Two Nineteen Restaurant

First time visiting this restaurant and it definitely won't be the last. Everything from the service when we first walked in to the food, drinks, and atmosphere was on point. They have indoor and outdoor (covered) seating. The restaurant has 3 levels. The main entrance level is where you have your meal. The lower level has a bar w a Dj and the upper level is their cigar room which has a bar and live music. You can make reservations for the restaurant but it's walk-ins only at the other levels. We went to the cigar bar after we had dinner. The live band was great!! Atmosphere was lively. They have a good air system as well, the cigar lounge didn't appear or smell terribly smokey. Definitely recommend this spot to all! We will be going back!

This place is always a great time! I especially love the live music that is taking place nearly every night of the week. I rarely smoke cigars but it's fun to try one here. FYI....be prepared for your coat to smell like smoke for weeks! The bartenders are friendly and very fast. The people are chill and everyone is there just to have a good time. I've eaten in the restaurant downstairs and that is very good too. It's been a while so I'll have to go back so I can give an updated review on the food. Also, the dance club in the Bayou Room is a crazy time too. I'll do a different review for that place.

I went for the Cigar lounge experience. My only problem is they don't have a humidor room. Just a small one behind the bar. I was expecting more. There was a live band which was nice and they have a good selections of alcohol 🍸. I'll try the food next time ⏲️

Such a great vibe and atmosphere! If you appreciate great whiskey tastings, then this is the place for you! Rather than spend over $100 for a bottle of whiskey and not knowing if you will like it, consider coming here first for a tasting before you commit to a bottle! Highly recommend this for either a guys night out or romantic vibe with your significant other!

We used the patio and enjoyed the people watching along King Street. The food was excellent. The waitstaff was very helpful and attentive. The cheesecake was very good. It came with a fresh made sauce of crushed cranberry with a few other spices, which was an interesting alternative to a typical sweet strawberry sauce. Did not disappoint. Highly recommended.

I chose to eat on the patio so I could enjoy views of the quaint King Street atmosphere. I live very near Louisiana with Cajun heritage and decided to try the gumbo and jambalaya. Much to my surprise they were both absolutely delicious. I will say the gumbo isn’t a traditional Louisiana gumbo with dark roux base. It had somewhat of a tomato base that I’d describe as more Creole (Caribbean influence) in nature. But again, it was delicious. My server, older gentleman- so wish I could remember his name) was the absolute best and personally made my margarita to absolute perfection.

The upstairs lounge is one of my all time favorite places in Alexandria. Good drink prices and the live music is always awesome. The whole lounge brings a charm reminiscent of my favorite bars jn New Orleans and it's a must-visit for me every time I'm on King Street.

The food was pretty good. The waiters were very attentive. Restaurant had a nice cozy bar area in one of the seating areas. I like the fact that alcoholic drinks came in a decent size glass. The restaurant also has live music after 9pm and a bar area with a DJ underneath the restaurant.

Recently ate at 219 and pleasantly surprised their ribeye is back to being awesome! Pre-COVID, their ribeye was absolutely the best in the DMV / NCR. It split like butter and flavor was supreme, then after COVID, the quality of the cut was modest and the prep / cooking was moderately good. This week, I had a ribeye that's back to being awesome! Ordered medium and it came out exactly as I ordered it and it sliced like butter. Fantastic flavor on the palate. Wholesale recommend for the ribeye. Their other food is very good as well, such as their salmon and jambalaya. This review is specifically for the ribeye. Thank goodness the ribeye is back as I remember it.

Don't do it! Me and kid went here on the recommendation of a colleague. Wasted my money. Packed the entree in hopes to give to a homeless person on my way back to my hotel. Granted I am from Louisiana so don't play with my food. I knew something was wrong when we arrived and there was only one couple there. I was so hopeful but the $24 po boy had 4 shrimp and no remoulaude, and my $34 jambalaya was a hot mess. All I can say is just say no.

