Once again I made the mistake of having to be out for lunch on Mother's Day. Fortunately I was in the downtown K Street district, so the few places that were open, were not mobbed. I like the classic, clubby tavern feel of the place, yet it doesn't smell like stale beer, and the food is good. It was just me, so I went to the bar. Tim the bartender makes the best Bloody Mary I have ever had, and was entertaining too. I'd easily return sometime for another one to enjoy his company. Foodwise I kept it simple with a burger. They're extremely well prepared here. It would be nice if we could substitute cole slaw, or a vegetable for the fries, but that's not an option here so I stuck with them. I usually try to avoid fries, but there were quite good, not the least bit greasy, and they don't go overboard on a large portion here either. There aren't a lot of bargains in this neighborhood, but this is a nice option for the area. Service is always good, drinks are exceptional, and food quality is good too. read more

Came here 7/29 to enjoy a few drinks with my good friend. We needed a place to hang out while we waited for my friend's suit appointment (he is getting married in Sept). Not expecting much, we walk in to PJ Clarke's and have a seat at the bar. We were introduced to the bartender, Tim, and began having a great conversation. PJ Clarke's is a class act establishment. My friend and I received a high level of customer service, great drinks & food, and an amazing conversation. Tim may be my favorite D.C bartender. I ordered the homemade tater tots, brussels sprouts, and asparagus. All wonderful dishes which complimented my gin and tonic very well. read more

Now you'll know why the low star reviews.......... We went to the DC location on Thanksgiving and made the MISTAKE of ordering off the regular dinner menu! WOW! Poor food ingredients for the high price! Ribeye sandwich must have been from the collection of leftovers from customers the night before. The Au jus was more like Balsamic dressing, and the creamed horseradish was ranch dressing. The Cadillac burger, served on a cheap Costco bun, Fries overcooked, and the Brick pressed chicken was a left-over from the previous night, had that refrigerator taste. Guess the chefs(?) did not want to cook and only serve the pre-cooked Thanksgiving Dinner special. I wondered why there were so many "Open Table reservations open! And I know why now there is no "contact" link on the website, THEY KNOW THEY SERVE CRAP! This place is GHETTO! read more

Yes, EVEN the Great PJ Clarke's has turned into GARBAGE. Can you believe it? They once served the "cadillac" of burgers, the highest quality. But now post-pandemic, in the rush to price gouge like the greedy corporate buggers they are, they are now using the cheapest, most garbage form of chuck imaginable. It's horrible. THEIR RENOWNED BURGERS HAVE TURNED TO AWFUL. Oh, of course, the waiters said, no we wouldn't do that. They did. I can taste that it's the same garbage quality that Whole Foods switched over to. The story is obvious: in order to price gouge, they cheapened their quality to increase profits (unnecessarily, they got PPP loans to get through the pandemic), and switched over to some garbage corporate supplier for their now horrible burger meat. If you taste it and it tastes fine to you, then you are probably not too fine in your dining. (Then I venture to say you consider fine dining the paying of high prices for garbage quality, and are a fake connaisseur. In my "opinion") But worry, though, they can pay (bribe) a food reviewer - whoever, a Yelp person, or Tom Sietsma or whoever) to correct all this, helping you to continue to justify your high opinion of your "high or fine" taste for dining. read more

The food was scrumptious. We started with the homemade tater tots and they were so crispy and fresh. The ketchup on the side has a kick and is not sweet but has just the right amount of tomato taste. I had a wedge salad with chicken and a side of Brussels. I was not disappointed. The salad was the right size, not too big, not too small. The Brussels were de-lish-ious. They were soft, yet roasted and the bacon was so, so good. My co-worker ordered the rib eye and a side of mashed potatoes. He loved both and kept telling the waiter..."this place is awesome. My only complaint is that the service is so great and the food so good, we had no time to talk business"! Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area. read more

Although a little pricey the dishes are full of flavor. Would go again for sure. Meat was cooked perfectly

Great service and great food. We were staying at the Capital Hilton and decided go across the street for dinner. The service since the welcome up to our leave was fenomenal. Great Ribeye and great Salmon Will be back. read more

