Char Bar

Grateful to have a certified Kosher restaurant in the heart of DC. Service could have been better but we understand they have lots of customers to serve. Thank you, and hoping our experience next time will be better! All the best.

We visited Char Bar on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 – a group of five observant adults and one child. We chose the restaurant because it’s glatt kosher and expected a welcoming, enjoyable meal. Unfortunately, our experience was far from that. From the moment we arrived, the host was unfriendly and cold – no greeting, no smile, just a head gesture pointing us to our table. Yes, the restaurant was full, but that doesn’t excuse the unprofessional and dismissive service we received throughout the evening. We ordered two beers and a Diet Coke. The beers came along with a glass of ice – but no Coke. After 15 minutes, we asked a server (not even ours), who gave us a disapproving look. Only then did he bring us the can of Coke. Completely unacceptable. We ordered several starters – hummus, cauliflower, arayes, and beet salad. Everything arrived except the beet salad. After about 20 minutes, we asked about it and were simply told it was out of stock. No one informed us at the time of ordering or afterward. If we hadn’t asked, we wouldn’t have known. One of the main dishes wasn’t to our taste, so we politely asked to return it and order something else. The same unhelpful host got into an argument with us and insisted we’d need to pay for both. Only after some back-and-forth did he agree not to charge us for the returned dish. That interaction alone was enough to ruin the atmosphere. The burger was fine, but the fries were terrible – soggy, lifeless, and unappealing. Even if served with the skin on, there's no reason they should look and taste that bad. Food wait times were excessive. Even with a full house, waiting more than 15 minutes for each round of food is unreasonable. Overall, the experience was frustrating, uncomfortable, and disappointing. The staff made us feel like a burden rather than guests. It’s especially disheartening that this came from a kosher establishment, which should aim to serve the community with dignity and professionalism. We will not be returning – and we absolutely will not recommend this place to others.

Took a road trip with a few friends 4 hours away, but totally worth it. The vibe is just right, the place is super clean, the food is bursting with flavor, and the wine? Absolute perfection. It's always packed but that's what happens when everyone wants a taste of the delicious food.. Be ready to wait a bit to order when it's busy, but trust me... I'd do the drive all over again.

Very friendly, quick and friendly service, and family atmosphere. Delicious food, with so many options to choose from on the menu. We went as a party of 7, including young children, and the owner came over to introduce himself and offered to make plain pasta to accommodate the children and make sure everyone was happy. I would definitely go back if I have the chance, and highly recommend!

A fantastic restaurant that is also Kosher certified. Although in the Northwest (business) section on DC, opens for dinner on Sundays at 4:30 pm. We received such a warm welcome from the excellent hostess, and experienced fantastic service from Vicky and amazing food from the kitchen staff. I had a very minor issue with my order that was resolved immediately with a simple and polite request. Very responsive staff! Ambiance great - intimate and cozy with plenty of elbow room and between each of the chairs from one table to the next. Bathrooms clean and well-stocked with at least one ♿ accessible stall. I will definitely return!

Phenomenal kosher food in Washington, DC! First time in this city and if I’m back I will totally be dining here!

As a longtime DC-area resident and frequent patron of Char Bar since its opening, I was excited to return and try the updated menu under the new chef. I visited on Monday, June 16, and ordered The Lower East Side — a pastrami sandwich — and it was outstanding. The pastrami was lean, expertly smoked, incredibly tender, and full of flavor. I’ve ordered pastrami from Char Bar many times over the years, and this was hands down the best I’ve ever had there. Bravo to the chef and kitchen team!

Enjoyed a lovely meal at Char Bar. Nothing outstanding, but well-cooked burger, huge portion of pulled-beef nachos, prices as expected - not cheap but not outrageous - service was fairly quick. However, the open kitchen meant the entire restaurant was filled with smoke and the smell of the grill. Went home smelling charred. We also took away chicken soup for Shabbat which was great - if you’re in town for Shabbat and looking to get cooked food, talk to them at the beginning of the week.

