Sequoia

10/22/2018

• 1 check-in

I know people hate on Sequoia for the price, but I thought it wasn't that bad!

I came here for the first time last year for the Yelp Elite event, which was certifiably baccanalian. This time was less abundant (of course since it wasn't free, lol), but just as yummy.

We came here in the late afternoon on a Saturday, and it was still a little warm out. We had no problem getting a comfy seat on a couch outside facing the Potomac.

We shared the mushroom bruschetta and the poke salad bowl. Both were super yummy! The mushrooms were sauteed perfectly, in what we imagine was lots and lots of butter , although I wish that instead of small crumbles of goat cheese on top, they spread a layer of goat cheese right on the bread. This would have kept everything together. I also think they should have called it something other than "bruschetta" - it wasn't slices of baguette, but it was more like an open-faced sandwich.

The poke bowl was lovely for a warm day. A little spicy, nice chunks of raw tuna, and plenty of veggies. I wish they served it with chopsticks, though! It was weird eating it with a fork.

I hope you throw another Yelp party!

Overall a lovely time with an absolutely beautiful view.

10/9/2018

Let me first state, I'm an avid bruncher. I mean, who doesn't love a good brunch right? Bottomless mimosas, hanging out with my girlfriend's, just normally a great time. Visited Sequoia for their "famous" Sunday brunch and let me just say I was so disappointed!!
A friend and I made reservations, (that we were on time for)and we still had to wait at least 30 mins to be seated. With this being my first time at Sequoia, I was blown away by their beautiful views but also a bit off put by how loud and crowded it was. Once we were seated, we had to wait another 15 mins for our server to come over with major attitude and state "it's busy, do you know what you want?" No greeting, no introduction, just that silly question. Once my mouth dropped at the lack of customer service being shown, she came to her senses and asked for our drink order and explained the brunch process. Determined to have a good time with my friend, I didn't say anything, just made note of what was going on. Once our server finally came over with the drinks and they were wrong, I had reached my boiling point. I went to talk to the manager, Amber, to explain my experience and for her to hopefully make things right. The only remedy was changing the server but by this time I was over this place. Sadly, I won't be returning to this beautiful restaurant.
Please work on your customer service and wait staff attentiveness to patrons paying $80 a plate for brunch.

10/8/2018

This place was good. I experienced a resurgence of brunch love after a 6 yr hiatus. Sequoia is very modern and upbeat. There was an amazing choice of food from raw oysters, crab legs, peel and eat shrimp, to street tacos, Mexican street corn, and crab eggs Benedict.

The normal breakfast fare was delicious as well. What impressed me most is the management. On my first visit a month ago Carah the manager took care of me. I told her of my son's dairy allergy as she brought out the chef. I told her we needed special food and the chef and her brought the food to the table.

This prompted me to come back and while she wasn't there which saddens me the chef was still there and really stepped up to the plate.

It's pricey but I think worth the money and I'll be back.

On my last visit the only thing I would change is speed of service. My server was just Ok and not as attentive as I would have liked, he did catch some small things which was appreciated but overall a good experience.

7/30/2018

• 1 check-in

Lovely view of the water! Beautiful bar with beautiful drinks. It was so packed for July 4th, but we managed to get a seat at the bar! The bartenders were so busy but still attentive. Very impressive! The menu looked great, too bad I wasn't hungry to get food. The seating arrangement was kind of chaotic. Different hostesses and servers told us different things- first a seat yourself, then a put your name on the list, in the end we just gave up and stayed at the bar.

We ordered the blueberry mojito and it was fantastic! Both beautiful and tasty. The Moscow mule was great too, very tart and refreshing!

My only complaint is the giant sculpture that obscured the beautiful river view.

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  Blueberry Mojito

  Blueberry Mojito
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7/8/2018

• 1 check-in

I came for a couple of drinks, and I hate to say I had some of the best drinks in D.C here.

Great view and the place is very nice. Great for a date, dinner or celebrations. Or just a random good treat.

I did see some of the food that was being served and will come back for dinner!

7/2/2018

• 2 check-ins

Patio Review:

Abby & Adam, the most friendliest Bartenders on the Potomac served our party of 8 effortlessly for 4.5 hours while serving the masses of other patrons sitting at the bar & at the upper/lower levels of the patio. The abundance of umbrellas was an absolute benefit while the sun was out & beaming.

