DACOR Bacon is a sensational venue for hosting a party/wedding/school reunion/etc.. We have thrown a cocktails and dance party there for the past three years, and can't say enough about the professionalism of the staff, the quality of the food, the service, and the price. Best of all, our guests love DACOR Bacon and come back each year. The house is an elegant Federal brick building (1801), home of John Marshall when he was on the Supreme Court. It is decorated with beautiful antiques and paintings. If you're having a large event, the garden AND the house are able to accommodate 180 people. When we wanted to rent a tent for dancing under outside, they helped us. When we wanted great DJs, they helped find them. For smaller events, the house is wonderful for a cocktail party, lunch or dinner. It retains its beautiful old world charm and is located just a stone's throw from the White House. Parking is fairly easy on weekends and in the evening We have also used DACOR Bacon for alumni cocktail parties. Guests tremendously enjoyed the elegant and comfortable setting. Washingtonians love to come to parties there -- it's the only still functioning grand historic house in Foggy Bottom. People walked by and say, 'What's that? I'd love to go in there." Out of towners are thrilled with its location, history and beauty. The staff is very experienced and helpful. They go out of their way to ensure the success of the events. Sylvia, who is the events coordinator, always goes above and beyond to make sure that we have a good experience. Alba and Jose make sure all the logistics are running smoothly, and they do a wonderful job. Meg wonderfully oversees it all. read more

This is a private club. Went for a group dinner sponsored by a member. We had to preselect our menu, but there was a decent variety for a quiet evening. I had the arugula and heirloom tomato salad, spring pea soup (which was quite delicious, I think it had some mint?) ginger glazed salmon for my entree, and an orange cake. Had a decent merlot. Servers were very attentive and polite. The building itself was the draw for me; rich with character. It must be about 200 years old. It feels like a converted private house with how the rooms are carved out of the space. Very nice experience. read more

I was at the Dacor Bacon House for lunch today. They clearly do not know how to cook vegetarian food or they don't care. It was probably the most unappetizing plate of very salty broiled radish and a tasteless spoonful of rice one can imagine. Very disappointed. If I am invited to go there again for lunch, I think I will bring my own. read more

My daughter had her wedding here. The entire experience was amazing! Beautiful venue, fabulous food, great vendor recommendations, all of it! Just over all absolutely delightful! read more

DACOR Bacon House - The outside garden wedding gazebo. The flowers were by the recommended vendor! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had a celebration of life/ remembrance service for my sister at this beautiful, historic, national treasure. Sylvia and the staff could not have been more accommodating. The food and drinks served were excellent, and the price for the venue was reasonable, too. I would wholeheartedly recommend the DACOR Bacon House for events. Mike T read more

I attended the 36th Inauguration of the Executive Women in Government at DACOR Bacon House on July 31st with my boss. She is a past president of the group and administered the oaths of office to the incoming leaders. See attached program. The house itself is an amazing feat of architecture that has withstood the test of time since the late 1800's. It is hidden in plain sight at the corner of 18th & F NW. How many times have you passed that corner on your way to the world bank? Well glorious courtyards and an amazing mansion lurk just behind the brick wall. Take a tour someday. You'll see. Anyway, the interior is filled with historic artifacts ranging from paintings and carpets to teapots and chandeliers. Even the baby grand piano has history and you need a notarized, signed certificate authorizing you to have a presidential permit in order to play it. Well the event was just as glorious as the setting. I was in the company of some of the feminine federal government's heavy hitters. Trust me, you want to stay away from the wine bar at those functions. No need to let loose lips sink your ship in that crowd. It was 'chablis' anyway. That juist conjured up "grad-school-happy-hour-jug-wine-in -the-conference-room" imagery for me. My poor liver lurched within my torso upon hearing the word 'chablis'. I had no choice but to refrain. The rest of the reception was really tasty, though. Which is why I was torn between reviewing the 'foundation' or the 'caterers' (both are listed in the Yelp directory). They had a deluxe cheese board, crab stuffed cherry tomato, crudité (no it was NOT just cut up carrots and celery, it was crudité, thank EWE!), some kind of roasted red pepper/sun dried tomato dip and crackers, and a fruit display. After the ceremony, there was a champagne toast to wish the new leaders well for the coming year. It was an honor and my pleasure to be my boss' guest at the EWG event and at the DACOR Bacon House. I'll need an invite to return to either and I sure do hope I get them soon. read more

