Edited 10/24 to note that it looks like they brought some old menu items back so we will give them another chance.
Original review: We loved this place when it opened and we went weekly all last year. But they completely changed the menu for the Del Ray location when they opened their Mosaic location and it’s not the same. What really irks me is that they still use photos from their old menu in all of their marketing when it doesn’t match what they’re serving. The menu changes really don’t mesh with the outdoor vibe of the Del Ray location and it really takes away from the experience.
The combo plates and smaller tacos on the old menu were the perfect for sharing and trying a bunch of everything. They also had some great menu items they removed, including the mac and cheese that was mentioned by WaPo as one of the best in the city.
Now, instead of getting a combo platter and selecting sides that come on a platter you have to choose one meat and it comes on a personal plate with rice and beans, as if it’s a sit down Tex Mex restaurant instead of something unique. We already have four of those within walking distance of the Del Ray spot. Another change they made is that when you order a taco, you get one larger taco instead of two smaller tacos that can be shared. The menu doesn’t specify that, and we were expecting something different because we were used to the old menu. I ordered the fish taco, which sounded great, but was really bland.
The changes are a real disappointment. I used to love recommending this place to friends, and the meat is still great, but I feel like this place has lost what made it special wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to eat here.
Editing to adjust this downward. We tried to give this place a few more chances over the summer and after last night we are not coming back. Start to finish, it was a really awful experience. We waited at an empty hostess stand for several minutes before we saw anyone and then sat at our table for fifteen minutes before anyone showed up. We never got water. Only two of the five items we ordered came out correctly. The food was cold and honestly just kind of gross. We saw our server twice the entire time we were there and watched someone who ordered takeout return their order because half of it was missing. Whoever is running this place just doesn’t care about it anymore. It’s really sad. We used to love it here but it’s just awful.
M Nelson
We allegedly had a server, but she never materialized. Twice the table next to us had a couple who was seated and then left because no one showed up to serve them. And then the hostess sat a third couple there! If you’re short-staffed, then don’t fill all the tables! We managed to get food somehow, but I never got my drink. Our meal was ultimately comped, but I would have much preferred to pay and have a good experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Seileen Mullen
Have been to The Front Porch, but only recently made it to Hi/Fi. I had a Ranch Water and my partner had a beer: great selection. We ordered a Yard Bird Taco (the pulled turkey was excellent) and a BYOT Burrito with Orange Soda Carnitas. The Taco hit the spot! The burrito was very packed with the carnitas - brought home the other half and gobbled up as leftovers. Our server was prompt and friendly and really liked the vibe/atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Pusatere
Went to Hi Fi last minute with friends from out of town. I picked it because they both love BBQ. OMG! We had a platter with meats and it was the best brisket I have had in the past several years. Amber was our server and she was so attentive. Sat in a cabana and had an absolutely lovely evening catching up with friends. If you love BBQ, you NEED to go here….and the bourbon slush is was pretty darn good, too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Laya McClurkin
Would not recommend for real foodies that know texas bbq. Food came out to us lukewarm, I asked for the chips (a bit stale) and salsa as an appetizer, and they just gave me chips with no salsa and it came out with one of our entrees, while the salsa came out with the other entree 10 minutes later. The staff is friendly, but the kitchen is lacking. I ordered collard greens as a side and they tasted like they'd been reheated from a couple of days ago, as they had a sour taste to them. Brisket was good, the ribs were ok (a little too peppery) and the sausage was meh.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Ervin Harris
Great food and beer!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bonnie Tafuri
have tried the top 10 BBQ places in the DMV and hands down the best smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork and Carnitas has the best flavors and is not dry. We buy by the pound and make Nachos, tacos, and Sandwiches. The Cilantro Rice and the Beans ( I don’t even like beans) have such amazing flavor. The staff is so friendly and accommodating they will let you try a sample of anything to before you order. I recommend anyone give it a try. Aside: excellent choice for the Gluten Free population. Most BBq places do not have GF sides but they do.
Recommended dishes: Brisket, Kitchen Sink Nachos, Orange Soda Braised Carnitas
Kyrah
The host Markayla was sooo nice and accommodating. The 2 hours that my friend and I were there we saw her cleaning tables, seating people, checking on everyone, and more. Also server Alex was amazing!
Our issue was with the general manager working tonight (4/25). From the moment we got there, she was very hostile. We noticed she was giving the host a hard time regarding seating people. She was very loudly suggesting that people should just sit at the bar because the bar had the same menu and the same drinks. She told the host to just sit people there regardless like she did not have an option. Although no one in the waiting area wanted to sit there she continued to speak loudly about it which made us uncomfortable.
