The Pub & The People — Restaurant in Washington

Ate here late (near 10pm) Saturday a week ago. I have to say, it was a fantastic experience. The place was busy and had a lots of bar patrons but there were still a couple open tables. The service we had was friendly and very attentive (multiple employees checked on our food, dish, and craft beer (IPA) situation throughout the night. But it was the food that popped here. I had read about the great burgers and they exceeded expectations: obviously expertly crafted- perfectly cooked- very flavorful and moist, tender and crumbly (not overly mashed or chewy). Bun chosen was a perfect complement. Nice cheeses. Definitely a top 10% burger.

That was good but.... holy @%#*, the red courant ice cream I had for dessert was a very unexpected gourmet experience. Subtle, complex, perfectly matched flavors (sweet, tart, tangy, cherry and some tiny hints of maybe something like goat or blue cheese? Whatever it was, this small accent of something deliciously pungent was an extremely fascinating taste in the mix. All kinds of perfectly mixed flavors came at me from all directions when I took each deliberate spectacular spoonful. Talk about eating slow! I couldn't believe how incredible it was. I hope it's a regular menu item from the chef. My wife had a vanilla which was also excellent but this was easily the best fruit ice cream I've had and I've tried hundreds of ice creams for over 50+ years. This place's red courant ice cream was out of this...

We really wanted to like this place since it was only a 10 minute away from us. The food is good and the bartender (a man with a bun and wearing a shirt with yellow ducks or leaves on it) was wonderful. Our server (a woman with dark brown hair in a side ponytail and glasses in her hair was abysmal. She came to our table a total of 3 times. She would disappear for 15-29 minutes at a time and the bartender would have to check in and take orders for table. She never once checked on us or asked how things were. Our bartender brought us our drinks and took our order for food and drinks. He checked in and refilled our water more than once. She refilled our water a single time and said no words and proceeded to check on and speak to other tables and did not check on us. We had plates sitting out our table which she never came to get. We genuinely felt invisible. We wonder if the downstairs area Side Door is better suited for patrons with certain skin complexions since our waitress was oblivious to our existence the entire time we were there. First and last time at this...

This place is just OK. Upon walking in, we received looks by some of the customers and some staff like we were out of place. Some of the staff carried on stoicly and unwarm towards African-Americans and non-millennials. I'm a millennial but was with 2 older guests. One waitress interacted with us like it was the same as pulling teeth. We were not demanding, uncouth, or "ghetto". It's really sad what gentrification has done to MY hometown. I then observed the same waitress acting obnoxiously chipper with a table full of Caucasian women. I'm not surprised... But as Michelle Obama said best, "When they go low, we go high." Its unfortunate my experience AND food were very mundane, and the patrons were racially judgmental. I live blocks away, and this place will be nothing more than just a structure to me now. Now we know what kind of "people" The Pub and The People cater to...You live and you learn -- better people. Go where you're celebrated not tolerated. And as Ariana Grande says,...