Cowgirl Creamery

Sad to see this place close.
Came across this cute store while walking around DC. Employees were super sweet and offered free samples of their cheeses. They were attentive and helpful. Items are on the pricier side but everything we tasted was fresh and flavorful.
Decided to get a sampler of cheeses. The Red Hawk was our favorite and the Mt Tam was our second fave. So creamy, clean and cool. An employee suggested the Sea Salt and Olive Oil Crackers to go with the cheeses. She was absolutely correct. So good!
Overall, we were really glad to have stumbled upon this place.

So sad to hear this location closed. It was one of my favorite cheese spots in DC. Although a little pricey, I was definitely satisfied with their offerings!

When my coworker asked me if I wanted to take a break for free wine and cheese tasting at Cowgirl Creamery, my answer was obviously YES PLEASE. On Fridays from 4 – 6, you can sample two wines, a handful of cheeses, and a few sandwiches. The sampling was definitely worth a few missed emails. The staff was very friendly, telling us where the different cheeses were made and helped us taste each cheese’s subtle flavors.
I returned here to buy a gift for this same coworker for Secret Santa – because who wouldn’t want a block of cheese for the holidays? I barely know the difference between parmesan and mozzarella, so I was in need of some serious guidance. Luckily the woman working was extremely helpful and helped me narrow my selection down to two cheeses. I purchased two half wheels of cheese– one with mushroom undertones and another with a slightly spicy flavor. My coworker enthusiastically gave the cheese two thumbs up.
This cheese is very high quality, but this quality comes with a rather large price tag. The items here make nice gifts, however I (unfortunately) don’t think I can afford to shop here for all of my cheese-​related needs.

I needed a specific cheese they sell for an essential part of a birthday present and was told to come back at lunch. I came back at lunch, was told to come back tomorrow. I came back tomorrow. Was told to come back at lunch. Came back at lunch. Was told to come back after lunch. I didn’t come back.
4 separate trips and I came back with no birthday present and $ 9.00 crackers.
Don’t go here unless you somehow simultaneously have no job and make a lot of money… and then hire me.

Best cheese shop in town. This place makes me happy.
The people behind the cheese counter and very knowledgeable, and most of them are helpful and willing to provide you with samples (some are more enaging than others).
I particularly like the fact that you can get a half a wheel of their amazing brie cheeses, rather than having to buy an entire wheel and raise your cholesterol through the roof. I prefer the Red Hawk over the famous Mt Tam — and thanks to the staff, the sampling helped me realize this preference for Red Hawk.
The ham and brie sandwiches are amazing, btw.

This place is a real gem. The service, selection, and of course the cheese is to be celebrated. I recently brought my Mom here to help me pick out some cheese and charcuterie for a casual get together which prompted her to say, «oh this is so city» even more than she usually does. That’s what she says when she’s visiting and having a good time. Anyway, she loved all the free samples too because well, they’re delicious — and free. Aside from showing off and pretending like I eat this well on a daily basis, or that I know anything about cheese, everything the woman helped us pick out was a hit later so obviously I’m a fan.
Tip: try their Manchego cheese. It’s too good.

Great location, helpful and patient staff, and great selection. They just started carrying «Ipanema» which is an Irish-​style cows-​milk cheese. Mild, but full of flavor… it’s outstanding.
My only complaint is that it’s not open on Sundays.

It’s dangerous that Cowgirl Creamery is right across the street from my office. Not only can you fill up on some really good cheese, but you can also pick up some pâtés and charcuterie as well. With great service, you’ll never have trouble picking out what you need. But my normal visit consists of picking up one of the prepackaged sandwiches with their tomato soup, which I would highly recommend.
It can get a little bit pricey, so maybe not a daily trip, but definitely worth a visit every now and then.

Three words: infinite. cheese. samples.
They have a truly dizzying array of options, and if all you know about cheese is that you like it tasty, the welcoming staff is more than happy to give you some tips. I got specific recommendations to go with a particular dish I was preparing, as well as general info about what’s popular, what’s new, etc.
The downsides: it’s extremely expensive (don’t let your head spin when you see things offered for $ 30+ a pound), but not overly so for what they’re actually selling. Definitely more of a special-​occasion place than somewhere to snag some Velveeta on the way to a Superbowl party.
Also, you know, heart disease. And stuff.
But overall: delicious, and a precious gem to add to DC’s culinary crown.

