I learned two things after eating at Roofer’s Union Restaurant. One: I really like restaurants with big, arresting windows. Two: This place’s brussels sprouts need a P.R. agent because they are seriously delicious.
Located in Adams Morgan, Roofer’s Union has a fittingly quirky feel. When you walk up the stairs into the restaurant, the room opens up with a clean but rustic interior design. Roofers’ uniforms hanging in the back of the room play with the name of the restaurant, though Daniel Lobsenz, the general manager, says that the name has no significant meaning. The head chef, Marjorie Meek, also the head chef of Ripple in Cleveland Park, wants Roofers’ Union to display her unusual take on American food using a more relaxed setting.
The jovial main menu is divided up into five sections: Snacks, Stuffed, Stacked, Simple, and Sweet. English nerds, take note of the alliteration.
After some recommendations from our server, we ordered the fried brussels, trotter arancini, fried chicken thigh sandwich with a side of sweet potato fries, and chicken sausage in a pretzel roll. For dessert, we had a sundae with pretzel crumbs.
The fried brussels were easily the best thing on the table. The lemon and honey glaze was a perfect compliment. The trotter arancini covered in a garlic aioli came in at a close second. Both of these can be found in the appetizers section (Snacks) on the menu. Both ‘Snacks’ had that addictive allure only food that’s slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside can exude. What set the fried brussels apart, though, was their balance of delicious sensations of tart, savory, and sweet.
Our brussels sprouts and arancini served as a good segway into our more carb-heavy main courses. Even the pretzel roll and homemade potato chips did not disappoint—this place is a dream for carb lovers.
All of the food was flavorful and deliciously seasoned. Certain dishes’ seasoning was occasionally overpowering; the Chicken Sausage, for example, was a bit salty—but even that I gobbled up happily.
The meal ended with a sundae with pretzel crumbs. In this luscious finale, saltiness was welcome and much enjoyed. It was a satisfying finish to a delicious meal.
The tavern influence serves as the menu’s anchor, while head chef Meek succeeds in fusing homely, everyday ingredients like chicken thighs and sweetbreads with her elevated gastronomical vision.
Whether you go for the “Snacks,” the “Stuffed,” or the “Stacked,” you can count on a belly full of carbs and a mouth full of satisfaction. It’s surely a match made in heaven.
Roofers Union
2446 18th Street NW
roofersuniondc.com
