The food and service were outstanding! We travel to Washington, D.C., annually for work and absolutely love it. This was our first time dining here, and it's now a must-visit for us moving forward. The restaurant has that perfect divey atmosphere with a great vibe, and our waitress was fantastic. We would definitely come again and try new items! read more

It's a chain, but still has decent food (focusing on pizza, but with higher-end things like ribeye, fish and scallops to make for a decent upscale/business dinner) and local craft beer selection combined with a dark, but relaxing vibe. Came here for a small-ish business dinner (7 people) and everyone seemed happy. None of the food blew anyone away, but some people got pizza, others got steak or fish and some people got chicken. The arancini, bread, and fried calamari appetizers were all yummy, although only slightly better than run-of-the-mill. The local craft beer selection was a notch above what you'd expect with Atlas's Blood-Orange Gose and Right Proper's Raised By Wolves being my choices. I got the smoked, spicy pizza and it was yummy and distinct with clear smoke from the smoked gouda and heat from the sauce, but no real toppings or something to balance it out. The service was hit and miss and a bit rushed, but didn't interfere with things. The server just always seemed to need to run off to the next thing. She still came back frequently. Overall, I'm not dying to go back, but a decent, easy spot for a future work dinner. read more

Service The manger on duty is not welcoming. Appears he is having a bad day. He stares at you without any reasoning. Wait staff never refills water glasses nor checks on you. The food is decent and drinks from bar are good. My salad came out with main meal and I had to ask I did not feel welcome here. It was a recommended place to eat and I had better expectations. I will never come back nor recommend to friends and family. read more

Enjoyed our lunch at Matchbox-Penn Quarter. We made reservations but got hungry earlier than our reservation and they were able to get us in and seated right away. Our waiter was great. Our food was delicious and came out super quick! Big portions. The ambiance was good but everything felt sticky. From the seat to the table. Idk. But the food and great service made up for it! Would recommend and come back. read more

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

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Matchbox is a chain of American bistro restaurants that opened in Washington, D.C. in July 2003. It was founded by restaurateur business partners Perry Smith, Drew Kim, and Mark and Ty Neal. After the four partners relocated to DC, they found an old vacant building in the Chinatown neighborhood. This was to be their first restaurant. They named it "Matchbox" since the building was three stories high and narrow (resembling a matchbox). The menu features American bistro fare that includes wood-fired pizzas, mini burgers, fresh salads and chef-inspired entrées. Following the original location's success, the restaurant has expanded to now include a dozen locations throughout DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Florida. The original Chinatown location closed in 2019. As of 2018, the chain is now owned by the Thompson Hospitality Group. My family and I recently visited Matchbox's Penn Quarter location while we were staying in the area for a short vacation. This particular location opened in 2019. We thought it sounded like a good place to grab lunch in between visiting some of the Smithsonian museums. The interior of the bistro was cozy, inviting, and the staff were very accommodating. To drink, I ordered a draught pour of Right Proper Brewing's "Raised By Wolves" (Pale Ale) while my wife ordered the "Patio Pounder Lemonade" (watermelon-infused vodka, lemonade, fresh watermelon). They were both light and refreshing. For food, we definitely had wood-fired pizza on our minds. My wife and I ordered and shared the "Fig + Prosciutto" (roasted garlic purée, bleu cheese crumbles, black pepper honey, mozz, arugula) and the "Bacon Bianca" (roasted garlic, ricotta, bacon, fresh herbs, arugula, avocado, mozz). They were soooooo good!! Both pies had excellent topping combos. Our two sons ate off of the Kids Menu. Our older son had "Pepperoni Pizza" (tomato sauce, mozz, pepperoni) while our younger son had the "Grilled Cheese" (challah bread, butter, American cheese, French fries). Both of them were happy with their choices. Matchbox was a great place to grab lunch in-between museum hopping and we give them our seal of approval! read more

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Me and a group of my friends came here before a concert at Capital One. The host was welcoming and our waiter was nice and patient. We all enjoyed our food, all 9 ladies said we would return again. I had the chicken pesto pizza and it was good. The star of the table seemed to be the seafood/lobster pasta. 3 of the ladies had that and they all gave high remarks. They did however say the only negative was the garlic bread on the side was extremely hard. I would come again for sure! read more

matchbox - Chicken Pesto - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Jose is great! The Food thought!!! The tartar sauce was definitely store bought. The cold slaw was warm and it was clear there was no care given in preparing it. The fish and chips was some of the worst food I've had in a long time. I pulled all of the fried batter off in order to eat the unseasoned edible parts of the fish. The batter was not thoroughly fried...dark on the outside gooey on the inside. The fries were semi warm, okay to eat. The dark stairway to the bathroom went 16 steep black steps down to a basement bathroom. Not sure how a person with physical limitations would get there. Jose was great though! The restaurant looks and feels dated. Not criticizing the décor, just telling you what I saw. Visiting DC but not visiting Match Box again. read more

