Cafe Saint Ex is a shit hole-in-the-wall. The only reason it still has business is because it is located in a great area. The bar tenders in the basement treat customers like they are dirt. I went to Cafe Saint Ex for a bachelorette and we went to dance in the basement. First of all, the bar tenders hardly make eye contact and never smile. They take your order with no reply or positive affirmation. It brought down the positive mood of our group and made us feel like crap. Then the bachelorette, who was wearing a customary veil, was standing at the bar with the drink in her hand. She set the glass down at which one of the bar tenders took her drink from between her fingers when it was half full. They did not cut her off or anything but told her she must have made the story up. There was only two bartenders behind the bar with no bar back and instead told our friend she was a liar. They wouldn't make her another drink unless she paid for it. When we complained to the manager, he said we would have to move our party to the top floor if we wanted him to make us another drink. In the end, it wasn't about one drink. The treatment was horrendous and the management and bar tenders talked down to us and did not rectify the situation. I will not return to this bar, especially with all the other great bars in the area.
Review Source:Great spot for an outdoor beer on a beautiful afternoon. Â Food is reasonably good - order the go-tos: burgers, mussels. Â Beer selection is typically solid with a couple of interesting options thrown in. Â I don't love the night scene, but great for people-watching from the outdoor tables - (note: the construction across the street has been a little annoying lately - ask for a table just removed from the intersection chaos on the T Street side of the corner). Â Also good for a pre-Black Cat show drink/connection with friends.
Review Source:I can only speak to the nightlife of this place. It's not great. The bar is divey and small. There is not a lot of room for moving around. The bartenders seem to go out of their way to not make eye contact. I think we spent more time waiting to order drinks and close our tabs, then actually hanging out.
Review Source:After patronizing Saint-Ex several times after midnight, I finally made it here for a meal. In this case, dinner. We thought it would be nice to sit outside, which it was, and we were seated immediately.
Turns out, this is kind of a nice restaurant. Which is weird, because weren't people sloppily making out in this spot just a few nights ago? But the romantic lighting makes you forget all about that sweaty dance floor. I ordered a Shandy made with ginger beer which was so refreshing for the end of summer. I was also quite pleased with the sandwich on special which was pulled pork + pork belly with pickles and  a side of fries. Most of their dishes are pork or have pork in them, which is obviously great if you like pork but troublesome if you don't like/don't eat it. There is a burger and a fried tomato BLT on the menu for around $12, but everything else is more in the neighborhood of $17. But in the neighborhood of $17 is becoming the norm when you're in the neighborhood of 14th.
As for Saint Ex's late night dark side, it's dark. Literally. Because of this and their lack of roof (patio is nice for meals but exists only to funnel people out of the dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights), I consider it to be more of a winter bar. Especially considering its neighbors with open-air options such as Marvin and Lost Society. Anyway, there is a welcome dichotomy between the main floor which is classy and the basement which is not. There are bars on both floors, drinks are the same price as everywhere else, and if there is a line to get in, it generally moves quickly. I cannot say the same for the line to get downstairs. The bathrooms (around 4 on the main floor and 1 in the basement) also draw a crowd, but where is that not a problem? Not a rhetorical question, by the way.
Main problem is the music downstairs. It is soooo hit or miss. I think they rotate DJs or something? I go there just wanting to hear some music that I know, whether it's a Top 40 hit or a fun throwback. This floor is for dancing, by the way. How am I supposed to dance to a jazz remix of an obscure 1980s rock hit? I'm not. Did I mention that Marvin is closeby?
However, when the music is a hit, Saint Ex is on. Which is why I continue to return.
This was my first time dining at Saint- Ex. There is a small bar and dining area inside and plenty of dining on the patio. A short yet creative menu of farm to table selections, drink & wine list but everything they do they do well. Be careful if you order the curried seasonal veggies, great flavor but crazy spicy. The wait staff was friendly and efficient.
Review Source:WAY to small, packed like sardines... Unless you reallllyyy like the cologne on the man (or perfume on the lady) next to you, this will not be an enjoyable experience.
Nowhere to eat, nowhere to sit, nowhere to stand... nowhere to breathe! Â Nowhere to even escape... I recall plowing my way through the masses in a 15-minute effort to get to the nearest exit!
