The Walrus Oyster & Ale House

Was there 2 day ago in the day time.
I was greeted at the door by a lovely young host, sat at the bar ordered a drink
but i have to say the bar tender was on drugs.
there was a guy at the bar who seamed to be the bar manager and he also looked like he was strung out on something.
I get it, its the restaurant BIZZZ drugs, alcohol and no sleep but come on who owns this place.
Oysters where great fresh and cold just the way i like them.
love the décor, not to sure about placement of tv my neck hurt from looking up at them.
waitstaff just seamed to be hanging out chatting and laughing and fooling around, this is not a great look for any restaurant.
I work in the Harbor and my wife said i should try this place so i have and might give it a second shot.

Tourists beware!
If you’re craving solid seafood and love cute walrus, oysters and ales, definitely stay away from the Walrus Oyster & Ale House.
Despite the awesome restaurant name, we came in with average expectation for the food & service. While our waitress was attentive, the food was just as bad as it gets.
We ordered the Maine lobster roll and the classic mussels — two staple items that any quality seafood restaurant should have their pride in. The lobster roll was small, the lobster meat tasted like out of the can, the fries were over cooked, the mussels were overcooked, and we didn’t get any table bread like other tables have gotten.
What’s worse is we suspected some of our mussels were spoiled and they overcooked them to get rid of the spoiled stink. Since we had less than 5 minutes before running to our appointment across the street, we opted not to create a scene and complain. Sadly to say, the table next to us also suffered the same fate with overcooked burger, fries and mussels.
The only thing we can do is to warn others about this place on Unilocal,so others don’t suffer the same fate as us.
Don’t blame the walrus. Blame the chefs and the incompetent kitchen staff.

Awesome place!!! Staff was soooo amazing! If tou go to National Harbor, you have to go there!!!

We went for lunch. I had the lobster roll and some oysters. Everything was pretty good, I just felt it was a little pricey.

Came on a Sunday night around 8PM with the family (9 people at the table). The food was alright but the service was pretty bad. The kids menu is good though! The atmosphere is pretty nice (reminiscent of a farm to table/​industrial type vibe).
Service: Started out alright, orders were taken pretty timely but after that there was relatively little attention paid to our table (there was hardly anyone else in the restaurant, so there wasn’t an excuse). We had to prompt other servers/​bus boys for things like silverware, water, where drink orders were (asked after maybe 10 minutes of waiting), etc. When we were leaving at around 9PM, they closed.
Food: The things that I ordered were the Tuna Tartare, Curried PEI Mussels, and Seared Ahi Tuna. Things that other people ordered at the table: Fish and Chips, Walrus Burger, the kids menu burger, and children’s chicken tenders.
Tuna Tartare was pretty good– cubed tuna on a wafer with dollops of either guacamole or sour cream.
Curried PEI Mussels were alright. They came with one roll of garlic bread and in a relatively small dish that made it hard to get to the mussels. Although this is in the «For the Table» section, it’s not conducive to sharing due to the difficulty getting to the mussels and the one roll of garlic bread that is smaller than a hamburger bun.
Seared Ahi Tuna: This was pretty good. The portion size seemed about right for $ 30 (given the pricey location at National Harbor). The added pork belly was a little weird with the dish. I don’t think it added anything and sort of took away from the main focus of the fish. The searing wasn’t especially well done– there was more of the tuna cooked than there should have been.
Observations on other people’s food at the table:
The fish and chips were alright, although a little smaller than I expected.
The Walrus burger looked good for a burger, nothing surprising.
The kids burger was almost the same size as the walrus burger, but a few dollars cheaper. I’d suggest trying to order it instead if you’re looking to save a few bucks!
The kids chicken fingers were much like the fish and chips; however, the size is expected for a child.
One quick note: the children’s menu items come with a free dessert, which is very nice. The cup of fruit has nothing good in it– mostly pineapple and grapes. The Root beer float is a scoop of vanilla ice cream in some very watery root beer. I do not recommend it.

I love oysters. When I was pregnant, I wasn’t allowed to eat them and I wanted them even more. I had my baby in September and my anniversary was a month later, so my husband suggested that we take a day to ourselves and head here. We sat at the bar and made friends with the bartender with the red beard and bald head, whose name escapes me. He was great at making my husband creative drinks so they bonded pretty quickly.
The selection of oysters here were pretty good and I appreciate the menu that describes the flavor of each kind. This spot also introduced me to my now favorite beer — Delirium Tremens. It’s a Belgian Strong Pale Ale and pretty hard to find in the stores. (I had to ask the beer and wine store to special order it for me.)
We came here a second time a month later and sat at the bar again. It was a more crowded evening so there were a few bartenders working that night, including our friend from before. They were all pretty attentive and again — our «friend» created a drink for myself and another for my husband. Again, we had yummy oysters and I had another delirium tremens. We even chatted up several other bar patrons. I will say, however, that the food is mediocre. I got a surf and turf dish and my husband got a po boy and they were just both okay. The calamari was also just okay. The fries were good though! We will stick to oysters and drinks here (I mean it is called «Oyster & Ale House) and maybe the camaraderie. 3 stars for the food 5 stars for the oysters, drinks, and service

