Mark and Orlando’s

May or May Not have fallen off of a barstool there… GREAT TIMES!

It is with much sadness and deep regret that I write this updated review. Mark and Orlando’s will be closing its doors tomorrow — APRIL 30^th. I doubt this will be the only restaurant these amazing business partners will own (and they have hopes of a new business venture, and assured me it will happen soon), but this place has been a staple of my life for almost 5 years.
I now know what Norm and Cliff must have felt like when Cheers closed. Simply put — A VOID. Dupont is not my neighborhood, but Mark and Orlando’s is my neighborhood bar. Even more than that, it is like a second home to me!
I’ve come to know and love the owners and staff that work tirelessly to make every single customer feel like a friend — and at home. I’ve come to know the food there so much that I don’t even need a menu anymore.
Two more days… two more days of perfect tasting Grilled Ceasar Salad. Two more days of the possibility of getting a P Street Cheese Steak Sandwich with perfect home made chips. Two more days and it will be the end of a culinary era (for me, personally) and for many regulars in DC who love M & O’s as much as I do.
Thank you to Mark & Orlando, and to the wonderful staff that makes Mark & Orlando’s my (and so many others’) «Cheers» of DC. All of you, and the food and service you have exquisitely provided for almost 5 years will be missed.
Please open another M & O’s soon!!!

One of the best meals I’ve had… in a while!
We visited Mark and Orlando’s while on vacation last week in DC. We were staying right down the street at the Palomar (also highly recommend) and passed by this little place several times. It peaked our curiosity so we decided to try it. There were only about 3 other tables full when we got there (was a little late).
The first thing we tried was their delicious bread that comes with 4 different spreads. Butter, apple butter, a curry spread, and a red onion spread. I loved them ALL, but particularly the curry one. Yummy. For dinner I had the crab cakes which literally melted in my mouth! My boyfriend had the steak with caramelized brussel sprouts. These things were to die for. Sooo good. We had some crème brûlée for dessert to top it off.
On top of the great food, the service was great and the staff here was so much fun to talk to.
I will definitely go back here the next time I’m in DC. You must try this place!

Nice, little restaurant. Went the night prior to inauguration, without a reservation, and we where lucky to steal a small hi-​top. Had the Bibb lettuce w/​blue cheese, walnut, and bacon. A good, solid starter. The bread basket is served with 4 types of spreads which is always fun to try. Then, forward with the scallops, risotto and peas. My girlfriend had the Crabcake dinner. Both meals were exquisite. The scallops were cooked just right and the crabcake was just the right mixture of crab to breading and just slightly crisp. Both meals where just the right size and very filling. Didn’t have dessert since we were pleasantly full. I would definitely look this place up if in D.C. It doesn’t offer much in the way of décor but, then again, the food really is why you’re here.

I first came to Mark and Orlandos shortly after they’d opened with my friend Vincent and Andre as an experiment. Vincent had heard good things about it so we decided to try it. It turned out to be a very nice, intimate restaurant with a wonderfully friendly staff and excellent food. I’ve never gone and had a bad meal, or an unfriendly experience.
The other good thing about Mark and Orlando’s is there’s lots of food that is not so exotic that one must worry about picky eaters. With lots things to appease the meat-​and-​taters types, like pork loin, lamb loin, flat iron steaks, beef filets, etc. you can take pretty much anyone there and not worry about them turning their nose up at the menu. That shouldn’t deter people who enjoy eating adventurously, though. For example, I ordinarily can’t stand grits but they DO NOT make that vile «Georgia icecream» that my Aunt inflicted on me in an effort to turn me into a southerner. At M&Os they cook them into cakes with goat cheese and it becomes a light, fluffy, slightly crunchy comfort food. Sushi lovers would love their smoked fish plate or salmon tartare. Even their bread is unique, with the selection of different spreads. They also make one fo the best hamburgers in the city. Their upstairs room is also good for parties and I believe the rent it out. Their rotating menu insures that each experience will be slightly different. Their prices are also extremely reasonable given the excellent quality of the food. I’ve spent more money at far less fun places.
All in all, this is a wonderful restaurant that offers excellent value.

I didn’t have the worst time of my life, to say the least. The menu is solid and ambitious — which, you have to admit, is nice when it seems so much in dupont is just after a bulging wallet and not to support a discriminating palette. anyway, i was not particularly pleased with my lamb. and i suppose that the «super-​fawncy» downstairs made me want to have a quick sunday night dinner upstairs, made me feel like i was eating in a bar (because I was). that’s where the two stars come from — because, as it says, «meh, i’ve experienced better»
atmosphere is a little weak, and given how empty it was when i was there, i would have expected better service. One of the handful of places in DC that play (ed) sports on the TVs instead of news. I suppose i found that refreshing.
Just felt like nothing particularly special; and the whole concept of a mullet restaurant (party upstairs, business down) feels so strange.

