Mussel Bar & Grille
800 N Glebe Rd, Arlington, VA, 22203
Mussel Bar & Grille Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Arlington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Arlington for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Arlington for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
800 N Glebe Rd
Arlington, VA, 22203 - Phone (703) 841-2337
- Website https://www.musselbar.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 12
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Garage, Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Trendy
Noise Level : Average
Good For Dancing : No
Alcohol : Full Bar
Happy Hour : Yes
Best Nights : Wed, Thu, Fri
Coat Check : Yes
Smoking : No
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Mikie S.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I've been dying to try this place since it opened, but it never panned out. Today was the day!!! I had a half order of the Provincial Mussels, Lobster Mac, and my friend had the filet. The mussels were in a really rich and almost creamy sauce. The Lobster Mac was unreal, it was so damn good. It was also a full dinner portion so I took most of it home. My friend was pleasantly impressed by his filet. His is a very picky eater and will not hesitate to complain or send food back. He was happy with how well the meat was cooked and it had a buttery well flavored taste. For desert we had the new maple/sour cream ice cream.... This is better than sex! It came with meringue kisses and caramel popcorn. I totally loved the meringue kisses, but didn't care for the popcorn. THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE SPOT! I'm def coming back for brunch this Sunday and bringing tons of friends! -ps the service and beer were fantastic too!
(5)Aryn C.
A large group of girls (15) and I headed to Mussel Bar for a birthday celebration. I arrived 30 minutes earlier than our reservation to see if we could be seated and not only was the hostess staff very friendly but they were able to seat us and we didn't have to wait for our entire party to arrive. I sat at the bar for a bit when I arrived and had the cocktail of the week; it was so-so and slightly over-priced but I think if I had the same drink 5 months down the road after they've been serving and open for awhile, I'll see a difference. For my meal I ordered the mushroom mussels with sweet potato fries ($22 for mussels and $2 fries), which most of the girls ordered some type of the restaurant's mussel offerings. My entire meal was absolutely amazing and I was practically eating the mussel sauce like a soup is was so tasty. Not to mention the sweet potato fries came with 3 dipping sauces and were very crispy and delicious as well. I have to say the most amazing part of the night was our waiter splitting our check 15 ways WITHOUT us even asking... that is a rare rare quality. Possibly expect slightly slow service... they've only been open a week and the place was jamb-packed when I went. All in all great place to grab a drink and delicious mussels to go with. Great addition to Arlington and I'll be returning soon!
(4)Hannah P.
Hands down best meal we have had in Arlington since we moved here 6 months ago. From the moment we walked in the door the service was phenomenal. Our server was Helen and she was amazing. in all seriousness she was one of the best servers we have ever have, attentive, knew every detail of the menu, and was extremely sweet. The beers are great and the mussels are even better. Definitely recommend the Mediterranean mussels. This place is great
(5)Linda G.
The food is great. Everything is fresh and flavorful. My favorite things are the crab dip, lobster roll, oysters, and smith island cake. They have a great variety of beers, but they are a little stingy about their pours for the drafts.
(4)Noah W.
Muscles were fantastic! Amazing taste, portion and flavor. We ordered the Mediterranean. Make sure to ask for fresh bread. Delicious. Great beer albeit a little pricy. Signature drinks over priced and meh. All over good with the newbie staff
(3)Erin H.
Had a reservation for dinner with a friend last night. We arrived and there was some confusion (they thought we were a party of 3 even thought I said 2) - so we waited for 20 plus minutes as they sat numerous parties till they came over and asked where our third was. I checked the open table and it was clearly for 2 guests. Either way we were then seated promptly at a booth near the bar. It was so loud we had to shout to here each other - the bar looks like a great place to get a nicer meal and catch a game but if you have a reservation you should be seated in the quieter sections of the restaurant (or asked if you want to sit outside since anything would've been preferable to the shouting match that occurred). The bear list was exceptional (although overly priced) and the mussels were amazing - highly recommend the mushroom, the Provencal where alright but I've had better. Very delicious plump mussels and although higher than others in the area $ wise - they were the best I've had in Arlington. The food came promptly and delicious. My water went empty for several checks from our waiter - and he cleared my plate (with food on it) while I was in the restroom - which was a clear disappointment since I wasn't done and my friend wasn't paying attention and he didn't ask. All in all I'd give it another shot when I want a loud night out I would head there.
(3)Eric P.
Nice laid back place... Good bar and wide selection of beers... Food was good but not great.. Had the mussels and was underwhelmed the fries are right out of the freezer bag... But the sauces served with the fries are great.. The grilled calamari app was excellent... Nice addition to ballston... I will back just wish the mussels were better
(3)Michael G.
First of all, it's not the fault of the wait staff. The host and hostess, waiters, bussers and food runners were nothing but friendly, cheerful and attentive. But this had to have been one of the worst meals we've had in a long time. I've had better food on airplanes. My wife ordered something billed on the menu as giant prawn stew with pearl pasta and chorizo. They were not giant prawns or even prawns, but medium sized shrimp. They might have waived a chorizo over the stew as it was cooking but there was no sign of it in the dish served. There was a small quantity of pearl-like pasta in the sauce, which my wife said "had some kick to it." I ordered braised short ribs. The meat was tough and stringy, which was a surprise because braising is a process that is supposed to make meat fall-off-the-bone tender. There were some stewed vegetables served with this that were, in fact, nicely done with some crunch to them. The sauce was intense to the point of being astringent. You would think that for $24, you would get a hardy portion, but the portion actually was quite small; which was in the end a good thing, as the dish was barely edible, and I left maybe a third of it.
(1)Caitlin Q.
If I could give this restaurant zero stars I would. My experience there was absolutely awful. I went on a Monday night and it wasn't too busy. For a table for four, we ordered four appetizers. When only three came out we asked our waitress where the other one was and only then did she mention they'd run out of the shrimp. The apps were so so. We then proceeded to wait over an hour and a half for our meals to come out. I'd ordered the lobster and asked my waitress for melted butter, she responded, "We can't do that." What...Can't melt butter at a restaurant? I didn't think this was too much to ask. The lobster was grossly over priced for its small size. We got the check after more waiting to see they'd charged things like +$3 for ice that was in Scotch. We didn't even bother to fight it because we couldn't stand to wait any longer. For a meal that was $250 for four people, I extremely disappointed in the service and food. I will never go there again and would discourage others from going.
(1)Janice Y.
Happy hour deal was awesome! $10 for a half pan of mussels? Generous portion, although the mussels were on the small side. It would have been awesome if they were plump and big, but the flavors of the broth makes up for it. Loved the mushroom one even though it is a bit on the salty side (at least for me). The pork bits or whatever it was in there were delicious as well! The Thai broth is really good too (has a nice kick to it) with pieces of peanuts that blended very well with the broth. Also ordered a crab dip as an appetizer and presentation of it was adorable since the dip came in this cute little saucer pan looking thing, and the dip itself was pretty darn flavorful. Bartenders were so sweet and attentive even though they were busy and even customized some cool drinks for us. Overall, I say go here on happy hour! It's a good deal. I honestly thought I'd eat the half pan and not be full, but with one beer and one cocktail to wash it all down, boy was I STUFFED! I would definitely dine here again.
(4)Matt M.
Always liked this place but tonight was lame. All four members of our party were given the wrong pot of mussels and none of us realized it until it was too late. Each of us! I told our server that we finally realized we each had the other's order and she said sorry, it was the fault of the guy who delivered our food. I told the manager and he said, yeah that could have been bad if someone was allergic. But neither seemed very bothered. In the end, we paid $125 for food none of us actually ordered. Yes, food was good but kind of put a damper on things.
(2)Cathy W.
I usually love eating here. But we came during Happy Hour and we are in the bar, maybe that's what made this visit less than MB's great food and service. Oysters were fine. Mussels were so small you need a magnifying glass to see them and no roasted garlic in the pan. Just a mistake and left out during prep. Crab cake cooked do brown it looks like a burger. And no server the last 20 minutes of Happy Hour. So, at 7:02 when I finally got to order my second glass of wine, Sorry Happy Hour is over. Will come back to see if quality and service is alive in the restaurant side.
(2)Ann J.
The Good - the overall feel of the place was great. The decor and the huge windows provided for a good atmosphere. - The beer selection was impressive, not to mention they have their own special brew. - the service was quick and our waiter was very nice - One of my friends ordered the Thai mussels which were very good, and the portion was huge! - The fries that come with the mussels are amazing. A must try. The Bad - Price wise I was a bit disappointed. As I said above, the lunch sized mussel potion was huge. It enough for at least two people. However, priced at $20 was a little much. -I had the tuna tar-tar. The amount of tuna was perfect, but the plate itself was a bit disappointing. The tuna was on top of some garnishes instead of a salad, the chips that came with the tuna were covered in oil making them less than appetizing. The tuna was great, but the additional components could definitely be improved. Overall, good food and good atmosphere. I will definitely be going back! .
(3)Cendy C.
I popped in here on a Thursday night with a couple of friends after work. The bar for Happy Hour was packed and lively. We got seated at a corner table with big windows to look outside- the perfect setting for a rainy day. We were craving the the oysters and proved it by ordering a dozen raw oysters. The waitress gave us a selection of oysters to choose from and we picked oysters from Maine. Happy to say that it was a good choice- the were huge and simply delightful, had me craving for more. We also ordered the Kennett Square Mushroom Mussels which came in a huge cooking pot. The sauce was creamy and flavorful but not too heavy- a good dipping sauce for the bread we got. The mussel entry came with a choice of classic fries or sweet potato, we choose to go with the sweet potato fries which were no point! Last but not least we had the Spicy Blue Crab Dip which was simply divine. I'm not a big spicy eater and was glad to discover that the dip wasn't all that spicy. Overall we had a great experience at The Mussel Bar & Grille. Would love to come back just for Happy Hour next time around.
(5)Starr C.
I'm a pretty big fan of the Mussel Bar in Bethesda but this one is actually closer to my new place now AND it's a short walk from the Ballston metro. One thing I will say about this Mussel Bar versus the other one is that I have NOT had any issues with grit in my mussels here (yet). I've been having that issue with the Bethesda location my last few visits but I haven't had it here so yay! My last visit was on a Tuesday, and they had $1 oysters and $5 sparkling wine. We were in a really good mood so we were all about that, plus our usual mussel order: Wild Mushroom. (whatever mushroom+bacon/pancetta mussel that have, we order; I feel like they switch it up sometimes) with sweet potato fries. And plenty of bread to dip in the delicious creamy sauce. We also got a side of green bean almondine because we need to keep our veggie intake up but weren't feeling any of the salads that day. I like the setup of this location as well. It seems more open (Bethesda is better for that more intimate mood, I think) and relaxed. It is across the street from a car dealership, which is kind of strange but I suppose handy for giving folks directions? If you want to meet me in Ballston, there's a good chance I'm going to ask that we meet at Mussel Bar. It's one of my go-to places for a nice meal with my boyfriend and we'll be going to the Ballston location more, I believe. (I don't partake in the drink much, but they do have a really nice selection of beers, if you're a beer aficionado!)
(5)Dakota M.
I sat outside around 9pm with my friend and dog (they are pet friendly)! It was half off bottles on Monday night so we got a bottle to split with a pizza (six pieces) and devil eggs and poms (fries). The pizza was great it was the BBQ one and so were the poms (double fried for crispy). The bread they have is addictingly yummy as well! I would go for the bread an drinks anytime! I personally did not think the sauces being served with the poms were well placed. With a fry that good, there should have been a special sauce like a pesto horseradish or something other that ketchup, bad Chipotle mayo and honey mustard. I love devil eggs normally and it was bold to put procutto on them. But doing so added way too much salt to these and after one bite my friend and I both stopped eatting them. The pup had to eat them for us.
(4)Samantha S.
WOW. I cannot believe how good this meal was, I am still thinking about it a day later. We split the wild mushroom mussells and a side of mac and cheese. Absolutely the best mussells I've ever had. The broth, with truffle butter and pork belly, was the highlight. We sat there spooning it all, basically acting like it was soup, and hoping noone was judging us. The mac and cheese was decadent and yes we dipped each bite in the broth before eating it. Amazing meal. The place itself is also very cool. Wide open layout with farmhouse tables and awesome industrial and wine/beer inspired fixtures. The kitchen is not seperated one bit from the diners which I think gives it a very personal (not to mention clean) feel. The service was also great and attentive, although it was not very busy when we went in. We will be back to try one of their other mussells soon!
(5)Merry M.
No reservations on a Thursday night and was sat within minutes. The place wasn't packed but pretty filled for a freezing cold, super windy week night. Crispy Berkshire pork belly- delicious, seasoned perfectly, smoky, sweet and salty with a fresh bite of the arugula and apple salad. Didn't come out the way we'd expect from the menu description but we enjoyed it. Def not crispy. More like braised in the smoky chili that it comes in. Mussels with mushroom, bacon, cream and thyme. Delicious, big mussels in a savory broth. Got the classic frites for an extra $1 which were also good. Smoked center cut pork ribs- slightly over smokey. My bf enjoyed them. Huge portion, he only ate half and boxed the rest. The sweet frites were good and so was the mac n cheese. Shrimp and grits- flavors and seasoning were all there but the shrimp was so over cooked they became tough. Didn't bother to tell the server because I was in a good mood and only had 2 shrimps anyway because the apps stuffed me up. Old fashioned cocktails and Belgian IPAs were also delicious. Service was decent. Atmosphere was nice, casual and relaxed. Cool, rustic but modern decor. Loved that the kitchen was right in the dining room. Will def be back for the mussels and maybe some other items on the menu.
(3)Yu W.
This place was a bit overhyped for me - as an avid fan of mussels, I was pretty disappointed in my experience here. We came in right after they opened for lunch, so there obviously weren't that many people. The ambiance was pretty nice to be honest - it sells itself as a nice sit down restaurant, but the bar aspect of it gives it a more relaxing, chilled vibe that's actually pretty pleasant when its not that crowded but could be problematic if you're looking for a nice dinner during peak hours. However, even with barely any people for the servers to handle, I felt like our waiter was a bit inexperienced and inattentive. We started off by ordering an appetizer. However, after my friend asked about the special of the day, the waiter explained it in detail (oyster po-boy), took down our entree order, and forgot all about our appetizer. We got our appetizer after our entrees, which was a bit annoying since we were sitting around wondering how long it would take our entrees to arrive when it took so long just to get our appetizer. I got the mushroom mussels - they were alright, but not the best I've tasted. Although they cook in mushrooms, sauces, and bacon if I recall correctly, I feel like the flavor didn't really seep into the mussels too well, and they tasted a bit bland. Being a mussel place, I definitely wasn't wow-ed by their mussels. I also got a side of sweet potato fries with a sample of sauces. Those were pretty good, but at the same time they tasted bland, and they gave a lot of fries, so it got pretty hard trying to finish the whole side order. My friend got the oyster po-boy. He said that was actually really good, but I can't really comment on that. After finishing our entree, we got our appetizer - the calamari. It was definitely not what I expected and I really didn't like them. First of all, their calamari is not fried (and although I know that not all calamari is fried, I was looking for some calamari finger food, which I feel serves better as appetizer anyways). They also try to be a bit too creative with their dish - they add a lot of different meats (pork belly, I think there was octopus) and they mix and matched some sauces whose flavors really clashed with each other. The appetizer itself was actually really chewy, and it was very hard to chew through. Overall, the texture, the flavor, and the feeling of eating the appetizer almost made me sick - a very disappointing end to our meal. Overall, if you're looking for a place to get good mussels, this place is fine - but there are better. Don't expect the best food or the best service.
(2)Bruce K.
Fancy dinner with a friend, Mussel has a reasonable wine list and quite a good beer list for a restaurant that doesn't specialize in beer. Service on this mid-week night was pretty good considering that we were the last people to enter and one of the last groups to leave! We started off with the lamb meatball to share. Very tasty in a good size for sharing between two, i.e., we got one each and a good scoop of hummus. It went very well with the bread. For mains, I decided to go with the mussels and had a mix that included cream and bacon. Extremely tasty, a very large portion of perfectly split mussels and once I put a few of them away, I was able to scoop up the sauce and find lots of those bits of onions and bacon. Yummy! Mussel Bar is an upscale restaurant. You'll do fine if you're looking for something nice on a date night!
(4)Nina P.
Ugh, well, I knew what I was getting into checking out Mussel Bar (likely disappointing based on my trusty peers' reviews) but I did want to find out for myself. Came here with my bf on a Sunday evening. At least 3 of the items we wanted to order were not available. Service was a bit spotty. Onto the food. The poached shrimp raw bar app was just ok. The crab claws. just ok. The oysters were decent. but again, just ok. the calamari app was acceptable but covered in a smorgasboard of sauces - i mean pick one! ca' mon. Picked the mediterranean mussels. the mussels themselves were not appealing to me. i ate one and after that just fished out the sausage morsels in the broth which was literally the best thing i ate all night. the lamb meatballs were weird. they just fell apart. rob weidmeier needs to put some serious work into this place. if he gives a shi*t
(2)Savannah B.
Just moved to the area, drove around Arlington and found this area. We walked around the neighborhood till we found a place that drew us in! We decided on Mussels. The Bartenders were awesome with helping us try new beers and guiding us on which we would like. The truffle fries were amazing! It was a tad expensive, but we really enjoyed our evening here!
(4)Chris C.
Great mussels. Great service. Great Beers. I really love this place. It's a great spot to hang out with friends and enjoy some delicious mussels. There are a number of different flavored pots offered and each are $24. It's $1 or $2 if you want to add fries or sweet potato fries. I usually go for the thai flavored mussels because I love the broth. Everything comes with bread to dip the sauce into which is amazing. Also, the service was spot on as well. Overall, it's a great option to get 2 mussels, 2 fries and an appetizer to share among 4 people. It's not too pricey given the modern atmosphere and decor. Parking is primarily street parking or within walking distance from Ballston metro.
(4)Caroline A.
Kind of disappointed in Mussel Bar. I had high expectations, as I've heard great things about Robert Wiedmaier restaurants. This is more of a sports bar than restaurant. There are large plasma screen TV's so the bro's can keep up with their sports, and plenty of beer options. Kale Caesar Salad was very good. However, the mussels were just ok. We had two types - the Mediterranean and the mushroom/bacon/cream variety. Both were mediocre. The fries and dipping sauces were the best part of our dinner. Service was pretty horrendous.
(3)Juan R.
I really enjoyed their food and service. Our server was very nice she made sure we were good and was nice enough to explain a bit about the menu. I've been here on two occasions for lunch and did not have an issue on either one of them. I'd recommend their salads! I haven't been here for happy hour which is pretty good if you're into wine (I've been told)
(5)Juliet K.
Overall the experience here was good. Came for brunch with a large group of friends for a birthday. The service was good and they were all very nice. Ordered the pre-fix brunch menu. I got lamb meatballs and steak and eggs. Hubby got grilled calamari and mussels. Both the meatballs and calamari was great. So I was super excited for the entrees. But then, the mussels were ok. I've had better but I've had worse. It was a bit too buttery. The steak was a bit chewy and stringy. Not sure if it was just the cut of the meat but it wasn't great. I was able to try some other dishes like the chicken and waffles and crab dip. The crab dip was way better than it looked so I was pleasantly surprised. But the chicken was a bit dry and over cooked and the waffles were way way crispy. Almost to the point of scratching the roof of your mouth. Each pre-fix was set at $35/person which was way over priced in my opinion. I'm not sure I would come back mostly because of the price. I'd rather go to columbia firehouse for mussels for that price and liberty tavern if I want brunch.
