I went there when then opened and the food was good. We tried to go again over the weekend and were basically laughed at by the hostess who said "they were about get 150 people coming in the next hour" so we'd just have to wait...while we stared at 4 empty tables. I'm not sure the restaurant even holds 150 people! What a pretentious brat! I'll probably try it again because their food really is good and the other 3 times I've been either to this one or their other 2 locations have been great. It's just too bad that pretentious hostess cost them a $400 dinner. We went to Blacks instead and drank some great wine and had some amazing seafood. read more

I am on a strict diabetic diet and emailed the owner, Mark Busher, in advance, to see if the restaurant would allow me to order champagne (instead of mimosa at the bottomless brunch) and he responded quickly indicating "Yes, for Sure", so I gathered some friends and made the trek from Northern Virginia to Bethesda. We arrived to find the venue was about 1/2 full, late in the Brunch hour (1:30 PM). The restaurant was very loud and acoustics seem bad as we could hear every plate clink even over the din of classic rock music. The waitress was friendly and enthusiastic and educated us on how brunch worked. I requested a glass of champagne and she stated that was not possible as the drinks are pre-mixed. I explained that Mr. Busher had assured me the restaurant would accommodate my request. She spoke to the manager and told me again, it was impossible. I asked to speak to the manager and showed him the email from the owner and after a long and awkward conversation in front of my friends, he begrudging indicated he would give me one glass of champagne but only one. If he had offered me bottomless 1/2 pours or even 1/4 pours, I probably would have ordered only 1 - 2 over the course of Brunch - I am very limited on how much alcohol I can drink as well, and I was also the driver on this outing. It was not that I wanted a lot of alcohol but the priniciple - I paid for bottomless and outraged that the restaurant would break the commitment of the owner on a seemingly reasonable request. It ruined the spirit of our girls' brunch and made me feel cheap and embarrassed in front of my friends. However, it got worse from there - I had researched Medium Rare on Gluten Free websites and all the websites indicated Medium Rare was 100% Gluten Free except their bread and French Toast. I ordered the steak benedict from the menu and nowhere on the menu did it mention that it was served over bread. My steak was served completely covered in the "secret sauce" (the sauce was quite good) and the steak was very tender so I didn't need a knife. However, after a few bites, I discovered something soggy and mealy underneath the steak. I lifted the steak and found a grey spongy mess of what appeared to be some type of toast soaked in juice and sauce. I do not have Celiac's disease (gluten allergy). I can't eat bread because it spikes my blood sugar, but if I had Celiac, it would have been enough to cause a significant allergy! I take responsibility - I should have verified with the waitress - my fault - but I was rattled from the champagne disagreement. And the bread was so soggy and disgusting, I don't understand why the restaurant would think it added value to the meal. I emailed the owner about the fact that the restaurant would not honor his promise to me and received the standard "I'm sorry we didn't live up to your expectations..." from Mr. Busher If I owned a restaurant and promised a patron something and the restaurant refused to fulfill the promise, I would have had a much stronger reaction than a generic "mea culpa." I had heard great things about Medium Rare before trying it. But if a restaurant can not honor a simple promise made by the owner, it reflects very poorly on the restaurant and the owner. read more

A fanciful steak house, perfect for entertaining. Ordered extra sauce because it was so delicious on the steak.

I came to this location with a party of 16 for a birthday brunch and the service was impeccable. The staff was very kind and accommodating. They even added two more seats for us at the last minute. The service is fast and our waiter was constantly filling up our glasses. The food was nothing short of amazing and everyone was very happy with their meals. Highly recommended! read more

Went to Medium Rare as our first outing after the stay at home order was lifted and it was fantastic. Consistently great food and good service! Love it here! read more

The first time I dined at Medium Rare, the service was friendly, the food fantastic, and the speed was even better. Quality steak cooked to order, French fries, salad, and bread are all they serve. Oh, the gravy comes by the tasty cup full ! The meal was so delicious I returned a week later, and everything was again top shelf, including the wine selection. Medium Rare is worth the wait and a second visit ! read more

