So they just opened again. The website said the seating is outside! What it failed to mention was the seating is a couple of ugly tables in the parking lot. The food was bad too! I asked for a medium steak, but they brought me a well-done steak! Gross! I didn't ask them to change because it just wanted to leave the parking lot! Never going back! They definitely ruined my birthday. read more

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood - Outside seating! - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

We went back again to give it another go. They comped our meal from our horrible experience last time. Unfortunately we had another bad experience. My steak was under cooked and my fiancé's steak was over cooked. My Au gratin potato's came out cold twice and finally were brought out hot in the old little skillet that they used to come in. We mentioned on the reservation it was my birthday but they made no mention of that... when we got dessert my slice was half the size of my friends and was missing a chocolate glaze on top. My fiancés coconut cake was missing the pineapple ice cream (her favorite part). They did not tell us they were out of the ice cream as listed in the menu until we asked about it. The manager Xavier didn't come over to us to check on our meal until we were walking out and he said, I heard your steak was under cooked. I guess they didn't care enough to make sure all the food came out correct or that we had a better experience, since they were comping our food. It was yet again embarrassing bringing our out of town friends here. it's sad we had another bad experience again. Overall we sometimes have good food from here but it's just SO INCONSISTENT. Unfortunately that will be our last visit. read more

What a disaster! The place was overbooked to the extent that we were seated 50+ minutes after our reservation time. We've been here for T'giving before, and it wasn't like this! The food quality was very uneven. A good, generous salad for first, but the turkey dinner was not great. Sweet potatoes and beans were good. Turkey was white meat only, seemed like maybe a breast roast rather than real bird. (I like the dark meat and skin, of which there were none.) The "gravy" was awful: basically tasted like bouillion cubes and flour mixed with water. Gloppy and super-salty. Dressing tasted like wet bread. They had run out of the chocolate cake for dessert, but we saw others ordering carrot cake (not offered on T'giving set menu), so we asked for that. It was good. Server was good at first, very apologetic about seating delay, but then became harder to find, and another server did our dessert and coffee. We won't be going back. read more

It was my boyfriend's birthday and was looking for a seafood place to take him too since he loves seafood so we decided to eat at This restaurant and getting there was fine but parking was horrible I had to park in the McDonald's parking lot and walked over. I made reservations so we got there was greeted right away and seated couple minutes later. The waitress was amazing and recommended some great recommendations. We both had something with seafood and appetizers and it was delicious and fresh. Our drinks was good too. I plan on going back they do have curated menus for special holidays and occasions. read more

I came with the expectation that it was good and was disappointed. Food was not worth the cost. I ordered a filet mignon-medium well- but it was over cooked. Guess I should've ordered a medium. The steak tasted like a cheap sirloin. However, my sides mashed potatoes & mushroom risotto were delicious. Plating was also a bit of a disappointment. They put our entrees on too-large plates, making it look ridiculous. Some sides like asparagus and roasted carrots were sparse, so if you ordered them next to an 8oz, the plating looked funny. However, the area is nice. Good for kids, dimly lit, and surprising spacious. Some places are so cramped that you're squished together in a booth or my grandfather can barely squeeze by tables with his walker, but there were separate chairs and the environment was very nice. Overall, it was okay. Mostly, food was a bit disappointing. According to my family members who went with me, Kansas City steak, zucchini bake, spinach, and roasted carrots were good. Creme brulee was decent, but the cheesecake was awful and over baked. Worst cheesecake I've ever had. If it's your birthday, dessert is on the house. My friend likes this place. Maybe I just had a disappointing experience. I do recommend trying it, but just watch out for overcooked foods and if you're ordering steak, order a level down from what you want. read more

Great for a business lunch. Very fast to be seated even without reservations. The food is consistently good. Great happy hour specials during the week and even a late night menu on weekends! read more

Jim, the manager, contacted me about my experience. He was apologetic and seemed genuinely interested in customer feedback so he could make improvements at the restaurant. read more

Steak fresh with a smile and a nice atmosphere. Perfect for gatherings of intimate affairs. Will be back !

