Food is okay. Prices are too high. Worth a one-time visit for tourists but not for residents.

After riding my bike past this restaurant many times on the other side of the GW parkway near mount Vernon and seeing the adorable outdoor dining area, I decided to take my sister there for her bday dinner. I love the restaurant's unique venue and eclectic decor. It's a little like a much less fancy inn at little Washington. Funky chandeliers, lots of different rooms, a mix of antiques, all in a building with history. There is also a nice view of the river across the parkway depending on where your table is. Thoughtful touches included nice lanterns for after dark. Food wise the only miss was the watermelon gazpacho which needed salt and was a tad too sweet. Oysters Virginia were a winner, as were the rockfish, and soft shell crab. The fried chicken was deboned and a little dry. Cocktails were excellent too. On balance, al the elements were there for an elevated evening that didn't break the bank in an pretty setting, perfect for a date night or celebration. read more

Cedar Knoll - Outdoor dining area after a small wedding reception had ended. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Excellent service and superb food! Had the wintery bisque soup, the short rib ravioli and the chocolate soufflé. Was delicious and quiet. We got a seat next to the fireplace in the room to the left when you immediately walk in. Many people have experienced this restaurant under the previous owners/management and were disappointed. You are missing out if you don't give the new owners a chance. read more

I've been saving a special outing at Cedar Knoll for months now, and boyfriend and I finally decided on a gorgeous Sunday so that we could enjoy brunch on the patio, overlooking the Potomac. Just after noon, before leaving the house, I checked Open Table and noted that there were tables available every 15 minutes from 12:45-1:45pm. So I reasoned we wouldn't need a reservation and set out. Arriving at the restaurant around 12:30pm, we were told that we could not be seated without a reservation because they were "fully booked". We noticed that the inside of the restaurant was nearly empty as was at least half of the patio. We walked outside, made a 12:45pm reservation through Open Table, walked back in and were soon seated on the patio, as requested through the reservation.... Views were lovely, however, the service and food were underwhelming. To begin, all of the staff appeared and acted to be of high school age, which was immediately disappointing for what is portrayed as an upscale restaurant. The service was spotty and very slow, but the young man who mostly took care of us was kind and chipper. Boyfriend ordered the frittata, which was tasty, albeit a bit greasy. We shared mostly neutral feelings about it. I ordered the eggs in a nest - which, be warned, is two poached eggs on top of nothing more then a likeness to French's shoestring potato sticks. The menu did a poor job of describing the potatoes, which made for an overall disappointing meal. $15 for 2 poached eggs and 3 small pieces of bacon over some crispy potato sticks is something I could have made mindlessly at home for a fraction of the price. The best part of the experience was the view. Before our brunch experience, we were excited about also trying the place for dinner at some point. Our consensus was that the restaurant lacked the overall quality touted on its website. Unfortunately, with many other restaurants in the area being consistently tasty, offering more thoughtful plates, and with a staff that is outwardly more invested in providing quality service, we will not be returning. read more

I booked a reservation to have lunch with my mother for today (June 26) 2 weeks ago. Today I received a call at 10:11 am from the restaurant to verify this reservation and confirm my request to have outdoor sitting. I stated that we would be there as planned at 11:15 am. We arrived at 11:00 am only to be told that we couldn't have outdoor sitting because they had an event outside (a funeral). Pre-Covid I would have accepted the offer to eat inside but now is not the time with so many people still being unvaccinated and with the new Covid variants. There was a reason why I clearly requested outdoor sitting. This was definitely very poor customer service. Why didn't the lady who called me this morning inform me that I wouldn't be able to have outdoor sitting due to another event???? They wasted our time and made us believe that our request was being honored. Awful first experience! read more

While visiting Mount Vernon we were desperate for a dinner spot. We happened upon Cedar Knoll, and I quickly checked the reviews for the dress requirements. It said casual so we decided to give it a try. We were dressed very casual, due to our day outing. The menu looked amazing; I was dying to sample a few of the dishes that were featured online. I popped in quickly to confirm that we could dine-in dressed in tennis shoes and jeans. When I entered, my heart sank. This place was not casual. I approached the hostess and explained we were dressed casual, but asked if we could still be seated. She was so lovely and kind. She seated us discreetly in the "log cabin" by the fire. We lucked out, best table in the house! The food was amazing, and the service was spot on. Everyone throughly enjoyed their meals! We also loved the antique, eclectic china used for dinner service. We finished our meal with a delightful cappuccino by the amazing fireplace. I highly recommend this restaurant if you are in the area. It was a perfect end to a beautiful day. If you are wise- I would start dinner during sunset. This would be an amazing experience to view the sunset as George Washington did for so many years. Thanks Cedar Knoll for such a dynamite experience. read more