Bottom Line: Overall it seemed a little overpriced, and I’m not sure I’d come here to eat a lot of oysters on the half-​shell, but I thought the food was good and the atmosphere was cool.
I’ve always thought that The Walrus Oyster & Ale House looked cool from the outside so I finally made it here for a late lunch and some day drinking. What I immediately liked about The Walrus was the cool décor. Its kinda retro but not too funky.
The seating options are at the bar or in the dining room. There is not a raw bar that you can sit at so the only bar is the booze bar. Actually, it wasn’t until I left that I saw the shucking station which seemed kinda small to me. Anyway, lucky for me my father sherpas oysters back from the Eastern Shore each week during oyster season so I skipped the oysters here and split calamari and a lobster roll with the BF. Both were very good as was the beer. I had the house Ale and thought it was tasty although surprisingly more pricey than other draft craft beers on the list. Service at the bar was great and I felt very comfortable and relaxed here.

I love the idea of all a la carte oysters ranging from mild/​buttery to salty. Well-​described on the menu, and a knowledgeable server to assist in the selection process. The steamed clams were extremely tasty with lots of garlic and butter. There were many local beers on tap as well as creatively served wines, also «on tap». Because of a food allergy we made an inquiry as to an ingredients in the chowder and the server was diligent in finding out the answer to my question. Clam chowder was pretty good. After all that food didn’t really have much room left, but decided to venture into the dessert menu in any event. Tried a cheesecake which was delightfully fluffy. Not the typical out of the fridge thick style, but rather, airy and with an oatmeal crust. Really good, and a nice smooth ending to this meal from the sea. The décor is what I would describe as casual, lightly industrial, and with a fun upbeat vibe in the national harbor. Thumbs up!

Kind of wish the menu had more choices, but on a nice day you can sit outside and get a nice view of the water and activities going on at the harbor. I ordered the shrimp and grits which tasted great!

«The time has come!» The Walrus said, «To talk of many things. Of shoes, of ships, of sealing wax, of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot, and whether pigs have wings!»
An adamant Lewis Carroll fan, I «got the reference» as soon as I saw the name «The Walrus: Oyster Bar». And of course, I had to go inside and check it out.
I popped in with a couple of friends after checking out «Ice» (a Christmas event) at the Gaylord hotel nearby. We were seated at the bar for a couple of drinks. The interior was very cool, with high ceilings, chalkboard paint on the walls with hand-​drawn frames, and hint of industrial-​meets-​farmhouse aesthetic. The drinks were good. Company was good. Service was good. I enjoyed myself.
My favourite detail was the glass in which my wine was served. It was etched with a quote from Lewis Carroll’s «The Walrus and the Carpenter». «Oh oysters, come and walk with us! The Walrus did beseech. A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, along the briny beach.»
Indeed, I thought. Many pleasant talks were had at that bar as we worked through our drinks. I’d like to go back and have a meal some day.

The freshness of the food was 5 stars, the shrimp po’ boy is out of this world and the service was a solid 4.5 stars. The problems poorly shucked oysters resulting in too much shell in each bite and the sour cream and guacamole were completely unnecessary in the tartare (simple fresh avocado would have been better). Great place, wonderful atmosphere… concerns are technical execution.

Pretty awesome place. Stopped by here because my sister had a craving for oysters. They were a bit pricey, but very fresh and delicious. They have several different varieties which is nice. They also have a pretty decent beer selection. Fried calamari was delicious too.

Yesterday I went to the walrus for the second time around. Once entering I was greeted immediately. I took a seat at the bar and was also greeted by my bartender Richard. I personally enjoy sitting at the bar versus a table simply because I think you get better service. Ok, moving on to the eats! I tried the gumbo which was amazing! I personally don’t like okra in my gumbo. So that made it even more enjoyable. While eating Richard brought over some bread and butter. I was indecisive on what I wanted to drink so Rich made me a sample of the pumpkin egg nog. It tasted like a dessert, it was great considering I don’t really drink egg nog. I then ordered some blue point oysters and the Blue crab stuffed gulf shrimp, which was the most delicious out of all three dishes.
So over all the service was amazing and the food was even better. I will definitely be back !!

Had been trying to get in here for months but always packed. Finally made it and well worth the wait! Food, drinks and service was the best. Our waiter Matt V gave the best service and recommendations!
Oysters, Sangria, lobster roll, gumbo and Blue oyster shrimp was what Matt recommended and all were awesome.
We’ll be back!!!

National Harbor doesn’t really have many options for true brunch. So, when a friend recommended an Oyster & Ale house for brunch, I was so not excited. I checked out the menu, and saw that their brunch options were limited.
The Walrus has tons of outdoor seating. It was a bit windy. So, we decided to sit at one of the open windows, but the Walrus has plenty of outdoor seating if you prefer. The Walrus also has a decent size bar.
The hostess were very nice as was the waitress. I ordered their version of eggs Chesapeake. It was good, but needed a little work. the poached egg was overcooked and I had to ask for more hollandaise, but the flavors of everything was pretty good. I also had the blood orange mimosa. Yum!!!
I’d definitely try the Walrus again.

