Cedar

Went for brunch today – food was great. French press coffee as default. Try the house made game sausages – the elk were wonderful. Griddled breakfast toast. And very inexpensive for this part of town. Bill for 2 ppl with coffee was $ 31. Not a happening place, but intimate and good food.

Great service goes a long way.
I went to Cedar for dinner with a few friends. Im a foodie and most of them were not. Coincidentally, we were there during Restaurant Week. Therefore there was lots of questions about the menu. Our waiter Justin was knowledge and very helpful. He answered all our questions and gave recommendations. I ordered my dishes and the waiter said that they were all his favorites. (Yea…ok…we will see).
The meal was phenomenal and everyone enjoyed their appetizers (grilled calamari and beet salad) raved about their entrees (elk sausage, salmon, cod and filet of beef). The desserts were simple but had great flavor. So I guess Justin was right. After the meal the manager surprised the birthday girl with dessert with a candle. Its the small things that count.
Overall, a great experience and phenomenal food and exemplary service.

Yoo the team on ¹⁄₂₉ with the host Mikias Abebayehu were on they shit tonight, nothing less than perfection. We had the vegan three course meal with a lamb sacrifice and it was fucking perfect everything. Will be sure to get the squad on our wedding night.

Went there for lunch today because I was in the mood for a Cobb salad and their menu looks great. Upon our arrival at peak lunch we found a sparsely seated basement restaurant. The staff were very friendly and had recommendations. The manager told us they were known for game but proceeded to discuss the lobster, scallops, and oyster dishes (clearly not game). We ordered the roasted beet salad, pork belly blt, and Cobb salad, and a Goose Island IPA from their sparse tap selections.
The first thing to arrive was very tasty bread (hence the star). Then came the roasted beet salad, in advance of my beverage order (which I had to remind them about despite being one of ten diners).
Kitchen Nightmares:
Beet salad– Beets were cold and nearly perfectly circular (canned?), salad was dressed with a broken vinaigrette, goat cheese lacked flavor. We ate a few bites and it was taken away.
Pork Belly BLT– cold all the way through, belly not trimmed, tomato was like paste bitter and cold, in between two slices of plain wheat toast for $ 10. Paid the $ 2 for Duck fat fries which tasted exclusively like roasted potatoes, not rich fat soaked delights.
Cobb– Greyish brown avocado on the side, miraculously flavorless sun dried tomatoes paste disk, fried egg ordered over med came hard, chicken dice dried and separating, Romaine inexplicably cut lengthwise and only pale whitish greens used, dressed with squeeze bottle honey, bits of unrecognized chunks of sweet bitter flavor in the «dressing».
Needless to say it all went back barely touched. The manager said she would adjust our bill because it seemed like we weren’t completely satisfied. To our surprise she only gave us 50% off (they served rotting avocado!) even though it was all terrible. I felt like I was risking my health even being there.
Fortunately we escaped with our hunger intact and had a delicious finish at Jaleo a few blocks away.
Don’t be fooled by the well written menu. It’s a farce.

Great atmosphere and brunch selection! Very nice for a lazy Sunday morning in downtown DC!

The ambiance and the main courses were excellent but the service and the drinks left a bit to be desired. The positive– I had steak that was perfectly cooked and amazing brussell sprouts.

Food was okay

The food was pretty good, but I don’t think it’s worth the price. We went for a team holiday party so the service lacked a little, but I believe that to be because of our parties size and the fact that we were on a time crunch
I got the venison which was pretty good and the bison appetizer. The bison and the meat duo appetizer were really good. The drinks were very good too. Bartender service was a little slow though.

We had a work holiday dinner here last night and there was nothing special about this restaurant. The drinks are good, i’ll give them that, but the services is REALLY slow. We did have a large group, but the restaurant itself isn’t big so I didnt see why everything took so long to get to us — oh wait, theres only one waitress, one bartender, and i guess one cook?
The lack of staff really slowed down the whole dinner process. We waited over half hour for the apps, and then another half hour or more for the entrée. Even the drinks, which were all made by the one bartender, took so long to come out. By the time you got your first drink, you would have to order the next one immediately because it would just take so long to make.
Food wasn’t anything too special. They do offer a wide variety of meats on their menu from wild boar, elk, venison, and duck, but nothing really stood out to to me. I ordered the Lamb Two Ways, which was basically two lamb chops and then a egg roll stuffed with lamb. Nothing to rave about really; especially for the price of the food/​drinks, I would expect better quality.

