Meet New Friends at Adams Morgan’s Casual New Counter
Covered in a canopy of string lights, glowing lanterns pressed with flowers, and flickering candles in glass votives shaped like shells, Rye Bunny feels like one big outdoor dinner party at twilight.
Jon Sybert and Jill Tyler, the fine dining vets behind Adams Morgan’s Michelin-starred favorite Tail Up Goat, flipped the same space into a counter-service spot that’s inspired by Austin’s popular Birdie’s. Named for the couple’s two adopted dogs, Rye Bunny highlights chef Sybert’s seasonal mid-Atlantic dishes in a dressed-down format.
The 84-seat dining room was pretty full on a Thursday at 8 p.m., with all raised booths called for along the wall, leaving a handful of circular tables and two-tops to choose from. NBC anchor (and big D.C. foodie) Eun Yang was spotted snagging one of the last corner nooks with her daughter.
What to order
- Roasted parsnips are anything but boring here, coated with a spicy Aleppo chile crunch. Cubed apples and a dollop of mascarpone with a minty jewel center cut the heat ($19).
- Chilled asparagus stalks in brown butter are topped with toasted hazelnuts ($15).
- I’ll have to come back for the half-fried Bobo chicken people are raving about ($28).
- Wines are nicely priced, starting with a $13 glass of Austrian Grüner Veltliner and a funky pét-nat from Monticello, Virginia ($15). There’s a $35 corkage fee should you wish to bring a bottle not served on-site.
The vibe
- The walk-up ordering system makes a great meal feel more fancy-free and less committal (aka, it’s ideal for first dates).
- The smiling staff seems to genuinely be having a good time, which rubs off on guests. One server let me take a pic of her awesome steak knife-shaped earrings so I could Google Lens them later.
Insider tip
People become fast friends with the tables next to them before the night is over. That also means the decibel level does get high as the night progresses, so speak up.
