Palm Restaurant

I have returned here a few times hoping the experience would improve but it never has. The service is always consistent, and very good, but the food tends to disappoint, and even more so when you look at the check compared to the quality of the meal you may have consumed.
I am no interior designer but the décor to me seems tacky. They have caricatures covering most of the wall space and it just seems a bit 1990’s. Also the dinning room is very dark, so you are somewhere between intimate and funhouse.
As far as the menu:
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail has been a fail twice. The shrimp have always been chewy and over done, and although they do a great job serving them cold with a fresh lemon, nothing can fix rubbery shrimp.
Crispy Calamari Fritti is consistent, and decent, but the Capital Grille and Ruth’s Chris do a better job.
Lobster bisque is very good and probably the best thing on the menu.
As far at the steaks go I have never had a steak that really wowed me, and if anything they always run on the overdone side. If I want medium rare here I have learned to order rare, and if you want medium I suggest you order medium rare. I went with a friend who ordered a mid plus fillet, and she got a steak that had been butterflied and cooked to over well done. This place is a steakhouse, and the steaks should be the best part, and never butterflied!
I have also had the Atlantic Salmon. It is good, but not great. Mango salsa has been done, and perhaps if you’re looking for a lighter option it is a good one, but you could easily get the same dish at Costal Flats.
As far as accompaniments the creamed spinach has way too much nutmeg in it for my taste, and the potatoes au gratin always seem to be undercooked.
I wont get into drinks because wine is always a great thing, and its nearly impossible to get that wrong.
You could go to a litany of steakhouses in Tysons/​DC. Id suggest hunting for a better option.

I’m prejudiced. I started with the Palm on 2^nd Avenue in New York and have sampled others from Miami to LA. I’ve watched their menu grow as it skipped over the fear of red meat a few decades ago, and I’m still a fan of its quality, service, atmosphere, and even its range. The Monday Night Salad finally got on the menu after living as a requested special for years. The roast beef shows up on Fridays. Lyonnaise potatoes vanished. Key Lime pie now comes with a raspberry topping — removable by request. But the meat goes on! This is not a chef-​driven home for exotic spices and frou-​frou veggies. It’s a very male hangout for holdouts. Big lobsters, steaks, Italian specialties served efficiently in a dark wood room filled with like-​minded throwbacks filling up on the forbidden. God Bless the Palm!

The only reason I dined here was because I had a gift card from work. I went for dinner on my birthday, first timer. The restaurant didn’t look as fancy as I thought for a four dollar sign rated rest. The lights were dim and the walls are covered with drawings of celebrities, which I thought was pretty cool and interesting to look at all the faces and names and dates on the walls. Our waiter was very kind and knew the menu very well. I ordered the 14 oz NY Strip and we got a side of fries and mashed potatoes, which were family styled. My steak tasted good, but tasted better when I put some pepper on it. The meat itself was cooked well, but I think it wasn’t worth the price. I’ve tasted better steaks in other restaurants with like half the price. The got a bite of the ribeye and that was really good. The french fries had parm cheese on it, which made it more flavorful, but still not like the best I’ve tasted especially for the price. We got too full to order dessert, but the waiter was kind enough to bring me a cup of whipped cream and a candle for my birthday, which was thoughtful of him. Overall, it was a regular dining experience for me with just higher prices. I was actually expecting service like the one I had in Philly at Davios, which was like 5 star service.

Just celebrated my sons 21^st Birthday here. We were very disappointed with the food. Let me start off with the excellent service we got from our waiter. Besides the reasonably good appetizers and bread the main meal was a comedy of errors. We ordered 5 steaks cooked medium priced between $ 59-​$ 65 apiece. When we got them they all looked great on the outside.
As soon as we all started cutting we were surprised that they were raw inside. After trying to fix the same pieces of meat twice the last looked liked a dry piece of leather. The kitchen simply cooked the same meat over and over. Of course any paying customer would refuse it. Or may be not. I think to many people are afraid to say something at these high end restaurants not to offend the other folks at the table. The manager was very sorry and picked up the tab. I’ve had a meal or two at the DC location and was pleased. Don’t go to this location!

