Pre Pizzagate reviews from YELP! of Comet Piiiiiiizzzahhh and Piiiiiing Ponnnnnng.. (pizzagate)

submitted ago by remedy4reality

YELP! reviews of COMET since PG broke have been 4 or 5 stars and have a contrived vibe and are obviously editied ( many mentioning us 'freaks' working on PG ). So I thought I would share some excerpts from diners who were not so glowing with their reviews and visited prior to the filtering that Yelp is now practicing. https://www.yelp.com/biz/comet-ping-pong-washington

" My fiance and I went here the other night for dinner. I was a little thrown off by the amount of children in the restaurant...I guess my impression was it was more a bar than a restaurant and didn't realize how close to DC suburbia it was. The ping pong area was pretty much all kids so we didn't get a chance to check it out. "

"Additionally, the restaurant seems to have grown grubbier over time. On our last visit (meaning both the most recent - and the last time we plan to eat here), the restrooms were gross - skeevy gas station bathroom level. And it wasn't just the can; the wall next to our table was splattered with dried food and drink."

" We came to eat here following multiple recommendations and were so disappointed - the pizza is simply not good. The worst we had in DC. "

"The service was horrid. No silverware, no napkins without asking, no refills, and every employee it looked wore whatever they wanted and were all chatting with each other instead if working. I also overheard the person next to me complain about the service."

' Josh was a very rude bar tender. He held hostage hospitable services from the customer - a policy that disgusts me and if indicative of the rest of Comet bar staff I cannot recommend this establishment. Also when I told Josh I'd write this review he said "Fucking do it. Nobody fucking reads Yelp reviews anyways." '

EPILOGUE: Excerpt from Washington Blade article right after fake gunman incident at Comet: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/12/14/comet-ping-pong-gunman-invited-friends-help-raid-pedo-ring/ 'Josh Vogelsong, a Comet Ping Pong bartender who performs in drag and books shows at the restaurant as part of its entertainment venue, told Slate.com that he and at least two other drag performers who performed there have received harassing messages, including death threats, on Instagram and other social media from Pizzagate believers. Most of the threats and harassing messages he and the other two drag performers received have been anti-LGBT in nature, he said. One Instagram user called him a “dumb bitch or whatever the fuck you are” and a “fucking tranny.”

zzvoat ago

Josh Vogelsong MySpace https://myspace.com/joshvogelsong

IF it's the same person, someone may want to search through all his "connected people."

diamonddust ago

Quite easy to imagine. They're hipsters for fucks sake.

AreWeSure ago

I assume you're mainly talking New Haven. A friend lived around the corner from Modern Apizza. Man was that good. And Frank Pepe's, yum.

As for the comments and reviews, I also think there's an expectations game going on. If you discover a tiny little place on your own, you might rave about them and give them 5 stars. But if people tell you this is one of the best places in town, you might be less likely to over look any flaws.

AgainstTheNWO ago

My first thought was, shouldn't those kids not try to escape? But then i realise, that is why there are always 2 grown ups playing outside. To guard and distract if necessary.

rickman ago

I wonder what else they film apart from the live feed broadcast to the rest of the restaurant. I wonder if those videos are what people can access through the restricted part of the website as "material" or to make purchases.

popezandy ago

The fact is, with the frequency that they close the restaurant for private shows, when you have examples of the bartender telling people to go fuck themselves, and when we still have established that there are always a bunch of kids in the back playing ping pong... I mean, I'm sure tons of businesses are partial fronts, you know what I mean? Like even if they have a dedicated customer base, they get a little on the side. But if you've ever been to a place that makes most of it's money on the side thing, drugs for example, you'll notice they don't give a shit about the other operation. Anyways, what's unique about a place for pedophiles in my mind is, there would be dedicated customers who came for the pizza, who would be treated nicely by the staff, because they were all in the game together. Hang out, watch the children play, eat a little and talk business right? Those people don't mind spending their money at a shitty scummy restaurant because it isn't really the food they're paying for. Meanwhile, outsiders get a completely different experience, no upsides ya get me?