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Disappointing meal. We had heard many great things about this place and finally decided to give it a try. As we were sitting down they asked what kind of water we wanted and in the flurry of sitting down and getting our two children seated I half listened to the menu of water options and replied "Still" thinking it would be tap. It comes out in a plain glass bottle that could have easily been tap water but we were charged $8 for a large bottle - so I assume they poured still water into a plain glass bottle and charged us $8. It could have also been tap water for $8 - hard to tell. We had 2 children with us and while it probably is not a super friendly kid restaurant - they do have two children's options. Unfortunately they ran out of fries (on a Friday night @ 6:00 pm!) so they substituted fruit. My husband's and I's entrees were both lukewarm when they came out. I think if they had been hot I would have thought the entree was pretty good - but lukewarm made the meal forgettable. Other tables received bread service but our server forgot ours and it wasn't until I asked her if we should have received that she said she forgot it. $17 for a glass of wine with what I thought was a questionable size of the pour. Another server spilled cutney on the tablecloth as she was clearing our table and came around with lysol wipes to clean it up. Overall - sloppy service. We have tried to support local restaurants throughout the pandemic and understand the challenges restaurants are having with staffing but this was supposed to be a nice night out for our family during the holidays and it just wasn't worth the $150 we spent. We know that cost of goods have increased - but the service should be better. We will not be back. read more

Went to the new and improved Cedar Knoll with sufficiently low expectations and was impressed. Anyone familiar with the previous incarnation, like a lot of places with great views of the water, the food is an afterthought, or worse. The new owners kept the same basic layout, spruced up a few booths, and focused the menu on local ingredients. Crowd was a casual mix of local couples and families. There's a small bar by the front door so you can get a drink while you're waiting on your table, but the place is small enough and the opening soft enough that there wasn't a crowd. The menu was pretty tight: eight or so apps and a half dozen main courses. The owner said he's still tweaking the menu to see what customers want and they plan on rolling out a brunch later on. Beer and wine choices are similarly thin; I forgot to ask about a corkage fee. I used to be a big fan of oysters rockafeller, but since coming down with gout, I've had to avoid spinach, which seems to be omnipresent. Cedar Knoll's version skips the spinach in favor of a wilted piece of kale topped with a thin slice of Virginia ham topped with a plump, perfectly fried cornmeal coated Bluepoint with a dollop of champagne froth. This was really tasty; we also opted for a half dozen of the Rappahanock oysters with mignonette; these were firm and clean tasting, but not as plump and briney as I like. For mains, we opted for the crab cake and beef rib, both were excellent. Whoever's doing the frying knows what they're doing. Crabcake was bound with egg yolk instead of mayo and was mixed with lemon, tarragon, and dill which gave it a clean, bright flavor without masking the crab. Beef rib was the usual long braise, fork tender affair, with a particularly rich sauce that reminded me of a not sweet barbecue sauce reduction. They kinda went nuts with the arugula (wife's not a fan) but that's par for the course. All in all an excellent meal (two apps, two mains, two drinks, dessert, and tea for $130 and we both left full). If you're visiting Mount Vernon or want a break from the usual fare in Old Town, Cedar Knoll is a nice, quiet alternative and an excellent upscale addition to the neighborhood. read more

