Our family enjoyed a variety of menu items on a recent visit here. We were crunched for time (our fault) but service was definitely slow so plan for enough time to enjoy your meal. There were no official options for kids on the menu but they gratefully accommodated "plain pasta." Good service even though it was slow! Highly recommend their Tropical Thunder drink--memories of the beach on a cold winter's day! read more

We had a 20 people reservation, they have a private room. Service was awesome! Food was good. We had three choices and 2 choices of dessert. We had a great time. read more

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Everything was amazing! We went on Valentine's Day and ordered from the special menu. The bread and butter were warm, soft, and delicious. I had the bang bang shrimp, and it was so good! We also ordered two steaks, and both were cooked perfectly and full of flavor. On top of that, the restaurant had a great atmosphere, making the whole experience even better. read more

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I miss the heyday of Washington, DC restaurants with the hustle and bustle of the lunch time crowd but at least the quality of the food is still excellent at Bobby Van's Grill. The Executive Lunch special is two course offering that is excellent. Our server Rudy took very good care of us. The place is now quiet which can be a plus if you don't like the loudness of many restaurants today. Food was excellent. read more

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Food is great. Employees are very nice. Service was extremely slow. I was with a large group of about 20 people. We sat in a private area that's extremely dark. Two of the lightbulbs are out. I'm not sure if that's for ambiance. I requested a medium well filet and it was perfection! Many restaurants get this wrong and send it out burnt and dry. My filet was crispy on top and juicy inside. read more

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Another company dinner. This one even more disappointing than before. The menu was more truncated, the appetizers and family style sides ridiculously stingy. The space was awful, crowded and loud. Once again the steaks were poorly done. A coworker asked for a replacement and I asked for salt - learned my lesson from the year prior. It's unforgivable to serve decent cuts of meat overdone and unseasoned. But they do it here - 2 years in a row. I'm hoping we skip this place next time. There's other places much better in the area (e g. Del Friscos). Probably deserves one star but I'm generously offering 1.8 which rounds to 2. Go elsewhere. read more

So let me just start off by saying the food was excellent. Our party had various steaks, the burger, and fish and chips. The only thing subpar was the seafood bouquet. The shrimp was left out too long in the refrigerator and was tough and chewy. The reason I gave it three stars was the service. Drinks had to be ordered multiple times. Extra tartar sauce was ordered from two different servers and never made it to the table. While the servers were friendly, the lack of follow thru was disappointing. read more

Bobby Van's offers a great dinner deal on Fridays and Saturdays: a shareable Cajun steak with two sides, plus appetizers (shrimp, caesar salad, or French onion soup) for $99. Generous portions, enough to take plenty home. We were stuffed, but couldn't resist the hazelnut brownie for dessert. Nice, attentive service throughout. But the wine could've been served at a slightly colder temperature (for a steakhouse, this should be a given IMHO). It was a bit sad to see hardly any other diners with us on a Friday night. Sure, it was a bit cold and rainy that night, but I was so surprised how empty the place was. I remember Bobby Van's was always bustling pre-pandemic. I worry for downtown DC restaurants like theirs. Unless you're on Washingtonian's Best Of list, the classic, tried-and-true places may not be long for this world. I hope Bobby Van's will make it. read more

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Visited Bobby Van's on the Inauguration Day and the place was absolutely packed, which provided for an amazing ambiance. The food was exceptional. Between my husband and I, we tried the spicy fried calamari appetizer, the Cesar salad, the Cajun pasta and the ribeye. Everything was very well prepared. We were too full for the dessert, but the menu looked pretty good: lemon cake, hazelnut brownie, just to name a few. read more

Bobby Van's Grill - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for a large group dinner. Space was nice and big for everyone and we weren't crowded at all. Service felt unorganized and a lack of communication putting in orders and getting food and drinks. I tried the French onion soup for my appetizer but wasn't all that great. The cheese and bread just felt so dense in a big glob that it wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped. The salmon was a bit salty and side dishes were served family style but not enough to go around for the whole table. The steak was pretty good but was still craving the side dishes by the end of the meal. read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Special menu for our group/large party - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

