Mad Hatter, Washington DC
1321 Connecticut Ave NW,
Washington DC 20036
202.833.1495
Metro stop: Dupont Circle
If you’re looking for a fun time definitely make the trip to DC and try Mad Hatter. It’s based on the Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland but in a tasteful way. It’s not like Disney world theme park but it has all the kitschy fun you’d expect from a restaurant based on the book.
The restaurant is also a bar, closer to the entrance, but further in the back is the dining room as well as a private dining area. You’ll find pictures from Alice in Wonderland as well as thematic pictures, mirrors, and décor. If the private dining room is empty you have to check out the artwork they glued onto the ceiling – they designed the room to be the upside dining room from the story. Complete with 3d fake fruit, plates, teapots, and even light fixtures designed to look like candles – it’s definitely an exciting feature not to be missed.
The food ranges in price but is equally tasty all the way around. They have sandwiches and burgers; an array of tapas and appetizers to try; gourmet hotdogs; salads; as well as signature drinks! My friends tried several of the hot dogs, the alice burger, and I tried the pasta aria – we also tried the mad hatter cheese fries and lamb croquettes appetizers.
If you’re a fan of Greek or Middle Eastern food the lamb croquettes are not to be missed. Cooked to perfection, the lamb croquettes have that tangy bite to them that is recognizably only found in well-prepared lamb. You get four lamb sliders (basically) but are large enough to split each in two. They are served on top of a grilled piece of bread and on the side they have a feta and tomato spread as well as a delicious lemon-cucumber sauce. The feta was difficult to put on the croquette without it getting everywhere but the sauce was the perfect accompaniment. If you’ve been to Canada and have had poutine then the mad hatter cheese fries are not to be missed. You’ll get a plate of super crispy salted-to-perfection fries with melted almost sauce cheese (cheddar and horseradish cheddar for a fun kick!) and a delicious savory bowl of gravy on the side – the gravy is what makes cheese fries poutine. These fries were almost gone in a flash and are a must on your first visit to the Mad Hatter.
The Alice Burger is a great vegetarian option on the menu. The vegetarian in our group commented that he loved the flavors he was experiencing – the Alice Burger is a homemade vegetable burger, with black beans, aioli, avocado, and sautéed mushrooms. Honestly, if I read the menu more closely I probably would’ve order this for my entrée! My other friends tried the Wonderland Dog (which is a hotdog topped with mac and cheese) and the Psychedelic Dog (hot dog topped with crushed potato chips, pineapple, and cheese.) The members in our group who had the Wonderland Dog absolutely loved it and commented the serving size was so big you could actually probably eat the mac and cheese with a spoon and then a hot dog (of course that would defeat the purpose of getting the topping!) If you’re looking to try something unique the psychedelic dog is a good place to start. The saltiness from the chips and the cheese perfectly complements the hot dog and the sweet pineapple was an interesting surprise – it took a moment to adjust to it but once you got used to it was definitely fun. I tried the Pasta Aria – another vegetarian option on the menu. This entrée was big enough to feed two – if not three people especially after the appetizers. The pasta is a thin linguini accompanied with expertly roasted garlic, tangy sundried tomato, and hints of lemon and parmesan cheese. Hiding in the noodles are garlic butter soaked croutons – a super tasty surprise. Now with that said, this was definitely a butter heavy entrée so be prepared for an extra filling meal but this tastiness is definitely recommended if you aren’t watching your waistline!
Luckily for us our friend was celebrating his birthday so the waiter brought him a huge slice of blackberry cake. It had a light airy vanilla crumb with pieces of fresh blackberries scattered throughout and iced with a creamy berry frosting. It was a delicious end to our meal at the Mad Hatter.
If you’re in DC and looking for a fun, different, and filling meal then stop by the Mad Hatter – who knows you might get the same waiter wearing the giant oversized mad hatter top we did!
