The oldest operating restaurant in Washington DC has gluten-free options! Old Ebbitt Grill opened in 1856 as Washington DC's first saloon. In 1920 it moved to its current location across the street from the White House.

This was my second time to this restaurant. We had a party of 4 for a post-graduation dinner.

GLUTEN - FREE

Old Ebbitt Grill does have a marked menu but still tell your server if you have Celiac disease like me. I told my waiter and he said that although the the salmon is marked "gluten-free," that's a misprint on their new menus. That's so dangerous but it's also a reminder yet again to trust nothing and advocate for yourself.

FOOD

This place gives you water in a carafe to serve yourself. Every time we got a new carafe, the water was straight up warm. I know Europeans visit DC and they don't like ice, but why serve warm water on top of the no ice?

What we ordered that is marked gluten-free on the menu (prices do not includ tax or gratuity.)

1. Leidy's Duroc Pork Chop $34.99 16-oz. rib chop, bacon-braised Swiss chard, cheddar grits soufflé, charred scallion-caper vinaigrette. (The grits soufflé tastes like cornbread. The dish was fine, a bit dry, but I prefer the pork chop at Perry's Steakhouse.)

My husband and I both ordered the same dish, the pork chop, which is marked gluten-free on the menu. Mine came out with a bamboo allergy marker on it.

2. Linz Heritage Angus Ribeye $55.99 16oz boneless steak, bordelaise, roasted fingerling potatoes, charred asparagus, bearnaise butter.

3. 1/2 Dozen Mix & Match Oysters. $22.99 Served with cocktail sauce & classic mignonette. (This also came with a bag of gluten oyster crackers on top, so make sure to tell your server no gluten garnishes.)

4. Gluten-free Bread. $1.99 If you ask for gluten-free bread when the complimentary bread comes out, your gluten-free bread roll will be $1.99 upcharge.

AMBIANCE

Unfortunately we were sat in the atrium which was incredibly hot and the table water was lukewarm. I wanted to leave to go somewhere cooler the whole meal. I was annoyed the second they seated us there because you're basically in the enclosed lobby of an empty office building. Part of the experience is sitting in the Victorian dining room. If I had known they were going to seat us in the atrium, which I didn't even know was an option, I would have cancelled my reservation.

The dining room, although loud, is much nicer and decorated in a Victorian style with real gas lamps. Make sure to indicate on your reservation (which we had) for which room you'd like to sit in (which we hadn't.)

My husband was annoyed because someone's wandering toddler kept coming up to our table and getting in the way of staff. There were also children on phones and iPads watching cartoons without headphones. This should not be allowed and management needs to tell parents that their children need to be seated and no they can't play media without headphones. It's ridiculous that this is even allowed at this type of restaurant.

Overall, I wish we would have cancelled our reservation. Between the hot atrium and warm water, the annoying kids, gluten-free misprints on the menu, and just okay taste, all four of us said the dinner was meh.

Visited June 2024