Abby & Adam's tag team service was highly appreciated by us all. Sounds minor, yet they kept our water glasses full without asking as we tried to adjust to the hot sun, sip on cocktails & nibbled on various nosh.

There are two TV's to view under the shaded Bar. To note, there is a small area right in front of the bar that doesn't allow sitting, it's reserved for people to walk up & place their orders. I think I watched over a dozen of people asked the Bartenders if they could pull a stool up...no dice.

Inside of Sequoia's you'll find an airy & colorful layout with an enormous dining area donned with white linen tablecloths, a vibrant & heavily occupied bar, a private dining area upstairs providing relaxing views of the river & the courtyard's water fountain. The restrooms are also located up stairs.  

With various places to sit, drink & dine, the patio scene offers a sundry of people enjoying the social scene while watching the parade of boats.

Thanks to Abby, I was happily introduced to a new wine, Château Haut-La Pereyre Red Bordeaux Blend, very enjoyable with a nice tannic finish.

Some Specials:
All-You-Care-To-Enjoy Sunday Brunch is 10:00am - 2:00pm Every Sunday

You Had Me At Sangria - 10:00am - 2:45pm Every Saturday offering tapas style brunch with endless sangrias & other brunch cocktails.

Although I did not indulge as my counterparts, the prices are worth the cocktails, food & particularly the service. I look forward to returning.

8/20/2018

• 1 check-in

I came here for my birthday based on all the positive reviews for the Sunday Brunch. I was so excited to come here and lived on Yelp the week before reading reviews and getting tips to prepare.

Since there are a million brunch reviews, I'll hit the points that I think people didn't mention:

1.) This place is PACKED! We arrived for our 12pm reservation and when I walked in I was overwhelmed. There were people EVERYWHERE. It's a big space, but every single table was full and there were 20 more people in line waiting for a seat. So even if you have a reservation, be prepared to wait for a table to free up. Also if your plan is to have a quiet intimate meal, then this is not the place to do it. Noise level is definitely on a thousand for the Sunday Brunch.

2.) The area where you get food surprisingly is not crowded, so there was some relief there. However, some of the food was disappointing. For instance, there were crab shells in my crab cakes. If I'm paying $64 per person I don't expect to have to pick out crab shells in the crab cake. The taco meat was also undercooked. Everyone at my table who had a taco commented on it. Otherwise the food was great, but those things are disappointing to experience when paying the price they charge.

3.) Just about everyone in there was celebrating a birthday. They did the birthday cake at just about every table. That tells me this is not a place you come to on the regular. I would only come here for special occasions.

4.) Wear your Sunday's best! People were dressed to impress. Don't come here in sweats and expect not to stand out. This should be obvious though. That's Brunch in DC rule #1!

5.) The dessert station is everything, so make sure you save room for it. The mini creme brûlée was out of this world good. The milkshake was awesome and the papaya cream dessert was even better.

Sequoia lost a star because of the crab shells in my crab cake. Otherwise I would have given them 5 stars.

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  Nice View

  Nice View
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  Mini creme brûlée, custom milkshake, and Papaya cream!

  Mini creme brûlée, custom milkshake, and Papaya cream!

5/29/2018

I came here with my family and my fiance for a Saturday brunch and found everything to be very tasty.  

Decor - First thing is the space of the restaurant is beautiful - the setting on the water, the high ceilings, it's gorgeous.

Service - our waiter was very pleasant and checked in on us often.

Food/drinks - the brunch option on Saturday is an unlimited all you can eat/drink menu, which is tapas style. I'm not sure exactly how much it was because I didn't see the bill, but I think it was around $75.  That's a little steep, but you could literally order and drink whatever you want.  The standouts for me were the bagel and salmon and the fried chicken and waffle.  I didn't care for the steak as much, it was a little chewy/over cooked for me.

Overall, Sequoia is a great place for brunch, and if you'll eat and drink a lot their Saturday brunch is a good option.

9/11/2018

This place is a great "tourist" spot. I love the views off the water (especially when it's good weather). The food is a bit overpriced, for the amount of food portion you actually receive. I heard their Sunday brunch is amazing, that may be a better option than dinner. For the most part their food was "okay". If you go for dinner prepare to spend. I would give them a 3.4/5

8/16/2018

• 1 check-in

Visited this restaurant for a birthday dinner. The ambiance is BEAUTIFUL and I am in love with the floor to ceiling window view of the water. Very friendly staff.
I am a believer that you can't go wrong with anything you choose on the menu. Great appetizers, great meals, great desserts. You can't go wrong with eating inside or outdoors.
(For the ladies that love to take pictures, the half a welcoming upper area with great lighting).
I plan on visiting for brunch soon.

