Dino's Grotto

4.4 (485)

$30 and under

Italian

1914 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Innovative
Romantic

Dino's Grotto is a reflection of Chef/Owner Dean Gold’s passion for the simple foods he loves when dining at small, family~owned restaurants off the beaten path in Italy. Our cuisine has an Italian sensibility with foods simply prepared. Food made with ingredients that are responsibly farmed & fished, sustainable & traditional. Foods that reflect a culture, place & time. We support a small network of local family farms to provide as much of our produce & meat as possible. Our meats are local, our seafood sustainable, our produce at peak of season. Come taste the difference our passion makes!

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Wine Bar, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Hours of Operation
Dinner Monday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Tuesday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Wednesday: Speakeasy Popup in the Grotto Bar Only {no reservations, regular menu not served} Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Friday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Sunday Dinner 4:00pm til 9:30pm Sunday Brunch: 12:00pm - 4:00pm;
Website
http://www.dinosgrotto.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Dean Gold
Private party facilities
Capacity: 76 seats total; bar area can accommodate 30 seated, 50 standing.We can accommodate parties from 8 to 16 for special dinners. We can design a menu and drinks to suit your needs. For larger groups, you can buy out either the Grotto Bar or the entire restaurant. There is no separate rental charge, just the food and beverage minimums.You can buy out the entire dining room as follows:Sunday: $3,500 | Monday-Thursday: $3,000 | Friday: $6,500 | Saturday: $7,000Dining Room Capacity is 53, 70 with rental tablesYou can buy out the Grotto Bar as follows:Sunday: $1,750 | Monday-Thursday: $1,500 | Friday: $3,000 | Saturday: $3,000Grotto Bar Seated Capacity is 25l Standing Capacity is 50Please note, these amounts are a food and beverage minimum and do not include tax or gratuity

Location
1914 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Area
Shaw
Cross street
Between T & U Street NW
Parking Details
There is street parking in the area, but please beware of signage in residential neighborhoods. Your best bets are 9th Street Northbound, T Street Eastbound, S Street, and Vermont Avenue southbound. There are pay lots: 7th & T, 8th Street North of V, and a new Valet parking facility at 8th & V. There is a pay lot in the alley next door to the Howard theater.
Public transport
Green Yellow Line: Shaw Howardor U Street Cardozo
Entertainment
None
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Dino's Grotto.

4.4

(485)

4.4Food
4.3Service
4.0Ambience
4.1Value

Noise • Moderate

485 Reviews

FF
FlooterFoodie
Washington, D.C. Area11 reviews
2.0
Dined on 28 January 2019
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
Disappointed. We hadn’t been to Dino’s since it moved from Cleveland Park. When we were there we had an outstanding experience including a memorable burger we thought was like the best burger ever! Tonight’s burger was nothin like that fabulous creation. My friend had veal parmesan served oddly with root vegetables. The veal was ridiculously over cooked and the vegetables were not complementary. Other friend was very happy with her Wagyu beef. The two cocktails my friends had were overly sweetened and they would not have ordered them if the drink menu had mentioned simple syrup being the main ingredient.. Overall, not worth the battle of parking to go to Dino’s Grotto. I wish them well, however. I will always remember that fabulous experience I had previously in Cleveland Park.
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AH
ArtH
Washington, D.C. Area7 reviews
5.0
Dined on 27 January 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Good food and service. Service was a tad bit slow but not disappointed at all.
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LG
LizG
Washington, D.C. Area11 reviews
5.0
Dined on 27 January 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Dino's Grotto is always a fantastic evening of awesome food, excellent wine, and wonderful service. They treated us extremely well for Restaurant Week (though I can honestly say I've never had a bad experience here). It was great to come with other folks so we could all share our food. Every dish at The Grotto is worth tasting, and the hardest part is always deciding what to get! Highly recommend for a date night, a celebration, or a casual evening with friends.
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MF
MattF
Washington, D.C. Area3 reviews
4.0
Dined on 27 January 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Food was great, atmosphere was great but they need another server. Took about 20 minutes before we had our water.
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VJ
VJPR Gold
Washington, D.C. Area18 reviews
2.0
Dined on 26 January 2019
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
Loud, ordinary food, expensive for what you got, service mediocre to poor. And don’t order the strawberry limoncello!
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TL
TLP3
Washington, D.C. Area21 reviews
5.0
Dined on 26 January 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We always have a wonderful experience at Dino's Grotto! We really appreciate the extras, like the amuses bouche and the seasonal 'cello, and of course, the food we order is always delicious. The inclusion of orange wine on the menu is fun and different from other restaurants. This is my favorite Italian restaurant in the area!
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M
Mistresskittie
Washington, D.C. Area4 reviews
4.0
Dined on 21 January 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was great. They didn't have enough bread for extra for the evening. The Brussel sprouts we ordered to have without pancetta was served with pancetta.
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EI
ElizabethI
California Central Coast1 review
5.0
Dined on 21 January 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We loved our restaurant week meal at Dino's Grotto! Their menu had great choices (and they were accommodating for my no-dairy diet. The cozy restaurant is warm and welcoming, though a bit noisy when full. They brought us out homemade strawberry-chella after the meal which was a delightful addition to the already-enjoyable experience.
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RV
RuVe
Greater Boston1 review
4.0
Dined on 21 January 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Overall, although the food was good, the service was subpar. I realize it was restaurant week, but it was at the tailend, which should mean they've got it together by then. Both with the appetizer and the main, they were missing one. Both times. I had to wait for my appetizer and my friend had to wait for her main. The food was good overall, but I can't get over how frantic the service was.
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SZ
StephanieZ
Washington, D.C. Area1 review
5.0
Dined on 20 January 2019
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Such amazing food and service, would definitely go again
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Italian, Wine Bar, Bar / Lounge / Bottle Service
Hours of Operation
Dinner Monday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Tuesday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Wednesday: Speakeasy Popup in the Grotto Bar Only {no reservations, regular menu not served} Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Friday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm Sunday Dinner 4:00pm til 9:30pm Sunday Brunch: 12:00pm - 4:00pm;
Website
http://www.dinosgrotto.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Dean Gold
Private party facilities
Capacity: 76 seats total; bar area can accommodate 30 seated, 50 standing.We can accommodate parties from 8 to 16 for special dinners. We can design a menu and drinks to suit your needs. For larger groups, you can buy out either the Grotto Bar or the entire restaurant. There is no separate rental charge, just the food and beverage minimums.You can buy out the entire dining room as follows:Sunday: $3,500 | Monday-Thursday: $3,000 | Friday: $6,500 | Saturday: $7,000Dining Room Capacity is 53, 70 with rental tablesYou can buy out the Grotto Bar as follows:Sunday: $1,750 | Monday-Thursday: $1,500 | Friday: $3,000 | Saturday: $3,000Grotto Bar Seated Capacity is 25l Standing Capacity is 50Please note, these amounts are a food and beverage minimum and do not include tax or gratuity

Location
1914 9th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001
Area
Shaw
Cross street
Between T & U Street NW
Parking Details
There is street parking in the area, but please beware of signage in residential neighborhoods. Your best bets are 9th Street Northbound, T Street Eastbound, S Street, and Vermont Avenue southbound. There are pay lots: 7th & T, 8th Street North of V, and a new Valet parking facility at 8th & V. There is a pay lot in the alley next door to the Howard theater.
Public transport
Green Yellow Line: Shaw Howardor U Street Cardozo
Entertainment
None
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing