Restaurant Name - Old Ebbitt Grill
Cuisine - American
Location - Washington, D.C.
Price - $$$
Food - 8.5/10
Service - 9/10
Atmosphere - 4/5
Total - 21.5/25
Old Ebbitt Grill is right in the heart of America and shows it. It showcases American classics and stunning seafood in a bustling bistro. Our server was friendly and helpful and was right on the case any time we needed help. I always take notice when the server is ahead of the game and
It’s right across the street from the White House. Being over 150 years old it has a long list of past presidents, congressmen, and celebrities that have crossed its threshold to dine on its fare. It’s a very large restaurant but gets very busy. I absolutely recommend a reservation.
I started off the night by trying their Maine Blue Mussels. Being from New England it's a regular occurrence to have stewed mussels, but I wanted to see what could bring. Its presentation is awesome. A small pot is brought to the table with the top portion covering the mussels to be removed and hold your old shells. The mussels were cooked with a tomato and wine broth, which in my opinion was the real star. Savory, spicy and a touch of acid mixed together to make a warm broth that was begging to be chugged.
Their oyster selection spanned from native Virginia oysters all the way up the coast stopping in MA and ending in Canada. Being at the oyster house of D.C. I had to try a couple and I was surprised. Even being down the coast away from home I was impressed at the freshness of the oysters.
For my entrée I had to try the crab cake. Unbelievable. It had nice, big pieces of crab on the inside and a light breadcrumb coating. The tartar sauce absolutely saved it, it wasn’t overpowering but still brought a healthy amount of well needed moisture. The fries were crunchy and crispy and were the last bit that rounded it out.
Against my will I did try the Hot Fudge Brownie Sundae. I know it sounds cliché but it was perfect. A baked brownie underneath that was actually hot (and not lukewarm like it so often is) and toasted almonds on top for crunch are what set it apart for me.
The first wine I tried was the Chandon Library Dosage Brut. It's a California Sparkling Rose. Very straightforward, crisp and acidic with notes of green apple, lemon, and unripe grapes. The second wine was Hann Family Rose. It's made from Pinot Noir. Also a California rose. Very mild with notes of raspberry, white peach and unripe strawberry. I thought it had some great structure to it and had an almost buttery finish.
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