After a long day of walking around the monuments this was a great place to rest our feet and have a tasty meal and drinks that hit the spot! The atmosphere was relaxing and friendly. The food was fresh and my kids especially enjoyed the refreshing mock tails. This was our last meal in DC after visiting for a few days and it turned out to be one of the best! read more

Go to Tonic somewhat regularly and am always pretty satisfied. Some solid options for both dinner and brunch! The tots are awesome and 100% worth ordering every time. Especially love the brunch tots appetizer with the three dipping sauces! Watch out for Jake, he is always an awesome bartender/server...maybe the best I've ever had in DC! read more

I found the pizza poor and the sauce boring! The cheese was not uniform and some areas of the pizza were bare of cheese? What the hell?? Also while we were eating on the patio, with the doors propped open, a rat was scampering around on the patio!! Yuk!! read more

Definitely a go-to spot in foggy bottom! Came here twice while on vacation and didn't disappoint either time. Buffalo chicken sandwich was amazing read more

I tried this place since it was close to GW and I was going to see a show at Lisner afterwards. I ate there with a few friends and three of us ordered Diet Coke's and the other guy ordered a beer. Each time one of us finished our soda, the waitress would ask if we wanted another one. Don't ask... just bring it! I ordered the Blackened Salmon Caesar Salad and the potion was way too small. Lettuce is very inexpensive and they could have easily put more lettuce in the salad. It was almost like a kid's portion. I just didn't get a good feel for this place and I probably won't go back. There are plenty of other restaurants to eat at in the Foggy Bottom area. read more

Brunch here was lovely. Had a delicious Eggs Benedict, and enjoyed the ambience on a nice Spring Sunday.

This was our first visit to Tonic. We specifically requested a booth in our reservation. When we walked into the upstair's dining room there were several booths available but the host took us to a regular table. When I asked for a booth he then took us over to an open booth - not sure why you ask for special requests and then ignore them when the guests arrive. The waitress was sweet but very scattered. Brought red wine rather than white, dinner was very delayed, said salmon could only be cooked one way and we could not request medium or well done...strange. Southern fried chicken was not crispy at all and pizza was soggy.Would I go back? maybe, but there are so many other great places in the area not sure why I would. read more

Cocktails were pretty good--I had a mojito and friend of mine had the orange crush. We were disappointed that their menu didn't have that much variety at lunch so ended up just getting tator tots to share to hold us over till we got to our next stop. Liked the variety of dipping sauces for the tots but really, tator tots at a restaurant? Not my cup of tea. read more

The happy hour drinks didn't taste as strong as they would be regularly, but the food was so so generous. We had totchos, and they loaded it with toppings (really great chicken AND beef!), on a platter too much for us to finish - and I usually finish anything put in front of me. Our waitress was very friendly and noticed whenever we needed more water or another drink without us having to flag her down. Pricing and anything else about the place doesn't raise it to above average. read more

This place is in GW's campus, and you can tell they know their audience. They fancy up tater tots and Mac n Cheese, two staples of college fare. I had the regular tater tots with the various dipping sauces, and I loved them all. Their appetizers are delicious, though I enjoyed those more than the entrees themselves. I ordered the Mushroom Ravioli, which was decent. Since I'm not a college student anymore and I've become old and grumpy, I may try to avoid going on Friday evenings again when it's packed with GW students. read more

Service was friendly and quick. But overall food quality was meh. Had the fish tacos and it was mostly breading and minimal sauce. There was just no flavor to them at all. Tots were good but once again, they're tots so kind of hard to screw up. Had great expectations but probably won't visit again when we're in town. Just nothing special about it. read more

I ordered a taco salad and since it was lunchtime, and extremely busy, the waiter didn't come back in time for me to let him know it was missing some key ingredients. Regardless, the concept of the place is cool (it used to be a pharmacy) and the tshirts and themes are cute. The tots off my friend's plate were delicious, too! Try it out for the atmosphere and appetizers! read more