Cedar Knoll - December Dinner Menu - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Went there for Christmas Eve dinner after church. It was dark, so what must be an incredible daytime view of the Potomac was under-appreciated. The new incarnation of Cedar Knoll is very fresh and there is still exterior landscaping going on. The interior is quaint, comfortable, and very historic, but I was a tad skeptical at first. I usually prefer noisier, more boisterous environments, but I soon came to appreciate the ability to converse with the people I was with. And then the food started to arrive. I started with Fried Oysters Rockefeller, and they were absolutely delicious! They were served on a thin slice of Virginia ham that was nestled in the oyster shell under a piece of Kale. I also shared a dozen Dragon Creek Sweet Cousins, a delicious oyster served with a tangy mignonette which was almost drinkable (and would make a great marinade for chicken, actually!). My entrée was the roasted chicken, and other members of my party had the trout and the pork tenderloin, and all three were perfectly prepared, beautifully presented, and every plate was cleaned! We tried three of the four desserts offered: A flourless chocolate 'cake', an oatmeal 'cookie' sandwich, and a lemon ginger semolina cake. All three were scrumptious, but if you have to pick one - go with the cake! People dressed in whatever they were comfortable in and it all worked. Suits and ties, sweaters and slacks, jeans and button downs, and one guy even had shorts on (it has been surprisingly warm lately in the DC area!). Great service, and very friendly owners (there are 5 and they bake, cook, function as sommelier, and tour guides), made for a most pleasant experience which I will look forward to repeating in the not-so-distant future! To Andrew, Chris, and Neil (gotta love a guy in a working man's apron who brings you some of the food himself and tells you all about it!), our server, Elias, and all the others at this new 'old' place - thank you and Merry Christmas! Best of luck in the coming year! read more

Cedar Knoll - Roasted Chicken with braised collard greens and truffled spaetzle mac and cheese. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Came here for my birthday dinner and it was a great experience! The whole atmosphere was comfortable and relaxing. My boyfriend and I got seated next to the window, so having the view of the Potomac River was a plus! Our waitress was very friendly and welcoming! She even gave us some extra bread, while waiting for our food, which we appreciated so much! To start, we ordered the autumnal bisque which was a great starter! It tasted like the perfect fall / winter soup, all the ingredients together blended perfectly! For entree, I had the picanha steak, which came with potatoes and Brussels sprouts. The meal was very satisfying and satiating! My boyfriend had the venison and he felt very satiated as well, he had no complaints! The venison came with a soufflé and salad, which were balanced out his meal. For dessert, we split the chocolate pate with hazelnut zabaglione and it was a very yummy finisher! 5 stars, well-deserved! read more

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My wife and I recently ate lunch at Cedar Knoll Restaurant and thought that it was absolutely fantastic. Indeed, it was out of this world. Cedar Knoll had a large array of delicious entrees, as well as numerous delectable side dishes and tasty desserts. It had numerous fine wines, martinis and other alcoholic beverages. I had a shrimp and lobster dinner, as well as a succulent piece of cake and rum and coke with a twist of lime. As the waiter and I jovially discussed, this drink is call a "a Cuba Libre" in Latin America. My wife had a absolutely delicious crab cake dinner. She ended up having two scrumptious pieces of cake, the one she ordered and the one that the waiter brought her upon learning that it was her birthday. The Cedar Knoll staff made a big show of celebrating her birthday. The service was great, and the waiters were courteous and attentive to the needs and requirements of their customers. The ambience of the restaurant was quite appealing. It was decorated in a colonial style, with paintings of George Washington and other historical Revolutionary figures. The furniture and tables were quite elegant, with some of the furniture itself apparently dating back to the colonial period. Cedar Knoll has a terrace where customers may eat in good weather and enjoy the view of the Potomac River. The terrace, large front lawn and one of the more spacious dining rooms are frequently used for large weddings, parties and other social activities. The current owners of Cedar Knoll are to be praised for refurbishing the restaurant and reviving it after the previous owner went out of business. My wife was especially happy at the prospect of eating at Cedar Knoll Restaurant, given that it was a very special birthday for her. She declared that eating at Cedar Knoll was the perfect birthday gift. Eating at Cedar Knoll was a little bit like going home for us. We had enjoyed dining there under various owners since the 1980s and were extremely sad to see it go out of business. We were so pleased to be able to dine there on my wife's birthday under the outstanding new management. It brought back so many pleasant memories of days gone by. As anyone reading this review and my comments can tell, I think Cedar Knoll and its new management are fantastic. My wife and I enthusiastically recommend that local residents and tourists from out of town visiting Mount Vernon and other tourist sites in and around Washington check out Cedar Knoll Restaurant. We believe that they will have the same delightful culinary experience that we did. read more

