Restaurant Review: Eatonville Washington, D.C

Over the weekend, I encountered quite a unique surprise within the DC area. My friend and I just happened to walk into this restaurant that brought back some southern classics with a delectable twist. The restaurant is called Eatonville and it is located on U street in Washington D.C. The place was quite spacious and cozy and the music that played in the background consisted of R&B classics from a myriad of different eras. A few places were a little tight in which the tables were close together, but not to the point where it intruded on anyone's personal space. My friend decided to try out this place and he made a great choice; as he usually does. We always like to try something new just to stimulate our palette. The menu was quite short and small and it gets directly to the point. The menu consisted of gumbo, fried catfish, collards, mac and cheese, and a few other things. The great thing about these traditional dishes were the slight great changes to the items; we each ordered something different so that we can sample each other's selection.

The appetizers were the first fantastic starting point. He ordered the gumbo; which was a great choice. Full of bold, spicy, flavors with a bit of sweet notes. The gumbo had a good amount of seafood... crab, rock shrimp, with andouille sausage. The twist was the fried okra which had a bit of crunch to it and with a scoop of white rice. The cayenne in this dish was very noticeable. The spiciness from the dish was more of kicker then the heat itself from the dish. I ordered the stuffed hush puppy; an excellent appetizer I have to say. The hush puppy was made of their homemade cornbread with tons of seasonings and hollowed out. Sauteed rock shrimp filled the hush puppy with a lemongrass chipotle cream sauce, all over a roasted tomato puree. The colors of this plate were overtly amazing. The spices were great, smokey flavor of the puree and sweetness of the cream made this one of my favorite dishes. Plus, the entree course we chose was exceptional as well. My friend had ordered the BBQ baby back ribs with local greens and fries; the ribs were wonderful if I might add. There was a great smokey flavor and the meat was very tender. The greens had awesome seasonings and even the fries were good. All in all, he picked a great dish; but I chose something very different from him. I got a salmon dish which was scented with orange and anise; this was a very different taste for salmon. Garlic mashed potatoes, spinach and arugula, and a sweet pineapple relish. Somehow with all these unique flavors; they all complemented each item on the plate. Both dishes turned out to be overtly fantastic. 

 

I would definitely choose this restaurant again. It has some wonderful classics, some great twist, bold spices, upfront flavors, and a lot of character. You have got to try out this spot! You would be very pleased!

Appetizers-$

Entrees-$$

Location: 2121 14th St. NW, Washington, D.C 20010
Number: (202) 332-Zora  Website: Eatonville

Conducted by our new writer Kisha