Old Ebbitt Grill

The management and staff of Old Ebbitt provided phenomenal service at our wedding. The venue was absolutely gorgeous and they even took care of putting together my centerpieces for me! The food was absolutley delicious and the management worked with me to make sure I was getting the most food/drink for my money.

Overall, we were very pleased with our wedding at Old Ebbitt! It is a unique venue if you are looking for something different than the usual hotel or country club. It is fabulous in that it is a great and interesting space in the atrium, but part of the restaurant, so unlike other unique spots in DC where you have to coordinate with a caterer, it is all there for you! Guests absolutely raved about the grandeur of the marble floors and high ceilings in the atrium, as well as the view from the rooftop cocktail hour (both DC people and our many out-of-towners)!
The quality of the food was great- during the cocktail hour we had 2 of the platter options, 5 passed apps, and the raw bar option (to meet the Saturday night minimum). There was so much food some people were surprised to find that there was more food to come downstairs (haha, maybe some of our older guests who aren't frequent wedding guests these days)! Anyhow, the filet/crabcake duo was delicious as well. I was a bit nervous about the fact of 120 steaks coming out at the same time and cooked appropriately- but it was all good! And the mango/raspberry sorbet option---- we swore it was Haagen Dazs! All of this (plus a salad), as well as open bar with passed wine at dinner. A really reasonable price for what the average DC venue offers! The service personnel were fabulous, and really tuned into what the guests needed--- instead of just a standard waitstaff I felt they were taking care of our guests.
With all of those positives, we did find some difficulty in communicating with the wedding coordinator the WEEK of the wedding. We were in the process of finalizing, and I really had to track her down to figure it all out. Also, I was really disappointed that when our guests arrived, signs were not yet up, directing them where to go. I had read this with a previous reviewer and made an extra effort to emphasize that I had many out-of-town guests, and wanted clear signs up early. Supposedly they did not go up until 5:30pm, and many of our guests were already there at 5...With all that said, when I did speak with her she was very flexible and helpful, and had some great ideas for us. It was just the issue of making contact (and when your wedding is 4 days away, you wonder why you are the one making the contact and not the other way around?). So to me, the overall experience was worth the bit of stress of coordinating.

The Old Ebbitt Grill was a longtime favorite restaurant of ours, so it was a great idea when recommended by a friend who attended a wedding there. We knew the food would be great and that was important to us, so we checked it out.

The atrium space in the back is a great unique choice for a wedding. We wanted something with a "DC" feel and you can't beat Old Ebbitt for that.

We didn't really encounter any problems during the planning process - there were a few change-ups in the role of the events coordinator (not Bobbilyn, she is the manager) but it didn't seem to really impact our event at all. There were some minor lapses in communication via email, but again, nothing that impacted the event in the end.

We had our entire event at Old Ebbit - ceremony, cocktails and reception. Bobbilyn indicated that they did not frequently do ceremonies on site, but she worked with us to make it all happen and it was great. We used the roof terrace (not open to the public generally) for the cocktail reception and it was an absolute hit with the guests - even DC folks were amazed by the view up there.

On the day, everything flowed perfectly - and I was EXTREMELY impressed with the professionalism of the staff and the food was perfect. They easily accommdodated all of our strange allergies and food requests. As someone who has done event planning as a career, I was very pleased with how everything turned out in the end.

Even when one of my guests had a bit of an issue at the end of the night (guest's fault), Bobbilyn handled the situation was grace and professionalism!

The Old Ebbitt Grill isn't what I would call a "cheap" wedding location, however, considering the cost of hosting a wedding in DC, comparing that to other venues and what you gain by having it at the Old Ebbitt - I am very happy to have had my wedding there.

Overall, I thought the Old Ebbitt Grill was an excellent venue for our wedding reception. I chose this venue because of the unique style of the Atrium and I like their food. The food served the day of the reception was slightly different than what we had tasted but, it was still very good.

The staff and planning team were very helpful and professional. The only disappointing aspect to the venue is that they charge an additonal rental and food and beverage fee to use the rooftop for cocktails. This area cannot be rented separately if the entire Atrium is rented; therefore, I thought that it should be included as part of the Atrium rental as opposed to an additional fee.

Other than that, I was very pleased with the venue and it was a beautiful place for the reception.