Solid 3 stars. Â As many reviewers have noted, service is a bit spotty. Â Our waitress was okay, but the hostess has a bit of an attitude, and it took a very long time to get our food despite the restaurant not being full. Â On top of it, they were out of at least 5 food items on the menu by 1pm on a Sunday, which was disappointing since they were all the things that our table wanted to order (according to my dining mate who has been here before, this also happened on his last visit). Â Instead, I had the pork belly with grits, and it was absolutely wonderful. Â I especially enjoyed how the crispy fried onions gave the dish a little crunch. Â The fried green tomato BLT got high marks from my friend, but he thought the bread was too thick, and somehow a fried red tomato made it onto his sandwich. Â Prices were fair for brunch
Review Source:As the weekend draws near and brunch venues are scouted out, don't forget to consider the scrumptious and savory menu at Café Saint-Ex, a longstanding staple in the U Street neighborhood of Northwest DC.  Since its doors opened in 2003, it has been home to a bevy of yummy brunch offerings, which are categorized into "Lighter", "Heavier", and "Hungover" on the menu.  Inside, the café is quaint and lovely with a French aviation theme, vintage vibe, and well-stocked bar to boot.  This past Sunday, I tried their Fried Green Tomato Benedict, which is simply delicious.  The eggs were poached to perfection, with just the right amount of Hollandaise and house cured ham, an English muffin meticulously buttered and toasted, and of course the star of the show - the fried tomato.  All of these flavors blended together made for a wonderfully balanced and mouthwatering brunch Benny that was truly unforgettable.  No disappointments here - come to Café Saint-Ex for all super cute everything at your next weekend brunch session.
Review Source:Divey basement fun - we did not eat - 3.5 stars
We danced. We drank. We partied. The staff was nice and the music had good variety. It seems like a casual establishment - summer dresses or jean shorts + blouse would be just fine. There is only one bathroom in the basement to my knowledge so think ahead ladies!
I've passed this place a hundred times and finally stopped in for a light bite to eat recently. The ambiance on the inside looked great -- either for a potential date, or for long conversations with friends (on a cold winter/fall evening?). We opted to enjoy the evening and sat outside for good people watching. We each ordered a salad, both of which were a little bit weird and garlic-heavy on the first bite, but had this way of growing on you. Â SO, I'm not sure where I fall here -- great for outdoor seating, and maybe for a drink. Not sure I'd eat here again, with the many other options on 14th...but it was good enough.
Review Source:Different menu than published on website? Check.
Half of the menu unavailable? Check.
Disengaged wait staff? Check.
Bland food? Check.
Made to feel like it's our fault when the order doesn't come out right? Check.
Worst restaurant around? No.
Any plans to go back ever again? No. It's not worth it. There's nothing special about this place that warrants a second attempt.
I had the turkey and avocado sandwich. Delicious!! And the sweet potato fries were so good I couldn't stop myself and ate it all. They were perfectly fried. Great casual place, especially for brunch. The service is great and the waitresses are super nice. Would definitely come back again.
Review Source:Stopped in for a much-needed brunch with friends after a night of cocktails. Â Good food, friendly service and perfect spot to sit outside on a nice day.
Food - We had mussels and burgers and all were delicious and fulfilling. Â All standard fare but executed well.
Service - Service was good. Â Nothing over the top, but not deficient by any means.
Ambiance / Seating - Loved that they had plenty of outside seating without being too cramped (I'm from NYC where they would have had at least twice as many seats in the same space). Â I liked that some of the seating is on 14th and some on T street, so plenty of space in either the sun or in the shade depending on your preference. Â Perfect spot for people watching.
Overall I wouldn't hesitate to stop in again for a bite and maybe a cocktail next time we're in town.
Cafe Saint Ex is a high attitude bar/restaurant that still hasn't adjusted to the fact that it no longer dominates the 14th & T neighborhood. Â Thanks to Matchbox across the street, and the opening of other close-by rivals, Saint Ex has been forced to start offering Happy Hour prices and a greatly expanded selection of bar food. Â Unfortunately, their advertising is misleading: Â you get HH pricing for only an hour on the main floor; after that, if you want reasonable drink and food pricing, you must retreat to their windowless basement/cellar that is more dungeon-like that restaurant-like.
Oh, and don't ask for anything special off the menu; the restaurant is very reluctant to accommodate special dietary requests .
All in all, I'd suggest that there are far better places (within a couple hundred feet) to spend your food or drink money.
I visited this bar again more recently and liked it a lot more than I did the first time I was there (apparently, based on my review). Â It's a nice, cozy intimate little bar and I loved the red wine I ordered from here. Â Even on a Wednesday evening, it was crowded, so definitely keep that in mind when visiting. Â It's conveniently located just a couple blocks from U Street and is close to a lot of other bars/lounges (Policy, The Gibson, Lost Society, Marvin, etc) but definitely holds it own as far as bars. It's a nice place to have a nice chat (if it's not too crowded and you can hear each other) and have a drink after work.
