Staff was nice and it's kosher with no dairy but the food could be improved. I would like for them to add sweet tea to the menu. I'd also like for them to be more careful to not mess up the orders. I overall thought the restaurant was fine. read more

Came here to meet some people. I absolutely do not keep kosher -- not even close, hah! So anyway, I was a bit skeptical of this place, frankly. Anyway, I can really only attest to the burgers here. I had the Hickory Burger, medium rare. It was really, quite probably, one of the best, if not the best, burgers that I've had in this city. I'm not honestly convinced that the pulled brisket isn't actually pulled pork in disguise, it tasted so good. It was actually cooked perfectly medium rare, the burger both melted in your mouth and didn't fall apart in your hands (a rare quality for a burger). I really would come back except that I'm never in that neighborhood. I really should go back... Also had some hummus dip to start...it was hummus, not much to say about that...it's hummus. Everyone at the table who ordered a burger thought it was great. I tried some of theirs as well, which were very good. Ambiance was meh -- very bright. Service was a bit slow, but we weren't in a rush. read more

The food was great!!! The looks given by the server was terrible. Did not come back once to check on how our meal was. Not a friendly atmosphere. read more

Nice place. Food was great. Staff, nice and helpful. Well; In NYC can find better kosher restaurants, but this one would be good even in NY. In short: great experience. Exceeded our expectation. read more

The food was delicious. The waitress approached the table asking if we were ready to order. We told her we were expecting a third person. When he arrived, she again asked if we were ready to order. We told her we needed a few more minutes. After that, we had to "flag" her down to order. We were told there was no soup of the day. My husband ordered the 5th Avenue only to be told they were out of pastrami and would he like corned beef instead. He opted for the Reuben. I had the pulled BBQ brisket .. delicious. Our friend wanted the burger with lamb bacon. Again, we were told they were out. The waitress apologized and blamed it on the fact that Passover was at the end of the week. They did however have the featured dessert and the fruit plate available. We are told that this is the only Kosher restaurant in DC. read more

Very mediocre experience. I was unimpressed with the customer service the waitress barely said two words and did not check up on us at all through the meal and when I brought something up that was not good after calling her over she just looked at me said nothing and walked away. My daughters were happy with their burgers and fries but they are 6 and 3 so that is not saying much. One of the burgers was cooked well the other was overcooked and dry. My husband liked his grilled veggies althouth they could have used some salt. The chicken marsala was good but the mashed potatoes were terrible, clumpy and dried out. We left full and since it is the only kosher place in dc we would go back when in the area. But overall not impressed. read more

Came here during my time with AIPAC It was great and a welcome break from the Foremost food provided at the Convention Center - which was good, but too much of the same. So, I have been to Eli's before and this new place is better. Too bad their hours are only until 9. They should have later hours when crowds are in town. read more

Much much much better then there old place Eli's!! I love the new decor.. most of the Kosher places in DC/MD area look so old & uninviting - but Charbar is a refreshing place in the Kosher restaurant industry. Now lets talk about the food, i only been in this place 2 times - but they have a perfect burgers! the ban is fresh and the french fries are good (all-most like five guys :) overall, if you keep KASHRUTH you don't have many options - but now you have a good one! so in the Thanksgiving spirit i want to thank Charbar for be there for me when im hungry :) (i do have some small favor to ask: ask the waiters to be more nice next time.. ) read more

Visiting DC and found this gem. Very clean, and super friendly staff. Seems like it's one of the only kosher meat restaurants in the area, but they clearly don't rely on that. The food was great. We ordered wings, a burger, and a pastrami sandwich. Nothing disappointed. All cooked as requested and super yummy. Definitely recommend!! Will come back when we are back in the area! read more

We (two adults, three kids) have been there for lunch and dinner and are pretty high on this place. Burgers were among the best we've had (Hickory, house burger). Veggie salad, blue berry pie, Rubin were excellent. Quantities were generous. Fish tacos need some work. The fish was fresh, but cubed and kind of dry. Service is fast (even when busy) although some waitresses struggle with English. Prices are high, as is the case for kosher restaurants, but so was the value. read more

Went back again after not getting downtown for a while. Had perfect food and service this visit. Took a friend who had not been there yet, he loved it too. Ordered the prime rib. Perfectly cooked and seasoned, very flavorful. Our server got my side substitution correct. Expensive but big piece of meat, took half home and got a second meal out of it. I gotta get downtown to CharBar more often! read more

