Colony Grill

As someone originally from Connecticut, which is home of the original Colony Grill and arguably the pizza capital of the country, I went into this location with high expectations. I’ve been searching for truly great pizza in the DC area, and Colony Grill is hands-down the best I’ve found so far. The pizza was outstanding. Classic thin crust, cooked just right, with that signature Colony style that somehow manages to be simple, crispy, and incredibly flavorful all at once. Comparing it to the New Haven pizza circuit of the iconic spots I grew up with, I’d confidently give it an 8.0 on Dave Portnoy’s scale. It is a bit out of the way from where I live in the city, but absolutely worth the trip. This will definitely be my go-to when I’m craving real New Haven-style pizza. Service was the only weak point. Our server disappeared for long stretches, making it difficult to order more drinks and get the check. Not terrible, just noticeably less attentive than it could’ve been. Other than that, everything was great. If you’re in the DC or Virginia area and looking for legitimate thin-crust pizza, I’d highly recommend Colony Grill.

Reference (10/10/25 @5pm): Quick dinner with brother and baby. The best kind of pizza 1) leftover, 2) tastes good. 1) despite its size, the pizza is deceptively filling leaving myself with leftovers for the next morning! 2) the pizza tasted as good at the place as it did heated up the next morning. Service was excellent and the manager was helpful getting the table ready for my 11 month old, offering the high chair and booster Would come back again 5/5.

I grabbed a hot oil pie with pepperoni and sat outside on the patio. They even brought a dog bowl for my pup, which was a nice touch. Service was fast, the pizza was delicious, and I appreciated that they had a non-alcoholic Athletic beer option. Great spot for a relaxed meal with your dog!

I had the pleasure of going to the Colony Grill after going to Arlington National Cemetary to see my son. As soon as we entered the restaurant, the owner, Chase Cohen, greeted us. The pizza was delicious, the service was excellent with the conversation being fantastic with the bartenders, servers and the Manager. The Colony Grill honors our first responders and Veterans with displays on their walls. I not only will be visiting again but will let my other first responder families and Veteran families know of this place. I highly recommend this restaurant.

15 Mar 25 Update: Colony Grill was a perfect stop to celebrate St. Patty's Day weekend when other local Irish pubs were packed. We ordered a couple Smithwicks and Guinness along with their corned beef and cabbage pizza special and another pizza with sausage, onions, mushrooms, peppers, cherry hot peppers and hot oil. Everything was great. Thanks! August 2024: Colony Grill is a great place for beer and pizza. The location is easy to find and great for large groups. They have an upstairs area in addition to their main dining room and TVs everywhere. The staff were all friendly and attentive. Our server gave us recommendations for both food and drinks. Overall, we had a great time. They aren't joking about how spicy the "stingers" are...beware if you order them as a topping on your pizza. I had the mushrooms, hot oil, and meatballs. My husband ordered the stingers, hot oil, and sausage. Beer choices are good. We went with Smithwicks. The pizzas are personal sized. We would definitely return. Thanks!

I can't down to the food, but the bar staff (specifically Trevor) were great. He was super attentive and friendly. My glass was only empty for a few seconds. Great staff and great bar, highly recommend. Edit: the pizza is great too! Solid place of you're okay with just drinks and pizza

We only went in for a few drinks before our escape room but it was your classic bar and the staff was super nice the pizzas looked pretty good too

Meal: Drinks Day Visited: Friday Budget: ¥35 Closest Station: Clarendon Reservation Needed?: No Payment: Cash; Credit Kid Friendly?: Yes English Menu?: Yes Just had drinks here this afternoon. Fine vibe, good service.

My type of pizza! Thin, crispy, and overall delicious! Its definitely bar pie style. We got a pepperoni and the famous original hot oil pie. The hot oil was olive oil infused with Serrano Peppers. It was some of the best pizza we've ever had! We are from Pennsylvania and you can't find pizza like this unless you are going to NJ or NY. The setting was great, we went to watch the Georgia game. Tons of TVs everywhere. The waitress was awesome. She was great with recommendations and the manager checked in on us a few times as well! Love their style, we serve pizza and have a bar...add your toppings. Nothing else on this menu. Our kind of place!

