Many years ago, we came here for brunch and we hated it. Now 7 years later we decided to give it another try, since our Uber driver said it was his favorite restaurant in DC. This time we were pleasantly surprised. Service was great. And the food was pretty darn yummy too. So guess it was good we gave Old Ebbitts another go! read more

See all

This place exceeded expectations. Great atmosphere, from woodwork to decor, it's everything you'd expect from the oldest restaurant in DC. Our server was great, definitely knew her stuff. Very thorough and provided top notch service. The food was excellent, I had the sardines as an app and the lump crab cake which was excellent. They had a Shepherds Pie as a special and my wife had that, it too was excellent. My daughter had the Duroc Pork Chop and it was perfectly cooked and juicy, also excellent. Very busy place and much bigger than the website makes it look. Definitely need reservations. Well worth every penny. read more

I visited Old Ebbitt Grill with my husband and mom, expecting a great experience, but left deeply disappointed and upset. We were seated in the back, outside the main restaurant, despite there being plenty of space inside. Shockingly, all the other parties in this section were also Asian. Another Asian group immediately asked to be moved into the main restaurant, which only confirmed what I feared: this restaurant was segregating Asian customers. Racial discrimination, whether intentional or not, is unacceptable and has no place in any establishment. I will not return. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Burrata - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This restaurant is one of my DC Favorites! I'm here probably once a week. The food here is amazing! I normally order the Calamari Fra diavolo sub the calamari for shrimp, it's amazing! The service and ambiance is top notch, never had a bad experience. read more

My experience at Old Ebbitt Grill last night was nothing short of a perfect evening. My college best friends and I do an annual secret santa and we wanted to celebrate this event somewhere festive with good food. So we ended up here! Upon arrival we were greeted with warm welcomes and immediately taken to our table. Since we were in the back the host was kind enough to escort everyone from our party to our table upon arrival! Starting with drinks: I got the warm hot toddy type drink which was perfect for a chilly christmas day. They really make drinks strong here! For appetizers and friend and I split a serving of oysters which were nothing short of delicious. The oysters were the perfect flavors of salty and fresh! The sauced were the perfect touch. For entree I ordered the pork chop, it was so delicious! It had such a savory bbq/buffalo drizzle sauce to really add to the flavors. Not to mention the food itself was really cooked to perfection! So juicy in texture!!! The table split three different desserts: creme brulee, hot fudge brownie, and salted caramel bread pudding. An all time favorite was by far the bread pudding! The flavors here were a home run - so full of sweetness and saltiness the perfect salted caramel. The bread pudding had the perfect texture chewy yet crispy and adding ice cream on top took the whole dessert to another level. Words literally cannot describe how good this dessert was, we all loved it! I'd definitely come back, our service was amazing and the food was amazing. read more

See all

Awesome restaurant and bar in the heart of the city. Very warm and cozy upon entering which will make you want to hang around for a cocktail or Two. Sat with Stephen at the top corner bar and he was amazing! A true gentleman and bartender who you want to talk to about the history of the city and just to shoot the shit in general. He keeps the beers/shots pouring and can make you a mean lean spicy Bloody Mary. In terms of food I'd recommend the caviar, Maine lobster cocktail and filet Mignon 8 oz med rare with grilled veggies and mash. All that's needed.. Definitely drop in and have a drink with Stephen you won't regret it. Cheers read more

See all

We at a mid-morning breakfast and totally enjoyed the experience from beginning to end! The Crab Benedict was excellent! I will say that was one of the best cups of coffee I've had outside of New Orleans! The atmosphere is very nice and lends itself to a slow paced casual type of experience. They were doing some remodeling but it wasn't too annoying and I certainly don't hold it against them. We'll be back for sure! read more

My friend Heidi and I had lunch at the Old Ebbitt Grill while exploring our capital. This is a classic, well known old restaurant just a block from the White House. The building and atmosphere were exactly as you would expect... lots of dark woods and filled with tourists. Our server was fantastic! We started with amazingly FRESH raw oysters. They were so good - we only got 1/2 a dozen and I could have gotten a dozen more. I had the New England Clam Chowder and the American Cheese Board. A weird combo I realize. But I love cheese - seriously it's an issue - and why not add some yummy soup. Both were very good and I would order them again and again. Heidi had the Steak Tartare and Fried Oyster combo. She tells me they were outstanding, especially the fried oysters. I can only trust her word about the Steak Tartare because... well that's a big no for me! Eww. Definitely a place to try out at least once if you are in the area and being a tourist for the day. read more