I didn't even know that this place was in my neighborhood until it got some unexpected press on Friday. Now that I know, I'm thrilled to know where to go for an absolutely amazing Kosher pastrami and corned beef sandwich. I generally eat too fast, but one bite of this sandwich slowed time. I had to stop and savor the flavor because there was so much going on. They cure their own brisket and pastrami! I will be bringing my family back to this welcoming restaurant when they're in town.

If I could I would give it a 0 star. Horrible food and service. Ate there Sunday night 2/9/2024. Food was not fresh and inedible for the most part. My wife and I had two different dishes. Both were impossible to eat had no freshness and was not accurate with the menu description. Avoid this restaurant

in town on business. great menu variety and specials. had duck confit egg rolls and lamb arayos cooked perfectly medium rare. pls support this great kosher restaurant.

Best burgers in town, and at a kosher restaurant! We took advantage on Christmas Day, knowing options elsewhere were limited, and were well rewarded. My daughter and I had the Hickory Burgers, which include an onion ring and brisket on top. So delicious. My wife loved the Western (burger with pastrami on top). And Mike dug his New Yorker (corned beef, pastrami, cole slaw and russian dressing). The duck egg rolls were also nice. The only disappointment came with the matzo ball soup... but everything else was so good, I can't fault Char Bar.

A wonderful Kosher restaurant that I highly recommend. The food is excellent and the employees are very kind and caring. Stop by and support this small business that really cares about quality and community.

Had the The Lower East Side sandwich for takeout yesterday. Food was done fast and the sandwich was the perfect temperature. Amazing flavor with the pastrami reminding me of a smoked flavor and the tenderness was probably the best ive had. With the sandwich being fantastic, it's size doesn't match the price. This was a good sandwich but not worth the 24$ price tag. Typical size and you wont be disappointed with it but a bit pricey.

Just what the doctor ordered. After 6 days of traveling I wanted something healthy. The grilled veggies (huge order) and an order of matzo ball soup were excellent. Thank goodness for places like this! And only a 10 minute walk from my hotel!!

At here when we were in DC, as my wife keeps kosher and we wanted a burger. One of the best burgers either one of us have ever had, kosher or not. Great atmosphere and the service was amazing. Will go again next time we are there.

Great spot with delicious food. Pulled beef tacos were great, and hummus was just amazing.

Great food! Excellent service! Really good bartender. There is no room for hate in Washington, DC.

Delicious burgers and sandwiches. I eat here whenever in DC and love it. The pastrami is a guilty pleasure.

Not a good restaurant by any standard. I recently went with a party of three other people who keep kosher for dinner. While the restaurant was busy, we were seated immediately. The restaurant ambiance is fine, if sterile. Our service was not the best and included the server spilling hot chicken soup on someone in the party. The only reason I give Char Bar two stars is that the brisket nachos were good and a reasonable portion size for the price. Otherwise, all of the other food was bad. The chicken matza ball soup had no taste, the onion rings were meh, and the fajitas were awful all around-way overcooked and tough beef, not enough seasoning, and a very small portion for $29. Even for a kosher meat restaurant in downtown Washington, DC, most of the entrees were overpriced by at least $4-5. If you're looking for a kosher meat restaurant in DC, I suggest Oh Mama Grill instead. For kosher dairy/vegan restaurants in DC, I recommend Shouk or Baked by Yael.

Specially sought out a Jewish restaurant. Husband wanted a pastrami and I wanted a falafel. We got both to go due to our baby getting fussy. Both were still pipping hot and so delicious! Definitely will come back when we're in the city again. Dairy free and kosher!

Food is tasteless, overpriced and the service is crap. We got like 8 dishes and nothing was fresh. Also dirty too. saw roaches and a mouse

Great little find. I had the New Yorker pastrami with hand cut fries and the brownie sundae. This place is perfect for anyone wanting a homemade meal and those who are dairy free. Most of the food is made in house.... Including the ice cream. The staff are very friendly and super helpful with suggestions. They were also able to accommodate a large group. Highly recommend the brownie sundae

BEST food ever. After a long day of touring this was just what we needed. We had a salad and burgers. Fresh and healthy, burger was just they way we expected. Service was also very good. It is not a fancy restaurant but I'll take quality and service over ambiance any day. CharBar thank you for helping us keep kosher and healthy. We will definitely be back. . Gitelle

