rt's restaurant

don't let the exterior fool you! it's nice inside and thefoodis good. the crayfish étouffée and she crab soup were excellent! had the shrimp po boy on the second visit but it tasted rubbery (frozen not fresh). so i would suggest sticking to the sauce based entrees as that seems to be their forte. i plan to come back and taste their other dishes. so glad there is a bit of new orleans up here.

greatfoodand service.  had the fried oyster appetizer and red fish dinner special, both superb.  it's an old, neighborhood place, so not upscale ambiance.  went there on a week night, so it was not busy.  very friendly staff and fellow patrons, who all made a point of telling my wife and i how they had been coming there for years, and how consistently good it was.  they all made a point of asking us to come back.  i highly recommend it.

don't judge a book by its cover-- goodfoodis served here. you can park in the autozone lot across the street. once inside fresh seafood and a skilled hand in the kitchen combine for a great meal. took our kids and the chicken nuggets were real chicken.

can't speak to the prices since a friend picked up the tab. but thefoodwas outstanding. we had a variety of appetizers and two fish dishes. everything i put into my mouth was fabulous! great place close to reagan national.

me and my wife were in the area and were in the mood for seafood, rt's was highly rated on urbanspoon so we decided to check it out. we were skeptical upon arriving but once we entered the skepticism left. they treated us great and thefoodwas awesome we will definitely be returning to sample other dishes on there menu.

the service andfoodwas very good. i will definitely become a frequent visitor.

long time customer ~ love it!. what do politicians of both parties agree on? that rt's is great!foodis great and the atmosphere is unique. you're also likely to see politicians enjoying themselves here too. join them!

greatfoodand 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!

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

thefoodand 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!

greatfoodwith 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 thefoodor 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.

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 thefoodwas good but we left with a bad taste in our mouths. racist employees should have no place in public establishments

if thefoodwasn'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.