Last weekend, Jermaine and I headed over to the newly opened Meatball Shop on 14th street because 1) meatballs, duh and 2) we got asked to try it out and post on instagram.
Well because we enjoyed it so much, I decided to write a blog post to help others who plan on going know what to order!
I want to preface this post by saying this– I love meatballs! I still believe Haitian meatballs are the best and my mom’s cannot be beaten. Before arriving at the Meatball shop, I did peruse their menu and had my heart set on the lobster melt. My obsession with seafood knows no bounds and I already knew Jermaine would get the crab po’ boy.
Life is like a bowl of spaghetti. Every once in a while, you get a meatball. -- Sharon Creech
The first thing to highlight is that like most of DC, parking is scarce so I highly suggest taking an Uber if you are not within walking distance.
The second thing I would like to highlight minus the delicious food and cocktails (more on those later), is the staff. Customer service is very important to Jermaine and I and those working at The Meatball Shop were not only super knowledgeable on their offerings but ridiculously friendly.
And before anyone says it or thinks it– no they did not initially know that we were “influencers” coming in to test out the food! They were just nice on their own.
Jermaine and I started our meal with cocktails and an appetizer. Because of my love of avocado (basic, I know), we chose “the ball snack” which is essentially their take on avocado toast. In full transparency, I have been eating the Haitian version of Avocado Toast since I was 4 years old. Ive been there and done that when it comes to avocado toast variations but the fact that Jermaine loved them means ALOT. He has the pickier palette when it comes to avocado.
The cocktails we chose were pretty superb too. I REALLY wanted the ‘Thick Skin’ drink because of the melon, tequila and grapefruit (FAVES!) but they were out of sake and instead I chose the ‘pie sexual’. Yeah the names are awesome!
Jermaine went with Becky with the Good Pear but asked for it in the copper mug reserved for Moscow Mules so pics could be on brand. Would I order his? Nahhhhhh. Would I order mine again? Heck yes!
For our meal we went all out because we wanted to try out as much as we possibly could. Like I mentioned previously, seafood is always the way to go for Jermaine and I.
My order: Lobster Melt + Butternut Squash
His order: Crab Po’ Boy + Kale Salad
Our order to share: Spicy Pork Meatballs in spicy meat sauce.
Plan is to make this short and sweet.
I highly recommend the crab po’ boy, the spicy pork balls in spicy sauce and the kale salad. The lobster melt while tasty and cheesy (I love cheese!), lacks in flavor. The cheese certainly overpowers the lobster and honestly the bread was a bit soggy.
On our next trip, I have my stomach set on the pork meatballs over top either polenta or mashed potatoes!
Seems like we aren’t the only ones who felt this about the lobster balls. Read the Washington Post opinion by clinking this link.
If you are a vegetarian or even vegan, there are plenty of options for you! Sadly- I did not try those so cannot offer any feedback.
What I would get just from the looks of them: classic meatball, polenta, mashed potatoes, and any meatball over the spicy meat sauce. I would suggest asking for a little kick in order to bring out the flavors!
But waittt there's DESSERT!!!
Whiskey Root Beer floats and ice cream sandwiches to be exact.
Jermaine who is not a huge dessert person stated “That’s the best cookie and ice cream I have had in a looonnngggg time” and I was too busy slurping my adult root beer float to have any comments.
Before anyone sends me an angry email, outfit details are coming soon. I have a separate post dedicated to the outfit I wore to eat all the meatballs. But I do have an insider tip for you: I sent them out in my newsletter a few days ago with a discount code. Be sure to subscribe so you do not miss out on future insider tips 🙂
So who wants to double date at the meatball shop with j and i?
Other publications mentioning the meatball shop: Capitol File
