Birch & Barley - American restaurant in Washington - 1337 14th St NW, USA

We went for restaurant week! We tried to enjoy it but ultimately poor service really ruined the night. It was a three-course prefix, and they brought out my app without bringing my husbands. Then they brought out my entree—my husband still had not even gotten his first course. He had ordered a beer pairing, and not a single beer got paired correctly. His first beer arrived with his entree and his final one was brought after we pointed out on the check that he paid for a pairing he didn’t get. Timing was off throughout, my entree came out before I’d gotten a few bites into my app and the dessert came a solid 30 min wait later. Each individual issue was small and we usually wouldn’t mind it but it all compounded to be too much, especially for an expensive night out! The vibes here are excellent and it had so much potential. Honestly, the food was good too. My favorite was the salmon pastrami appetizer—delicious! But maybe avoid for a date night! It was really awkward!

Good beer, and a great variety. The place has a nice feel to it, and was comfortable for a drink at the bar. The lady who served us had a good knowledge of the beer on offer. The only issue for me was that it was quite dark and I struggled to read some of the menu.

Vibe 👍 Food 👎 However, the atmosphere outpaced the food and service. 😔 We were really looking forward to dinner here while venturing through one of our favorite cities. It came recommended by fellow foodies, but our experiences didn't compare. We may have just hit it on a bad night... But our experience left us wanting more. Baked oysters app tasted like a baked potato 🥔 Lobster risotto was pretty challenging to get through 😅 The roasted cod dish was definitely the shining light of the evening. Giving it 4 stars for potential

Had a really wonderful NYE dinner here! The tasting menu was incredible. All of the dishes were outstanding and the portions were sizable. We started with a cocktail and then picked out a bottle of wine to share with our food. Salt roasted oysters were delicious. The grapefruit butter added some tasty tartness to the panko and pecorino. Shaved Brussels sprouts salad was fresh and crisp, and perfectly dressed. Cacio e pepe was great - not too heavy or overly salty. New York strip was cooked to a perfect medium rare, as ordered. And the pan sauce was delicious. Finished with the chocolate lava cake, which was tricky because I was very full by that point. But it was great. Not overly sweet and balanced with berries and espresso cream. The staff were all lovely and fun, especially Paul who brought over some tequila shots from the bar. My only suggestion would be to maybe leave water at the table. We found ourselves asking for refills quite a few times. It was very easy to get someone’s attention, though. Overall, a really great experience. Loved the atmosphere, too. Elevated but comfortable. We also appreciated the space - we were glad to find a place to celebrate the night that wasn’t super crowded.

We went for the restaurant week menu. Overall decent but the saltiness of food is very inconsistent. The lobster bisque and the Caesar salad my friend got were waaaaay too over salted, but some other entrees were under salted and lacked flavor. Service was great and the vibe was nice.

My new favorite place for brunch!! A solid array of choices, and all the ones we've tried have been outstanding. But my fav is still Eggs Benedict. Sublte improvements in the ham and bread retain the classic elements but improve the overall effect and raise it to perfect. Perfectly cooked eggs and prompt service, too. Congenial chef Nathan constantly refreshes the menu with creative and seasonal changes. A winner!

This place was absolutely perfect! Came here for my SO birthday and everything was fantastic. The prefix menu was exactly what I was looking for. Each dish was delicious and well thought out with the beer pairing menu. There were some dishes that tempted me to visit from NY more often. Romantic atmosphere and very attentive service. Would absolutely visit again if in DC.

I had high hopes that fell very short. The lobster risotto was so bland I had to ask for salt, which only somewhat made it better-also leaving part of the lobster in shell made for a messy experience. I was with a group of six and everyone felt their food was badly seasoned and just okay. I would not go back.