L.A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates — Restaurant in Washington

While life may be like a box of chocolates, you know exactly what you get at L.A. Burdick. High-quality, artisanal, delicious chocolates for every possible occasion.

Founder Larry Burdick trained as a chocolatier in Switzerland, the birthplace of chocolate, before opening the first L.A. Burdick in New York in 1987. There are only six locations in the world right now: New York, Boston, Cambridge, Chicago, Walpole (NH), and DC.

Chocolates are imported from Switzerland, France, and Venezuela. No artificial sweeteners or concentrates are used. Every chocolate is meticulously handmade, and no molds are utilized in their process.

Their trademark product is the Signature Chocolate Mice, which are created in a 12-step process over a 3-day period. The popularity of the chocolate mice has led to the creation of the chocolate penguin and other animals.

In addition to the chocolate mice and penguin, they have an assortment of bon bons, chocolate bars, drinking chocolates, marzipan, and even chocolate-dipped fruits and nuts. And it doesn't stop there. I am a big fan of their chocolate walnut cookies. Not to mention - chocolate raspberry cake, earl grey mousse cake, hazelnut orange cake, chocolate lemon cake, Swiss-style macarons, and so many other European-inspired pastries.

If that wasn't enough, there's a lovely and phenomenal coffee and tea selection. Their coffee is from Devocion (a fantastic coffee roaster from Brooklyn), and their teas are from Mariage Frère (a gourmet French tea company that has existed since 1854).

Step inside and grab a couple of bon bons, a chocolate walnut cookie, and a hot chocolate - the ideal companions for a wintry day. And if you ever need a "I'm sorry" or "I love you" gift, or just a pick-me-up, look no further than...

I really enjoy the flavor of the chocolates here, but when I was ready to checkout, I waved to the employee at the barista counter. The employee immediately shook his head as he left the counter and walked over. He told me, "You can go to either counter." But there was no indication to me that either counter could be used to purchase chocolate boxes. He then asked which boxes I had selected, but I didn't know which types I had selected, only the price. He asked "medium?" And I said "I think." And then he said the price which was a lot more than I thought. I looked back at the shelves go confirm the price and realized I had gotten the medium box by mistake and wanted the the petite one. I returned the medium box back to the shelf and returned with a petite one and put it on the counter. He made the changes to the transaction, I paid, and he left me with the bag and the chocolates still on the counter.

I try to be understanding, but I couldn't help but feel this employee was tired and stressed. Why weren't there others on shift? And why wasn't the employee trained to know the products? This is really unacceptable considering the price of...

Every time I am in NW DC, I do my best to come to this chocolatier ... I have to say their products are bursting with flavor... presentation in the displays is good and gives you a good visual of what you're getting.

I had never had to use their restroom before until today, and it honestly was extremely disappointing. The lack of attention, the messiness, and the disgustingly dirty toilet almost made me throw up ... the sink is a close second, and the floors and door are not better. I had to wipe the seat 3 times, and grabbed paper towels to open the door, I came out of there feeling sooo dirty 🤢

At this price point and location, I expect a bathroom that's spotless, pleasant smell and just overall better ... you can do better, and you owe it to your patrons, especially the ones traveling to come to your establishment to have a decent bathroom 🚻

I even forgot to give my punch card to the cashier as I was checking out, I juat wanted to get out of the place as quickly as possible... not how I expected to feel at the end of the transaction... hope this feedback...