AreWeSure ago

I forget when he opened, but he said the restaurant struggled into 2007 then it hit its stride. So early reviews may not be indicative. See my other comment, I looked at a Yelp page from like 8 months ago and saw a bunch of 5 star reviews and a bunch of 1 star reviews. And the average from that page matches the Yelp average of 3.5. You need to look at both the good and the bad to ensure you're not cherry picking your evidence. I looked for a random sample of recent reviews from before pizzagate and found it matches the Yelp score. Some great and some terrible. Also it has 700 reviews which indicates some popularity. I don't think Yelp supports at all the contention this place is a front and everyone thinks the food/service/place sucks.

SIMONBARROW ago

"I will be sure to get one of the pizzas with Comet sauce next time. It's like no other pizza sauce I've ever had."

I'm a bit concerned about Comet's special sauce. What the hell is in it?

AndyMc7 ago

Wow..kids running around everywhere..very suss, I wonder if some of these kids they were trafficking

SIMONBARROW ago

I'm starting to think that the word 'powerful' means 'well-connected.'

Cuboctahedron ago

I saw an article in the Washington Post earlier which basically consisted of Amanda Kleinman whining about Internet trolls. It sounds just like Josh Vogelsong the bartender, doesn't it? These crybullies display passive-aggressive tactics, don't they? DARVO (Deny; Attack; Reverse Victim & Offender)

dogeminho ago

I've archived some of the most telling reviews and ones that tell us there is a hidden wall, etc. I still have more to do, I'm on page 7 and won't be able to continue until later today. Anyway, here is what I've saved so far:

EDIT: I've only gone to page 10 on the reviews. There are 35 pages. I might continue this some other time but I don't know. If anyone else wishes to, feel free heh.

http://archive.is/FCbY9

http://archive.is/2cPLI

http://archive.is/Zv3BC

http://archive.is/Qzjnm

http://archive.is/0ZVui

http://archive.is/vQyW7

http://archive.is/vY2KK

http://archive.is/0PGdz

http://archive.is/CYWLf

http://archive.is/sn5nA

http://archive.is/A16xu

http://archive.is/H10xZ

http://archive.is/bPYZ7

http://archive.is/czUWs

http://archive.is/0vbF7

http://archive.is/oVBN3

http://archive.is/3sVrt

UPDATE:

http://archive.is/Aq6TV

http://archive.is/ASjLU

http://archive.is/XOR1a

http://archive.is/OzoIy

http://archive.is/cyBYv

http://archive.is/G6wmY

http://archive.is/ic7TX

http://archive.is/zWm5K

http://archive.is/HGc2A

http://archive.is/MAM1H (kids late into the night)

http://archive.is/6Qy6R

http://archive.is/WQ9RU (Not recommended review page 2)

http://archive.is/ro4gn (Not recommended review page 4)

http://archive.is/I8jsa (Comet had shills telling everyone how good their wings are, how it's "kid friendly".. page 5)

http://archive.is/RUOpH (one review makes a point of saying the music shows are great for adults during the night... page 9)

http://archive.is/YUIqc ("If you want to play ping pong just challenge some little kids to a game and you'll be outmatched." saying pretty much there is an abundance of little kids imo. page 11)

http://archive.is/5UCqH (Not recommended review page 12)

AreWeSure ago

It's consistently gotten good reviews from the Washington Post. A two star review in the Washington Post means a restaurant will be in business for years unless something drastically changes. A four star review is the top of the top like this place. https://theinnatlittlewashington.com/

2007 2.5 stars The restaurant critic for the Washington Post gave it 2.5 stars in 2007.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/05/AR2007070501270.html

He didn't care for their dessert: "Truth be told, though, the best finish I ever had at Comet Ping Pong was yet another pizza."

2009 2.5 stars He said "an igloo-shaped, wood-fueled oven in back issues pies that are as good for their thin and yeasty crusts as for their toppings. My current favorite combo: juicy clams, sweet onions, fragrant garlic and Parmesan cheese, also known as the Yalie."

2016 2 stars It was reviewed again earlier this year as part of a round up. He praises the food, and disses the service.

Whatever else it maybe Comet Ping Pong is has been a well reviewed and busy restaurant for quite a while. It's a real, functioning higher end restaurant.

