Oohhs & Aahhs

Oohhs & Aahhs has consistently received the "Cheap Eats Award" and the "Best Macaroni and Cheese" awarded by Washingtonian Magazine. In 2011, the restaurant was featured on the Food Network's, “Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives”, hosted by Chef Guy Fiero, which is broadcast world-wide. Although Oohhs & Aahhs is well known to locals in the Metropolitan Washington area, it is also patronized by satisfied tourists and visitors each year. Closest Metro is U Street.

Fellow DC Blogger, DC Wrapped Dates, writes: "All around Oohs and Aahs are references or reminders that Guy Fieri once featured the place on his Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Which explains everything you need to know about the interior: just like any greasy spoon. Six or so stools sit at a bar up front, while additional seating exists in a small space upstairs. The wall (again, like many diners on this stretch) is covered with pictures of celebrities, presumably those who've visited Oohs and Aahs."

Keith and I stopped in for dinner before attending a concert at nearby Lincoln Theater.  We got a table upstairs just before the big dinner rush arrived.  Our server was super nice and took our order right away.  Not five minutes later, she returned with a side sampler plate for us to munch on and stated that the food take about 15 minutes to come out.  It actually took a lot longer than that, but once the food arrived, we dug right in.

Keith ordered 8 Wings, fried, with Macaroni & Cheese, and Collard Greens.  The wings were cooked well, and he liked the house hot sauce.  The mac and cheese was extra gooey, and he loved the collard greens, stating they had so much flavor.

I ordered the Shrimp and Grits topped with peppers, onions, cheese, and gravy.  The portion size was ginormous.  Ten shrimp were perfectly cooked and seasoned, with tails on.  The grits were creamy and sweet, but I did not care for the oily 'gravy'.  Next time, I would just ask for cheese on top.

While the decor is very dated, the staff were all very friendly, and the food cooked fresh to order.  Everything is served in styrofoam containers, so you can easily take home any leftovers.

Total Rating: 3.9
Food: 4, Price: 4, Service: 4, Ambience: 2.5, Accessibility: 5

What I ate:

Shrimp and Grits

Plus Keith ate:

8 Wings

fried, with Macaroni & Cheese, and Collard Greens