219 Restaurant

Name: 219 Restaurant
Address: 219 King Street, Alexandria, VA, United States, 22314
Telephone: (703) 549-1141
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.2

4.2

896 Reviews

$30 and under

Southern

Top Tags:

Please note reservations are only available for the main dining room. The lounge and bar areas are first come first serve.

Housed in a historic 19th century townhouse blocks from the waterfront, 219 Restaurant offers modern Southern cuisine with creole influence. Our menu focuses on classic dishes with a southern influence to make for an exceptional dining experience.

We offer private dining rooms in addition to our elegant main floor and offer pre-fixed banquet menus suitable for any event. After your meal, you can unwind in our spacious second story Basin St. Lounge, and be entertained by world class blues/jazz music - seven nights a week - or head downstairs to our Bayou Room, for live DJs and dancing.

Whether you're looking for a casual night out or something a little more intimate, 219 Restaurant has what you're looking for... seven days a week!

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 9, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Elegant Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Southern, Contemporary American, Creole
Hours of operation
Restaurant Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm Lounge Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–2:00 am Fri, Sat 2:00 pm–2:00 am Sun 2:00 pm–1:00 am Bayou Room Mon–Fri 4:00 pm–2:00 am Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Phone number
(703) 549-1141
Website
http://www.219restaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Catering
We do offer catering upon request.
Private party facilities
Please inquire. We regularly host wedding parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, corporate functions and retreats, and hail and farewells. We host regular wine tastings, wine pairing dinners, cigar tastings and cigar pairing dinners, and scotch tastings.
Private party contact
Rob Jemio/ Patty Charoentra: (703) 549-1141

Location
219 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Neighborhood
Alexandria
Cross street
N. Fairfax Street
Parking details
In addition to available street parking, we recommend the affordable, municipal parking garage underneath City Hall just around the corner, on Fairfax Street.
Public transit
King St. Metro [<1 mile]; Free trolley services on King St., from Metro.
Entertainment
Live blues music [including Grammy-winning acts] six nights a week upstairs in our massive, well-appointed cigar lounge, the Basin Street Lounge. Downstairs, in our casual bar the Bayou Room, we offer DJ format dance music complete with laser lights.
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cigar Room, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Indoor Smoking Area, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Popular dishes

Jambalaya$28.00
crawfish / gulf shrimp / chicken andouille / cajun roux / rice
Shrimp Creole$26.00
shrimp / spicy stewed tomatoes trinity vegetables / rice
Crawfish Etouffée$27.00
crawfish / creole roux trinity vegetables / rice
Southern Fried Chicken$25.00
creole dusted dark meat chicken / southern greens / french fries
Chicken Fettuccini$26.00
garlic white wine cream sauce / parmesan/ garlic toast
Blackened Atlantic Salmon*$28.00
orzo risotto / crispy brussels sprouts / beurre blanc
NOLA Shrimp & Grits$28.00
louisiana-style bbq gulf shrimp / cheddar stone-ground grits
Hand-Cut Ribeye*$45.00
haricot vert / potato dauphinoise / mushroom ragout / port wine bordelaise

Sides^

$12

Truffle Fries
Loaded Fries
cheddar & bacon
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Southern Greens
ham hock
Haricot Vert
Cheddar Grits