I've heard great things about Colony Grill's "hot oil" pizza and that they make one of the best pizzas in the DMV. I think that can be true if you enjoy the pizza when dining in. I ordered a pizza to-go for a "take out potluck party" this past Friday on Uber Eats. Everything got to me perfectly fine and the pizza was packaged in a sturdy box. PIZZA - 11.95 +1.95 for hot oil +3.90 for 2x sausage +3.90 for 2x mushroom On Uber Eats, the pizza was 14.34, +2.35 for the hot oil, and +4.70 for the toppings. By the time we opened it up to enjoy the pizza (~1 hour after delivery), it was a bit soggy. There were plenty of toppings (since I did order extra for both), the hot oil provided a bit of spice, maybe? The dough itself was thin and a bit flimsy. It would have been nice if the freshness of pizza lasted longer than this. Overall, nothing extraordinary and almost boring. Some of my friends enjoyed it, though. If I get pizza at Colony Grill again, I'll probably enjoy it dine-in to make sure I eat it when it's as fresh as possible.

nice thin crust pizza, the menu isn't huge, it travels ok but you can tell it would be much better in person. favorites were the plain cheese and pepperoni. salad pizza would skip - very much a salad on top of pizza dough and not a well integrated pie. also skip the breakfast pizza, the protein didn't stand out and it's a scrambled egg base, just was not appealing. the buffalo chicken was ok, chicken was a bit dry and needs blue cheese to assist. the margherita was good.

Pizza is great. I'm a big fan of thin crust pizza and Colony grill has very thin crust pizza. Each pizza is large but I recommend getting 1 per person. The service is very quick and friendly and the manage came and visited and was very friendly as well! Nice place for pizza and beer with lots of TVs in the bar area. Something to note is it's only pizza and salad served there, but if you're going for a pizza and beer kind of night. This is a good spot to go!

Didn't eat but the cocktails were pretty good. I was charging my car and needed a drink. This place hits the spot. Don't tell the ‍

15 Mar 25 Update: Colony Grill was a perfect stop to celebrate St. Patty's Day weekend when other local Irish pubs were packed. We ordered a couple Smithwicks and Guinness along with their corned beef and cabbage pizza special and another pizza with sausage, onions, mushrooms, peppers, cherry hot peppers and hot oil. Everything was great. Thanks!

One location of a CT pizza chain with classic thin-crust New Haven style pizza This location is very sports bar-esk with bar, booth, and table seating. The menu is very straightforward - just a few varieties of thin crust pizza. The only exceptions are a salad and breakfast pizza I came here for lunch with my friend and the pizza was solid (though you need to expect very thin crust New Haven style), but our server was not very friendly at all.

Eveything. Service was poor. Sat at table for 20 mins before being acknowledged. Waited approx another 20-30 mins for the food to arrive. Was not worth it. Worst pizza I ever had

We saw the shamrock on the sign so thought this might have some Irish dishes like bangers and mash or shepherds pie, but alas no. This was a quick stop to grab dinner while we were in the area before heading home late so this will be a quick review. The only food they serve is pizza. If you're serving only one item, then it better be good. Luckily, it was. I rather like thin crust pizza and I did like this with meatballs, mushrooms, and onions. I like the crispiness of the crust. It made holding it easy to eat. Service was also good. Street parking or a nearby garage.

This pizza was AWESOME! it was great thin crust pizza. We got three pizzas for four of us (two teenagers). Our waiter was very friendly and answered all our questions (What is a stinger? What is hot oil. How big are your pizzas?) The alcohol selection is fantastic. If you are visiting the area or live in the area, you need to stop by and get a pizza. There is street parking or a garage you can park in.

Pub style pizza. That the only thing that they make and they do it right. I highly recommend if you love thin crust.

If you're in the area and looking for some good ole pizza, in a clean family friendly sports bar environment, with great staff and comfortable space, look no further. Our server apologized to us for overlooking our table, and the hostess apologized for the oversight and wait time despite them not being busy- those apologies and at the follow up attentiveness goes sooo far for us!! We did the gluten free dairy free option- and it was decent. I WOULD say- if they asked lost dog cafe where they get their gf crust from, and added their toppings then they'd have a hit on their hands !! Their blanco tequila option was solid and reasonably priced. I would be curios to take a bite of their regular pie and see what it's all about. It is ALL they do- so an interesting concept for sure !

Go-to for a great pizza and beer! Always great service and very quick. Good vibes for football.

