St. Anselm
Restaurant · Capital City Market
1250 5th St NE, Washington, DC 20002
Highlights
Buttery biscuits, dry-aged steaks, inventive cocktails, and a lodge vibe
Buttery biscuits, dry-aged steaks, inventive cocktails, and a lodge vibe
"The Washington, D.C. outpost of an American tavern known for robust, hearty fare; one signature item that inspired the onboard menu is a charred Bobo chicken served with acorn squash and aji verde sauce, showcasing the restaurant's smoky, flavor-forward approach." - Michael Cappetta Michael Cappetta Michael Cappetta is a travel writer with over 10 years of experience in journalism and television news. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines
"The Union Market district’s steakhouse stalwart from restaurateurs Stephen Starr and Joe Carroll stars an open kitchen grilling up a half-dozen different cuts of beef, including a flat iron steak cooked in a rich butter sauce and an ax handle ribeye that easily serves two. Order the salmon collar, bone-in skate wing, and giant prawn or oysters for dishes that steal the spotlight. The restaurant expanded its outdoor seating during the pandemic that’s here to stay. Starr is also behind the Willard hotel’s opulent new Occidental restaurant, which also has a stellar steak selection." - Tierney Plumb
"Part of Starr Restaurant Group, known for its involvement in a unionization push." - Emily Venezky
"Ahead of an NLRB election held February 21 (workers voted 51–42 to unionize), staff describe an acrimonious campaign that they say involved nighttime house visits, repeated outside confrontations, and workplace ambushes. One server warned, “It will set a precedent in the city if this passes — all restaurants have their eyes on us,” and added, “When the union came into our restaurant it felt like a hostile takeover,” saying he believes the union “planted ‘salt’ workers in almost every department — from servers to back of house.” A bartender who organized opposition described being “ambushed” at an Adams Morgan café, being refused reading materials, and seeing union reps “blocking” doors during peak service; she called the tactics “extremely predatory” and “just really jarring.” A longtime server in favor of organizing said he’s voting yes to “further protect my job security, my wages, and my right to respect and dignity,” and a Spanish-speaking prep cook said, via translator, “I never really felt heard without a proper translator and felt ignored.” A bartender who attended Bible study detailed a meeting that included a union representative and said, “I felt very violated — someone using my faith to rope me into a union meeting.” Union leadership counters that it has not received “a single complaint” about harassing employees here and that “100 percent of worker meetings at St. Anselm to sign union cards were scheduled meetings or invitations to people’s houses,” while the operator asserts the vote was tainted by the union’s “coercive tactics” of “intimidation and promising immigration assistance in exchange for voting yes … unfairly and inappropriately influenced” the process. Local 25 also claims an 80 percent card-signing showing at this location; opponents and management plan to file objections with the NLRB." - Tierney Plumb
"Workers at the restaurant participated in a rally and have alleged “unjust working conditions” through Unite Here Local 25; the union has filed NLRB complaints over alleged labor‑law violations in two Starr restaurants and workers have filed EEOC statements alleging hostile work environments “on the basis of race, sex, and disability,” plus failures to accommodate pregnant employees. The filing at D.C.’s Office of Human Rights alleges Spanish‑speaking pregnant employees were not informed of their Paid Family Leave rights; pastry cook Maria Delgado said: “When I told management that I needed time off to have my baby ... management did not explain to me the rights I had in this city as a new mother,” and “I learned all this thanks to one of my colleagues who explained my rights to me.” Employees at this location announced plans to unionize in mid‑January; Local 25 says 60 percent of workers across the three restaurants have signed authorization cards and that this location has an NLRB election scheduled for February 21. Local 25 says the three restaurants together employ around 400 people and that a majority would substantially increase membership in the 75‑year‑old union, which it says is primarily composed of immigrants and women of color. The union alleges management refused to acknowledge workers’ right to organize; management responded with a statement asserting commitment to a “respectful, fair workplace” and support for a secret‑ballot NLRB election: “The management at [the restaurants] are committed to fostering a respectful, fair workplace environment where staff feel welcome, safe, and heard... Our day‑to‑day staff – the people in the kitchens, on the floor, and behind the bar – are the lifeblood of our restaurants.” A longtime front‑of‑house employee (anonymous) opposed the union, saying: “I’ve worked in toxic places before, and this is not one of those places,” and “I have never had any issues advocating [here] on my own behalf,” while also criticizing the union’s organizing as rushed: “It was done so quickly and secretly and didn’t include every single employee.” The report notes the original New York locations of these concepts are not involved in the current unionization efforts." - Tierney Plumb