Live soul music every Sunday. Great vibes, truffle fries are , and the overall ambiance can't be beat. You'll leave smelling like cigar smoke and the bar tenders may take a while to get your drink but it's expected when it's packed with only 2 bartenders for the entire restaurant..only suggestion would be to staff more people on Sundays

Returned after 4 years from the original incident during COVID noted below when owner Patty blamed me for the shutdown of her restaurant as she ignored health dept repeated requests to comply with COVID regulations. Patty continues with her delusion to blame me for the shutdown 4 years ago from my singular warranted complaint and continues to ban me from her restaurant based on a lie and her ruthless contempt when I was a repeat patron for the prior 15 years. I've never experienced such contempt from anyone in hospitality industry or any other venue in the region. This owner completely lacks integrity and obviously does not know the meaning of hospitality. MANY OTHER PLACES WITH FAR MORE CLASS AND BETTER HOSPITALITY!!

I enjoyed my time here. They have a wide selection and awesome live music. Highly recommend!

If you're with people looking to have a good time, don't bother with this place. I was the designated driver for my friends and I was asked to leave because I wasn't drinking. Really ???? Well......you just loss the business of me and my friends.

Soooo delicious. The she crab soup was soooo creamy and all the flavours were there! The drinks were also pretty strong which is a huge plus! I really enjoyed the experience and creole flavours. Our sever was super attentive and kept checking in at the right time and also made some great recommendations. The bonus is that downstairs is a bar/club and upstairs was live jazz music. So we had options after dinner !

My late Italian grandmother is more cajun/creole than this place. We went here with a group and it was just an odd experience. I don't think they remembered our reservation, but it wasn't busy so it wasn't a big deal. We ended up sitting outside which was good as there was lots of room. I ordered the Jambalaya they helped further prove my theory that you can't find good cajun/creole outside of Louisiana. Being in DC, this makes the Louisiana Purchase by the US Government totally worth it. The Big Giant Pretzel was one of the best soft pretzels I've ever eaten. It didn't even need the dipping sauce which I'm not sure what it was. The crispy pork belly was way too crispy where it lots the meaty fatty goodness that is pork belly. The wings were OK, but nothing to write home about. Service was spotty and their drinks were suspect at best. The old fashioned was 2 sips, but the mule was decent and not over-iced. I wouldn't recommend this place. Maybe if it's 220 or 221, it would be better. Whatever it takes!

Wow! I had plans to go to another place that go too crowded and pivoted to this spot and reminded me how cool it is to stumble into a Gem of dining experience! I went on a Sunday and I highly recommend it, street parking is free, less crowded, and you can still experience great food, service and live music. Service; Tom was our server and he provided great recommendations and provide great service with a jovial spirit. Recommend a great wine as well Longevity nice Cabernet. Good: She Crab Soup -- tasted great, small pieces of crab in soup --would have loved to have some lump crab on top, however it was a nice portion and tasted great. Gumbo - doesn't have pork which I appreciated and was flowered very well and good pieces of chicken, crab and shrimp or crawfish Gulf Shrimp Creole - this was recommend from my server, when I said I was thinking of This he said it's his favorite dish ( along with the she crab) ..great red roux sauce, shrimp and white rice very tasty Shrimp and Grits - it has very similar red sauce as the Gulf Shrimp and again very tasty and nice size shrimp. Shrimp Jambalaya- again very flavorful and nice size shrimp. After Dinner - went upstairs and experience amazing Live music that is worthy of $20-60 cover, but it was free on Sunday there is a small $5 cover after 9pm On some nights. Overall great experience and look forward to Coming back.

GREAT LIVE MUSIC VENUE: First of all, this is a cigar bar. So the reviews which complain about the smoke and penalize this place aren't taking this into account. The live music here is outstanding. They are clearly selective in the music acts they have perform here. The cocktails are also solid and made with high quality spirits. If you enjoy live music definitely check this place out. Also, the closest garage provides parking for cheap!