In DC for business and was hosted for a small group dinner in a private room. Coincidentally, somebody who had never been to DC asked about are the restaurants any good.......to which I laughed and said, it's DC, Congressmam , Senators, lobbyists......DC is all about steak, cocktails and expense accounts! Bobby Van's is one of the elite steakhouses and never disappoints. Enjoyed a generous pour of Blantons. Seafood Tower was magnificent, love the mustard mayo. Gigantic sliced porterhouse, meant to be shared was delightful. The waiter snuck a thinly sliced seared tuna steak which went largely unnoticed by my fellow diners. Big mistake, as a sushi lover, I couldn't get enough......and I had it pretty much to myself. Not my first time at Bobby V's and certainly will be back. read more

Bobby Van's Grill provided an excellent dinner experience for our large group. Our waiter Oscar took good care of us and made sure we had everything we wanted. The food (particularly the lemon herb salmon) was excellent. read more

The restaurant double charged my Credit card, and after multiple phone calls from me for them trying to rectify the situation. and them promising to get back to me they never did! read more

I would not recommend this place. Everyone's burgers and steak were extremely rare even though we asked for medium. The calamari and table bread were the best part. The restaurant wasn't that busy, but the service was extremely slow. The waiter kept getting distracted calling over and talking to his coworkers mid-conversation with us. There was a nail sticking out of the booth we were sitting at that I poked my hand on. The manager pried the nail out and offered me a free glass of wine as an apology. There was also broken glass (not from us) under the table, and when I informed the waiter, he said that was from earlier and just kicked it under the other table. We were very surprised. read more

If the manager April (to the right of this pic) is any representation of all Bobby Vans', then I'll be visiting all of them! She's absolutely phenomenal, greeted us with so much light, a great smile, and amazing energy. I had a service dog with me (I always call ahead to let the restaurant know) and even without knowing that she was so respectful and loving! This review is purely specifically for her service/hospitality, and for the filet diablo w shrimp! So delicious and perfectly cooked to a great medium rare. Thanks again April! Xoxo Mandi, Dan, and Bailey. read more

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Amazing service that gives perfect expectations for what is displayed at the restaurant. They give great recommendations, helping you to find your delicious dish. The food came out extraordinary and exactly how the waiter described it to be. We were welcomed to the table with a smile and a lot of nice manners. Our waiter was named Owen and gave off a very good and polite vibe. The restaurant was perfect because of the looks and the politeness given off by everyone in the restaurant. I think that it is a little pricey, but worth the money and a very nice place for tourists and your family to have a spectacular dinner. read more

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Food was great and atmosphere was relaxed. Freddy was a great server. He was very attentive to our table. He was the best!

I went this past friday to celebrate my birthday. They had this spectacular deal for $100. You get 2 apps, a cajun ribeye 26oz, and two sides. The portion sizes were great. We ordered the french onion soup & bang bang shrimp for our apps. The shrimp was a nice size and very scrumptious. The french onion soup was good but the bread in the soup didn't soften like I hoped. I still enjoyed it nonetheless. We ordered the cajun ribeye medium and it was cooked to perfection. For the sides, we ordered the brussel sprouts & truffle fries. The brussels had balsamic & thick pieces of bacon. You can never go wrong with bacon!They were both worth it! The service from the staff was great & the food came out in a timely manner. I will def be back! In the end, they surprised me with a NY cheesecake with strawberries. It was sooooo good! read more

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This place is always good. They used to have a great deal on Groupon but it's not there anymore. I love the Cesar salad. The food is always presented well and the taste is consistent. The service and atmosphere is one for family or date night. The service is always great. read more

