So we went to the new Good Stuff Eatery on the Hill this weekend. For you Top Chef fans out there, Spike is the mover and shaker behind this new offering on the DC food scene. I didn’t recognize the guy, but my sometime-in-the-future-to-be-mother-in-law was a little flustered at seeing him behind the counter. In a cute fedora.
There was a line out the door when we went on a Thursday night, but it moved pretty smartly. We didn’t wait more than half an hour to get to the counter inside. After giving your order at the grill, you move to the register where any drinks are ordered. Of note: There are drafts (Yeungling and Blue Moon) as well as bottles (Sam Adams Seasonal, Sam Adams Dark, and Red Stripe), and shakes for any DDs or sweet tooths out there.
I felt bad, but the comparison that kept creeping into my head was “it’s like an upscale Five Guys.” Now, I don’t think this quite does credit to the place. For one thing, the options are a little more interesting than your average burger joint: “Vegetarians are people too ‘shroom burgers” involve organic portobellos and panko breading, “Blazin’ Barn” has pickled daikon and carrots along with mint and cilantro, and “Colletti’s Smokehouse” is topped with applewood bacon and sharp Vermont cheddar. The one thing they hit out of the park in my opinion was the shakes. They were out of the Milky Way Malt, so I settled for a Black and White which is a vanilla shake drizzled with fudge sauce. It was hands down the best shake I’ve had in a long time. Very creamy, and sweet, but not overpowering.
Running out of a signature flavor was just one symptom of a newly-opened joint. I watched as a guy behind the counter smooshed three burgers with the back of his hand, determined they were all too cold, tossed them, and had the orders re-flamed. They monumentally screwed up our drinks order–but rectified the situation by sending up a second round (of the correct order) on the house. They even have signs up: “We’re in traning, please be gentle.”
The burgers themselves were good. I should mention that it was a million degrees out, so I had a turkey burger with avacado and sprouts: somehow a lot of beef just didn’t seem surmountable. The fries and vidalia onion rings were also delicious.
With a price range of $4.29 to $7.69, and a couple more weeks to iron out the kinks, this will be a respectable (and much needed) casual dining experience in Eastern Market.
As an aside, I have an obsession with sinks in particular, and bathroom decor in general, and I was duly impressed by the Good Stuff offerings. Although the batroom locks were a little confusing to patrons, as the key had to be taken from the outside of the door into the room in order to lock the door.
303 Penn Ave SE
Washington DC 20003
www.goodstuffeatery.com
This is a guest blog by FUD alumn Liz G. Thanks! Yay!