What a great find 219 is! It's an awesome cajun style restaurant that is connected to the Basin Street Jazz lounge and Bayou lounge. My date and I made a reservation on Friday night for 9:30. Our table was ready immediately as we walked in which is always a good way to start an evening. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor covered seating. The weather was absolutely perfect out so we opted to sit outside on the covered patio. The iron chairs and table settings along with the exposed brick really does make you feel as though you're in New Orleans. We could also hear some of the music coming from the other venues which was nice. The service was great - our waitresses were warm, fast, and helpful. They were able to make some great recommendations about menu and wine choices. Now lets talk about food. I ordered the fried chicken dish - 3 pieces of dark meat with a side of fries and collard greens. The chicken was extremely crispy and flavorful! The collard greens were well seasoned but there was a bit of spice that I would have preferred be dialed back. My date had the jambalaya that had chicken, shrimp and spicy andouille sausage. Extremely flavorful. The plates were about $25+ and worth it. We also had a couple of wines - the pinot noir and the reisling. Both were really fantastic. They have a wide arrange of wines to have (both by the glass and the bottle) and a cocktail list that also looked nice. I'd definitely come back - a great find.

Started with fried oysters and Mac and cheese. Good drinks. Highly recommend old fashions! Entrees were very good: salmon, fried chicken, and shrimp and grits. Lovely atmosphere with lots of drake wood and roaring fireplaces. Also, a nice enclosed patio. Our server was excellent.

Awesome place! It does get packed on the weekends as Old Town normally does! They had a live band perform and the service at the bar was amazing! You're also able to smoke your cigars here!

Came here on Saturday, July 23, 2022 for a 7:30 reservation. Regardless of how the food tasted - I would've give 219 3 stars for the service and ambiance alone. I absolutely love the concept of this place. You can eat on the main level and either go upstairs for cigars, a bar, and live band music. Or you can go downstairs and dance in a bar area with a DJ playing a mix of old and new R&B, Pop, Hip-Hop, etc. Our waiter was very responsive and friendly. He made suggestions and was patient with our questions. We decided on the she crab soup and Gumbo Ya-Ya to start. The she crab soup was just ok. Not enough crab meat for me. Just broth mostly. The Gumbo was flavorful. For our entrees we had shrimp and grits -Shrimp and sauce were great but the grits were kinda dry to me. The chicken was just ok. I probably wouldn't get it again. We had a nice bottle of white wine and when dinner was over we took it upstairs to the cigar lounge. We found a table two and bought 2 cigars and enjoyed the band and our wine. After we finished that we went all the way downstairs to the DJ bar area and danced for about 45 minutes. I really love this place and can't wait to come back.

With no reservation and 7 people we were not sure we could get a table on a busy Saturday night. The 219 warmly welcomed us and we were delighted. Great New Orleans vibe and menu. Extremely knowledgeable, attentive staff. I had the jambalaya which was excellent, not too spicy but just right. Hope to be back soon.

It took my a while to file post this review, but this review is from December 2022. I came with a large party on a Friday night to celebrate a birthday. We made reservations for 7:30, and were quickly seated in a "private" room. I put private in parenthesis, as it was not necessarily a private room -- however, we were the only party in that room. Service at this restaurant was AMAZING. Our waiter was quick, attentive, and made phenomenal recommendations. The food was amazing! I got the fried chicken and it was good! My fiancé got the steak, and it was great! We also had the fried oysters which were pretty good as well. My cousin got the pork belly -- which I wasn't a fan of, but the rest of the table LOVED it. In general, everyone LOVED their entrees and there was no complaints or anything sent back. There was some commotion at the end of our evening, with someone assaulting the restaurant personnel and her partner loudly yelling at the personnel -- but the whole staff took it in stride and handled it well (from our very close point of view). Police ended up being called - but it seems it all worked out in end.

My favorite spot to visit when in Alexandria. The food was amazing I like the creole food and drinks. My favorite is the cigar bar and music. The host and staff were very polite and professional. I truly recommend this restaurant for couples and also if you like to hang out it's a great vibe

Food is delicious. Service is good and friendly. Ambience is nice and atmospheric. Really recommend this place for relax with good music

Great ambiance. Food portions are a lot but good. Upstairs has live music and cigars. The smoke need better ventilation.

