We were in town for Shabbat and got the Shabbos package. It's supposedly enough for 4-5 people but it's really more like enough for 6-8. All delicious. Supplemented with a pound of brisket which was equally good. The service over the phone was pretty curt/rude but that's a small price to pay. Two notes - if you're ordering takeout catering that you plan to reheat: (1) you'll need to bring your own large box or an Ikea bag or something to carry everything and (2) they don't double wrap, so you should buy/bring a roll of aluminum foil if that's a concern for you. read more

Ok so this might be a very narrow pet peeve, but I absolutely hate when my burgers fall apart while eating them. It drives me up the wall because I feel like I just ordered a plate of ground beef with a side of lettuce tomatoes and whatever else comes on the burger. I know this is very irrational, but it's just something that needed to be said here because I've finished my burger without it falling apart at all, not even a hint of the burger starting to fall apart until the very end! Now that's that out of the way, let me tell you what I got. A California burger without the mango (I think that's weird) and fries. Everything was absolutely delicious and it's one of the first time I could finish a full burger by myself without having to share with anyone. That might have been because I didn't have a lunch, but either way, it was delicious. Service was a bit slow. read more

Char Bar - California burger - Kosher Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My son and I shared the burger sliders with onion rings, others than the price being a bit steep they were very good and exceptional well cooked. My wife opted for the chicken tacos with black beans and rice and she to was very pleased. read more

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Always good food and friendly service. Loved all of the variety. Especially knowing that there were plenty of tasty filling dairy free options. Always a lively crowd. We always lucked out with parking right in front too! read more

Shimon HaTzaddik used to say: On three things the world stands. On Torah, On service [of God], And on acts of human kindness (Avos 1:2) Char Bar is a kosher meat restaurant located in Washington DC, the capital of the United States of America. And Char Bar is the capital of all kosher meat restaurants in the United States. When I walked in, it was crowded, full of hungry Jews. As soon as I saw this, (After living in the metro center of DC) I thought, "Where did all these Jews come from?". I was pleasantly surprised. The world does stand on Torah here. I ordered a hickory burger. (I was getting bored of ordering the standard burger) It was a long wait. As I anticipated my medium-cooked burger, I noticed what seemed to be the owner helping not only his customers, but also his employees. When I saw this, I knew I was standing (actually sitting) before a potential moshiach candidate. This amount of passion and perspiration that Char Bar was being treated with grounded my respect for the establishment. This restaurant is founded on pure kindness. Before I ate, I washed. My food didn't come yet, so I couldn't talk until then. (Jewish Custom) But after I finished washing my hands, I noticed that they had little bread bits near the sink, so I ate one of those. I burst into tears. This lowly little bread is meal fit for King Solomon himself. Manna from heaven. Here, they reward you for your service to God. If a free peice of bread tasted like it was baked by God himself, I couldn't even begin to imagine what my meal would taste like. As soon as the smell and sight attacked my senses when the meal came, my mouth watered so much it would fill three Olympic sized pools. I was so eager to take a bite I almost forgot to say a bracha, but after seeing the owners shtark white shirt, I was reminded of my roots, and said a bracha. (Blessing) I took a bite. And I became a believer. The Hikory burger was the best, tastiest, and savory burger I've ever had. The deep umami flavor was complemented perfectly by the fresh lettece, all silver lined by the crunch of the toasty bun. The juxtaposition of barbecue sauce and needle-thin beef strips was on a Shakespearian level of divine perfection. The mythical fruit grown in the Garden of Eden tasted like an inner-city public school lunch meal compared to what I had at Char Bar. I'm not usally a fan of french fries, but Char Bar's baked potato slices were salted and fried to a state of absolute bliss. The potatoes that the kitchen staff chose were the culmination of genetic breeding and culinary refinement. Char Bar belongs among the pillars of Washington. This restaurant was the purpose of this country's founding, a redemption for all the sweat and blood the American people have gone through. Char Bar is a beacon of not only America, but for the entire religion of Judiasm as well. On four things the world stands. On Torah, On the service of God, On acts of human kindness, And on Char Bar. read more

