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I normally eschew the chains. All that corporate artifice and focus groups and branding. Soul-less machines the lot of them. Clyde's is our own local mega restaurant corporation and I kind of like it. You know, I will never get to all the Starbucks on the planet but I think I am only one or two shy of having eaten at every Clyde's on the planet.
Anyway - this is proto-typical Clyde's which means decent food, good service and they have made an effort on the decor. Apparently Henry VIII used to have a Hunting lodge in this part of Alexandria so they have gone for the hunting and fishing club feel. Very pleasant it is.
If you are - as I was - trapped in meetings in the nameless corporations who surround this place - then this is a welcome respite for you.
+1 star standard Clydes food, decor, service.
+1 star Koi pond out front to keep the brats occupied when they've finished their chicken finger dinner.
+1 star double crab cake special for $16.95, July 1-31.
+1 star ample, well-lit parking and clean restroom.
-1 star smoking inside at the bar (see my Jaleo Yelp)
Clyde's in Alexandria is one of those places that is hard to fully grasp. The place is tucked in the middle of other businesses in a very busy area. They cater to lunch crowds and have a good bar for after work gatherings.
The decor in Clyde's seems to follow a wilderness theme. The walls are adorned with pictures of hunting and wilderness themes. There are gun racks with guns in the holders, canoes and paddles hanging from the ceiling, and various other outdoor related items.
The overall atmosphere is dark. The walkways and main rooms are dimmed lighting with brighter track lighting shining on the wall decorations. The result is a strange ambiance of a dark room with light edges.
The service is very good. Energetic staff attend to your needs and are quick to keep the drinks topped off. The primary waiters and waitresses are familiar with the menu and can readily make a entree recommendation.
Let's talk about the food. Let's say - adequate. The menu lists some exciting dishes. The quality of the food depends on what you purchase. I have eaten here a few times and the overall quality seems to be just adequate. Details:
1. Seafood, including crab has a smell. Just enough to let me know I really don't want a seafood dish.
2. Salads are borderline. I usually go for the Caesar. My last visit was a salad with grilled chicken, onions, tomatoes, and mixed greens. The salad was near wilted with very little of the other ingredients. Just adequate.
3. The other entrees looked pretty good. Meats seem to be cooked correctly and are of good quality and taste.
Overall - I find this to be a very expensive place to have an adequate entree. The ambiance is good for business meetings and the bar location is also good for gatherings.
I would not go here on my own, only with business people on a quick lunch or meeting.
Mussels were so good we asked for an add'l baguette to sop up the amazing broth. Antoine highly recommended the pepita crusted shrimp (thought he said pizza crusted at first, so glad to know I had that wrong) and it was delicious with a bed of spinach,cranberries, spiced butternut squash sauce, grains-wow- and a lot of shrimp for the $$. always a great crowd here - every room was filled - and this was a Monday. Great service, great food, great value.
Probably my second favorite Clyde's location after their Tysons spot. The bar in back works well, but the key is getting there early enough for a spot (usually a weekend day works best). Agreed that this is mostly a location for after-work happy hours, and corporate lunches. It's a good mainstay. But Clyde's as a whole has decreased a bit in quality (regarding service, food, and decor).
I've overheard numerous loud conversations recently that are politically charged and they disrupt the experience for me.
yikes - how does this place get a 3 star average? is it because i live in cali and i'm not used to large open lush restaurants nestled away in some green fields?
OR
maybe cuz our waiter was so good in getting us to order more drinks and food in that subtle sly way that i couldn't but help to appreciate the expertise in which he woo'd us to spend more cash? (i used to be a waiter in college so i know the tricks - and i appreciate them all more if it's done well - haha)
OR
the food was pretty good and the bartender cute?
i dunno - whatever it is, i think this place deserves a 4 star.
Of the 3 Clyde's restaurants I have been to in DC, I like the menu of the Friendship Heights location best (great salads, especially the one with seafood!), and the renovations have made it a lovely place to have lunch - tons of natural light and a great open floorplan.
The Chinatown location is good for going out at night in a refined setting (refined for Chinatown I suppose). The wood-paneling, high ceilings, and Tiffany-style lighting, as well as collectibles behind glass, may seem a little stuffy at first blush, but the bars (upstairs and downstairs) get packed, especially after something lets out at the Verizon Center. And if you opt to be seated and just order drinks at night, the servers don't seem to mind. It was a great place to get together with friends, esp. since once seated it wasn't as loud as other nearby options.
Dinner last night. This place seems to be always packed. Only had to wait a minute for a table (booth seating was 30+ minutes) . We went through the maze of hallways to the Lake Room, lots of duck decoys and pictures of ducks. I ordered the crispy chicken liver appetizer. I asked about the serving size, and the waiter told me it was small. I should have asked, "Compared to what?", because the dish was 4 very large livers on toast with a blue-or blackberry jam. Great flavor, and prettily presented, but still a lot for one person. (Honey don't eat liver, no kind, no way, so sharing was out). His entree was the lemon sole, I got the salmon, both dishes were delicious. His came with roasted potatoes and green beans, mine with summer ratatouille and polenta, with a basil aioli. We split the blackberry pie with ice cream for dessert. This turned out to be a great meal, where past experience let us to believe that it would be edible. but nothing great. Service was good, not excellent, but nothing to complain about.