I have been to Char Bar at least 4 times over the last couple years with my partner and his family. I am not Jewish however my partner's family is so whenever they come to town we go here as it is apparently the best Kosher dining option. First of all I will say the food here is actually pretty decent, although others in our group have experienced mixed results from past dining experiences. Serving sizes are generous and the burgers are above the average that I have experience in DC (but you are definitely paying for it). With that said, the ambiance here is fine, usually pretty loud. It feels as though you are eating at a fast casual restaurant for the most part. The service here is pretty awful. I'd say 3 out of our last 4 visits the service has been poor. When we arrived at the restaurant last night they were fairly busy but I was surprised to see there was no hostess to great the us or the other handful of people waiting by the door. We had to flag down a waitress to request a table, who barely acknowledged us. We had to wait for quite a while after that point as we notice there were a couple tables open that could accommodate us. Eventually we just sat ourselves as we assumed we had been forgotten. We had to go grab our own extra silverware for the table as we once again could not get he attention of any of the waitresses. Our waitress eventually did take our order, drinks, appetizer, and entrees all at once. I ordered a beer which never arrived. The entrees were served very soon after the appetizer which was fine, however made the table setting a bit crowded. We finally had to go find a waitress again in order to close out our bill as we were never checked on again after being served our food. I think Char Bar has good potential but really needs to hire some staff who are actually driven and want to provide a good experience for their customers. I'm sure people will keep coming here regardless because of the limited Kosher options in DC but it's just really a shame that they cannot provide better service for customers. read more

We ordered Shabbat dinner this week via our No. VA synagogue where we were able to pick it up. The salad and grilled mixed veggies were very good. However, the brisket was inedible! The meat was gray and was topped with gelatinous cream colored turkey or chicken gravy. We had to throw it out. read more

Visiting DC and came across this place not far from our hotel. Upon entering, the smell just made you think of a home cooked meal, almost like Thanksgiving. My husband cot the New Yorker, which he could barely finish, it was so big, and I got the pulled brisket slider, which were delicious. Our daughter got the chicken tenders and fires. We also ordered a side of coleslaw. Most everything was great. I did not care for the coleslaw, it tasted like it has horseradish in it possibly, but my husband liked it. Reading previous reviews I was expecting the service to be bad, but it was friendly and prompt. We will definitely go again when we visit DC. read more

Wow, Char Bar was certainly great. Definitely an interesting vibe. California Burger that I have ordered was absolutely great, it had a lot of flavor and was absolutely delicious. The staff is very helpful. I really liked that. Char Bar - Ah I want to go back. read more

We enjoyed the food. Chicken soup was very good. The Lava cake was out of this world!! My friends eat hamburger and loved it. Two of us eat the ShemTov salad and like it. The owner is really nice, friendly and honest. Down to earth. The Madhgi'ach is a funny guy and friendly as well. I gave four stars because of the service that was slow. Waitress was slow...other than that we liked it very much. A little pricey but good. The place was packed at 8pm. It says the place is good. Thank you from the teachers from Los Angels. read more

This was a top-five burger. I had a hamburger with lamb bacon. Onion rings on the side. Owner came by to check in on all tables. Would recommend this restaurant to anyone who finds themselves in DC and feeling carnivorous. read more

Love this place! The food is great, the prices are good, and the service was prompt. Portions were generous and I definitely left feeling full. Coming from NYC, the prices were so much better then I'm used to, which was a definite bonus. Would definitely come back! read more

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

Waitress went above and beyond to help me build a delicious paleo meal. Crispy rotisserie chicken, huge salad with olive oil, sautéed spinach with mushrooms, and a side of avocado. AMAZING!! And a TON of food. Very sweet waitress and cozy atmosphere. Would recommend to anyone. read more

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

Unfortunately, the best part of our meal at Char Bar was the excellent service of our waitress. I ordered the prime rib, expecting a treat for our evening out. Instead, it was so tough, it could barely be cut with much effort and was too rubbery to chew. It was actually shocking, since it was cooked rare. The onion soup was salty and unimpressive. The salad was made with iceberg lettuce, tasteless! When I brought the toughness of my meat to the attention of the manager who had been visiting tables, showing him I could barely cut it, his response was, "must not have been enough fat," and he walked away. That is neither the quality nor service I would expect for that price in any kosher restaurant! read more

When we walked in, the host was immediately rude and sarcastic towards us. He pretended that the menu was missing some items, and didn't want to let us sit even though we were only missing one person of our party. Server was fine, but the food was an absolute disaster. I believe the only reason this place gets service is because it's the only kosher meat place in all of DC, so diners with those restrictions have no other choice. The onion rings are so oily, the wings are overly fried, the fries are soggy. The lamb bacon burger was not worth the price - they put on so few pieces of the lamb bacon that I almost couldn't find them. The matzah balls in the soup were cold but the bowl was hot - clearly it was microwaved. Overall I'm not impressed, and will not be patronizing this establishment again. read more