10/18/2018

Happy hour. We had $1 oysters and they were good. $5 Stella draft beer and $8 Tito's any way.  Oysters are local. Nice view too.

5/13/2018

Came here to drink but got to try a few snacks with it... Grilled octopus
and tuna tacos are well worth the order. My friend said the mac & cheese was alright, I didn't try it.

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  Mac & Cheese

  Mac & Cheese
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  Octopus

  Octopus
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  Tuna Tacos

  Tuna Tacos

4/30/2018

• ROTD 7/31/2018

I took a friend who was visiting town to Sequoia for Saturday brunch this past weekend, and it was pretty much a perfect experience.

We had a 12:30pm reservation; we actually arrived almost an hour early and were seated promptly on one of the upper decks - in the shade, but still with a great view of the water. Our waitress explained the menu to us (it's bottomless drinks and unlimited tapas-style small plates for about $45 per person) and took our drink orders. I had a mimosa while my friend got the frosé - both were good.

To eat, we got six dishes:

-Chicken and waffle: probably the best dish we got. The waffle was sweet and cinnamony, and the chicken was super moist
-Shrimp and grits: another really good dish. My friend has lived in the South for years and said this passed the test! The grits had a little kick to them, which made the difference.
-Crab meat omelette: a solid omelette that didn't skimp on the crab
-Eggs benedict: I was glad we tried this because the jalapeno cornbread sounded really interesting, but it wasn't fantastic
-Ricotta pancakes: the pancakes were well-made, but note the ricotta comes on the side rather than mixed into the batter
-Mac and egg: A little lacking, there wasn't much cheese to the mac and cheese, and my friend thought it needed salt (though the bacon added some salt to the  dish)

Service was nice; more than one person was circulating to check on the tables, clear away plates we were done with, etc. I wish our drinks were refreshed a little more promptly (to speak to some of the complaints in other reviews), but the food was brought out at a good pace. Our waitress was also happy to take a few photos of us (I'm sure she gets that request a lot - the view is really gorgeous especially on the nice day we had).

Obviously Sequoia isn't responsible for the weather, but they did contribute to everything else - pretty good food, good drinks, great ambience, and good service. I'll definitely consider Sequoia next time I need a nice place for brunch.

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  Ricotta pancakes

  Ricotta pancakes
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  Chicken and waffle

  Chicken and waffle
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  Crab meat omelette

  Crab meat omelette
• See all photos from Alexander L. for Sequoia

7/22/2018

A couple years ago I came to Sequoia for brunch and was not impressed at all. Over cooked eggs and boring potatoes. So I was not interested in coming back until my friend persuaded to come.

Several years later, Sequoia has proved me wrong this time around. Food and service was better. The atmosphere was nice although at times loud but that was from the other patrons. I enjoyed the shrimp, salmon and waffles the most. The cotton candy was great because I felt like a kid again. The only down side was $64.95 per person which is kind of steep but for the area it was not surprising. It did include bottomless mimosas.

I will come again!

7/21/2018

This was a lovely restaurant, but I probably would come back more for the views and ambience than for the food. Seafood fettuccine was good but. thing amazing. Service was pretty slow at one point but nothing to complain about. If you're planning on coming here, definitely sit out on the patio and not inside!

4/15/2018

• 1 check-in

We ended up here by mistake, but there wasn't any sort of disappointment. The price with taxes was $71.50 per person for an all you could eat buffet that had every type of dish imaginable from every type of cuisine possible. There was an omelet station, sushi station, eggs Benedict station, Alfredo station, waffle station, crab cake station, and a soft taco station. Every type of Breakfast food was served. They had a nice fruit station. The paella station was to die for. There was steamed shrimp, raw oysters, ceviche, steamed crab legs, seared tuna, and crusted cod. Your price included bottomless drinks of your choice. The dessert bar was everything. They let you take cotton candy to go.

There was a very personable host that walked around and engaged each table.

I also loved the fact that the establishment is right on the water.

The only issue I had was the layout. You had to walk a mile to get to the food.

2/4/2018

• 2 check-ins

If your looking for a 5 star Sunday brunch experience this is the place to come. Expect to pay a pretty penny ($65 per person) but they've earned every penny of it! Take my money!

