Maison Cheryl

Hubbant asked if I wanted to go out to eat and I said yes of course (the only good reason to put on pants these days) but he had to pick the place because I always have to pick. He loves French food so he suggested we try Maison Cheryl. He had the squash soup, beet salad, and steak frites. I asked Hubbant to help me write this review and he said his food was "good." I insisted he be more descriptive and he added the sauce au poivre was "au poivre-fect." So, he's fired. I had the deviled eggs three ways. My fave was the chipotle crema. I ate 5 of the 6 eggs but then I was full, which was a problem because I ordered the bucatini with the fried burrata for my entree. I barely made a dent in it and I wanted to cry because that zucchini herb sauce was so good I'd go swimming in a pool of it if I could. During dinner I tried to get Hubbant to help plan our anniversary trip to Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. The best he could muster was, "I think Croatia has some nice beaches?" So I hired him back only so I could fire him again. We were about to leave but Hubbant had to poop. I was annoyed at first -- he always has to poop when we are about to go anywhere -- but this ended up being a good thing because he returned with valuable intel: the bathroom was a "one header" (solo bathroom). Our dinner was excellent, but for this reason alone we will return for brunch. TL;DR: Great spot for francophiles and shy poopers.

Food - 3.75 service - 5 ambiance -4 I got the lychee martini to start - good but a little too tart and sweet. We shared three appetizers to share. Escargot, Brie and cheese plate. The first two were pretty good. We ordered the escargot twice, it was tasty and the oils were good for dipping. The cheese plate was too simple: a child could have put it together. It brought what felt like an elevated dining experience down a notch. We felt the lighting was a little too bright, it feels more like a snacking environment, a good place to meet before dinner kind of place. Parking was a little challenging, street parking mostly, but in an easy to find spot.

My recent experience at Maison Cheryl was absolutely delightful. They were doing a special limited menu (apparently the chef rotates seasonally and likes to try new things) and was fantastic from start to finish. Our first course was a beet citrus salad which included goat cheese and was based around this lovely roasted beat flavor that tied everything together really well. With a small bit of honeycomb on top, the salads overall flavor profile hit all the right notes. We paired the salad with a fried green tomato dish that had a perfect cream sauce. I've had overly fried tomatoes before but these were light and really flavorful. For entrees we got an order of the bay scallop + shrimp orecchiette which was highlighted by the unexpected but very good corn forward flavor. The serving size a little too large for me, but leftovers are never a real problem. In addition we had a salmon and mussel dish where the broth it was set in blew my mind. Cooked perfectly, both the salmon and mussels were great, but I could have enjoyed just a bowl of the broth with a loaf of bread. Being so full for the dessert I'm not sure if I truly appreciated the chocolate cake or cheesecake as much as I could have, but they were both a very nice conclusion to the meal. Our server was very attentive to us the entire night, never leaving us waiting or wanting for a single thing. The restaurant itself is situated in a cute part of Arlington, and really matches the vibes of sophistication with a lot of comfort. I am excited for my next culinary adventure here!

Fabulous brunch and service. Everything we had was fantastic. My friends and I came for a Sunday brunch, i ordered the Caesar salad sandwich, which was delicious. Their truffle fries with aioli alone, I would come back for. The blue berry pancake was beautiful. I ordered a "just a lil kick" which is a spicy margarita which was delicious. Prices were on the higher side. The only complaint was the Madeline's were slightly burnt on the edges. Overall, the experience was great would highly recommend brunch here.

This place was absolutely fantastic. My friend and I saw this place open when we wanted a late night snack. The staff was so nice and quick and we had so much fun chatting with them. The service was also really quick too. We came back today for brunch and it was good enough that I could hear my friend but they had some memorable hits in the background. My friend got a fried tomato blt and I got the burger. We shared the baked to order madeleine, which was unbelievable. Not too sweet but sweet enough and the fruit was fantastic. The struggle fries were unbelievable. Such a wonderful ambiance! If you are in Clarendon, I suggest giving this place a try. You won't regret it!

