McCormick & Schmick's Seafood & Steaks — Restaurant in Washington

I WOULD AVOUD THIS RESTAURANT!!!

Perhaps the worst dining experience in my 40+years of dining out. Food quality horrendous, service non existent. The exception was the bartender, who in reality was bartender, food runner, waiter and bartender - and management. Worked his Fanny off, but when servicing 10 tables alone - a disaster. And a manager whose skill set screams 1 star.

I have a long history with this restaurant - McCormick & Schmick’s - including numerous visits to their flagship restaurant in Portland, and many visits to the former location in Dallas. Now closed, no surprise.

We ordered a number of things from the happy hour menu as well as the dinner menu. The burger was good, but everything else was just terrible. The asparagus side at $11 was delivered to the table twice. I would not have fed this old and imperfect product to livestock. I asked the manager to eat an untouched piece of our second serving and she refused. GOOD ENOUGH FOR CUSTONERS THOUGH. The heads were all damaged and it was extremely woody. Again, the general manager would not eat it when summoned for the SECOND TIME during our visit. The mussels were tough and tasted old. The trout dinner arrived so hard seared, my wife had to peel most of the skin off just to be able to eat it.

The best part of the meal was the Wednesday special Nashville chicken sliders - priced on the menu at $10. The two sliders were ONE CHICKEN TENDER - split between the two buns. A dab of coleslaw and no Nashville hot sauce. When quizzed during the SECOND discussion with the manager, Ashley, she indicated this was the directive from the corporate office. ONE CHICKEN TENDER SPLIT BETWEEN TWO SLIDERS FOR $10. let that sink in for a minute.

I asked to speak to the general manager after the first round of food was delivered. I spoke to her in the dining room (there were zero customers dining) to deliver my real time feedback to her. While the bartender was busting his fanny working multiple jobs, Ashley had to be summoned from the comfort of her office, and she did not know how to address my issues or even talk to me. A TORAL FAIL of management. The host was on his mobile phone when I approached him to summoned the manager. No one was working with the exception of the bartender. I would argue this restaurant’s abysmal 3.9 rating on Google was generous.

When I asked to speak to the manager the second time after our second round of food was delivered, I showed her the “half chicken tender” sliders. Her only comment to me aside from saying she didn’t know what to say was she assumed I would not like the chicken sliders and quickly removed them from the table. A very rude action.

I specifically asked that nothing be removed from the bill. The first order of inedible asparagus was removed, though the second order - also inedible- was charged. A disaster. When the check was delivered, I noticed a quote from Tillman Fertitta, who I assume has purchased m&s and might explain the erosion in quality. Fertitra of Landry’s and ufc fame. A once wonderful restaurant, now destroyed.

EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS RESTAURANT WAS TERRIBLE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE HARD WORKING BARTENDER/RUNNER/SERVER/BUSBOY, who we tipped well. The bill was $124 for two (4 beers included) with generous and deserved tip to the bartender. Perhaps the single worst meal to value in my 55 years.

I WOULD AVOID THIS RESTAURANT at all cost!!! We were recommended by the Hyatt hotel down the street.

I’ll be contacting bill freeman, CEO of M&S after posting this review. Some changes need to be made. Truly terrible.

TO THE FERTITRA ORGANIZATION, YOU NEED NEW MANAGEMENT, KITCHEN STAFF, EVERYTHING. PERHAPS YOU SHOULD JYST SHUT IT DOWN....

