Celebrating our 27th anniversary we wanted to go somewhere new and special. When we walked in tonight I thought wow, the place looks great, it smells really good and I couldn't wait to eat. I am going to be fair but brutally honest here. We started with the Loaded Potato Appetizer and the Beet & Asparagus Salad. The potato has a nice presentation with a topping of Israeli Salad seasoned well including and some avocado which was a nice touch. A little spicy which is a great add to a potato. The potato was brought out under cooked (hard) and it was burnt during prep. Overall ok but should have been a home run. The beet and asparagus salad was a very nice surprise. I wouldn't necessarily, for that matter ever, put beets and asparagus together but it really works. Excellent and frankly the highlight of the meal as it went downhill fast from there. For our mains we ordered The Lamar, a California Burger and off the menu Grilled Chicken Cutlets. I'll start with my main which was the California Burger. I'm old school when it comes to red meat so when I saw grilled mango and avocado slices I had to stop and think for a second then I said let's go for it. If the Chef has the guts to put that on a menu I am willing to try it. It didn't work and here is why. Nice bun and a good start. Pop the top and I'm looking at a unripe stale slice of a beefsteak tomato and poor excuse for lettuce. If you are going to slap a piece of lettuce on a bun use a leafy option like red or green leaf or even romaine not iceberg. Talk to your mashgiach (kosher supervisor) and figure out how to check and clean the leafy lettuce so you can use it. Ok I kicked them both to the side and dug in. My medium cooked burger tasted dry usually the result when the grill cook presses down on the burgers when they are cooking which forces out the natural juices. That is a big no no. The color was perfect but the taste was dry and bland. I liked the mushrooms and onions, the flavor and sauce were good. The avocado was sliced nice but not laid out on the bun properly, it was simply clumped on top of everything else. I was really looking forward to the mango which I think the idea is great but a small suggestion - figure out how to prep it properly first. The mango on my burger was burnt and not cooked. The sides were home fries and a pickle. The home fries were tasteless and overcooked and the pickle sucked which is silly since they are so easy to make homemade. We went off menu needing a gluten free option so we ordered grilled chicken cutlets. A little pricey especially with bland rice and an ok baked potato. The chicken cutlets were not overcooked but not anything special either in taste or presentation. We could have ordered this anywhere. The Lamar is a nice idea so when it came out and was completely dry/ overcooked we sent it back. We rarely ever do that as our tolerance is pretty high but dried out grilled chicken breast is awful at home let alone at a restaurant. When the new waitress (after we sent the 1st piece back our waitress switched out on us) brought out the replacement I took one look at it on the plate and said uh-oh spaghetti oh. Dry as an Arizona summer. This is important, I worked in food and in restaurants and anyone who has will tell you mistakes happen, sometimes it just isn't your night. What separates the forgettable from the really good places is owning the mistake. After the first grilled chicken breast was sent back that should have triggered two things. First a follow up during the meal asking how is everything second a visit from the manager or owner if on premises. When the kitchen blows a main the waitstaff and management have to own it and stand behind their product and place. Neither happened, that is not a good sign. I was taken aback when i go the bill. I have no issue paying a good price for a good meal. What I don't like to see is the gratuity added into my bill. 15%, not bad right. If I have a party of 8,10,12+ sure it is acceptable and standard. When we have an intimate meal for three people then no. I ignored the bill printout that also included a place to add a tip in addition to the gratuity already added. I know what tips are and I am generally a very generous diner, very generous. In this instance where we obviously had an issue with the kitchen, they switched waitresses and there was zero follow up after the kitchen problems I think it is frankly chutzpah to add in the 15% gratuity into my bill. Honestly if anyone would have shown any concern, a little professionalism, I probably would have left 25-30% because that is what I do. Management needs to keep an eye on the grill master and needs to train the waitstaff better. To be fair we asked the 2nd waitress to take back the second grilled chicken Lamar (uneaten) and not bill us for it, she did. Not sure if they carry desert, coffee or tea because nobody bothered to ask. Great potential but not there yet. It has to start at the top read more

Food was good when we eventually got it. Fries ice cold. Service is TERRIBLE!!! Wait staff does you a favor by taking your order and then taking your money, with an attitude. No service in between those two actions. No water refills, no "how's everything?" As the only kosher place in town, it's a shame that owner does not take more pride in setting an example by providing better service. From many other reviews, seems that I am not the only person who will not be leaving any of my money there any time soon. read more

Kosher or not, I wouldn't eat here again. The food couldn't be more bland and dry. The staff wasn't munch better. They served our appetizer 1 minute before our main course. We had the NY style corned beef and portobello sandwich. Yikes! Dry, dry, dry. I asked for a side of Russian dressing but is was still like hard chewy leather. The chips served on the side only had the flavor of old oil. This place no redeeming qualities. read more