Yeah solid 2 for the unimaginative menu and boring characterless establishment. However service has always been good. Their tater tots are a ridiculous portion so get that if you want to munch something while drinking. read more

While I was living in DC, I was actually a huge fan of Tonics! Perhaps it's the college vibe, and me being a recent college graduate, or perhaps it's the fact that I LOVE tater tots, but I love it here. Now, I've been here a couple times during the summer for dinner, so definitely NOT as busy as I imagine it to be during the academic year (with a bunch of students swarming), but let me break down my experiences. LOCATION: Tonic is located right next to (or in?) GW University. It was a bit out of my general work/home area, but, to me, it was worth the walk. Very accessible for students, however. As most places in the District, it's still pretty accessible of a walking distance. Not sure how the public transport is leading into the area, but seeing as it is right in the midst of GW, I imagine there's ample public transportation options. SERVICE: I've always had really great service when I've come by. The first time I was here, the waitress was really patient with us and how indecisive we were. My friend and I had come by not being sure if we wanted to even go out, but forced ourselves to try this nifty place out after a recommendation from a mutual friend. Even the second time we came by, the waiter was enthusiastic and very helpful with the questions we had regarding the beers/beer flight. It's never too long a wait, even for dinner, but this is also for the SUMMER time. I didn't feel rushed at all ever, which is always nice. FOOD: The food is just like any other kind of "pub"/bar food. They had these really decadent, huge burgers or sandwiches, amongst other things likes soups, salads, pizzas, or other various items. What I really enjoyed was that, for being a bar close to a university, they also have a spirits license! So, not only do they have an extensive beer, cider, and wine menu, but they also have some specialty cocktails! My absolutely FAVORITE thing to get here in terms of food, that I always ordered when I came by, were the "totchos". Basically a supreme nachos order but on tater tots instead of tortilla chips! I love it! Our "usual" is an order of totchos shared between my friend and me, and then we each have our own burger. The burger comes with either a side of tater tots or a salad. I usually never finish my burger and end up taking half of it to go with whatever side I choose. The portions are pretty decent for the price that you pay. I'm not complaining. Can't say I have a favorite burger, but I've tried two different kinds and was a fan of both. My only complaint would be that the water here leaves a funny taste in your mouth. The first time, I barely drank my water, only because I had gotten a cocktail anyway. The second, I didn't really have anything else to wash down my food, but it was a little less strange than the first time. AMBIANCE: Depending where you sit, the ambiance ranges from a kind of "sports bar" vibe, to a casual sit down restaurant, to a nice quiet dinner. I've been seated outside and on the second floor. Outside was nice for the air and view. It wasn't loud so that my friend and I could talk to one another with ease. The only downfall with outside were the bug bites. I'm pretty sure I walked away with 5 bites that night, which is a very just DC problem, haha. Other than that, it was very pleasant being outside. The man next to us even felt so comfortable being there and eating by himself. Which is always nice when you're at peace outside. The second time, we were seated upstairs. This had a more intimate feel only because the vibe changed to that of more a casual sit-down feel. There was even a family next to us. It was really nice to head up there because it was so different! the wooden posts were all covered with crayon scribbles as you can write on anything wooden! And they had those book exchange things, where you take a book leave a book. It was so nice! Overall, I really enjoy Tonics. I know my friend had ended up taking her cousin there when they were in the District to visit. Definitely a great gem in the college-y part of DC. read more

Stopped in for lunch with a friend. I got the Tonic (turkey) Burger. The burger was a lot larger than I was expecting and the tots were good too. There are two levels and outdoor seating. When we came it was pretty empty and we were seated on the second level. read more

Not sure how you can mess up a burger, but Tonic was more than capable of just that. My burger was MW with mushroom, onion and Swiss. It was charred, black, and difficult to chew. The bun was days old (I couldn't even cut it with a knife), and zero flavor despite my using salt to help the situation. My hubby ordered the Topple (egg and bacon burger on a waffle, Med), and his was cooked the same as mine: beef cracker. His waffle was like cardboard. Even though neither one of us was eating the food, the waitress never seemed to notice. Don't expect water with your booze, but if you ask for it twice, you'll finally get a 4 ounce cup of water (must be a shortage). My recommendation: avoid this place and go to McDonalds (at least you know what to expect and it won't cost you $70 for two people to have dinner). read more