Cool concept as far as the prix fixe pricing. I thought I'd get an actual steak rather than slices of meat. The portions were OK, but I'd have preferred more bread and potatoes, and the option of sauce on the side for my fries without having to ask. The steak itself was average in flavor. The house sauce is good, but a bit chalky. I may go back if others decide to go there, but it wouldn't be my first choice. read more

Service was good. Steak was alright it was an interesting sauce may not appeal to everyone. However the second serving of steak was not warm and felt like it was sitting out a bit. read more

Our daughter was at a birthday party so we decided to have a date while she was busy. We ultimately selected medium rare based on the reviews. We were initially dismayed when we arrived and they did not have our reservation because we called the wrong location. Worried that we would have a long wait, we need not worry, the maître d' said set us at the bar which ended up being the best seat in town! Every waiter who came to the bar was our server and everyone was very attentive! The food was delicious. We were both pleasantly surprised at the second serving. I don't know what's in that secret sauce but it's a very delicious secret sauce! read more

At such a low price for two portions of steak frites, Medium Rare is worth a try. I am not much of a steak person but my boyfriend is, so we decided to come here for a nice Friday dinner. At around 6PM, the place was not very busy. There were approximately four other parties in the restaurant when we arrived. Note: they do not take reservations on Fri/Sat/Sun, but you're welcome to call ahead up to 30 minutes prior to your desired dining time. I did this, but there was no wait when we got there. The restaurant is very clean, and there is an open kitchen that allows you to take a peek at the chef preparing your food. The tables are somewhat close to each other (we sat at a two-person table towards the back of the restaurant) but not incredibly uncomfortable. Like I said - it was not busy, so the restaurant was relatively quiet. Service was great. They are very patient and walk you through what to expect from your dining experience. I noticed that our waiter would regularly glance over from across the restaurant to see if we were ready for our next course. I appreciated the attentiveness, but it was a bit weird that it was obvious enough for me to notice. The food was somewhere between fine and good. - Appetizer: The bread was incredibly dry and hard to eat. It sucked the moisture out of my mouth, so I ended up picking out the soft parts and leaving the crust on my plate. - Salad: The salad was nothing fancy: salad leaves, tomato, and dressing. I had read on Yelp earlier that somebody had used the dry parts of their bread as croutons, and they were so right! I would recommend this trick because the bread was truly difficult to eat alone. - Steak: I wasn't blown away by the steak. It was relatively thin but still hard to chew. I had asked for medium rare but my first serving was definitely medium well to well done. The second helping was better - it came directly from the pan and was much easier to chew. The sauce was good - savory, a little peppery. The fries were decent and not overly salted. - For dessert we asked for the key lime pie which was perfect. Tart, but not to the point where you would feel your lips pucker. It also came with a LOT of whipped cream.. they really didn't hold back. Overall, it was a good experience. My boyfriend wants to come back, but I'm okay for now. Probably just a personal preference type of situation. Just a tip: Park in the Woodmont Lane Garage around the corner. It (currently) has the cheapest rates at ($0.80/hour). read more

I was so excited that they opened a Medium Rare in Bethesda. My boyfriend and I are huge fans of their Cleveland park location. So when we saw that a location had opened closer to home we were ecstatic! Unfortunately our experience did not end up how we had hoped for. After always going to dinner at their Cleveland park location, we decided to try their bottomless drinks brunch. Pros- Th staff were very friendly when attending us Our food and dessert were delicious Cons- We had a hard time getting our drinks refilled. The staff seemed to be very focused on talking amongst themselves instead. Our bottomless drinks ended up only being two drinks per person The mimosas were terrible. They had SO much pulp that I needed to steal my boyfriends straw from his drink to drink it. They also do not give you "seconds" for brunch like they do for dinner. Therefore for the price you're better off spending an extra $5 for unlimited food and drinks somewhere else. Bottom line the brunch left us hungry and thirsty. We will be sticking to dinner from now on. read more

Steak is pretty good, you can tell it is not the greatest cut if meat. What saves it is the secret sauce. Whatever that is, it is tasty. Followed a tip to get a side to dip my fries in which was great. The service is fast and friendly and a special shout out to the management. We had a slight mishap and she went above and beyond for our table! read more

