I live around the corner and have been coming to this restaurant for a long time. We love their food, especially the penne al vodka and chicken parmesan. It's a great place to gather friends for a celebration outside and their happy hour is among one of the best deals in the city.I went to Little Coco's this week with my sister and partner for our first outing together after recently receiving news of a tragic death in my family. We hoped for a nice, easeful, close to home meal at a time we really needed some comfort.We were effectively forgotten outside for the majority of our meal.During our meal, we were forced to move our table, and asked to carry our plates, utensils, and drinks across the patio ourselves. My partner had to go inside to request a fork after asking a server for one earlier. I had to go inside to ask for the check after 30 minutes of waiting, and then, again, my sister went inside to bring them the check when no-one came to retrieve it. We were offered a free apology tiramisu as we were leaving, but they asked us to wait five more minutes for them to bring it out to us. At this point after nearly an hour of waiting, we just chose to leave and return home. It was really disappointing.We've experienced poor service here before, even with takeout when they've forgotten our order. (We were offered an apology tiramisu then too.)We have returned many times because the food is delicious. But it's quite expensive, and I'm not sure if I'll be back after another experience with poor service, especially this time when we really just needed more care and had so little energy to expend asking to be seen.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Peter K
Italian restaurant that charges for bread by the slice. Our table was wonky. Group of six is considered a large party, so automatically charged 20% gratuity which was gratuitous for the level of inexperienced service. Hospitality has a meaning btw. Food was not bad, but not that great. The upstairs dining area felt like a warehouse roof, very low on decor. The owners should take some time to see how hospitality is done. My rating is fair.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe
Teddy Kim
Good food could not save our dinner at Little Coco from being a somewhat disappointing experience.The food was good. The pasta was homemade and had a good bite that is indicative of fresh pasta. The sauce was flavorful. We also had a pizza for an appetizer that, despite being called Meat & Mushroom, omitted any mention of the afforementioned mushrooms from its ingredient list. Still, solid food.What Little Cocos lack, however, was a service that matched the value of the food delivered. That is not to say the waitress who served us was unpleasant--she was very nice and attentive. But for the price of the food being enjoyed (mind you this is still Columbia Heights and not downtown), we expected the experience to be more refined. We were seated at an incredibly wobbly table, one entree came almost 10 minutes after the others, and no bread was served (which is an expectation at any Italian restaurant, let alone one with such delicious sauce that deserves to be cleaned up with a slice of fresh bread rather than scraped down the drain). What was slightly insulting was what happened at the end of the meal. Upon being asked if we wanted desert, we told the waitress that we had birthday cake waiting at home (we were celebrating a birthday). She huffed and hawed that we could leave without some sort of celebration at the restaurant, and she offered a scoop of ice cream with a candle. We did not want any dessert--we had some at home. But she insisted and we acquiesced. We received a small scoop of what tasted like Blue Bunny Ice Cream with a candle. We sang to the birthday boy, then received the bill to note that we were charged for the "gelato" that the waitress definitely implied was complimentary. Again, the cost wasn't insulting. What was insulting that the waitress used a birthday to upsell us into a desert we did not want.Overall, our meal was good, but the experience lacking the refinement of a $300+ bill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Leslie Bryson
Cozy little neighborhood spot, good atmosphere and service, with a nice bar and good cocktails, but the two pizzas we had were sadly disappointing. Pesto didn’t seem fresh, chicken was tough, pizza crust wasn’t great either.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Seprin DLB
Very cool place. Food was very good. Pizza was one of the better pizza's I've had in the DC area.
A first date cancelled on my 20 minutes before we were supposed to meet. My super sweet server consoled me and even gave me a free dessert. The whole staff was unbelievably nice, and my Monday night half price pizza was delish. I've also had the pasta in the past and thought it was great, too. Cozy decor. I recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carla M
Recently had the pleasure of dining here and absolutely loved it. It has a wonderfully welcoming vibe and neighborhood feel. It's about as far as you can get from a chain restaurant. Quite the opposite, it has a unique (oh the artwork!) and warm atmosphere. We started with basil Gimlets that were perfectly prepared by Griffin D., a charming, attentive, and engaging Little Coco's employee.For a starter we chose the truffle marinated artichoke bruschetta, which was without a doubt the best bruschetta I've ever tasted. It was literally smothered with perfectly marinated artichokes. Yum! This was followed by butternut squash raviolo, which had a delicious flavor and just tasted overall very special. Thank you, Little Coco's, for a great first experience. Will definitely be back!Vegetarian options: Butternut squash ravioli
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Claire Madill
This isn't our normal neighborhood, but we stopped by for brunch after a spa appointment. Everything we ate was delicious, but I highly recommend the made-to-order donuts.
