Sixth Engine Restaurant

4.3 (593)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

438 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Great for brunch
Romantic

A contemporary American restaurant set in D.C.'s 1st firehouse, Sixth Engine uses classic techniques to produce comfort foods with a touch of refinement while providing polished service in a comfortable setting.

We have three different dining areas. While we do our best to accommodate requests for specific areas, we can not always guarantee availability. Due to the unpredictability of the weather, we do not accept reservation for the patio, which we seat on a first come for served basis. Please feel free to call the restaurant if you require a specific location, and we will do our best to meet your needs.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sun 4:30 pm–10:30 pm
Website
http://www.sixthengine.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Kyle Bailey
Private party facilities
Located in Mt. Vernon Triangle, Sixth Engine is in close proximity to both the Convention Center and the Verizon Center, in addition to multiple metro lines. Sixth Engine combines modern interpretations of classic American fare, nestled in the historic ambiance of DC's oldest firehouse.

Location
438 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Neighborhood
Mount Vernon Square
Cross street
Between 4th and 5th
Parking details
Sixth Engine recommends parking at the Franklin Parking Lot located<br />at 901 5th Street, NW, just a half of a block west from Sixth Engine on the corner of 5th and I Streets.
Public transit
We are located equidistant between Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, and Union Station on the Red Line.
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Deviled Eggs$8.00
Nashville hot chicken seasoning, crispy fried chicken skin, & chili-honey
Grain Salad$12.00
farro, quinoa, vanilla orange candied cashews, radicchio, & smoked blue cheese
House Salad$8.00
greens, carrot, radish, cucumber, fresh herbs, & creamy red wine vinaigrette
Arugula Salad$9.00
balsamic shallots, egg, parmesan, & sherry vinaigrette

Tonight

Butcher Board$18.00
Cheese Plate$13.00
ask for today's selection
½ Dozen Oysters
half shell, mignonette, & cocktail sauce
- MP

Hot

Curried Cauliflower Soup$8.00
pepitas, wine soaked raisins, & roasted cauliflower
Hush Puppies$7.00
honey espelette butter
Fried Cheese Curds$8.00
beer battered, lime, & sweet chili sauce
Cauliflower$11.00
battered, col. ling sauce, sesame seeds, & scallions
Grilled Hot Wings$12.00
housemade wing sauce, blue cheese, & celery
3 Cheese Dip$14.00
Italian sausage, boursin, cream cheese, parmesan, & house made tortilla chips
Pulled Pork Minis$13.00
jicama slaw & North Carolina BBQ sauce

House-Made Pasta

Smoked Paprika Carbonara$20.00
tasso ham, basil, & hen egg
Braised Lamb$19.00
ricotta cavatelli, heirloom carrots, English peas, & pea tendrils
3 Cheese Ravioli$18.00
asparagus, enoki mushrooms, pea pesto

Entrées

Half Chicken$22.00
seared breast, confit thigh, half smoke kale, & herb-roasted sweet potato
Pork Loin$25.00
from Spring House Farms VA, red quinoa, swiss chard, & Earl Grey pecans
Seared Duck Breast$25.00
duck thigh hash, red wine pearl onions, & plum jus
Seared Rockfish$24.00
brussels sprouts, spaetzel, maitake, & cara cara butter reduction
Rib Eye$28.00
roasted, smoked, grilled, fries, & au jus
Shrimp & Grits$24.00
three-cheese Anson Mills grits, Andouille, Creole cream, spinach, & caramelized onions

Sandwiches

Bacon Cheeseburger$15.00
American cheese or white cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickles, no. 6 sauce, & sesame brioche
Smoked Turkey Panini$14.00
caramelized onions, pickled Fresno peppers, Béarnaise mayo, & pepper jack cheese
Brisket Sandwich$15.00
house BBQ, jalapeno relish, & crispy onions
Fried Chicken Sandwich$14.00
cucumber, carrot, and daikon slaw, & sambal mayo

Sides

Fries$8.00
Spaetzel "Mac" & Cheese$7.00
gruyere & caramelized onions
Brussels Sprouts$10.00
bacon, maple, & sriracha

