truly a creole restaurant food is phenomenol
gumbo is as good as it get , rib eye steak is cooked perfect and duxell mushroom sauce is superb will come back again
This is probably the worst meal I've had in the DC area- maybe ever. And it cost around $100, too- without any drinks. When neither my husband or I ate any of the food that we ordered, the waiter didn't even ask if there was a problem- he just took the food and dropped the check. So disappointed because the restaurant looks so cute from the outside and I wanted to love it.
Review Source:Bottom line up front: The worst meal I've had on King street to date.
Without wine and with one appetizer (scallops) dinner for two was $100.
Between us we had the scallops, the duck/quail, and the lobster spaghetti.
The scallops were overcooked and the sauce was heavy and bland. They were topped with fois gras that they had somehow managed to make tough and chewy.
The duck and quail dish had virtually no flavor whatsoever, and the celery-crawfish hash might as well have been chopped cardboard.
I didn't have the spaghetti, but my wife ate 3 bites before putting down her fork and calling it quits.
Despite the fact that neither of us ate more than a few bites of our meal and declined a box no one bothered to even ask how it was.
This restaurant needs to have a coming to Jesus. Â The service is terrible. Â They are more concerned with turning tables than with good customer service. Â We went here for brunch on Mothers day and I feel bad for any mother's that were there expecting good food and service. Â Our waiter was a real winner...no personality, didn't ask if we had questions about the menu,didn't bring bread to the table even though several other tables had bread, didn't ask us if we wanted anything else to drink or refill our waters. Â JUST TERRIBLE. Â Hey guy, if you hate your job, then leave!! The food was mediocre at best. Â No depth, barely any flavor, just meh. Â What a joke. Â The waiter told us dessert options were a peach tart or chocolate cake. Â Well you were wrong again buddy. The chocolate "cake" looked and tasted like a protein bar. Â The peach tart didn't even have peaches....how do you miss the key ingredient?? Â Â Thanks for a terrible mother's day brunch.
Review Source:Not recommended. Â Of all the restaurants in Old Town, this has fallen to the bottom of the list. Â Pay attention to simple things, like cooking the rice, and serving food promptly. Â Such a disappointment, especially at the price point. Â How does a place like this survive? Â As opposed to another review, if the service, the food, and the bartenders have "greatly improved", this must have been a total failure previously. Â Quite frankly, the food is mediocre, the service is terrible, and there was no bartender. Â And the Chef/Manager should get a clue when simple recommendations are made.
Review Source:For a long established business, we expected something ... more.
The first questionable sign was when Brudda Bob ordered a $65 Spanish wine. It was on special. The server returned with an Italian white that was considerably inferior and vastly cheaper, Â which she proclaimed they'd give us at the same price. Oh, dandy.
I asked about gluten free. The side with the salmon was hoppin john which, as the whole Southern hoppin john eating world knows, requires vinegar. Unless you're making your own vinegar from wine (drum roll please) it has gluten.
Five minutes later, our server puts bread plates out - including in front of me. I became suddenly quite alert to my surroundings.
Behind us was seated a large group of Ross fashion cursed women, presumably celebrating an impending wedding and en route to the traditional male stripper bar. Â Their yelling across the table was exceeded only by their choice of language. I finally asked the server to request the manager to put a damper on their Impromptu Sex and the City revival.
I had the La Rosa salad done gluten free, which removes the Brie. This is not small, nor terribly well presented. Â It could be half the size and be more sensible. The lettuce wedge is awkward. The cranberry dressing is very nice. The walnuts are a challenge as well as a standard table knife does not have quite the mustard to tackle this.
The jambalaya was pleasant if unspectacular. I needed hot sauce. I may be funny this way, but if I'm spending this kind of money - I shouldn't need to devein and cut the tails off the shrimp in a dish. Â I found no okra in my jambalaya. This could cause fisticuffs.
I glanced at my dinner companion. To my immediate regret, I saw a Bridezilla shoving a fried chicken leg and a waffle in her mouth, while talking. I began to suspect she was not a product of one of the South's better finishing schools for young ladies.
Inexplicably, none of us finished our meals. Dean was surprised to see she-crab soup in a cream base instead of tomato. He did like the étouffée very much.  La Bella ordered lamb, while well roasted - lacked any hint of spice. Brudda liked his gumbo.
