Morton’s The Steakhouse

The food was great! It was my first time trying the restaurant! The service was great and the drinks were amazing! The restaurant has a very intimate feel dim lighting great for date nights!

Went for restaurant week. Sergent… hope I spelled his name correctly. .was wonderful. …I’ve sat at the bar when he’s worked but today he was a server in the restaurant area. Wow, the food was excellent. .The best I’ve had in DC in along time. Wish the place was closer since I moved last year… I went more often but it’s tougher now. HOWEVER, everything was so tasty and freshly prepared. .I’m gonna have to come more often.

The lunch special here is decent. For about 37 bucks after tax and tip you can get a three course meal. For a normal day at the office, 37 bucks is a little pricey for a lunch but considering the fancy Morton’s atmosphere and how much food you get, it’s not bad. I went with the lobster bisque, 6 oz rib-​eye, and chocolate mousse.
— The bisque was a little too buttery and I couldn’t really taste the lobster. Can’t even compare with the crab bisque at Ray’s the Steaks. Then again, I’m not about to go to Courthouse from Farragut for lunch.
— The onion bread was served warm and was good enough. Nothing to write home about. We had to ask the server before any were brought to our table.
— While I’m on the topic of service, I should say it’s not the fastest. We got there at 1PM but had to be back at the office (1 block away) for a 2PM meeting. We barely made it back in time. If you come here, make sure you give yourself a buffer.
— The rib-​eye was good. But considering this is a steakhouse, that’s a pretty medium bar. I didn’t realize that they would put a big piece of butter on it. I hate butter on my steak (hence why Ruth’s Chris is the bane of steak existence). I mixed it with the mashed potatoes instead which worked out well.
— The mousse was good but like the bread, nothing mind-​blowing.
I’d say, come here for the lunch special if you work close, have a business meeting and need a fancier venue, and have an hour and a half to kill.

Frankly, I’m sad to be writing a negative review for a restaurant that I once really loved. I’m – best as I know – still a Morton’s VIP. I have a card with my name on it and, in theory, get perks like a guaranteed table even when they are full and free drinks. Some of the staff at this location still recognizes me (although there has been a lot of turnover since Laundry’s bought Morton’s.) But Morton’s has entered what I fear is a terminal decline in both food and service.
Food first. It actually isn’t bad. Morton’s still serves high-​quality rather heavily marbled USDA Prime Beef. This means it’s drawn from the top 5 percent of marbleized fat. It’s more flavorful and just «butterier» than what you would find at your typical mass market steakhouse like Outback, Longhorn or Texas Roadhouse. Most of the steaks are simply seasoned and cooked at very high temperatures. The cajun seasonings and sauces are good but probably not a great idea with this quality of meat. The meat, one former insider tells me, has declined: as an independent company, Morton’s sourced its own beef. Now, it’s lumped in with other Laundry’s restaurants. Vegetables, which Morton’s used to source itself, have also declined in quality. Asparagus that used to be absolutely fresh tastes more like what you’d get at the supermarket. Once giant Idaho spuds (a huge profit center for this and every other Steakhouse) are now merely large. At prices in this range, the food should be transformative particularly since almost everything on the menu – except a few deserts – is really something you could prepare at home.
The real problem, however, is the service. Morton’s Connecticut Ave was hugely valuable as a place for dinner because of the service given to regulars: reserved booths, speedy waitstaff that wasn’t unctuous, and a seamless experience that made it perfect for entertaining business guests. On one recent visit, none of this happened. The hostess, first, said she didn’t have my name (the room was mostly empty) and then found it after I called my assistant and showed her the Open Table reservation. She then neglected to take coats from me and my guest despite offering to do so. (we just put them at the table.) We weren’t offered drinks or given the opportunity to order hot deserts. Pacing of the meal was, frankly, poor and our waiter, despite a mostly empty room, let our steaks sit for several minutes rather than serving them hot. I’m not a really high maintenance guy. At Outback, all of these things would be trivial. At a restaurant that does a big expense account business, they’re pretty big deals. The service at mass-​market steak chains in suburbia is better.
Because of its location and the fact that it – these days – seems to have plenty of tables almost all the time, I’ll probably be back at Morton’s. But it has gone down hill seriously and I no longer think much of it.

