Best Restaurants for Special Occasions in Downtown

Great breakfast. Omlette was amazing. The wife got cast iron griddle. It was delicious. Plus, the holiday decor was beautiful. I will be back again.

The hostess was wonderful. She was very polite and offered us coat check. The server (can't remember his name...but he had like a Louisiana accent) was so attentive. He made suggestions for us to try as it was our first time there. He was also very attentive. The service made this a great place to stop while visiting D.C.

Having been to Italy recently, I found the food to be "authentically Italian" -- not overly seasoned but very flavorful. Portions were perfect -- not too large. Pasta was al dente, which is not common here in the U.S. Will definitely go back.

What the heck. This place was quite the surprise. It blew us away. The food was surprisingly good. We ordered several different times, and each time the food came out fresh, hot, quickly, and looked like an artist put it together. The jumbo shrimp with cilantro goodness was amazing. Calamari better than it should have been. The service was amazing. The prices? Way too low. Happy hour prices are ridiculous. I mean so ridiculously low. I think maybe they just love people. I’m not sure. I’d make this my go to spot if I lived here.

My husband and I and three friends once again celebrated our Christmas lunch at Joe's and it never disappoints. The four of us sea food lovers split between the grilled seafood platter (lobster tails, shrimp, and scallops) and the crab cakes, which we all agreed were outstanding and portions large enough we all took about half of our entrees home. The eight once filet mignon, was a hit with my husband. Sides of creamed spinach, roasted Brussel sprouts, potatoes Lyonnaise, were wonderful. The complementary bread basket contains a variety of several different small rolls, all freshly made. An extensive wine list complimented our meals. Desserts we tried included key lime pie, a golden ice cream sunday, and peppermint ice cream with fudge sauce. Joe's is justly well known for it's delicious pies. Service was attentive, friendly, but not obtrusive. This is a classic steak house and seafood establishment with a wonderful ambience of dark wood and elegance. However, it is expensive and they are adding an additional 3 percent to the check for "rising costs", though you can ask them to remove that charge. The menu is traditional, not for those looking for an adventurous eating experience.