Date of visit: June 15, 2016 My boyfriend and I had been waiting for the outdoor seating to become available so that we could bring our dog on our dinner outing. When we arrived, there was some concern over the fact that we had a dog, we assured the hostess and manager, Andrew, that she would behave. We were seating rather quickly and almost immediately welcomed by our server (his name escapes me at the moment...bad me!). He even brought our dog a plastic container with water and greeted her as well. Our dog settled in nicely by our table and was very polite and quiet. :) The food was DELICIOUS and came out at a reasonable time. I even ate the duck appetizer and I don't like duck, so that says something. The main courses and desserts were just as good! Drinks were nice and strong, yet still tasty. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We even asked that Andrew come out and meet our dog (and to show him how well behaved she was). He obliged and came out to meet her and talk to us. He spent a few minutes talking to us and petting our dog, which was appreciated. Bottom line. All places have mixed reviews. Manage your expectations. Know that this restaurant has a patio that allows dogs, there are many trees and bugs, there are cars zooming by, and people on the trail in front. The restaurant is NOT responsible for things out of their control. All they can do is present a relaxing atmosphere and great food. They seem to cater to an older, laid back, "sophisticated" crowed, so if you have wild or rowdy dogs this may not be the place for you. If you don't like the outdoors, nature, or dogs, I would suggest that you don't sit outside. Play nice with each other and just enjoy the view, good food, and company :) read more

Cedar Knoll - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Came for Christmas Eve dinner. Took two hours for our food to come. Servers were clueless. Was thinking this was going to become a Christmas tradition - nope. Never coming back here read more

Cedar Knoll - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Hostess bartender and waitstaff were all very nice and professional. Food prep and chef did an excellent job. But you can't serve appetizers 30 minutes after ordering and serve the meal 1 hour after ordering and truly believe it is well run or managed. Also an owner or manager needs to be proactive in that situation not leave your servers and hostess helpless. Dinner for five was $360 with cocktails for that price the owners and management could remove the heaps of rusted metal twigs garbage and various decay from the parking lot. The tattered blue tarps and basketball hoop were nice touch as well. Hey but the views great .... read more

Cedar Knoll - View Entering Cedar Knoll Yum!!!!!! - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Yes, the scenery of the Potomac River would be beautiful if NPS trimmed some of the vegetation. There are two restaurants you can choose from if you are on the GW Parkway down in S. Alexandria, Mt Vernon Inn or this. My 3rd time here and my opinion pretty much remains the same. Ambiance, 4 or 5. Food, 3 to 4. Service, 4 to 5. This place is slightly fancy with ivory tablecloths and napkins. The food is quite nice in presentation, but lacking in quantity. Now, I'm not requiring mammoth size proportions, but the steak frites where the amount of spring greens were larger than the petite sirloin and hugely overshadowed by fries were a slight disappointment. Steak asked for med was almost well done. Chimichurri sauce was delightful, but I felt a little gipped with the light proportion of steak. The crab cake sandwich was the same; overwhelming amount of fries, small crabcake. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the food, just quantity of it. The panna cotta was quite delish, however the shortbread was a tad hard and crumbly. So, a fancy date night, maybe. A causal lunch or dinner, I'd opt out, especially if you have a big appetite like me. read more

Cedar Knoll - Steak frites. Yes, the steak was quite miniature. - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Beautiful, historic, and charming! We went here for a Sunday brunch and were happy campers. Our table looked over the Potomac river and was filled with cute plates and saucers from a bygone era. The coffee is amazing, seriously. I wasn't going to order any but then I overheard two separate tables asking what brand they used because it was the best coffee they'd ever had, so naturally I had to try it. It was worth the hype! The food was also amazing we had the steak frites and they came with cute little biscuits accompanied by spicy jelly ... yes please! All in all brunch is the time to go, prices are reasonable and the view is great! read more