Review Source:Oh, I don't even know where to start with how disappointing and just plain terrible this place is! Â
A friend and I were forced to eat here because Matchbox across the street hadn't quite opened yet. Â The menu selection was sparse, but we each found something that sounded decent. Â I decided that I also wanted an Irish coffee, but first wanted to clarify what type of alcohol they put in it, because some places will throw a shot of Baileys in coffee and call that an Irish Coffee. Â Our waiter gave me major attitude and without answering my question, informed me that they know exactly what they are doing there. Â Ok, then. Â Consider me told. Â Hey, if you are that much on your game, I'm not gonna get huffy if you sling a little well-deserved attitude my way provided you can back up all that big talk. Â So I was thoroughly surprised to get a glass of unsweetened lukewarm coffee that was mixed with whiskey and skim milk. Â In retrospect, I should be grateful that I even got whiskey. Â
Everything tumbled further downhill after that. Â Our food was lousy, not very fresh, and definitely overpriced for what we got. Neither of us wanted to finish our meal. Server never returned to see how we were doing, and it took forever to get his attention when we were ready for our check. Â Both of us left wondering how this place has stayed in business. Â
Worst dining experience I have had in DC.
Saint-Ex has been very bad for a very long while now. Their employeed staff are unfriendly, and not accomodating whatsoever. I've watched the downward spiral of Saint-Ex over the years and the owner has no one to blame but the staff that they've hired. I have met a ton of rude employees in bars/restaurants but they generally are sprinkled about...one here, one or two there. Saint-Ex has an entire staff of rude (could care less if you're there or not) employees.
From bartenders that will ask you what do you want (literally) after they are done (and only after they are done) chatting up their friends in the corner, or texting on their phone to hostesses that will not (under any circumstances) accomodate your seating request.
Want to sit on the outside patio? You must meet a list of about 6 (it seems) special circumstances in order to do so...so basically forget it. The food is greasy and not pretty (enough said).
With the addition now of all the bars/restaurants next door, and a mere few steps away...skip Saint-Ex. I feel certain Saint-Ex's time is drawing to a close.
I was searching for a place to meet other tragically alone folks on Valentine's Day. This was the first place that I found that wasn't packed. The bar crowd, however, was quite insular and cliquish so I decided to take a table and try something substantial--alone. Apparently this simply isn't done at Cafe Saint-Ex as some reacted to my request for a table for one as almost offensive.So it might be safely said that this is not the place for lone travelers.
The server, however, was very nice and attentive--even helping me with my "Secret Squirrel" request [in case she reads this one day ;-)]. The venison perfectly prepared and the presentation of the calibre one might reasonable expect for the price.
Overall, a pleasant experience.
This place is meh... we came on a Sunday night after a Redskins game. The bar was crowded and the ambiance was good. Went to the bar and stood here for a good 10 minutes as the bartender chatted up his friend and the bar back. Â Finally took my drink order, two beers and a soda. Â He did a double-take and questioned if I had ordered a soda...seriously? I guess I should have just ordered light beer for the DD.
Come closing time, with about 50-70 people still inside, they lock the front door and rudely tell everyone to leave out the side of the building... fire code violation much?
Sorry to inconvenience you by patronizing your establishment, will try to not let it happen again.
Went here twice in the past two weekends for birthdays. There are other probably nicer and larger places to dance in this area but I've never had as much fun as in the Saint-Ex basement.The bar in the basement is pretty fast if you can actually get to it.
Granted, I've never been here when it wasn't packed but I think it's a fun after hours bar.
This review is only for BRUNCH ! Â
A colleague and I were in search of a late lunch or early dinner.. and stumbled upon Cafe Saint Ex, which I'd been meaning to stop by for cocktails....
but were pleasantly surprised that they serve  brunch til 4  on Saturday !!
Perfect place to sit on the patio and enjoy they day......
food - decent... no complaints.. but not the best brunch in the city either...
simple choices and helpful waitstaff.....
definitely would return for dinner/drinks/cocktails/brunch!
I was in DC for a conference with some coworkers and this place was recommended. We came early for dinner, about 6pm and the place only had a few people at the bar, maybe a table or two having dinner. Â The place is small, but not cramped. Christmas lights were up already, giving it a cozy feeling inside.