Let's get one thing straight: The food at CharBar is way, way better than the food at Eli's ever could've dreamed of being. I don't keep kosher but went to CharBar with a friend who does & I would go back with or without her. Where Eli's was the District's only, sort-of-sad, solo kosher restaurant, CharBar is a real restaurant that just happens to also be kosher. The food at CharBar is, in my humble opinion, more deserving of five stars than three. I'm a BIG fan of their pulled beef sliders, which are incredible - juicy, cooked perfectly, served with a heap of onion rings. They're huge, & they're served five to a meal, which is sort of crazy, but it means that you're almost guaranteed to have leftovers. Their other menu options sound tasty, too, with a few different kinds of creatively topped burgers, standard deli-style sandwiches with a twist, & upscale entrees like ribeye & glazed duck that run as much as $36. The atmosphere is nice, too - clean, sunny, a little fancier than its hot-dog-serving predecessor. I dock two points from CharBar's review, though, because, as at Eli's, the service is absolutely abysmal. It's so bad that it's actually sort of bizarre. By the time I arrived, my friends had already ordered sodas; it took the server 15 minutes to return to our table or bring me a water. They brought us two cups of tea despite the fact that we only ordered one; we watched them do the same for the table next to us, except with soup. I ordered my sliders without pickles; they arrived with pickles, but our server never returned for me to mention it to her. And by the time we finished our food & requested our check, it took another 20 minutes for her to bring it to us. By the time we left, we'd been there an hour & a half... for lunch. CharBar's food is good enough to make it a successful restaurant, even amongst those who don't keep kosher. Unfortunately, as the only kosher game in town, I suspect that they know they can do good business regardless of the level of service they provide, & so - again, as with Eli's - I doubt they feel any real obligation to step it up. I'd like to see them prove me wrong. read more

Char Bar - Pulled beef sliders with pickles & onion rings - Kosher Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had Christmas take out. I think the thing to get here would be the meat and burgers. Being that I do not eat meat (or keep Kosher) and this was mom's idea, she stuck to getting things I would eat (I wish she had just gotten herself a burger so I could eat the requisite Xmas Chinese food). And I will be honest about the meat, lately I am a little bit of a flexitarian (see le diplomate;). I have been schlepped to many a Kosher establishment in my tenure as daughter. I can say Char bar is a steady middle rated place, not great, not a salt bomb like others - but then NYC and LA have a LOT more kosher options. Our salad had beautiful fresh ingredients in it, but the lettuce itself was soggy. The other salad, beets and asparagus, was fine, flavorless but not offensive. Being that I know Mexican food inside and out, the "ceviche" was a bit offensive to me, it is nothing like ceviche if that is what you are looking for, out side of some red onion and cilantro, it IS EXACTLY like pickled herring. If you like pickled herring, it is not bad at all. Just don't expect ceviche, and the chips are super oily. I appreciate the chef is trying to branch out - but it does not work, just call it pickled whitefish with chips. That sets expectations better. At the very least, cut the fish, it was like a side of fish in every bite. French fries were soggy - maybe because it was take out. For me it is a miss. For mom, she was happy eating kosher. I still think what to get here is the MEAT. and avoid the other stuff. I am stunned this is the only place in the District with Kosher food. ***update - she went back for chix salad and brought me fries. They were good this time. Not incredible, but good and nicely seasoned. Her chix salad smelled good and she loved it. read more

We went there for a large family thanksgiving dinner. Wry quick and organized service. I wish they had had a full bar though. The private room was a bit noisy, especially if you're a little older. The Turkey dinner for thanksgiving was not very good, according those in the party who ordered it. But my husband got an amazing salad. Overall, it was ok and we didn't have to cook a thanksgiving dinner. read more

I spent six days in the DC area about a month ago and ate almost every day at Char Bar... I even took out over the weekend when I couldn't get there, so I've eaten most of the stuff on the menu... here's what I would focus on. Steaks... awesome cuts of meat, cooked well but little seasoning. When speaking to one of the proprietors he told me that they don't season the meat because people complain when they do.... really?? I overlooked this because I had spent 11 hours on planes and was just happy to get something "real" to eat. The sides of baked potato and salad were mediocre. If I was really hungry, I'd order this again, ask them to season the meat with some salt and pepper and go for it. So I ask, why don't they have a couple of "sauce" options like what I've seen at other steakhouses (Peppercorn?) Burgers... awesome all around. Fries are disappointing but I've had worse. Chicken... don't bother.. not well cooked, not well seasoned, not well... Salads... not bad, but make sure that the actual salad is fresh.. mine was a bit soggy, but I enjoyed it. Booze... none to be had while I was there but the proprietor told me that they'd be getting their license in mid to late December... which is right about now. I can tell you that a great glass of wine or beer would have been well appreciated with any of my meals. Service... pretty good, certainly better than the old kosher Alternative. I spent most of my time at the bar, but even while seated things were good. Atmosphere and Decor.... love the new vibe and place. I'll be back there again the next time I'm in the DC area. Next time I'll try some of the other menu items and hopefully a decent glass of wine or beer. read more