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Reservations for 10 for lunch on a Friday. I love the ambiance of the place - old fashioned, heavy oak sideboards where silver service is stored, white starched tablecloths studded with an eclectic collection of heirloom china. While warm and charming, some pieces of china were heavily crazed and my coffee cup rim was cracked (see pics), but this is to be expected from vintage/antique china. The grounds are also lovely replete with an arbor arch, mature trees & foliage backdrop as a great place for taking family photos. The turn into the place is sudden without a turn lane. Some in our party missed the turn and had to double back. For large parties like ours, a 20% gratuity is automatically added to the total bill. We were unaware of this practice and almost wrote in an additional 20% gratuity, so be aware. The food: (1) Soup: the potato, leek & basil soup was warm & flavorful but is an unappetizing greenish-yellow color. Diners were expecting the whitish potato soup but this soup is heavy with basil & celery flavors. (2) Fried Oysters Rockefeller was a winner and was quickly dispatched. (3) The brisket burgers with thick slabs of bacon were also delicious. (4) Our vegetarian relatives appreciated the Kale & Black Eyed Pea salad and Wild Mushroom Tart while salad lovers enjoyed the Chicken Salad. (5) The Cuban looked delicious in presentation but the pork & ham were not flavorful so the sandwich tasted overwhelmingly of mustard. Worse, I could not bite into mine. The toasted bread was exceedingly hard & the crust was harder than biscotti. My young table companion managed to chomp away at it like a champ, but I had to break apart the bread & eat the inside. The fries that came with many dishes were excellent & tasty. (6) The Fried Trout on Brioche & Picanha Steak were excellent. (7) We tried the Semolina cake, no bake cheese cake, and apple oatmeal cookies desserts with coffee. The cheesecake is fully topped with a large puff of baked meringue that tastes like a marshmallow. It was perfectly browned and delicious. Yet the sweetness of the meringue together with the sweetness of the cheesecake was overkill for me. My daughter, however, was delighted with the flavors and disagreed about the degree of sweetness. The Semolina cake also bore a dollop of the delicious meringue but was on the dry side according to the recipient. The apple oatmeal dessert was enjoyed by those who sampled it. Libations: We had a variety of brews @$6 glass served in stemware (see photos) - all good. The coffee was particularly appreciated and is from Italian Lavazza beans. Our bill included our group of eight - eight brews, four coffees, three sodas (@$3 each), five desserts, & eight entrees. We were out the door for $320 total - tax + 20% tip included. We would return for lunch again. read more

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We had our daughter and son in law's wonderful wedding at Cedar Knoll. The chef and staff could not have been more accommodating. They were so flexible in terms of dietary needs. Everything went smoothly. The only thing that I suggest if you are having an event on their lawn or patio is to rent a sound system. The noise from the Mt. Vernon Highway is unavoidable and it drowned out the officiant. read more

A perfectly forgettable dining experience. The sentence above is not an insult, it's a statement of fact, I think. When I decided to write a review of my at-best-adequate Valentine's dinner, I for the life of me could not remember the name of this place. I thought it might be Mount Vernon Inn, but when I looked up that restaurant, it was completely different. Then I was quite sure it was "__________ Inn", but couldn't find anything in Alexandria that fit the bill. Finally, I broke down and checked my credit card statement to find the name of this establishment. It was Valentine's Day so, as is the norm with most places in the DC area, dinner was prix fixe only. I know I had an appetizer, but do not remember what. Soup maybe. Possibly crab. I think it was good, but who knows. I was fairly unimpressed by the ribeye entree. (I'm not sure how you make a fatty steak boring, but they figured it out.) My girl gave me a couple of scallops from her boulliabaisse, which were fine. For dessert, we shared the pineapple upside-down cake. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing to write home about either. Our server was pleasant and attentive, but the food service was incredibly slow. It took about 20 minutes for our appetizers to arrive and nearly 2 hours to complete the meal. I'm not sure whether this was purposeful mood-setting or a consequence of the place being especially busy. I will say the layout of the restaurant is really nice. They have multiple rooms so that all guests experience a cozy environment. (The room we were in had about 10 tables, mostly 2-tops, and we were right in front of the fireplace.) And the views are supposedly grand, but because I got there at 7 on a winter evening, it was too dark to see outside. When we first arrived, we noticed the crowd was a bit older. My date and I, both in our 30s, were by far the youngest couple in the room. I figured the place generally caters to an older clientele and was beginning to regret my choice. As we were leaving, I noticed the crowd had gotten markedly younger, suddenly we were one of the oldest couples in the room. Then I realized something: the place doesn't cater to old people; old people eat early. (They also use phrases like "for the life of me" and "fits the bill".) Now, I'm not quite sure whether the restaurant was truly forgettable or whether I'm just learning the hard way that memory is the first to go. read more

Good food & beautiful views of the Potomac river! Parking lot is close to front entrance area.

