DC culinary institution. We sat at the bar, destined for both breakfast and lunch. Catfish is excellent, so are the eggs. Portions are generous and menu choices hit all the right spots. Friendly conversation with the excellent staff. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Well, it was unfortunate that they were out of a lot of things. Very disappointing. Business need to prepare for success. On the bright side, what we did order was good. read more

I was really looking forward to visiting Florida Avenue Grill, especially given its history and reputation, but unfortunately, my experience was very underwhelming. I ordered the catfish and grits breakfast with eggs, fried apples, and cornbread. The eggs were fine, but the grits were watery, undercooked, and lacked seasoning, and the catfish also lacked seasoning and tasted as though it had been prepared well before the rest of the meal. The service was equally disappointing. I wasn't offered a beverage, there was no flatware at my place setting when my food arrived, and basic condiments like salt, pepper, and hot sauce had to be requested. Throughout the meal, no one really checked on me unless I specifically asked for something. My bill was $41, and when I paid cash, I was told they had no change. I didn't mind leaving the difference as a tip, but given the overall lack of attentiveness, it added to an already disappointing experience. With such an iconic name and so much history displayed throughout the restaurant, I expected the quality of the food and hospitality to reflect that legacy. Unfortunately, this visit simply did not. read more

Been wanting to try this place for a while now. The place was good and the chicken was fried perfectly! The Mac and cheese was also a really good. The candied sweet potato's and pancake/hot cake were decent too. The prices are pretty like a dollar or two more than other diners I've been too but I think it's also location. The service was fast and efficient. And the location has a true old school diner ambience to it. I highly recommend coming here and enjoy a bite from a historic location in DC. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Front of store - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Friendly service. This place has a classic diner feel with the front counter seating in addition to booths. The food was fresh and absolutely delicious. The biscuit is now the best I've ever had and the catfish was perfectly fried. I can't wait to try their lunch/dinner offerings on my next visit . I was also really honored to have visited a piece of D.C. history . read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Cajun- Fried Catfish (Combo) - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This diner is the oldest soul food restaurant in the world, and I felt privileged to be able to dine there yesterday. The service was warm, the soul playlist provided the perfect music for a Saturday morning, and the food was exactly what you want at a diner. It was comforting, fast and flavorful. I can't wait to return read more

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Florida Avenue Grill is a cultural relic and DC institution worth visiting for its history alone. It's the city's oldest Black-owned restaurant continuously serving since 1944. Throughout its history, it's served as a meeting point, cultural center, and provides a classic vibe with photos, commemorative plaques, and 1950s style diner ambiance. They've got light R&B playing and the staff was welcoming. The food is a combination of Soul Food and Caribbean and they offer up both breakfast and lunch. While it is off the U St Corridor it's worth a stop in for the history and good food at a reasonable price. read more

Florida Avenue Grill is a staple in the DC community; and I finally visited it this morning for breakfast. I was pleased to get a parking space. Its decor is of an old fashion diner style with lots of heritage. I had a special, sweet tea, and a side of fried apples. It was good; but the service was slow. I got there about 9:30 a.m. and there was only one waitress. When I was leaving, several other employees came in. So, I would like to sum it up to my timing, but I can't. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - The special (grits, eggs, hotcakes, and turkey sausage) and fried apples. - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Service was great, they were under construction when we came so it was practically empty. The fish was good, the biscuit didn't seem fresh it was hard and stale. The cheesy grits were alright they got me through and the egg was good. I'll be back to give this another try cause. Overall 7/10. read more