I like not only steak,also side dishes. And nowadays we can't eat in,however the mood in restaurant is absolutely refined. read more

Amazing all you can eat Sunday brunch! Everything from made to order omelettes to build your own parfait to fresh oysters. Amazing variety of food that is refilled often. I have come for the Sunday brunch twice already, absolutely love it. The service is phenomenal and the price includes a drink. read more

We enjoy family dinners at J Gilbert's periodically. They have consistent steak temperatures which is always welcome! Their seafood dishes have always been expertly cooked. We enjoy their wine list, too. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. read more

Brunch is awesome, as long as variety as well as quality. Friendly staff and cozy homestead atmosphere. Will be back and will recommend to others Family friendly... read more

Nice steakhouse and great service! We have been there several times and each time we had good experience in here. Love their signature bread and cheese&ham plate! read more

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood - Fletmignon - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

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I am disappointed and upset with my experience at J. Gilbert's recently. To celebrate the birthday of my significant other, I made a dinner reservation. We arrived early and were seated promptly. Our server was quick to approach and greet us, he took our drink orders and advised of the specials. We both ordered from the Prix Fixe Menu. He ordered the chicken tortilla soup, salmon (cooked through) with mash potatoes and green beans. I ordered Caesar salad, seared scallops (cooked through) with risotto. His said the soup was ok. However, the salmon was overcooked and dry, he ate the sides of the salmon which weren't dried out like the center portion. I tasted the salmon and the glaze had a weird taste that was heavy on my tongue. This is so surprising because we've eaten the same salmon several times while dining for brunch at J. Gilberts, which was not cooked medium but cooked through. It was always good and we've gone back for more each time, I know firsthand the kitchen staff is capable of preparing salmon other than medium. The mash potatoes were too starchy, looked gummy, and tasted worse than they looked. The green beans were cooked unevenly and greasy but the pecans were good. We were paying for a meal that was not edible and it should not have left the kitchen. We explained this to our server and the manager, as his food was barely eaten when the plate was taken away. My Caesar salad was good with crisp lettuce and the right amount of dressing. However, the scallops were brunt. To cook through does not mean to cook until black which is what I received. I immediately asked for replacement scallops and started eating the risotto, however, it was overpowered with cheese, after two to three forkfuls, I gave up and requested it be removed. I ordered baby back ribs with baked potato and grilled asparagus. When they were brought out, I was taken aback by the appearance. They were huge and resembled spareribs; in fact I asked if they were indeed spareribs. Our server checked with the kitchen and was told they were baby back ribs. Based on the size, the source of those ribs must have been given growth hormones or something with a similar effect. I believe in strict quality standards for how animals are raised, killed in a humane manner, and do not eat any meat raised based on lesser standards. I did not touch the ribs or anything on the plate and sent it back. The manager who addressed our situation was flustered, curt and unprofessional. The food we received that night was subpar and instead of addressing the issues with the kitchen staff, the manager faulted us for ordering food well-done. We never used the words well-done, we asked for the seafood to be cooked through not dried out and overcooked. We went back and forth over how the meals were prepared. Additionally, we argued over the check because she wanted to charge us for meals that were barely eaten or not consumed at all. The check was revised several times before I agreed to make payment which consisted of my significant other's meal, beverage and my salad. Also, since my significant other ordered from the prix fixe menu, he was entitled to a dessert. However, he did not have an opportunity to order it before the check was presented. During the revisions to the check, he ordered the seven layer coconut cake to go. What he received was three layers. When we asked our server about the layers, he advised that the icing is counted as a layer. We asked for an additional slice because as worded on the menu, the description of the cake is deceptive. The same manager returned to the table to say, "is there a problem with the cake"? Her frustration was palpable and unwarranted because we did not have anything to do with the wording on the menu or how it was prepared. We can only rely on the information we had from reading the menu. I was upset that the birthday celebration dinner was ruined when we were subjected to inedible food and a hostile manager. Also, my significant other's stomach was upset from what he was able to eat and I only had a small salad after saving my appetite all for day dinner. The next day, my significant other ate the cake and commented that it was terrible. The kitchen staff on duty that night needs training on food preparation, and the manager needs training on customer service and providing better oversight of kitchen staff. The events of our evening at J. Gilbert's is definitely not what I expected. We definitely do not intend to return. read more

Simply flawless. Enough said. And my waitress was so nice and sbe was a tool collector too.

