Best fried chicken in the DC area! The portions are large and the food is made to order. If you want a meal leaving you full and satisfied, check this place out. read more

Not on a schedule? Got time to kill and a hankering for some stick-to-your-ribs soul food? Then this is your place. But get here early, cause seating is limited and you WILL be there a while. I came with a group of 4 others. Seriously consider splitting an order with someone, because the half chicken, is more like half a flock of chicken. The sides are slightly more reasonably sized, you know.. like 4 ears of corn for the corn on the cob side. Your meal will not come out in any predictable time, you might get parts of your order, then the rest of your order 5-15 mintues later. But you know what, its part of the charm of the Hitching Post, so sit down, order up a cold beer and relax. read more

Yeahhhh welllllll its A-OK We went on a Sunday at around 4 which was maybe what our problem was. We ordered two chicken dinners and with greens. First of all its takes quiet a while to fry those chicks for you. The greens weren't all that neither was the Mac n Cheese. The Fired chicken which was the reason we went there was like i said oK nothing very special. If you dont live in the area basically its not worth the trip for me atleast again. Founding Farmers Waffle and fried chicken is more than fine with me read more

Ordered carryout for the first time recently. Food was pretty good. Friendly staff. A little pricey for the portion sizes, but will probably try them again. read more

Outstanding service, food and staff. Portions and flavor are all in here. Come by bring friends, you won't be disappointed, it is the bang for the buck . read more

Four pieces of delicious fried chicken with two sides will leave you satisfied. Perfectly crisp on the outside while juicy and perfectly done on the inside. The service is first rate and very homey. read more

So you've got to check out this mainstay DC neighborhood spot. The fried chicken is the best I've had in the city. The delicious food, coupled with the welcoming, old school vibe elevates the Hitching Post as a true staple in the District. Some of the best times I've had since I've lived here have been at HP. You won't be disappointed by the food, the drinks, or the crowd. read more

This is my go-to restaurant for people visiting me in DC. The half fried chicken special comes in 3 or more plates of pure joy! The portion of chicken is crispy and well seasoned on the outside and juicy and wonderful inside. It counts as a half chicken only if you can find huge six-legged chickens roaming the farm. It comes with 2 sides - each on their own plate. The pork chops are also excellent. The owners have always been really pleasant and warm. Each time I visit I hope that they somehow keep it open and unchanged for another 30-40 years. read more

I saw a review raving about the fried chicken so I ventured down there to Hitching Post one evening. Boy was I unimpressed. I mean... it was okay. Decor was about what you would expect. Service was bad, but that's no big deal. Sides were pretty good. But the chicken... eh, I've had better. Maybe not in DC, because I have not been searching for it in this city. But I know really, really good fried chicken and this was not it. Better than Popeyes maybe but that's about it. You can find better fried chicken just about anywhere in the south. Maybe this is DC's best, which is sad. In visits to Nashville (Prince's), Miami (Versailles in Little Havana) and several other cities (Chicago and St. Louis, to name a few)... I've had better. read more

This place is great. Went on a Thursday night with a buddy and had some of the best fried chicken ever. Ordered the "half" chicken and it came out looking like a full chicken. What's so cool about this place is everything is made to order by the lovely couple who own it. Made me feel like I was in the South. Very cool. read more

UPDATED: I just read some really disturbing news. This place is up for sale. http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2010/10/i-hope-youre-sitting-down-hitching-post-for-sale/#comments A DC institution. Don't come here if you want healthy, organic, fine dining, at a reasonably fast pace. Come here if you want to step back in time, and get a crap load of food for cheap. The fried chicken is really good, as is the mac and cheese (which is considered a vegetable side). read more

I may be more in love with the idea of this place than the actual food it serves that I've tried and the service I've experienced, both of which have been inconsistent. Yet I've never left unhappy. Something about the energy and insistent (unhurried) pace makes you love it on its own terms. The chicken is quite good - but don't order the platter unless you're splitting it with another person or planning to take home half of it. Chicken platter = an ENTIRE chicken. On a platter. The last time we were there they'd run out of mac n' cheese (?!) but we rebounded. The greens are delicious. The potato salad is claimed to be the best ever, in a lifetime of enjoying the occasional potato salad, by my beau and brother-in-law. The decor is authentic, and so are the people you'll find there. Refreshingly worth an out of the way trip. read more

