Senart's Oyster and Chop House Review

We (my husband and I) chose this restaurant on a whim. We wanted some seafood in a quaint, local spot. The building just looks cozy and the street is vibrant and fun. Inside of the restaurant the fireplace was lit and it wasn't too crowded for 6 pm on a Saturday. We kept commenting on the atmosphere and look of the restaurant, but after the food came, we kept commenting on the food. We had clam chowder, cocktail shrimp, burgers, fries, and mashed potatoes. EVERYTHING was delicious and we would definitely go there again and recommend it to anyone wanting to eat local in DC.

My Husband and I visited for brunch one Sunday and we had a lovely time. The burgers were excellent and the brunch menu was diverse. The atmosphere has an old-world DC feel and sophisticated. A great option for a pop in Sunday brunch.

I've been to this restaurant several times and each time I leave thinking it could be better. The service is a bit distracted and indifferent and I never get the feeling they are happy I'm dining there. Service on the slow side but the food was very good with the exception of the Malpeques oysters which were small and tasteless. The cheese and chatuterie plate selections were plentiful and delicious. My entre, a salmon topped risotto and side spinach was delicious. Very generous piece of salmon but a bit overcooked for my taste. For those interested in décor, the outside is showing serious signs of wear but the interior is really nice - one of the longest stone bar I've ever seen. It's a comfortable restaurant and a pleasant experience but could be better. (The owner has 7 other restaurants, many of which I've been to and just okay.)

I organized a large informal party at Senart's during happy hour, and overall, I was disappointed with the service at this oyster place. I had never been here, nor do I think anyone in my party had, which is the exact reason why we went. It was kind of a trek from where everyone works and lives, but that's why we were trying out a new place. The organization of the restaurant is a very long narrow space. There's some patio seating and then a very long bar about two thirds the length of the restaurant. They have chairs at the bar, but there's only room for about one or two people behind the chair. Because we were just doing the happy hour at the bar, we basically all gathered along the bar. However, you can't really do that for very long, because servers have to get all the way to and from the kitchen and the patio seats and are constantly walking past. The happy hour specials here are only OK. Chesapeake oysters are $1.50, which does not compare favorably with places like Pennsylvania 6 and Paolo's that have $1 oysters in a much better setting. And especially compared to the places I just mentioned, the quality of these oysters were not great and they were not as clean as I would have preferred. They also have shrimp specials, such as seven jumbo shrimp for $16. I don't know how that's a special, and the shrimp were overcooked. Service with a sore spot. They had one bartender for the entire bar, which is really a shame. She just was not good. And because she put our entire party on one check, it was automatic 20% gratuity. I don't think anyone of my party would've given her 20%, but we didn't make a fuss. Because we're basically in the middle of all the action, we saw all the food that they make here. Basically it is just pub food, heavy on fries and fried food. It did not look very appetizing. Overall, I was glad to try a new place, but I don't think I would be returning. It's only an OK place for a large group, but I will say that the place was empty so we weren't

This establishment is nicely appointed with a beautiful bar and inside and outside dining. I've always had good drinks but just average food when I have been here. The happy hour is reasonable for seafood but that being said, the oysters are nothing to write home about. If you really want seafood, I would suggest going to Hanks.