Bobby Van's Grill - The lamb chops and salad were delicious . - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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On yelp it says this place is good for groups and that may be true for private events and dinners on a corporate expense account, however, take note that they do not split checks! I came in with a group of 8 last night and we were disappointed that separate checks were not an option, at a place at this price point the singe check would be near $1,000! None of us wanted to put a charge that large on our cards and track down the rest of the group to pay them back. There really is no excuse for not offering guests the option to start individual tabs, especially at an establishment that boasts that it is good for accommodating large groups. I work in a restaurant nearby where we can do individual checks for groups of any size and even split the cost of individual items. I am well aware that the Point of sales software exists and is used in other restaurants around the city. So, for a business to tell paying customers "We can't do that". When it clearly is something possible, it is more of choosing not to do it and losing customers as a result. All that being said- I was disappointed I had to leave before ordering because the food looked tasty and the server was great, clearly this is not the fault of the hardworking restaurant staff. However, this review is more for management. I continue to face this issue dining in DC and it can be very frustrating, if it was just 3 or 4 of us it wouldn't have been a big problem, but for groups of 5 or more there really needs to be an option to get separate bills. read more

This is very nice restaurant. It gives me where people go to have secret meetings. not sure why I get that vibe but that's what I got. The staff was amazing and on point. I ordered the Big Beef Nacho. My friends kept asking me why I order nachos at this type of restaurant. I wasn't that hungry tho. The only reason I am giving them a four is because they didn't have salsa for the nachos. Like how do you serve nachos and have no salsa. My nachos were extremely dry. The cheese was melted and hard with no taste. I would recommend using a cheesy more liquid type cheese. That will help with the dryness. Other than that my friends loved their food. It was a good experience. read more

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I only have great things to say about my friends and I's experience at Bobby Van's Grill. First of all, as soon as we got inside we realized we went to the wrong location yet the kind man upfront was so quick to let us eat there instead and told us the difference between the two restaurants (they weren't that different so we stayed). He was so happy to be our waiter and he had such a loving and kindhearted energy that overflowed our table. He had the most amazing customer service and we were all grateful that we decided to stay. Now moving on to the food. Wowwww! I forgot what exactly it was called but it was the fried shrimp with the sweet spicy sauce like bang bang shrimp. For my entree I got the bacon mac and cheese and I asked to get one crab cake instead of two and our waiter did not hesitate to go ask the chef if it was okay. Everything was absolutely phenomenal the flavors of each dish heavily pleased my taste buds. We also went close to christmas so the decoration and overall ambiance was so inviting and festive! Luckily there weren't many people there at the time so it felt very intimate as we were celebrating a birthday. Overall we mutually our experience was a 10/10 and I definitely will be back in the future!!!! read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Bacon Mac and cheese - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The food was delicious. I had the vegetable risotto, creamed spinach, broccolini, and garlic mashed potatoes. The bartender made two delicious virgin mojitos for me. read more

Exceptional this is my new fav spot for a steak . It speaks for itself , I prefer the ribeye bone in , the cut for me is marbled with fat and that is a natural tenderizer for the meat . The bone adds to the succulent flavors . The temperature of the steak was medium , so yes pink in the middle . For sides we had the plate of sautéed mushrooms and onions , mashed potato's and bacon topped Brussel sprouts . read more

