I used a Groupon for date night. We loved the food and service. I was extremely shocked at how empty the place was for such fine dining but I assume due to COVID it must be hitting this location pretty hard. No hesitation will certainly go back with or without my Groupon. read more

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I went here for a work event, so our big group sat downstairs. My experience: -Easy-to-find parking (street parking, too, yay!) -Great servers who I actually had a nice conversation with -Private downstairs dining area for groups with a bar, which made the group dinner more intimate and exclusive -Salmon tasted delicious with sides of mashed potatoes and creamed spinach, but was a little more tough than I would have liked it -Great wine pairing -I was in a rush and asked for my meal to-go, but it took a little longer than I would have liked, otherwise all was good! read more

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

Bobby V, how do you do that thing you do? One of the benefits of working in downtown DC is the luxury of so many options for food (and drink). Bobby Van's is one of those places where you can have at least somewhat high expectations that you will have a good meal. At the start, you receive housemade bread and soft pretzel sticks. Served with whipped butter and the insanely good spicy mustard. The horseradish will have you in tears, both the good and bad kind. The burger is excellent. Very nice size cooked to order. Bun was buttery. Also, the fish and chips are delicious. The portion sizes scream gluttony. Prices aren't cheap, but the quality offsets it for me. Good times are always in the menu when I visit. May just be the $4 Yuenglings. read more

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

The crab cakes were awful, at their prices point and proximity to Maryland (an area known for blue crab) one would expect a crab cake that doesn't look and tastes like those you find in the freezer section at the grocery store. I had a hard time finding actual crabmeat. read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Very little crabmeat in the crab cake - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I went to "just" Bobby Van's (on 15th Street) last year during Restaurant Week. I had a juicy, delicious steak bigger than my head, and it was amazing but the service had much to be desired. So, after a long day at a trade expo at the Convention Center when one of my co-workers suggested lunch at Bobby Van's Grill. I am not in that part of town very often, so I didn't know that another location had opened. Shows what I know. The place is huge! It has two floors and can easily seat 500 plus folks. We had a great view of New York Avenue (fun to watch people running to and from offices). Bobby Van's Grill had a much more casual vibe than its brother on 15th Street. Plus, there were nice lunch options like an openfaced steak sandwich. Carnivore heaven on a smaller budget. Still not cheap, but not too bad for a business lunch. read more

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

Not sure if it's because it wasn't busy but it was by far our best restaurant experience in the week we spent here in DC. Excellent food, presentation and service. read more

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I was extremely dissatisfied with the food at this location.. I had to send my steak ( a Cajun ribeye) back twice because I requested it be cooked medium and it came back well done both times.. when they brought out the third steak it was medium rare.. smh. I just gave up.. I had by then lost my appetite. In addition to it being over/ under cooked, it was extremely bland! The sides weren't great either. We had the mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, broccolini, & truffle fries.. the fries being the best out of all four. For dessert I wanted the creme brulee.. of course due to covid, the menu had been majorly downsized, so that was no longer an option. I was just hugely disappointed with the place.. needless to say, I won't be back read more

Visited Bobby Van steakhouse while in DC. I don't think it was as nice as some of the other Bobby Van restaurants I've been to. We ate outside since it was a beautiful night. I had a petite filet special which was good but not the best meat, I've had better and there was a bit of fat on my husbands. The French onion soup and calamari was good for a starter and the baked mac and cheese was delicious. The server was attentive and friendly. The place was more for business rather than a happening spot. If you're looking for ambiance, scene, and a lil action, this is not the place. I'd recommend for a business lunch. read more

