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219 Restaurant
Categories: Arts & Entertainment Jazz & Blues Nightlife Jazz & Blues Restaurants Modern European Jazz & Blues, Modern European [Edit]
219 King StAlexandria, VA 22314
(703) 549-1141
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Live
- Best Nights:
- Wed
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
37 reviews for 219 Restaurant
Review Highlights
37 reviews in English
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Review from Carlos S.
Seattle, WA
4/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
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. On second night lit up my pipe for a luxurious hour and a half leisurely smoke. 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.
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Review from Dan A.
1/16/2012
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. 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. -
Review from H B.
Falls Church, VA
5/4/2012
I've never been in the restaurant but have been to the bar upstairs. Good band. Poor service, rude bartenders and wait staff. Ridiculous prices, limited menu and did I mention ridiculous prices. We'll never go back.
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Review from Jocelyn H.
Washington, DC
11/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
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 ?? -
Review from Courtney R.
Arlington, VA
3/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
YOU CAN SMOKE IN DA BASEMENT!
Amazing. -
Review from Sandy L.
Alexandria, VA
12/26/2011
Went for dinner. Ordered martini striaght up and there were ice chips in it. I told the waiter who told me the shaker they use lets ice chips through. Wrong answer. Jambalaya and gumbo were good. Ordered apple tart for dessert, which they put in the microwave to heat up so it was doughy. Mentioned it to the waiter who said yes they nuked it. Took one bit and sent it back. THEN HE CHARGED US FOR THE DESSRT we sent back. Had it taken off but REALLY?!
And we've gone there after work for extended happy hour. Then the band comes in to start playing and they charge everyone ALREADY SITTING AT THE BAR a cover charge, even though we've been there with friend for 4 hours already! We left. -
Review from Jerika S.
Huntington Beach, CA
12/21/2011
Went here last Sunday night for drinks and the bf wanted a cigar...we had a great time, watched the game, had excellent service courtesy of new bartender Chuck (who was on top of our drinks and very friendly) we hung out in the lounge area on the big comfy leather couch for about 2-3 hours. Can't comment on food, so 4 stars. Will definitely be back and recommend stopping in for a drink and a smoke :)
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Review from Matthew K.
Oakland, CA
3/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
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. -
Review from Vic-Crys W.
New York, NY
5/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
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) -
Review from Andrew L.
Alexandria, VA
11/9/2010
I've been here twice, because the first time, even though the bar tenders/servers tried to scam and double charge me, it was an ok experience. Plus, it's only cigar lounge around old town and jazz was good.
HOWEVER, the second time I was here, I no longer gave them the benefit of the doubt. Some how, when I looked at my tab, they had rung up 6 cigars, and an extra 2 old fashioneds. Seriously? The 232.00 i spent already wasn't enough? -
Review from Dawn M.
8/29/2011
During Hurricane Irene weekend, a few friends and I braved the rain to shop and have lunch in Old Town Alexandria. One of us went here previously to listen to jazz, so we decided to try 219 for lunch. Since all 4 of us got cheeseburgers with a variety of toppings...I can only speak to the cheeseburger--yum! I got mine medium, with bacon, avocado, and caramelized onions. It came out perfectly cooked, and my friends said the same about theirs. Our waiter was very friendly, and he provided us with excellent service. I'd love to come back here for dinner to here some music.
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Review from Dan W.
Washington, DC
4/13/2008
4.0 stars:-)! The entry to this restaurant does not anticipate or announce the surprise once you enter. 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. We started with their signature Bloody Mary and man did they hit the spot. They were perfection in a glass and so much so, we had to have another round.
On to the food. 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. Both were delicious but I will say my partner's jambalaya was better. I loved the spiciness of his dish. The portions were fairly large so we had no room left to try dessert.
The service. Just excellent, attentive, and one of the best waiters we have had. 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. You will be glad you did!!Listed in: Stretch's Finger Licking…
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Review from Frank O.
Woodbridge, VA
3/6/2010
This place started out great. I really wanted to give it 5 stars, but I simply cannot.
A group of us came out here last Saturday night. When we got there, the place was pretty much empty. They have a basement bar, the restaurant level and a lounge upstairs, which they advertise as the only cigar lounge in Alexandria. We went up there and it was a really nice space, with a nice bar, and very empty. 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. I got a steak with blue cheese and a merlot sauce. It came with vegetables and mashed potatoes. The sides were really good, and the steak was perfectly cooked. It was REALLY good. I had crab bisque as a starter and it was really creamy and had amazing flavor. So the food here was great. I was loving the place.
