Smith & Wollensky

Lunch Restaurant Week Review (delayed post)
A few days after the big blizzard hit and I realized it was DC restaurant week. Completely sick of cooking my own meals I trekked out for a lunch date here. It was almost empty, so maybe that’s why our service was so great, but I’m gonna give them the benefit of the doubt that it’s always good. The portions, along with the service, made this one of the better restaurant week options I’ve checked out.
To put it plainly, Smith & Wollensky is a great restaurant. Everything they serve is a standard recipe that has likely done them well for years. They know how to cook a steak. And with all the history around you on the walls, it’s just so very ‘DC’ in the absolute best way. I imagine a lot of business meetings take place here, a lot of schmoozing. Come here and schmooze someone up!
Oh and if you needed anymore of a push to come… their desserts are huge!

My husband and I dined there on 3÷5÷2016 for the first time. We were seated immediately, the host was great but the waiter (Joseph) was AMAZING, very knowledgeable about the menu offered great suggestions, even conversed about history with my husband. The steak was awesome, barely needed the knife to cut it, the truffle mac and cheese out of this world and probably the absolute best caesar salad I’ve ever had and to top it off, the coconut cake… YUMMM!!!

Last night was nothing but $ 211 of disappointment. I felt like I was at a cheap Outback or Olive Garden. Do not come here if you are interested in an upscale dining experience with a quality meal. Best part of the night was the bread. Service was mediocre and took half an hour just to get the check.

Came here for lunch for a business meeting. The menu looked fantastic and the our staff was pretty friendly and helpful. While they are known for steaks, we ended up with salads and the tuna steak — easier for business meeting. However I’ll be back for a steak they looked so yummy.

Came here on Valentine’s Day with my husband and daughter. We were shown to our seats and before we could even take off our coats (we’re still standing, mind you) the waiter was telling us about the specials and wanting to take our drink orders. I politely told him to give us a chance to sit down first and look at the menu before we put in a drink order. We ordered the scallops and bacon (pork belly), which was tasty. My husband ordered the cajun ribeye, which was flavorful. I ordered the salmon, which was ok. After dinner, they brought our table 3 huge chocolate covered strawberries I guess to commemorate Valentine’s Day, which were good. Overall, I believe that S&W has seen better days and was probably the place to go some years back. I probably won’t be going back.

Even though the reviews were not great we still wanted to give it a go ourselves. I am a huge steak lover and have eaten at fine steak restaraunts all over the country. I will have to say that I am highly disappointed. The steaks were well below par yet more expensive then most steak restaurants. I had to send my steak back once. I asked for medium well. Parts of the steak were very rare. The sides were decent but again under par for the price. The desserts were good. I had the chocolate crème brûlée and my wife had the coconut cake. Both were very good. Now about the service. Service started off well but as soon as I had to send my steak back the servers demeanor had changed. In the beginning he was very attentive but after that he barely came to the table. If you want good steak do not dine here. I remember they used to be very good. What happened???

We stopped in to S&W for Happy Hour and had an amazing time. Jeff, the bartender was incredibly attentive and the food was amazing. We had a great experience.
I recommend the truffle macaroni and cheese as well as the fried calamari!

Dammit what happened to Smith and Wollensky??? Is it cause of the snow that the food was poor? Delivery trucks didn’t make it out? Frozen meat?
We came here for happy hour, mind you the last time we came here for dinner at the bar, it was a fantastic experience. They totally missed the mark this time, it was really disappointing.
From the happy hour menu, we ordered the Fritto Misto, Wollensky Sliders, Beef Carpaccio, and Steak Tartare.
Fritto Misto — Calamari was decent. I would order this again.
Wollensky Sliders — the meat to bread ratio is so off, meat did taste beefy, served with ketchup and a pickle. I’d totally skip this next time. Nothing special about the sliders. I’d rather them serve me 2 deluxe sliders with some nice toppings to add more flavor (caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, or even a slice of cheese). This was just an oversized mini-​bun with a slice of meat in the middle.
Beef Carpaccio — flavorless, bland, not seasoned (no salt, no pepper, no vinaigrette), FROZEN red meat. Yes, like freaking chinese hot pot style frozen sliced red beef. WHAT???
Steak Tartare — Flavorful I’ll give you that, but the meat was mostly brown. Not the most visually appealing, or freshest tartare I’ve had. Someone in the kitchen pushed it out thinking thats okay.
The quality control from S&W was non existent this visit.
The drinks are mediocre. There are parking lots on 19^th street, but you can definitely find street parking if you are willing to walk a little. They don’t have valet parking.

