I was in town for the weekend Looking for live entertainment and stumbled upon Lydia's. Its a small cozy environment. 2nd Saturday is live music. FutureBandDC played and killed it. We sat directly in front of the band and speakers. Id suggest pushing tables back a bit. We ordered from the late night menu. Pls note after 10pm the menu is limited. We ordered the honey hot wing and fries as well as the jerk wings. I assumed the jerk was grilled and it wasn't. They were very spicy if you like spice. We didn't order cocktails. The jerk chicken sandwich was kinda small and Chicken thighs are used. The overall vibe was decent and the price wasn't bad at all. I would visit again read more

Lydia on H is a cozy Afro-Caribbean restaurant in Washington, D.C., offering a unique fusion of Malawian and Caribbean flavors. It's a small but quaint spot with a mix of booth and table seating, making it a nice place for a relaxed dinner with friends. As a picky eater visiting for the first time, I kept my order simple with wings and rice. The wings were the highlight of the meal--crispy, flavorful, and well-seasoned. The rice, however, was disappointing. It was dry and lacked seasoning, and I found myself wishing it had at least a little butter and salt to enhance the flavor. The mocktails were delicious and complemented the meal well. The atmosphere was warm and inviting. The music was at the perfect volume--easy to enjoy while still being able to carry on a conversation without shouting, which made for a pleasant evening with friends. Our server was attentive, friendly, and made us feel welcome throughout the meal. One small note: the ladies' restroom was clean but very small and narrow. It had a hook-and-latch style door but no place to hang a purse, which would be a nice addition. Parking on H Street is always a hit or miss, so plan accordingly if you're driving. Ratings: * Food: (3/5) * Atmosphere: (3/5) * Service: (4/5) * Dinner with Friends: (5/5) Overall, Lydia on H is a pleasant neighborhood spot with friendly service, tasty wings, and excellent mocktails. While the rice missed the mark for me, I enjoyed the company, the conversation, and the relaxed atmosphere. I would consider returning to try other menu items. read more

Gaslighting me about the machines being routinely cleaned is crazy when I went behind the bar myself to inspect it and found black mold. No thank you I will not be returning for a free visit because the lack of cleanliness is not worth the health risk. If this is the ice I can imagine what the kitchen looks like. read more

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Food looks better than it tastes...just hear me out! We decided to close out Black History Month by supporting a Black-owned establishment, very intentional, very on brand for us. It was also my first time trying Malawian cuisine, so I was genuinely excited to experience something different. I went with a group of friends after an event, which worked out perfectly because we were able to taste a little bit of everything. I ordered the Brussels sprouts as my starter; they were good, nicely seasoned. My only issue? Timing. They didn't come out first. Everyone else had their food, and my "starter" came right before my entrée, which kind of defeated the purpose. For my main, I had the shrimp and salmon rasta pasta. It was good...creamy, flavorful, but definitely spicy. Not unbearable, just be prepared if heat isn't your thing. My mocktail was refreshing and good too... just small. A couple real sips and it was gone. Overall, the service was good. They were accommodating and made sure our group was seated comfortably, even moving tables around so we had a better setup. I appreciated that. The ambiance was very Black eclectic: cool R&B vibes, nice energy, a solid spot to gather and vibe. Checl out my pics! I'll be rating each dish I tried on a 10 point scale. Would I return? Probably not. It wasn't bad; it just didn't wow me. And in the DMV, there are way too many other spots on my list to try. read more

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Tried Lydia on H, an African/Caribbean fusion spot with a nice, cozy, and intimate atmosphere. Staff were friendly, attentive and polite. We started with the mac and cheese, which unfortunately wasn't a hit it tasted like the cheese was forgotten altogether. The Brussels sprouts, however, were really good and cooked to perfection. For my main, I ordered the whole fried snapper with fries (wasn't in the mood for rice). While it was fried well, it was heavily breaded and didn't have much flavor. Overall, the space is lovely, and I'd say it's worth trying at least once to see what works for you. read more

