Rye Bunny — Review by Eater

The Dishes

Rye Bunny's menu centers on comfort foods executed with precision and ingredient-forward simplicity. The pork chop is a revelation, sourced from Autumn Olive Farm in Waynesboro, Virginia, and brined in a straightforward mixture of sugar, water, soy, thyme, and garlic for four hours before grilling. It's topped with soy and shio koji from Keep Well, letting the exceptional pork shine as the star. The wild green ravioli showcases seasonal ramp greens, stinging nettles, dandelion greens, spinach, and Swiss chard folded into sheep's milk ricotta with egg, parmesan, and lemon zest. Rather than a smooth puree, the filling retains texture so you can taste each green individually. The pasta is finished with brown butter infused with shaved green garlic and topped with fava beans and Fiore Sardo, a unctuous sheep's milk cheese from northern Italy that adds a smoky note.

The fried chicken receives honey, spice, and a black garlic toum treatment, emerging as one of the most frequently ordered dishes. The anchovy toast, served on milk bread that's been seared into little soldiers, is topped with red onion and blood orange jam made from blood oranges, sugar, and lemon. Spanish anchovies and fennel pollen provide finishing touches. The milk bread itself, a creation from a former sous chef named Aiden, uses tangzhong (a cooked flour-water pre-ferment) to achieve elasticity and is baked in custom pans. The anchovy toast appears on nearly every table.

The Experience

Rye Bunny operates as a hybrid model where guests order at the counter but receive full table service once seated, creating an efficient yet personable dining experience. The atmosphere is designed to feel like entering someone's home, with custom stained glass panels from Capital Glass mimicking 1860s quilt patterns serving as a transom at the entrance. The space feels cozy and relaxed compared to its predecessor Tail Up Goat, despite being in the same Adams Morgan location. At just three weeks in, the restaurant maintains organized chaos with five to six orders on the board during dinner service, with staff genuinely enjoying the community-building aspect of the line format.

Value & Pricing

Pricing information is not specifically mentioned in the transcript, though the chef notes that the new counter-service model allows them to maintain competitive wages and offer benefits that would have required raising prices 25 to 30 percent at Tail Up Goat. The model appears designed to make dining more accessible while maintaining exceptional quality.

Notable Moments

To keep Tail Up Goat open and make it sustainable, we would have had to raise prices by about 25 to 30 percent in 2026. We never really wanted to run a restaurant that was like that maybe like once a year treat kind of like price tag.

The anchovy toast, I would say, are almost on every single table. That's proving to be a dish that everyone wants to try.

The chef discusses closing Tail Up Goat, which held a Michelin star, to pursue a different vision focused on neighborhood dining and sustainability. He emphasizes working with the same farmers and suppliers from the previous restaurant, including 11-year collaborator pasta maker Beatrice and sous chef Colin from the previous kitchen.

The Verdict

Rye Bunny represents a thoughtful reimagining of fine dining that prioritizes ingredient quality, technical skill, and community over prestige and haute cuisine presentations. The counter-service model proves that exceptional food can be delivered efficiently while maintaining fair labor practices. This restaurant is ideal for diners seeking sophisticated comfort food in a welcoming, unpretentious setting, and for those interested in how restaurants can adapt their business models while maintaining culinary excellence. It's proof that stepping away from a Michelin star doesn't mean stepping down in quality, just a different approach to hospitality and sustainability.