Evening Star Cafe

Name: Evening Star Cafe
Address: 2000 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA, United States, 22301
Telephone: (703) 549-5051
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.2

4.2 (1656)

$30 and under

Contemporary American

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 20, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Great for creative cocktails
Good for special occasions

The Evening Star Cafe is a rollicking neighborhood gem located in the heart of Del Ray. Opened in 1997, Evening Star is well known for its friendly vibe and convivial setting and continues to shine with a fiercely loyal crowd. Evening Star combines friendly, gracious service with a seasonal American menu featuring produce grown on our rooftop garden and by local farmers throughout the region.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary American, American
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
Phone number
(703) 549-5051
Website
http://www.eveningstarcafe.net/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Marvin Rivera
Private party facilities
The No. 9 Lounge is a wonderful space for private parties! We can accommodate all types of events-casual birthday bashes to seated full-service dinners, wedding parties, wine tastings, & more! We also host more intimate private Farm Table Dinners in Planet Wine. Come celebrate with us! Please reach out to dharrop@neighborhoodrestaurantgroup.com

Location
2000 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301
Neighborhood
Alexandria
Cross street
E. Howell Ave.
Parking details
Street Parking on Mount Vernon Ave or cross streets
Public transit
Ten minute walk from the Braddock Road Metro or Potomac Yards
Entertainment
Please note that our downstairs bar opens daily at 4:30 PM. The upstairs bar, No. 9 Lounge, is open Wednesday through Saturday at 5:30 PM. You can find the full calendar of bands playing in the No. 9 Lounge on Wednesdays and Thursdays here: http://ow.ly/om8GN. Shows in the No. 9 start at 8 PM and there is no cover charge.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,656 people are saying

Evening Star Cafe reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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
4.2Service
4.3Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Evening Star Cafe is a beloved neighborhood gem offering "creative comfort food" and "innovative specialty cocktails." Patrons enjoy its "lively and festive" atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating options. While some mention service inconsistencies, the "delicious food" and unique menu items like bacon cornbread pound cake continue to impress.