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Stopped by for Taco Tuesday. Great music. Good service. Themed nights (e.g. karaoke, ladies night) and happy hour. They also have a good rewards system, earned $6 off next visit. Even though I'm not local, I'd return for those reasons. The food was just okay. Jerk chicken tacos- 3/5 small. Chicken moist but lacked flavor. Needed a sauce, got some jerk on the side which helped. Mac and cheese- 4/5 creamy, cheesy cooked well. Solid mac. Could use a little flavor, like there's salt but no body if that makes sense. Virgin mojito 3/5 okay, everyone makes them different. But $8 for whats essentially gingerale with lime & mint is on the expensive side. (Usually pay $4-5). Rum cake- 1/5. Ordered to go. Not good or worth $12 for this slice. But honestly I should have known when I was told the fried oreos were better. Rum cake is essentially just an infused pound cake, but I honestly I can't tell you what this tasted like. The sauce gives Nutella and the cake was crumbly as you can see. I honestly am so upset I didn't not look at it before I left. read more

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THIRD TIMES THE CHARM! This is my second time dining at Lydia's on H (third visit). My first time was Valentine's Day, and the restaurant, while calm, was chaotic, AKA the full menu was not available. The second attempt to dine there, the staff member (whose name I forgot, please charge it to my head and not my heart!) informed us before we sat down that the evening service was a limited menu. To entice us to return and ensure consistent customer-centric service, the bar manager invited us to return on the first night and asked the staff to inform us when we arrived. Sure enough, the next day, when we arrived, there was a note for the staff informing them that they should be expecting us. The vibe in Lydia's is always chill! The music is always good and at a volume where you and others can still enjoy each other's company with conversation if desired. Overall, the food, service, and ambiance at this establishment should be the standard for many others. Well done, Lydia's. We are excited to come back and try the steak-and-cheese egg rolls next time. read more

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I recommend NEVER going to this establishment. I have NEVER experienced such poor service from a manager or owner of a restaurant. I have worked in the restaurant business for over 20 years and opened and trained staff for over 4 restaurants myself and would terminate this guy right away. This business will most likely not be open that much longer so for those that did provide great service please find them where there go and I will acknowledge them for their work. I attended a SuperBowl party that was promoted there and initially they were not going to play the sound for the game at all until my friend and I said something. Right before the game started the owner did turn the audio on but had a poor attitude about it when we both spoke to him. Once my food arrived I noticed that my Mac & cheese was in a smaller container than what I saw was being brought out to other guests. When I spoke to Dwight who was serving as the food runner he said they ran out of the dish that it comes in and gave me a smaller portion. So I was slighted and still charged full prices and nothing was going to be done if I didn't say anything about it. Dwight told me the chef was going to give me the extra portion I was missing but later said he wasn't since they were running low on Mac &. Cheese. I did ask if I would have a discount off my bill since I didn't receive my full portion of food and was told I wasn't since I ate it and was going to write a bad review. I never told anyone I was going to write a review but I guess the owner just knew his service was poor and well since you said I was going to write a bad review well here we are now. He also never came over to speak to me to see if everything was ok at all and walked past our table several times and avoided as all together. Dominique our server was very helpful and professional she was able to get the remainder of the Mac & cheese that I was being charged for. She was very accommodating and kind. The food was just ok lacking flavor but the brussel sprouts were the best item that I had. Unless you want to have an owner not check on their customers, get scammed out of not getting the full portion of your food while still being charged the full amount, and not get compensated for errors of your business than I would highly not recommend not going to this restaurant or any business that he owns. The only reason why I gave them one star was for Dominique and Dwight. Wherever they go for their next jobs if it's in customer service go support them because this business will most likely not be open very long. Attached is the picture of the two portion sizes for clarification. read more

Lydia's is a whole vibe! Walked right in and sat at the bar and to my surprise it was happy hour on a Saturday and I love that! I tried the jollof rice which was so good and the jerk wings literally had the meat falling off the bone. The beef patties had the perfect amount of beef in them and they were nice and crunchy! I love a good happy hour with good prices! The service was great and the bartenders were super friendly! Food came out fast too which is always a plus for me! I'll definitely be back because the food was good and the vibe is nice! Can't beat a good music and food combo. Bathrooms were clean. I didn't get a chance to go upstairs because I didn't need to. The bar was a great place to chill. read more

