I'm. Not sure what the point is in taking a great piece of grilled fish and covering it with a thick rich sauce. The salad was good but overall this place is too expensive even for DC. They seem way over staffed. People were practically hovering over you. read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Tonight my husband and I arrived for a date night away from our two young kids. We mentioned to our waiter that we had never been to a Bobby Van's. I wasn't pleased by any means to the "quality" of the food. We felt the food was flavorless, mediocre and not close to what you expect for a $50 charred/burned steaks. Let's break it down by course. We started with the buffalo mozzarella and tomato salad. This is one of my fav combinations, but I found the mozzarella to be very chilled and watery. It didn't seem fresh and didn't even eat my half. We also tried the calamari which was incredibly rubbery. My husband mentioned that's normal, I've had better. We then ordered our entrees. I choose the petite filet with side of Mac and cheese. As you see in the pictures, my steak was completely burned and tasteless. The cost of this masterpiece is $49. I quickly told the waiter that I wouldn't be enjoying this steak after taking one bite. He offered to bring me something else or remake it. Based on all the food I had at this point, I wasn't willing to try again. The Mac and cheese as seen in picture was soaking in oil and almost worth forgoing as well...but at this point in hour into the meal I was hungry. My hubby ordered the ribeye which was also charred and burned. They took it back to "remake" it...20 mins later the $54 steak returns and is too pink to eat. It is then sent back an additional time. 20 mins more later it returned and he ate it bc again he was hungry. The manager came over to greet us and ask if I wanted anything else, he rudely informed me that all the steaks are cooked a certain way and it says so in the menu. Ok, well Your a well known steakhouse and we are new to the restaurant and figured you could make a decent $50 steak. Customers are always right...no so much. Took 45 mins and two different times of making this mediocre ribeye and it was still not removed from the bill. $200 later with two apps, 2 drinks, 1 steak and some sodas...we won't be back and are truly disappointed in our experience this evening and broke pockets. The disregard for us and our dining experience tonight was the worst part. read more

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Best porterhouse steak ever! Our server Michael was excellent with his service, definitely one of the best we've ever had! read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Apple tart with vanilla ice cream - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Honestly, came in expecting a premium price, was also expecting high quality food and was disappointed in the blandness of the flavor. Plenty of food in proportion, but over $100 for one steak for two people. If you want high quality steak, go to Texas de Brazil or Fogo de Chao. Not worth the price. read more

Spent too much money (party of 12) appetizers, drinks, entrees and dessert to be lectured by a waiter that we shouldn't pass a pastry around that was brought in from a visit to an earlier bakery. Over rated and an empty restaurant for a reason. Will not be back read more

Don't tell you about the happy hour. Get ready to pay exorbitant prices. 19 for an old fashioned read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Steep happy hour. Bartenders don't tell you about specials. #itsatrap - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Having been to several Bobby Van's restaurants in the past and always having great meals I was thoroughly disappointed by this one. The service was horrendous and the food bad. First we ordered an appetizer before dinner. They brought the dinner out and completely forgot about the appetizer. It took conversations with 3 waiters to get that straight. When we got our meal it was pretty clear it had sat under a heat lamp for the past 20 minutes. It was dried out and tough - neither one of us could finish it. They forgot to bring our vegetable side dish and when we reminded them of it, they brought the wrong thing so that had to be sent back and replaced. So completely out of sync with the rest of the meal. My daughter ordered a bottle of beer and after taking a few sips noticed it had expired in 2020. A really bad experience. read more

We had horrible service. The waiter never returned after the food was served. Did not ask if we wanted drink refills, or dessert or coffee. Never saw him again after we ordered. Thankfully the server attendant helped with water and doggy bags. We actually had to ask the manager for out ticket. Good food. Bad service. read more

Great service starting with a smiling and welcoming hostess. All waiters were extremely attentive and accommodating. I ordered the filet mignon and it came out cooked to perfection. Charred on the outside and medium on the inside. Definitely in class with traditional steakhouses like Morton's and Mastro's. Price wise it was surprisingly reasonable considering you're only two blocks away from the White House and other government offices. Outdoor seating quiet and peaceful. All in all a great experience. read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Horrible service- waited 25 min and left because front staff were extremely slow and did not tend to large groups of guests. Not worth your time visiting this restaurant with all the other worthy steak houses in the area. read more

1st time to Arlington and DC area and ate here for our Anniversary. From the moment we were seated Apolinar our server greeted us and was so attentive. He started with bringing us a complimentary glass of champagne for our occasion. We had Caesar salad, petite Filet Mignon, creamed spinach and Choc mousse cheesecake. Everything was so delicious and my steak was cooked to perfection. Will certainly visit if we ever get back to DC. read more