I've dined at the Cleveland park location many times and always had great experiences. I was excited to hear about the opening of the Bethesda location because it is much closer to my house. I weirdly think that the Cleveland park location is better than Bethesda. While the bread and salad remain consistent (so yummy!), the steak frites do not. I've been to the Bethesda location 3 times since opening and they always cook my steak wrong or manage to give everyone at the table the wrong plates. I also feel like they give you drastically less food here. Based on my experiences at both locations, I'm not surprised that this place is never packed unlike the Cleveland park restaurant. I do believe that Medium Rare offers one of the best dining deals in the area but will probably only be coming back out of convenience. read more

Great place for busy wk night dinner place with kids but steak was little too peppery..key is to use lots of gravy

At Medium Rare, you get exactly what they advertise. You start with delicious crusty bread that is warm; a lovely lightly dressed salad arrives next and then you get your thinly sliced steak with some quite good french fries. Our table of six thought the steak was better without the sauce which you can get on the side. Then there are desserts; we sampled cherry pie, key lime pie and a hot fudge sundae. They were worth the calories. One of the best parts of our first time at this Medium Rare, was our waiter JULIEN HEMMENDINGER, who took very good care of us and charmed us with his smile and humor. He was the icing on the cake! read more

The steak was so tender that it could be cut with a fork. Great fries. The delivery person was very friendly.

You can't get a better value for a delicious high quality steak frites dinner! Service is great, food is excellent and overall just fun nice experience. Perfect for a date night! read more

Second visit was as delicious as the first! Our waiter, Julien, went above and beyond to be certain everything was perfect. Looking forward to many more visits! SR read more

You can never go wrong with the food at medium rare. The staff and management is super amazing ! The concept is simple steak, salad and fries. Can't beat the price too. Will be back ! read more

Atmosphere (3.5/5) - The restaurant had good lighting, mostly due to the sunlight coming in. However, the seating area is pretty small. There is almost no privacy, as tables are placed less than arms length apart. Experience (3/5) - My girlfriend and I both ordered steak cooked medium rare. We ordered before another group came in the door. Not only did the other group receive their medium well steaks first, but our steaks were also cooked medium well. What gives? For a place called medium rare, with only one main item on the menu, you would think they could cook it medium rare. At any rate, they immediately sent it back to cook another one. The manager was very friendly and told us to save room for a complimentary dessert (note: they didn't ask if I wanted a new steak or if we wanted dessert, they took the initiative to just do it as a courtesy). Food (3/5) - The appetizer bread/butter and side salad were tasty! But, for a place with one entree on the menu, you would expect it to be amazing. It wasn't. The fries were nice and crispy, but the steak and gravy need some help. For starters, the steak NEEDS the gravy. Without it, it's pretty bland. But, be careful not to overdo the gravy, as after a few pieces it starts to become overwhelming. Flavor-wise, it's nothing special either. My girlfriend's steak was also pretty chewy, even for culotte. We got the ice cream for dessert, and it was huge! It's a shame that we were pretty full (from complimentary "seconds" of steak and fries that everyone receives), because the dessert was very good. It was a hot fudge sundae, complete with vanilla ice cream, hot chocolate sauce, whipped cream, sprinkles, and nuts or some other crunchy topping mixed in. Overall, the bread, salad, 2 helpings of steak and fries, and complimentary dessert made this place just barely worth the price per person. However, for the overall experience, flavor, and price, I would advise that you either skip it or very cautiously give it a try. The hot fudge sundae is $9 on its own, and drinks were similarly priced per bottle of beer/glass of wine. The experience my girlfriend and I had was overall positive, but only because the staff succeeded in correcting the situation. read more

DO NOT ORDER FROM MEDIUM RARE. Worst experience this entire quarantine period. We ordered food for a socially distant viewing of my daughter's graduation and when we went to pick it up, there was no marking for curbside pick-up. We did what we always do -- call and let them know what car we are in so they can bring it out for us. When we called, a woman said she would EMAIL the manager to let him know we were there. She had no other means of communicating with him other than email, since she was not in-store. We feared our meal would get cold so I went into the restaurant. I told the manager we had been outside and didn't know if they had curbside pickup. He rudely told me they do. I asked where, since there was no marking. He told me that I just didn't see it. I even asked a waitress if they had marking for curbside, and she said no. As I was getting the food, he told me he was doing ME a favor by giving us food. He then told me I was rude. Before I left, I asked for extra steak sauce for my 10 entree dishes I ordered. He told me that would be $9. Seriously?? I asked if that's what they would charge if we were sitting at a table and he said no. He turned and walked away from me. The service is disgusting a Medium Rare. I called to complain to the regional manager and they never got back to me until a few days later when they told me that I was in the wrong. I was mistaken to order from here. Take your business to a locally owned business and support them. DO NOT go to medium rare. read more