I am only giving them 3 stars because their wings are decent and their tots rock. Dont ever order their buffalo chicken sandwich, I took one bite and sent it back. Chicken was beyond rubber. The wait staff was great, very friendly. read more

It's alright for an after work drink if you work nearby in Foggy Bottom or Farragut. $4 for drafts, house wine, and tots during happy hour is A-OK but nothing else really notable about this neighborhood pub. The only annoying thing is that they're weird about groups - if you show up with a group and haven't called ahead to reserve, they try and tell you that you can't go upstairs... or anywhere else other than the outside patio. read more

The taters were perfect. Crispy and light, and not greasy at all, served with a tasty trio of dipping sauces: Ranch, chipotle-honey mustard, Chili Ketchup I also loved the outdoor seating on a fall evening. But my Tonic Salad's greens were a little soggy and tired. read more

Recorded message says open late-nights until 3am. Show up at 2:15. Doors closed. Lights off. One star. I wish I could review Tonic on the merits of its food. But they clearly don't want me to. read more

The bartender made the visit worthwhile; food was ok; Guinness and hard cider on tap were great! read more

Tonic - Totchos- sounded better than it was.. a bit of a let down - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A friend bartended here for a while, so I have been a couple times. I think the building is really cute, and like how the dining area is on a different floor than the noisy bar. And on the third floor is a large space for private parties. I think Tonic is a little expensive for bar food, but I have never had complaints about the taste. The bar has good beers, large TVs and the bartenders are knowledgeable about different kinds of mixed drinks if you don't know what you want! That said, this place gets JAM packed. We have waited for significantly long periods of time for a table, and most of the people here are very loud and obnoxious GW undergrads. Be prepared to wait if you come on a Friday or Saturday night. read more

Keep a close eye on your bill. We were supposed supposed to receive a discount on our mimosa with meal and they tried to charge us for kids drinks which should be included in the cost of the meal. I caught it, but took forever to get it corrected. Food was good, hostesses were nice but service was slow. read more

This is definitely a burger and sandwich bar. Do not order anything else. My partner and I came here for dinner and drinks before a show at the Kennedy Center. We chose this place because of its close proximity to the center and it had good reviews. Unfortunately our experience didn't match the reviews. We arrived around 6:30 for our reservation and immediately noticed our server was swamped. We sat on the second floor and there was only one server for the whole floor, with some help from runners. We ordered our drinks around 6:50 and didn't receive them until about 7:10. We ordered a side salad, appetizer size of Mac and cheese, and a blackened salmon Caesar. Food took about 30 minutes to arrive. The Caesar was hardly dressed and the salmon was terribly dry. Blackened salmon? More like over cooked salmon. Mac and cheese was good. read more

Went there after my daughter's graduation - love the atmosphere! The food got mixed reviews from people eating (party of 8) but I liked it. My younger daughter got nachos for us to share and they were decent bar style nachos. Expensive - but you are in DC so what do you expect? I'd go there again only because I really liked the feel of the place and sometimes that can make a bigger difference than food. Oh and I loved that they don't sell standard beers such as Budweiser that's just me though. read more

Toss me some TOTS. Tots or bust! This place is in a great location in foggy, pretty typical GW hang out. The crowd is college, but the food is great! I had mac and cheese there with bacon in it, and let me just say....it was heavenly. The beer selection and the tots added to this nirvana. My friend had some kind of veggie pizza and enjoyed that as well. THE NEW BACK PATIO IS AWESOME!!! I have to say I love it, and If I could I would eat tots and drink beer back there every day after work. read more

I went for a friend's birthday brunch and had a really good time. The restaurant just has a really cool feel. We had a large group and they were patient while we waited for everyone to show up. Service was a little slow at times, but everyone liked their food. read more