(3)Bryan W.
Swung by after realizing I was off today! (I think I need a personal assistant) This place is beautiful! Huge windows and lots of sunshine to light up the dining room. There is always a pleasant smile to welcome you at the front door. Today the food just didn't stand up to what I was accustomed to from a RW restaurant. I ordered a simple beet salad, the lamb meatball and a side of macaroni & cheese. The beet salad was full of sweet golden and red beets and tossed in a chive vinaigrette. Sweet is the key but today a little unbalanced with flavor as well as texture. It was listed that the salad had pickled onions, crumbled goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts. This would have balanced out the salad. The hazelnuts were nonexistent (checkout the picture) and the pickled onions were few and far between. To top of this salad were sprigs of baby amaranth drizzled with a balsamic reduction. More sweetness?!?! I could deal with the lack of hazelnuts but I had to ask for additional pickled onions. The extra acidity helped a lot. Lamb meatball....... The components were good on paper but once again they failed on execution. Nice sear on the meatball but it was dry and lacked fat. The mashed potatoes were listed as "basil smashed" potatoes but the flavor was once again nonexistent. The plum tomato sauce paired well with the harissa oil but the goat cheese was lost in the this presentation. The macaroni &cheese was my least favorite. A simple moray sauce tossed with Conchigliette. Simple but it seems as if the hand that weilded truffle oil has a little on the heavy side. These are all easy fixes but I hope that on my next visit they are running on all cylinders.
(3)Scott M.
This restaurant is relatively new and offers a great selection of mussels. The drink menu also provides MANY options to choose from. The sausage/cheese mussels were amazing, packed with flavor and the sauce was great to dip the bread in....fantastic! The pulled pork BBQ pizza was decent, crispy crust but a little on the expensive side for what you get. I don't recommend the mac and cheese, its presented extremely well, still sizzling hot when served but ZERO flavor. Im not sure what the deal was. Service was fantastic, everybody was very friendly. I also noticed the chef and management walking around making sure everybody was comfortable and content (Keep it up) I recommend sitting in the booths, seat are comfortable and TVs surround the bar area
(5)Eric V.
Alanna, bartender & Annie, manager, are top notch! Both were extremely friendIy and made our visit to Mussel Bar and Grill very enjoyable. They have awesome food and a selection of around 100 beers. My Japanese wife and I had the Tuna Tartar, it had a unique Summer kick and was one of the best Tartar's she's ever eaten and she's from Tokyo So this says a lot! This is a must visit restaurant in Arlington that I highly recommend!
(5)Lindsay B.
Maybe I'm a sucker for this place because it's so close, but probably not because I'd still travel pretty far for it. White wine or Mediterranean mussels are definitely my favorite. Always get the fries with the aioli trio on the side - you won't be sorry. They have a good, and decently priced brunch as well that I'd recommend. Average service. Unfortunately I once received a dish where 10+ mussels weren't open and the waiter put up quite a fit when we requested replacements. Outdoor seating is a nice plus, but as per the area, it is very close to the street.
(4)Josh F.
I'm flabbergasted by the negative reviews of this bar/restaurant. I've got nothing but exceptionally good things to report about my experience at Mussel bar. Mussel bar and Grille is in an interesting area, nestled amongst the big business buildings of Ballston proper, a short walk to the metro or the mall. It features a classy but unassuming exterior that would be more common in a smaller city, like Charlotte. The interior of the restaurant is fun and funky. Ropes, old train box cars, and polished stone bars give it a raw but interesting feel, and the raw bar beckons from the doorway. Service was smart and friendly, and I found my way to the bar for happy hour and some mussels. The free wifi was nice, as it let me finish up some homework while I waited. (The wait was about 10 minutes for some piping hot Mussels) Mussels is something the greater DC area does as well as any other area, and Mussel Bar is no exception. The enormous meaty monsters they deliver here are twice the size of those i've had at Brabo, Granville Moore's, or St. Arnolds, and the rich spicy cream sauce of the Mediterranean broth was punctuated wonderfully by the Portuguese sausage. Beer selection was excellent and featured about 10-12 craft beer taps, as well as local breweries offering theirs by the bottle. Lighting was low, the conversation lively but muted. Really good in any situation. I'll be back, and soon.
(5)Debbie S.
Although I understand that their speciality is mussels, the steak is amazing along with the side salad. Perfectly juicy on the inside. Mussels are pretty good as well. Their fries are great most of the times. They're skinny and crispy on the outside with a sprinkling of spice. However, sometimes you can get a soggy batch. Drinks used to be delicious until they hired new bartenders who either don't care or have no experience. I ordered a martini and it was all olive juice. Happy hour time gets crazy and can be difficult to order. Business professional crowd.
(4)R. T. M.
Tried to check out the Mussel bar twice in the evening. Couldn't make it through the door because we could never find any parking nearby! I was a little disappointed after seeing the huge crowds (every seat at the bar was taken, tables packed) but felt some relief we didn't end up going as it was incredibly loud! I could hear the sounds coming from the restaurant as we were driving by on the street, and that's saying something considering we were on the ever-busy glebe road. I definitely like a more chill atmosphere where I can enjoy some mussels with my date and talk without shouting. After reading some of these reviews I'm kind of glad we didn't go, the prices seem kind of ridiculous for a serving of mussels $22 is crazy. There are several places to go in the area for them (really, how hard is it to mess those up?) - as someone mentioned, Lyon Hall, one of the many cafes in gtown, hell even Rustico has a decent order and for much less $. I might try this on off-hours but honestly the parking and the prices aren't huge motivators on this one.
(3)Jim B.
After rumors of a probable "great" Happy Hour venue that is NOT the Mussel Bar & Grille in Arlington - I visited the MB&E for an after work birthday "Happy Hour" with several friends! Nothing "happy" about this first time experience; $12 beers, $14 calls, $14 "flatbread pizza for one" lead to one unexpected hefty "Happy Hour" bill! In retrospect the South Beach, Ocean Drive worthy bill was entirely forgivable, if not for the less than mediocre cuisine and atrocious service at the bar (aka Happy Hour central). I circumspectly observed the bartenders/kitchen staff/food runners all work in banal unison to "slow roll" the happy hour service window, adeptly into "full" price and pad the bill time! So after taking my leave with a much lighter wallet, to compliment ensuing gastric distress, I am definitely "one and done" with this [exhibiting great restraint here] lackluster establishment!
(1)K. Michelle C.
I have been to this restaurant a few times and was quite impressed by the food and the service. Unfortunately after introducing a friend who had never been I was extremely disappointed! After following a hostess to a seat that was not preferable, I received an immediate attitude. I watched the hostess and other hostesses at the stand discuss what they were going to do to find a different seat. We were escorted by the same hostess with the interesting attitude (RUDE) to another seat. The manager periodically walked by and but never checked in with us. The server was friendly and professional. I am a bit of a foodie but based upon this experience I will likely not return. I believe in great food and service. Thankfully there are quite a few restaurants in the local area that meet and or exceed my expectations regularly.
(2)Ryan K.
Went here for Happy Hour and their beer selection is fantastic - Great craft brews on tap and even Fin Du Monde in a bottle. Now for the downside...the bartenders couldn't seem to care less about the patrons. It took forever to get a drink (they forgot after taking the order more than once) and they seemed "taxed" having to help us to another round. The food looked good and I think that this place could be great but their people just ruined the entire experience.
(2)Matt H.
Very poor brunch experience. $18 for a very small chicken cesar salad. I was still hungry. Friend ordered a kale cesar salad that had no kale. Another friend had their signature breakfast plate that had McDonald's quality hash browns and bacon. A beautiful restaurant with food that's really underwhelming and overpriced. Fits perfectly within the Northern VA food scene. Why can't we do better?
(1)Damien H.
Service: service was good. We were greeted within 3-4 minutes of sitting down. Other servers made sure our water never went dry (huge plus for me). I ordered an IPA on the HH. It was $5, reasonable, good smooth, crisp IPA. My date ordered the special cocktail. Very tasty margarita like drink. Oyster were $1, so we ordered a dozen and they were HUGE. very please. It is in season so i kind of expect that. Shrimp and grits were really good, a tad sweeter than expected, but nonetheless pleased with the taste. Scallops were on special and my date had those. Not bad. The puree they served it with was wonderful, but the scallops were just average. $75 for 2 meals, dozen oysters ($1 tuesdays) 2 drinks + tip right at $100. about what you would expect for a good dinner out in Arlington. Environment: great decor and awesome window seating for people watching. half circle bar is also great for talking and eating as well. All in all I will go back and i would suggest this to friends and family!
(4)Jamel V.
I went in today for lunch just a quick pop in on a day off. I was greeted immediately by the server which went against my initial thoughts of the reviews are ALL bad in regard to customer service. I'm on the phone still handling a few things at work while trying to grab a bite. After sitting for about 7 minutes someone comes over and pours water in my glass, at the same time he says here's a little water. I wait another 8 minutes and at this point I notice I'd been waiting 15 minutes, I see the hostess walking by and I ask her where's the server?, she mentions this is not typical let me check. another 5 minutes go by and STILL NO server. At this point a lunch I thought would be relatively quick was NOT. I then decide to go to the host stand and ask for the manager. The manager Tatiana (General Manager) and she explains to me since I was on the phone the server did not approach my table. I then explain to her but I asked for someone to come take my order. She responds you were on the phone when the server walked by (which he walked by three times, once poured water and did not introduce himself as the server) so he discretely. I then repeat I had been waiting for 20 minutes for someone to take my order. Her only response was you were on the phone What do you want me to do? My only response was thanks for your great customer service but I no longer wanted to eat there. I then searched the website for information regarding the manager and found she IS the general manager and if this is the example she is setting the staff doesn't have any good examples of customer service. Needless to say I will NEVER visit this establishment again! From the reviews it seems as though management doesn't care if the customer service is lackluster. This is NOT the key to obtaining staying power in the DC Metro food scene.
(1)Kevin L.
Pretty much what I anticipated from Mr. Wiedmaier.....good service, great food and real cool spot overall. Open kitchen - great touch. I went for lunch...I'd imagine for dinner it would get pretty loud. We did a pizza and mussels.....and they thought we ordered the lamb meatball - though we didn't - so they threw that in on the house.....really tasty. I'll be back - looking forward to trying for dinner.
(4)Sarah A.
The white wine mussels were maybe the best I've ever had. I at first thought they were pricey at $22 but it was a huge meal for two and turned out to be great value. The kale Caesar salad was also great, with high quality cheese and large anchovies. The bread, which we finished by dipping in the delicious broth, was killer. To top it off, our server was helpful and very attentive and quick. Great experience! If only they could wall in the outdoor seating from the traffic this would be a perfect place.
(5)Laura M.
I've been to this place 2 times since I live right down the street. Both times were a disappointment. The first time it took over 10 mins to get water and bread on the table let alone cocktails. I mean seriously as a waiter don't you want to get me drunk? It's in the best interest of your tip. I can understand if you are busy which they were, but as long as you have water, bread, and cocktails on the table you can take extra time on food in my opinion which also took a longer then normal amount of time. The pork belly was good along with the dessert which was some type of parfait thus the reason I decided to give it a second try. This time I tried the lobster Mac and cheese. It was greasy and runny, and for $22 you didn't seem to get any lobster. I will say that the wait staff this second visit was a 100% improvement over the first visit, and again the salted caramel ice cream for dessert was delicious. Too bad you can get decent dessert at almost every restaurant in Arlington. Probably will never go back unless I have too. If you're interested in getting the scoop on more restaurants follow me on Facebook and instagram: NomNoms4Foodies.
(2)Andre S.
Okay I don't eat mussels but the food I had was great. My buddy who is a foodie enjoyed the mussels he got. And the portion wow is all I have to say. Also, the price was more than reasonable. They also have great selection of beer which was surprising to me. I will be going back again for sure.
(4)jenn w.
We went to Mussel Bar for dinner on NYE so it was packed, of course, but we had a reservation and were seated right away. We enjoyed our food (oysters, short rib, fish) and thought it was appropriately priced. Drink options are also very good. Although unlike other Yelpers, we thought the service was good, especially when a busboy dropped a tray and spilled water all over my husband. Several staff rushed over to attend to him, clean up the mess, and dry everything off. They also rushed over with another beer on the house and apologized several times for the inconvenience. This little extra attention ensured that we didn't leave with frowny faces!
(4)Catherine B.
I could not have been more satisfied with my Mussel Bar experience last night!!!! Walked in around 6:30 and was informed by the hostess that they were completely booked with reservations, but that the full menu was available at the bar, which was half empty. They gave us a ticket for one free beer AND we were able to use it that evening AND the bartender deducted the most expensive beer from our tab. It's the little things that make a big difference. We decided to split the mussels and an order of fries, and then went crazy and ordered two desserts. Every bite of my dinner was insanely delicious and the bartenders were just as excited as we were about the menu. I would be more than happy with this experience at a restaurant that had been open for years, but considering this was their third night open, I was just blown away. My only semi complaint is that by the time we had left (about an hour and a half later) a bunch of tables were still empty, meaning we could have easily been seated when we arrived. But I'm sure they will get this figured out as time goes on. A very welcome and needed addition to Ballston!
(5)The S.
Mussels were meaty and good size. But traditional white wine and cream broth was bland. Mac-n-cheese was also bland, and partly greasy and partly dried out. Endive salad was also extremely bland. Flavors of the endive, pear, and cheese should really pop, but did not. Good menu. But not living up to what it could be.
(3)Anita B.
Blown away by the mussels. The texture was so delicate, like no mussel I've ever eaten before. Other info: Stopped in for a late lunch on a Wednesday. The place was not too crowded, maybe 1/2 full. Noise level was really loud, especially compared to the number of patrons. Service was good. I felt that the prices were on the high sideoverall, but the mussel serving was much larger than I had anticipated and well worth the price. I'd definitely go again.
(4)Jamesen G.
I enjoyed my first trip here and cannot wait to come back. We ordered the white wine mussels and they were delicious. The calamari app with the sauce it came with was great for dipping bread as well. I had the chicken sandwich with fried for my main course at lunch. The chicken had good flavor and the tomato jam that came with it complimented the saltiness of the prosciutto. The fries were good and crispy. The only cons that prevent 5 stars were the trio of aioli sauces (I'm not a fan of mayo so I may be a little biased) and the waitress/service. Nothing major, just little subtleties like opening the bottle of beer instead of relying on the guest to have one on their keychain. Also, the management was great and the beer selection vast. Overall a welcome addition to Arlington.
(4)Mochi K.
Food is not worth the price. It's a large space so it's loud. We order 3 different types of mussels. When we asked the runner what was what, he rolled his eyes and got them all wrong. Never going back.
(1)Brandon L.
I went to this place for the first time for my sixth month anniversary with my girlfriend. It looks great from the outside, and I passed it a lot since I live in Ballston, so I wanted to try it. It was awesome! Our server, John, and the manager were so great. She had the swordfish, and I had the Mediterranean mussels. I'm not exaggerating at all, they were the best mussels I have ever had. The whole experience was great, and I highly recommend it. I will definitely be back.
(5)Elizabeth S.
Service was lousy and food was marginal. I had the lobster mac n cheese.
(2)Amy W.
Went there for the second time Saturday night. We really wanted to like this place but its really just ok- much better options around. Service was slow- after asking for another minute to look at the menu our server disappeared for 15... and we were dining with 2 children so time is not our friend, and we had to wait about 20 minutes between finishing our salad and our entrees. We got the chopped salad which could have been good but was way overdressed. I got the Kennet Sq mussells which were ok-but could have more flavor and the mussells were big but there were not that many of them. Fries looked like the dregs- all little peices. My husband had the trout and it was just ok as well. We eat out 2-3 times a week in the area and there are just much better offering especially for the $. The mussells were $24- at a similiar restaurant in Clarendon they are $15 and I think much better, again $23 at Mussell bar- $19 elsewhere. If you are going to charge 10% more the food and service should be worth it and its just not...
(2)K. J.
Great place for happy hour. Their "cocktail of the day" tonight was a creation on par with any of the hyped mixologists. Our bartender, Quinn, was attentive to our large, diverse group. I do wish they had more group friendly apps to share - that would raise them to 5 stars for a team happy hour.
(4)Anne M.
Went there last night around 7 (Sat night). Did not know to make reservations but do now! Not too long a wait - about 30 minutes. The place was rocking. Lots of energy. Waiter Ken was very attentive and food was wonderful. Had raw bar oysters and white wine mussels. Bread was fantastic. Only problem was noise level. Way up there. Could not converse normally and the other tables' conversations very loud by necessity. This may be the result of a crowded Sat night, but I would not return if it as noisy always. I will try again on a weekday at an earlier time. I did enjoy seeing all the families there. It must be kid friendly.
(3)Michael S.
Mediocre at best. Their mussel are no where near the quality of brasserie beck, their sister restaurant. Service is horrendous. They recently added Joah Crab Claw to their menu, however they are not. They are selling snow crab claws and marketing then as Jonah Crab Claws. Also for brunch they don't use fresh orange juice, they use orange juice from a gallon jug and say it's fresh. Bottom line, there are better restaurants in the area.
(2)sheila k.
Let me start off by saying I loved this place when we first went a couple of months ago. The service was great, the food was great, and the ambience was great. Last night was a completely different experience. The bar staff were awful. I mean truly awful. No eye contact so we waited and waited for a drink. Finally flagged a bartender down. He just seemed disinterested in serving at all. Then we were seated. It took a good while for a server to come over. He also seemed disinterested in his job and spent most of the time we were there chatting with other staff by the bar. The food was just sort of eh and one item was way too salty. Things like no bowl for mussels or a mussel fork? At a mussels place? Just shoddy. We didn't even bother with dessert because we were over this place already. Did I mention the bathroom had no paper towels and the drying machine was broken? I wouldn't go bk unless I get a coupon in my valu pak envelope. Seriously.
(2)Britt C.
I'm suprised to read some of these negative reviews. This has been come our neighborhood go to place. I have liked everything I've had on the menu with the exception of the thai mussels which lack the flavor of the others. Too spicy for their own good and I like spicy. The others are done so well (Kennett Square and Mediterranean are my favorites) The beet salad and tuna tartar are both awesome. I've tried the burger and it's good as well. Great beer selection and the service we've had has been fine. Maybe a bit slow. It's pretty loud so not the best place for quiet conversation.
(5)J B.
Dear Robert Wiedmaier, the only thing between making your new restaurant in Ballston a four star restaurant versus a three star restaurant is service. The service is flat off. I have been to Muessel Bar about seven times and thoroughly enjoy the space and food. However, the bartenders and servers are flat, lack attentive service and hold this establishment back. Maybe it's time to go back to basics and instill a higher level of service which is consistent with your other restaurants.