I've been here a bunch of times and eaten most of the things on the menu. I've never left the restaurant feeling anything other than sick to my stomach. This place is terrible (the food is mostly inedible and the prices are insultingly high) and as the only kosher restaurant in DC, the owner has no incentive to make it better (that's the problem with monopolies). Not only does he have no incentive to make it better, he attacks customers who criticize the food. If only people would stop patronizing this establishment, maybe we could get a halfway decent restaurant in DC. Everyone complains about the service, which is pretty abysmal, but I think the worst part is the tripe they call food and the exorbitant prices they charge for such tripe. I've kept kosher for many years and lived in several cities, DC is pathetic. The only positive thing about Char Bar is that it's not as dirty as Eli's was (at least outwardly so), but other than that and the slightly upgraded decor (but by no means is it nice, more like a Chipotle or Cosi as far as decor), it's just Eli's with a smaller menu and a handful of new items. The burgers are the only halfway decent thing on the menu, but a burger should be $8-$10, not $13-$19. I recently made the mistake of ordering the steak burger ($19) and got a partially raw burger with some thinly sliced pieces of mostly fat (what they call "ribeye", but actually just fat) drenched in A-1. It was pretty much inedible, no subtlety to the flavor, no skill, just a raw patty drowned in a bottle of A-1 with some rubbery beef fat on top. They charge Manhattan prices in DC, but the difference is that this place wouldn't survive opening weekend in Manhattan because the food is laughably bad. Now the owner will probably respond something about the price of Kosher meat or the quality of their ingredients and try to make it sound good, but that's all BS. He tries to make the place sound decent in his yelp responses, playing up the food but it's garbage. They take no actual pride in their service or the quality of their food, only in defending their reputation. I've actually heard a friend say that when he confronted the owner about the quality and the prices, the owner compared this place to Capital Grille (http://www.thecapitalgrille.com), an award-winning fine dining establishment in DC with valet parking, white table cloths, African mahogany paneling, Art Deco chandeliers, nationally renowned dry-aged steaks, fresh seafood, and acclaimed world-class wines, and attentive, world-class service and real chefs as opposed to the line cooks (at best) at Char Bar. The owner said that Capital Grille is more expensive than Char Bar, but sadly, even that is not true, per ounce, char bar's ribeye is more expensive than Capital Grille. Now that is Chutzpah! This place charges as much as Le Marais in Time Square and not a single sane person on earth could say that this place is even close to in the same league. Sadly, I am often begrudgingly dragged to this hellhole because it is the only place in town, so I shell out some ridiculous amount of money for the one or two passable things on the menu - (1) the sliders, (which are $20, roughly the same price as the kobe beef sliders at Prime Ko and Prime Grill in Manhattan and the Wagyu sliders at Le Marais - RIDICULOUS!, meanwhile Gotham Burger in Manhattan charges $12 for sliders, which are better than Char Bar's and all of those places have way better ambience and way higher rent than Char Bar) or (2) the half rotisserie chicken (which is also $22, the exact same price as the analogous dish at Le Marais, what a coincidence! But though I've never ordered the dish at Le Marais, I can only guess that though it is edible at Char Bar, it is actually done well at Le Marais). The sad thing is that because of the food quality, service, and prices this place really makes me want to eat non-kosher, but what really really pushes it over the edge (to the point where I'd give it negative stars, if possible) is the attitude of the owners and the manager. No pride in quality of product and service, just greed and defensiveness and attempts to scam the DC community. Shame on them for operating the business in this way. read more

the new place is clean very nice, they were out of sugar, tomatoes and avocado.... this should be staples in any restaurant and if run out of should be replaced immediately not told they were ordered for the next week. the food that we ordered was tasty and very good. prices same as NY prices but if they want to survive they should try harder- some of the waitresses and waiters should try to be more accommodating and welcoming not so abrupt. read more

Great place, great service, food was incredible. Prices are not bad, only thing I would point out is that parking is pretty much unavailable around here. read more

While yes my first and only visit was a couple of months ago, I still feel the need to write a review. The service is meh. My friend and I waited awhile to be seated, and when finally seated, it took our server awhile to come over and take our orders. When our orders were finally taken, we also waited quite awhile for our food. I ordered the Western Burger (which consists of the burger itself, pastrami, caramelized onions, and sauteed mushrooms). I'm not really sure how they forgot the mushrooms, but they did, so I told the server to just give it to me on the side. (I wasn't gonna send back the whole burger after already taking a bite out of it). The burger was pretty bland, and not juicy. Some sauces on the side would have been nice. Many kosher establishments in New York provide sauces on the side. read more

Ordered prime rib sandwich and beef ribs, ribeye was so full of fat and gristle it was inedible. Ribs are short ribs . Had the waitress come by once besides to take our order and bring the check would have sent it back and would have helped also if she knew English a little better. Manager/owner came by when leaving and offered to bring something else, had that happened earlier would have tried something else. Not a $22 sandwich and ribs definitely not worth $40. Very disappointed as this is so close to our apartment. Being kosher seems to be the big draw. read more

I've always had great food and great service. The hamburgers are mouthwatering. The steak salad yummy. Now had delivery and whoot whoot it came hot and delicious. read more

