Brunch at the Mansion on O Street - Most Surreal Experience in DC...

zartan · 2008-04-20, 02:51 PM

I am always looking for new places to eat brunch (and interesting DC venues of all kinds) and found this place called "The Mansion on O Street" on Yelp:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mansion-...n%20o%20street

We went today. I really don't know quite how to do this place justice; it is an incredibly eccentric private club/nonprofit that has stitched together five large rowhouses in Dupont (O Street @ 20th just south of the Circle) into a 100 room inn/restaurant/event space. Key here is that the decor and attitude are completely insane. For example, there are 32 hidden doors throughout the place; they encourage you to get up and wander around five floors during or after your brunch; we found mirrors that swung open and bookcases that shifted to reveal hidden rooms and entire suites. Bizarro, creaky, scary elevator with raggedy anne and andy dolls sitting in the corner.

The decor was pretty much locked in what would have been quite luxurious in 1985 - black and white TVs in the bathrooms, for example. Again just completely and totally eccentric - 20,000 weird paperback books all over the place, walls lined with vinyl records (sample: INXS "Listen Like Thieves"), guitars everywhere signed by randoms (Alabama, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Arlo Guthrie, etc). Big pool table with old barber chairs you can hang out in. Feels kind of like you are wandering around the house of some rich, eccentric widow 25 years ago. The original buildings themselves are absolutely gorgeous (ridiculously ornate molding and woodwork throughout) overlaid by kitschy weirdness way, way, way, way beyond any reasonable level.

Brunch was buffet style across three different rooms and probably 150 choices of food, from make-your-own tacos to omellettes to a whole roasted rockfish. An entire room of pastries (seriously - I mean 50 cakes). All you can drink champagne.

Maybe you'd like a sip of chinese liquor from a jar in which a rattlesnake is pickling?

It's $45 a person so quite expensive but definitely, definitely something I would recommend doing at least one time. Don't be shy about wandering around and pushing on the bookcases. And remember everything (literally) in the building is for sale.

zartan · 2008-04-20, 02:52 PM

www.omansion.com is their site

Shakey · 2008-04-20, 03:01 PM

oh my gosh.

i gotta do this one day.

sounds AMAZING.

sounds like a great and unique date type thing.

zartan · 2008-04-20, 03:04 PM

they also have "dinnertini" on Mondays (Dinner + Martinis) and tea on Sunday afternoon. Otherwise it is closed as a private club (or you can stay in one of the rooms as a guest).

shade · 2008-04-20, 03:11 PM

wow, good lookin out. this looks great.

$45/person really isn't that bad either, esp considering the all-you-can-drink factor.

5l1mm · 2008-04-20, 03:19 PM

well shit

zartan · 2008-04-20, 04:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shade

wow, good lookin out. this looks great.

$45/person really isn't that bad either, esp considering the all-you-can-drink factor.

its definitely worth the $45 - they weren't the quickest with the champagne, but the buffet is really ridiculously extensive.

you will get your money's worth of pastry.

again though I emphasize to make sure you go up to the fourth floor and wander around at length.

TRIBALISTIX_1 · 2008-04-20, 04:28 PM

sounds badass!

Ashkabob0808 · 2008-04-20, 05:03 PM

oh wow... this does look really cool :) thanks for posting this info!! i'm definitely going to check it out

THE BLACKEST · 2008-04-20, 05:46 PM

Wow! Yeah I'm going to hit this place up next weekend.

zartan · 2008-04-20, 06:21 PM

they can seat groups of up to 300 if a bunch of you want to go together...

buzzboy · 2008-04-20, 07:29 PM

in for later

dionysiac · 2008-04-21, 09:56 AM

Hell yeah! I dind't know anybody else knew about that place!

The food is great but the best part are the rooms. Actually when I move into my new house I am planning to go down there to look for cool themes to use to decorate.

zartan · 2008-04-21, 10:10 AM

I am now determined to build a hidden room into my next house. I'm thinking a media room hidden behind a bookcase.

