Martins Tavern

Great food, great atmosphere, great service, great history. This place had it all, my chicken parm was crispy and cheesy and our waiter was witty and funny! Defiantly recommend this place, and a great wine selection too. BRAVO!

A group of 10 coworkers and I ate here out of desperation on Saturday morning following a 10k, as the other restaurants in the area were swamped. Martin’s was thoroughly meh; it seems the only reason it has customers is because of the prime location in Georgetown. The brunch buffet looked disappointing to say the least — I could tell from those Yoplait containers floating around in melting ice water — so we opted for a la carte.
To their credit, they found a perfect spot for 10 people in a booth in the back, that was actually quite dark and creepy, as some of my coworkers commented. Their brunch menu is totally standard, e.g., eggs, french toast, bagels. It took FOREVER for them to come out with our relatively simple orders. I had a «your way» omelette with smoked salmon, Swiss cheese, and mushrooms, which came with a delightful side of potatoes. Getting the smoked salmon in the omelette ended up being a huge mistake because the salmon cooked inside the egg, such that when I poked the omelette open, what appeared to be a fully cooked filet sat inside. For some reason, I found this totally revolting. Get the smoked salmon on the side. The Bloody Marys weren’t particularly strong, nor garnished with anything interesting like a slider — rather, it came with one fat green olive.
Paying for the group, I stupidly tipped 20% without realizing gratuity had already been added to the bill. Well, I hope it made the waiter’s day.
In short, I would have rather even gone to the take-​out place nearby with Turkish bagels (i.e., Simit + Smith) rather than get a totally mediocre brunch at Martin’s. Maybe even I would’ve preferred, gasp, Pain Quotidien.

Waiter is soooooo bad. that gay is bald old man, so baaaaaad
Service also very bad
We all came out feeling so bad that ruined a long time

Shepherd’s Pie is the best I’ve ever had. This place is the best in town. Love the history, love the food, and the owners really understand hospitality. I do not miss a chance to come here every time I’m in town.

Booked a reservation at the «Proposal Booth» and had a fabulous brunch. Chesapeake Benedict (fried green tomato, crab cake, poached egg and house made Hollandaise sauce) was amazing. So amazing I forgot to take a pic!
Wait staff and managers were awesome, but the kitchen was a bit slow. Totally worth the wait though!

We came here because I heard it is a historical tavern. But in terms of food, it is just about average. Good service and a little bit expensive.

If you’re looking for a lunch spot in Georgetown with an old school feel, Martin’s Tavern fits the bill. Who doesn’t want to dine in the place where JFK proposed to Jackie?
The wait on the particular day we visited was about 10 – 15 minutes and the place was busy due to the Georgetown commencement ceremony, but it added to the charm of this place seeing graduates in their gowns having brunch with their families. We scored a table in the dugout so it felt quaint and cozy. We enjoyed our visit.

I can’t believe we stumbled into a historical tavern right here a block from our hotel.
Opened in 1933, it has a vibrant energy that has characterized it since and also because it has welcomed President’s and Statespeople who apparently had their favorite booths, but also Mickey Mantle in The Dugout Room, George W. Bush and family at Table 12, JFK and Jacque, the board of education met here…
It is a family affair as the Fourth generation owner keeps up the tradition of one of, if not the oldest family owned restaurant and for sure a Georgetown landmark.
We sat at a great corner booth, the Madelaine Albright table with a view of the bustling scene.
Our server, Zach was super nice and accommodating for us, I mean he even brought me a small size glass of Blue Moon, my favorite, while having to endure the political slandering going on at our table as my party sparred their political views. Fun.
Great carnivore fare with some vegetarian options. But it is a place for traditional comfort food from shepherds pie to burgers, chili and roasts and awesome starters, salads, soups and au jus…
Great beer list too, of course, it is a Tavern.
Casual and noisy it is a bustling place but they do not take reservations so be prepped to maybe wait a tad. You come here to have fun and everyone does.
Do read the hand out that is printed at every table to learn about the intrigue of who is who ate here.
I do have to make more mention of Zach our waiter on the second time we dined here in as many days. A pro in every sense. He remembered us from the night before and halfway through the meal, brought me the same blue moon in a small glass. I fell in love. It is that kind of thing that makes me have a memorable evening. Thanks Zach. And thanks to the Martin family for making a great spot that I will totally mark on my map.