Not worth it for the $$ you’re paying and for the service you’re receiving.
Morton’s is the most convenient restaurant for me to take co-​workers and clients to because it is right in the building where I work, but I’ve never had an outstanding experience here.
Examples —
One coworker ordered one of their most expensive steaks on the menu, and he mentioned that it was cold and that the lunch special rib eye was much better. He ordered medium and it came out closer to rare. It was very pink/​reddish in the center.
I got the lobster bisque as part of the 3-​course lunch and it was like drinking salt water with a piece of chewy substance in it. The look was fine — orangey with a piece of lobster in the center, but the consistency was very thin and it was extremely salty.
The service is very slow, even when it is not busy. We had the same server a few times, and we were not impressed. Sometimes they offer bread before the meal, and most of the time they do not. One time we asked for it and they did not give us plates for the bread. I wanted to take my share of the bread home with me, but they took it away!
Their 3-​course lunch is not a bad deal. Around $ 30 gives you a starter — either a soup or a salad, a main dish such as 9 oz ribeye with mashed potatoes, crab stuffed shrimp with angel hair pasta, chopped sirloin with cheddar cheese and mashed potatoes, chicken Christopher with mashed potatoes, honey glazed salmon with veggie relish, or crab cake with fries, and dessert — either chocolate mousse or cheesecake.
I’ve tried the tomato bisque and the lobster bisque. Although the lobster bisque seems of better value, the tomato bisque tastes better. It’s been a lot more consistent than the lobster bisque; I’ve never had a liquidy salty mess with it.
The rib eye is a hit or miss. They had to cut the steak a bit to see the temperature. REALLY? Shouldn’t the chefs at steakhouses know without having to cut in to it? They hide the cut with garlic butter or whatever topping it comes with. This happened to quite a few of us, not just me. One time it I ordered it and it was quite dry. another time it was quite delicious. Ugh, inconsistencies.
My coworkers tend to enjoy the stuffed shrimp. It feels on the lighter side, and if you enjoy shrimp and crab and thin pasta, it’s a good choice. Not too filling though. A bit bland minus the salt.
One of my coworkers loves the chicken Christopher. It comes with a couple chicken breasts — or one sliced thinly… I didn’t take a close look. Breaded chicken, always a safe lean protein option with the fats from frying.
The salmon was pretty good. The only complaint I had was it was a bit dry, but overall the flavors were there.
The chopped sirloin was like a burger patty. burger without the bun.
I usually prefer mousse over cheesecake, but I prefer the cheesecake at Morton’s over their mousse. I tried the mousse a couple times and it tasted like package made… not like the mousse in delicious cakes. The cheesecake is decent, so I’ve switched over and started getting the cheesecake with the 3-​course lunch.
One time the server packed our desserts to go when the entrée was brought out. Wasn’t that supposed to sit somewhere colder? Warmer mousse and warmer cheesecake is not for me.
I’d up the stars if the price was a lot lower, or of service met the style of the restaurant. Very nice place, plenty of seating, though can get very loud… but overall, a miss unless money and time isn’t an issue.

Morton’s has lost a step. My meal was cold and had too much fat on it. The service was nice, but slow. Morton’s used to be great. I’m taking my business elsewhere.

My wife and I came here on Saturday night for our 12 year wedding anniversary. The service was good… it wasn’t great. I kept thinking «it seems a little slow…» to which my wife said «you are not at Appleby’s…» Ok Ok…
I got the Manhattan steak which is a bone-​in NY Strip. It was fantastic and it was cooked perfectly. We had the au-​gratin potatoes and the mac & cheese. Dinner was excellent. My wife got the mix grill with the filet, it was very good (although I personally find a six ounce fillet to be way to small).
The service at this location was very good although I caution to say it is not fast. If you have theatre tickets, I would highly suggest you let the maitre d know ahead of time because otherwise you will get stressed out.
We treat ourselves to Morton’s a few times a year and we are never disappointed! I noticed one of the questions below was whether or not Morton’s was good for kids. To the best of my knowledge there is no kids menu, so if you want to drop $ 50 on your kids steak be my guest but otherwise I would say that it’s not terribly kid-​friendly

10/​20/​2015
A friend and I decided to come here for dinner (we didn’t feel like going to the Georgetown one and dealing with parking). Upon arrival, we stood at the hostess stand for almost 10 minutes without a word being spoken to us. Why? Because NO ONE was at the hostess stand. We had to stop a random waiter and ask who to speak to to be seated.
When we were finally sat, they gave us only drink menus. I’m not sure if that’s their custom, but I’m used to receiving drink and food menus at one time so that I can browse both. Anywoot, we had to ask for the food menus Twice.
When our food decided to come out, my steak was well done – I ordered Medium Well. Luckily it wasn’t dry. We ordered «„Twice Baked“ Au Gratin Potatoes» and the potatoes were not cooked and were cold. SO, we had to send that back. My fried ordered a medium steak, however… they brought her out a Rare steak. We had to send her steak back TWICE because they kept bringing her out Rare steak. I told the waiter, a Medium steak has just a touch of red in its center. By the 3^rd steak, they finally got it right. BUT, is this not a steakhouse? Why don’t you know how to cook your steak to its proper temperature?
Nonetheless, our waiter Sonny did a good job despite the kitchens mistakes. Luckily, they also didn’t charge us for the dishes they repeated made mistakes on. I would not attend this restaurant again, at least not at this location.

It really saddens me to write this but I must. My husband and I decided to go to Morton’s for his birthday dinner. We usually go to Ruth Chris when we want a superb steak. In any event, we won’t come back to Morton’s. The steak was bland, it does not remain hot throughout your meal like Ruth Chris. Keep the plate hot. The bar has been set on that note.
The manager suggested a garlic butter to help the steak taste better. It was still not that great. We were not impressed.
The sides were terrible and came out cold. I could nit pick from here but you get the gist. Overall, when you spend this type of $ for your meal, you should be impressed and completely satisfied. We were not. Not worth the $ or time.

