An absolutely wonderful restaurant....except on holidays. This restaurant is an A+ on any normal service evening for dinner. Nothing bad to say. So why the 1 star? Thanksgiving 2023. The hard working folks sadly came up with one fail right after the other. Reservation for 5:30. Upon arrival at 5:20 we were told they were running currently 20 minutes behind. Well 45 minutes later we were seated for dinner. They had their traditional Thanksgiving menu as in years past. Drink orders taken. Some drinks arrived back. Fresh bread and butter arrived later as promised. Still waiting on one drink order. First course arrives, all choices look and taste wonderful. Remind waiter of outstanding drink order. Entries arrive. Most of our party have finished first course. One was a little slow. His plate was shoved to the side and his main course landed with an unceremonious plop on the table followed by a half hearted enjoy your meal. The entree is where things really went off track. The turkey appeared to be some kind of white meat in which is was pressed together before cooking. Not a natural shaped nor textured turkey breast. Mashed potatos were alright. Green beans with almonds were a bit overcooked and tough. The yams were fine. The stuffing was pasty and glue like. The cranberry sauce was non existent 1-2 teaspoons at MOST on the plate. I guess the previous diners must have gotten a better share. The deserts were wonderful. This is a great restaurant who just overextended themselves and ruined their presentation of a thanksgiving dinner. A dinner on a "normal" night is spectacular and quite special. None of these things this dinner was. This is a lesson learned. J Gilberts, thank you very much for trying so hard to spread joy on Thanksgiving, I'm sad it really did not work out as I had hoped. read more

This place was a big recommendation to us by a close friend who lived in McLean a few years ago. Ended up eating here for a business dinner with some clients we were doing some work for. Seemed like a win/win...Turned out to be a gross miscalculation. The prices and the ambience set some pretty false expectations compared to the actual experience. The food, that they got right, was good but, mind you this was after multiple issues. - 6 out of 5 orders were wrong. There were 5 of us total and the staff impressively accomplished: - 1 wrong drink - 3 wrong entrees - of those 3, 1 entree that wasn't even put in at all - of the entree that wasn't put in they brought out the wrong order, followed later by the correct order undercooked, then finally got it right the 3rd time. During the course of this debacle the wait staff also spilled wine all over one of our clients and their food. On top of that, the demeanor of the waitress and the manager didn't seem very concerned. At the end of it all, they only took off the charges for 2 meals, and that was only after raising the issue about it. The total experience was eventful enough that it almost seemed purposeful. It's safe to say that our next trip up won't include steak dinners at J.Gilberts. read more

Tim G (our server) and Misty were so beyond attentive and were so lovely to speak to during our amazing meal. The salmon was delusions but the star of the show was the apple blondie! read more

Our server Travis made sure my family and I had a great experience! The food was so amazing and always is. The espresso martini I had was amazing and everyone else's cocktails were amazing as well. read more

First time here and food was great! Tim G. was our waiter and was excellent. We'll definitely be back.

The food is always good at Gilbert's and today didn't disappoint but we can't say enough about their service. Everyone was so helpful and responsive, and made us feel special, especially Tim G! We'll go back in a heartbeat. read more

Don't go to J Gilbert's if you are a person of color. I watched the female manager be rude to a black family with two young kids clearly making them feel so unwelcome and they left. Why would a supposedly classy steak house hire a manager like her with no class. The food isn't that good and way overpriced anyway. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else. read more

Solid 4.5. Our server was Mikael and he was awesome. We had the bacon wrapped scallop, seafood mixed grill, and the 14oz ribeye. We had dessert as well with the creme de creme brûlée and apple croustade. Food was great and we will return. I recommend if you order the ribeye.. You order a butter to go with it. I don't have any pics... Because who still taking photos of food at a restaurants read more

J Gilbert's I love the environment. The vibe is old school cool and you can smell the word from the wood-burning grill. It feels like a cozy ski resort steakhouse. The service is generally quite good. They definitely pride themselves in customer service, and -- even in this time of staff shortages -- it shows. The food can vary: --the tortilla soup is weak. Pass. --the maple-glazed salmon is scrumptious! Don't miss! --Desseets are yummy if you can tolerate the calories The patrons also seem friendly. All in all, J Gilbert's is an enjoyable place. read more