While visiting Fort Belvoir, I found this restaurant...we had dinner, great customer service, they had the Spanish guitar duo very delightedly..The food was excellent. I ordered Halibut with lobster and pork dumplings .. absolutely delicious... my husband ordered the brisket and ribs this was delicious the meat was very tender. However, the brisket was a little to salty for his taste. I will definitively come back. read more

I visited this business a few days ago. I found the atmosphere very relaxing and the wait service adequate. As for the food offerings, it would be nice if management added more dishes to the menu. read more

Been coming here for 10 years outlasting several owners as we like to support local businesses. As usual, we walked to the restaurant with our dog but thunderstorms delayed our arrival until a couple of minutes before eight PM. Knowing we were cutting it close I asked the hostess if we could just order right away as our out of town guests had already previewed the menu. "Sorry,'the kitchen is closed," was the response I got as a tray of food came out of the kitchen to server the VIP guests who had two waiting limos in he parking lot. I was really embarrassed explaining to our guess that while entrees were appearing, the kitchen was closed. Thanks Cedar Knoll! Just let me just say, the Mount Vernon Inn, Riverside Bistro and Via Venetos are all wonderful options which serve great dishes and understand the value of the local customer. read more

We went there for Restaurant week & now can't figure out why we haven't been sooner. Beautiful view of the Potomac, close to Mt Vernon. Parking is directly behind the place. In one word, eclectic. As others had said, plates, cups, & saucers from yesterday, but food that was up to date. The selection for restaurant week was very nice and extremely reasonable. We did overhear the waiter talking to other tables around us and realized most were regulars. I can understand why. Prices are what to be expected for this type of restaurant. It's a do again, which is fairly rare with all the choices around here. read more

I was super excited to come here for Valentines with my fiancé and the experience was fine, but I had such high expectations....the expectations were from my exploration of Cedar Knoll's website menu photos and of course the reviews from others. After reserving our date on Open Table weeks prior to Valentines, the restaurant called me and confirmed, as well as sendinG me the Valentines menu. I was impressed immediately and I was excited thinking this was going to be great!!! I just assumed that it would be amazing but it wasn't. I assumed it would reflect the other items that were featured via photos on their website. The prefixed menu was $79 per person and it really should have included a drink and a coffee or tea with the dessert. And it would've been nice to actually SEE the options for appetizers and desserts. Service was great - our server was Blake. *We ordered drinks and they were delicious but after the entire experience, I think there should've been it least one drink included for the price. (I had two drinks and he had one) *Bread - regular and Focaccia - both were good *Appetizer - My bf and I both ordered the same appetizer - the lobster and it was tiny little lobster rolls with barely any lobster - you couldn't taste the lobster at all...the potato chips served with it were great but if youre presenting a lobster roll with barely any lobster, I would've gotten something else...I didn't think the bread on the lobster roll was that good and we just had bread. I didn't want a mouthful of bread again. *wE were brought these cute little candied tomatoes and green cubed jelly's on a toothpick and those were really good and interesting. *Dinner - I order the sirloin and the truffled frites, he ordered the Duck..the sirloin was more like a NewYork Strip, it was faNTastic- no comPlaints other than the frenchfries that were identical to FiveGuys - I would've opted for more veggies - I barely touched the French Fries. My fiance liked the duck and i tasted it and was glad I didn't order it! I thought it was chewy and just gross. *After dinner we were brought shots of (non alcoholic) spiced tea - it was Good *Dessert - I had the strawberry short cake and my bf had the chocolate pudding thing with a tiny slice of pineapple...both were ok. I wish I had gotten something else. All in all - it was a great night because we had a great time together, but the bill was $250 with tip and I just didn't believe it was worth $100...the amount we spent did not reflect the food. The presentation of the food wasn't good and didn't resemble anything that they show on their site. Honestly, I would've been happier going to Silver Diner and spending $40 or making something WAY better at home! My expectations were astronomically too high. The ambience was fine, we weren't seated in the cute areas of the restaurant :( we were in the awkwardly open area that looked as though they had just set it up to accommodate extra seating for Valentine's Day. We wont be back! read more

Every time we go to Cedar Knoll it is a great time. Relaxing, delicious, and the wait staff is first-rate. Seasonal menu, and the prices are decent for the entire experience. Very solid place to bring visiting guests or family on special occasions. read more