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I've been coming here for years and the service has always been questionable, but on this occasion the menu did not reflect accurate pricing or combo options. In addition to no having correct menu options on ALL THE MENUS IN THE RESTAURANT, the staff was unable and unwilling to honor the pricing reflected on the menu. It's unprofessional and unfortunate. They claim to be the oldest soul food restaurant in the country, and the menus are clearly printed on someone's personal printer at home - but they decide to pass out inaccurate menus. To add insult to injury - they know people come here for breakfast/brunch on the weekends and the host was at the door telling people that they'd have to wait at least 45 minutes for food in a restaurant with 7 patrons in it because they only scheduled one person to cook. This will be the last time I spend money at this establishment. I did love bringing people from out of town here, but the unprofessional nature of the staff and the restaurant in general has moved Florida Ave grill to the list of places to avoid. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We stopped here for a quick American breakfast. The pancakes were terrific as was the rest of our food. Servers were friendly & the diner is cozy. We'd definitely come back! read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love the old-school diner, Mom-and-Pop vibe of this place. Each booth has plaques featuring Black history, which was both inspiring and a great touch. The Caribbean porridge was absolutely incredible--definitely an underrated gem here! However, the catfish tasted like it might have been frozen, though it was fried well. The toast wasn't toasted enough, and it lacked butter, which wasn't provided either. The food is really average at best. On the plus side, the service was great! Several people checked on us throughout our meal, and the manager was very nice. Overall, a solid spot with a unique ambiance that's worth checking out! read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Unfortunately, our visit to Florida Avenue Grill signified the end of era of a once great establishment. To begin, the place apparently was bought out, and is now named "Florida Avenue Grill and Half Way Tree". It seems the current owners apparently wanted to buy the "Florida Avenue Grill" name to capitalize on its fame as a historically excellent and important restaurant where once great food was served and history was made. Now to the food. Our main reason for coming back to down to D.C. was to again experience their smothered pork chops. They no longer serve smothered pork chops, but indicated we could have southern gravy on the side. The order took a long time to come, we were told that the order was "being cooked to order", and even offered some corn bread (which was a bit sweet). When our orders came out, we were shocked to see two overly fried and dried pork chops that came out with sides of Mac and cheese and green beans that were cold. What was worst was the chops were placed on a metal platter lined with paper - how does one eat and cut chops on paper lined platters - with butter knives?! Additionally, one of my sides (I ordered two sides of mac and cheese) never came out, and the "southern gravy" was primarily flavorless and cold. One of the staff apologized and promised to reduce our bill for the faux pas (we were not charged for the sides). Overall, it was not a great experience, and we're sad to see how the Florida Avenue Grill has been reduced due to poor food. The service was good and we could not fault the service, which we tipped well. In conclusion, a great institution unfortunately has been bought out and it's reputation tarnished and reduced. read more

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Oh my gosh. I don't know what happened within the past year but I am not a fan. I ordered through ubereats and received this. Now, I know things can get messy in transportation and who doesn't love a good Mac/yams mixed moment but it was not it. Doesn't even look like a full scoop of candied yams. Both sides lacked flavor. Fish was terrible. That is not the same batter used previously which gives it the authentic Cajun fried catfish it claimed to be. I don't even think it was catfish. Reminded me of Swai. I attached a previous photo that I included in my 4 star review from last year for comparison. I'm hoping this was a fluke but it'll be a while before I visit again. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Baked Macaroni & Cheese Candied Yams Cajun- Fried Catfish (combo) - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Food was great. The Mac and cheese was soooo good. Juicy chicken, collard greens were good, candied yams were ok. Get the sweet tea, I asked for a cup to go. Only thing I will complain about is the to go cups, could have beed better. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Let's eat - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A DC institution. Good for breakfast. The bacon, pancakes, biscuits and grits are great. The sweet tea and lemonade blend for a refreshing Arnold Palmer. Not sure I would rush back but it's definitely a place you should go to once. Service was slow but atmosphere is filled with history. read more

Outstanding home-made comfort food. The read deal in Soul Food cuisine. A must visit - especially for breakfast!

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER!! At the door 15 minutes two workers spinning around us without a word. I walked towards the workers to ask the process. "Hello should I___? "Don't you come back here unless I call you!" yelled one worker" me: "sorry I didn't know I was asking should I wait or seat myself, no one said anything" she: looks at another customer "and nobody going to make me be rude today". Me: REALLY? TO LATE!!!!!! I was with others so I waited, she finally cleared the counter and yelled "yawl my last customers sit here." She slammed down the menus, my dining partner asked if we could move to a table she cleaned. I ordered my food and I kept my replies , sweet to the point. I placed my order and that was it. The fresh fried croaker was good but the grits were excellent. Throughout our experience she continues complain she is the only one working and other things that are not worth going into but very inflammatory . She is the kind I ignore others may not and respond in kind. The food is good and reasonably priced but the service is horrible and the restaurant can use major repairs. It was hot, no air, greasy walls, poor ceiling fans and space is wasted. Would I return? HECK NAW!!! read more

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Came here to have breakfast with my sister. I was here 25 years ago when I lived in Baltimore and was pleasantly surprised to see that Florida Grill is still standing strong. This place is filled with a rich cultural and community history, besides having amazing diner food. The staff treat you like you are family and I couldn't have spent a better morning than sitting and chatting with family at the Florida Avenue Grill for three hours. read more

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Florida Ave Grill has been on my list for a long time. It's relatively small inside. Had a diner feel to it. Upon walking in I was immediately greeted by the one woman who was running the whole show. She was greeting people, taking orders and cashing them out. I had the fish and grits. What I appreciated most was the catfish wasn't breaded. You tasted the fish as opposed to bread. So good. Grits and eggs (with cheese) were also good. I'd love to come back later in the day and try a dinner option. read more

Florida Avenue Grill - Fish and grits - Diners Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Greta breakfast. Attentive and friendly staff and chef. Cool ambience. Historic Photos and booths.

