Washington, D.C

These Helpful Tools Are Tracking Every Restaurant Fee Across DC – Washingtonian

Published

2 years ago

January 11, 2024

These Helpful Tools Are Tracking Every Restaurant Fee Across DC – Washingtonian

Screenshot courtesy TransparentFee DMV.

The confusion and lack of transparency around restaurant fees is leading diners to take matters into their own hands. A spreadsheet crowdsourced via Reddit over the past year is perhaps the most comprehensive list yet of dining establishments charging a fee. Meanwhile, a Chrome web browser extension that one Redditor built off the data will pop up an alert anytime you visit the website of a restaurant with an extra charge.

The spreadsheet (with accompanying Google submission form) was created early last year by Sarah Stella, a federal government employee. She’d already been seeing a bunch of posts on the Washington, DC subreddit about people being caught off guard by menu surcharges. Then, she and a co-worker visited (now-closed) ramen restaurant Hatoba. Ordering form a QR code menu, she missed the 20-percent service charge and ended up leaving an additional 20-percent. She felt she needed to do something to create more transparency for diners like herself.

“I like having the full information before I go out to eat,” Stella says. “I know some people say, ‘Oh, I won’t go out if a place has a service fee.’ And I don’t feel that way at all. I just want to know in advance,” Stella says.

The spreadsheet tracks fee amounts at each restaurant, where they’re advertised, whether the charge is in lieu of tipping, if there’s an option for additional tip, and whether the fee can be removed upon request, among other information. Reddit took off with it and the submissions rolled in: As of now, there are 227 restaurants on the list.

Zachary Grimshaw, a digital and technology consultant for non-profits, wanted to take the fee tracker one step further and make the information more accessible and useful. Like Stella, he’d been finding himself overtipping, not realizing when there was a fee. So he built a Chrome extension called TransparentFee DMV with the help of ChatGPT and his software-engineer brother. Once you install it, a small alert will pop up in the corner of the browser anytime you visit the website of a restaurant charging a fee: “Heads up! People have reported this establishment has a service fee in addition to menu prices.” You can then click further to see the fee amount and fee language. The same “Heads up!” also shows up under the restaurant profile in a Google search. Grimshaw says he’d like to eventually expand the functionality of his tool so that people will get fee alerts on popular reservation sites and in Google Maps.

“The primary goal is to simply make the users aware of any additional fees, not necessarily discourage customers from giving an establishment business,” Grimshaw says. “Additionally, I hope it encourages restaurants to become more transparent with fees, specifically around if and how it benefits the staff.”

Stella says she checks in on the spreadsheet from time to time to keep the information tidy and do some light fact-checking, but ultimately she relies on others to submit accurate details. Grimshaw says he also does his best to verify the information on each restaurant’s website—but the fees are not listed on about half of the websites he’s searched. (The Chrome extension has an option to submit inaccurate or missing data.)

Both Redditors have found the fee transparency across the DC dining scene to be a real mixed bag. Asked to rate restaurants on a whole about their fee transparency, Stella says she’d give them a six out of ten. “I think most people are trying to figure it out in good faith,” she says. “And I think that it’s just going to be confusing for a while.”

Food Editor

Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.

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Washington, D.C

97-year-old World War II veteran honored virtually at home

Published

12 minutes ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

97-year-old World War II veteran honored virtually at home

At 97, Veteran Harley Wero wasn’t up for a trip to the nation’s capital, so volunteers from the Western North Dakota honor flight brought the trip to him. Wero, his wife Muriel and their daughter Jennifer got to experience Washington, DC, without ever leaving their home.

Web Editor : Sydney Ross

Posted 2026-02-28T15:57:08-0500 – Updated 2026-02-28T15:59:05-0500

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Washington, D.C

DC Public Health to begin daily testing of Potomac, Anacostia rivers for E. coli

Published

12 hours ago

February 28, 2026

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DC Public Health to begin daily testing of Potomac, Anacostia rivers for E. coli

WASHINGTON – Beginning on Monday, the D.C. Department of Health will be conducting daily tests for E. coli in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers.

It comes more than five weeks after the Potomac interceptor collapse sent millions of gallons of sewage into the river.

The testing will also coincide with an important safety advisory being lifted.

Why it matters:

Director of the D.C. Department of Health, Dr. Ayanna Bennett, says they will begin daily testing for E. coli in the Potomac and Anacostia rivers on Monday, along with help from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Currently, D.C. is only testing weekly.

“We feel really secure that the initial sewage is not a threat to people, it’s passed through some time ago, but we do want to get more information about what the long term condition of the river is gonna be and how we should look at it going forward.”

Big picture view:

Monday is also an important day because it’s when the District is expected to lift its advisory that recommends against recreational activities on the Potomac — we’re talking boating, fishing, walking pets by the water.

It’s important to note, however, that D.C.’s advisory pertains to its portion of the Potomac, and it has no bearing on advisories issued by officials in Maryland or Virginia.

Still, this is being treated by many as a hopeful sign.

What they’re saying:

But significant concerns absolutely remain for residents.

“I’ve had tons of messages from people saying they’re not going to let their kids row crew, they’re not going to go to sailing schools. We catch three million tons of blue cats out of the Potomac River. That season starts next week, and they’re not gonna be able to bring those blue cats to market,” said Dean Naujoks with the Potomac Riverkeepers.

“You knew years ago that parts of this Potomac Interceptor were corroded and vulnerable, especially where it broke, in Cabin John, our neighborhood,” one resident said, speaking at a public meeting in Bethesda on Thursday.

“I know there are small business owners here. Who’s accounting for all of our losses that we’re getting due to your sewer blowing up?” another resident asked.

Officials with D.C. Water, which is a public utility, have been running daily tests and will continue to do so as well.

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Washington, D.C

Pleasant, spring-like weekend for Virginia, Maryland, DC ahead of active start to March

Published

1 day ago

February 27, 2026

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Pleasant, spring-like weekend for Virginia, Maryland, DC ahead of active start to March

After one of the coldest winters in years, the DMV is ending the month of February, and meteorological winter, with a nice spring preview.

Temperatures will reach the low 60s area-wide Saturday afternoon under mostly sunny skies. A real treat for the final day of February, enjoy!

Sunday will bring a few changes as an active weather pattern begins to bring in March.

A cold front will slowly move through the area and be mostly starved of moisture. There is a chance at a spotty shower or two, but most stay dry under mostly cloudy skies.

Temperatures will drop throughout the day as the front moves through with most afternoon temperatures in the 50s falling to the 30s by nightfall.

European model forecast rainfall totals

This front will stall just to the south and be a focal point for several days of active weather next week around the DMV.

A wintry mix looks likely Monday with temperatures near freezing with little to no wintry precipitation accumulation, but a different story as that will then switch to all rain chances Tuesday through about Friday.