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Let's start with a disclaimer. My girlfriend and I were on vacation and when we come to DC, we splurge because well, we freaking deserve it! With that being said, we were not able to go to Bobby Vans last year (2022), so we make it a point to make this a dining location and we are so glad we did. The first item we noticed was how warm and inviting the restaurant is. It's very wide open and not crammed like a few other restaurants. We were sat near the windows that face New York Ave NW. Second, our waiter, Mike, WAS FREAKING AMAZING! He made us feel right at home and so comfortable, which is not that common especially at a high-end restaurant as this one. Now here is what makes Mike and Bobby Vans so special to us. As I mentioned before, when my girlfriend and I dine out in DC, we like to splurge, and I like drinking fine scotches. Now a lot of these restaurants don't have super rare scotches so the most common one I order is Johnny Walker Blue. My girlfriend loves Moscow Mules, so Mike took our order, brought her her drink and informed me that they didn't have any more Johnny Blue. Insert super mega sad face here. I asked if he had any Glenfiddich 21 and he said, 'we sure do!' and left to bring me a glass. Well, sadly, Mike came back and said they were out of that as well and asked if there was anything else I would like. He then said hold on and brought back, which I believe Mike said was, the owner. The owner brought a list of all of the scotches they have, and I then chose the Macallan Rare Cask. He says no problem and hurries off to get the glass. During this time, my girlfriend has already finished her first drink and ordered a second and that is around the time that I noticed the owner rushing downstairs and out the building. About twenty seconds later, Mike came by and asked what I ordered because he can't pronounce anything I ordered. Now this is not a dig at Mike, we were rolling on the floor laughing our heads off because he was making this into such a lighthearted moment, as it should be. Mike then explained to us that the owner had to leave to go to his other store to get a bottle because they did not have any at the location we were dining at. This is why Mike was making it such a lighthearted moment. From that moment on, we had to have some fun with Mike. When we ordered our oysters, we asked if we had to wait for them to go forage them from the bays. Ask you can imagine, Mike had some choice words for us and we were crying laughing some more. After a short amount of time, the owner came back and brought my glass of scotch and apologized like there was no tomorrow. The funny thing is, the other Bobby Vans where he had to go is directly across the street from our hotel, so I mentioned that they could have just hired us to bring the bottle next time to save everyone heartache. The owner had a great sense of humor as well. The scotch was amazing, my girlfriends' mules were amazing and the oysters were amazing. Can you tell, we were amazed by the customer service of this place, and we have not even ordered our entrees yet. I ordered one more scotch, because only drinking one after they went through all of that would have been rude, funny, but rude. We then ordered our entrees, which were the dry aged Rib Eyes. While we waited for our entrees, Mike would stop by and make some smart a** comments to us and then walk away. Every time he did, we were dying. I keep mentioning this because as you know, high-end restaurants are usually 'stuffy', to put it mildly. At no time did we feel out of place. We then received our steaks and the macaroni and cheese and both were absolutely amazing! After that, we then ordered cheesecake for dessert and just like everything else, it was wonderful. When it was time to get the bill, Mike informed us that the cheesecake was on them. This was not necessary, but we appreciated it so much. When Mike brought back the check to sign, he then thanked us up and down and gave both of us a hug before we left. This is what customer service should look and feel like, not the hug you sickos!! I understand that food service workers have to deal with a lot of high maintenance people on a daily, hell, hourly occurrence so that is why I try to show them all the respect in the world. Please, when you are out and about dining in any restaurant, show some respect and try not to act too privileged. People like Mike and the owner are the reasons why we go back to these restaurants over and over. If we can all bring joy to one another, then the dining experience will be worth every penny. Here are my final thoughts for Bobby Vans Grill in Washington D.C., enjoy the atmosphere, order everything that looks amazing, with the exception of fine scotch unless you do not mind waiting, lol, and fried oysters, Mike will understand the joke, and enjoy and amazing dining experience at one of the best restaurants in D.C. read more

Bobby Van's Grill - Amazing time at Bobby Vans Grill in D.C. on 03-20-2023. - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ate here for lunch and had a glass of wine... Wine wasn't great and tasted like it had been opened a day before. The food was tasty but definitely not my favorite. If you're looking for awesome food to enjoy in this city go ahead and skip this place. Average all around - from service to wine to food. BUT it does have a great patio. read more

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

So I can understand why this place gets some hate on Yelp. The food is really pricey and the service seems inconsistent. If not for the Groupon, I might not have ever had the chance to go here. The menu was diverse and most people could find something they want. I ordered the ribeye and a side of spinach. One thing that seriously perturbed me was that the food didn't come with sides. You can order sides, but they were meant for two people. This means if you want spinach, and the person you come with wants mac and cheese, you'll be spending $14 each on a side dish you won't finish. Seriously annoying. The steak itself was phenomenal - tender, perfectly cooked, seriously huge portion. All in all - a kick ass steak. The service was okay - I could tell the wait staff was frazzled and kind of stressed. Not the best service I've experienced, but nothing that bad. I'd be willing to go again if they lowered their prices a smidge and if they included a side or something with my 22 oz piece of meat. read more