Nice restaurant, easy to locate in Old Town Alexandria . Our prix meals for Alexandria Restaurant week were very good. I think the meal should have included a dessert, instead of charging an extra $10 for a dessert. The Mac and Cheese with bacon bits and assango cheese was so yummy that me and my friend ate the dish clean. The Braised Short Ribs was very tender and seasoned just right along with the dirty rice. My appetizer of Shrimp Bolden Ball were nice and hot. The meal was delicious. Our server seemed to forget about us a couple of times when she went to get something for us, and did not return in a timely manner. One time, we have to wait 15 minutes or more after we ask for our check; and finally had to grab another server to get it.

Food was mediocre and the dining room smelled like secondhand smoke. I would not recommend this place for legitimate Cajun food - would recommend RT's Restaurant in Mt Vernon/Alexandria instead! Much better food without the smoke smell!

This was my first time here. My friend suggested that we go here. Something I could not tell from the website is this place is like a cigar bar. If you do not like smoke, this may not be the place for you. Or if you're like me, I don't like smoke, but I didn't mind sitting outdoors over a covered canopy. It made people watching that much easier :). It also was 68 degrees in December for some odd reason. Anyways, my friend had the gumbo and I had the crab soup. We also shared truffle fries. We ended our meals with dessert - bread pudding. All of it was pretty solid. The best part of the experience was our server. He was super attentive and kind. All in all I would come again. **There is also an affordable parking garage walking distance if you are new to the area.

This is a "New Orleans" style restaurant run by a Chiang Kai-shek wanna-be in Old Town. Do you see the problem here?? Nothing about 'Old Town' screams 'New Orleans' and nothing about this restaurant screams, except for the Manager/Hostess, more her later... There's nothing "New Orleans" style about their food other than the names of the dishes offered. The entire place is disgusting, from top to bottom. Was it clean? Yes. Was the decor acceptable?? Absolutely. Was the service friendly and prompt??? Yes, on a basic level. The menu is riddled with inconsistencies for a "New Orleans" style establishment: "Bavarian Pretzels" and "Shrimp & Grits" do not necessarily pair well together. Are we in Frankfurt or the French Quarter??? Let's start with the "Southern Fried Chicken" -- if you are attempting to replicate REAL, TRUE, AUTHENTIC "Southern Fried Chicken" a good restaurant must offer breasts and wings, not just greasy thighs and legs. A good restaurant must know how to marinate, season, coat, bread and fry chicken well. If you have ever been to "Mother's Fried Chicken" on Poydras Street in New Orleans you know authentic "Southern Fried Chicken". The offering at 219 is a disgusting, greasy, tasteless bird that was likely a pigeon waddling down King Street just a few hours before. "Squab, anyone?" The "Crawfish Etouffee" is nothing more than pond skrimps in V8 juice. Yes, pond skrimps - like the kind you see bopping around stagnant water in the countryside. Induce vomiting instead; it would taste better. What exactly is a "Southern Caesar Salad"? Was the lettuce grown in Alabama? The Parmesan aged in Mississippi?? Were the croutons baked in Georgia??? None of this makes sense, considering a true "Caesar" salad was invented by an Italian Chef named Caesar Cardini and what 219 offered to my table did not resemble a true Caesar salad in any way, shape or form. Lousy, soggy, brown lettuce that should have been fed to the pigeon disguised as "Southern Fried Chicken". The "Caesar"dressing was obviously from a jar/can/bottle/package/garbage can and the croutons were definitely from the food bank in PG County. Nope, no, never. Now for the best part - "Patty" the hostess/manageress. I am not certain where this woman trained in hospitality management (perhaps at a prison gulag?) but her entire attitude was a combination of anger, hatred, impatience and disdain, from start to finish. Although we never complained about the food, we did have an issue when our bill was presented at the end of our dining experience. What was the issue, you ask? We were charged for a round of drinks that our table did not order, receive or consume. When we presented this issue to the server, we assumed it would be quickly rectified. No such luck -- instead we were met by "Patty". Yes, that "Patty" as has been mentioned in prior reviews. "Patty" is a rude, crass and ill-tempered woman with a knack for destroying repeat business and the spirit of her customers. While I will not go into further detail on her rude, racist statements, inappropriate words and unacceptable actions, I will say this: It is blatantly obvious that if you have a person of color in your party (we were a party of four with one person of color), "Patty" will accuse you of theft, dine-and-dash and, I quote: "You guy try to come here drink fo' free huh? No. I cawrl coppps. Not here. I ban you I see you face again." For the record, none of us had eaten at 219 before. None of us ever will again. You'll recognize "Patty" -- she looks remarkably like Admiral Ackbar, you know, the Mon Calamari from "Star Wars"? And, as he said: "It's A Trap!"