As a disclaimer, we had a large group.
Drinks: Were great. I really loved the gold rush. They are the only reason this is a 2 star and not a 1 star review.
Apps: The scallops were good and probably the best thing I ate. I did not like the carpaccio, it was really dry. Another person had the chocolate/​lobster soup which they really enjoyed.
Dinner: I had the boar, which seemed dry. I liked the cherry sauce that came with it. My wife had the lamb, the chops were overcooked but she enjoyed the lamb in the casing. Other table mates had overcooked steak and under cooked duck (raw). A couple people also said the chicken was way too sweet.
Service: It wasnt good. They had the wrong table size for our party and had to change it. I had to fill out a form for the reservation, so im shocked this happened. It took a long time for drinks and we started ordering when we were halfway through. It took 40 min for bread to come out, even after asking for it. Lots of incorrectly cooked food.
Overall based on a 4 star Unilocal score i expected a lot. I really thought that this was a place we were going to eat at that I would really want to come back and try again. After this dinner though, I do not plan on coming back. I expected the food to be great and exciting, but really it was boring. Even if I were to ignore the cooking temp of my food, it wasnt good enough.

A nice cozy place for brunch! A group of 10 of us finished a 5k race and were unsure where to go for brunch on Sunday morning. It was tough to find a place given most had a wait and could not accommodate10 people without a reservation. However, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon Cedar using my handy dandy Unilocal App.
We were seating immediately and the setting is «new american fancy» if you can call it that. Most of the brunch items were pretty reasonable such as Chicken and Waffles, Eggs Benedict, French Toast etc. I got a dish with Elk Sausage, Potatoes, Grilled Bread, and 2 Over Easy Eggs for $ 15. Most of the dishes are in this price range which is about the norm in DC.
Service was fantastic throughout and the food quality was very good. I would definitely make a return trip for a brunch here with a large group!

My friends hosted their post-​wedding brunch at Cedar in October. The experience was absolutely fantastic. They served a fruit salad, green salad, muffins, and bread for the table, and we ordered entrees off a limited menu. I had a mushroom and cheese omelette, a grapefruit mimosa (I’m blanking on the cutesy name they gave it), and coffee. The omelette was really good, and the salad was also just surprisingly memorable — perfectly dressed with a really balanced vinaigrette dressing. The food was all just really on point. I was honestly surprised because I feel like Cedar is not a very well-​known spot, and after this experience I think it should be.
On top of the great food, the service was also top-​notch. We were a private party of probably around 70 people, and the staff did a great job keeping up with all of the requests — coffee, more drinks, more food, and so on. There were a few minor issues (for example, a server accidentally tipped a mimosa off her try while standing next to me, but it somehow managed to land almost exclusively on the floor — and we got it quickly cleaned up — but she kept apologizing over and over again). Coffee service was slow at first and I got a bit frustrated, but once they brought the coffee out the reason became clear — they were brewing the coffee in french presses to order.
The space is well-​appointed, but it is on the basement level — which means there’s no natural light, which I don’t generally like. Overall, though, it was a great experience and is near the top of my list for a return visit — to check out the full menu and see if the regular service is similarly fantastic!

Three and a half stars. Pretty interior downstairs, small bar, lots of metered street parking in the area. Service from Keith was friendly, but meal pacing is slow despite low traffic volume. I’m notoriously ambivalent about brunch, yet I actually enjoyed it here more than the dinner experience.
Cheese board is very small, I wouldn’t bother with it again; granted, the conservatively portioned grilled bread is nicely plush beneath its crust. Similarly blasé about the desserts, and while the bloody mary has a good kick, I’m losing hope that their cocktails will impress despite the solid bar inventory.
Pork belly in the BLT was super tender, but the bread was soggy and the accompanying mixed greens had zero dressing. Chicken and waffles was probably my favorite brunch item, closely followed by the creamy shrimp and grits. Corned beef hash was a little chewy.
Maybe one more try to seek out the mystical Sazerac lauded by my fellow drinkers. Future hit list: braised lamb dip, wild game sausage, duck, venison, Therapist.