What 896 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2

4.2 based on recent ratings

4.3Food
4.3Service
4.1Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

896 Reviews

FF
FooFoo
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Very nice! Close to parking lot if street parking unavailable.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food excellent, service wonderful, relaxed atmosphere. Music blasting for bottom shaking the floor and scent of cigar filled the whole building. Over that, the best outing for dinner I've had in long time. I definitely recommend this place for a date night.
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B
Bethany
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 19, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and the perfect vibe for date night. Highly recommend nipping upstairs for cigars and live music after dinner.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Seattle
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 10, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
The food was delicious and the service very nice and friendly. Made you feel welcome. My only criticism is the cigar smoke from upstairs started becoming too much.
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CD
ChristineD
New York Area
27 reviews
3.0
27 reviews
Dined on November 10, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 1
Perfect experience until a large loud party entered the room. Great server was continually beckoned by the table. Negatively impacted experience for all other diners. Owner stood at the hostess stand in texting mode the entire time. Never moved in to help.
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RS
RichardS
Philadelphia
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on November 7, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Great food, service and ambiance-and the free jazz upstairs was AMAZING, made my birthday very special. We will go back again!!
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FL
FrankLin
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 29, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Excellent food and drink choices. The friendly accommodating service was outstanding. It was nice to be able to enjoy fireside dining and to go upstairs afterward for Kev Powe Thang, a versatile and talented R&B band with a wonderful vocalist. We thought hearing music in a cigar lounge would be too smoky, but the ventilation was great. We definitely will be back. Oh, it is best to dine before 9:30 p.m. so you won't feel the beat of the DJ's speakers on the lower level.
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SM
ShelleyM
Washington DC
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 27, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Really only average. Also, the waiter had an attitude when asked to clean away food and dried sauce from the table we were seated at. Really? Don’t think I would return.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on October 14, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
We were very excited to visit this restaurant, but it was very underwhelming. The chicken wings were not Cooked all the way, and the one I did try before realizing it was raw was not good. The crab soup had good flavor but was cold. Pork belly was chewy and bland. Our server was very nice but overwhelmed. We will not return.
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r
richards
Baltimore
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on October 8, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent location in old Town Alexandria. Parking was problematic on a Saturday night and the music above and below the dining room was noticeable,. Excellent service from the staff though. Loved the personality of the waitress who made our date lots of fun with the intriging small talk.
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CD
CynDelicious
Charlotte
29 reviews
vip
4.0
29 reviews
Dined on October 7, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
The food and ambience was good however the service from our server was lackluster. She took us for granted by not exposing anything about the restaurant and immediately asked us if we knew what we wanted. She didn’t even ask if we dined there before… server 101. Service did not improve as the evening progressed. I understand that people can have off days so this will not inhibit me from coming back and hope service is better next time.
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ES
EricS
Baltimore
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 7, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Sheik was the best waiter I had in YEARS Food was legit and different #creole
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RC
RachelC
Washington DC
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 6, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our waiter Sheik was PHENOMENAL!!! The food to be of Creole Louisiana style cuisine it was close. A little more butter with a roux and seasoning would’ve been wonderful. Cigar lounge was a cool vibe and the live music stole my heart. Club downstairs wasn’t my vibe but definitely could be someone else vibe. Overall a great experience!
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SC
SandraC
1 review
3.0
1 review
Dined on October 6, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
The online menu was missing several of the items that was actually offered because “catfish” for example is seasonal….in what way is it seasonal? Disappointing when we couldn’t get what actually brought us to the restaurant to begin wi to. My food was great, husbands was spicy but lacked flavor other than the heat. Restaurant was too cold to enjoy dinner to the fullest. Disappointed that there is not bread or something offered to tie you over until your meal arrives. Ambiance was great and seating area was beautiful. Will my o back to try it one more time.
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A
Angel
Raleigh
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on September 28, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The waiter was excellent! He gave us time to make up our minds! The she crab soup was amazing!
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K
Kappie
New York Area
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on September 24, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great southern and NOLA style food with fantastic service.
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CS
CarolynS
Chicago
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined on August 26, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Our server was wonderful! The place still smells like cigarette smoke after years and is a little dingy but it does add a nostalgic charm.
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BL
BethL
Washington DC
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined on August 26, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
The hostess was very personable , The food was good , everyone enjoyed their choices. Even though we mentioned we were celebrating a birthday , nothing special was done to accommodate, even though we purchased desert. The option to continue the party in the lounge , with music was nice . Avoid the upstairs bars if you have allergies, the cigar smoke and smell is horrible. Overall nice experience , we chose it primarily because it touted itself as a whiskey bar and restaurant .
1 person found this helpful
OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
3 reviews
4.0
3 reviews
Dined on August 26, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
We enjoyed the restaurant week menu. The braised short ribs were superb! Our only iss was with our particular waitress. The other wait staff took good care of their tables. Ours disappeared. At one point we had to call over a hostess so we could get the small to go box we asked for and our bill. Other than that, I highly recommend 219!!
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SJ
ShawnJ
Washington DC
10 reviews
1.0
10 reviews
Dined on August 25, 2023
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
This place markets well. The food and management's attitude are sub standard. Nothing about the flavor was Creole. Food Presentation did not match menu, e.g Jambalaya had 2 shrimp, no crawfish. Collards with ham hock had no flavor at all and they were braised, but basically sautéed and tough.🙃
