First time in many years that I have been disappointed in my favorite restaurant. Made reservations in advance because of the size of our party (8). Was put in a back room that had almost no lighting. Asked management to turn up the lights only to be told that that was not possible because all lights are on a master switch which would have brightened the entire restaurant. Instead we were given tea candles as well as the impression that management really didn't care that we were unhappy... Since the reservation had been made over a week in advance it would have made sense to ensure that the room was up to standards. It was not. Really put a damper on the evening. read more

Food was great - waiter Hugo - was not good. Ignored the table, got the drink order wrong. Nothing ruins a meal like poor service. Hugo needs customer relation training. Oy the steak was overdone. Not sure they can handle dinner crowd. read more

Came here for brunch on a Sunday. While I have visited a few times for dinner, this was my first brunch experience. I had made a reservation, which was fortunate as by 11:30 the restaurant was full and we were told to wait a few minutes. We were shown back to our booth which was adjacent to the back room and several large tables which were very loud and boisterous. Several times we were unable to hear each other over their raucous laughter. It was an unfortunate choice of seating and had I known, I would have waited for another table to open up. Our waiter was lackadaisical and we waited more than 10 minutes to be greeted and asked for our beverage selection. I had to flag down another waiter after another 15 minutes to try and get our drink orders brought to the table. Meanwhile one of the large groups which had been seated after us were getting their drinks. The food at the buffet was mediocre but at one point they ran out of plates which caused a back-up as customers waited. Even with that, when we came back to the table, our empty dirty plates had not been cleared so once again I was forced to try and flag down any wait person that I could to clear. My coffee was never refilled. It was a disappointing experience from a restaurant from which I expected more. Also the fact that our waiter made endless conversation with another group while we were waiting to get our check irked me. By this time I just wanted to leave. Unfortunately I was hosting an out of town guest which made the experience even worse. I won't come back for brunch and will think twice about giving them any dinner business, either personal or corporate. read more

Classic McLean hangout with great food and beverages at reasonable prices. My lunch go-to special is the Tortilla soup! Always hits the spot. (Lots of great alternatives but I personally prefer it light). Enjoy dinners and brunches too. Service is personable yet professional and the atmosphere is warm. Just a 'great place'. read more

I was a bit skeptical about this place, but since my old co-workers could not stop raving about this place, I had to try it. We had the fixed price dinner. It was still a bit expensive, but it was definitely worth it. Also, it's at least $5 to $10 cheaper than ordering items separately. We got the butternut squash soup and the chicken tortilla soup which were amazing. Both of them were not the normal soups you see everyday. Usually both butternut squash & chicken tortilla soups are cream-based and pretty heavy. The ones served at J Gilberts were just the opposite. They were simple broth based and very light and fresh in flavor. These are seriously not the average butternut squash & chicken tortilla soups. I recommend you go there to at least try these items. Also, we got the surf & turf (petit filet mignon + blackened shrimp). The blackened shrimp were nice and smokey, but nothing spectacular. However, the filet was very well cooked. I asked for a medium rare, and they gave me just that. I was quite impressed. The best part about it? It was just a wad of overly buttered meat. It had seasoned flavors and was perfectly smoked. Juicy, tender steak grilled over wood-fire. The sides that came on the steak plate were pretty good as well. I loved the mashed potatoes. They were light & fluffy as they should be. As an extra added bonus, we received coupons (some pretty good ones) to go toward our next meals there. I believe they're only good 'til the end of this month. If I can find the coupons, I'll set up an event for people to try this place out. Trust me, especially with the coupon, you will want to try it. read more

Never disappointed when having any meal at J. Gilberts. The service is on point, the food is well made, from start to finish a great place.

I don't usually go for the food. Happy hour and Lunch hour at the bar are the best! Jerry the bartender is always good for a laugh! The food is ok. Selection not that great. read more

I wish you had a carry out service, I would be more inclined to do that than actually come to the restaurant to eat. It shows that you have take out, but what is on the menu and how do you go about doing this? read more

Let me just say i love crabs. And man their crab cakes is just that, CRABS. Lump crabmeat with crab fillers. LOVE IT. Whenever I eat crabs during the summer time it usually entails a lot of work-openning the shell, digging for crab meat- so tiring. While this is INSTANT crab gratification!!! Their steak is the icing on the cake. It's tender with a wood-fire taste and they grilled it to just sheer perfection. Even the edges which is exposed to heat longer- maybe overdone compared to the middle's medium rare, but it is still so tender. Must be the quality and cuts of meats they serve. The sides I had were mashed potatoes and asparagus- both were cooked just right. Although didn't finish the mashed potatoes (it was too much after everything). I did save room for dessert. We shared a creme brûlée, chocolate red velvet cake, and berries with cream. Surprisingly enough the berries with cream was the hit. It had fresh berries with a light cream to compliment the berries naturally tart flavors. Will definitely come back again! read more

