Our weekly search for restaurants that probably aren’t on your radar. As young, broke college kids we will bring you our honest reviews of affordable restaurants in dope neighborhoods.
The problem with Georgetown? No decent brunch restaurants. If you take a walk down M-Street, all you see are clothing stores that nobody purchases anything in. Well, at least that's what people think.
Don and Amy Carlin, the owners of Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill, noticed this flaw in the lack of attention Georgetown receives and opened the place up. With this six-month-old business, the couple took it upon themselves to make their restaurant the place for people to grab a bite to eat while they take a break from shopping.
Location is key for any restaurant in D.C. With so much to see, no customer wants to go out of their way for an inconvenient restaurant. This was a large part of what went into picking the location of Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill.
The restaurants overlooks the C & O Canal, is 100 feet from the Georgetown Waterfront and is directly above a parking garage. This location, coupled with the elegant open floor plan and the brick walls and fireplace, makes Dyllan’s feel exceptionally homey.
With an inquisitive venue, the food is also excellent. Although the theme of the restaurant is seafood and the variety of brunch options seem to be endless.
Menu items vary from the Shellfish Omelette ($24), to the Roasted Mushroom Salad ($18), to Dyllan’s Burger ($18) and to the classic Avocado Toast ($12). Adding additional toppings is not needed but are an option as well.
When first walking into Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill, the hospitality was impressive. It is always important to feel a sense of care towards the customers, and the staff of Dyllan’s seems to understand that. With the perfect amount of attention on our table, we felt very taken care of.
While at Dyllan’s Raw Bar Grill, we started with the Maple Bourbon Monkey Bread ($11). The Vanilla Royal Icing was a great compliment with the warm sensation of the bread and it was a perfect size to share as it is a “grab and pull” type of food. Many restaurants lack the taste without the additional topping, but here, the bread had to perfect taste without the icing to top it.
For the main course, for the table, we shared the Shellfish Omelette ($24) and the Smoked Salmon Plate ($18). It was hard to decide whether the Lobster, Shrimp, Blue Crab, or the cheese was what made the Shellfish Omelette so outstanding. The chef accomplished the fresh taste that everyone wants when eating seafood, without it being overpowered. The Smoked Salmon Plate was underwhelming as it is your typical bagel and lox plate with tomatoes, onions, and lettuce.
For dessert, shared by the table, we ordered the Banana Nutella French Toast and we were honored to be the first publication to review this item. It was by far the best french toast we have ever eaten. The way the chef organizes the Nutella and banana between the pieces of the toast creates a superb taste. It was topped off with powdered sugar and fresh berries
Although the prices are on the more expensive side for college students, it is a great spot to take your parents for either brunch or dinner. With Valentine's Day around the corner, we highly recommend taking a loved one to this incredible spot in the city. They have a lovely menu that will not disappoint.
Zak Bedrosian and Aylon Berger are food critics for The Eagle. Additionally, they are the co-founders and editors of TheMove, a weekly social guide for students in the D.C. area.