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

We came here on the recommendation of the concierge at our hotel. She highly suggested reservations because it got really crowded and often was too full to accommodate walk ins. I am not sure if that was a pitch or we went on the ONE night that nobody else in DC wanted to eat there either. The first thing you notice is the decor. It was dated and nothing to write home about. I was expecting something far more elegant and upscale. They were having a private party in the back that night, so getting to the restroom was a feat. That was lame! The service was pretty good. Again, for the prices, I expected to have far more attentive service. The bar orders took far longer than I expected for a place where multiple servers were just standing around. The water glass was always full though, so that was nice. I ordered a seafood dish and it was very good. The fish was cooked nicely and the presentation was attractive. My husband ordered a steak and it was also pretty good. They had a lot of comfort style food that was along the lines of what you would normally expect with a steak house. It was fairly expensive, although not as much as some of the other places. While it was good and convenient to our hotel, I would probably not go back or necessarily recommend it to others, either. I advise you check out the menu and decide if it looks good to you or not. For me, it was just OK. read more

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BE CAREFUL!!! SCAMMERS! with this restaurant! My partner and I went on Valentines for a nice dinner. The food was amazing. However, the service was not great. I had to ask for my waiter twice. I watched the other employee relay the message and the request be ignored. NORBERT was the name of who waited on me. BEWARE!!! I paid my bill of $144.20. My partner paid $129 in cash and I paid the remains balance on my card. With an additional $40 left on the able for what was supposed to be theONLY tip. Today, the my bank charge was changed on my account from 44 to the entire bill The waiter altered my bill to keep the cash the was applied. I immediately called the restaurant and spoke with manager JOHN. Instead of taking the time to review the cameras, he did not believe me and allowed the employee to steal. I will be disputing this charge. I will not be supporting this business and I do not recommend to anyone due to this experience. Norbert John read more

I wish I could say better things about this old standard to which I returned last night. But I cannot. The food was OK, but they have gutted their menu - even their signature Harry's Salad is off what is now an abbreviated menu. What they have not abbreviated, however, is their pricing. Maybe its is recovery from tough times, maybe it was that they were overwhelmed by a wedding they were working in the building's atrium. In any event, I felt forgotten by a restaurant that should be doing everything they can to get back on their feet. I am staying away until I am confident they have the bandwidth to provide the product they provided prior to the pandemic. read more

A disappointment for a steakhouse that appears upscale. The filet was undercooked and was fatty. The shrimp was not washed and deveined. The favors were good,however the sauces were the heroes on the entree and appetizers. The food did not taste like it was prepared fresh and to order. The Creme brûlée was burned and pre made. Service was marginal at best. Iced tea was not refilled during dinner, and the waiter was more interested in serving his other tables, than a mother and daughter. Too bad, I waited tables for 10 years and am always very generous. read more

Mmm lobster grilled cheese good service, good menu, a little pricey though read more

You know, I realized I should have written this place a review a year ago and never did. In April 2013 my non-profit had a big reception here for about 100 people and I was absolutely thrilled with how it turned out. I worked with Samantha, and she was super professional and accommodating. I had reached out to several different restaurants near Metro Center that could accommodate us and ended up settling on Bobby Van's because Samantha's response was so much more prompt, detailed and professional than anyone else's. For a reception this place was reasonably priced, and the food turned out to be really excellent. People raved. There was nothing among the passed hors d'oeuvres or the standing food stations that wasn't excellent. The wait staff were pros and it was clear they had done this a million times. And they were all so good at handling special requests and changes both before and during the event. Change of headcount? No problem. Switching from peanut sauce to chili sauce on one of the passed hors d'oeuvres because of peanut allergies? No problem. Assistance with AV equipment rental? No problem. One person didn't eat dairy and one of the hors d'oeuvres was smoked salmon with creme fraiche or something like that, so I requested a few to be made without any of the creme and given just to this person. No problem. The space was lovely, too, our own 40 foot bar downstairs that opened out onto a gorgeous marble atrium with a working fountain (need the fountain turned off so everyone can hear the speeches? No problem). Tons of natural light. The atrium was also large enough to accommodate way more than 100 people but they had planters at the ready that they could move around to enclose a more intimate space and also eliminate some of the echoing. My organization has been having receptions (though this one was a little bigger and fancier because it was a special anniversary) like this at varying locations annually for years, and one of our regular attendees said it was her favorite yet. My only complaint, and I'm almost hesitant to say anything negative because I was so thrilled with how it turned out, was that we did a wine and beer bar on consumption and it turned out to be a lot pricier than we anticipated. We were charged $10-12 a glass for wine and $6-8 for a beer. But all in all I would absolutely recommend this place for a special event, without hesitation. read more

