Due South

I went here on a whim with my parents one evening and we all really enjoyed our meal. Our server was extra friendly and helped us decide on what to order. We sat on the patio which felt like dinner and a show with the people watching! I’d come here with a group for dinner or drinks because they had great large hi-​top tables. When you finish dinner, walk next door to Jubilee for dessert!

Came here while staying at a nearby navy yard hotel and was glad to seek this place out. The menu has some great items along with some special seasonal items like heirloom tomato salad and a pork chop that sounded great. I came here for the BBQ and wasn’t disappointed. The pulled pork was on point and was flavorful enough that it didn’t need the side sauce. The cheesy grits were fantastic as were the collard greens and cornbread. They have a nice craft beer menu including some rotating seasonals from Boulevard and Sweetwater Breweries. The dessert menu looked fantastic and tempting with cobbler, bread pudding and peanut butter pie, but I was too full from the main course (maybe next time). Staff were welcoming and helpful. I would return if in the area.

I ordered the special… Pork chops with potato hash and mustard greens. When my food came out it, they gave me a pork chop with some vegetable medley. When I told the waitress, she told me that the little bits of greenery in the vegetable medley was the mustard greens. It was a bit bizarre because the medley had more corn and okra than anything else… and the little bits of greenery in it was definitely not mustard greens. So then I asked her about the potato hash and responded with «maybe they ran out of it».
She comes back a few minutes later and tells me that they should be bringing me out my mustard greens and potato hash. So, if I never said anything I would have been eating food that I never ordered.
I later asked to speak to a manager and he comped our drinks… but I would have preferred getting the food I ordered initially than getting my drink comped.
How did it taste? Just okay. The pork chop was chewy in the middle and the potatoes were very under cooked. The mustard greens were pretty good. I tried the pulled pork and it was delicious. I would get that if I visit again.
Our waitress was friendly and so was all the staff we encountered. Portion sizes are decent in comparison to the cost. Despite my first experience not being that great, I would come back.
FYI — If you are in need of a stiff cocktail, try the Shoo-​Fly.

I’ve eaten here before and this place is a sore miss. They are racist with their practices and the food is rather mediocre. As someone who enjoys comfort food and Southern cuisine, there are better spots with similar price points that I encourage others to check out.

This place is so great. It’s an easy go to when you just want a good meal and good drinks with good company.
First and foremost, the service is wonderful. Everyone we interacted with was super friendly and accommodating.
Came here for brunch really wanting a good meal with a bottomless option. We all tried a bunch of things that were all pretty good. 1) The sausage gravy biscuits were tasty, but not the best I have ever had. I am a southern girl and pretty picky about my sausage gravy, so not sure if they had a fair chance. That being said, I would order again. Beware anything that has the homefries as a side-​they are spicy! Not in a bad way, just unexpected. 2) The hot chicken biscuit is HOT. It would have been better to have it on the side, because the chicken biscuit itself was great. 3) The veggie scrambler is satisfying. Again, the homefries are mixed in, so just be aware. A great option though. 4) The mac and cheese is awesome. I see a lot of people hating on it, but I happened to be with someone from Wisconsin who is SUPER particular about her cheese and mac and cheese and she ordered it not once, but twice in one sitting. 5) The strawberry shortcake dessert is unreal. It was ridiculously good. A MUST!
Also, the bottomless mimosas is great deal-​14 bucks. I never once had a chance to even have my glass half full. Our waitress was constantly filling to the brim. A lot of places aren’t that attentive when it comes to bottomless, so this was appreciated.
Will definitely be back to Due South for another meal!

Visit on game day for awesome specials! The Nats were playing in the background as we ordered a table full of smoked chicken wings, pork belly sliders and fries.
The wings MMM! So crispy with very light batter — I’ve never had wings like that! I’ll be back just for the wings! The fries were hot and crispy and perfect with the wings and beer! I’ll probably pass on the pork belly sliders though — even for sliders, they were so tiny and the pork belly was tough.
The service was pretty slow even though it was a weeknight and didn’t seem that busy. But, I do want to come back on a nice day just to chill with friends on the waterfront patio (super cute!) and try their regular menu!

