I live very close to Menomale and go there at least a few times a month (if not weekly). Let me tell you - these guys are obsessed with their craft. And I don't just mean the pizza, although it's arguably the best in the area. The cocktails are incredibly creative and well done, and the beer is carefully selected by a man who really knows his stuff. The best part? All of this with an atmosphere that is totally unpretentious.
The only thing that could make this place better would be a really excellent tiramisu. In the meantime, the nutella-stuffed pizza crust is pretty unbelievable.
My boyfriend and I spend a good bit of time in Italy, so we were a little hesitant to try this place out, assuming it was just another American version of Italian pizza. Â We'd also heard about crowds and long waits. Â All our fears were unfounded and we loved the restaurant! Â
We ordered a couple salads (the semplice for only $4 is one of the best deals around!) and the caccio appetizer, which was amazing. Â We shared a pizza, which was very cheesy and well done, if not quite as thin-crusted as most Italian pizzas. Â Still the crust was really tasty. Â More than enough food. Â Service was fantastic, and our server (Tim) really knew the menu well. There's plenty of outside seating, which we appreciated on a pleasant night. Â We'll be back soon!
Eh, it's okay.
Cute place, nothing super special but comfortable, casual and chill. The servers were all very friendly and accommodating. One spoke Italian with us which was nice.
I'm eating my way through Neapolitan pizza in the area and I have to say Menomale is bottom of my list. Got the margherita (as usual). There was definitely not enough salt in it, it was very bland. Not bad, just nothing special at all. And very skimpy on the basil.
The highlight for me was the special cocktails menu, with really random and ridiculous mixed drinks on it. I didn't try any but if I ever come back (I probably wont for the pizza alone) I will definitely pick a crazy one.
Overall, pleasant dining experience but nothing stands out as really amazing (or really horrible).
I thought Menomale was a fantastic neighborhood spot. Â Loved walking by the beautiful wood fired oven in the entrance. Â The pizza didn't quite live up to the hype for me. Â I thought I would be getting the tender (soggy) neapolitan that I crave, but was closer to the slightly dried out crust you find at places like 2 Amys. Â Sauce was bright and excellent, and the basil retained a lot of flavor. Â Overall, a commendable product and if I lived nearby I'm sure it would be a favorite hangout.
Review Source:Live in neighborhood and was glad to support and try this establishment.......an establishment based on one product line...PIZZA. Â So you'd assume it would be great-to-at the least decent. Â NO flippin' way....their mainstay was raw, gooey, and repulsive. Â I took one bite and refused it. Â The snitty waiter.....who's a whole 'nother story, told me I could not take it off the bill, "the pizza was correct and I'll have the cook make you another, this time cooked Well." Â I said, "No, I'd not want another horrible pizza and to take it off my bill." Â He basically refused and brought another Margherita with the same lame tasting tomato soup based sauce.
The plain green salad was small and $10.00.!!!.....the same salad you'd get anywhere, and I mean anywhere...CVS refrigerator or commissary automated machine for $3.95 across the city-land.
Had their simply awful desert.....it was juvenile in its presentation....all chromatic colored sickeningly sweet crap draped over some soppy gooey dense dough. Â Definitely one to pass on- .unless you are a 4 year with type 2 juvenile diabetes. Â
The imported Italian beer made by inmates in a penitentiary was delicious.....but it may be because they never touched it. Â haha. Â The place is a disaster-- you are warned.
DC's consistently best Neapolitan pizza pie! Â It is just perfect, I close my eyes and I'm in Napoli, this is the real deal so if you wanna know what a pizza is supposed to taste like go to Menomale. Â They have a great bar with good beers and nice vino. Â Their pizza's and calzones are delicious with the perfect char to the crust. Â Beautiful mozzarella straight from Napoli! Â Mamma mia, I love Menomale, the people are so nice too, it's all around a great experience.
