Mess Hall

We had an exceptional wedding at the Mess Hall this summer and cannot recommend it highly enough. From the very beginning, Al, Jordan, and the entire team were thoughtful, organized, and truly invested in making our vision come to life. Their preparation and planning were outstanding; from seamlessly connecting us with excellent vendors and caterers to offering creative, practical ideas for how to best use the space. Communication was always prompt, clear, and reassuring. On the wedding day itself, everything ran flawlessly. The venue’s industrial character paired beautifully with modern conveniences, and the flexibility of the space made the night unforgettable. We held our ceremony and dancing outside in the dock space, while the interior provided a comfortable, stylish space for dinner and for guests who wanted a break from the dance floor. The flow of the evening felt effortless. We couldn’t have been happier with our experience and would choose the Mess Hall—and its incredible team—again without hesitation.

Pretty awesome space with minor details making a major vibe. Unassuming exterior tucked into a school block hides the magic happening inside. I've never seen one commercial kitchen so clean, much less several of them. Smooth operations. The owner was highly approachable, super friendly and engaging, making sure our event went smoothly. Clearly the focus here is on efficiency without sacrificing quality for the commercial and rental clients that utilize the space. Also, the wallpaper in the bathrooms is amazing. Again, details.

I’ve been using Mess Hall as my commercial kitchen space for several months now and am really happy with the facility and the staff. Jordan, Al, and Stephan are extremely friendly and helpful. They helped me get all my ducks in a row to get my business license, offered suggestions on what kind of equipment would be best to make my product, and made some great industry connections for me. I’ve worked most closely with Jordan — she is a superstar! The maintenance staff are also great and work hard to make sure the spaces stay clean. One of the pros of using a shared space is all the other great food entrepreneurs you get to meet. That being said, there are times when the kitchen gets pretty crowded, spaces get messier than usual, and you have to wedge yourself in to get a workspace. I have a more flexible schedule so I’ve figured out which times are quieter, that’s just par for the course. I also love that there is a coworking space above the kitchen so you can take care of admin work without going far. Overall, I’m really enjoying my time here and look forward to continue growing with Mess Hall as my business gets bigger.

I must admit I was a bit nervous about operating an online ordering / carryout restaurant inside of a shared kitchen with all of the intricacies involved and the sense of urgency required etc… However, after nearly a year in business, it's been a pleasurable endeavor operating inside of the Mess Hall. ✓There are three large kitchens each equipped with ovens, stoves and lots of prep tables. ✓There's also a large walk-in fridge, plenty of freezer space and shelving, a clean building and a ✓✓great management team that help foster a family- like communal environment and offer quick responses to address any concerns. ✓✓✓Though I am most impressed with how all of the businesses share the space we work in and look out for one another. A great place for a start-up restaurant. It definitely checks all the boxes for me.

Al and the team have worked to make Mess Hall a very accessible workspace. I rented the space for photoshoot. There is plenty of natural lighting and an authentic but clean kitchen that made the shoot a success. The team at Mess Hall had great communication and offered up help at every turn. I am very grateful the space exists and look forward to working with Al and the team at Mess Hall in the future!

Hosted a wedding dance party at Mess Hall for ~180 friends and family. It was an absolute blast! Cannot fully express how absolutely wonderful Al, Jordan, Ashley, Marcus, and all the staff and vendors were to work with. So communicative and did everything they could to make our vision a reality. 11 out of 10, would host another event with them!

Al and the team have truly worked to make Mess Hall a special gem for weddings and events in the DC area. I’ve worked with them as a wedding coordinator, and they made the process an absolute dream. From clear communication, quick problem solving, and friendly attitudes, they really made everyone, from guests, to vendors, to - of course - the couple, feel so well taken care of. I look forward to working with Al and the whole team at Mess Hall many more times down the road!

The team at Mess Hall is Top Notch! Al, Jordan and the team are super informed and knowledgeable, generous with their assistance and advice to new business owners, and absolutely lovely with work with--Five Stars!

Highly recommend! Our friends just had their wedding here and it was a great space for it. The ceremony was in the loading dock area (it was so cute). The guests then moved inside for apps and dinner. We then went back to the dock area for dancing and drinks. It was such a great space! The staff were wonderful and made sure all the guests were having a good time. Would love to attend another function here!

The mess hall turned out to be the perfect venue for a pop up Feastly Philippine brunch that I recently attended. The space was warm and bright, with easy parking and friendly staff. Shelves with varied cookbooks lined the walls and the bathroom was clean and modern. Overall a great experience.

The people at Mess Hall are making DC a more delicious place by incubating food innovators who are changing the city with their unique ideas. Kudos to that! I recently attended an event here that was sponsored by Cabot Cheese and I was really impressed with the welcoming and opening space where our intimate influencer lunch was held. There was an open kitchen so we were able to talk directly with whoever was making our food (great for demonstrations!) and the decor and tabling was absolutely gorgeous. I loved how they brought in the farmers who made the milk for the cheese as well as a local chocolate company (Divine Chocolate) to speak to us about responsible sourcing. Black Pearl Tarts provided us with some sweet and Instagrammable desserts. Overall a top notch event at a top notch venue. I'd totally come back here for an event in the future!