Prior to creepy picture Michael’s bailout, he brought Ben M and I to this wonderful restaurant. The two things that I remember most about the place is the couch and the pork loin. While waiting for something (i’m not sure what exactly), I sunk into the most comfortable couch ever. It sorta saddened me to have to get up and be seated at our table. But then we got bread which was served with a palette of different spreads which were good. I was forced to try the chicken caesar and the chilean bass by my fellow diners and both were excellent, however my pork loin was just perfect. The medallions were browned on the outside with a nice crisp but moist throughout. It was then served with apples and a sweet potatoe purée. Homer Simpson had never been more right than when he stated that the pig is a magical animal.

Cold.
I spent the entire time cold and in the dark and my food came out cold.
We were seated on the second floor at a table next to the front windows and tucked into the corner. The light above us was out, but I guess we have the nice mini candle to read the menus with. Romantic touch, I suppose. Actually wore a dress out for the date and ended up having to wear a jacket the entire time while eating since it was absolutely frigid next to the window (and only early November).
Our waiter wasn’t attentive at all, probably was getting high in the back, that’s how keen his sense of time and memory were. We need just another minute to look over the menu = just a minute, not fifteen, thanks Captain Observant. My drink (Diet Coke, mind you) came out after my meal and the meal was cold. I’m pretty sure it would have tasted really great warm had my waiter probably not left it sitting on a counter for god-​knows-​how-​long. Hence, why this place gets two stars. Minus the shivering, I probably would have had enjoyed my meal if the waiter did half the job he was supposed to. And this was a Friday night, aren’t the more experienced waiters supposed to be working then?
I, nonetheless. recommend it. Especially if you have no problem sending food back to the kitchen to be heated, unlike me. Just make sure you wear sleeves. xo.

A nice cozy little place where you don’t have to get very dressed up for. There was even a little kid when we were there and they doted on the little guy. Orlando was helping out serving dishes, clearing tables, etc.
We started with the cheese grit cakes which were pretty good. My wife had the barramundi which ok good but not great. However, the crab cakes were to die for and the flourless chocolate cake for dessert will send you to heaven.

Mark and Orlando“s is by far my favorite restaurant in DC. Despite the fact that my boyfriend and I had our first big fight, and a few subsequent arguments in the cozy, intimate upstairs bar/​casual dining room, we have to force ourselves to go somwhere other than Mark and Orlando’s for dinner. The service is exceptional with an uncontrived personal touch. Orlando can usually be found roaming around the restaurant enuring that both the food and service will not dissapoint diners. On the rare occasions when the food or service does not live up to the customers expectations, you can count on the staff to do everything they can to make it right.
While the simply and unassumingly elegant downstairs dining room is perfect for a client dinner or romantic evening, I prefer the cozy upstairs bar area where they serve both a more casual bar menu and the downstairs menu. The menu is centered around fresh, seasonal ingrediants, and changes daily. If you are in the mood for Halibut or Escolar, they have the best in the city.

I love the upstairs — you can choose off their more small plates/​salad/​sandwich upstairs menu, or pick something from the more formal-​dining downstairs.
The flavored butters are always exciting adventures (as are the ice cream flavors). The food is always top-​notch (ok, the grilled Caesar Salad was a bit too much, but otherwise). A wine list that includes good, affordable wines as well as expensive treats.
The service is fantastic, friendly, and knowledgeable.
M&O is my go-​to restaurant for an all-​around good dining experience.
Note on the attire: Upstairs, it’s DC-​casual/​hip, downstairs is a bit more formal

I don’t know why I haven’t been here before!
My fiancée and I checked out this place for the first time last night and we opted for the upstairs, more casual place where you get both the fine dining and casual food menus.
Everything we got was from the «fancier» menu, and it was all EXCELLENT.
Our great waiter (seriously, best waiter I’ve had in DC I think) suggested I order the goat cheese app and the scallops for my entrée. They were both GREAT — perfectly cooked with interesting sauces, garnishes, etc. Definitely I would order those scallops again and again.
The bread is also a nice touch — you get four different butters. I’m not sure if the flavors change regularly, but we got onion, strawberry and blueberry butter along with regular. The bread wasn’t great, but the butter was!
I like the casual setting and the non-​stuffy atmosphere. It’s different, but it’s nice. It doesn’t feel like a big «production» to have nice food.
The dessert, also on the recommendation of our server, was amazing. It was a brown butter cake with blueberries. Get it get it get it now!

I went here last night for dinner and accidentally dropped $ 50ish for my meal. I say accidentally, because I was only planning on getting an entrée until I saw the entire menu.
I sat at the downstairs area – very quiet, very intimate. The goat cheese grits cake is amazing and I do mean amazing. I had a bite of my eating partner’s polenta, which was just as good. For the main course, I had the stuffed pork rack, with my partner having the chicken. Not that the pork rack wasn’t good, but the chicken was fantastic. I’m typically not a fan of chicken as I feel it get overcooked and dried out all too often (and sticking overcooked chicken in a pile of sauce does not make it «juicy»). This chicken was perfect though, and the skin? MMm mmm good.
Dessert was fine, but nothing superb to write about. Chocolate cake is chocolate cake, I found the ice cream portion to be a bit small.
Service was excellent and superb. Any restaurant where the owner comes around to talk to each table has my vote. My water glass was always filled, new baskets of bread were always coming around, the waiters were friendly and joked around with us. Plus, when I received my monstrous sized pork rack and had difficulty cutting it (my plate was moving around too much), one of the waiters came and kindly stabilized it with a napkin.
Appetizers are about $ ⁸⁄₉ with entrees being $ 22 – 25. I’ll be back, but next time I’m going to have to control my spending just a bit better.