Really great steaks. I had shrimp cocktail and the shrimp were huge! I also added a crab cocktail and the crab was sweet and delicious. The steak was cooked a perfect medium. I enjoy the atmosphere, it’s vibrant and energetic. The walls are covered in paintings of celebrities, politicians and a few local celebs. I enjoy looking around to see who I recognize. The waiters I’ve had are usually spot on. They are constantly checking on you and filling your drinks. I also like that they have a valet out front. That’s nice on rainy days.

I generally like being at the Palm but lunch was very mediocre. The ahi salad was fairly bland, the mussels marinara special was mediocre and uninspired. Is, tasted like Ragu on top on mussels. My wife liked the wedge salad, so that gives the Palm a 3 star rating!
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So, I’ve decided to modify this to my first one star outing… My wife also ordered the steak sandwich, but ended up taking half home… when we arrived home, we found a two inch piece of gizzard that has resulted in lowering the rating. But worse, I sent the Palm corporate a note regarding what we found when we arrived home almost 2 weeks ago, and I never received a response. I can’t see how to upload a picture of the gizzard, but for any takers, message me :)

The Palm is my favorite restaurant. I’ve been coming here on special occasions since I was a little kid and I love their steaks.

Ordered a fifty dollar steak medium rare and got a gamey and undercooked piece of meat with some melted butter that solidified to room temperature. I can do better with a $ 20 flank steak and an overnight marinade and still feed two people.
The waiter did not ask which sauce or sides I wanted. So note for $ 50, you don’t get any sides with your steak. Absolutely pretentious pricing and atmosphere for the standard overpriced «fine dining» experience. Cocktails start at around $ 12 during happy hour despite using mid-​shelf liquors in bog standard recipes.
Seems like a place to spend money for the sake of spending money. Go downtown and have a unique experience or go next door to founding farmers where they respect their ingredients.

The Palm has been a restaurant that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time and finally got around to trying it. I must say that I was very pleased with the food and the service received. All the staffs there were very welcoming and attentive, they had lots of great energy and humor which made my dine in experience very enjoyable.
For starters we had the bacon wrapped scallops and one word, MONEY… moving on to our entrees, we ordered the lamb chops (cooked medium) and of course the bone in rib-​eye steak (cooked medium as well). Both were absolutely delicious and perfectly cooked. Lastly to top it off with the sides, we ordered fries and Brussels sprouts which was also very good. All and all I had a very pleasant experience and will certainly be back soon.

It does not get much better with service and food then here. Always top notch and during the lunch hour, they offer a 3 course meal at a very reasonable price. This is a great place for a date, a business meeting, or post golf shenanigans! People are always professional and friendly and get you in and out in exactly the right amount of time you need.

Shocking that in my six years of living in the DMV I haven’t ever been to The Palm. I have probably dined in every Tysons area eatery other than this spot. The atmosphere is both fun and steak housey if that makes sense. They have fun caricatures and news clippings all over the dining room which is a nice break from the usual stuffy steak houses I have been to in the past.
Finally made it in for lunch today. Service is impeccable and they have a pretty good Power Lunch special. For $ 26 you get your choice of a 3 course meal. I opted for the soup of the day (New England clam chowder), the chefs fresh fish special (it was a mixed platter of blackened salmon, swordfish, a scallop, and a mushroom risotto), and the cheesecake. Neither myself nor me friend were able to finish everything so we got the cheesecake and most of the sides to go (Brussels sprouts and creamed spinach). The food was all delicious. The seafood was all blackened so probably cooked a little more than I ideally like but I am not going to ding them for that.
We had the food packaged up and the waitress did a great job of boxing everything up.

