KitchenCray Cafe

I will say that my waitress was absolutely sweet. She was patient and did well as fat as serving us. She could definitely get a job somewhere that pays her more. Now let's get into the atmosphere. Music wayy too loud! Many don't want to turn up at lunch. The windows were so dirty it was difficult to enjoy the atmosphere. The food was thrown together. No variety of flavors. No seasoning on the wings. The sauce made them the only thing that saved our lunch. French toast and chicken lacked luster at every turn..layered cinamon and no other desired flavor in the whole well garnished dish. As hot as it is today, whoever the owner is can you replace the blenders. You have so many cold beverages that I couldn't even try. No sparkling water. Tap was a disaster. Fries were really red strangely and yet not salted flavor. No old bay. No salt. Red and tasted more like paprika. Bill was really high. Tip of 18% already included. Please clean your windows and have drinks water. Your staff was so kind I didn't want to return my food. So we packed it all up and paid an addition tip because our waitress was awesome. We ate the wings. Everything else was trashed!

Music selection was AMAZING! Server was clearly there to get a check, nothing amazing there. Food, will do. Best thing we had were honey lemon pepper wings. Nothing else was worth picturing😔Definitely not worth the menu price but cool for what it can give you. Also, there is no covering for the kitchen so when they cook, it is extremely Smokey with no ventilation 😔. Had us all with watery eyes and stuffy noses for about 22 minutes🤦🏾‍♀️

One of the worst Brunch spots I have been to. The service was terrible. (They charge an 18% gratuity.) laughed and all huddled near the kitchen and did not really pay attention to the customers. The food was terrible and took way too long to get. For the prices they charge it’s very disappointing. $16 for only 4 deviled eggs. $36 for cold lamb chops and under cooked chunky and bland mashed potatoes. Ordered a pineapple juice that tasted old and tart sent it back and got a ginger ale that was flat. Definitely not worth the money I paid for it. Two thumbs down.

This place was a complete rip off. We ordered catfish and grits with crab meat… there were 3 pieces of crab meat on the catfish… we also ordered a catfish filet side with a side of spinach (not catfish nuggets with spinach garnish) They charge 8bucks for 8 leaves of spinach so we had to remove the fish from that plate as pictured and we requested a refund of that. This place was so disappointing. Believe the bad reviews. Not worth the automatic 18% gratuity either. A complete waste. We left our food on the table. If we were satisfied we would certainly have finished our food expensive food.

service is horrible…. I received my food once my husband was finished his….then the manager who was also passing out food didn’t care….she removed my plate from the bill but could careless about anything else, just clicking her long nails being sassy…won’t be back

Hidden gem! Service was amazing. Efficient and polite. Attentive to our table the entire duration of our meal. Food was freshly prepared. Catfish and cheese grits were delectable! The french toast with chicken thighs was also tasty. Recommend getting the strawberry wine margarita!! Free uncovered parking. Arrive early, it's an intimate seating set up. They add automatic 18% gratuity. Menu options are great.

Got the French Toast combo, I received burnt bacon on my plate (see picture). Coffee wasn't even available, place was not great when it comes to atmosphere and cleanliness. We waited for too long on the food and it was not great at all! Very disappointing especially when they have an auto gratuity included 🤯 The place is far to expensive for what it is! Will not go back there!

I’ve been wanting to visit the restaurant since I’ve moved to Bowie and it did not disappoint! I ordered the Fried Catfish and grits with lump crab meat on top. It was delicious and very filling. The catfish was crispy but lightly batterer with the perfect seasoning. I will definitely come back here soon.

So let me start with an apology for not having pictures to add to my review I have a reason why, This was our first time going to KitchenCray Cafe in Springfield VA. To start you do not have to make reservations also they have a scan menu on the table but after speaking with the manager paper menus are available just ask. The management team was professional and very kind and to all the ladies happily married for over 13 years lol okay everything we ordered was absolutely delicious on point no need to add a thing. We ordered appetizers Salmon bites perfect 10 devil eggs we had the seafood ones every bite was unique and delicious, the wings were made just right you don't have to request crispy they we're served to perfection the shrimp appetizer was also nice crispy with delicious dipping sauce now the French Toast and Chicken was off the chain the Chicken was nice and tender now The Surf and Turf was the most expensive meal but for good reasons oh baby I never tasted a lamb chop so tender and the grits with the spinach truly a classy touch it also crab meat and shrimp is inside. Now we all love Mac and cheese baby there make and cheese has that soulful taste to it , now my reason for not having any pictures is because it was to delicious and it definitely fulfilled my appetite, They have great music and clean bathrooms. I recommend you definitely go and try it you won't regret it. Only issue not enough servers so bring your patients. The food is worth the wait. Also it is a black owned establishment perfect place to celebrate Juneteenth. Also bring plenty of money along just for two we spent $189. Again the food was absolutely worth every penny. The restaurant was clean and seating was very comfortable,