Review Source:I live in Brookland and was thrilled when Menomale opened up in the neighborhood. The food here is fantastic and the staff are very helpful and friendly. You can't go wrong with most of the items on the menu. Some of my favorites are the Caprese, Formaggi di Casa (the honey is delicious!) and Insalate di Pesce starters as well as the Chef's special (absolutely amazing) and Verdone pizzas. They also have a great selection of beers as well as Italian wines. We eat here probably once a week (is that wrong?) so are huge fans of our neighborhood pizzeria. Do be warned, this is a small place so it fills up pretty quickly especially on weekend nights. There is outdoor seating now so it is nice outside there are more seating options available.
Keep up the good work Menomale!
I lived in Brookland for a few months and consider Menomale an unexpected jewel hidden away in this laid-back neighborhood. I already miss eating here. It does get busy in the evenings on weekends, so take note that there is a delivery option. Their beer selection is good (they have Chocolate City Beer, which apparently is brewed only a few blocks down the street).
Also, if you have a major sweet tooth (I know I do) definitely get the La Bamba. It's a very small dessert, so I'm confident you can eat all of your Neapolitan pizza and still split this Nutella-filled dessert with a friend(s).
This is a great Neapolitan style pizza place with craft beers on tap and friendly service.
I actually live two blocks away and either dine in or take out at least twice a month. Â
It is cozy inside with seats for around 24-26 and an out door dining area for about 20 more. Â
Great family destination and wonderful addition to our neighborhood.
I recently checked out Menomale with friends who have been big fans from the start. I had a mixed experience but I'm giving 4 stars because of the pizza - OMG THE PIZZA. I'm a total pizza snob, always on the hunt for something to call home about, and have been not so successful in DC. But Menomale really shut me up.
We got three pizzas - the Brooklandissima, the Margherita, and the Diavola. All were really delicious, great flavors, excellent crust. The Diavola was the clear winner - spicy, porky, tomato-y, cheesy, all on that perfectly thin charred crust.
Downsides: service was rather poor. I think our waiter was brand new so I will give him a pass for not knowing the menu or bar options well, and for disappearing lots.
Drinks: the cocktails seemed very interesting and strange. I wanted to try one and did - can't remember the name but it had gin, honey, lavender, and hot mustard. Yes - mustard. Unfortunately all it tasted like was mustard and that was no good. My buddy told the waiter that I didn't like it and to take it off our bill, which he did (so, that aspect of the services was good). My buddy ended up getting another strange cocktail featuring lamb-fat-infused bourbon, curry, and some other things. That one was really cool, actually.
Finally, while the waiter couldn't tell me if they had soda water (con for service), the bartender who had overheard my request later came over and offered me one (pro for service). I understand this bartender won runner up in best of DC or something, so I will definitely go back and try more of his cocktails - I'll be sure to skip the ones featuring mustard, however.
Great little place in a very random area. Â The food was good, interesting beer selection, and the waitress was very helpful and patient while we made decisions on our pizzas. Â We got the Diavola (supposed to be spicy... but if you are at all used to spicy food you will hardly feel any heat. Â still good though) and the Di Ettore (good, but we weren't expecting a bunch of fresh arugula on top). Â Out of the two, I liked the Di Ettore better but they were both tasty. Â The pizzas aren't huge so me and my friend both had a few leftover slices.
Also, we got there right around noon on a Sunday and it quickly filled up so it is definitely a popular place.
It's not that the food was bad.... but.... in the realm of what I've come to expect in DC, it was well below par. There was barely a few shreds of vegetables on the "Brookalndissima" pizza. For the $15 price tag I'd expect far more than one slice eggplant, 1/2 slice of zucchini and 1 slice of pepper. Shameful..  The quality of the service and the quality of the bit of food we got was respectable.  But, it was way below below what we should expect from a DC restaurant. I'm thrilled that new businesses are popping up in these neighborhoods but don't be fooled - please still  expect more than this.