We made reservations for Mother’s Day for an early dinner.
We usually go the the Georgetown Palm but decided to try
Tysons and found them consistent .
The lobster is always perfectly fresh and perfectly
Cooked. The filet wonderful as usual. Our waitress
Was quick and efficient.

Went in as a party of eight tonight for dinner and had the worst experience I’ve ever had in any type of upscale restaurant.
Being a business owner and in the restaurant business for many years I was shocked as to how bad the service was from the beginning.

Two and a half stars. Pricing is steep for the lack of consistency. Let’s ignore the ugly beige mechanic shirts the servers have to wear, and that the lobby is warmer than the restaurant. All the caricatures on the walls provide plenty of conversation pieces. Maybe we should have been tipped off by the fact that the special of the day was fish, but our visit was on the disappointing side.
+ Manhattan experienced some spillage due to generous rationing, and was quite strong. Sophisticate was interesting and better balanced. Wine pour was proper.
— Table bread was below room temp and trended sweet thanks to raisins galore. Italian breadsticks presented in sealed packets. More than enough whipped butter provided.
~ Caprese was fine. Olive oil and balsamic provided, as well as salt and pepper for DIY seasoning. Mozzarella and beefsteak tomatoes were sliced a centimeter thick each.
~ Jumbo shrimp weren’t seasoned, but I liked the horseradish available in the cocktail sauce.
+ Caesar salad was moderately dressed without rendering the lettuce soggy, with a fair ratio of crunchy croutons.
+ Lobster bisque was delicious, just rich enough and a few chunks of lobster. Sloppy soup pour, all the cream and sherry was displaced to one side.
~ Ah, the steaks. Ribeye was the winner of the table, followed by NY strips, but no success with our filet mignons. They hit medium rare just fine on the ribeye and strips, but the filets were both undercooked. Second attempt on the medium rare bone-​in filet came out medium well, and the third attempt on the well-​done request emerged only medium well. Add a sauce, since the basic seasoning makes you very aware of any fat left unrendered.
+ Family-​style sides were mostly delicious– hash brown potatoes were seasoned and cooked through without being too greasy. Wild mushrooms were excellent. Green beans weren’t fully trimmed, but they were sauteed nicely with red pepper flakes, lardons, and pine nuts so we just ate around the half-​dozen stray stems. Brussels sprouts were the only miss: halved jumbos overcooked with full stems, light on brown butter and long strands of lemon zest.
~ New York cheesecake was fine, definitely needs raspberry sauce.
~ Generous slicing of the key lime pie. Uniform crust, but more sweet than tart even without the compote of mini blueberries.
— Bag of doughnuts were their play on beignets with granulated brown sugar and cake batter. Chocolate sauce paired better than the raspberry sauce.
Lobster and shrimp are quite large, so perhaps our table would have been happier overall had we opted for seafood or the Easter prix fixe. Service was friendly and moderately attentive, but after being reassured that everything would be boxed up for us, one of the sides never made it into our bag. I don’t think we’ll bring the family back, and we’d be hard-​pressed to return ourselves outside of happy hour. Tellies in the bar area. Valet parking but no validation for self-​parking, which is $ 6 for 2 hours and $ 12 maximum. Future hitlist: Nova Scotia lobster tempura, lamb chop lollipops, jumbo shrimp corn dogs, asparagus fritti, carrot cake, Rye & Pear.

Great service team. Great food. The fish was amazingly fresh and they served the best Brussels sprouts I’ve ever had.
Best place for a business lunch in the area.

The food is amazing. The atmosphere is classy. This location is more formal than the DC location. I would come here for a business meeting and the DC location for a celebration. I prefer the restaurant over the bar. If you have a special occasion, The Palm anywhere is a good place to go.