Two words: Onion Loaf
Your boyfriend may hate you afterwards, but trust me it is so worth it! Eat ALL ZE CRISPY ONIONS!
Martin’s Tavern has been an old Georgetown favorite haunt for eons and with good reason they serve up quality food in a friendly neighborhood atmosphere. Think Cheers, the Max, the Peach Pit or what TGI Fridays wishes it was.
A few things to note:
+ They serve brunch every single day of the week so you can make your mimosa dreams come true Monday through Friday. This is particularly great news for my families in the medical profession who have to work through their weekend pancake cravings.
+ The third booth to the right when you walk in is where John F Kennedy proposed to Jackie O, oh so many years ago. They lived down the street so this was their favorite local spot to hang out.
+ Like old restaurants, booths are definitely made for people of a smaller stature. At barely 5’2″ I was feeling quite cozy!
+ This place definitely seems like it has an all ages welcome sign on it. From families to the elderly, everyone looked to be having a great time.
+ Service was wonderful and oh-​so-​accomodating. You can tell they really take pride in their work. They didn’t even bat an eyelash when we asked for extra, extra, extra grilled bread to sop up all of the delicious broth in their mussels!
+ Their chicken ceasar was on point. Like super on point and I wish I ordered a second order.
If this place is good enough for many of our presidents (everyone from Harry Truman to President Bush so far) than it is certainly good enough for me!

Old School, on the Georgetown tourist trail and sells itself as the place with history. In fairness they’re did seem to be a smattering of locals (or localish) people in and the ‘guvnor’ was at the bar so I can’t knock ‘em for a lack of authenticity.
Food was bar fare, service was slow, Check was ok, all in all, no complaints here.

Very cozy, but a little on the smaller side. It’s a very classic Georgetown place and I would recommend going! They do get crowded so try to book a reservation if you can. The brunch is so good, the traditional eggs Benedict was amazing and the omelets are a decent portion. They have bloody Mary’s and mimosa’s as well. The staff is so friendly and accommodating and got us the Richard Nixon booth right away.

The tavern is quite unique. Attentive service, good food and it has memorable décor. I love the long bar.

Easter brunch was fantastic. We were a party of 5. Eggs Benedict were delish. Great flavor! We also had a Shrimp & Grits dish that was amazing. My daughter got the Monte Cristo and she raved over the flavor of her sandwich, it was served with apple butter.
We made reservations on Open Table for 12:30. The city was busy and our commute took a little longer than we expected. I called the restaurant to let them know we were running late and they responded «no problem, your table will be ready when you arrive.» We were about 10 minutes late and we were immediately seated. Very nice restaurant!

Obviously had to eat here on my trip to DC a few years back since JFK proposed to Jackie here. We didn’t sit in the infamous proposal booth, but nevertheless this was probably my favorite meal in DC.
We went for brunch and there was a bit of a wait, but nothing too crazy. I remember having the clam chowder (which is really awkward, because I’m looking at the menu now and it says that the chowder is «accented with bacon» which I tend to stay away from, so beware of that!) but the real star of the show was MARTIN’S HOUSE BENEDICT!
Martin’s House Benedict is essentially a crab cake benedict over fried green tomatoes. So much yes! I want to eat this dish a million times more.
— Fried green tomatoes: done to perfection
— Crab cakes: done to perfection
— Poached eggs: done to perfection
I wolfed this down so quickly, I’m not even sure I was breathing!
The entire city of DC has a whooole lotta history, but for some reason I’m a real sucker for Martin’s. Would definitely recommend checking it out if you’re in search of a delicious, hearty meal.

