where jess ate

After finding out I was going to DC for a work trip, Mike suggested I try Good Stuff Eatery, Spike Mendelsohn’s restaurant (we’re big Top Chef fans!). So, after doing some research, I hopped on the metro and got off at Capital South station. I was surprised to find myself in a very residential area. After walking a few blocks, I was starting to wonder if I misread the map on my computer and began to regret not investing in a US data pack for my phone. Luckily, after turning a corner, I finally made it to Good Stuff Eatery.

Good Stuff Eatery is a fast food joint with limited seating. The restaurant design is a loft-style and the main floor only had a few stools. I didn’t get a chance to go up to the second floor, but it didn’t seem to be very spacious. Since I was by myself, I was able to grab a stool on the main floor.

After reading the menu on the board, I decided on Spike’s Sunnyside burger – Dairy fresh cheese, applewood bacon, a farm fresh fried egg on a brioche bun with Good Stuff Sauce + lotsa napkins ($6.89). The patty was moist, juicy and cooked to perfection. The combination of the cheese, bacon and fried egg made the burger extremely greasy. Greasy goodness, that is! I couldn’t really taste the “Good Stuff Sauce” but the combination of all the ingredients was pretty tasty and as the menu indicated, you really do need a lot of napkins. Size-wise, the burgers here definitely aren’t very big. I was able to finish the burger pretty easily.

I thought about ordering some fries, but Cliff’s homegrown Vidalia onion petals ($3.49) piqued my interest. Since I’m a huge fan of onion rings, I decided to go with these, which I later regret. These “onion petals” were really onion nuggets. I think they would have been okay, if they were actually crispy. Even for my eat-in order, they put the container of the onion petals into a paper bag, which caused them to become all soggy. They were also way too greasy for my liking. I don’t recommend ordering these.

What I like about Good Stuff Eatery is their selection of condiments. You can help yourself to some Old Bay mayo, chipotle mayo, siracha mayo, mango mayo… oh and ketchup, too! I love condiments, so you can imagine my joy when I discovered they had several varieties of mayo. It’s just too bad they don’t have a garlic one. My favourite was probably the chipotle.

I wanted to order a drink and asked for Orange Pop ($1.95). The cashier asked me again what I was asking for. After saying “orange pop” a second time, he said “Ohhh, you’re from the mid-west?” and I finally realized the confusion. This actually happened also happened to me at Ben’s Chili Bowl when the cashier had no idea what I was asking for. I guess they go by “soda” here…oops!

So, my final thoughts? The burger was pretty good. Although, with so many other burger joints around the city, I’m not sure if I’d go out of my way for this place if you’re not already in the area.

At a glance:
• Enjoyed Spike’s Sunnyside burger
• Not a huge fan of the onion petals
• Fast-food burger joint

Ratings (out of 5):
• Food: 3.5 stars
• Service: N/A
• Atmosphere: 3 stars