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Sax Restaurant & Lounge

3.4 (746 reviews)
Closed • Closed
Updated over 3 months ago

Sax Restaurant & Lounge Photos

SAX RESTAURANT & LOUNGE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Upscale
Classy
Moderate noise
Good for dancing

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Recommended Reviews - Sax Restaurant & Lounge

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Reviews With Photos

Hannah H.

The SAX Dinner Theater and Lounge is a beautiful space, with ornate chandeliers and plenty of seating both on the main floor and upstairs. I came here for a get-together, and it was a great time - the staff were very friendly and personable, and the bites that we had were delicious (ie, beef teriyaki skewers, grilled cheese & tomato soup in a cup, fried mac & cheese balls, charcuterie, etc.)! Cocktails were strong and prepared well, and the live entertainment (aerial dancer, DJ, and a live band) were all great. Definitely a great venue for holidays, get-togethers, and celebrations! Metered street and garage parking available. +tasty bites +friendly service +metered street and garage parking available

Late night
Chelsea A.

Go Wednesday night for the female body show. Bring some ones. It can get lit real fast and can bring a good vibe to your midweek.

a group of people enjoying a meal
Toya D.

Sunday Brunch Recap: Men. Burlesque. Men. Hel-lo! I can't post most of my pics, videos, and commentary, but...please believe a good time was had by ALL. The fellas of 'SIR' -- the all male burlesque review -- really did their thing. Entertainment = Great Food = Decent Booze = Yum Vibe = On point Good for groups. Good for those who wanna gawk at men in their skivvies. This spot is perfect for birthday, bachelorette/bachelor, divorce, or "just because" celebrations. __ I eat. @f.hux I thrift. @dcthriftish

Interior
Vanessa B.

I was here for a DJ set last Saturday, so this place is most definitely not permanently closed unless I was having a fever dream and that DJ set never really happened lol.... Anyway this is a beautiful venue. It's a small venue, but the good news is there's two floors. The bartenders are great - friendly, attentive, efficient. Drink prices are standard; I paid $17 for a bottle of Bud Light and a small bottle of Evian, but that $17 included the restaurant-imposed gratuity (however - always tip extra!!! The staff works hard and deals with LARGE crowds while staying pleasant!!!). My problems with this place are that there is not much seating unless you want to pay for a table (then again I'm old and haven't been to a nightclub since Nation in the early 2000s lol so the lack of seating is probably standard), the carpet or flooring right under the DJ booth on the first floor was STICK.Y. Omg it was like glue. And my last problem is that it's a small venue - but they can't help that. Somehow I ended up literally right outside of the DJ "booth" the whole night, and was within 5-10 feet of my favorite EDM duo (the Knocks) the whole time. For parking - I was easily able to find street parking a block away for the 11p set. I was going to spend $13 trying to park in a garage, but I decided to risk it and I'm glad I did. During the DJ set they had a couple fire dancers in the glass right above the front bar, so that was cool.

Arabic and reggaeton tonight yallaaaaa
Julie A.

the drinks are poured heavy here, the entertainment is unreal (firebreathers, bellydancers, acrobats), and the decor is sooo cute! i came for a party and it did not disappoint. only thing that sucks is i couldn't get hookah because you need to get a table for that.

Aerial performance with chains
Rizma W.

I would like to thank God, Jesus, Allah, Zeus, Bhudda, Loki, and all the other spiritual and otherwise otherwordly homeboys for the best birthday present EVER! Like... EVER. So, check "salsa dancing with a sexy, toned, delectable, well-oiled stripper, to one of my FAVORITE salsa songs ("Valio La Pena", in case you're curious) off of my to-do list. I hadn't even been properly seated and libated before *that* happened. I like a little artistry with my debauchery so this whole show was right up my alley. (And shoutout to Yahweh for all of the salsa lessons I took up to this point...#Prepared). I didn't even know strippers could salsa. Go figure. As opposed to the generic bumping, grinding, and gyrating, there was an added level of creativity and skill to this show which featured aerial artists performing routines on silks, and even on chains. Not chairs... Chains. (Although there were chair dances involved too... Turn up) There was floor-to-ceiling fine (literally) in every flavor you can imagine. There was also a diverse selection of music (everything from salsa to soca), giving a depth and sense of added flavor to the show. The food was pretty good. I had the kale salad as a starter, the shrimp and grits as an entree, and some kind of fruit and whipped cream concoction as dessert. Everything was absolutely delectable. If you can afford it, the splurge for VIP is definitely worth it. Unlimited Mimosas: That's all I'm going to say. This place was a pain in the ass to find, but it's directly across the street from the Grand Hyatt, at the intersection of 11th Street and H Street NW. PRO-TIP: Valet parking is well worth it. It's only $12 and gives you the opportunity to hop out of the car and immediately into the show. Do it! PRO-TIP #2: Bring your ones. Lots of ones. ALL the ones. The men of Sir Sundays work hard to ensure that you leave satisfied. I know I was... The food was great, the entertainment was even better and simply put, this was the best way to spend a birthday.