See all

We came here on a weeknight and it was packed. At 8pm, it was a 45 minute wait for our party of three. I was told this is a must-eat if in DC and loved that it is right across the street from the Department of Treasury and White House so easy to check those places out before or after. We killed the time waiting for our table in the bar that was well stocked and crowded. The vibe of the restaurant was energetic. Once seated at our booth, we hung our coats on the hooks at each booth and ordered our drinks. They have a great beer and cocktail list with a few local ones on tap. I started with the crab soup and it was good, but not great. For my entree, I had the shrimp spaghettini and it was amazing! The sauce had so much kick and the pasta was fresh and cooked to the perfect texture. Our server was so professional and took great care of us! read more

Shrimp Spaghettini...O! M!! G!!! I wanted pasta without the tomato sauce or ladled with cheeses! Did a whole search and EVERYTHING! Of course I was finding everything that I DIDN'T want! Then I remembered seeing someone getting pasta served to their table during one of my MANY visits to OEG and YELPED IT! There it was! EXXXXACTLY what I wanted! A delicately delicious recipe...cherry tomatoes...basil...garlic...white wine lemon butter and chili flakes. I was concerned when I saw chili flakes (as I CAN NOT have spicy foods) but they were the perfect touch and not added to give heat but more so to add BALANCE...which it did, so well! If you were wondering if you SHOULD TRY IT, let this review be the nudge that you need to do so! You can thank me later! read more

See all

Pretty dang cool to go to. It was decorated for Christmas and had great service. Here's my one complaint. We booked this for my dads birthday who specifically asked we go there. Booked a table well in advance. Was fully expecting to sit in the different rooms they had. However, our table was in the middle of a lobby in an office building. No atmosphere out there. Make sure you request a table inside the restaurant, not an overflow area. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It's obviously a very popular restaurant in town and it lives up to the hype. We made a reservation in advance, which seems like a must because it was pretty busy on a Monday night. You can get a sense of the classic feel of this place, as if you stepped in a time machine. We ordered oysters, spinach artichoke dip, and meat balls. Each was delicious and the perfect start to a great meal. For entrees, we order the ribeye, a breaded fish, spicy sausage pasta, and burger. The ribeye was flavorful, although I wasn't a fan of the compound butter. It was a better deal and more enjoyable than a steakhouse I went to in NY a few days prior. The spicy sausage pasta was recommended by the server and was very good. All the food was spot on, so we had no complaints. The server was awesome: super friendly, providing recommendations for food and places to go out. My parents enjoyed Old Ebbitt Grill so much, they went twice in the couple days we were in town. It's in a great city center location with nice attractions to see when walking off the meal. Definitely suggest checking it out! read more

See all

Who knew that so many American presidents had such profound fetishes for ducks! I came to Old Ebbitt Grill for a drink and left with an array of exciting facts that were shared by our kind and forthcoming waitress whose name I have since forgotten. Apparently a host of former U.S. presidents came to Old Ebbitt Grill regularly when they hit the city, marveling at the establishment's vast stuffed and wooden aquatic bird collection while imbibing on yeasty moonshine or slurping oysters fresh from the pristine waters of the Potomac. It warms the cockles of one's heart to think of Ulysses S. Grant sitting in one's very seat, recounting his economic policy or boasting about his horse-whispering abilities. Mind you, the seats are hard and very wooden, just like the ducks and geese and swans that surround patrons. This is the appeal of Old Ebbitt Grill, some say. The pride of Old Ebbitt Grill! Such history! As for the food and the drink, I can merely speak to two items on the menu: the supple and rich Founders All Day "American-Style" IPA and the renowned and succulent Pabst Blue Ribbon. The quintessential drinks of our country's heritage, indeed. The prices were surprisingly reasonable, although I am skeptical whether Grover Cleveland used to pay $3.99 for his PBRs. But who am I to say! It must be said, in conclusion, that the main appeal of Old Ebbitt Grill lies not in its food or its drink or its staff or its convenient location to get a drink after a long day at the Treasury Department; rather, the main appeal is the ducks. Oh, how pleasurable it is to munch on a burger, slurp oyster after oyster, or suckle away at a fine beverage when you are absolutely and completely surrounded by every breed of duck, every variety of goose and gosling, and every type of swan. There is truly no exit from the birds. They are everywhere. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Some majestic geese flying above. FREE GOOSE!!! - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