Char Bar delivered lunch 4 days in a row to my office for a client from Israel. They came in a pinch, as another caterer had canceled on me just 1 business day prior to the client's arrival. They were very timely, professional, and I heard the food was delicious though I did not have a chance to taste any. I would definitely recommend this caterer, and will use them again when I need Kosher food. Thank you, Char Bar! read more

Had the onion rings as appetizer (excellent, lighter than most venues), side salad with homemade balsamic was very fresh had the right balance and consistency and we split the ribeye which was GREAT (amazing flavor, had a great char crust, had a nice pink inside and was very tender). Accompanied with a baked potato (was just ok, nothing special - could have have a little spice zap to make it special) but the side of hand cut fries made up for it - really tasty! All and all, definitely worth a return visit (prices were appropriate given the quality) read more

Went there on a Friday afternoon with a group of six. The food was excellent the portions were large and the service was good

This place sure ain't the Carnegie. Almost insultingly bad corned beef and pastrami. Neither cheap nor good. Service was fine.

I had such high hopes. Nothing seemed original, just other foods grouped to make something else. From can, tin and box to plate. Encourage your cook to be a chef, someone who knows about food more than molding a beef patty. You deserve a second chance and I hope you survive but dairy is looking better and better. read more

My brother comes to DC often on business. I have dragged him to every kosher restaurant in the area for years and years. Remember the Red Heifer? Or L'etoile? Those were the good ones among many not-so-good ones. It had gotten to the point that he finally said he didn't want to go to a kosher restaurant in DC ever again. Well, I begged him to go to Char Bar last night. Here is the best review you'll ever see for this place: my brother said he'd come back to this one! I've had a great burger every time I've come here. He loved his pastrami sandwich. The beer was cold. The service was terrific. What's not to like? read more

I am a convert .... it's been 14 years but as an older woman, I have not forgotten how much better non-kosher food is sometimes... All that being said... Char Bar has the best ribs I have ever had, bar none... pricey, yes, but isn't all kosher food so??Now if we could get something like Char Bar in Detroit.... I would be a constant and very happy customer. Since I always order through DoorDash, I have no idea how their service is but I am constantly amazed by how fast my orders arrive. I have now had 8 items from these people and they are consistently good and the quantity is good as well. read more

Best kosher restaurant in Washington, DC! The service and the food are fantastic! Vegans should check out the "William's Burger"!

Can not say enough about Andreas and his service! Truly saved my and our guest's day!

Really fantastic restaurant. Clean, good food, and fantastic service. Parking is available on the street but at busy times can be slightly difficult so plan ahead. read more

I ordered the Tessler (pulled brisket and grilled pastrami on a salad) - you sent me a field of greens and the whole cow! HOLY COW! It was delicious! The order arrived hot, and the food was fresh, perfectly prepared and beautifully presented. Kudos. I'm deffo ordering from you again!!! read more

Fantastic Kosher food! Even if you don't keep kosher and are just in the mood for a great hamburger, steak, salad, whatever....this is definitely the place to go! I even picked up some great latkes from them on Hanukkah. Fantastic Kosher food! I'll definitely be back! read more

Delicious food and a nice atmosphere. This is a great place to eat for lunch or dinner. The burgers and pulled brisket are amazing. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Not great and very overpriced. I ordered the California burger with no mushrooms - I received a burger with mushroom but no mango, which the burger is supposed to have. The server just said "oh, sorry" with no offer to fix it. Server never asked for our drink order or told us what they have. No kids menu. The fries are soggy and without any seasoning, and the homemade chips taste like pure oil. The pastrami was dry. I won't be going here again. read more

Great service & generous portions of delicious food! Also, very clean and nice ambiance for a kosher restaurant!

Only kosher restaurant in DC. Very centrally located and given that it has a monopoly and it's in a pricey neighborhood the pricing is actually quite reasonable. I highly recommend the Hickory Burger ($17). This is a huge upgrade over the restaurants predecessor. Service is fine but nothing to write home about. read more

I'm a regular visitor to DC from Chicago for the past few years. Andreas at Char Bar has been there for a while and really takes care of the regulars. This is a great place to take a client or business associate who is not a frequent kosher consumer. New ownership is making some nice improvements to an already solid menu. Burgers are fantastic, deli sandwiches are their hallmark and make sure you start with their homemade soups. read more

I'm always terrible at reviewing places so I'll just say this place was AMAZING!! Service is so nice and super fast...everything was fantastic! Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

There may not be many kosher options in DC...but that does not mean that this place doesnt have some of the best food around! Highly recommend read more

Overall a solid meal. I had lentil soup and fajitas. At first, i was a little nervous as there was a big camp group eating. However, the staff got us seated and service was very timely. Would highly recommend. read more

I ordered an order of buffalo wings to go. When I got home, I realized I had spent $13 (higher than the $10 listed online) for five tiny pieces of chicken. If you want to get ripped off, go for it. But then again, its the only real kosher food in town, so I guess they feel comfortable charging those prices. read more

The food is really good. Very nice ambiance. Highly recommend.