First time trying this restaurant and Connecticut-style pizza. No idea how it compares to the classic Connecticut pizza, but for someone who grew up on NJ and NY pizza THE PIZZA HERE IS EASILY THE WORST I'VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. Truly mind-boggling that someone can enjoy a thin layer of tortilla-like cardboard topped with a microscopically thin layer of sauce, tiny bit of cheese and an enormous spilling of oil!!! It is a flavorless cardboard with a ton of oil on top. Had the stinger pizza today and the peppers are indeed spicy, but there was zero flavor in anything, including the peppers they were only spicy not flavorful. The only reason I'm giving it a second star is because we really had fantastic service - the servers were wonderful, and the seating was comfortable, the restaurant is cleanI. If this is your thing - go for it!

Let me tell you a little secret about Colony Grill and all of its various locations (most in Connecticut); it's not a "grill." They only serve Pizza or Pie as we say in New York and Connecticut. The original location in Stamford, Connecticut dates back to 1935. We visited the location in the Clarendon neighborhood in Arlington, Virginia. This style Pizza is thin crust and unique! Our server Lilly and the General Manager Megan recommended that we each get our own Pie. The signature addition to each Pizza is their dizzled "Hot Oil" that is slightly spicy and pepper infused. You can add this or not. We were kind of mixed on this, I felt it was okay but made the Pizza kinda messy. It is not really spicy so don't let that scare you off. We tried five different Pizzas. The winner was likely the Sausage, Hot Oil and Onions version. The onions are not to be missed, a delicious sweet addition to the Pie. Interesting the Pizza as the only food item seems to work for the Colony Grill. They do offer a full bar and draft beer by the glass or pitcher. We enjoyed our time at Colony Grill. Go visit our friends Lilly and Megan--service is A++++. Not a dive place, but a spotless locale to get a unique Pizza.

Colony Grill is such a fun place to hangout. The servers are all extremely nice and they have a bunch of big TVs to watch the game. The Guinness is always cold and the pizza is always hot. Their pizza is actually insanely good- super thin crispy crust that never flops. They have many toppings and variations. We love the margarita and the hot oil with sausage. Highly recommend checking them out.

Stopped in here for a quick lunch and a beer and was not disappointed. I got the pepperoni pizza with black olives and mushrooms, and found it was the perfect size for two to share. No leftovers here. Love the thin crust. Was perfect. Service was quick and friendly. What more could you ask, haha. Would certainly stop in again but would love if they added some apps . Can a girl get some chicken wings or mozz sticks haha. Ambiance is your typical clean bar setting. Did have a family friendly vibe as well and great cost point for a pizza. Pizza and beer in the DMV for 25 bucks. Yes please!

Holy shit I don't know how people think the pizza here is good. It's apparently a staple in Connecticut and honestly whenever I hear someone is from there I ask them if they've heard and 9/10 they do. This Arlington location is definitely bleeding money from the home location(s) in Connecticut. They need to go back to doing Burgers and actual food a "Grill" would serve - not this cracked with grease poured on top. I don't eat Ranch with my pizza but I do recall they literally laugh at the notion of a guest asking for it and many servers will say - "What are we? Cheesecake Factory?" (I used to work here) They have a badass design for the building but man it's such a waste. They won't show the debate or UFC fights because one is too controversial and the other well... Bloody etc. Definitely niche customer base but it's not gonna be here for the next decade I tell you.

This is a solid spot to come to! I would come here quite often when I was working. For lunch, dinner. I appreciate the DF option for their pizzas (it is an extra charge) the pizzas aren't too big either, which is nice. They are a bit greasy so be warned. The ambiance isn't anything too special. Just a typical sports bar vibe. The workers were always quite kind to me too!

Colony Grill is a great place to go for a relaxed and easy environment. The service and ambiance here were great as it was quick seating and quick service as well. The food came out quickly and was hot, fresh, and tasty. The crust is rather thin but very tasty nonetheless. Keep in mind the only thing on the menu is pizza with about 10 different topping options so if you're not in the mood for pizza you may want to avoid. Personally, pizza is never my first choice, but Colony Grill really provides a great value for the quality of their pizza. I would definitely love to come back here to watch some sports or hang out with friends.

After living in Stamford CT for a few years, my wife and I became frequent customers of Colony. So you can guess we were ecstatic when we realized there was one in Arlington. Stopped in last week for a few pies and it was as good as always. Service was also fantastic. Will be back many more times.

