Reviewing Lulu’s Winegarden: A relaxing winegarden in Washington D.C.

Everyone in Washington D.C. seems to love a beer garden, but have you ever been to a wine garden? Lulu’s Wine Garden fills a gap in the drinks and dining scene in the city and offers a casual place for friends to gather for wine and good eats. Their wine garden is cute, welcoming, plant-filled, and boho chic. You’ll want to gather your girlfriends or set up your next date here ASAP. This place is the opposite of a stuffy wine tasting; it’s relaxed, cool, and inclusive.

Lulu’s Wine Garden is situated in a converted row house. It’s a beautiful space just off the popular U Street. It’s located right by a Metro stop, so it is very convenient to get to from near or far. The space has multiple patios to enjoy the nice weather outside or an indoor area that brings the garden to you.

I sat inside at one of the larger bench tables for my first visit to Lulu’s Wine Garden. It was such a cozy space that was really a bright spot on a colder spring day. The restaurant provided QR codes for ordering, so each of my friends and I easily ordered food and drinks on our own tab. This is a pandemic dining shift that I hope sticks around; it was a hassle-free way to divide up our meals.

To start, I ordered a glass of Rosé, Encostas de Serpa from Portugal. It was a delicious glass of wine and priced at $12, which is reasonable for the area. Lulu’s Wine Garden also offers well-priced bottles of wine, most of which are under $50. Ordering a bottle of wine for the table here would be a great option for a group that can decide on one wine to share. The modern stemless wine glasses that they served us our wine in were perfect for the garden vibe.

My group ordered the white queso to share. It was excellent! It came with cilantro, green chile, red onion, sour cream, pico, and local Ula tostadas to dip. The atmosphere of the wine garden is perfect for ordering some shareable plates and a couple of glasses (or bottles) of wine to enjoy with your party. If wine isn’t your thing, they also offer beer and cocktails. Their Working Chefs Ranch Water was a popular drink with my group. This cocktail featured pineapple-infused tequila with house lime cordial mixed with Topo Chico.

My main entrée that night was the grilled carrot salad. It came with feta, harissa, cucumber, herbs, almonds, onion, radish, and lime vinaigrette. I added grilled chicken for some extra protein. This salad was incredible. I’ve never had a salad on a base of grilled carrots, and it did not disappoint. I could not stop raving about how good this salad was. It was also a generous portion for a salad, so I was not left hungry in the least, which I sometimes worry about when ordering a salad, especially when paired with drinks.

Other menu items that my group loved were the House Fries, Avocado Lime Caesar salad, and the Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Lulu’s Wine Garden’s food was amazing and offered a lot of variety.

If you’re in the U Street neighborhood, you must check out Lulu’s Wine Garden. This spot is a gem and perfect for the upcoming spring and summer weather in D.C. I can’t wait to go back and enjoy their golden hour happy hour on the patio with friends!