Review Source:Lovely little place for a pizza and tasty brews. We gathered with friends who live in the neighborhood and lingered over a meal of unique cocktails, several pizzas ranging from the basic Margherita to some more complex concoctions, and a couple desserts shared amongst us. I loved the flavor in my pizza with the sardines and capers, but it became a bit too salty by the end. Still, can't say any of us had leftovers!
Being a fairly small restaurant, I'd try to go early to beat the dinner rush and snag one of the two (?) outdoor tables.
Menomale proves that one may begin with purportedly superior ingredients, and top-notch equipment, and still serve a singularly inferior product.
No pizza, from any part of the world, should be sopping wet. No pizza should be served raw. I don't care what embarrassing pretentions a place has - and Menomale has pretty much all of them - if you serve a bad product you serve a bad product. Slap on as many three-letter acronyms as you want; it doesn't change the fact that you serve rubbery, raw, soaking-wet, undercooked, flavorless-dough, "pizza."
How can you have sour, sooty "blisters" on an otherwise uncooked piece of dough? How does that happen?!?
You should be ashamed. I'm so disappointed - so great is the difference between what this place serves and what they pretend to be - that I'm not wasting any more time being any more specific.
Nor am I wasting any more time going back. Once is too many.
I'm a huge fan of Neapolitan pizza. Â I used to live in New Jersey and by far, the best pizza I've had in the US is at the TRATTORIA LA SORRENTINA in North Bergen. Â I kid you not, when I go back to NYC for visits, I always stop over in Jersey for their Sorrentina pizza. Â So basically, I've been trying to find something that good down here in DC and I've tried probably 20 places so far. Â Menomale comes closest, hands down. Â The crust has just the right amount of salt and it crispy yet fluffy inside and not soggy on the bottom. Â And one of the most important things to me is how they treat arugula on the pizza. Â I've seen places try to cook it (please don't do that!), put just a few leaves on top, and places that put a nice amount after it comes out of the oven. Â However, very few places bother to dress the arugula with olive oil, salt and some kind of grated hard cheese - parmesan, grana, whatever. Â This is so important! Â And Menomale does it just right. Â My only beef with them is that I'm a vegetarian so I don't want the prosciutto (gasp!) Â Most places will happily trade that for garlic, since it's a much cheaper topping, but Menomale charged me an extra dollar for it. Â I think that's a little shitty. Â Please don't charge me to save you money. Â That's why they lost a star from me.
UPDATE! Pretty good customer service here. Â They saw my post, apologized for the up-charge and offered me a free dessert on my next visit! Â (And I don't mind another chance to eat their delicious nutella-filled pizza! Yum!)
This is by far one of the best authentic pizza places I've ever been to. Â I worked for a classic Italian restaurant before, but this place has really great pizza. Â Ask for Homer. Â Great service and smiling faces go a long way. Â I'm born and raised in the neighborhood so I always appreciate having great service. Â After trying real brick-oven pizza while living Europe, I think this place is the closest that I've experienced.
Review Source:Been on my DC bucket list for a few months - finally made it. Driving here was pretty interesting. Coming from the NW, this area is definitely sketchy but looks like it's turning around.
Walked in, was greeted warmly by a host and seated. Small but well curated beer and wine selection. Cocktails and beer specials on the blackboard. Tried the Gin and Juice at the suggestion of our server - it was a good choice...strong and well balanced.
Place has a very cozy / modern neighborhood bar feeling to it. Something I'd imagine bars in Italy and Spain to have..good drinks and eats.
We went straight for the pizzas - the Capriosca? and A Marghrita with Porcini mushrooms. Buffalo moz. and EVOO make a big difference IMO. The Capriosca was definitely better..crust was airy and chewy..I think there was room to make it a bit more bubbly / airy based on Napoletian pizzas we've tried in NYC and CT. Sauce is often the hardest part to get right and the sauce here was spot on (I find that 2 Amys nails the crust but misses on the sauce).