But for the money? No. Middle of the night Celiac update: Magic 8 Ball says "Not Your Lucky Day"
This restaurant should be closed down. Â Not just is the service terrible but the staff is poorly managed. The "new" chef should find a new job; maybe at Burger King.
My wife and I went on Friday night and they totally ruined our evening, weekend and now the week.
These bozoz fed us spoiled sea food; although we sent it back, it was too late because we had obviously had a bite.
Ordered the Sea Scallops in truffle sauce and they were spoiled. Â My wife ordered the etouffe and the seafood was still frozen in the middle; they obviously don't use fresh seafood.
I don't eat meat so I ordered the Blackened salmon, which was mediocre, and it was served on a bed of rice with meet in it??? WTH?
My wife had some type of food poisoning and we were at the ER last night (after 3 days of stomach pains). Â I haven't been right since either.
The staff was clueless, chef was lost, people were walking out and leaving their food on the table.
The best part about it, is that they didn't even offer an apology and charged us for all of the food that we COULDN'T eat. Â I paid and left...didn't want to make a scene.
I will surely follow up with a few calls.
What better place than Old Town to visit during Inauguration Weekend? Â Oh okay, the White House, The Capitol, the Lincoln Steps....you got me. Â But none the less, this was a nice place to be during this time of patriotic renewal. Â 219 had been on my Radar for a while now so with a friend visiting from out of town I thought it would be a nice fit. Â 219 shares a space with a bar/lounge upstairs so that made it even more attractive. Â The time: Â 8 PM Friday before the big dance--I mean Inauguration. Â Crisp, and clear but too cold for patio dining... it was open for the brave and the stupid. Â The meal selections trended towards creole mainly.....actually it was mainly just generic southern. Â None the less, our meal was satisfying. Â No James Beard awards or anything like that, but a decent Friday night meal. Â My companion had the house salad, salmon (grilled, lightly seasoned and smoky), with greens, and Banana's Foster. Â I had duck sausage for starters, NY Strip Steak with a mushroom demi-glace, black-eyed peas, and bread pudding with ice cream.
The verdict which I solemnly swear to tell you so help me God....get it...Inauguration...annnnywhooo.... is a very decent and serviceable place to chow. Â High marks for intimacy, and service. Â Good marks for the food. Â Must give Poor marks for the watery cocktails, but they did a redo on the drinks and the second attempt was far better. Â So if you need a DECENT meal with an intimate setting choose 219. Â
Addendum: Â Bread pudding with ice cream.....that's a big no no! Â Bread pudding needs a good sauce or nothing at all. Â Ice Cream? Â Yeah if you are a Philistine!
It should be an impeachable offense! Â Anyone? Â Anyone? Â No? Â (is this mike on?)
Extensive scotch & bourbon selection. The ambiance here is nice but VERY smokey. Â You can still smoke inside here and everyone was lighting up as fast as they could...pipes, cigarettes and cigars. We came for drinks and jazz but did not eat. Â We saw a lot of orders of chicken and waffles go by and they looked good. Â We asked for a menu at 10 pm but was told that the kitchen was closed.
219 is a little pricey; drinks for 3 plus our designated driver came to $200. If you go, Bartender Brad makes a good cocktail. The others seemed kind of new at it. I was disappointed at the snarky attitude of the bartenders. After trying to push booze on our designated driver to no avail, they nicknamed him Boring and referred to him that way all night. For this reason, I won't go back and only rated them 2 stars. Customers should not be taunted by bar staff for being responsible.
I've walked pass this restaurant several times and each time said next time I'm going in...so today was that day. I liked the charm and the old world decor of the place. I went for a late lunch so it wasn't busy, and I must say Tu our server was GREAT!!! She was very patient, attentive, and accomodating. As it was lunch I ordered the Oyster Po Boy and although I could've stood for a few more oysters it was very good. The chef was there in the dining area and came over and introduced himself and he was very attentive as well. I've read some of the reviews and they are pretty scathing. However, I enjoyed my lunch and had a very pleasant time and I will be back to try out the other dishes on the menu very soon.
