Oceanaire Seafood Room - DC

the restaurant week lunch entree offerings weren’t that great.

The Oceanaire Seafood Room never disappoints. Me, my husband and a friend had dinner Friday night during restaurant week. The prefixed menu options were excellent! I had the lobster bisque as a starter, garlic shrimp scampi on angel hair pasta and cheesecake for dessert. 😋 The staff ever so attentive, yet not overly attentive which allows you to enjoy your company and meal. I’ll be back for my favorite lobster man n cheese oh and let me not forget this deliciousness in a martini glass! Thank you Alex and Wayne!

This was our second time having dinner here and were quite disappointed with the service. First of all, since we do not live in DC we did not know it was Restaurant Week. We were not given the special menu, only the regular menu. We noticed that other tables got the special menu when asking for it. I thought restaurants were supposed to give you that menu without asking for it. We ordered oysters and an African Prawn for appetizer. The prawn came before the oysters. Since the prawn had a strong taste and it was hot, it should have been served after the oysters. Then, we waited for an hour for our entree. Since we had tickets to see a show, we had to run, I could hardly finish my entree. The food was good and fresh but the overall experience was very disappointing for such an expensive upscale restaurant.

There were six in our Bornday Celebration for our friend, and it was a wonderful experience. A bit disappointed that we couldn't bring a birthday cake or balloons, but the Birthday Baked Alaska was AMAZING! The best part was our waiter Shadrack! He was so accommodating, pleasant and knowledgeable. He made the experience PERFECT! Don't miss out on a wonderful experience....Get there as soon as you can!

Great Anniversary dinner. Thanks to Elmer and the rest of the staff for accommodating us on this special day.

Food was great! Restroom was gross! Our server was very nice. I was on crutches and the staff didn’t seem to care I asked to be seated in a corner so I wasn’t in the way and they sat us in the middle of the restaurant?

went for restaurant week so the menu was limited but the selections for appetizer, entree and desert were reasonable. the fried calamari were tender-not rubbery and the hot peppers were a nice addition. the main course portions were generous- the salmon had an asian flavor while the barumundie was served blackened over grilled onions making the dish flavorfull without being salty. the desert was fine. the service was attentive without being overbearing. we opted for some extras sides that were excellent.

Food was absolutely fantastic, and always is. One of the best seafood options available in DC! Highly recommend the “black and Blue” style on your fish selection. The blue cheese butter with the seasoned fish is a wonderful combination.

We went during restaurant week, and when we asked for the restaurant week menu the server was obviously displeased, and the service showed throughout the meal. Very few questions were able to be answered and our orders were not 100% accurate. Based on my experience I would expect the service to be very good if I was to dine there outside of restaurant week, and would highly recommend.

Really delicious seafood. The oysters and Barramundi were really phenomenal! Excellent service as well.

It was Restaurant Week - so the place was very crowded for a Tuesday. That probably hampered the service a bit (although still good) and made it a very good value. The food and portions were exceptional.

Took advantage of restaurant week to go back to one of favorite seafood restaurants. We were not disappointed!

Oceanaire is one of DC's finest restaurants. The food is always exceptional.

excellent dining experience

My birthday

Fine but not worth the price

Went to the Oceanaire with a group of friends before New Years Eve festivities. Not only was the service topnotch, but so was the food. The server (Tom) was very informative with the items on the menu and did an excellent job making sure we were taken care of through the night. I will most definitely be visiting again!

We were visiting DC and had New Year’s Eve dinner here. Excellent food quality and selection. Service was very good as well. Prices $30 - $70 for dinner entry and side dishes are additional. We felt the place was worth the money. Definitely recommend.

Great service. For the price point, both main courses were average to below average. I’ll never go back, hugely over priced!

New Year’s Eve

We made a 9 PM reservation through open table to have a nice dinner for our 23rd anniversary right after visiting the improv. During the show my cell phone started ringing and I could not answer it but it was the hostess from Oceanaire telling me that the kitchen closed at nine. We decided to go anyway because we had always loved the restaurant. Sadly, the restaurant was ready to close. Trash was being hauled, the restaurant was emptying and when my fish was not good the manager and server were delightful. They took it off the check and also comped some wine. However, there were not a lot of alternatives since the kitchen was closed by now. I will return there and appreciate everything they did for us, but they need to seat their last party earlier and change their parameters on Open Table.

Something was off. Drinks at bar were good. Bread and appetizers were quick to come out. Lobster claws appetizer weren’t scored... 10 minute delay to get “tools” to do open claws. Dinner drinks came 1/2 way through appetizer. Entree was raw... so they did a new one...so we didn’t really eat together. Comp’d a beer and bisque. But in hindsight would have left after raw entree... after that it wasn’t worth staying. Oh well, lesson learned. Next time we’ll go Capital Grill.