Specialty Cocktails

Six More Weeks$12.00
Maachu Pisco, Chareau, Altos anejo tequila, Pamplemousse, lime, fizz
Bon Vivant$12.00
George Dickel rye, Carpano Antica Luxardo Maraschino, Benedictine cherry bitters
Nuevo Amor$12.00
Altos Reposado tequila Oloroso sherry, Peche de Vigne honey, lemon
Rye Will Always Love You$10.00
George Dickel Rye, spiced brown sugar syrup, lemon
Sixth Engine$12.00
Monkey Shoulder scotch Dow's Ruby port, Angostura Peat Monster scotch float
Whipray$11.00
Wheatley vodka, apricot liqueur Aperol, cinnamon syrup, lemon, fizz
Bee's Needs$11.00
Chamomile-infused Plymouth gin, honey syrup, lemon
The Honeymoon Phase$11.00
Woodford Reserve bourbon, lemon, cinnamon syrup, cabernet float

Classics

Mule$10.00
Wheatley vodka, freshly-juiced ginger, lime, secret spices
Old Fashioned$10.00
George Dickel rye, Angostura bitters brandied cherries, sugar, orange peel
Hemingway Daiquiri$11.00
Flor de Cana rum, Luxardo Maraschino, grapefruit, lime

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at Sixth Engine Restaurant.

4.3

(593)

4.2Food
4.2Service
4.2Ambience
2.1Value

Noise • Energetic

593 Reviews

DO
DanO Gold
Washington DC11 reviews
3.0
Dined on January 26, 2019
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The food was good but not great. There were a number of other issues. The online menu listed cauliflower soup - but our server said they do not serve that anymore - and that the website is out of date. We arrived before 6 pm, but they had already sold out of the only fish dish on the menu - causing some difficulty for a person in our party who does not care to eat meat. Next, they brought out hot tea without a spoon. When we asked for a straw for a soft drink, we were told they do not have straws. Seems to be plenty of room for improvement.
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J
James
Philadelphia9 reviews
4.0
Dined on January 21, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The restaurant was great. We were in town for an annual convention and make Sixth Engine our "go-to" spot at least once during the weekend. Food and service were terrific. Only complaint was a loud party at the bar, who were singing (loudly and poorly) to the music being played over the speaker system. We complained to the server and she immediately informed the manager. Thankfully, after a bit longer of the "America's Got No Talent" performance, it quieted down. This won't stop us from enjoying the fantastic food and wine selection. We'll be back next year for sure!
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Y
Yummy007
Washington DC3 reviews
4.0
Dined on January 20, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
I had the eggs Benedict and it was delicious! The hash browns were also amazing! We had the best server, Moe, who was funny and very attentive. We did the bottomless mimosas and we had a great end to our girls weekend in DC! Would definitely come back! Only complaint would be that my friends salad was kinda bland and slightly wilted. Overall good experience though!
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LH
LuciaH
Washington DC26 reviews
4.0
Dined on January 6, 2019
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Wonderful rockfish over beets (still chewy!) and leeks--very interesting and tasty combination. My husband had filet, which he said was tender and delicious, served with mashed potatoes. We started with a half dozen of plump and briny oysters from the Rappahanock.
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l
luvjazz60
Washington DC35 reviews
4.0
Dined on December 19, 2018
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Was pleasantly surprised -- this was my first time here and the food was VERY good.
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EO
ElainaO
Washington DC22 reviews
5.0
Dined on December 14, 2018
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love this place. Have dined at Sixth Engine at least 5 times and everything from the food to the service is always great. Love the atmosphere and music too!
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n
nr1234
Washington DC45 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 13, 2018
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Food was okay nothing to write home about. It was extremely loud in the restaurant. Initially service was good, but once we ordered dessert, it went downhill. We waited almost 20 minutes to get dessert and finally had to cancel it. The bill came with the dessert added which we then had to get corrected.
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BL
BrunchLover Gold
Dallas71 reviews
3.0
Dined on December 9, 2018
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
I’ve been to Sixth Engine several times for brunch and have had great experiences. The dining experience was not the best overall experience both because of the food and service. We were seated downstairs in the bar area which was not great because the bartender took care of our table, was busy with the bar, and was extremely slow with our service. We ended up skipping dessert and going to another restaurant because the service was so slow. As for the food, it was a bit bland and the portions were small. Sides are not included with entrees, so the dining experience quickly added up for a not so great experience.
1 person found this helpful
MB
MarcyB
Washington DC1 review
2.0
Dined on November 15, 2018
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 1
We did not realize that this place is basically a bar with what was touted to be good food. It was very noisy, but it was a bar, so as soon as we walked in I knew it would be. Because we were trying to get to a show, we decided to stay. Our waitress was wonderful! That is the last good thing I have to say. My sister and I both ordered the soup, which was supposed to be hot, and was cold. We also both ordered the pork goulash which sounded delicious. For $28 I expected a better meal. It was served in a cast-iron griddle (nice touch) but was a plate of cheese grits with six pieces of pork, four of which were entirely fat, and four small pieces of potato. It was not in a gravy, as goulash usually is, but rather had a red sauce drizzled over the top. To top it all off, even our coffee had grounds in the mug and was weak. I don't know if it was a bad night for them, but we won't be giving them a second chance.
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MD
MaryD
Washington DC20 reviews
4.0
Dined on November 11, 2018
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Good food, good service and they know how to make a really good NY Sour! Menu isn’t very extensive but Eberything is good. Will be back!
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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary American
Hours of operation
Brunch Sat, Sun 11:00 am–5:00 pm Dinner Tue–Sun 4:30 pm–10:30 pm
Website
http://www.sixthengine.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Kyle Bailey
Private party facilities
Located in Mt. Vernon Triangle, Sixth Engine is in close proximity to both the Convention Center and the Verizon Center, in addition to multiple metro lines. Sixth Engine combines modern interpretations of classic American fare, nestled in the historic ambiance of DC's oldest firehouse.