Review Source:I'm not a fan of this place. I went for NYE and expected to have a nice romantic dinner with my date and I got pretty much the opposite. I had originally made a reservation for 7:30p, NYE night, but I had to push it back because my date wouldn't be available until after 830. So I called and pushed back the reservation to 945p, which I didn't have a problem with at all and I appreciated the staff for moving the reservation. But what the hostess failed to inform me about was that the 945p reservation was in the smaller dining room with a large party of about 30 people. Now granted, if the large party made their reservation before mine, I can't fault them at all. But the entire dinner was filled with drunken folks yelling at almost the top of their lungs at times and breaking out into singing random DMX songs. I was kinda of embarrassed that I had picked this place for NYE. It bothered me that I wasn't even told that I'd be sitting in the dining room with such a large party. Now I'm sure the restaurant didn't know the large group would be so rowdy, but still. I may have changed my mind about moving the reservation or chose to sit outside. Not to mention that the dining room on the main level is about the size of my garage, so it was really tight and that made the noise even worse.
Couple the loud noise (and at times we couldn't even hear each other) with the very average food. 219 had a pre-fix menu for NYE and that's pretty much standard on NYE. But the menu options were kind of limited. My date got the crabcakes which were OK, and I got the Cornish hen, which was super dry and a little bland. I expected for $45/person the food would have been a little better, but I guess I can't complain too much because the only other option was the $75/person pre-fix menu and I'm sure the choices on that menu were equally average. The service was decent and it seemed like the waiters were really tied up with the big party.
I'd possibly hit this place up for brunch on a random spring/summer day and sit on the patio, but I'd steer clear of this spot for special occasions, NYE or a nice dinner. There are plenty of other choices in Old Town.
If you're really hungry and can't be bothered to walk a little further up or down King Street, then this restaurant has food that you can eat, so you won't pass out from low blood sugar. Â Beyond that, it offers very little. Â
We went there for brunch on Sunday. Â I regretted it almost immediately. As soon as we walked into the dining room we were greeted by the strong smell of cigarette smoke. Â The kind of smell you get when you walk into a bar in the early morning - stale, seeped into every corner and crevice and carpet. Â Apparently there is a smoking area upstairs. Â It was New Year's day so I imagine the smell was worse than usual from the partying the night before. Â
The decor was dark and old fashioned. Â I didn' t like it at all, and I didn't get "New Orleans" from it, as some others suggested. Â It was more like colonial in need of an update. Â But that was really not the worst thing about the restaurant. Â
Aside from the cigarette odor, I made the mistake of going to the ladies room there. Â The smell of the bathrooms began at the top of the stairs and by the time I got to the actual restrooms it was sort of like walking into a port-a-potty. Â The condition of the bathroom was extremely poor. Â It was one step below the average highway rest area in terms of cleanliness. Â
By the time the food arrived I was trying to look up health inspections on my iphone and I was kind of worried. Â The food was just OK. Â Brunch was maybe a little better than Ihop, but nothing great. Â Certainly nothing so amazing that it outweighed all the odors and the nearby filthy bathrooms. Â My son liked the mac and cheese a lot, which actually is the reason I give the restaurant 2 stars and not 1. Â
Service was just OK. Â We were in a separate room from wherever the servers hang out, so if we wanted something we had to get up and look for one in the bar area since no one was in our room most of the time. Â It took forever to get the bill, which was not good because I wanted to get out of there and into fresh air. Â
Overall, I would not eat there again for any reason. Â There are so many other choices. This is diner-level food at tourist trap prices, and the bad smells and lack of cleanliness, as well as the gloomy interior made it someplace I was happy to leave.
I was looking forward to trying out 219. Â The menu looked amazing and the reviews were pretty good.
We ordered the quail and gumbo for appetizers (both amazing), aged ribeye (50% was fat and you pay by the ounce), rabbit pot pie (decent), and turtle cake (they brought us over-microwaved molten cake instead which was dry and hard).
The service was extremely slow, and we heard several other diners complain about having to wait far too long for dessert, etc. Â
When we showed up, they had our reserved table outside ... it was 30 degrees out. Â So we had to wait another half an hour before a table inside was ready for us. Â The General Manager did bring us two complimentary glasses of wine due to the wait.
We will not be returning to 219 ... the food is too hit/miss, especially when it comes with a $150 price tag for two for dinner.
This place perplexes me a bit. Based on the atmosphere I didn't expect it to serve primarily Southern/Louisiana style food. That said the food isn't bad but I won't be craving it anytime in the future either. I had the pork 2-way which was wild boar chops and one of my favorite foods on earth, pork belly. The pork belly didn't disappoint but the chops were interesting, very tender but they had a strange sweet flavor which I couldn't really decide if I liked or not. Other than that, service was decent and the interior is old but classy.