I wish I could give this place six stars. This is one of my favorite restaurants I’ve ever been to.
The service is phenomenal, you are treated as a member of Congress or as any of the famous patrons that have historically sat at the booths and bar.
The food is exceptional. Everything that my party ordered was amazing. I ordered the Shepards Pie with lamb and it was superb using only top notch ingredients. My drink was strong and the bread pudding for dessert almost made me cry with applause.
My brother ordered a steak with mashed potatoes and they were savory to say the least.
Yum, yum, yum. For the rest of my life, I will always make a stop at Martin’s any time I arrive in DC.
Definitely get the bread pudding!

We stumbled on this little gem by accident. I simply clicked a spot on the map of my phone just to get the GPS to get us to Georgetown. We were looking for a spot to get breakfast. Turns out Martin’s Tavern was a great spot so we decided to give it a try. We were also excited to find out that this was the place JFK proposed to Jackie O. We sat out on the patio, enjoyed some mimosas and our food. I ordered the Eggs Benedict and it was one of the best Eggs Benedict I’ve had. The place was charming, the service was excellent and the food was terrific. I would recommend going here.

I have yet to figure out why this place was slammed busy on a Saturday afternoon.
I regret not reading the reviews before popping in here. The food was over priced and quality was below average. Service was slow and inattentive.
Save yourself the time and money and go elsewhere.

It’s President’s Day holiday, it’s snowing & raining.
Hungry and tired after walking around Georgetown & Dupont Circle, saw this little tavern.
Love at first sight. (^_​^)
Waitress was attentive
Food was awesome
Need I say more? I guess not

Perfect bar to post up and have a good beer in. Stumbled across and loved it! The bar tender was incredibly friendly and resourceful– giving us tips on other places to go. We both enjoyed a Guinness but everyone around us looked like they were enjoying delicious pub food. We felt like locals at our neighborhood bar and enjoyed the charming vibe and the deep history here. Can’t wait to come back again!

Went here for brunch a few weeks ago. It was a great experience.
Atmosphere: EXCELLENT. Very well decorated, and included all winter/​holiday decorations. ¹⁰⁄₁₀
Service: It was very busy when we went here for brunch a few weeks ago. Very long wait, but staff were attentive.
Food: I was actually a bit disappointed in the food. I felt as though there was something missing from the food (flavoring). I was not wowed.
Price: Typical DC brunch price, but for the lack of food flavor, not the best bargain.

One of the best «true and authentic» DC experiences you’ll have. The incredible ambiance of Martin’s turns you into a time traveler, immediately taking you back to the middle of the 20^th Century. Oh, and if that isn’t cool enough, the food and service is fantastic too. Alejandro is one of the very best hosts in the entire DC area. He made our experience there unforgettable. Make sure to say hi to him if you stop in, you won’t regret it.

iT’S an amazing place. Historic, fancy, cozy, relaxing, just a place to go and enjoy. i love pot rost and French onion soup
One of the bartender at the bar is great very old school

Had an amazing experience at Martin’s! My BF is new to the area and we stumbled upon it as we were walking around. So happy we did! The atmosphere was so cozy and I loved learning that it was the oldest family run restaurant in D.C.
The service was great! Our waitress gave us the right amount of (very helpful) advice on the area without being overbearing. Food and drinks came out quickly, but we were still given time to enjoy it and not rushed (even though the place was packed).
Great food! Between the 2 of us we ordered a bowl of lobster bisque (special), the seafood omelette (also a special), and the crab cakes Benedict over fried green tomatoes. Everything was delicious!
I’d highly recommend dining at Martin’s (especially for brunch)!

Came here for late breakfast… Food was very good. I ordered the rancher. Eggs ham and pancakes. Really good. My wife also ordered the same and lived it. Sat in the proposal booth. Cool spot

The ambiance and history here is great. There is a warm neighborhood bar feel. We reserved a particular booth as we had out of city guests coming in for brunch. We even called to confirm we would have that booth. When we arrived, the booth was not available and to make it worse, the staff was rude/​snobby about their mistake.
Our waitress was not warm at all. This has the potential to be a Georgetown treasure, but time after time the service is subpar. Step it up if you want to compete with the other great Georgetown restaurants.

