RARE Steakhouse & Tavern

My fiancé and I dined at this location yesterday evening. While we had never heard of this restaurant before, it was close by to a custom suit tailor we visited to begin building his wedding tux! Such an occasion deserved a meal just as splendid. We were very impressed with the meal, options, and general hospitality and service. They offer both "wet" and "dry" aged meats here- which seems unique because we had never heard of a wet aged steak. They also have seafood options and hors d'oeuvres, salads, etc. Our server explained to us that what aged implies that it sits in its own juices for longer, and typically is a leaner meat while dry aged tends to be fattier and more marbled and kept at a very cold temp and very flavorful. We opted for a dry aged 32 ounce tomahawk as we figured that would be the perfect portion to share. Actually, we had a small amount left over! The side mushrooms were delicious the side loaded potatoes were ok but I would try another side next time.My dessert cocktail called "the thin mint" was the perfect holiday festive cocktail if you like sweet espresso martini like drinks...this is for you!My fiancé ordered the super Tuscan red wine ($21 a glass) and it paired lovely with the steak! This is an upscale establishment for a nice date night. I'm looking around I mostly saw couples and families. They also offer a private area for events. Certainly dress up a bit and make the best of it but as far as the food goes, this meal will be remembered!!

3.5 starsTL;DR: overall decent experience; expensive for what you get; a few good bitesCame here because we were going to be in DC and were craving steak. The interior is nice. They have 2 floors. The bar/tavern has an additional menu is downstairs. Upstairs is a little brighter and for full dinner service. SERVICE (4.5/5): Service was very friendly and attentive. Only thing was our server was explaining some of the specials and pricing, but it was a little difficult/confusing to understand him, so one of the items we got ended up being 2x the price we had thought it wasFOOD: ~Complimentary bread and butter (5/5): Bread was crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The butter was whipped and so good (maybe because I haven't had real butter in forever)~Calamari (3.7/5): the flavor was really good. However, the breading fell off very easily and was a little soggy. Portion was very small. For $25, I would have expected it to be either the best calamari for that portion, or a larger portion with the dish we got. ~Caesar salad (3/5): was very underdressed. Had mostly red leaf romaine, so since it wasn't dressed very well, most bites were just bitter lettuce. Eventually asked for more dressing, which helped. ~Porterhouse (3/5): 24 oz. With the bone, the mean portion was small. Texture was a little strange (as if it was sous vied too much). But it was soft. Flavor was just okay. ~Japanese wagyu (overall 3.5/5): They had a special of a 6 oz filet. It was very tender and seasoned well (4/5). This was the dish that ended up being 2x more expensive than we anticipated. Value (2.5/5). I think they also added some additional oil to it, which was unnecessary and ended up being overly greasy. ~Garlic Parmesan fries (5/5): Nicely seasoned and crispy shoe string fries~Roasted mushrooms (5/5): great flavor (I think red wine vinegar and a little bit of truffle). Cooked very well. ~Loaded Potatoes (5/5): They use fingerling potatoes, so the cook was great, and the mouth feel was fantastic. The potatoes themselves were also very well seasoned. All the sides were expensive for what they were, but they were tasty and the portions were decent, so I didn't mind. Overall, this place was decent but very overpriced.

I had the dry aged bone-ribeye and the loaded potatoes, which were both stellar. The ribeye was cooked to medium rare as ordered, well-seasoned, and was tender with the right amount of char. The outside of the steak had a crisp to it while the meat was glistening with the richness from the melt-in-your-mouth fat. However, it did lack the dry-aged funk. The loaded potatoes were decadent. The decor and ambience was typical of a high end restaurant. The quiet clinking of forks and knives were well representative of a fine-dining establishment. The service was good, but the waiters could have been more welcoming and jubilant. Overall, I recommend a visit.

We came here for our anniversary dinner earlier this year. We were very impressed with the professionalism and service: A+. We also liked the whole vibe of the steakhouse. It kind of has that classy 40-50s vibe. The furnishings looked luxurious, and the staircase has an elegant chandelier. We usually eat dinner on the earlier side so there weren't many people in the restaurant. We were escorted up the stairs to a wide, open space with a bar at the front and tables and booths behind. We were seated at the back of the room, facing the bar so we had a grand view of the entire space. The waiter greeted us promptly and was very professional, but not in a stiff way. He started us with glasses of champagne. We aren't big drinkers but the champagne tasted good to us. For our appetizer, we shared the Steamed Clams & Mussels. This one was tomato based vs the white wine based ones we usually eat. It came with two grilled toasts that we dipped into the broth. It was very flavorful, and we enjoyed it so much it made me think I should try more tomato based ones in the future. While eating, I spilled some of the red broth on my side of the table. When the server cleared the table and combed it of its crumbs to prepare it for our main dish, the red stain seemed to be glaring at me. I was delighted when our server quietly covered the red stain with a clean napkin. I was so relieved I wouldn't have to stare at the bright stain during our elegant meal. I thought, "they thought of everything." It's the little things that makes a big impact. They serve wet aged steaks and dry aged steaks. We were there for the dry aged steaks. We decided to share the tomahawk steak with roasted mushrooms and charred broccolini. The steak was prepared perfectly to the temperature we requested. It had a good flavor. The tomahawk is a fattier cut, which many steak lovers enjoy. I personally prefer leaner cuts so it was a bit too rich for me. But I wanted to try something different that evening. And perhaps the Tomahawk is large enough for many people to share, but we could've eaten a larger cut, had they had one. We finished our meal by sharing the chocolate pot de crème. As it was evening, I ordered a decaf coffee to chase it down. The coffee with its bold flavor was a nice foil to the rich, sweet pot de crème. We left very satisfied with our meal and experience. Glad we found this place.