Each pizza was 4 slices and you definitely need one each if you are hungry and don't get apps. On the menu they note that the pizza is sliced on request and we saw the people on the next table with a sissor-like cutter but our pizza came sliced as we would have liked it.
Value - definitely pricey for pizza but you are paying for top notch ingredients.
Overheard the server for the next table introduce himself as Homer Something Something the IV..and then we realized he wasn't kidding..that guy had a lot of personality. Top notch staff here.
One thing I would change about my experience at CUA would be having some more decent restaurants around the Brookland neighborhood. As an historic area of D.C., Brookland could use some cleaning up. Menomale seems to be a step in the right direction! The block its on can seem a bit seedy but Menomale is like a little pizza oasis that calls hungry customers in with its adorable, cozy interior and impressive oven and bar.
The traditional centerpiece oven is wood-fired oven, hand built, and cooks a pizza at 900°, which gives the pizza a unique flavor and texture. Menomale's pizzas and paninis (which are made with the pizza dough!) only feature ingredients from the Campania region of Itality. Looking for something to pair with your dish? You can choose from amongst 20 craft feers on draft and a growing bottle list curated from around the world. Keeping with Italian tradition, they also feature a variety of exquisite Italian wines together with an array of simple spirits.
In doing a little more research on Menomale after I left, I found that for a little restaurant tucked away in Brookland, they have some pretty consistant activity on Twitter and Facebook. As a lover of all things social media, I appreciate that.
I also learned that "menomale" is Italian for "thank goodness." I think this is exactly how students of CUA (especially upperclassmen) and residents of Brookland, feel about this fresh slice of bliss. Even those outside the neighborhood who enjoy a good pizza or panini with or without a spirited pairings will enjoy this pizzeria.
The pizza here is fantastic. The ingredients are delightful, the story of its inception is thoughtful, and the pizza is delectable. I have friends that live in the area and it was an exceptional treat getting a taste of what amounts to be a great hole in the wall in DC.
The ingredients could have been more plentiful but the tastes were all there. I agree that the middle of the pizza was a smidgen soggy but overall, it was a great experience.
I was debating between 3 and 4 stars for this review, but ultimately I'm deciding on 3. First, the pizza is 4 star quality. It is not as good as 2 Amy's or Pupatella, but it is still quite good. I had the margherita and the buffalo mozzarella and crust were awesome. The sauce was pretty good, but not as flavorful as I'm used to with the oily (surprised myself to be using that word here) goodness that 2 Amy's sauce brings to the table.
Why am I lowering it to 3? Because the caprese salad was a joke. The mozzarella was totally bland (please replace whatever you're currently using with buffalo mozzarella and raise the price a bit!). The tomatoes were not ripe and they were flavorless, and the greens were meh. Seriously, whoever is in charge of this salad, GO to Pupatella in Arlington. Don't announce you're there researching of course :) And taste their magnificent caprese salad made up of buffalo mozzarella, fresh cherry tomatoes, olive oil, basil, and homemade bread. It costs $3 more than the one at Menomale, but I'll gladly pay the difference any day.
I'd definitely like to come back and try it again. It's small, but it has a great atmosphere and nice staff!
Whoooooooa! Who said pizza south of the Mason Dixon line can't be good?
Hello, Menomale. This native NY'er approves of your artisanal style DC pizza!
Yes they are tiny! Yes, there is a long wait on busy nights! Yes, we had to sit at the bar but it was 100% worth it!
Their amazing dough is ubiquitous throughout the menu. So many items on the menu use it, including the panuozzo (dough-rolled paninis) and some desserts!
The pollo verde panuozzo was busting with flavor. Soft hot pizza dough surrounded rosemary chicken, pesto, and mozzarella di bufala. I was ready to steal it from my friend when he let me try it. Comes with a little fresh side salad with aged balsamic dressing decorating the plate in little dots. My exact words were something like "omuhhhhmmmmggd super noms", which roughly translates in Steph language to "Oh, my goodness, this is quite tasty!".
