Rare Steakhouse and Tavern

Nestled in the heart of Washington DC between George Washington University and the White House, located on I Street NW, Rare Steakhouse delivers an eye-catching dining experience that appeals to the palate and the senses. We visited here to do a different type of family get together. Stepping into its refined ambiance, guests are greeted by a concierge and muted lighting blended with wood-finished decor. The menu at Rare Steakhouse isn't a expansive as other well-known, fine dining steakhouses. The menu fare is pretty standard and the actual plating of the food is visually appealing. The service provided by Francisco during our visit was almost impeccable. The menu is varied enough to accommodate any dietary preferences including those who are pescatarian or plant-based. Of the items we ate, the Caesar Salad, Lobster Bisque and dinner rolls were of this place's "greatest hits". The other items were so so and not very noteworthy except for the obvious which are the steaks. The standout to me personally was the charred octopus which was served extremely well. The meat was tender, well seasoned and complemented with great garnishments. This is a place that we enjoyed for the ambiance and the food was pretty good, yet not as excellent as we hoped.

Exceeded my expectations! My friend and I enjoyed our last night in DC by having dinner here. The decor and ambiance are gorgeous. I really liked the small touches, like using the elevator and the nice bathrooms. Our server was great and very open to all our questions. I ordered a delicious cocktail, 6 raw oysters, and a ceasar salad. The salad was huge with just the right amount of dressing, and the only problem with my oysters is that I didn't have enough of them. Beyond delicious. My friend enjoyed her T-bone and side of sauteed mushrooms. Overall, we had a great experience and would return when in the area.

Docking a star simply for the price. It’s great but it’s just too expensive. It’s priced like a Michelin star tasting menu. Our server, Ishmael, was probably the best thing about our meal. What a lovely guy, the best service I have had in recent memory. The food was excellent, really top notch. Highly recommended, especially if you don’t mind paying.

We had a reservation for 7 and still ended up waiting 30-40 minutes to be sat. It was not so bad because the place was so pretty and had a lot of seating while we waited. Finding parking was difficult and they did not have valet. Everyone enjoyed their food, particularly the aged steaks. The charred octopus as a must-have. Service was okay.

They were understaffed on NYE at 7pm. Made for less than expected service. Our waiter did their best but they were overwhelmed. The bread, shrimp cocktail, and octopus were stellar. My aged rib eye was excellent. My wife and son both got the wagyu filet and were underwhelmed. We love this place so we will be back. It just was not as good as usual.