I was perplexed at first when my colleague sent me here to pick up stuff for a staff party because I always assumed it was an ice cream shop based on the name. Two of us headed over here, instructed to get «a hard cheese, a soft cheese and a stinky cheese» and neither of us really knew anything about cheeses so we were a little nervous.
But the staff was SO friendly and helpful. A guy behind the cheese counter called us over and when we told him we didn’t really know much about the different type of cheeses he walked us through what they had, let us try samples and gave great suggestions. Having two cheese novices there who were paying with other people’s money, the guy could have really used the opportunity to stiff us and steer us toward their most expensive cheeses but he did not. He also helped us predict exactly how much of each type of cheese we would need for the amount of people at the party and told us when we were overestimating. Really helpful service and we both really liked the guy.
We ended up taking some type of blue cheese, a brie-​ish goatish like cheese and a hard cheese that was very yellow and had a long, weird name. All three were delicious, and everyone, including the one cheese connoisseur on the staff, was impressed with our choices. I personally was particularly impressed with the blue cheese — often blue cheese overwhelms me with a couple bites and has a bad aftertaste but this one I could shovel in all day. I actually took the serving plate back to my office and scraped every last morsel of the blue cheese off of it, it was THAT amazing. Cowgirl Creamery even sold some crackers to go with the cheeses and wines, and seem to have regular wine and cheese tasting events — yum! I would be happy to go back to that.
I need to find out the names of these cheeses and remember them, especially that blue cheese! But I was very impressed with the service above all, and I suggest anyone going there to take the advice of the cheese guy behind the counter — he seems to know his stuff! Next time I need a fancy cheese I know where I am going!

I have to echo May B’s review from May 2012. I also got the disdain from the cheese folks in the back when I asked to sample some of the cheese with the intent of buying some. The gentleman treated me like an idiot because he thought I knew nothing (au contraire mon frere — I have been to Cheesetique numerous times and am quite the foodie), and then got super butthurt when I wanted to try several different samples of ones he had not picked for me.
I enjoyed the Mt. Tam very much and was shocked to look at the price. There was a bleu cheese from Oregon that made my list along with a slice of Mimolette (which I’d had at a wine tasting in California and they recommended from there that I look it up in DC). The little tiny sliver of Mimolette was almost $ 9 alone. Eesh.
In addition to said cheeses, there was premade sandwiches, spreads, crackers, dessert sauces, chocolate bars, beers, and a hot drink bar. I picked up one of the dark chocolate bars, called «The Northern Bar», which contains pieces of maple pecan brittle. This is now my new favorite piece of chocolate. So, so decadent and tasty. I also picked up a small jar (and I do mean small) of vanilla bean caramel sauce (which I am not ashamed to admit that I ate straight from the jar with a spoon as soon as I got back to my car). For those three little pieces of cheese, the sauce, the chocolate, and a package of «adult cheez-it’s» (what we called them — they were large cheddar flatbread crackers) it set me back $ 50.
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag Ray.
Oh, I forgot to mention that we got two small cups of hot apple cider included in that $ 50 total. The cider was the best I’ve ever had — the spices were on point. The clove left a lingering delicious taste and I was a sad panda when it was all gone.
I’d definitely go back in a heartbeat for cider but for cheese I’m sticking to Cheesetique (for quality service and prices).

This is such a lovely, lovely cheese shop! Makes me feel like a Parisienne when I can walk down from my apartment to buy great cheese and well-​baked baguettes! All I’m missing is the black beret and bike with a basket.
The cheese is a little pricier… but it’s in a convenient location… and the establishment is quite novel. The two women who opened the creamery thought there should be more women in the cheese-​making business, so this the result of their efforts! Also, the staff is super helpful and will indulge you, answering your questions about cheese and complimentary wines.
I wish I could remember the cheese I really liked… there were two… the only one I can remember is the redding.
Note that they have beer tastings and cheese samplings on Thursday!

I am presently in cheese bliss. While in DC I noticed this amazing cheese store. I picked up a small round of Mt Tam and a couple of apples. The wine choices were fine, but I picked up a nice ApothicRed and then back in my room for cheese and wine… Loverly!

Get coffee, cheese, bread, beet and wine.
They have a unique drip coffee process… quite good.
Great location near the National Portrait Gallery.

Do it right and do it Cowgirl style.
This incredible Bay Area institution of artisan cheesemaking is available in the East Coast in DC. There are very few things that as a New Yorker that I’m jealous of in other cities, but DC’s having Cowgirl Creamery is one that makes me totally go green.
I waltzed into a cheese wonderland. Several different kinds of local and international artisan cheeses, along with other delicacies that go with cheese (jams, spreads, nuts, chocolate, crackers, etc).
As I oohed and sighed over each and every cheese, my bf remarked that it was rather easy to make me happy. Then he added that he wasn’t sure if that was a good thing because it meant that chocolate and cheese could easily replace him.
If it hadn’t been for a lack of refrigeration necessary for the soft cheeses, I could have easily bought a few pounds of cheese.

