Tail Up Goat

The food is good. It's very loud, and the atmosphere is lively.The portion size is microscopic. I was honestly stunned. Like two bites of the gnocchi in our dish. I felt like I got ripped off. Service was okay.

Solo diner review: I scored a last minute Restaurant Week reservation for 1/28/25 and I could not have been more impressed. I typically do a lot of research/recon before a Michelin restaurant, but because this was a last minute table I came in knowing the general vibe, but not much about the menu. I was totally blown away!Tail Up Goat offers both a la carte and prix fixe options. For RW, I went with the focaccia with chicken liver parfait and candied rosemary, malloreddus (like gnocchi), and beef bourguignon. This was a wonderfully hearty menu for the depths of January with warm, earthy flavors that were balanced with spice and savory elements.I got there early for my 5:30pm reservation was taken quickly to my table and brought an aperitif and sparkly water (at no additional cost). Service was attentive without being overbearing even though the restaurant was packed by the time I left. Isaac, my main server was outstanding, and others who brought food or filled my water glass were just as friendly. The highlight of the evening had to be Bill, one of the owners, coming by to welcome me and pour me a gratis glass of Spanish red wine to complement my beef bourguignon. Attire was decidedly relaxed, it was a Tuesday night. Volume was energetic, but tables were decently spaced. There are two large single stall bathrooms in the back to the left of the kitchen that were clean and well stocked. I'll definitely be back for the full experience after RW is over!

Visited for restaurant week and had a great experience!!Vibe: 7/10Service: 9.5/10Value: 7/10 - for the experience and quality of the dishes, we found the value to be great. We had been waiting to go during Restaurant Week, but we ran the numbers when we got home and realized we could've ordered a la carte any time of year and only spent $5 more!Grilled focaccia w apple butter: 9/10Salted cod bites: 8.7/10Tuna crudo: 7.8/10Cabbage with winter squash: 9.3/10Beef bourguignon: 9.2/10Layered chocolate cake with brown butter ganache and apple butter: 8.7/10Overall: 8.5/10 (4.23/5)[To clarify our review system: 10 = we'll never have anything else as good as this in our lives (we use 10 very sparingly!) 9 = extraordinary8 = great7 = above average6 = average Anything below 6 is being critical]

Four of us secured 8 PM reservations for Tail Up Goat this past Monday evening for Restaurant Week (January 2025). We booked 5-10 minutes after reservations were released on Resy, and by then, the 7:30/7:45 PM slots were already taken! The RW dinner was priced at 65 per person for three courses: snack, mid, and main. Unfortunately, dessert isn't included! We also tried a complementary non-alcoholic aperitif that was juicy and cinnamon-y with a nice punch.Our server Drew was awesome. He was enthusiastic and offered recommendations for each course and made sure our cups were always filled. We tried all items on the RW menu since there were only three options for each course.* SNACKS *CRUDITEPlease don't confuse crudite with crudo, like I did. A crudite is a platter of raw vegetables with a dipping sauce. So imagine my surprise when they dropped off a veggie platter in front of me instead of seasoned raw fish. The white miso-soy dip sat in the center, surrounded by a variety of vegetables: crescent-shaped radish pieces, red and white turnips, and mini cucumber stalks. The dip was delicious with a bit of sweet tang and umami from the miso. I could tell I was eating farm-fresh veggies, but veggies are just veggies for me.SALT CODThe salt cod shaped in a sphere with a nicely fried exterior, sitting on top of a bed of smoked cauliflower aioli. This was our favorite of the three! The cod was cheesy and rich, reminding me of crab rangoon, and the sauce was a delicious pairing.PANELLEThe panelle was thin and pancake-like, made from chickpea flour with a crispy exterior and a soft, slightly cheesy interior. It was glazed with fennel pollen honey, which was a nice balance of slightly sweet and mostly savory flavors. We thought it was quite tasty!* MIDS *NASHVILLE HOT SWEETBREADSSweetbread is not bread that is sweet. It's the pancreas of a cow or lamb with a smooth and creamy texture. The sweetbread was fried like fried chicken, with each piece neatly perched on a small piece of toast, sandwiching a pickle and drizzled with a bit of ranch. I enjoyed this for its explosive, spicy heat balanced by the rich fattiness of the sweetbread. This was a unique and flavorful bite, however, one of my friends thought it was too fatty for her taste.TAGLIATELLEThis was just pasta in a creamy white sauce with garlic and caramelized fennel (basically onions). The bottarga topped on the pasta added extra umami. The pasta was perfectly al dente and went well with the sauce. While it was delicious, I didn't think it was anything special, just an elevated version of white sauce pasta.CHARRED NAPA CABBAGEThis was our least favorite dish on the menu. The napa cabbage had a nice crunch, and the hazel-chili sauce was a bit sweet with some spice, and tasted like peanut butter. There was also a cilantro-based pesto-like sauce that I did not like, but that's more of a personal preference. Overall, the combination of flavors felt unremarkable.* MAINS *ROCKFISHRockfish tends to be a mild-flavored fish, but the lentils with a sweet-based sauce enhanced the fish well, reminding me of a Cantonese-style fish I eat at home. The fish was very soft and perfectly cooked. My only qualm is that the skin was pretty tough to cut through.BEEF BOURGUIGNONThis was an elevated take on beef stew, served with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes on the side. The dish was topped generously with parsley. The beef was extremely tender, juicy and fatty, soaking up the rich sauce well. The root vegetables were more for the aesthetics rather than taste. The mashed potatoes were more butter and cream than potatoes, which is why it was so tasty. While the dish was enjoyable, it was quite fatty and didn't feel innovative.LION'S MANE MUSHROOMThis was collectively our favorite main course. The mushroom was meaty and flavorful, while the curried squash added a bright, unexpected sweetness that elevated the dish. It was topped with a generous amount of julienned scallions for a touch of freshness. I wish I had more than just a couple small bites of it.Since the RW menu doesn't include dessert, Drew recommended the following:LAYERED CHOCOLATE CAKE - 16It was a huge slice of cake that was perfect for the four of us to share. The brown butter ganache was so smooth and whipped, and not too sweet. The pear butter was addicting. However, the chocolate crust was a bit too sweet, and the texture was difficult to cut into. Overall, this was a very dense dessert.The food at Tail Up Goat was good -- mainly elevated takes on classic dishes, but lacked creativity. For example, the Beef Bourguignon was a bougie version of beef stew with mashed potatoes, and the crudite was essentially a fancy veggie platter. That said, the salt cod, sweetbread, and lion's mane mushroom were fantastic. Overall, we felt the menu could've been more descriptive. Given the price of the regular menu, I'm hesitant to return.