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The customer service is pretty good and the food is good. I went there for a brunch event and had a good time. I also got the bottomless rum punch. I was a little shocked at the prices for the bottomless rum punch. At first I was told it would be $30 then it went to $44 per person I think in my opinion it's a little too high for bottomless mimosa bottomless rum punch Special but nevertheless everything else was pretty good. Make sure you get there early to find parking and I love the aesthetics of the top floor and the bottom floor. Check it out! read more

Lydia On H - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Invited out by friends and didn't do any research so I didn't have any expectations. They have "taco Tuesday" which is what we came for. They have a $5 marg... if you want it flavored there's a $3 up charge. It was not that great, either the liquor was cheap or the mix was lacking something and they gave us the tip of the lime. One of my friends ordered a cheese quesadilla, it came out first yet it was luke warm at best. Amongst the rest of us we had the fish, shrimp, and chicken tacos. The tacos had a great taste but the proportions are insane. These were basically mini tacos. Not really worth the $10 and definitely not worth the $6 up charge for the shrimp. I ordered the Brussel sprouts after reading other reviews. They were really good, they aren't fried which I think would have put them over the top. Service was... Hassan, the manager, left a lot to be desired. It took a while to get him to take our order. He didn't really listen and we had to repeat ourselves and he seemed quite annoyed as we asked questions. The icing on the cake was when he brought the checks... one of my friends assumed gratuity was included and didn't add anything additional, he made a point after she paid to say "gratuity is not included, but I probably should have." It was 5 of us and service was subpar considering how empty the restaurant was. The vibe is really nice and the space is cute. I would love to try again and see if service can be better. read more

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Food I was really looking forward to this brunch, but the food was a big letdown. The buffet was supposed to open at 1, but nothing was ready until about 1:30--and even then, the rice and cabbage were cold, the salad was served dry with no vinaigrette or Italian dressing, and the waffles didn't come out until 2:15. Unfortunately, they turned out to be frozen store-bought waffles . The buffet menu listed curry chicken, jerk chicken, goat stew, and fried fish tenders, but none of those dishes were available. Instead, we had to ask multiple times for basic things like dressing, sauce, and even hot honey for the wings (which finally came at 3:25 and was really just hot sauce). To make matters worse, shared tongs were being used for meat and waffles, the syrup was cold, and we had to reuse the same plates each time we went up. The video shows exactly what was offered on the buffet, but I've also included an image of the menu they advertised for comparison. Service Our server London was the saving grace of the day--she was kind, attentive, and kept us informed despite the chaos. Unfortunately, it was clear the restaurant wasn't prepared: one server arrived late, the chef apparently didn't even know brunch was happening until that morning, and the owner/manager was nowhere to be found. We were asked to pay before eating, while another group later told us they weren't asked to do the same, which felt inconsistent and frustrating. Ambiance The space itself was clean and cozy, with neatly set tables and football games playing on the TVs, which helped set a nice vibe . The restaurant is small, but it had potential to feel inviting if the execution had matched the setup. I want to support Black-owned businesses and truly wish this experience had been better, but the lack of preparation, missing dishes, and overall disorganization made it really disappointing. read more

Lydia On H - Our brunch plates - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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They never have some of the items that they advertise on their menu especially the oxtail and lamb, and won't even inform you of the issue until you arrive at the restaurant. The opportunity to change the entree because they are out of something is not an option they offer. Also they never answer the phone. read more

Friday night upstairs gin tonic $5.50!! Every time I go to the lydia's. The crowd is a hit and miss but the service and Vibes are always great! Great service, hookah always great, and the best part is the food. I definitely recommend that is for any night of the week. read more

I came here today for Mother's Day brunch, and the experience was extremely disappointing. My friend arrived before me, and the reservation was under my name. The first thing asked was whether we had a reservation ,meanwhile the place was practically empty. It immediately felt unwelcoming. No DJ in sight for brunch until after brunch was over ..! I do want to say Janasia was super sweet and had amazing customer service the entire time. She was attentive, polite, and professional, especially considering it was her first brunch shift. The issue came when our last mimosa tower was supposed to be a regular mimosa tower, but the manager came over and said they were low on champagne. Respectfully, that has nothing to do with the customer that's a management issue, not ours. He then blamed the server and said "she's new, it's her first brunch." Instead of supporting his employee, he threw her under the bus when she was actually doing a great job. He also told us they were "being generous." In fact, nothing about the situation felt generous. We paid for our experience, including two $65 hookahs plus tip, and our hour wasn't even over when we requested the correct tower. Instead, a cranberry tower was brought out anyway.We also had food Good customer service brings customers back, and unfortunately this experience did the opposite. I will not be returning. The manager was rude, unprofessional, and the ambiance itself was poor pictures were literally falling off the walls. If you're a DC native looking for a good brunch spot, I would NOT recommend this place. I wish I could give this place zero stars !!!! read more