After making a reservation in March, we are her in September and have been sat at a table out back in an empty shopping mall or office conference hall. We are NOT IN THE RESTAURANT. read more

I have eaten at Old Ebbitt every year i have come to DC in last ten years. This time the wait service was poor. He was never engaged with our needs as a high paying customer. The lobster special was the worst; the body meat was next to nothing in size and terribly over cooked. They give it to you whole and it was not worth the effort to dig around and find the meat. The trout was overdone and full of bone foe a butterfly portion. However, my ribeye was great and the oesters were perfect. Disappointed since i have bragged this place up to my son who just moved there and we took out. Oh well read more

We just walked in without no reservations, availability was quick. The food delicious and it was ready pretty quick too. Drinks are amazing, plenty of options. It gets packed but there is availability. read more

See all

We stopped in for an early lunch, no reservations, and were seated at a great table near an internal window. The server was friendly and helped with menu choices. I had the clam chowder and scallops. Both were good but not particularly exciting. The chowder was classic chowder, creamy and full of plump tender clams. The scallops were lightly seared are the tarragon seemed to overpower the subtle flavor of the peas. My husband had the chili, which was delicious! If I returned I would get the chowder as a starter and the chili as my meal. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - New England Clam Chowder (4/5) - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Made a reservation here for a group of 10 per a friend's recommendation and Old Ebbitt did not disappoint! I absolutely loved the decor and vibe of the restaurant. Definitely contributed to the entire experience! Our server was also extremely nice and was patient with our large group. I got the brioche french toast and loved it. It was packed with flavor and very sweet. The sausage complemented the meal with just the right amount of savory. All my friends liked what they ordered too - though a majority of us got the french toast. The best part? Our server split the check for all 10 of us without a problem. A great brunch option if you're near the White House! read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Brioche French Toast - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Historic and delicious are the words used to describe this establishment. I've eaten here twice, once on an accident and the second time on purpose. Each time has been wonderful. My family and I have enjoyed everything from the meat loaf to the brick chicken and from the shrimp spaghetti to the traditional burger with fries; I highly recommend the meat loaf (sounds weird, but it's great). The décor and ambience is unique, one that echoes class, tradition, and elegance. Nevertheless, you'll still be welcomed if you wear shorts and a t-shirt. I do have a word of warning, get a reservation or they might not be able to accommodate you, especially if your party consist of five people or more. If you are looking to partake in this establishment and make a day of trekking through the monuments and Smithsonian, park at the Reagan Building and International Trade Center. It is central to both, safe and secure, and only $25 for all day parking...you can't beat it. Enjoy! read more

See all

Would love to give it 5 stars, but after having eaten here many times when in DC, we made reservations to enjoy the New Years Day ambiance only to be led out to the office building lobby for our table. A bit disappointed, but the service was wonderful and the food was delicious. Don't get stuck in the lobby of an office building. Yikes read more

I absolutely recommend this restaurant. I went there twice while I was traveling in DC. Great food, and service. Nice location as well.

I really enjoyed our brunch at sold Ebbitt Grill! We had a reservation and were seated immediately which was nice. It was packed and I thought we'd have to wait even with a reservation but we were all good! Our server was Chloe and she was phenomenal! She shared some of the most popular dishes as well as gave great recommendations for her favorite dishes! The customer service was fabulous! The food was delicious! The fried calamari was my favorite! It wasn't overly fried and I enjoyed the fried cherry peppers with it as well! My husband had the oyster Benedict and he loved it! I had a Caesar salad and added chicken. The chicken was really juicy and had a wonderful char on it. Your missing out if you don't give Old Ebbitt Grill a try! read more

See all

This restaurant is true go to staple for late night dining. My companion and I had reservations and were seated in a booth in the main dining area. Our waitress was Stephanie and the service was terrible. In my opinion she had too many tables. It took a while for her to greet us and then she just ignored our table. It took 10-12 minutes to receive our tab after flagging her down twice. We shared the oysters, which we got on the late night happy hour menu, which were 1/2 priced. And we also had the chicken wings without sauce, which were good. They discontinued the crab cakes which was a staple on menu. In fact, the menu stated they are seeking crab meat to source. So I am assuming pricing of crab meat was factor. The crab cakes are replaced with shrimp cakes. It was different but extremely salty. I definitely would not order that again. Overall it was okay, but the service was terrible. read more

