Joy by Seven Reasons

My friend and I decided to have brunch at Joy before heading to a play that afternoon and we were absolutely delighted! The food and the beautiful decor stood out. It reminded me of it's sister restaurant, Imperfecto in DC, which I also love. Here are my takeaways:EnvironmentWe visited Joy for an early Saturday brunch and were surprised by how quiet it was - there were only two or three other parties there. We had reservations, but honestly, you probably don't need them at that time. I imagine it gets busier later in the morning or afternoon. The space is gorgeous and airy, with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The restaurant opens up to the outdoor area, which would be perfect on a nice day.ServiceThe service was excellent. Our server was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed. He guided us through the menu with great suggestions, and the food came out quickly. Everything about the dining experience felt smooth and enjoyable.FoodThe food was great! The standout for me was the arepa croquettes--so flavorful and delicious. You get two short rib and two cheese croquettes, and honestly, all of them hit the spot. I also had the Joy Benedict, which I really enjoyed and would definitely order again. My friend had the chicken and waffles and loved it too. There are so many other items on the menu that I'm excited to try when I return.OverallJoy by Seven Reasons is truly a gem! From the tasty food and good drinks to the welcoming atmosphere, it has so much to offer. I can't understand why there weren't more people there during our visit, but I know I'll definitely be back to explore more of the menu.

KenScale: 8.0/10Visit: June 2023My wife Jun and I usually visit restaurants in DC for our culinary journey in the DMV area. Not only does DC's dining scene have a lot more delicious restaurants, but the dining scene in Maryland's Montgomery County where we live is fairly boring. That dearth of destination worthy restaurants has slowly begun to change since our arrival a couple of years ago. And a good starting point with that positive development is the recently opened Joy by Seven Reasons in Chevy Chase. As much as we are huge fans of the Venezuelan chef Enrique Limardo and his flagship restaurant Imperfecto, I felt at times the chef may be expanding too rapidly (in addition to his original Seven Reasons and Imperfecto, he also opened Joy as well as a new Spanish restaurant called The Saga), which more often than not could negatively impact the quality of each individual restaurant. With that concern in mind, we visited Joy with fairly modest expectations. It turned out that Joy is so much more than an average suburban neighborhood restaurant. As the restaurant's name suggests, there is something quite whimsical and fun with all the dishes we tried at Joy, which features Latin American cuisine with its own distinct touch. I don't recall ever seeing swordfish in tostada before, but I encourage more restaurants to try this combination, just like Joy very skillfully put together with strawberry chile de arbol sauce and trout roe caviar for a perfect summer dish. I certainly never had scallops with parmigiano, and yet Joy delivered a major pleasant surprise in the form of Peruvian scallops with the cheese on top. Another standout dish of the night was a fairly humble one with green rice inside of roasted tomato and fried egg on top. I seriously could have this dish for a meal every day, with the texture of the rice, tomato and egg blending quite seamlessly. Since its opening, the restaurant has gained fame for its $65 colossal short rib sandwich. With the short rib braised for 16 hours, it is the sandwich of pure decadence. We were running out of our room in the stomach around halfway with the sandwich and brought the rest home; it still tasted quite delicious even when we tried it again a few days later at home. For dessert, Joy has a number of different soft serve options. Judging by the way Jun absolutely destroyed the bati-bati with ube soft serve, I think she approved of her choice, and my mango-flavored soft serve (manguito) was also quite delightful.Getting a restaurant at Joy isn't too challenging, but I still suggest booking in advance for prime time on the weekends. The restaurant has a number of fun cocktails and a wine list focused on Spain and South America. The casual and inviting vibe of the dining space evokes a feeling that you are at a family party at somewhere chic in Latin America. I am glad that the suburban Maryland is starting to have exciting restaurants, and would gladly make it again to Joy with Jun to try some other dishes. Just follow the restaurant's motto when you have your own memorable meal there: "Have fun, Get crazy, Be sexy, enJOY."

One of the best meals I've had in a long time! Go here before it gets too popular because I expect it to become a Michelin. We went for Valentine's Day and it was busy but service was still great and fast. The ambiance is super cute- a nice cozy feel. Don't leave without having dessert either.

Pretty solid Restaurant week dinner menu. First time dining here and we enjoyed the service and atmosphere. They do validate parking- $6 off. Pretty good restaurant week dinner menu, but if ordering cocktails, it can really add up. The highlight dish is the Conchitas a La Parmesana. I would come back just for this appetizer. My wife thought the Peri Peri cauliflower dish was the bomb- best cauliflower dish she's had. My main chicken dish was good, but a little dry. The seafood coconut rice dish was really good.First time having an old Fashioned with scotch- I really enjoyed it though but at $19 I had to sip it.

The interior of this place is absolutely beautiful. Their service is top-tier, but I expected nonetheless because the seven reasons group always has really great service. The lighting is moody and dark so it's great for a date night or dinner with some friends. I also saw a family dining there so they are accommodating for children. The food is absolutely delicious. I got the Caesar salad, which was absolutely massive and I did not expect it to be this large, but the real star of the show was the scallops. I did not expect these to be so good. They were so flavorful and served inside a cute shell. And another honorable mention is their homemade lemonade which the bar makes and it's actually really good. There's a parking garage in the parking center and they validate up to two hours so make sure you show them your ticket.

The restaurant was cute on the inside and decorated for the holidays. We were seated as soon as we came in. Immediately given water. We had an attentive server and came back to check on us a couple times. We got two entrees and some drinks. The for the Seafood with coconut rice and the person I was with got the Lasagna/Bolognese. Also shown are some espresso martinis and we got dessert as well. The server did give us recommendations on the menu and o trusted her judgement and I had a good experience with the food and service.