Ok so this is an update from my last review and I have gone back a couple times for brunch ... We took a couple of friends that have never been and was embarrassed to hear tht they most likely wouldn't return bc the lack of service at a higher end place. The food is still great and this is the only reason for my return the food and only the food! I'm not sure why such a great restaurant provides such lacking service! I was hoping after my previous review it would be better but each time I went back for brunch our plates had to be stacked up before any were taken away I had to make slurping sounds before my drinks were refilled we had to keep asking for refill and the removal of our plates we ordered waffles and they came out when we were done eating... So we didn't even get to eat them... The server didn't even ask how we were doing or if everything was ok until it was time to pay the bill and write the gratuity.. So sad that a nice place like this has lacking servers.. read more

Portions are WAY TOO SMALL for what you're paying. They overlooked my filet. How does someone mistake well done for medium rare? Savage.

Had an amazing meal here with my family. The menu is simple and concise, and varied just enough to give non-steak eaters some choices. I loved most the onion ring appetizer before enjoying the salmon. My only regret is that I did not have dessert that night, but I will certainly return. The staff are neat and professional, despite our server seeming a little nervous. Perhaps it was one of her first shifts, but she still made us very comfortable and definitely knew the menu backwards and forwards. Lastly: great bathrooms! read more

Food was amazing. Probably the best service I've ever gotten. Everyone was so nice. Fresh donuts, biscuits brought to the table. We had a birthday party of 15 and everyone loved Keahan. read more

Stumbled across and popped in to get a table for brunch. We were quickly seated and greeted by our friendly server, Michael. The buffet was delicious and everything was hot and well prepared. The prime rib at the carving station had a delicious fat cap of flavor and the waffles were fluffy and delightful. Also, $5 mimosas made with just the right amount of juice. We are excited to come back and try dinner. read more

Love the Sunday Brunch. a little expensive but it is Mclean and there are many options to choose from. The prime rib is awesome.

This place would just be okay if it wasn't for the Wednesday afternoon Lobster happy hour. One pound lobsters are $12, and the expresso martini here is the best I''ve had anywhere. Brunch is really good here as well, but a little overpriced. read more

Had a steak salad for lunch today. The cowboys must have chased this calf from Montana to Arizona because it was as as tough as jerky. Maybe they're on a mission to create vegans. read more

What happened? This use to be my favorite McLean restaurant. Ive had two meals there recently and both missed the former standards at J Gilberts. read more

So, I go here all the time for happy hour. They have an awesome selection of happy hour items on both the food and drink menu. Their oysters, onion rings and steak tar tar are some of my favorites. I have also been for dinner and the steaks are great. Wonderful service and food and I never have to wait! 5 stars! read more

The happy hour is weak but the food is generally very good. Brunch on Sunday's is excellent.

You are likely to have either truly terrible service or your food will come cold and not cooked to order - or perhaps both. Dishes will not be cleared until after you finish dessert and coffee. Then, if you want to talk to a manager, you can expect to wait. The food can be very good, but for the price it should come hot and the service should be excellent. We will NOT be going back. read more

We always have the most amazing time at J Gilbert's, truly a dining experience! Not only is the food beyond delicious, but the service is top notch. This is the second review I've written praising J Gilbert employee, Heath. He takes special attention to serve each and every member of the family, even bringing out a small spoon and fork for our toddler to eat with and offering her a free ice cream! :) if you dine at J Gilbert's in McLean, be sure to request Heath's section. read more

Went there last Sat night at 7:30 with some friends from Ft Bragg before we ran the Army Ten Miler. They were out of creamed spinach, we had to trade plates once our food was bought out, my friends steak was undercooked and has to be sent back. It was very awkward she had nothing to eat. We don't go out to dinner very often and were very disappointed in our dining experience especially when entertaining out of town guest. read more

Last minute family (5 adults) new year's eve lunch before we headed in our separate directions for the evening. Delightful, personable, attentive w/o being cloying server Ali was perfect. We tested the menu with two different fishes, ribs, a steak, crab cakes, and appetizers, and but for a slightly overcooked salmon, were more than pleased. Had to skip dessert to get one member of our party to the airport. Had a minor mix-up on our bill that we didn't have time to address while checking out but which was quickly and hassle-free resolved by manager Bill the next day. If there's a single less than positive comment, it is about the physical plant, which looks dated - was it the too much exposed red brick everywhere - probably a reflection of when it was built - and steakhouses generally have more dark wood? Final comment: five stars, in my mind, is reserved for extraordinary experiences at Michelin-ranked restaurants and the like - Inn at Little Washington, L'auberge - but J. Gilbert's was perfect for us on this day. Thank you for helping celebrate a nice - and too infrequent - family outing. read more