See all

Amazing place. Very cool decor. Service was fine and it's close to the white house. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

In summary: 2.5 stars. Disappointed in the food. Sent two dishes back. Found this restaurant listed in a few articles when searching for "Where To Eat In DC", it was recommended as a must-visit. Quite a letdown. Two dishes sent back, which I note again as that was quite out of character for us. Ambiance= loud. Friday night was almost deafening in the front of the house where we sat. The back of the restaurant was much quieter, a startling contrast to the hubbub of tourist-meets-local pell-mell going on up front. Staff= waitress was friendly, knowledgeable, prompt and busy. Good recommendations on the oyster selection, she knew which were the better of the four choices. Food= Oysters: Battle Creek (VA) were my favorite, crisp, smooth, light. Permaquid (ME) also crisp, fresh & smooth, not overwhelming fishy, or metallic. Harpswell Flat (ME) was my least favorite. Large but distinct copper mineral notes that linger unpleasantly. Zero sweet finish. Mintersweet (WA) tiny micro-oyster, it was almost impossible to get a sense of its taste due to it's minuscule size. Ribeye= disappointed, ordered Med-rare, came out well-done, sent it back for correction. Interestingly flame broiled but to the point of having so much excessive char, it overpowered and deducted a lot of the enjoyable ribeye flavor you get it for (I'm not a char hater, it was truly immoderate). Living in Texas for 10 years has given me a modest amount of steak acumen, or at least spoiled me enough to know a lackluster offering. Poor steak, it was not meant to be. It's not overpriced at $50, indeed reasonable if done correctly--just save your $50 and buy more oysters. French dip= I was not very hungry, and instead of going for one of the sensible looking pastas, I haphazardly chose this under pressure. The dish was offensive it was so inedible. Au jus was a puzzling mixture and where most of the crime was to be found. Gravy-goo taste that must have been accidentally misread in a cook's chemistry set and arrived as their recipe for au jus. The sandwich itself was looking apologetically up at me, equally embarrassed to be on the plate. Dry, miserable, it was sent back to the kitchen, where I'm sure it was mercifully put to rest in the trash. Replaced with the Shrimp Spaghettini, since I was originally interested in trying their in-house pasta and was waitress recommended. An improvement, however the shrimp was overcooked, and I slumped back into disappointment. The run-of-the-mill white wine lemon butter sauce is never meant to be memorable at any restaurant that serves it, this is just an unremarkable dish to fiddle with while passing the time. The pasta itself was interesting though. Al dente, not hard or chalky, but dense, very filling. Overall, if you want a peek at the oldest saloon in DC, just go to the bar, order some not-bad oysters, take a picture; but save yourself regretting $200 misspent by wandering off to spend it wisely at another restaurant. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Lots of fun decor to be fun, despite the food - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Ate here this afternoon with visiting family. Fantastic food, service, and atmosphere. At the recommendation of our waiter got the Crab dip and Oysters Rockefeller to start- both delicious. Entrees were also great recommendations, the basil pesto bucatini, lobster shepherd pie, and salmon nicoise salad. Amazing, we all tried each dish and loved every one. We managed to find room for dessert, also recommendations, the best selling bread pudding, and flourless truffle raspberry cake... WOW. Really, we loved our waiter most, his advice was spot on, and the background he shared with us about the location, history of the menu items, and his personal favorite meals was absolutely flawless. Will absolutely take other visiting friends and family here again!!! read more

As others have said, Old Ebbitt is a DC institution and in my opinion the better of the restaurants in the group that also includes Clydes, The Hamilton, and a few others. The food is dependable and there are a variety of options suitable for everyone. I would recommend making a reservation as it is frequently very busy and lively. Certainly, worth a visit and convenient to several other DC attractions and venues. read more

Food and service was excellent!! Came here with my boss and fell in love...with the food and service lol! Highly recommend the pan seared salmon! And their Crab soup was quite nice!!! Cheers! read more

