172966 Wed Jan 12 23:47:28 -0800 2005 14 14 Washington DC & Baltimore Area 0 929574 Well, let's start with the food. Holy wow, the food was incredible. I eat beef about once every few years, but had tasted a burger at Matchbox that was wonderful. When I heard The Ugly Mug had a former Matchbox chef, I had to try it. I went with a group of couples, none of whom were disappointed in the food. In a nutshell: Mini Burgers- Holy #@^$^. Incredible. Well-priced. Some had cheese and others didn't? (why?) Delicious taste of beef and light salt and pepper. Not too greasy. Onion straws: Nicely seasoned, greasy yet not too much. Calamari: Seriously good for something that would be passable if only average. They serve it with banana peppers which was a surprisingly nice touch. Crab Cakes: Not the big lumps of ctrab I prefer (like at G&M in Linthicum), but also not a big hunk of fried bar food. Clearly the chef took some time in figuring out the recipe, plating the dish, etc. I will go back for these. On food alone, this place is wonderful. The concerns: We came in before our party, no one greeted us. There was no sign saying to seat ourselves. The bartender basically ignored us. WE were standing just inside waiting. Our party arrived. Again, 6 people standing there. No one said hello, welcome, have a seat, someone will be right with you. The place is very strangely decorated. There's definitely room for some more tables if they would take the behemoth booths out and put smaller ones in? Not sure what it would take but all agreed the space was pretty awkward. The server-- very kind and she was trying really hard, but it seemed very overwhelming to her. She had no idea what beers they had or did not have-- even when given broad categories. She said it was changing every day so she was not sure. The food took forever, it took a long time to get a menu, etc. The place was fairly full, but our order was also pretty simple. I could go on -- the jukebox ate our money, music in the place kept skipping, we were served the wrong beers, etc., but it seems like they are just trying to get it together. Honestly, I won't go back for a while. They just don;t seem ready to be open. But after it solidifies, you won;t be able to keep me out of there. Why? The food is just that good. And this neighborhood (8th St. SE) needs more quality places to dine. Conventional wisdom on the street ( I live and work here) is that Belga Cafe faces the same struggles. Great food, a very challenging time getting service up to speed. Belga does look quite nice unlike UM which for now just looks a bit weird and like it is missing a few things. Wed Jan 12 23:47:28 -0800 2005 0 eatsdc 1 929576 I thought the mini-burgers were great -- better than at Matchbox. The onion strings were even better. Mmm. The calamari was soggy -- I thought it was because some sort of dressing had been poured on, rather than a consequence of the frying method. Whatever the case, the portion was HUGE. As I understand it, a larger menu is on the way, so I'll withhold a final food judgment till then. For what it's worth, the current menu makes me wonder why the name doesn't include the word "pizza." (For the record, I did not try the pizza.) Capitol Hill has plenty of drinking spots, and at first glance this place would seem to be redundant. But the location (at least for the Marines) and the beer selection bode well. For tap variety, if not atmosphere, this is the Big Hunt comes to the Hill. Thu Jan 13 03:23:35 -0800 2005 929574 0 BW 2 929578 went last Saturday night - mini burgers were delish! Servers (I saw 2) were very overwelmed since all the tables were full. Our server, while very nice, seemed frazzled and often left us with empty beer mugs for a very long time. I, too, was suprised that the server could not tell us what was on tap - perhaps they should print out their offerings and place it on the table with the menus - JMHO Thu Jan 13 07:51:08 -0800 2005 929576 0 beatrice 3 929773 So it's great food, not sure what was up with the place or the service. Do people know this? Would it be best to talk to the Manager? It would be great if this place did well, but can the "delish" food alone do