Food was good. I think that the restaurant was a little overwhelmed by the traffic. I would go back but I would just know it takes time to cook steaks correctly even though one was cooked too long. They kept the water glass full but the potatoes and bang bang shrimp were really great. read more

This is the third time that I've been to Bobby Van's. On this occassion, I brought my parents. While the food was good and the portions generous, the service was superb. The host, our waiter, and the entire wait staff was attentive but not overbearing. In this space, it's hard to make an impression that lasts when you're only together for an hour or so. The restaurant is located on New York Avenue, NW in a rather nondescript building on the corner; appearances, in this case, are deceiving. The dining space is rather large, and there are at least two bars. In the past, we've also hosted large group events in a semi-private dining area downstairs. As far as meat is concerned, I've only had the prime rib here. In terms of side dishes, I would recommend the Crab Mac & Cheese, Sautéed Mushrooms, and Grilled Asparagus. read more

Technically this is the Grill, not Steakhouse. Yeah I know. Who cares? I just wanted to be a smartie pants. Just had a team lunch there and it was fantastic. Sweet Chili Calamari, Regular Fried Calamari and Fried Zucchini sticks were the shared appetizers. The Sweet Chili Calamari was everyone's overall favorite. Everyone enjoyed their entrees. Two people noted that more cheese was needed on the Executive Lunch Chicken Wrap. Only one person-Roasted Chicken had enough for a doggie bag. It was a huge platter of food. I had the Shrimp and Mango Salad. See my photo of how beautiful it was. It was very tasty as well. Just wish it had at least two more shrimp instead of just four. I of course ordered dessert. I got the Key lime pie but you'll see from the picture that it's really a tart. Which is where they lost the last star. I'm a Key Lime Pie expert so trust me when I say it was only pretty. I ate the whole thing because my boss was paying and no one else ordered an individual dessert. I couldn't be rude. The table desserts were Wayyyyy better than mine. Every single one of them and yes I tasted every single one of them. The Banana Bread Pudding Flambé, the Apple Pie (see pic) and the Molten Chocolate Cake with coffee ice cream. read more

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So if you ever read a review from me you know I'm very detailed so let's get to it. First getting parking is a major problem. We were driving around in a circle for about 30 minutes, this alone would have made me go to one of the near by restaurants that offer Valet services and call it a day but it was my girl birthday so I can't make that call. Once we found parking I was pretty excited as we were seated outside and it was such a nice night. The first sign of trouble, the amount of time it took us to be acknowledged by the waitress. We sat there for nearly 20 minutes until we stopped another waiter and had him take our drink orders... Than the limited menu... everyone had pretty much already looked online and picked out what they wanted to order but when we got there we were told because they had not ordered enough food they only had this very very limited menu. What a major buzz kill and most of the things everyone wanted wasn't on that menu. We waited a very very very long time for our food only for most of it to come out burnt or cold. One of our appetizers came out the same time as the food which was no cap hours apart... One of of the plates has hair in it. For the price this place is extremely over rated.. read more

First and last time. Service was poor and food was ok for the price point. If you serving dry age steak please make sure you don't burn the meat. Clean your grill that way the food doesn't come out tasting bad. Clean your restaurant. Not a pleasant smell either. read more

We had dinner at Bobby Van's Grill on September 18th. I made the reservation approximately 1 month ago. I contacted the restaurant 1 hour prior to the reservation to verify and was told that there was no reservation, but they could "accommodate us". We arrived at the restaurant at 7:00 PM and did not see a waitress until 7:20. We ordered our meals and the appetizer arrived approximately 10 minutes later. The menu described it as "crispy slab bacon". The fat was not rendered and it was inedible. It was an additional 20 minutes before our entrees arrived. The Caesar salad was wilted and warm. The filets were not cooked properly and medium was medium rare to rare. It was an hour later when we received our bill and an additional 20 minutes before the waitress returned the credit card and statement. Save yourself money and time and find a better restaurant in D.C. read more