SIMONBARROW ago

I'm sure food reviewers get better food than most. I'm sure Alefantis knows who they are and when they're coming in.

remedy4reality ago

Are you daft ? This post is about POOR reviews and the unusual number of unattended kids at late hours. Nobody said it was not a functioning restaurant. You're gaslighting this post and it's not appreciated.

AreWeSure ago

I'm gaslighting nothing. People were claiming is a front restaurant and the food sucks. Well not everyone Yelp reviewer feels that way.

If you only post bad reviews, you are cherry picking and fouling the evidence pool and it makes it really easy to convince yourself of something. Another thing about the restaurant business is if you are an established, popular place in a wealthy neighborhood, Yelp reviews aren't going to mean anything. Because that would only affect new customers. If you retain your old customer base, you can glide past that.

It's quite easy to find one star Yelp reviews and five star Yelp reviews for this place. You don't have to look very far. However, even given that, I just looked at Yelp and picked a random page from before the emails came out. https://www.yelp.com/biz/comet-ping-pong-washington?start=160 There's 23 reviews on that page and if you add up all the stars you get 78 total stars. 6 5 star reviews and 4 1 star reviews. A bunch in the middle. It comes to an average of 3.4. On Yelp you only get three or three point five and what is their overall score 3.5. A perfect match.

A 3.5 restaurant with almost 700 reviews, that's the truth. That is not gaslighting.

remedy4reality ago

15 years in the restaurant business here... This place put ZERO priority on either food consistency, overall quality, cleanliness ( piss all over the bathrooms !!!?? ) and customer service. Taken with the evidence regarding the owner, Mr. 'I love Children', it's fairly obvious the priorities lie elsewhere. But you're defending the rating. Hilarious.

AreWeSure ago

Did a Google search for the year 2015. Comet Ping Pong is mentioned positively by * Eater DC * DC Spotlight * Metro Weekly * Bloomberg.com (mostly about Ping Pong) * Bethesda Magazine * The Food Network * Baltimore City Paper * CookInDineOut.com * DCist.com listed it as a place another Washington chef likes to eat.

See this review on family travel blog from a family from Indiana https://family-travel-blog.com/comet-ping-pong/

When we went, it was super busy and we had to wait, but not long......We ordered wings and pizza, and the wings were so good we ended up ordering a second order. The pizza was really good too. ...... We all thought it was delicious......While you wait, engage in a little ping pong as well.........It’s crowded, but you don’t have to wait long for a table to play. My kids had a great time.

I had never heard of this place before 2016, but it's quite obvious with minimal research to see is a place that does pretty well.

AreWeSure ago

Do you live in DC. Have you eaten there?

ALDO_NOVA ago

awesome ! thanks!

Freemasonsrus ago

How in the fuck did this douche get on the food channel?! I bet he had a professional pizza chef come in to pretend to have great pizza for the show or something.

remedy4reality ago

connections of the 49th most powerful person in DC

Freemasonsrus ago

That was a sarcastic comment re the blind school boys.

lostinthevalley ago

This is the place that Jennifer Tapper, Jake's wife, says is one of their two favorite places to take the kids (ages 8 and 5). The best date nite place for her and Jake is right next door, you guessed it, Buck's Fishing and Camping. So I'm thinking, do they leave little Alice and Jack unsupervised playing ping pong in CPP while they dine as a couple in Buck's? Interesting...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3502780/posts?page=28

Freemasonsrus ago

How would that be legal? Meaning, if parents are leaving kids there, like you might in a normal kids place, you have to sign waivers ect for responsibility bc otherwise you're asking for an epic lawsuit if one of those kids "disappear", gets injured, ect. So the assumption would be, any kid "hanging out" there has parents in on the scheme or has no parents at all. Wondering if the insane amount of children is actually the "catalogue" on display and the "orders" are placed by the members.

remedy4reality ago

Finally, someone gets it ! That is exactly what it is: a showcase.

quantokitty ago

Yeah, I distinctly remember that the early reviews I read were adamant about Alefantis not knowing how to cook. They were consistently saying to go on the nights that Carole Greenwood would get pulled into things and saying how they wished she'd just stay there all the time. I figured it must have been a sore point for that little egotistical bastard JA.

thezodiac ago

So the place is a shithole, and the most powerful people in the US love it?