1,656 Reviews

M
Melanie VIP
Washington, D.C. Area3 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Great brunch! We enjoyed the pancakes, avocado toast, and chicken and waffles.
Evening Star CafeResponded 2 days ago
Hello Melanie, Thank you so much for your kind review. We hope to see you again soon! -Nicholas Meyer General Manager The Evening Star Cafe
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A
Anne
Virginia7 reviews
3.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We live 2 hours away but have family in Alexandria and this was our 4th visit to Evening Star Cafe in the past 10 years. All 3 past experiences were amazing so we went back this past weekend and something has definitely changed…I’m not sure who is running the kitchen now but the food was lackluster and downright bad. We were there for Saturday Brunch with a reservation. The service was good and the ambiance is still amazing it was just not a good meal and we doubt we will be back anytime soon. Of the 4 dishes at our table we all commented that we should have gotten the shrimp & grits, it was actually very good, but the other 3 dishes were so bad they overshadowed the one good dish. The pancakes were gummy and there was just 3 big pancakes on the plate, no fruit, which was disappointing. The huevos rancheros was the worst I've ever had. It was just a handful of tortilla chips with 1 poorly cooked egg smothered in flavorless black beans and slasa. Literally soggy & tasteless! My husband got one of his favorite dishes, chicken & waffles, and said it was the worst version of that dish he had ever had too! The waffle was fine & he appreciated the side of hot honey but the chicken was an abomination. Severely overcooked it looked shrunken and dry, he said it was terrible. I wish I had sent everything back but we were all hungry and so we didn’t say anything. Even the Bloody Mary had gone downhill from a large flavorful bloody of past years garnished with candied bacon & a tiny grilled cheese sandwich to the small watery cocktail I was served on Saturday garnished only with a lone olive and lime wedge…If you are the owner of Evening Star Cafe I hope you can get your kitchen back under control because we had been so impressed in the past but so terribly disappointed this last visit and I’m sure we aren’t the only ones. This restaurant has been around for a long time and I would hate to see it fail now.
Evening Star CafeResponded 2 days ago
Hello Anne, I am disappointed to hear about the experience you had at The Evening Star this past weekend. Everything explained here is not the standard we uphold and try to live up to. I understand you live two hours from the restaurant but we would like to turn your opinion around. We have a great kitchen staff lead by a great chef that would love to redeem themselves for this visit. We do not have any excuses but would love to make it up somehow. -Nicholas Meyer General Manager The Evening Star Cafe
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A
Anne
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 8, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
Everything was Ok- which is fine but not as great as I remember it when I came here last year. I seem to recall this was a tough-to-get reservation in the past because the food was so good and it was a hip and trendy place. Not so much now. The place was practically empty and the food was so-so.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 11, 2025
Hello Anne, We would like to apologize for not living up to the expectations we created on your prior visits. We here at Evening Star expect a standard that falls higher than Ok. We truly hope to see you again soon so we can show you were are much better than 3 stars! Please come in and see us again soon. Thank you for supporting us. -Nicholas Meyer GM ESC
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r
robert
Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The Evening Star is a jewel of a neighborhood restaurant, with delicious offerings. You can choose to sit inside where it is lively and festive, sit outside on the Front Porch, which allows you to take in the vibe and thrum of Del Ray, or in the back where you can dine outside as if you were grilling at home. The menu changes seasonally and the bar is skillful and inventive with their offerings. Our server was excellent. He was knowledgeable, attentive without hovering and well-versed in the menu and wine and beer selections. We couldn't have asked for a more lovely evening out.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 11, 2025
Hello Robert, Thank you so much for your kind and detailed review. We appreciate greatly your awesome words and business you have given us here at Evening Star Café and Hi-Fi. We truly hope to see you consistently, so we can give you the best hospitality we can provide. Once again thank you so much for you positivity! -Nicholas Meyer GM Evening Star Café
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A
Adam VIP
Cincinnati / Dayton34 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food! Portions tend to be on the smaller side for starters. Outside seating is very nice but the tables are a bit wobbly so be careful. Overall, a nice place to eat in Del Ray.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 8, 2025
Hello Adam, thank you so much for taking your time to give us a review. We greatly appreciate your business and choosing us for dinner. Also thank you for mentioning the wobbly tables so we can get those taken care of quickly. We hope on your next visit we can turn that 4 star into a 5 star review!!! -Nicholas Meyer
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M
Matthew
Greater Boston2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 7, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
We went with our small kids and enjoyed a great meal. My only comment would be that our service seemed a little slow but I’m not sure if it’s because our reservation was so early in the evening. Either way, we’ll definitely be back.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 11, 2025
Hello Matthew, Thank you so much for your kind review. We appreciate greatly that you joined us for family dinner. We hope to see you again soon and hope to give you a wonderful experience. -Nicholas Meyer GM Evening Star Café
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L
Lea VIP
Washington, D.C. Area17 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 2, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We had crispy Korean ribs that were outstanding, with four big and meaty ribs in the serving, the chicken wings were smoked and had a great flavor. We also enjoyed the heirloom tomato salad and a wedge salad. Both were delicious. The service was attentive, without being obtrusive, and we sat outside in the yard, which was nice given the perfect weather. The only downside was the music was a bit loud, but great tunes, so it wasn’t too bad.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 6, 2025
Hello Lea! Thank you so much for joining us and your wonderful review. We are very grateful to be able to serve you and give you the experience you absolutely deserve! We look very much forward to you joining us again. We hope to impress over and over again. -Nicholas Meyer
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B
Barbara VIP
Washington, D.C. Area13 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had as usual a wonderful evening outside and a truly delightful meal.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 6, 2025
Hello Barbara! Thank you so much for your kind review. We look forward to giving you an even better experience on your next visit!!! -Nicholas Meyer
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J
Jeremy VIP
Washington, D.C. Area8 reviews
1.0
Dined on May 11, 2025
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 1
Aervice was poor. Took an hour for the food. Restaurant is dirty.
Evening Star CafeResponded on June 6, 2025
Hello Jeremy, we are so sorry to hear about your experience on this past visit. Our standard does not reflect what you experienced. We would be extremely grateful to invite you back and show you how we intend to serve this great community. We will do whatever it takes to change this opinion that was formed due to our mistakes. We would love to book you a reservation and treat you to a wonderful dinner here at Evening Star Café or Hi-Fi. I look forward to seeing you. -Nicholas Meyer General Manager Evening Star Café
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R
Robert
Washington, D.C. Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
My wife and I chose Evening Star for our 35th wedding anniversary. It was just the two of us, and we were offered a table for four with a window view and two complimentary glasses of prosecco. It started to rain hard, so that probably prevented the restaurant from filling up after 7:00pm. It was quiet, which was perfect ambience for us. The food was delicious, and portions were generous so my wife could take part of her entre home to enjoy later. Hats off to our servers and the chef!
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FAQs

Evening Star Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (703) 549-5051.

Evening Star Cafe is rated 4.2 stars by 1656 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 20, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 13 times today

2000 Mt. Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301

Additional information

Cross street
E. Howell Ave.
Neighborhood
Alexandria
Hours of operation
Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–10:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–9:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Contemporary American, American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking on Mount Vernon Ave or cross streets
Public transit
Ten minute walk from the Braddock Road Metro or Potomac Yards
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Marvin Rivera
Entertainment
Please note that our downstairs bar opens daily at 4:30 PM. The upstairs bar, No. 9 Lounge, is open Wednesday through Saturday at 5:30 PM. You can find the full calendar of bands playing in the No. 9 Lounge on Wednesdays and Thursdays here: http://ow.ly/om8GN. Shows in the No. 9 start at 8 PM and there is no cover charge.
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Beer Garden, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.eveningstarcafe.net/
Phone number
(703) 549-5051
Private party facilities
The No. 9 Lounge is a wonderful space for private parties! We can accommodate all types of events-casual birthday bashes to seated full-service dinners, wedding parties, wine tastings, & more! We also host more intimate private Farm Table Dinners in Planet Wine. Come celebrate with us! Please reach out to dharrop@neighborhoodrestaurantgroup.com

Evening Star Cafe

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Menu

What 1,656 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

Does Evening Star Cafe offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Evening Star Cafe restaurant rated?

Is Evening Star Cafe currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information