Monroe’s An American Trattoria

Very sad that this will be our last family dinner here… Thank you Monroe’s, for all the wonderful memories. May retirement be well for you.

It was good, but not five star good. House wine was a little pricey, but maybe I am cheap. Kid had a pizza, wife had soup and salad. I had a small portion carbanerra (msp) pasta. Everything tasted good. My wife and I each had two glasses of house special wine. Our bill was $ 74. I would go back and if a friend were near by I would tell him to go. Only con, we ordered milk for my son (3 years old) the milk was rotten. We pointed it out they replaced it. Don’t cry over spoiled milk.
Cheers!

Was excited to try this neighborhood place, but it was just okay. Utterly average. Not bad, but not great. Definitely looks like it’s seen better days, we were the only people in there under 50. Probably won’t be back as there are better options for Italian in the area.

The $ 14 pizza carbonara was ok. Nothing extraordinary, but also nothing to complain about. My friend and I shared it, but I wouldn’t say it was big enough to be shared with a 3^rd person. The crème brûlée for dessert was excellent! I have a hard time paying $ 7 for any dessert, but since I had a gift certificate, I didn’t mind doing it as much. As for the service-​our waitress did her job-​nothing more, nothing less.

Several times there & each time food was ok, but the service was bad: 1^st time there, stuck at a table almost in the kitchen & not much bigger than a phone booth; 2^nd time there, the male server didn’t seem to really care: brought food and just walked away; 3^rd time, the female server had a serious attitude: was huffy about not seating us in the phone booth [altho plenty of other seating was available], & seemed like she really didn’t want to be there [and for their business, shouldn’t have been].
Will not go back or recommend it …

Always a good meal with friendly atmosphere. The Chef has become a legend. Also the best Bloody Mary mix in Alexandria, it’s a receipt from the old Calvert Grill.

Great, family owned place to have a nice dinner! Wonderful service and tasty food. One of my go-​to restaurants!

I’ve been going to this place for 15 years and until a couple of years ago, I really liked it. The quality has decreased quite a bit. They always have excellent wine selections, which is nice and the service is very good. I used to love their pizza, but the crust isn’t as good as it used to be. Maybe they have a different chef. Monroe’s, it’s time for some improvements if you want the locals to keep coming to your restaurant.

My friend and I were passing through Alexandria and craving Italian. We were so happy we tried Monroe’s. The food was fantastic and we liked the outdoor seating. Desert was probably the best part. Took away one star due to the odd waitress. She definitely could have been more friendly and polite. I would go back anytime for the crème brûlée!

My husband and I ate here this evening. The restaurant was completely empty of patrons when we arrived which surprised us. We both ordered the Alfredo with grilled chicken. My chicken was room temperature at best, but the pasta was hot. We both felt as if the entrée need more Alfredo sauce. Our waitress was kind. Our glasses were refilled without requesting. This is not Maggiano’s so do not go in with those expectations.

Best restaurant in Del Ray. We’ve been coming to Monroe’s for over 10 years and have never had a bad meal. The portions are good and the price matches the portions (unlike other places in del ray like evening star). The services is absolutely the best in del ray… friendly, attentive, and helpful. And the martinis are excellent.

Great atmosphere, good service and a

I had noticed this restaurant for the last 5 years whenever I visited my friend who lives in the Del Ray neighborhood and we decided to eat dinner there one Saturday. Parking was not bad — street parking and the ambiance was not bad — however the food was not to my tasting. I had the shrimp Alfredo — the shrimp was chewy and not seasoned and the pasta was dry and tasteless. I’ve had better at Olive Garden. My friend had the either the Chicken Piccatta or the Scallopine — can’t remember which — but it was but it was unpalatable. Maybe it was a bad day — but I know the food was not good and we were not impressed with the price or the taste.

An unenthusiastic 3 stars. I’ve been here 2 times. Brunch and dinner. I want to LOVE this neighborhood gem, but have been disappointed on both occasions.
I don’t know what to say to improve things. My scallops were cooked to perfection, but, the accompanying pasta/​sauce was pasty. The wine list was decent, the service was fabulousl. The atmosphere had all the trappings of an impressive eatery, but, somehow, it just doesn’t deliver. All of the essential elements are there. I’m not a foodie. This wonderful tratorria has so much potential. Please visit, suggest, and help them to become the outstanding eatery they could become.

Hubby and I went there after work and the first hour there, there was a 7 year old and 5 year old, members of the owner’s family, running around the dining room. Their light saber demonstration and hitting the waiter with their light toy was not only distracting but not appreciated. Kids literally running through the dining room and rolling around on the booths, we don’t need it.
The menu looked very appealing but the food was bland. Meh, won’t be back, certainly not for the light saber show. Hey, this is a business, not a romper room. Run it appropriately!

Live around the corner and finally decided to try it.
The décor is actually cool, especially the funky booths. I liked it. Seemed a little dark for those sitting in the middle. I could hardly see across the restaurant. A little weird.
The food was great! I got a porkchop that was juicy and flavorful. Really delicious. You get bread at the table and it had a nice flavored butter with it. The food itself would be a ⁴⁄₅.
The service was terrible, to the point that it affected our experience. Normally, I’m not that picky on service, but the waitress was pushy when we ordered, not at all friendly, and came back with a check about 5 minutes into the meal and never came back. We had to hand our payment to a random waitress. Our waitress did, however, show plenty of attention to two other tables: one that had to have been regulars (from how they talked) and one that was a birthday party. No problem with that, but don’t ignore us.
For the price, I would probably go elsewhere. Maybe it depends on the night/​server, but I would say maybe try something else if you want a nice, classy dinner.

Not terrible, just not good.
Wine list was very reasonable. My eyes bulged a little when I saw that their house wine comes in 1.5L bottles (can also order by glass). That’s a huge bottle of wine, but I guess would be good for groups. We went with the waiter’s suggestion of the Pinot Noir, which was fine.
The bread was kind of cold and tasteless, yet somehow had a nice crust to it. The herb garlic butter it came with was fine.
Bf didn’t care for his filet, and it was overcooked (he ordered it medium). My salmon was okay, but it had about a teaspoon of the white wine sauce it came with. Would’ve been better with more sauce. The asparagus was borderline inedible; I think they steamed it for 23.7 seconds and threw it on the plate. No taste and practically raw. Mashed potatoes were clearly made with real potatoes, which is awesome, but they lacked any sort of flavor, even salt.
Disappointing is an understatement. Ah well, can’t win them all.

Didn’t really find this place all that special. The food was overpriced and their pasta was not prepared very well. Their pizza was yummy but again, not worth the price. The waitress I had was a bit snobby and didn’t have the same sort of smile and perky attitude that I saw the other waiters having. Who knows, maybe my table just got unlucky that night.
I did appreciate the convenient parking in the back. Since this is basically in Old Town, it was impossible to find good parking otherwise.

It’s a cute place! Food is good. Really liked the Cream of Mushroom Soup.
Service was abrupt.
Finding parking is annoying.

This is my new favorite Italian restaurant in Virginia. It’s a little pricey but the quality of the food and freshness of the ingredients is worth it. And EVERYTHING TASTES AMAZING!
I had the fettuccine with mushrooms in cream sauce and it was so delicious. You can order whole wheat pasta for a small additional charge.
Everyone in our party loved their meals (shepherd’s pie, veal with prosciutto and asparagus, and a pasta Florentine). I definitely recommend!