Took a road trip with a few friends 4 hours away, but totally worth it. The vibe is just right, the place is super clean, the food is bursting with flavor, and the wine? Absolute perfection. It's always packed but that's what happens when everyone wants a taste of the delicious food.. Be ready to wait a bit to order when it's busy, but trust me... I'd do the drive all over again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket Nachos
Assaf Leibovich
Feels like home, the char burger and hummus were great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A. Makela
A fantastic restaurant that is also Kosher certified. Although in the Northwest (business) section on DC, opens for dinner on Sundays at 4:30 pm. We received such a warm welcome from the excellent hostess, and experienced fantastic service from Vicky and amazing food from the kitchen staff. I had a very minor issue with my order that was resolved immediately with a simple and polite request. Very responsive staff! Ambiance great - intimate and cozy with plenty of elbow room and between each of the chairs from one table to the next. Bathrooms clean and well-stocked with at least one ♿ accessible stall. I will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Gerstman
Got an appetizer of brisket nachos. I got an excellent turkey sandwich and my wife got a steak sub. We really enjoyed it. But I forgot to get photos.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Gary R
My favorite kosher restaurant inside the district
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sandwiches, Salad
Sam Beyda
Quintessential kosher restaraunt. It does the job well. Must order — New Yorker, Ruben, fried chicken, LES
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James Taylor
The steak is not worth the $58. It was over cooked and cold. Others in our party had their orders wrong. The waiter disappeared after serving us. He was in the restaurant but never checked in on us. Ran out of water mid meal. Kids were running around and screaming while parents sat at the table oblivious to the chaos they were causing. Could not wait to leave.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Allan Barall
As a longtime DC-area resident and frequent patron of Char Bar since its opening, I was excited to return and try the updated menu under the new chef. I visited on Monday, June 16, and ordered The Lower East Side — a pastrami sandwich — and it was outstanding. The pastrami was lean, expertly smoked, incredibly tender, and full of flavor. I’ve ordered pastrami from Char Bar many times over the years, and this was hands down the best I’ve ever had there. Bravo to the chef and kitchen team!
Nora M
Grateful to have a certified Kosher restaurant in the heart of DC. Service could have been better but we understand they have lots of customers to serve. Thank you, and hoping our experience next time will be better! All the best.
We visited Char Bar on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 – a group of five observant adults and one child. We chose the restaurant because it’s glatt kosher and expected a welcoming, enjoyable meal. Unfortunately, our experience was far from that.
From the moment we arrived, the host was unfriendly and cold – no greeting, no smile, just a head gesture pointing us to our table. Yes, the restaurant was full, but that doesn’t excuse the unprofessional and dismissive service we received throughout the evening.
We ordered two beers and a Diet Coke. The beers came along with a glass of ice – but no Coke. After 15 minutes, we asked a server (not even ours), who gave us a disapproving look. Only then did he bring us the can of Coke. Completely unacceptable.
We ordered several starters – hummus, cauliflower, arayes, and beet salad. Everything arrived except the beet salad. After about 20 minutes, we asked about it and were simply told it was out of stock. No one informed us at the time of ordering or afterward. If we hadn’t asked, we wouldn’t have known.
One of the main dishes wasn’t to our taste, so we politely asked to return it and order something else. The same unhelpful host got into an argument with us and insisted we’d need to pay for both. Only after some back-and-forth did he agree not to charge us for the returned dish. That interaction alone was enough to ruin the atmosphere.
The burger was fine, but the fries were terrible – soggy, lifeless, and unappealing. Even if served with the skin on, there's no reason they should look and taste that bad.
Food wait times were excessive. Even with a full house, waiting more than 15 minutes for each round of food is unreasonable.
Overall, the experience was frustrating, uncomfortable, and disappointing. The staff made us feel like a burden rather than guests. It’s especially disheartening that this came from a kosher establishment, which should aim to serve the community with dignity and professionalism.
We will not be returning – and we absolutely will not recommend this place to others.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Y Danese
Delicious, generous portions, reasonably priced, efficient service. Will definately go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Daniel
Food was delicious with generous portions. The staff was friendly abs offered quick service.
Lisa Kadin
Char Bar has good food, fast service, and pleasant ambiance. Staff is friendly and helpful.
Amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket Nachos, Steak Salad
Took a road trip with a few friends 4 hours away, but totally worth it.
The vibe is just right, the place is super clean, the food is bursting with flavor, and the wine? Absolute perfection.
It's always packed but that's what happens when everyone wants a taste of the delicious food.. Be ready to wait a bit to order when it's busy, but trust me... I'd do the drive all over again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Brisket Nachos
Feels like home, the char burger and hummus were great
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A fantastic restaurant that is also Kosher certified. Although in the Northwest (business) section on DC, opens for dinner on Sundays at 4:30 pm. We received such a warm welcome from the excellent hostess, and experienced fantastic service from Vicky and amazing food from the kitchen staff.
I had a very minor issue with my order that was resolved immediately with a simple and polite request. Very responsive staff!
Ambiance great - intimate and cozy with plenty of elbow room and between each of the chairs from one table to the next.
Bathrooms clean and well-stocked with at least one ♿ accessible stall.
I will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Got an appetizer of brisket nachos. I got an excellent turkey sandwich and my wife got a steak sub. We really enjoyed it. But I forgot to get photos.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
My favorite kosher restaurant inside the district
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sandwiches, Salad
Quintessential kosher restaraunt. It does the job well.
Must order — New Yorker, Ruben, fried chicken, LES
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The steak is not worth the $58. It was over cooked and cold. Others in our party had their orders wrong. The waiter disappeared after serving us. He was in the restaurant but never checked in on us. Ran out of water mid meal. Kids were running around and screaming while parents sat at the table oblivious to the chaos they were causing. Could not wait to leave.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
As a longtime DC-area resident and frequent patron of Char Bar since its opening, I was excited to return and try the updated menu under the new chef. I visited on Monday, June 16, and ordered The Lower East Side — a pastrami sandwich — and it was outstanding. The pastrami was lean, expertly smoked, incredibly tender, and full of flavor. I’ve ordered pastrami from Char Bar many times over the years, and this was hands down the best I’ve ever had there. Bravo to the chef and kitchen team!
Grateful to have a certified Kosher restaurant in the heart of DC. Service could have been better but we understand they have lots of customers to serve.
Thank you, and hoping our experience next time will be better! All the best.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Salad
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic kosher restaurant, get the pastrami
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We visited Char Bar on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 – a group of five observant adults and one child. We chose the restaurant because it’s glatt kosher and expected a welcoming, enjoyable meal. Unfortunately, our experience was far from that.
From the moment we arrived, the host was unfriendly and cold – no greeting, no smile, just a head gesture pointing us to our table. Yes, the restaurant was full, but that doesn’t excuse the unprofessional and dismissive service we received throughout the evening.
We ordered two beers and a Diet Coke. The beers came along with a glass of ice – but no Coke. After 15 minutes, we asked a server (not even ours), who gave us a disapproving look. Only then did he bring us the can of Coke. Completely unacceptable.
We ordered several starters – hummus, cauliflower, arayes, and beet salad. Everything arrived except the beet salad. After about 20 minutes, we asked about it and were simply told it was out of stock. No one informed us at the time of ordering or afterward. If we hadn’t asked, we wouldn’t have known.
One of the main dishes wasn’t to our taste, so we politely asked to return it and order something else. The same unhelpful host got into an argument with us and insisted we’d need to pay for both. Only after some back-and-forth did he agree not to charge us for the returned dish. That interaction alone was enough to ruin the atmosphere.
The burger was fine, but the fries were terrible – soggy, lifeless, and unappealing. Even if served with the skin on, there's no reason they should look and taste that bad.
Food wait times were excessive. Even with a full house, waiting more than 15 minutes for each round of food is unreasonable.
Overall, the experience was frustrating, uncomfortable, and disappointing. The staff made us feel like a burden rather than guests. It’s especially disheartening that this came from a kosher establishment, which should aim to serve the community with dignity and professionalism.
We will not be returning – and we absolutely will not recommend this place to others.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
Delicious, generous portions, reasonably priced, efficient service. Will definately go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food was delicious with generous portions. The staff was friendly abs offered quick service.
Char Bar has good food, fast service, and pleasant ambiance. Staff is friendly and helpful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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