Review Source:A gorgeous restaurant in Old Town Alexandria. The menu is New Orleans-inspired. I had roast duck with a Louisiana Hunter sauce, and my boyfriend had BBQ shrimp and cheese grits. The wine list is outstanding, with over 500 bottles. A cigar bar upstairs and a regular bar downstairs round out this delightful place.
Review Source:The food was amazing. I had the Salmon special with navy beans, brussels sprouts and goat cheese on top. It was perfectly roasted and melted all together on the fork. The only thing that was quite sad is the service. Very surprised to see such restaurant with no professional staff. The server seemed very inattentive, lacking basic visits to check on food and if we wanted refills. Only 4 stars for now, but really wanted to give 5. Maybe next time.
Review Source:I'm completely shocked that this restaurant is so highly rated. In fact, I had to check through photos to make sure that we are all talking about the same place. I'm not prone to hyperbole but the food and dining room experience was the worst I've ever had in my life by a wide margin. And it's not like our meal was a fluke or we just had a waiter on an off-day, this place is just bad to the core.
The dining room smelled of bad fish and the curtains on the wall were stained and dingy. The gin and tonic I ordered was flat (literally, completely flat) and served with too little ice and a browning lime. I ordered the roasted quail (I generally go for 'safe' dishes if I'm worried that a place doesn't have their act together) and it was terrible. The boney, tasteless birds were overdone and had been sitting in their own grey juices for so long they were soggy and their skin was rubbery and greasy. I felt like I was eating squirrel or something. At this point I would have let it all slide and just forgotten about the place, but the veggies that came with the quail set me into my current, permanent, life-long funk. Boiled string beans and baby carrots, unseasoned, obviously from a bag. This is an entree that costs ~$25, at a "white linen" restaurant, with a formally dressed server- and I'm getting boiled baby carrots? All of the pomp and flourish of their dining room made the miserable food seem more and more like a deliberate scam.
All of this happened a little over a year ago. So, perhaps things have changed. Some of the reviewers say that Ryan Ross is taking care of business. I wish them the best and hope they reinvent themselves, or as lest get rid of the dead-fish smell in the dining room. But I will never go back there as it is hands-down the worst DC restaurant at this price point.
The 219 is one of my favorite spots in the DC area. Â I have experienced some of the best live Blues here EVER, and I've been to a lot of Blues and Jazz venues, and I live in a city that loves its music.
I just don't think that you can find a more historic (the place never feels empty, even when there's hardly anyone in it, if you know what I mean) and perfect place to listen to the Blues - it just feels like it should. Â There's a beautiful bar upstairs and a stage area that is perfect acoustically. Â The acts that play there - at least the several times I've gone - were very, very audience friendly and engaging - talking with patrons, having a great time...
On one visit I brought a group of co-workers from Mississippi, Alabama, and Missouri with me who were a bit skeptical about the band playing - a Blues band doing a T-Bone Walker tribute night with a frontman who looked like an ancient Christopher Walken with a bad dye job. Â I emphatically begged them to have a little faith, and as a gesture of goodwill, I acquiesced to their pressure to eat my very first oyster (cooked)...and you know what? Â It wasn't bad at all. Â Their food is homey and tasty and good, and the drinks are not shy.
When the band got started, the guys with me turned to me with that look that occurs when the music's so good your tiny armhairs stand at attention - and said, "Now I know why you brought us here". Â The night was a blast, the music was without flaws, and it gave us all a little break from the training session we'd been stuck in all week.
Every time I come to DC, I make a point to visit the 219. Â It never disappoints.
We went today for a nice dinner and honestly we didn't know we were in for a surprise. Being that my fiancee is an executive sous chef, we're not picky, but he knows about food and when is worth what we're paying for.
So we went in, and the menu is really simple and clean- not pretentious- and we sat at a nice table kinda inside-outside. Great atmosphere, the music wasn't on yet. We usually have "spicy pork belly saturdays" at  The Honey Pig but today he wanted something different (we still love you guys!). To our surprise, there was a pork belly appetizer in the menu so he ordered for me. There comes this little "block" of glistening, moist looking pork belly with a nice kinda of cherry sauce on the top that looked like refried black beans, a small salad on the side and other sauce in the bottom of the pork belly. When my fiancee sank the fork in, it literally fell apart. It was extremely juicy and the flavor!!!!!! It was something out of this world. I like pork but I never tasted something like this. My fiancee was also extremely happy and impressed. It was like the best food orgasm. Seriously. Every bite of the pork belly with the cherry sauce on top and the other white sauce in the bottom was something out of this world. I couldn't stop complimenting it and telling our server how great it was, which by the way, she was very good, sweet and attentive. Sorry I don't remember your name.