I’ve been to Cedar a couple of times, but I don’t like the feel of the restaurant, the service isn’t good, and the food doesn’t live up to the price point.
It’s in a basement and it feels like it’s in a basement. Some basement places go with it and play it up with dark décor, low lighting, and an exclusive, speakeasy feel (Densons). Some basement places are so light and bright and warmly inviting that you forget you’re underground (Vidalia). Ceder succeeds at neither. You’re just… in the basement. And it’s a basement with a cheap hotel ballroom sort of feel. Ugh!
I’ve been for both brunch and dinner and enjoyed neither. In both instances, service was slow slow slow (even though they weren’t slammed) and the food wasn’t all that good. Nothing wowed me either time, and in both meals, there was something really excessively salty.
With some restaurants that I think are overhyped and just so-​so, if a friend wants to go, I’ll go. When someone suggests Cedar, however, I try to steer them to something (anything!) else. In this area, the obvious choices are NoPa and Proof, both of which are really excellent, and beat the pants off Cedar on food, ambiance, and service.

Great happy hour – delicious $ 5 champagne cocktails, including my favorite with St. Germaine elderflower liquor. Also, truly fantastic and personal bartender.
However, not so sure that the food is worth the high price. I got 2 appetizers – the scallops and the foie gras – that were definitely not worth the $ 16 & $ 20, respectively, that I paid for them. The scallops were good; the foie gras was sweet and melted in my mouth – but no better than a half dozen other restaurants that serve the same in DC, and maybe even not at their par.
Nothing terribly wrong with the place, but probably wouldn’t come back – nothing really memorable.

So disappointing. I’ve been wanting to try Cedar before my time as DC resident. But with so many new restaurants opening nearby, Cedar never made it to top of my to go list.
Until a last minute decision to take my parents out, we chose Cedar for convenience (just down the street) and attractive restaurant week brunch offerings.
Everything sounded so much better on paper. In reality, we were disappointed by the portion, presentation, and worst of all — taste. We all left hungry after the 3 courses. There were no complimentary breads to fill our stomach. Presentation and taste reminded us of cruise ship mass production standards. Burger was way cooked past medium, cod had a sour funky taste, walnut salad on my mushroom strudel appeared as an afterthought, the chicken roulade — wasn’t there supposed to be some kind of stuffing?
Service was painfully slow — our brunch took us almost 2 hrs! Both the hostess and our server came individually by our table to ask us the same questions between each course. I appreciated the attentiveness but wished they communicated with each other and didn’t disrupt our meal so much.
Overall — still regretting my decision to take my parents and wasted a restaurant week meal here.

Cedar is a friendly brunch spot that offers above average food in an intimate atmosphere.
I went on a Sunday morning, hoping to avoid any kind of DC booze and brunch rush, with a close friend. We had a reservation for right when the restaurant opened at 10, but didn’t end up needing it.
I had the «omelet of wild mushrooms», which made its case for possibly the best omelette I’ve had in a few years. With the right amount of cheese, spinach, and shrooms, I was pretty impressed. The potatoes that came with the omelette were top tier too — not too crispy, not too soft, and not too salty. I got duped into buying an overpriced fruit plate, though, which disappoints me. For dessert, we had three cheeses, but I don’t remember which ones. One was a strong blue cheese, another was a softer brie. The cheese could have really used a few more slices of bread.
With great vegetarian (not vegan) options, Cedar is a brunch spot I’d visit again if I were in DC.

I admit, with all the fabulous reviews on Unilocal,my expectations were high. I came in with a group for dinner and although it was good, it wasn’t great.
I had the mushroom and goat cheese salad to start– tasty but a bit skimpy.
then I had their famous boar entrée– also tasty but overcooked.
we all shared the duck fat fries (fabulous!) and a bunch of deserts (the coconut one was pretty good and the chocolate peanut praline ROCKED!)
So, overall nice, with ok service but nothing stellar.