I was a bit hesitant to come to this place as the rating was 3 stars but my friend convinced me to come and I don't regret it. When coming in, it is this cute patio area with a great atmosphere before you get to the host stand. It seemed like the restaurant was a bit crammed for space and wait staff were constantly trying to shimmy between tables and asking people to adjust for them to pass on by. The food took a bit to come out but I am assuming that it was due to it being a busy night. I ordered the pretzel with beer cheese and the fried chicken. The pretzel was amazing! It was big, warm, and buttery. Everything you would want from a soft pretzel. And the beer cheese was flavorful melty and flowing. I just wish there was more beer cheese as 2 sauce containers didn't seem quite enough. The chicken was lackluster. The crust was great and super crunch but I was uninterested after a couple bites. The chicken was moist but almost too moist that made me consider if I was teetering between eating raw or not. It came with a side of fries and collared greens and the collared greens were okay.

Was treated to this surprisingly beautiful place (New Orleans theme And style)! We came for the food and live music which was great. The only downside was the smoking and loud talking, tvs etc. The drink was just okay. We had soup and jambalaya which both were awesome and tasty. I would go back but only when not crowded or maybe just to visit downstairs for dancing.

Nice solid spot for drinks and food. The staff was nice and the music was nice!!! I would try them again

Six of us had reservations (7:15) and had dinner here last night (2/11/23). The wait service was horrible. Our waiter was rude, snappy and once our food was served (served extremely late), he never not once came back to check on us. I wanted a coke but he never came back to check on us. Our food was brought to our table by someone else. He didn't get the drink orders correct, delay in serving the drinks, wouldn't split the checks the way we requested (by couples) said that the restaurant couldn't split it three separate ways but told us just to split the bill 3 equal ways, never reserved our appetizer, took so long we cancelled it. Unfortunately, we didn't get his name but he was middle eastern and had a very nasty attitude. We were forced to give him a tip on a $259+ bill for bad service (tip was included in the bill). Let's get to the good; after waiting beyond a deceit time. The food finally came and was horrible. Please don't order the Scrimp & Grits (no seasoning, no taste), don't order the hamburger (hard as a rock), other orders were also below average! The noise level was insanely loud! Ventilation was poor, smelled the cigar smoke from downstairs (we sat in a room in the back). We will not be going back and in addition to writing this review, I will call the restaurant today and speak to a manager. Terrible dining experience!

Had a celebratory dinner here a couple weeks back. It was Saturday night and we arrived and were put in a room toward the back- and at a table in the middle of the room. At first it was us and one other table and the. It was just us- alone in this room. It smelled like cigars. I didn't mind it so much, but companions sure did. We ordered drinks and some appetizers- all fairly good- but the prices! A plate of 8 fried oysters, as an appetizer, was $20. Entrees were all over $25. Even a smallish 'Blackened' salmon filet was $28. Shrimp and grits: $28. Grits! The best dish in our group was the Etouffee. We're from Louisiana and it was the real deal. Otherwise, there was no music- very few people. Just us in a white room that smelled like cigars. And our bill- yikes. We likely will not be returning.

The atmosphere was good and the staff was very attentive and nice. Unfortunately we were there to enjoy a nice meal and the food was disappointing. Menu was narrow with only one steak choice and the portions were small for the premium Old Town price. The menu focused on New Orleans Cajun style cuisine.