They were not the easiest people in the world to deal with, and things DID go wrong (their fault) on our wedding day, but if I had to do it over again I would still choose to have my reception at Old Ebbitt. First and foremost, you absolutely cannot beat the price. I searched far and wide for a better deal and there just isn't one. Not only are you getting a fantastic deal price wise, but the quality is great. This is the only place I know of in the DC metro area where you can have a phenomenal wedding that looks very expensive for $110/pp for plated filet with a 5 hr open bar. My guests raved about the food and the oyster bar (side note: I only did the oyster bar because I didn't meet my minimum, but if I had to do it over again I would have paid extra for one. I don't even like oysters, but apparently all my guests do because everyone went on and on and on and on about how much they loved the oyster bar. Definitely worth doing). So, I really do think the end result was well worth putting up with any of the negatives that we experienced. By having an inexpensive reception, I was able to spend more money in other places (a very expensive dress, an incredible band, etc). Speaking of the extras, something I would absolutely recommend to all brides out there is to go with uplighting by John Farr. It COMPLETELY transformed the room. I mean, COMPLETELY. It was not cheap and I felt so guilty after booking him, but it was honestly worth every penny. There are many places where you do not need uplighting, but at Old Ebbitt it makes the room look exponentially better. I figured that we spent so little on the food and beverage that it was worth it.

I will also say that Old Ebbitt took full responsibility for the areas in which they made mistakes and went out of their way to correct them as best they could. Some of the mistakes they made were not fixable, which kind of sucked, but they really did go above and beyond to try to make it better. I think no matter where you have your reception, it's very possible that someone will screw something up (honestly this is true of all vendors, not just the reception place) but it's how the company responds to the screwups that really defines their professionalism. At work, I know I try to do my best too but sometimes I certainly make mistakes and I try to rectify them as best as possible, and I think Old Ebbitt was the same way. Bobbilyn (the woman in charge) has some learning to do, but she's only been there for a year and was actually a very nice girl. She is not perfect (who is), but she was very helpful on many occasions, had some great ideas, and I know that with time she will become more seasoned.

So, all in all, I highly recommend using them. If I have any advice for future brides, it would be to stay on top of things as much as possible to minimize anything going wrong on your day. Hiring a competent wedding planner would also be a big help.

We hosted a wedding reception for approximately 150 guests in the Old Ebbitt's Atrium. The space is a great alternative if you're looking for something a bit different from the standard hotel ballroom and the location really can't be beat. I was blown away by how beautiful the space looked when we walked in for the reception. We used one of the Ebbitt's reception menu packages and I have to admit, the price per guest for what you receive is outstanding. I felt we received great value for our money. Our guests raved about the food and the service from the waitstaff and bartenders. The team at the Ebbitt was also very accommodating of some of my special reception requests and met with me on several occassions to finalize these details, which I appreciated.

That said, I think there are a few things to keep in mind before signing on the dotted line. The restaurant underwent a change in their senior event coordinator last summer and there still seem to be some growing pains and a lack of communication between the Ebbitt's event team. While both of the restaurant's event coordinators went out of their way to work with me, I found myself having to do more follow up than I had anticipated because they just didn't seem to be talking to each other. We had paid to use the Ebbitt's private entrance to the Atrium and I was surprised to learn that when a bus of my guests arrived at the restaurant about 10 minutes before our reception was scheduled to begin, they found the private doors locked and a member of the waitstaff just beginning to post signage for the reception outside. I realize we were a bit early, but I had communicated to the Ebbitt's event manager that I expected to have these details ready in advance. I also learned that the event staff began removing the tables and chairs from the Atrium within minutes after our 11 pm end time. Several guests returned to what was left of their tables (including the mother of the bride) only to find that their personal belongings had been removed as well. This was definitely not the impression I wanted my guests ending their evening with! We also learned that sound can be a major issue in the Atrium space. This is not something that the Ebbitt can control or change, but you will want to make sure your DJ or band brings enough speakers to fully cover your event area.

Despite these drawbacks, our overall experience at the Ebbitt was great and I have so many happy memories from our evening. I would just advise that you be ready to really stay on top things (or be ready to hire someone to stay on top of things for you) so that you and your guests can have as enjoyable an evening as possible. And don't forget to order the fried oysters!

