T.J. Stone's — Restaurant in Alexandria

A friendly and comfortable neighborhood restaurant in North Old Town, TJ Stone's has the casual personality of a local sports bar but with upscale finishes and an environment you'd be proud to bring your parents to for a decent dinner. The restaurant is divided in half, with a sports bar area on the right, and a sit-down restaurant on the left. I haven't spent as much time in the sit-down area, but in limited experience, the division is effective and the noise from the bar area doesn't seem to carry over to the sit-down area too much. Barbecue and brisket is a specialty on the menu, but I've always enjoyed their gourmet burgers the most (try the Bubba Burger). The food is good, the staff is friendly and service is attentive. Bartenders introduce themselves, make an effort to ask your name and generally make you feel like a regular even if you're just passing through. They are particularly knowledgeable about beer, with a variety of craft beers on draft, including local DC-area breweries, an extensive bottled and canned beer selection, and a rotating cask beer selection as well. The bar area has plenty of TVs, so if you're coming for a sports event, odds are they'll have it on. The location is very walkable from North Old Town, and they offer outdoor dining on the sidewalk in the warmer months if you'd rather eat outside (although proximity to Washington Street makes that a somewhat noisy and unappealing option). You'll read other reviews mentioning the Gouda Tots, and for good reason... they're awesome, especially with the horseradish-based dipping sauce they come with. Overall: a solid neighborhood restaurant, good for brunch, lunch, dinner...

The food at this establishment leaves much to be desired. I did not like any of the items we ordered. The establishment, itself, is nice. The atmosphere is fine. Our server was not much of a talker. He was not as attentive as he needed to be. We were never given utensils and had to ask the busboy/food deliverer for them. We had to wait a very long time before he showed up to get napkins. He didn't seem customer friendly and was short with his answers. He kinda had an "I'm just here to get my hours vibe." He wasn't blatantly rude, but he wasn't exactly nice either.

I did not like the fact that this place was animal friendly. I have nothing against animals, but when I dine out, I don't like to worry about cleanliness. There was evidence that dogs were fed at the establishment because a dog bowl was on the floor behind our table. Then, a couple showed up with their dog as we were eating. The dog was provided a bowl of water, and servers, of course, greeted the couple with the dog and touched the dog. It was not evident that hand washing occurred after this as they proceeded to offer water and deliver food. Some people do not mind this, but I do. I don't want people handling my food, drink, menu, credit card, etc, after handling a dog. And then it makes me wonder if the dog dishes are washed with dinnerware. It just leaves too much to my anxiety and mind to ponder. No one in my party was blown away by the food, and while it is a nice place in a great location, we'll never return. I asked my son about his shrimp and pasta dish, and he said it was ok but tasted like motor oil was in it...SON!!! That is...

We arrived and there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. Our 7 top was split into 5 and 2 checks as we asked. The waiter was uninterested and barely brought us water before making us wait to order. From then on neither he or any of the staff would make eye contact and I had to beg him finally for some warm water. Our food, when it finally got there, was not great. When we were finished we wanted dessert and after waiting for the menu and waiting for him to come back for our order, it took and additional 20 minutes for some simple desserts. I asked for the bill while we were waiting so we wouldn't have to wait (we were now late for a show) and when it came there was not one, but two added 20% gratuities added to our bills. 40% for crummy food and service! I have waited tables my whole life and I am a great tipper because I know how hard that job is, but I also know what decent service looks like. I work in DC and will spread the word far and wide to stay away from this terrible place.

I must say after I wrote this review (my first time ever) the owner of TJ's contacted me and with his manager, they apologized for the poor experience, refunded all of our checks and sent me a gift card. I appreciate this kind of detail to customer service and will try them again. I understand that everyone has a bad day sometimes and I am willing to give them...