Cancel

Open app

Search

William Jeffrey's Tavern

3.7 (504 reviews)
Closed • 10:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)

William Jeffrey's Tavern Photos

Business Info

WILLIAM JEFFREY'S TAVERN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Live music
Casual
Outdoor seating

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - William Jeffrey's Tavern

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Great vibe
LoriLynn R.

Food was awesome. Had the short ribs, the crispy brussel sprouts and wings. All perfect. Sadly for hubby they don't have stouts or porters on draft, but he got a left hand peanut butter milk stout in the can. My Bloody Mary was yummy as well. A nice drive from Old Town Alexandria!

Riley G.

Came for a quick dinner with my friend. We were seated quickly. Our server was very friendly and helpful. We got the ahi tuna nachos, which were very filling, even being split by two people. Be careful if you do not like spicy dishes, because it was very spicy. We also got the crab dip which was a nice portion and delicious. The espresso martinis were really good, the espresso tasted very fresh.

It's SUPPOSED to be a Maryland Crab Cakes (sandwich). It's just crab mush!
Tahja P.

I've been in DC since 1994 and have had my share of crab cakes. Good crab cakes. Bad crab cakes. Ok crab cakes. This was by far one of THE worst ones I've ever eaten! PURE MUSH...SOUPY even! The avocados didn't help the mush factor! The sandwich had old bay potato chips on it which could have helped add some texture. It didn't and they were softened by the raw crab cake and mushy avocado! The only thing that saved this meal is the French fries and I added bacon (on side)! They had some things on the menu that I see have pretty good reviews so I will try again but this meal was a definite MISS!!

I got the chicken mozzarella sandwich without the bun and with lettuce wrap! Good!
Emma M.

Love the food here! The ambiance is good too. Also great service. Great for a date night!

Lindsey S.

This place has a fun atmosphere for watching a game, having dinner, or just getting a casual drink. My friends and I went to watch the Capitals game and for some drinks. They had a good selection of food which I am excited to go back and try more of. We got their fries which were delicious and their homemade ranch is one of the best I've had! Our server was the best! They were super funny, joking around with us and having a good time. We felt welcomed as it was our first time there. They had live music while we were there as well and sounds like there's other fun events depending on the day of the week. I look forward to coming back here!

Christine H.

WJ Tabern is a good happy hour place if you're lover of wings. Each of the flavors that we picked with legitimately good and I don't think it necessarily has a bad selection of beers. One thing -- the waitstaff wasn't as attentive when I asked for a nonalcoholic cocktail and gave me an alcoholic one. That docks a star but otherwise I think for happy hour prices, it's worth it.

Ancient Harvest Grain Bowl
Caroline N.

Visited on a Saturday afternoon, not crowded, and low noise. We were seated quickly and service was quick and efficient, the waitress was also very nice and ensured that any modifications we requested to our orders were honored. The food is great (especially the fries ). WJT also has a great brunch on the weekends which is definitely worth checking out as well. A+++ mimosas! Parking is not a problem as there are plenty of options around (street and garages).

He provided no service to me but did to my white male friend
Yan W.

Want to find a place where all the joy has been sucked out of the world. Come here. This place is so sad. Just sad people sitting around a sad bar looking at their phone. Eating alone. For some reason I was never served. I went with a friend, a white male, and the bartender did not talk to me. He asked my friend for his drink order but when I chimed up he walked away. When he asked for a food order he asked my friend and not me and he walked away. We were sitting next to each other and talking to each other so how could someone in the restaurant industry not know that I wanted to orderdidn't even get to order. Garbage. Don't go here. I did not eat. I did not drink. I left. This ruined our night. I felt bad for my friend because he felt guilty. He packed his food to go. I insisted that he not have to be my protector. I needed to extricate myself because I was so upset. This impacts my impression of the other establishments like dogwood and bear branch tavern (I used to love these places) And don't attempt some canned management response or gift card. Fix your staff and how you treat customers don't bribe me.

The salmon wrap and the side salad.
David S.