Gregory F.
Little Coco's offers a warm, inviting atmosphere with charming pizza-themed artwork adorning the walls, giving it a cozy, neighborhood feel. The ambiance is laid-back and casual. Portions are quite generous, which is always a plus. I particularly enjoyed the prosciutto and burrata, served with delicious crusty bread, as well as the fried green tomatoes, although the sweet glaze was not to my taste. The sweet potato gnocchi was cooked perfectly, although I could have done without the pickled onions topping. The creamy sauce more than made up for it, though. While service was a bit slow, especially for a Wednesday night, I appreciated the relaxed pace of the meal.
Gerald S.
Their happy hour deal is a steal! For just $22, you can enjoy all-you-can-drink from 5-7pm along with a selection of small plates. While one waitress may be on the slower side, the other waiters and bar staff are efficient, ensuring you get the most out of your money.
I'm not typically a brunch enthusiast, so my opinion may not be the norm, but I wasn't impressed with their brunch offerings. Early mornings and pricey eggs aren't my cup of tea. On another occasion, I sampled their pizza and found the crust too doughy for my taste. However, during restaurant week, I dined with a large group and we practically tried everything on the dinner menu. Surprisingly, everything was excellent (except for the pizzas). Some highlights were the sunchokes, beets and burrata, squid ink tagliatelle, lasagna, and the grilled shortrib. Service was attentive and friendly, the food was enjoyable, and considering its proximity to my place, I'll likely become a regular!
Jack P.
Their happy hour deal is a steal! For just $22, you can enjoy unlimited drinks and a variety of small plates from 5-7pm. While one waitress may be a bit sluggish, the rest of the waitstaff and bar crew are speedy, ensuring you make the most of your money.
RJ
Nice and professional staff, but food was ok. Prices are good for
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jordan N.
I liked this place - the vibe is chill but nice enough for a low-key date. It's not a place for groups though, due to its size. I wouldn't classify this as an Italian restaurant - it leans more Italian-American than Italian, as it caters more to Italian-American and American tastes with more spicy dishes in the menu than what I'm accustomed to seeing. However, they're able to make accommodations, as there was not a single pasta menu with seafood that wasn't made spicy when I looked over it - and I love pasta with seafood. The pizzas that came out for the other tables seem American style with the abundance of cheese - and they looked good too. Pros: + Tagliatelle with scallops: 5 stars for the pasta and for the cream (removed jalapeños for the non-spicy version of the dish). + Burrata: 5 stars - creamy and tasty with the beets and carrots. + Spumoni ice cream - the amaretto cookies that come with it was a great idea, as well as a thick Nutella chocolate bottom to mix in with the vanilla and amazing pistachio gelato and luxardo cherries - I don't think I've had better spumoni anywhere else, and would definitely return for this. Cons: - Calamari was overly salty even though it was crisped to perfection. The sauces could be a bit better for this dish. - Bavette steak was good to eat, but I wasn't overly impressed with this hearty dish - I think the truffle fries with Parmesan may have been the best part but I wasn't able to eat it all. I do not think I would order this again. - Bathroom (not a food dish obviously) - it was a trek up and down to get to a tiny bathroom that seems to be shared with a different establishment? Just a note - not really a con since it's beyond the restaurant's control for the most part. Service was attentive and helpful.
Benjamin Hammer
Went to Little Coco’s for the first time and was overall underwhelmed. First, I walked in and waited almost 5 mins to be greeted by the hostess. She was too busy packing to go orders for very demanding delivery drivers. It was a sense of chaos as soon as I walked in, which was not welcoming. Once seated at the back between two very loud tables, I knew dinner may be chaos too. Cocktails were decent, and our veggie appetizer was pretty good as well. I had the tagliatelle special that night with a short rib ragu. It was completely underwhelming unfortunately. It was underseasoned, lacking any spice, and just fell bland. I didn’t even finish it which is saying something for a bowl of pasta. The ambiance was my biggest issue along with that front entrance chaos.
