Occidental Grill and SeafoodWe were in town on vacationWe were in town on vacation and wanted to have a fancy dinner. I had seen an advertisement in our guidebook for this restaurant and decided to make a reservation. We had an amazing experience. Everything from the food to the service was exceptional. I would definitely recommend to anyone in town and would love to go back next time I'm in the area.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat, in light of locationGreat, in light of location and history, for a special night for out of town guests.
Food above average , with nice seasonal selection of local products -- but not memorable.
Service outstanding.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWent for Saturday BrunchAn old friend and I went for Saturday brunch with an 11 year old. The place was nearly empty. It was almost like they were not ready for us (we had a noon reservation). Service was a little nervous but attentive and did the job. The food was terrific. I would recommend it based on just the food. The ambiance of the restaurant is very good - just like dinner, but a lot cheaper and much less crowded. I guess there are a lot of brunch options for people and you would not immediately think of Occidental for a Saturday brunch, but it was great. From the coffee on down, it was just tremendous.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat atmosphere - limited menuFabulous location for an after dinner stroll around the white house. Steak and lamb perfectly cooked. We did not order a starter, because there was nothing that appealed to us - we are particular. The chef sent out a lamb tasting bite that was delicious. The sweet cornbread was nice, but the crust tasted of the iron skillet. Dessert was dissappointing and we had been looking forward to it. The chevre cheesecake was old and dry. The strawberry shortcake was much better. Note - I was quite disappointed that people in extremely casual attire - suited for the patio At Best - were seated inside. It definitely took things down a notch or two or three!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMAverage for higher end diningWe had dinner here while visiting Washington D.C. during Memorial day weekend. We chose this restaurant because we were staying at the Willard next door. The menu was short, 2 pages, but I was hoping for more diversity. When I am on vacation, I tend to be more inclined to try new things on the menu. However it was limited to the usual American contemporary type of cuisine. I ended up ordering the duck and was not overly impressed with the product. Just didn't wow me enough to leave a lasting impression.
In short, you will have a good experience for the price, but it will not be the type of encounter that will make you yearn for this next trip back. Solid food with attentive waitstaff. Reservations were easily obtained on same day.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMRight stuffI enjoyed the food, service, and menu selections. Look forward to our return. Classic DC restaurant.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMSpecial OccasionGreat place for a special occasion. Food and service was good. I had mentioned when making our reservation that it was our son's graduation and on the table waiting for him as a card signed by staff. Very nice touch.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMFirst class, traditional and quietOne of the great power lunch spots in Washington. Quiet, traditional, classy, comfortable and not pretentious. The service and the food are too. A favorite.5/20/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is the best restaurantThis is the best restaurant to go to in Dc the food is amazing and the location is great5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMIndoor seating was available,Indoor seating was available, but do to the nice weather we choose outdoors and were so pleased. The waiter was superb and the food excellent.5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMVery accommodating to specialVery accommodating to special requests for picky eaters (like kids) and for items not on the menu. Quick, attemtive service. Excellent food.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMI LOVE THIS PLACE, MY FAV!My family has gone here for years and it has always been a favorite.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA Happy Mother's Day Experience!My husband and I stayed at The Willard and so this was the closest dining option for us. I have not had very good experiences dining out on Mother's Day, mostly having to do with poor service, running out of food, lack of staff, and the list goes on. There were a lot of people dining here but the servers kept up. The service was prompt. Our entrees came out and were piping hot and delicious. I had salmon with hollandaise and a smoked tomato coulis. My husband had chicken breast attached at the bone with a buerre blanc sauce. Everything was done, not overcooked and tasted very fresh. The server continually apologized for any delays which I didn't even notice. Overall a great Mother's Day celebration!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfectly cooked filet mignonAwesome steaks with truffle sauce. Great crab cake and seafood stew. Very DC insider feel.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food with an expectedGreat food with an expected DC power atmosphere. Good wine list at fair prices. Very good staff and service.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat outdoor business lunchAs always, crab cake was great. It was a beautiful day to sit outside. Service was prompt, friendly and informative.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food, graceful serviceExcellent experience for us and for our kids...my wife and I last ate here 12 years ago and brought the kids back this week for a fine dining experience. Right next to the White House, lots of politico pics on the walls. Fond memories of both visits!4/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food and ambiance at OccidentalThe food and ambiance at Occidental Grill are both very good, but it is the service that makes it outstanding and a "don't miss" place to eat.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMFood outstanding - specialsFood outstanding - specials a bit pricey, but were worth it. Lobster mashed potatoes tondie for? Would definitely return!4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMHalibut outstanding. ScallopsHalibut outstanding. Scallops great as well.
Great service.4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic. Our food our waiterFantastic. Our food our waiter the venue where all wonderful. Totally recommend your restaurant. We are from Australia and this place was recommend to us by fellow Aussie's.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMHaving eaten here for dinnerHaving eaten here for dinner and liked we decided to try lunch as we were staying at the hotel an wanted quick and easy.
We sat outside on Pennsylvania Avenue which gave us nice people watching also.
The seared tuna salad is great. Cooked perfectly with homemade ricotta and asparagus and wax beans in a Meyer lemon vinaigrette.
Perfect lunch. Service was also excellent.4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMfood is great but our waterfood is great but our water looked uninterested and probably said less than 20 words the entire dinner.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMThe steak was outstandingThe steak was outstanding as were the sides, and the wine was tasty as well. The atmosphere was quite nice.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Occidental Grill was aThe Occidental Grill was a first class restaurant with exceptional service. I recommend it to anyone.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyed our dining experience,Enjoyed our dining experience, food, service and ambience was very good !4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was great. Had a filetFood was great. Had a filet that was perfect. Foe grais on top made it all the better. Had several craft brews on tap which I enjoyed.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMService was good althoughService was good although once it got busy, it was a bit slow which is to be expected. Food was outstanding. Crab cake appetizer was delicious and the arctic char was amazing. The only thing that stood out was the noise level. With all the tables filled and so close together it was at times very hard to hear what the rest of my party was saying.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AML ove this Place. Visit everytimeL
ove this Place. Visit everytime we are in Washington. You can feel the POWER!!!!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMkWe wewre in Washington D.C.kWe wewre in Washington D.C. for EAster Sunday and the following week. We really enjoyed our brunch experience at the Occidental Grille. Thanks3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMFood and service were excellent.Food and service were excellent. Accommodated our theater reservations.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMOccidental is a very specialOccidental is a very special night in Washington. Food and service were outstanding. The goat cheese mac and cheese was excellent. Can't wait till the weather breaks and your beautiful patio opens for lunch.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was excellent, althoughThe food was excellent, although the menu touts "jumbo" asparagus, which is not the usually most prized version! The waitress forgot my dessert until(testily)reminded. She was apologetic, but said she had a large party to serve. (We were only two people.)
All in all, the best part of the restaurant is its ambiance, although the starter salad and fish entree were the best we found in D.C.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMChef Matt Baker is incredible!Chef Matt Baker is incredible! This place is in the top five in DC!!3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMSure, it's been around forSure, it's been around for a long time. Recently I returned for dinner and simply had a wonderful time. The food, service, and ambiance can't be beat. I was happy to re-discover such a great DC institution.1/31/2013 12:00:00 AMLovely mothers Day Brunch!Was anice place to dine for Mother's Day. Service and fodd were excellent!5/13/2012 12:00:00 AM