At least based on my lunch experience, I'm surprised WJ's Tavern is rated so lowly. I loved the salmon wrap...and they even asked how we wanted our salmon done (and mine was perfect medium-rare which is my usual test of the kitchen's attention to detail). It's a great wrap with wasabi slaw poised against the strong salmon flavor with other delicious bits thrown in...but lunch also includes a wide choice of excellent sides (mine was the fine side salad and my companion's elote corn was great, too, served on two short corn cobs). Service was friendly, if a tad slow (it was an off-hour lunch) and the tavern is a cozy place to hang out. There's a great central TV bar with some hunky slinging drinks and working hard. The sour cherry pie and ice cream for dessert was also delicious. Cheap, no; but I'd go back for that salmon wrap ASAP.

Calamari
Parth R.

Nothing crazy special but a solid neighborhood upscale-ish bar food spot. Service is quick, polite, and excellent!

$1 Oysters On The Half Shell

See all

29 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

16 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of JR H.
0
14
7

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Yan W.
240
1552
3866

3 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 5

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1
Photo of Chris M.
124
66
31

1 year ago

4.6/5. Has been amazing the past few years. Food is fantastic!!!!!! Sports have plenty of tv's:)

Business owner information

Photo of Logan S.

Logan S.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lily S.
1432
700
1087

4 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 127
Thanks 0
Love this 131
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 2

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 13

Ask the Community - William Jeffrey's Tavern

Are there happy hour oyster prices, what days and time? Also, what is the current brunch menu?

$1 oysters on Tuesdays 4-12pm. I posted a photo of the happy hour menu with days and times. There are a lot of options for brunch and they have an unlimited waffle and omelette station for $20.

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

First Down Sports Bar & Grill

First Down Sports Bar & Grill

3.8
(425 reviews)
2.0 mi
•$$

It's World Cup season, and a VA resident asked me where he should watch the game. I had not been…read morehere in years, but I usually remembered all of the TVs around and those epic wings and cocktails. He took my advice, and we decide to make it a full outing. We showed up an hour and a half before the game started and got the last table in the entire bar. If you know this place, you know it is huge. I knew it was a good option for watching the game, but I didn't realize everybody else knew too . Since my last visit years ago, they have switched to QR code orders -- unless you are sitting at the bar I'm guessing. As I said, the place was absolutely full, but there was never a long wait time between ordering and receiving food and drinks. They had a fun 20 wing platter for $25.99 with some unique flavors representing different countries... USA (Buffalo Garlic), Spain (pollo asado), South Korea (SPICY), and Mexico (Creamy Cilantro)... I think I got those right, but wow what a feast! Yeah, I didn't take a pic, I'm sorry lol. The cheapest cocktails were $6, but others ranged from $8-12, so not bad at all. Everyone had a great time and I forgot how fun it is. But my special someone is a 5 minute walk away, so I ought to be returning more regularly :). Oh, the only thing was that we had to ask for water and it wasn't brought otherwise. It was a hot day, and there were 6 of us, so we needed a lot of water haha. But a simple ask and it was brought out quickly. In my opinion, they should do it automatically though!

We arrived at our hotel fairly late and the hotel restaurant was already closed. This place was…read morelocated directly across the street and was open super late. Perfect. I did not want to eat fried or super unhealthy food since it was late but this place looked like the best option. We decided to sit at the bar area right by the entrance since it was empty. It did not take long for the bartender to approach us and offered drinks. Hubs and I both ordered beers on tap, which were delivered not too long after we ordered. I was in the mood for wings and decided to go for the boneless option since hubs only likes those and I definitely was not going to finish. I also wanted a veggie option so I went with the veggie wrap. Hubs ordered the Tex-Mex eggrolls. Our food arrived at an appropriate time and was correct. The food was okay but not out of this world, which we were expecting. We both enjoyed the veggie wrap though. This place is a good option for watching sports and if they're open late. The place is also big in size.

Photos
3 of 6 TVs at the bar and 12 of 20 taps
3 of 6 TVs at the bar and 12 of 20 taps
First Down Sports Bar & Grill
First Down Sports Bar & Grill

See all

BOE

BOE

3.1
(10 reviews)
1.8 mi

Food: not recommended Service: great…read moreAmbiance: great for after work drinks (margaritas were excellent) on a nice day. Proceed straight upstairs to the rooftop bar and patio. Lots of standing room, limited seating, but the patrons are young, beautiful, and mostly college students from nearby schools. Not my crowd, but met one of my friends here after work in Arlington around 6:30 since the weather was perfect yesterday. We decided to go to my favorite restaurant for a more elevated experience and live music. One day, I'll come back to watch people ride the bull downstairs, which I imagine that to be hilarious and entertaining. The bartender told me the place doesn't come alive until about 9pm, so that's when it's crowded and probably off the chain.