Sad this place wasn't good. I've been waiting to try KitchenCray. Pros: Catfish Bites, French Toast, DJ Cons: Customer Service. Forgot parts of our order. Food was salty. They didn't have ice. Possible A/C problems. Ordered: Crab Fries 1/5 very salty French Toast 4/5 could have more berries Eggs 3/5 over seasoned Catfish Bites 5/5

MangoPassion Refresher - 10/10 Mumbo Shrimp Deviled Eggs - 9/10 French Toast - 10/10 (get the half order - it's filling) Showtime Omelette - 10/10 Every single thing I ate was amazing. This is the quieter location and it definitely comes correct with taste. I am officially a loyal customer. Service: We had Ylicia and she was very good. Super attentive and even sat us (no host was at the front). We appreciate her.

This my second time at this location and it's been an enjoyable experience. Parking: parking lot with plenty of parking spots. Wait: we came in a sunday around 12:30 and there was no wait for a party of 2. We were seated quickly. Vibe: I love the old school R&B being played by the dj. It's a fun vibe. It's also great that the music isn't so loud that it's hard to hear, Food: we for the shrimp deviled eggs and they were delicious. The shrimp was a nice size and well seasoned. We got a side of the lemon pepper honey lamb chops and they were cooked well and the sauce was addictive. I ordered the shrimp and crab omelette and I thought it was ok. I asked for light cheese but it was still a good amount of cheese. The omelette was topped with the crab and shrimp. It was a decent omelet but not the best. My fiancée got the french toast and he said it was good but tasted more like cap'n crunch than french toast. He felt his eggs had way too much cheese. The tater tots were perfect.

Parking availability was good. For a Sunday, I was impressed with the wait time. We came at peak hours, brunch right after a lot of people's church services might let out, and maybe waited 10-15 minutes. They had a DJ that was playing great music, which was a vibe. At times, the music was blaring. We asked our server if the DJ could turn it down a little, and they were accommodating. If no one said anything, it would be impossible to have a conversation without straining your voice. The people I ate with got the fried chicken & waffles, & the catfish & cheesy grits. Both of them were impressed with the portions, and couldn't even finish their meal. For their drinks, I believe one person got a tropical beverage, that they enjoyed, and the other ordered frozen drink that was underwhelming. I was told it was too sweet & creamy, instead of fruity, and came with whipped cream that hurt instead of helped. I got the strawberry splash (strawberry, Sierra Mist, oj, and maybe, passion fruit?) and it was delicious. Think a strawberry lemonade mixed with a tropical sprite. 10/10 For food, I got the seafood grits, which came with sausage and shrimp on top of cheesy grits. I appreciated the diversity of flavors that were provided by the selection of protein. Both were well seasoned. It was the perfect amount of cheese in the grits. Good portion. 10/10

Food: ALWAYS a hit! Party of 4 today. We were sooo hungry, we all forgot to take pics (SMH). Everyone had the cheese grits, 3 of us had catfish/catfish bites and the remaining person ordered the salmon bites. Yummy x 4. Service: Nothing but praise for the 2 ladies holding it down on this holiday Monday. Ambiance: Meh. Absolutely nothing noteworthy but we came to eat and we're all repeat patrons so, enuff said. One MINOR complaint: No Mimosas today as they were completely out of champagne. However, the server took $3 off of the substitute glass of Chardonnay I ordered (which actually made up for yesterday's unwarranted $3 up charge @glorydaysgrill (Stone Ridge/South Riding, VA).

Let's start of by saying the server we had was amazing. She was accommodating to our needs with a friendly demeanor. I got the Cranmamgo Blast and it was delicious. Do you see the presentation of the showtime omelette and tots.. these are the best looking tots I have ever seen honestly. So.... This place is not only about presentation when it comes to food but the flavors... THE FLAVORSSSSS.. these people up here believe in seasoning.. can you feel my praise dance through these words.. the showtime omelette is a must have, the jumbo shrimp deviled eggs, and even the tots.. DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF BLESSING YOU GOT TO PUT ON THE TOTS FOR THEM TO TASTE AMAZING.. come on somebody . Now... when something is amazing, you know something else is going to have to be a slight meh. The ambiance of this place is not a party, popping, brunchy, type of DC feel. This is more of a trying to get away from the business of DC and have good food in a chill environment. They also have music which adds to the vibe

The food was very good. Had lots of amazing flavor and the portion was favorable. The atmosphere was very quiet since it was a weekday and around 1pm. I appreciated the service and hospitality with the wait staff. It's located in a parking lot inside an executive style building where you would assume there are lots of offices, so, when you follow GPS don't feel like it's steering you wrong. Lol. The kitchen staff was great and I like that I could see them. It puts a cool touch on the experience. They had an office to the side and I would suggest keeping the door closed because it was very untidy. Customers didn't need to see inside that office.

