CODE RED

2440 18th St NW, Washington
(202) 265-0590

Recent Reviews

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J.D.

This is such a fun place to eat dinner. The speak easy vibes are fun and even had live music. The food was pretty good. A little disappointed in the portion sizes, small portions at a higher price. The crème brûlée was lacking flavor, not the best by far. Service was good.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Tuna Tartare

Macy Parana

Loved the vibe! Mark at the door was a treat! They were very accommodating but I would suggest a reservation. Such a vibe, obsessed - one of my new go to spots

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Alex Washington

Great, but you gotta like house music. If you don’t then I’d suggest otherwise.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 5

Alyssa Allen

Had sooooo much fun at the New Years Eve party ringing in 2025! We'd never been before and the theme was fun and the decor was great. It was crowded, but not so much you couldn't move. We were at the bar and the bartender was great. Only reason it's a 4* instead of a 5 is that they didn't have a mocktail menu for anyone who doesn't drink. I had to basically create-my-own mocktail and the bartender made it, but I could definitely tell she'd never made any (or hardly any) before. The DJ was good for the party, and the bouncer was wonderful. Great party, we had a fun time!

Ayanna Malik

Wonderful establishment with an amazing happy hour deal! The dim lighting really enhances the decor. I had a great night with a friend from out of town, and it was fun—until it wasn’t.

Unfortunately, I had told my waiter about my nut allergy, but after ordering my second round of calamari (served on a bed of kale), I ate a piece of kale that must've either contained a nut or come into direct contact with one. Immediately after swallowing it, my throat and tongue started feeling strange, but I assumed I was overthinking it since I had mentioned my allergy. On the way home, I began to feel nauseous. When I got home, I took a Benadryl, as my tongue looked abnormal, and soon after, I threw up a lot of kale.

It's been 9 years since I’ve had an allergic reaction at a restaurant, so this was a bit distressing. While I did enjoy the evening up until that point, I’m hoping this feedback can help prevent similar situations for future guests.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 3

Cecilia Ferrara

I used to come here for years when it was Millie & Al’s and it was my absolute favorite place. I had been wanting to check out Code Red for a while because I love speakeasies and the 1920s era & I wanted to see what my favorite bar had become. I came on a recent weekend during Happy Hour and was seated at the bar (you need a reservation to be seated at a table even though it was fairly empty). The bartender welcomed us after a few minutes and gave us waters….and then literally never checked on us again until we were leaving. Another staff member - I believe the bar back - was the one who took our orders and refilled our waters (he was very nice but it wasn’t a full service experience where he checked on us, asked us how we liked our drinks and food, etc). It was odd because the man who welcomed us (though not right away - I felt a little awkward to even begin with) said he would be helping us and then just ignored us. Even when he came near us to use the sink or put drinks for servers next to us, he didn’t ask us how our drinks were or if we needed anything (I had to flag the other guy down to refill my water). I thought maybe he was shy but he was chatting with other patrons at the bar and then just standing against the back of the bar when he wasn’t busy. Again, it wasn’t busy when we came; it was early in the night and the bar wasn’t even at capacity and the restaurant itself was fairly empty.

The appetizers were decent and the drinks were pretty good (especially the flapper) but I wouldn’t come back and pay full price, especially based on the service. My friends and I had been hoping to come back at some point but I told them unless it was during HH, I wouldn’t. I really was hoping to like this place but being ignored by the bartender for no apparent reason didn’t leave me with a great impression. Good service should be across the board and not based on who the bartenders decide they like (or don’t).

If you want to chance the service then go during HH to try it. Their HH menu is pretty good and affordable.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 2

Logan

Wagyu sliders were dry, but the toppings were good. Heart of palm ceviche under seasoned. Drinks were tasty, yet expensive. Staff was terrific. Barrel seating was uncomfortable.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Wagyu Beef Sliders, Wagyu Sliders

Sonya Hu

Delightful little speakeasy in the heart of Adams Morgan. I visited CODE RED around 8 PM on a Friday evening, and the place was absolutely packed. Before we could get in, though, we had to -- in true speakeasy fashion -- first knock on the ominous, vaguely labeled door and speak to the bouncer through a small window before we were ushered inside. Once we got inside, it became immediately obvious why they were called CODE RED; everything was red, from the furniture to the dim lights to the bouncer's jacket.

My friend and I got two rounds of drinks, starting off with two of their fruitier cocktails: the flapper and the last call. The flapper was super sweet and refreshing, and a great way to start the night. My friend also loved the last call, which was a bit more subtly sweet than the flapper (although still quite fruity, sweet, and refreshing), and came topped with a very sour cherry. For our second round, my friend sampled another signature cocktail, and I decided to try their bourbon-based negroni. It was extremely strong and tasted of 99% bourbon, so it's great if you enjoy a drink where you know exactly what you're having...but probably a skip if you'd prefer something that tastes a smidge less like alcohol.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 4

Service: 4

Angela Parker

The drinks sucked but the interior is pretty 🤩

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 5

nico ant

Nice interior with chill vibes but the prices are ridiculous. I paid $70 for three cocktails. A reason being that they double tip without warning. There was an automatic tip on the bill and then the waiter hands you the tablet for you to sign and tip again without warning you. They also charged us $8 for a bottle of water that I watched the bar tender fill up from the sink. Makes no sense.

E P

Fun place, creative drinks. Impressive bone marrow. Calamari tough, duck fries ok, mini burgers very good. Artichoke excellent, arancini ok

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Wagyu Beef Sliders, Bone Marrow

Devany H

My boyfriend purchased DC’s Guide to Imbibe where you can get discounts at participating bars across the DMV so we’ve been trying to go to out more since it expires at the end of the year. We definitely didn’t need an excuse to go to Code Red. What a wonderful experience! The bartender was very friendly and the drinks were made with care. Will be going back. Also, check out the guide if you see it! We also got the tuna tartare and it was very good!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Tuna Tartare

D Ca'Ron

This place was amazing. From the outside it has the feel of a secret society. A big iron door with knocker and large gated peep hole. When you enter its a laid back scene with cocktails and good music. Our bartender Cody, was nothing but the truth. He was very pleasant and hospital. Will definitely return.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Justin

Intimate and filled with real speakeasy vibes with the ambient lighting. Not a quiet but also not overly noisy place. The steak and fries were superb. Wine skeleton was decent as well. 4/5.

Mazzz A.

this place is sick! The music's dope, the vibes are great, and they keep the party going all night long.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

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