Duke's Grocery is a neighborhood pub that nods to the ubiquitous corner cafés, bodegas and curry joints of the East London neighborhoods. All dishes are scratch made in small batches with sustainable ingredients from local purveyors. Closest Metro is Dupont Circle.
The daily menu is displayed on chalkboards with a bar downstairs and another bar upstairs with more tables for seating. We sat by the window and decided to just get a small bite and some drinks. We started with the
Chicken Liver Pate with cotija cheese, rocket (arugula), radish and tomatoes served with multigrain bread. The pate was rustic in texture, but had a nice salty flavor. The cotija cheese was a different twist and I liked the crispy radish to counteract all the salt and soft textures.
I wasn't that hungry, so I ordered the
Truffle Mac & Cheese made with sharp white and mild cheddar and truffle oil. It was the perfect single serving size, though was enough to share as well. Baked in a little skillet, the mac was comforting with very subtle truffle flavor.
Keith ordered one of the sandwiches -
Kicked Up Short Ribs. With chimichurri, horseradish aioli, and rocket served on ciabatta bread, this sandwich was delicious and only a tad greasy, which he did not mind. His only complaint was that he would have liked some fries or something to accompany the sandwich to round out the meal.
Keith also tried one of their house cocktails,
Proper Pimm's, made with Pimm's No. 1, citrus, ginger-chili syrup, ginger ale and cucumber. This classic English drink is most popular in warmer months, and Duke's version was interesting with the ginger-chili.
All in all, the casual vibe of Duke's Grocery was inviting, with fast service. The menu is not that large, but changes often. The food was not that English-inspired in my opinion, but I guess the vibe is more what they were trying to emulate.
Total Rating:
3.53
Food: 3.5, Price: 3, Service: 4, Ambience: 3.5, Accessibility: 5