Location
438 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001
Neighborhood
Mount Vernon Square
Cross street
Between 4th and 5th
Parking details
Sixth Engine recommends parking at the Franklin Parking Lot located<br />at 901 5th Street, NW, just a half of a block west from Sixth Engine on the corner of 5th and I Streets.
Public transit
We are located equidistant between Gallery Place, Judiciary Square, and Union Station on the Red Line.
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

Sixth Engine Restaurant

About this restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Cold

Deviled Eggs$8.00

Grain Salad$12.00

House Salad$8.00

Arugula Salad$9.00

Tonight

Butcher Board$18.00

Cheese Plate$13.00

½ Dozen Oysters

Hot

Curried Cauliflower Soup$8.00

Hush Puppies$7.00

Fried Cheese Curds$8.00

Cauliflower$11.00

Grilled Hot Wings$12.00

3 Cheese Dip$14.00

Pulled Pork Minis$13.00

House-Made Pasta

Smoked Paprika Carbonara$20.00

Braised Lamb$19.00

3 Cheese Ravioli$18.00

Entrées

Half Chicken$22.00

Pork Loin$25.00

Seared Duck Breast$25.00

Seared Rockfish$24.00

Rib Eye$28.00

Shrimp & Grits$24.00

Sandwiches

Bacon Cheeseburger$15.00

Smoked Turkey Panini$14.00

Brisket Sandwich$15.00

Fried Chicken Sandwich$14.00

Sides

Fries$8.00

Spaetzel "Mac" & Cheese$7.00

Brussels Sprouts$10.00

Specialty Cocktails

Six More Weeks$12.00

Bon Vivant$12.00

Nuevo Amor$12.00

Rye Will Always Love You$10.00

Sixth Engine$12.00

Whipray$11.00

Bee's Needs$11.00

The Honeymoon Phase$11.00

Classics

Mule$10.00

Old Fashioned$10.00

Hemingway Daiquiri$11.00

Additional information

Not available on OpenTable