This is hands down one of the best steak houses I've been to. I found this steakhouse while browsing through Yelp. I had a long flight from LA and I needed a hearty steak dinner. Don't let that tiny fillet mignon fool you - it was extremely filling and what I needed. The steak was very juicy and the perfect medium! I took my time with the taste. Service was very personal. My waiter had always checked in on me. Mind you, this is a pretty fancy steak house with some pretty fancy prices. For my fries and steak, it did cost me $100. This is definitely a special occasion place. I love looking at the history and all the decor of this steak house. Highly recommend!

This is a really nice steakhouse. Well appointed, 2 floor space with nice decor. I opted for the wedge salad to start. It had fresh chunks of bacon sprinkled on top, but unfortunately it was very fatty. Lettuce was crisp and blue cheese crumbles were plentiful though dressing was nothing special. I wanted a surf and turf combo so I ordered a filet, which had excellent flavor and was melt in your mouth along with a crab cake from the appetizers menu for my main course. The crab cake was loaded with crab. I didn't love the remoulade sauce it sat on top of and if salt and pepper had been on the table, I would have used it. My husband ordered the porterhouse and ate every last bite. The shoe string french fries were also very good. Although we were pretty full, we opted to share the pots de creme, which was excellent. Rich chocolate flavor, but not sickening sweet. We would definitely return to this restaurant when we are in the area.

This was a late birthday dinner to myself and it was money well spent. I ordered the porterhouse steak medium and it was delicious. The wild mushrooms were equally delicious. Very well seasoned. Kudos to the chef for sure. The broccolini was also very good and for dessert I treated myself to their cheesecake. I also enjoyed their tropical fizz drink. I believe it is rum based. I love a good steakhouse and this was recommended to me and I had to try it. It has a very old school vintage charm to it. Very quiet atmosphere. Perfect for date nights or celebrations. Service was attentive, they checked on me constantly. No complaints there. I will definitely be back, if not for the steak, but for the drinks and the bread lol.

Had a super awesome date night here for my girlfriend's birthday. She got the filet mignon and I got the bone-in ribeye. For the side we got roasted mushrooms which were heavenly. The steaks were amazing in terms of taste and quality. Our waiter was a gentleman from Turkey who was extremely attentive and made sure to make our evening memorable for us.

RARE originated from Madison, and this steakhouse is known for their prime, dry-aged steaks.We came here for a get-together, making reservations in advance. Our party was seated promptly, which was great!We ordered:+the Fresh Burrata - with arugula-basil pesto, tomatoes, and a strawberry vinaigrette+Fried Calamari - with pickled mini peppers and a lemon-garlic aioli+the Charred Octopus - with avocado mousseline, feta cheese, fennel, and frisee+Shrimp Cocktail - with cocktail sauce and citrus+Maryland-Style Crab Cake - with Old Bay remoulade and lemonFor our mains, we had:+20 oz Bone-In NY Strip - dry-aged+the 22 oz Bone-In Ribeye - dry-aged+the 36 oz Bone-In Tomahawk - dry-aged+Pan-Seared Scallops - with steamed clams, baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and red curry cream+Broiled Bone-In Pork Chop - with pineapple chutney and molasses gastrique+Creamed Spinach+Charred Broccolini+Roasted Mushrooms+Whipped PotatoesFor the proteins, we ordered some sauces - the béarnaise the horseradish cream, and the au poivre.Some of the meats were not cooked as requested, and we were a little displeased due to the fact that this was a steakhouse.The sides were shareable, but there were strong hints of lemon in most, so I'm thinking the juice of lemon is usually squeezed on top of all the items before being served?Service was efficient, and the decor of the place has a classy type of a feel to it.Garage parking and limited metered street parking are available.+reservations encouraged+efficient service+garage and metered street parking available

Kept it simple and had a steak, side, and glass of wine at the bar. The wagyu was served by the ounce and cooked perfectly. Loved the side of mushrooms, they had a lemony zest that complemented the steak well. Sat at the bar and service was efficient. Won't be the cheapest meal you have, but it was great.