Great spot in Penn Qtrs. Outdoor seating. Great server! Great drinks and food (lemon drop martinis, vodka martini, house bread, and calamari). It was all delicious and we are going back for a take out pizza tonight! read more

Everything was great. My to go spot food always fresh. The service is always attentive and friendly. read more

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

Happy Hour on point best bartenders ever!!! Great service, food, and atmosphere. This is a place where everybody knows your name or at least your face. read more

The food was only meh. Got the chicken pesto pizza and a house salad for lunch. Server was nice but the food was flavorless

2023 is here!!!! So here goes it....my first review in 2023 I was very impressed by the ambiance of Matchbox. I stopped in at lunchtime and I thought it seemed like a nice after work hangout spot. I ordered to-go at the bar so I was able to see a few drinks made and they looked yummy....I also saw several groups having a really good time at the bar - they even offered to share some of their appetizers. Nice gesture! I was definitely happy to see the pizza oven....ohhhhh! this should be a great crust! ooohhhh....the possibilities, the menu had lots of possibilities.... I didn't get carried away.... The pizza was good not as good as I thought...not the best pizza ever but fresh and the crust was chewy... I will go again - give it another try... read more

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Inferior customer and culinary service. It took 45 minutes to get a single beer, and my chicken dish was overcooked.

I discovered Matchbox at the Rockville location. When my girlfriends and I left an all-day concert, we decided to eat here because the concert venue had subpar food. You really can't go wrong with any of the dishes. I have tried many different dishes, and every time they are fresh and delicious. The atmosphere is cozy but still a little fancy. The service is always friendly and fast. Don't sleep on the pizza, it's what they are most known for. Highly recommend! dishes, read more

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Another favorite to try in DC! Great flavors and fun presentation. A great brunch spot with nice ambiance (we sat outside in the street patio) loved the feel of this place. Our waitress was fabulous and the food was delicious and moderately priced- especially for DC. Every dish tastes like it's their specialty! You can tell someone put a lot of thought behind the menu choices. We got the sliders which were piled high with delicious crispy onions, A fantastic chicken sandwich which was tender and juicy, the spinach dip was to die for! I order spinach dip everywhere I go and this is top 3 easily. We actually ended up ordering a second for our meal lol. Great place over all with a variety of tasty dishes! read more

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Food was amazing. Service was great. Definitely try the BBQ Chicken Pizza. The place had a great environment and very chill.

The staff were professional and friendly, the food flavorful and beautifully plated. Definitely one of the best spots in town!

The service was fantastic. We ordered pizza and had some bread as an appetizer. It was great. Despite it being quite busy, it wasn't too loud and everything flowed well. We were seated immediately and the food came quickly. The pizza was great, and the cocktails were amazing. read more

I brought my clients from overseas, who have mobility issues and don't speak English, to try the famous crab cake sandwich. Maria was incredibly kind--she seated them in the comfortable booth seats and made sure I could assist them with the server in English. Such a thoughtful person! Thank you! read more

5 stars for service, 1 star for food, and maybe 3 stars for ambience? The place was loud and full. I can see it's popular. We got the sliders and a few drinks. Server was very nice and accommodating to my kids needs. Now for food, sliders were pretty tasteless. We needed a lot of ketchup and hot sauce to down them. Beef was completely bland and not seasoned with even salt and pepper. Onion rings were oily. It felt like we were eating oil. Quantity was a lot and we don't like wasting food so we didn't get anything else but I'd skip this place the next time I'm in town. read more

matchbox - Sliders - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is a tasty restaurant in downtown DC, a great location not far from the Metro Center and Gallery Place metro stops! We started with a spinach artichoke dip. It was fine but nothing special. It could have used some additional seasoning, and for the high cost, the number of tortilla chips was disappointing. The entrees were delicious! The fire smoke pizza had a perfect spice level, and the fresh basil on top was a wonderful treat. It really freshened the dish! The chicken Alfredo was also very tasty. The cream sauce was thick and luscious, although the chicken was just slightly not tender enough. The garlic bread was tasty too! The location is very convenient with a nice interior and a good playlist. The service was good too, as many other reviews have stated. read more