My husband and I have been several times for brunch or dinner, and I'm surprised I haven't reviewed them before now! It was certainly an oversight on my part. This is our favorite restaurant in the area - an area which suffers a bit from good, local eateries. Cedar Knoll is delightfully eclectic - a mix of vintage and modern - and the ever changing menu is FANTASTIC. We've yet to eat anything we didn't positively love and go regularly when my mother comes into town from Oregon. We took our nephew from Utah during restaurant week, and he loved it as well. This is a fine dining institution that is top notch! (And order the French toast sticks - you won't regret it!) read more

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What a terrible experience. For such a beautiful place, the service leaves a lot to be desired. I made a reservation several weeks prior and yet, they were clearly not prepared. The staff were neither courteous nor trained. We had a man serve all plates from one side passing plates accros the table. our poorly placed table (made up at the last minute despite the several weeks reservation) was uncomfortable. Only ne saving grace was Alexia our server, the only staff who seemed to be trained and knew her work. Food choices sound good but mediocre at best, never again!! read more

This restaurant never fails to impress. The dining rooms are all beautiful, the staff is first rate and the food is delicious. Had another outstanding meal tonight and can highly recommend the venison. An absolute favorite spot. read more

Last night, my wife and I celebrated our anniversary with dinner at Cedar Knoll in Alexandria, VA. The food was excellent, the fish and crab cakes were expertly prepped. However, the accommodations were extremely uncomfortable - the full blast air-conditioning. It was 67 degrees at 7:30 PM that evening, chilly outside. Our young hostess sat us directly under a large AC vent that was going full blast. Two other tables nearby had their guests eating with their coats on, shivering. I asked the hostess for a table away from the vent, and to please shut the AC off. She said she would see what she could do, and never came back. We moved to a table away from the vent. Our young waitress was asked to have the AC shut off, and she was also vague and non-committal. After 10 minutes, I asked for the manager from the waitress, and she again said she would see what she could do. The Manager didn't show, but the AC unit shut off for a few minutes, and then kicked back on full blast, pushing cold air. Other patrons were complaining to us, and said they just ate their meal shivering, and were rushing to finish to go home and warm up. They also asked for relief, but their requests were ignored as well. After a half hour of complaining, the manager/part owner finally showed up and apologized for the cold. He shut the air off, and offered us a warm after dinner drink by the fireplace. Apparently there were two (2) roaring fireplaces in the other seating area, but the staff did not offer these to us - even though we had reservations. After dinner, we went to the roaring fire, but it was occupied and no seating was available. The gesture was appreciated. The issue I had with the restaurant is the poorly trained and unresponsive wait staff who showed no concern or consideration for the customer's comfort. The food was excellent, as was the service. I simply don't agree that one should shiver through a $140.00 meal. Totally unprofessional; plenty of other establishments to choose from where you can eat your food in comfort. read more

Utter disappointment. Had been in for brunch before, and it was nice. Decided to have a celebratory meal there with my family, and it was a crash-and-burn disaster. I only saw people who looked roughly 16 - hostess, server, and busboy - on the floor. Their youth and inexperience showed in EVERY single interaction. Mixed up the food and the credit cards, never asked if we wanted another round of drinks, forgot the cutlery with dessert. Nice kids, but they're just not trained. Food took forever, and my steak was terrible. read more

Great food great location. Hard working and friendly staff Interesting twists on traditional food Four of us all gave our meals top ratings Best hot chocolate ever-I'm not kidding I would go back again read more

We had another great dinner at Cedar Knoll last night. From the mussels for an appetizer, great drinks, delicious entrees and even the coffee was so good! We also love the unique china they use as serving pieces. Always a pleasure to go and chat with the owner, who is present and checking on everyone! read more

Two recent visits and both were less than satisfactory. A great view of the Potomac River, but the food came late, after 50 minutes, and the small portions were cold. Not sure I will eat there again since the Mt Vernon Inn is close to home with good food. read more