I really wanted to love this, but it just didn't hit the way I wanted it to. I love bar pie! This place knows what they're doing with the crust! But the sauce was essentially nonexistent and toppings, with the exception of the stinger, were meh. Sweet peppers weren't sweet. Sausage was minimal and underwhelming. $20 for a bar pie with 3 toppings is also pretty steep. Maybe it'd be worth it if they put more toppings on the pie.

We ordered about 25 pizzas from colony grill for a party and were so impressed on so many levels. We had called in our order earlier in the day for delivery, and the pizzas came so hot and fresh. The staff was so kind and helpful. The pizza is so thin and crispy and delicious, I cannot recommend it enough. I was especially excited to try the hot oil and added stingers to it.. SO YUMMY! The salad pizza is also super yummy for something fresher too.

I officially have fallen in love with pizza again. I honestly didn't think it would happen. If you asked me what my favorite foods were, pizza would be nowhere near that list. The heaviness of the cheese and the crust usually did me in. If I ate pizza, I probably didn't want to see it for a while longer. The Colony Grill introduced me to a style of pizza that I'd never had before. The bar pie was the solution to everything I didn't like about pizza. It had a thin crust, less cheese, less sauce, but a ton of flavor. It was pizza that made me want more. The only thing confusing about The Colony Grill is the name. There is no grill, they only serve pizza! Despite the name, the pizzas here are delicious and are as simple as they can get. You have the opportunity to choose your toppings on the pizza, and I'd suggest you do things in a simple way. My go-to order is sausage and hot oil. The sausage is flavorful and the hot oil adds an extra layer of flavor. I've also had their hot peppers (stingers) and those really pack a punch! All of their pizzas are crispy and not heavy at all. There are a lot of other pizzas that I haven't even tried yet. There's a salad pizza which is literally a salad on the crust, a breakfast pizza, and many other toppings that I haven't gotten to yet. Regardless, the idea is the same. Feel good, flavorful pizzas, that's the name of the game! And Colony Grill is playing the game right.

Food is consistently good. Service is fast if you're in a hurry. Nice place to eat. Recommend the pizzas.

If you were just walking by on the street you'd never guess this Irish themed bar only served pizzas. But, that's all that's on the menu. $10.50 for a personal 12" pizza and $1.75 per topping (which I thought was a little pricey). The pizza was pretty good. I like the thin crust but the bottom of the crust was kind of cardboard and lacked flavor. The cheese and toppings were delicious, and the outside crust that got a little charred and crispy was delicious. The beer selection is okay, they don't have much on tap for being a bar. Our waitress was very nice and even offered to split out our checks for the 6 of us. Not my favorite pizza in the area but I wouldn't be upset returning!

When a restaurant only serves pizza, you know they are doing something right. This is by far the best pizza place in the DMV. The service is always great and the pizza is always fresh and hot. Once you try Colony Grill pizza, you won't want to go anywhere else.

Came here on a whim and wow did it impress me! The facade is unassuming, but the restaurant interior is renovated and packed on a weekday evening! I ordered 2 pizzas: one with hot oil, stingers, sausage, and mushrooms. The other with anchovies and onions. I loved the first slice, although it was quite spicy, and the second was great as well. The staff were also incredible - our server was very attentive, along with the manager. Will be returning!

Colony Grill serves excellent thin crust pizza in a casual, no-frills, friendly atmosphere. This location is in the Crossing, so very convenient for refueling after shopping or walking around. We got a sausage, mushroom, and olive pizza, and it was delicious. We weren't able to try the hot oil on top since my kid can't do spicy yet, but hopefully next time. We would definitely return here for pizza when in the area.

Excellent menu: pizza, salad pizza, and a breakfast pizza. Pizzas are reasonably priced and so tasty. Excellent thin and crispy crust. Dining in or getting to go are both great options. Open late, so it is great for pizza if you're not getting home until later in the evening.

Obsessed with Colony Grill! We drive here from DC frequently because we love the pizza so much. Service is wonderful! 10/10!

Excellent New England style razor thin pizza. Perfect with a glass of beer watching the game. Would def opt for sausage and cheese for extra flavor.