I really liked the ambience of Bobby Van's, they went out of their way to make my mother and I feel special. They will check in on your party to make sure things are perfect through almost every portion of the meal. As the saying goes "you will get what you pay for!!" read more

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Delicious food, attentive service, and open yet intimate ambiance. My fiancé and I have gone here several times in the last few months with the Groupon deal and everything is always great. We will certainly be back very soon. Highly recommend! read more

Just finished eating there. We spend $550 for four. Do not go there. Try Joe's across the street instead. We were thinking or skipping the tips, but thought that we will do that gracefully once and never come back. Some of those earlier comments about the foods were accurate. Bad service: Waiter has attitude toward foreigner. He had a strong accent and it is hard to understand him. Restaurant was not that busy because it was mid week. Hard to get waiter's attention. As we purchased more food, we are getting more attention. Another junior waiter was sent to serve us. He was better than the main waiter. Bad Food: Worth 1 or two stars. Greasy. Burned steak. We ordered Zinfandel 2013 and what was delivered 2014. The bottle was opened. It did not taste right. And we then noticed the year label. Nothing was done to fix that error other than a light apology and we were asked to order another one. And we did. Wine is overpriced here. read more

Great service! The host, the waiter and other staff were quite pleasant. The food was delicious. The crab cake appetizer was very good and I would recommend trying it. The steaks were awesome too! We had the filet mignon and the bone-in ribeye steaks. Any type of steak would be really good here. They were juicy and flavorful. I had the creamed spinach with my steak and it was yummy too. I celebrated my father's birthday here and they gave him a complimentary dessert at the end of dinner; it was a little chocolate mouse cake. The was nice. I definitely will eat here again. read more

The two stars are for the service. Oscar was great! We had a large group and he was very attentive and friendly. He anticipated all of our needs and got everyone's order right. Still kind of satisfied from lunch, I didn't have a big appetite so at the suggestion of a colleague who dined there in the past, I opted for the calamari tossed in sweet chili sauce and a Caesar salad. The calamari was not fried very well. In fact someone asked me whether it was fried. The salad was a plate of romaine lettuce,drenched in what tasted like store bought dressing, accompanied by just a few of croutons. I'd have been better off with a bagged Caesar salad from the grocery store. read more

Exactly what it should be for this kind of place. Steaks are prime and it's an impeccable seafood destination. Also, the service was perfect. Two words: Cajun Ribeye. read more

Bobby Van's is one of those steakhouses that is stuck in an odd category. It's right between the mid-end and the high-end steak restaurant. In many ways I think this is really bad because it's alienating the customers who are expecting either of the two experiences. At first glance, the interior design of the place seems upscale, but is not. The bar seems like it will have a decent selection but has a limited cocktail list and an abysmal selection of beers (a choice I had between Heineken and Shock Top). They have a menu that seems to have entrees you'd expect from high end steakhouses but doesn't give you that impression when you read the description of the items. And finally, the pricing of the menu items are right in-between the high and mid-end steakhouses. I had small, bite-sized portions of steaks and filet mignons from an event and I must say that the meat was much better than I expected based on the reviews that I saw on yelp. That being said, the steak size was small, cooked very well (perfect medium) and it was accompanied alongside bread or vegetables (in combination). I'm sure I would have said that the steaks are over-seasoned if it came out as a main entree but for the small size tasting portions, I thought it was executed very well. I was able to sample: 1. Asparagus-smaller in size and not as fresh and flavorful at higher end places, 2. Chicken Skewers- tough chicken, lacked marinade, and sauce was unappealing 3. Bread- equivalent or worse than Outback Steakhouse bread 4. Mozzarella balls- flavor was lacking due to lack of herbs The general observation I have of Bobby Van's is that it executes pretty well on the steak but pretty much skimps on or lacks in most other categories. They either have to step it up all the way by providing the quality and choices that should accompany a good steak or downgrade the quality of the steak and the price. If you get a mixed bag of experiences, some of which are going to be good and others which are going to get you disappointment, that will get you many unhappy customers. My experiences at Bobby Van's has piqued my curiosity for their steaks. I see some groupons from time to time and would consider giving Bobby Van's a shot some time in the future to see if my observations are correct. But really, can this place beat Ray's the Steaks in terms of value and quality? I'm very skeptical but we'll see. read more