(3)Jason R.
Not worth a 2nd trip. Wait staff was confused and inattentive, portions were small, and the mussels were underwhelming. If you're looking for a far better experience at a similar price point, with top notch mussels, go down the street to Lyon Hall.
(2)Charles C.
This was my first trip, and I will check it out again and order some different items. That said, the frites and sauce I had were not particularly good. Too greasy, and string fries were used. Makes me wonder if the person who designed the menu has ever been to Belgium and ordered frites. They had some moderately interesting beers on draft, but the import bottles were way overpriced. $14 for an Orval? Service was good.
(2)Jon B.
This place is just ok...and since it's pricey, just ok food for high price is generally not acceptable...the only thing that's good is the mussels - in white wine sauce. We tried the Mediterranean mussels, which were spicy. This was ok, but my fave is the white wine sauce mussels. You have to be careful eating the Mediterranean because splashing can get your clothes stained with the orange sauce! Today, our order of 24 mussels came with 8 mussels that were closed shut..what kind of quality control is that? We didn't want to run the risk of eating a dead mussel so we asked for 8 new ones. The oven roasted brook trout is good, but recently i tried to do different and tried the blue crab soup and the crab cake sandwich...big mistake - crab soup is underwhelming and not what i'd expect. There's no crab technically in the soup! And the crab cake sandwich wasn't that great either. Service is really slow for lunch as well, considering it's not a packed place during the week!
(2)Shamika F.
I've been here twice and the second time was as good as the first! Everyone there was extremely welcoming and friendly. The restaurant itself has a cool contemporary vibe to it with the bar in the middle of the restaurant and the open kitchen concept. It's a pretty big space but there's still a 20-30 min wait if you pop in on a Saturday night with no reservation. I love sitting in the booths with the large windows that make you feel like you're sitting outside without actually having to eat outside. The food is some of the best I've had in a long time. The spicy crab dip is hands down my favorite. The lamb meatball w/ that zesty red sauce is pretty ding dang good as well. The mac and cheese with ham was creamy, cheesy, deliciousness. The mussels in the white sauce with the frites was excellent! I even enjoy the bread which is always warm and fresh and is very good with the crab dip, or for dipping in the sauce that the mussels come in, or for sopping up (yes I said sopping) the extra cheese from the mac and cheese, or just with the butter that comes with it. I'm not a fan of beer at all, so I don't know about the quality or selection that they have...but I did see several people drinking the beer and they seemed like they were enjoying it. I haven't gotten around to trying any of the cocktails but from the looks of the pours you won't get a buzz there cheap! I have had the wine and while I think they are a bit pricy they're pretty good. You get the average size glass of a decent wine for around $10-$15 or a bottle starting at about $40. All-in-all I really like this place and look forward to trying the other items on the menu. Oh, and here's a big shout out to Mike one of the coolest managers EVER.;-)
(4)David F.
4+ Rosslyn is not the most atmospheric of places to eat in DC, but Mussel turns a horrible spot (view of car lot, traffic, and high rises) into a place you feel welcome (good music, warm lighting, background conversation, people watching). We had the grilled squid (6/10), the first mussels choice in the menu (8/10) and ribs (9/10) and walked away feeling we'd come back for more. Great beer selection. Open kitchen layout. Impeccable service.
(4)Robert F.
This place is a gimmick. I don't know if people have had mussels before, but the ones they serve here suck and they hide the crapiness of the mussels by covering them with the variety of flavors on the menu. Definitely not worth the 24 dollars they charge for them. On top of that, they sat us next to the exit door on a cold ass night. The restaurant was barely full, but they told us they need to spread the load for the wait staff. At least 4 times during our dinner, people left through the exit door sending a cold blast of air into our table. The one good thing I can say about the place is that they have a good beer selection. Still some of the prices they were charging for Belgium style beers on tap were insane (12 bucks for a pint???).
(2)Bill P.
This was my second visit to this location. After eating several times in the Bethesda location, I have been disappointed in this location. The restaurant has an open, trendy atmosphere. Both times I have been seated near the open kitchen where I could see the various dishes being prepared. I like mussels and feel that I should have one of their mussel dishes. My favorite is the Spicy Thai Green Curry version. I also like the Mediterranean style. The mussels are served in a hot skillet that includes the mussels and a broth. The bread is fresh. This site charges an extra $1 for fries which is annoying given the cost of the entree. We shared a garden salad which had fresh, crisp greens. We were visited at least 3 times by managers to inquire about our satisfaction with the food and service. Based on the manager's and server's recommendations, we had the pumpkin cheesecake dessert. This item was supposedly brand-new and created by the chef that day. The cheesecake was an individual tart that was fluffy and creamy but had only a faint taste of pumpkin. It was good but not great. I would like to give 4 stars but a few things rub me the wrong way. On my first visit, my beer was served in a small goblet; it was full but fully half of it was head (i.e., foam). The bar menu does not distinguish the amount of beer served just the price. The fries have included what appeared to be a significant portion of small short fries which I attribute to being served the bottom of a fry basket. This was especially true of the sweet potato fries that I had on the first visit. I enjoy their mussels and will likely give them another try at some time in the future. They have non-mussel selections but I have not tried them. I would not go here unless I was in the mood for mussels.
(3)Amber L.
To be Honest, I am very disappointed with Mussel Bar and Grill. The atmosphere was nice; modern décor, live music, etc. This is a great place to hang out with co-workers after a long week of work, but ONLY FOR DRINKS. The food and service?... ehh, NOT GOOD. Let's start with service first. I made reservations a day in advance and my reservations "got lost and or cancelled". My husband and I waited about 15mins to be seated (15mins is a long time when you're hungry). Once my husband and I were seated, we waited for our server to come get our drink orders for about another 15mins... (nobody came) until I had to GET UP and go ask the hostess for our server. She forgot to assign someone to our table bc she couldn't even tell me the server's name. I guess this is the girl who forgot to take down my reservations. The chefs did not seem happy, didn't even smile or greet me, which I thought was odd bc I thought chefs are supposes to "love" their jobs. Secondly, the food... Seriously?.. when the cook is unhappy, the food is mediocre. Come here ONLY FOR THE DRINKS, not the food.
(2)Quentin B.
Very disappointed. Big fans of other restaurants in the group so were sad to discover Mussel Bar & Grille was not at the same level (except perhaps in it's premium pricing). Tuesday Oyster Happy Hour was a pleasant surprise at $1 a piece in the bar till 7PM. We enjoyed two dozen of them only commenting that they needed to be cleaned better prior to serving. We did overhear staff commenting that the Oyster HH was not as popular as it originally was. Also to our surprise the restaurant called the Mussel Bar only has 5 mussel dishes ($24 each) and frites (shoe string style) are a dollar extra. The portion itself was rather small and our White Wine mussels, while not associated with an abundance of complex flavors, were bland. We did enjoy the subtle flavor Blue Crab Soup, the lightness of Lamb Meatball and the char of the Salmon. Service was neither here nor there. Seems like they may be training a lot of people as there appeared to be an abundance of staff working in pairs. We put in our order somewhat piecemeal but the server was attentive but not overbearing. Did feel rather cheap at the end of the meal when the bill arrived promptly once dishes were cleared from the table and once payment was received the server vanished. Overall, there are an abundance of restaurants offering better mussel dishes and selection (a couple even in the same restaurant group) at better prices. We would not return to this location for mussels. Without factoring in the mussels, the restaurant makes for a good spot to occasionally stop in for Happy Hour at but generally not worth a detour for.
(2)John N.
What is delicious, tasty served with broth and rhymes with Schmussel Car? If only I could add muscles to my body the way I eat the mussels at this place. Sadly my efforts to achieve that sexy beach body by summer is slowly failing. This place has great mussels, I have not really branched out and tried anything else, aside from a few appetizers. Tuna Tartare is awesome, so is the Calamari, and the Crab Dip. But if you are coming here you come for the mussels. Ordering anything else is like going to a McDonalds and ordering a salad. Speaking of that, who seriously goes to McDonalds for a salad? I can find better ways to cleanse my colon. The service here is where it gets a little dicey. And lets not kid ourselves. Unless the waitstaff bitched slapped my mother. Im gonna come back if the food is great. Its not often you find a place that satisfies exactly what you are craving with delicious food. That being said, this place needs to get its shit together. Long greet times, long first round drink times, semi-attentive waitstaff. All leads to a disgruntled table of diners. Go for the food, not for the service.
(4)K W.
I had the a drink with my friend at this place, OMG, taste sooooo goooood!! We are not in a mood to eat so we only ordered appetizer and they are okay. ( Check out their dessert!!! I had a pumpkin cheesecake and it's just the right sweetness. :) definitely a nice place to hang out.
(5)Paulette B.
All of the servers were so attentive and friendly. The food was delicious and fresh. We never ran out of bread or drinks. We loved watching the prep station as the chefs would prepare food in front of us. I can't wait to go back.
(5)Ziv B.
Meh. We went as a party of four and a friend was looking forward to treating us to a great lunch. We got seated quickly and I was digging the beer menu and the mussel variety. Then we waited. And waited. Our server showed up and didn't know the beer menu. Ok. The mussels should be good. The beers arrived, and the calamari. Beer was cool almost warm and the calamari was just odd. So the mussels show up and I am stoked. Bacon and mussels ala Kennet Square, this has to be the bomb! It bombed. It was like the bacon was going one way and the cream and the rest of the sauce was going another. I stole a couple Thai mussels and they were American/Thai sweet with just a touch of heat. Decent serving sizes on the entres, at least we didn't go away hungry! It is a cool restaurant, I just don't think they are really good. We did have a good time, so I can't trash the plash, verbally or otherwise. If this were a happy hour freebie I would have been ok with it. I don't even want to know what my friend paid.
(3)Nina H.
Been here once for dinner a few months back and once for brunch. I was hoping that brunch this time around wouldn't be as awful as dinner but it was.....everything here is either over cooked or dry. Chicken and waffles - burnt and dry Steak & frites - asked for medium came well done. The meat was needless to say DRY. Madam Croque - extremely soggy. I had to send it back and ordered the Belgian waffles. I thought how could you mess up waffles?....but this place didn't let me down. Definitely were cooked too long so I really only ate the strawberries and cream. Overall this place is a BIG WASTE OF MONEY. We came here for a birthday brunch with a party of 18 and we were all highly disappointed. It's no wonder this place was empty for brunch. Would not recommend this place and will most definitely not come back.
(1)Bernadette T.
Discovered this place on a humble... Me and my boyfriend was in the area and was looking for a place just to have a drink... We sat at the bar and decided that I wanted to try the mussels so therefore we ordered the Kennet Square mussels and boy were they good!!! we both said we should have ordered a pan to ourselves lol (seafood lovers) there will definitely be a next time.. I would have to say that my drink was just ok ordered a Long Island ice tea... But the food made up for it... This place is a keeper
(4)James P.
What a pleasant surprise this evening! I showed up on a double date with no reservations and was accommodated professional and kindly by the hostess. I'm glad to see this restaurant has not overlooked how important that position is in this day and age when so many others seem to. What a wonderful breath of fresh air.
(5)Mirela T.
Good Time! Tuesday evening Happy Hour $1 oysters it runs from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. We ordered about 7 dozens, and each dozen was fresh and wonderful. Each order came out very promptly, no delays which was wonderful. Their bar area was very busy, so i was glad to get our food quickly. Our bartender was very friendly and very accommodating throughout the evening. They had several different drinks on tap. I stuck with the Evolution Craft Brewing Co's. Jacques Au Lantern...AKA Pumpkin Beer. It was perfect. I do love the pumpkin ale's so i might be slightly bias. Overall its a nice spot for happy hour, i will be returning for a sit-down dinner.
(4)Le L.
This was my first time ever been here for dinner. My friend suggested this place for us. This restaurant located in Arlington, VA, so street parking or public garage parking. I think street parking is cheaper but limited so if you come here for dinner on weekend, it can be a challenge. I came here on a Friday around 7pm for dinner with a group of 10 people but I believe my friends told me we didn't have to wait for a long time to get a table. The place was crowded of course and all tables were fill with parties. The place is a little small since walking single line is better than together to your table. The restrooms are kind of cool (check it out). We ordered the white wine mussels. I thought the portion will be small but my friend that came here before told me I can share one order with another guest, so my boyfriend and I ordered one order only. It came out pretty quick ( 15 minutes). The flavor was rich and I used the breads to dip with the sauce since I wouldn't want just to drink it out from the pot. Overall the food quality was definitely good and I am pleased with their service. Our waiter was able to assisted us 10 people along with all his other tables. He was able to split all checks for us also. I would definitely come back and recommend this place to anyone want to try or around Arlington area. Tips: call ahead or make reservation if you decide to come here on the weekend or dinner time.
(5)Joanne T.
We had a group of 7 people arrive at the restaurant without reservations. They were quite accommodating. We had a table within minutes. The food was great. I had the Thai curry mussels. A bit more spicy than I had expected. The others all said that their meals were pretty good.
(4)Anjali K.
Solid three star review for Mussel Bar. I was only too sad to discover that Mussel Bar & Grille opened in my beloved Ballston after Hubs and I moved to the burbs. Oh well, to celebrate a good friend's 30th, we decided to have a girl's night dinner there! First I must compliment. The ambiance is incredible! I love the space, the windows, and the booths that line the restaurant. Very neat! On to the service and food. Our waitress was extremely patient with us. Afterall, it was four girls at a birthday dinner! All we wanted to do was chit-chat! She was kind enough to give us time to figure out our order and gave us all the time we needed. So the food - we ordered the thai flavored mussels (winner!!!), the crab dip (pretty good!), the pomme frites (2 orders because it was so good), and the calamari, which was an unfortunate experience. We were given a small plate with about 5 pieces of the chewiest calamari I have ever tasted. Fortunately, our sweet waitress understood our disdain for it and quickly took it away and did not charge for it. Score for her! If I knew her name, I would give her props here, so thank you! Overall, we had a great time because our crew will always have a great time. I would like to go back and try some other mussels and menu items and re-review Mussel Bar & Grille.
(3)Steve H.
Good brunch selections, including French Toast and waffles, along with their standard menu items. Service is attentive and personable. Incredible cocktail menu and an absolutely amazing selection of beers. Not very crowded at 1130 on a Sunday.
(3)Alice N.
Solid but not Spectacular. I went there for dinner on Tuesday night and I was pleased at the quality of the food, but nothing stood out as particularly amazing. I had the mussels provencal, which were delicious but not amazing. The warm bread was extremely good and the cocktails were very good and generous pours. The hostess was also extremely friendly and accommodating. The downsides were as follows: The noise level. Even at 8:30 on a Tuesday night, in a booth, at the side of the restaurant it was difficult to hear each other. You couldn't pay me to go there on a Saturday if that was the noise level on a Tuesday. I think they missed something in the construction though because the ceiling looks like it could have had more acoustic dampening but it was just left out. The service. It was just slow, really slow for a restaurant emptying out. It probably took 20 minutes for our drinks to come back to the table after we got our water. The level of check ins was also minimal. Over parsleyed? fries. They were good on top but too much salt/parsley towards the bottom. The pricing on the wine. I had a cocktail because the very very limited wine selection was all priced between $8 and $10 higher than those wines should have been priced. While the beer selection looked fantastic, not offering a better selection of wines will hurt their bottom line with groups.
(3)Sean C.
Went back here for Valentine's Day and this place was spot on. First of all, they had Bell's Hopslam, which I had been looking all over for and my wife happened to find out they had it here. Second, the service was awesome. We went to the bar initially and the bartenders were very welcoming and informative. They could also carry on conversation without being intrusive in our conversation. We sat down for dinner later and the waiter was awesome. Extremely polite and very knowledgeable. He was also able to anticipate about everything we needed without us having to ask. I had the green curry mussels this time and they were fantastic. My wife had the steak frites and it practically melted in your mouth.
(4)Yixi D.
The food is good. However, I'm very very disappointed about their service provided by ladies who escort us in. We got to the place around 9pm and ladies there told us we need to wait for 40 minutes or we can sit in the open bar if there is a spot. So my friend and I went in to check the availability of the bar. The bar is full, but we found out that at least 10 tables (good for 2-4 people) are available. So my friend asked ladies why we cannot sit in. They replied as that they have a long waiting list. My friend said it was late, not all people on the list will show up and asked whether we can get the table earlier since we are super hungry. But they said no. It's fine. We will wait. And after 10 minutes, one of the ladies came and said reluctantly to us that we can sit. Here comes the worst part!! When she escorted us in and our waiter came to us, the lady (jesus I shud ask her name) said GOOD LUCK to our waiter. Our waiter was confused and turned to that lady, apparently asking why. But we can't hear. They murmured something at the corner. Seriously? You just say such "hostile" GOOD LUCK in front of us? Like we are some picky and annoying customers? Come on! If you want to complain about us, at least be wiser and say it behind our backs. Do it in front of us? How can you be so stupid? And use your common sense; with so many open tables, it doesn't take 40 minutes to wait ok? Very very angry about this lady! Not coming again no matter how tastes the food is.
(2)Amber G.
Mussel Bar is a fun restaurant to eat at in the Ballston neighborhood - good menu, good ambiance. It's usually bustling so make a reservation for a weekend dinner. The food is not exactly over-the-top fantastic, but neither is it subpar or lacking. The menu includes more than just mussels, but if you like mussels you should try the spicy thai curry mussels and the kennet square mussels. Both are flavorful and great and the portions are huge. I have had the regular white wine mussels and found the broth to be a little bit blander than I'd like. The scallops and peach bbq ribs are also really good. Lots of beer and wine choices. I've been a handful of times and the service has varied, but usually been pretty good considering how crowded it gets!
(4)Kevin B.
Unfortunately I didn't get to try any of their food or beer because I was told that I'd have to wait an hour and a half when I arrived on time for my 7:30 reservation on a Friday night. Maybe this is a good place to go during the week, but they don't seem to have any respect for their guests' time and drastically overbook on the weekends. (On top of this, this hostess was rude and unsympathetic when delivering the news that we wouldn't be seated for 1:30 after our scheduled reservation.)
(1)Christine C.
Food and table service were good, but I was peeved by the seating situation. I made an 8pm reservation and was seated shortly after that time. There were several open tables, but the hostess chose to seat me and my fiance at the table that abuts the expediting station. I had to wait for numerous servers to clear the area before I could even pull my chair out. We requested a different table, so they shifted us one over. Another party of two was seated at a comfortable booth immediately after us. Overall, the experience was good, but I would highly suggest not sitting near the hustle and bustle of the expediting station.
(4)Marvin S.
Disappointing, everything we ordered was bland lacking flavor. Salt and pepper at the table would have been nice to try and salvage our meal. Our waiter was frazzled and doing her best (forgot to bring us our fries with the mussels) while I saw other waiters barley hustling. I really wanted to like this place being so close to home so I will give them a second shot.
(2)Mona H.
I was so excited to have mussels and frites but was so disappointed. The service was below par. Our server was not friendly and the music was incredibly loud. The mussels were huge and tasteless. I would not go back.
(1)Eric W.