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Business meal with 6 folks. Great service from our server Graham. He had a fantastic dry sense of humor and was effecient. Steaks were very good, a little pricey. I enjoyed my lobster mac and cheese. A lot of the upsell stuff were just meh. The general consensus was we were all very satisfied but not overwhelmed. Although, if there was a 4 1/2 rating, Graham would be the push towards a 5 star review. read more

J Gilbert's - Pittsburgh Porterhouse, Lobster Mac and Cheese and Asparagus. - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

I really want to like this place for when we just want to go somewhere close by for a nice dinner. The place is a bit too old feeling for me but I guess others might find it cozy. The servers are polite but lack personality "flare". The food is really the disappointment here, especially for the prices they charge and considering it's a high end restaurant. The calamari is dry, greasy, and too salty. Then the sourdough bread came and I i was excited about it but this time it tasted stale and chewy. The steaks, as others mentioned, aren't always done to the correct doneness. I'd expect them to be spot on for a steakhouse. For the mixed seafood, I had asked for my salmon to be medium rare, and the server assured me that it's done that way anyways BUT it came as a piece from the tail, that was baked not grilled, and more done than medium rare. The scallops and shrimps were fine but the crab cake was somewhat charred so I didn't have the appetite for it. The grilled asparagus was old and stringy. The cream of corn was the best dish of the whole plate. The presentation display of the plates also lack creativity, nothing like the fun and appetizing photos on their website. Overall it's an over-rated mediocre restaurant that needs some improvements in order to stay competitive. read more

I had a really good dinner here. The cocktails were all great. I had the maple n bourbon, smoky old fashioned, and the barrel aged Manhattan. My favorite was probably the barrel aged Manhattan even though the drinks were all pretty similar. If you like crispy chips smothered in cheese then you'll definitely like the blue cheese potato chips - I enjoyed this appetizer. The crab cakes were great and I also really liked the sides they came with, the mashed potatoes and the creamed corn. I would definitely come back to have the creamed corn again. Overall I had a great dinner and the service was good too. read more

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So I'm giving a 5 only because I can't give a 4.8 ... the service by Joel was a 5 and Brandy the hostess sat us early from our reservation time and was super friendly. The food and presentation on the brunch was on point. The only complaint was the prime rib was bland the au jus helped but other than that it was cooked perfectly for a buffet. My veggie omelet was cooked perfectly and made quickly. The tuna char was one of my faves so tender and charred perfectly, the peel and eat shrimp was cooked and seasoned on point. The boys loved the salmon, chicken tenders & macaroni & cheese. The boys enjoyed the "fancy ice tea" included w brunch. On top of all that I was checking on FB and happen to find a 20% off if we mentioned it to the waiter when we got there. Joel was super helpful and made sure we got our $40 off total. Definitely a great special occasion restaurant. I want to go back and try their blue cheese potatoe chops next time. Way too full this time. read more

J Gilbert's - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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Went back to discuss my review when I was in the area. I was asked by the hostess why I needed to speak with management? I explained a review and poor service and she refuse to allow me to address my concerns. Said management was unavailable. Stay away from this restaurant, they're hiding something. Again never returned call to address my complaint. read more

It was our first visit to J. Gilbert's, we went for brunch. Joseph, our server, was excellent! The brunch spread was very fulfilling, diverse and delicious we enjoyed the pleasant atmosphere and fun conversation with Joseph.... Looking forward to going back! read more

Only went for brunch and it was not a good experience. For the price, I expected more options and I also expected that the options they did have would be warm and fresh. There was little to no attention paid to the displays of food- they were messy and the signage about what food item was in each dish was either missing, incorrect or face down on the table. There was an abandoned plate of raw oysters sitting on the dessert display- gross. The food was not hot and you had to stand in line to toast a bagel as if you were at a Days Inn. Then good luck finding butter for your bagel... you had to find it over by the cold waffles marked as "whipped cream". I can't say what it's like for dinner, but I'd never go back for brunch... also the booth seating is so low, I had a back ache when I left. The hostess was very nice. read more

Travis was our server tonight for my birthday dinner he was great! He was very super funny, friendly, and had great recommendations for food! I highly recommend him to anyone looking for a great server at the McLean location. read more