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I elected to find out how Bobby Van's handles its customers using Groupons and was pleasantly surprised. I've never bought a Groupon to a restaurant and expected to have to take my food in the bar (actually you can't) or to-go. My husband and I went back and forth for weeks over when we were going--childcare and all that--and the final day before expiry of the Groupon was HERE. I called frantically for a reservation. My husband assured me he'd meet me at 6. The reservation was for 5:30 and I walked in to no reservation. Sad, but I was seated regardless. My husband promptly cancelled and I was alone. At a tiny table, down a narrow hallway on the backside of the top floor dining space, looking down, through a glass railing, to the lower level and right onto the chandelier. It really is a seat made for observation, except that there are three two-tops pushed into this tiny alcove and if anyone is sitting up or has bags, it's rather hard to get in and out of. The service was impeccable and polite. It felt very old-school New York steakhouse-y (a vibe I hated as a former server who also happens to be a very short black woman) with tall male servers and everyone else is just a busser. I ordered a glass of wine--my waiter knew his wines and artfully guided me to a red that wouldn't overpower my entree of choice, the trout. The trout was SO FRESH. I love trout, but it must be eaten fresh. This trout was SO fresh. My only peeve was I couldn't taste the lemon butter sauce at all and it was very slightly bland--fortunately, I don't mind adding salt to my fish. It was clearly cooked in butter, but I didn't get the hint of brightness that the lemon usually adds. I had it over garlic broccoli and mashed potatoes, and it was all so good. So very, very good. The fresh bread and butter were *smacks fingers* and I didn't even intend to finish one. I ordered my husband the cajun chicken pasta to go and the blueberry cheesecake. He inhaled both of them without offering me a bite, which said all I really needed to know. He said the pasta was spicy, but not overwhelmingly so and the blueberry cheesecake was the best he'd ever had, which is high praise as he's a cheesecake connoisseur who hates canned berries. The presentation was great. The service was impeccable, and the dining room was orderly if buzzing at 5:30 on a Friday night. Overall, I loved it. It's inconvenient for our lives, but I'd keep it in mind for a work dinner/meeting etc... read more

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Stopped by for a birthday lunch. As soon as I arrived the hostess congratulated me and offered me a glass of Prosecco, now let's fast forward to me getting the check and being surprised that I was actually charged for the glass instead of it being comped. Back to the food now. I started off with the fried zucchini which was fried well and it didn't have too much batter on it either, but the batter itself lacked seasoning. It did come with an accompanying dipping sauce but that doesn't excuse not having a little salt or pepper on the zucchini itself. For my main I ordered the veal chop which came with a small side of potatoes and mushrooms. I asked for my veal chop to be cooked to medium rare but when it arrived it was more medium well to well done (though it did have good flavor). I also ordered the Brussels sprouts which were delicious (I really recommend it). read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Veal Chop - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very accommodating experience here. We should up in a large group, not sure if we could get a table last minute. The manager was very accommodating to us to make sure we could be seated. The food itself was solid. I ordered the Chilean seabass with shrimp and rice. The fish was moist and the sauce was on top had good flavors. Everyone at our party seem to enjoy there food as well. So overall, a positive experience. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in DC! The food, the ambience, and the service are all excellent!!

Made a V Day Reservation for outside seating here for 5pm. (outside seating was all that was available) Arrived at 5 and had no problem being seated. We were not seated outside but rather in the back room that only had 3 tables available. This was fine because it was made even more private for the two of us. The V Day menu was great as it had something on there for everyone. I ordered the Crab Cake appetizer followed by the Roasted Chicken. The meal was great and it was our first time here. $99 a meal and then with drinks the bill was $286 read more