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Saturday night, February 28, We make a reservation for a sit down table as opposed to a highchair bar table. We are seated at a bar table. The manager, or what looks to be the manager, says I don't have a sit down table. I said, you offered a choice, I made a reservation for a sitdown table. He says, if I had a sitdown table I would seat you at a sit down table. I said, you don't have what we specified. Why not? He repeats the same thing, as if it was relevant, "if I had to sit down table, I would seat you at a sit down table." And then a third time. Passive aggressive. No apology, no round of drinks. He had tables, but he was saving them for larger parties. We were short on time so we stayed. I don't like those bar seats because they give me a backache. Which is what I have now. read more

The Pepperoni Hot Honey pizza scorched perfectly at Matchbox Penn Quarter--blistered crust, spicy-sweet kick, gooey cheese pull divine--paired with crispy chicken sandwich and bottomless brunch mimosas on the buzzing patio. Seamless happy hour timing amid theater crowds; portions generous for sharing. Neighborhood staple nailed it! read more

Horrible service. Conveniently located but expect to wait at least 15 minutes before a waiter sees you, and then 1/2 hour for the second touch. read more

Food was exceptional. Trey was an incredible server! Whether you go with Pizza, the Burger, the Chicken Tenders, or the Table Bread you will not be disappointed! 10 out of 10! read more

Whoever was working as manager and hostess on Saturday, March 22 ruined my day. They were rude and belittling to my friends and I. They gave away our reserved table even though we had friends there early to check in. They sent our friends to the bar and didn't tell them when the table was ready. I expected more from an establishment like this and really hope they do not treat everyone this way. Even if they made a mistake by giving away our table, I assumed they would do everything they could to get us another table. At least offer an apology. At least don't try to belittle us in front of other customers. The manager did nothing except told us to wait 30 minutes for another table. Keep in mind that the friends who arrived early had already waited 30 minutes at this point, so they would have had to wait an hour for a table we reserved and they showed up early for. I can't believe this happened. We had to leave and find another restaurant. read more

Recently visited this location again. Yes, the food was good. Service was great. Our server was very nice and attentive. I had an issue with my pizza and she did everything one can do to make the customer happy but the main thing should have been if the company advertised something it should come that way in the first place. I ordered the fig and prosciutto pizza. I wasn't expecting the whole fruit on the pizza but some part of it yes. When the pizza came out I asked the server isn't there supposed to be some type of fig flavor and she said yes. And when I got home I remembered I never saw any blue cheese crumbles either! The pizza was still edible but I ordered that pizza because I wanted want was written on the menu. On another note this location is close to a metro stop if you don't want to drive into the city. read more

matchbox - Menu - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Started to post a review but realized we were at the Capital Hill location- this is the review : Stood at the front without being acknowledged or seated for a while- that's with a reservation and them not busy. Should have left then. Maybe under staffed? Friday night and the place acted like they couldn't care less to have any business. Finally seated, ordered. Drinks took another inappropriate long period of time to arrive and when their in-house beer arrived (the Matchbox Lager) it was flat. The server actually noticed and said she would fix it and get me another then after another long wait she just came by and asked if I wanted something else. I chose water. Pizza arrived. This is not a pizza place, it is a place that also serves mediocre pizza. And if you have kids the sauce is spicy and it was too much for one of ours so he didn't eat. Spend your time and money somewhere else. Oh, and then the bill came and through some smoke and mirrors the bill shot up to $90 - for two pizzas three kid's sodas and my wife's Margarita. (The waitress said she removed the flat beer) - It is not at all clear on the screen that they are already including a 20% tip (we are a party of 5). Then they ask on the next screen after you swipe your card if you want to tip MORE. I tip always but it was just odd is what I'm saying. Other than a lack of hustle the server was ok and again- she did notice the flat beer without having to be told. In the end it's a Friday night out for dinner with my family in DC that I would never repeat. I wish we had walked out when we were not being noticed at the hostess station way back at the start of the night. For what it's worth the sliders that were delivered to a table near us looked amazing on the tray- order envy for sure. read more

