Gadsby's Tavern — Restaurant in Alexandria

A Nightmarish Culinary Encounter: I was served an Insect!

I recently dined at Gatsby’s Tavern and unfortunately, my experience was nothing short of horrifying. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance seemed promising, with dim lighting and colonial décor to set the mood for what I hoped would be a delightful dining experience. However, what unfolded during my meal was far from delightful.

Upon perusing the menu, I settled on the mashed potatoes as a side to accompany my grilled filet mignon. When my order arrived, I eagerly dug in, only to discover, to my utter dismay, an enormous insect wing nestled amongst the creamy texture of the mashed potatoes. What could it be, I thought, a dragon fly? A cicada? A praying mantis? Well, none of the above - shock and revulsion coursed through me, as I realized I had just encountered a cockroach. It was a moment of sheer disgust that I wouldn't wish upon anyone. (Pictures attached let me know your thoughts – is this really a roach? Please say it isn’t so!!) As a side note - I only found one wing and part of the body, what happened to the rest? Did I already eat it? Was it nestled in in someone else’s mashed potatoes ready to be consumed? Who knows?

Naturally, I asked for the manager to address the issue. Chris came over to speak with us, after what felt like an eternity, while i had to stare at the animal which rested on my plate, snuggled in the potatoes. The response was of confusion, with Chris trying to figure out where the insect came from, rather than apologetic! Who cares where it came from Chris, it ended up on my plate. What buddy, do you think I smuggled in a dead insect and buried in my potatoes for a free meal?

The damage had been done. The mere thought of ingesting a cockroach-infested meal had completely ruined my appetite. Despite their attempts to rectify the situation by offering to comp the meal and a replacement dish and dessert, the trust had been shattered, and I couldn't bring myself to eat another morsel from that kitchen.

Beyond the appalling incident with the cockroach (or whatever it was…), the overall dining experience was lackluster. The cleanliness of the establishment left much to be desired, evident not only from the unwelcome visitor in my meal, but also from the general state of disarray in the restaurant. There is only one bathroom, which is absolutely disgusting, dirty, dusty, no toilet paper, and just broken! On the way to the bathroom my feet were sticking to the carpet and there is a huge hole in the wall, like big, like the size of large head. Chris, where did this hole come from? I’m sure George Washington would have fixed this hole – you should too!

In conclusion, my visit to Gatsby’s Tavern was nothing short of a nightmare. The presence of a cockroach in my mashed potatoes not only tainted the food but also revealed concerning lapses in hygiene and food safety practices. I would strongly advise against dining at this establishment, as the risk of encountering such unappetizing surprises is not worth the potential culinary experience.

Overall, my rating for Gatsby’s Tavern is a dismal 1 out of 5 stars. If there was a way to give less than one star, I would! The hope is that they take immediate and significant steps to address their hygiene and cleanliness standards before another diner faces a...

Was playing tourist with my boyfriend and his mother who was visiting from out of town and Gadsby Tavern is listed on Alexandria’s Tourist Site (I am a life long local to the Alexandria area). We entered the restaurant and I explained in Spanish to my boyfriends mother that the location was famous for having George Washington and Thomas Jefferson dining there. I then approached the hostess, Trisha, and asked if we could peak around the corner of the separator that separate the dining area from the entrance, and she agreed. My boyfriend looked at me and asked if we should grab a beer or dinner here in English. Before he finished his sentence the hostess said that there was no bar service available. I turned and asked her if it was possible to grab a table to order drinks and an appetizer or food and she said no. It was very odd especially considering that the restaurant only had a few patrons seated and plenty of tables more than 6ft apart available. Likewise, it was only 5:30ish on a Saturday evening, which is when most restaurants in Alexandria are hoping to get customers. The hostess never offered us a table or other alternatives such as coming back at a later time. Nor did she apologize at any point which would be custom for not being able to seat us. I would recommend that this restaurant train its staff on discrimination sensitivity. Likewise, I would discourage any Spanish speaking/people of Hispanic descent from visiting this location until this...

My wife and I had our first date there 35 years ago and we were celebrating her birthday so I thought it would be great to spend the night in Alexandria and eat there again. The Alexandrian Marriott we stayed in is awesome. Gadsby’s Tavern however was a massive disappointment. I was expecting a “fine dining” experience like we had on our first date. I don’t think they have invested a dime in that place in 35 years. The tables are nasty. You might be able to call some of them “rustic”, but some are just downright awful and wobbly. The service was awful. My wife’s salad and shrimp appetizer were good. My pork chop that I ordered medium was served way over well done and tasted like cardboard. If you want your meat to crumble in your mouth, it was fine. I did something I almost never do and sent it back. I was then served a smaller version that was still well done but tolerable. It was not as dry as the first one. I didn’t ask for or expect a free meal and they certainly didn’t offer one. Just a massive disappointment and we’ll never go back, but I am sure they can ride the whole George Washington thing forever and manage to stay afloat for another decade. At least the prices were not too high, but don’t plan to get what you are paying for unless McD’s is your...