We cannot recommend DACOR Bacon enough! We searched dozens of DC wedding venues to find one that had the charm and character of this lovely house. The downtown location was perfect for our out-of-town guests, and they were easily able to accommodate our wedding of 90 people, at a very reasonable price. The food was delicious, and we got rave reviews on the beautiful space and incredible atmosphere. However, what made DACOR Bacon so exceptional was the professionalism of the staff. Meg, Jose, Alba, Sylvia and Chef Karida went above and beyond to ensure that the day lived up to our vision -- no detail was too small, from the place settings to the family photos arranged on the mantel. They spent hours on the phone and in person ensuring that nothing was overlooked. We felt so lucky to spend this important day with them -- thank you DACOR Bacon! read more

For a number of years the Foreign Policy Association has worked with the office and grounds staff at the the DACOR Bacon House to film the Great Decisions television series for broadcast on PBS. Our annual collaboration with the highly professional team at the house is one of the highlights of our production cycle. One would be hard pressed to find a more elegant and stately backdrop for a television series dealing with U.S. foreign policy than the charming rooms of the DACOR Bacon House. I highly recommend reaching out to the events staff to explore the venue for your next event or film shoot. read more

This is an impressive venue to throw a party or host an event reception with erudite speakers and guests. The appetizers and hors d'oeuvres were excellent comprising: pot stickers, tempura squash, Swedish meatballs; crackers, bleu, cheddar, colby, [monterey jack] cheese; ales, chablis, juice plus other bar drinks. A neat opportunity to meet some smart, well-traveled folks with good stories that can be shared. The staff who put on programs here are awesome in that they attend to all sorts of details from name tags for guest speakers. It is an honor to be invited to an event here. Speakers will appreciate that its public address system is well maintained wherein I saw the staff set forth everything needed to present except maybe a projector or teleprompter (may need to bring your own). No matter where in the world you are from, this place is good at making your invited guests feel welcome. The home had previously been owned by Washington socialites changing hands very few times. The home is a testament to its tony address and classy architecture. The interior decoration with its unique American paintings and furnishings from around the world should have been covered in Architectural Digest. There is limited parking in the back (a rarity in that part of town). The main entrance is in the front. The furnishings in the home are stylish. Paintings and photographs look like distinguished Americans. Layout in its library is British. Furnishings such as chairs are from all over the world so every seat is a story. read more

The DACOR Bacon House is a superb venue for holding receptions and roundtables. The historic and refined house, creates a very elegant environment for your gathering. DACOR's staff is also extremely friendly, attentive, and accommodating. Their meals are also excellent, and very affordably priced. read more

DACOR was the perfect venue for our A100 35th year class reunion in March. We looked at a number of venues in the area, several nice bars and restaurants, and finally settled on DACOR for a number of reasons. First, it is an elegant setting, perfect if your group hopes for good conversation with drinks and hors d'oeuvres but without distracting loud music. Second, DACOR's representatives were the easiest to work with, understanding about changes and flexible when we needed to rethink menu based on confirmations. Third, DACOR is more experienced than other venues with groups like ours. The event was a terrific success, but not only for the reasons above. DACOR's food was tasty and well-served, and the bar offered just the right mix of drinks; again, perfect background for a friendly gathering looking for good conversation with just the right support. You can't beat the Bacon House for that feeling that you're part of Washington DC's pageant of history, with its art and books and incredible history and historic furniture. No passing chic bar can offer this sense of continuity and deep historic roots. Will look to DACOR first next time I am organizing another event like this. read more

We have hosted events at DACOR Bacon House for more than 10 years. Our guests are always impressed with the ambiance and decor of the House--a truly unique venue in Washington, DC. The facilities staff sets up the event space in your desired configuration. The kitchen staff is courteous and able to accommodate guests with dietary restrictions. We have always found DACOR event staff to be knowledgeable and responsive. Whether you're planning a meeting, lecture, reception, luncheon or dinner function, DACOR is a lovely venue whose staff will work with you to meet your event requirements. read more