We made a late resy here on a recommendation from a friend and it didn't disappoint, service was amazing, food was amazing, dirty martini was amazing, what could be bad. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill is the oldest restaurant in D.C. We had not eaten here before on any of our visits so felt compelled to try it out. Packed to the rafters on the Saturday night - you definetely need reservations. Got seated at the nice booth. We had the lobster "cocktail" - essentially half a lobster served with horseradish sauce - was great. My wife had their famous crab cake - it was delicious - and I had the steak frites with shallot sauce. The steak was ok, the fries were terrific. Crispy on the outside and creamy in the center. The service was ok. The wine list was good. We recommend this restaurant if you are in D.C. Be sure to make a reservation! read more

Server was excellent and we enjoyed the wine. But the food was subpar. Very bland. There was no garlic or wine flavor in the linguine and clams (recommended by the server). It says it was "housemade" pasta but far from fresh tasting. The trout was hot but not flavorful. Even the bread pudding lacked flavor and was far too dense. The caramel syrup was good but couldn't make the dessert better. We had a good time and weren't rushed out but definitely not a foodie spot. 2 stars only for the thoughtful server. Not understanding how it has such good reviews other than that it's a cool setting near the White House. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - "2023 surcharge" - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I love the experience of dining at a perfectly run restaurant. When the kitchen and wait staff are this good, only great results can happen. I noticed the wait staff working together to help each other on different tables in a way that is rarely seen. Super cool! The restaurant is huge and looks super old school steakhouse and was apparently auctioned off in the 70s to pay a tax debt for around $11,000. It is not a steakhouse but a restaurant with a great selection of seafood and vegetarian and gluten free options. The crab cakes with the corn and tomato seasonal preparation was really fantastic. The blackened salmon salad was perfectly prepared (medium rare) with such a wonderful accompaniment of corn, tomato and green shoots that overwhelmed my hungry heart. I could taste the freshness of the pesto pasta across the table and then when I actually tasted it, there was no disappointment. Even though the ambiance isn't my preference, the food and staff are outstanding and you should definitely come here. read more

See all

My husband and I stopped in for breakfast prior to touring the White House. The service and ambiance was wonderful however the food was very mediocre. The price is just not worth it for the lack of flavor & uniqueness. My husband has been for dinner previously and said it was good + would return, just not for breakfast. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - The Statesman $19.99 - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

We went to this place twice while in DC for 4 days. Excellent oysters and crab cakes - I normally don't really like crab cakes. The atmosphere is awesome - very beautiful and fun. We sat at the bar and the bar tenders were friendly and fast. I definitely recommend this place for happy hour! read more

Great food, service, and atmosphere! The crab cakes came highly recommended from a friend. They did not disappoint. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Jumbo Lump Crab Cake - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This place was busy and for good reason. We were barely able to snag 2 bar seats, but it was open seating and we didn't have to wait for them, plus the bar was a nice scene and offered full table service. The bartender who served us was knowledgeable and kind. As for the food, we loved the oysters and LOVED the steak frites. It came with this amazing Dijon sauce that just could not be beat. Only complaint is that they didn't have the French dip, which we wanted to try. read more

The ambiance was amazing! The food was good and the service was great. We enjoyed the soft pretzel.

I came in for brunch and had the chili omelet. It was delicious. My buddy ordered the Statesman and ate it faster than I've ever seen him eat anything, so I plan to come back tomorrow. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Menu - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Everything was great here. We had a dinner reservation before a walking tour and loved it so much we came back later that night for dessert. And then again the next night for a late snack. The Turning Lavender cocktail was the best cocktail I had over the weekend I was in town. The Irish Exit was also delicious. We tried the oyster shooter and espresso martini too, and those were pretty good but I wouldn't reorder them. For food we had a lot of oysters (visiting from AZ where oysters are hard to find), the French dip, bacon cheeseburger, mixed greens salad, peach cobbler, and caramel bread pudding. Everything was great. I would definitely get the burger and bread pudding again. read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Old fashioned and Turning Lavender cocktails - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food was amazing! The service was great and the ambiance, wow. This place is huge and has so many rooms and bars to choose from. I ordered the green pozole as an appetizer and wow! Extremely authentic and just as good as my own. Highly recommend! The meatloaf was good but the half chicken was amazing! read more

Old Ebbitt Grill - Meatloaf - Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all