Overall a decent restaurant but nothing above average. The mussels are good (as they should be based on the name of the restaurant!) but I've had better at other restaurants in the city such as Brasserie Beck (which btw is the same owner). The crab cake sandwich was very good at lunch as well. Overall some place I would eat again but not out of this world.
(3)Jackie N.
This relatively new spot is open right on the intersection of Glebe and Wilson Boulevard. They have $1 oysters for happy hour, but only on Tuesdays! Alas, I was not there on a Tuesday...shucks! We opted for the Kenneth Square Mushroom mussels, cooked with smoked bacon, cream, thyme, and chives. They were pretty yummy! I especially like to dip my potato frites into the yummy sauce. The BF got the Deans AC Brisket Burger - smoked mozzarella, bbq tomato jam, and argula on a brioche bun. He really liked the tomato jam, which added a different flavor, but did not care for the pickle they put on the side! (He wanted me to make a note of the pickle...). Overall, it was a nice meal, but nothing to write home to mom about. Service was splotchy, but I understand new restaurants and having to take time to train a well organized and efficient staff. I will definitely come back and give it another shot...on a Tuesday!
(3)BeckyJo M.
If this rating was based on the food alone, it definitely would have been 5 stars. However, the service fell a little short for me. I was given a poor beer recommendation, with no follow-up on whether it met my expectations after the hard sell by the server. Luckily, I was not much in a drinking mood anyway! Now, on to the delicious food! We started with the gulf shrimp and OMG these are a must. Dipping sauces were spot on, though somewhat unnecessary considering the shrimp were so dang tasty by themselves. Also shared the crawfish pepperpot soup and it was definitely a great flavorful pick to get the taste buds going. I can see how a whole bowl could get a little overwhelming. Then for the main course: the white wine mussels. Divine. Best mussels I have ever had and the bread for dipping was warm and fresh. The fries as a side were so so. A friend had the special which was a seafood in a bag, which I also tasted, of course. It was outstanding. Much to my surprise, none of the seafood was overcooked. I figured the bag thing was a little gimmicky, but not when done correctly! Decor is interesting and lucky for us, we had no wait. We sat right next to the chef's finishing table and it made for a good show throughout the whole meal. I can't wait to come back!
(4)Bailey H.
The Mussel Bar is a great restaurant in Arlington. The atmosphere is very upbeat and the seating is comfortable. I went here with my boyfriend and for starters we ordered the spicy blue crab dip. This was probably the tastiest crab dip I've ever had. It came out hot and melted with this amazing country bread. On top of this we were given complimentary bread. My boyfriend ordered the spicy thai green curry mussels. They were so good. I ordered the brisket burger that was very big. I had to cut it in half and take home. I also ordered a side of mac and cheese. The sauce was creamy and textured to my liking. Service was great.
(4)Jeromy F.
The quality of the food is very good. We ordered three of the five mussel recipes and enjoyed them all. The fries were cripy and come with three dipping sauces. The day's oyster selection was also tasty. The beer selection is extensive and curated with a sommelier's touch. For the quality of the food, the price is fair. After tip, our meal set us back $130.
(3)Kim C.
Had dinner with three friends before a ladies paint night. The wait staff was awesome, the mussels were fabulous as were the fries. We all had a different sauce on our mussels and we all loved our dish.
(4)Gwen B.
Went here for my hubsand's friend's birthday with a group of 10 people. Drinks were somewhat limited and expensive. I chose the Mediterranean mussels which were good but nothing really blew me away about them. My husband got the lobster mac and cheese which was decent but too rich to finish a full portion. Service left MUCH to be desired to be honest, more something to forget than to remember. Our bill ended up being $150 for a few drinks and two entrees. Too pricey for the quality and service which was received, we most likely won't be returning.
(3)David H.
Not bad, not great. Mussels are good, service is spotty, good selection of beers
(3)Peter W.
Great place. Lots of beer and food is always great. The mussels are the best. Stakes are good. It get really full for dinner. Come early.
(5)Ladan M.
Fresh mussels steeped in your choice of a range of sauces from mild and traditional white wine and garlic, to creamy Kennett with bacon, or hearty Mediterranean. Warm bread soaked up the sauces, but the sweet potato fries were worthy of solo eating despite their own accompanying dipping sauces. I'd skip Kemmett mussels and regular fries, but go back for the sweet potato fries alone. OK, well maybe add a craft beer.
(4)Erin F.
This place is right around the corner from my house. With an amazing chef who pours his heart into every dish and a huge beer selection of Belgian and local beers, this is a great place to unwind. Went in today and the host was very friendly. I didn't need a table so the girls showed me to the bar. Found a seat towards the end. Took less than a minute to be greeted by the bartenders. Order a delirium tremens which is one of my favorite beers (full of flavor and body...I would highly recommend it) in addition to the sweet potato ginger soup. Soup was amazing! Great refreshing option especially with the warm season approaching. Bar tenders were polite, personable and attentive. It was also great seeing them interact with the servers who came to the end of the bar to pick up drinks or ask questions. Got to love a place who appreciates good beer like I do!
(5)Elizabeth V.
My husband and I went here on a Friday night. It was busy and we decided to sit inside since the wait was shorter. It's nice but very loud inside if there's a crowd. We could hardly hear each other. I decided to sit next to my husband instead of across from him to avoid shouting. The noise level was a little distracting. It was hard to hear the server too. We started with oysters which were good. Next, he had the shrimp and grits which was just ok. The grits were thick and dry. I had mussels which were really good and plump. The beer list is really long with lots of options. We'll probably go back but try sitting outside.
(3)Ginger H.
Came for a girls night out..mussels, half lobster, desserts, wine, apps, etc. Came to $425 for 5...not bad. Parking so convenient under adjacent bldg. And inexpensive! We ate outside. I felt like I was transported to another planet it was so clean and cookie cutter...even the people. Ok...I live a block off H Street/Atlas Corridor. The food was fantastic I must say. The shrimp and grits probably the best version I've ever tried. The lobster mac n cheese....done real good! The mussels..well, admittedly give Granville Moore some competition but not doesn't beat 'em. Servings are generous and price points spot on. Desserts were not overly remarkable but decent... I'll be back for sure if in the area! Last...odd one-holer bathrooms that took all my strength to open only to step over toilet to maneuver a way to close the door. Not a deal breaker but really? Just odd.. def something you'd expect on H Street with challenges of 100+ year old bldgs but Ballston? Ok...that's my review...loved it!
(4)J W.
They put a Metro stop in McLean so we're off exploring the food scene along the new silver line and we found the Muscle Bar in Ballston. We ate outside, inside is seemed extremely, that's the correct word, loud. But outside was fine. For us, makes this place a summer destination spot only and that's really a shame. The food is surprisingly good and the service very fast. We found almost everything to be above average good. We started with the calamari, its an enormous portion, not breaded or fried thank God and truly out of this world good fantastic. We order the calamari almost everywhere we go and outside of a wonderful little place we found in Lima Peru, decades ago, Mussel Bar serves the best calamari we've ever had. It's that god. She had the ribs, a portion big enough for two and very meaty. The mussels are a must have: I had the muscles, I have to say, again, the best in DC, really. Served with warm bread. They serve gluten free beer by the way and serve their own bottled sparkling water. Try an order of fries: The fries are better than average, and served with a mixture of dips, but even with out the dips, the fries stand alone perfectly, well seasoned and cooked just right. The only plate we ordered that was not above average was the crab soup. It doesn't taste like crab soup, its much to spicy and has a lot of .....stuff....in it that doesn't belong in plain but fantastic good ole crab soup. Don't try to improve on a simple local dish that already perfect.
(4)Brandon C.
Good brew and good atmosphere. Happy hour is also nice but can get busy. The prices are OK
(4)Andy L.
Overpriced mussels that are tasteless. Fries weren't note worthy either. This place is a good spot to grab a few beers, that's all.
(2)Lity T.
Food is wonderful but will NEVER go back. Service was horrible. Went on Sunday for dinner and there were pleantly of servers but no assistance. We were one of three tables at 7pm and received no water refills, no drink refills, had to ask for bread etc. as servers were rolling napkins,setting glasses and the hostess voiced that she was watching the game on TV. Unacceptable. I tried to bring this to the manager's (Ivana) attention and she stated that the servers can wait on tables and do "side work". She was also very dismissive. Way too many restaurants in the area with great service.
(1)Maria G.
Not over priced for its portion, but I wouldn't say it's a bargain either. We entered on a Wednesday evening around 8:30. The restaurant was pretty empty but yet there was no hostess in sight. Anyway, we got sat after standing at the front for a couple of mins, ordered the mussels and salad and skipped the beer. We decided on the Provençal mussels. There was a lot of sauce that you can mop up with the complementary fresh baguette.although the mussels were good, i wouldn't say it was great. Nothing really stood out. Now the sweet potato fries, that's something else. It was soooooooo crunchy!!! I don't know how they did it but it was shoestring style with coarse salt and some parsley? Anyway... It was yum. We also order the romaine and kale Cesar salad with whole pieces of anchovies. The flavor of the dressing was on point, except I thought that they out a tad but too much in the salad. Overall, it was decent, but don't think I will be paying a second visit anytime soon. Lyon hall had better mussels.
(3)Lesley G.
I came here for happy hour drinks and appetizers. We didn't get any mussels, but the appetizers and drinks were all pretty good! The interior is trendy and its not usually too crowded, which makes for a nice atmosphere for after work happy hours and such.
(4)Lisa P.
I have been to the Mussel Bar & Grille numerous times and have always had an enjoyable experience. The wait staff has always been energetic, enthusiastic and very pleasant. The food . . . well that is the only thing that out does the servers. Fantastic!! I was there for brunch on Martin Luther King Day and enjoyed every morsel I ate. I started with a delicious Rosemary Fizz cocktail - refreshing and good. We ordered slow roasted lamb meatballs and deviled eggs for starters. One of the young ladies in our party had the French Onion soup. All were divine! I ordered an omelette and it was filled with gruyere cheese, shallots and spinach and it was light and fluffy and really hit the spot. the pomme frittes that accompanied the omelet were heavenly. I loved it. My boyfriend and I went during the summer-time and sat outside and enjoyed the beautiful weather and the hustle and bustle of the Clarendon sidewalks while we dined on Kennet Square Mushroom Mussels. They were spectacular and I thought that I didn't like mussels. They serve it with yummy bread that enables you to sop up the broth and the bits of bacon and mushrooms that are in the broth. Delish! The server kept our glasses full and was attentive, but not hovering. Recently, we went on a Saturday evening around 7 pm. The place was PACKED, 2 or 3 deep at the bar with lots of folks waiting for a table. The food is that good, that we were willing to put our name on the list and get a drink and wait for a table. They told us about 50 minutes and it was just about 50 minutes when our buzzer rang and we were seated. It's well-worth the wait!! In less than a year's time, we've been there 4 times and have enjoyed a pizza (very tasty), the short smoked Atlantic salmon (LOVED it!), a Roasted Amish chicken Pot (really good), and a steak or two. We love the Mussel Bar and Chef Erik, who we've met on several occasions and is very personable, comes out of the kitchen every once in a while to mingle with the customers. We can't wait to go back!
(5)Caroline K.
I stopped by here on a whim with a friend around 6pm on a Friday, and we were seated promptly (without a reservation). It was pretty nice outside, so we opted for the outdoor seating, but from what I could tell of the interior, it had a nice vibe, and there were multiple TVs around the bar which could come in handy in the future. The food was really delicious, and everything was a great value as well. My friend and I started with the heirloom tomato salad, which they happily swapped out the blue cheese with goat, and the char-grilled calamari. Both were excellent. The tomatoes were fresh, and the salad was large. The calamari was definitely a nice change from the usual flash-fried option, and very fresh. We decided to share the Provencal mussels, which was more than enough food to share between 2 people. Add a beer, and tons of house-made bread to sop up the juices, and we were pleasantly stuffed! Mussel Bar is right down the street from my office, and I will be back soon for sure. Great to add another dining spot to the Ballston area, as I have been getting quite bored with the current options.
(4)Albert L.
Tried Mussel Bar on its second day of opening for a Friday night dinner, and my friends and I were able to find seating easily at 6PM. The entrance is on the Wilson side of the intersection of WIlson and Glebe, so some may find it hard to find. The inside is definitely a rustic-industrial gastropub feel that borders on Gothic with the spiral candelabras. I kind of like it because it's refreshing and more casual than the rest of the places in Arlington trying to emulate DC fine-dining. Our server came around to take drink orders and even told us some of the most popular/best dishes on the menu when we asked. We went with Brabo Pils (very crisp and no crazy bitterness) for our drinks. For food, we ordered the clams appetizer, mussels Provencal, and mussels Mediterranean. Suffice to say, all of them were delicious - all came out in their own pans that they were cooked in. The clams are an entree in their own right. Both of the mussel dishes were packed with flavor, and I couldn't stop mopping up the sauce with the never-ending fresh bread from the ktichen. The mussels were plump, and I loved the tomato and capers in my Provencal (then again, you probably know that I'm a sucker for Italian and Southern French flavors). Oh also, we got frites for an additional $1 with each mussels dish order. Carb overload. I think Mussel Bar will do well and brings a much-needed variety to the Ballston area. If they can keep the service and quality of food up, it can definitely become a neighborhood favorite.
(4)Audrey M.
Really like the atmosphere here. Very clean and the service was good. A word of caution: The lobster mac and cheese is enough for sharing with a friend!
(4)Holly C.
I live nearby so I have ate here nunerous time for dinner, lunch, brunch and on the patio. Overall its a great restaurant, friendly staff and lovely menu. Skip the patio its loud on that busy corner, cars honking, sirens, just a lot of noise. This is a great classy date spot. Also think the brunch is great and more people shoukd try it. The bar is pretty big and has a bunch of TVs. Downside is a lack of a solid happy hour offering.
(4)Michelle I.
I was so excited when I heard that Mussel Bar coming to Arlington. My all time favorite place to get mussels is Brabo Tasting Room, so I knew I had to try this place out. The mussels here are just as plump and tasty as BTR! My friend and I came here for lunch this past Sunday. She was able to make reservations via OpenTable. We got there around 1:30 and the place was not very busy. To share we got: 1/2 dozen oysters Mussels (1/2 order of Thai and Mediterranean) Regular fries and Sweet potato fries The Mediterranean mussels were the highlight of the meal for me. Lucky for us, we got a full order for half the price! The waiter accidentally put a full order in. The oysters were good, but definitely took a back seat to the mussels. The fries, however, were the biggest let down. I'm not a big fan of shoestring fries. The sweet potato fries had the edge over the regular. Thankfully, we a nice basket of warm bread to soak up the wonderful sauce that sat beneath the mussels =) The service we had was excellent. They had several people come out at the same time with all our food. The best part was when they uncovered the mussels. It felt like some sort of big reveal lol. I will definitely be back here.
(5)Allyson A.
I really want to like this place. It's a good location and looks really nice inside. The food sounds good and the drink menu is impressive. But I haven't been impressed. Went for drinks at the bar one night - it was fine. Went for brunch and it was not great. Luckily, the friends with me enjoyed their meals (croque madam and belgian waffle). I ordered a burger, medium. I cut into it, and it was barely cooked. I informed our server, who replied "Okay so you want it more medium well?" Um, no I want it cooked. I like meat medium rare. I don't like it raw. I wish I had taken a photo, argh. She was polite about it and the kitchen ended up recooking the same burger and returning it to me. Fine, but definitely not a great experience. The one thing that helped the meal was the side of frites with the aioli trio.
(2)Chrissy P.
This place has gone so down hill. The last few times we have been have been disappointing so we are throwing in the towel on this place. The service was extremely slow again. (It seems that the hostess had our waiter helping people outside and inside, which was completely inefficient.) It was so slow that people at the bar asked someone to help us. As for the food, the oil used for the Pom frites was old and as a result the fries were hard and oily. The mussels were large and at least one was really gritty. There are only 4 or 5 mussel sauce options. So one would think those 5 would be great. But the Mediterranean sauce was only okay. You have to request bread to dip in the mussel sauce or you don't get any. When they bring bread they are fairy stingy with it. The only thing I would have again is the vinegar aioli, but unfortunately the fry I dipped in it was like a rock.
(2)John B.
The food isn't too bad, and I found the service to be good. However, the oysters were either poorly cleaned or not cleaned at all. Huge pieces of sediment/debris were coming off as I picked them up to eat them. One even had a cluster of clams stuck to the bottom. Weird! The prices are pretty outlandish if you ask me. After spending $60 during happy hour on two beers, $12 of oysters, and a half order of mussels, I left feeling pretty ripped off. Especially because of the beers--most of them seem to be $10+ for a 12 ounce portion.
(2)Jonathan D.
Have wanted to try for a long time and finally did. Went on a Friday night and had 8pm reservations. Had to wait a few minutes before getting seated which was fine and the placed was PACKED. FOOD: Ordered the Lobster Mac and Cheese and Mediterranean Mussels. Lobster mac had a good amount of lobster but the cheese sauce was just ok. Overall a decent dish. The Mussels were great though. Very big and delicious. There was a good amount of broth so it was great to dip the bread in. (Other people have said the bread was amazing, I though it was ok) SERVICE: This is what kept Mussel Bar from 5 stars. We sat down and it took 10 minutes for the server to come over to us. Drinks took another 10 min or so to get to the table. The server apologized and mentioned that there was a disconnect between the hosts and the servers around seating so the server got triple sat. I can understand but I still want good service. Overall the food was great service was just ok. I will be going back though as the mussels were great and the place had a good atmosphere.
(4)Todd D.
Belgian style restaurants are among my favorite & what Robert Wiedmaier does best. Mussel Bar is very good example of what a Belgian place should be w/ it's large selection of good beer & great mussels & frites. Been there many times & never had a bad experience. Service is good, food is good & the modern with classic touches give a great atmosphere. I'd give it 3.5 if I could. MusselBar & Grille is very much like Beck without the attention to detail.
(4)Mike B.
Great Mussels and great oysters. Like both the Green Curry and the mushroom bacon mussels. They also have a good beer selection.
(5)Michael M.
Great Mussels, great service and a damn nice place to eat.
(4)Bren P.
I've been here for brunch and dinner, so far I liked my brunch experience the best. We ordered a mussels and I ordered the Lemon Souffle Pancake. I usually don't like pancakes, but thought I would give it a try because the description sounded so good. I was not disappointed. It was a good size, one perfectly cooked pancake in a cast iron skillet.. hold the maple syrup! I would come back just for the lemon souffle pancake.
(4)Benjamin D.
Best mussels I've had in the D.C./NOVA region! Positives: Great mussels - try the mediterranean!(lamb and mussels YUM!) Solid Beer Select - lots of belgians and craft beers Ambience - decor included beer light shades, 50% of the restaurant in windows. Negatives: Went there for brunch once, had sub-par wait service.
(5)Elizabeth F.
Had the worst experience at this bar. Quoted an hour wait time but in 30 minutes more than 10 tables were empty. Inquired with the hostess about our wait time again and was told 1 hour with empty tables. Not only did she not move from the hostess stand to check the status of the empty tables she was rude about it. Meanwhile at the bar we were able to get a seat yet still be ignored by the bartender who was busy filling table orders therefore unable to handle the bar service. Maybe it was a bad night but drinks were mediocre at best and we didn't stay long enough to try the food.