Presence for dinner 219 Restaurant, on Saturday May 19, 2023 , very inviting, pleasant front desk, cozy atmosphere, servers were good. The food, Salmon appearance mouthwatering, but the taste was average, cooked to satisfaction, Brussels spout needed to be cooked longer, hard, bland taste, needed to be balanced seasoned better. The best item on my plate was ,the risotto was pleasant tasting and seasoned. Overall, 3 stars

Save your money and appetite for another choice in the area. Overcooked and hard pork belly- tough shrimp in the shrimp and grits and the jambalaya. Grits were gritty and more like cornmeal. A huge disappointment. Never again

Last minute plans brought us here. The restaurant is cute and appears to have several dining areas which included outdoor seating when the weather is nice. Parking is available on the street and a few garages in the area. Parking can be horrible during the evenings. Service was good but they have a cigar lounge upstairs and a band plays at times. It sounds like a good ole time up there. My issue is their ventilation system isn't amazing. It's decent because I wasn't overwhelmed with the smell of cigarettes/cigars downstairs. I was seated in the dining area underneath that good ole time and it was like second hand and more so third hand smoke. My clothes smelled like it when I got home. The food was decent. I enjoyed my shrimp and grits. It had a smoky (no pun intended) and bbq taste. I really liked it. The salmon and risotto wasn't the best. It lacked flavor. The fries were simple but hot and good.

The food was good and service ok. But the CIGAR SMELL PERMEATED THE DINING ROOM. I ate half my meal, had it boxed up and left with a headache. It was like dining in an ashtray.

The shrimp and grits was very good! Surprisingly good!!! If undecided try it, you won't be disappointed!!!

Came with a friend on a Friday night. We made reservations, but I do believe you can also walk-in. Place was extremely clean with a beautiful ambiance. We opted to sit by the street window. There was a lit candle on the table. There was a mixture of instrumental jazz music (piano) being played throughout. Our waiter was phenomenal! I wish i could remember his name! The Mac and Cheese appetizer was , eh. Was more of a creamy cheese sauce. The Honey Wings were delicious! My guest and I both got the Cheeseburger but we were pretty full off of the appetizers and the FRIES that came with the Cheeseburger we both ended up devouring lol There is a wine menu. Also, there seemed to be an upstairs and downstairs section to this restaurant or building. Downstairs looked more to be of a speakeasy, bar. Not sure what was upstairs. There also is an outside fully covered dining area with overhead heated lamps. I would recommend!

Restaurant week 2022. The menu for this event is extremely limited. We wanted to share as there weren't many options. Waitress called to the back to see if we could share. They yelled back of course. Ordered fried chicken which came with fries and greens, Caesar salad and added the fried oysters. Best thing was the fried oysters then the Cesar. Then in this order: fries, ketchup, chicken and greens. That doesn't mean they were good. Chicken was seasoned but over fried, burnt and scarce. Yes that's the fried chicken portion. There was an apple drink we ordered that was refreshing.

Had a great time here last night. Was hungry and looking for somewhere to eat at the very last minute with my friend. Pros: Was welcomed by a Latino gentleman 15 minutes before the kitchen closes and he ensured we had EVERYTHING we needed before they closed. He was super helpful and pleasant to deal with made the experience that much better. The place was very clean and even though the staff looked like they were fizzling off because it was close to closing time we wanted for nothing. Truly a great experience in 35 minutes. Cons: I could not see any. I didn't not go at peak time so I cannot say what happens when they are stressed as a unit. All in all a very good experience and the only reason I did not give them all stars was because I didn't not see how they operate while occupancy is at 100%.

Amazing cigar lounge that plays live music on weekends. They have in-house cigars to buy, and a great food menu as well. If you like to pair your smoke with whiskey, beer or another spirit they have you covered. They have multi floors and a separate area if you do not want to smoke in the area. Highly recommend.