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It's not very often that I go out for a steak. I feel I can make a pretty fantastic one at home in the cast iron skillet with an indirect sear. However, mom had a week-long work conference in downtown DC and I had the Groupon, so I decided to drive up three hours and we would go out for a special dinner. First thing I have to point out is the service. Incredibly friendly and engaging staff from the host to the water server to the server. Major points for that. We started off with the Harry's salad, which I've had once before at another one of their locations. They were nice enough to split the salad between two separate bowls for us. This qualifies as salad as long as you don't require leafy greens. Shrimp, smoked bacon, tomatoes, roasted peppers, red onions, and green beans and tossed in a tangy red wine vinaigrette. Wonderful starter. The hot and crusty rolls we were served were also excellent. Once I shmeared them with enough of their soft butter, I was in a good good mood. For our entree, we split the 48 ounce tomahawk ribeye. Admittedly, I am not usually a ribeye eater, I prefer a steak that is leaner like a strip. But for one time in my life, why not try that expensive steak with that enormous bone that I wish I could take home to my dog, if he was still alive? We ordered the steak medium, and we knew that was the right choice when we were advised that medium would still have a slightly red center. I like my steak as pink as possible, cooked but juicy. The steak was served to us on a trolley. The server carved it for us at the table and served each of us three beautiful pieces of meat. The slices were gray on the top and bottom, but red in the middle, so this was cooked at a super high temperature. The seasoning was marvelous, that great salt and pepper crust. And to make it even better, they gave us sp,e red wine au jus, in a little metal saucer. The sauce looked like a light brown gravy, but it added that touch of richness and smoothness to the steak to take it to that next level of wonderfulness. As I looked at the next couple of pieces of steak, parts were medium rare but on the end they were more well done. I guess it's a steak that can be a little hard to cook evenly. Also, I wish it had been served on a hotter plate to keep it warm. We ordered two side, starting with the hash browns, and it's not the best potato I've ever had. I was hoping for something resembling a German potato. This was basically a browned in the shape of a pie with little diced peppers and onions. They were good, but I expected them to be a lot better, more crispiness, for one thing. Second, I enjoyed the richness of the creamed spinach, once I added a little extra salt and pepper. It came topped with shredded Parmesan cheese, always a good addition. We had taken down so much food that there was no chance to eat dessert, although the blueberry cheesecake would've been nice. I didn't even think about taking anything to go, the idea never even came into my mind. It was one of those eating experiences where I had to control my breathing for the next hour or two. Along with our $65 bottle of Zinfandel, pretty much the cheapest bottle on the menu, it took the bill to around $340 before applying the Groupon. Very pricey, but still a nice experience. I'm not going to say it's the best food I've ever eaten in my life, but it was a satisfying evening. read more

Came here for dinner - wouldn't have considered trying it if not for the groupon deal as I've been to the other BV in Penn Quarter a while ago and was not particularly impressed but for some reason thought this one might be a more updated version. On a weekday evening it was not very busy and stayed mostly that way for the duration - so good for quiet conversation. The layout here is a bit different from the other BV and mire contemporary with similar color scheme, light colored furnishings, low ceilings with chandeliers and spot lights, and several separate dining sections, not one big open space. One middle section by a glass wall overlooking the atrium event space down below was interesting but they didn't seem to be seating people there. The rather old fashioned waitstaff uniform seemed similar as well, beige jackets and all. Service was not attentive - there were a lot of staff standing around and our original waiter just went off to chat at length with another diner after we said we needed a couple more minutes. Then everyone completely forgot about us, until we made some effort to be noticed and got a different waiter. We had steak and fish - the steak comes without sides so added a side of asparagus. Meat was ok in flavor but not the most tender, the fish - a trout - a good portion with some veggies but covered with a bland sauce. For dessert had the cheesecake, it was a bit stiff - not sure if it's the style or not fresh. Overall not the kind of dining experience you'd be in a hurry to repeat any time soon. read more

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I'm a regular at BV's and ALWAYS impressed by the quality of the food and drinks and the family atmosphere that the staff genuinely creates (without being overbearing) I just had the new Cajun pasta (I had mine over spaghetti instead of penne) and it was, without a doubt one of the best pasta dishes I have EVER had. The spaghetti was Al dente and all of the fish (shrimp, calamari, scallops) was firm, fresh and cooked to perfection. Thanks to Damian, Manny, John and the rest of the crew for a fun night with INCREDIBLE food and drink. read more

Came with a big group for dinner. I had the petite filet mignon with mashed potatoes. It was good, but not enough. I also ordered the peach cake, but instead got a peach pie which was just ok. Tried the lemon cake and it was much better. Overall, the experience was just ok and the food was good but nothing to write home about. read more

The restaurant is beautiful and the sparkling water with lime was delicious BUTTTT.....my Caesar Salad tasted like i picked the lettuce out the ground and put croutons and dressing on top ZERO FLAVOR thennn i had the most beautiful plate of Lobster Diablo that tasted like they got it out the freezer section of walmart and reheated it in the microwave ZERO FLAVOR when we were talking to our server he acted like the place was very busy but the restaurant wasn't packed we were so confused as we were paying and asking questions he just walked off and didn't come back right way the manager came over and did the same exact thing! Maybe this was a one off but it was enough for me! The calamari is a must have this was SEASONED well! But that's about it! The food was hot came out fast and the ambiance was nice...however...the bad outweigh the good for me at this lovely establishment!!! read more