(1)Martin N.
Go for drinks. Go somewhere else for dinner. Pluses: I liked the layout of the restaurant. Large bar area and lots of great beer choices. This would be a great place for happy hour. Deltas: I went with a buddy for dinner. We sat at the bar. He ordered mussels, I ordered 2 appetizers: crab cake and clam pot. Service at the bar was not very good. 20 minutes after placing our order I was told that they were out of the clam pot. I decided not to order anything else. 30+ minutes after ordering the food arrived. The crab cake was overcooked and not very good. I tried my buddy's mussels and fries: decent, but St. Arnold's in DC is by far the best mussels I've had in the DMV.
(3)Linda S.
Always a wonderful all you can eat oyster day--coming in May. The place is convenient, but parking is limited.
(5)Brandy C.
Our service tonight was excellent. The server was lovely and gracious especially since we occupied her table for an extended amount of time. We enjoyed the mussels immensely and also our drinks. The French onion soup left much to be desired but the chopped salad was tasty. Overall, this was a nice experience and we will be back.
(4)Audra B.
I arrived at Mussel Bar & Grille around 9PM on a Saturday night for dinner. The restaurant was packed, including the bar. The host asked if I had a reservation for two, I said no and agreed to a 60 minute wait. My husband and I went over to the bar and luckily got a seat at the bar when a couple left as we arrived. It took the bartender a good 5 minutes to acknowledge us, which I find very rude. I understand if he can't get us a drink right away, but at least say hello to us. They have lots and lots of beers on the menu. Something for everyone. I was happy to see Lagunitas on the menu; my new favorite brand. After we got our first drinks the service got better. We shared the mushroom pizza. It was good, but it was $14.00 and very small. Could've used a little more truffle oil though. Surprisingly, we only had to wait about 30 minutes for our table. Our server was great, very knowledgable. I ordered the Provencal mussels and they were spectacular. They were $23.00 but I got a whole pound and it was quite filling. The bread was fresh and great to use as a way to soak up the delicious broth. My husband had the brisket burger. It was super tender and flavorful, but very undercooked. We both agreed if it was cooked a little more it would have been one of the best burgers we've had. For a $1.00 extra, I got fries with my mussels. They mirrored McDonald's fries (thumbs down) but regained some points with the three dipping sauces. All three were spectacular and I couldn't pick a favorite. Since when does that happen? Overall, I will be back. I plan to make a reservation next time and will most likely get the mussels again. My only recommendation would be to add fresh cut fries to the menu.
(3)Andrew H.
The mussels were great, service was attentive and atmosphere is nice. Only giving 3 stars because the beer menu, while extensive, was mainly bottled beer and the menu gives no description of each item. This would have been fine but I could tell our waiter didn't really know them well. After finally deciding (randomly choosing) I'm told my first 2 choices are out of stock. Weak. Before leaving I tried a beer from their limited draft menu. Again the one I choose is initially unavailable due to a problem with their tap or something. Upon receiving my second choice I find its in a small snifter type glass, which would have been fine if it was listed as being served that way on the menu, but it wasn't (this really annoys me) and I wanted a full 12oz glass. To recap; great mussels, beer menu and inventory management need an overhaul.
(3)Deena A.
Second time we've eaten here, and dinner was really good. We all left happy. Although the room is noisy, it doesn't interfere with conversation at your own table, but prevents you from making out any words at anyone else's table. It would seem that any restaurant with that many beers should keep some root beer on hand: Virgils, Sprecher, or Old Dominion. We will go back.
(4)Travel G.
Best restaurant in Arlington. My favorite mussels are the Kennett Square (cream, bacon, mushrooms, delish). I stopped ordering the mussels long ago, though, because everything else on the menu is also so delicious. I've worked my way down the entire list of entrees and the only thing I'm not a fan of is the pizza, but I'm not a pizza fan in general. I love the trout with green beans and the chef really knows how to cook salmon, always so tender. The turbot in a potato croute has a flakey pastry and moist and flavorful turbot. The steak comes in culotte, filet mignon or lamb. The frites are hand cut, in either traditional potato (my fav) or sweet potato (my hubby's fav). Even the burger is worth writing home about. We've started ordering the oysters lately, always fresh and hearty, and come with a sweet onion garnish and spicey cocktail sauce. They served a bombshell cocktail on Valentine's, champagne with hibiscus syrup and a hibiscus flower in it. The servers always keep up well-supplied with slices of hot baguette and their home-whipped butter (heaven), Our kids (12 and 8) love that they open the skillets of mussels at the same time, makes a great impression.
(5)Brendan C.
Great Fries, great mussels, huge beer selection and great service.
(5)Khaled O.
Love this place.. This is my neighborhood restaurant.. Best mussels and staff is very friendly and nice..
(5)NormaJean C.
Delicious, fresh Ahi tuna! And if you want mouth watering calamari, this is your place! Highly recommend!
(4)Mike C.
Well I had a review drafted for this place when I ate there the week it opened. It was more detailed, but I'll make this one relatively brief. Pros: 1. First glance and all thereafter are great, the restaurant looks awesome from all angles. I am in love with the open kitchen. 2. For being the second night open, service was great and everyone was friendly. 3. Beer, Beer, and more great beer. 4. The soft bread with just enough crunch. 5. Soft butter to go with this ^. 6. All the food was delicious, from the tuna tartare, the oysters, and the Mediterranean mussels (I took the pic you see on the home page here). I could eat those mussels every day, seriously. 7. Did I mention beer? Cons: 1. None really, except I'll be a little picky here for a second. The pita chips that came with the tuna tartare were so hard/crunchy/loud, it almost distracted from enjoying the rest of the dish. Easy fix, no big deal. For those of you reading these reviews, don't let the people on here complaining about the initial kinks shy you away. I'm really glad to see a place of this caliber, coming from a great chef, here in Ballston. Sure it doesn't have the pedigree of the Inn at Little Washington etc., but for as good as everything was for my first time there, I'll set the bar high at 4.5 stars for my next visits. I'll round up to 5 stars just because I really enjoyed my experience.
(5)David G.
Too expensive for the mediocre food. Staff were impolite and not helpful in my experiences. Two of the mussel dishes were pretty good but you need to chose them carefully. The beer selection and tv setup are pretty good. If you go, id suggest you go during happy hour and set by the bar. But the prices on the normal menu are ridiculous for the small portions and just ok food for a normal dinner
(2)Rachel D.
I've been to Mussel Bar twice now, the first was a good experience but last night was less than stellar. My first trip was in September when the weather was nice enough to enjoy the outdoor seating. Our server told us she was new so she wasn't able to answer our questions without making the extra trip to ask someone, but was otherwise attentive and the food was delicious. We got the appetizer pizza with eggplant and balsamic and the grilled calamari. The calamari was especially great; a good-sized portion of fresh calamari that was well-cooked and the tomato aioli serves as the perfect complement (and is just as delicious as a dipping sauce for the warm bread). Last night I returned with a few more friends and we were disappointed to find the service was much less attentive and the food was extremely slow coming out of the kitchen (which was strange as there were only a handful of other tables in the restaurant at the time). Once the food finally arrived--just mussels, two pizza apps and grilled calamari--neither flat bread had been prepared according to the menu and had to be sent back (come on guys, the "balsamic" pizza was missing the balsamic) and calamari had only FIVE pieces of squid on the plate. I'm not sure what caused them to start serving such a skimpy portion but $13 for five calamari pieces? Pass! Maybe we just caught the restaurant on an off night, but when you're dining somewhere that the staff outnumbers the guests by quite a few (just after work on a Wednesday) you would expect to be treated with better service and food that is on point. I would consider going back some day if I'm looking for food in the Ballston area, but there are so many other choices nearby that I'm certainly in no rush.
(3)Drew S.
Great food, great selection of beer, even some gluten free beers that were new to me. But it's loud. One step short of frat-boy hangouts (think Spider Kelly's or Mister Days), due to the completely open room with bare floor and concrete ceiling. The aesthetic is nice visually, but makes having a conversation difficult.
(4)Maria-Elena T.
We stopped in late and sat at the bar. We ordered greyhounds and NoVa. They were both delicious. They said they ran out of grapefruit juice but then found some??? We had the white wine garlic mussels. They were delicious. We got frites and they wee delicious too! I think they forgot our pizza. After 2 reminders it showed up when I suspect the kitchen was either closing or closed. I really liked the topping but the crust was ordinary and a little greasy. You want to stick to the mussels and frites here. That's what they do best. Service is hit or miss.
(3)Alli F.
I understand that this place is new and working out a few issues, however when both the service and food are lacking it is hard to keep using that as an excuse. I got to my table before the other people in the party arrived but about 10 minutes. I got zero service not even water until the rest of the party showed up. This would have been fine but only about 20 percent of the tables in the place were full and there were about 5 staff standing around the bar doing nothing just chatting. Once the party got there we ordered quickly and were served in a timely manner. The tartar was more on the warm slide than the cool side and had very little taste. The mussels were also room temp not at all warm and again had very little taste. If you want good mussels go elsewhere!!
(1)Amanda S.
I visited this place for the first time a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised. Despite being a little past 8 on a Friday night, and seeing numerous empty seats in the dining room, we were told that you had to have a reservation to be seated. So, we made a reservation for 8:30 and grabbed a seat at the packed bar. The beer selection, though grossly overpriced, was admirable. We noticed an empty table in the bar section and joked that it was likely our table. Sure enough, after eyeing said empty table for the better part of our wait, we were led to this exact table at our appointed "reservation" time. Once our waitress arrived, it was almost impossible to hear her due to the noise level. We placed our order and the food arrived fairly quickly. The mussels were phenomenal and although we could only understand about half of what our server said, she was quick and very attentive through our meal. The prices were on the higher side but the portions were huge and the food was amazing. The mussels were cooked perfectly and the flavor was spot on. This is definitely a place to revisit, perhaps at a less peak time, the noise level would be more acceptable. Service and food wise, there are no real complaints. Overall decent experience - especially considering that it is a new establishment. On a side note, I was highly disappointed to notice on my trip to the restroom, the beer walk-in is visible as it is enclosed by glass and the room itself left much to be desired. It was messy and it appeared that there was beer from a keg leaking across the floor. I would suggest leaving this room invisible to the general population.
(4)Qui H.
Parking garage or street parking is available. Good for big groups. I had the spicy curry mussels and it was delicious. Not too spicy in my opinion so give it a try.
(4)Scott F.
Just got back from Mussel Bar for the first time. They clearly have issues to work out with their service and food. We ordered...wait for it...mussels. They took nearly an hour to show up. For whatever reason, we never had a formal waiter/waitress. Instead, a hostess waited on us. They did comp us our drinks. The tables on both sides of us had issues and complained of slow service. One of the guests also asked to see the chef because their mussels were undercooked. In spite of all the new development, Ballston continues to be the valley of mediocre restaurants.
(1)Francisco F.
So, my Belgian fiancée and I decided to try this place close as we had passed it often and it looked nice.. First things first, I approach to the hostess and ask for a table outside (beautiful night) and she asks her manager to see if any tables were available. I already knew there was as you have to walk through the outside sitting to get to the hostess. So I see the manager go outside to check and go back inside. I followed him inside to see what was going on as he had not acknowledged my presence. As he is talking to the hostess I am standing behind him (but at a more than comfortable distance, I like my personal space as much as anyone) waiting for someone to update me and he turns back and says in a very loud voice "oh man! You need to give me some space!" ...... you be the judge of that. I finally do get a table outside after that less than agreeable experience" and order the Lambic Framboise beer. The menu says the beer was $ 13 (which I had no problem with as I know is an imported beer and not everybody carries it) for a 12.7 oz. bottle. The beers arrive, bottle was 11.2 Oz , which is the small version of the one we ordered, but we (and probably every customer who ordered it) ended up getting charged for the big one instead. Not a big fan of dishonest restaurants. Moving on to appetizers, ordered 2 french onion soups, soup arrives with no crusted cheese on top. We sent it back and the waitress returned, telling us that the kitchen said that there was cheese, it had just all sunk to the bottom.... sorry that is *not* french onion soup - in Belgium, France, or anywhere else for that matter. After a disappointing start we ordered a few other mediocre items and the check. We brought up the beer issue with the manager he took 25% off the check, but my real concern is what about all the customers paying more than they should be? We will not be going back.
(1)Meredith V.
Womp womp. This place has so much potential. It's sad. Here's why: service sucks so much that it actually takes away from the hip decor and amazing food. I usually don't go as far as to bump places down to 2 stars. But service consistently upset us here and ruined our dining experience. It started with the cocktail list being different online than in the restaurant. Online they list fun and creative cocktails. At the restaurant there are, maybe, 4 cocktails, tops, and they are either rough masculine cocktails (bourbon, whiskey-based) or stupid sweet girl cocktails (Cosmos! yawn). Give me something fresh and different. No dice. I asked for rose, sparkling or flat. They were out of all rose. Okay. I asked for an espresso martini. The bartender said he couldn't make one because he didnt have any coffee liquor. What? You don't have any Baileys or Frangelico? Kill yourself. I asked if he could make me a proper french martini: Grand Marnier (in lieu of vodka), Chambord, & pineapple juice. He wanted to make it with vodka. I said I wanted it with Grand Marnier. Then he started asking how many ounces. YOU TELL ME CHIEF. Then he says "How about I make it my way and you'll see if you like it". How about you just give me my drink how I asked it to be made. At that point we would have been sitting at our table anyway and not trying to negotiate with the bartender to get a drink the way I wanted. What shitty bartending service. My bf was also annoyed they MEASURED his Ketel One and soda. Petty. My bf made 8:30 ressies and while he was closing out our bar tab they texted him the table was ready. After he closes out and approaches the hostess stand, they say "finally!" Excuse me? He explained he was paying his tab and they eventually guided us to our table. From there service was non-existent. I ordered a glass of Chardonnay that took literally 14 minutes to arrive. We observed our server joking and standing around as my drink sat at the bar. It also took forever for bread, our mussels, my water, and my bf's drink to come out. In fact, it wasn't until we ordered a bottle of wine that our service started picking up because apparently she realized we were ready to drop dough and help out her tip. We ordered the white wine mussels and frites. Amazing. I ordered a cup of the french onion soup that was life-changing. It's really such a shame that the food is so great because we may never return. Guess when we did finally start seeing our server very frequently? Towards the mid-end of our meal when she was trying to promptly KICK US OUT. Seriously. Biggest pet peeve is nice, expensive places hiring mediocre, inexpereinced wait-staff. Mussel bar: fire all of your staff (excluding the chef) and start fresh. This place needs a service overhaul or it WILL go out of business. Beleedat.
(2)Brendan H.
You lookin' for some crappy food and terrible beer? Well I got news for you pal... Green Turtle is right next door! I've been to Mussel Bar a couple of times and all 12 times I had quite an enjoyable experience. Their mussels were absolutely amazing, which I was not expecting based on the name. The first time I strutted through those doors I was with my brother (yeah, my brother, what of it, we make a cute couple so back off) and we ordered a half order of Spicy Thai mussels and a half order of the Wild Mushroom Mussels. I know what you're thinking "Mushrooms? Gross dude that's totally nasty." Well, shut up! They were amazing but they had some amazingly awesome chunks of bacon in the sauce too. BACON: It does your taste buds good. I enjoyed both dishes but if I was to choose between the two I'd go with the Spicy Thai - they were amazing and I'm pretty sure I dipped about 33 loaves (loafs?) of bread in the left over sauce. Now let's talk about the beer - they have a wide variety of it there. The first beer I had was an exotic Bud Light, it really got my mouth raring to go for more beer. After Bud Light I decided to get crazy and order some of the other beers. I had a number of them and they were all great and all had names that I was told and can totally remember but I want to leave some mystery in my Yelp review. The setup of the place is pretty sweet and the bar area has some awesome TVs - not a stupid amount cause it's not a sports bar, but 3-5ish and they are quality. The place is a little pricy for my poor self but I will definitely go back to celebrate things like the Browns first win of the year (which will likely occur next season).
(5)Susie D.
Reservations are definitely recommended. We started off with oysters and the lamb meatball appetizers both of which were were wonderful. Our party of four had the trout, short ribs, salmon, and Mediterranean mussels. All the entrées were fantastic. The men started with Brabo Pils, a Belgian brew, and later a German Babik Pilsner. We shared a bottle of Cantarelles Cabernet 2012 which went quite nicely with our meals.
(5)Eric T.
Food is good but not great. Been here a few times so I could make a fair assessment. The Mussels and Oysters are above average. The other food is not bad either but pricing is a little high compared to the quality. Water is an up charge for filtered $1.50 per person. I don't think it's a nice enough place to charge for purified tap water lol. You can get still or sparkling tho so if you like sparkling it might be a good deal. The ambience is good. Service is ok. Open kitchen area. So although I would say 3 stars for the price I have upped it to 4 for Ballston. My wife enjoys it more than I do so it depends on your preference. Definitely good enough to try it and make your own opinion. They do have specials and happy hour so I suggest those times for a first time.
(4)Emily W.
I am in town for work, so I searched for a restaurant near my hotel for dinner. Mussel Bar & Grill popped up on Yelp, so I decided to give it a try. It was fairly busy on a Monday night, and since I was dining alone, I sat at the bar. The bartenders were attentive and very quickly took my order. I had the Thai green curry mussels with the classic frites with a few glasses of wine. The mussels themselves were fantastic, and I tried to scoop up as much of the spicy broth as I could. My dinner was spot on, and I plan to come back here when I'm in the area again!
(5)Philip L.
Quite the happening place and generally good food all around. French onion soup & brisket burger were delicious. Short rib with pasta not bad. French fries are housemade and delicious! Would go here again
(4)Diana P.
We had reservations for 745P because Open Table didn't have any time before then. When we arrived, we were instantly seated when I told the hostess we were a tad early, and the service was pretty good for a busy Saturday night. The waiter was willing to give us tips on the best wines available, etc. Grilled calamari was our starting appetizer. Whatever that sauce was... was fantastic! Grab a bit it of on the freshly made bread and, mmmm, I can fill myself up with just that. My main was the lobster mac and cheese because, while this place is named The Mussel Bar, I'm a big sucker for mac and cheese. It came out in a big pot that looked like it can feed TWO! And, ohhhhh, the cheesy goodness!! I am just drooling thinking about it. Whatever the cheese sauce was paired well with the lobster -- which were abundant and in large chunks! Gotta love that they didn't skimp on the lobster.
(4)Jihad B.
Y'all mother fuckers needs to try this shit right here. Like f'real, this shit is stupid good. Y'all mother fuckers like mussels? Well guess what, bitch? The mussels here are mother fucking on point! Get them shits in some Provencal sauce and y'all be like, "Oh ma God, that shit is stupid good!" Guess what else a mother fucker ordered? That's mother fucking right, some goddamn Char Grilled Calamari. Char. Mother fucking. Grilled. Calamari. That shit ain't fried, bitch. And that sauce on that shit was stupid fucking good. Oh shit you think that's all I ordered? You fucking dumb, yo. Mother fucker right here got some Spicy Blue Crab Dip. Shit wasn't blue for shit, shit was like pink and shit. But mother fucker, that shit was Kanye-amazing. Don't order the steak though.