Came for a casual weeknight dinner. Ordered the bacon and filet mignon. Both were great, particularly the steak which was cooked to the right temperature and well seasoned. Our server Tsedenia was great also. Would definitely come back. read more

Warm and welcoming. With the weather turning cold we celebrated a birthday lunch at J Gilbert's. We arrived separately and each of us upon arrival was greeted with smiles and taken to a booth by the fireplace. Brandi, our lovely waitress, helped with selections. I had the BLACKBERRY JALAPEÑO MARGARITA, absolutely gorgeous. For lunch I had the JUMBO LUMP CRAB MELT. Crab meat mixed with cheddar cheese held in a crispy sourdough bread with tomato, and perfect remoulade sauce and a side of sweet potato fries - a lunch so tasty and big I had to get a box and enjoy it again for lunch the next day. Our birthday dessert selection, with helpful guidance from Brandi was Apple Blonde: butter cake, caramelized apples, vanilla ice cream, toasted pecans. Although we were full we split and nearly finished it. Everything was spectacular! It was a magical birthday lunch, even a manager came by to see how we were doing. Still glowing from the experience e 24 hours later. read more

We came here last night for a reservation my husband had made for my birthday. We came as a party of 6, four adults and two children on the earlier side of dinner for a Saturday. We were greeted and checked in and were shown to our table quickly. We were the table right next to the check in desk, which was fine, but heard and saw all the traffic that came into the restaurant as the night progressed. (if that's something that bothers you it might be worth it to mention upon making a reservation to seat further in the back ) Note :: I have been here once before pre-covid for another special occasion. I still have the pictures on my phone from a meal way back in 2017 because it was so memorable, however this time 2023 was less so. Our server was less than enthusiastic, id expect for an upscale steakhouse to have par to overly welcoming service. Our server seemed tired, unwelcoming, and didn't really seem to like/want to make small chat which is fine but made it awkward to ask for things. We ordered a pricey bottle of wine for the table, crab cakes, and calamari. The calamari was probably a third just fried bits of nothing, totally not worth the $18 tag. The crab cakes were good, super crab forward as one from MD would expect. Our table for entrees ordered a ribeye, a filet 8 oz, one kids chicken tenders and I ordered the Aussie lamb rack. My gosh have things changed over the years. The portion was about half of what it used to be for the same amount. Three super thin racks of lamb. I had ordered it medium rare with the expectation of it meaning toward the rare side as most steakhouses seem to do. They would rather it be under done to your liking than over so at least they can re fire it. All three pieces were overdone. I showed one that I cut into to our waiter after some thought. It was well, no pink on the inside at all. One piece id say was medium and the other was well. He offered to bring an additional piece to makeup which also came out well. I didn't even finish them because the taste of well done lamb is far from that of rare or med rare. (for a steakhouse this was just,,, super underwhelming ) The ribeye was ok , filet looked ok, sides for everyone were just par. Between all of us we got mushrooms, risotto, lobster Mac and cheese, fries, corn with bacon... all just eh. We didn't finish them and I wouldn't go back for more. Im surprised the traffic this place gets even with the drop in quality. For the price paid theres tons of other steakhouses in the area that would not dissapoint. I think its the loyal customers that have been going here for ages, or perhaps just people looking for a good steak. There were lots of graduation dinners happening as well as other birthdays. If your looking for a nice meal that you only get to do maybe once a year look further. Im interested after looking at the yelp page how many other people had par to subpar experiences. Hopefully the management sees this turn in reviews and will up their game to stay popular as one of NOVAs restaurants. My memory of this place is tarnished from this meal and we probably won't be back. read more

The food and service was great. We were a large party after a music gig across the street and they accommodated us before 5pm. They easily separated checks & the food came out fast. I also had a caesar salad & the shrimp from the appetizer menu. Overall great experience & I would frequent again. read more

J Gilbert's - Chicken Penne - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

I had an amazing experience with friends last night @ J Gilbert's. First, the server was phenomenal. I forgot her name but she was a warm kind older lady who treated our table like family. She was enthusiastic about her restaurant and that energy was palpable. And I had the most amazing lobster salad I have ever experienced. The lobster was cooked perfectly. My friends enjoyed their meals as much as I. Compliments to the chef and the staff. Mazel! read more

Food was super yummy. Loved the blue cheese chips and onion rings. Our server Travis was awesome.... Personable, friendly and made some great recommendations. read more

Service was great, food was excellent and Traver was very attentive and provided great recommendations for first timers

Not only was the food fantastic, the service was even better. Ask for Travis and enjoy the experience!