I was super excited to come here because I Visit DC fairly often and I love the variety of good food here but I was slightly disappointed. As far as décor due south is very nice good bar area, big tvs for the sports lovers
I had the shrimp and grits with kale, the gravy in the original dish is cooked with Ham I don’t eat meat so I asked for the plain gravy minus the ham the request was made but the gravy was still salty almost like it had been cooked with ham not saying they did just moral of the story my dish was a tad bit on the salty side
But the grits were made perfectly the shrimp was plump and juicy and the added kale was a nice touch
I added the baked mac N cheese as a bonus to my meal which in fact was not baked the chef basically mad Mac and cheese like Stove top, then put cheese on top of it, put it in the oven just long enough to melt the cheese, then took it out and served it definitely not impressed maybe if I go back I will try something different

Not a huge fan of southern food so read my review with that in mind.
I thought the menu was trying to be too creative. The mac and cheese did not impress me.

Great location adjacent to Yards Park, and the décor is great to match. The outdoor seating is very close to the fountains in the park, which created great ambiance for our post-​ballgame, pre-​late night date.
The star for me was the brisket, which is flat out delicious, and served atop creamy grits with a side of okra that is seasoned with a sauce that tastes similar to curry. Whatever it was, it was good. Very unique flavor for a brisket dish, but right on point. We also tried the pulled pork sandwich. It comes with fries and collard greens. It was good, as well, especially the collards, and a very filling portion. They had an ok beer list (maybe 30 options), with way too many dang ipas but two porters that came through in the clutch.
Service was solid but the host was terrible. We almost left before the meal started. It was Saturday night, it was the baldish guy with the whitish beard. He was very rude to the couple in front of us, and when it was our turn, we asked to sit on the patio, and he said no and that the demand for the patio was so great they were «turning walk ins away.» So he took us back to the dining area where we realized only about two thirds of the inside seats were taken and more than half of the patio tables were unoccupied. What a joke. We asked the server to move us, and she obliged. But c’mon man, we made a reservation wanting to sit outside, and the place was mostly empty.

Shrimp and grits was excellent. Seared ahi was nasty. Left half, about $ 15’s worth on the plate. Terrible beer pour. See pic. Bartender blames owner’s instructions. Was offered a «few more ounces». Wtf? Sure, give me three ounces of IPA in a shot glass, that’ll make me happy. Table next to me got a full pour. He didn’t let the head settle and made an excuse. Bad form. Place is too hit or miss for a third visit.

I am loving all of the restaurants popping up on the water in this area. This is the second one I’ve tried and enjoyed very much. The shrimp and grits were heavenly and the brisket was tasty as well — I love when barbecue sauces are more vinegar based. Very cute place, good menu, not too expensive. Our waiter was a little bit sassy/​curt but it was almost 10pm so I can understand being a little worn out. Otherwise great experience — def recommend some grabbing some southern food from here.

Had brunch here with a group of twelve. When reading Unilocal reviews, I usually skip to the next one after reading that first line. Group-​of-​twelve reviews usually complain about poor service, or lack of drink refills or something along those lines. Our service was great. Our bottomless mimosas were never empty and the atmosphere of the room was happy, fun and a bit loud (because of us).
The food itself was bland. My wife had a burger and it was … a burger, nothing special. My brisket hash was unique in that it consisted of a large dice of potatoes and meat, but there were only a few pieces of under seasoned meat and the dish itself was room temp./cold. My cup of stew was piping hot, but was a watery broth.
The service shined throughout the meal. The food did not.