Happy Hour: Tuesday @ 7PM - Bar area was completely booked. My coworkers and I had to get a table in order to be seated. 1. Ambiance: Brick walls, urban theme. 2. Food: Bang Bang Salad - sub with Ahi Tuna. Tator tots with chipotle-honey mustard, cajun remoulade & 3 pepper aioli sauces. 3. Service: Friendly, management caters well to customer's complaint. 4. Costs: Overpriced for portion. The plate prepares you for a big fulfilling meal, until the waiter drops it in front of you to find five pieces of Ahi Tuna and a small handful of greens. $8 for a small bowl of tater tots. 5. Overall Experience: The service and the ambiance were great, but foods and costs didn't stand out from the crowd. Side Notes: n/a read more

I came here after a softball game with some of my teammates to get some beer and burgers. Luckily we were able to sit out in the garden area, which is a pretty area with a full bar. The beer selection here is pretty good, and the tots are delicious! Unfortunately, the burger that I ordered was terrible. It tasted like lighter fluid, and one side of it was absolutely charred. Everyone at my table expressed the same sentiments with their burgers, no matter the type (veggie, turkey, beef, etc.). I definitely would not recommend going beyond the tots on this menu. When we arrived, we also were trying to find a space that would accommodate our party. We had to push two tables together, something that other large parties also did. One of the waitresses was pretty terse about it and decided not to serve our table. I realize that a large table can be overwhelming, but we were trying our best not to be disruptive, and instead of helping us out, she was just borderline rude to us. Overall, I probably wouldn't come back here for anything but tots and beer. read more

Review for happy hour only. The outside patio in the back is nice but very crowded, and it's difficult to find a table/bar space if you want to order food. It does clear up a little if you stay long enough though. Decent happy hour deal, around $4 I think for a beer/cider? I just wish there were more drink options to choose from. I was excited to try the tots, but they were too hyped up I guess. The 3 sauces they came with were yummy enough, but not amazing. The tots themselves weren't necessarily *bad*, just a little too doughy for my taste. On the plus side, the portion is huge, easily shared by 4+ people, and it's pretty cheap for how much you get. read more

Tonic is THE place my office frequently hosts going away parties for departing folks. This time it's MY turn to depart. Great staff, great food, and within walking distance of the office and the metro station. Try the tots with any happy hour drink. NOM. I'll miss you TONIC! We've shared many good times!! read more

Tonic - My friends are buying a last round before my move! Yay! - New American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I came here with my friend when we visited DC and absolutely loved it! They had an outdoor seating area that was beautiful and even partially heated. I ordered the toffle, which satisfied my craving for hash browns and a breakfast burger all in one. It was so delicious! The service was also very quick and helpful. I'd highly recommend this place! read more

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

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college pub vibe, with great deals during happy hour. would definitely come again. ordered the wings and the nachos with the cider. the wings were large and definitely value worthy. the nachos were covered in generous amounts of sauce. read more

Good for holding a local event. They finally just got their liquor license in the last few months so the Tonic in Foggy Bottom's been getting some publicity from GWU as one of the only places in the neighborhood with food and bar. I'd been avoiding it after looking up their menu online and finding the prices a little too steep for a standard Friday night out ($10 for a burger?). But last Friday I ended up there for a private event on the third floor. When I showed up, the ground floor I passed on the way up the stairs was packed with people milling and drinking, so I guess business is booming during their M-F 5-6pm happy hour (check the menu online). The spread was impressive, and the toasted pita slices were good (um..I couldn't eat any of the delicious-looking mini-burgers since it was fish Friday). The open bar drinks were decent and served with a standard degree of politeness. The maintenances of the table spread seemed to go by without a hitch, and they were not rude at all when it came time to wind down and kick us out at the end of the event. In fact, it was downright gentle. I still wouldn't go back for the prices, especially since I don't live in the neighborhood and there are other, cheaper places, with smaller chance of bumping in to undergrads there. But as a spot for events, it seems up to snuff. read more

