Community Table — Restaurant in Washington

We booked Community Table for a birthday dinner and had high hopes, given its reputation as an upscale dining spot in the area. The atmosphere is lovely, and it feels like the kind of place you’d go for a special occasion. Unfortunately, the experience left us disappointed.

Our server recommended the ribeye for two, priced at $135. I specifically asked about the portion size since we were already ordering two appetizers, and she reassured us it was a “perfect portion for two.” In reality, the dish was enormous—easily enough for four people. The cut was massive (at least 3.5 inches thick, around 20 ounces per person) and came out undercooked. We had requested medium rare, but the steak was rare, which gave it a metallic, gamey taste. Because the cut was so thick, the fat hadn’t properly rendered, leaving the texture gloopy and unappetizing.

The steak was also completely unseasoned, and the accompanying cherry sauce was an odd pairing—far too sweet for such a fatty cut. The sides were vegetable-based, delicate, and actually quite good, but their scale and style made them feel more suited for a filet rather than such a heavy ribeye. My wife couldn’t eat more than a single piece of her steak, and when her plate was cleared, no one asked why most of her food was untouched. At restaurants of this caliber, that kind of attentiveness is usually expected.

We ended the meal with the profiterole, which was unfortunately hard as a rock. My wife ate it only because she was still hungry after not being able to stomach the steak.

What stung the most wasn’t just the food, but the lack of honesty and care. When a guest asks about portion size, accuracy matters—especially with such an expensive entree. It felt as though we were being upsold without transparency, and the lack of attentiveness when plates went back barely touched added to the disappointment.

In total, the bill came to about $400 for two people. Price is not an issue when the food and service are exceptional, but that simply wasn’t the case here. Sadly, while the setting was charming, the experience did not match the high expectations...

My partner made reservations here for my birthday. This is the third time that we’ve been here and let me start off by saying that we have enjoyed this restaurant in the past. We arrived at 7:45 and we’re seated immediately. We sat in the front room along the banquette in the far right corner. There was a moldy smell in that corner almost reminded me of a dirty litter box. I couldn’t quite figure out what it was. We both started out with a French Chardonnay which was very good, I believe that was about $22 a glass. We ordered bread which was $12 to start as an appetizer along with the salad($18)with beets. The bread was pricey, but very good. The salad was also good, but there were not many beets in it. They were four small pieces of yellow beats, and the rest were thin slices of red beets. I am a meat eater so I ordered the Allen Ranch ribeye. Please look at my picture to see the size of the portion. Now I’m not a big eater, but I could not believe the size of the entrée for $46. Also, I’m just looking at the menu right now and although the description says it included Yukon gold potatoes, there were no potatoes on the plate. I have to say everything was very good but again for $46 I expected a ribeye steak on the platter, not two small pieces. I know times are tough, but this was a bit ridiculous. If it was a piece of filet mignon for $46 that might’ve been better. My partner had the salmon that he said was very good but again he said the portion size was very small. For dessert we both had the warm fallen bittersweet chocolate cake, that was very good. We would like to go back here again, but we’re going to think long and hard before we make that decision. For the two of us with the tip it...

My previous review (below) ONLY pertained to Chef Christian Hunter's tenure at Community Table. He is gone. I will not be back. Chef Hunter's food was life changing. It transcended the vibe here and the service miscues for a place positioning itself as "fine dining" and the general feeling that a "single female diner" was not welcome... Without Chef Hunter's food? There is no reason for me to visit Community Table again. An absolute MUST if you are in the area. Chef Christian Hunter's food is life changing.

I own a little, small town, breakfast/lunch diner in Vermont. I gutted out Covid pretty much alone every day in my diner. My very first dining out experience "with no restrictions" this Spring was Community Table. I drove down and made it a destination. The food was so insanely good I ate at CT twice that week. I've now eaten at CT three times. Each time I've ordered 2 starters and 2 mains because there was seriously too many good options for me to only try one or two.

I a do not eat beef, pork or poultry. Chef Christian Hunter's menu is the first I've ever seen (and pre-Covid eating out was my #1 hobby) with a wide variety of items I could eat. It's not a huge menu. But it is so varied and interesting and WELCOMING no matter your dietary restrictions.

The Harissa marinated, oven roasted cauliflower is vegan and might be the most delicious thing I've ever eaten. I SAW JESUS when I ate that cauliflower and I've eaten it THREE TIMES now...

Chef Christian Hunter deserves all the accolades. Go eat his food. Then go back and...