We were staying in D.C. this past weekend and came across this place on Yelp. My family and I were walking around the White House when we got hungry after a long day of sightseeing and needed to find somewhere to eat. I found this place on yelp and decided to give it a try based on reviews. This place was one of my best random restaurants to try. We came in for a burger and a beer for lunch. We were promptly seated and our service was excellent. My burger was cooked to perfection and the fries were perfect. Even the ketchup that they had on the tables was delicious and natural tasting. Our waitress (forgive me because I forgot her name) was beyond excellent. She helped us make our selections and was there when we needed her. She even took a photo of our family to keep for memory sake. The decor of the place was awesome too. Photos of attractions around D.C. and other pictures of famous people and Presidents over the years. A quote was also just above some of the tables that said ""The light music of whisky falling into glasses made an agreeable interlude. - James Joyce" was an awesome touch to the place. I would love to come back here if I am in the D.C. area again. read more

What really goes on in the secret Sidecar Room? *************************************************************** The third installment of National Treasure will open with Ben Gates, still played by Nicolas Cage, dining upstairs at P.J. Clarkes with Abigail (Diane Kruger). Unbeknownst to the couple, Ian (Sean Bean) and his henchman are in the secret Sidecar Room in the basement plotting the theft of documents brought over by German rocket scientists after World War II with the formula for solid rocket fuel, which also contain a secret code for the location of Nazi gold in Paraguay. Who knows what was going on in the Sidecar Room last Thursday, and I've almost forgotten what I had for lunch, but do remember the parmesan tater tots. You have to get these! Perfect lunch appetizer to share between two and munch on before your sandwich or salad comes out. I remember now. I had the Ribeye French Dip with shaved prime rib, gouda, horseradish cream which I highly recommend. My lunch colleague had the "Old Fashioned" Shrimp Sandwich which was generously loaded with the shrimp, and I don't think a morsel went uneaten. If I'd been in a rush, which I wasn't, I might have thought the service was slow. The busboy, however, kept my water glass topped off. I couldn't help notice that our server's name on the bill was Allison. That's "Nosilla" spelled backwards. Could this be a coded messge? Next time I go to P.J. Clarkes, I've going to take a peek in the Sidecar to see what's really going on in there. read more

Slight preference for the downstairs bar area, great for catching games on a decently large screen. A few solid booze options. Sampled the lighter end of their fare, which was okay. Service was pretty efficient on both floors, considering how slammed they were that night by the fratty Hill scene. I wouldn't mind coming back to try their Gulf shrimp & grits, beef short rib with crispy mac & cheese, King George shepherd's pie; Patrick Joseph Clarke sidecar, Redemption Rye perfect Manhattan. read more

Funnily enough I was reading this weekend about a guy who has opened up a joint in LA, and whose father had tried to open up a PJ Clarke's there, after finding that the original had not licensed their name. I came here for lunch a few weeks ago after a friend had told me about it. I may have been to the NY original - I have certainly read about it. No energy drinks apart from coffee. The bartender will remember you take orange bitters in your Manhattan after the first one. Don't ask for a frikkin Cosmo. This place is more Cheescake Factory than orange-bitters-in-the-manhattan, but I still enjoyed a weekday lunch. Maybe it's DC, maybe it's the modern world we live in, but it did sneak a look around the packed and elegant dining room and I reckon I was the only one enjoying a fermented malted libation. read more

Pj Clarkes isn't for the pretentious. You have every other restaurant in the city for that. It's very simple. You walk in and are guaranteed to be remembered by the friendly staff who actually want to get to know you, your likes and dislikes. For the staff here its about making friends. The place during a lunch or dinner rush can get crowded and loud but again, what do you expect. With Pj's, they don't care if you're a senator or if you run a food truck down the block, everyone gets treated well. For the top button bow tie/ 5 inch louboutin-ites, there is SideCar. Which offers an intimate and upscale setting for the "power" lunch and dinners... The food is straight forward and delicious. Don't come to dinner expecting chestnut foam over laser seared foie gras. As previously stated if you can't see yourself enjoying a great meal being served in a laid back and friendly service setting, stay home...you ruin it for the rest of us. The menu can get pricey but its right for the location...is the starbucks on the corner getting poor reviews for charging 8.50 a latte? As for people like Gary M. and A.S. I find it difficult to believe you would actually slap anyone after waiting until you got home to expel toughness through a yelp review page. If you are referring to the server I think you are. You are lucky not to have gotten slapped yourself. I implore anyone who hasnt tried pjs yet to disregard the negative reviews and discover a great new addition to D.C. Norm behind the bar is a great time at lunch and Eric (i think thats his name) makes the best old school cocktails i have ever had... Cheers! read more