Later in the evening, it began to rain and my friend went to ask the host if we could move to under an empty cabana because our food and drinks were getting soaked. The host was accommodating us but the General manager had an issue and wanted the host to sit reservations there. (Even though there was plenty of other seating). The hostess explained that she had sat everyone who had a reservation so far and that no one had requested a cabana so she thought it would be okay to move us over. This general manager continued to give the host a very hard time (in front of customers) and yelled at her later on. The general manager complained about how the host needs to follow what she says because these customers could write a bad review and it would fall on her.
This GM was more concerned about good reviews and getting in and out instead of treating her staff with respect and kindness but also making sure that her customers were satisfied and happy. This was our first time coming to this place and most likely our last.
Laurie Ann Taylor
My husband and I stopped in here for dinner walking home on a nice spring evening. The outdoor atmosphere is great for this weather. However, unfortunately the rest of the experience was one of the worst experiences we’ve had at a restaurant—perhaps this is not the typical experience at this place. The manager said she was new, as was our server. Both had only been there a couple days. Everyone was very friendly, and I think the poor service was probably due to a lack of experience in the service industry. Multiple members of the staff, including the manager, did not know the menu well but gave us some recommendations. We ordered the chicken enchiladas based on a recommendation, and they were not good. I’m not very picky with food, but they were nothing special and they were served room temperature. It was a very small portion for the price. We also got the trio of salsa, guac, and queso, which were all poor. The salsa just tasted like olive oil—it was by far the worst salsa we’ve ever had. It tasted more like pesto than salsa—totally bizarre. The queso just tasted like cheap nacho cheese, and the guacamole was the most decent of the three but overly tart because of too much lime juice. And this trio cost $18. Again, w both love these types of dips and are not that picky—these were just bad. We never saw a server once our food was delivered and waited and waited for the check while the manager and one of the servers sat looking at their phones in the back of the patio. We finally flagged someone down and paid for a $40+ meal that was unfortunately just not good—quite bad especially for the price. I’m not sure if we were steered wrong and maybe the barbecue here is much better, but I would not return or recommend HiFi to others based on this visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Roberto Shidokan
Nice Texas-style bbq take-out.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket, Orange Soda Braised Carnitas, Kids Quesadilla
Exceptionally meh experience. Went after the Saturday evening rush. They’re out of margaritas (??), and had “two ranch waters left”, which came out 15 minutes later, warm. Then the queso app we ordered came out with our main bbq plate, and the queso literally had the cold stagnate layer on top and had to get remade. Cheap tortilla chips.
$70 for two warm drinks and cold food gets a hard pass. Props to the server for trying to keep it moving.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Alex Seaman
One of the worst experiences I have had at a restaurant.. if you want cold food and warm drinks this is the place for you 🫠
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jessica Allossery
Amazing atmosphere - service needs a little work. I think this place is heavily understaffed so we did have to wait a decent amount of time for food/drinks and our bill. Two other things that would help improve my rating would be to include dietary restrictions on the menu (especially Gluten Free) and to be able to split checks properly. There was six of us and we asked to split our check between the three couples but the waiter straight up shut us down (didn’t even try). With these improvements, this place would definitely deserve a 5 star rating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Rebecca C-K
The food was delicious. If only it could be that easy
At 8 pm on Saturday night they were out of multiple cocktail options, no guacamole, no Fritos pie, and no nachos (for what it’s worth the only thing on their appetizer menus that was not out was wings, queso, and corn.)
Also the service was lack luster. We were asked to wait for 30 minutes for a table (despite multiple empty tables, it was not that busy). For the first 20 minutes we stood at the mostly empty bar trying to get the bar tender’s attention to get a cocktail but he was busy making cocktails for seated parties. The beer was warm out of the tap.
We finally approached the hostess about getting an empty table - she was standing at the hostess stand cleaning menus - and she said “I just need another 10 minutes to seat you” and we said “what’s the hold up?” “Well I need to clean the table over there where I’m going to seat you and get you some silverware” and I said “well, what are you doing right now?” She proceeded to stand at the hostess stand and clean menus for about 10 more minutes before spending 30 seconds cleaning the table and seating us. Once we were finally sat it took about 20 more minutes for someone to take our orders who promptly informed us that there were almost no appetizers available and we decided to put in our app and dinner order at the same time because we were sure the waitress would never come back to take the rest of our order.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Brisket
Warren Bianchi
Awesome bbq and sauces, and it’s great to eat a classic meal with less traditional sides. Loved the pickled veggies and perfectly cooked plantains. Really cool outdoor seating and music too.