Well once again I decided to give these folks the benefit of the doubt and am disappointed. I had made a reservation on line knowing AIPAC was in town and show up to a restaurant that is utter pandemonium. Despite having the reservation, they refuse to honor it. They claim they do not take reservations during AIPAC. However, they seat a table of 10 with a reservation immediately before me in the queue. When I ask why do they let this site book reservations if they won't honor them during AIPAC, the manager rudely yells at me: "What, we should change our website for 2 days of the year?" Umm, well actually the answer to that is: "Yes." Never impressive in any way in general (eg, food is often mediocre, service is horrid) Char Bar continues to show how pathetic the kosher food scene is in downtown DC. read more

Thought the food was excellent, service was excellent. Had 9 people bill was a bit steep but on vacation and yolo. Would definitely recommend. We were given the large table in back room. Very kind and allowed quality time with family. read more

My first experience was good. I had a Hickory Burger which I found filling and at a good price. The Burger took longer than it should have. The fries that came with the Burger were very good. The fries were well seasoned. The tables near the front window were a little to close together. The restaurant is clean including the bathroom. My second experience was take-out. I ordered over the phone. I was told it would be ready in fifteen minutes. i doubted it would be ready that quickly. i arrived about 25 minutes after my call. The order was ready to go. I don't like that I entered the restaurant and was not greeted. The New Yoker sandwich was delicious and the fries/chips were also very good. The price was fair and the food plentiful. I will be returning soon. I look forward to trying the Ribs. read more

Such great service. Really good burgers. Love the lava chocolate cake. I wish there are more kosher places people like this in the dc area

Char bar is a delicious kosher spit in the heart of Washington dc. I visited a few different spots in DC but char bar was absolutely the best restaurant we visited. The meat is high quality. The service is very generous and polite. I really enjoyed the ambiance. I had a burger and steak salad... I wish they had a char bar in Florida. read more

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

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On our way home from winter break...Was some of the best food I have ever had in a restaurant, was a bit on the higher side for cost ....but definitely worth it ! read more

If there is one thing I cannot tolerate, it is a business owner that thinks it is proper etiquette to argue with a customer and not address or acknowledge legitimate criticism. I therefore feel the need to both remove one star for the response owner. It is now apparent that example that results in such terrible service comes directly from the owner. I will *NOT* be returning. Sadly, kosher restaurant owners think that by placing a certificate on the wall, they can serve bad food and/or treat customers like crap. I will not support this. There are great kosher restaurants in NYC and elsewhere, and there is no excuse for the community to support such distasteful owners as this. read more

Went to Char Bar for lunch with a group of co-workers and other than convenience -- we work less than a block away -- I can't really find much to recommend this place. First off, the name of the place is misleading; there is NO bar so our hopes of a midday cocktail were soon dashed. Secondly, the place is not cheap. I got the group of five sliders -- which only had a pickle on them -- no condiments at all. It was pretty dry and flavorless, but at least it almost cost $20 for the pleasure. I will say that the onion rings that came with the sliders were pretty good, if a bit on the oily side. The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired as well. It appears as though the ceiling -- at least over our table -- was not quite finished as we were in a dark spot in the corner, and this was during the day by the windows. Also, there was no ambiance to speak of. They could at least pipe in a little music. Since there's a Stoney's across the street -- with an amazing bar, cheaper prices, and a larger selection of better food -- I don't see me ever going back to Char Bar. read more

After writing a 2-star review about a month ago following poor customer service, I returned to the restaurant tonight with an out-of-town guest. Upon entering, I was told by the owner that I was not ALLOWED in the restaurant following my review and that the servers were instructed to never seat me. He also referenced the following private message I was sent in response to my review: ##### Dear Mr. T: This is Marc Zweben, one of the owners of Char Bar. I am writing in response to the review I believe you recently posted on Yelp. I'd be glad to discuss your issues with the restaurant on the phone or in person. You can call me at the restaurant, at 202-785-4314, or on my cell phone at XXX-XXX-XXXX. I am not going to dignify with a response your comments about our taking advantage of our customers. But, I cannot ignore your statement that our servers are "... lazy at best, and rude at worst" -- it is ugly, and it is offensive, and it is untrue. In fact, the only time in recent memory that I've seen one of our servers really take issue with our customers was last week, in response to a table of three men who tried to sneak a bottle of wine into the restaurant, who doubled down on their chutzpah by demanding that the server bring them wine glasses, and who then lied about what they were doing. I think the best solution, given your obvious appreciation of our food on the one hand and your comments about our servers on the other, is for you to use doordash.com, our online ordering and delivery service, and not to eat in the restaurant itself. Our servers are aware of this, and have been instructed not to seat you. Regards, Marc Zweben ##### Just in case you missed that, instead of apologizing for poor service, they BARRED ME FROM THE RESTAURANT as revenge for a bad public review. Clearly Mr. Zweben has no idea how Yelp is supposed to work. Also, keep in mind that this is the same owner that when another guest complained on this same sight of getting sick after eating a particular appetizer, Mr. Zweben posted a condescending response telling her that it was not the food but INDIGESTION and posted links to Alka Seltzer commercials for her to watch before returning (link here: http://www.yelp.com/biz/char-bar-washington?hrid=GVAib_jkCNsnJqzaljUM_g&utm_campaign=www_review_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)) read more