My daughter and I had a very quiet and peaceful lunch. We were able to talk. There were no distractions. The waiter was excellent and extremely attentive. Would recommend to all read more

I've been to J. Gilbert's numerous times. I thought it would be great location for my birthday dinner. WRONG! We were a group of 6 women. We waited an hour and 16 minutes, to PLACE our entrees. The soup came out luke warm. Potatoes were cold on plated dish. A rack of lamb is 6 pieces, not 3. The service and food was unacceptable. They lost a loyal customer, as well as potential customers. Me and some of guest drove over 45 minutes to receive subpar food and service. Of course there was a bigger party seated next to us, their service was excellent. We had same waiter Victoria. If J. Gilbert's only wants to cater to a certain clientale, please relay this to public. We will spend our money where we get hot and entire meal, and decent service. read more

I posted a previous review regarding poor/rude service from the wait staff. However, i'd like to thank the restaurant manager Bill, for reaching out to resolve the issue. I hope to have a good experience on my next visit. read more

I came here for brunch with friends and it was great. There is a huge selection, I was able to fill a plate and I have allergies that are not brunch friendly. If you are fan of seafood this is the brunch for you. Oysters, peel and eat shrimp, tuna... I was in a seafood happy place. There are also all the classic breakfast food- eggs, waffles, and donuts. The dessert bar looked great. The only thing that was disappointing for me, was that the tea menu was not part of the buffet. So select teas (the tasty sounding ones) you had to pay extra for. Overall, it was a really good experience. Also, shout out to the staff. You did a great job! read more

I've been here several times and considered it one of the better steak houses in our area. Normally great service, clean atmosphere and delicious food. However my latest experience was everything short of that. Both mine and my husband steaks were requested med well, came out med rare, the lobster mac and cheese that I had talked so highly of the entire week was fishy, salty, and just bad! Mashed potatoes were OK... The jumbo lump crab cakes and bottle of wine saved our evening. Service was also good. Food was no where near as good as it was in the past. Might try again. Unsure. read more

I just dined here for brunch on Mother's day. We had a 12:45 reservation and waited until 1:40 pm. I wasn't particularly keen on this, but I suppose it's understandable given how busy they were although, I'm surprised the wait would be almost an hour. I got a seat immediately when I walked in at 1:40 to inquire about our seats, I can only speculate as to what happened. I had my mother in law with me which caused the "wait" to be difficult. There was no place to sit because it was so packed. As a result, I want to give them 3 stars, but I have been here many times before and this has never happened. So my rating in general is going to be 4 stars. Either way, let me move on, the mother's day brunch is supposed to end at 2pm, however, because of the long wait times, they kept the brunch buffet going, and this was very thoughtful of them. As a result I don't need to go into the food details because you're obviously here due to the delicious food. The service was spot-on as usual. The management was helpful (and they stopped by to ask us who we were, odd question...). Overall, once we sat down, I enjoyed the restaurant, as usual. read more

We had come here twice before for lunch and dinner and had enjoyed our meals on both occasions. We did not realize that Sunday lunch only had a buffet menu and no a la carte option. The buffet was disappointing with dry overcooked entrees, the beef was bloody and tough and the puddings (panna cotta for example) were too sweet, flavorless and gelatinous. At $49 per person, it was a really disappointing spread for a rather stiff price. In retrospect, we should have turned around and walked out, just like a number of other visitors. I would definitely not recommend the brunch and will now even hesitate to patronize the restaurant for the regular a la carte options. read more