Best steak I’ve ever had! Medium rare is a must so you can taste that dry age seasoning. My boyfriend and I got the porterhouse cut which is the only cut that has a dry aged filet mignon in it, came with veggies and we ordered truffle mac on the side (drooooool). For dessert we had the coconut cake which was amazing in taste and size, definitely coming back.

I feel like I’m the only person that views this restaurant as sub-​par. The service is good, a little overbearing, but it’s clear the sommeliers know what they are talking about and are eager to offer any information they can in order to aid your selection. We ordered several appetizers to share with the table — they were all decent, but nothing to write home about. I ordered the pan seared salmon as my entrée and was surprised at how dry it was. Dessert was by far the best course — we ordered several different slices of cake and were incredibly satisfied with each.
The cocktail selection is where this place really stood out to me — the selection was diverse and unique. I ordered an Old Hollywood (Three Olives Marilyn, Moët & Chandon, Chambord, splash of yogurt liqueur) and it was wonderful. These drinks are VERY strong, so be prepared for that if you’re not a big drinker. The Pear-​Ginger Martini is very good as well, and was recommended by our waiter. Our waiter was VERY talkative, and interrupted us several times. I’m not sure if this is just my preference, but as someone who has worked in the restaurant industry and dines out frequently, I find it a bit off-​putting to be interrupted while I’m trying to have a nice night out with my family/​significant other. Overall, the place has a very good feel to it.

Two subsequent visits were poor. In one case the server was excellent but my steak was overcooked. (Not even a bit of pink in the center when I ordered medium rare.) The server eventually brought a fresh steak, which came out at the correct temperature, but of course by then the side dishes were cold. They should have been take off the bill or also replaced.
The next visit the steak was cooked exactly as ordered but service was nearly absent despite the place not being very busy.
Management was indifferent at best.
There is a Morton’s Steakhouse one block away.

Underwhelming. S&W, please pick your slowest three month period and close down for renovations. The ceiling tiles are in disrepair and look like they might fall down at any moment. The interior looks like it hasn’t been updated since the 1980s. Tacky brass name plates (with what we could only guess are the names of past patrons) cover the walls in no discernible pattern. It gives the appearance of dining inside a little league trophy, not an upscale restaurant. It was very cold inside, and too bright. Went here recently, on Christmas evening, anticipating a nice dinner out. Our first mistake was bothering to dress nicely, because most other patrons were dressed like they were going to Applebee’s. Can’t say I blame them based on the décor.
The host was attentive: we were greeted promptly, he brought us holiday S&W gift cards for use in January or February, and he checked to see that our meals were acceptable. However, prior to entering the restaurant, while waiting for my companion to park the car (no valet), I witnessed him having a heated argument with a woman outside the entrance. It ended in a hug and when they went inside, I realized he worked there. Not very classy.
Our waiter was decent, slightly inattentive, but made good suggestions. When we ordered the same salad as a starter, he explained the portion size would be appropriate to split, so we did, and he was correct. We had a little mixup where another waiter approached our table because she didn’t realize we had already been greeted by our waiter (about five minutes before). At first we just thought she was taking our drink order, and she went on & on before we could get a word in to tell her we’d already been helped.
The food: excellent main courses, hot, generous portions. Ordered the Caesar side salads to start, which they kindly split for us. Then each ordered a 10 oz filet, one with Gorgonzola and one au poivre. Both cooked perfectly and amply sized. We ordered the mushrooms and bacon cheddar tots as sides. Plenty of both & delicious. Dessert was the only «meh» part of the meal. We ordered what was billed as chocolate hazelnut crème brûlée. What we got was a cold chocolate-​ish custard. There was no crispy, crunchy top… it was bland… it was disappointing. Also enjoyed a $ 14 glass of wine, which we bought an entire bottle of today at Wegman’s for $ 13.
This was approximately my fifth visit to a S&W. I’ve previously been to their Las Vegas location and several times to their newer Boston location, which is leaps and bounds better than this spot. We’re paying S&W prices as part of a finer dining experience and this seriously fell short. We’ll go back to use the gift cards, but skip dressing up or ordering dessert. Also, really can’t recommend this to a friend, because it feels more like an Elks Club inside. If I brought clients here for a business lunch, I’d be embarrassed. It’s not quaint, like Old Ebbitt Grill. If you’d pay $ 200+ for a dinner for two at your local VFW, then by all means try this place. If not, go somewhere that understands it takes more than a cloth table covering to be fine dining.

