occidental grill and seafood

good food. good beer. slow service.

click here for a virtual tour of the occidental restaurant

as much as we love going out to dinner, sometimes all you need is a great happy hour.

my family and i ate here after getting off of a night bus tour. the prices were reasonable and food was good. we ate outside and ordered from the grill menu. the hostess vanna was super friendly as well as our server kyree. we could have talked to them all night if they didn’t have to work. they were both really nice people. the only negative for us is they close at 10:00. we will return on our next visit to dc.

i was in the mood for a quick lunch and was hoping to get some seafood. they had a relatively simple menu, but much of it didn't sound as appetizing to me. plus, the prices were extremely high. i settled on the cod loins, which ended up being glorified fish and chips. it was bad, but the price was doubled what it should've been. i left disappointed because there was nothing out of the ordinary this restaurant that would intrigue my tastebuds.

you are here: home » announcements » date night: notorious & the occidental grill & seafood. date night: notorious & the occidental grill & seafood. while the sky opened its wrath on the district, an intimate group of people sat inside the occidental grill & seafood restaurant to enjoy dinner and a movie. although the event was to be held outside on the patio, due to the rain we were led upstairs to the monument room, a beautiful space that looks out onto the washington monument. yet, we weren’t there to revere in the view but to indulge in a three course menu while watching notorious circa 1946. directed by the acclaimed alfred hitchcock, cary grant and ingrid berman give a stellar post-war performance. as any good moviegoer knows, cellphones and definitely professional cameras aren’t allowed in a theater but  inspired by the spy film playing out in front of us, we snapped a few gritty (film noir-esque) shots of our meal that was excellently prepared by executive chef rodney scruggs. the next movie date is july 18th so be sure to book your reservation soon!

you are here: home » announcements » five lamb dishes to keep in your rotation via occidental grille & lamb jam 2015. five lamb dishes to keep in your rotation via occidental grille & lamb jam 2015. grilling at occidental grille. the american lamb jam is an epic tasting event and competition that brings together some of the most talented chefs from the dc areas to compete for the honor of best lamb dish in their market.

horrible experience! i ord.... horrible experience!
i ordered the smoked salmon salad! the salmon was raw and the portion was so little! i had to pay 15 $ for 100 grams of lettus!
they charge u 20 percent for the service no matter you are happy with it or not!
this place i completely overpriced. go to starbucks if u are hungry. it would be much better!!!!!

great for pre-theater eating. admittedly, it's a bit on the expensive side and the menu is somewhat small, but the occidental, a washington institution, is worth the periodic splurge, especially when your plans include a performance at the national or warner theaters. both are within 3-minutes walking distance of the occidental. in addition, the well-trained wait staff is comfortable getting diners to the theater on time. far from quick eats, though, the occidental remains an elegant venue for fine eating, featuring fresh ingredients, beautifully served and such extras as delicious warm cornbread. if your pocketbook can withstand it, occidental won't disappoint.

walk away .... terrible! we were excited about going here, because of the history. 3 of us ordered the bison surf & turf. it was a special not on the menu. asked for the price and the waiter stated $45. he came back later and apologized for having misquoted, corrected price was $58. we stayed with our original order. both steak and lobster were tough, for all 3 entrees served. my wife order the pork chops which were mostly fat. total bill for 4 of us was $220. i gave the waiter 3 x $100 bills and he asked if i wanted change. service was poor, food was worse. do not consider this place.

for my main, i had the black cumin crusted yellowfin tuna ($34) with "paella" style israeli couscous, crispy romanesco, and a saffron vinaigrette. again, a masterful execution, as the sear on the tuna soaked in the vinaigrette wonderfully, and worked wonders with the buttery goodness of the tuna. the couscous delivered on the paella promise, with the pleasing texture of the couscous. a total win of a dish.

inside and out, the occidental aims to impress. think your very cool grandfather’s study inside with wood paneling, high ceilings and lots of brass. outside, you can easily forget that the white house and reams of tourists are just blocks away on the occidental’s patio. the plants and tables arrange to give illusions of privacy and quiet you won’t expect from such an open, expansive seating area.

and we washingtonians love, love to brunch. there are few more wonderful things in life than a little bit of breakfast and a little bit of lunch…with bottomless bloody marys or mimosas, of course. highlights include robust scotch farm eggs, the light, fresh salmon tartar

arrived with high hopes, was not impressed, do yourself a favor and try somewhere else.

yikes!. wow! the worst service ever. the food was edible but nothing to go back for. what really stood out was how truly awful the service was. there must be some training to make it that bad. we just ended up laughing at how outstandingly horrid the whole experience was.