We recently had our wedding reception at Mess Hall and loved it. Hopefully we only ever get married once - but we can both definitely say if we have the opportunity, we will choose Mess Hall a million times over for our wedding reception. Really 5 out of 5 stars on all fronts for Mess Hall - especially for their staff and management. Obviously, the space itself is very cool - in a class of its own and very unique. And the location too - walking distance to 2 metro stations! But things like space and location are things that are easy to look up online - if you're reading this review you probably want to know about the intangibles and the staff - and so that is what this review is mostly about. When we chose Mess Hall as our venue about 10 months ago, we initially did so because we liked the space and location - but we would eventually find out that we also greatly appreciated, valued, and trusted the advice, help, and judgment of Mess Hall's leadership and staff like Al and Jordan. Preparing for a wedding reception is a large undertaking - and for most of us regular folks its not something we will do many times in our life. Whenever we needed guidance or helpful suggestions on how to prepare and execute our event, Mess Hall staff and leadership worked with us to build out our vision. Our event certainly was our vision - but Mess Hall guided us in how to realize and execute it perfectly. We found that Mess Hall was very flexible with us, but also willing to share wisdom when we experienced some challenges in how to realize our vision. And just a tip - you can definitely trust Al, Jordan, and the rest Mess Hall staff! And the staff on day-of were also great! The event supervisor filled in any gaps as they inevitably arose throughout the evening, and the bartenders / waitstaff / custodians provided friendly and diligent service throughout the evening. Procuring staff directly through Mess Hall is definitely worth it if you choose to do that.

I rented space from the kitchen before. I recommend you look elsewhere. You can start your own shared kitchen. A lot of people left the kitchen with a bad taste in the mouth.

We had our wedding party at Mess Hall, and the entire experience was stellar, from first meeting to the end of the day! The space is both beautiful and urban, and easily configurable to meet a wide variety of needs. We had food inside and our dance floor in the loading dock area, and it worked so well. Our food came from Mess Hall members, and the beers were all from DC brewers. Al and Hannah truly went out of their way to make our day perfect, and we could not have asked for better. Huge kudos to all!

Al and the Mess Hall team are the best! If you're looking for a cool, funky event space, check out Mess Hall. Unadorned, the space is great and it's also so fun to stage. Even the loading dock is awesome. Al's got an amazing list of small, local and tasty vendors to cater. We had food trucks pull up outside. Parking is easy. Al is so easy to work with ... I highly recommend Mess Hall!!!

Mess Hall was the perfect space for our rehearsal dinner and "welcome party" for our wedding weekend. We had an amazing dinner cooked in the open demo kitchen for our 20 dinner guests, followed by a cocktail style party for 80 guests. Everything went smoothly, from hooking up my phone to their Sonos sound system, to converting the space quickly after dinner. Mess Hall staff was present for the entire event and made the night so easy on us. Everyone who works at Mess Hall is genuinely kind and trustworthy. I would highly recommend hosting any event in this unique industrial space!!

I went there for a pre wedding event and left some personal belongings there. The staff went out of their way to get my jacket back to me. They were easy to work with and I appreciate them greatly. Special shout out to Al and Keri. Thanks!

We recently had our daughter's Bat Mitzvah at Mess Hall and everything was fantastic! We wanted an unconventional space that was fun and unique but still had a sophisticated feel and that is exactly what we got. We used the main dining room for a variety of food stations, we utilized the loading dock for our DJ and dancing and then had food trucks pull up on the street. Al and Tara were amazing to work with. They helped with the many details of creating a space that worked for our party and guests. They also have a member list of many great food vendors, food trucks and caterers that are fantastic. From beginning to end, the entire experience was flawless. A perfect evening!!

I absolutely love Mess Hall! I would give Mess Hall even more stars if I could. I recommend Mess Hall to anyone looking to start and/or grow a business in the food industry. When I first started my business, I went to three other kitchens prior to landing at Mess Hall. Unfortunately, I had no operational experience and I wasn't licensed. Vic and Al were extremely understanding, helpful and kind. They walked me through the entire process and when I had trouble with the government program that we were participating in, Vic personally went down to the department to speak with them on our behalf. She did so without being asked on her personal time. When I said thank you, her response was, "oh please, this is what we do". Okay, who does this??? I have numerous stories just like this one on how they have helped our organization. Now on to the next reason why I love them so much... They have built a sense of community there, that is not easy to replicate with so many different people and personalities. They also share their resources and opportunities. It is unbelievable! They are straight forward, true to their word and they get the job done on time and professionally. I could sit and write all day about how great they are for start-up businesses, but that would be limiting them because they are great for other businesses as well. Further, every new business needs a network, they have a built-in network that they have no problem sharing... all kinds of businesses in different phases of business. You may find a cheaper rental, but I can guarantee you that the couple of extra dollars that you would save are not worth all that you would be walking away from... I hands down recommend Mess Hall and I recommend you go and see for yourself.... You'll be glad you did!!!