Then we passed to the entree which it was the bacon wrapped filet mignon for me and the lamb for my fiancee. I ordered it medium rare. What I liked the most about it was that, it didn't come with an overpowering mountain of mashed potatoes like other places do. It was a nice layer of the mashed potatoes with three different carrots on the top and a couple of green beans. The mashed potatoes were really soft and buttery. The filet was very well seasoned- not overpowering with spices, buttery, and had this amazing crust on the top, crunchy, amazing. The lamb my fiancee had was amazing as well, with raspberries on the top, very savory and served with a salad.
Then we decided to have dessert. I ordered the passion creme brulee and my fiancee ordered the flourless chocolate cake. AMAZING. You could really taste the passion fruit in it, not super sweet and the sugar crust was just right. Not one bite was wrong! His chocolate cake wasn't overpowering like others we tried before and had this kinda jelly paste on the top made of maybe raspberry or blueberry that complemented the cake extremely well.
It was the best dining experience we had ever and very worth the money we splurged. We will be back again. You really have to try it.
I recently returned to this restaurant and discovered that they have a new chef who is a wonder. Â The food has vastly improved with the new chef. Â I had the filet mignon. Â The dinner was simply superb. Â The environment is still beautiful. Â Also, the basement bartender is all about personality. Â I thought he was fun and a bit of a show by himself. Â But this restaurant now has food that is a real "wow" factor. Â I appreciate that they still accomodate smokers like me, though they do have a large, well segregated non-smoking section.
Review Source:I think 219 is underrated. Â Besides Vermilion and the happy hour at Chart House, I'm not the biggest fan of the Old Town dining scene. Â However, I was impressed with 219. Â Their chef, Ryan Ross, is fairly new, and he is great. Â
219 is a very elegant, formal restaurant, with a grand dining room, a nice dining space by the bar, a patio, and a covered deck. Â All provide a variety of dining views. Â If you smell tobacco, don't be alarmed - there is a cigar bar upstairs. Â Downstairs is host to the Basin Street Lounge, a bit of a dive, but with one of the friendliest bartenders ever.
We ate in the dining area by the bar, late on a Sunday evening. Â Service was excellent. Â Bread is tasty and being a carb addict, I could not stop eating it. Â I wanted the fish (sea bass, I believe) with a lobster sauce, but they were out, and nothing else appealed to me. Â So the kind chef visited our table and asked me to trust him. Â He made a delicious sauce of butter, leeks, herbs, and maybe another ingredient that paired well with my fish and asparagus. Â I didn't even ask what was in it (which is big for me) - I just ate it. Â He stopped by later to see how I liked everything, and that is when I asked. Â The asparagus was grilled perfectly and the roasted potatoes were yummy. Â My father and his girlfriend both had the salmon, which I was able to sample, and it was very good. Â Daddy just drank beer, but his girlfriend and I both had the gerwurztraminer, which I highly recommend. Â Unfortunately, we were all too full for dessert.
Though the online menu does not match the current one (a tad disappointing), there are some similarities if you need an idea of the menu. Â I'd love to return and definitely want to try brunch.
I have been here twice.
The first was on a date. We sat outside, it was lovely. I ordered the she-crap soup (the only affordable thing on the menu because this is an "up-scale" restaurant) and it was fantastic. Rich and buttery. The service was meh which was disappointing because it is so expensive but it was...serviceable. Basically, food was good but there are lots of good food in Old Town. I wasn't planning on going back.
However, our last visit was a completely different story. We had a big company party (about 15 people) booked for the Cigar Lounge area, after being assured it wasn't going to be that smoky. It was, so we relocated to the COMPLETELY EMPTY restaurant. At first, things seemed fine until the Twilight Zone episode started.
First, we had to beg for menus. We got the wine menus. Then we had to beg for food menus. We finally got those but only 5 for a group of 15. Hmmmm.