I’ve been to the Ferry Building location in SF on a regular basis so I was surprised to find this while simply walking toward Chinatown. It’s a decent sized location considering it is pretty narrow and not in an open space.
They have a wide variety of products here rather than just specializing in cheese. Just simply walking around, the cheesemonger gave me a sample of a Pacific Northwest Cheddar which was nutty and savory. Service is pretty good considering I wasn’t specifically looking for cheese. I am a fan of the Mt Tam but also their Point Reyes blue cheese. They have a lot of wine here as well as breads, condiments, and some equipment. One of my favorite things here is their fresh brewed Counter Culture coffee. Obviously, the price point is quite high but the quality is unsurpassed. Definitely, a place to splurge or if you’re looking for a specific item.

This was such a fun place to visit in DC — it was a must-​do for my visit and it helped that it was super-​close to the Spy Museum!
Their Mt Tam cheese was to die for. And I was simply overwhelmed by the selection! E and I grabbed some sandwiches and snagged a window seat for the perfect lunch with a view. Can’t wait to go back next time I’m in town :)

Anyone giving this location anything higher than 3 stars has probably never been to the San Francisco one. Boy, what a difference between the two!
San Francisco: People who are genuinely excited about cheese, willing to teach you about the various characteristics of their cheeses, and give you cooking/​prep tips.
DC: People who show up to work.
Seriously, I went recently and had the most lackluster experience ever. I’ve had better service from the Whole Foods cheese section! The quality and flavor (and price!) are on par with the SF location, but man, the service here really bummed me out. I felt as though I was bothering them with my questions and they were doing me some sort of grand favor by helping me out. I’ll definitely go back for the Mt. Tam (which is absolutely heavenly), but I won’t go out of my way for anything else.

For a long time, I think I’d assumed that pretty much everyone that worked around downtown knew about the greatness of Cowgirl Creamery. After all, anyone who’s tried the earthy Mt. Tam cheese has loved it. But apparently, as I learned around my office, no one had been to Cowgirl Creamery before. And they were even more astonished when I produced their sandwich menu. I let them know that they have been missing out on the best sandwiches in the area, and that is a difficult task when we have about 2 billion sandwich places within 4 blocks.
One of my past morning rituals was stopping in after getting off the Metro and grabbing a Bambini sandwich with gooey Mt. Tam and ham served on a ciabatta. Microwave this baby for 15 seconds and you have a delicious, not that bad for you, breakfast sandwich. The Wednesday sandwich, Mambo Italiano, with its delicious gruyère is literally in my top 3 for sandwiches all time. The Fall Back sandwich on Tuesdays, featuring prosciutto and Carmody cheese is also just incredible. I’m eager to try the Thursday sandwich, Ham and the Moon, which features ham, gouda and onion jam. The sandwiches are all premade, so it’ super fast to come in, grab one, and head back to your desk on busy days. There is no reason to ever go to the number of mediocre delis around here when Cowgirl Creamery is just sitting there with all their delicious products.
As far as cheese, you can’t go wrong with their Mt. Tam. I also buy my parmesan wedges from here as they are comparable in price to Harris Teeter but more convenient.
My good pal Will Y also hosted a great fondue party with the cheesemonger’s help and featured many of the great cheeses offered here.

No way. My coworkers in DC are within walking distance of this place? No way. Not fair! I have to get on the damn subway to get stellar cheese. Life is so unfair.
Of course, being Cowgirl Creamery cheese, they’re all amazing. The only thing that really sucks is that the tastes of cheese they give out are teeeeeeeeeeny. Come on. They also didn’t seem too eager to give out the samples. Maybe they get a lot of people just coming for a taste. That is unfortunate for the store owners, but why make the rest of us suffer? I settled on an aged Gouda. (Yum.)
They have daily sandwich specials. I obviously had to get the one wtih Virginia ham on it because that stuff is the bomb. I also got a package of cocoa nib cookies that are slightly salty and barely sweet. Reeeeally good.
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And yes, at SAVOR, I did ask the girl sitting on the other side of Jeff (yes, I leaned around him to talk to her) if I could have her untouched plate of cheese (small plate, during a paired beer and food tasting) because for god sakes, you can’t waste Cowgirl cheese! Sacre bleu!