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ES
EdmundS
Washington DC
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on August 24, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 2
First, and most important our food was excellent. Unfortunately three things made our evening less than stellar: 1. The noise level is very high, walls and floors are hard surfaces, you need to speak with a raised voice. One of us uses hearing aids and found it difficult to converse. 2. The smell of cigar smoke leaking from the cigar bar was off-putting. 3. Our server, was less than attentive and forgot some ordered items.
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MM
MarkM
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on August 16, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
219 is elegant in atmosphere but casual in attitudes. The prices are higher than those at some restaurants in the area, but for special occasions, The staff are friendly and helpful. 219 is a fine choice if you like Cajun cuisine.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Los Angeles
4 reviews
2.0
4 reviews
Dined on July 18, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Nice ambiance and service. But the main attraction,the FOOD was poorly prepared. It was either overcooked or under seasoned. A poor representation of creole cuisine.
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AO
AnOldTownJem
Washington DC
91 reviews
vip
5.0
91 reviews
Dined on July 18, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our early dinner at Two Nineteen. The restaurant is housed in a 19th century townhouse. The menu is based on French Creole cuisine. Once again, we were seated in the front dining room at the window. The room has two small fireplaces, which function when weather permits. The previous two visits, the chairs had 19th century style brocade upholstery. Now, the upholstery is a shade of light red that brightens the room. The 12-ft walls are a dark grey with black wainscoting, and the room has three chandeliers for light. My friend had sea crab soup for her appetizer. I had gumbo. We both had jambalaya for our entrées. I was in the mood for jambalaya, but I wasn’t in the mood to fight with the crayfish. Once our waiter assured me they were peeled, I was good to go. We didn’t bother with a side because the appetizer portions were so large.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Palm Springs
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 12, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our server was wonderful! The food was delicious and the ambiance was true to NOLA.
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DK
DarinK
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 10, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Had a great experience - service was Great Tom was awesome and gave great recommendation on wine , apps and entree - all food was delicious she crab soup gumbo, gulf shrimp Creole , shrimp And grits and jambalaya. And live music was great !
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MB
MelanieB
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 6, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
If you like New Orleans food, then this is the restaurant for you. The Jambalaya is very good. You won't be disappointed.
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AA
ArielA
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 24, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
If you go here, try the Cajun food, I had the Jambalaya and it was exquisite. Will be sure to go back, waiter was polite and it has a great view of the vibrant old town King street. Jazz room upstairs with drinks too, the best deal I could ask for my money.
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M
Maxy
Washington DC
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 19, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Food was a bit too spicy for me. We sat outside which was very nice, but after first going inside it’s sit, the cigar smell was very obvious. The service was very good. Would recommend going there.
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CC
CynthiaC
Washington DC
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on June 18, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
Have been to this restaurant for 15 years, and they had one waiter working last night… hope they staff up approprately in the future.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on June 18, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
Restaurant was beautiful, food was ok, price for food was to high for the quality.
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m
mew1222
Richmond
25 reviews
vip
4.0
25 reviews
Dined on June 6, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 3
The food was new orleana style type of menu. We started out with fried crispy pork belly cut in very large chunks. They were deep fried and the skin was chew and chunks too fatty. I had the strawberry salad And quinoa with bites of avocado and vinaigrette and feta. It was mediocre at best. My husband started with Gumbo. The rrouex was a bit bitter and spicy to mask the bitterness. Also had the Salmon with risotto which was good. I also ordered the truffle fries which was excellent and the best thing of what we ordered. Overall, it was mediocre.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Washington DC
11 reviews
vip
4.0
11 reviews
Dined on May 28, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
Good food. Great spot to chill for cigar smokers. Unfortunately the lounge was short staffed so service was lacking. I’d come back again.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Baltimore
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on May 17, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Ambience was very nice. The cigar bar is very nice… not big selection but drinks were perfect pairing for what they have
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SO
SONYAH
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on May 7, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Lovely restaurant. The food, with exception of the chicken was very good. The advertising for live music was a little disappointing. It is in the same area as a cigar bar, so as non-smokers we could not stay to enjoy it as planned.
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CD
CoronersDisciple
Washington DC
14 reviews
5.0
14 reviews
Dined on May 6, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
My wife and I visited this past weekend. The fried oysters are delicious!! We both enjoyed our meals, Jambalaya and Chicken Fettuccine. Only complaint was the cigar smell, but neither of us left smelling like cigars. Will go back!
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IR
IrisR
Washington DC
14 reviews
3.0
14 reviews
Dined on April 29, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
I went with 2 friends for a birthday dinner. We were able to make reservations day of and we did not have to wait to be seated when we got there. The appetizer were ok, my friends had the she-crab soup which they both enjoyed, I had the fried pork belly which was ok, it had a sauce which was ok. I had the fried chicken as my entree and cheesy grits and collard greens for the sides. The fried chicken was fried too hard, the collards had too much oil and did not have good flavor and the cheese grits were terrible. My friend had the shrimp and grits and said it was ok. My other friend had the shrimp Alfredo and she enjoyed it. I would not go back.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
Philadelphia
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on April 27, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food, staff and ambience were fantastic! We enjoyed our meal Al-fresco, and our server was extremely attentive, polite and professional. Will definitely be returning!
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A
Allison
Washington DC
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 9, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a very lovely Easter brunch, thank you so much!
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B
Blandine
Washington DC
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on April 5, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great time. Bayou room was great too! The food was yummy.
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FAQs