They were helpful in working with our budget, and particularly great because you can rent out the entire Atrium behind the restaurant for only $250. The rest of the cost is just food/service charge/tax.

Only annoying thing so far is that they don't have a piano on site, so we have to pay a lot to bring one in and out on the day of the wedding.

We used the Old Ebbitt Grill as our reception venue and it was a mixed bag. The wedding coordinator for the restaurant had just changed, and I think the new woman (Bobbilyn) still has some learning to do.

First off, the food and service of the actual waitstaff was excellent. We had the steak and salmon and it was great.

However, there were kinks in the overall organization and carryout of the event. The atrium (where most of wedding receptions are held) has a separate entrance than the regular restaurant entrance and there is supposed to be a sign there for guests so that they know where to go. There was no sign and no one was directing the guests. Therefore, many were milling around outdoors or trying to go into the main entrance for the restaurant (which if you ever go to Old Ebbitt, you know is a zoo). This was very poor management on Old Ebbitt's part since I had repeatedly confirmed with them that there would be a sign for guests and it is something they automatically are supposed to do. It was a very bad way to start the event because guests were confused and it was disorganized.

Also a problem were the bartenders. Because of supposed strict ABC laws, they were ID-ing guests (some of who were groomsmen that had forgotten their IDs). Also, they wouldn't let guests order drinks for others. One of these guests was my 50 year old Uncle that was trying to order an extra drink for my 85 yr old Grandmother. It was embarassing to say the least that the bartender would not let him do so. Foremost on my mind was the enjoyment of our guests, and this caused problems for them.

I also specifically put in my contract with Old Ebbitt that I needed to use their clake plate, and it was not provided. The cake was on the original foil-lined cardboard it came on. Really, I am not quite sure what Bobbilyn actually did that night, because it certainly was not managing my reception. If you want to book at Old Ebbitt, you should really try to pin her down before the event and pound into her head what you need. There does not seem to be good communication between her and Gena (the contact at Old Ebbitt that I dealt with primarily leading up to the wedding).

Also a consideration - the bathrooms. The atrium does not have their own set of bathrooms and guest either have to go through the bar to use the single or walk through the entire restaurant and down the stairs to the main bathrooms. I knew this beforehand, but liked everything else about Old Ebbitt and booked anyway. Knowing how much that would effect guests as I do know, I should have given it more thought. There was a drunk guest in the bathroom that yelled at my 8 yr old nephew at one point. Also, it was just a pain for all of my guests and took forever.

As I said earlier, the food was great and the people that served the food did a great job. Also, the restaurant was courteous enough to package leftover cake for guests, which was thoughtful.

Based on my experience, I cannot whole-heartedly recommend Old Ebbitt. However, if Bobbilyn gets replaced by a better coordinator (or if she gets better at her job), I would recommend it (if you really think long and hard about the bathroom issue). If you book it, STAY ON TOP OF BOBBILYN. I have relayed all of my concerns to her supervisor. I cannot guarantee that this will have any sort of effect, but hopefully any future weddings there will not have the same problems as mine.

Great food, great service

Great food, great place, great service. Just go there and eat once and you'll love it. Good price per plate, too. We had the dinner in the atrium of the restaurant, a great setting, just somewhat hard to hear anyone making a speach because there are other parties and/or diners in there with you.

We held our rehearsal luncheon at the Old Ebbitt Grill immediately following our rehearsal at the Willard. Old Ebbitt is within walking distance from the Willard, so it worked out perfectly. The weather was nice so it was pleasant to walk down and have lunch at Old Ebbitt. The service and the food was outstanding. I had requested a screen so that we could play some slideshow photos during the lunch - they were very accomodating. They also were fine with us coming early to set up the tables with our own centerpieces, placecards and favors. You can see our rehearsal menu at my wedding website at www.weddingwire.com/wong. We paid about $1,500 for a luncheon for 30 people. The only drawback is that the parking was not covered since it was a Sunday luncheon, so we had everyone park at the Willard.

Old Ebbitt Grill is one of our favorite restaurants in the DC area. The staff there are very helpful and attentive. The food is amazing and the service for our event was great. The private room at Old Ebbitt is a great place to have a close get together with family and friends before the big day.

I would recommend Old Ebbitt to anyone! It exceeded my expectations in every way. The rooftop cocktail hour overlooking the sites of DC was something that I will remember forever!