I finally made it to Medium Rare in Bethesda, and was not disappointed. The pre fixe menu includes the following: Bread and butter, 5 stars--crunchy outside, soft inside, and the butter is served room temperature so you can actually spread it! Why butter isn't always served like this? This bread gives your stomach a good lining to absorb all of what is to come. Salad, 4 stars--nothing fancy, just some lettuce with a very salty dressing and a few grape tomatoes. Still good, though! Steak and frites, 4 stars--you start out with a heaping plate of thin cut, crunchy fries and thinly sliced steak cooked to order. The steak and fries are good, but the real killer is the sauce...a creamy brown gravy-like substance that melds everything together and tastes best smothered on the steak with a few fries on your fork. Tip: you can ask for more sauce!!! Always ask for more sauce. Steak and frites ROUND TWO--After you've finished your plate, they come around with a sizzling skillet and heap more fries and more steak and more sauce onto your dish. If you're stomach isn't hurting by the end of this meal, you're doing it wrong. With enough savory food filling us up, we opened up our dessert stomach and filled it with the chocolate cake (3.5 stars). It was pretty good, but the frosting tasted a little too much like hot fudge and would've been too heavy without the scoop of ice cream on the side. The food was great, and it's a decent price for how much you get! Where they really get you is the beer and wine prices, which range from $7 for the cheapest beer to ~$12 for a glass of wine. read more

I went to medium rare with my family on Easter. Learned that when visiting from Texas and looking for a steakhouse Medium Rare isn't for you the steak isn't anything like a Texas steak. They tell you you will receive steak fries as well so we expected big thick fries the ones we received looked like McDonald's fries. But lesson learned always ask to see a menu before being seated. read more

If you want an unpretentious restaurant that serves just steaks and potatoes, this is the right place for you. Medium Rare suits its name properly with thin slices of quality sirloin, tender and juicy to satisfy your cravings for meat. The set menu is straight forward and almost redundant to read since there is no other meats or seafoods to choose from. Their side of skinny fries makes for good snacks but be sure not to pass on the desserts. Both key lime pie and chocolate sundae rivals any desserts offered in this culinarily rich neighborhood. What makes a perfect evening for us as we sat outside on a beautiful Bethesda evening was the pleasant waiter. Having served many years at their original Cleveland Park location, he is well trained and proud to cater us well past the closing hour. read more

For a place called medium rare they sure cook the shit of out the steaks. Bottomless mimosas saved this review

Tired of eating our so-so cooking, we ordered take out from Medium Rare. Online ordering as easy, including a specific pick-up time. Parking right outside the door in an eerily empty Bethesda. They had a counter right at the door with the order hot, bagged and ready to go on time. Steak was tender and done medium rare as ordered. Fries were more than we could finish. Small salad and crusty bread completed a pretty good meal. read more

The wait at the Bethesda location is always out of control. It doesn't matter that you have a reservation. The DC location always moves better. The food is great every time, but the wait is too much at Bethesda. read more

Visited here for the first time and we were quite pleased. While the decor/atmosphere leaves much to be desired, both the food and service were excellent. The small wine and dessert lists had many desirable choices and the steak was delicious and plentiful. The fries were as good as I've ever eaten. read more

Came for brunch. The value and service was fantastic but the food was mediocre at best. Very salty.