This place was a good time. I didn't have plans for my birthday, but my sister and friend made sure I went out to celebrate me. I use to bartend at Roses Dejavu on H street, so we love H st. We saw Lydia had Caribbean fusion options on their menu. Honestly the food was not what we expected and over priced in our opinions especially for the portion size. The drinks were strong and good. Also high priced, not sure how much each drink was. The bartender didn't show us an itemized copy of our bill she just handed us a handheld to swipe our card. Very odd. She could have possibly over charged us. My friends didn't want to make an issue since it was my birthday. So they just paid. It was a karaoke night and there seemed to be a packed house of karaoke night regulars. We stayed for a few karaoke performances we loved the crowd interaction. The space is small downstairs we did not go upstairs because it was closed off for a private event. We did notice a lot of the other patrons did not order much food and only a handful of people had cocktails. We did see a lot of water. Maybe this was due to the high pricing of their items .... I would return, especially for the hookah!!!! It was the highlight of the evening. The hookah guy was very friendly and accommodating. Our server/bartender forgot to put our hookah in so when she did he was upstairs attending to the private party. So when he finally got around to us he was very apologetic and we appreciated his approach to correcting the bartenders fumble. His hookah was bomb! Please offer a variety of dipping sauces that elevate the dishes you serve. That orange sauce was not good especially in everything!! read more

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I loved the vibe here. Great music and a chill vibe here. A neighborhood favorite. For the food we had the oxtail Rasta pasta, the salmon and shrimp Rasta pasta, and the cheesesteak egg rolls. The food was just okay, nothing special; same with the cocktails. Our server was nice, but because the place was crowded and she was the only one serving, things took a little longer than it should've. read more

Lydia On H - Dining area - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This probably isn't representative of the full experience but I ordered the deep fried Oreos from uber eats. It was a deal of 2 orders for the price of 1 (so about 6 items for $11) and I thought it was a good offer. It comes with a raspberry syrup and serves as a sweet dessert option. I've gone to Lydia on H before and ordered the lamb flatbread, which I also recommend. read more

Lydia On H - Deep fried Oreo - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The Oreos were expensive but the vibe was so nice, the people were chill, and the bar tenders were awesome read more

Lydia On H - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Simone was an amazing server/host! Stopped by on a Friday night and she took great care of us, she was welcoming and informative. She suggested we try the espresso martini's and she absolutely made the right choice for us! They have a great setup at Lydia, tons of comfy seats and the ambiance is sexy, perfect for a date night, girls night or private event. Looking forward to returning here for brunch! read more

Lydia On H - Espresso Martini's - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Hear me out, and to the management at Lydia's, please contact me to rectify this situation. I am a disabled veteran living in transitional housing provided for veterans here in DC. On Black Friday, three other veterans who live with me arrived at Lydia's. Cool bar. Staff was friendly. Or so I thought. Here's the thing. There was an ash tray sitting in the open in the upstairs, what seemed was obviously, a smoking area. When I asked one of the male roving staff if we were allowed to smoke there, and they responded "preferably not tobacco". At no point did anyone stop to inform us that this convenience would cost $100/person until after we were nearly on our way out to head home. When I heard that this was a $100/person charge for smoking, I immediately went upstairs and apologized for us smoking as none of us had any idea of the charge, and the staff told me it was no problem. Cut to Saturday: Lydia's has charged me $460 for $60 worth of drinks. So apparently smoking up there WAS a problem. So the first member of staff that I asked never told us about the $100/person charge. NOBODY but the patrons told ME about it. I will remove this review as soon as these charges are removed. These charges have been disputed with my bank. read more

