1870 Restaurant and Bar

Review summary

1. A

   Alonzo

   VIP

   Washington DC

   16 reviews

   4.0

   16 reviews

   Dined today

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 2

   So I will start with the beginning and go in order of how things were presented. I had an 8:30 Reservation for the Buck Room on 12/20. I dropped off my guest to go get checked in so I could park and upon my entrance I saw them waiting still which was not a huge deal until talking with other groups waiting with reservations as early at 8pm. It was not 8:40 at this time. Still with no table I head up to the bar to grab drinks during the wait which was a nice area with some ambiance. After getting my drinks and heading back downstairs to wait we were asked after a while if we wanted to get the next table available which was downstairs in the pub area. At this point I obliged as we would have had to wait an additional 15 mins or more. Obviously not the experience I requested so that was a bummer. Our waiter was friendly and helpful - I was warned from reviews that the chef that it’s best to order everything at once which is fine. Still find it slightly odd to ask for the dessert. Started with the seasonal oysters and the steak tartare. The tartare was flavorful and plentiful. Definitely should have asked what the seasonal part of the oysters was because I was just expecting it to be raw on the half shell. The Filets were nicely cooked and seasoned well. They came with different options of sauces or butters to put on top which added flavor to it as well. Shared 2 desserts being the cheesecake and the chocolate tart. These were both amazing as well. Overall a great experience, but with the downer of having to wait past my reservation and instead of getting a pleasant ambiance was more like a basement level college party just for dinner. Would try again overall.
   

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2. c

   carol

   VIP

   Houston

   10 reviews

   5.0

   10 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Our second visit to 1870 did not disappoint. We both started with soups, butternut squash for me and lobster bisque for my husband. Delicious. Steaks for each of us, au gratin potatoes and the carrots were shared as our sides. How can carrots be this good?! Will definitely be back.
   

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3. C

   Carla

   Richmond

   26 reviews

   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We’ve been three times and it’s our favorite place. Go to the bar upstairs after for a cozy nightcap.
   

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4. H

   Heather

   VIP

   Richmond

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Truly a dining experience, not just a meal. We were seated upstairs in the bar area, our server was very attentive from the time we arrived, around both bar and food service. Knowledgeable about the menu, particularly around pairings (protein with sauce/compound butter, à la carte sides, and wines). Classic with a twist steakhouse menu in a beautiful historic building. Definitely on the favorites list. ❤️
   

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5. R

   Rosemary

   Washington DC

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Awesome beet salad, filet mignon and bread pudding. Excellent service from Stella, but everyone who works there was very accommodating.
   

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6. B

   BRIAN

   Richmond

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Fantastic food, portions were larger than expected and the staff were highly attentive. Great experience.
   

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7. J

   Jeff

   Charlotte

   3 reviews

   2.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 4

   We arrived promptly at 5pm for our 5pm dinner reservation this past weekend. Though we were seated immediately, no server came to our table for a full 15 minutes and at that point we opted to leave. The host was, for what it's worth, apologetic upon hearing about our experience on our way out. The restaurant itself was beautiful inside and the staff, in our limited interaction, was friendly. I'd expect we'll try again at some point but certainly a disappointing first experience.
   

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8. W

   Wes

   Richmond

   1 review

   3.0

   1 review

   Dined on December 13, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Service was amazing we sat at the upstairs bar. The drinks were delicious. We ordered soup lobster bisque and it did not disappoint. Things took a turn here we ordered vanilla lobster and fillet to split with carrots and au gratin potatoes. The steak was way overcooked and the lobster did not taste like lobster at all, you could just taste vanilla. It was honestly horrible. The carrots were so over seasoned with cumin and you couldn’t eat them. The potatoes were garlic/salt flavored way way overdone they we’re unfortunately unable to eat them as well. I was surprised as the food was no good. We honestly went to the bar Nextdoor as got a steak n cheese sandwich to eat. However we would definitely go back for the service and drinks. The bread and butter that came were the meal was very good.
   

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9. V

   Vickey

   VIP

   Richmond

   68 reviews

   5.0

   68 reviews

   Dined on December 13, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Neighborhood gem! We’ll be back for sure! Food and drinks were delicious!
   

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10. S

    Sharon

    Richmond

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 13, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4

    The duck breast was flavorful and tender (but huge). The sides were so salty, I had to send it back.
    

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