Matchbox – Merrifield

Nice brunch for Father’s Day, though we skipped mimosas and such. Steak and eggs were very good. Cinnamon rolls came on a skillet, with an icing-​like sauce that was less sweet than expected… rolls were slightly undercooked but okay. Excellent customer service overall.

The weather was great out and we ended up here on a Fri night to enjoy good food outside. The wait was about 45 minutes, as they have limited outdoor seating. We went to the bar and ordered some drinks and the mini trio appetizer (scallops, crabcake and mini burger with fried shallots) which were ok. However, Crab cakes were mostly filler and had a fishy taste. By the time we finished our table was ready. My gf ordered the ribeye and I ordered the crispy Asian short ribs, which were forgettable. The ribeye was disappointing as it was over cooked and very tough. The manager came over with the standard apology and ordered another a ribeye, which was just as bad.

This is the perfect place to go to with friends! The atmosphere is relaxing and casual. My friends and I ordered four (small) pizzas and shared them. We got the chicken pesto, q special, fire + smoke, and mark’s pepperoni + banana peppers. Honestly, all of them were really good– really flavorful, crunchy, and just the right amount of sauce. The pizzas are a bit pricey but they’re high quality (you get what you pay for right?).
Also, the service was on point. The staff was very attentive!

Went in here after a movie with my boyfriend… Thought the place was aesthetically pleasing and clean. However, after being seated our waiter addressed us with rude and short bursts of conversation which completely ruined our appetites and experience. We started with the crab soup, which came out two degrees above cold and the ceviche, which my boyfriend said was just ok. However, our waiter never once stopped by to ask how anything was or else I would have sent back my soup for sure… who likes cold soup? Anyways we were starving and kinda just meh’d through our appetizers and hoped the entrees would be better. They weren’t. We shared a small pizza and asked if he could add ricotta to the pizza… no ricotta was added. The pizza was actually the only thing edible. We also shared the Italian sausage pasta… which was watery and bland and tasted like hamburger helper.
No water refills by our server… had to track down a food runner. Also, had to ask another server for our bill. When our original waiter returned with the check, my boyfriends card slipped out onto the floor and he just walked away. After the entire thing, I was so irritated that I didn’t even tip him. Mind you, I am usually a 25%-30% tipper and have never stiffed anyone in my life.
After leaving, we made it a point to speak to the manager, Alex, who looked a little surprised by our disapproval of both the food and the service… but he was at least nice and that goes for something in my book.
We are not the type to seek free food or discounts and in fact, both work in the food industry as servers ourselves. We understand things happen and not everything is perfect all the time. However, there were way too many strikes to be left unwarranted.
To end my wonderful night, I was up until 4:00 AM vomiting from the food I had eaten there. Most likely the cold soup which might have been left out for too long… Regardless, maybe worth a chance as I see better reviews than mine but whew… I will never step foot in there again. Plenty of other delicious restaurants in Mosaic District.

My boyfriend and I were craving pizza so we swung by to get some.
We sat down and it was a bit of an inbetween shifts kind of hour, so the service was pretty slow. I even saw the servers playing rock, paper, scissors for what looked like who had to take a table. They definitely also seemed a bit shorthanded as everything took longer than it should have.
We started out with small salads, both drenched in dressing. I am a firm believer that restaurants should NOT do this. You can always add, but you can never remove it once added.
We then got the matchbox meat, the prosciutto and fig, and the ovendried tomato/​mozzarella pizzas to share. I am not a huge fan of meat on my pizzas so the first one was ok to me. The second was great, but I feel the chunks of fig were too big, and I would prefer smaller pieces more spread out. The ovendried tomato and mozzarella was also pretty good.
Overall I would say that the quality was average, not bad but not great. I am still waiting to find pizza in VA/​DC area that blows me away.
Not sure if I would return. Wouldn’t say no, but it wouldn’t be my first choice.

I went here late on a Friday night and wanted a seat by the bar. The hostess was very fast in keeping us up to date on when a table will be clean. Once we sat down we got waters and was promptly greeted with a drink menu. We ordered beer/​wine and the classic dessert which was AMAZING. Previously we ordered their dessert sampler and was sad to see it was taken off the menu but their burger sampler was awesome.
I have not tried an entrée here yet but from the looks of thinks I am pretty sure its Amazing as well.

Great atmosphere, food selections and of course your favorite beverages! I usually sit at the bar area for the vibe and quicker service. Just my preference.
Parking can be tricky. Several garages, as well as on street parking IF are lucky enough to get that. I prefer the lot over the Chipotle.

