Restaurant Finder

The Majestic

Cuisine: American Neighborhoods: Old Town Alexandria

Based on 12 reviews.

Address	911 King St., Alexandria, VA 22314
Phone	(703) 837-9117

Rater Comments

These comments express the opinions of individual Restaurant Raters, not those of Washington City Paper.

Review by meliakristin on September 23, 2009

I dined at the Majestic’s sister, Restaurant Eve, on my wedding night so Cathal Armstrong’s restaurants will always have a special place in my heart. The historic Majestic Café was opened in 1932 and after closing, was lovingly renovated by Cathal Armstrong and company in 2007. Pictures of the old Majestic decorate the walls, lending the place a nostalgic feel. All of Mr. Armstrong’s restaurants have a real family vibe and the Majestic is no different. The servers are exceedingly familiar with the menu (unlike some of their counterparts throughout the region-much to my chagrin) and are always excited to share their opinions with diners. On my last visit to the Majestic I ordered the corn ravioli and could not have been more pleased. In my experience corn in pasta dishes can be cloyingly sweet and overpowering. Not so at the Majestic. The corn came through as a bright balance to the richness of the chanterelles and herby brown butter sauce. The made to order Caesar salad (which pleasingly evokes comparisons to the Zuni café’s famous version) is a hit with diners. It’s made at the table and appeals to the Benihana lover in us all. Most of all, the Majestic makes a lovely old fashioned coconut layer cake. My husband organized my last birthday party at the Majestic and though everything was last minute, the staff graciously agreed to make this beautiful cake for us. For those of us who crave a home cooked American meal, but have neither the wherewithal or interest to make it ourselves, the Majestic is Alexandria’s answer to our culinary complacency.

Review by dana on May 7, 2007

the majestic is simply fabulous.

i dined there late sunday evening of re-opening weekend. i was impressed from start to finish, and couldn't believe how seamless the restaurant was running, especially during its first weekend back!

cocktails were sweet and classic, and the specialty drinks like limeade, sweet tea, and strawberry egg cream were a treat.

the mussels appetizers were delicious and a huge portion, and the sirloin, salmon were cooked perfectly, and all vegetable sides were phenomenal. service was a little slow and causal but all staff were attentive and charming. many of the same seasonal ingredients showed up throughout the meal (succotash medley was in everything...!), and the meal felt special, reflective of the chef's mood, and uniquely prepared for your dinner.

ice box cake and strawberry cake were good, but standard, and not as exciting as the small plates, and entrees!

perfect for a long late night dinner...........

Review by mikegaw on August 20, 2006

The pecan-crusted soft shell crabs were phenomenal, and they went great with the black bean relish and collard greens. I would never have thought to put these foods together, but it was a great idea. The chocolate cake I had for dessert was exquisite - light and fluffy, but definitely very chocolatey. My five star rating is based on the generous portion sizes. A lot of the top restaurants in town get all shi-shi and miniature with the portions, which is a downer for someone like me, who likes to eat.

Review by Ontheside on January 25, 2006

I had my birthday dinner at the Majestic Cafe in December. It was the first time I'd been there since Susan Lindeborg left the kitchen and Joe Raffa took over as head chef.

The meal was outstanding. The breads comprising the bread basket were, as usual, better described than eaten; the biscuits were unnecessarily dry, the corn bread was neither the cake-like texture preferred by some or the classic, drier texture preferred by others, and the French bread was bland. But that was the beginning and the end of the disappointments.

I split an entree and three sides with my dinner companion. The entree was the inventive, unique, and ultra-satisfying "Napoleon of Spicy Creamed Mushrooms with glazed pearl onions, carrots and spinach." The layers of mushrooms and other goodies were divided by wafer-thin, crisp dough, and the glazed vegetables were slightly sweet, but not cloying.

As an aside, I should note that the Majestic Cafe has a history of coming up with well thought out and well executed vegetarian entrees that go far beyond the practice of some restaurants of just throwing together a few side dishes or boiling a little pasta. This is true on both the Majestic Cafe's dinner and lunch menu; the current vegetarian lunch entree of black-eyed pea cakes is like a Southern version of falafel, and I mean that in a very positive sense.

Getting back to my birthday dinner last month: The baked sweet potato is a side that I order automatically; it's always perfectly baked until it is so soft that it is falling apart, and the hazelnut butter it comes with could be a (heart-stopping) dessert on its own. The broccoli spears with garlic sound so simple as to be boring, but they were amazing; seared brown and cooked with a lot of garlic and (I suspect) a lot of butter, they were out of this world. Finally, the "maple-glazed spaghetti squash" tasted even better than its description, and led me to conclude that I will have to seek out spaghetti squash on other local menus.

We enjoyed the meal so much that there was no way we had room for birthday cake. But I have zero regrets.

Review by saprice on November 9, 2004

I have had nothing but great things to say about this restaurant and I still don't. This is a great restaurant and I recommend it to everyone in the area and those visiting.

Review by saprice on August 9, 2004

I heard that this place was owned by the Governor of Virginia and it didn't disappoint one bit. Great place and great time was had by all.

Review by glaredo on June 21, 2004

Majestic turned in its usual strong showing. I have one pet peeve. Why can't expediters consistently be given the appropriate seating information so they don't come to the table asking "who had the xxx?" This always sours me, and I was surprised to experience it at Majestic. This trait is often the mark between good or excellent, acceptable or unacceptable service - when dining at a nice place.

Review by emily on May 18, 2004

Within seconds of being seated, bread was placed on our table, and our glasses were filled with water -- precisely the level of service that all upscale restaurants should aspire to. The softshell crab was divine -- the freshness of the crab was noticeable, and the Indian spices complemented the dish wonderfully.

Review by tkoch on May 4, 2004

I have eaten at the Majestic Cafe many times and never had a disappointment. Besides, it's one of the few places where one can get a green chile cheeseburger (with real NM green chile!) for lunch.

Review by gken69 on May 4, 2004

Interesting food on the menu, I had a "beef salad" sandwich for lunch that was bursting with interesting and intense flavors. The timbale of smoked and poached salmon I had as an app was almost big enough to be an entree portion if served with a salad.

Review by saprice on April 22, 2004

This was a great find. You just don't normally find restaurants like this one in Alexandria.

Review by tarawilley on April 6, 2004

Review by fvr8 on January 26, 2004

Unbelievably good food! Everything on the plate is done to perfection including things I would normally never eat. Desserts to die for. Everything about this place is micromanaged to perfection and no detail is overlooked. Four star food, a casual ambience, and great service all in one.

Review by madkap550 on December 31, 2003

An excellent stop for a sunday afternoon brunch. The menu features anything from classic breakfast items such as whole wheat waffles to crusted trout. The food is well prepared and wonderful, the service is superb. The wait staff is very attentive to your needs.