rt's restaurant

great food and service! restaurant was quiet (but not awkwardly so), and not too busy even on a friday night. more expensive than a typical night out, but not overpriced for fresh, creative seafood (about $20/entree). give it a try!

great experience!. we were looking for something unique to try and found rt's online. wasn't totally sure what to expect, but the menu looked good, so we gave it a try. have to say that i was really impressed. i had flounder stuffed with lump crab and an amazing cream sauce - which was done just perfectly. the ambience of the restuarant was excellent, as well - though we went on a monday, so i'm sure they weren't as busy as on the weekend. the only complaint i had was that i was eager to try their cajun martini which was with a pepper vodka - but, honestly, the vodka had almost no bite at all. so, the cocktail was a little disappointing, overall though a great find!

awesome!. if you are going to the birchmere, this restaurant is directly across the street.

the food and service here was great. i started with a bowl of the she crab soup which was very tasty. my wife and myself shared a dish of the shrimp and crayfish beignets which again was out of this world.

our entrees were shrimp norman (go for the red beans and rice for a buck more) and jambalaya. all portions were were very generous and tasted great.

for dessert we had the key lime pie and bread pudding. again, both were excellent.

this was perhaps the best cajun i have had outside of new orleans. unfortunately we are not locals so we won't be frequent customers, but if you are nearby, i highly recommend this place!

great food with a local feel. this was my first time at rt's and i really enjoyed my experience. i would not have stopped there given my first look at the exterior, but it's really one of those hidden gems. my group tried the she crab and alligator soups - both very very flavorful. the crab soup was so thick and creamy the spoon wouldn't sink, and it had plenty of crab. we then had the special (sturgeon) as an entrée which was very good as well - more of a delicate twist that some other dishes. the spicy pecan encrusted haddock was a bit more "spiced" and equally flavorful. the desserts are actually a pretty good size - key lime pie and bread pudding were both wonderful.

as for the drinks - the two to try are the abita turbo dog (flavorful, dark, stout, bit of a bitter aftertaste) and the rt special (amber red ale - lighter weight, good flavor and body). specialty coffee is also top notch though there is no set menu for these - you just have to know your drinks and request through the bar.

while the service seems to have had some mixed reviews in the past, i would say that it was perfect. attentive servers that are quick to remove items, refill drinks but that don't hover too much like in really expensive restaurants. rt's does seem to have two "sides:" one seems more formal with darker lighting and tableclothes while the second appears more casual though presentable all the same. i can only speak for the "nice side" service.

price is a high moderate. however, given the quality, the fact it is fish, and the area (it is alexandria after all) i think it is well within reason.

all told, i will definitely go back and recommend it.

great food, great service. i have been going to rt's for many years. i have never been disappointed by either the food or the service. it is not in the best part of town nor is the décor anything to write home about but it has great cajun food. matter of fact if you were driving by you probably would stop.
my favorite is the rt special crab which consists of lump (and i mean lump) crabmeat with a light sauce. for those who like crab meet this is the dish to order as the fresh crabmeat speaks for itself. the price is not cheap but it is well worth the cost.

rt is right across the street from the birchmere which is a local favorite for new acoustic & country acts. many patrons hit rt prior to or after a concert. a couple of years ago you couldn't get in without a reservation but with the economy slow reservations are normally not needed except when there are headliners at the birchmere.

it was good, but a little expensive for what you get.

as of now, this rest. has one of the highest ratings i've ever seen on urbanspoon! i've lived in alexandria for almost 20 years and this is one of my most favorite places to eat - fantasic, fantastic, fantastic.

decided to take my wife out for our first dinner on the town since relocating from tx. disappointed is an understatement. with no reservations we sat at the bar waiting for a table and the lady bar tender summarily ignored us for the entire 15 mins we sat there. not even a glance of acknowledgement ! the manager eventually sat us and even made our drinks on the house. i guess the bar tender doesn't serve african americans was our assumption because the food was good but we left with a bad taste in our mouths. racist employees should have no place in public establishments

jambalaya was incredible, great spicy sauce, served with penne instead of rice was a good change up from traditional. jack daniel's appetizer had a yummy sauce too. t-bone was on special and very tender throughout. friendly staff, cozy quaint place. glad i picked this instead of just a seafood place.

favorite restaurant!. this is my all-time favorite restaurant in alexandria. i come here whenever i am in town. the jambalaya is out of this world. the entrees are also delicious and their rice is seasoned very uniquely. this is a quiet tucked away place that you can come dressed casually if you want, and i've brought children (infant - 5 yrs old) a number of times. it's a really great restaurant and i highly recommend it.

if the food wasn't so good, i might be able to remember to take a picture before eating my order! my husband's favorite is rt's special crab dish-huge chunks of lump crabmeat and no filler to be seen. today, i had shrimp norman. mmmm.

creative. seafood being the highlight, dessert seemed to have attracted more attention. awesome. they come up with new combinations of ingredients, many of which are a first-time. may be a little expensive for some people and parking is a real problem.

great food. my first visit there was in april after reading about it months ago...can't exactly remember what iordered..was an etouffe...i remember it containing crabmeat and was very delicious..have made etouffe in the past and theirs was great...since it has a relatively small dining area i would suggest going in off peak hours... i plan to go back again soon....luckily plenty of parking across the street.

service a bit slow at the bar. great burgers!

mmmm... crawfish. very good! the crawfish étouffée was extremely tasty, and the pecan pie a la mode topped it off perfectly. i love louisiana style cooking and this was a great find in the dc area.