(4)Kelli H.
I visited this place for the firs time 11/15 and loved it. Yes, mussels are expensive at this restaurant $24 but seafood is generally expensive regardless of where you go. I have to say that the portion size was great for the mussels. You get a large bowl full and each shell actually has a mussel in it. The flavoring of each mussel was amazing. I'm a seafood lover and have eaten tons of mussels from many different restaurants and these ones were great. Each mussel tasted fresh and of good quality. Since this was my first time here I've only tried the mussels. But I will definitely come back. The service here was great as well. I personally have no complaints. Only thing I will add is don't let price deter you from trying this restaurant. You have to realize that generally seafood is pricey when you are getting quality. And you have to consider the portions as well. You don't get an appetizer portion of mussels for $24. You are getting a meal portion which is enough to make you full. I am very particular about where I eat my seafood and I wouldn't recommend this place if I didn't think they had quality mussels.
(4)Cyndi B.
Office happy hour first. Sat at the bar and took advantage of the great drink and food specials! Great value. We tried the white wine and mushroom mussels, along with classic and sweet potato frites... EXCELLENT! Great, attentive staff.
(5)Sylvie S.
I stopped by yesterday for a happy hour with a few girlfriends and after reading a few reviews, I feel like Mussel Bar exceeded my expectations. Mussel Bar with chef Robert Wiedmaier is semi(?)sister restaurant of Marcels and Brasserie Beck. It is located across from Vapianos on the other side of Glebe. There is a garage below which I believe is $2 and a very few places for street parking (if like me, you NEVER carry cash). The place is an upscale casual restaurant that also feels slightly sports bar-ish due to the TV's. We sat at the bar with some heavy chairs that are really annoying to get in and out of because they are so close together. Under the bar was an abundance of really awesome purse hooks though. I loved them. The bar isn't super huge and when we arrived around 6:30 all the bar seating was taken so I'd recommend coming a bit earlier if you want seats especially if it is a Tuesday Oyster night. There were tables around the bar area but for whatever reason had reserved signs with no people at them... not sure what that was about. I had a glass of cab and some grapefruit beer drink which turned out to be a soda. The cab was better than I expected and the grapefruit drink, while hardly containing alcohol was reminiscent of a jarritos grapefruit soda. Uh, still yum even sans the alcohol. Between the four of us, we decided to do a half dozen oysters and three bar sized mussels to share. We did the white wine, provencal, and Mediterranean style mussels. All were really good. At first taste, the Mediterranean style was the stand out with the bold flavors from the sausage and cheese. As we continued to eat, the Provencal, which at first seemed a bit bland next to the Mediterranean style really became the star. The flavors were subtle but the sundried roma tomatoes were like getting the marshmallow in Lucky charms. The mussels were plump and tasty and the broths were thick and flavorful. The bartender was also happy to refill our bread so we could carb it out and dunk in the remaining sauces. The oysters were also above average. We each had one and they were tasty. I will need to return on a Tuesday!
(4)Maria P.
Great ambience and delicious food!! I came here for an event, and I must say the host chose an amazing venue. Lots of wooden tables, large windows, high ceilings, and that overall classy yet comfortable vibe that some restaurants try to achieve. The mussels were perfect, but given the price I expected a bit more. Yeah, there's only so many mussels that you can eat, but I would've preferred that to stuffing my face with so much bread. Delicious bread. Perfect bread, especially when it came to soaking up the broth in your pan of mussels. Still, too much bread. They had a great selection too, which included White Wine, Mediterranean, Thai Curry, and Provencal. Mmm. All of them were very tasty, and the Thai curry really had a kick to it! I haven't been to the Bethesda location, but hopefully it lives up to this...if not, then a visit is in order whenever I'm in the VA location. Side Note: We had a large group, and some were left waiting for their food long after others received theirs. (This would be me). Still, I'd come back with a few people just because it's delicious...but I'd avoid the bathroom and their self-flushing toilets. Very loud and scary, especially when you have no idea that it's coming!
(4)Teri J.
Love this place! We went there on a Friday and the place was packed. Had the shrimp and grits, crabcake appetizer and ny husband had the lamb shank dinner. Drinks were good. We will return.
(5)Kait M.
My husband and I went here for dinner last night and truly enjoyed the food. We ordered the mussels in white wine sauce with the classic fries. However, the service could have definitely been improved. The server did not go over the specials, was super slow at getting anything that we needed, and left our drinks empty without asking if we would like something else. I will definitely go back as the food is delicious but the service could have definitely been better.
(3)M K.
I went w/ a group last weekend and they liked the place. We arrived after most of our group was already at the bar...I asked the bartender for a Heineken and a glass of water. Response: "We don't have Heineken" I say: "How about water, you have that?"...I ended up w/ neither. The group had mussels and various apetizers that everyone liked...the table server did a nice job.
(3)Jen J.
Can we say SHORT RIBS!?!?!?! So delicious. Went with the family and everybody found something on the menu that was a perfect fit. Lots of beer and the server found me the perfect glass of wine. Can see into the kitchen in this fun place! Our server was fantastic. Made friends with our youngest and offered spot on suggestions.
(5)North K.
Oh, believe me. No one could have wanted to like this restaurant more than we did. It's within walking distance of our home, ideal for spontaneous "date nights" meeting each other after work on the way from the Metro. Its location is ideal for meeting out of town friends. Sadly, we probably have had our first and last dinner there. Back to Puppatella--two individual Puppatella pizzas and a really good bottle of wine, even vintage champagne, are more cost-effective, healthy, and satisfying than dinner at the newly opened Mussel Bar. We had an excited walk there and a sadly reflective walk home. Service: The service is well meaning, earnest, uneven. That's OK, they just opened. We wondered if the philosophy is to hire people without much experience so they can be trained to suit the chef/owner That's fine and a good long-term investment. Bread was a hard nut to crack--took a long time "to start." Long wait between appetizer and main. Many folks came by to ask how it was going, if they could offer us anything else while we were waiting, etc. Service was a 3 or 4 of 5 but I did not really count off for that. They are learning and it's just opened. Beer: EXTENSIVE beer menu. The two Belgian Blondes I had ($10 and $8/bottle were great. Reminded me of happy days in Brugge. I'd come here for drinks in a heartbeat. Wine: Hmmm. Husband, not beer drinker, had a good rose cava for $10/glass. But the Bordeaux for $15/glass was below meh and he did not finish it. This did not raise inquiries. Either it was too oxidized or just meh, Don't get the wine!!!! Starters: He had the pepperpot soup. It was good, salty, lots of heat. I had the grilled calamari. They were very good indeed. I started the night with great hopes for the place based on this dish...visions of many more dinners. Very tender with strong grilled/charcoal taste. Steaks: He had the NY strip; ordered rare. I had the culotte steak (like flank steak, ordered medium. Both came medium-rare. They were flavorless, except for salt and the char-broil flavor, which we decided was used to mask the indifferent flavor of the meats. The frites were tasty because they were incredibly salty. Dessert: We split a turtle sundae. Meh. Not high quality ice cream, Bottom line: The main food flavors we had were salt, salt, and char-broil. Only the calamari were anything we'd get again. Since we are not salt fans, we don't think we will go back. MAJOR BUMMER since this and WIllow are the best places to eat in Ballston. Total cost before tip: $132.55. That is NOT CHEAP! For $30 Puppatella offers better anf fresher cuisine.
(2)Brittney F.
It was my first visit and I was very pleased! The wine menu was a little disappointing because there were only a few that were offered by the glass instead of bottle only, but they had a malbec and I was happy (a little pricey though and no wine happy hour specials?). I had the caesar salad and the baked mac and cheese, all delicious! The bar area was pretty segregated from the main restaurant area so we weren't bothered by the happy hour crowd. Great experience!
(4)A J.
There were four of us celebrating a birthday on a cold Wednesday evening (2/5/14). Our server was Hilda and we were all very pleased with her attention to our needs. She answered our questions with a smile and she deserved and received a generous tip. We enjoyed cocktails with deliciously warm bread and butter which kept coming. We ordered the Grilled Calamari. I personally ordered the Mussels Provencal, which was served it the fry pan they were cook in. Another ordered the White Wine Mussels, also served in its fry pan. We both thought the mussels were exceptional. Another ordered the Atlantic Salmon and seemed pleased with his choice. Now to the birthday boy, he ordered the Wednesday special - Prime Rib. However, they were running short with only the end cut and medium well preparations so he chose the Strip Steak instead. Just before our food was delivered, the manager came to the table and informed the birthday boy that because his original choice wasn't available to his desired preparation, that his steak dinner would be on the house. The staff didn't know we were celebrating a birthday until his steak meal was deemed "on the house" we let the manager and server know, and an "on the house" desert was served. So, this wonderful food, attentive server and unbelievable manager has won our favorable five star rating and we will look forward to our next visit to the Mussel Bar and Grille Restaurant in Arlington VA.
(5)Sarah S.
Had dinner with my bf on a busy Friday night. I made a reservation earlier that day and we were seated right away. I was a little disappointed with our table; we were right next to the kitchen (which spans the length of the restaurant) and were right next to a service station so we constantly had a bunch of wait staff hovering around us. Our waitress was attentive, and we both ordered cocktails. I had the Camino which in hindsight was just a jalapeno Margarita. I wish the waitress told me, bc when it arrived at my table the rim (approx 1.5 inch thick) was deep with salt, a lot of which got in my drink making it very salty. For $10/cocktail, I would advise sticking to beer. The food was great. We had the white wine mussels, and Kennett Bay, both tasted fresh and were served with frites with several aiolies to dip in. Our waitress kept us supplied with bread and more bowls for our shells. Another cool thing- the head chef is there, right in the kitchen checking EVERY order that comes out. We saw him walk from station to station checking sauces, and all of the dishes coming out. It may be like that everywhere but it makes you feel good to know that everything is being checked by THE head chef before it arrives at your table. I like the restaurant itself, but it was pretty loud and while some of the tables are against the glass windows, many tables for 2 are RIGHT by the kitchen and don't get as much of the cool vibe. The bathrooms are also awkwardly small. I actually think I would prefer it to be a little quieter- it could have been a great date spot.
(3)Annalena W.
Curry mussels were delicious. And the beer selection was great. The place was so loud we chose to sit outside and listen to traffic instead if being inside. I think I will return for lunch or just for drinks.
(2)J D.
From the moment we set down we were impressed. Our waitress (Ping) was very attentive and explained the menu well. We ordered and the food arrived quickly. Ping was quick to point out other menu items as they went to other tables as we had inquired about other dishes. My oyster sampler was presented well and tasted even better. I got the Thai Green Curry mussels and really loved them. I wanted they spicy and I got it. My wife order a burger (not a big seafood fan) and while she liked it overall she was not thrilled with the tomatao jam (her words) style sauce which she felt was too sweet. For dessert she ordered teh warm chocolate cookie and I got the Chcolate rasberry creme brulee. She loved her cookie but honestly my creme brulee was more like a thick chocolate mouse. I enjoyed it but had I known what is really was I would have tried something different. The evening was also punctuated by staff other than our waitress also being friedly, offering assistance, and expaining food as it went by our table. The food wasnt perfect but we will sure return as the staff was great and there are many more things on the menu I want to try.
(4)Ryan V.
Not a welcoming experience. We tried to walk in at about 8 pm on a Friday night, when there were - no kidding - 10 tables and booths open throughout the restaurant, only to be told "sorry, we are fully committed" and we can go sit on the patio until a spot at the bar opens up. Seriously? I appreciate you honoring reservations, but that was just ridiculous.
(1)Neiw A.
My girlfriend and I came here today for dinner. However, before I was able to say anything to the hostess she said she couldn't seat us. This was odd because only about 60% of the place was full. Her reasoning was that the servers would not be able to get us in time and we would have to wait 15 minutes for a table. If the restaurant had all these table, why didn't they adequately staff. Poor management to me.
(2)Michael T.
Good drinks and tasty food. The mussels are served in a very generous portion and reasonably priced. I like that when coming with a group of 5 or 6 there are various preparation styles to choose from so everyone can share and get an idea of which they like best. Dipping the bread in the mussel sauce is delicious. Jalapeno margarita was also very good. Definitely recommend.
(4)Robert E.
I had been meaning to try this place out and finally got there Friday night. Found spot at bar and ordered the suburban (Gin based) drink and the short ribs. Service on both was quick and with a smile. Drinks and meal were excellent. I will be returning.
(4)Amy R.
I waited to do my review until I had a chance to revisit them to give them a second chance since my first experience with them was pretty poor from a service standpoint. As far as their service, I will say that it is mediocre at best. Although in both instances I was dining by myself as this was during a work trip, the hostess didn't seem too happy that I was taking a table. The second trip they actually sat me next to what seemed to be the server gathering station on the backside of the bar, which was very distracting and annoying. In my first experience I was seated outside per my request. It took the server 10 minutes to even greet me and they weren't busy at the time. In both the instances with my drink and food, I watched as they passed by my table and went to a table down to give them my items only to have those patrons tell them that it wasn't theirs. I recognized what I ordered and flagged them down to get my items. I can only guess this was due to mislabeling of the tables in the system. My wait was about the same to be initially greeted the second time although the service for the rest of the meal was much better (must have been because I was next to the server gathering area). ;) The only thing redeeming Mussel Bar is their food. My first visit I had the blue crab dip and it was excellent. I have had the Kale Caesar salad both times and it is great (and authentic with anchovies). My second meal was the fillet w/frites and salad, which was also excellent. If you don't mind mediocre service, but enjoy delicious food, then stop by Mussel Bar & Grille.
(3)Richard C.
Compared to St. Arnolds this place was not as tasty in the mussels department. For being called mussel bar there was not a lot of options to choose from sauce wise, but what they did have was decent. My gf ordered a pound of mussels in the Mediterranean sauce and it was a tomato based broth. We love spicy things so we asked them to give us some heat and the waiter had no issues doing this for us. Loved dipping the bread in the broth and of course the best thing was how the bread basket was never empty!! Or waiter kept filling it up! On Thursdays they have the suckling pig as a special! I'm so happy I ordered this. The meat was so moist and juicy!!! It also came with thick bacon bits and potatoes as a side. You can never have too much swine!! They have great beer selections too! Try Oberon if you haven't (representing Michigan!!) Definitely will be coming back whenever we don't want to make the trip into the city!
(3)Camsie M.
4.5 stars really - only deduction is because we arrived at 6:30 on a Saturday to be told they were fully committed until 8:30; at least a dozen tables were empty when we arrived and at least a few stayed empty after we left. Now for the good- great seat at the bar and amazingly good food. We ordered the Spicy thai mussels with sweet potato fries. The mussels were big and juicy and the broth was so good we ate every drop as a coconut curry "soup" but the fries!!! Unbelievable. So good I really did consider just ordering sweet potato fries as my entire dinner. Thankfully I didn't because I got to enjoy the MGB Burger - no cheese and no bun (I'm avoiding dairy and gluten). Colossal. The large patty comes topped with A perfectly fried egg Seared pork belly Lightly grilled onions Arugula Truffled mushrooms. Yep. All on a burger. We will definitely be back. Great service btw despite the bartender being continually slammed with drink orders.
(4)Saara Z.
Had a great lunch here with some colleagues. We came in right at noon and were served quite promptly - which is really important for work day lunches - we were in and out within an hour! We had bluepoint oysters to start, which were clean, plump, and delicious. I had the grilled scallop dish as my entree, it came with a side of sauteed sweet potatoes and kale. The scallops were delicious and the portioning was perfect. My coworker had the half pound portion of the Thai green curry mussels, which looked awesome and she seemed to enjoy them very much. I'd love to come back here for dinner some time. Recently returned to Mussel Bar for dinner and had a really great shrimp and grits dish. I also tried the salmon special for the night, which was less enjoyable mainly because of the tangy sauce that accompanied it. Would high recommend the shrimp and grits!
(4)Katie S.
3.5 stars. We came here for Sunday Brunch right around 11 with a group of 5 and were seated immediately. I love the decor and open air seating, I also really like the prep kitchen being visible to the dinning room. Great ambiance! I started off with the bacon bloody Mary and was not really a fan. I ended up switching to their french pressed coffee, which was very good, although we were told they were out of milk. They brought out bread while we waited with a garlic butter since we were told they were out of regular butter. My husband and I split a small order of muscles Provencal and frites as an ap. Both were good. I had the Chicken Cesar salad, which sounds pretty boring and is not something I would typically order, but man I am glad I did! The chicken breast was grilled to perfection, had the best char and was super flavorful! The salad was smaller than I imagined for an entree size, but ended up being the perfect follow up to the muscles. Also, this particular salad is served with slivers of sardines, which makes for a great presentation and makes (much to my surprise) a really quite awesome flavor profile. Everyone else seemed pleased with their food and everything looked pretty good. My friends got more breakfast-y foods and the hubs got a burger that he was happy with.
(3)Dia D.
We started with a half dozen raw Virginia oysters and then had the Mediterranean mussels (goat cheese, sausage, harissa aioli, tomato broth) with the Pomme Frites and aioli trio. The food was good, maybe not the best mussels, frites, and oysters in DC, but not bad either. My main complaints was that our server was only okay (took a long time to take our order and didn't do things such as telling us the different flavors of aioli in the trio) and the place was really loud. Three beers, 6 oysters, and mussels with frites was $68 before tip.
(3)Sincere M.
The extensive amount of Mussel options are absurdly phenomenal! I would come here every day STRICTLY for the mussels. The old fashioned cocktails are a hit, and I'm beyond a fan. Got the meatball appreciated which was fulfilling. The only thing I was not a fan of, was the service. They need to step it up and learn restaurant etiquette, bc I was not impressed what so ever, and they were not even busy. We were neglected, forgotten about, and had to keep asking some other server to grab us waters, utensils, etc. Coming from a person that started off in the restaurant industry, I can confidently say my younger freshman brother could have done a better job.
(3)Kelsey I.
Soooo.... I went here on a Tuesday night and arrived at around 9PM. We sat at the bar because I'd already eaten dinner. As others have mentioned, I was shocked at the noise level on such an average night. Perhaps the over-served middle-aged man with his harem of flirty sales girls who squeezed 6-deep into a booth forgot what his elementary school teacher taught him about using his "inside voice." Perhaps the acoustics are just that poor. Onto the drinks.... I started with a glass of Rose, but it more resembled a White Zin - a terrifyingly light pink color and sweet flavor. Then I moved onto a glass of Cab, but it was thin and tasted more like a cheap merlot. But hey, I knew this place was known for its beer, so the bad wine didn't kill it for me. Speaking of beer.... I saw the bartender remove a glass of beer from the refrigerator, pour the contents into another glass, top it off from the tap, and then serve it. It's possible that there's an explanation for this, but it sure seemed like he was recycling. Nevertheless, he was friendlier than the first bartender who served us initial drinks and then never came back again. Onto the mussels.... We tried to Thai spice ones. While the broth was really delicious and the bread was really fresh, the actual mussels were super chewy. I tried exactly 3 (because I didn't want to be a fatty and eat 2 dinners on a Tuesday), and all 3 of them had some sort of membrane component that couldn't be fully chewed and needed to be reluctantly swallowed or discreetly spit into a napkin. Not sexy. Maybe I'll try oysters and the outside patio next time, but I won't exactly be recommending this place to friends.