Good oysters. And great burgers, which you can actually fit it in your mouth and don't want to die after eating. No weird sauces, no extraneous ingredients, just good (Meyer Ranch, I think) meat on a bun. I ate mine with an order of homemade tater tots, which was clearly the right move. The atmosphere is pretty old school, with a lot of dark wood and red and white checked tablecloths. At the bar they have Rogue Dead guy bourbon, which is worth a star in itself. read more

This place is fun! The food is good (only had apps, but they were good!). We sat outside and the service was excellent! Our server, Bodhi, was incredibly nice and personable. He made every effort to make us happy. Also, Sean, one of the managers, came over and greeted us. He introduced himself and even remembered our names when he was done talking to us! Great place, great service, and me and "my crew" will definitely go again! Morgan read more

Since we're likely to have flying cars before high-speed rail to New York (thanks Amtrak!), it's a good thing New York has come to DC. Now, as a southerner, I'm naturally skeptical of anything associated with the Big Apple that surfaces below the Mason-Dixon, but there is just something about delicious cheeseburgers that makes me swoon. Bringing a slice of the Big Apple to DC - and moving in on some sweet real estate within sight of casa de Obama - PJ Clarke's has won this Southern's heart with delicious oysters, tasty burgers, and an atmosphere invocative of Sinatra and the Rat Pack. This venerable New York establishment is selling it's New York cache more than anything else, but what has kept the New York mother ship open for business for more than 120 years has been the food. And, with a kitchen that knows how to cook up delicious burgers, plump oysters, and a damn fine steak, PJ's DC chapter is focused on quality food at no-nonsense prices. The upstairs dining room consists of a large seating area with the signature checkered tablecloths. But, the real hidden gem is the downstairs private dining area. Hidden behind a frosted glass door, the dark and secluded bottom floor of PJ's is a great place to skip in for a mid-week bite without the intrusion of the "common folk." Overall, I'd recommend PJ Clarke's for the casual dinner, an inexpensive lunch, or a taste of old New York. I'd order a burger, slurp down a few oysters, and wrap it all up by smoking a fat stogie. All this is sure to leave you with the distinctly pleasant feeling that old New York just got a little closer to home. read more

Food - 4 Stars Service - 4 Stars Prices - 3 Stars Atmosphere - 2 Stars Overall - 3 Stars It was getting late and I was hangry. My girlfriend and I decided on PJ's since it was busy and seemed to have an appealing menu. Right when we walked in, we realized it was a tourist trap. We didn't feel like we were in DC anymore. Everyone was Caucasian and our parents age. We stood out like sore thumbs. The seating is uncomfortable. The two person tables are so close together, you are basically sitting on each other's laps. We struggled to communicate since we could hear everyone's conversation so clearly. Our server was pleasant and took our drink orders immediately upon being seated. After he walked away, we looked around and noticed that there were no female employees except for the one hostess. That was a little alarming because there were at least 12 employees in the dining room that we could see coming in and out. Odd. Did we just give our hard working female cash to a ALL man operated restaurant? Set the mood a tad. We had... Traditional Style Fried Calamari Jumbo Shrimp Cobb Salad Crab Cake Platter The calamari was very tender and hot from the fryer. Perfectly cooked and delicious. Breaded just right. On top of that, their cocktail sauce is the best I have ever had. So it really complimented the calamari. It doesn't come with it, so you do have to ask for it. They also have the calamari in a Rhode Island style which the server described as spicy and tossed with hot peppers. Sounded good but my eating mate isn't a spicy food fan, so we went with traditional. The crab cakes were delicious. Delicately pan-fried on the outside and super soft in the inside. I actually didn't like how creamy and soft it was in the inside, it almost had an uncooked feel to it although it was actually cooked thoroughly. They were really thick and didn't have too much fillers. It was plated with a simple coleslaw that complimented the crab cakes. My jumbo shrimp cobb salad was good. Very interesting mixture of ingredients to be honest. There was chopped jumbo shrimp (generous amount), kalamata olives, celery, red pepper, yellow pepper, green onion, cucumber, garbanzo beans, peas, green beans, iceberg lettuce and radicchio. I may have overlooked other ingredients but it was hard to really pinpoint it all with it being chopped finely. It was a good salad overall. The dressing is a very light champagne vinaigrette. They really incorporate the natural flavors from the ingredients with a light dressing almost barely there. I liked the salad and thought it was pretty filling. Which it should be for $19. So I was a pleased girl. The only downfall about this place is the seating arrangement for 2 persons and the lack of female employees. Not that female employees are necessary to be successful, it just set the tone upon walking in. All the patrons seemed to be tourists and again a lot of men. Not sure if this was just an off night but for that reason, I don't see us returning here. This was probably a once in a lifetime thing for us. The food was good but not fantastic enough to bring us back. read more