The dinner menu was one page, with a prix fixe option; three courses for $39, which we all decided to do. Â As an appetizer, I had the seared scallops with butternut squash creme fraiche, apple cider gelee and shaved fennel. The scallops were very tender, not tough at all and the flavors blended well together. My entree was the grilled yellowfin tuna with a pumpkin (?) puree, risotto, exotic mushrooms and frisee. The tuna was cooked perfectly, and the flavors all came together nicely. For dessert, I had a chocolate mousse dish. Absolutely rich and delicious! I wish I had seconds!
I was thoroughly satisfied after we finished eating. Would definitely come back if I make my way out to DC again!
Lots of long reviews here already so I'll keep it easy breezy for you:
Pros: prompt service, we didn't have to wait for a table. Â Not that noisy, good ambiance. Â I did not order a cocktail but my friend's was delicious. Â
Cons: The food's whatever.
My mussels weren't all that amazing. Â I actually don't even think I finished them. Â They were large and plump, but not all that captivating. Â The fries were undercooked... probably good if you don't like crispy fries like me. Â Pork Sliders.... the bread is cinnamony which is great, but the actual pork was dry. Â Not marinated enough at all. Â My friend had a soup she said was too sweet. Â
Conclusion: It's not a bad place - if a friend wanted to go, I WOULD go again. If it were up to me, I'd pick something else.
Conveniently located at 14/T, I've been to Saint-Ex a couple times. However, every time I've been to Saint-Ex it has only been to go for drinks. I am always pleased by the beer choices on draft and it generally has a good crowd.
Recently, on a "work from home" day, I tried the their lunch. I ordered the cheese steak, which comes with fontina cheese, fried onions, and sriracha mayo. The sandwich was very tasty but came on a ciabatta bread bun instead a hoagie bun. This didn't deter from the sandwich at all, I just wasn't expecting it.
Overall, all my experiences at Saint-Ex have been great and the service has been great too.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Been here twice- once upstairs dining and once downstairs partying. I have to admit, food was good. I had the fried green tomato BLT and it was done just right. Drinks were good... upstairs. Fast forward a month later we checked out the downstairs basement party. The DJ was playing some good tunes, everyone was dancing having a great time and wasn't too crowded. The bartender? HE SUCKED A$$.I ordered 3 vodka sodas for each of us and we each thought he got busy and forgot to add vodka to the drinks. Nope. Then we confronted him about it and he said 'every drink I make have exactly 1 oz of liquor.' My a$$. We ordered beer out of a bottle for the rest of the night.
Yet another great place for food and drinks. On one of my many food-ventures with a friend, we came here for a post-dinner snack and was not disappointed. The interior look was very Cheers-esque where everyone might know your name. The main floor was split into a small bar area and a small dining area as well as an outdoor patio section. We ordered a couple beers and a couple food items. We decided on the BBQ Veal Sweetbreads (because I love sweetbreads) and the Lamb Tasting.
The food was simply awesome. The sweetbreads were little fried nuggets of goodness although they were just a touch over-breaded for my personal preference and the BBQ sauce seemed to be the dominating flavor. Though the sweetbreads as a whole were great. This preparation would be ideal for sweetbread newbies who feel a bit uneasy about what it is. The lamb tasting plate was a combination of the loin and chops and served with quinoa garnished with fennel. Both the loin and chops were cooked absolutely perfectly and some of the best lamb I've had in a long time. The lightness of the quinoa and fennel balanced out the lamb beautifully. It was just a well-conceived plate of food.
There is a downstairs bar area as well, but because we came on a Monday we weren't able to experience the late-night bar scene. Since it was our first visit, our awesome server allowed us to just take a look and it was a great space with a lot of character. So overall, the service was excellent and the food was delicious. I'm looking forward to my next visit here.
Always walked by....never walked in.....and I shouldve kept it just like that. There's a good reason too...
4 ladies walking along looking for a reasonably priced brunch on a Saturday afternoon. Stopped at Cafe Saint-Ex to check out their menu. Good prices....and they have Mimosas by the pitcher...SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER, right?
Wrong....boy...was I wrong. We were seated on the patio...Very nice. Our waitress was a sweetheart, at first. She made recommendations, took our orders (we all ordered the Steak and Eggs and a pitcher of Mimosa) and brought our food out fairly quickly. Here's where it goes downhill.....our steaks were small (about the size of a child's fist) and my friend ordered hers med-well....and she received a bloody steak. I love bloody steak but, she wasnt happy with it so she sent it back. 15 min later (and after we finished our food), our waitress brings out the same baby steak cooked to a crisp...oh boy....