Blink and you'll miss it. Keep a close eye out for the Lucia Lane signage if you're trying to navigate. This is more "on the road" than "on the water" but you won't be disappointed by this gem, tucked behind a gated community en route to George Washington's Mount Vernon Estate. A dedicated parking lot makes it a cozy respite from DC restaurants, and the food is better than a lot of what's behind the revolving dining scene in the District proper. I wouldn't go there for brunch because it seems like it would be over-crowded then, and I suspect the kitchen staff is on the small side. The menu changes, so just go with an open mind. I was a little skeptical, because it has the ambiance of a home-turned-restaurant popular on the Bay and I was expecting a little more from the bourbon selection, but the wines were good--and the sancerre a great compliment to the tender chicken scallopini. It was perfectly tangy, and the savory bread pudding with brie and red fruit was spot-on; though I thought it was odd it was served on the side rather than plated with the chicken it came with. All of it was great, my husband was disappointed with the beet salad, but it is only intended to serve one and is plated beautifully. He chose the pork carbonara with exceptional handmade pasta. I was very sorry that we had to leave before dessert, but altogether it was a great experience. The servers were wonderful, but the other clientele on the front porch--who spent 15+ minutes per table making their servers weigh the pros and cons of each possible dish, left much to be desired. Go there for a good meal, and use research on Yelp and elsewhere before you do--or better yet, just be surprised! You won't regret it. read more

Cedar Knoll - chicken scallopini, pasta - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Nice atmosphere, slow service, mediocre food and high prices. Unless you live nearby I would say this place is a miss.

Thank you to Cedar Knoll for helping us still have a nice Easter dinner during COVID-19 lockdown. We made the difficult decision to forgo our traditional family dinner at my parents' home in Maryland and I was stressing about what to do for Easter dinner (didn't want to cook a whole ham for just 2 people, plus going to the grocery store is stressful enough these days) until I heard about Cedar Knoll's Easter dinner to go offering on NextDoor. SO, we ordered from Cedar Knoll in advance, picked our food up around 3:45-4 pm, and had a virtual family dinner via Zoom. We enjoyed deviled eggs, rolls, smoked salmon salad, leg of lamb, honey ham, asparagus, brown sugar glazed baby carrots, mini carrot cake cupcakes, chocolate truffles, and festive decorated Easter sugar cookies. The only thing that seemed strange was that, although we'd ordered two servings of everything, the deviled eggs, truffles, and mini cupcakes came in threes. Didn't really matter because there was plenty of food but just struck me as a little strange. Especially for the eggs, I would have rather had either two or four. Regardless, everything tasted wonderful and we especially liked the fact that we could pick up the food without leaving our car (because COVID). We hope to be able to eat-in at Cedar Knoll when everything gets back to normal. Great job and happy Easter to the Cedar Knoll team! read more

Cedar Knoll - Cedar Knoll Easter dinner to-go during COVID-19 lockdown - New American Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We held our little wedding reception in the Botanical Room at Cedar Knoll and it was absolutely charming. The windows gave a lovely indoor-outdoor feel, and the food was DELICIOUS. We enjoyed every single thing put out at the tasting. Thanks to Ashley for her timely communication and willingness to accommodate requests. We felt very taken care of. read more

One of the most amazing places to have dinner that I've found in northern Virginia. The atmosphere is cozy, but enough room between tables for diners' privacy. We were seated at the table next to the heath. Wonderful. The service is friendly and attentive, yet are able to remain in the background; at no time did we feel at all like we were just seated and abandoned, yet we somehow felt like we were the only ones in a busy restaurant, with the attention we received. Plates are served with a mixture of flavors that seem like artwork - each dish has a wonderful palatte of flavors which truly result in culinary perfection. The portions are just right. And the attention to detail is outstanding. Definitely will be going back! read more

The old adage "better late than never"certainly applies here, but as our 4th wedding anniversary approaches, I am reminded of the wonderful experience we had with Cedar Knoll Inn when we held a delayed wedding luncheon here in November 2016. It was a 5-star experience from start to finish! The location is perfect with the beautiful setting on the Potomac River. The room provided more than adequate space for a bar, dining tables and dancing for a crowd of about 50 and the food was simply outstanding! We had to postpone by 5 months for health reasons and they couldn't have been better about working with us to move the date without penalty. Andrew brought us in for a full tasting in advance of the luncheon and their pastry chef created a beautiful cake based on some photos we provided. They went out of their way to make our special day a wonderful experience, which our guests still talk about! All that and a great value, too! We checked at least a dozen venues and this was by far the most reasonable. We have been back numerous times since and our experience with the food and service has never been less than a 5-star experience! read more