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After a bad experience I stayed away for years but recently some kosher pals were in town and wanted to go...so I went. Well, the place is under new management and is WAY BETTER! The food was terrific and the service was attentive and kind. What a makeover. We had a variety of foods and everyone was happy and full when we left--even the vegetarian who said the veggie offerings were terrific. So, I now wholeheartedly recommend Char Bar. Congratulations to the people responsible for turning this place around. read more

This place only recently opened and it has a lot of potential although there are definitely some kinks that need to be worked out. One of the main ones is that the service seems rather unattentative. Twice I have walked into the restaurant without being acknowledge a) for a couple of minutes or b) at all. The first time we decided to just leave and go somewhere else because we were so hungry. The second we did takeout and I ordered the house burger. I was actually really impressed with the burger itself. The meat was really tender and flavorful. I have to say it was one of the best undressed burgers I've had in quite some time, i.e. without any fancy sauces or toppings to adorn it. Just lettuce, tomato, meat and bun... and it was great. Their bbq and hot sauces were both solid and tasty choices for pairing with the burger. The burger came with french fries, which had some nice seasoning to them but they were unevenly prepared. Some were stuffed with potato while others were essentially empty. A more balanced offering of fries would enhance the quality of the dish. Beyond the actual food itself, there were still further issues with the serivce. When we placed our order, the waitress did not write down any of it. And, as one would expect, there were some erros in our meals. We ordered a side of onion rings and they forgot to give it to us. Moreover, the burgers were supposed to come with pickles yet mine did not have one. Again, these are small issues but they are ones that can be readily resolved. Definitely a place I plan to frequent and one that has great potential if it addresses some of the concerns mentioned above. read more

Char Bar - House burger - Kosher Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had the New Yorker pastrami sandwich. The meat, the slaw on top and the dressing on it were flavorless. Huge waste of $25.00 Service was adequate. read more

The perfect meal. There was a very generous portion size and the food was wonderful. The staff were nice. Thank you!

Food and service experience was great! This places servers kosher food and is actually a restaurant instead of the typically burger joint. Place caters to mostly Jewish community. Ordered a burger, came fairly quickly and was reasonably priced. Overall good experience. read more

Char Bar - Kosher Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Nice testy Hamburger restaurant!! Very good quality meat, reach menu and most of it its Kosher!! Highly recommend read more

This place was awesome! Greeted and served by the lovely Vicky. Food was cooked to perfection and presented beautifully. She was so thoughtful and treated the kids so kindly! We especially enjoyed the duck lollipops, chicken fingers, the chefs grill platter, the char burger, and of course the dessert! Thanks for a wonderful end to our day trip in Washington. read more

Tasty kosher food (meat). Varied menu. Something for anyone in your party. Nice staff. The next time we visit Washington DC, we will definitely east here again. read more

Very disappointing. First, every time we manage to come to this place, their HVAC is out... So in the winter it's freezing and in the summer it's sweltering. Nothing less enjoyable than eating hot food in an 83 degree room stuffed full of patrons with smoke from nearby dishes and the kitchen choking you in an already stale-aired room. Add to that slow service, lackluster and overly oily food that is way overpriced and you get char bar. This place is the only kosher meat place in DC, which makes it even more disappointing, but it's no wonder... If this place had some actual competition, I don't think they'd survive. Without adequate competition, they have no reason to improve their service, certainly not for love of providing good quality food and a comfortable dining experience to their patrons. Very disappointing. read more