Food was absolutely fantastic, service was great as well. Travis did a fantastic job!

J. Gilbert's was a solid place for lunch while in the area. Located by Tyson's Corner, it's a popular restaurant for fancy steak dinners and special occasions. But I found that it was a nice place for lunch, too. It gets busy. We visited J. Gilbert's on a Saturday for lunch and the place was flowing, but we managed to get a table for the three of us without waiting. Though steak is what to get here, I was hoping to get some blue crab while on this side of the country, so I ordered the jumbo lump crab melt with sweet potato fries. The food didn't take long to get, and while you wait, you get complimentary bread. Yet, the jumbo lump crab melt is worth saving your appetite for. I mostly enjoyed my sandwich, as the crab was very good, and loved the lumpy texture. Yet, since it was a melt, it was a little heavy, with the melted white cheddar and buttered bread. Therefore, it took away from the taste of the crab, the real gem of this entree. Overall, J. Gilbert's is a solid spot in the northern Virginia area for more elevated food. The setting very much feels like an old school steakhouse with wood paneling, white cloths on tables, and dark lighting. So, something tells me this is where to go for happy hour. read more

J Gilbert's - Jumbo Lump Crab Melt - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Took my mom here for an early Mother's Day dinner. Everything was delicious, service was good, our reservation time was honored. The only small critique I have is that a few minutes after I ordered but before the food arrived, I asked to switch my side dish. The waiter said "I'll see if they already started" or something like that. I know it's petty but this is a high end, not cheap place. Even if they had started, I'm the customer and i would think they would want to accommodate. In the end, they did. But I don't need to be made to feel bad about it. Also the dining room is very dark, like hard to see the menu! Still, worth a visit. Everything was cooked perfectly and I'm glad we went. read more

Me and Gilbert's dont have good match .. not for me :) every time I went the experience was not good :) I am done trying. Will eat at home lol read more

4/30/22 Tonight, I'll be having a chicken and fries with a side of mayonnaise. Just kidding. Really though, tonight, I'll be having THE JOYCE FARMS MESQUITE GRILLED 1/2 CHICKEN herb roasted potato & asparagus hash 28 with green beans and peacans. Tonight, this was one of the best damn dishes I have tasted here. Tonight, the Mesquite Grilled Chicken gave me the feeling I was eating a Duck Confit. It's like Egg Shan's Six Demon Bag...SENSATIONAL!:) Tonight, was time spent with family though not everyone did a lot of talking. Nevertheless, it was time well spent. A woman named Sarah and a man called Sting...oops, wrong name. The man went by the name Aziz and I hope I spelled his name right. Both of these staff members had great energy cascading off of them. It really set the mood and tone. Tonight, it was louder then I have known it to be, but this is okay. We are back In the York before the mask wearing bandidos took over... well, we are almost there. There was a 50th birthday party going on in the big room and this is were most of the noise was coming from. Still, people were laughing, smiling and having an all around good time. This is what is important...oh, and you can say the food and wine made the night even more special. Tonight, J Gilbert has outdone itself. Tonight, we know we will be back here again. Tonight was food, folks and fun. Tonight we are happy. read more

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Travis was an excellent waiter and made my birthday celebration very special! The food was absolutely delicious.

We ate dinner there last night and it was fabulous! Our server, Esmar, was so personable and the food was delicious!