Pizza had a nice crunch and slight char on the end while soft and mushy in the middle. I opted for the Terra with mushrooms, red peppers and artichokes. I really did enjoy it and it was sizable enough for about 1.5 people! It was hard to finish the whole thing so I focused on the toppings when I started getting full. The toppings complimented each other and the mozzarella tasted so fresh, you could have fooled me into thinking they have a cow out back. I didn't however dig the sauce. It tasted bland and almost jar-like. I'm certain they don't use jar sauce, but I couldn't help but think it tasted sort of flat, like it was lacking depth. White pizza next time, perhaps?
Anything with Nutella is always fan-freakin-tastic , so of course I chose the La Bomba for my gluttony-driven dessert. Watch out, the dough strikes again! It was thick, soft and chewy with smooth warm nutella oozing though with each bite. Caramel and Chocolate were artistically swirled on top with grace.
The staff is exceedingly friendly and carries themselves with courtesy and poise. The bartender is a mixologist in the true sense and probably belongs in a speakeasy creating elaborate and trendy concoctions for snobby patrons. He's not afraid to infuse meats in his alcohol (such as lamb fat, prosciutto) or come up with unusual, yet, delicious creations. Hats off to you, JB!
I applaud Menomale for offering artisanal pizzas with quality ingredients while still remaining at very reasonable prices.
Final score: Just shy of 4.5 stars, thus no rounding up. Better sauce and bigger digs, per favore, Menomale!
Best Pizza in DC. This is hidden gem where Italians hang out. Canale, Two Ami's, Sette, Pupatiella, Piola are all good pizza joints, but Menomale is the most authentic, consistent, fun, with that magic Neapolitan touch. Just had the Terra pizza tonight. Fantastica. Bravi Ragazzi!
Andrea from Venice, Italy
Lovely place in lord knows what neighborhood of DC - close to Catholic University. I drove here from Falls Church which took a good 30 minutes. Parking was easy, I nabbed a free spot pretty much right outside of the restaurant.
From the outside, Menomale looks bright, fresh, modern, and very appealing. It is well lit and the grey of the building, the white of the name, mesh really well with the yellow light hitting the sidewalk from the inside. It really looked very charming and artisan.
Immediately upon walking in you're presented with the beautiful wood-burning oven which is a centerpiece in itself. Most of the seating however is in the other room so you don't get to see the piazziolo working his magic on the pies you and others order. This is a bit of a drawback given the effort that went into building the oven and by the sounds of it, hiring the piazziolo.
I sat at the bar as I was 'on my tod', laden with a BusinessWeek and a hankering for a brew and a pie. As noted in other reviews, the bar has 20 taps but evidently the cellar only has room for 10 kegs so the 10 sit there with their plugs on looking sorry. I wonder if they will ever be used. The 10 draft beer list is good, strong, well covered, but it ends up serving all beer types so if you're looking for a belgian wheat, or an amber ale, or a pale ale, you're set, but unfortunately you won't be able to try different beers without switching up your 'type' completely. I suppose there are always bottles. Â
I ordered the Diavola pizza with mushrooms. The pie came out and was VERY busy with toppings. There was a ton of sauce which was very, very, very tasty but felt just a little too generous. The pizza also came with sliced red bell peppers which felt a little odd but actually worked well. The pepperoni was strong - spicy and very flavorful - Â but dissapointingly cut into long strips and not left as small pepperoni circles that I suppose I've come to expect on Neapolitan pizzas. The outer crust was a little thinner than I was expecting but was tasty nonetheless, and the inner crust held up a lot better than many other Neapolitan pizzas although it was most definitely a knife and fork job.
While I wasn't a fan of the heavy handedness on the toppings, the flavor and balance to the pizza was impeccable. Really very, very good. I've had better Neapolitan crusts in my opinion though, namely Orso and 2 Amys.
