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.”
view the rest of the comments →
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/
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?