Went here last night for restaurant week. From the parking lot, the place looked completely packed but I felt more comfortable inside once I saw there wasn't a line or crowd of people at the entrance waiting to be seated. We had reservations so we were seated within 2 minutes. Our server was nice & very attentive to our needs, despite how busy I'm sure they were with restaurant week. We never had to wait on drinks to be refilled or food to be brought out. We ordered from their restaurant week pre fix menu. Twin lobster tails with potatoes & switched out the string beans for Brussels sprouts. Definitely a good move. The Brussels were cooked perfectly but could have used some type of dressing like vinigarette. My lobsters were to die for. Don't be deceived because you don't see any seasoning on them. They were soo sweet & delectable. I had the Berry Martini which was a little too strong for me. I like my drinks on the sweeter side and should have went with the pineapple martini instead. You have to try the MD crab bisque, the best I've ever had. Oooo and the carrot cake is out of this world. The right amount of sweetness and super moist. I was full after dinner & only had one bite of the cake before taking it home. My husband had the MD bisque as well, the Kansas 12 oz steak, & chocolate cake. The steak had to be sent back to be recooked because we asked for MW & they gave us WD. Second time it was cooked right but it lacked flavor. There was no salt or pepper on it. It literally tasted like a piece of meat that went onto a grill. The truffle butter didn't even help. I liked that the outside had a nice crisp to the edges. I'm not one to complain but how can they serve unseasoned steaks? Oh and the lobster Mac n cheese tasted like butter noodles garnished with lobster, again no seasoning. Not every restaurant should make this dish because even though it's popular, it could hurt your credibility if not done right. I received a birthday coupon for a free meal with the purchase of a meal. I would love to go back but not sure the husband would want to. Poor thing went home just as hungry as he came in. read more

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Great food! Great service! Travis did an excellent job explaining the new menu items. His service was outstanding!

We had the Lobster Bisque ( it SLAPPED!), 6oz filet (TENDER!) with scallops ( skip the scallops, they are seasoned for some reason) asparagus ( was perfect) , wild mushrooms ( lukewarm but flavorful ). We had the Manhattans and those drinks were made right. The chocolate cake was dry but the raspberry ice cream was delicious. My server was nice enough but he took his time getting to us in the beginning. We also sat with dirty dishes for an extended amount of time and I just expect better from a restaurant of this caliber. Overall, it was a good experience and I will eat here again. read more

Food was delicious and Kimberly service was great! The ambiance was very nice. We had to wait to be seated with a reservation. But when seated it was good. read more

J Gilberts.... one of the best Sunday Brunches in the area! Yes yes... it is pricey for a Sunday brunch but.... you get what you pay for. Plus its not that bad of price once you break down the time and money you have to spend to go to other places ... (Gas, Ubers, Lyfts, parking.. stress with finding parking etc... ) Highly recommend making reservations if you do visit though... also seating by the bar is 1st come 1st serve type of deal so just know thats always an option and on game days its a legit option :-) JGs offers the normal breakfast brunch fare plus some! That plus some are the fresh shucked oysters, spiced peel and eat shrimp, the assortment of smoked fish.... and their hidden star that you must get when you come here are the fresh waffles..... yes I said it !! the WAFFLES!!!! ask you server for a fresh made order of waffles... they are light, airy , and fuking delicious! Also wash it down with a Spicy bloody and your morning will be complete :-) read more

J Gilbert's - Fresh waffles and donuts - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

I've been wanting to try this place for years. I Always drive by when I'm in McLean and I went in yesterday for an early dinner. My experience was blah. ..The dining room was pretty empty. The bar area seemed to be a bit more buzzing and energetic. I told server it was our first time time and she encouraged us to get surf and turf. I opted for an upgrade of the steak (8oz instead of 6oz.) The entree took over 25 mins to come out and I was starving. When the food came out, The steak and lobster tail were delicious and The steak was cooked to my liking (medium well.) I had asaparagus and green beans with pecans for my side order. This was very filling and I ate everything. I had mango sorbet for my dessert as I have a dairy allergy. It was decent. It was just a little too sugary for my taste. I suspect on a non holiday and happy hour there are more people there. If you need a quiet place to go on a date , meet, or low key this is the place for you. The prices are pretty reasonable. read more

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We are monthly diners and have dined at Gilbert's for several years. We have experienced several new managers and servers. The food and service are both top notch. Most recently our Server Travis remembered our prior meals and accommodated accordingly. We enjoy the ambiance, attention to our needs and his great service and smile. We will continue to dine at Gilbert's. A. D. Bailey read more

J Gilberts delivers. Great food and great service. Prime Rib, Filet and Short Rib Gnocchi did not disappoint! The atmosphere is also excellent. read more