I live around the corner and have been coming to this restaurant for a long time. We love their food, especially the penne al vodka and chicken parmesan. It's a great place to gather friends for a celebration outside and their happy hour is among one of the best deals in the city.I went to Little Coco's this week with my sister and partner for our first outing together after recently receiving news of a tragic death in my family. We hoped for a nice, easeful, close to home meal at a time we really needed some comfort.We were effectively forgotten outside for the majority of our meal.During our meal, we were forced to move our table, and asked to carry our plates, utensils, and drinks across the patio ourselves. My partner had to go inside to request a fork after asking a server for one earlier. I had to go inside to ask for the check after 30 minutes of waiting, and then, again, my sister went inside to bring them the check when no-one came to retrieve it. We were offered a free apology tiramisu as we were leaving, but they asked us to wait five more minutes for them to bring it out to us. At this point after nearly an hour of waiting, we just chose to leave and return home. It was really disappointing.We've experienced poor service here before, even with takeout when they've forgotten our order. (We were offered an apology tiramisu then too.)We have returned many times because the food is delicious. But it's quite expensive, and I'm not sure if I'll be back after another experience with poor service, especially this time when we really just needed more care and had so little energy to expend asking to be seen.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Italian restaurant that charges for bread by the slice. Our table was wonky. Group of six is considered a large party, so automatically charged 20% gratuity which was gratuitous for the level of inexperienced service. Hospitality has a meaning btw. Food was not bad, but not that great. The upstairs dining area felt like a warehouse roof, very low on decor. The owners should take some time to see how hospitality is done. My rating is fair.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Cacio E Pepe
Good food could not save our dinner at Little Coco from being a somewhat disappointing experience.The food was good. The pasta was homemade and had a good bite that is indicative of fresh pasta. The sauce was flavorful. We also had a pizza for an appetizer that, despite being called Meat & Mushroom, omitted any mention of the afforementioned mushrooms from its ingredient list. Still, solid food.What Little Cocos lack, however, was a service that matched the value of the food delivered. That is not to say the waitress who served us was unpleasant--she was very nice and attentive. But for the price of the food being enjoyed (mind you this is still Columbia Heights and not downtown), we expected the experience to be more refined. We were seated at an incredibly wobbly table, one entree came almost 10 minutes after the others, and no bread was served (which is an expectation at any Italian restaurant, let alone one with such delicious sauce that deserves to be cleaned up with a slice of fresh bread rather than scraped down the drain). What was slightly insulting was what happened at the end of the meal. Upon being asked if we wanted desert, we told the waitress that we had birthday cake waiting at home (we were celebrating a birthday). She huffed and hawed that we could leave without some sort of celebration at the restaurant, and she offered a scoop of ice cream with a candle. We did not want any dessert--we had some at home. But she insisted and we acquiesced. We received a small scoop of what tasted like Blue Bunny Ice Cream with a candle. We sang to the birthday boy, then received the bill to note that we were charged for the "gelato" that the waitress definitely implied was complimentary. Again, the cost wasn't insulting. What was insulting that the waitress used a birthday to upsell us into a desert we did not want.Overall, our meal was good, but the experience lacking the refinement of a $300+ bill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 2
Cozy little neighborhood spot, good atmosphere and service, with a nice bar and good cocktails, but the two pizzas we had were sadly disappointing. Pesto didn’t seem fresh, chicken was tough, pizza crust wasn’t great either.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 4
Very cool place. Food was very good. Pizza was one of the better pizza's I've had in the DC area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Parmesan & Truffle Arancini Dinner, Coco's Meatballs
A first date cancelled on my 20 minutes before we were supposed to meet. My super sweet server consoled me and even gave me a free dessert. The whole staff was unbelievably nice, and my Monday night half price pizza was delish. I've also had the pasta in the past and thought it was great, too. Cozy decor. I recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recently had the pleasure of dining here and absolutely loved it. It has a wonderfully welcoming vibe and neighborhood feel. It's about as far as you can get from a chain restaurant. Quite the opposite, it has a unique (oh the artwork!) and warm atmosphere. We started with basil Gimlets that were perfectly prepared by Griffin D., a charming, attentive, and engaging Little Coco's employee.For a starter we chose the truffle marinated artichoke bruschetta, which was without a doubt the best bruschetta I've ever tasted. It was literally smothered with perfectly marinated artichokes. Yum! This was followed by butternut squash raviolo, which had a delicious flavor and just tasted overall very special. Thank you, Little Coco's, for a great first experience. Will definitely be back!Vegetarian options: Butternut squash ravioli
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This isn't our normal neighborhood, but we stopped by for brunch after a spa appointment. Everything we ate was delicious, but I highly recommend the made-to-order donuts.
