The Heights

3115 14^th St. NW

Washington, D.C. 20010

202.797.7227

 
Hours
Dinner:
Sunday – Tuesday 5pm – 10:30pm
Wednesday & Thursday – 5pm – 11pm
Friday – 5pm – 11:30pm
Saturday – 4pm – 11:30pm
Lunch:  Monday – Friday 12pm – 5pm
Brunch:  Saturday – Sunday 9am – 4pm

Contemporary American cuisine can mean many things to many palettes.  For me, it’s a simile for a Smorgasbord of food that tries – in a sometimes-feeble attempt – to please everyone.  After eating at The Heights in Columbia Heights I was left with the impression that the fare was not so much a meal, as much as it was a stopgap between personal hunger and actual food.

Situated squarely in the refurbished section of Columbia Heights, The Heights fits in perfectly.  Offering a blend of “contemporary American cuisine with home-style favorites”, The Heights tries to create a cozy atmosphere through expansive ceilings and door-to-door windows.  The layout is a bit too wide-open for my liking, creating an airy feeling.

As with many restaurants of this caliber, the starter is big enough to be a main.  After ordering and receiving the flash fried Ginger Calamari, I was glad I came with a good friend of mine.  Notwithstanding the plate size, the calamari was actually quite good.  Naturally, calamari is very light and is usually fried into submission, losing all semblance of flavor in the process.  But this was not the case with the ginger calamari.  The ginger and the spicy soy-based sauce were the main players, with the calamari playing second fiddle.

Moving on to the Blackened Chicken sandwich, the only word that comes to my mind is eh.  If you’ve had a blackened chicken sandwich anywhere decent, you’ve had this sandwich.  The sun dried tomato pesto was good but the best aspect was horseradish aioli.  Unfortunately, the fluffy bun suffocated any and all taste that resonated from the condiments.  It was a standard plate, with nothing that stood out worth mentioning, and nothing worth complaining about.  In a sense, this sandwich perfectly defined The Heights.

Is it worth going to?  Yes and no.  If you’re in Columbia Heights and want some good ole’ contemporary American cuisine you could a lot worse than The Heights.  The Heights is alright but perhaps it’s best contribution to the D.C. food scene is that it is a perfect example of why you should make an effort to go off the beaten culinary trail once in a while.

–Amendment202

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