Gives you that ratatouille moment where u take a bite and everything is warm and fuzzy and ur like "damn this sh*t is fire". Ro is an absolute artist w the hotcakes and the vibes are too good in the whole shop. read more

Had breakfast French Toast and Sausage, it was amazing, staff was so great and professional. The cook was awesome and food was delicious. It's a great place to eat. read more

My friend and I happened to mosey in when they were JUST about to close early. I was worried they'd tell us we couldn't get food, but thankfully that wasn't the case. We did have to take our food to go, however. It was amazing to see all the photos on the walls and the plaques of special booths. As a vegetarian, I was pleasantly surprised to find out they have a vegetarian platter where you can select 3 sides. They have vegan pairings for their greens and green beans. I got greens, yams and mac & cheese. The yams were perfect, not overly sweet and not drowning in syrup. The greens were well seasoned and not overly salted. The mac & cheese was slightly salty for my taste, but it was still very good. Would definitely recommend. read more

A staple in the community and an icon that stood through the civil right movement! You want good ole fashioned soul food with a combination of history and welcoming new trends, then FAG is the place! They are undergoing renovations and have added a new upstairs section, which is awesome- I gave the new consultant some ideas for improvements :-). Whether a native or visiting, this is a must on the list of places to dine! read more

This used to be my go-to soul food spot when I was attending Howard. A short distance from the campus and pretty good prices for the DMV area. As of Spring/Summer 2024, the restaurant is now under new management. They now have a Caribbean flair and not the Southern style food they used to have. The menu hasn't changed much, so please be advised that they are now using new recipes. The restaurant still has its traditional dinner style setup and plaque where MLK Jr. sat and ate. Definitely worth a visit to see the oldest "soul food" restaurant in the world. read more

The integrity of this restaurant has gone down the drain, tremendously. What use to be a staple for the community is now a "business" ran by people who forgot what the grill is really about. They fired key staff, discrediting the demographic that the establishment serves and still didn't make it better. AND they use glory greens, out of the can. How embarrassing. Florida Ave Grill is not what it use to be, and you shouldn't go. They didn't make it more efficient, they just changed the nature of the business. Hate that for them. read more

Garbage don't dare go. Food is GARR BAGE'. You've been WARNED... BG while I'm typing this review. Salmon cakes had NO salmon in it. The server said they use canned salmon and that's why the lack flavor. Ummmm...NOPE...I grew up eating salmon cakes from the can...but/and they were seasoned with onions..peppers etc. Home fries were frozen not fresh and still no onions or peppers or flavor. No strawberry or grape jelly...butter was too hard to slice for the toast. They tell you that you can pay and order via the QR app. Kool, but then she says if you want to tip your server that they prefer cash. Huhhhh?? Tip for what exactly... We just sat down...and waited about 6 min for glasses of water. Go if you want.. read more

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Who ever the new management at Florida Ave. Grill need to give it back to old management 1. customer service was awful nobody smiled, they didn't greet guess as they entered, servers look like they hate they job, cooks don't speak English and food was aweful no flavor. 2. Prices are way to high $20 for 2 eggs,2 pancakes and meat is crazy STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!!! read more

I've been eating at the Florida Avenue Grill for over 40 years. For about the last 10 years, we have been having breakfast there every Sunday. It was having a resurgence just prior to the pandemic. After years of slow business, it was starting to boom again. There was a line to get in for breakfast on the weekends. Then the pandemic hit, and it never really recovered. No shade to the former employees, who we loved, but they didn't have the support of the ownership and it showed. Neither did the building, which was looking increasingly run down. But recently it was sold to a new owner who has invested in the restaurant and hired more staff, and things are looking up. Business is steadily growing, and the entire atmosphere has improved. Thanks to the owners' Investments and some wonderful new employees like Rainbow, we love having our Sunday breakfast there even more more than ever, and we look forward to many more years of dining at the Grill. I usually get the half smoke and scrambled eggs. A half smoke is always a good choice! The pancakes are famously delicious, and for good reason. read more