Now, at 9:00pm, my opinions started to change. The band started playing... and don't get me wrong... they were a VERY good jazz band. I really enjoyed the music and the show they were putting on. 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. 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. 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. 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. Our main server tried to charge us for a coffee we didn't order and insisted we did. Pointing to a coffee cup on a table that wasn't ours and telling us we ordered it. 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. -
Review from Gayle G.
Woodbridge, VA
12/2/2006 2 photos
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. -
Review from Marianne L.
Alexandria, VA
12/8/2008
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. -
Review from Kate H.
Honolulu, HI
2/8/2009
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. -
Review from Lydia P.
8/4/2007
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! -
Review from Shannon C.
Washington, DC
4/14/2010
First of all- I think this restaurant is having an identity crisis. The dining room and patio are set up more like a New Orleans establishment but the menu is far from creole/cajun.
Next- I think I might have ordered the wrong thing here.
We went for brunch with a large group. 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. The food took FOREVER and most of what people originally ordered wasn't even available.
Pluses- the bread is awesome. I could have eaten just bread. Also, the mimosas were great.
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. -
Review from Kate D.
Braintree, MA
6/28/2009
I ate here about two weeks ago on a Saturday evening. Seating options include a casual covered patio or an elegant dining room. We selected the air conditioned dining room. Our party of four received excellent service.
Now for the food: It hands down exceeded my expectations! I had the brie and pear appetizer, as well as the crab cakes to start. I preferred the crab cake over the brie, but they were both good. I ordered the fillet with mustard glaze/sauce for my entree. It was excellent! It came with mixed veggies and mashed potato. The veggies and potato were nothing special, but I was so into the fillet I didn't care. Oh! Also loved the bread here! Overall a little on the pricey side, but the quality of the food is worth it to me.
I will be back! I think it's a cute place to get dressed up for a romantic evening. There's a jazz/blues place upstairs with live music which is nice for a drink after dinner. The jazz place charges a $5 cover which I thought might be waived for diners, but no such luck! Perhaps they share a building but are not owned by the same people? -
Review from Bill W.
Arlington, VA
8/5/2011
Decent bar upstairs, but they attempt to tack on a $5 "cover charge" to the end of your bill (not up front) and the bar service is very lousy.
Could be better. -
Review from Cathy J.
Alexandria, VA
9/8/2010
My husband and I went to the 219 on a Tuesday evening recently. The place was empty (which we learned was pretty typlical for a Tuesday) - whew! We had a cute little table by the window and were helped by a very friendly waiter, Colin. He was attentive but not too much. He actually said "You're welcome" instead of "my pleasure!" which I appreciated. Much friendlier and genuine. I had the "special" of the day which was a seafood penne pasta that was absolutely loaded with mussels, crab, shrimp, a very large scallope and some lobster. It was served with a creamy lobster sauce which was wonderful! My husband had the quail which was perfectly prepared with a glaze and he loved it. The prices were very reasonable and the food was amazing. We both had a French wine that was delightful. I recommend going on a Tuesday when you'll receive lots of attention.
They have both an up and downstairs where there is live music Thursdays - Saturday that we will return to see/hear - right after we have dinner! -
Review from rosa b.
Washington, DC
5/18/2011
This is an elegant, nice place. They actually have a place for smokers as well in the upstairs. The bar is beautifully done. It's a bit pricey, but everything is on that end of King Street in Old Town. Food Quality is good. Service is good. I enjoyed my night out there. I would recommend it to friends. Wonderful dining environments.
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Review from Don T.
Sacramento, CA
5/28/2011
We visited 219 on May 18, 2011. We just found it by walking around Old Town, and the menu looked good. We were seated promptly around 8 pm on a Wed night, and had Crab Cake appetizers, which were as good as it gets. They were absolutely fabulous, do not miss these! My wife had the Quail for her main course, which she told me was the best she has every had. She ate every bit of meat off the bones. I had the Hanger Steak, which I had had at a restaurant in Fort Bragg, California some time back, but this particular cut wasn't nearly as tender as the one from Fort Bragg. We shared a delicious Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert. If the steak had been more tender, I'd have given 219 the full five stars, but everything else we had was top-notch.
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Review from Ian R.
