Chart House

Reviews

• CM

  Charles Murphy

  3 days ago
  5.0
  Our party of four had an excellent experience at the Chart House. The front desk staff was helpful and our waiter "Toni" was attentive but not intrusive, and the restaurant manager was present but not omnipresent. Our meals and desert were excellent and there were no leftovers! As the saying goes, "We've done this before and we'll do it again!" Kudos all around!
• NB

  natashia bullock

  4 days ago
  2.0
  My husband and I wanted to try this restaurant because we hadn't before. We'll just say we were very disappointed. First, we didn't know we needed a reservation on a Saturday evening. The hostess said it would be about a 20-minute wait, but they would be able to seat us. That's when we should have gone with our gut decision to leave. First, they tried to seat us in the middle of the dining floor behind the bar where people would have been bumping into us, so we asked for another table. The hostess said the other dining area is for reservations only, so we asked to be seated outside. They said it would be another wait, which wasn't long. When our waiter came to our table, it was very unpleasant. My husband tried to make a joke with him about a price on the menu, but I guess he just didn't get it. It took him a long time to bring our drinks out. The people next to us had gotten their appetizers, their drinks, and their main course by the time we even got our appetizers, which were just some oysters and a salad. And they had finished their whole meal by the time we got our main course. Our waiter didn't even bring our main course out; someone from the kitchen did. When my husband asked for the check, he was fast to ask for his card. My husband replied, "Oh, you were fast for that!" Our meal consisted of two drinks that my husband had, I had one drink, a dozen oysters, a Caesar salad, and the fried fish meal, which cost $140. And no, we didn't tip, and there's the extra money for a chipped tooth I have to get fixed on top of all of that. Thank you very much, because my shrimp was fried so hard.
• ZB

  Zhu Baba

  Jun 21, 2026
  2.0
  I was genuinely surprised to find a restaurant like this in Old Town Alexandria. I would expect this kind of mediocre tourist-trap experience across the river in National Harbor, not in a historic area with much better dining options. For what we ordered, the cost came out to roughly $100 per person for an appetizer, one drink, an entrée, and a salad. At that price point, I expected a much higher level of quality. Instead, the food felt closer to Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s quality, but at a much higher price. I ordered the mahi, and parts of it did not seem fully cooked. The presentation also felt amateurish. There was far too much sauce on the plate, and the pecan crust was excessive and uneven. Overall, the dish came across as low-quality and poorly executed. Service was also disappointing. When our appetizer arrived, we still did not have silverware, so I had to get some from another table myself. We also asked for bread and never received it. The patio had a major bug issue as well. I understand that bugs are common outside at night, especially near lights, but this was far beyond that. There were literally thousands of bugs clustered on the wooden façade above parts of the patio, including areas that were shaded and not near lights. They were also covering the wooden posts along the side. You could look around and clearly see huge numbers of bugs sitting in those areas. There were also trails of ants along the bottom. Between the excessive bug problem, the poor service, and the low-quality food preparation, this restaurant seems very poorly managed. At this price point, the overall experience was completely unacceptable.
• SK

  Serge Kabasele

  Jun 20, 2026
  4.0
  We visited on my wife's birthday on 06/20 at approximately 6:30 PM. The restaurant has a side door that was open, and there were no signs indicating that guests should not use it. After entering through that door, there was no one available to greet us, provide directions, or check us in. We tried to get the attention of several servers to ask where we should check in, but they appeared too busy to assist us. Eventually, I was able to ask a young Black woman where the check-in area was, and she kindly pointed us in the right direction. We shared this feedback with the manager, but unfortunately, she seemed more focused on defending the restaurant's process by explaining that there is a main entrance. Rather than acknowledging our concern, she did not appear receptive to the suggestion that there should be signs directing guests to the check-in area when entering from the side door. She seemed more interested in defending the process than listening to constructive feedback. Other than that, the food was very good, and our server , Tiarra ,was absolutely outstanding. She provided top-notch service and deserves five stars on her own. I made sure to tip her generously because she truly earned it. In my opinion, Tiarra demonstrated the qualities of great leadership much better than the actual manager on duty. She listened carefully, was attentive, and met our needs perfectly throughout the evening. I would like Chart House to recognize her for her exceptional service. Because of her alone, I am giving this restaurant four stars. She is truly that exceptional.
• BL

  Bernadette Lafko-Miller

  Jun 15, 2026
  2.0
  Very disappointed with our experience at The Chart House. Before our reservation, we received a call informing us that the air conditioning was not working. I understand that equipment failures happen but it was an extremely hot and muggy evening. We had friends visiting from Ireland who were staying in Alexandria, and because we remembered the restaurant's beautiful waterfront views from a visit many years ago, we had recommended it and arranged to meet them there. After being notified about the AC, I checked with our friends, and since they were still comfortable going, we decided to keep our reservation. Unfortunately, the dining experience did not live up to our expectations. I ordered the Lobster and Crab Carbonara, and both the lobster and shrimp were overcooked and chewy. My husband ordered the Coconut Shrimp and said it lacked flavor. I had also ordered the Heirloom Tomatoes and Burrata appetizer, but our waiter later informed us that they were out of it. Service was also disappointing. Our meals were delivered without any silverware, and we had to wait about five minutes before someone brought us utensils so we could eat. Since the AC wasn't working, it would have been a nice gesture to offer something to guests, even if it was just complimentary drinks or something small. No such effort was made. I was honestly embarrassed to ask our friends what they thought of their meals since we were the ones who recommended the restaurant. It's a shame because the waterfront view is absolutely beautiful and remains the restaurant's best feature. Sadly, based on this experience, we will not be returning and would not recommend it to others.