We made a reservation for 645 pm on Mother's Day. We got there at 630 pm and were told that there would be a few minutes' wait. We saw over 30 people waiting to be seated. We stood and waited with the others. At 715 pm we asked the host how long the wait would be, and were given an estimate of 30+ minutes. We then declined the reservation and went to Capri, which had tables available. While at the other restaurant enjoying a fine Italian meal, we received an e-mail from J. Gilbert's stating that we had missed our reservation when the table became available at 815 pm (105 minutes after we had arrived at the restaurant!) and that such behavior could result in loss of reservation privileges from OpenTable. This just added insult to injury, ruining our Mothers' Day (not to mention ruining the Mothers' Day for the other families who waited hours for their tables, left, or were not served their food). We have had great meals at J. Gilbert's in the past but this experience, both during and after our time waiting for a table with a confirmed reservation, makes us think twice about recommending this restaurant to anyone. read more

The food is always consistent with good basic brunch items. The waffles are amazing with the tasty syrup. Our specific servers were really thoughtful and sweet, we enjoyed seeing them on New Year's Day for brunch. read more

Went to have an intimate birthday celebration and was sat in the "meeting room". Another large group of 12 soon occupied the room so we had to cut our time together short. Was not intimate like we expected. read more

The food is normally pretty decent, albeit expensive. However, the service I received on my most recent trip was well below average. The waiter barely introduced himself and took almost 30 minutes to even take the drink order. He never checked in on my table either and messed up both the drink and the food order, and then even messing up desert and serving it incorrectly. He never fixed any of those mistakes and we had to flag down other waiters to resolve our problems because he never checked in or much less apologized for the wrong orders and misservice. This is not the service I expect from a high-level restaurant like this. Oh and of course he did not do the bill correctly either, surprise surprise. read more

I've never had a bad experience at J. Gilbert's. It's our go-to place for Sunday brunch, holiday occasions, and family get-togethers. The brunch buffet is excellent. Their spicy penne and lobster cream mac will definitely have you grabbing seconds. They have made to order omelets as well as freshly sucked oysters. It's something for everyone. For dinner, I've enjoyed their three course, filet and crab cake, starting with some lobster bisque. Both excellent choices. I've also enjoyed their lamb rack, as well as their half chicken. The service is also always great. read more

Went for lunch today with 3 colleagues. Our lunches came out within minutes of our salads and instead of holdIng our entrees the wait staff expected us to pick up our salads and try to make everything fit on the table. My food was stale and tasted like reheated leftovers. Used to love this place - quality is going downhill. read more

The host at J Gilbert (pretty brunette girl) is the best person who works there. From the superior greeting, to the way she cleaned and disinfected our lovely table. She got all the germs off, not the usual 99.99%....all of it, 100%. The effort she gave was immaculate. If you enjoy a good, sturdy, clean table, then J Gilberts is your spot. read more

I'm giving this restaurant 4-stars because although I had a reservation I still had to wait 30+ mins to be seated. Other than that the food was pretty good and my waiter was excellent! read more

All members in our party ordered different sizes of the Filet Mignon. All the steaks were cooked perfectly and tasted great....Unfortunately all the side dishes were very disappointing. The Lump crab cake was tiny, tasted fishy, no crispy outer crust, the crab meat was stringy and dry. The Asparagus was not grilled or even sautéed, it arrived cold, soggy and tasteless. The mushrooms, although had a good taste, they also arrived cold and you could tell they had been left sitting out quite some time before being served. The mashed potatoes also arrived cold, under seasoned and there were huge chunks of uncooked potatoes. The wine and liquor are way overpriced and 2 members in our party both stated the Old Fashion tasted water down. Of the 4 old fashions that were ordered, none of them had the same level of Burbon taste. Our server was nice, just seemed like he didn't really want to be there. Won't be going back, which is unfortunate : ( read more

Made reservations on open table and when we showed up the front desk told us we would have to wait. I showed them my reservation with open table and that didn't matter. The host was extremely rude and obnoxious. Very disappointed because i brought my father who is handicapped to the restaurant for his birthday and he can only sit at a table for a short amount of time before he has to get up because of the pain. read more