So...we wait....we wait....we wait...to get the check. Our waitress is inside tending to her other tables inside the restaurant. I end up getting up and asking the hostess for our check. She gives me the check....we wait.... we wait...we wait and no one picks UP the check so again, I go inside and give the hostess our credit cards to run. By that time....I am not a happy customer...so I stand there until I get the credit card slip to sign. I sign and walk out as the hostess cheerfully sings "Have a great d.." "Eat my dust."
No...never again.
I'm not sure why Saint Ex is busy much of the time. I had walked by dozens of times, and saw the restaurant and outdoor seating packed to the brim, which made me want to try this place SO bad - ha.
I finally went here for brunch with my boyfriend and some friends. I was pumped. But I soon realized the food is pretty forgetable. Perhaps the mediocrity of the food is inoffensive enough to appeal to a wider spectrum of palates, which could explain why the place is consistently busy.
I had the fried green tomato and ham benedict with some home fries. Overall, it was like any other benedict I've had from any other place. The fries were all right. I'm not sure what else to say about this, that's how blah it was.
Everyone else at the table had the Monday sandwich, which nobody finished. Everyone got halfway through the sandwich and didn't bother to take the second half home.
Oh, yeah. Our waitress was somewhat of a bitch. Jussayin'. She reminded me of Kristen Stewart, in the sense that she looked and acted like she'd rather be somewhere else each time she came to refill our glasses of water.
In the end, the food is not horrible. It's "okay," at best. I probably won't go back. One of my core beliefs is that if a restaurant is busy, the food is probably not very good. So this is what I get for going against it. Ha.
Saint-Ex has a good and varied brunch menu and a solid amount of outdoor seating. It's also nice that they use organic eggs, cause sometimes you just don't know what kind of food you're getting at a brunch place. Saint-Ex's prices don't seem like they've been raised on account of the organic products.
The muffin and spread of the day, and the way it changes, could keep me coming back for quite some time. They also have a great spread of both sweet and savory brunch items. Â And their inside seating is cute too.
Let me preface this review with the following: I only had drinks there. Because I pretty much only drink. During the day. Nearly everyday.
Given that tidbit, I thought this place was great. I got a pitcher of mimosas (that's 6/7 mimosas) for myself. And you can taste the champagne. And you can feel the champagne. And it was only $30.
The server was awesome. She would appear out of nowhere and refill my flute when I was engaged in conversation. Then I'd look at my flute, and it would be full again. Just like a magical fairy.
Will I go back to Saint-Ex for more day drinking? Of course! Why the hell not?
If i could rate zero stars, I would.
Walked in for brunch at 1:30pm, not really busy plenty of available tables, yet the hostess seem clueless where to seat us.
After we finally pretty much told her where to seat us, we sat at the table for 20 minutes, no one came to get our order or offer any drinks so we decided to leave... no staff member seemed to give a damn.
The beer list? Not too shabby.
The menu? A little pricey, but if you're in the mood for some ostentatious food consumption, may I recommend the duck prosciutto with foie-gras? It's spectacular.
The service? A little slow.
I think it's fine, honestly. It's a nice place to grab a beer and a snack, especially on the patio. I just don't really "get" why this is The Best Place Evah.
Disclaimer: Do your kegel exercises (or whatever the male equivalent is) prior to going to Saint Ex. Â Without fail, there will always be a 30 minute wait for the bathroom during the weekend, so plan accordingly.
Sidenote: Is there a male equivalent to a kegel? Â Is it still in fact a kegel?
Okay...Okay...I digress. Â Have you not quite figured out the lady you are taking out? Â You haven't figured out what her groove is? Â If so, Saint Ex will always hit the mark. Â It has a little something for everyone. Â If you are a foodie, the food selection is impressive and quite good. Â Is beer your thing? Â The selection of beers will easily hit the mark. Â If the bar scene is your thing, then grab a table and spend your evenings in the upstairs area with a full bar. Â Finally, the downstairs basement is a dance club, usually with a pretty good DJ. Â Essentially, you take your date to four places rolled into one. Â Be warned though, the weekend will carry large crowds.
In short, its a good spot that has something for everyone. Â
Drop down and get your kegel on at saint ex.
Gotta love Saint-Ex and its dual personalities. Great beer bar and relaxed vibe upstairs, sweaty yupster bump and grind in the basement, and I mean that in the best possible way. Saint-Ex might be my favorite spot on the 14th street drag to let loose with friends. Nice brunch too...any place that serves a good fried green tomato BLT is automatically welcomed into my good graces.
Extra points for being named after the author of Le Petit Prince.
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