A couple things that have been mentioned before, but bear repeating.. Portions. They give you a lot. One dish is almost enough for two people. Their half chicken is half of a turkey-sized chicken. The wing dish comes with 8 wings, but these are not your average wings. For one, they come with the drumettes (my favorite part of the bird). Sides. Nothing to brag about, but it's a good idea to have some cole slaw handy. And their macaroni and cheese is delicious. Using shell macaronis is pure genius. My suggestion? Get an iced tea. It helps everything go down smooth. read more

I was really happy with my meal at Hitching Post. I had a fried chicken dinner, and the portions were too big to finish. I split 5 different sides with my table, and loved all of them. The server was really friendly, and from the looks of it, they have earned the many regulars that I observed eating on the patio. read more

Came here yesterday to watch the Sunday Ravens football game. Great place to watch the game! I ordered the fried catfish entree, and this is the best catfish I've had in this city! They've got 4 solid beers on tap, and are reasonably priced. This is a Petworth gem full of locals and regulars, and I hope to soon be one of them. read more

Ummm, Let's See, I don't know who I'm more mad at--myself for being totally suckered by the great reviews, or the restaurant for touting itself as a place to get some good southern comfort food. The kind and friendly staff can't even come close to making up for the absolutely horrible food. I'm from the 'country' and grew up on real southern staples like excellent fried chicken, mac and cheese and greens. It's almost impossible to mess up anything that's fried, but this place takes the blue ribbon for that. The chicken was over-fried, dry, and not the big portions that everyone claimed in their reviews--I mean those must have been some extremely flat-chested chickens considering the breasts I received. It didn't have any flavor whatsoever, I imagine cardboard or even sandpaper tastes significantly better than the chicken I had. And don't get me started on the sides--the mac n cheese and collard greens were amazingly horrible and lacked any flavor whatsoever. You know when you have a bad cold and you're so stopped up, you can't taste anything, well that's what it was like eating this food. Like you're stranded in the wilderness for weeks and you get lucky enough to come across a chicken but you don't have a speck of salt, pepper, anything, and then you attempt to eat it after it's sat all night on the campfire you managed to build, and then hell you just rip some grass out of the ground and eat it along with the chicken for good measure. I swear food coloring was thrown into the boiled-to-death macaroni to give the illusion there was some cheese in it, because it simply tasted like mushy macaroni noodles and that's it. I'm so mad that I spent a good deal of money for that meal. I'm a fatty, I will eat just about anything and think that it's good, but this was by far the worst thing I've ever eaten from a restaurant in my entire life. I'm appalled that anyone would think that this is, forget good--but even edible southern comfort food. read more

How I wish fried chicken was health food~ NOTE: My rating for the place is solely based on their chicken dinner on the menu. I CRAVE their fried chicken all the time. Crispy, tender, golden goodness. The chicken dinner is a big heaping portion of mouth watering pieces of fried chicken heaven, oh and comes with two sides. However, all that food just seems to disappear oh so quickly every time I order it. My head says you've had too much fried food but my stomach says gimme gimme gimme. read more

I'd like to start out by saying the food was AMAZING. I used to work at a very successful soul food place, and this was very good in comparison. However, the service was terrible. We walked in and waited to be seated (we didn't see a sign that said to seat ourselves). The waiter walked by and didn't even acknowledge us-we were very obviously confused about the process. Patrons had to tell us that we could seat ourselves. Once we found a spot, it took the waiter 10 minutes to bring us menus-without even saying a word to us. This ended up being a trend throughout the experience. I think the waiter said a total of 3 words to us the entire time. It took the waiter another 20 minutes to come back and take our orders. When he did, he pulled up a chair with a paper and pen, but didn't actually say anything, like you know, ask us what we wanted to eat. We ordered a sweet tea, but that didn't come out right away like a normal drink order would. It came out with the food. When we asked about it, he ignored us. When we were ready for our check, he was nowhere to be found. We noticed that he had walked outside and was chatting on the phone. We had to get up and go find someone at the bar to help us. That guy was very helpful. He got our bill, and came back very quickly to handle our payment. I've seen a whole bunch of reviews about the service being excellent. So, I am so confused. Our waiter was a young man. Maybe we were just unlucky, or did we end up in an alternate universe at a different Hitching Post? The experience would've improved 200% if the service was better. read more