I also feel like the restaurant has an 'in and out' vibe to it. Less of a restaurant experience and more of a 'you've come here to eat' vibe. One of the things I love about 2 Amys is that you can really make a night of it with a full 3.5 courses. Â Â
Overall a fantastic addition to my Neapolitan haunts which will be well recommended, but for me 2 Amys and Orso still share the crown.
Cyndy's BOTTOM LINE: Â Excellent pizza!
This is what we ate:
AFFETTATI MISTI DELLA CASA Â $12.5
A platter of selected cured Italian meats, garnished with fresh tomatoes, herb-infused tomatoes, basil, goat cheese, provolone, mixed olives, and roasted peppers. Served with a side of freshly baked bread
Great fresh quality meats and cheeses.
The DIAVOLA (SPICY) pizza  $13
San Marzano tomatoes, Â mozzarella di bufala, basil, spicy salami, red peppers, crushed red pepper.
Tasty tomato sauce with fresh quality ingredients. Â
COPPA CAFFE Â $6
Fior di latte gelato with a rich coffee and pure cocoa swirl. Â
Nice, light and sweet enough after eating a pizza.
Great wine selection and prices.
I'm sure I'll be back beyond senior hour to update my review & find it worthy of five stars but last night's visit put me solidly in the fan category.
1. Is it just me or was this the joint that used to be in the spot where Rustik Tavern is? Â That's where I thought I was driving last night after our normal favorite "we need pizza now" spot, 7th Hill, was closed on the account of their sadness of the weekend being over? Â I almost lost it when Siri said "you have arrived" and I had never been that far up 12th St!
2. It's small and not quite cozy. Â Small can be an asset and it can also be a pain the in ass. Â Small leans toward the latter here.
3. Â Service - awkward and slow. Â Maybe they reserve all the taste and charm for the food and drink. Â Or maybe my hipster doofus cred didn't fit through the unclear entrance. Â Cheese plate was set down without any words or description - isn't that standard with a cheese plate (at least where the cheeses aren't listed on the menu)? Â Also, ending HH at 6:30 is lame - either have a real one or don't. :)
4. Â Food - really good. Â Order the Brooklyn special pizza with gorgonzola and it was tasty. Â Crust was ok, nothing special (I left a large pile on my plate - mostly due to attacking the cheese plate).
5. Etc. The music was chill; great touch. Â Parking is easy.
6. Seating - We arrived without a reservation and dealt with that pregnant pause when we answered "no." Â Seriously, it's like you offend places when you don't make a reservation. Â We ordered a beer and sat at an empty table within five minutes. Â The place was packed at 6:30. Â Dead at 7pm. Â Kind of weird actually. Â Perhaps there is a 2nd rush after?
Parting thought - cheese plate was underwhelming - small portions. Â and there wasn't a pure olive plate on the menu. Wah! :)
Haven't been to 2 Amy's yet but I'd rank 7th Hill higher based on service (but not prices).
I've been to Menomale three times now, and still struggle to find the words to write an adequate review. Â Growing up in CT made me a bit of a pizza snob, thanks to the abundance of wonderful pizza. Â Top that off with living in New York City for three years, as well as a jaunt in Italy, and now you really need to work hard to impress my pizza tastebuds.
Menomale is damn good. Â How can it not be when the Pizzaiolo hails from, and was trained in, Italy? Â The crust here is fantastic, and despite my effort to eat gluten-free, I have yet to try the gluten-free crust here. Â Why mess with a good thing? Â These guys are experts in traditional crust, and I want the real deal (I would love to hear if others have tried and enjoyed the gluten-free option, though!). Â The crust is thin, but not too thin, and chewy, but not too chewy. Â Goldilocks would be pleased.
The variety of toppings is fantastic, whether you build your own pizza or choose one of theirs. Â The only reason why I dock them a star is because I really, really do not enjoy their sauce. Â I know their tomatoes are imported specially from Italy, but I just don't enjoy how watery the sauce is. Â The flavor is fine, but I don't like soppy pizza. Â However, this is easily remedied by ordering a white pizza, which will provide you with a mouthgasm.