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I went to Bobby Van's last night for my girl friends birthday. Our server Nelson was very friendly, attentive, and informative. I enjoyed the relaxed clean environment. I would highly recommend this place to anyone wanting a date night, girls night out, party, or family dinner. The food was served hot and fresh. No complaints. read more

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Had the lamb chops, creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. AMAZING! One of the best meals I have had in a really long time. Service was excellent as well. Worth every cent. Will be going back! read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Fried Calamari was delicious. The Lamb Chops Medium Well OMG!! Creamed spinach and mash potatoes was a great pairing. - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The service was great, I cannot knock them for that. Our server Rod was a true gentleman who has been probably making people feel welcome for a long time. Bravo to him. My issue was the steak. I can always ask for the temperature to be corrected, but you can't fix lack of flavor. It lacked much dry rub or buttery/herb finish. It was nicely charred but just tasted bland. I've never been to a nice steakhouse that I've had to salt my steak before. Pretty disappointed. And we both ordered filets which were rather full of large stringy veins of fat hat didn't render and made them a little tougher than I expected too. Won't be back for steak. Too many other places to have a good piece of meat. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed the special of the evening which was a surf & turf. Filet steak & lobster tail for $60. Service started out a little shaky but they were hella busy for a Thursday night but guess Groupon is keeping them alive & well read more

I came here with some co-workers for a team lunch and had a fine time. I would say this is your average steak house. We weren't able to order the steak, do our experience was of their best stuff, but still for the price point the food was nothing particularly memorable. I would not recommend getting the brussel sprouts. They are soggy and a bit flavorless. One positive note from our experience was that we were able to be seated in a separate room which made things easier for a loud group like us. They really worked well with our large group, and each of us got our food quickly. read more

Stopped in for a bottle of wine after dinner. Weak. $100 Pinot at room temp. Who doesn't store wine at the right temperature? This was a 2014 - how long did it sit around hot? Bartender was super pleasant though. Get some wine fridges guys really. read more

