Comet Ping Pong is a pretty cool little restaurant / bar / ping pong club located at 5037 Connecticut Ave. between Van Ness and Chevy Chase.

Cost – $$

Service – A-
Comet Ping Pong is very much a neighborhood spot and consequently, has a pretty friendly staff of waiters and bartenders. I’ve only been a couple times so interacted directly with the bartender mostly but I found him to be extremely helpful and friendly. Also, the food came out in pretty short order even though the restaurant was moderately populated. That being said, I have heard some people have different levels of experience with the staff here.

Food – B
It isn’t my favorite pizza in DC but it isn’t bad either. I would say not as good as the pizza at Italian Pizza Kitchen but far better than the pizza at any chain restaurant. Now, one differentiator is that you can get a little crazy with the pizza toppings there.

Decor – A
It is literally one of my favorite interiors in DC. The decor is so unique and hip that Comet Ping Pong would easily kill if it were in Dupont or Adams Morgan. It would even kill in the East Village in my opinion. Unfinished walls, big metal rafters, a large black and white photo collage, and impossibly hard to find restroom – all give Comet Ping Pong one of the coolest interiors in DC.

Feel – A-
As I mentioned already, I think Comet Ping Pong would probably be packed nightly if it were in a different part of town. That being said, I’m glad it is not because it would detract from the personality of the place. Comet Ping Pong is one of the venues in DC that truly has some character and depth. Not to mention three ping pong tables in a back room. It is a little difficult to get there via public transport. but definitely worthwhile for a Friday or Saturday evening.

What’s the Buzz:

January 7, 2007 – Staff Infection (Suburban Tasteland) – There are times when the food and ambience are secondary and tertiary in a restaurant experience. And our dinner at Comet Ping Pong was exactly one of those times. Though we enjoyed the pizza and the ambience was funky enough to be interesting, the staff was out of The Twilight Zone. Full Article…

October 21, 2006 – Review: Comet Ping-Pong Pizza (synaesthesia) – I’m excited to find another good pizza place nearby besides Angelico’s. Comet Ping-pong is a new venture from the folks at Buck’s, and it’s only about three blocks from my place. Full article…

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