Chef Geoff's - mmm or meh?

[lazylghtng]

hi -

Is Chef Geoff's worth a visit? I am in town for 3 nights with a party of 6, including a 1 yr old and 5 yr old as well as my in-laws! Kids are easy in restaurants and used to the drill (we live in NYC). That said, 5 yr old is not adventurous eater so we have to stick to American cuisine more or less. Is Chef Geoff Downtown a fun spot or is it lame? Alternatives besides pizza, etc.? Looking for some good character...Ted's Bulletin? Firefly? THX,,

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Chef Geoff's
3201 New Mexico Avenue, Washington, DC 20016

[Stuarcm]

I second the "meh" response from mostly everyone for Chef Geoff's..although I do have to say that I ate there for a graduation dinner with my boyfriend's sisters and parents, who are all relatively picky ,and I think it was a good selection for the picky eater. I wasn't particularly impressed with the food though.

I also second the Firefly recommendation-its one of my favorites in DC for a group event-and Central is a great choice as well and still also located in the Metro Center/Federal Center area. Also in the area-Bistro D'oc..I still haven't been there, but the menu has looked appealing and the atmosphere looks great in walking by.

[wristband]

Another meh vote. Far better elsewhere as noted above & on this board.

[DanielK]

Expensive, mediocre food. You can do better - almost anywhere.

[doublejjeter]

Definately Meh...went there twice and the food is just average. Like the other posts said for drinks it isn't bad but skip dinner.

[CapitalEats]

I love Chef Geoff's! It's not a total foodie spot but it's one of my favorites for a group in the downtown area! Not stuffy, great food, and not 'touristy' like Old Ebbit Grill. Another great spot is on the next block - Ceiba. South American dishes but you can find some familiar dishes for the kids as well - and they have the best drinks around. Founding Farmers has awesome food but always packed.

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Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006

Chef Geoff's Downtown
1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20004

[hamster]

Founding Farmers, though opinions are mixed on the board. I had a nice brunch there.

Good Stuff Eatery for gourmet fast-food burgers, on Capitol Hill. Very casual, of course.
Or, you could go out to Ray's Hell Burger in Arlington, if you're willing to travel a bit. Always a hit.

Hill Country for barbeque? Quite pricey, but good and casual.
Or you could try the newly opened Luke's Lobster place or whatever...though I believe both of these are actually New York places, so perhaps not that special for you.

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Ray's Hell Burger
1713 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22209

Founding Farmers
1924 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20006

Good Stuff Eatery
303 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC

[Elyssa]

Meh! Firefly is a good option---they have a nice children's menu. Another place to consider is Dino for Italian--the picky eater can get meatballs, polenta etc.

[ktmoomau]

Firefly is very good, I would definitely pick it over Chef Geoff's which is meh. Central is another American Cuisine success, and I know Jose Andres has or is opening American Eats Tavern in the old Cafe Atlantico space, I assume it is open as he is giving a big talk about it Friday. But Firefly is also known for being very good to the kiddos.

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Cafe Atlantico
405 8th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20004

Chef Geoff's
3201 New Mexico Avenue, Washington, DC 20016

[woodleyparkhound]

Meh. I prefer Ted's Bulletin. I haven't been to Firefly yet.

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Ted's Bulletin
505 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

[ClevelandDave]

Meh. Ok to get a drink after work but other than that you generally can do better if you care about food. Then again it is probably good enough if you are just looking for a quick bite with 1 and 5 year olds.