Edited 10/24 to note that it looks like they brought some old menu items back so we will give them another chance.
Original review:
We loved this place when it opened and we went weekly all last year. But they completely changed the menu for the Del Ray location when they opened their Mosaic location and it’s not the same. What really irks me is that they still use photos from their old menu in all of their marketing when it doesn’t match what they’re serving. The menu changes really don’t mesh with the outdoor vibe of the Del Ray location and it really takes away from the experience.
The combo plates and smaller tacos on the old menu were the perfect for sharing and trying a bunch of everything. They also had some great menu items they removed, including the mac and cheese that was mentioned by WaPo as one of the best in the city.
Now, instead of getting a combo platter and selecting sides that come on a platter you have to choose one meat and it comes on a personal plate with rice and beans, as if it’s a sit down Tex Mex restaurant instead of something unique. We already have four of those within walking distance of the Del Ray spot. Another change they made is that when you order a taco, you get one larger taco instead of two smaller tacos that can be shared. The menu doesn’t specify that, and we were expecting something different because we were used to the old menu. I ordered the fish taco, which sounded great, but was really bland.
The changes are a real disappointment. I used to love recommending this place to friends, and the meat is still great, but I feel like this place has lost what made it special wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to eat here.
Editing to adjust this downward. We tried to give this place a few more chances over the summer and after last night we are not coming back. Start to finish, it was a really awful experience. We waited at an empty hostess stand for several minutes before we saw anyone and then sat at our table for fifteen minutes before anyone showed up. We never got water. Only two of the five items we ordered came out correctly. The food was cold and honestly just kind of gross. We saw our server twice the entire time we were there and watched someone who ordered takeout return their order because half of it was missing. Whoever is running this place just doesn’t care about it anymore. It’s really sad. We used to love it here but it’s just awful.
We allegedly had a server, but she never materialized. Twice the table next to us had a couple who was seated and then left because no one showed up to serve them. And then the hostess sat a third couple there! If you’re short-staffed, then don’t fill all the tables! We managed to get food somehow, but I never got my drink. Our meal was ultimately comped, but I would have much preferred to pay and have a good experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Have been to The Front Porch, but only recently made it to Hi/Fi. I had a Ranch Water and my partner had a beer: great selection. We ordered a Yard Bird Taco (the pulled turkey was excellent) and a BYOT Burrito with Orange Soda Carnitas. The Taco hit the spot! The burrito was very packed with the carnitas - brought home the other half and gobbled up as leftovers. Our server was prompt and friendly and really liked the vibe/atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went to Hi Fi last minute with friends from out of town. I picked it because they both love BBQ. OMG! We had a platter with meats and it was the best brisket I have had in the past several years. Amber was our server and she was so attentive. Sat in a cabana and had an absolutely lovely evening catching up with friends. If you love BBQ, you NEED to go here….and the bourbon slush is was pretty darn good, too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Would not recommend for real foodies that know texas bbq. Food came out to us lukewarm, I asked for the chips (a bit stale) and salsa as an appetizer, and they just gave me chips with no salsa and it came out with one of our entrees, while the salsa came out with the other entree 10 minutes later. The staff is friendly, but the kitchen is lacking. I ordered collard greens as a side and they tasted like they'd been reheated from a couple of days ago, as they had a sour taste to them. Brisket was good, the ribs were ok (a little too peppery) and the sausage was meh.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 3
Great food and beer!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
have tried the top 10 BBQ places in the DMV and hands down the best smoked Brisket, Pulled Pork and Carnitas has the best flavors and is not dry.
We buy by the pound and make Nachos, tacos, and Sandwiches.
The Cilantro Rice and the Beans ( I don’t even like beans) have such amazing flavor.
The staff is so friendly and accommodating they will let you try a sample of anything to before you order. I recommend anyone give it a try.
Aside: excellent choice for the Gluten Free population. Most BBq places do not have GF sides but they do.
Recommended dishes: Brisket, Kitchen Sink Nachos, Orange Soda Braised Carnitas
The host Markayla was sooo nice and accommodating. The 2 hours that my friend and I were there we saw her cleaning tables, seating people, checking on everyone, and more. Also server Alex was amazing!
Our issue was with the general manager working tonight (4/25). From the moment we got there, she was very hostile. We noticed she was giving the host a hard time regarding seating people. She was very loudly suggesting that people should just sit at the bar because the bar had the same menu and the same drinks. She told the host to just sit people there regardless like she did not have an option. Although no one in the waiting area wanted to sit there she continued to speak loudly about it which made us uncomfortable.