1/11/25: i read somewhere they have THE best service in dmv so i made a reservation STAT! we came here for date night. the service is absolutely fabulous. we came to celebrate and they greeted us with a personalized greeting card. it was so sweet! we got congrats from 3 diff people and a few surprises sprinkled through dinner.i didnt do any heavy "research" before coming. the portions are soooo small, so research wouldve helped. we got 2 orders of the pasta dish and 1 order of the steak. yall i couldve eaten those by myself, without sharing! i think if they had told me, the "entrees" were tapas style, maybe i wouldve known to order more food, maybe? instead it was explained: the portions get bigger going down the menu. i have no frame of reference to what is small and what is big so they prob need to explain it differently. i will say this--our bill was "only" $160 TOTAL. i wasnt thinking about money when i was ordering but to be super happy, it shouldve been like $300 total worth of food! so my tip is to keep ordering until you hit that magic number, haha.the pasta was sooo very good, creamy, and bright.for dessert we got the cheesecake and the chocolate cake. the cheesecake was forgettable, sorry. the chocolate cake is a super star.i have some other places on my wishlist, so not sure when ill be back. but i rly enjoyed our evening here!

Food-wise this might be the most consistent DC Michelin place I've been to (every course added something of value, special shoutouts to the lamb ribs and the entire dessert course), and though the peaks aren't as high as other places the (relatively) cheaper prices make up for it.Wine could've been better in the first few courses but it hit the right notes later on. Great service as well - everyone who interacted with our table was very accommodating.

I went to Tail Up Goat for a friend's birthday dinner, and it was fantastic! Everyone was welcoming and happy to explain the menu. The complimentary pear maple shrub was absolutely delicious. We tried small plates, and everything was great, but the salted cod and the cabbage were especially delicious. We finished with the chocolate cake, which was decadent and wonderful. My favorite part was the pear butter, but I was especially impressed that they managed to make that amount of ganache not feel too heavy. All in all, it was a wonderful night out, and I will definitely be back here again! There was plenty of seating inside, but I still recommend making a reservation because they get a bit crowded by 6. Great service, great food, and a great space!

Reservations can be made via Resy and you will need your provide credit card to book. If you have food allergies, they are very accommodating. Luckily, our group only has bad food allergies. It is a set menu for $130. You can also pair with wine for extra. Tip is included which ensure the service was attentive and top notch. The atmosphere was very clean and modern. I liked how entire 6 course came sparingly. Every dish was made well, creative, and good. You won't be either under or over stuffed but just right. They do make sure that you enjoy your dish. I personally don't eat seared fish so my husband usually benefits from this. Our server quickly made noticed of this without me saying anything and brought us an extra course. I felt bad at first but felt totally satisfied that I got to have something that I can enjoy. This is a superb service and they really want you to enjoy every dish. Thank you!

I'm apparently not the only one who doesn't understand how this restaurant can be awarded a Michelin star. The ambiance is nice, albeit a bit loud, and the overall interior design is modern and hip.We found the service to be spotty, at times it was way too quick, and later into the evening, it dragged on. Understandably, they got busier, but as we were eager to get out of there, we would've appreciated more attention. Overall, though, the staff was friendly, which they should be given the reputation of the place.We came here to celebrate our anniversary and were disappointed to discover that the food entirely missed the mark. I've dined at several Michelin restaurants, almost all of which had unique or flavorful dishes. Unfortunately, this one didn't check either box. Their "snacks" were all variations of the same dish, only differing in accompanying sauces. I don't think it's acceptable to serve cut up raw vegetables or olive oil dipped bread when I can make the exact same thing at home for much less. Their main dish was, in simple terms, steak and potatoes, and the steak came out burnt and overdone. I absolutely cannot stand steak sauce, so naturally, I didn't touch it. The cheese course was a glorified grilled cheese, lacking flavor and creativity. I didn't even know how to eat it. Towards the end of the dinner, I was ready to get out of there.There wasn't a single dish out of the 6 courses that was memorable. For how much money we left there, I might even say it was a rip off.

The food was really good! I enjoyed the white miso dip and the lions mane mushroom the most. Additionally, the service was great. The only thing I wish was improved was the cocktail program.