Second, the manager/chef actually came out and scolded us for relocating (again, to the dead restaurant). He made us feel so uncomfortable about eating there and we were so appalled that a group that is about to drop at least $300-$400 was being treated that way that we decided to cut our losses. We hadn't even ordered yet and we were being scolded... for eating... at a restaurant. There's is nothing quite like it to put off an appetite. We went to O'Connells instead (I will be yelping them next as they were wonderful).
Thanks 219 for upbraiding your customers for wanting to eat in the restaurant. I couldn't help noticing that on the way back from a fantastic dinner your restaurant was still a ghost town.
C'est la vie!
Bar upstairs on second floor is a treasure. When I next visit DC I'll be staying in Alexandria just to eat here every evening. Was able to enjoy a cigar INSIDE by a lit fireplace after a fantastic meal. Â On second night lit up my pipe for a luxurious hour and a half leisurely smoke. Â Bar tender on second night was a far cry from first night. Had to keep getting up to go to bar to get service despite there being only two other folks there.
Review Source:This place has so much potential, but they do shoot themselves in the foot when it comes to service.
The good: food is typically above average to excellent. The decore is very cool with a New Orleans feel. They usually have a very good blues band playing at night.
The bad: their policies with cover charges are a pain in the ass. Â And even if you are promised it will be waived (I had been sitting at the bar with friends for three hours) you will be charged. They do also have more than their fair share of servers who are burned out and should be doing something else.
Verdict: this is a definite stop as you explore or move through old town. Just don't make it your first or last stop.
Me & my daughter went here for Brunch on a Saturday
My waiter was ok...the atmosphere is very nice, but the food was nothing to write home about & where most brunch places have some type of mimosa specials or brunch drink specials (ie bloody marys) this place allows you 1 freaking mimosa & charges $8 for another one...really people! while chart house down the street has a nice brunch menu & endless mimosas on the brunch menu for a mere .99 cents each...hmmm maybe i should try this place in the evening ??
Pros (Good French Food, Creativity, Flashes of brilliance): The steak tartare was one of the more interesting concoctions, prepared with cubed (instead of ground) meat, a cooked egg (instead of raw egg on top), and soy sauce as the main flavoring. It's very interesting and we're both big fans. The "outside" seating area is covered, and provides you with ample sunlight without getting a polo shirt tan. Our food was served efficiently with the moderate speed typical of a French restaurant.
Cons (Mundane, nothing popped out that would make me want to become a regular): Aside from 219 being one of the few French restaurants in the eastern side of Old Town, nothing popped out to us as a must have. It's a good place if you want some good food and relaxing environment, but it seems the other restaurants of Old Town does atmosphere just as well as 219.
Bottom Line: It's the default place to go for French cuisine in Old Town, and some may say that the best kind of win, is a win by default.
Recommendation: Steak Tartare.
Comparable to: Yve's Bistro (Alexandria, VA)
I was hemming and hawwing about giving this place 4 or 5 star, and what I really want is 4.5 stars... almost but not quite perfect.
We stumbled upon this place (that has obviously been there for sometime) and I was surprised that it had no Yelp review... We were headed for the Warehouse Bar & Grill and noticed it as we walked up to the corner. It had an intriguing and inviting menu so we opted to give them a try (plus I get a Yelp first :)
The She-Crab soup was FANTASTIC! Shows how there's always something new out there to try. My boss puts it in the top 10 soups he's ever had. If you don't know what it is our waiter explained it simply as a cream based crab soup with sherry... I'm sure there's more to it than that, but all I know was that it was delicious.
I had the roast duck mainly because so few places do duck and I always like to try. I gave it a B. My boss opted for the Chicken & Pepperoncini over Penne Pasta and he loved it. He commented that it wasn't at all what he was expecting but it was absolutely delicious and perhaps his new favorite pasta sauce (e.g. he likes spicy).
All in all a great experience. The wine list looked good although we didn't partake, and they also have beer on tap and bottles. DEFINITELY a destination next time I'm in Alexandria.
I came in for a quick brunch on Sunday (5/23/10) at about 10 am.
Service was polite and prompt and the food came out quickly.
I ordered the Seafood Crepe and it came with a Carrot soup...Both were fantastic. The salad served with the crepe was overly large in my opinion and lacked in garnish (too much green with a few lackluster pieces of tomato) This however took nothing away from my meal due to the fact that I didn't even plan on having it and it was not that big of a deal.
Overall I really liked the restaurant and plan to come back for sure.