Met up with a local friend for dinner. His choice. I would have preferred The Capital Grille. That said, the dinner service was splendid. The servers were very attentive, wine was great (Goldeneye Pinot Noir… one of my favorites) and the food was spot on.
One negative. Was VERY disappointed in the bar staff. Bad attitude all around. Actually, here’s a first from me on Unilocal… the old «gentleman» behind the bar was a royal a-​hole. Asked for a Moscow Mule. Said he hadn’t made one in 30 years. Said people didn’t drink them anymore. Really?!? I picked a cocktail from their list and both bartenders acted as if now I was inconveniencing them.

Less is More at the Palm in my dining experience. It was my birthday, but they never knew because the service got off to a crappy start and kept going with food delivery. I’m going by the numbers. Valet was easy and quick to get into our 8PM appointment time. We arrived and were greeted & seated. No issues there. We couldn’t decide if they wanted to portray a bar or fine dining experience as the walls are covered with celebrity cartoon drawings, but seating is by tables (no booths). That wasn’t an issue for us, but probably determined our service level.
After being seated and looking over their menu for about 10 minutes; we finally got a waiter whom we heard before he got to the table. It was something about his voice that was just loud, AND while he was greeting us, he was still looking back laughing and joking with another table… how rude.
Finally at our table; we ordered water with lemon and off he flew without another word or asking anything else. We stated in our reservation that this was our first time at the restaurant. He got worse… he was RUDE. So more waiting and finally I ask menu suggestions and he just points at the menu and said it was all good. I’m fuming now, but my wife has taken me out for my birthday and my 13 year old daughter is present so I really work on myself. Even she tried to make up for his attitude (a 13 year old) saying that he must have had a long day. I ached inside for them both as I wanted to leave.
Finally we choose a wine and again he’s off. He came back with the bottle and poured a taste with no words. I taste it and agree to drink it while looking around seeing almost every other table with decanters; I ask him what did we have to do special to get a decanter. He barks that we just need to ask. I then tell him that this our first time and he should slow down a bit and be more helpful. I got the head nod at that point. I need to point out that this guy was LOUD everywhere else and joking with other tables like he knew them, but with us… just RUDE.
The food was cooked wrong. A $ 49 9 ounce filet was ordered MED rare and served MED at this suggestion that I order that temp because ‘THEY’ cook steaks differently. I send it back and get a rare steak… literally ice cold in the middle. I ask to just cook that steak a little longer because I felt embarrassed for them and frustrated. The Au Gratin potatoes were scalding hot and had to be cut through and let sit for about 10 minutes; they had no flavor at all. The creamed spinach was ok and about the best thing there. My daughter ordered her Ahi Tuna medium and got it well done… not red anywhere.
We tried a desert because we were celebrating but we dared not tell them; the waiter was just WRONG. It was ok and my wife talked me into carrot cake that I LOVE. It had decent flavor. About $ 300 later; time to go. My wife paid the tip and tipped that lousy waiter a full 20%. He was lucky that she was on the money end this weekend; because he deserved a book on customer service as his tip. I’m still mad I even thought about going to this place without reading their review more in depth. Less is More at The Palm!

Came here a little while ago and absolutely loved it. It’s one of my favorite steak houses. The reason why I am giving it 4 stars and not 5 is because the coke they served us at first was flat and the Filet we ordered medium rare and came out medium well.
However, it was really good and I will be going back here.

I definitely love this place. It was a great experience to try their huge lobsters. We came here with almost 18 guests I believe therefore we had a private room which it was amazing since the room blocked all other noises outside. It was my first time here, so my boyfriend’s sister suggested us to try the two people deal meal courses. It came with lobsters and a side dish I believe for $ 79.99 (best deal). Oh god, the lobsters were huge and I couldn’t even finish it. Just a head up that you need to call before to make sure they have lobsters or you can make reservation.
The servers were very nice and served us well. They kept coming back to check on us and my water was always filled. I was really satisfied with their services.
Parking is valet parking which is amazing and I feel like a VIP coming here. :D I will definitely come back for special occasions with family, boyfriend and friends.