Took my team here for a post-work dinner because a few of them keep Kosher. The restaurant is in a convenient location in DC. Upon walking in, we noticed they were hosting an event inside. However, they were quick to seat us and ready to help. There's a nice little private room they sat us in for the dinner so that our team could have some privacy. The interior of the restaurant reminded me of a NY deli and I loved that. Our waiting staff were extremely nice to us and always checked in to see if we were okay. When it comes to food at a Kosher restaurant, I sometimes get worried. It can either be hit or miss depending on the venue. That wasn't the case here. Every meal item we got was DELICIOUS. We shared a brisket nacho platter and it was delectable. The brisket was falling apart and tasted so good with everything. I just wanted more and more. For dinner, the staff recommended I try the panko breaded chicken tenders. I know that sounds so simple, but we gave it a shot. I was thoroughly surprised at how delicious the chicken was. It was nice and hot, juicy, and the crispiness of the breading went perfectly. The fries were also delicious, too. Very hot and crispy. Everything met or exceeded our expectations here and I look forward to stopping by again. Still dreaming of those tendies.

So thrilled to have a nice kosher meal while in DC. Wish we were not so stuffed after eating. We would have loved to try the desserts.

We love Char Bar BUT do not come here if you are in a hurry and/or it is busy. Going on 90 minutes now awaiting our order. Food comes out seemingly randomly and sporadically. We have no idea when our order will come. A burger and a sandwich, seriously, how hard is it? Come on Char Bar, get it together.

I've been a patron of Char Bar since it first opened, since I keep strictly kosher. However, the quality has gone steeply downhill over the past few years, especially due to COVID. For those of us who eat at kosher restaurants, we are used to a less than stellar quality of service. However, CharBar continues to underwhelm as its staff has continually given my family undercooked and unseasoned food in recent delivery orders. I recently received a salad with chicken that was practically raw, as well as a salmon burger that was as hard as a fully blow up basketball. If I didn't keep kosher, I wouldn't complain. Those of us who do shouldn't be kept a captive audience for disgusting food, we deserve better than this shame of a restaurant.

Great kosher place when grabbing a bite with colleagues that eat kosher only - good service

Food would have been good if it was prepared as we ordered it. Had it delivered and they didn't vent the packaging so everything was soggy. We also added instructions to add cheese to sandwiches and asked for dressing / dip and received none. Very disappointed because the food was good, just not what we ordered.

Literally stumbled across this place while on route to another restaurant I had seen on Yelp. The menus posted on their windows looked simple enough with salads, burgers, sandwiches so I decided to give it a shot. The location was buzzing with most of the seats in the moderately sized dining room filled up. I was able to get a seat off to the side quickly since it was just me eating. Emelina was very nice and helped with my order. She said everything was good and we landed on the sliders. I added cheese and was told they came with a side of onion rings. The food came out pretty quickly and you can see from the attached image that the presentation looked nice. The sliders had the patty, grilled onions, a single dill pickle slice and the cheese I requested on a perfectly toasted bun. The onion rings looked to be panko-style, they had a good crisp and taste. The only reason I did not give a 5-star rating was because I finished my iced tea and was never offered a refill. I would definitely come back for a quick lunch option in the area.

Excellent food made to order. Entree portions are large. While it is the only kosher place in Washington DC, it's certainly not resting on that as an advantage.

I went here for lunch on a whim with a family member that just started working near me. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised. The restaurant is medium sized, with a full bar and a family feeling. We were met at the door and seated quickly. I opted for the soup of the day, which was a chicken lemon cream with orzo and a salad. My cousin sprung for the soup as well, but she paired it with the hummus. The soup was AMAZING.. lots of great flavor without being overdone, and for the price it was a very good serving size. Likewise the hummus was likely the best I've had to date. It was creamier than any hummus I've had from the store or any other restaurant. The salad, could have had romaine instead of iceberg, but it was fresh and the house dressing is delicious. Overall, I had a great experience here, and I'll definitely be back. I want to try the pastrami!