Lydia On H - One of the charges - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Always a vibe here! The drinks, the music, and the service are always great. We always enjoy the food, especially the jerk pizza. I definitely recommend! read more

The food and drinks were good except for the jollof rice, it was yellow and our group agreed that it was probably rice from a box so we know what not to order if we come back! Our waitress Nicole was nice and the food came out in a reasonable time. read more

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Arrived around 3:25 did not get food until around 545 in that time i was here for the bottomless brunch I was only served one in that entire time my server was extremely nice and forgiving but the service here and wait time is absolutely horrible read more

Cozy spot on H that l will say yes to anytime invited. This winter they had the space and back patio decked out for the holidays with movie showings. It was really cute! Friendly staff, Caribbean and African inspired.bites. I'm a fan and think you should check it out too. read more

Lydia On H - The Grinch drink - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have been several times over the years from happy hour, special DJ sets, to private events. Yesterday we experienced the worst service ever, our food was delayed over an hour because it was "bumped" from the system as the server said. Pretty sure she forgot our order as we had to repeat everything, even our drinks. The drinks themselves took over 30 minutes with 3 bartenders behind the station/area. We ordered alot of food off of happy hour, the extra errors came with the 2 orders of steak & cheese egg rolls we ordered; instead we received 2 orders of hot honey wings instead, the egg rolls were samosas with no cheese (it showed in the receipt as that). There was no table touch by management (if they were there), the server barely came to check on us with less than 5 tables in the restaurant. People that came after us got their drinks & food first. My second lemon drop was absolutely disgusting, I asked for GUAVA flavor and was given AGAVE (it said so on my receipt). It was my good girlfriend's birthday and when I asked if we could do a dessert on the house for prior issues with our dining experience,they only tried to offer rail shots. The server messed up our checks as well, tried to charge us for the extra wings that we told we didnt want/ordered, and never returned afyer we corrected her; she had the food runner drop them off the modified checks for us, as well as to go containers for our food. Our hookah service and the busser/food running crew were great as always. Worst experience ever at Lydia's as a frequent patron for 3 years. Ruined birthday vibes for my girl. First time I've ever been upset about the auto grat of 20% for our experience. Will never sit with her again. read more

Although I only had the wings, they were really good. 10/10. Now served wise, I need another visit. I did not sit down because I was in my break so I ordered in advance at 5:15 for a pick up time of 5:45pm.. I ordered Jerked wings and ordered in advance, but when I got there at 6:10 (25 minutes after pickup time) ... they still weren't ready and then they told me it would be an additional 30 min. Cooks were in communication and had an attitude as if I was wrong.. Manager did come down to resolve issue and he had great customer service and offered me free beef patties and a drink. (Reasons I'll give them another try one day) n read more

I was more than disappointed with the food we received. The portions were so small my jerk chicken sandwich was the size of a small biscuit and it was not tasty at all. The waiter was friendly but forgetful. He forgot to bring my daughter's french fries. The bill was outrageously high. SO DISAPPOINTED. I WILL NOT BE RETURNING. read more

Came for a Saturday 90's & RnB brunch with friends. Get here by 2pm to get a seat. Otherwise, you will have to wait - even with a 3pm reservation Well the brunch spots were at 1 and 3pm. At this time, the upstairs is under renovation. Outside "backyard" was not open. I got the White Fish & Grits $17. This is a NO! Waitress told me the fish was either Whiting or Talapia. The bowl I received was nothing but grits! And it seemed like the grits were prepared in the bowl in a microwave. The Fish was for certain frozen, like the kind you get from the grocery store. No flavor, no seasoning. Just 3 pieces of fish. I asked for hot sauce and really only dipped the fish just to have something to eat I also had a ginger beer mocktail. I had to fight to get ginger beer because apparently it's scarce and only used for moscow mules. They do not have any non alcoholic beer Guest ordered the Burger. His fries were undercooked. They tasted like they were frozen and heated up in an oven. He waited 20 mins to get a new basket of fries. Another friend also got Chicken & Waffles. The chicken wings came out 20 mins before the Waffle. I initially thought he only got wings lol I ASSUMED the DJ's were guest DJs that traveled with the Brunch Event hosts. They kept talking over the music too much and played about 40 seconds of songs that people were really into before changing BEWARE - if you get hookah, it is placed on a seperate bill!! We did get hookah and for over an hour never once had our coal refilled or were checked on. Blueberry Mint was good but STRONG Even water refills took a long time. I think they were understaffed for the event, not sure but our waitress was in there hustling among all the tables and requests BATHROOM!! Only 1 for Men/Women each. There is a water leak from the ceiling/pipes in the women's bathroom where the toilet paper roll was DAMP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gross. Street parking, may be hard to come by. Eat before you come here to vibe out to the music/bar read more