This place definitely did NOT live up to the hype — especially for the price. The food was average at best and the servers were more interested in talking to one another than in serving their guests. I had such high expectations after reading the reviews and history but was sadly disappointed. I think this place is surviving on a reputation from the past that they are currently not living up to.

Absolutely splendid. Wonderfully decorated for the holidays but with a relaxed feel. Joey the manager was very hospitable and made sure that we were taken care of. We got the calamari and shrimp and it was delicious. The best part was the shrimp grips that came out as my entrée, very juicy and delicious. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ would come back again

For me, any trip to Washington DC is incomplete without a visit to Martin’s Tavern.
Lots of good food (the meatloaf is my favorite), and the place is simply dripping with history. Where else can one dine and look about to realize how many US presidents have been within the same?

Nice, cozy, well decorated place. Has history of former presidents that have dines here.
HOWEVER,
food is just ok. I can’t say it was good, some was kinda bad. The sliders were very rare and tastes game-​y. Almost like it was bison meat. Had to put on gobs of hot sauce to kill the taste. The fish n chips, fish was not very flavorful and mushy instead of flakey. The fries were good. The clam chowder was ok.
Bathroom door was broken and we couldn’t use the soap dispenser because it was right above the faucet.
It seems like the type of place that has stopped trying because it has a good history.

Kitschy old school bar and restaurant. This is the kind of place I can almost imagine in The Godfather or similar, although it’s more notable for its Presidential affiliations including the JFK proposal.
Food and beer wise, no surprises here. The only vegan option I saw was fries, and the beer options were limited to dive bar ones. Still, some nice décor, and friendly service.

We just came here for drinks and a light snack. They have a very friendly staff. I like the history cards at each table to explain why the venue is important to DC.
The prices are a little high, but it’s DC, what do you expect.
Love the ambiance, old chandeliers, and overall feel and décor of the restaurant.

I am giving this place 3 stars. The restaurant layout is really nice and really pretty at night. I was hoping to get here for breakfast but my girlfriend decided to sleep in.
The waiter was on point for everything. However he barely could say hello, or smile, or really make it a memorable experience for what we paid for and as a waiter myself that really counts. That said everything came out and I was happy our food was hot when it arrived.
My girlfriend and I ordered the soup on a really cold day. I ordered the French Onion soup. The French onion soup I ordered was amazing. Just the way I remember it everything down to the bread in the bowl with the onions, and the cheese over the top of the cup completely covering it. I drank every last bit of the soup.
My girlfriend and I tried the Oyster Stew and it was flavorless. Also my girlfriend didn’t really like the Oysters they didn’t taste fresh so she finished the broth and left most of the soup in the bowl. Pretty disappointing considering the soup cost $ 12.
When the bread arrived we got 2 good pieces of bread and the third piece of bread was burnt on top.
I ordered the Chicken Parmesan and the red sauce for the fettuccine was different but I ate just about everything. I really liked my entrée and on my front of the entrée’s nothing was wrong. A bit pricey but I saw the prices before I came in.
My girlfriend ordered the Martin’s Tavern Treat which was crab on an English Muffin. Her crab and English Muffin was good but the vegetables that came with it were overcooked and looked soggy. She didn’t even touch the vegetables which she usually does when we go out.
The waiter frequently replaced our water, and refilled my soda.
We are undecided on coming back here. We at the end are extremely bloated and felt like it was a little bit of a tourist trap. I might give them a try but like I said am unsure overall.
Thanks for letting us experience your restaurant

We had an overall good visit. We had The meatloaf, the hot brown and calamari. There was a shrimp and calamari appetizer, however, he is allergic to shellfish, so he asked for just calamari, and they accommodated him.
The service was a bit slow as mentioned in previous reviews, but it was unusually busy for a Tuesday night. My suggestion if you do go here is the Welsh Rarebit. Delicious cheese dip with bread, Hummmmmm!