WAY OVER PRICED!!!!! they almost charged me an extra 15$ and they made me tip 20% - I got a full meal that fed a grown human and it was 65 FREAKING $. Would not recommend.

Best Kosher restaurant I've been to! Let me first start off with parking. I was able to park right in front of the restaurant which is something I greatly appreciated because I'm lazy and we all know how parking is in DC. Granted it was around 8 PM on a Thursday night but still. All the staff that I encountered was friendly and professional. I was greeted as soon as I walked in. I ordered my food to go so I just sat at the bar to wait for my food. I was offered a drink while I waited, which was nice. The food didn't take that long and I was out of there in no time! I really do appreciate that I was still able to get meat here although it's the 9 days of Av. I was ensured that my food was still kosher. I had the chicken and steak fajitas. I live 45 mins from the restaurant so my plan was to eat it in the car on my way home but when I opened the bag, my food was wrapped with tape that said "Certified Kosher. Do not eat if seal is broken". I was amazed by that! And appreciated it. I decided to just wait until I got home to eat and surprisingly, my food was still warm! I devoured that food!! It was sooooo delicious and flavorful! I had this yesterday and I'm still thinking about that meal. I'm so jealous that DC have a good kosher restaurant and my community in MD doesn't! Sooooo all that to say, try this place out! You won't be disappointed! I'm coming back on Tuesday! Lol

most mind boggling, dry, tasteless wings I have ever have had the displeasure of forcing down my gullet. so unseasoned and bland whilst having the texture of my foreskin. the fries managed to taste like sweet potato fries when I ordered regular. my disappointed is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

Came out to dinner with my husband and son. My food never came out. After everyone was done eating my husband asked where was my food and the waiter asked "oh how does she want her sliders again?" Needless to say we just asked for the check.

Not that I keep kosher but I did want to try out the kosher restaurant of DC! Overall, the food was very good and there was no lack in flavor! We arrived 30 minutes before closing so we tried to order quickly but they still took awhile to bring us our food. So we didn't feel bad that our meal ran after closing. There were still a ton of people after we left after closing anyway. I ordered the pastrami sandwich on wheat bread and it was really good. The house made potatoe chips were delicious! My husband ordered the steak salad and it was also good. A little too much iceberg lettuce for my liking. The food did take awhile to come out and the servers were very unattentive. They never once came to our table after our food came despite our near empty water cups and even when we asked for our check that took awhile as well. But all in all we had a good experience.

I will never eat here again! I ordered wings to go for lunch on Sept 14, 2007 and the meat was completely raw! I don't know why they felt the need to rush the cooking process or just not complete it but my chicken was raw. I ate a couple wings before I notice the pink color and was completely disgusted. I late for very sick and I'm sure it was because of that undercooked chicken. SMH! Beware when you eat here.

We went there for a large family thanksgiving dinner. Wry quick and organized service. I wish they had had a full bar though. The private room was a bit noisy, especially if you're a little older. The Turkey dinner for thanksgiving was not very good, according those in the party who ordered it. But my husband got an amazing salad. Overall, it was ok and we didn't have to cook a thanksgiving dinner.

The perfect meal. There was a very generous portion size and the food was wonderful. The staff were nice. Thank you!

Had the New Yorker pastrami sandwich. The meat, the slaw on top and the dressing on it were flavorless. Huge waste of $25.00 Service was adequate.