Arlington, VA
5/24/2010
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. -
Review from black p.
Annandale, VA
4/11/2009
my favorite thing about yelp, hands down, is... i have a place to let it all out when i've had a lousy dining experience somewhere. and i'm actually in the right venue to do so.
this being typed, the mate and i came here yesterday evening for a much needed romantical dinner. we were actually heading to Ichiban but got suckered in by the intriguing menu posted outside of this joint.
we found a dope spot to sit outside. i ordered a chianti, the mate a sierra nevada. we started checking out the menu and realized that the original menu that suckered us in was the lunch menu and what we really sat down for wasn't being served anymore. sadness. at this point, we were already drinking so decided to say screw it and find something we'd be kewl with.
bread came first w/ two small slivers of cutesy shaped butter. retahded. i asked for olive oil immediately. leave the butter for the suckas. olive oil and bread is where it's at. the bread was actually great. fresh and warm and the highlight of the meal, for me. then our appetizer came. melted brie w/ pear and shiitake mushrooms. unfortunately, it sounded way better than it tasted. the brie was melted in some kind of water and light butter type liquid. it was meh. tasteless but at least cheesy. we decided to share an entree and another appetizer. the chicken w/ fried apple and shrimp scampi served w/ rice pilaf and veges (entree), and mussels (appetizer).
the food came very quickly, but there was also hardly anyone there. we dug into the entree. it was okay. nothing great but not bad. everything tasted overtly buttery, but what got us was when we were almost half way through and realized that one of the main components of the dish wasn't included. the fried apple. we told the waiter and he said sorry and asked if we'd like it now. we said, no forget it at this point. this is where homeboy messed up, imo. if it were me, i would've apologized profusely and comped the dish or at least the dessert we ordered (creme brulee) at the end of the meal.
the mussels were tiny and the only thing that semi saved them was the rich wine and butter sauce it was marinated in. i could barely eat them, and i LOVE mussels. the mate polished them off no problem though. after dinner we enjoyed our creme brulee, which was indeed delicious.
got the tab and as suspected we got charged for the entire meal. very disappointed by this and would've given a definite extra half star if they did what was right.
albeit, in a great location and sitting outside was lovely, won't be back.Listed in: the number two never felt so…, da sucks
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Review from Caroline B.
Arlington, VA
4/6/2011
Great place for an elegant, private event!! I got married in a small, family ceremony in March, 2011. We had searched for an elegant restaurant in/near Old Town for the reception dinner (24 people), but came up against "red flags" at several other restaurants: restrictive menu choices, neglectful/rude event managers, high prices for the private room, etc. Then we found 219 Restaurant.
Chris, the Manager, took care of us from start-to-finish with great attentiveness. No charge for the room (we had the upstairs lounge for a cocktail hour, followed by a 3 hr dinner in the front dining room). They let us choose anything we wanted from their regular and special menus for the appetizers, salads and entrees--even said they could work on something not on the menu, if we liked. The rates were extremely reasonable. Gave us several choices for wine and beer, set up the table in a banquet formation, decorated the tables with the centerpieces we brought over earlier that day, received our cake for us when it was delivered, etc.
Guests loved the ambiance and comfort of 219. They were able to look out the big picture window onto King Street though out the evening, and quite a few "killed time" between the wedding and the reception in the basement bar.
The food was delicious! Most guests opted for steak with crabmeat, I had chicken with crabmeat, and my fiance had the salmon. All were quite tasty (esp. the salmon). The appetizers were also well-liked, especially the exceptional mini-crab cakes. The service we received leading up to the reception was exceptional, as was the service during the event. The owner even cut our wedding cake for us at the last minute (as none of us knew how to, and she does).
Highly recommended! -
Review from Clarissa G.
Philadelphia, PA
6/11/2008
From the food to the service was just awful and no one from our party will ever go back, or even suggest this place to anyone else.
We had reserved a room upstairs for my brother's rehearsal dinner. We had a group of 16 with a choice of 4 items, although everyone opted for either the Filet or the Sea Bass.
The champagne toast was made and the waiters kept trying to open more bottles and pour them despite constant attempts at telling them we are done with the champagne. Next they were pouring wine glasses for people who weren't there, and kept topping off the wine every few minutes. It wouldn't have been bad except this is a per-bottle charge, and glasses were being filled to the very top of the glass. Some people kept refusing more wine and stating they weren't drinkers, yet there glasses kept getting filled.
