I am genuinely disappointed by my experience at Mount Everest Restaurant and Bar in the Inner…read moreHarbor.
My wife, our 6-year-old daughter, and I stopped in for an early dinner after spending several hours at the National Aquarium. The restaurant's proximity (under five minutes away) and strong online rating (~4.6) made it an easy choice. We were also influenced by a promotion advertised on their website: buy two entrées, get the third (chicken or vegetarian) free.
When we tried to order under that promotion, our server told us they had not run it in "many years." If that is the case, it should not be listed online. It factored into our decision to dine there, and advertising an outdated special is misleading.
That said, my negative review is not based primarily--or even secondarily--on the inaccurate promotion. Restaurants ultimately succeed or fail on taste and execution, and that is where this meal fell well short.
We ordered the Lamb Junelly, the Kabob Platter, and two garlic naans. The Lamb Junelly, which I requested at a medium spice level, leaned noticeably sweet. It contained surprisingly little lamb, and while I did not find it overly chewy, my wife did. Overall, it lacked depth and balance.
The bigger letdown was the Kabob Platter (chicken tikka, lamb seekh kabob, shrimp, and chicken tandoori). All three of us agreed the chicken tikka was dry and nearly flavorless. That says something, given how hungry we were after skipping lunch. My wife captured it best: "I was so looking forward to the Kabob Platter, and I was so disappointed by it. I left the restaurant almost sad." I felt much the same.
Service was acceptable but inattentive. Our server never checked in during the meal. Had he done so, I likely would have asked for lemon slices to brighten the kabobs. When we left--around 6:00 p.m. on a Thursday--we were the only guests in the restaurant, yet there was no acknowledgment from our server or the staff members sitting nearby. That absence of basic hospitality stood out.
This is not an inexpensive place (garlic naan costs $7 apiece). At those prices, execution and attentiveness matter. On this visit, both fell short.
Among the many restaurants I have visited, this would land in my bottom quartile. I would not return, and I would not recommend it--especially for the à la carte dinner service.