Let's get one thing straight: The food at CharBar is way, way better than the food at Eli's ever could've dreamed of being. I don't keep kosher but went to CharBar with a friend who does & I would go back with or without her. Where Eli's was the District's only, sort-of-sad, solo kosher restaurant, CharBar is a real restaurant that just happens to also be kosher. The food at CharBar is, in my humble opinion, more deserving of five stars than three. I'm a BIG fan of their pulled beef sliders, which are incredible - juicy, cooked perfectly, served with a heap of onion rings. They're huge, & they're served five to a meal, which is sort of crazy, but it means that you're almost guaranteed to have leftovers. Their other menu options sound tasty, too, with a few different kinds of creatively topped burgers, standard deli-style sandwiches with a twist, & upscale entrees like ribeye & glazed duck that run as much as $36. The atmosphere is nice, too - clean, sunny, a little fancier than its hot-dog-serving predecessor. I dock two points from CharBar's review, though, because, as at Eli's, the service is absolutely abysmal. It's so bad that it's actually sort of bizarre. By the time I arrived, my friends had already ordered sodas; it took the server 15 minutes to return to our table or bring me a water. They brought us two cups of tea despite the fact that we only ordered one; we watched them do the same for the table next to us, except with soup. I ordered my sliders without pickles; they arrived with pickles, but our server never returned for me to mention it to her. And by the time we finished our food & requested our check, it took another 20 minutes for her to bring it to us. By the time we left, we'd been there an hour & a half... for lunch. CharBar's food is good enough to make it a successful restaurant, even amongst those who don't keep kosher. Unfortunately, as the only kosher game in town, I suspect that they know they can do good business regardless of the level of service they provide, & so - again, as with Eli's - I doubt they feel any real obligation to step it up. I'd like to see them prove me wrong.

We were in town for Shabbat and got the Shabbos package. It's supposedly enough for 4-5 people but it's really more like enough for 6-8. All delicious. Supplemented with a pound of brisket which was equally good. The service over the phone was pretty curt/rude but that's a small price to pay. Two notes - if you're ordering takeout catering that you plan to reheat: (1) you'll need to bring your own large box or an Ikea bag or something to carry everything and (2) they don't double wrap, so you should buy/bring a roll of aluminum foil if that's a concern for you.

Always good food and friendly service. Loved all of the variety. Especially knowing that there were plenty of tasty filling dairy free options. Always a lively crowd. We always lucked out with parking right in front too!

Ok so this might be a very narrow pet peeve, but I absolutely hate when my burgers fall apart while eating them. It drives me up the wall because I feel like I just ordered a plate of ground beef with a side of lettuce tomatoes and whatever else comes on the burger. I know this is very irrational, but it's just something that needed to be said here because I've finished my burger without it falling apart at all, not even a hint of the burger starting to fall apart until the very end! Now that's that out of the way, let me tell you what I got. A California burger without the mango (I think that's weird) and fries. Everything was absolutely delicious and it's one of the first time I could finish a full burger by myself without having to share with anyone. That might have been because I didn't have a lunch, but either way, it was delicious. Service was a bit slow.

My son and I shared the burger sliders with onion rings, others than the price being a bit steep they were very good and exceptional well cooked. My wife opted for the chicken tacos with black beans and rice and she to was very pleased.

This place was awesome! Greeted and served by the lovely Vicky. Food was cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. She was so thoughtful and treated the kids so kindly! We especially enjoyed the duck lollipops, chicken fingers, the chefs grill platter, the char burger, and of course the dessert! Thanks for a wonderful end to our day trip in Washington.

Shimon HaTzaddik used to say: On three things the world stands. On Torah, On service [of God], And on acts of human kindness (Avos 1:2) Char Bar is a kosher meat restaurant located in Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America. And Char Bar is the capital of all kosher meat restaurants in the United States. When I walked in, it was crowded, full of hungry Jews. As soon as I saw this, (After living in the metro center of DC) I thought, "Where did all these Jews come from?". I was pleasantly surprised. The world does stand on Torah here. I ordered a hickory burger. (I was getting bored of ordering the standard burger) It was a long wait. As I anticipated my medium-cooked burger, I noticed what seemed to be the owner helping not only his customers, but also his employees. When I saw this, I knew I was standing (actually sitting) before a potential moshiach candidate. This amount of passion and perspiration that Char Bar was being treated with grounded my respect for the establishment. This restaurant is founded on pure kindness. Before I ate, I washed. My food didn't come yet, so I couldn't talk until then. (Jewish Custom) But after I finished washing my hands, I noticed that they had little bread bits near the sink, so I ate one of those. I burst into tears. This lowly little bread is meal fit for King Solomon himself. Manna from heaven. Here, they reward you for your service to God. If a free peice of bread tasted like it was baked by God himself, I couldn't even begin to imagine what my meal would taste like. As soon as the smell and sight attacked my senses when the meal came, my mouth watered so much it would fill three Olympic sized pools. I was so eager to take a bite I almost forgot to say a bracha, but after seeing the owners shtark white shirt, I was reminded of my roots, and said a bracha. (Blessing) I took a bite. And I became a believer. The Hikory burger was the best, tastiest, and savory burger I've ever had. The deep umami flavor was complemented perfectly by the fresh lettece, all silver lined by the crunch of the toasty bun. The juxtaposition of barbecue sauce and needle-thin beef strips was on a Shakespearian level of divine perfection. The mythical fruit grown in the Garden of Eden tasted like an inner-city public school lunch meal compared to what I had at Char Bar. I'm not usally a fan of french fries, but Char Bar's baked potato slices were salted and fried to a state of absolute bliss. The potatoes that the kitchen staff chose were the culmination of genetic breeding and culinary refinement. Char Bar belongs among the pillars of Washington. This restaurant was the purpose of this country's founding, a redemption for all the sweat and blood the American people have gone through. Char Bar is a beacon of not only America, but for the entire religion of Judiasm as well. On four things the world stands. On Torah, On the service of God, On acts of human kindness, And on Char Bar.