Found a Groupon for Bobby Van's while my boyfriend and I were exploring Chinatown. $35 for $70 worth of food and I had free Groupon bucks that covered the $35 ,so I figured why not. We haven't been on a real dinner date in a while so I decided to use it here. We ordered the oysters on a half shell to start with. It was $16 for 6. That's more than 2.50 per oyster. It was served with an assortment of sauces. Still, I wouldn't have paid that much if it wasn't for the Groupon. They had ciabatta bread and soft pretzel breadsticks. Not really what I would expect in a place like this. It was served with mustard and butter. My boyfriend ordered the duck and I ordered the jerk chicken pasta. Both were very tasty. I tried some of his and he tried mine. The duck was cooked medium and would just melt in your mouth. The jerk chicken was spicy but it had good flavor to it. The sauce was so good that I dipped my bread in it. The pasta was a small portion so I'm glad I was able to fill up on bread. In all we ordered 3 things and our bill came out to be $73. With the Groupon we only paid $3 and gave a tip for the full amount. It's a good place but very overpriced. I suggest you get the Groupon coupon. read more

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Gross. Very, very poor quality meat. The "filet mignon" had tons of gristle and intratissue fat. Odds are, two of these steaks could be purchased for under $4 at safeway. The "caesar" dressing completely lacks any hint of garlic and/or anchovy. Unfortunately, because it is close to work, I have been there several times and have always been appalled at the quality. Next time, however, I will decline the free meal. (I didn't mention the service because, with food this bad, its irrelevant. But, in case anyone wants to know if this could be a good place for a work lunch despite the bad food, it isn't. The service is equally as awful as the food. All the skills and charm of a hall monitor, none of those of a real waiter. They will interrupt your conversations, talk over you, take your dishes late and not replace settings that they take away.) read more

Well, I had a moderately pleasant business lunch here. I will give them credit for an excellent english pea soup and lobster ravioli. If it's raining, and you can't go too far, and you are nearby - this is a pretty solid option - but if you wander a few blocks in almost any direction you wil find much better places. read more

Went for lunch and was underwhelmed. The price is right ($25 includes appetizer, main and glass of wine), but the quality and execution was mixed. For appetizers the oysters were good, but the salad was uninteresting. For main, the steak was good, but the seafood was oddly prepared. We skipped dessert. I will say the staff was very attentive and solicitous. There was one error in the order which they promptly corrected without complaint. (I was ordering the squash salad and did not realize the soup of the day was also squash, so when I ordered "the squash" they brought the soup, not the salad. It could have been a big deal, but it was not.) read more

I went here for restaurant week with some friends, it was pretty ok. My drink was good, the steak was good... and as much as things were good, nothing was really great. The only real disappointing part of my meal was the carrot cake, it was really dry. I'm not sure if they always have that on the menu or maybe it was just for restaurant week, but I would definitely skip it. Service here was a bit confusing, we had 4 different waiters asking to take our orders for drinks, and all 4 continued to pop up through the course of the meal. On the other hand, the table next to mine got completely ignored and I couldn't help but feel sorry for them (a couple out with their two pre-teen daughters). They appeared to be there on a special night out, as if they wanted to take advantage of the restaurant week prices and wouldn't have been able to afford it otherwise (I may be wrong). This definitely put a damper on the evening. It was clear that they were being ignored in favor of people who were better dressed and looked as if they would spend more. read more