Kitchen Cray is the place to be. The atmosphere is a vibe. The wings are great and Valentino was the best

The food was absolutely amazing! Brunch ambiance was fun with a DJ. Unfortunately service was really bad - there were only a handful of tables, but it seemed like the server forgot about our drinks, as 2 tables who came in after us got theirs. When we asked she said she was making them, but we could have gotten our sodas by then. One person didn't get their order till the rest of us were almost done eating. We practically had to beg for water refills, and when something spilled we got us to get napkins ourselves because they never came when we asked. Won't come back to this location because of the service, but the food was so good that I'll try a different one - hope that one's service is better!

Kitchen Cray Café is alright by me. What makes this place great, if you live in the area and you work from home in the surrounding area and you want to do a random brunch with a little mimosa action with a friend from 10 am to 2pm in the middle of the week. Bay-Bee you can do that!!!! The catfish and cheese grits were yummy, not salty, tender and perfectly fried. Grits were light and fluffy. I had a white wine sangria with strawberries and blueberries. Caught up and had a good ole' kee-kee with my gurl. And we scooted on out the door by 12:30pm so we could be back at home for our 1 o'clock meetings. This place could use a little color and some feminine touch, flowers on the table, etc. Give it more of a café feel. But all and all the R&B music was great, and the staff was very nice and took care of us while we were there. It's just a nice place to be!

great food and excellent service by Tony and Light. Shrimp and shrimp Tacos were very flavorful.

This is my second time here, and it doesn't disappoint. I'm a sucker for casual non pretentious yummy brunch, and KitchenCray always deliver! I got the classic shrimp and grits and it was sooo good! They were also generous with the shrimp portion. My sister got the crab fries and an omelette with a side of gator tots and those were delicious as well. We also got a pitcher of mimosa and you definitely need to take your time with those. Love that I can have a great brunch experience without going to DC. Tip: 18% gratuity is automatically added to your bill

The wait to order was a little long, but they only have one waitress. Ordered two catfish nugget appetizers to be told they can only do one catfish and one salmon. The food is always good, but compared to my previous experience, I probably would not return to this location.

First experience was 5 stars. Second experience was 2 stars. Sole reason for the decrease in rating was the horrible wait staff service. The only reason I'm not rating this business as a 1 star is because the chefs did a great job with the food. Wait staff service should be a negative 10! There was no one to greet customers at the front entrance. So after waiting, I seated myself. Minutes after that, a waiter comes by to tell me she is moving us to a low table. I informed her that we prefer a high top. She said okay. So we stayed put. It was a long wait to get a waiter to come over to ask us for our drink order. Then it took longer to get the nonalcoholic drinks. I tried to order a mango drink, but was told they were out of mango. So I just ordered a sweet tea, which was okay... Sweet but fine... It took almost 20+ minutes for the waiter to return to take out food order. During this unacceptable waiting period, we asked two other employees to get our waiter smh. She arrived with an attitude. The food came out. We had no silverware. No napkins. Smh I had to ask for these items by speaking out from my table wayyyyy to the front area by saying hey can we get silverware and napkins. I had to ask an employee to tell the waiter to bring a refill of sweet tea. It was just a horrible experience. So bad that it outweighed the good food. 0 stars for the wait staff service. The seafood grits was good.

Came here for brunch today and I was pleasantly surprised. I came to this establishment years ago and the food was good but it was a long wait and hours of operation were weird. However, this time it was the complete opposite. We were greeted and seated immediately. We ordered old bay wings for an appetizer and they were nicely seasoned and fried. For our entree I got the showtime omelette which comes with grits or tots, it was so good! My boyfriend got the catfish and grits and he said it was really good. I definitely recommend this place for breakfast/brunch/lunch. The patio seating is open now which is nice even though it's in a business center.

