bouncer's typically friendly, keeping the immediate area at the top of the stairs clear of drinkers. I've never ventured into the lounge area in the back since I prefer to be within reach of the bar. The bathrooms behind the lounge are kept surprisingly clean. I like to wave hi to the two lawn gnomes that live in the rafters. Lovelovelove the bartenders here, I always leave drunk and happy. If I lived nearby I'd be dooming myself to a future revolving around a drunk Asian sporting a beer belly year-round. read more

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The Luther: that is the reason to come here. It's a sandwich of fried chicken on a doughnut topped with bacon and buttered pecans. ... ... ... Sorry, my heart stopped for a second. Before you race over here, know that it is off-menu and only available at brunch on Saturdays. Or at least that's what the guy told me when I called. But then he also put me down for a reservation for two, and then when I called a few days before coming in, a different person answered and told me they don't take reservations and acted like I was crazy. This Luther sandwich is insane. It's probably too overwhelming for some, but it was right up my alley. It is quite a mess and tough to eat, but it's worth it. Most shocking of all, it costs just $10, with a side of delicious, hot, crispy fries included. Even if that sounds like too much to handle for you, it's still a decent place to try. We also went with some more beige and got the Fried Chicken & Waffles ($15), which were pretty excellent too. The brunch menu is pretty small, I guess mostly because this is more of a bar with a few delicious entrees to choose from. Other things to note are that it was completely empty and I really didn't need to worry about a reservation, and that it was incredibly dark in there. I'm not sure if the waiters were just lazy or couldn't see us, but we had to hunt them down every time we wanted something. The restaurant downstairs though, Birch & Barley, run by the same owners, was packed. If I could do it all over again, I would make reservations for brunch at Birch & Barley downstairs. Then, I would go upstairs and skip all the other stuff but have The Luther for lunch number two/dessert. Now that would be satisfying. read more

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Five starts for a fantabulous beer list that defies proper description. As well, some fab nibbles like macaroni & cheese sticks and fig & prosciutto flat bread. I got here way early (around 6:30) and got a great table against the wall. This made it possible for my friends and I to enjoy comfortable seating with a good view of the scenery as we blasted through WAY too many great brews. Some macrobrews, some microbrews, some brews that will likely never be repeated, which is a terrible shame. Food was a little on the slow side but it was super busy. I'll just leave you with BEER! BEER! BEER! read more

ChurchKey - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The first time I visited ChurchKey was in January, after BlackSalt. It was a Friday night, so it was crowded, I had already been drinking, and was slightly annoyed and overwhelmed, so I did not really have an opinion one way or the other. But I've recently been back, and have to say that I am a fan. First, I like that it is not "just a beer place." Yes, that is what ChurchKey is known for, but they also have wine and a nice liquor selection. That being said, they have my favorite beer ever - Aecht Schenkerla Oak Smoke. Yeah, I was pretty much in heaven. That alone makes me very, very happy. Second, the food was good. I thoroughly enjoyed the warm, crisp tater tots. The quesadilla was not bad either, and the guacamole was tasty. Ruth was kind enough to share some fries, and those were excellent, probably some of the better fries I've had. I also like the dim lighting, friendly service, and familiar menu. I don't love how crowded or loud it gets, but I understand why, and hope to be part of that crowd often. read more

Came back here for drinks before dinner downstairs at Birch and Barley. So update: 555 types of BEER, switched out daily. That is an insane amount of beer. All the beers are categorized by type on the menu (ie. crips, hops, fruity, etc.). The servers are all very very knowledgeable about the beers so if you need anything just ask. You can sit at the bar, lounge chairs in the back, or wooden tables in a brightly lit area in the front. All different kinds of atmosphere for ya. Steven-best waiter ever. Knew all there is to know about beers. He is one of the lab guys that play around with different brews and flavors. He was able to tell us about their specialities and different processes they use because I was with some beer enthusiasts. =) He even gave us a printed beer menu to go because my uncle wanted to take a souvenir. Haha. I highly recommend it for the beer drinkers. Oh insider tip: they offer a very special donut burger called "The Luther" and they only serve about 30 per day on weekends. You get a number when you order it so if you're past 30, then you have no chance. Insider tip! =P read more

Came here while in town. Absolutely loved the vibe of this place. Dim lighting, lots of drink options, with tons of different types of people. This place is great for hanging with friends or a nicer date night. Prices are fair and loved all the drinks we tried. Leaving 4 stars because we ordered beer cheese dip as an appetizer and it was not very good. Service also was okay, but not amazing. read more

This place has just made my love and appreciation for beer 100x more so I decided to dedicate a song to them in the tone of Hozier, ahem : My bar offers no shitty beers They tell me "here's the menu" The greatest selection I've been sent to Is only when I see your brews I was born drunk. But I love it. Command me to not be sober. Amen.. Aaayyymen. aidbebe. A@ymen Drunk ass chorus.. Take me to Church..Key I'll worship like a drunk at your selection of beers I'll tell you my beer and you ready your pour Offer me my favorite Brown Ale Good god, let me give you my card!!! Gets crowded, but they do their best. Come early, come thirsty. Cheers! read more

ChurchKey - My fave bartender - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very large selection of draft beers from crisp, fruit and spice, tart and funky, cask ale, malt, hop, and roast. I had the Andechser Dopplebock Dunkle which was nutty, toasty and delicious. Boyfriend had the Dias De Los Serranos which had the flavor of serranos without any of the spiciness of it. I know it sounds like a weird mix but it worked well together. Also had the Goss Gone Wild by Stillwater Artisanal which ironically is made by friend Brian and I found it very crisp and citrusy. We also shared the Barreled Jalapeño Smoked Porter which was really smooth, smoky and peppery without the spice. It only comes in a 25.4 oz bottle ($30) but totally worth splitting with someone. Tater tots were extra crispy, would've loved honey mustard instead of ketchup though. The staff is very knowledgeable and I appreciate it when people can offer suggestions that really match what you are looking for. read more

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