Little Coco's offers a warm, inviting atmosphere with charming pizza-themed artwork adorning the walls, giving it a cozy, neighborhood feel. The ambiance is laid-back and casual. Portions are quite generous, which is always a plus. I particularly enjoyed the prosciutto and burrata, served with delicious crusty bread, as well as the fried green tomatoes, although the sweet glaze was not to my taste. The sweet potato gnocchi was cooked perfectly, although I could have done without the pickled onions topping. The creamy sauce more than made up for it, though. While service was a bit slow, especially for a Wednesday night, I appreciated the relaxed pace of the meal.
Their happy hour deal is a steal! For just $22, you can enjoy all-you-can-drink from 5-7pm along with a selection of small plates. While one waitress may be on the slower side, the other waiters and bar staff are efficient, ensuring you get the most out of your money.
Restaurantji Recommends
I'm not typically a brunch enthusiast, so my opinion may not be the norm, but I wasn't impressed with their brunch offerings. Early mornings and pricey eggs aren't my cup of tea. On another occasion, I sampled their pizza and found the crust too doughy for my taste. However, during restaurant week, I dined with a large group and we practically tried everything on the dinner menu. Surprisingly, everything was excellent (except for the pizzas). Some highlights were the sunchokes, beets and burrata, squid ink tagliatelle, lasagna, and the grilled shortrib. Service was attentive and friendly, the food was enjoyable, and considering its proximity to my place, I'll likely become a regular!
Their happy hour deal is a steal! For just $22, you can enjoy unlimited drinks and a variety of small plates from 5-7pm. While one waitress may be a bit sluggish, the rest of the waitstaff and bar crew are speedy, ensuring you make the most of your money.
Nice and professional staff, but food was ok. Prices are good for
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
I liked this place - the vibe is chill but nice enough for a low-key date. It's not a place for groups though, due to its size. I wouldn't classify this as an Italian restaurant - it leans more Italian-American than Italian, as it caters more to Italian-American and American tastes with more spicy dishes in the menu than what I'm accustomed to seeing. However, they're able to make accommodations, as there was not a single pasta menu with seafood that wasn't made spicy when I looked over it - and I love pasta with seafood. The pizzas that came out for the other tables seem American style with the abundance of cheese - and they looked good too. Pros: + Tagliatelle with scallops: 5 stars for the pasta and for the cream (removed jalapeños for the non-spicy version of the dish). + Burrata: 5 stars - creamy and tasty with the beets and carrots. + Spumoni ice cream - the amaretto cookies that come with it was a great idea, as well as a thick Nutella chocolate bottom to mix in with the vanilla and amazing pistachio gelato and luxardo cherries - I don't think I've had better spumoni anywhere else, and would definitely return for this. Cons: - Calamari was overly salty even though it was crisped to perfection. The sauces could be a bit better for this dish. - Bavette steak was good to eat, but I wasn't overly impressed with this hearty dish - I think the truffle fries with Parmesan may have been the best part but I wasn't able to eat it all. I do not think I would order this again. - Bathroom (not a food dish obviously) - it was a trek up and down to get to a tiny bathroom that seems to be shared with a different establishment? Just a note - not really a con since it's beyond the restaurant's control for the most part. Service was attentive and helpful.
Went to Little Coco’s for the first time and was overall underwhelmed. First, I walked in and waited almost 5 mins to be greeted by the hostess. She was too busy packing to go orders for very demanding delivery drivers. It was a sense of chaos as soon as I walked in, which was not welcoming. Once seated at the back between two very loud tables, I knew dinner may be chaos too. Cocktails were decent, and our veggie appetizer was pretty good as well. I had the tagliatelle special that night with a short rib ragu. It was completely underwhelming unfortunately. It was underseasoned, lacking any spice, and just fell bland. I didn’t even finish it which is saying something for a bowl of pasta. The ambiance was my biggest issue along with that front entrance chaos.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3