3.5 stars I had the buttermilk fried chicken with a side of tater tots for dinner last night with a friend. She had the Tonic Salad. The tater tots were actually really good, except we were sitting outside and by the time we got to the tater tots, they were already cold. However, they were still really crispy and not soggy. My buttermilk fried chicken was overall okay. The fried crispy skin was DELICIOUS, but my main problem was that the piece of breast meat they served was too big. That piece should've been cut into two and fried separately. The ratio of crispy skin to breast meat was way off. I spent a good amount of time just eating plain breast meat with no skin. With that said, the breast meat was perfectly cooked -- juicy, not dry. But no one really likes eating just plain breast meat. The collard greens, honey biscuit, and red beans and rice that came with the plate were all good. The biscuit could've been a little more fresh -- it seemed as if it was premade and they just threw it on. It wasn't steaming hot out of the oven. The portions were fantastically big and I would definitely come here again. In general, it was good. There were somethings they could fix, but for pub type food it was better than I thought it would be. Next time, I would probably try something else and eat those tater tots first. read more

I came here on a business lunch and had a hard time picking from the menu as there were so many good things to choose! I ended up picking a steak salad, and boy was it good! The lettuce was really fresh and the steak was cooked perfectly to how I like it (well done, so shoot me :P ). The vinegarette was tasty and made for a really good texture. Other folks had sandwiches (with tots, of course) and a salmon salad. Apparently the salmon that comes on it is to die for! Really good for a cute lunch spot if you have the time to sit down. Happy hour is nice too! Tots on special with different dipping sauces, and lots of beer/wine to choose from at a discount. Great if you work in the area and want a pretty low-key, chill place to hang out with some coworkers! read more

The food was pretty good. I got a cheesesteak, but the whole thing tasted a little dry. Besides that the cheesesteak was good. I accidentally ordered the chips instead of the tots. I now understand that the tots are where it's at. I will return at some point and get a burger with tots. Just a matter of time. The staff was very friendly and the drinks were refilled pretty quickly. The food wasn't oppressively high and the atmosphere was good. I will have to go again, get something else, and try the tots to make sure I gave it an appropriate rating. read more

I was pleasantly surprised with my dining experience at Tonic on a damp Saturday evening. Get the meatloaf entree, it was delicious, was as good as homemade, and really hit the spot. It was accompanied by goat-cheese mashed potatoes (not too cheesy, just the right consistency) and Brussels sprouts sauteed in garlic and bacon. Nice size portions,too. My friend had good things to say about the fish tacos, panko-crusted tilapia that came with a huge side of tater tots. Neither of us got what the fuss was about with the tater tots..they weren't bad, but nothing special. One of their seasonal cocktails was a hot apple cider with cinnamon infused bourbon. Great for winter. And no skimping on alcohol here. The desserts didn't stand out. We shared the apple tart. It was fine, but not spectacular. Tonic is really convenient to GW's Lisner Auditorium, part of the reason we chose it....tics to the Washington Christmas Revels there after our meal and we were only about a block away. Seems to be plenty of room as there are three floors, with the first floor with the main bar sounding the noisiest. More of dining area on the second floor, with a casual, clean, dining area on the second floor atmosphere, which was not as noisy. And you get crayons to write on both the table cloth, or the walls (which evidently is popular to do among past patrons.) The service wasn't stellar, but it was not bad either. Not too expensive, with entree's averaging $15 and cocktails $10. A nice lesser-priced alternative to some of the other restaurants in that neighborhood, like Founding Fathers or District Commons, and closer to Lisner auditorium. read more

Solid food and solid service! Make sure to go during happy hour. The prices are reasonable for the area.

Went to tonic for a late night bite and cocktails.The pizza was bland AF. I think it says something that we didn't finish it. The bartenders were friendly, maybe a little distracted. Have had their breakfast before which is OK. But you might as well just go around the corner to Founding Farmers where a morning meal is tastier and comparable in price. Meh. read more