LostandFound ago

You might get a few interesting bits from this 315 forum comments on CPP from prior to opening to today http://www.donrockwell.com/index.php?/topic/565-comet-ping-pong-gm-james-alfantis-pizza-and-ping-pong-on-connecticut-avenue-in-upper-nw/&

remedy4reality ago

look how that msg board went dead for nearly 4 years until PG broke... then a flood of support

Z11Mama ago

How about trying to find people with photo's and experiences from from these 'closed parties' at Comet that are more than two month's old?

ZalesMcMuffin ago

This is a really important angle to work. This is exactly the kind of thing a real investigation cares about, because it brings out PATTERNS.

remedy4reality ago

It would be interesting to know just how packed with children Comet is or is not these days.

Sheilaaliens ago

Search their old yelp reviews for bathroom(s)/restroom(s)/toilet .... and piss.

Apparently they not only hide the bathrooms behind the doors that blend in with the wall, in an establishment that attracts children to eat there... but the bathrooms are FILTHY

Yates ago

The Jack Posobiec periscope had some good shots of the shitty bathroom. The camera is swinging around when he's in there so it's hard to see at first but there are some good shots of crap and liquid on the floor and the general filthiness.

smokemirrors ago

Fantastic post, thank you so much and thanks for the Yelp captures written out, as oppose to just pasting links.

From this I'm cerebrating the entire operation is a front. Especially if that was shitfuck JoshBartender's response. EVERY legit biz owner CARES about Yelp reviews these days, especially ones visited by the elite. Just WOW.

bopper ago

I have a biz and we are always very concerned about Yelp in particular as they will not let you do squat about the reviews, not reply to them or anything such as Google does, so to remain in biz after these horrible Yelp reviews is telling.

smokemirrors ago

yep you nailed it! Can't wait to see all this blown wide open.

SIMONBARROW ago

Is this what Wikileaks is promising? Let's wait and see.

bopper ago

And I truly believe it will. Trump is a guy with a soul and he will be sickened by what he sees (or HAS seen) just as the FBI was. Exciting times.

smokemirrors ago

I would literally cry in relief. Pizzagate or the concept thereof, is surely a glimpse into the depths of hell? The worst part? I have seen a lot of ghoulish stuff with my own eyes so I know most of what we have all been discussing here is true.

bopper ago

"To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste." "For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity." Goodnight, hang in there.

smokemirrors ago

thanks Bopper x

Orange_Circle ago

Excellent post. Josh is the guy on the floor coated in blood wearing red shoes then?

SIMONBARROW ago

Yes, and Alefantis comments "Sex."

Lorac ago

No, that is not Josh Vogelsong on the floor covered in blood. Josh is FAT! Unfortunately I can't think of his name right now, but he is also a cross dresser who does shows. I'll see if I can dig him up! *Edit His onstage persona is "Mssummercamp" His real name is Shea Van Horn

remedy4reality ago

You are correct.. they look very similar and pop up together on each others IG page

Lorac ago

Yes, and with all the makeup, it's even more of a challenge!

remedy4reality ago

Bingo... His quotes are important, too, because they expose him as a passive aggressive c*nt who hides behind the LBGT movement, which I feel is a big part of this system/ring. They deflect all legitimate concerns as an attack on homosexuals, a highly effective technique, also reflected in the MSM.

massconception ago

It probably wouldn't help things if people stalking or harassing these folks used bigoted slurs against queers. If you see this method of theirs as effective, then don't give it any ammunition.

remedy4reality ago

Uh... read the review where the cunty bartender dropped the Fbomb on a guest... that is termination material.. Why the fuck are you insinuating that anyone here threatened or cursed at Joshy the drag queen?

Orange_Circle ago

It's like you can't be against pedophiles in these Liberal's minds, because it's an accepted part of the gay culture.

Even Milo had posters of shirtless prepubescent boys adorning his GOP party suite, including behind the stage.

SIMONBARROW ago

I'm not sure what you're talking about there, but could they just have been cupids?