It's most definitely not the same as Florida Ave. Grill. As I am writing this review, we have been waiting for an hour for a basic breakfast meal. We have seen more people who received their meals that were just seat... HORRIBLE....DONT WASTE YOU MONEY. COLD ASS BREAKFAST. read more

i love love love florida ave grill. i mean the pork chop... the candied yams.. The service is great and consistent. The ambiance is old school diner, simpler times type of vibe & I love it. It's casual, the food is good, the staff is consistent. Bring cash for tip though! (Ok to buy meal on card) Vibes for sure though. Something about it keeps us coming back! by something i mean the pork chop, i'd have it every day lol Thank you Florida Ave! I'll visit you as long as I can read more

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waited for over an hour for our food, they made us pay at the beginning which made it harder to decide to leave, and the food is just okay. nothing to hype about and it's bland. won't be returning read more

I had not been here in a while and I immediately felt the historic charm of this place. I had a traditional hearty breakfast and it was all good, especially the sausage and corn muffin. Music was cool. The server/manager, Rainbo, was delightful and very attentive. There is now a Jamaican food menu which I look forward to trying soon. I met a fellow customer who was from NY and was hitting all of the historic DC spots. If you haven't been in a while it is worth a visit. read more

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it's rare to find a good, cheap, and casual diner in dc. this place is great because it is all three! plus, lots of history here. I just got a coffee when I visited, so I can't review the quality of the food - but the atmosphere was fantastic. I will be coming back :) read more

Save yourself a visit. It's not worth the rude and disrespect of the one single employee who claims to have been working their 30 years. Arrived at 1:25pm (after driving an hour to get there) and was yelled at upon walking in "the kitchen is closed and the cook says she isn't cooking anymore!" First, the hours list the closing time as 2pm. Secondly, in what business is it ever appropriate to yell at a patron walking in the door? I have never been so disrespected in my life. Claiming to be the oldest soul food restaurant "in the world", with such a rich history for African Americans, I cannot believe they treat patrons in such a manner. After getting the manager involved, the manager said they would take my order. But I will never ever give this business my money or give them the pleasure of cooking for me! What I don't do is beg a business to take my money! I will never go back and I'll be sure to tell anyone who will listen not to go either! All I wanted to do was get my grandmother the meal she requested for her birthday. Even after saying this, I was rudely told that's not their problem! read more

Updating my review - had a great experience dining in recently. Food is great, service is what you'd expect for a busy small space but everyone's friendly. Fried chicken is great, not dry, with a light fry on the skin (pan fried). Mac and cheese is awesome, cornbread dressing is good, cornbread muffins are ok. Corned beef hash is delicious as are homefries. Just be ready for a nap afterward read more

This place is so good. The hot cakes are perfection. Rainbow is the best server a girl could ask for. Will be back. 10/10/10.

I went to F.A.G. expecting to get the taste I use to get 30 years ago, sadly disappointed. I order wings (barley done) and only got 3 for 15.00 and they added 1.00 because I asked for lemon pepper. I was also offended that the flower they choose for table decor was a 'cotton plant'. Not suitable to sit across the field of one of the top HBCU's in the world (Howard). I tip well but I don't like hidden surcharges..watch your bill. The chicken weren't the only hidden surcharge..they lost the downhome flavors they were known for. read more

WORST ORDERING SYSTEM EVER!! The staff is super nice and pleasant, but this place does not know how to process/manage orders for in-person orders vs online orders. Here's what happened: 1. Immediately greeted and asked- dine-in or takeout. I said dine-in and sat at the bar. 2. Ordered black coffee and water with the server and asked for a menu. 3. After reviewing the menu, I asked the server if I could place my order with him; he said I could use the bar code the place my order and pay online. I ordered the fish and grits with two eggs over medium. 4. After 20 minutes passed and seeing others receive their orders, I asked the server to check the status of my order. He asked what I ordered. After checking with the person on the grill, the server said, my order was coming up next. 5. After five minutes, another server checked in guests at the bar, and I shared I was still eating for my food and asked if she could check if the kitchen had my order. 6. Ten minutes passed, and no one could provide an answer about the status of my order. At one point, the offered to bring me a side of grits until the rest of my food came out. I declined because I wanted my full meal together. 7. After that, a server brought me two eggs over medium with nothing else and no update on my order. I declined the eggs because, again, I wanted my full order at one time. 8. At this point, I asked for a refund...this was a process - at first, they didn't see my order nor where I had paid in the system. I showed my online receipt and debit from my account, and there was several moments of scrambling to try to get the system to refund me. Eventually, they gave me cash back because they couldn't figure out how to refund me via the ordering system. read more