Matchbox has faired fell for me every timeI have visited. The craft pizza market is really blowing up, but can be overdone and exhausting. Matchbox has done a really good job of keeping their pizza simple enough to be approachable, yet it’s intricate enough to still be exciting and different.
Everything is done in wood and tooled steel, and the dining room and bar area are kept dim. It gives things and nice relaxed feeling, but there is still an air of intimacy.
The drink menu is extensive. They have a great selection of beer and wine on tap, as well as other great beer, wine, and cocktails.
Why you really go to Matchbox is for the food. The menu is well thoughout. Their appetizers feature multiple seafood options which is the way a meal should progress. Aside from just seafood they have great appetizers including the «ginormous meatball» which is a succulent and delicious meatball made for sharing, as well as chickpea fries.
Their salads are the best. I can say with no guilt that I am addicted to their ability tuna salad. It is filled with ahi tuna, soba noodles, wonton straps, and it’s just a bowl of delicious.
I hear good things about the burgers, but the pizza is where I usually go to. My favorite is the prosciutto and black mission fig, but really all the pizza is worth a try. The oven-​dried tomato and fresh mozzarella is another favorite if you’re looking for something a bit more simple. If you can’t decide and you and ½ and ½ or create your own.
Service can be spotty. I’ve had great servers here, but other times I have felt it could be better. That really doesn’t bother me too much as the food and atmosphere is worth the drop in.

Tried Matchbox once and not sure why I haven’t been back.
I had their Bistro Burger ($ 15) and it was one hell of a burger. Big, premium tasting Angus beef with decadent Gorgonzola cheese melted on top. It also included Cremini mushrooms that could honestly stand on its own with how much flavor it had. The applewood smoked bacon was thickly cut and is everything you’d want out of a burger that includes bacon. The meal was partnered with beer-​battered onion rings which complimented the size of the burger very well. Matchbox also serves Allagash beer which is my absolute favorite beer regarding taste. I mean come on… tasty burgers and delicious beer can win anybody over; am I right?
I’m really puzzled why I haven’t been back, but I’m sure tempted to now that I’ve read over my review!

I’ve dined at Matchbox almost a bazillion times over the course of my life. My feelings are usually pretty lukewarm when being forced to dine there — usually to accommodate big groups of people with unadventurous palettes. But then I walk out and think «Hot Damn! That was a good ass meal!»
Matchbox does pizza and burgers (and even salads and roasted chicken) right. Those onion tangles on their signature sliders stop my heart figuratively and literally every single time. Their pizza has a nice thin slightly charred crust which can hold mounds and mounds of fresh toppings. I go weak for their tiny little meatballs and pepperonis which crisp up ever so nicely on the edges and when I’m feeling splurgey/​healthy I add arugula on top.
Their serving sizes are generous so you will most likely have to be rolled out when eating here but if you have space for it, please order «The Classic» which is a ooey, gooey, warm chocolate brownie with fresh chopped mint on top and vanilla ice cream. It has all the flavor or an Andes Mint and a Thin Mint wrapped up in an overflowing hot and cool dessert. You can thank me later!

Great brunch location!
The New Orleans French Toast– Its soft and fluffy french toast with strawberries and candied pecans drizzled with caramel rum syrup is the perfect dish to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings.
Veggie Frittata — cremini mushrooms, roasted red peppers, goat cheese, spinach, basil pesto served with brunch potatoes. It’s a hearty and savory dish and it was deeeelicious.
Good service, reasonable price, great food and ambience. It does get pretty loud so I wouldn’t come here if you’re looking for someplace quiet. Overall, a solid place for brunch– I’ll be coming back to try their dinner next time I’m in town!

Couldn’t wait to get home and write this review.
WoW! I’m very impressed by this place. I first noticed Matchbox a couple weeks ago in Woodbridge. My friend and I decided to venture out to Merrifield for dinner this evening when we came across Matchbox at the Mosaic.
Everything was wonderful from the time we stepped foot into the establishment until the last minute that we left. The greeters were very welcoming and gentle with us as we walked in impressed by the vibe of the venue. They kindly held the door open for us and walked us to our table. The interior had a smoky scent and feel, definitely matches the name :) we were instantly welcomed by our waiter Justin. He was so patient and soft spoken. Justin truly made the experience that much better. We decided to go with the Crab soup which was recommended and I got their pear and apple salad while my friend decided to go with the burger.
I didn’t try the burger so I can’t comment on it but the soup and salad were phenomenal. So light, filled with flavor and truly refreshing. I walked out of the restaurant feeling satisfied, not over stuffed and in pain.
Justin explained how the restaurant originated around the idea of pizza but they’re slowly moving away from that concept. I cannot wait to go back for rounds 2,3,4 & 5 ;)
I would highly recommend this place to any and everyone. Great for events or a first dinner date!