Took the wife here for a mother's day dinner out and so glad we came. The waiter was really nice and attentive, he took our orders right away and kept checking on us to ensure we were during fine. For an appetizer I had the gumbo, it was really good with a very slight kick, although it would've been better with some sausage added. For an entrée I had the Jambalaya, it was great, had a lot of sausage, chicken, shrimp and some really good rice. My wife had the fried chicken with collard green. She like both, but really enjoyed the greens that were cooked with pork and had a little kick to them. Overall a very good meal.

Make sure to make a reservation! This food was decent. Definitely needed more salt. If you get the chicken fettuccine, definitely add old bay lol. I would return to try something new!

What a great spot in a great town. Went here on a rainy Wednesday for dinner with friends. The place is not the biggest but enough room to be comfortable. It has a covered patio area that you enter through, bars located on the first and second floor and the second floor doubles as a cigar lounge and stage for a live band. The food: I ordered the truffle fries to start and the blackened salmon with roasted Brussel sprouts and orzo risotto. The fries were crispy with a good amount of salt. Very good. The salmon was very good. Cooked medium like I prefer, good seasoning and the sauce was flavorful. The sprouts had a good crisp, flavorful, as well as the risotto. Very very good dish. After dinner we went upstairs and enjoyed a nice cigar and drink. Upstairs, has a bar, a lounge room with a tv to relax, have a drink/cigar and watch a game, and also has a separate lounge area, close to a stage for live band. We were blessed to come on a night where there was a band and it was great. The vibe was calming and chill, the band played for about an hour and the placed filled immediately once the band started playing. Would highly recommend this spot if you're in town. If there is live music, I suggest getting seated early as it fills quickly.

We arrived at 6:55 pm it appeared to be an extremely busy night. Our reservation was at 7 pm and they wanted to sit us outside with out asking first. When we refused they sat us inside. Once seated we waited over 15 minutes for someone to come over and give us water or even take our order. Once the server came over she took our drink order and our food order. The drinks and appetizer came out pretty timely but the main course took longer than expected. Once the main course arrived I must say it was prepared well. Both dishes were really good and we didn't have any complaints. The decor of the restaurant is very nice. Unfortunately the service lacked and thats why I gave them 3 stars.

I have lived in Northern VA for years and been meaning to try this creole /southern Restaurant. I made a reservation on opentable. My review is for last night dining experience. First, the staff made sure I was where I wanted to sit and got me a great table outside due to COVId-19. For my drink, I ordered a lemon drop. I asked for it extra strong and they delivered! It was delicious! So much so, I ordered two! For my appetizer, I ordered the clam soup. It was very Rich and very fulfilling. For my entree, I ordered the blackened salmon. It had Risottoand my favorite, Brussel sprouts. Everything was delicious. It definitely gave me the Louisiana feel. The staff were great . They knew the menu well and provided great experience. It's a great restaurant to also try if you want to social distance , eat outside , people watch and have a romantic date.

New Orleans is my all time favorite US City, so when a place does Creole / New Orleans style offerings and claims to do it well I have to see what they're talking about. I will say that the ambiance of the restaurant is reminiscent of NOLA, however, that's pretty much where the true essence of NOLA stops. While the menu is filled with NOLA offerings, the soul (bc in New Orleans you taste the SOUL of those preparing the food and the roots of the city) just wasn't there, even tho they did give it a fair shot. Our server Martine was amazing though and he truly took care of us and made great cocktails, but the food.... SIGH, we'll stick to taking that flight to NOLA to get that authentic goodness!

The live music was a plus and entertaining. If you like to smoke cigars, this is a place for you! I'm leaving aa 3 star review for the following reason...I ordered the "loaded" potatoes and they were not loaded. In my opinion, they could have but more bacon on the potatoes as the amount that came with the order was hardly enough for 4-5 of the wedges. I had to order more bacon, so the $9 loaded potatoes ended up being $12. I did not try any other food, so I could not recommend anything else. Can't give half stars, but I'd give a 2.5.