(2)Fitz T.
Been here three times, we love it. A bit of NYC style for us expats to DC. The food is fantastic; the kitchen takes things very seriously. We bring a baby (usually lunch hours) and get great service, no attitude, and always really enjoy ourselves. For a $$ restaurant, with style, here in Ballston, you really can't ask for much more.
(5)Raz B.
Best seafood in ballston. The fish and mussle was amazing. Service is great. The meatball was great. Will be back soon.
(5)Anne C.
What a disappointment!!! I was so excited to learn that Mussel bar, a sister restaurant to brasserie beck had opened up in ballston, a place i had lived at for 3 years! They opened around the time I moved to LA so i didn't hear about it until recently! Service was utterly slow. it was world cup gametime so we could only get outdoor seating, but man! we barely got any service. I think it took 20 minutes just to get asked for water/drinks. we ordered the beef carpaccio, blue crab soup, mediterranean mussels and a dozen oysters. The beef carpaccio was bland and unappealing. the arugula that came with it was good. They brought out the blue crab soup...without any silverware....we waited for about 10 minutes before I finally got up adn went inside to the hostess to ask for two spoons. the soup was lukewarm by then. the mediterranean mussels were decent, extremely salty, but still good - could've used more sausage in it, barely any in there! the bread that came wiht it was good for dipping. Sadly, the most solid part of the meal were the oysters. My date and I agreed that we wouldn't be back for dinner, but wil still come back fro happy hour since location is convenient.
(2)Vinay K.
Overall Thoughts: Though this was a fun and tasty place. Scene: A bunch a friends out for dinner and drinks on a Friday night. So a third of the group, myself included, arrived and asked for the table. The hostess asked us to wait by the bar and told us that the table should be ready soon. We weren't terribly annoyed as these things happen plus the bar had bourbon! We ordered so drinks and waited for the rest of our friends to arrive. About 15 minutes later the rest of our party arrives and yet our table is still not ready. No worries the bar had bourbon... We finally sat about an hour after we were supposed to be seated. Again, most of us were mildly annoyed at worst but whatever worse anyone felt was quickly taken care of by the staff at MB&G. As we arrived at our table we had a plate of oysters, crab dip and calamari waiting and the server was pouring champagne. A great way to start dinner. We ended up ordering two plates of mussels and lamb meatballs as appetizers which were all very very good! As far as the entrées are concerned I'll only talk about my experience. I ordered the shrimp and grits with a side of lobster macaroni which was heaven. The shrimp was grilled perfectly and grits were smooth as butter. The lobster macaroni was just over the top good! I'll definitely come back. Seems like a great place to hang out at during happy hour or nice dinner. The bar scene looked fun!
(4)Elizabeth W.
I was pleasantly surprised by this place. My friend and I went last night right before closing and received excellent service from the bartender. I forget his name but he came over promptly with menus and did not make us feel rushed whatsoever. We ordered the deviled eggs, shrimp and asparagus, and the mediterannean mussels. He also even was able to accomodate our request for side salads instead of fries! The food was amazing, we ate ever last bit. He was very attentive the whole time and we had a blast. I will definitely be back.
(5)Stacie S.
We had a very nice experience. The staff members were friendly and the mussels were great.
(5)Stephanie J.
Since I LOVE mussels I have been eager to try Mussel Bar & Grille in Ballston and I was not disappointed. Mussel Bar has outdoor seating and their is a parking garage in the same building complex, so parking was easy peasy and steps away from the restaurant. I ordered the Kennett Square Mushroom mussels and they were delicious. The sauce has tasty bits of bacon that really enhance and nicely complement the mussels. Since I came with a group of Yelp foodies we readily shared our mussel selections ... OMG they were all delicious but the Kennett Square and White Wine mussels were my favorite. I didn't try the Thai Curry mussels but I heard they were very spicy, delicious but spicy so fair warning. The big stand out for me was the sweet potato fries, they were heavenly delicious, you could really taste the sweet potato rather than just orange colored goo. If you are not a fan of mussels they also offer a menu that includes steak, salmon, crab cakes and other entree selections that will please your palate. Mussel Bar features many beers and if beer is your thing than I'm sure you can find one that interests you. There is also a wine list and a full bar. The restaurant is open and airy -- lots of light -- a great overall feel and a wonderful place to watch the world go by. Our server was attentive and friendly, though probably a bit overwhelmed by the size of our group.
(4)Jericho T.
Went here for the first time on a Sunday afternoon (during Brunch) to catch the World Cup final w/ my girlfriend. Got there around 2pm (1 hour before the match), was met by the friendly hostess and we sat at the bar which had plenty of spots to choose from. Side note: The place has a very pleasing appearance and is configured for space; although the bar seats are large wooden chess pieces that are hard to maneuver since they are spaced close to each other and do not glide along the floor so well (minor inconvenience if/when the bar gets packed). Once we sat down the bartender tended to us, was friendly off the bat, and got our drink orders. Going off of the brunch menu, we got a MB&G Bloody Mary (extra spicy) and a drink I can't remember the name of but it was good for someone with a sweet tooth like me; it was a wheat beer with peach nectar. Drinks came out fast and was top notch - Bloody Mary was super delicious; had old bay rimmed across and had a plump shrimp stuck right on top. The Wheat Beer/Peach concoction was good too, not too sweet thankfully. For food, we ordered the Mussels Provencal with a side of pommes frites, and another side of mac-n-cheese. - Mussels Provencal: 10/10, Nice & steamy - not over cooked, flavor all came together nicely - (tomatoes, garlic, cream parmesan, capers, basil) - Pommes Frites: 9/10, sauces were decent, fries themselves were awesome - Mac-N-Cheese: 9/10, creamy, not super salty (good thing) - just plain delish. That food filled us up for a while and during the game we drank some of the other drafts and bottled beers (decent list by the way) and all were good...had a Delerium Tremens, Framboise Lambic, Ommegang White, and a couple of others. When the beer munchies kicked in, we ordered a 1/2 dozen raw oysters (from Rhode Island) and were not disappointed at all...not the best but pretty good. We also ordered more fries. My girl ordered another bloody mary which was good but not as good as the one she got earlier in the day; watered down & in a smaller glass. All in all, whether it was attributed to a Sunday, World Cup fever, or a random quiet day, the service was friendly and speedy, drinks & food were excellent, and the ambience was nice. Definitely will go back...might try a different night to see if there's any difference.
(4)Jermoil A.
The Mussel Bar is pretty cool, the beer selection is sweet and the food is awesome, I had to try the pork belly and beans because of the other reviews and they were all true, they did not disappoint! I also had the Mediterranean mussels which were really good but the next time I had a burger and It took me by surprise, didn't think that it would be THAT Good, they have daily specials that changes weekly so I need to go more! But all in all the location is good, bartenders are money and the food is awesome!!
(4)Ni C.
Went here for a group event and was happy with the food - but a bit unimpressed with all the tv screens in the restaurant - what is this, A-Town?! Mussels are good - the Provencal and white wine are delicious. Fries are so-so. I was waiting for the crispy goodness and well seasoned goodness of, again, Brasserie Beck, but these felt a bit rushed. Beer selection here is great if that's your thing. Its good. But its not Brasserie Beck.
(3)Michael H.
Really good food. I highly recommend this place. Outdoor seating as well. And the food and service was very good as well. Very good HH specials as well.
(5)Bobby S.
I sat at the bar while waiting on a friend. Service was on point... of course I'm a cool guy so they just want to hang around. (OK Maybe I sat near the pay station too...) in either case I was well looked after. Ordered the Mussels Spanish style with chorizo (honestly don't recall the fancy name)... they brought out my dish. LOOKED GREAT. Started eating and could not find the chorizo... no matter, maybe they use the Mexican style paste that just dissolved... I am getting some of the spiciness so not too concerned. After about 5-8 shells.. the guy comes with a new plate of mussels... "Sorry sir, we brought you the wrong one!!!" HA! Ok, I explain how I was looking for the chorizo, he sets it down and takes the wrong one back... there it is... chorizo chunks. No matter...I got to taste two great mussel dishes! This was only entertaining and I would usually slam a place for this but they were so go about it. Maybe has something to do with the new plate being followed with a new beer... I am easily bought with free beer; what can I say. Beer selection was good. East coast selections are not as good as on the Best coast but they are trying to keep up and doing a pretty decent job of evolving past Yuengling which everyone raves about and I just don't understand. (Sorry mis-focused, no straight road driving, strange talking, puritan,Eastern-American cousins... another point for the west!) They had the game on the tube so I could zone out and ignore the yuppies that are pervasive in this part (and most of) town. The gents are easily identified by their khaki pants, sport coats, loafers, and ladies by their pseudo-modern Madeline outfits. There is a pretension from much of the clientele that thankfully does not continue with the wait staff. Summary: Good food, good beer, good service (if you sit at the bar and have a personality).
(4)Michelle W.
Stopped in here about 6:30 on Friday and met a friend at the bar for dinner before heading off to some birthday festivities for another friend. The bartenders were nice and attentive and they even had some drink specials! (Super nice especially since it was a Saturday!) I had a glass of wine for $5, I can't remember what the other deals were since I just had the wine. To eat I ordered the lobster mac n cheese that had some broccolini mixed it. It was fantastic! Giant pieces of lobster, and there was probably at least a pound in the dish. The mac was shells, which complimented the lobster and saucy cheese nice. It was a rich dish, but the cheese itself is pretty mild so it works will with the rich lobster. I also like that there was a tiny bit of kick in it, not sure if it was just a nice amount of black pepper or what, but definitely try it before you add any extra. You will probably be pleasantly surprised that it doesn't need it. I would order this again in a second. A little on the expensive side of their entrees (I think it was $28), but I thought it was delicious and worth it. This probably isn't the place to go if you're looking for cheap eats, menu items definitely aren't cheap. So, if you've got some money to burn chill at the bar, watch some games and have some delicious grub here!
(4)Jeremy P.
I have been here many times and the experience has always been wonderful. Attentive staff, inspired food and great atmosphere. The outside seating is good too.
(5)Wendy W.
When the "r" months roll around, you can bet I get excited about the bivalves. What better place to enjoy succulent, sweet, mussels than at the Mussel Bar & Grille. I really digged the trendy industrial decor, high ceilings, open kitchen, and glass walls. It definitely put a bit of class in an otherwise flipflop and tank top affair. I absolutely love the presentation of the mussels. Your server will bring you the cast iron or skillet your mussels were steaming in and uncover the lid table side. Lean in folks, and take a deep deep breath of that wonderful sea smell. Ok, maybe lean back a tad, it is hot steam afterall. The Mussel Bar & Grille steam their mussels in a variety of sauces. You are sure to find a sauce...or two that will fit your palate. For me, it was the creamy Kennett Square mushroom. If I wasn't with a group of Yelpers, I would have picked up my cast iron and downed that baby. Think chowder. Mmmm... I didn't taste much smokiness from the bacon or any of the rosemary but the cream sauce had just the right amount of salt and butter. The Mediterranean while delicious was a bit too heavy for me. Every few bites I needed to take a big gulp of beer to cleanse my palate of the goat cheese. The Mussel Bar & Grille is a fun after work spot and would make a fine choice for HH. An intimate date spot, however it would not. Noise is somehow amplified in this space making conversations a shouting match. But the mussels should be enough to keep you distracted for some time.
(4)Arjay U.
This is our 3rd time and it never misses, always great food, cocktails, ambience and service... I had the Kenette Mushroom last night it was so good and Christine for my cocktail so refreshing. Thanks again for a great mussel night You guys rock !
(4)Babak Bobby J.
Recent transplant to Va from NorCal and met a friend here for what I thought would be dinner. Low and behold they had a drinks only kind of night in mind. No worries, times to mussel it up! #punintended Ordered the calamari appetizer, slow cooked salmon as the entree and the beet salad. The service was excellent and there was more enough room to maneuver at the bar. Perfect pour on the beers and Mussels so far has made the best Old Fashioned I've had since coming to the East Coast. I know it's not a difficult drink to make by any means but you would be surprised at what some places are trying to pass of as an old fashioned. The calamari was tasty but a bit undercooked for my pallet. I'm sure all I would have to do next time is to ask that they grill it a bit longer. The beet salad was very very tasty. Highly recommended if beets are your thing. The slow cooked salmon came with Brussels sprouts that were excellent and the fish itself . Perfectly cooked. Definitely will have this again.
(4)Dave U.
We met some friends in Arlington and they selected this place. It's on a busy corner off Glebe Rd. Parking was a challenge but we found an underground lot. They offer happy hour prices for oysters and beer. Since I'm not a seafood eater, we didn't rush out for happy hour. Our friends did enjoy their oyster happy hour specials. We were seated in a nice booth. The server was informative and helpful. He offered some food and beverage advice. Although he would disappear at times, we eventually got our water and drinks refilled. Since I don't eat seafood, their NY Strip was calling for me! The steak was nicely cooked and the side dishes were tasty. The rest of the table ordered various mussel dishes and all seemed to enjoy them.
(4)Claire O.
If you order a draft beer at a restaurant, you expect the restaurant to pour you a full beer. Not so at Mussel Bar & Grille. My husband and I ordered two beers and were served very stingy pours with massive amounts of foam. My husband took the beers back over to the bartender. Amazingly - the bartender defended the pours and refused to fill the glasses. He claimed that one of the beers (Boulevard Tank 7) was higher ABV and thus the serving size was smaller. My husband pointed out that a standard pour for Tank 7 is 12oz -- and that Mussel Bar itself sells 12oz bottles of Boulevard. The bartender claimed that the "correct" fill for a draft Boulevard was the 25cl line and since he had poured more than that he had actually been generous (!!!) 25cl is EIGHT OUNCES!!! We have ordered this beer at numerous bars and always received a fair (standard) pour. My husband pointed this out to the bartender, who replied "well, then those other places are over-serving." It's bad enough that Mussel Bar under-poured our beers in the first place. But to defend it as restaurant practice and refuse to provide a standard pour is ridiculous. Screw this place. There are plenty of other bars in town that have good beer and give you an honest pour. I've included pictures of the beers we were served - before we took a sip. I've also included a picture of the same Boulevard glass with 12oz of water for comparison sake. Yeah, that's right Mussel Bar -- we OWN the glass you served us the beer in, so we know what a standard pour is supposed to look like.
(1)Mari A.
#65 4.5 So while Mexican Food seems to be the staple from San Diego, I'm learning more and more you can get some amazing mussels in the DC/NoVA area. I've always loved mussels but am slowly becoming a little obsessed. So when my cousin and fellow yelper Michelle I told me about Mussell Bar and Grille opening up in my part of town, it was on my list. My friend and I had just gotten back from Puerto Rico that afternoon and were meeting up with some friends for dinner. I chose this place instantly as I was a bit of a carnivore in PR. And when I say a bit, I mean uncontrollably carnivorous on the trip. So seafood was the way to go. My friends and I got there and immediately loved the rustic high ceiling vibe. You've got a large bar to the right and an open feeling to the venue. We were sat and immediately ordered a round of wines and beers: they've got a vast selection so you won't be disappointed. On the agenda: - Ahi Poke appetizer: i loved it. I dont know how i would explain it except. JUST DO IT. - Wild Mushrooms: with apple-wood smoked bacon and truffle cream. Which in flavor were amazing. One thing I did wish was that it was just a taaaad bit creamier. - White Wine: delicious as well. - Spicy Thai Green Curry: which IMO were not spicy at all but believe i have a decent tolerance for it. - The Duck: this was probably one of my fave dishes of the night. Delicious, flavorful, tendeness just melting in your mouth.. - Turtle Parfait dessert: **WARNING**WARNING** this is a MUST have!! Absolutely delicious!! Great experience and add to the Ballston communite! Welcome Mussel Bar and Grille!! You'll be seeing me again soon!
(4)Yujin M.
Boy, am I glad the P.F. Chang's across the street had an hour+ wait, or otherwise we may not have made our way over here! It didn't look particularly busy for a Saturday evening, with several open tables just within my line of vision. Yet, when we asked for a table of two, they said that it would be at least an hour's wait. Had our meal not been very good, I would have said I was annoyed by this. But with the benefit of a happily filled stomach, I'm inclined to say that they must really honor reservations. Lucky for us, they have a very long bar that serves the full restaurant menu. You may not need the full menu, though, as the bar menu is quite respectable. In fact, we ended up ordering from the bar menu, settling on the 1/2 pot of Mediterranean mussels and Kennett Square Mushroom pizza. The Mediterranean mussels are described as "merguez sausage, goat cheese, harissa aioli, smoky tomato broth." The tomato broth was truly smoky, which brought out the subtle heat. This is not like a sweet tomato sauce, but a much more "adult" version. I would have appreciated a little more merguez, but overall, quite good. On, and the fries for $1? Absolutely go for it. The shoestring-type fries were seasoned with herbs, and came with three types of dip. And I liked that they offered the $1 add-on even with a half-pot. The Kennett Square Mushroom pizza was made with "smoked bacon, gruyere, mozzarella arugula, truffle oil." The pizzas are more like a flatbread, and on sight, it looked like every other bar menu "pizza." I was pleasantly surprised though by the full flavor and the chewy bread. Perhaps not remarkable, but certainly enjoyable. It wasn't until we were almost done that we were offered bread. If you are afraid of carbs, I would suggest passing--the warm bread was so wonderfully thick, dense, and chewy, I could not stop eating them, even after I was done mopping off the remnants of our mussels. Mussel Bar is a little more casual and young compared to its older sister, Brasserie Beck, but maintains the attention to quality. For us, it was a great pit stop on our way to the movies at Ballston Mall. a welcome addition to the neighborhood!
(4)Yasmine B.
Fresh, fun and clean! What a great place. Had the Thai mussels and frites. Yum. Who knew French fries could taste so good on their own? The mussels were cooked and served in a cast iron skillet - I'm a big fan!
(5)Mary D.
I have been to the Mussel Bar a handful of times now and have yet to be disappointed. The Mac and Cheese and Brussel Sprouts might be the most delicious dishes ever! The burgers are always on point. I had the Short Rib Carbonnade last night- perfection. Oh, did I mention homemade ice cream?! So good! I have never had a bad server, but I'm partial to Billy! He is awesome especially if you're bringing kids.
(5)Sarah W.
Get the char grilled calamari! It is delicious. Everything was super yummy, if a bit pricey. We went during the day on the weekend and practically had the place to ourselves. I can imagine that happy hour is a madhouse.
(3)Marc L.
I attended a cocktail party here, so did not order off the menu. Atmosphere was excellent, beautiful space with good outdoor seating. Great beer selection, nice bar area. Great location. Even though I don't eat shellfish, I can easily see dining here.
(4)Kimmy L.