Pack your patience for your food. Once it arrives, it was well worth the wait. I stopped by for lunch. This is an intimate location that is well staffed. Our food was delicious. My catfish was fried perfectly and the cheese grits are delicious. The lamb chops were perfectly seasoned, sautéed spinach was amazing over the grits. I'm definitely a fan of Chef JR's and will be back.

I really enjoyed my visit to at KitchenCray Cafe. We came here for a bite to eat after church on Sunday and it was a great experience. I ordered the seafood grits with a side of cheesy eggs and the food was excellent! The grits were nice and smooth, just how I like them and the eggs were also made very well. I was being a bit experimental with the mango passion fruit refresher, and I would not recommend unless you like your drinks SUPER sweet. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this meal and I will definitely be back!

This used to be so bomb and noW its really mid. When the chef was in the kitchen everything was amazing. I remember pop-ups on U street for brunch and that thirst for success. The food was immaculate. Now it's meh. And ion like that. I've had the lamb chops, the short rib special the catfish and the grits, lobster mac with not enough lobster. Baybe not the same and the prices have gone UP UP UP.

IF I COULD GIVE THEM A ZERIO, I WOULD: We saw them on Fox 5 DC and heard so much about them so we wanted to try and support. Babeeee when I tell you "It's A No For Me" 1. We arrived and was told that they stop seating because they had an event, but after me pleading, the Host asked the Manager and they obliged. Thanks for accommodating. 2. The atmosphere - Chair seating is hard but it a Cafe. We thought it was a more of upscale restaurant; that's our bad. 3. We were server tap water that tasted salty; it was awful and served in a plastic cut. 4. Credit card charge 3%, Gratuity 18%. Really. Penalize me for not using cash, ok 3% I will accept, but automatically charge me 18% gratitude for 2 people is unacceptable. DRINKS: (IF YOU LOOKING FOR A STRONG ALCOHOLIC DRINKS, THEY DON'T SERVE AT THIS LOCATION, LANHAM MARYLAND). Ok fine I won't judge but the cost is excessive. 1 mimosa: Served in a plastic flute - $12.00 1 sangria: Served in a plastic cocktail cup - $14.00. DRINKS OK BUT COULD BE SERVED IN A LARGER GLASS/PLASTIC FOR THE PRICE. 2 SIPS, ITS GONE. MEAL: Appetizer: Special: Wings - OMG I order to go, got home and the wings were so hard and salty that they were uneatable. In the trash they go. Main Course: HE WE GO: Surf and Turf: Served cold, the lamb chops were order medium well. It was served cold, sent back. Made again and the lamb chops were cooked so hard couldn't chew them. After complaining, server removed from the bill. Seafood grits: (Included Lump Crab Meat with sautéed shrimps. I got 1 table spoon of crab meat, too much old bay, too salty; 4 shrimps. A lot of grits but they were tasty. Overall rating: IT'S NOT WELL VENTILATED, SMOKEY AND OUR CLOTHING SMELLED LIKE FRIED FOOD WHEN WE LEFT. ITS A NOT FOR ME. VERY DISAPPOINTED AND WILL NEVER BACK. BILL: Subtotal: $88.00 Auto Gratuity: $15.94 Credit Card Charge: $2.64 Tax: $5.28 Total Bill: $111.76 (WOW)

I've wanted to go to this restaurant ever since I saw it featured on a Food Network show. The restaurant is nestled in an industrial park. As you enter the restaurant you are greeted with mellow music. The tables all seem to be a dark butcher block which is really cool. You can dine in, takeout or have your food delivered by popular delivery services. It was not busy when I arrived around 10:15am, however it quickly started to fill up. I was so happy to be able to snag a high top window seat. I chose the Blackened Salmon which comes served over your choice of mashed potatoes or cheesy grits topped with spinach and a garlic cream sauce. The grits were perfectly creamy. It is hard to find perfect grits and Kitchen Cray nailed it. The salmon had a light sear on the outside and was velvety soft on the inside. With all the texture going on I forgot to say the salmon flavors were perfect. The portion was so big that I could only eat half. I brought the other half home to have for a late lunch and the flavors were even better. I will definitely going back. Make sure you check their hours before going. Today their hours were from 10a - 2p.

Service was great! There is great music to listen to inside. It's usually crowed when I go but that just goes to show how good it is. Scenery is nice. They have a jukebox! Food... AMAZING.