My husband and I stoped in for lunch. I was Amazed! The Flat steak tasted like they had a grill outside,it was cooked perfectly! The Mac & Lobster cheese was a little short; but I am an admitted Lobster Snob, so it is likely good. The Aspagaus was wonderful! We will be going back with other friends this weekend! read more

Good food but service was not as great. I arranged the company holiday dinner here and we were attended by three waiters. They were not very attentive and you had to remind them for refills and breads. The main waitress didn't even ask if we wanted additional drinks- hello the percentage of your tip may increase as a result but you, amateur waitress, didn't think about it. For those who have a hard time finding parking space, there is a free parking lot in a separate building across from the restaurant. It may be hard to see the sign at night that directs you to this parking lot; you also have the option to valet. read more

We had a family get together of 20 people and had a private dining area. Very nice. I ordered the Lobster Cobb Salad as I have not had lobster in a long while and wanted it, along with a salad. To get salad, you must order it as a $8.00+ side and to add that to a lobster tail, well it was too much cost for the meal. So I compromised with the cobb salad. I won't order it again. The 2 egg halves were overcooked and the yolk had the green tinge they get when you cook too long. The white of the egg was rubbery. There were literally 3 bites of small avocado cubes that were a little crunchy, and the tomato was hard and under ripe. Now to the lobster. Very disappointing. Had absolutely NO flavor and was wet and soggy as if it had been frozen and just defrosted. Tasted like nothing. A meaty glob in my mouth, that I couldn't tell you what it was if I had eaten with my eyes closed. I gave 3 pieces to my husband, and he turned to me and remarked the same. No flavor, and wet and frozen feeling. It was a very pricey salad, and should have been up to par. The greens were fresh and the dressing was good. But everything after that was more like a salad from IHOP. Actually a recent salad from IHOP was so good, I look forward to going and getting it again. I will never order this from JG's again. Wait staff and ambiance were great. I would have sent the salad back and ordered something else had the host of this dinner not been sitting directly next to me. Have never been disappointed at Sweetwater Tavern-at half the cost. Have had the brunch buffet, it was great. read more

No stars. Had Easter Brunch today.... Let's see, first they lost the reservation. After a 30 minute wait we were seated. The lobby was packed and when I went to get my food from the buffet I had to dodge the gauntlet of customers in the lobby. Did I mention that for the setup, the buffet was in the bar but we were seated in the restaurant and had to traverse the packed lobby between the two. Additionally they said oysters on the half shell on the buffet. Who'd a thunk they would be shucked properly, not this place. For $35.00 I would say go to IHOP, it sucked. Food mediocre, hostess was a bitch, and the experience was awful. The valet and waiter were awesome. Next Easter, Fairfax Fire Department should check out the fire hazard that is the lobby. There is a Scottish place behind J Gilbert's called McDonald's. Probably a better bet. read more

I have been to the Sunday brunch many times, the quality and taste is great and the food is always hot and they keep replenishing the food before it gets empty. When you go on a holiday the food is over the top for quality and selection. This is a high class resteraunt. read more

I took my wife to J. Gilberts' Steak House in McLean for our 26 year anniversary after reading some of the reviews on line and I wanted to try a different steakhouse anyway. I was not impressed with the total experience. The meat was decent however the side dish portions were skimpy. For my 2 sides, I chose string beans with pecans and grilled Asparagus, both sounded delicious to me. The portion size was really small (I could count the string beans), the pecans was nonexistent (actually, there were two tiny pieces). Furthermore, the string bean ends were not cut off. The asparagus was not well cooked (i don't think it was grilled). The biscuits were dry and overcooked. Disappointing! read more

We called more than a week ago for a Father's Day brunch reservation. We showed up and they said they had us reserved for the wrong Sunday. Then, they proceeded to tell us that we would have to wait a minimum of 30 minutes for our table. We left. Thanks for ruining our Father's Day! Much appreciated. read more

A friend and I recently had lunch at J. Gilbert's and much enjoyed our lunches. The risotto special I had was wonderful and my friend's salad was also good. The staff went out of their way to prepare the food as we requested. I hadn't been there for some years and was impressed again with the 70s-cool architecture and plenty of space between the booths. I have a feeling that I won't let years lapse before I go back there. read more

