Eatery - Old Ebbitt Grill (DC)

675 15th St NW, Washington, DC 20005
Pricing - $$/$$$ | Dining - Casual, Dressy Casual | Cuisine - American
www.ebbitt.com

In my research on DC prior to my trip, I came across Old Ebbitt Grill as being a place that I had to hit up. Aside from it having some pretty good food, it's also Washington DC's oldest, most historic saloon having been founded in 1856! It didn't start off as a restaurant so much; as a boarding house, very many famous politicians, presidents, and so forth had visited and stayed. So when you're inside and take a look around, it's very Victorian, clad with paintings and furnishings to create a regal environment. Funnily enough, it was still okay for my friends and I to come in dressed fairly casually (as tourists often drop in too). Sounded good to us! We made reservations and dropped in for an early dinner on a Saturday night.


With four of us, two appetizers were needed as we were also starving. I had just come from the zoo, power-walking through it and all! We got the crab and artichoke dip (a hot, creamy feel-good punch atop mediocre sliced white bread) and Colombian empanadas (crunchy on the outside and wholesome on the inside with chicken and vegetables).


We all went quite separate ways with our orders in terms of style but I was glad to see so many options. One went with a salmon salad, another for a burger, and the other for steak. I opted for their goat cheese and basil ravioli which was portioned at a definite American size with several of the stuffed pasta pieces on my plate, covered in generous amounts of soft roasted pumpkin and garlicky spinach. The goat cheese was smooth and strong, wrapped within the pasta, and the accompanying vegetables overflowing. I had a good time at dinner, and the food overall seemed quite liked by all. It was also a good people-watching place. I only skimp on a full five stars seeing as the place was solid but not extraordinary. They had fairly typical American food at satisfactory but not mind-blowing levels of tastiness. Does this make me a bad person, for wanting to be wowed? Anywho, it was fun nevertheless to catch up with friends!

Take 1, Take 2!