Never before have I submitted a review, but the deplorable service convinced me to sign up.I came here on the recommendation of a good friend. He said that when it comes to Kosher food in the downtown D.C. area, this was the cream of the crop. I went on the impulse with a friend, and we sat down at a table for two. We were both not wearing a kippa, and I had sweatpants on and he had a tea-shirt on. We were getting looks from the management. When I stood up to go to the bathroom, I was hawked by the hostess, which made me feel really uncomfortable. Next, they were badgering us about ordering. I thought this was strange but let it go. I ordered a burger at medium, and my friend ordered a pastrami sandwich. The food came in two minutes. We got our food before other tables that had been there before us even ordered! The burger was RAW on the inside. They were trying to rush us out of there! I found this incredibly rude, especially since we were paying around 45 dollars for a hamburger and a pastrami sandwich. If you are going to rush me, at least cook my burger. My friend also noticed this and told me I should send it back. I decided not to, and just decided I will not come back. The burger was subpar, undercooked, and the staff rude. I do not care about the availability of kosher food in DC, I would rather take the train out to silver springs than be treated in such a degraded fashion. read more

I'm pretty surprised about the negative reviews. I took family of mine here twice and everyone was quite pleased. Both the service and food were great and the portions are a nice size too. Even my father, who is an excellent chef, was impressed. We will be back! read more

Don't get a burger. I was alone so I can't say anything about the other food, but (both) burgers were disappointing. For $16, I expect the lettuce to be green, the tomato to be ripe and the burger ordered medium rare to be at worst medium. The first burger came out well done, and I sent it back. The next was returned to me almost immediately, and was on the underdone side of rare. Neither burger had any char to it that most burgers have when you go out. The lettuce was the white part of the iceberg lettuce that you normally don't use. The tomato wasn't much better. read more

I've dined at Char Bar about a half dozen times since they opened, about one visit every 3-4 months. Pros: -Generous portions of generally tasty food -Wide variety on the menu -Convenient location -Certain items are consistently and reliably good (e.g. the burgers and fries). I really wanted to give this place a good review, but... Cons: -The servers are uniformly less than competent. They do the bare minimum and not a bit more. This includes: -Taking 5-10 minutes to initially appear at the table and bring water -Ignoring or refusing requests for omissions/additions on orders -Not checking in once during a meal to inquire if anything was needed -Balking at splitting checks as if this NEVER happens in a restaurant I used to be a server myself and would have been let go had my performance been this consistently lackluster. Many patrons have brought complains to the owners and nothing is done. And by the way... ...Asking for tomatoes on a burger incurs a $2.00 miscellaneous charge. They don't even warn you as you order. WHO DOES THIS?! read more

So in case you are wondering if you should spend your money here - DONT! My husband & I were looking for a place to eat with our daughter around 11:30am. He walked in & asked if they were open since no body was in there eating. There were 2 ladies in there. He said "excuse me what time do you open?" One lady looked up & pointed to the other lady to answer. The second lady didn't even look up to acknowledge him & said "not yet". Really?? How nasty could you be? Obviously they could care less about being polite or friendly to customers so we gladly spent our money elsewhere. read more

I would like to give a tums up on the new design . they did some nice detail job with the stone work and it's a very welcoming feeling . The food was pretty much OK overall but was pricey for the sandwich with french fries. I would still go over there again! read more

On a trip to the DC area, my friend and myself stopped in for a bite to eat. We were all amazed. The service and food was so phenomenal we went back literally 5 more times that week. To bad there not in the NYC. Can't wait to go back again. read more

Family in from out of town, kosher need completely satisfied. Don't know about service complaint because our service was excellent. Food is outstanding regardless of whether or not you keep kosher. New location is beautiful and modern. Definitely will be returning read more

This is one of the best kosher restaurants I ever had in my life. They give huge portions but it's also very expensive. It's gets very packed so get there early. I loved the burger sliders and it came with onion rings. read more

Charbar is a strong improvement over Eli's. It offers a more modern look that begs to be taken seriously as a restaurant for all, rather than just the sole kosher restaurant in the District. That being said, this place still has a long way to go. The staff are just as inattentive as before. Likewise, the food seems a bit better, but still lacks imagination. Nonetheless, this is a step in the right direction and perhaps with better focus on the customer experience may actually be a place worthy of delight. read more