A NYC institution now with a DC outpost. This new continental American restaurant has the old-fashioned wood paneled walls with wood architectural details, wait staff in white shirts and black ties, and an all-American feel with both the menu and the ambiance. As with the NYC location, PJ Clarke's includes both the main dining room and the semi-private "Sidecar" section which you can reach by walking into the glass gazebo thing into the downstairs area. I visited with the husband and another couple after partaking at the Taste of The Park at Fourteenth, needing a more laid back, quieter atmosphere. And that it delivered. That Saturday night we visited was very quite, with the dining rooms thinning out and not too many people in the Sidecar bar area with us. Bartender was really friendly and attentive with the drinks we ordered while doing a great balance of chatting with us while stepping back to let us chill in our group in a quite setting. Nothing wrong with this place, yet nothing spectacular. Beer was $5.50 - $8 while wine by the glass was $7 - 12. Offerings of both food and drink are standard American fare at higher end prices. Overall solid option for continental American fare in this neck of the downtown area, though I'm not sure if there's anything featured here that's worth the draw to go out of my way for. read more

I was looking forward to going to this restaurant. I'm always excited when new places open. My husband and I went the other night to see what it was all about. From the beginning, I should have known better when the host and manager had an argument about whether there was a table available or not. My husband ordered the mussels and frites of which half were closed. Never saw a restaurant serve that way before. I ordered the Cadillac burger, which was not what came to the table. We had also ordered a dozen oysters as an appetizer, that never came. At that point, I spoke with the waiter who tried his best to correct the situation. I actually had asked for the oysters to be canceled, but he brought them in the middle of our entree...comped, but still. My burger was wrong the second time too, but at that point, I had already given up and was starving. The burger was a huge disappointment. Considering it was $12.50, I expected much better than a wonder bread bun and what amounts to what I could have cooked for myself at home. My husband ordered a Boddington's and got a Yuengling. It was unfortunately a terrible experience. We will not be going back for a long time. I am still hoping that it was because the restaurant is still trying to work out kinks. read more

Havn't tried the food yet, so I can't speak on that, but I went there for a work happy hour and had a great time. Atmosphere was relaxing and high end. Our bartender John was on point. Very personable and easy to get along with. read more

This place might not win the next James Beard award, but it delivers for what it promises: satisfying american food in an open, unpretentious environment. The location is in the middle of it all. The layout is open, and if you seat yourself strategically, you can watch the game and feign interest in your dinner companion's conversation. The food is solid. Most of our party ordered variations of the burger and were satisfied. I ordered roasted chicken (small portion) and to my delight it came with roasted vegetables happily joined by pig belly. That pig did not give his or her life for no reason. Appetizers were excellent and desert decadent. I must say, the server was one of the most enthusiastic I met in DC and actually seemed to enjoy her job. It was a nice change from stuffy restaurants with servers who seemed annoyed by our visit. read more