I’ve heard some whispering that Due South makes the most bangin’ Nashville Hot Chicken in town so like any good Master Junior Detective I decided to investigate further.
I am sad to report that the case is still pending since I was informed that this was a seasonal special when I sat down. It was hard to stay mad though — the service is super cordial and the restaurant handsome with nice, heavy chairs and tons of windows to let in the sunlight.
The menu is unabashedly Southern featuring everything from hush puppies to pimento cheese dip to Brunswick Stew. I decided to go with the featured dish of the day which was their meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans.
Meatloaf is something that is hard to mess up but they really elevated the flavor profile with the smokiness throughout. Nary a lump in sight in the creamy mashed potatoes. I wish the green beans were a bit too crisp for my liking but a mushy alternative would have been much worst.
A few things:
+ The charbroiled oysters are plump, sweet and juicy but would taste a million times better with some melted cheese on top. Cus let’s face it melted cheese makes everything taste better.
+ The soap dispenser in the women’s bathroom is too high. Like Andre the Giant high, it would benefit shorties like me to move it down a notch or two.
Other than that, I’ll definitely be back for some of that Nashville Hot Chicken!

Our meal at Due South was very enjoyable. We were there for a long dinner and were able to try a good amount of the menu. Our server was really helpful and gave great recommendations. We had the following items:
Drinks
–Shoo Fly Punch
–Dixie 75
-.38 Special
–Old Fashioned
Food
–Pimento Cheese and Crab dip
–Black Kale Salad
–Carolina Pulled Pork Platter
–Baked Mac and Cheese
Everything we tried was delicious. I especially enjoyed the kale salad and the Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was creamy and mild and I particularly liked the orecchiette pasta. The portions were sizeable and 3 of us were able to share what we ordered and be full. The food was reasonably priced but in true DC fashion the drinks were pricey. Overall our experience was good and I would definitely try it out again.

Today was my third experience at Due South. Both my husband and I have been SO, SO impressed every time we have gone. I had to finally write a review!
By far the best BBQ I’ve had in the city. I would say this place is more on the «fancier» side of BBQ. We’ve tried a lot: Mac ‘n Cheese (YUMYUM), Brisket (YUM), Pulled Pork (YUMYUM), Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich (WOW…YUM). Could not be disappointment with any of the choices we have made. Everything had us stuffing our faces and probably weighing a couple pounds more but it was totally worth it! Today we also had the Caramel Apple Pecan Cake and just WOW, so good, I’d go just to have that! Handcrafted cocktails were great and decently priced as well.
Service has always been superb here! Friendly service from waiters that actually seem like they like their job and enjoy serving you (a little hard to find in DC). Even when busy we haven’t had any issues with not being checked on. Twice we were checked on by the manager on duty to ensure all was well. I called before we went today and explained that I was on my over with my family and just wanted to know the wait time. The hostess who answered the phone happily put our name down ahead of time and we had a minimal wait time when we arrived! This is great especially when you’re traveling with two young kids!
Love the atmosphere of the restaurant, country chic. You can easily walk in wearing jeans and a t-​shirt and feel comfortable or even dress up a bit and not be out of place… a happy medium.
This is going to become one of our regulars and a definite spot we will be telling friends and family about. Bravo Due South!

3.75 Stars
As you might guess from the name, Due South is a Southern themed restaurant. Menu items include such Southern classics as Brunswick stew (sans the squirrel), shrimp and grits, and of course, fried chicken. The location is a rather small corner space in the former Navy Yard lumber shed that faces away from the Anacostia River.
Despite it’s pedigree (It’s owned by Georgetown Events’ Bo Blair and Chef Rusty Hollman of Bayou and Eatonville selection contest fame is behind the stove), I left the restaurant somewhat underwhelmed. I had a hankering for BBQ, so I went for half a rack of ribs. While tasty, I thought they could have done some more time in the smoker to render more of the fat. The accompanying red cabbage slaw, sea Island red peas with ham hock was quite good and helped to cut down the fattiness of the ribs.
This is not to say Due South is not without its charms. As one would expect from a Bo Blair product, the bar program is quite strong. Behind the long concrete bar you’ll find 16 draft beers, which on my visit included local favs Hardywood Singel and Star Hill Snow Blind. And, as you would imagine in a southern restaurant worth it’s salt, they have quite the Bourbon selection; 50 to be exact. Personally, I think Due South functions better as a far with good food rather than a destination restaurant, but your mileage may vary.

