| Address | 2000 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301 |
|---|---|
| Hours | Brunch: Sat-Sun, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.; Lunch: Tue-Fri, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Dinner: Mon-Thur, 5:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri-Sat, 5:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun, 5 a.m.-9:30 p.m. |
| Phone | (703) 549-5051 |
| Fax | (703) 549-8520 |
| Website | http://www.eveningstarcafe.net |
I have been going to Evening Star for years as it is one of my neighborhood restaurants. It has good bar food and often features local music upstairs, but the reason I go is for the dining room food. This is the only place on the Mt. Vernon strip where I can get a good quality steak cooked exactly right (sorry to Fireflies and Del Merei) and pretty much every other meal I have had there has been very good to excellent quality. It can get a little pricey, but as someone else mentioned, not overly so for this area. To top it off they have small dishes which are often enough for a meal. Their salads with the exception of the steak salad are a bit ho-hum and overpriced but I like their appetizer/small plates and almost all of their entrees. I also enjoy their service (with the exception of one waiter with a birthmark on his face that has, for some reason I can't fathom, taken a dislike to my husband and I even though we tip well). They are friendly and professional. The very few times where there has been a problem they have taken care of it immediately. That being said, I have rarely had a food problem and only one service problem. I did have an issue with the chef switch-over that they did, the new chef needed to get his bearings which he seems to have done but things were a little rough for a while. It is not a fancy place, but it isn't TGIFriday's either and has consistently good food at a good price served with a smile.
I have to agree with an earlier rater; this restaurant was absolutely average in every way except one: price. While you can certainly shell out much more money in our area for a meal, you are also likely to enjoy the experience much more.
The service was fine...not particularly welcoming, but not aloof either. The paint was cute, but the place seems to be aiming for a note of "trendy kitch" that it just doesn't achieve.
The food was suitable, but not wonderful, particularly in regards to the price you pay for what you get.
I will not be going here again.
We arrived late in the lunch hour on a quiet Sunday to celebrate my nephew's homecoming from Afghanistan with great wine, steaks cooked to perfection, and a side of nicely spiced winter vegetables. My nephew loves wine and, after naming a few of our favorites, the knowledgeable and attentive staff picked the perfect two complements to our meal (the Liberty School red being a particularly good value). The service accommodated our leisurely pace and we spent a great afternoon catching up. This is a very popular neighborhood venue and I would not be surprised if you might have to wait for a table. Fortunately, there is a comfortable lounge in the back perfect for that purpose.
One could call this place homey or funky but really, it is a bit down on its heels. The paint is peeling and the old screw holes for the hinges on the doors to the kitchen are still visible. The place is a bit noisy (all hard surfaces) and the booths are on the uncomfortable side. Aside from all that, the food and service was ok. The Reuben sandwich was very well done and tasty. However, the portabello sandwich was non-descript and bit on the dry side. Lunch prices average about $8.00 bucks for many of the sandwiches on the menu.
This place was remarkably average in every way; that's not to say bad, but nothing really made the place stand out.
I've only been here once, but I'm pretty sure I'll be back at some point. My lunch meal -- the jambalaya -- was on the mark, and I didn't have to wait for a table, which was a plus. The restaurant is very comfortable for the single diner.
A group of us went for Sunday brunch at the bustling Evening Star Cafe. It is casually decorated and appealing in a homey and welcoming sort of way. While we waited for our party to arrive (all of the party needs to be present before they will seat you), we relaxed in the back bar, where aside from the expected beverages, microbrews, tangy bloody marys, mimosas, and an extensive wine list are available. Once we were seated, the cramped space was made up for quickly by the attentive waitstaff. Our plates were brought quickly. Of particular mention were the crabcake eggs benedict and the pecan pancakes. More simple fare was also available - bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches, and hamburgers. All in all, it was a positive and delicious experience. I will definitely be back!
Be careful of overly complicated dishes -- if it sounds like it has too many ingredients, it probably has too many ingredients. Excellent wine list, in conjunction with Daily Planet next door; on Wednesdays, visiting guest sommeliers pour, and chat about their wares. The knock on this place, and the reason not to rate it higher, is their perverse refusal to take reservations, which means that on weekends and at typical dinner times, you'll end up spending an hour or more in the bar -- not an unpleasant place at all, but not perhaps what you had in mind.
The Evening Star Cafe is a quintessential neighborhood restaurant--it exudes a warmth and coziness combined with high quality dining that is uncommon in the Washington area. It seemed as though everyone in the restaurant knew each other somehow, and the ambiance was only topped by the flavor and excellence of the food, particularly for the price. While not an unbelievable value, the Evening Star Cafe made for a wonderful evening overall. I'd go back--in fact, I already have!
Food is usually good and there is a wine store next door that you can pick a bottle out and they will put on the bill for you for $6 more I think if you do not like the small wine list at Evening Star. The food was much better last year and some of the brunches seem to be not as fresh as they should be..but you should go ...it can be a great value.
Evening Star Café is a funky, retro chic hidden gem offering a variety of comforting, filling American dishes, often with a Cajun kick. A Del Ray neighborhood favorite, the brightly colored restaurant offers patio seating when the weather is right, as well as a lounge complete with sofas for an enjoyable cocktail hour with friends.
Evening Star offers an impressive wine list and also allows diners to choose a bottle from the adjacent wine shop for a reasonable corkage fee of $8. Narrowing down the selection of appetizers is a daunting task—will it be the grilled quail stuffed with goat cheese and shiitake mushrooms, chicken and apple sausage on cheddar-scallion mashed potatoes, or steamed mussels with fresh ginger and lemongrass broth? No matter which direction you go, you’ll be satisfied, but save room for the main course with selections of fish, lamb, and beef among others. Favorites include: sautéed salmon with wasabi mashed potatoes and baby bok choy; blackened pork chop with sautéed spinach, mango relish, and sage; and the amazing potato crusted mahi-mahi with grilled asparagus served in a roasted red pepper sauce with basil oil. The dessert menu boasts satisfying, home-style choices such as pumpkin cheesecake but unfortunately they were out of the one that sounded the best: Sundae Pie, a sinful mix of chocolate ice cream, maraschino cherries, and pecans with an Oreo cookie crust.
Evening Star only accepts reservations on a handful of holidays, so bring your patience with you, especially on a weekend night. Even at its busiest hour, service is excellent. On the night of my visit, our server had mistakenly chilled the wrong wine, delaying our drinks by about 10 minutes. Both she and the manager came to our table to apologize, as well as offer us another selection from the bar in the meantime—well beyond the call of customer service.
Not only is the restaurant excellent, they also have a great bar in the back and one upstairs. This would be a perfect place for happy hour or drinks and then dinner.
While the restaurant is small and the wait longer than most, it is worth it. There are two cool bars that serve as excellent waiting areas. Bartenders are friendly and music really good. The bar downstairs has board games built into bar tables (scrabble).
Our waiter Wes was excellent and had great wine recommendations. Daily Planet wine shop is next door. If you buy some wine there, you can have it sent over to the restaurant to save a litte $$ on the meal. Also, if you mention in the wine shop that you learned about a wine in the restaurant, you get a discount on the wine. Very good deal! Good times.