I really wanna love BOE but the last few times I've came I've been extremely disappointed that it's…read morenot a bar I would prefer to go to on the weekends with friends. I went for the first time back in October and I had a good time. The drinks were competitively price for Arlington proportions but the food AND cocktail menu are just painfully limited. If you're ordering just standard bar drinks like a domestic draft beer or a shot of tequila you're fine, but a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu? Seriously? The biggest attraction of this bar is the mechanical bull. But the caveat is that you need to get a ticket to ride it which costs $5. Not terrible pricing but considering PBR at Power Plant Live in Baltimore has a mechanical bull (and more space but will get to that in a bit) it feels like a slap in the face. But again it's $5 and I'm going to presume that money goes towards maintenance of the mechanical bull ride anyway. Also depending on what day and time you go be prepared to be packed like sardines. There's three rooms one of which is a dedicated dance floor. And the room farthest from the entrance, about 85% of the room is taken up by the mechanical bull. The first time I went there was no room in the mechanical bull room because they blocked off 5% of it for some group party reservation. We went up to the rooftop which was a bit more spacious but naturally if it's cold outside or raining you're obviously not going up there. Overall, BOE has potential but a limited food menu, and even more limited cocktail menu, and small indoor space makes this an easy bar to skip when there's a line out the door.

Photos
BOE
BOE
Upper level Bar

See all

Upper level Bar
Courthaus Social

Courthaus Social

4.0
(678 reviews)
1.8 mi
•$$

My wife and I hosted our rehearsal dinner and welcome drinks for our wedding weekend at Courthaus…read moreSocial, and everything was absolutely perfect. Liz and her team made the evening feel incredibly special and worked closely with us throughout the planning process to ensure everything ran smoothly. They hosted our rehearsal dinner for about 25 people and then seamlessly transitioned the space for the rest of our guests to arrive for welcome drinks. The food was outstanding, the service was impeccable, and the entire event was executed flawlessly. Having an extensive background in the service industry, including large-scale events, I was genuinely impressed with how well the team handled every detail. We truly felt taken care of all weekend. I cannot recommend Courthaus Social enough for anyone planning a private event or wedding weekend gathering.

I had the omelette with a side of fries. While the presentation wasn't the most impressive, I was…read morepleasantly surprised by how good it tasted--it really hit the spot. We chose to sit outside, and the weather was beautiful. The outdoor seating created a nice atmosphere and made for an enjoyable meal. The service was a bit hit-or-miss. Nothing terrible, but it felt somewhat inconsistent and could have been more attentive. Overall, the food and ambience were the highlights of the experience.

Photos
Courthaus Social
January soup special
January soup special
Enjoy monthly food specials | Seasonal & from scratch

See all

Enjoy monthly food specials | Seasonal & from scratch
The Liberty Tavern

The Liberty Tavern

3.9
(1.6k reviews)
1.7 mi
•$$

Every time I go to Liberty Tavern, it's busy. Bar is full and so are the tables. The food is…read moredelicious. I haven't had anything that I wasn't happy with. The espresso martinis and bubbly rose are my favorite libations. Though I did mention that the bar is usually packed, service is hit or miss. There are times when my friend and I will sit with glasses empty trying to get someone's attention for a refill and we have waited 15-20 minutes. Keep that in mind and be patient when the venue is packed.

