Oak Steakhouse — Restaurant in Alexandria

I honestly do not ever write negative reviews, but I feel like in this case it is warranted. I had such HIGH hopes for this dinner experience and the was so disappointed. My husband and I live in the Old Town area and a friend of ours had recently dined at Oak Steakhouse. We’d never heard of it, but are both steak lovers so I made a note to try it out for a special occasion. Our “go to” spots for special occasions such as birthdays and anniversaries are establishments such as Capital Grille, Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris. So for my husband’s birthday last night, we decided to try Oak Steakhouse. I had looked at the menu online and given the price point of items on the menu, I naively assumed we were going to have a fine dining experience. Wrong.

The host who greeted us was nice enough and he acknowledged that we were there for a birthday (which I had indicated when we made the reservation) which was nice. We were seated at a booth in the bar area, which was definitely less than desirable, but I still kept an open mind.

Our waiter was nice enough but there was no acknowledgment that we were there for a special occasion. Maybe we’ve been spoiled by Morton’s where they have confetti in the table, the waiter acknowledges the special day and even snaps a photo of you which they give to you when you leave. I guess I wouldn’t be mentioning any of this if they weren’t charging MORE than what Morton’s charges for what basically equates to an Outback Steakhouse experience.

No wine Sommelier and our server couldn’t tell us much about the wines. In addition, when he poured the wine, it dripped down the neck of the bottle, into the label and he just set it on the table and walked away.

We ordered the Burrata which was identified in the menu as being accompanied by artichoke. When the appetizer arrived, there was no artichoke. We questioned our server about it, and not only did he not know it was supposed to have artichoke, he took the dish and a spoon off our table to “poke around” and identified the two dime sized pieces of artichoke.

Admittedly the entrees were good, although the portion sizes of the steaks were smaller than what we get at Morton’s and mysteriously more expensive.

In addition to the above, when our steaks were brought to the table, they were delivered by someone in a Chef’s jacket with shoulder length hair, that was not tied back nor in a hair net. I’m grateful we didn’t find any surprises in our meal!

When it came time to desert, the server had to ask who was celebrating a birthday. Again, not what you would expect from a “high end” establishment especially since we had already told the host.

Moral of the story… if you’re looking for a high end, fine dining steakhouse experience- this is not your spot. Go to Morton’s/Ruths Chris/Capital Grille and save yourselves some money.

** We dined at Landini Brothers the next night for my father-in-law’s birthday… I’ve added a photo of a restaurant that knows how to go...

I wanted to love this place.... But I just liked it.

Let me start by saying that it was my first time here and I would come back and try something else. My office is two blocks away but unfortunately it is not open for lunch, so I finally tried for dinner one night after working late.

The restaurant is new and nicely appointed with high ceilings and the tables are not right on top of one another. However, I found it very loud, and the volume of the background music did not help.

The menu is rather limited -- even for a steakhouse -- with some odd flavor combos and only one fish option. No specials were presented.

Also, I found it pricey compared to comparable establishments. (The food, service, and atmosphere are a large notch below a Bobby Van's, Cap Grille, or a Ruth's Chris but not the prices).

I went in thinking NY Strip but the price was $56 for a 12 oz or $85 for a 22 oz, so I opted for steak frites at a more reasonably priced $30, which included one of my favorite cuts, a butcher's aka hanger steak.

The butcher/hanger/onglet steak has become popular and increasingly hard to find, and I have probably been spoiled by how perfectly Les Halles (RIP) in DC and NYC prepared it in my many times there. This steak is normally about pound to a pound and half before cooking, so I was a bit disappointed that my meal at Oak came with about half a normal steak with a big ol' side of crispy frites, cooked in beef fat and doused with some shredded cheese. This cut of steak is the most tender cut next to a tenderloin, but my steak here was a bit mushy like some form of tenderizer had been used. It was served with an au poivre sauce, which was not bad, on top of an onion purée which I honestly would have just preferred some regular caramelized onions.

My server was very attentive but did not engage much on going over the menu, which was surprising given they market themselves as farm to table and most establishments are all too eager to give the life story of the food you are about to consume. The kitchen was very slow and I waited about 30-35 minutes until my meal arrived.

The wine selection was also fairly limited for a steakhouse, especially on the bolder side of the spectrum, with only 3 Cabs and no red Zins by the glass. Maybe would have been different if I came with a larger group and was ordering a bottle.

Dessert menu was also pretty boring and limited.

In sum, I give this about a B+. It is part of an upscale chain, so I would have expected they would had it a little more together like a Fleming's or a Shula's. But it is simply too expensive for upscale casual. They need to get in that middle lane with chains like Stoney River, lower the prices, widen the menu and...

Since moving back to Alexandria, I’d started thinking of Oak Steakhouse as a bit of a neighborhood gem. I’ve gone a few times recently and always enjoyed the quiet bar area — as a single woman, it felt nice to sit at the bar, enjoy a glass of wine, and unwind with a meal.

But my experience yesterday was deeply disappointing.

I ordered the pork chop, a 15 oz. cut that looked beautiful when it arrived. Pork is my favorite protein — I cook it well at home — and as a foodie who’s been to nearly every Michelin-starred restaurant in DC and many throughout Europe, I know my food. I also added a side of mushrooms, which were perfectly seasoned and delicious. I first tasted a small piece hanging off the pork chop — it was juicy and flavorful. So far, so good.

The woman sitting next to me — a white woman — asked how it was. I told her that small piece was great. Then I cut into the center, and it was completely raw. Not undercooked. Raw.

She immediately said, “That’s raw — I heard you tell the waiter you wanted it cooked properly. You have to send that back.” I was stunned and agreed. I’ve never had that happen in a steakhouse of this caliber.

But the worst part? No one apologized. Not the waiter, not a chef, not a manager. No one acknowledged it — not even after I sent it back. I felt dismissed, like I was somehow the problem for not wanting to eat raw pork — something as unsafe as raw chicken. The woman next to me saw it too and kept reinforcing that it was raw. I appreciated her support, but it also made me pause: if she had sent that back, would she have been treated the same way I was? I don’t like jumping to conclusions, but it did make me wonder — and that hurt.

Trying to regroup, I asked about ordering the burger (which had looked amazing when she got hers) but wanted to swap the fries for a side salad since I was already feeling queasy from the raw pork. The waiter was inflexible and said substitutions would cost extra. I couldn’t believe how tone-deaf that was, considering what had just happened.

I ended up ordering the wedge salad with shrimp, which thankfully was well-prepared. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, and once I added a little salt and pepper, the salad was lovely.

Still, I left upset and disappointed. I genuinely liked coming here. But being served raw pork and receiving no apology or accountability at all? That’s unacceptable. I wasn’t looking for a comped meal — just basic decency. A simple “I’m so sorry about that” would’ve gone a long way. Instead, I was left wondering if I would’ve been treated differently had I looked like the woman sitting next to me.

Sadly, I won’t be back...