First of all- I think this restaurant is having an identity crisis. Â The dining room and patio are set up more like a New Orleans establishment but the menu is far from creole/cajun. Â
Next- I think I might have ordered the wrong thing here. Â
We went for brunch with a large group. Â Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals with exception of me, I got an omelet souffle that was more like just dried eggs on a plate.
I thought that the waiter was a little short with us. Â The food took FOREVER and most of what people originally ordered wasn't even available. Â
Pluses- the bread is awesome. Â I could have eaten just bread. Â Also, the mimosas were great. Â
I would be happy to give this place another shot, but it needs to step it up a notch as there are too many other great brunch places to chose from in the area.
This place started out great. Â I really wanted to give it 5 stars, but I simply cannot.
A group of us came out here last Saturday night. Â When we got there, the place was pretty much empty. Â They have a basement bar, the restaurant level and a lounge upstairs, which they advertise as the only cigar lounge in Alexandria. Â We went up there and it was a really nice space, with a nice bar, and very empty. Â They showed us what they were planning to do to expand the lounge and the head bartender ran down the menu with us.
The food here was very good...I will say that. Â I got a steak with blue cheese and a merlot sauce. Â It came with vegetables and mashed potatoes. Â The sides were really good, and the steak was perfectly cooked. Â It was REALLY good. Â I had crab bisque as a starter and it was really creamy and had amazing flavor. Â So the food here was great. Â I was loving the place.
Now, at 9:00pm, my opinions started to change. Â The band started playing... and don't get me wrong... they were a VERY good jazz band. Â I really enjoyed the music and the show they were putting on. Â The problem is that the space is kind of small there, and the speakers were turned up very loud on their equipment... so you really couldn't talk to people or hear anyone because the band totally overpowered EVERYTHING.
Also, the place got very crowded...crowded to the point where it was really hard to move. Â As a result... the wait staff/bartenders kept moving people around to different tables to consolidate the space and allow more customers to come in. Â I found this to be quite annoying... as more people from our group left, they kept shifting us around to open up more tables.
Lastly, as the night went on the wait staff got a bit more oblivious and rude. Â They became far less attentive...and I understand that will happen because there are a lot of people there now... but you don't need to be dismissive and rude. Â Our main server tried to charge us for a coffee we didn't order and insisted we did. Â Pointing to a coffee cup on a table that wasn't ours and telling us we ordered it. Â He eventually gave in and took the coffee off of our bill.
My final issue with the place was that they charge a retro cover and did not tell us about it.  There is a cover for the band after 9:00pm.  We got there around 6:00.  At no point did anyone come tell us that they were going to add a cover onto our bill if we stayed there past 9:00.  If they would have said something, I would have had no problems with it.  But  $5.00 per person cover charges magically appeared on our bill without being told.  I did not like this either.
The space is nice...the food is spectacular... but they really need to work on how the manage the place.
I ate here about two weeks ago on a Saturday evening. Â Seating options include a casual covered patio or an elegant dining room. Â We selected the air conditioned dining room. Â Our party of four received excellent service.
Now for the food: Â It hands down exceeded my expectations! Â I had the brie and pear appetizer, as well as the crab cakes to start. Â I preferred the crab cake over the brie, but they were both good. Â I ordered the fillet with mustard glaze/sauce for my entree. Â It was excellent! Â It came with mixed veggies and mashed potato. Â The veggies and potato were nothing special, but I was so into the fillet I didn't care. Â Oh! Â Also loved the bread here! Â Overall a little on the pricey side, but the quality of the food is worth it to me. Â
I will be back! Â I think it's a cute place to get dressed up for a romantic evening. Â There's a jazz/blues place upstairs with live music which is nice for a drink after dinner. Â The jazz place charges a $5 cover which I thought might be waived for diners, but no such luck! Â Perhaps they share a building but are not owned by the same people?
Had a hankering for a nice Sunday brunch, so I came across this place cruising the sidewalks of Old Town. Menu looked intriguing, the patio dining was enticing, and the price was right (enough).
Ambiance: 3 stars. Again, the covered patio dining is what drew me in. Given the factor that is was a gorgeous, sunny 60-something degrees in early February probably skewed my partiality..
Service: 2 stars. Seated right away, no reservation, no wait. Slow to come around and while the waiter within about a 20 ft radius for most the meal, he was difficult to track down. I'm rarely in a hurry and the company was good so this wasn't a deal breaker for me. If I were on a first date, conversation would most likely have run dry before the 1st course (and I don't tend to struggle with conversation).