Considering it's the only game in town, that is, the ONLY kosher restaurant it better be ok! And ok it was. The overwhelming portion size greatly makes up for the not overwhelmingly delicious food. And don't get me wrong, the food is good just not great. The atmosphere was also just adequate, not great. The gentleman, who I presume was the owner, was very, very friendly and I DO appreciate that!

Tasty kosher food (meat). Varied menu. Something for anyone in your party. Nice staff. The next time we visit Washington DC, we will definitely east here again.

After a bad experience I stayed away for years but recently some kosher pals were in town and wanted to go...so I went. Well, the place is under new management and is WAY BETTER! The food was terrific and the service was attentive and kind. What a makeover. We had a variety of foods and everyone was happy and full when we left--even the vegetarian who said the veggie offerings were terrific. So, I now wholeheartedly recommend Char Bar. Congratulations to the people responsible for turning this place around.

Food and service experience was great! This places servers kosher food and is actually a restaurant instead of the typically burger joint. Place caters to mostly Jewish community. Ordered a burger, came fairly quickly and was reasonably priced. Overall good experience.

Nice testy Hamburger restaurant!! Very good quality meat, reach menu and most of it its Kosher!! Highly recommend

Very disappointing. First, every time we manage to come to this place, their HVAC is out... So in the winter it's freezing and in the summer it's sweltering. Nothing less enjoyable than eating hot food in an 83 degree room stuffed full of patrons with smoke from nearby dishes and the kitchen choking you in an already stale-aired room. Add to that slow service, lackluster and overly oily food that is way overpriced and you get char bar. This place is the only kosher meat place in DC, which makes it even more disappointing, but it's no wonder... If this place had some actual competition, I don't think they'd survive. Without adequate competition, they have no reason to improve their service, certainly not for love of providing good quality food and a comfortable dining experience to their patrons. Very disappointing.

I have been to Char Bar 3 times and each time it gets worse. First time was a 5 with great service and food. Second time not so good and this past week pretty bad. Let me tell you my story on visit #3. My plane was late so I don't instead of checking into the hotel first I went to Char Bar. I knew it closed at 9 so I first called and said if I'm there in 5-10 minutes (by 8:40) could I still be served. After a 60 second pause I got an unenthusiastic yes. I get there at 8:37 - first thing I am told is hurry up kitchen is closing. Yup, it was the same woman who answered my phone call who by the way spoke poor English. I order the nice little salad and the chicken and steak fajitas (I had that on visit #1 ). Well first the main course comes and then the salad. The steak was overdone, the rice and beans it comes with were cold, and the fajitas were stuck together (they were nuked too long). Of course I would have told my non-caring non-English speaking server but once the food came she only came back to give me the check. Not sure if I go back again, but if I do and the downhill performance continues I'm probably out.

We really liked this place! My guys loved the wings and burgers. The burgers were huge and could've used some salt but for the most part, it was pretty enjoyable. The service was good and fast even though it was pretty busy. The place is pricey but so is most of DC. Would definitely go back.