Took a tip from Unilocal and had a great meal here last night with friends. We opted for the upstairs area, which I guess is Mark’s. We got two different menus, a shorter Mark’s menu and then the full Orlando’s menu from downstairs. We all opted for items from Mark’s, which were casual, pub-​fare type meals: a crab cake sandwich, a chicken club sandwich, and a chicken caesar salad.
Before you dismiss the Mark’s menu as Applebee’s-esque, hear me out. These were no ordinary sandwiches and salads. The sammies were served on yummy grilled ciabbatta loaves, alongside house-​made potato chips that were light as air. The caesar, too, was grilled, and my friend commented that it was the best caesar salad she’d ever had. Everything was all around yummy– and cheap! $ 10 for my meal… unbelievable. We also tried a couple of desserts– a rhubarb crisp and a molten chocolate cake. Both were very good– who cares if they packed on a calorific punch to what would have been a nice light meal…
Service was also EXCELLENT. Our waiter was generous with the wine pours and let us sit there for over two hours catching up without once making us feel rushed. (granted, it was tuesday… but still! very gracious.) Also, we were checked on a couple of times by a man who definitely looked like a Mark… it was a very friendly place.
Others seated around us last night appeared to be regulars, and now I know why. If I lived a little closer, I’d be here all the time.

So I’m a little biased as I am associated with a Dupont business and I’ve known Mark for a long time. That aside, Mark and Orlando’s is a quaint and tasty concept. Orlando has done a great job putting together the two menus the more formal, larger portions for the main level and a smaller, less expensive for upstairs.
Its actually two restaurants with a common kitchen. The main level is Orlando’s and is a finer-​dining experience. While you don’t have to be in a suit, it would be completely inappropriate to come in with shorts or a t-​shirt and sit down here. Its a good date place. The menu matches this with items like lamb and steaks and others. Upstairs, Mark’s, is less formal and has TVs and a small bar. With that is also a menu that I would describe as high-​end bar food but for very reasonable prices. I highly recommend the hangar steak cook medium rare with the potato straws. Its fantastic and seasoned with the slightest bit of rosemary. The nice thing about Mark’s is if you are really hungry you can order anything off of Orlando’s menu too.
The other unifying aspect of the restaurant (other than the kitchen and some similar menu items) is their starter. Fresh bread (focaccia and a sour-​dough) and a selection of 4 ever changing butters and spreads. The Curry butter, while sounding nasty, is so so tasty and not what you would expect.
Mark is also able to accommodate larger groups, probably between 20 – 30, as its a small place. Its a perfect place for dinner before going out on the town or for a birthday.

Mark and Orlando’s. Mark and Orlando’s.
With a name like this you cannot go wrong.
Mark and Orlando’s.
They are gay and make great food. Well, actually I am not sure they are gay, but with a name like Mark and Orlando’s, I bet they are.

Sparse yet cozy…
This is a fairly fancy restaurant, another good place for dates, given the small space. In a rowhouse adjacent to Dupont Circle that’s easy to walk by without noticing.
Food is really excellent and reasonably priced. Also a range of decent wines that allow you to either splurge or keep it (more or less) frugal. The crab cakes were divine. Fun spreads come with the bread they serve you before your meal arrives.
My only complaint was the service: incredibly slow, to the point that I felt we had been completely forgotten. There was only one waiter serving the whole restaurant — that’s tough. Nevertheless, a great experience here, I certainly recommend it.

This restaurant continues to surprise me with how great the food is. The goat cheese grits cake is amazing. The beet salad is, too. Recently had the venison, which was tender and very flavorful. I typically eat upstairs in the bar; however, the dinning room downstairs is very nice and intimate. I can’t recommend this place enough.

4.0 stars:-)!! A very nice restaurant located on P St NW, Mark and Orlando’s flair on American cuisine is a must to try. I have had the opportunity to dine here twice and both times have been very enjoyable.
My favorites here are the rock shrimp and vegetable spring roll with wasabi cream as an appetizer and the medallions of vension with ragout of fava beans and cippolini onions, bay leaf jus and crisp potato nest as my favorite main course.
Although the desserts sound great, I have not experienced them as of yet but I am sure I will in the not to distant future.
Give these guys a try for a very delicious meal which will make you want to be one of their return customers.

The good:
Tasty food.
Bread with 4 spreads was an unexpected surprise.
My gin & tonic was HUGE.
The bad:
Service was spotty and we felt like an inconvenience.