Orange_Circle ago

Nope. Not cartons or any kind, but large blown up poster sized photos of very young teen boys. I'm being generous to say teens, some looked way younger.

remedy4reality ago

When you get a chance, browse the reviews going back to the launch.. very insightful. I picked only a few, but spending 13 years in the restaurant biz tells me this place is not concerned about service nor quality, nor making payroll.

e-traiu ago

If your store only has food as a " front "

Said food and service would look sort of like in the reviews wouldnt it?

AreWeSure ago

See my post below about how well reviewed it is by a respected food critic.

michelonwheels ago

Yet somehow it's good enough to be on Diners Drive Thrus and Dives.

remedy4reality ago

that was a long time ago and appearances on tv shows can be easily arranged through connections

RexAxisMundi ago

And THAT'S is the venue that allows the owner to be one of the 50th must powerful people in Washington? haha what a joke.

remedy4reality ago

Additionally, it seems that generating and keeping customers was not a priority prior to PG breaking. Suddenly, they are short on cash and require a Fundme page ? Very shady, indeed. I think the actual revenue loss is coming from their 'side biz' being terminated.

AreWeSure ago

The idea that is place is soley a front is just silly. This place has been a thriving business since like 2007 after a slow opening. Do you know how to do a google search for a specific time frame? Google Comet Ping from 2007 to 2015. It's obvious it's a very popular place.

SIMONBARROW ago

I went through the old Yelp reviews when Pizzagate broke. I read pages of them. Most people were extremely disappointed by the food (the pizzas were sparse on the toppings and extremely overpriced), wondered why there were so many untended children running around the place, and a couple even mentioned secret doors. There were some positive reviews, but my impression is that perhaps they got better food than the regular customers because the knew Alefantis or a staff member.

remedy4reality ago

nobody said that... it's an over priced tourist trap with shitty pizza and poor service.. most who eat there don't get the hype that had been generated and many regulars speak of the rapid drop off in quality. It shows Alefantis does not give a shit about how his place runs.

e-traiu ago

Someone mentioned pizzas priced at 2500$

When you cant sell those anymore,

U gotta sell alot of 25 dollar normal pizzas to cover just 1.

Given that all the top dogs are customers i would belive there is some revenue loss yes :p

ZalesMcMuffin ago

"Someone mentioned" a lot of stuff. Got any evidence of that $2500 thing?

This is a war, and the first casualty in war is the truth. Expect disinfo.

e-traiu ago

Noted. I didnt think that trough. And i cant find ny source on It...

I was refering to a discussed theory from a older post where this was discussed as a way to notify people in the know about what pizza stores that are safe to see for some Podesta pasta / pizza

concernedaboutitall ago

Maybe thinking of this? http://www.rsvlts.com/2017/01/02/nyc-restaurant-unveils-2000-gold-topped-pizza/ Someone posted a link on here from Drudge the other day

ZalesMcMuffin ago

I'm less concerned about that pizza being a front for human trafficking than I am by the thought of literally flushing gold down the toilet. (Admittedly this is because I am very skeptical about the human trafficking in this particular scenario.)

e-traiu ago

Thanks for the link :)

e-traiu ago

Yes, dis was the article discussed :)

remedy4reality ago

I wanted to avoid naming the reviewers and @millenium_falcon had said this was sufficient.

ALDO_NOVA ago

lot of their reviews mention it being often closed for private parties

another thing if you find the Guy Fieri show profile on CPP, the pizza comes out all burnt and shitty looking - JA clearly does not know how to make pizza to save his life. the reviews match.

video was everywhere the week this broke, but can't find it anymore

there is this:

http://www.greatamericancountry.com/video/pizza-at-comet-ping-pong-0207483

more reviews here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/dc/washington/comet-ping-pong-restaurant.html

"We traveled to DC from Florida and when we got there there was only 1 other group in the restaurant. We sat there for 10 minutes before my daughter asked someone to take our drink order. They still took another 5 minutes before the owner came over to take our order. The pizza was just ok, but it was expensive and not a soul in the room had an ounce of personality. Will not be going there again."

"The service was terrible. We had to beg to get a drink and then had to wait forever for our pizza order. One pizza was burned the others were frankly just ok. Would not recommend this place to anyone."