Amazing! We've been to many countries and Bobby's is right up there with the best! The food was 2nd to none and the service could not have been better. They even gladly helped me with my gluten & egg allergy. The waiter & chief took great care to make sure the food was safe for me. We had planned on trying out a few places while in DC, but we are all wanting to just go back to Bobby's tonight! read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have said this before on Yelp: I am a connoisseur of steakhouses. I have been to Smith & Wollensky, Peter Luger, The Palm, Keens, Delmonico's, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille, Bobby Van's, Ben & Jack's, Uncle Jack's, Rothmann's, Gallaghers, the Bull & Bear (in the Waldorf), to BLT (in Washington, D.C.), to Shula's (in Indianapolis), and to Brumus in London (U.K.), (which is not a steakhouse, but the way they cook their cuts of meat--SO GOOD, they might as well be). Mostly in New York, often in Long Island, often in D.C., and as far away as London (indeed, I have even been to the top steakhouses in Dhaka, Bangladesh!); I have been to these places to eat, and savor, steak. Multiple, multiple times. Yes, I have never been to a Morton's, or to Sparks in Manhattan (even though I worked at the United Nations for years). But outside of that, I have more experience . . . than most. Consistent with my past reviews, I think the only 5-star steakhouses are Smith & Wollensky and Peter Luger. Next are all the 4-star (excellent, beyond delicious, on their own) steakhouses: Keens, Uncle Jack's, Delmonico's and Rothmann's. Next come the 3-star steakhouses, and I would put Bobby Van's solidly in this category (though, it may be the most uneven primier U.S. steakhouse: some things are really great, others are well below what they should be). Mind you, if you are reading me for the first time, my view of a 3-star *steakhouse* is that it would be a 5-star restaurant in any other category. I think steakhouses like this are worth the big prices customers shell out (if you can't afford a top-line steakhouse, don't go to one; there are economy/chain steakhouses that do a similar, but nowhere near as amazing, job well enough for someone who can't spend more than $60 on diner for two-ish people; go to that if you have not got the money to spend on a top-line steakhouse). The 3-stars are the ones that are still worth the amazing price, and are great steakhouses on a more absolute scale, they just aren't in the same league as those top-of-all-of-America steakhouses listed above (i.e., *relative* to the best--Smith & Wollensky, Peter Luger, Keens, Uncle Jack's, Delmonico's and Rothmann's--they are only 3-star steakhouses). Also, you should note that while I am writing this review from the Bobby Van' s *really* near the White House (there are actually two Bobby Van' s now in D.C., one is a 3-minute walk from the White House, and the second one is an 8-minute walk from the White House--if you think about it, they must have a lot of fans here to sustain two establishments so located), it reviews *this one*, and the one right by Wall Street in Manhattan (where I have been half a dozen times). So, what is great about Bobby Van's? First, it has 5-star service, attention and decor. The one near the Stock Exchange is the closest to being historic, but none really are (not when they are competing with the likes of Keens, Peter Luger and Delmonico's). (But again, read what I wrote earlier about Uncle Jack's: There is nothing a young company can do about this problem, so one shouldn't hold it against them too much.) Prices also are a tad lower than other steakhouses (again, I really don't care much about this factor, for the reasons stated above, but it is always nice to spend $85 instead of $95). Meat is good, except that (horror for me) they don't really do prime rib (and when they do have it, it is a little weak, and nothing like all-star prime rib at Uncle Jack's, or even Delmonico's). If you get something other than prime rib (like N.Y. strip, which they always have) it is better, and if you are not a prime-rib-is-always-#1 guy like I am, you may not care as much as I do about this. But, what do I say to that? First, you are wrong, prime rib is always the most important cut at a steakhouse. Second (and more seriously) even if I put out of my mind prime rib, and only compare times I have eaten other cuts to the times I do so at Bobby Van's, Bobby Van's just does not have 4-star meat magic. Without looking to the prime rib, they have only strong 3-star meat, and their prime rib (lacking, the few times it is on the menu) brings them down to low 3-star territory. Also, they have the weakest creamed spinach this side of Uncle Jack's (those are the two worst creamed spinaches in America, by the by, though Uncle Jack's is much worse; much worse). So, what saves them? Well, their *lobster*, that's what. Outside of Smith & Wolensky, no steakhouse takes lobster choice more seriously than Bobby Van's (they always have multiple levels of weight), and the lobster is always perfectly made. The next great thing about them is that, outside of their creamed spinach, their sides are really quite strong. And throw into that that their non-prime rib meat is strong, upper-level 3-star quality, and you have a solid 3-star steakhouse. I don't know why people in Washington always go to The Palm, this steakhouse is much, much better. read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My husband and I came here with a reservation because we were celebrating a special occasion in DC and I chose this restaurant after buying the Groupon. Upon being seated we were brought two complimentary glasses of house champagne. It was perfect...thank you! We were seated in Rods section and I couldn't be more pleased. He was very professional, courteous and knowledgeable about the menu. We started with escargot which is always a treat. We were brought a loaf of freshly baked bread and butter which was also good. I had the bone in ribeye which was enormous and definitely a value at $50. The chef happily prepared it without a charred crust for me. My husband enjoyed the filet mignon with a char crust. It was definitely inferior to the ribeye. We split the prosciutto macaroni and cheese and both enjoyed it. My husband worked up the courage to announce we were paying with a Groupon at the end of the meal. He had to do it because I always find it incredibly awkward and you never know how it will be received. Rod was incredibly nice about it and did not seem to mind at all! Thank you to Bobby Vans for the memorable evening. read more

Not really sure why other's review of Bobby' Van's is so mediocre, but I absolutely loved this place. My dad and I ordered the porterhouse for two, creamed spinach, and hashbrowns. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare, full of intense dry-aged flavor, and a charred crust. I would say it comparable to NYC staples such as peter lugers, benjamins, wolfgangs. Both sides were absolutely delicious and the servings on the potatoes were ginormous. The restaurant was bustling with local patrons and I found that the service was top notch. It was interesting how 4 different waiters helped us out throughout the night -- can't complain with the constant attention. They offer a significant Groupon discount that everyone should check out as well! All in all, fantastic spot. Will definitely be back. read more

Been to this location several times. Usually they provide pretty good service, not really this time though. Ordered the Sea Bass which was the fish of the day. My gf ordered the Shrimp Scampi. Sea Bass was cooked perfectly but the serving size was very small. Shrimp Scampi was served a little cold. I think they may have let it sit awhile before they bought it out to us. Actually both meals were pretty small and didn't really fill us up. Took awhile to come out and it took more than a little while to get the check pay. Also, I don't understand why they have to physically take your phone and disappear for 5 minutes just to use a groupon. I've never had anyone else do that. The food was pretty good but considering this meal cost over $110 with tax and tip, I would not say it was really worth it. read more