I came here for brunch on a Sunday with a group of 6. I'm not sure how long they've been doing Brunch, but it really wasn't good. We were attracted by the bottomless mimosa feature, which cost about $18 per person. That's slightly above the going rate in Washington for restaurants of a similar level, but whatever -- we were willing to try. The mimosas were very heavy on the orange juice, which suggested they were trying to conserve champagne. We asked our server if they could be proportioned differently -- twice -- and there was no change at all. The brunch entrees were priced normally (11ish to 18ish, as I recall) but the quality of the food was disappointing. Nothing was disastrously bad, but it was very mediocre breakfast food. For example, the Chesapeake Benedict consisted of two small English muffins with the crab cake, egg, and sauce topping on a small white plate. No sides, no garnish, nothing. Worse still, my friend who ordered it reported it wasn't good. I ordered a sampler breakfast (eggs, grits, chicken sausage, and silver dollar pancakes) and everything was served at room temperature aside from the sausage. read more

When is a burger not a burger? When it is served here :( Visiting Washington DC, I thought it might be a great idea to take the group of kids I had with me in to a restaurant and show then how a burger served properly might taste. Decor was great, service was excellent, burger meat was fine, so why the one star? OK. Everything was a la carte. All you got for your $10 bucks in a cheese burger, was a slice of onion hidden on the plate under the bun and a pickle. No tomato, no lettuce, no special sauce, no darned anything. The a la carte fried were over cooked, cold and cardboard. The onion rings were more like deep fried onion dust and the repeated more than my children talking to their deaf grandmother. This was my worst ever burger experience. They may cook other stuff well - but good god, and I hate myself for saying this, I would rather have had a week old big mac. If you go to DC, buy your food from a street vendor, I guarantee you will have a better experience. read more

Ate there Saturday night with a group of about 15 folks. I arrived early with one of the group and we sat at the bar and ordered drinks. John Carlos, the bartender, made me a fantastice martini. One of the best I had in a while! So good, I had a second one with my meal. Since we had made reservations as a group we were seated downstairs and were offered a fixed menu. Starters were wedge salad w/blue cheese and bacon bits or a tomato soup. Entrees: salmon, a hamburger or pan-fried chicken. Dessert: cheesecake. Served family style was smashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. I, of course, was trouble since I am not only vegetarian but have Celiac disease so I could eat very little of it. So often, when I eat out in restaurants, the server will just stare blankly at me and offer me no solutions. I end up having to just pick side dishes and hope for the best. BUT, our waiter, Joseph, took great care of me on this night. The chef whipped me up a yummy plate of sauteed spinach, red peppers and tomatoes, which went great with the potatoes. They brought me ice cream for dessert and it was GREAT. Home-made and soooooooo creamy. I would rate this a 5 but the second martini was really slow in coming out. Heck, I practically had it for dessert. Nonetheless, I would recommend this to someone else as a great place to go in DC. read more

Classically styled bar, with average food and senseless prices. I had the prime rib ($31.10) which was nothing exceptional. It was a bit fattier than I'm used to. My wife had the seafood risotto ($26.90), which consisted of a small filet of sea bass, which she enjoyed, two cold scallops, and one clam. One of my kids had the Clarke Burger ($17.95). I've had plenty of $18+ burgers, but this was a $7 burger. The bun was not fresh--it reminded me of a Pepperidge Farm roll--but the patty was good. My other son had the kids' chicken fingers ($8.90) which was a fair value, and the other two kids split a kids' mac n cheese ($8.90), which they enjoyed. Our server had the meal split in the kitchen, which we appreciated. Drinks were not included with the kids' meals, so they hit us with another $3.35 each for their sodas and milks. They did offer free refills, and my 8 year old got his money's worth after downing three milks, but I don't know where you get off charging $3.35 for a sippy cup of Sprite. This isn't a ballgame, folks. My TWELVE OUNCE Goose Island IPAs were $8 each. Two weeks ago I was in Prague drinking Pilsner Urquell for 50 kc, or about $1.25 per half liter. Sigh. So in a nutshell, if you want a fairly standard bar and grill experience but feel like spending twice what you would in any bar across the Potomac in Arlington (where they typically sell beer for $6 a pint), go for it! read more