I’m not the biggest fan of Matchbox, but it seems like a place people always want to eat at. This was my first time at this location, I usually go to the Rockville one in MD. I know this is supposed to be a pizza place, but I usually order their 3.6.9 sliders. You get to choose what cheese you want and it comes with a mound of fried onions. I like the options of being able to half the pizza if you can’t decide on which one to get, but it is a little pricey to be going to for lunch (if you eat alot like me). I’ve tried the following pizzas in order of ranking:
+ fire and smoke — probably my favorite one. it says «very spicy» but to me, it was the right amount of spice.
+ prosciutto + black mission fig — my second favorite. it sounds weird but its a good blend of flavors. definitely worth a try.
+ spicy meatball — this one is pretty good, again, i didn’t think the meatballs were spicy.
+ mark’s pepperoni + banana peppers — pretty standard pepperoni pizza, plus i love banana peppers.
+ q special — nothing special, just your normal pizza with chicken if that’s what you’re in the mood for
+ chicken pesto — it was really greasy, not what I was expecting
So I’ve tried a fair amount of their pizzas, but I still favor the sliders over all the pizzas I’ve had! The crab + avocado tower is pretty good as an appetizer also, and the mini trio where you get a bunch of everything. The tomato mozzarella arancini kinda reminded me of their version of mozzerella sticks. Clearly, I’ve been here too many times to have tried this many things on the menu. Very nice casual setting restaurant.

Every now and then, I have cravings for an American restaurant and this place did a great job satisfying my cravings. I came here for brunch to catch up with a few friends.
The ambience of this place is portrays a warmth wood cabin theme. The service was great — we were greeted nicely by the host and then waited a little bit before shown to our table. Our server did a great job; he was very patient when taking our order. In addition, he took the time to tell us the house special!
The cinnamon rolls are a decent order If you’re hungry and you want something to start on before brunch or lunch. The dough for the cinnamon rolls was extremely delicious — it was fluffy and light. As for the flavor, it was not quite all there. Sadly, it didn’t have enough cinnamon and sugar inside of it. As for the icing, it was too thin and sadly wasn’t enough to pull the cinnamon roll together.
I had the crab cake Benedict and this was a super scrumptious meal. (Highly recommend this!) The crab cake Benedict is wrapped like a ring with crispy bacon, is served with chipotle hollandaise, sweet potatoes, a poached egg and to finish it off — frisée lettuce. THe ratio of the sweet potato to the crab cake was perfect. Most restaurants give you a small crab cake and more carbs, but that wasn’t an issue here. The flavor of everything on my plate was great. The only issue with my dish was my poached egg. My egg wasn’t runny when I cut into it. Instead, the center of the egg was a cooked yolk.
Side note: Matchbox puts a lot of thought into their to-​go boxes! Instead of boring white styrofoam boxes, they have these plastic to-​go containers that fit perfectly into their customized cardboard bag. Obviously this restaurant put a lot of thought into their business and overall customer experience.
I will definitely be back to try other dishes here, especially their pizza!

Before the Matchbox in Merrifield opened, I had frequented the one in DC and had high expectations for this one in Mosaic. They have been met.
I have gone several times since it has opened — a couple times just for drinks after dinner and a couple times to sit down and have a meal. The service has always been prompt and I have never ran into a bad situation with its servers. The ambiance is relaxed, crisp, and clean.
Food is great. They are known for their pizzas but you will still be fine with anything else on the menu. From the appetizers, I love the crab soup, 3.6.9 burger sliders (served with onion rings on top), and the mussels. Main course The Bloody Mary Burger is definitely hefty but if you come hungry, I’m confident that you can finish it and walk away happy. The Prosciutto White is one that I like but if you want to play it safe the pepperoni is still delicious!
When it comes to drinks, they are known for their wines on tap (yes, like beer but better). The cocktails are also great — they make a mean Moscow Mule, or excuse me, Matchbox Mule.
Go for a dinner party or for drinks & apps. You’ll have a great time!