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Absolutely nothing bad to say about this place. The service is top notch, very attentive to our every need. My wife had the Scrimp Scampi and she describes the meal as an Orgasm on a plate. I had the New York steak and ordered it medium rare. It was cooked to perfection and was full of flavor. We ordered two sides, mushrooms and onion rings. They were delivered in their own bowls and there was plenty of both. Question is "would we return?" And the answer is YES. read more

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Came to Bobby vans to celebrate a quarantine birthday with my friends came in for a 6p reservation and wasn't even offered a drink or basket of bread by 6:50 after asking the server could we order something... this was partly because they only had 1 server for the entire dining room. Let's just say 3 stars because the bang bang shrimp and calamari were a hit. I wasn't able to enjoy and food because after a hour n half of mediocre service and neglect we decided to cash out and go else where! I should have just ordered Uber eats at least I would have gotten my steak that is been waiting for all day! read more

Steak cooked to perfection. And the mac and cheese was so creamy and good. The service was just whatever but the good food makes up for that. read more

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Solid steakhouse! Shared the prime rib which feds four. The prime rib was deliciously seasoned and cooked to perfection. The meat was incredibly tender and the sides were average at best. We had the mashed potatoes and spinach. Our server was attentive and professional. The restaurant was kind of dead which is to be expected for a Monday. Overall, I had a solid experience at Bobby Van's and would come again. read more

This was not my first time dining at Bobby V's but it was at this location the 15th street location. I had a Groupon which included a 4 course meal for two. The downside to the Groupon which was completely the decision of the restaurant was that they required you to order all of your food upfront so their was no thinking it over while you enjoyed your first entree and no ordering of apps while you look over the menu. They wanted us to order all of our courses at once. This caused it to feel rushed along with three waiters continuously checking on us. We ordered the shrimp cocktail and Caesar salad as our appetizers. The shrimp cocktail consisted of 5 big shrimp and the salad was tasty and a great size. For our entrees we ordered the Prime Ribeye and the glazed salmon with mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. The spinach was some of the best I have ever had. The mashed potatoes were instant and runny which was so sad for such a prestigious establishment. My bf loved his steak and it was good portion, however I tasted a piece and thought it lacked the proper marinating and/or seasoning. My salmon was delicious, cooked to a perfect medium well, with a tasty glaze, with jasmine rice. For our dessert I ordered the cheesecake which had a raspberry drizzle and my BF the carrot cake. The carrot cake although good spice was not as moist as I would like. The cheesecake I decided to eat the following day and it was still moist and creamy. Would purchase the Groupon again that's for sure. read more

Restaurant week brought me here to dine for lunch with a selective menu for the occasion. I will say, prices for restaurant week were competitive with the usual price, minus a small dessert. Overall not a bad experience and I enjoyed the food. read more

A wonderful experience - I dined as a solo diner the other night. The food was excellent - the raw oysters, a petite filet was done to perfection and I enjoyed the mushrooms as well. (And that Dirty Martini was wonderful!). The cherry on the sundae was the AMAZING service at all levels. My server Tom was absolutely wonderful. A truly pleasant dining experience. I'd come back anytime I'm in D.C. read more

A 3-Manhattan lunch anyone? ***************************************** If one of my young former protégés who is now working in private equity in New York or Boston came down for a visit, this is where we'd go. The Mad Men would eat lunch here. Our very own office madman ordered a "perfect Manhattan." He didn't have to say, rye whiskey, not Canadian. He didn't have to remind, equal parts dry and sweet vermouth. Nor did he have to ask for a twist of lemon in place of a maraschino cherry. It arrived not in a martini glass, but appropriately in a manly low-ball. Bobby Vans just knows. That's the kind of place it is. Most of our table ordered the Bobby Vans HamBurger with a mix of medium rares and mediums. Everyone's meat came cooked picture perfect. Some previous reviewers have called Bobby Vans clubby or stuffy. Perhaps. You don't get a sprinkling of tourists like at OEG with that "I can smell you two tables over with the trekking four-hours across the Mall" odor It's more like the kind of place where you can always count on everything being just right. The spirits are generously poured. One Manhattan, perfect or otherwise, is a three Martini lunch. read more

A good indicator of a good restaurant is if you accidentally spill your drink and they immediately bring you another one for free to replace it. Bobby Vans didn't pass this test, and many others. We went during restaurant week - we were seated at a wobbly table and given regular menus. We had to ask for the restaurant week menus. We both ordered a steak, it came with Caesar salad and desert. Salad was mediocre, I'd expect this salad at Chili's or something - not at Bobby vans. Slightly wilted lettuce, boring Caesar dressing - it had nothing special to it. Our steaks were great but what was served with it were over cooked and dried out asparagus and bland potatoes. Desert was incredibly mediocre - a chocolate cake that was sugar overload and a cheesecake I could have made better. And yes, I spilled my wine, and when I let the waiter know (bc he didn't come over to see if everything was ok), he asked if I wanted to "order" another one. Crap. I can get better steak service and food at a standard restaurant. Don't need to waste my good money here. read more