A good friend and I visited Due South, a new spot on the waterfront in SW and it did not disappoint. When we arrived, we were seated in the main dining room (very heavy chairs lol) and given the menus and daily specials.
Our server was very polite and courteous. He highly recommended the corn bread, so we decided to order it. The corn bread was served in an iron skillet with a maple butter which was just okay. The actual corn bread was tasty!
I ordered the shrimp and grits, which was yummy and my friend ordered the jambalaya, which was VERY flavorful!!! We also ordered a side of collard greens to share (very small serving) that I liked enough to finish lol The collared were definitely not cooked the way my southern parents used to cook them, but they were decent.
Overall, I enjoyed this restaurant and would definitely recommend it if visiting the SW waterfront for a nice dinner

Nope.
I was really excited to try this place since everything on the menu sounds so good but in the end I just was not impressed.
The restaurant is small. Much smaller than what it looked like from the outside. When we arrived, we were shoved into a very cramped high-​top for 2 people. Luckily no one sat next to us but if they had, we would have probably been rubbing elbows. The stools were actually very uncomfortable as I constantly felt like I was going to fall out.
Our server was nice but towards the end, she kept disappearing for long periods of time. She would even look over and see u trying to get her attention but then turn around and keep wiping the silverware and whatever other busywork she was doing.
The food did not impress. I went back and forth between the BLTE (BLT with egg and avocado) and the pulled pork sandwich but after being told that the bbq was NC style with the meat not having any flavor, I opted for the BLTE. It was the sorriest excuse for a BLT that I had ever received. When you think of a BLT, you expect to get a hearty portion of the star of the show: bacon, however all I got on the sandwich was two very thin strips of bacon… TWO. Throughout most of the sandwich, all you can taste is bread and the green goddess spread that they use. While the bread was good, I did not pay $ 14 for a piece of bread. The saving grace of the meal was the delicious potato salad that was served on the side but still, not worth $ 14.
Oh yeah, and it cost $ 4 for a cup of Bigelow tea (the same tea I get for free at work and in my apartment building’s lobby). $ 4 for a pack of cheap tea and a cup of hot water is quite excessive, especially when bottomless coffee was $ 3.
I don’t think I’ll be returning after my mediocre experience.

I recently visited Due South for brunch with a couple of girlfriends. We stopped by late afternoon on a Saturday, and it was the perfect pick me up. Located in the up-​and-​coming Navy Yard area, this spot deserves all the praise it’s been getting!
As far as the food goes, I highly recommend the Squash Puppies, served with Roasted Jalapeño Aioli, as an appetizer. As my brunch meal, I ordered the steak and eggs with mac and cheese. All of it was delish!
Our server was attentive and prompt and the ambiance was relaxing. I can’t wait to go back.

Stopped by here after leaving National Park. Heard about it from a great bartender at Bobby Van’s (Laura). The location is very nice right by the Potomac River. Immediately walking in, you’re smacked in the face with the aroma of smoked meats. The décor is very reminiscent of an dock house.
I sat at the bar and ordered the Blvd tank 7 farmhouse ale. It was amazing. High gravity beer with a very balanced taste. For appetizers, the wings were very good. The seasoning alleviated the need for dipping sauce. The combination of smoke and heat was very satisfying. The Brunswick stew is also a winner. For the main course, I ordered the 12-​hour smoked brisket. I still have dreams over how good that brisket was. Delicate, but not mushy, smoky, but not overcooked. Every bite was a pleasure. The grits and okra that accompanied it created my smoked meat soulmate. Too good for words. The service was also excellent. Can’t wait to go back again.