Catalyst · 2008-04-21, 10:19 AM

This looks awesome Eric, thanks for the heads up

2008-04-20, 02:51 PM	#1
zartan MODERATOR Refinance! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: LeDroit Park, DC Posts: 27,959	Brunch at the Mansion on O Street - Most Surreal Experience in DC... I am always looking for new places to eat brunch (and interesting DC venues of all kinds) and found this place called "The Mansion on O Street" on Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-mansion-...n%20o%20street We went today. I really don't know quite how to do this place justice; it is an incredibly eccentric private club/nonprofit that has stitched together five large rowhouses in Dupont (O Street @ 20th just south of the Circle) into a 100 room inn/restaurant/event space. Key here is that the decor and attitude are completely insane. For example, there are 32 hidden doors throughout the place; they encourage you to get up and wander around five floors during or after your brunch; we found mirrors that swung open and bookcases that shifted to reveal hidden rooms and entire suites. Bizarro, creaky, scary elevator with raggedy anne and andy dolls sitting in the corner. The decor was pretty much locked in what would have been quite luxurious in 1985 - black and white TVs in the bathrooms, for example. Again just completely and totally eccentric - 20,000 weird paperback books all over the place, walls lined with vinyl records (sample: INXS "Listen Like Thieves"), guitars everywhere signed by randoms (Alabama, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Arlo Guthrie, etc). Big pool table with old barber chairs you can hang out in. Feels kind of like you are wandering around the house of some rich, eccentric widow 25 years ago. The original buildings themselves are absolutely gorgeous (ridiculously ornate molding and woodwork throughout) overlaid by kitschy weirdness way, way, way, way beyond any reasonable level. Brunch was buffet style across three different rooms and probably 150 choices of food, from make-your-own tacos to omellettes to a whole roasted rockfish. An entire room of pastries (seriously - I mean 50 cakes). All you can drink champagne. Maybe you'd like a sip of chinese liquor from a jar in which a rattlesnake is pickling? It's $45 a person so quite expensive but definitely, definitely something I would recommend doing at least one time. Don't be shy about wandering around and pushing on the bookcases. And remember everything (literally) in the building is for sale. __________________ "I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that is something you need to do." - Sen. Kit Bond (R), on telecom immunity Last edited by zartan; 2008-04-20 at 02:56 PM.

2008-04-20, 02:52 PM	#2
zartan MODERATOR Refinance! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: LeDroit Park, DC Posts: 27,959	www.omansion.com is their site __________________ "I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that is something you need to do." - Sen. Kit Bond (R), on telecom immunity

2008-04-20, 03:01 PM	#3
Shakey Registered Misuser Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Tyson's Corner, VA Posts: 17,744	oh my gosh. i gotta do this one day. sounds AMAZING. sounds like a great and unique date type thing. __________________ Faceboooooook

2008-04-20, 03:04 PM	#4
zartan MODERATOR Refinance! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: LeDroit Park, DC Posts: 27,959	they also have "dinnertini" on Mondays (Dinner + Martinis) and tea on Sunday afternoon. Otherwise it is closed as a private club (or you can stay in one of the rooms as a guest). __________________ "I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that is something you need to do." - Sen. Kit Bond (R), on telecom immunity

2008-04-20, 04:28 PM	#8
TRIBALISTIX_1 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: KICKASSISTAN Posts: 2,424	sounds badass! __________________ http://www.facebook.com/Tribalistix;http://soundcloud.com/blaze-one; http://www.youtube.com/MrTribalistix BASS HEAVY - PARTY READY!

2008-04-20, 03:11 PM	#5
shade MODERATOR * Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: The Field, VA Posts: 21,935	wow, good lookin out. this looks great. $45/person really isn't that bad either, esp considering the all-you-can-drink factor.

2008-04-20, 05:03 PM	#9
Ashkabob0808 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Arlington,VA Posts: 133	oh wow... this does look really cool :) thanks for posting this info!! i'm definitely going to check it out __________________ ☆Ashley☆Unscripted☆ - Co-president of EDM Spectrum and Angular Bliss Management - click here to DL mixes :)

2008-04-20, 05:46 PM	#10
THE BLACKEST the fattest was taken Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: DA DMV! Posts: 5,821	Wow! Yeah I'm going to hit this place up next weekend. __________________ DCDNB / EXBC / 3D / D-Fect / CMB Upcoming gigs: some TBAs in the next few months Mixtape Side A Mixtape Side B

2008-04-20, 06:21 PM	#11
zartan MODERATOR Refinance! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: LeDroit Park, DC Posts: 27,959	they can seat groups of up to 300 if a bunch of you want to go together... __________________ "I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that is something you need to do." - Sen. Kit Bond (R), on telecom immunity

2008-04-20, 07:29 PM	#12
buzzboy ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ sı ƃuıɥʇʎɹǝʌǝ Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Alexandria, Virginia Posts: 32,160	in for later __________________ We are solely responsible for giving life meaning and living that life passionately and sincerely, in spite of obstacles and distractions including despair, angst, absurdity, alienation, and boredom. MyMusicSpace\|Soundcloud

2008-04-21, 09:56 AM	#13
dionysiac Registered User Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1,716	Hell yeah! I dind't know anybody else knew about that place! The food is great but the best part are the rooms. Actually when I move into my new house I am planning to go down there to look for cool themes to use to decorate.

2008-04-21, 10:10 AM	#14
zartan MODERATOR Refinance! Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: LeDroit Park, DC Posts: 27,959	I am now determined to build a hidden room into my next house. I'm thinking a media room hidden behind a bookcase. __________________ "I'm not here to say that the government is always right, but when the government tells you to do something, I'm sure you would all agree that is something you need to do." - Sen. Kit Bond (R), on telecom immunity

2008-04-21, 10:19 AM	#15
Catalyst MODERATOR playin lovely melodies.. Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: here and there. Posts: 19,906	This looks awesome Eric, thanks for the heads up __________________ brothers and sisters... I don't know what the world is coming to.

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