Us old geezers sure do seem to like eating here! But last night, there was a good mix of singles, young groups, families with kids, and us old folks. So I guess depending on the day, you may find us old farts taking up most of the tables. But hey! we do like to eat too! At least we keep the dentures in!
Clyde's makes a mean chicken club. It reminds me of a good old boys country club. I always feel completely poor when I eat here, even though the prices are pretty decent. I guess it's the other diners... It's good though. But dress nice, even though it's not required.
the food is consistently good, the waiters are attentive and the decor is fun! sure, you feel like a toddler when you walk in and feel like you're the only one under the age of 60, but it is still a great place.
the wings are surprisingly good and the french onion soup... SO GOOD!
good for brunch and laid back weekend lunches.
My heart belongs to Clyde's in Chevy Chase, having enjoyed the great burgers and fries there since long long ago when I was in undergrad, grad school and then when I was a professor and realized that professors don't make The Big Bucks. Clyde's and their equally divine martini menu were there to keep me going.
I like the gentility of the Chevy Chase location. In our late 20s/early 30s, we were the youngest in the place by 50 years most lunchtimes, but the wait staff never made an distinctions and were always receptive to our directions about whether we were in "quick bite before a faculty meeting" mode or "ladies who lunch mode."
Good service, fun decor, and a noise level low enough for conversation make this a perennial fave even if I don't get there as often these days.
That said, i enjoy trips to the Alexandria location, which is closer to my home, as well. The clients, while younger overall, still run the gamut in ages and most are true natives and lend the place a hip but comfy and welcoming vibe. Although I tend to think so-called vodka martinis are heresy, the espresso and chocolate martinis are divine and, if saying so risks getting struck by lightning, so be it :-).
I should probably cross-post this to the other location cause I'm too lazy to write a whole new review for them.
The whole menu seems to be first rate, but the burgers will always be my favorite. I rarely eat a burger but when i do, it's here, 5 guys, or del merei grille.
Clyde's- Take your out of town grandmothers here.
Difficult to find despite their big green side on the side of the road, if you do find it, there is ample parking. Nice fish pond, Quaint/cliched americana decor complete with great big model boats.
I can never remember why we always bring my grandmother here, but it seems to be an annual event. Everything always tastes good, but I always forget why we go there other than to impress my grandma to show her we aren't heathens.
I had a lovely pumpkin profiterole for dessert last time I was there. I hear the burgers and crab cakes are good. My grandma complained about the fact they left the tails on the shrimp in her linguine, but everyone finished everything on their plates- tasty!
Well I really know how to pick 'em.
I went out to eat here and took a seat at the bar. I was greeted with a friendly smile and a menu. I ordered a Yuengling and when it got to me it was probably one of the worst Yuengling drafts I've ever had. (Sidebar: I grew up in Pottsville, PA so I'm probably a bit of an elitist.) I ordered a caesar salad and then a cheeseburger. I got the salad and it was so so and then two minutes later my burger came out, and I had barely even touched my salad.
"Yo bro, do you want me to put this back into the heat."
Well I opted not to and kept the burger while I ate the so-so caesar salad.
The burger was okay, a little burnt for medium but what do you expect. The bartender was extremely nice so I gave him a good tip but I probably won't ever go back again.
The crowd was definitely older. Like I said, I really know how to pick 'em.
Ok my friend and I affectionately call this Clyde's "the old people Clyde's". It is amazing how the AARP set have totally dominated this restaurant. So when making plans its like "Ok are we going to meet at Old People Clyde's or the good one on 7th"? With that being said, this is a great neighborhood spot. Nothing fancy, service is always great, food is tasty enough and the take out service at the bar is great. Now about the bar, let's take a moment. I am a non-smoker and everytime I go to the bar to get a carry out order I swear I have developed some sort of lung infection. The old people at "Old People Clyde's" are serious about their nicotine. Smoke is thick at the bar area, whether there are 10 smokers there or 1. Consider yourself warned.
I've seen all the negative reviews about Clyde's (this one and others)and am a little surprised. I work in the area and there aren't a lot of choices, so I eat here quite a bit. The menu is too large, and they don't do everything well. But they are FAR better than any other choices nearby (unless you want to drive all the way to Shirlington). It is certainly 10 times better than Finn and Porter in the Hilton.
The best thing on offer, especially once the cooler weather comes around, are the raw oysters. I wavered between three and four stars for Clyde's - and decided on four for the quality of the oysters. The Clyde's group makes a real effort to source good, fresh oysters and it shows! These are the best oysters I've had in the area. Always a good variety and fresh! I take them neat - with only lemon and a crack of black pepper, so, no comment on the accompaniments, except that the crackers, which are good! Note- I only eat the oysters from late-September through May. They have a great deal during happy hour and after 10:00 p.m. - oysters on the half-shell at 50% off.