From the old era jazz music playing in the background, the dimly lit lighting, the wooded panels that line the walls, Cedar takes you back to another decade. This place felt so romantic. What a perfect lunch date spot to share with one of my best girlfriends!
Fumi and I came here for restaurant week. The food was good, however, some items were definitely better than others:
1. Drinks — I got the Red Burro Mocktail. This drink has blackberry purée, ginger, honey, and lime. In my view, anything with ginger in it is worth a try, however, this drink lacked punch. It is ok, but not a wowza.
2. Soup — I got the Virginia Oyster Pan Roast Soup. AMAZING! I love oysters. I love soup. I love Cedar’s Pan Roast oyster soup. This dish exceeded expectations. Fantastic.
3. Entrée — Grilled Salmon with white beans, piquillo pepper soaked in an olive vinaigrette. This dish was ok. I think it was a little too bland for me. Or maybe I just felt the salmon could have been cooked better. Either way. Not the best dish on the menu.
4. Dessert — Chocolate Peanut Butter Praline & Coconut Tres Leches Cake. HAPPINESS. Ahhh the coconut tres leches cake is phenomenal.
While the food is good here, I think the atmosphere of this place really made the experience for me. The space is beautiful. They were playing Dorothy Dandridge in the background when I came in. As more people came in though, it was hard to hear the music and the place had a different feel to it. My suggestion — to truly enjoy this place, if you can, come here on an off-​time.

I like this place because it is off of the beaten path and a favorite brunch spot! Today I will let the cat out of the bag and share my secret with you!
My brunch go to item is the trio of wild game sausages and a couple of scrambled eggs! Usually things like wild boar, rabbit and if memory serves me correctly my third was venison. Nice texture and flavor and they add a sweet and savory element with caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms and a selection of mustards. Did I say it comes with crusty rustic bread? IT COMES WITH CRUSTY RUSTIC BREAD!!!
*Ahem… got a little carried away *
Tonight was more about the bar and a sampling of small plates. First off I would like to say that this restaurant has something for everyone. This is one place that comes to mind for true vegan/​vegetarian options. Usually you will have a few items that can be modified in the kitchen for your health/​dietary needs but Cedar actually offers a 3 course Vegan/​Vegetarian menu with several options per course AND vegan made sorbets and ice creams!
We tried a few of the specialty cocktails and my two favorites were the Gold Rush and the Red Burro! The Gold Rush was a simplistic variation of a Maker’s Mark Smash with a local honey and fresh lemon juice. So simple but yet well balanced just the same! The Red Burro had more depth of flavor and a huge change in texture from the addition of a blackberry purée and the effervescence from ginger beer going with a slight acidic touch of citrus from the lime juice and a punch from tequila! Nice!
I am a huge meat eater but two vegetarian items actually pleasantly surprised me. Wild local mushroom dumplings! A brunoise of fresh local mushrooms and fresh herbs were placed within a delicate shell and deep fried like empanadas! A mustard dipping sauce was served with this plate but I was so pleasantly overwhelmed with this item, I didn’t even try it! The second was the Roasted Butternut Squash soup. My sensory perceptions were totally confused… In a pleasant way! The first thing I noticed was a slice of grilled and sliced rabbit sausage, that disappeared rather quickly, and next the hint of chicken stock on the nose? Smelled awesome! Then the taste… Naturally and pleasantly sweet?! BUT no taste of stock! Awesome! Great job on this soup!
SPEAKING OF SOUP!!!
The Oyster Pan Roast was probably one of my favorites… No. THAT IS MY FAVORITE!!! It was a very light fish fume, simmered and folded into heavy cream with chopped leeks and sliced salsify root. Local Virginia oyster were poached within this broth to order. I have consumed my share of the heavier American version of this dish as a child with my father and we loved it. Now our version will take a back seat to Cedar’s version. Awesome job! Bringing BLT to another level was the Berkshire pork belly «BLT»! A few twist were brought into a pleasant presentation with what I believe I was told was a 48 hour braised pork belly with a smoked tomato jam, arugula? maybe frissee? (I was lost in the pork!) and a basil aioli! I could not get enough of this sandwich!
We finished off with a variation of Brushetta. Cedar offered a delicate sliced, smoked salmon topped with pomegranate seeds, a chiffonade of basil and a drizzle of a balsamic reduction. Awesome texture and flavors tied together well! Roasted Diver Scallops were topped with a dollop of a pleasantly sweet heirloom tomato jam and served atop a Hollandaise sauce mounted with a touch of unsweetened whipped cream (Mousseline). Another great sweet and savory combination!
What we liked about this restaurant the most was the quiet and quaint dinning area and the smaller seated area to the left of the base of the staircase! This place was hitting on all cylinders! We will definitely return!