I really wanted to love this place. I've been following Chef Robinson on social media for at least the last four years (if not longer). When he opened his restaurant(s) I was so happy. Keep in mind that I lived in Las Vegas, and really didn't have a reason to visit Baltimore, but I kept this place bookmarked just in case. Now we live in the Atlanta area and decided to take a day trip to the DMV to see the sights, so naturally the first place I wanted to stop was here. The restaurant itself is very clean, and the staff is pleasant. They had a DJ, and there was an all-around good vibe in the place. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to my expectations. We ordered the catfish and grits, the hot honey chicken sandwich, the blackened salmon with mashed potatoes, and the crab fries. Overall, the main dishes lacked flavor. The chicken on the chicken sandwich was overcooked, so it was dry and hard. The salmon was completely bland. I will say the crab fries were actually really good, and I would recommend trying them. What really turned me off is that they provide plastic utensils and condiments in packets. For the price we're paying, we should be given silverware and condiments in bottles.

About a 1-1.5: We had heard from a dear friend about KitchenCray, so we wanted to check them out for brunch on a weekend. We decided to make the trek to the Lanham location, as it seemed to be their original post. I had read some reviews that they serve a limited menu on the weekends, but this didn't seem the case - we were provided the full menu with a beverage list; there were some specials wrote in chalk on one of the boards, and the server stated that the kitchen was able to prepare those as well (even though they were specials from the evening before). We ordered: +Crab Tots - the tater tots were perfectly fried and super crispy; these were topped with shredded crab meat and an aioli drizzle; I wished that they were more generous with the sauce, as it only covered the top layer of the tots, and there weren't any sauce left to use with the underneath layers +Wings - we went for the dry rub of Old Bay; these were absolutely NUKED - I mean, I love my wings fried hard, but these were to the point where the bones were disintegrating; not sure how the kitchen would allow this to be served to patrons? Pretty shameful. +Shrimp & Grits - the grits were super thick and creamy; some of the shrimp were not trimmed and prepared well; this also included turkey sausage, but only 3 thin slices of them - these could have been pan-fried or something, because they looked like there were just steamed and put in the dish as an afterthought +Jerk Fettucine Alfredo - this was pretty inedible - while the pasta was cooked al dente, the chicken was stringy and had a weird texture, and the flavors were just off-putting; we couldn't go past a bite Overall, we just couldn't see the justification on the prices of the items with the quality that was being served - the nuked wings were $19 (!), the Jerk Fettucine Alfredo was listed at $25+ (!), which was served with chicken, not seafood. I mean, come on... Service felt nonexistent, and I wished we were checked in more often so we could share our experience. We also weren't fans of the electronic payment, as we like seeing a paper check for an itemized bill. And, lo and behold, we didn't know that there was an automatic 18% gratuity added to all checks, even though it was written in fine print at the bottom of the menu - it just seemed like a dishonest or a bamboozling tactic when they still automatically have a 3%, 5%, and 7% gratuity pop-up for you to add once you run your card - pretty annoying. Located on the first floor of a business building with plenty of parking. Glad we were able to check this place out, but wouldn't return. +nuked wings +lack of quality in preparation of dishes +18% gratuity automatically added to all checks +nonexistent service +plenty of parking in lot

100% always going to support black owned business! Come here on a Sunday and you'll see beautiful families gathering for good eats after church. Music is always a vibe, their video playlist is the one! Lamb and shrimp dish was insane and the catfish and grits fire too l

Where to start!! So I came here on a Sunday afternoon with a group of 5, expecting to have a long wait since it's prime brunch time. When we arrived, the parking lot wasn't too full so we went inside and placed ourselves on the waiting list. We were told it was an hour and a half wait which didn't make sense considering the restaurant itself wasn't that packed. Regardless, we stayed and ended up waiting for around 45 minutes to an hour. Shoutout to the Yelp app for showing us our place in line. Now let's talk about the service. Our specific waitress was very direct and to the point which was nice but the wait time to get essential things was frustrating. We kept asking for waters and didn't get them until we got main courses. We also kept asking for specific orders such as flavors for mimosas and were told they only had one flavor available for the drinks. Even when asking for chicken and waffles, I was told it was just French toast. Just little things to nitpick at honestly. The food was pretty good. I ordered the chicken and French toast, my friends ordered the shrimp grits and the blackened salmon. I would say flavor wise across the board we were expecting more seasoning but I will say that they were able to balance it out pretty well. I loved how the chicken and French toast came with the syrup on the side, which I barely used since it was sweet enough already with the caramel sauce. The chicken was weirdly cooked however with some parts being pink in the middle which turned me off. Overall expected more based on what I've heard about this place, but would like to come again to give it another try.