NY strip steak with crab
VyVy V.

I came here for my first time for my friend's girls' night out birthday dinner! I arrived via Uber and I didn't realize where Sax was since there wasn't a huge sign out front. The ambiance was nice but it was actually a bit smaller than I imagined. We were seated in the corner on the main floor but there's also seating upstairs, with the bathrooms in the basement. Discotheque was the show that was being presented the night we went. The show was cool with different acts throughout - either behind the glass, acrobatics over the bar, or on the main floor. The food was amazing though! I got the NY strip steak with crab and it was delicious and made me feel like the price was worth the whole experience. We didn't stay long enough for the lounge to open but we also came early enough (before the $75 spend minimum). I think Sax is definitely worth a visit at least once in your life for the experience!

Very ending of the show, sorry you'll have to visit in order to see the rest (;
Aaliyah G.

I had a great experience at SAX this past weekend celebrating a girlfriend's birthday. We purchased the package that gave our friend a lap dance, extra attentive table service, as well as a lap dance during the reception! Safe to say that everything went perfectly, shout out to each of the bus boys (especially you, Adrian!!), the strippers (Byron and Bryant!) and our sexy server Kenny!!!!!!!!!! The men danced extremely well and the brunch was beautifully organized around the dining experience. HOWEVER, I was highly disappointed with the music that accompanied the performance of dancer Tom. This lounge attracts many different kinds of people, of varying sexualities. It was discouraging to see their gay performer, Tom, dance to Imagine Dragons. Not sexy at all to the women or men in the audience, I can PROMISE you that. I wouldn't be able to collect a group of people that would be turned on by music that is frequently overplayed in a Kohl's. I need the manager to step it up when it comes to Tom and any other gay performers who'd like to dance to something else. As a straight woman, I would have preferred and enjoyed cheering for Tom as he danced to Britney Spears or something else more fitting to his style of art performance, I'm sure the gays would side with me on that as well. Disgruntling and discouraging to say the least.

Veronica S.

We went to an event on a Saturday night. Great venue for music and dancing, however not sure why they believe they can charge a 20% on top of your bill right away when you only order beer on a bottle. Like it take the bartender a lot of time to open the beer. Also we waited like 10 minutes at the bar. My Tito's with sprite and lime was $16:80. The bartender never showed me the bill. Lesson learn, I might go here for dancing but not for a drink.

Meka D.

I went to sir Sundays brunch. Sax is a very beautiful place, I love the decor. When you come in the staff is guys only and they're in underwearish clothing. They have the ability to provide you with change for tipping. I was pleased with the entertainment. They on a couple of shows. The brunch had a set menu. I wasn't really impressed with the food. We had mixed greens salad, shrimp n grits and chocolate mousse. The only thing I liked was the shrimp n grits. I would come back for entertainment but not the food. I came on a Wednesday about 2 years ago and wasn't impressed with the food then either.

Le Chocolat

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4 years ago

Amazing atmosphere and food. Honestly the best place to take a client or guests in DC.

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Sax Restaurant & Lounge Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Sax Restaurant & Lounge

Are there nights without burlesque?

Do they have coat check?

Yes. As soon as you walk in just tell the person at the desk and the coat check is on the right.

What is the age restriction?

Sax is a 21 and over venue; regardless of the day or time.

Is there valet service on Sundays for the SIR shows?

Yes, there is valet service in general on most day/nights.

Is I.D. required to get in?

Hi Tiya. I did not have to show my ID (we are 35+)Only my friend did because she made the reservation.