Plates were cleared when people left for the bathroom even though there was half of the food still on the plate, and no one else was finished with dinner.
Salads arrived with the most unappealing green-pink crunchy tomato. No one ate the tomato, did they even think that was acceptable to serve?
Twice the waiters came by to confirm all food orders, and yet they still forgot to bring my boyfriend his Sea Bass, preventing our whole table from eating, as we waited over 10 minutes for them to bring it out. When it was brought out, it was cold inside the cut of fish, and not seared properly, like the others.
All the sauces were overly sugared, and the whole meal tasted like sugar was dumped on top.
They also refused to take the mango sauce for the cake whicch my mom spent 2 days making, saying she should give it to them at teh end of dinner, and took the jar of sauce, put it on the edge of the table and it fell to the floor and shattered.
The dinner was expensive, the waiters retarded and the food just awful. -
Review from Jen C.
Alexandria, VA
9/7/2011
Food is great, especially the she crab soup. My husband loved his fillet and I really liked the Rack of Lamb. Very traditional and old fashioned. Attentive service, but we were the *only* ones there at 8pm on a Tuesday. Kind of crazy. The bar downstairs was hopping it seemed, probably because its one of the few (only?) place where you can smoke inside.
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Review from Courtney F.
Alexandria, VA
8/26/2010
I knew the bartender that used to work there. The food is really good, and they used to do a late Sunday amateur comedy show which was cool to see as you ate.
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Review from Steve R.
Chicago, IL
5/29/2007
Nice. Went here on the late side with a bunch of folks we know from the area. The server was very nice and accomodating, the food was quite good and I didn't think the prices were out of line with everything else around King St. I liked "Warehouse" better across the street but this is still purty good. I wouldn't go out of my way to return but i wouldn't object to it either.
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Review from Brandy L.
Brentwood, CA
2/20/2010 1 Check-in Here
I do luv the She crab soup!
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Review from Virginia C.
Washington, DC
8/2/2010
This place is one of the BEST restaurants on EARTH. Impeccable food and phenomenal service. The salmon is amazing and bread is like crack cocaine!
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Review from Brian C.
4/26/2010
Went to the bar downstairs. It was absolutely empty on a Wed night. There was only 2 other people there and they were smoking. Gross. The place looks like a cave with a bunch of memorabilia. Nothing to write home about. Drinks were decently priced. Not a lot on tap. This was recomended by Frommers. Fail.
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Review from Nosniv X.
San Francisco, CA
7/14/2006
Excellent restaurant a little on the high end. Great service and food.
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Review from Mochi K.
Arlington, VA
2/13/2007
After finding out that one favorite brunch place had closed down and the other stopped serving at 2:00, we walked up and down looking for a Sunday Brunch alternative. After seeing that 219 was opened for Sunday Brunch until 4 PM, it was our only choice in our moment of hunger, although I was wary of a place that serve cajun and thai food in one place. When we sat down, the room reminded me a old southern mansion in Lousiana, they had the fire going and the sun was shining through the large window facing King St. The Crab Cake benedict was delicious and the steak benedict the others had ordered looked even better. The breadfast came with a choice of soup or salad and also a side of fruit and potatos. Yes the fruit and poptatos were small portions but enough for me to leaving full and satisfied. overall the place gets a solid 3 stars.
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Review from Cha E.
Alexandria, VA
9/27/2009
The food was better than expected but not great. It is too expensive for the quality you get. If you want to enjoy the beautiful patio, order a glass of wine and an appetizer. The place is always empty so they should let you sit there even if you aren't going to order dinner. If they don't let you, just keep walking.
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Review from Jeff J.
Alexandria, VA
9/5/2010
My wife and I decided to go out on a Tuesday night and thought of Old Town. I looked 219 up on the Internet and was intrigued by the menu. We made reservations and showed up a little early. There was nobody there, which is usually a bad sign. Colin, our waiter was pleasant and sat us at a table for two in the window, I suspect to show they were open to the people walking by. We ordered two glasses of a wine we had not tried before. The wine was excellent and served in a large glass. The escargot appetizer was tasty, as was the very hot bread. The seafood pasta entree special my wife ordered was full of seafood, trimmed with a dozen mussels. My quail was done perfectly and very tasty. The creme brûlée was excellent as well as the cappuccino and espresso. Don't know why this place was empty, but we will recommend this place to everyone.