This restaurant did not start off nor end off on a great foot for me. The actual restaurant was extremely hard to find and once I was able to get inside, I was thoroughly disappointed with what I saw. The tables and overall decor just seemed run down or outdated. While it was not a busy time of day, I had to wait for a long time to be seated with just two people. Once seated it took even longer to get our order taken. I chose the crab fries which were pretty decent but did not have nearly enough crab or sauce on it for the price. As I watched other tables receive their meals, everything seemed overpriced for the portion sizes people were getting. Would not go again.

The place is charming--there is lots to take in for the visual aspect. The service was friendly and professional. The food was very good. The pricing is a little higher than the other brunch spots. I enjoyed the grits and fried lobster, deviled eggs with shrimp.

Finally made it here for brunch last Sunday!! Casual, family friendly, black owned restaurant. I've had Kitchen Cray food for years at various events in DC! I don't eat shellfish and their menu is primarily that but I was able to order french toast with chicken. It was actually ok. My friend also got the same and she enjoyed it. We shared a carafe of raspberry mimosas. They weren't overly strong but not bad. Added my name to the waitlist via the Yelp app. It gave an estimate of 20 minutes. Showed up within that time and they were able to seat us. I've heard super long wait times...like over an hour! They don't take reservations so try the Yelp app to get seating or just arrive very early especially with a group. We were there at noon. The place is located in an office building. I'm not gonna lie, it's not very aesthically pleasing or very big. It gave me cafeteria vibes. It's definitely more on the casual side. Of course if you want to put on your "Sunday Best" you can, but definitely not necessary here. Plenty of parking. The service was decent. The restroom is down the hall and a code is needed. The host/hostess will give it to you. There was a DJ but he didn't stay the entire time we were there. After they just had music playing. Overall, a 3.5 star rating so I rounded it up to 4! I would possibly come back not in a hurry.

When my husband and I (party of 2) Arrived for brunch we were told a 45 min wait which was fine. We actually got seated within 30. Drinks took about 15 mins. Then took our server another 15 mins to come and take our order. That's when the real wait began. It took almost an hour and half to get out food. We were about to cancel our order and leave. Like that was absolutely ridiculous. Our server gave a dry apology for the wait. The tables that sat after us were getting food and for some reason we weren't I don't know if she forgot the order or what. I would say the food was worth the wait but that wait was very upsetting. On a good note. Food was very delicious. Our drinks were ok. No bottomless ( which might have distracted me from the wait time). We considered a large party on our check so that the gratuity was added. (It was two of us). We would eat the food again but I would not go to that location again unless it was for to go.

Really enjoyed the food! Service was good as well. I would definitely go back for sure. Food is a little pricey, but it's well worth it. Staff are attentive and friendly.

Visited for Wednesdays R&B night. Jerk lamb chops were fire!! Our server Jordan was one of the best attentive waiters I've had in a while. DJ Jo Joyce played held the vibe with the 90s r&b!! Ron on the hookah, amazing, the flavor held and for him to be a one man shop he keep coals coming. Everyone consistently checked to make sure we were having a good experience. Will return..

Decided to come meet a friend here at 1PM on a Sunday for brunch! They DO NOT do reservations, but you can add yourself to the WAITLIST! Then when you arrive, check in with the hostess. I highly encourage this. Add yourself through their YELP page. You can even see where you are in line. When our table was ready, I got a text message to come in. If you don't, you will just have to wait until there's a table ready for your party size. This location is in a business park. It's pretty small inside. I *Think* there was a separate room for dinners but I couldn't really tell. There was a DJ playing old school and current music of today. All of the music was on point and had everyone excited! This really wasn't much of a "turn up" spot as it gave me more "cafeteria" vibes and the tables were kind of close together. The food was mediocre at best. Myself , nor my guest, really enjoyed our food. We both took home most of our entrees to go. I had the catfish and grits. All bland. The grits were more soupy than anything. Presentation was not desirable. We shared the Shrimp appetizers. They were okay. We did get a carafe of Passion Fruit mimosas which was really good. About 6 full glasses each. Yummmm! Our waitress was really nice. I would like to try the H Street Location next time.

The food was good, something was fairly salty however, overall we enjoyed the meals. There is an 18% gratuity charge regardless of the size of your party. The pictures on Yelp are not a representation of available meals. The menu is much smaller than what's posted.