This place falls into the category of restaurants you should get to before modernity sweeps them out of the way. The fried chicken is old fashioned and the service matches it--"darling this" and "dear that." If it weren't so far off the beaten track it would be a treasured spot like Oohs and Aahs on U Street. Try it for a complete restaurant experience before the owners decide to close up shop and retire to Florida. read more

Since I got there during happy hour, I took advantage of the inexpensive cocktail offerings, and had a margarita while waiting for my dinner. These are the kind of drinks that quietly knock your socks off by being deceptively smooth but potent. I got the all-white chicken dinner, and it was, as I expected from reading previous reviews, great. I did not expect the AMAZING garlic mashed potatoes. Not even the best mac 'n' cheese could compete with these explosively flavorful and delicious spuds, so I saved the MNC and half my chicken for lunch tomorrow. Run, do not walk to this great little place! read more

It's just not the same. I started going about a year ago and food was on point. Now orders are always messed up probably because the newer waitress has bad English read more

Nothing like a good neighborhood joint where the owner is still the heart of the kitchen. We shared the porkchop and friend chicken meal at our table. The first batch of chicken didn't turn out to the chef's liking - so he redid it which shows how much they care about the food. Definitely do not come if you are in a hurry but if you are in for good food, sweet tea and some songs from the "jukebox" in an authentic non-suburban setting. This is the place - I can't wait to go back for another meal. read more

This place is so much fun. It is a bit of a random combo - a soul/Indian food place located across from Lincoln's Cottage. But it is a total neighborhood spot and a great place to meet non-hipster, long-time residents of the Petworth community. Food is great, I'm particular to the catfish entree. read more

This place is great. The fried chicken is some of the best I've ever had, the catfish doesn't let you down and the sides are generous and delicious. It's a nice out of the way spot in a quiet neighborhood. The service isn't the fastest, but if you're ready to relax and have a couple beers while you wait, it's perfect for a Friday night. read more

Food was bland, wife and daughters baked mac-n-cheese came out cold. There are no appetizers and the atmosphere was small and not to kid friendly. They sat us right by the bar and the conversations were older singled, flirting adults conversations with Freddy vs. Jason horror movies playing on the tv. The staff was nice and the bartender made some great drinks. If we do go back, it will just be me and the wife. read more

Mrs. Arlene Savage is the best waitress there is! She has so much charisma and care for her guest who are new and seeking options for a southern cooked meal! I will for sure be back for business! read more

Neighborhood joint, tight quarters but the food was on point. My husband ordered the chicken dinner which was crisp on the outside and juicy inside. The fries were unremarkable but the coleslaw was good ( and I don't like coleslaw, so....). I got the grilled pork chops, and they brought me two huge and perfectly cooked chops. Juicy and the glaze was so good I wanted to lick the plate, but it wasn't dark enough. I had a side of Mac and cheese and collards, both yum. Will definitely repeat. read more

A wonderful neighborhood gem...a nice deck for outdoor seating, lots of friendly locals, and laid-back service. The owner (formerly of Fusion restuarant) occasionally puts a few Indian specialties on the menu...delicious! read more

Even though I have lived in Petworth for 8 years, I had only eaten here once, right after I first moved to this corner of DC. I thought my meal was somewhat unremarkable, and the strip where the business sits a bit sketchy, so I had not ventured back. I decided to give it another shot today. The business changed hands a couple of years ago, and it's physically a bit nicer than I remember from my first visit. At lunchtime, the place was almost empty; there were a total of 3 other diners during the hour I was there. So my review: There is no lunch menu; just the normal dinner menu is offered at midday. Dinners (entree + two sides) may be more food than a lot of folks want at noon, and perhaps there would be more customers if a lunch menu was available with less food for less money. More on the money later... I ordered the fried catfish, collards and mac and cheese. The fish came out in about 15 minutes, piping hot-- clearly made fresh for my order. I'm from the South, and I know my fried fish, and this stuff was delectable. As good as I've had in DC, and much better than most places (I'm looking at you, Horace and Dickies). Two large fillets perfectly fried. The collards were also outstanding. Not overly salty, not overcooked. Perfect. The mac and cheese was okay--not bad, but nothing remarkable. (Disclaimer: I am forever disappointed by what someone has recommended to me as "the best mac 'n cheese ever"; I think I am just spoiled by a lifetime of great home-cooked mac 'n cheese.) So the food was great. The downside-- prices. $17 for a plate of fried chicken or fish in this particular neighborhood seems high; you certainly aren't going to see many of the locals eating there with those prices--especially at lunchtime. Yes, it is an up-and-coming area, but this particular part of Petworth is far from being there. Less than a year ago, there was a shoot-out across the street that left one guy dead, and every time I've ever driven through here, there are a lot of sketchy-looking dudes hanging out. It doesn't bother me, but I know it bothers some people. But more importantly, I don't think many of the people living close by can afford the prices. Yes, I can, and I'll probably go back, given how good the food was, but I think this could be a much more lively business if they looked at offering some cheaper options. read more