Later in the evening, it began to rain and my friend went to ask the host if we could move to under an empty cabana because our food and drinks were getting soaked. The host was accommodating us but the General manager had an issue and wanted the host to sit reservations there. (Even though there was plenty of other seating). The hostess explained that she had sat everyone who had a reservation so far and that no one had requested a cabana so she thought it would be okay to move us over. This general manager continued to give the host a very hard time (in front of customers) and yelled at her later on. The general manager complained about how the host needs to follow what she says because these customers could write a bad review and it would fall on her.
This GM was more concerned about good reviews and getting in and out instead of treating her staff with respect and kindness but also making sure that her customers were satisfied and happy. This was our first time coming to this place and most likely our last.
My husband and I stopped in here for dinner walking home on a nice spring evening. The outdoor atmosphere is great for this weather. However, unfortunately the rest of the experience was one of the worst experiences we’ve had at a restaurant—perhaps this is not the typical experience at this place. The manager said she was new, as was our server. Both had only been there a couple days. Everyone was very friendly, and I think the poor service was probably due to a lack of experience in the service industry. Multiple members of the staff, including the manager, did not know the menu well but gave us some recommendations. We ordered the chicken enchiladas based on a recommendation, and they were not good. I’m not very picky with food, but they were nothing special and they were served room temperature. It was a very small portion for the price. We also got the trio of salsa, guac, and queso, which were all poor. The salsa just tasted like olive oil—it was by far the worst salsa we’ve ever had. It tasted more like pesto than salsa—totally bizarre. The queso just tasted like cheap nacho cheese, and the guacamole was the most decent of the three but overly tart because of too much lime juice. And this trio cost $18. Again, w both love these types of dips and are not that picky—these were just bad. We never saw a server once our food was delivered and waited and waited for the check while the manager and one of the servers sat looking at their phones in the back of the patio. We finally flagged someone down and paid for a $40+ meal that was unfortunately just not good—quite bad especially for the price. I’m not sure if we were steered wrong and maybe the barbecue here is much better, but I would not return or recommend HiFi to others based on this visit.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 1
Nice Texas-style bbq take-out.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket, Orange Soda Braised Carnitas, Kids Quesadilla
Restaurantji Recommends
Exceptionally meh experience. Went after the Saturday evening rush. They’re out of margaritas (??), and had “two ranch waters left”, which came out 15 minutes later, warm. Then the queso app we ordered came out with our main bbq plate, and the queso literally had the cold stagnate layer on top and had to get remade. Cheap tortilla chips.
$70 for two warm drinks and cold food gets a hard pass. Props to the server for trying to keep it moving.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
One of the worst experiences I have had at a restaurant.. if you want cold food and warm drinks this is the place for you 🫠
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amazing atmosphere - service needs a little work. I think this place is heavily understaffed so we did have to wait a decent amount of time for food/drinks and our bill. Two other things that would help improve my rating would be to include dietary restrictions on the menu (especially Gluten Free) and to be able to split checks properly. There was six of us and we asked to split our check between the three couples but the waiter straight up shut us down (didn’t even try). With these improvements, this place would definitely deserve a 5 star rating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
The food was delicious. If only it could be that easy
At 8 pm on Saturday night they were out of multiple cocktail options, no guacamole, no Fritos pie, and no nachos (for what it’s worth the only thing on their appetizer menus that was not out was wings, queso, and corn.)
Also the service was lack luster. We were asked to wait for 30 minutes for a table (despite multiple empty tables, it was not that busy). For the first 20 minutes we stood at the mostly empty bar trying to get the bar tender’s attention to get a cocktail but he was busy making cocktails for seated parties. The beer was warm out of the tap.
We finally approached the hostess about getting an empty table - she was standing at the hostess stand cleaning menus - and she said “I just need another 10 minutes to seat you” and we said “what’s the hold up?” “Well I need to clean the table over there where I’m going to seat you and get you some silverware” and I said “well, what are you doing right now?” She proceeded to stand at the hostess stand and clean menus for about 10 more minutes before spending 30 seconds cleaning the table and seating us. Once we were finally sat it took about 20 more minutes for someone to take our orders who promptly informed us that there were almost no appetizers available and we decided to put in our app and dinner order at the same time because we were sure the waitress would never come back to take the rest of our order.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Brisket
Awesome bbq and sauces, and it’s great to eat a classic meal with less traditional sides. Loved the pickled veggies and perfectly cooked plantains. Really cool outdoor seating and music too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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