Food: 3 stars. The selection was decent. I was torn between 3 entrees: Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Brie Omelet Souffle, Seafood Crepes and Steak Benedict. I chose the first. Portions were large, so come hungry. Every brunch entree is served with your choice of salad, soup de jour or champagne. The potato leek soup made the entire experience worth the trip! The only thing on the plate that seemed out of place was the hash brown that would have looked more in place aside a Egg McMuffin.
Overall: 2 stars. Positive experience but would venture out to other establishments before returning for brunch. Would check out the Jazz Lounge for evenings drinks in the future.
I had a rare occasion where my trip to Alexandria City Hall took 5 minutes instead of the usual lengthy wait to pay property taxes, so I took the opportunity to prowl around the waterfront of Old Town since after living here 10 years I'd never been past city hall.
After walking in and out of shop and reading various menu placards, I settled on a bite to eat at 219 Restaurant - I'M SO GLAD I DID. It was some of the best food I'd ever been served.
As another reviewer has already stated, one word describes this little restaurant: elegant. I totally did not expect what I encountered when I entered. What a quaint little place with a refined feel without being stuffy or over the top pretentious.
I had a bottle of San Pelligrino (2 actually), the Escargots de Bourgogne, and the Garden Salad. The fresh bread provided was perfect for soaking up the excess "sauce" from the escargot (which themselves were nice and plump). You will need a moment for the escargot to cool as they came from the kitchen beyond piping hot. But it was worth the wait. The salad was just a plain greens salad with tomato and cucumber slices. What made the salad to die for was the House Lemon Dressing. I will tell you - every bit of green, tomato, cucumber and bread was used to make sure not a drop of it remained.
I would easily eat here again - and plan to when the opportunity presents itself.
This is not an inexpensive place to eat - but I found the prices reasonable for the quality, and type of food being presented. Its a great place for a nice "quiet" lunch or dinner. The service is impeccable.
One draw back - the restaurant is very small (both the exterior covered seating, and the interior restaurant). Quiet is a relative term - when I was there, I got to hear all about the tourists next to me opinions of the health care system - which I could have done without while eating. But in a place as small as this, that can't really be helped. This is a very intimate dining venue.
I was there for lunch and nicely but casually dressed. That was fine, but I would go quite a bit dressier probably if I headed there for dinner or weekend brunch.
4.0 stars:-)! Â The entry to this restaurant does not anticipate or announce the surprise once you enter. Â This place is elegant in an old world way, just stunning with European silk curtains, white tablecloths, fireplaces, and with tasteful black wrought iron decorative giving you the feel of an upscale New Orleans bistro.
I brought my partner here for his 50th Birthday during Brunch and we were both impressed. Â We started with their signature Bloody Mary and man did they hit the spot. Â They were perfection in a glass and so much so, we had to have another round.
On to the food. Â My partner ordered the jambalaya New Orleans style with chicken, shrimp and Andouille sausage and I ordered the seared cod fillet with vodka sauce served with rice pilaf and 219's vegetable of the day which I was in luck, it was asparagus, my favorite. Â Both were delicious but I will say my partner's jambalaya was better. Â I loved the spiciness of his dish. Â The portions were fairly large so we had no room left to try dessert.
The service. Â Just excellent, attentive, and one of the best waiters we have had. Â What a character he was.
If you are looking for an elegant, romantic place with great ambience to spend a cold winter's day or hell, any day, for a memorable dining experience, give this place a try. Â You will be glad you did!!
Two things that you need to know about this place!
New Orleans cuisine with Jazz entertainment!
With a yummy New Orleans BBQ Shrimp, an exceptional service and excellent music entertainment, complete with the bottle of Moet & Chandon Champagne and a great company makes my evening and whole dining experience enjoyable and unforgettable!
Purrrfect!
Not to be confused with the elegant, high priced, Cajun 219 that used to here here-- this is now a Thai restaurant.
I was thinking "Just what Old Town really needs, yet another Thai place". With my old standby's like Chintana and Thai Old Town steps away, plus my new fave Mai Thai, I was skeptical.
The inside is decorate with bright colors and tons of glass. The food was pretty much what I expected. Typical Thai food, nothing out of the ordinary.
Since this is new style of cuisine in an old location, the wait for a table was long. They do have a bar that you can hang out in while you do wait. The outside seating area will be a big draw come spring and summer.
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