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My girlies and I decided to have NYE dinner here last night. The event was called "The R&B New Year's Eve Dinner Party". They had a three course dinner meal which consisted of some really good options. For my appetizer, I ordered the jerk wings. They were very flavorful and the meat was falling off the bone. For my entree, I ordered the oxtails (two large pieces) with jollof and cabbage. Talk about bomb.com! The food was very savory and portion size was really good. I was hesitant on ordering the oxtails because you know sometimes the meat be missing (lol) but I would say the two pieces that I had enough meat. For dessert, I ordered the carrot cheesecake (to go). I haven't eaten it yet but I'm sure it will be good! Our server Melody was awesomeee! She gave good recommendations and kept us laughing. The place itself was a vibe. The decor was nice and they do have upstairs seating (the first floor has space but I can get right). I would def visit this place again! read more

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The customized drink was awesome Fried shrimp nicely fried it was alright Some other items was heavy on the oil Service okay. Ambience nice r and b vibe They include the gratuity in the bill Not a fan We came in early no one was there I will not be returning read more

This place... this place has my heart. Happy hours from 3-7 and late night happy hour at 10pm. My favorite are the jerk wings and close second beef patties. I finally tried the whole fried fish and it didn't disappoint. They also play good music. I wish the interior was a little more kept up but the food so god you won't even care. read more

Lydia On H - Whole fried SNAPPER MP - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I got a recommendation to try Lydia's on H, so I made reservations. My friend and I actually missed the reservation, but we were able to get seated fairly quickly because it wasn't very crowded on a Friday night. Our server was very nice and attentive, and she gave recommendations that their most popular items on the menu was the oxtails and Rasta pasta. My friend got the oxtails with jolloff and I got goat stew with jollof. Now their version of Jollof rice is from Malawi. I've never tried food from Malawi. I thought their jollof was ok, but needed some spices in my opinion. We both thought our dishes were average. They weren't the best foods we've eaten. I think for the price point we expected to try better tasting food. My friend's oxtail bowl was mostly full of bones, carrots and potatoes. Our waitress was nice enough to give her another bowl after she brought this up. What I liked most on my plate was the goat meat. I thought that was cooked well and it tasted good. I also really liked the greens too. What I didn't like was that our waitress took an additional tip and wasn't honest about that. In DC, most places add 20% tip, so you have to be careful not to add more on top of it unless you wish too. I gave her cash and she didn't offer to break it and return my change. I think she assumed I was giving her additional money, but I wasn't. I didn't want to push it because she had been so gracious. She also didn't let my friend know that the tip was already included on the card reader so my friend tipped her extra money so we both ended up paying $50+ dollars for a $35 meal which should have been no more than $25. I would not go back there for food. read more

Lydia On H - Goat meat, jollof rice, and greens - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Let me start by saying that the food was good but the drinks were better! They were doing happy hour on Friday from 10-12 midnight and the bar tender knew what she was doing! The kitchen took forever to bring the food out and you can't make any substitutes or adjustments, you have to get the food as it is on the menu. The noodles in the pasta were overcooked and kept breaking as I tried to pick them up to eat them and it was way too much sauce in the bowl. The salmon was dry but the sauce made it taste a little better. We were very patient and our waiter ended up giving us a round of drinks on her and desert. She was really nice but the establishment needs to do better especially when you have a crowd. They kept trying to get us to buy hookah but we were there to eat!!! & it didn't help that we were actually hungry lol so it was a little annoying when the food came out cold and they had to take it back and took an extra 30 minutes to bring it back out. I may go back just for the drinks and the vibes but I'm done with the food service there. read more