I'm a southern girl so my pallet might be more picky than most when it comes to southern food! Wasn't a big fan of the mac & cheese, but I did like my crab cakes and my husband loved the neck bone soup! Also, they replaced my Mac and cheese so that was nice of them. Thanks for the hospitality! read more

Great atmosphere, tasty fried chicken, and the collard greens are a must order. Definitely worth going.

Friiiiiiiiied chicken dinner, mmmhmmm! Do it, it's totally worth the wait at this dive bar where the median age is often 60! So good and fresh and affordable large portions, you'll be craving this on a regular basis. read more

I've eaten take-out from there a few times. Damn good fried chicken and the best greens I have ever had. Good mac 'n cheese too. I don't go there enough! read more

This review is not about the restaurant. It is about the mac and cheese specifically. I visited the restaurant a few years ago, and I visited for the first time under new ownership, earlier this week. I ordered the chicken wing dinner with mac and cheese and collard greens. The chicken was quite tasty. But the mac and cheese was meh. I don't know what kind of cheese was used, but it was not tasty at all. I think the chef needs to reconsider his recipe. read more

We have been trying different restaurants in the city and so far this is one of the better ones. The food was great and the service was awesome. The relaxed atmosphere makes it very inviting. We will be returning in the near future. read more

This place is out of the way, dirty, and looks frozen in time, but their fried chicken is amazing.

Was in the mood for some good ole' fashioned comfort food. The Hitching Post is on my top 20 places in the DMV area to try! Decided to walk in on a Saturday night at 7:30,and try my luck. The owners were there along with two young ladies who waited tables ,tended bar and took my carryout order with a genuine pleasantness. After looking over the menu, which included scallops, fried fish,and pork chops , I decided on the house specialty,fried chicken. The waitress warned me the chicken "would take a while",and boy was she right! After ordering the half chicken dinner,(with 2 sides,sans any type of bread),the clock began to tick. I sipped on a Miller Genuine Draft while waiting. Finally, after 67 minutes , my dinner( side of mac 'n cheese,side of greens), was packaged up to go! The greens were tasty, no pork or turkey added. The mac n' cheese was creamy, and I saw 3 different types of pasta shells used in it. The chicken was Heavenly! Great crust on the outside, very juicy and cooked just right on the inside. 9 Good size pieces too ! All in All, the food was very good and worth the wait. They serve breakfast too , which I will review next week. Good size portions for your money ! I like The Hitching Post! read more

Cool atmosphere has a real local feel meaning all the locals go here the catfish was good. The serving portion sides were very large

Wow.... I could just leave it at that. All the the reviews pretty much nailed it. Bring a friend. Order a half fried chicken (even though it's 8-10 pieces!). Have an hour of good conversation while waiting patiently for your food. Dine. Smile. Repeat. Amazing. read more

I'll put four stars down to maintain the status quo and out of respect for what is obviously an old neighborhood institution, but the truth is I didn't get the chance to eat at the Hitching Post. That's because it was stuffed with a bunch of yuppie college kids with backwards baseball caps and button up shirts. I'm sure staff are usually friendly, but they just seemed harried and overworked when me and my buddy stopped in. As we waited for a menu, more and more preppies buzzed in. They were loud, grating and rude. The moment that broke my heart: when two Salvadoran guys walked in, took a look at the crowd, were told by the owner it was going to be a long wait and walked out. What a shame -- DC loses another local spot to the douchebags. read more