Eddie Merlot's Prime Aged Beef & Seafood - Ashburn

Review summary

1. V

   Vinh

   VIP

   Washington DC

   39 reviews

   5.0

   39 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

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

   Food was outstanding - even in the greater Washington Metro area where there are multiple Michelin Star restaurants. Everything was prepared with high-quality ingredients and seasoned just perfectly (well, except for the over-saucing of the appetizer sampler tray). The carpaccio was my favorite dish: melt-in-you-mouth, thinly sliced steak minimally seasoned and garnished with toasted baguette slices... I could have had just that for the entire meal. All of our entrees were done just perfectly -- my smart-assed son cut his fake wagyu from Australia with a butter knife and then his fork just to show us how tender it was. The more traditional, American-bred filet mignon I had was prepared absolutely perfectly -- not overly done, not too raw. My wife's seabass was seasoned with perfection. The desserts were all phenomenal -- from the mango sorbet to the carrot cake to the turtle cheesecake, all the dishes were "seasoned" just right for us. We usually HATE the typical American-style of over-sweetening desserts with tenfold amounts of the sugar that should go into any sweets, but this is one of the less than handful of restaurants in the States that does their dessert just perfectly from what we experienced at dinner last night. The only food critique was that the kitchen over-did it on the salty sauce for the appetizer tray we ordered. The bites themselves were outstanding... they were dragged down by over-saucing. Even my 16-year-old son commented that the apps on the tray would have been perfect if the sauce had either been on the side or more sparingly drizzled on instead of flooding the dish. The wine list is a bit limited but good enough for a nice dinner. The best part of the evening was the service. Simon was so friendly, welcoming, and attentive, he made a special birthday dinner feel even more special for us. Thanks to Simon, an outstanding dinner turned out to be one of our most exceptional evenings out.
   

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2. D

   Dave

   VIP

   Washington DC

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 3 days ago

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

   Relaxing night having dinner and drinks in the bar. Lorenzo did a great job - always attentive without being obtrusive!
   

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3. J

   John

   Washington DC

   38 reviews

   5.0

   38 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   Wow! I've been to many steakhouses over the years, multiple times; Ruth's Chris, Morton's, Smith & Wollensky's, Shula's, The Palm, Arthur's (if you didn't spend time in Jersey, you won't know), McCormick and Schmick's, Annie's Paramount (a special DC place), Fleming's, The Capital Grille, Voltaglio Brother's, Sam & Harry's, Delmonico's, etc. This was, by far, the best steakhouse I've ever been to. My wife started with the calamari and I had the oysters with caviar. Then, she had the salmon and I had the bourbon rib eye. I also ordered truffle fries and creamed spinach. Then, for desert, a peanut butter and chocolate plate of decadence (and cream brulé for my birthday) along with some champagne. Oh, and I had a manhattan that was easily the best I've ever had. Francesco provided us the most incredible service I've ever experienced eating out anywhere. We will not hesitate to go back there, though my wife requested we wait six months so as not to overdo it (though, I'm thinking, every four months?). There's only about 12 of them in the entire country. I highly recommend going there if there's one near you.
   

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4. V

   Vaughn

   VIP

   Washington DC

   26 reviews

   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   We went to celebrate my birthday, and everything was great. The food was just as good as we've come to expect, and our waiter, William, was superb. The meal was unhurried and well-paced, and our filets and my wife's lobster tail perfect. Unfortunately, and having nothing to do with the restaurant, I felt ill because of a vaccine. William noticed and was very kind to us. He made sure I was okay and saw that everything was packed up correctly. Many thanks to Eddie Merlot's in general, and William in particular, for a memorable birthday.
   

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5. M

   M

   VIP

   Washington DC

   2 reviews

   4.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   Food was great but there was another table that was so loud they could be heard throughout the entire restaurant. It was a terrible distraction for a date night. Parking in 20° weather sucked. I’m sure in good weather the parking isn’t so bad being so far from the entrance but we were freezing walking across a parking lot trying to find an entrance that was on the other side of the building. There were no signs. We had steak message 2 appetizers that were very good (shack artichoke dip is amazing). Aside from the minor logistical stuff place is good for an expensive dinner.
   

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6. R

   Ronit

   VIP

   Baltimore

   20 reviews

   3.0

   20 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

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

   While our waiter (Zain) was excellent, I felt this restaurant labeled as a high-end restaurant was not a five star in my book. The food is overpriced and was pretty regularly grilled or prepared. I didn’t feel like this was considered gourmet and five star, but has potential to be a much higher quality venue. The bar and dining area were very cozy, but I felt was very, very noisy to sit for date night. My date ordered surf and turf chef special, which included a Caesar salad. I ordered a grilled salmon with fingerling potatoes and green beans chef special which also included a Caesar salad. These are dishes. I could prepare at home and for $42. I felt should’ve been on a higher scale.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Los Angeles

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on January 2, 2025

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

   A friend and I went to happy hour tonight – the menu is varied & everything I’ve ever had is delicious. My friend got the fillet sliders & Caesar salad and I got the cheeseburger & tempura green beans - all were perfect. Definitely will continue to come back.
   

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8. P

   Paul

   Washington DC

   30 reviews

   5.0

   30 reviews

   Dined on January 1, 2025

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

   Food was delicious as well as Drinks and service. WE ate in the Bar Loung area, and it was perfect for an early January 1st dinner. Have frequented the restaurant many times over the years and consistently has wonderful food options.
   

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9. J

   Jessica

   New York City

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on January 1, 2025

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

   Very surprised by the experience. Was expecting good food and great service. Received neither. We were seated at a table for 2 away from everyone. As guests continued to arrive I noticed a pattern as to who was seated in the “prime” areas and who was seated away from everyone else. I suggest management review this practice to avoid any issues. Our server bragged about how many years he has worked as a server. I was excited because I do value the service provided at restaurants and realize it can be a work of art if done well. Our table wasn’t set when we sat down and he brought napkins, a fork and knife and two small plates. Other tables had a full set up including a candle, salt/pepper etc. Not sure why our table didn’t receive this same setup. My guest ordered salmon and it was raw on the inside. My Chilean sea bass was also undercooked. The flavor profile for the Chilean sea bass was salt. I am sure there were other ingredients but the salt’s dominance masked any other flavors. The server spent a lot of time trying to get us to order more. I almost felt like I was in a car dealership. It’s a shame really because I was looking forward to what I thought was a treat. If you don’t dine often you might like it here. If you have been exposed to quality food, and high level customer service, you will be disappointed.
   

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10. B

    Brian

    VIP

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 1, 2025

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

    It was wonderful. The noise level was moderate, but that’s because it was New Year’s Eve. Fantastic experience would do it again.
    

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