P.J. Clarke's - Since you won't find prices on the website, here you go. With a coke going for $3.35, you might as well have a glass of wine. - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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One of the many of what I call "K Street expensive Applebee's style restaurants" meaning they serve high priced but same quality version of an extensive American menu. Places like these exist because it's within central to many offices so if you have a lunch meeting, it's easy to pop in without a reservation and not so pricey it raises eyebrows when your expense reports are being reviewed. That said, the food is really not that great. Every time I have a meeting here, I try out different things to find a go-to I can feel good about ordering. I haven't found it yet but so far I would avoid the fish tacos (so dry and flavorless), roast chicken club (again chicken is really dry), seared tuna salad (tuna is overdone), pot pie (dry chicken again, skimped on filling). Avoid if you can, but I guess you could do worse for a meeting. read more

I got a burger cooked medium with house mozzarella, avocado, mustard, and lettuce. And let me tell you, it literally made me want to turn around and slap someone it was so damn good. The service was top-notch, the prices were reasonable, the burger was epic. We stumbled in here on our way down to the White House from the Double Tree and I'm SO glad we did. We also got some mushrooms from the "sides to share" and I have to warn you: One person can probably eat them all. They were good... so good you won't want to share. Highly recommended. read more

Meh, meh, meh....Everything here was just MEH. The Oysters Rockefeller at brunch were good (but anything with spinach and cheese is going to be a-okay in my book) and the Bloody Mary was tasty. But for $60 for two people, I'd hope the brunch would be much better than it was. So, fast forward to dinner... Baker's Dozen of Oysters - Definitely not very fresh and slightly fishy tasting. I had to use tabasco to take the edge off - $25 Caesar Salad with Shrimp - Caesar Salad was fine but the shrimp was gross. They literally just cut up maybe two or three shrimp used for their shrimp cocktail dish (cold, rubbery...not grilled like I anticipated) - $13 To top off the less than impressive food, we waited about a half hour between finishing the oysters and our dinner being served which seemed a bit long. Despite slightly lacking in speed, the service was quite friendly. The wine list is kind of lacking but they had a decent $35 bottle of Malbec and a white bordeaux that I'm a fan of on the "by-the-glass" list. All in all, there are MUCH better places in DC...PJ Clarke's was on par with the hotel restaurant and that's not saying much. read more

Lame. That's the first word that comes to mind when we got our meals. I've never been to a restaurant that charges $13 a burger and doesn't include any sides. I guess I should've expected that here though. The burger was sad looking. They could at least jazz it up with a brioche bun instead. I will say that they actually cooked it right (medium rare) which is hard to find. The chicken paillard was actually really tasty and delicious and a huge portion size so you don't need any additional sides (in my opinion). We were fascinated by the 'secret' door leading to downstairs area. If you strike up a convo with the hostess though, she may give you pointers on how to get in. read more

I went here for dinner 2 days ago. I was in town alone on business. I sat on the front patio (which was beautiful. A great place to people watch). The food was total overpriced crap though. I was surprised that a nice place like PJs serves such crap food. I order a cheesburger, fries and a beer. The cheeseburger was worse than what you would get at McDonalds or Burgerking. Seriously! It was a thin, premade, frozen patty. The fries were thin and the portion was too small. The service was very slow too. It took a good 10 minutes to get my check after I had asked for it. $21 for a 10 oz draft beer, crap fries and a crap burger is about $10 too much. I would have been OK paying $11 for this meal. Even though the location is great, i would not go back to this place... for food or the small mugs of beer. read more

**3.5 Stars** I rounded because I think there's a fair number of one star reviews written by orangeheads who have two line reviews. As Tu-Van has said, this is the DC location of a New York institution well known for its burgers and American fare. Having enjoyed the 3rd Ave location in Midtown, this place has less character and grime, but it does copy the place pretty faithfully. I ordered the Cadillac Burger (Cheddar and Bacon) for $10.50. And before you ask, this burger comes on a small plate with a pickle. You want fries, it's $3. That's the way it is in NYC and so it is here. If you don't like, go somewhere else. The burger is good and juicy. They don't toast the bun, so it can get messy. But the burger was cooked right and was tasty. Had the side house greens salad which was a little overdressed with balsamic. We also had the tater tots which while good, pale in comparison to the ones at Bourbon. The gf had the Cobb salad which she enjoyed. Solid location and choice for dinner. I think all of the items on the menu are priced around $2 too much for the amount and size of what's given. read more