If I could give this place zero stars I would. Fortunately for Bobby Vans Steakhouse that isn't an option. I purchased a living social coupon and decided to take my dad to dinner for Father's Day. I am a 20 year old college student so without this groupon, this place was way out of my price range. Anyway, the food was honestly just okay. Nothing really stands out to me about the dinner at all. The only thing I can remember about my horrible experience is when the check came. I presented my living social to our waiter, Gilbert and he responds oh that's for bobby vans grill not the steakhouse. However on Bobby vans official website both locations say bobby vans steakhouse- ny ave and 15th St. Needless to say restaurants like bens chili bowl and bens next door, there is a clear distinction. As well as mccormick and mccormick and Schmitz He then says oh yea that happens a lot living social needs to be more clear. Needless to say I was very embarrassed and upset. So today I decided to call and speak to a manager. I spoke with David who said he was the manager, and he was down right rude. He kept cutting me off, belittled me and even said "well I don't know what you want me to do I can't go back into time". David's management skills were so poor he couldn't even think of one way to rectify the situation. I understand policy is policy. But at the end of the day this is business- you do not treat your customers like that especially if you want them to ever come back. Even TGI Fridays would've offered a free desert. Never again!!! read more

Recently visited this restaurant over the past weekend, I ordered the jumbo scampi and it was amazing! I wish I would've captured a picture of it . It was a beautiful dish and tasted just as good as it looked. Service was amazing , didn't have to ask for a thing! Very attentive! I would highly recommend. read more

Great steak! Obviously. My friend and I came with a groupon, which was a great deal - we paid $50 for $100 worth of food. I had the NY strip and side of the asian pear salad, my friend had the filet mignon and prosciutto macaroni and cheese. We both only finished half our portions, so there were plenty for leftovers the next day. Great on the groupon deal, but it's way too expensive for me to come back on a normal basis. read more

Ordered a New York Strip medium, came out well to well done, they took it back and brought me another one, server cut it down the middle and said "that's more cooked than the last one" they brought me a third steak and it was Blue, cold in the middle. I told them to just comp it, not trying to have the cook spit on my steak. Ate 1 bite of the first one, that's it. read more

I have always had this place on my "go-to" list. So i was happy to finally visit when I was invited to a work sponsored event. Of course it lived up toy expectations. The cocktail hour had plenty of flowing appetizers and drinks including delicious mini crab cakes. For dinner, we were given the choice of steak or salmon with sautéed mushrooms (AMAZING!!!) mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. I chose the salmon which was cooked to perfection! The evening was topped off with a delightful slice of cheesecake. Not sure the next time Ill get to Bobby Van's but one thing for sure, Im definitely a believer. read more

This was one fantastic dinner! Pricey but it is a top notch restaurant! Everyone should go to a Bobby Vans at least once in your life! read more

Bobby Van's Steakhouse - Steakhouses Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Mooo.........Mooo........Mooooo....... I was part of a large group from work that visited BVS for a dinner/party. BVS had a limited menu to choose from. The setup was a bit out of the ordinary with the tables setup in the adjoining atrium by a water fountain in the main building. It worked. The staff was quick but never checked in to see how our dishes and main courses were. They were busy keeping the night flowing. For my meal, I started with a Caesar salad which was just average. I went with the steak for my main which was unremarkable and unevenly cooked. The side of veggies were bland but the mashed potatoes were pretty good. I had the Key Lime for dessert which was fantastic. This was just an OK experience and would like to try it under different circumstances next time. ... read more

Pretty good food, nothing was spectacular in any sort. Steak had quite a bit of fat but the oysters delightful. The servers were very friendly and helpful. read more

Bobby Van's is a common happy hour haunt for the folks in my DC office. You really cannot beat the guys on the bar. We're talking professional bar tenders. They remember you and your drink and always get it right. Great bar apps if you're hungry but just wait a few minutes and they'll drop off a basket of house made potato chips gratis. Of course, if you're in the mood for dinner, this is a great steakhouse, too. One of the best in DC. We've had a number of client dinners here and if you're looking for a laid back, old school atmosphere with great food, this is your place! read more