I do warn new patrons to be careful building their own pizzas. Â You can easily build an $18 pizza if you're not careful. Â Also, they do charge you for subbing toppings, even if they are the same price. (i.e. I swapped real prosciutto for ham on the Bianca, and even though they are both the same price, I was upcharged for the swap).
Lastly, be sure to pick the bartender's brain. Â He is really passionate about all things boozy, so strike up a conversation and try some of his picks.
I feel like I'm cheating on Pupatella and RedRocks right now...
But this VPN certified pizza joint is
UH.
MAZE.
ING
We took a friend for his birthday. The drinks were impressive--large selection (10-15?) of quality beer on tap (somehow still unpretentious!), and really cool cocktails from an unconventional barkeep (oh, you are making a sausaage fat infused bourbon?? yes please!) The pizza was fabulous--the classics and a few slight riffs that stuck to the fundamental principles behind quality Neapolitan style pizza.
As a few others have noted, it's an awkward layout. We sat scrunched at the bar--the stools need some back support and fewer present as there was simply not enough room. The tables also looked equally squished together and uncomfortable.
But the products and the waitstaff were simply top notch.
For those that have looked through my reviews, one thing that definitely stands out is my search and love for great pizza. Â In Menomale, I have finally found my spot in D.C!
The atmosphere can present challenges in finding comfortable seating and/or space, but the pizza is the best in D.C. and is the best by far. Â Better than Pizzeria Orso and far more convenient for those that live in the city.
The margherita pizza is the standout winner. Â I know it is simple, but it was absolutely perfect and the best I have had in a long time.
Meanwhile, the draft beer list was shockingly impressive and the prices very fair especially given the quality of the food.
A must in D.C. for those that love pizza.
WHAT A GEM.
Here we moved to the Woodridge neighborhood believing there'd be nowhere near us to go out, but luckily Menomale delivers! (Well, not literally, we had to pick up our food for take out, and they strongly recommend dine-in for better tasting pizza.)
I found Menomale through Yelp, of course, and couldn't believe that such a highly rated place was all the way out in NE like this. And yet, it's real.
The pizza is delicious, and legit with the wood-burning oven. The salad was one of my favorites, and I loved the little dipping oils and pesto (though super salty) for focaccia. The owner was super nice (authentic Neapolitan himself), and the establishment looks clean and sleek. Will be returning.
Some notes:
- Don't make the same mistake I did: Neapolitan (as in, Naples-style) pizzas are small, and a serving size is usually 1 pizza per person. That being said, that's too much food for little old me, but if you have 8 hungry friends who just helped you move across town, order 8 pizzas.
- Vegetarian options included the Terra (vegetables), Quattro Formaggio (4-cheese), and Margherita. All delicious. Well, I assume they were-- I didn't even get a chance to try 2/3 of them before they were snapped up. It's ok, I didn't do any heavy lifting.
- The friend who drove with me to pick up the pizza was skeptical on the ride over that anything could be as good as the authentic pizza he had had in Naples, yet he was completely sold on Menomale after our meal.
The best Neapolitan style pizza in the DC area, hands down. I always get the margherita when trying a Neapolitan pizza place. Like ordering pad thai in a Thai restaurant, the margherita is the litmus test.
The crust and sauce were easily the best among the other places in DC serving up pizza Naples-style. For the 1st few minutes, all I could say was, "Mmmmm" and I completely ignored the others in my party as it was like a bright spotlight was on the pizza.
Light, airy but not thick, the crust served as the perfect backdrop for that thin sauce of sweet, intense San Marzano tomato. The mozzarella di buffala was spot on fresh and there was just the right amount of it, thinly sliced and well dispersed amidst torn basil. The margherita here also had grana padano, which I've not seen on other margheritas but it didn't detract from what was otherwise in classic form.
Mmmmmmm......