Stopped by with some friends and I had a great experience. Our server was super friendly and the atmosphere was really nice.
I liked the fact that they didn’t have a lot going on on the menu, but I still had a hard time deciding what I wanted because it all sounded really good. The prices were a little bit on the higher side, but the quality of the food made up for it.
The food came out quickly and the playing was nice. We all decided to share so we could try some of everything. We decided on the Tuna Tartar, Mini Burgers and Mini Trio.
Tuna Tartar: I loved everything that came on the plate. The chips, the wasabi sauce, and the tuna. The cucumber slices that came with it brought a fresh, clean element to the chips and the texture of the tartar.
Mini Burgers: I LOVE that it came with the fried onion straws on top. You could eat it like fries or put some in your burger. I could see why people would potentially want 9 of these, but we were okay with 3. I usually find mini burgers to be lackluster, but I loved the way all the ingredients complimented each other to make for a really great mini burger.
Mini Trio: It came with bunless mini burgers with Gorgonzola and some more fried onion straws on top. I do think that it would have been better if there was a bun. It also came with mini crab cakes and pan seared scallops. I loved the mini crab cakes, but I think the scallops were slightly over cooked. I don’t think they were anything super special, but it did taste really good. I wish it came with some kind of sauce.
Overall, it was a good experience and I’m definitely open to going there again. There are several menu items that I would really like to try.

Should be a 5 based on service alone. Love the fact a Matchbox is closer to my place… And without the crazy long waits too. We had excellent service. Our server, Adam either really loves his job or loves working with people because it reflected in his service.
We wanted some late nite bites. We opted for the 9 sliders with assorted cheeses and a large pizza. The sliders were perfect, medium… They really hit the spot. Our large pizza was ½ onion sausage, ½ pesto chicken. It was good but the pesto chicken was a little dry to me… Kinda cardboard like.
As for desserts we ordered the churros, PB dessert and vanilla ice cream. The churros was kinda fluffy, but good. Not your usual churros (dense) consistency, and the PB was umm hard?
Matchbox always has a good vibe. We will definitely come back.

You can’t go wrong with a flavor-​packed, thin and crispy crusted Matchbox Pizza.
My boyfriend and I were looking for a dinner at the Mosaic District one Saturday evening, and Matchbox fit the bill after a few other establishments turned out to have long waiting times. Merrifield’s Matchbox, conveniently located near the Angelika theater for any movie-​goers, carries on the tradition found at its other restaurants with consistently good service and food.
Food-​wise, we got half of the «Q Special» and half «Chicken Pesto» on our pizza. My boyfriend really wanted to try the Asian Shortribs, so we ordered that as well. The pizza was great. The smaller size is definitely more than enough for one person, and I ended up sharing most of it with my boyfriend. I definitely recommend trying two specialties by splitting the pizza half/​half as well. Overall, I think I preferred the Chicken Pesto to the Q Special — I really just love that Basil-​y, Garlicky goodness. The Asian Shortribs were fork-​tender, boneless ribs served on a bed of pickled veggies and rice. I think the overall intention was good, but because of all of the different flavors mixing together, it became a bit overwhelming for my palette.
Service-​wise, our server was attentive, prompt, and helpful in explaining menu choices. Can’t complain! Matchbox is a chain, but with its ambience, revolving menu options, and good service, they definitely provide an above average dining experience.

My bf and I come in all the time since it’s right next to the Angelika film center. It’s our go to spot for dinner and drinks before a movie if we can’t decide on where to eat before. Service is good and pretty consistent.
Some things we’ve tried:
Crab and avocado tower– delicious, fresh and something I could munch on all night but a little steep at $ 17 for an appetizer
Ginormous meatball– yum, this is well seasoned and comes with a giant piece of bread to dip in the tomato sauce surrounding the giant meatball. $ 14, we get this all the time but sometimes it tastes too much like the cast iron it comes served in– a little off putting but it’s only tasted like this two times out of the many times we order it
Cream of crab soup– so delicious, rich and savory with just the right amount of that crabby taste $ ⁶⁄₉
3.6.9 mini burgers– good sliders but not mind blowing– $ 10÷18÷23
Crispy Asian short ribs– really good– my bf’s favorite here $ 25
Pizza: we ask for extra well done just bc I don’t like soggy bottom pizza. We’ve tried the fire & smoke– thought the garlic chunks were a little over powering, pepperoni– can never go wrong with pepperoni, marks pepperoni and banana peppers– even better than the pepperoni, spicy soppressata salami and wild mushroom– good flavors, prosciutto and black mission fig– good, you get the sweet and salty savory for your taste buds. You can always do what we do and get half and half and get 2 different pizzas in one! $ ¹⁵⁄₂₃
Cast iron steak & eggs– everything sat on top of what seemed like too much egg. Everything also tasted like that off putting cast iron skillet. Probably won’t try this again. $ 14
Crab cake Benedict– delicious! Another bf favorite
$ 15

There are few restaurants where I can say I have never had a bad meal, but this is one of them. I have been here several times and have never been anything but pleased.
I have eaten from the brunch menu, salads, pizza and sandwiches and they’re all delicious. Furthermore the service and ambiance is great here.
A great place if you want varied American food.