A welcome addition to the D.C. dining scene...PJs has a vast menu, burgers, steaks, omelets, calamari, potatoes in many forms, salmon, fish and chips, actually check out their website to see its breadth...best of all, I find the prices to be great for a downtown D.C. restaurant. Everything I ate was good to better than average. My favorite was the calamari, Rhode Island style. It's basically fried and then tossed with sweet and hot peppers and garlic (in oil). The tangyness, sweetness and heat of the peppers were a unique match to the fried, subtly (yet perfectly) chewy calamari. Once I had the first bite with the peppers there was no going back. There is also a sauce on the side then when added to the mix takes it to an even higher level. Other items that were a success...a friend had fish and chips, fried perfectly and not greasy with nice french fries...crispy tater tots covered in Parmesan cheese...an omelet with spinach and goat cheese was loved by my daughter, and I had the cheeseburger with sweet potato fries...again cooked to perfection. Finally, the french beef dip with provolone on a roll that is not to be missed was the favorite entree of the night. This was served with house made potato chips that were crispy, tasty and grease-less. All in all a great experience at a great price (6 people with 4 Hoegarten draughts for $125 before tip) Don't get me wrong, you can eat for a lot more there, but you don't have to. Someone else said "...Old Ebbitt watch out." I agree; PJs will be a great choice for nights when OE, Clyde's or something along those lines, was your usual choice...I'm looking forward to going back! read more

I made reservations for PJ's via Open Table during the week. As it was a same-day reservation, I originally didn't mind that they sat us in the "Sidecar." The Sidecar is downstairs through a hidden door. It was extremely quiet down there, but the menu is different. It's treated as a different restaurant, even on the website. I had a burger, fries, and an iced tea. The burger comes with a side of chili. The burger was good and the fries were okay...but it was too expensive for what I got. With tip, it ended up being about $27. Not terrible, but I'd prefer some more exciting menu choices for that much cash for a lunch. read more

A great spot for late-night food! Went here with some friends this past Saturday evening, and we really enjoyed it. The $1 oysters are awesome...can't beat that price in DC! I also tried the crisp Parmesan tater tots (which are AMAZING with the smoked catsup!!) and the yellowfin tuna tartare tacos. Delicious! Would have given them 5 stars, except for the service. The service was just...well, weird. Our waitress was VERY sweet, friendly, and helpful, but she disappeared for long periods of time, so long that other servers and managers came over to help us, which eventually became a bit confusing since we were a big group. She also forgot to put in a food order. She was very apologetic about the mistake, and she and the manager made sure that we were taken care of. But I would have appreciated more consistent service throughout the night. Overall, though, we had a great time, and I'd definitely give them another shot. read more

Ordered a grey goose surprise drink and got a Madress. It was very strong but actually welcomed in such cold weather. Place is very busy with families but mostly young professionals. I had a NY strip cooked medium and it was very good but it kind of looked like a less quality piece of meat. Hard to describe except that it didn't look as good as a real steakhouse's would. Their bacon mac and cheese sucked. Not enough cheese and there wasn't any bacon flavor throughout the sauce except the chunks that you may come across.Their fries were addicting and again - very salty. I have to admit though - I ate alone and the bill was $75 for something that shouldn't be over $40 (tax and tip included). Guess that's the price to pay for mediocre in the city? Side note: the best bus boys I have ever seen. This guy cleared a table and reset it for 7 in about 2 minutes. As soon as a plate was done they took it away - VERY ATTENTIVE! read more

P.J. Clarke's - Xmas tree chandleir - American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