This is a mixed review of the DACOR Bacon house as a wedding venue. We liked the location and atmosphere. The chef and catering staff were amazing--my compliments to the kitchen for delicious food and careful consideration of my guests' food allergies. However, the office staff and accountant were extremely difficult to work with and their policies amount to theft. Overall, I do not recommend this venue. The house appears to be an excellent choice: centrally located with very reasonable prices for the venue and catering.  They also promise all-inclusive packages with tables, chairs, linens, silverware, glasses, decorations, staff, and more.  They sell themselves as having experience with events. However, I was extremely disappointed with the event planning policies and staff at DACOR Bacon House.   They were slow to respond, provided contradictory, partial information, threw in surprise costs, and have an alcohol policy that amounts to theft.  It took months to complete the contract, payments, and catering agreement.  It was even harder to get an accurate catering and beverage quote. The event staff would change their tune regularly about when certain pieces of information were due.  When it came time to make a deposit, they were unable to effectively charge our credit card--or inform us when the payment didn't go through.  They were vague about the number of people working the event and in what capacity.  I repeatedly said we were working with a wedding planner, who tried to fix these issues, and in the last week the venue still requested an email to say our planner was allowed to see the terms of our contract.  During this time, surprise costs appeared on any estimate we received.  During our very first tour of the house they said, "we roll up the carpet for the dance floor" and then suddenly, a few months later, there was a $150 fee for the honor of having the carpet rolled up.  [It is in the best interest of the house to clear the dance floor of potential hazards both to protect the rug and reduce liability in the case of tripping and falling.] We passed on the $200 fee to have tea lights in the garden... only to find out "turn on the tea lights" mean plug in a string of lights that's always there... which took about half a second. Good thing we didn't pay $200 for someone to stick a plug in a socket! The initial catering contract listed a single line-item for staff.  Then suddenly it was going to be an extra $200 for someone to pour wine on the tables.  And out of no-where, it cost $2 per person for bread [with 100 people, do you know how much bread I can buy for $200?  I could have provided bread for all my guests for $24].  And another $2 per person for coffee.  And we weren't getting dessert or side dishes for one of the main courses... but there was no discount for serving significantly less food. The venue nickel-and-dimed us for everything and it took weeks of negotiation to get rid of these budget-breaking costs. The final straw was the alcohol policy.  Which states we cannot take any open containers from the venue.  Their alcohol prices are astronomical, so we used an outside vendor.  At the end of the night, the half-finished bottles became the property of the house.  I paid for the bottles twice--once from the vendor and a second time for the corkage fee (which is outrageous).  And the horrible venue kept the bottles to re-sell the contents for a profit.  I asked for an explanation of the policy in writing, which I did not receive.  This amounts to theft. Do not use DACOR Bacon House. read more

DACOR Bacon House is a stunning venue in the heart of downtown DC with a team of experienced, caring staff. We had many guests, some of whom came from overseas just to attend our wedding. DACOR, as a colonial era mansion with its authentically elegant decoration and rich cultural heritage, had a mesmerizing impact on both our local and international guests. In addition, the DACOR Bacon team comprising Meg, Alba, Chef Karida, Margaret and Sylvia delivered an excellent service. They carefully listened to all our ideas, and went out of their way to accommodate our needs and requests. Having such an organized team enabled us to avoid recruiting a wedding planner, make smart decisions and stay on timeline and budget. The kitchen offers a wide variety of extremely delicious dishes, and Chef Karida easily accommodates the requests of guests with specific dietary needs (i.e., vegan, gluten-free, kids menu). Anytime we reminisce the wedding night with our guests, they still tell us how much they appreciated the romantic, charming atmosphere and the food. I must also say that their prices are very competitive compared to similar venues in downtown DC area, and also for the quality of service that they are offering. The rental includes use of all public spaces in the house so we efficiently utilized the entire house for our ceremony & dinner, and open bar & dance. All in all, we are happy to give our highest recommendation for DACOR Bacon House as a top notch, reasonably priced wedding venue. read more