My friends and I stumbled upon Martin’s on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. We mostly decided to dine here because of the outdoor seating, and I’d say that was the highlight of the experience.
We arrived around 3 and brunch was just ending, but we got to put our breakfasty orders in right under the wire. All of the options were pretty standard… I know brunch menus are generally pretty invariable but even given that understanding, I didn’t find much of interest. I ended up ordering the omelette with avocado, goat cheese, tomatoes and onions. It was fine — hard to mess up an omelette — but was sorely lacking in goat cheese, especially since the goat cost extra. On a brighter note, there was plenty of avocado. The dish also came with over-​season home fries and some fresh fruit. Despite the decent amount of food served, it was still more expensive than necessary.
Apparently this place has been around since 1933. Maybe they’ve found that sticking to the staples is the key to their staying open, but I think Martin’s Tavern could benefit from taking some more risks… and being a tad more generous with the goat cheese. Seriously.

Came here for dinner on Sunday with my family, there were 5 of us. For appetizers we got the crab cakes, fried tomatoes, and lamb. Absolutely phenomenal food. The lamb was juicy and flavorful, I recommend it. For dinner my auntie and I got the prime rib. Got the regular cut medium rare. They give you a baked potato with it but I got the garlic mashed potatoes which the server had no problem with. That was nice of them to do!
I would give them 5 stars but I think the service could have been more seamless. There’s a nice balance to be found between commanding your table and not disturbing the guests. I think we were there for 45 minutes before our entrée orders were taken.
Anyways, this place is a DC staple and delicious. I recommend!

My boss took me here on Friday afternoon for lunch. I recommend heading here for lunch because the crowds are far thinner than during dinner or during a night of drinks. I had the Breakfast Sandwich #2 when I dined here, and it was delightful. The ham was cooked yet tender, and the egg was precisely over-​easy. The cheesecake was a good dessert, but it was a bit overpriced. For how much I paid, I thought I was going to get the greatest slice of cheesecake ever.
As for the service, our waiter was nice, but a bit inattentive. It was a humid day, and I was very thirsty, but it often took him a long time to come by and refill my water. I only got to drink two full glasses of water throughout my entire visit, which is pretty stingy if you ask me.
Overall, I recommend Martins if you have a little bit of time for a good lunch and you don’t mind mediocre service.

This place was top notch and I plan on making this my regular hang out. The food, service, and atmosphere was so great! They get quite busy and we waited 45 min without a reservation on a Saturday night, but it was worth the wait by far. The historical aspect of
this place is also intriguing and makes it feel that much more amazing. Highly recommended!

Beware this place gets extremely packed on weekends. They do have seating at the bar though, which is where I sat for a Sunday brunch.
There seemed to only be one bartender for the whole bar, so she was a bit slow in serving everyone.
The mimosas were alright, a bit too pulpy for my taste though. I ordered a custom omelet with home fries, toast, and fruit. The home fries were amazing! Perfectly cooked, and topped with onions and peppers. One the best I’ve had in awhile. The omelet was also really delicious and well-​made.
Overall this place was pretty good, but wasn’t anything amazing. A tad pricey, but that’s expected in the georgetown area.

I should give this 5 stars for the history and whisky selection alone. Our bartender was attentive and engaging despite a packed bar. Had the Welsh rarebit with a beer. Fraught choices were a bit pedestrian though they did have Dogfish Head 60 Minute.
Great spot in Georgetown area.

We had the chance to sit in the famous booth #3 or JFK proposal booth.
It’s an excellent chance to experience something historical and wonder about all of the conversations that the walls have heard.
One thing Nixon definitely got right was his love of the meatloaf. Definitely order that!

Try the lobster roll — it’s was amazing except a little on the small side for the price. Wine list was basic but reasonably priced and the service was good.
It’s a quirky little place in Georgetown but is worth checking out. Nice and cosy interior.