My home away from home for 40 plus years. Gilberts was formerly known as Charly's Place and before that The Joshua Tree. It may have had three successive owners, but it has remained a fixture in McLean VA, and is located at the intersection of VA 123 and VA 309 .. no one can miss it. The food and service have remained consistently above average, and although a bit pricey (this is McLean VA after), what you get is well worth what you pay for it. Gilberts features steaks, and they are really good. I have been coming to this place for a long long time and highly recommend it to any of you who are in the neighborhood ... Gilberts btw is located a half mile from the CIA!!! read more

This restaurant is located in the heart of Mclean, make sure to make the reservation ahead of time because this place is always busy. Staffs were attentive and nice. Food were good and fresh. read more

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Went in for the Sunday buffet with my wife $30.00 per person ,I guess is the average around town. Wonderful selection of foods and omelette station.The only complaint was no Bagels as I like the bagels and lox deal.and had to wait for them to get more plates for everyone to eat.Also the Gentleman at the omelette station / roast beef was constantly playing with his cell phone .Hard to find good service! read more

Disappointing. Had a reservation and was seated 20 minutes late. Server was kind but slow. Multiple times had to find her for more drink orders. One person in our party had steak done over. The waitress had it corrected with a second steak that was way under. Would have expected someone like a manager to check in after that but no one. Had to ask for dessert and then check. I'd rather a chain than this. read more

I went to lunch with a long-time friend to J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks and Seafood in McLean VA. It has been around for awhile and is consistently busy at lunch and at dinner. They have areas that can accommodate private parties and/or events. They had quite a few business lunches happening. I'm glad my friend made reservations. They also have a fairly decent sized bar area for happy hours. The lighting is on the darker side as most steak places can be with lots of booths for a more intimate feel. They also have a fireplace for those cooler weather days - not needed yesterday as it was close to 80 degrees. As the parking lot is not huge, they have valet service if needed. I had the Power Lunch fish tacos (2 tacos) which came with choice of soup or salad (I chose caesar salad) and either french fries or sweet potato fries (I chose french fries). The salad was larger than I expected fresh and delicious. The tacos were delicious yet not as flavorful as I expected. The french fries were shoestring and wonderfully crispy/salty. My friend had the entree version - mesquite grilled chicken with roasted golden potatoes and grilled asparagus. We each had iced tea and iced water. The server Don was excellent. He recognized my friend as a frequent diner. He was conscientious in describing the special of the day and his attentiveness. From what people have told me this restaurant is known for it's service. Overall, the restaurant is a little over-priced for some things, but it's all about location, location, location. read more

Dropped by here for dinner last Friday with the family and not sure what the hype is all about. The service was great but the food was average. Ordered the cowboy bone ribeye and grilled scallops. The steak was ok and was not worth the price. The grilled scallops had sand in them, it was a sand crunching ordeal. I may give them another try down the road but was not happy with my first outing. read more

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

This is one of the best places around in the neighborhood. Been here so many times. Clean food, excellent service. What I really love about this place is also the fresh sour bread. I really can't find that anywhere else and so glad it's back on the menu ( before they replaced it with some sort of cheese roll) I definitely think they should stick with the fresh bread. Their crab cakes are really good. I typically go for the cowboy cut and the best way to have it is to have it medium rare. Their medium or medium well done is a little bit over cooked for my taste read more

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia

Service was disappointing. Took long enough for the bartender to speak to me that I opted to grab a menu off the bar to take a look. Guess it was a lunch menu because the bartender took it away from me. That wouldn't have bothered me...if he had offered me a dinner menu in place, but he didn't. I had to wait until I got his attention again and ask for one. That took 10-15 min, btw. It took a fair amount of effort to get attention at the bar. My steak also took about 30 min between ordering and getting served (medium rare steak - not even a 10 min grill job). Once I got it, the food was delicious. However, on the whole, either service was short staffed, or staff was not attentive enough. Up to management to know. read more

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood - Medium rare ribeye, loaded potato, spinach - Steakhouses Near Me - McLean, Virginia