Granville Moore's — Restaurant in Washington

I hate that I am ranking this a 1 Star ... went to Granville Moore’s for the first time for date night with my boyfriend. We are always in search for great mussels after having an awesome experience with mussels in Maine. I looked up places to try in the DC area and of course Granville Moore’s came up — so we made reservations for date night.

The food was delicious, the beer was awesome with an amazing selection to choose from. We ordered the gnocchi Mac & cheese to start and shared two mussel bowls. Both were very flavorful and amazing. As date night winded down — my boyfriend was signing the check when the LARGEST COCKROACH I’ve ever seen came scurrying down where table met the wall and made a beeline for me. Me not a fan of bugs in general and definitely not in a restaurant setting — yelped out and jumped out of our booth. My boyfriend just wanting to bring attention to it to the waiter — alerted him. The waiter just batted it off the table onto the floor near my boyfriends feet. On our way out I alerted the hostess —more so that if she sat people there she was aware. She immediately asked if “they took care of us” upstairs and that the owner was in the kitchen. My telling them wasn’t so that we could get comped... really just and FYI. I’m sad to say that this was our first and last time we will eat there. Even sadder as the mussels were so freaking good but makes me wonder where else those cockroaches have crawled around. Bittersweet...

I really feel the vibe of this place and I enjoy it immensely, it’s the number one spot I’ve visited on H st since being in DC for the past 4 years. I’m going to post this review with a single issue related to the mussels that they tout as the best running for 10 years in DC. It should not stop you from visiting, in fact, it should only encourage you to visit with the pretense that they will read this review and do something about it so that they go for another decade.

Mussels are like the milk to my cereal. I love them, I feel nirvana when I eat good ones, I often daydream about harvesting them from mudflats. I recognize how they are as particular as grapes regarding the area that they cluster and, as such, can take on distinct characteristics. On one occasion I ordered the mariniere; it was a Saturday brunch where I brought a group of guys. I was the only mussel fan among them so I had them all to myself. Here’s the thing, they were not worth talking about. They had a taste that I kept to myself, but I couldn’t tell if they had passed by the handoff to be kitchen or simply beyond their prime. Either way it was not a good batch and it makes me hope that the QC for their mussels will step up.

Otherwise great beer, fantastic staff, and a phenomenal recipe for even the basic frites. They’ve etched themselves into a, hopefully, permanent corner of the...

I have been wanting to eat at Granville Moore's for ages. Years, literally. I've heard nothing but praise for GM's, and I have to say, I was not impressed in the least. Upon arriving, we were whisked straight back to a closed-off closet without heat or insulation. There were four tables in this back "room" and every single person kept their coats on (and zipped) throughout the meal. With temps well below freezing outside it was brutal being forced to eat dinner in an ice cave. Everyone found it bizarre and irksome that the hostess didn't warn us of the space or give us the option to wait for a table in the main dining room at the bar. Where others found the space charming, we found it cramped and poorly managed. The only thing that lived up to expectation was the beer. GM's offers great seasonal variety, both by the bottle and on draught. Prices are a bit steep — $11 for a beer on H Street is borderline absurd. Mussels were salty, lacking true flavor, and all around unimpressive. One batch on our table reeked of gym socks — appetizing. Fries were fries, dipping sauces were dipping sauces (and far too salty). Again, what's so special about this place? Service was irritated, unhelpful, and downright rude. All of us left GM's dissatisfied and annoyed at how much we had to pay for the displeasure. It will be a long (if ever) time...