Has anyone sat at the upstairs bar? We're considering sitting there on Sat from 6-8 and have some questions . Can you see the performers from there?…

Good evening. I sat on the bottom and could barely see the performance up top. Sitting upstairs is ideal because you will be straight across from the acrobatic and 'behind the glass' performances. Enjoy

I'm reading up about this place as my family has reservations coming up. On yelp, I'm reading that there is a minimum spending per person which is not on the SAX website. how much is the minimum per person for a party of 5?

Hi Mark, we don’t have a minimum spend on Friday night just on Saturday night when it is $75 per person, thank you.

How much does it cost to come on a Friday night at 11:00pm with a group of 3?

It’s a choice of a $20 admission fee or a bottle service table reservation, bottle packages starting at $300 and available at rafi@saxwdc.com

I was planning on coming here for my bday with my boyfriend, but I'm reading the reviews and most of them are saying that they came with a large group. Does this venue cater to more of a group setting?

Doesn't really matter the group , but they require a current amount spent per person! I went with a group of 4 including myself and we had a great time.

View All 16 Questions

Review Highlights - Sax Restaurant & Lounge

“The shows by the aerial dancers, the burlesque dancers, and the floor dancers were all impressive and lively.”

Mentioned in 68 reviews

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The Hamilton - District Wings

The Hamilton

3.9(4.1k reviews)
0.3 mi
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My friend and I were ready to wind down for the night, so we stopped by The Hamilton for cocktails…read moreand dessert. And let me tell you, I LOVED the ambiance! The rich woodwork and high ceilings give the place such a beautiful, classic feel. We ordered the chocolate mousse, which was light and came with plenty of whipped cream. My friend got the pumpkin cake, which was apparently so good he barely left me a bite! I also tried the Honeymoon Phase cocktail, and it was quite a nice pour. Our bartender was awesome. Verdict: A lovely spot to end the evening with dessert, cocktails, and a beautiful atmosphere. I especially enjoyed the interior! I'd definitely come back to try more food!

For starters! I needed to move my reservation and called- spoke to Nicole. She was SO sweet. I…read morecould literally hear her smiling through the phone while assisting me. She changed the reservation, added a birthday note, and wished my boyfriend a Happy Birthday. I later had the pleasure of meeting Raven Jones! The "hostest with the mostest". Raven was funny, kind, helpful, and friendly! Gave us a great seat and wished us a good evening and him a happy birthday. Our server was Aaron. Aaron did his job- nothing beyond that and nothing memorable- just his job and that's fine. My only issue with the evening is Aaron did nothing to acknowledge the reason we came to The Hamilton. I thought- well we changed the time of our reservation so he didn't know? I shared the information with another server privately to inform Aaron and watched the server tell Aaron the news and surprisingly- Aaron still did nothing.. not even say "Happy Birthday". I was a bit disappointed by this. We closed up and carried on with our evening. The food was exceptional and the service was FAST! We enjoyed the evening overall and I'm happy I chose this location.

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The Hamilton - The bar and partial dining area.

The bar and partial dining area.

The Hamilton - Ragu Americana & Rigatoni - delicious, fresh pasta

Ragu Americana & Rigatoni - delicious, fresh pasta

The Hamilton - RAGU AMERICANA & RIGATONI

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Chloe - Spice Roasted Chicken

Chloe

4.5(771 reviews)
2.2 mi•Navy Yard
•$$

Chloe is a innovative, small plates restaurant located in Navy Yard, the previously had Michelin…read morestar back in 2021. I visited here long ago for brunch, which lived in my mind rent free, and I finally had a chance to come back. We stopped in for some bites before a baseball game at national Park. Because of the early hour at 4 PM, the restaurant was pretty empty. It's actually ended up working out, though, because our servers were attentive, and the food and drinks came out very quickly. We shared the escargot, lamb kofta potstickers, crispy mushroom Arancini, and cauliflower. The cauliflower was so delicious and savory, definitely with Middle Eastern influences, and I could've eaten a whole bowl of it. I thought the lamb kofta dumplings were pretty interesting--I haven't ever had anything like it before, and they did a good job of allowing the flavor of the lamb to shine through without being overly gave me. The crispy mushroom Arancini was quite good, though I'm admittedly quite small. The escargot was very well seasoned, with that perfect garlicky sauce, though they're not anything new. We all thoroughly enjoyed our cocktails, and all agreed that we had an excellent meal.