I'm still sitting here in the restaurant writing this review. I'm confidently giving this place a 3. 1 star for being a black owned restaurant that I wanted to come support and 2 stars for the food. Let's break it all the way down We arrived at about 1:15 to put our name down on the list table of 4 and 1 baby. The wait was an hour. Still better than the h street location that told me our wait would be TWO hours. So we decided to wait. 1 hour later we were seated. And forgotten about. When I finally called someone over I asked for at least water to which we were told she's getting to it right now. BTW know that you are eating with plastic cutlery on formica plates, but you might get lucky and get a set of silverware Waitresses going back and forth about who's table we actually were, we finally got our water after a 2nd plea and simultaneously had to remind our waitress about what our drinks were. We placed our order and then continued to wait and wait and wait and wait. One of the reasons why we waited is because everyone kept coming out with sighs of contentment. We kept looking around while sitting and noticing that everyone's plate was CLEARED. IT WAS BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE HUNGRY. Don't worry my plate of lukewarm food was cleared too. Your's would be too after waiting 50 minutes for your good......and an additional 15 for the 4th persons plate who they forgot to put in. It's 340. I asked for my check 5 minutes ago. Let's see how long they hold us hostage Update to add insult to injury there is an automatic 18% put on for gratuity. I was initially going to pay the receipt because again but that put me over the edge and made me complain about the wait and the disjointed serving. To which I was adequately compensated for my troubles

So I've been following kitchen Cray since the food truck days! I finally made it to the restaurant in Lanham. So it's in a business park off of MLK you might think you're in the wrong place but look for the green awning and you're there. So the place was really a vibe and I really like to support black owned businesses when I can so here we are. FYI: The venue isn't huge and they have a little out door seating but not a lot. The indoor seating is limited. They don't take reservations on weekends so my suggestions would be to go early for brunch. We arrived at 1:15 and there was an hour wait. But they were true to the wait time! The food was amazing! Not one complaint. I order the seafood grits EXCELLENT. Consistency if the grits 10/10 flavor 10/10 whew Chile would recommend. My dining partner got the seafood omelet just copy and paste the same review. They don't have bottomless mimosas but the mimosa karfe was really reasonably priced and we each had at least 4 mimosas out of it. I really think it was more. Also a really good mix. The only thing that can be improved is that the dining room floors were a bit slippery, not a dig, it really was busy so it may be a result if that, but I definitely had to step lightly. The only other thing that could have been better was that it took us a while to get the food but again, it was busy and the manager promptly addressed it and took care of us without request or complaint. I forgot to mention there was a DJ and he was on point. Overall would recommend! They also have an H street location in DC. Give it a try!

The food is good. It could be served hotter. The wait was over a hour to receive our brunch and it took a waitress over 30 minutes to come over to the table once we got seated. She only did after a manager told her to come over. It took forever to receive our drinks. I love the music and the days that they have a live DJ. Overall tasty food but needs better service.

My first time visiting this restaurant it was some small error, but I would return to give them a second chance.

As I write this review I wish I had leftovers from our Valentine's Day (my birthday) food journey to Kitchen Cray. Now I have been following them for a long time on IG, but needed to try them out because as we know food on social media can look good, but decieve your taste buds! They had dedicated Love Day options, however we opted to order off the regular menu. The service was great and the food was really impressive! We ordered the lemon pepper honey wings, chicken and French toast, jerk fettuccine shrimp, and the lobster mac. When I tell you ever dish was DELICIOUS! As the kids say, it was BUSSIN! Especially the French toast that was something special. Toast to the Chef and if you aren't going to Kitchen Cray what is you doing!!!!

If you're looking for a place with incredible food, music & vibes tou have to check out Kitchen Cray. We visited on a Sunday for brunch and checked in ahead of time through the yelp app (highly reccomend, a couple ahead of us had an hour wait). I couldn't resist the French toast with fried chicken, I'd seen so many raving reviews about it & honestly it did not disappoint. Rhe vanilla and caramel sauces are so good. My husband got an omelet that had some veggies, shrimp & crayfish. He enjoyed it as well! We decided to get a peach flavored mimosa and that was also delicious! We definitely want to come back to try their lobster mac & cheese to! They have other locations, including one in DC, but this is right outside so if you're staying in Maryland while on a trip to DC definitely visit this location

Who doesn't love brunch?!?! This place offers several options to choose from and I am excited for the several locations. Overall my food was not great and it was not a very family friendly establishment. However, knowing more from my first experience, I can set my expectations for a second visit. I will expect blasting music from the DJ, so loud I can't hear my guest but the music will have you grooving. There will be a wait even though we joined the waitlist prior to arriving. The floor will be grossly sticky. The server will not be as attentive but I'll be distracted by the music. The grits will be the some of the worst savory grits I've had but there are more menu items to choose from. Overall not a great experience, but not a home run. I look forward to trying additional items with my expectations adjusted.