I have been to Char Bar 3 times and each time it gets worse. First time was a 5 with great service and food. Second time not so good and this past week pretty bad. Let me tell you my story on visit #3. My plane was late so I don't instead of checking into the hotel first I went to Char Bar. I knew it closed at 9 so I first called and said if I'm there in 5-10 minutes (by 8:40) could I still be served. After a 60 second pause I got an unenthusiastic yes. I get there at 8:37 - first thing I am told is hurry up kitchen is closing. Yup, it was the same woman who answered my phone call who by the way spoke poor English. I order the nice little salad and the chicken and steak fajitas (I had that on visit #1 ). Well first the main course comes and then the salad. The steak was overdone, the rice and beans it comes with were cold, and the fajitas were stuck together (they were nuked too long). Of course I would have told my non-caring non-English speaking server but once the food came she only came back to give me the check. Not sure if I go back again, but if I do and the downhill performance continues I'm probably out. read more

We really liked this place! My guys loved the wings and burgers. The burgers were huge and could've used some salt but for the most part, it was pretty enjoyable. The service was good and fast even though it was pretty busy. The place is pricey but so is most of DC. Would definitely go back. read more

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Char bar has been one of the best kosher burger places I have been to and probably serves the best kosher burger in the DMV area. Of note, the burgers are huge which is the norm in US. read more

This place is quite good- the prices are a bit expensive (when you keep kosher you need to be use to it by now and you don't really have different opinions). The food is good and fresh - the place is very nice design. (It's a much better then old Ellis place) my only wish is that all waitresses will be more nice and welcome (some are and some not) read more

Char Bar - Kosher Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I found this restaurant on yelp. Walking from the hotel. Awesome New Yorker. Lean corned beef and tasty pastrami in true NY style. Not crowded but was only 5pm. This is a hidden treasure in DC. Thanks for finding this for me YELP! read more

Stopped in for lunch in a quick trip to DC. Nice to have a kosher option. Had the Hickory Burger. Nice portion, pulled brisket and onion ring were on point. Fries were hand cut and crispy. Service was friendly and good. Overall I am a happy customer would recommend. read more

I wish I could give them more stars because the food is so good, but the service is not so great which looses some stars. The servers might come check on you once during your meal, if you are lucky, other wise the next time you see ones it will be when you have to hunt them down for the bill. read more

A kosher hamburger place that has amazing food. We bypassed the burgers and went for the pastrami. Amazing!

I ate here a few weeks ago with my wife and a few friends. A few of us didn't feel well after the meal (indigestion/diarrhea). We shared a hummus plate, so that might have been the cause. My wife left a review here, and I would have left it as that. However the owner, Marc Zweben, responded to the review, and instead of showing any kind of concern, he decided to ridicule my wife, and educate her on antacids (very condescending). The worst part is that Marc appeared to be genuinely concerned in his private messages with my wife. It was unfortunate to find out that was simply an act so he could publicly ridicule my wife. Normally, if a restaurant makes me run to the bathroom, I won't discount returning to try it again. However when a restaurant's owner shows more concern for his own ego than the safety of his food or the concerns of his customers, I have no interest in returning. I'm also going to suggest another restaurant next time my friends suggest Char Bar. read more

Considering it's the only game in town, that is, the ONLY kosher restaurant it better be ok! And ok it was. The overwhelming portion size greatly makes up for the not overwhelmingly delicious food. And don't get me wrong, the food is good just not great. The atmosphere was also just adequate, not great. The gentleman, who I presume was the owner, was very, very friendly and I DO appreciate that! read more

Char Bar was a disappointment, I'm afraid. We came here as a group for dinner. We shared a hummus plate and fries as a starter, but the fries didn't come until the actual meal. The actual meal took a while to come but when it did it was lovely. I had a burger and it tasted great. But then, after the meal, we each got sick. So whether our meals tasted great or not, getting sick says it all. Not a place to eat. read more

Ordered the mixed grill for 2, would not recommend. Not even for half the price. When the server brought it to our table he asked with hesitation "this gonna be enough for you two?" The "rib-eye" served was inedible, ate one piece left the rest. talked to the manager about it, he just shrugged it off. I understand it's tough times for food establishments but this was a terribly negative experience. read more

Absolutely terrible. Single waiter for the entire place and he got slammed while owner sat on his ass at the bar and never got up. I had 5th Avenue which was suppose to hot pastrami and mustard on toast bun. They got the toasted bun right. No mustard at all and pastrami was dry and tasteless. Not normal for me but I have nothing good to say about this place read more