it? Having never opened a restaurant, I wonder if the goal is just to get open so there is some positive cash flow? At a certain point not being ready may be less relevant than needing to recover some early costs? Is that it? Fri Jan 14 21:07:09 -0800 2005 929578 0 mamieeyesnower 4 930063 The chef @ The Ugly Mug is DBL G, the former chef @ Matchbox (restaurant of the year)wait till you see whats next. Thu Jan 20 02:58:59 -0800 2005 929773 0 eat this 5 931390 Why did he leave Matchbox anyway? DC is really a small town(!) --I was eating at Cashion's the other day in my hood and I overheard he had been fired. Good to see he landed on his feet, let's hope he sticks it out here, this neighborhood needs it! Wed Feb 09 10:13:49 -0800 2005 930063 0 Duc Phat 1 929587 I was in over the weekend...and agree that the Ugly Mug lives up to its name in one aspect, it's an ugly space. Seriously it looks like they opened and construction is only half done. Another bone to pick is the mug sizes. Beer is served in what appears to be 12oz mugs yet they charge 20oz beer prices, $4-$5 a beer. Thu Jan 13 09:44:19 -0800 2005 929574 0 Tweaked 1 929614 Agree the food is great. I had the mini-crabcakes (w/ a LOT of lump - lucky I guess) and thought they were wonderful - especially the sauce. Three small crabcakes with a salad for $10 is a true bargain. I also had shrimp scampi (daily special) - perfect. Let's be clear though: this is a BAR that happens to serve great food. The decor reflects this. I also noticed that every table had an ashtray on it. Thu Jan 13 13:03:15 -0800 2005 929574 0 Rosco 1 929623 I went there for lunch today. The burgers are really excellent--now if I hanker after a burger I have someplace in addition to 5 Guys to go to. I never went to Matchbox, but I assume these are similar. Served on a mini-brioche (toasted and buttery, a bit sweet) with cheese and a thick slice of crunchy dill. Vandyhoo's brother, the chef, told me he gets both rolls and pickles from trade sources so I couldn't get a brand name (darn). He says everybody who is now doing mini-burgers gets the rolls from the same bakery. You get 3, 6, or 9 to a plate with a serving of onion straws which are also very good. The plate of six is $10. As mentioned by a previous poster, it is a bar serving good food. 24 types of beer/ale on tap. Other bar foods include several pizza's, wings, subs, calamari, mini crab cakes, chili, and salads. Cash only right now. Thu Jan 13 14:32:15 -0800 2005 929574 0 johnb 2 929630 And the full menu starts tonight. Thu Jan 13 15:26:23 -0800 2005 929623 0 Vandyhoo 2 929636 Speaking of beers on tap, did you happen to notice if they have a beer engine (or hand pump) to serve cask ales? Thu Jan 13 16:08:11 -0800 2005 929623 0 MSL 3 929638 I'm not schooled in that distinction, but my recollection is the taps are located on three boxes built into the bar, each I think with 10 individual spigots (eight in use in each case) each of those with a long handle indicating the brand. Does that make sense? I don't think they have those hand pump things like in British pubs where they hand punp the beer out, if that's what you mean, but I didn't watch them actually drawing any beer. Thu Jan 13 16:30:44 -0800 2005 929636 0 johnb 4 929654 That's exactly what I mean John, a device similar to the ones that you see in British pubs. I am impressed by your keen observations. Thanks for the details. Thu Jan 13 18:36:54 -0800 2005 929638 0 MSL 1 929656 What is the G&M in Linthicum you mention? I'm intrigued . . . Thu Jan 13 19:23:25 -0800 2005 929574 0 McLeaner 2 929778 Here's the link to the place: http://www.gandmcrabcakes.com/ Some hate them, some love them. I like them, but I prefer the carryout broiled crab cakes from the sister restaurant Timbuktu: http://www.timbukturestaurant.com/ I think it's the same recipe, but they come out a bit moister than G & M in my opinion. Both are big and meaty and they run around $10 for a crab cake sandwich. To add another in the vicinity, Olive Grove Restaurant is a few blocks from G & M. They have big crab cakes too. A bit more seasoned, but I like the crab better at G & M and Timbuktu. Fri Jan 14 21:24:18 -0800 2005 929656 0 MarkF