Special friends visiting

It was a birthday, I was promised my ladies name would be on the menu. That didn't happen our waiter was outstanding. His knowledge of the menu thorough. Food delicious

Minor and Pino are the best of the best. Oceanaire is always a treat and tonight was no different. Fantastic service, excellent food and wine. The seafood mix was enough for two as were the crab cakes my guest had. Corn and spinach were perfectly prepared.

Absolutely Amazing and Classy Place !! Only one comes to mind when planning a quiet, romantic place for dining regardless of how much I try to come with another option! Love this place- the cuisine, the valet, the service, the atmosphere, EVERYTHING!!

Over all the experience was good it probably could have been better if it wasn’t for our waitress. She snatched our bread and vegetables off the table before we finished. I asked for more bread but never got it. It looked as if she was overwhelmed but for the price she should work on that😔

The experience I had with my most recent visit was unacceptable. I've been to Oceanair many times, this was the worst experience I had. The steak was not prepared as ordered other guest were eating while I waited on my steak. We order several drinks and sent them back. The cream corn is one of my favorites that was awful. I celebrated my birthday there last year with a large group of my friends, was looking forward to celebrating 2019. I will celebrate at another restaurant.

The food is amazing, especially the Artic Char fish dish and the Chicken Fried Lobster. Definitely a must if you’re in the DC area

I got sick as a dog? Never been so sick in my life.

As always, great seafood and attentive service. The special 3-course dinner which including appetizer (lobster bisque, or Cesar salad), main course featuring combo of 6 oz filet mignon & a jumbo crab cake, and a dessert (baked Alaska or key lime pie) was absolutely well worth the drive, and a great value and fits for the foodies.

The food and service were superb. The menu is creative and varied enough for every taste.

Great customer service

Food was decent but not great.

Wonderful service! Food was quite enjoyable. The crab cakes are loaded with crab meat, the shrimp and grits was a true standout, and the sides are large enough for 2 or 3 people. A true gentleman and go-to; no second guessing needed.

We went Christmas Day. The clam chowder appetizer was very thick with almost no clams. After the appetizers there was a half hour wait for the entrées. No explanation, no apology for the delay. The broiled shellfish platter had a small lobster tail. My wife could not get the meat out of it. She complained to the waiter who first explained that one just holds it by the tail and lift it out. When she said it did not work the waiter tried to do it for her and after a struggle got about two thirds of the lobster out and walked away. I foolishly let myself be upsold on a crab addition to “simply prepared” salmon. It came with a few pieces of crab and a sauce so cloying one could not taste the salmon.

Seafood was outstanding and waiter superb . We really enjoy Oceanaire

The Oceanaire is my favorite restaurant. The D.C. location has special significance to me as I have celebrated many birthdays there. The food is always good and the service is always great! During this visit, I was surprised to find them serving lamb shanks; apparently a Christmas special.

Our experience is best titled "disappointed." We selected the Oceanaire as my wife and I enjoy seafood and were impressed by the online menu. The anticipation of an enjoyable after ballet dinner was quickly dashed upon arrival.

We were met by a greeting group, not an inviting maître d'. This may have simply been timing, but, nonetheless, it was our impression of "hello." We were ushered to a back room seating, not the main dining room where there was plenty of two's seating available (it was only 6:00 p.m.). The room was without ambience (lights bright and the temperature very warm).

Our waiter was polite, but aggressive. He over sold the specials and did not offer price points (a huge faux pas). He was knowledgeable about the menu items, but stalked the table to get our order. As it was our first experience at the Oceanaire and the menu was large, we would have appreciated more time to reflect on our choices.

Service was fast, which is not what you want when trying to enjoy an evening meal. I was literally finishing the last bite of my appetizer when a server brought our main dishes. She did not know who was to have what and simply started putting the meals on the table. Upon seeing this mistake, the waiter came over and offered to take our meals to the warming table. We opted to keep them as by then I had finished my appetizer. The meals were acceptable, but not worthy of the cost. I've had better with far kinder service for much less.

My wife enjoys tea after a meal and we quickly learned that a decaf option was not available. Very disappointing for a restaurant that flies a four star rating. To his credit, our waiter dug deep and came up with a herbal mint option (still not decaf). My wife opted in and noted it was a "cleansing" experience. Our desert experience will have to go unnoted as space is running out, but it too has a story.

Our ride home was full of discussion of the ballet, but not a word about the dining experience. We shall not be returning.

A lovely experience—fish is impeccably prepared. Service is excellent and you can actually hear conversations. A bit pricey but worth the splurge!

The oceanaire has turned into a typical Landry's seafood outlet. Nothing special.