Pizza was as greasy as gas station pizza, drinks were good, and the servers were nice. But the only thing I was really craving was the pizza, and that was a disappointment. Nice and cozy restaurant with a suburban feel and nice ambiance. Probably would not go there again when craving pizza. (also meatballs were mid)

I have no idea what New Haven pizza is, but that is what you will find here. And it is great! This thinnest crust pizza I have ever had, and I loved the topping choices. We had the breakfast pie, meatball pizza, and the salad pizza, they were all 3 fantastic. The service was outstanding! Incredibly friendly and accommodating. So glad I stumbled across Colony Grill!

Decent pizza. It's crispy and thin crust, our server didn't seem super psyched to be there. He came over to take our order but besides that basically ignored us. The hot oil is really good and my friend raved about the salad pizza. Very lowkey place to get food. There's one thing on the menu, but was decently busy. There's parking nearby and the area is cute.

"This place is my favorite pizza place. It has the best pizza. It should be 5 stars and everything there is so nice. The people are really nice too. The pizza has the perfect amount of everything. You must try it! " - review from my 8 year old son.

One bite everybody knows the rules! :P the pizza was great and met my expectations. I give it an 8.1. I ordered sausage and hot oil. Next time I'll skip the oil, it was a little too greasy for me. My partner's pizza had slightly more sauce than mine which I prefer. Regardless, both were delicious. Thin, crispy and fresh dough/crust. Oh and they carry athletic NA beer!

This is the bar pie pizza staple. I got takeout from this, just a cheese pizza. The crust was thin and chewy while the cheese and sauce were ok. The pizza is not bad and if you like bar style then I would say get it here since it is reasonably priced for the quality and portion.

Colony grill hits the spot. Thin, crispy, greasy pizza... and starts at $10..what more can you ask for??

Really good pizza, and very inexpensive. Good service, order came out right away. Small menu, but if you want pizza, this is a place to go.

Absolutely horrible service. waiter was extremely rude, food was horrible, and everything was overprice. Do not come here.

Man I don't really get it. There is nothing on the menu but pizza. The place is 100% empty and the bar tender spent the entire time yapping up another staff member about her problems or his. Not really sure and don't really care. Regardless of pizza quality this place will be going out of business. Silly model w no options and the service is awful. Honest pizza review coming next. Super cracker thin. If you like oily this might be for you. So much oil. Only positive; the music was good.

The only thing on the menu is pizza (and breakfast pies). We saw this place from the street and I immedietely assumed it was an Irish pub. It is not. Although they do claim to be Irish originated, I feel I need to warn anyone who walks in off the street that this is not an Irish pub and does not serve Irish food. I was mildly disappointed when we sat at the bar as I was craving some Irish food and a Smithwick's or Harp. With that being said, I thought that pizza was tasty, and the staff were friendly and efficient. They do have a decent variety of beers, although few Irish options. I will come back when I am craving that thin-crust, bar-style pizza, though.

Wow. Unique and so tasty! Will definitely be back the next time I'm in town. Great atmosphere and people!

Greasy pizza The first time I ordered with oil so its expected. I came back next day and said no oil twice it was still greasy.

Love this place, classic sports bar type place with fast think pies. After much experimentation my go to order is a well done hot oil pie with extra cheese.

Colony Grill is a solid place to hang with friends. They have a pretty good list of beers and other drinks at reasonable prices. For food, they only serve pizza. While that's limiting in some respects, it allows for quick, efficient, flexible service. The pizzas come out quickly, they're legitimately good, and a pizza that serves two hungry adults for a full meal or more people if you're looking more for a snack or aren't super hungry is $10.50 plus $1.50 per topping. The breakfast pizzas (served all day), topped with egg, cheese, and your choice of bacon or sausage are $13.50... and they're delicious. They have a number of TVs for watching games. They have bar seating, high tops, standard table seating, and booths... You can find seating options for a wide range of gatherings. The service is quick and a casual sort of friendly. While across a handful of visits, Ive always gotten pretty good service, my wife and I got especially good service on a recent brunch visit. They don't have super fancy or super big screens, or the most screens. Their food and drinks aren't fancy. But, if you want a casual spot to eat a pizza, watch a game, and drink a Yeungling, Colony Grill is a great option.

The pizza wasn't good. The crust was weird, like almost pastry like...??? And sauce was almost sweet...? And the cheese was, I think, processed. I won't be back.

Went here on 09/03/24 for pick up and had a plain cheese pizza. I prefer when trying a new pizza place to always get it plain the first time around. I felt that it needed a bit of salt but overall, I thought it had a nice chew and crispy edge. I would definitely come back.