J. Gilberts has been a restaurant that I frequented often over the last few years. As a result, deciding to eat at J. Gilberts for my birthday celebration seemed like a no-brainer. However, the experience I had last night for dinner was extremely disappointing. Upon sitting down we ordered a bottle of wine and a few mixed drinks. The mixed drinks came, but twice had to be sent back because they were incorrect. Additionally, the bottle of wine was not brought to our table until 45 minutes after it was ordered. By this time we had already finished with our appetizers. The waiter also never bothered to bring us bread. The main course was disappointing as well. In particular, the scallops were dry and terribly overcooked. The rest of the food was mediocre. Needless to say, we decided against dessert. We all left feeling disappointed. To pay top dollar to receive this poor level of service and a mediocre meal is truly disappointing. read more

The best brunch in the area! Even though it was a buffet line, they did not jeopardize the quality of the food. The chicken piccata was AMAZING! Also was a big fan of the spicy penne... mmmmmm. I will be returning soon for a dinner! read more

This was another great choice for restaurant week. The menu offerings looked great, so I brought my best friend with me. I got the wedge salad, crab cakes, and vanilla bean creme brulee for dessert. My friend got the maryland crab biqsue, 6oz filet, and chocolate velvet cake. Everything was amazing and cooked perfectly. The wedge salad wasn't quite what I was expecting since I'm used to there being a balsamic reduction on top as well, but nonetheless, delicious. The crab cakes are amazing. If you love crab cakes that are NOT breaded, then these are EXACTLY what you need! The flavor was perfect and the 2 sauces on the side enhanced the flavor. I used VERY little. The mashed potatoes are chunky, which is how I prefer them to be. The creme brulee isn't anything out of the ordinary. It is still one of my favorite desserts and it was topped with raspberries and a crystalized sugar type thing. Anyways, delicious. My friend's steak was a little more on the medium rare vs medium as she ordered. I thought it was perfectly done. She loved it. The flavor of the truffle butter is delicious. I wasn't too fond of the red velvet cake, but she enjoyed it. It came with a sorbet which I didn't try...and she loved it. The service was prompt and not overbearing. Was a great first experience and I'll be coming back! read more

I ordered the mesquite half chicken and it was tiny. My first impression that it was a Cornish hen, but sure enough it is listed as a chicken. The leg bone was so short that I felt sorry that the chicken had not lived out but a fraction of its lifespan. The asparagus and potatoes are difficult to screw up, as with most grilling. The atmosphere and service are entertaining. I really can't fault anything else. My only beef is for the price, I would like to be full after eating the main course! read more

We went here for lunch on a Friday for restaurant week. There were 7 of us and upon arrival was pleasantly surprised to have a private room. The bread was warm, crusty, and had a good chew. Ap: ceasar salad was dressed perfectly. Good crunch and not too much shaved parm. Entree: lobster mac & cheese. Yum! The 2 cheeses were balanced and not salty the way some mac & cheese can be. There was an ample mix of lobster meat from all parts. The portion was big enough to share with people and still had leftovers to enjoy the next day :) Fyi i did omit the truffle bread crumb topping as the earthiness of truffle is too overpowering for me but my coworker did enjoy it. Dessert: creme Brulee. I wouldnt normally choose this to finish my meal but the only other option were cookies. Glad I did. It wasn't overly sweet and had a smooth texture that was enjoyable on the tongue. As a side note my other coworkers that ordered the steak salads & salmon didn't have the same opinion as me. The restaurant missed the mark on the temperature on all their proteins. Med rare steaks came out med & the med rare salmon came out well done. And according to them the wedge salad was mediocre. But, since this is based on my experience, I give it 4 stars & will return with my fiance. read more

Nice place for a weekend lunch buffet. The buffet was affordable and had tons of options including difference styles of eggs, bacon, different fish, tons of vegetable option, great array of desserts and included a chocolate fountain, etc. Basically they had tons of options from breakfast to dinner type food and everything was cooked well. The staff is friendly although a bit slow. I would reccomend this for brunch/lunch only. read more

Food was very good to excellent. Likewise for wine. Only problem was that one steak was medium well rather than medium rare, but server replaced it in a friendly, not annoyed, manner, its replacement came reasonably soon (recognizing obviously that they needed to cook a new steak) and cooked right, and management adjusted the bill to reflect their error AND threw in a dessert for each of us. Server was excellent: attentive as needed without being intrusive. read more

The ambience is very nice for dinner. I made reservations online which was very convenient. This place was hyped up by a friend. However, I just don't think it lived up to all of the praises. I like there was a fixed-price menu for three courses. The food was good but not great. I felt the steak I ordered was over-done. The service was not great at all. The server was nice but just wasn't on the ball that night. I got only one refill on my iced tea when I really could have used at least two. For the price of this joint, you'd think the least they could do is pack your leftovers for you....but no....they bring you a little plastic container so you can pack it yourself. My husband was crazy about his cowboy steak but out of 4 steak entrees ordered that night, 3 fell short of expectation. I will never go back to this restaurant again. For the price, I would rather spend my money elsewhere for better service and better steak. read more