I normally don't write reviews and I've tried to put my experience behind me but when I think of my mothers surpise 50th birthday dinner I think of McCormick & Schmicks disrespectful, rude ass manager BARBARA DYER AND HOW SHE treated my party (over 12 people). It takes a lot to plan a surprise dinner party but for the past few months my mother talked about going to McCormick & Schmicks. After the National Harbor location was booked for the date we had planned my siblings and I decided on the Crystal City location. Upon our arrive the host ( who was very nice), she explained everything as far as seating, and setting up my mothers birthday gifts and balloons. As everyone started to arrive, we were all seated by those host after telling her the birthday girl was one her way, started to order drinks and appetizers etc., we wanted to wait until the birthday girl arrived to order dinner. While were waiting our serves (who were great and understanding) kept asking how much longer until my mother arrived? which in my opinion became annoying because a party of 12 ordering drinks and appetizers should be a problem. after pulling one of the servers to the side, she explained the manager wanted them to ask because the RESTAURANT over booked and they needed our table because the other area where they normally seat a large party was closed for the evening and they didn't want to open it, and if my mother mother didn't arrive within the next few mins they would have to ask us to leave. SHOCKED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT, how can you kick a large party out after ordering anything. I asked the server to have the manager come out and tell me herself instead of making her do her dirty work. As soon as BARBARA DYER came to our table she was annoyed. I say this because her body language, tone of voice, eye rolling, the manner in which she spoke to my guest and I before even asking her anything was UNPROFESSIONAL. After letting her speak I was finally able to get a word in, as we started talking my grandfather who by the way took a last minute flight to make his daughters birthday dinner for one night was caught off by DYER. After explaining to her not to speak to my grandfather and my other guest in the manner she was, she asked me to lower my voice so the other guest could hear our conversation and what I had to say, mind you when she spoke the area could hear her loud and clear. after telling her and pointing out how many other tables where still in the restaurant before my party sat down. Dyer then stated she was going to just call the police and have my party removed and take our table. At this time my party and I where ready to go, at the same time my mother walked in and SURPRISE !!! yes we stayed because my mother walked in crying and happy as hell to see everyone but needless to say BECAUSE OF MS DYER I WILL NEVER VISIT OR SPEND MY HARD EARNED MONEY AT ANOTHER MCCORMICK...I SAY THIS BECAUSE BEING A FORMER DINNING EMPLOYEE AND NOW WORKING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT IM A REFLECTION OF MY AGENCY AND IF DYER IS A REFLECTION OF MCCORMICK IT SAYS THEY HIRE RUDE,UNPROFRESDIONAL, RACIST AND PEOPLE WHO USE THE THREAT OF CALLING THE POLICE TO HAVE A FEW TABLES BECAUSE...

Not impressed with this restaurant. The first time we came we were not able to order the drinks we wanted because they were not available (it was their two signature drinks) and we literally didn't receive our drinks until after we finished our meal. The cioppino that I had was average. They didn't comp us for anything. My wife received a survey and reported the poor experience and we received two free drinks.

On our second visit, we were looking forward to getting the drinks we wanted the first time and were told they were still not available and that they didn't know if they would ever be available again, which begs the question why they are still on the menu and why the servers have not been at least trained to tell folks up front that the drinks are not available. Again, they are their two signature drinks.

My wife asked the server to have her drink made with less simple syrup, since she doesn't like her drinks too sweet. What she received was a drink made with Sprite rather than prosecco and it was super sweet. We noted that Sprite was used instead of prosecco and they remade the drink. This time it came out pink (nothing in the ingredients should have been pink) and was even sweeter. She ended up giving up and just returning the drink. My wife's shrimp were also undercooked and it took a while to get them replaced. The meal in general was sweet and not what we were expecting. I don't think of scampis as being sweet. I think if them as being garlicy.

To top everything off, the server came out to tell us that they wouldn't honor the free drink we had been offered by a manager from the first visit since they are not actually allowed to offer free drinks in VA. Wow! Talk about incredibly bad customer service. It took forever to talk to the manager. I had to waive the server down to find out what was going on. She came back later and said the manager was too busy to speak with us and decided to just take off the drink. The manager is too busy to speak with customers? Never had this happen before. And what about that VA law? I guess they were too busy to follow the law. Interesting...

Anyway, we obviously won't be coming back to this location again. Although we liked other M&S locations in the past, I have a feeling that M&S' quality may have gone down during the pandemic and am not sure we'll be returning to eat at other M&S locations...