All of my experiences to PJ Clarke's have been positive. The staff have always been friendly and attentive, especially the bartenders, and the service was relatively quick. I ended up here the first time with my group because it was seafood close to the White House that wasn't nearly as packed as Old Ebbitt and we were not disappointed. The raw bar here is actually well done, especially the shrimp which I've likened to steak in the past. The mussels here are also usually fresh and flavorful, and with happy hour specials are pretty affordable. After a 10-15 mile day of walking and touring the government section of DC/the mall, the last thing any group wants to do is trek far out into the city (away from the hotel) to find seafood. I appreciate both PJ Clarke's and Old Ebbitt Grill for the close proximity to the museums and monuments but I have to say I much prefer Clarke's. The food I've had is good, the waits aren't nearly as long, and the pace is a bit slower which is usually welcome after a day of tours. PJ's also has some great raw bar samplers so your group can try a little bit of everything. Long story short, if you're looking for a nice seafood restaurant close to the White House with good drinks that's appropriate for bigger groups without the long lines (typically), I'd recommend PJ Clarke's. I've had positive experiences with both the staff and the food thus far, and the location is very much a plus. read more

We went here for brunch with bottomless cocktails with a Gilt City deal, and with the 3 star rating on yelp, we honestly were not expecting much (except to get a nice Sunday morning buzz). However, we were pleasantly surprised by the service, and the quality and quantity of the food and drinks. We definitely recommend the Steak and Eggs and the Chesapeake Eggs Benedict. My husband, a steak afficionado, devoured his perfectly cooked medium rare steak, and the two crab cakes were so meaty and big that I was almost full after eating just one. The bloody marys here are also delicious; not too salty, and just spicy and vinegary enough to give it the right kick. Even without a coupon deal, adding bottomless cocktails is just under $20 which makes it less than the price of 2 drinks here, so it's worth it. Plus, with the serving portions here, you will definitely be getting your money's worth for food. read more

I'll say three nice things about P.J. Clarke's: they have delicious calamari, great outdoor seating in a prime downtown location, and responsive service. However, their drinks are overpriced. No happy hour specials in downtown DC on a weekday. $6 Budweiser. Most irritating, they charged an extra $3 for a Bulleit bourbon 'on the rocks'. The menu said $10 (fine print: neat), and I was charged $13. When I addressed this surprise charge with my waiter (I had ordered two), he immediately wimped out and passed me to the bar manager, who told me that 'on the rocks' equals a bigger pour. read more

I came here last weekend with a group of friends on a trip to DC. The atmosphere is an upscale pub/restaurant. We lingered at the bar for a while waiting for our table. The funny bartender was very anxious to show off his "margarita making skills", but his margaritas lived up to the hype and were very good. I love the complementary pretzels and mustard. The pretzels were soft and delicious. I do not usually like mustard on anything, but I enjoyed Pj's mustard with the pretzels. Everyone at my table ordered the fish and chips, so I can't judge other dishes at the restaurant. However, the beer battered fish and chips were fantastic. They came in a huge basket loaded with fish and fries (I definitely feel like I got my a good size portion for the money). The fish was very fresh and fried to the perfect amount of "crispiness". The service was very friendly and attentive, my glass never neared empty. Lots of lemons were brought as requested for the fish. The atmosphere is casual, but classy, and it didn't have all the pretentiousness that many restaurants in DC. have, especially in Georgetown and the Capitol area. This a great restaurant for groups or a date. The bar also looks like a fun place to watch games. read more

Close your eyes... Imagine a really nice TGI Fridays with terrific menu items, cool decor, and expensive hamburgers.... now imagine that place is in the heart of Washington DC about 2 blocks from the White House.... open your eyes... you're inside P.J. Clarke's. The menu has a nice variety of American food... where I think this place excels is with their hamburgers. Yes they're expensive, but they're also some of the best you'll have anywhere. I ordered the Eggs Benedict Burger and it was marvelous. Atmosphere is a bit loud, as you might expect. Still, this is a cool and classy place... and you've got to love the decor (I especially loved the portrait of Teddy Roosevelt). If you're on a travel budget and want a hardy hamburger while your galavanting between the museums and the monuments.... you won't find much better than PJ Clarke's. If you're a total foodie or looking for an eccentric dining experience... head to Georgetown or U Street. read more

I really did not like this place. I went there for lunch with a friend and I was interested in seeing what all of the hype was about. I had my hopes up and I shouldn't have because it was pitiful. I had the 3 sliders and fries which was $15 and totally not worth it. The waiteress was nice but the food not to much. I would not recommed for happy hour because they don't have any specials. I'm so over this place! read more