This place is small, so don't expect any privacy unless you go on an off-hour. It's really the ground floor of 2 adjacent rowhouses, with a passageway cut between the two. They really pack in the seats, so there is a lot of bar-type seating arranged on the periphery and then a lot of 2-tops. We were there at 4 pm on a Sunday, and therre was still a decent crowd.
Staff were super welcoming and friendly. They offered us something to drink while we waited (about a minute) for a table. Service was great, friendly and casual.
Drinks menu was quite sophisticated. Beers included local brews (Chocolate City) as well as imports from Belgium and such. I think it was strictly tap beer. There were also some crazy-fancy mixed drinks listed with ingredients like genevre, poached pears and what all.
Thank goodness for Menomale!
OH MY GEEZ. THIS PIZZA! I didn't know I needed this pizza until I had this pizza and that's when I realized I needed THIS PIZZA.
I have sat and watched them bake my pizza and I don't know what they do during that simple little process but this jank is delicious. I am partial to the one with the anchovies. No, I don't know what its called and yes that is how I order it.
I have never dined in and they don't deliver but they are worth humping it up Rhode Island Ave for 8 blocks. They also don't cut the pizza which strikes me as a bit snooty but whatever, just makes it easier for me to go ham on my pie when I get back home.
4.5 Stars
Yet another Neapolitan pizza joint serving authentic VPN pies; DC can't seem to get enough. Â And a good thing too, Brookland needed a place like this, especially with the demise of the dearly departed Colonel Brooks. Â If you have trouble finding it, it's probably because it's not in the busier part of Brookland's main street, but further down 12th, closer to Rhode Island Ave.
But Menomale is not just a good pizza joint, it's also a great beer bar. Â Although they got overly ambitious and installed 20 taps, there are only 10 beers on draft (no room for the other 10 kegs), but there selection is well curated and includes Racer 5, Old Rasputin, a rotating local (Chocolate City Cornerstone Copper on my visit), and the City's only keg of Tipopils, an Italian microbrew. Â Another 10 bottled beers including Allagash Currieux and Kurofune Baltic Porter, a Japanese micro. Â Co-owner Leland Estes is great fun to chat with about beers if he's around.
As for the pizza, crusts are thin with a nice char from the wood-fired oven, as you'd expect from a Neapolitan place, but they also serve panuozzi, sandwiches that are essentially folded pizzas (at about 2/3 the price). Â I had the Bufalina which included prosciutto, buffalo mozzarella and fresh basil; delish.
If I have a complaint, it would be that the place is so small and an odd layout: Â a U shaped with the pizza oven on one side and the small bar (seats 8) and main dining area on the other. Â Sidewalk seating increases the amount of space considerably, weather permitting.
Maybe we caught them on an off night, but we were not impressed by our pizzas.  As a few other reviewers have mentioned, the center of the crust was very soggy - probably due to the sauce being  watery.  The ingredients were excellent and somewhat made up for the soggy pie. Â
We got the Romana and Terra pizzas, with the Romana being the better of the two. Â The saltiness of the capers, anchovies, and olives paired well with the mozzarella and aforementioned watery (and slightly sweet) sauce.
Service was average - it took us flagging down another server to grab our server so we could get the check. Â Also, the temperature of the restaurant was pretty warm. Â I understand that there's a wood burning oven in the next room, but a bit of ventilation and/or cooler air would make the space more comfortable.
Really good pizza. We sat out on the patio, which was lovely. Service took a long time to get going (15-20 minutes with no greeting, menus, or water), but once our waitress found us she was really good.
They have a nice beer selection, and the cocktails are good (though next time I'll order the Negroni up - they serve it on the rocks).
We split the coccio first, which I really enjoyed. We then shared the Di Ettore, Napoletana, and Diavola pizzas. All of them were very tasty but the Di Ettore was my favorite. Ask for the kitchen to slice the pizzas for you - they don't unless you specify.
The La Bomba dessert was pretty good, but next time I'll stick to the savory food - there are plenty of good options on the menu! Nice place overall.
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