Bobby Van's Grill - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Omg! This restaurant was great (ambience only)as it was our first time trying it on Valentines Day. Unfortunately, after being maybe the 5th couple with reservations at 4:30 we were disappointed with the 1 1/2 wait. Out waiter seemed nice but missed the mark bc our entire order was wrong. I requested to taste the Decoy Cheatue Cabernet wine and received a glass of white wine 30 minutes later. My fiancé ordered Chilean sea bass w/Mash and received salmon w/spinach. Even the desserts came out wrong. Not to mention the restroom toilets splashes water after flushing. I mentioned it to the manager and he was slight dismissive. Businesses can comp a meal but not an experience. Proceed but do so with caution. read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Bread while we wait - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was great but I was very surprised that a couple waiters were not wearing masks at all!!

The majority of people who personally know me would classify me as a rather discerning and harsh critic. I have to go against the grain here, however, and despite the fact that several while integral working components of this establishment are indeed mediocre, I offer some lenity due to (a) quality of service; (b) consistency of quality across employees; and (c) consistency of quality across visits, which has imprinted me with a highly favorable disposition toward the establishment. This is buttressed by the standard and methods of service offered here, which often involve a distribution of servers who will ad-hoc inquire if I require anything. I cannot see arguments in favor of penalizing attentiveness. This brings me to the next point of my review, which I offer with some hesitation. The food varies from average and slightly but not very bland to above average/good I would never say they come even close to over seasoning or very overpowering flavors; an embedded commentary for the less discerning palette inasmuch the flavors are subdued and not adventurous. At the same time, some dishes give the impression of trying too hard to be avante garde. I sometimes find myself baffled at weird designs, and wondering why so much went into pieces that look so out of place relative to the environment, menu, and the dish as it is normally known. Focus on presentation over culinary differentiation also befuddles me. All the same, I enjoy the food enough to keep returning on occasion, and my mom, an elderly lady who is at odds with more adventurous creations, finds this place agreeable. I enjoy all locations but due the proximity of this one, I foresee returning here the most. Do get: tuna tartare; steak; Cobb salad; lobster roll. Do not get: creme brulee; trout. read more

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Went there for a business lunch it was great. Good service, good drinks and the bang bang shrimp was so yummy. Got it as an appetizer and paired it again with my cucumber salad. Bang Bang Shrimp read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Bang bang shrimp - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went mid-day for the cajun ribeye. Service was to the point- no frills. Ambience the same. Had to send the ribeye back because i received a well done steak when i specified medium. The second steak was more medium rare but i didnt feel like waiting again so i sucked it up. The flavor was ok, i was surprised that being cajun-spiced it still needed salt. There are no accompaniments for the steaks which i found odd for a steakhouse. My Caesar salad was average. I was just slightly underwhelmed at the experience. Morton's still has the best 'cajun ribeye' in the city but glad to cross this one off the list read more

On 11/17, we hosted 20 judges and attorneys for the best dinner of our lives in the private dining room downstairs. We had a 5 course meal with wine pairings. The Chef prepared a mushroom and white truffle soup, a baby kale salad (with some sort of crunchy pepitas, sweet potato, and goat cheese topping that was to die for), a shrimp and mussel bouillabaisse that was delectable (we wanted to lick the bowls), a braised short rib with potatoes and roasted tomatoes and rosemary, and finally a cherry cheesecake and chocolate cupcake for dessert. Our wines were paired with each dish and WOW! Everyone said it was the best meal they have ever had. The atmosphere and service was top notch, and we were so happy with the dinner that 7 out of the 20 of us returned the next day for lunch!!!! Thank you for a fantastic meal. One of our dinner guests is related to a famous chef and she called her brother to tell him how amazing our meal was. It was a very successful evening. Well done, Chef. Thanks again. read more