Staff was very friendly and attentive.
The appetizer ordered was cooked but cold.
The food was exceedingly poor. Steak ordered medium came out raw to rare. They offered to heat it up but I never send food back. I used to eat steaks rare so I continued and discovered the meat was unedible do to gristle and connective tissue.
I’m guessing they had a trainee chef or just an off night.
It didn’t seem to register with them when our food was sent back uneaten.
After spending $ 150 we left and went to another restaurant.
I was told that Morton’s has become the «Cheesecake Factory» of steak houses.

So good.
I had the chicken Christopher, hubby had the Cajun ribeye. We shared a salad, broccoli and potato dish. So much food. So good. Waitstaff were superb.
The host was amazing.
A perfect meal for our last night in DC.

We ordered 2 rounds of drinks, 4 of 8 wrong the first time, 5 of 8 wrong second time. Waiter forgot ²⁄₂ salads and ¹⁄₁ soups. Bone in ribeye was ordered by 4/​8, cooked properly with very poor flavor. Oysters were delicious otherwise disappointing at every level.

Very nice atmosphere. Great host stuff, attentive and courteous. Food is great and fairly priced. Great place to go to with friends.

Great food, great prices, great location especially dinner on the patio with the lights around the railings & jazz like music playing in the background. Great customer service! I had steak & shrimp soooo good tender flavorful just all around fantastic! Delish desserts!

For Restaurant Week, I came here with 3 other co-​workers. The restaurant week lunch menu was very unimpressive while the regular prix fixe lunch menu had more options (i.e. Cheesecake, steak and etc) but it is a little more higher in price. I had ordered the five onion soup which was cheesy and good and the grilled salmon salad without walnuts. The salmon came out perfectly cooked in texture. I hate it when salmon comes out overcooked. Two co-​workers had ordered the burger with shoestring fries. The burgers were supposed to be medium but they came out medium-​well, however they said it tasted good. I’m not a fan of shoestring fries though as I like larger cuts. My other co-​worker ordered the rib eye steak with mashed potatoes cooked medium-​well. We had to ask the waiter (who was very helpful) that it came out medium-​rare. The waiter and manager made 3 attempts to get the steak to come out and each time it came out well-​done and medium. We tried the medium-​rare cut and it was good but for someone that likes their cut as medium-​well, I do not recommend coming here. My co-​worker ended up ordering the stuffed shrimp which still came a little overcooked but we settled with that. The manager ended up taking one meal off the bill.

This is months after the fact… we were in DC for a week and stopped in here to eat in the bar prior to catching a car to attend the Monday night Seahawk-​Redskin game. Outstanding service, fantastic atmosphere, and over the top service. Friendly, attentive bartender… and top notch steaks!

Service was so disappointing. It wasn’t that busy. It was too loud. We had a simple order of salads, soup and a side. We made it clear we were under time constraints. We asked for bread twice. Never received. Never received my side. Asked twice for my side. Didn’t come. We couldn’t find the waiter. The waiter became suddenly interested when it was time for me to pay the check (and leave a tip) and after I told him I wasn’t happy. That is just insulting. Don’t bother. Many other options close by.

After two years of having nothing but great food and service here I’ve had two very disappointing experiences in a row.
My previous visit, I came in the afternoon for drinks and around 4pm the server asked me to close the check for shift change. A agreed. I stayed for dinner and then was told I couldn’t get Landry’s Select Club credit on dinner because I had gotten it when I closed the earlier check and «you can only get credit one time a day.»
Tonight the service for me and two friends was appallingly slow and haphazard. We had drinks and bought cigars, which the server eventually delivered but didn’t bring a cutter and rushed away before we could ask for one. He didn’t come back for a while so we ended using match sticks to punch the caps.
One of my colleagues ordered a cocktail that wasn’t made properly the first time. They replaced it and the second one was good, but it should have been made right in the first place.
Twice, they tried to take away cocktail glasses that still contained half a drink.
Later, the server forgot to bring me a glass of wine that I had ordered but it was on the check. Of course he took it off the bill after I pointed this out. After an error like this it should have been offered compliments of the house.
This place is rather expensive and the service should be much more on the ball. I can no longer recommend it at these prices.

Came here for my *$\ Birthday :-). Going during the week you’ll definitely won’t fight for a table but reservations were made anyway. I love that they give you a menu that says happy birthday… corny but super cool.
What was on the table… cajun ribeye, lamb chops, mac & cheese, spinach, mash potatoes, bread and cocktails. Happy camper I was! It was delicious, however i couldn’t help but to compare it to RC. and I think Morton’s is my #2.

Looking for a nice upscale steakhouse in dc? Look no further. This place is it. I took a few customers here on a Wednesday night and they were thoroughly impressed. What was even more impressive was that this was the first Morton’s that I’ve visited that had a cigar menu in addition to its regular menu. So, of course, I had to order an Ashton Churchill Connecticut which, by the way, was one of the smoothest smokes that I’ve had by far.
I ordered the cajun steak medium well and the chef cooked it to perfection. The chef also recommended that I try the Basil Hayden bourbon and I must say that he recommended a great bourbon. The service was outstanding and I will definitely visit again when return to the DC area.