This was the worst meal I've had since I arrived in Washington on business. You would think a steak salad would be safe and easy to prepare. The waitress asked how I would like my steak, I told her medium, that shouldn't be too hard? The salad arrived and the steak was well done, Dry and tasteless.The waitress immediately disappeared and didn't return to our table until it was time for the check. Not a word as she picked up my plate with the steak untouched. As she returned to the kitchen she showed my plate to someone who I assume was a manager. A quick shoulder shrug and he was gone as well, not a comment from anyone. My friend had the Pasta Bolognese which was bland and dull. I would recommend a pass on the char bar not worth the time or money. In a city with so many fantastic restaurants it's a wonder this place is still open. Avoid this dismal dive at all cost. read more

First and last time ever at Char Bar. The restaurant is extremely dirty, service is terrible and food quality is the worse. Sadly there are very few Kosher restaurants in DC. This was so bad, I would consider breaking away from my dietary requirements. read more

Being able to order a delicious hot kosher meal after a day of exploring DC, and having it delivered to my hotel via their website really took my trip to another level. I placed an order for dinner for 3 nights of my stay in DC, and each item I tried was a home run! Thank you so much Char Bar for being there for me during my trip! It made it all the more fantastic :) read more

Went before the supper crowd, 4pm, as my Eima (Mom) wanted Beef Ribs, something that we normally have to go to Baltimore for. Abba, Eima and I all had the BBQ Ribs, which came with mashed potatoes with some brown gravy, and a small salad was served in a bowl. The service was very nice and friendly, and the food was good, although the rib rub/spice was heavily salted, but my family and I have been trying to limit our sodium intake. Char Bar is the "new" Eli's, combined with the old Blue Star... having a combination of the two menus. The place is smaller than either "old" Eli's or Blue Star, but is a nice set-up, I think. The kitchen appears to be open, with a slight partition, so you cannot see seating down, but if you stand up, can. Parking on the weekend was an issue, and might be easier on the weekday, as there seems to be Parking Garages in the area, but not sure how much or when they close. Will need to try other dishes at other times, but hope to keep the Eli/Blue Star food going. read more

They have had broken heat for over a year. When we got in, the waiter was making coffee and didn't even care we were in there. The only reason this place exists is because it's kosher. It would be 2 stars if it was any other restaurant. read more

We were so happy to find Char Bar in DC, as the few other kosher restaurants were either on summer vacation or in Maryland. We liked it so much we went twice! My son had the hamburger and fries; this was quite possibly the best hamburger he's ever eaten, it was that good. The second time we returned, we had two other outstanding dishes. The whitefish ceviche was an awesome appetizer! Next we split the chicken fajitas, which came with sides of guacamole, black beans and rice. This was to die for! Great atmosphere and service as well. read more

Char Bar - BBQ Beef, Pastrami and Onion Ring Salad - Kosher Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Visiting DC, we needed a kosher eatery, and were prepared to be satisfied with mediocre food and service... but not here! The place was bright, clean and bustling, the food and service excellent and prices pretty good. We ordered burgers and fries, and they came out just as requested, served with a smile. Not fancy, just right. read more

Was here the last week of 2014 with a friend and a good time was had that we went back the very next day. Day One -------------------------- Everything on the menu looked so good that we didn't know what to get. Oddly, they serve no soup but have a soup of the day which on this particular day was Mexican Chicken which was the first time I had that and it was really good. Spicy but good. In fact it was a bit filling. Next, we decided to get the sliders and share them. You get about 6 sliders (depending on the variety). We split it 3x3. They are appetizers and they were so yummy and filling that we didn't even bother getting a main. We got dessert though. Day Two --------------- We had the same waitress and the same seats. This time we skipped the appetizers and went straight to the main. I had the Pastrami burger with some sides and man they give you your money's worth. Speaking of which, they aren't pricey at all. I would put them in a medium priced range. This is actually a good thing as there aren't many kosher places in DC to my knowledge. The location is pretty decent (right next to a bus stop) but a bit hard to get to driving if you aren't familiar with the area (Or you know the difference between NW and SW as the streets are called) The ambiance isn't the best but it's nice decor all around. Small yet elegant. There's a bar but not in use yet. BONUS. They use an outside delivery service (based in Virginia) that delivers. They will even deliver to your hotel room if need be. If you are ever in our Nation's Capitol, I suggest visiting this place. read more

Horrible service, the server was in a really bad mood. The ribs were horrible and the restaurant was so Smokey I couldn't breath. Weird, because everything else in DC was awesome, but not this place. read more