As a desert girl, these oysters were amazingly fresh and delicious. Sometimes at Chinese buffets where they serve oysters, they’re a little hard to swallow and stomach. Not these! They’re fresh, mostly plump, very juice, and they have distinct flavor! Not that I could really distinguish the exact differences but they were definitely different.
But first, the bread basket. The cornbread tasted so hearty and so corny in a good way. It didn’t feel too oily. The poppers were sooooo good! Light, flaky, yet chewy, lightly salted with something… cheese? Just so good. Great way to start my meal.
I got the chefs choice or something which got me 12 oysters for 30. Got 4 of each of the barren something, stingrays, and the last one I forgot the name. The barren something’s were good. Nice way to start off ouster eating. Good flavor, meaty, fishy in a good way, just delicious. The platter came with one lemon wedge so I asked for more. The platter comes with cocktail sauce with horseradish and malt vinegar. I don’t like malt vinegar so I just mixed in the horseradish with cocktail sauce and used that. On the table they provide salt, pepper, Tabasco sauce, more vinegar, old bay, and some charleston South Carolina horseradish oyster hot sauce. Looked iffy so I didn’t try it.
Anyway, I ground salt onto ally oysters, lemon juice, and the sauce and I liked that a lot. My favorite oyster was the stingray. The barren islands were good but when I got to the stingrays they were even more flavorful. The only ones I didn’t like as much were the last one. Sorry no name… they were… they tasted prickly… kinda like straight up aloe.
My husband, who rarely eats raw food and hasn’t liked oysters much tried one of the stingrays and said it was really good. Then when I didn’t like the last one that much he tried some and thought they were fine.
He got fish and chips. Fish was fresh and good, the fries were also good. Lightly seasoned.
Service was good too! Friendly and polite.
If you’re an oyster fan, def come try!

This visit was much better than the previous one. Nick was a good server. I was pleased with my dining experience.
A great choice for brunch in a beautiful spot for patio dining when the weather is good! A nice view of the river from most of the patio. Plenty of umbrellas to provide shade. They start you off with a basket of excellent hot corn bread and popovers and a bottle of water.
The oysters were terrific. Perfectly shucked and fresh. The choice was twice as large this time compared to my last visit, although still a tad deficient on West Coast varieties. When I see Kushi and Kumamoto on the list, I’m going to want a dozen of them. It’s a disappointment if they don’t have them the day I’m there. (Of course, I understand they can always get everything and also have it fresh.)
Like last time, the salmon was excellent. Perfectly cooked with nice accompaniments of green beans, micro greens, and mashed potatoes.
A very good selection of wines by the glass that are very reasonably priced.

I came here for my son’s birthday. But I posted a real good review however I don’t see it so I am going to redo it now. So my son said dad I want them for my birthday. So we headed over to the walrus. The wait was 30 minutes. So my first trip is if there is a seat available at the bar, sit down. We got a quick seat at the bar and were mediately being helped by a wonderful, beautiful waitress or bartender. They didn’t have our favorite oysters. Blue points. I guess they are seasonal. We mixed a dozen.
I got the most amazing Blue crab stuffed gulf shrimp. Comes over cheesy grits. OMG. My sons dish was great also… just can not remember right now.
A table opened up right behind us and we immediately moved to that table. The waiter assisted in moving us and serving our food in a moment. By the end of the meal we were quite pleased. And the waiter said hey it’s your birthday you get to select from a desert. Being chocolate lovers. We went with thw chocolate rediculousness. Like a brownie stacked sunday in a tall glass. Heavenly. I know for a fact I gained 5 pounds that night. Just getting that is worth the visit.
Thanks for an incredible birthday celebration for my son’s 17^th.
We’ve been back since that initial report.
The oysters are always fresh.

LOVE LOVE this place. service was great we had 3 different people helping us, and it was a nice day out too, so sitting by the window was nice. food came quick, plenty of water refills.
the food was omg good. ya’ll know i am a foodie, and for me to love a place like this is amazing. I had their version of Oyster Rockefeller and the added caramelized onions is the bomb. it was only 16 for about 4 or 5, but these were huge oysters. i had the grits too, all they needed was more butter and more salt and pepper. It wasn’t awesome but good consistency.
I want to go back for their brunch they have, only $ 18 and they have a gospel choir/​band that starts at 1pm. I also want to try their 52oz drink for $ 22 with some friends.

Felt that the menu was over priced for the food
I ordered a fried seafood sampler basket which was. The same price as a steak entrée. Wife ordered Mac and cheese with lobster and found it to be very salty. We also ordered the Waterman oysters which is kind of like oysters Rockefeller, I believe that the weight of the oyster equaled the weight of the onion. Great drinks and service. Just underwhelmed by the food