The food at Chloe was absolutely delicious. So good in fact that I stopped in twice during my time…read morein DC. Both times I ordered the Crudo which was absolutely amazing. Additionally, I tried The Who fish and the gem salad which both are spectacular. Cocktails are made to perfection and the service and ambiance are great.

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Chloe - Restaurant area

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ChurchKey - Tots, fries, mushroom flatbread and a glimpse of chicken sando

ChurchKey

3.9(1.5k reviews)
0.7 mi•Logan Circle, Downtown
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Great local bar with large rotating craft beer selection. Highly recommend for any beer…read moreenthusiast. They have wine and cocktails as well. They are happy to recommend beer for your taste, and let you sample. It can be very busy and difficult to get a seat at the bar or get a table on a Friday or Saturday evening. We ordered food, and were expecting elevated bar food. The tater tots were a huge disappointment- they were very large squares , bland, and not crispy. The wings were okay. The cheeseburgers were the best- from the restaurant downstairs- mallard. Huge burger, done perfectly medium.

I had a pretty disappointing first visit to this bar. I was curious about their crab rangoon pizza,…read morebut when it arrived it was basically just a dry circle of dough with crispy bits on top. I understand not really putting crab, since most crab rangoons skimp on that (although it's disappointing for the cost), but to not put more than a tiny smear of cream cheese and to have hardly any sauce too? It was so dry, it really made me sad. Neither of those ingredients are expensive enough to justify being stingy. The concept alone should have made this a home run, but it was like if you bit into a crab rangoon and it was empty. I hope this was an off night because the amount they charged for what was basically just a slice of bread was shocking. It's spacious and seems like a fun place to hang out but I am really hesitating to order food here again despite adoring Mallard downstairs. The food quality is like night and day.

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ChurchKey
ChurchKey
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The Capital Burger - Our namesake burger is served French onion-style with caramelized onions, Wisconsin Grand Cru gruyère and shallot aioli.

The Capital Burger

4.3(1.2k reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

This place is sooo good! Perfect ambiance, the vibe is kind of a modern pub without being dark and…read moredreary, big comfortable booths, plenty of space to not feel like you're part of someone else's conversation. Honestly we were so pleasantly surprised by how good the burgers are! I had the Capital Burger which had such incredible flavor and the burger itself is thick and juicy. Despite having just had a big dinner somewhere else, as I write this, my mouth is watering. My daughter had the wild mushrooms burger and she loved it -- the aioli had the perfect tang to go with the mushroom and Swiss, both burgers were cooked perfectly medium as requested. The old fashioned was just your typical old fashioned with a slice of candied bacon attached to the outside of the glass. We were hoping for something smokier and a little different but it was still a very good Old Fashioned. We shared the chocolate mousse and it was perfection. Yum! If I lived here this would be my new regular spot.

A rather nice restaurant, typical DC expensive, the food was good, with nice atmosphere, good…read moreservice, clocking in at about $42 before tip for a burger and milkshake. I had the blue cheese and black truffle cheeseburger, with bacon, and it was good. . Very good. I could not identify or really pinpoint where the black truffles came in, but the beef was well seasoned. The additions were a dollar too expensive across the board so I skipped those. The fries were sort of stereotypical, nothing really fancy about those. I debated about having the truffle fries, but didn't really wanna pay the extra three dollars. Bless my server, he didn't know what black truffles were, either. The Reesie's peanut butter cup Skrewball milkshake was quite good. Good use of Skrewball. Could've done with a little more alcohol, but what a great combination. Good taste. Vanilla ice cream and peanut butter all the way through. My only .. concern.. were the pickles. There's this NoVA chain restaurant that serves POPCORN before the meal, which I think has to be the most depressing, unappetizing, lazy and cheap way to start a meal. Capital Burger servers sliced sweet pickles in a jar. That.. is a step up from popcorn, but not by much... If I was in the mood for a burger and boozy milkshake, this would be on the list, but not my first choice.

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The Capital Burger - Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

Our Stoli Doli spiked shake is long sought & loudly slurped. Stoli Vodka hand-spun w/rich vanilla ice cream & topped w/candied pineapple

The Capital Burger - Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

Blue Cheese and Truffle Burger topped with cabernet-braised red onions.

The Capital Burger - The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

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The Capital Burger offers signature burgers, handcrafted cocktails, local brews and award-winning wines.

Sax Restaurant & Lounge - newamerican - Updated October 2026

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