Seafood dishes are the way to go at this Clyde's. The seafood is fresh and they offer some interesting presentations. I had Alaska king salmon with a coarsely chopped olivada that was good and have had several good shrimp dishes. The buffalo shrimp salad is decadent, but tasty.
Also surprised to see complaints about the quality of the draft - must have hit it on a bad day - the beer is usually well kept. The bartenders are friendly. It's a big restaurant, so lunch can be slow to arrive at the tables.
Clyde's at Mark Center deserves high marks as a great neighborhood restaurant! There is ample parking and a beautiful outer area with an Asian-style garden and pond area, complete with live fish. A nice place to rendez-vous with friends and good for a date.
The manager is responsible and attentive and will follow up any comments you wish to provide. Some of the wait staff are truly excellent, the best I have seen among many DC restaurants.
Always consider Clyde's monthly special, which is usually a terrific value. Some of the soups at this location are also very good and healthy, esp. the chowders with different types of fish and fresh vegetables.
Not to be missed is Clyde's bar with late night specials - very reasonably priced - live music, sports on TV, and FM (digital?) radio playing classic rock. The raw bar is a special favorite, nice and fresh with decent selection. If you eat late at night, the raw bar is an outstanding value, - half-price. Bartenders will respect your privacy but are good-natured and welcoming if you want to chat, which makes for a good experience. Beer is served very cold, if you are not drinking try the iced tea which is a local favorite.
One of the front rooms has an Adirondack/fishing lodge theme with nice fishing gear on display, including some nice old flies and reels. Very sporty and relaxed. There is also an airy back room with a weathered, East Coast nautical theme and its own bar area, looking out into lovely wooded area.
The brunch is good, toast is absolutely wonderful to accompany your meal. Steak and eggs (sunny side up) is a favorite and is a great value at around $14.
If you have a sweet tooth, try the Nutella crepes, a nice balance of banana, chocolate, and crepe...without being overly sweet. Some of the other desserts are very sweet and rich. Red velvet cake is also nice.
I wasn't expecting much after my experience at Clyde's in Georgetown, but the meatloaf sandwich was DELICIOUS. The ambiance leaves a bit to be desired, but that sandwich was memorable. Also, the service was excellent.
Great food, great specials.
Great service, price and drink are in average. My blueberry martini taste liked food juice. The decor is outstanding and the wild salmon is a great choice for dinner.
Spacious restaurant. Ample parking. Decent service. However, the food is completely medicore. This is the place to go if nothing else interesting is open or close.
Clyde's is a pretty good DC area chain restaurant. This location is located in Mark Center, which is a business park just off 395 in Alexandria. It was nice and convenient, as it was right near where I was staying at the Hilton. I liked the whole boating/rowing theme they have. The restaurant is pretty spacious. The parking lot is pretty big and we had no issues finding a place to park. As a table, we split the crab and artichoke dip and I thought it was great. For my entree, I had the crab cake sandwich. It was excellent. The crab cake was really good. For dessert, I had the creme brulee. It was also really good. I was surprised at how big it was. Overall, if you're in the DC area, find your nearest Clyde's and give it a try.
I've been to this place to meet my hubby's colleagues for drinks a thousand times, and the bartenders are consistently fabulous (one even teased us about being married by "adding" a bottle of Moet and Chandon to our tab). Though being in the burbs is not really my style, and chains are definitely not, the crab cake sandwich (a steal during happy hour) and wonderful raw bar platter slowly won me over. The platter is filled with a variety of raw oysters, large fresh shrimp that truly pop when you bite into them, and cocktail sauce with a serious horseradish bite. The desserts are also solid, particularly the orange pound cake and the cheesecake, which is dense while still being creamy (though if you like Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, I don't think you'll be as enthused). A solidly American menu with a row house theme and bars that don't seem to end.
There's nothing quite like checking in to a hotel in a corporate office park midday on a Sunday. Inside, the hotel buzzes with local events; outside, the area is lifeless. Faced with the strong sensation of hunger and determined to not default to the hotel restaurant, I ventured out into the eerie unknown in search of food.
Fortunately, I did not have to go far before I stumbled across Clyde's. I hit the place at 3pm just between brunch and dinner, so I opted for a seat in the bar. The place is decked out in a well-executed rowing-club motif that clearly sets the restaurant's theme in New England. When I dropped by, the brunch menu was still in effect, but I opted for something more "lunchy" -- a Carolina pulled-pork sandwich with fries and a Victory Amber Lager. Service was good, albeit spotty but that is to be expected given the time of my visit. The sandwich had the Carolina BBQ flavor, but lacked punch and was a bit heavy on the vinegar. As is usually the case when I travel, my laptop was with me and I needed a bit more time to finish this review, so I did the logical thing -- ordered a hot fudge sundae. The vanilla ice cream was wonderful (it must have been homemade), but much to my surprise, it lacked hot fudge! There was a dab of chocolate, but nothing more. In the end, I really had a craving for ice cream rather than chocolate, so I didn't complain.
Anyhow, I my experience wasn't remarkable and aside from the hot fudge, generally good. If you don't know where to go and have a chance to eat at a Clyde's, check it out. Maybe you will get hot fudge!
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