In 2020: Highly appreciate the precautions taken by the restaurant. Staff wears masks and the restaurant offers outdoor seating (on the street). Location: Very well located in King St, and clearly a hot spot in Old Town Alexandria. Outdoor seating is literally on the street by the parking spots; but the staff will take care of you. And you'll hear the jazz band just fine. It's a very basic setting for the outdoor seating. But it's worth it, in my opinion. My table was inclining forward & on the side; and a car was literally parking behind me. We could only see the humor in the situation. Food & drinks: Missed seeing a list of cocktails in their menu, but they have a solid wine & licor list. The shrimp & grits were fine, but I would order something else on the menu. Both my husband & I agree on this! Service: The staff is very courteous. They'll make you feel welcomed.

Came here with a friend to have dinner and cigars. The restaurant This place was pretty busy. I didn't have a reservation and I was seated immediately. My friend arrived later and she did have a reservation but it wasn't a big deal. Drinks downstairs I got a passion fruit martini and my friend got a raspberry martini. Mine was pretty good and my friend liked hers. Food I got the jambalaya. It was pretty good and it was very filling. It wasn't very spicy. My friend got the shrimp and grits. She barely touched it and she didn't like it at all. Service downstairs Our waiter was quite good. Very friendly and engaging. Parking There is no free parking lot. It is old town after all. I ended up parking on the street about four blocks away. My friend was lucky enough to get a spot just outside the restaurant for free. Ambience downstairs. We said in the stairway seating. It was all right. I would have liked a little bit more scenery since we were so close to the water but whatever Price downstairs Good considering the quantity of food but not for the quality of food Then we went upstairs to enjoy some live music and the bar. They charge a cover , fiver per person. Ambiance upstairs The seating arrangements are a bit tight. and the live music was great but also quite loud. This isn't really a cigar lounge where you can chill and have a good conversation. At least it wasn't on a Friday night. But I did very much enjoy the live band. Service upstairs Couple of issues bothered me. one they do have a time limit of 90 minutes. Which isn't a big deal but the guy who is the policeman for that made it a point to introduce himself to make us aware that there was a time limit. It kind of takes away from the relaxation part of a cigar lounge if you ask me. several people got bounced from the cigar lounge. The lady downstairs who's the hostess apparently was booting people out if they just walked into the cigar lounge. and another person was forcibly removed by the timekeeper from above. It definitely was a detraction from making it a full enjoyable experience. Also, I brought my own cigars and nobody said anything but the other host, I believe is the husband of the lady host, kept giving me sharp glances. It was enough to make me take notice but it was a bit of an odd experience. Cigars I brought my own to smoke. They didn't have any problems with that. My friend bought one from them and it was a very expensive one, overpriced if you asked me. Drinks upstairs I got two shots of Scotch. They don't have a vast menu of scotch, bourbon and whiskey. But it was a good mix. overall I'm glad I tried this place. I would have liked a better view. The food was so so and I wasn't too thrilled about the cigar lounges treatment of some of the other guests.

My boyfriend went to this restaurant last night with his college age son. They were seated next to a very loud and rambunctious party. When my boyfriend asked the manager to take care of the extreme noise issue, she got the conversation escalated to the point where she called him "a slave" and called the police on him. After explaining the situation to the policeman, he paid the bill and left with his son. But needless to say, we will never come back to that place where the manager is so highly incompetent that she even allows herself to use racist words in a conversation with a customer. And to think that we previously considered going out for one of the dancing nights to this place! Obviously, not anymore.

Wonderful experience. On vacation to DC from the south. We've spent a lot of time on the gulf coast and know what Cajun food is supposed to be. This is not a yankee spin on southern food. This is the real deal. Was really crowded when we arrived but the crowd began to die down around the time we were halfway through our meal. We received personalized service and had a gr conversation with the chef. Great atmosphere, food, and service. Definitely on our list for a return visit.

This was a great place for Christmas Eve dinner. The staff were friendly and attentive. The vibe of the dining room was chill and similar to what I experienced in New Orleans. And the the fixed price menu. Out of this world. Left totally satisfied and impressed by the chef's ideas.