219 Restaurant is rated 4.2 stars by 896 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

Party Size

2 people

DateTime

Dec 9, 2023

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

219 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Dining areas

Additional information

Cross street
N. Fairfax Street
Neighborhood
Alexandria
Hours of operation
Restaurant Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm Lounge Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–2:00 am Fri, Sat 2:00 pm–2:00 am Sun 2:00 pm–1:00 am Bayou Room Mon–Fri 4:00 pm–2:00 am Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Southern, Contemporary American, Creole
Dining style
Elegant Dining
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
In addition to available street parking, we recommend the affordable, municipal parking garage underneath City Hall just around the corner, on Fairfax Street.
Public transit
King St. Metro [<1 mile]; Free trolley services on King St., from Metro.
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Entertainment
Live blues music [including Grammy-winning acts] six nights a week upstairs in our massive, well-appointed cigar lounge, the Basin Street Lounge. Downstairs, in our casual bar the Bayou Room, we offer DJ format dance music complete with laser lights.
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cigar Room, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Indoor Smoking Area, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Website
http://www.219restaurant.com/
Phone number
(703) 549-1141
Catering
We do offer catering upon request.
Private party facilities
Please inquire. We regularly host wedding parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, corporate functions and retreats, and hail and farewells. We host regular wine tastings, wine pairing dinners, cigar tastings and cigar pairing dinners, and scotch tastings.
Private party contact
Rob Jemio/ Patty Charoentra: (703) 549-1141

219 Restaurant

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

She Crab Soup

Jambalaya

Shrimp Creole

Starters

She Crab Soup$13.00

Gumbo Ya-Ya$13.00

Cornmeal Fried Oysters$20.00

Bavarian Pretzel$16.00

Crispy Pork Belly$18.00

Asiago Mac & Cheese$13.00

Salads

Wedge Salad$14.00

Caesar Salad* ^$15.00

Mains

Jambalaya$28.00

Shrimp Creole$26.00

Crawfish Etouffée$27.00

Southern Fried Chicken$25.00

Chicken Fettuccini$26.00

Blackened Atlantic Salmon*$28.00

NOLA Shrimp & Grits$28.00

Hand-Cut Ribeye*$45.00

Sides^

Truffle Fries

Loaded Fries

Crispy Brussel Sprouts

Southern Greens

Haricot Vert

Cheddar Grits

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is 219 Restaurant restaurant rated?

Is 219 Restaurant currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information