The atmosphere was upbeat and fast paced. I feel like they got busy for a second but then it balanced out. The food was greatttttt. Catfish was cooked perfectly, they provided enough cream sauce so I didn't have to ask for more and the mimosa flavor was really good. They weren't watery so that's always a plus. My friend got the Showtime Omelette & Passionfruit juice which she said was all incredible. Will I be back? As soon as possible

I went for a friend's birthday brunch awhile back. Here's what I got: MUMBO CHICKEN DEVILED EGGS: Chicken tossed in mumbo sauce | Seemed like a good idea, but...it wasn't. Too sweet. Not my jam. CATFISH & GRITS: Deep-fried catfish over creamy jalepeño cheddar grits | Decent, but barely room temperature by the time it arrived. (Not a little air fryer action can't bring to life.) RUM CAKE: Served w/vanilla ice cream | Pretty good, but my ice cream was melted, so that sucked. It was a busy time, so the service was slow... Polite, but slow. Would've been nice to have more than one server to assist with our somewhat large party. I won't hold it against them, because the server was super apologetic and tried to accommodate everyone as best as possible. __ IG: @f.hux I #yelp and I know things. Keep reading... https://linktr.ee/f.hux #foodieHUX #yelpelite #yelpeatsdc #yelpdc

Does this look like a $9.00 piece of cake?? I always try to support black businesses, but they are making it hard. I placed my order online using ApplePay and I received a txt message telling me that my order is ready, only go in and be told that I need to present my card or ID to pick up my food, my food mind you not my kid from daycare. I don't have a card for Apple Pay and who's going to have my name or know that I have an online order to pick up besides me, the person that placed the order and also received the text message to come pick up the order. I felt like I was being treated unfairly and this was a little bit too much to put a person through just to pick up some food. I can go to Grace's right up the street and give them my name and receive my food with no problem. Why can't it be the same here?? And if the answer to that is we've had problems in the past, then to that I will say...if you treat people a certain way they will act a certain way. Treat me like a paying customer that I am and not a thief.

My family and I tried this place for brunch and it was lovely! The food was tasty and filling. The service was great and we felt very seen my our server. The vibe was also very calm and good vibes. We had the fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken & French toast. The French toast was the best I have ever had very delicious.

They do not take reservations and do not tell wait time over the phone. We went on a Sunday morning (around 11am), we were seating quick. But it became full with in the next hour. The staff were very friendly and polite. Coming to the food, everything was amazing. Kudos to the Chef. 1. Chicken and French Toast (5/5) - Chicken was jucy, tender and the french toast was perfect. 2. Seafood Salmon with Lobster Tail (5/5) - Great cheddar grits (Coming from me - I am not big fan of Cheese) with a lot of meat (Fish, prawns and lobster) 3. Mimosa carafe (5/5) We got the regular mimosas. A great place for brunch. Must visit with friends. One of favorite places to go

This was my first experience here, and honestly I appreciate my server. I originally ordered the shrimp and grits and although it was a bit too cheesy for my forte, she was soooo willing to get me another dish of my choice to replace my meal as she insisted. She was very attentive and although I didn't like my first meal the second one, which was the jerk salmon and salad was sooooo worth it. Everyone now days have very high expectations but her customer service for me was refreshing coming from a youth group.

Great food even better people. The owner walked in and had a whole conversation with us before our food arrived. The ambiance was amazing as well. Did I forget to mentioned they're Black Owned which means a lot to me. That means my money is supporting our black families; sending our kids to college, putting food on our tables, and clothes on our back.

Have tried Kitchencray several times, all for takeout/delivery Delivery took forever to come (which is more on the delivery service than the restaurant) Love the food here and have enjoyed just about everything I've tried. Crab cake blt- thick bacon, crab cake no filler, toasted brioche bun, huge sandwich Loaded lobster- possibly my favorite dish here. The fried lobster is great on all of their dishes. Salmon was juicy and tender, enjoyed the sauce & mashed potatoes. Dish went together well Seafood mac is great as well, did not have the one with fried lobster on top but will order that the next time. Mac wasn't too cheesy or too dry. Noodles cooked perfectly and had the right amount of meat baked in.

4.5 stars! The staff is wonderful but come for the food! The ambience is comfy and very basic. The music is a little loud and even louder for a birthday celebration but the birthday cupcake is so cute. We inhaled our seafood grits so quickly that there are no pictures! Don't get coffee. That is not what they do. We don't drink so I can't talk about those except that we saw folks smile at the first sip.