Don't get the chicken and waffles. Pizza is fine. 3 small little pieces of chicken for $26. It was $4.50 for one fountain coke. Go somewhere else. Service was pretty bad too. read more

matchbox - Chicken and Waffles - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Manuel was amazing, friendly, and an awesome bartender. 5/5!! Great service, food and the drinks were amazing. Definitely stop by if you have the chance! read more

matchbox - Ribs were and the drinks were awesome. Definitely come here if you have the chance. Awesome service, great food, strong drinks! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had a party of eight for lunch last Thursday at this location. First, the plates came out dirty and were sent back. For appetizers, the table ordered wings and calamari. The calamari was too heavily battered--and that's all you could taste. Three individuals at the table ordered crab soup. While it did contain small bits of crab, it was so salty that I found myself gulping soda and wondering about my blood pressure. One person in our party ordered salad and salmon; the first piece she received was scorched and looked like a Hummer ran over it! She was given a second piece that was raw, pinker than a flamingo! Her meal was comped, and the cook should be "Gordon Ramsey" fired. The double patty burger that I ordered was miniscule, and the fries were limp and somewhat soggy. When I asked for Dijon or brown mustard, I got this quizzical look, and I just said yellow mustard because explaining types of mustard seemed pointless. The house sauce and aioli were horrible. And my favorite was a staff member who was drilling a bathroom sign into the wall right behind our table as we were eating, with all the screws placed on the table next to ours. You can get better food at the Golden Corral! read more

First off I'm picky! There are not many sit downs near the Nation Mall and Matchbox was GOOD! The pizza has that thin, cracker, pizza oven crust. Just what makes a perfect pizza. We sat outdoors which is always another plus. read more

Loved this place. We made a reservation and on 4th of July and although we were 10 min late due to that good DC traffic, we were still accommodated and sat in a timely manner which I appreciated. They were extremely busy that day and ran out of their frozen drinks that we really wanted to try, but we opted for other cocktails that were nice. Our cocktails didn't come to us until after we had gotten our food which is really my only complaint. The food was delicious and the pizza was exactly what I was craving. The dough and crust were perfect. I would prefer they use fresh prosciutto on the pizza i got but it was more like bacon bits and very sparse. Otherwise it was still good. My husband and kids both enjoyed their pizzas. The fried shrimp and fried calamari apps were both good. The calamari was nice and crunchy but not chewy. Our server was very nice and overall we had a great experience with good food. Would definitely come back if we are back in DC. read more

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The pizza is very good. The complimentary bread was delicious. We got some sliders cooked to perfection. Clarance was the best waiter ever. Very kind and friendly. He went over the menu and made sure we got the best meals. Place is very roomy snd comfortable. Will be back. read more

We walked in and stumbled into this gem just a few minutes walk from our hotel. The service was so welcoming as soon as we walked in. Our server Marissa was amazing. She recommended the crispy half fried chicken to me and it was perfection. I even complimented the chef. My dinner guest enjoyed his pizza and raved that he loved it. We opted for the chocolate banana pudding for dessert that was to die for. I also ordered the cinnamon buns but I thought it was in the tough side that our server was apologetic and exchanged it for another chocolate banana pudding and we were never charged for it at the end. Exceptional customer service. The ambiance was casual and fun inside. Great location. There's also seating outside available during the day. If we get another chance we would eat here again as we are curious for their other items in the menu. Great dining experience all around. read more

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Come here recently with a friend after having a bad experience at the old 14th location. I ended up getting the pear salad with crispy chicken as I didn't find the pizza items to be good at the other location. The salad was fine but at $26 it was insane. The service also sucked waited on water quite a few times. read more

Female Host was rude and restaurant not clean. Host was very put out when we didn't want to sit by a crying child. We love kids but just wanted dinner. read more

Came here for happy hour after work. Good times. Food was great. Good drinks. Fast service. No complaints out of me. Highly recommend. read more

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Avo crab app was delicious and fresh, gluten free pizza was excellent. The salmon with green salad and the bistro burger were not good. Neither the salmon nor the burger were fresh - both proteins had an expired taste and smell. I had to send the salmon back. The server and GM were very nice about it and comped the meal. No complaints for how they handled the situation. The bistro burger came out medium rare and I should have asked for well done. Had to take it home and microwave it for doneness. Either way, there was a faint smell to the meat. We ate it and luckily no one got sick. Next time, we'll Just stick to the pizzas. read more

Spent my first time at matchbox with a friend from the area and was absolutely impressed! We were greeted and seated in the blink of an eye, and our server Melissa was so sweet. It was my first time, and my friend hadn't been back in several years (and had since become a vegetarian). We ordered a veggie pizza and it was delicious! Melissa brought over the cilantro jalapeño oil and gave it high praise - and we loved it! They seemed focused on effective service and connecting with customers, even though it was a crowded day. Fantastic experience! Will be back for sure! read more