There was not a single thing wrong with my meal. It is very pricy, they have amazing steak, amazing fish and spectacular dessert. The service was outstanding. I would totally recommend and come back. The wine selection was also great I ordered the prisoner which is one of my favorites.

I was invited back by the GM Ned who was incredibly kind. I walked in last night with a co worker and we were greeted at the door by name, that was a wow factor as last time that happened it was at Eleven Madison Park.
We were seated and had an incredible and memorable meal that ended with a tour of their dry aging room which was incredible too see a restaurant doing that.
Overall this has completely changed my opinion and I would suggest checking them out whenever you’re around in DC.
Thanks again

It’s weird the food should taste the same everywhere coming from the same chain but I prefer the steak here than the one in NY, maybe because I ordered Filet Mignon, always excellent. We came here to a VIP dinner after my long day at a conference. We were in a private room with the group at the conference. We had a set menu and they all looked great. Filet mignon was excellent. Salmon looked stunning (was told salmon was delicious). Vegetables came out pretty good. Our desserts were too sweet to handle. Location wise, S&W Miami wins, of course. Loved our dinner. Will have to go back to S&W NY to do a new review, went there so long ago but I still think it’s better in DC.

Smith & Wollensky has become one of our favorite places to celebrate special occasions. The food we’ve ordered are seasoned and cooked well and taste great! It is a bit pricey, but that is to be expected with a steakhouse of this quality. The portions of food are satisfying and I usually have leftovers. The crabcakes, ribeye, and filet mignon are great choices. My new favorite is the Filet Oscar! The hostesses are great and go above and beyond to meet your needs/​desires. The servers do as well. When you dine here you’re sure to have a good experience and feel catered to. We have been given complementary champagne to toast our occasions and we thought this was a very nice touch. We always look forward to our dinners here.

Overall, great customer service for a delicious (but pricey) lunch. I’d like to come back here for a nice occasion, but I wish there were more affordable lunch options on the menu besides the short list of burgers/​sandwiches
4 of us came here with a reservation for weekday lunch. We ordered 2 steak burgers, a ribeye, steak frites, and sides of root vegetables and mac and cheese. I really liked both of the sides and would get them again. However, the steak burger I had ordered and asked for rare was way overcooked. I was pretty disappointed since it was a $ 20 burger served at a steakhouse, but both our waiter and manager were concerned about this and made sure to make up for it.
We also did a wine tasting with our meals. We ended up being in the restaurant for about 3 hours — partially because we were taking our time towards the end of our meal, but also because our waiter was not very attentive about wine pouring. Nevertheless, we never felt rushed despite us being some of the last remaining lunch customers.
Also, the bread is absolutely amazing! We couldn’t get enough of it and finished off 2 easily.

I dined at Smith & Wollensky recently during Restaurant Week in January and enjoyed a nice meal. The food was decent and service was good.
To start, I had the Grilled Baby Romaine with shaved Parmesan. It was delicious! I had never had grilled lettuce before, but I really liked this appetizer. For the entrée, I had Wollensky’s Butcher Burger and for dessert, the Dark Chocolate Candied Beef Bacon. Both of these were enjoyable but average.
I would come again to try out one of their steaks. Oh, and to have their bread again. It’s so good!

No Prime Rib?
Ok, that about sums up my visit for dinner.
The steaks are ok, but not much different than other steakhouses in DC.
The service is always on point and the cocktails are awesome.
The lunch menu can’t be touched downtown — check out the Liquid Lunch special!

Let me just start it off by saying it is the Spring 2015 DC Restaurant Week! And Smith & Wollensky is victim number one on my list of seven! I would like to thank all the restaurants participating in this awesome events because expensive restaurants can now be enjoyed at $ 45ish per person after tax and tips.
Food rating: ³⁄₅.
Honestly, it was average to say the least. I had the Ribeye Carpaccio, Beef Wellington, and Chocolate Bacon. I would like to give the Ribeye Carpaccio a 1000 stars if I can. It was simply that delicious. The Beef Wellington and Chocolate Bacon were enjoyable but average.
Service, Atmosphere, basically everything else that is not edible: ⁵⁄₅
What can I say? I mean the decoration makes perfect sense and the atmosphere was just right. Service was awesome, sadly I forgot the waiter’s name! But that does not mean the service was bad! The service was very suitable for our age group!
Overall: ⁴⁄₅
It was a good experience. Honestly most people in my group rated it a 3.5÷5 because they thought the food was almost too average. However, I’m a easy grader, and 3.5 rounds up to a nice 4.