I'll make this one short and leave some quick notes. We got the groupon: a 4-lb prime rib, 3 sides, 4 salads, and 4 glasses of wine. Food: Heads up, if you order the Groupon, it is ONE steak that is cut to serve 4 people, so you have to come to a concensus on the way the steak is prepared. I wanted medium rare, but one member "could not stomach" anything less than medium-well, so we got that. I had prepared myself to be able to eat leather, but it actually turned out pretty good. The steak had some excellent char and seasoning around the skin and the inside portions of the steak were still edible. The default Bobby's Van's steak sauce is actually sweet, which I wasn't a fan off. The steak would be better on its own unless you have a sweet tooth that day. Our sides (mushrooms, asparagus, mashed potatoes) were OK, nothing to write home about. Also, if you use the Groupon, any sides or salads with seafood in them (like mac & cheese with stuff lobster) are off limits. Three of four members at our party did not drink wine, so you can substitute the wine with a soft drink or beer, but not liquor. Customer Service: The customer service was really nice. They were personable, helpful, and waited for our entire party that was running late. The only hiccup was that my friend ordered the dressing on the side for his salad and they put it right on, but no biggie. Conclusion: Bobby Van's is definitely worth checking out. I would probably only go if I have the Groupon, which ended up being about $50 a plate after tax and tip. For $50, I'd probably go to a Brazillian steakhouse like Fogo de Chao and fill up. read more

Just WOW! ! I bought a Living Social deal for surf and turf for two ($99). Holy cow that was a ton of food!! We were each able to chose a starter salad, we each got a glass of beer or wine. A side to share, they have 'sides for two'. We picked the crab mac n cheese...yummmmyyy!! And for the grand finally we each got a huge steak..grilled and seasoned to perfection I might add. . Topped with lobster. The lobster meat was out of the shell, and there was a lobster cake? (Something like a crab cake) inside the shell. Devine!!! Side note: I had a glass of red wine that was basically two in one. ..all part of the deal. Our waiter was awesome as well. He offered suggestions, was patient with me when I couldn't make up my mind, and was even a little funny! This was an awesome experience!! read more

I gave this place a try, with the amount of steakhouses available in DC you are much better off visiting pretty much ANY other steakhouse for a better experience. The steak I got was not crispy on the outside and masterfully cooked, it was more soft all around with a bland cooked meat flavor. For a steakhouse, it doesn't look like they really know how to cook steak well, I feel that I would have made a similar steak at home, maybe even better The potatoes were okay, creamed spinach was actually the best thing. However, I would much rather pay similar prices for a masterfully prepared steak of a hunk of heated meat. The service was terrible as well, the waiter insulted my friend by telling her she looked 12 when he completely skipped over her when taking wine orders and she asked if he was going to take HER order. He never refilled out water and was nowhere to be found read more

This place is right next to my work and I have been here a couple times for happy hours or work events. In my honest opinion, I think it is a little overpriced for what you are getting. My food there has always been just fine, but not outstanding. Also, the portions are very small - as in my plate comes out and I feel disappointed. Maybe they should serve on smaller plates? Last time I had salmon, and while it was good it was a very small fillet. The mushrooms on the side were DELICIOUS though. So why four stars? Because the catering staff was outstanding. I had to arrange an event there for work, and the catering woman was friendly, helpful and went out of her way to accomodate my requests. I have arranged several work events over the years, and the staff at Bobby Van's has been by far the best that I have had to work with. This place would have gotten 3 stars or maybe even 2 had it not been for my easy experience with the work event. Plus the event rooms downstairs are beautiful and classy. And, as I said before, the food is just fine. The majority of the group seemed to enjoy their steaks. They also let us bring our own bottle of champagne and some cognac for toats without being anal about it or charging a corking fee. I was very impressed. read more

This place is mediocre at best. The service is hit or miss (usually miss), their dirty martini sucks and doesn't contain olive juice (if a steak house can't make a dirty martini, that's a bad sign), their iceburg wedge salad, which is served in the form of a chopped salad, is not tossed and does not contain enough dressing, and while the tomatoes are tasty, the rest of the salad is subpar (if a steak house can't make a good iceberg + bleu cheese salad, that's a bad sign). I've had their "signature steak" which is a cajun ribeye, and I was not impressed. It was extremely greasy - I don't mean fatty, ribeye's are supposed to be fatty, this thing was sitting in a pile of grease and it was gross. The flavor was far too charred/burnt, making it less savory and more charcoal-like. On the positive side, this evening I had a cheeseburger that was massive and relatively decent. Their steak sauce is very sweet and tangy, which I don't find enjoyable - if i wanted to dip my steak in something sweet, i'd use maple syrup. That said, if the steak was any good to begin with, I wouldn't need to dip it in anything, right? If you're going to drop $60-$75 on a meal, go to Morton's, Ruth's, BLT, or better yet, Fogo de Chao. Bobby Van's is a glorified Clyde's, and we all know how much that place sucks food-wise. read more