I recently visited Maison Cheryl and it was a fantastic experience. The meal started with a beet, whipped goat cheese, citrus, and arugula salad that was fresh and flavorful--a great option to share between two people. Another fun appetizer was the fried green tomato tart. It was lightly fried (not greasy at all) and served over a delicious bread with a creamy sauce that added great texture. The real standouts were the salmon and mussels. The mussels were some of the best I've ever had, and the salmon was cooked to perfection. I highly recommend asking for a side of bread to soak up the amazing broth--I didn't leave a single drop! We also tried the scallop and shrimp pasta, which was pretty good, served in a creamy tomato sauce. For dessert, the chocolate cake with raspberry sauce was decent, though not particularly memorable. The cheesecake, however, was fun with two mini cheesecake rounds and a vanilla sauce that tasted like a mix between custard and melted ice cream. We went during the week and it wasn't crowded, service was great and our waitress made sure our drinks were never empty. The vibes were really modern French Café with clean and simple decor and slightly dimmed lighting, which made it seem more intimate. If you're heading to Maison Cheryl, I'd definitely recommend the salmon and mussels entrée, as well as the beet, goat cheese, and arugula salad. It was a great meal overall!

I am sad to say that I was too disappointed in the service and general food of this place. This should not be considered a fine dining establishment - especially due to the poor servi. First off, the food is more French-inspired American cuisine, but there is very little hints of French cuisine on the menu. In terms of food and drink, we ordered the autumn fizz, honeynut soup, maison wagyu burger, and shrimp and scallop orriechette. The burger was far too salty, with no sweetness to balance out the flavors. I did however enjoy the char on the bun. The pasta was alright, no standout flavors. The soup was probably the one redeeming dish. In addition, we arrived at 1pm on a weekday, so there were not that many patrons in the restaurant. However, the waiter was not very friendly or attentive throughout service.

I had always walked by this restaurant while in Clarendon but never had a chance to drop by and I'm so glad I got a chance to try it out for brunch! Came at noon on a Saturday and it wasn't packed at all so we were able to grab a seat easily without reservations and the staff were kind welcoming us. The interior is cute and nice, which makes me surprised this place wasn't busy!My friend and I got shared a bottle of sparkling wine with orange juice for $20 and it did it's job perfectly. I had the truffle wagyu burger and it was so delicious alongside their crispy fries - the burger itself wasn't too salty or anything and the meat was soft in the middle and had a nice crisp on the outer parts. We also split the creme brulee french toast which was also so good - the creme sauce was a nice "dipping" sauce for the toast, which did have the brulee part on it underneath the strawberries and sugar and wasn't too sweet too which I loved.I would say everything was decently priced and I loved the food, service was attentive, and the ambiance was really nice. I would definitely recommend for brunch and have to try for their lunch/dinner menus next time, this place seems so underrated!

A solid 3.5/5! Would come back for a drink and small plates to share!! Atmosphere - 4/5: My husband and I came for dinner on a Monday night and it was quaint and quiet! Service - 2.5/5: For only a few 3 tables occupied, I expected better service. When I walked into the restaurant, there was no host. The bartender nearby was on his phone and didn't pay attention to us until I got his attention. At the end of the meal, we were brought the check for the wrong table. Food - 3.5/5: Food wasn't bad, but it definitely didn't WOW me.Ratatouille with Polenta (3/5) was too much polenta and not enough veggies, not what I was expecting. Cajun Chicken and Shimp (3.5/5) was a nice summer dish, but the chicken was overcooked. We did however enjoy the Baked Brie (4/5) and the Madelines (4/5) for dessert!

I normally don't do reviews, but I felt compelled to after having dinner at Maison Cheryl. The escargot are amongst the best I've ever had and the Scallop and Shrimp Orecchiette is an outstanding and deeply flavorful yet delicate shellfish pasta. Michelin star worthy cuisine at an outstanding value. Service and cocktails are also fabulous. A true gem.