Located right along Georgetown waterfront; they're floor to ceiling windows gives every seat in the house a spectacular view. On a beautiful summer sunny day I can only imagine how amazing this place is! How great would this space be for a wedding venue! A girl can wish right!?

Tip: Wear stretchy pants/clothing; once your done you'll basically be rolling out!

The food...what didn't I eat!? I honestly don't think I'll eat the rest of the day after tasting all of their amazing stations. They have something for EVERYONE! Fruit station with strawberries, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, yogurt, and granola. Ready to order omelette station with plenty of options including onions, tomatoes, spinach and more. Pasta station. Poke and sushi station with fresh rice, salmon, seaweed, and radish. Fresh crab cakes. Freshly made taco station with beef or pork, beans, rice, fresh guacamole, hot sauce, cheese, and sour cream. Waffle section. A luxurious raw bar with: shrimp, snow crab legs, oysters, muscles, clams, oyster shots, tuna tartar, and ceviche. The list goes on!!!

Drinks: bottomless mimosas, bellinies, bloody marys, champagne, coffee and more.

Desserts: OMG...just when you think you've eaten everything you possibly can fit your introduced to the copious amount of desserts! Milk shakes, cotton candy, créame puffs, chocolate cake, cupcakes, fruit cakes, and so much more.

My top three main dishes were: the freshly made poke with salmon and rice, the pork tacos, and the ceviche. I could have eaten those all day long!

Staff: If you make a reservation ask to be seated with Adrian. He was so personable, took the time to get to know us, made sure our glass was always full, was SO professional, and all around an amazing person! Surely this man is one of your top employees; it was pleasure to have been seated in his area!

Best D.C. Brunch I've ever had!

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  Poke with rice and salmon (top rated dish)

  Poke with rice and salmon (top rated dish)
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  Taco station add ons

  Taco station add ons
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  Tuna Tartar; so cute!

  Tuna Tartar; so cute!
• See all photos from Jennifer V. for Sequoia

9/4/2018

Went to this restaurant last night to celebrate a birthday. My 10 y/o decided to go with a burger, which had two patties. We asked waiter to make sure burger was done well. It was served surprisingly fast. My son had one patty and the second was taken home in a box. Shortly after we got home he felt sick, couldn't sleep for an hour. At around 1 a.m. he woke up and threw up excessively. When we checked the second patty out curiosity it was clear that it wasn't grilled well and tasted a bit off.
After almost 24 hours my son still feels sick and can't eat anything except kefir.

4/27/2018

• 1 check-in

If you're in the area and are looking for great American style food at modern location over looking the water then I recommend you visit. I visited sequoia a few years ago for friends birthday and we were disappointed in the food quality. I decided to give this place another chance following renovation and change in menu and was extremely satisfied. The staff members are friendly and helpful, the food quality was spectacular and you can't beat the modern look of the place.

We sampled the filet mignon which was perfectly seasoned and prepared medium rare. The lamb chops were not gamy and the chimichurri sauce that was served with it added savory salty flavor. The sushi was standard and nothing over the top but the raw bar selection included yummy oysters and king crab legs which was perfectly prepared and not over boiled. Apparently they have a spectacular brunch that offers all these items along with side table including delicious  cheeses and spreads.

The cocktail drinks were not too sweet and strong. If they offer the cherry blossom I recommend you try it. It's shaved ice with sparkling rose and house made not too sweet jam like topping.

I'll be back in the future just to make sure food is consistently good. If you're considering meal or just want to sip on some cocktails while overlooking the Georgetown waterfront area then I strongly recommend that you check this place out!

7/8/2018

Honestly, I think Sequoia's strength lies more in its location and ambiance than its actual fare. The restaurant itself is large and inviting and the outdoor patio is a great place to sit and view Washington Harbor.
The food here is okay, the menu does have a good array of options, primarily seafood, but other selections as well. Brunch and dinner are offered during the weekend. The wine and beverage selection is passable, with wine available by the bottle and by the glass, though that selection has room for improvement--who ever heard of not having any Merlot available by the glass?! Overall, I do think it's a nice choice for a meal (whether indoors or out) and the menu has options for everyone. Service can vary a bit but is generally reliable enough to get along with. Some might say the prices are a bit steep but they are competitive for Georgetown and/or DC and the overall atmosphere.