TLDR happy hour is only at the bar and the food is good but service isn't…read more Came on mother's day and came early, before they were busy. When we made the reservation in advance, we called to ask if happy hour was everywhere or just at the bar; they said everywhere, so we booked a table. Plot twist, it's only at the bar / downstairs :))) We arrived 15 minutes early, so while they got our table ready, we ordered at the bar. 5 stars for the bartender. If I could review her, the host, and the happy hour prices in isolation, I would! They moved us upstairs, we sat down, and immediately saw the menus were different. We asked the gentleman bringing waters about happy hour and he sent the waiter over. The waiter, with about 2% helpfulness, shared that happy hour is only downstairs. I mentioned that we had called in advance to ask. We asked if it would be possible to have that menu or perhaps move. The conversation felt like pulling teeth. He said, with much dismissiveness, it was up to the host downstairs to move and if they had availability and left. (Fair, we move, he doesn't get his tip. An alternative? Give us the happy hour menu, still get your tip. Better yet, just be slightly helpful?) The host downstairs found us a table but shared it was booked at 6:15 so we needed to be in and out. It was no problem because we had arrived before 5 (early, remember?). Although, it took 15 minutes (I timed it!) for anyone to come bring waters or address us as their table. A little hard to operate with urgency when no one takes your order!! I got up, told the host stand, and they sent a server over, and he proceeded to come back all of three times. We also had to flag him down to get our check, while we sat with empty waters that were never once refilled. We had pizza, cod sliders, and half orders of aglio e olio pasta. The cod sliders were more breadding than fish, but the flavor was decent. The pasta was delicious. No five star Italian meal, but it hit the spot and the portion was plentiful. I didn't try the pizza but it was 12 inches, piping hot, and the two eating it couldn't finish it. The food came out quickly and hot. I think we spent under or just about $100 for four folks to have dinner + drinks, so the prices are really solid. Perhaps you get what you pay for though? Both of our male servers seemed annoyed to be dealing with us and mostly unhelpful. Noteworthy mention: there was a female server who was kind enough to bring us a brown paper bag for our to go box. She was running around and her tables seemed well cared for. Disappointed in my experience and the customer service.

Photos
The Liberty Tavern
Salmon & risotto; delish!
Salmon & risotto; delish!
The Liberty Tavern Burger with side of fries, very tasty

See all

The Liberty Tavern Burger with side of fries, very tasty
The Board Room

The Board Room

3.7
(233 reviews)
1.5 mi
•$$

Devastated to hear that The Board Room closed recently! It was one of the first places I visited…read moreafter I moved to Arlington. With an extensive drink menu and plenty of board games it was a chill spot if you wanted to socially drink with friends and unwind after a long day.

Parking was PERFECT. public parking garage underneath, and the elevator in the corner takes you up…read moreright to the front door of the restaurant. Could not ask for a better parking situation. Ordering was almost seamless. We got there at 1 o'clock, middle of the day on 4/18, plenty of empty tables. We went up to the bartender to take our order, and then gave them our table number and they delivered it. The QR code on the table only shows you the menu. It is not used for ordering, which was odd these days. Chill and super awesome bartender with the mother of all hickeys. Good pours. No Skrewball :-( I had the special, two hot dogs with tater tots. When it said double, I wasn't sure if that meant double the tater tots, but that meant actually two hot dogs. Really good. I also had the other special, the two pancakes. I meant to get the sausage, but they gave me the bacon instead. It was great. Well worth it. I thought that was the better value of the meals. They got a lot of board and card games. Very laid-back atmosphere, 90s and early 2000s pop on the music, comfortable seating, and good food. The prices were reasonable. This is one area that I think we are just going to have to deal with for quite some time. The give-and-take of prices,. Smothered tater tots, pancakes, two hotdogs with some tater tots, and three drinks came out to ~$55. NOT. BAD. Was it worth it? If this had been just a normal restaurant, I would've said no. It would've been more worth it if it had been about $40. But... nobody made us pay to use the board games, or the card games, and we sat there for three hours and had a really good time. So based on that, the fact they provide a venue for playing these games and hanging out for a few hours makes it all worth it. Really strange thing was that there was this balding guy with a beard that randomly showed up as a waiter. We had been dealing with a bartender, so this guy, kind of rude came on to us and we weren't sure what to do with him. He kind of blocked me from paying the bartender. Rude. Not a hangout spot every day, but certainly once a week, maybe once a month or more, definitely a place to meet up if you got a group. I was really surprised by the diversity of the people that were there. A lot of chess players, a whole table of middle-aged women, lots of different people playing games. I would give them five stars, but not quite perfect. The rude guy at the end was so odd. Otherwise, great location, great parking, the food was good, good value, and fun.

Photos
More Art
More Art
Owner stopped by forever a table visit
Owner stopped by forever a table visit
Games, Games, Games!

See all

Games, Games, Games!

William Jeffrey's Tavern - tradamerican - Updated July 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...