The Red Hen

“Delicious food, amazing ambience, and friendly staff. Eating at the bar made me feel like I was eating with my family. The chef was so kind and accommodating, and the bartender was hilarious. Wonderful atmosphere, great music, soft lighting, filling and delicious food.”

“Have always wanted to try the Red Hen but reservations are always booked! Luckily we were walking by and got sat in as they opened at 5! Excellent food, fresh options and great atmosphere. The pasta option all sounded delicious but we went with the short rib pasta and it was delicious. Glad we crossed it off the list!”

“This was my third visit, and I was especially glad to return with someone dear to me this time. We shared the whipped ricotta crostini, squid ink linguine and gnocchi. The gnocchi leaned slightly sweet for my personal taste, but the squid ink linguine remains my favourite! It’s the dish I come back for. Next time I’ll likely order the linguine again along with the rigatoni, my usual choice when I can’t quite decide. Our server recommended a toffee pudding (I didn’t catch the exact name), which was properly rich and suited dessert perfectly. We finished with a Sussuro Bergamo, fresh and citrusy, a very clean ending to the meal. Each visit has been pleasant thanks to the consistently warm service and reliable cooking. In DC, where dining out can quickly become pricey, it feels rather fortunate to enjoy this level of quality and hospitality at this range. One small note: there is currently a 3% surcharge added at the end. It was a little unexpected when the bill arrived. Personally, I’d prefer if the prices were simply reflected on the menu instead, as it makes the experience feel more straightforward. Hopefully that might be adjusted in the future.”

““How good could this place possibly be? It’s just pasta,” was my exact thought when my partner suggested we try it. Turns out, it was one of the most incredible dining experiences I’ve had. The service was exceptional—thoughtful, attentive, and genuinely personalized. They noticed that my partner and I like to share our food, so when our pasta arrived, they placed the dishes in the center and brought us smaller plates to share from. What really impressed me was that they didn’t do this for the couples seated next to us—they served each table exactly how they preferred. That level of attention to detail is rare and honestly impressive. The food was outstanding. The ricotta toast was so good, the mushroom pasta was absolutely to die for, and the real standout was the cinnamon crunch gelato—holy cow. Easily the best gelato I’ve ever had, and weeks later I still find myself thinking about it. Highly recommend.”

“My wife and I recently went to red hen for date night. I’ve been recommended this place multiple times by multiple people so it’s only right. I enjoyed the fact that you can see the kitchen from your seat and everything was open. Our server was great and the head chef was awesome as well. Everyone was so welcoming, friendly and conversational. The Whipped Ricotta Crostini was delicious. The bread to Ricotta ratio was a bit off so we ordered some more bread to balance the ratio. The Rigatoni definitely stole the show. We loved it. They have a pretty extensive non-alcoholic menu which my wife was happy about. The menu is very simple and they do it very well. I look forward to going back. Parking wasn’t too bad but it’s street parking.”