If you know what to order, Joy by Seven Reasons makes for a joy-filled date night. My wife and I went on a Saturday evening in June at 8 p.m. We had a reservation, but sadly, we didn't need it. There were only a few tables filled in the large space. Here's our experience.1) Food: The menu is very appealing with many Venezuelan-influenced dishes. Both of us relatively hungry, we ordered the ceviche, "Purple Bites Burrata," Peri-Peri Cauliflower, Tomate A Caballo, and the short rib sandwich. It was more than enough and somehow we had room for dessert of coconut flan and the chocolate fondant.What stood out were the short rib sandwich and the coconut flan. Both were unique with bold, yet inviting flavors. We'd return for both.Everything else was presented well and creative, but didn't have as much flavor. Most of the other dishes we felt needed more salt to make the flavors stand out more. 2) Drinks: We loved our cocktails! If you enjoy sweeter drinks, order the Jungle Mule. It's refreshing! My wife enjoyed their version of an Old Fashioned.3) Service: It was attentive and helpful. Our server confidently guided us through the menu and knew each dish intimately. 4) Space: It's inviting and fun! The "joy" emoji neon sign by the restrooms is a nice touch. It's good to note that they validate parking if you park in the nearby garage.

5 stars for the cachapa alone. It was everything I hoped for. We came for restaurant week brunch and it was a pretty good deal. Caesar salad was standard, my friend got the avocado toast and that was pretty thick and good. The Ube ice cream had a syrupy drizzle moat that the bottom that I didn't like very much, but overall it was okay. The cachapa was awesome. Very juicy, delicate, corn flavored, not too much cheese, loved the sauces on top. Would come back for this.

I recently went with a friend for my second time for a weeknight dinner and Joy by Seven Reasons more than made up for what could have been better service my first time dining there. I really appreciate Joy by Seven Reasons reaching out to me and going above and beyond in providing a great return-a phenomenal example of top-notch customer service. It was an outstanding experience start to finish, with amazing service, great ambiance, and every dish being incredible. My friend and I arrived early for our reservation and were seated immediately on the patio.The ambiance is nice-lots of Latin American decorations, a large, wood-paneled bar, good lighting, and good music. This time around, the music was played at a perfect volume and there were some great choices with the cover songs.Our server was great-taking our orders in a timely manner, checking up on my friend and I, and ensuring that the food came out in a well-paced manner. Our server also was able to make a couple of alterations to the dishes we ordered.My friend and I shared four dishes plus dessert and the food was incredible with beautiful presentation. We got pescatarian-friendly dishes and Joy by Seven Reasons was helpful in making accommodations for a couple of dishes. My friend and I split the following dishes a la carte:Salmon Tiradito: A well-balanced, complementary dish. The salmon was fresh and perfectly salted, the fried quinoa provided a nice crunch, and the mango puree provided enough sweetness to counter-balance the salt of the soya mix.Purple Bites Burrata: A delicious blend of many components-sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, spicy, and smoky that went perfectly together. In particular, I loved the unusual ash component, the creamy burrata, the crunchiness of the phyllo dough, and the spicy red pepper.Joy Tlayuda: Another outstanding dish. The blue corn tortilla provided an amazing, flavorful base, while the other ingredients provided a well-balanced mix of creamy, salty, and spicy. The salsa verde on the side provided the perfect amount of heat.Branzino Al Pastor Tacos: A fantastic dish-the branzino was perfectly cooked, juicy and tender, the sauce was delicious, the salad provided a fresh element, Joy by Seven Reasons provided a side of sauce (which was very welcome) and the blue corn tortillas were flavorful and warm. I wish there had been two more tortillas but otherwise outstanding.Bati-Bati: The star dish of the night. Besides how unique it was, the ube soft-serve was rich and creamy, the waffle pieces added amazing crunch, the caramel and peanuts provided an excellent, mild salty contrast that brought out the flavors of the rest of the dish, and the toffee and honeycomb gave the right notes of sweetness.Joy by Seven Reasons is pricey-without drinks, expect to pay at least $50-$60 per person-main dishes run $30-$45; however, well worth it for a celebration.I would highly recommend Joy by Seven Reasons for your next special occasion!

When, you share a name with this restaurant, then you just have to try it. I have been dying to try "Joy" by Seven Reasons and today I found my partner in crime, to take a foodie adventure with me. It is beautifully decorated in bright colors with swirls of pattens on the walls, hanging colorful decor, and a beautiful bar area. We were greeted warmly and welcomed to the restaurant. That kind of service goes a long way with me. It warms your heart and brightens your day. Service was great. Our waiter was there when we needed him and gave us plenty of time to enjoy our meal. After Tom Sietzma did his food review on Joy by Seven Reasons, I was craving the Colossal Short Rib sandwich. I was thinking that it would fun to share with a friend and at $65.00, and it would be a bit more reasonable. So, we ordered the sandwich,gloved up, and got ready for the challenge. The French fries were delicious. They were crunchy, crisp, and hot out of the fryer. We really enjoyed them. The sandwich itself was just okay. It was definitely short ribs, but the meat was very fatty. The sauce was good and the ciabatta bread was excellent. I didn't think the size of the sandwich was as huge or as described "Colossal"! It was the size of a large sub. But, the price tag was most definitely"Colossal! " We did order the cocanut flan with pina colada sauce and cream whip. That was outstanding and we scooped every bit of goodness from the plate. The sauce really tasted like a pina colada. The flan was light, airy, and filled with coconut flavor. It was a winner. Maybe we ordered the wrong menu item? But, the sandwich, was just okay. The place is beautiful and the service was excellent. The dessert was fabulous. I would definitely go back and try something new. My partner in crime, said 4 1/2 stars, so I will leave you with that. It was a "Joy" to dine there.