The steak was okay, but it was not charred enough on the outside (it looked kind of gray). Also, I thought the sauce was good, but I would not want to eat it every time I come here. I would be more tempted to return if they offered a wider selection of sauces (Bearnaise, Bordelaise, Blue Cheese, etc.). Also, please give your patrons a butter knife for the bread and butter! read more

This restaurant needs to improve in many ways. I had a reservation today for this afternoon and the reservation wasnt honored until 40 minutes after the reservation time. When I asked how long it would take until we could be seated I was told that they couldn't give me a time and I was only seated because I received a text saying that my table was ready while on the way to another restaurant. Once seated we had to ask for new cups because the cups were dirty (no big deal). No substitutions for the meat that's offered such as the sausage but the restaurant was very accommodating and gave eggs as a substitution. By the time we ordered they ran out of fruit to go with our bread (nothing spectacular) and instead of being asked what we would like for a substitution initially they gave us all yogurts, so we ended up needing to get the attention of our server so that people at our table could be given other options. The food was pretty good and the French toast looked yummy (though I didn't get it). Before we left someone at my table ordered another mimosa and we never received it. Decided that it wasn't worth it and best to just go. Overall this is a restaurant that I would try again but maybe on a day when they aren't as busy and rushing. read more

The steak and its secret gravy is simply the best!!! The staff is second to none and the atmosphere is awesome, can't say enough good things about this place. read more

This was my second time to Medium Rare and it was even better this time! I mean, who could not love a loaf of warm crusty bread with a slab of butter, a nice simple salad, authentic Steak Frites with a killer pan sauce and long petit cut fries, and a nice bottle of Pinot Noir to wash it all down. It's the kind of thing everyone should do at least once a month! read more

First time at Bethesda location and it tastes identially amazing as in Cleveland park. We will be back here about once a month!

A place I'd go to for a quick meal during the day. The place is nice and relaxed. Their prices are quite inexpensive just in case your pocket doesn't allow you to splurge. I enjoy the service too. read more

I am extremely pleased with Medium Rare. Drinks: I have been here several times to have a drink after work. Every time I have gotten the same bartender, Cindy. She is very attentive and always asks for my drink order immediately. She is also very friendly and personable. Brunch: I came in for brunch this past weekend. I was very amazed with their service, food, prices, and environment. Palos was my server. The service was great. we were immediately greeted us with a smile. Our main server was very attentive, frequently refilling our waters and mimosas. He did a great job of explaining the menu and was even kind enough to let me taste the vegetarian option- mushrooms- to help me decide if I wanted to try the streak or go vegetarian for that meal. Other severs frequently stopped by to check on our table and were very friendly. The food was amazing. The fruit was fresh. I tried to vegetarian option- portabella mushroom. It was very delicious, not undercooked and came with a very flavorful red sauce. I also tried the steak and eggs. I was happy to see my eggs were cooked exactly how I had asked, this doesn't happen often during brunch since most places are very busy so it was a nice surprise. I also tried the eggs Benedict. I have never had a better benedict. Instead of the traditional ham, the plate came with a perfect blend of protabella mushrooms and steak in a heavy thick gravy type sauce. Talk about an explosion of flavors! I cant express enough how good the food was. It also came out warm and I did not have to wait a long time to get the meal. The prices were also great. We had bottomless brunch and food for about $25. This is a steal compared to other brunch spots in Bethesda. And they arent stingy on the mimosas either, the server was very attentive to bring out refills whenever he saw the glass just below half full. The environment was also lovely. We sat outside, I had a nice view, there wasn't that much foot traffic that would make one feel uncomfortable. Overall it was a great experience. I would rate Medium Rare a 10 and would recommend it to everyone! read more

I have nothing bad to say about our experience at the new Medium Rare. The service was very friendly, the food was delicious and plentiful and we enjoyed the atmosphere. The only small thing that was bothersome was that our server took the check before we left, looked at it right away, and then didn't say thank you when we tipped well over 20%. If only that had been different, it would have been perfect. Regardless, we can't wait to try brunch! read more

I love this place! Halfway through dinner...they refill your plate. The food is fabulous and our server Kate was amazing. Desert is a must! The size is crazy... a must is you are in Bethesda! read more

One-of-a-kind steakhouse: prix-fixe menu that comes with salad, French fries, and two steaks. Reasonable prices, especially considering the second course of steak and French fries. Also, excellent location in downtown Bethesda with outdoor seating! read more

Love this place! The food is always great, the staff very friendly. Also, it close to the metro!