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First of all, I had to call and see if they were open because the open sign was not on so I called first because it looked like an abandoned business from the outside. Secondly, Management must not be so great for it to be a Malawian restaurant that ran out of the staple Malawian N'sima? So disappointing. Third, the place was basically empty and the host was like "you can't sit at a table because we have large parties coming in, do you want to sit at the bar?" I was like, OK, not a big deal but he wasn't very friendly about it. I hope those large parties know they ran out of N'sima because 9/10 that's what most people would come to a Malawian restaurant for. I was so disappointed that the food I loved the most and was literally EVERYWHERE in Malawi was not at the only Malawian restaurant in DC. I live an hour away from the restaurant but happened to be somewhere else 10 minutes nearby or else it would've been a huge waste of time to drive there. read more

I recently stopped by Lydia's to indulge with a friend and I must say that I wasn't disappointed. Don't let the very dim lighting, and the cool kid vibes deter you from coming. Lydia's is homey especially when you arrive before 8pm. This is my second time coming and it was definitely just as good as the first time. I opted for the oxtail with cabbage and nsima. The oxtail was bursting with flavor and very tender, as was the cabbage. I would definitely come back for this alone. However, I would definitely come back for the gentleman who provided me with a ride pen after spilling a bit of oxtail jus (which they will sell you if you ask) on my white shirt. In fact expect to see me again before the summer is over. read more

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Came here on a Friday night and the place was pretty empty! Thought that meant service would be fast but that was a lie. Ordered appetizers at around 9pm and they didn't come out until 9:30pm. We thought we should put in our entrees because we were hungry so we did that around 9:10pm. Our entrees didn't come out until around 10pm! And we all got our food at different times so one of my friends food were cold because they wanted to wait for us. The 2 starts is for the Brussels sprouts and the goat stew which were good, however the service and not getting my correct order (the goat stew was supposed to come with kale instead of cabbage) it got knocked down 3 starts. And then after it took her 15-20 minutes to get our checks, only to see that there is an auto gratuity of 20%, so the service did not reflect the price at all. I think this place may be cute to go out and have drinks, however as a restaurant I would not come back read more

Lydia On H - Mbusi with jollof - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Service was great. Bartender was a crowd favorite. Mondays they do karaoke at 8pm and happy hour was all night until 11pm when I went, not sure if that's every Monday or for a limited time. I had the jerk Chicken sandwich ($12) and garlic fries ($10). Sandwich was good, but they had American cheese which made it not as good as it could've been and some parts of the bread were burnt and had a bad taste, Fries were okay and great portion. The tequila flight for $10 is the steal! Love the atmosphere. Around 8:30 it started to really get some foot traffic. Will be back. read more

Lydia On H - Tequila flight $10 at HH - Lounges Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I recently stopped by Lydia's on a Saturday afternoon for weekend happy hour; they had specials on food and drink from until about 7 pm on a weekend which was fantastic. The vibes were on point -- they had a live DJ playing classic hip hop and RnB. The interior is decorated with lots of colors, patterns, and textures, it's a really vibrant and energizing design. There is a bar that seats about 6-8, a set of 2-4 high top tables, and another set of about 8 four top low tables. There is also an upstairs area (that was closed the day we went for a private event) - but nice to know on most days there's even more seating. The food was DELICIOUS - we stuck with the happy hour specials. The catfish bites, the seasoned fries, the jallof rice, and the suya fried wings were all delicious. If I were to go back, I'd have to get the suya wings again....I'd never have that spice flavor on crispy wings before. (Though beware, they only serve you 5 wings for $16 which is awful). The drinks were great too; $10 for all sorts of happy hour cokctails. We had the rum punch, a tequila flight, and a margarita. We were all happy with our choices! Overall a great experience and a new favorite on H st - looking forward to my next visit! read more

Lydia's on H has been on my foodie list since February. This past weekend, I finally had the opportunity to try their red snapper. Full disclosure this review is based on a carry-out order. Before I get to the food part of my review, I will say Lydia's has a day-party vibe. During my visit, they were playing afro-beats. And the guy at the door, the hostess and the server who took my order were friendly enough that when my schedule permits, I will come back for the full dining experience. As far as the food, the red snapper and rice were okay (3.5 out 5), I did not enjoy the cabbage .... It was too overcooked for my taste. Overall, my food had more heat than spice read more

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