Came here with a group of 7 for a Wednesday dinner/hh. We were able to make reservations (yay! Bethesda location doesn't take reservations) The place was crowded and the manager came by a few times to check on us which was really nice. FOOD I am a sucker for Thai spicy mussels and have been to the Bethesda location several times to satisfy my craving. I assumed that the food here would match the food at their other locations. Sadly I was wrong... -Thai mussels: The sauce was way too mild. I didn't taste any spice in it at all. There were also crushed peanuts on top of the mussels which I actually liked, but still it was different than the other location - I am a sucker for consistency especially when this dish was the whole reason I decided to come here in the first place. -Grilled Calamari: This appetizer is pricey but I don't mind shelling out the $$ for the quality. Unfortunately this dish also wasn't as good as their other location. The taste was just off and it seemed smaller too. Though I may not order the above 2 dishes from here again, I did get a chance to sample what everyone else got and I loved everyone else's dish! -French Onion soup: I never order this soup but after tasting a bite, I would come back here just to get this. It was amazing!!! -Lobster Mac & Cheese: This was huge! Big enough to share and came out in a cute ceramic pot. I was in cheese/clogged arteries heaven -Shrimp cocktail: This comes with 2 delicious sauces - creamy sriracha & lemon aioli. Both were really good and the shrimp were huge. I would probably be content ordering this with a cup of soup next time. -Sweet potato fries were amazing and came with a trio of dipping sauces SERVICE They have a huge list of beers and I was torn between 2 so the waiter offered to bring me a sample of each..but then he forgot to bring them. So while the rest of my table were ordering their 2nd round, I politely reminded our server. He was very apologetic and brought it out immediately but still..I was so thirsty and needed to catch up to everyone else. We asked for 3 split checks and there was some confusion in the end when one check was charged incorrectly. I waited tables/bartended for 10 years so I understand that this can be confusing but the rest of my party wasn't as patient. It was also strange that only one of the checks was charged gratuity when the other 2 checks were not. We sat in the back next to the door that servers use to bring food out to the patio tables and there were a couple of flies that we had to whack out of the way, but not sure how this issue can be fixed. I think this place is suffering from growing pains so I'll check back in a few months.
(3)Daniel T.
Mussel bar - this location is fairly new. Went here for dinner on a weekday with my girlfriend. It was pretty busy. Noise level was high as many patrons recently got off work and happy hour was in effect. The service was very good as our waiter was attentive and polite. We had 2 orders of mussels, both were excellent. We also had the lamb meatball, grilled cod and key lime cheesecake. All were delicious. Will definitely return.
(4)Cat P.
Mussel Bar & Grille is a playful yet slightly upscale dining establishment housed in what used to be an auto repair shop, I was told. One sad thing that occurred to me within a few minutes of being here: Despite the whimsical touches, such as lighting fixtures made of wine bottles, Mussel Bar & Grill feels no different than any other Ballston business. No transporting experience here. Maybe the place is too big, rather cavernous. I was expecting more of a gastropub atmosphere; perhaps I'm far too accustomed to more claustrophobic spaces for my mussels and fries. The businesses that are superior in my mind, Bistrot Du Coin and St. Arnold's, get the atmosphere, flavors, and textures just right. BDC's tender molluscs and St. Arnold's decadent sauces are unparalleled. However, Tom N. had long heard of Robert Wiedemer's fame, so he wanted to sample the local celebrity's famous mussels and other dishes. I was not as delighted as Tom N by the mussels provencale, but I still enjoyed the flavors and thought the capers were a lovely touch. My favorite order was the caramelized cauliflower soup with almonds; that was quite savory, delicious, and beautiful. The pommes frites, which came with a trio of toothsome dipping sauces (one rather BBQ-like option), are tasty, but I wouldn't call them exceptional. Overall, this is a good choice for mussels, but I would head over to BDC or St. Arnold's instead in a hot minute if I had the option.
(4)Jamie M.
Kind Sir/Madame As a personal trainer, no one loves your mussels more than I. Your steamed, protein-packed, marine-life gems rock harder than a fan backstage at an Aerosmith Concert, while listening to Sweet Emotion" upon entering my stomach. In fact, Poseidon himself would emerge from the Oceanic depths just to visit your establishment, and pay homage to your deliciously flavorful masterpieces. The problem; however, is that your restaurant does not seem to accept parties of one. I was disappointed to learn this when I recommended you to a friend from out of town who was staying nearby on business. When he came in to eat, the hostesses, after talking amongst themselves, turned him away. The stated, "We don't accept walk-ins with one person, we need the tables for couples who walk in." Let me be clear, these tables were not being held for reservations. Had I known there was a MINIMUM of two people required in order to get a table, I would have gone with him. Sadly, there was "No room at the Inn," for my friend that day, and just like Mary and Joseph, he had to go elsewhere. I can only hope that when the day comes, and Poseidon shows up to your place alone because Amphitrite is working late, and Triton is dealing with Ariel's adolescent drama, that he isn't turned away.
(3)Gabi S.
I've been here twice and the service is so poor. The food is fine but definitely not good enough for the lack of service.
(2)Andre Y.
Friendly service, great foo
(4)Erica Y.
An inferior version of brasserie beck. Our waitress knew nothing about their beer (we asked for recommendation and she looked at us completely lost). Beck's service definitely far better. Onion soup lacks cheese or actual broth, thumbs down. Mussels taste good, pretty much the same as Beck. I did get a couple with sand and some are tiny but overall the flavor is good (I always get the mushroom one). Brussel sprouts pretty good, probably the only item I didn't think was overpriced. It's ridiculous they charge $2.50 for one can of soda. Seriously? That alone I will never go back. My hubby got filet mignon, it's cooked right and tasted fine. Although I don't recommend going to a mussel bar to eat steak. However the lamb shank special for Saturday night looked pretty good. Overall it's definitely overpriced, too loud, service is so so. I still prefer Brasserie Beck, just too lazy to drive downtown. Parking is the same building has an underground garage for $2 for under 2 hrs.
(3)Joshua W.
Third time here. I would recommend it for HH and their beer and wine selection. Otherwise I think the cost quality ratio is off. Same goes for Brassiere Beck. Their namesake mussel dishes are good. The French onion soup and beet salads were small and 50% crouton. Oysters $30 a dozen should have been $20 for the quality and selection. I don't plan to go back. There are better places in Ballston and Clarendon for that price.
(2)Chris J.
Wall of noise. This is not Phil Spector's wall of sound. High treble that bounces off the walls and ceiling like staccato waves of discomfort. It is impossible to carry on a normal conversation. When we left, the silence of the noisy Glebe Road felt like the calm of a western desert at sunrise. I don't get it. Why not have some sound absorbing materials on the walls and ceiling? And, this is not me being an old prude. My favorite rock song in Led Zep "rock and roll" from the live album "how the west was won". On to the food and drink. Calamari app was excellent. Endive salad was good too. I had the ahi tuna while my friend had the kendall square mushroom mussels. Both were good. Very good beer selection, but I always feel like I'm in Norway when I go to DC. $8 for a small beer..don't they have pints in this town? (I had IPAs not Belgians). Finally the price: $80 per person. If they solve the noise, serve IPA in real pints and increase serving size, I might consider going back. But, there are a lot of places to eat in Ballston and Alexandria...
(3)Louis O.
Worst customer service. Place closed at 1;00 but because they were slow, made it very obvious they wanted to go home at 12:20am and were very rude.
(1)Kathleen P.
Prices too high, food not that good. Lobster risotto($28), lox app($15), goat cheese pizza($15) all average in taste. Cookie dessert was very good but ice cream melted too fast served on top. Should be in side dish. Just like other reviews- too loud. Music, kitchen, bar, etc. There are many other restaurants in Arlington with much better food and at less cost. We will not be visiting again.
(2)Stephanie S.
I wanted to give this a full five stars. The food was amazing and priced well. I got the white wine mussels and was extremely pleased with the portion! I got about 30 mussels and bread for the broth. Yum! Boyfriend got the Smoked Atlantic salmon and cleaned his plate in the first 5 min. The reason I can't give it the full five is the front of the house staff. Our server was rushed and came to our table to take our first drink order, or dinner order and then brought us the check without asking if we wanted another drink or any dessert! The manager when she brought is a reprint if our bill didn't even speak to us she just dropped it on the table and walked away. All in all I would recommend this to other people but, Mussel bar, work on your happy faces!
(4)John A.
Ok. I've been here twice now. The beer selection is really good.the mussels are delicious. The service was good. THEY DO NOT KNOW HOW TO COOK A STEAK. They botched my guest's steak three times, each time taking a cut up steak and putting it back on the grill. She ordered it medium-rare. It came out raw twice, and the third time it was well done, but at least the third time it was edible so my starving friend took it and ate it. So bottom line she didnt get a satisfactory steak.. but this is the mussel bar not the steak bar. So don't go with the steak. The manager was apologetic and offered free desert, but what we wanted was a properly cooked filet mignon. They knocked 25% off the price of the steak which I thought was not a reasonable concession, if my friend hadnt waited so long and wasnt starving then we would have sent it back again and told them to bring us a new one and prepare it correctly. Not a happy situation.
(2)Bonnie P.
Went here at 7 pm on a Monday night. Yes, the Redskins were playing their season opener, but there was not a soul in the dining room except us and some bored wait staff standing around. The bar seats were all full, but the remaining bar tables were empty. Some of the TVs are kind-of in weird places; I could not see one single one where I was seated in the DR. Service was uneven. The waiter was attentive and checked on us multiple times throughout the meal. But, he didn't know the beer list, so when I ordered the Ommegang Witte, I also had to point it out on the menu. He also didn't know they were out of it, so he had to come back. When my replacement beer arrived, it was WAY too cold, but that's a common problem with so many bars and restaurants around here. The food was also uneven. Appetizers (tomato salad and kale Caesar salad) were delicious, but HUGE. The mussels can only be ordered in full servings at dinner, which is ridiculous, because it's way too much food. The mussels themselves were plump and juicy, but the broth (one of us had white wine; the other Mediterranean) was just boring; the white wine barely had any garlic any it. The frites were nothing special, but the bread was quite tasty (we did get half a baguette, not three slices as some others have mentioned). I'm happy to spend money on good food, but this meal was very expensive for overall average food. I'll give it some time before I go back, and at this time would prefer to spend my money at Hanks or Beck. One other thing of note: UPDATE THE WEB SITE TO INCLUDE THE ARLINGTON MENUS. You opened a month-plus ago; there is no excuse in the day and age of technology that you can't be current with your information. Inexcusable.
(2)Debi N.
I am very satisfied with my overall experience with Mussel Bar & Grille and will definitely come back again and again. Service: They asked us if we had reservations and we did not so we had to wait a few minutes (about 10-15) for a table. Our server was great. He was definitely eager to give us his full attention but was not pushy when we needed a few extra minutes. We sat a little towards the back corner, but the server was always nearby. Different people would come by and pick up empty plates and brush crumbs off the table between each course, great teamwork. Our drinks and food came out at perfect times even considering the place looked quite full. I'm glad they worked out all their kinks. Food: They have a good beer menu and there's definitely something for everybody. Of course there is a full bar if you prefer liquor but come on, who doesn't want beer with their mussels. The menu has a great selection. We ended up getting the Slow Roasted Lamb Meatball for appetizer. It was tasty, but something I could have whipped up at home. What was very disappointing is that it came with one meatball. Yes, ONE. It was smaller than a fist size and for $10 that was very disappointing. Come on now, it doesn't cost much to prepare this dish, put out another meatball will ya! We also got the Kennett Square Mushroom Mussels. You could definitely taste the mushroom flavor in the sauce so if you are a fan of mushrooms you would like this. The mussels were good, did not taste fishy nor were they tiny or mushy, and an order of mussels is definitely enough for sharing between 2-3 people. The sauce was flavorful, much better than other establishments but I wouldn't say it was my ultimate favorite but definitely up there. You can pick out the mushrooms and bacon in the sauce which was yum and they kept the bread coming for dipping. Bread also comes with whipped butter which is so much better than other crap you get (foil wrapped frozen butter). We also got an order of sweet potato fries which came with 3 types of aioli, amazing. I love vegetables, so the fried brussel sprouts for $5 (cooked with bacon) was amazing. I could eat an entire side by myself. I think this is seasonal but as long as they offer it I'm going to get it every time. Fried vegetables with bacon, win. For dessert I got some type of Chesapeake cake, good nonetheless, but it was on the small side. Maybe I just have a big sweet tooth for complaining about the size of my cake hehe, but still, they definitely skimped on that meatball. I'm excited to try all the other entrees they offer, everything sounds and looks amazing. Good job Mussel Bar & Grille, great addition to Ballston.
(4)A H.
Great place for all occasions: business lunch, date night, family outing with crazy kids. Love the mussels, of course. Broth could use a little more pick up but other than that the food is great.
(4)gail b.
A great addition to the Ballston neighborhood. I've been to Mussel Bar for brunch more often than dinner, but I've enjoyed them both. The mussels with different broth options are solid, but you can't go wrong with the seafood mac and cheese. For brunch, I always end up getting the omelette, which is good with cheese and spinach, but the skinny French fries sprinkled with parsley served with it always seal my order.
(4)Drew S.
Coming here for the first time, I kept drawing comparisons to Brasserie Beck. Whether that's fair, because they're owned by the same person I'm not sure, but as my wife and I sat here eating, all we kept thinking of was how much more we would rather be at Beck. Starting with the interior, their is that exposed, industrial feel to it, but there's nothing special compared to the other places in Arlington. Location wise, you're at a very busy intersection, so we didn't feel like eating outside, taking in the view of the car dealership, or the exhaust fumes from the hundreds of cars speeding by. The bar is spacious, with tv's all around, so even the main dinners are looking over to see what they're talking about on Sportscenter. Service, was terrible. Our waiter, I swear wished he was Anywhere else other than working. And when someone came to drop something off they were off and you're unable to ask for anything. And what us up with getting only 3 pieces of bread per basket?? Is this quality control or something? Just another frustrating thing I found differences to Beck where they give you an entire baguette almost. Food, that pretty much saves this place. We did not divert too far from the menu, with the mussels in mushrooms broth and onion soup, wife had the gazpacho. Everything tasted great. I prefer the fries at Beck since they peel the entire potato, where there's skin on them here, but that's just my preference. So basically, it serves everything Beck does, minus the more inviting environment of Beck's. If I came back it would be just to eat and drink at the bar, but if it's for entertaining some friends, I would make the effort and go to Beck's instead.
(3)Karen V.
Make a reservation and expect to wait. The food was excellent. The service was not. This place just opened up, so I will come again because the food was very good. I had the smoked salmon over some sort of bitter green and mash--the set was a bit dry and the fish was served medium well despite my medium rare order, not a big deal--but it did take 40 mins to have the food brought out. We got no explanation or apologies over this, again, no big deal--but then the wait for the check, oi! My boyfriend really loved the short ribs and pasta. The restaurant shows a lot of promise but requires fine tuning in customer service if it wants if it wants to compete. The first time I tried to eat here, I was turned away because they were at capacity, it is very popular, so I suggest making open table reservations.
(3)joshua m.
Mussels are really good and the portion size is nice. I really enjoyed the shrimp and grits on the brunch menu. It was a slow day for them so the service was a little overwhelming...to many staff members and not enough for them to do. Our waitress was nice but clearly nervous...no reason to be though she did a great job! I will definitely be back but probably for happy hour.
(3)Kyle W.
Each time I've been here I haven't been let down. From Rachel running to give me my forgotten CC to the Brussel sprouts blowing my mind, I just can't get enough. Of the three "specialty/monthly" cocktails I've gotten, they have each been amazing, especially the one for May 2014. Would recommend this place to any and everyone!
(4)Nevra L.
First, the good: The mussels are plump and very flavorful! I've not come across mussels this good at whole foods or the waterfront. Restaurant decor is nice. Parking under the building was only $2, which is great for this location where street parking is hard to come by. The menu also has a good mix of dishes that includes plenty of non-seafood options. The service was excellent. I was not charged for a dish that I was disappointed with and two separate people came out to talk to me about it. The beer list is amazing. I'm a fan of German beers and they have plenty to choose from, including some that are otherwise very hard to come by. Now, the bad: The food quality beyond the mussels was a huge disappointment. And unfortunately filling up on mussels would be expensive since they cost $24 for a relatively small portion. The bad food began with the whipped butter-like spread, which I guess is becoming standard for American restaurants. It's about as flavorful (and nutritious, I'm sure) as Crisco. I asked for real butter and what they brought me was pale as snow, indicating very poor quality. If I wanted cheap, tasteless and nutrient-lacking butter, I would buy it from Safeway. I go to restaurants to eat food that is GOOD, not mediocre. I also found sugar in several places it didn't belong, which for me is a huge no-no because restaurants do this to make up for poor quality ingredients. For instance sugar was in the sauce for the grilled octopus starter. And in the French onion soup, which by the way had almost no liquid to speak of. It was covered in a mountain of batter-fried onions cooked, no doubt, in hydrogenated oil. I was hoping for a healthy dish, but the onion soup wasn't it. The other huge disappointment was the noise. You literally have to shout to hear the person right next to you. My friends and I will definitely not return.
(2)Marcia B.
This was my second visit. We went on NYE and the place wasn't packed but had a nice busy kind of vibe. I had the Old Fashioned cocktail to start off and it was delightful - love the orange peel. My dining companion had never had oysters before (he's lived aaaalllll over the world but never had an oyster? What the what??) so we ordered six of the PEIs that were in that night. Excellent recommendation by our server. I had to have the Spicy Thai mussels and the fries - like why would I deviate from something that has filled my belly so well in the past?? My guest had tuna. He gave me a bite and it was good. But not as good as my mussels! I was supposed to have saved him a mussel and totally forgot. Oh well, if you don't take what you want, you gets nothing! He did get a few of my fries which I still haven't forgiven him for. Even though it was busy that night the service was spot on. I will continue to feed my oyster/mussel demon is this fabulous establishment!
(5)Aamna C.
Reliable but nothing spectacular. I ordered the steak medium rare, and it came in medium to almost medum well. Truly they do not know how to cook a steak. Otherwise the sweet potato fries and salad were ok. The bread basket didn't really tempt me to quit my paleo diet for the evening. The service was likewise mediocre, and bordering on slightly overbearing which is nitpicky, but not enjoyable after a long hard day at work. This is a good place if you live extremely close by and want to drop a fair amount of money, but nothing more than ok.
(3)pat t.
The positives: * My party arrived at our reservation time and we were promptly seated. * According to the oyster connoisseur in my group the oysters were fresh and very tasty. * Great beer selection - about a dozen or so on draft and then a ton of bottles to choose from * If you get a seat by the window there is a lot of action from people walking by and the traffic * Clean restaurant and clean restrooms * Open kitchen so you can see what is going on * Our group ordered three flavors of the mussels, the Mediterranean, classic white wine & garlic and the Green Thai Curry. The Thai curry was the best in show - nice balance of spices and heat * Pork chop was cooked well, great flavors * Three types of dipping sauces for the fries - delicious The negatives: * Slow service. Our server was polite but slow. Rarely checked on us - we had to flag him down for just about everything. The guys that fill the water however were on it * We ordered at about 7:45 - the food didn't arrive until 8:40. Again, I had to flag down our server to ask what the status was of our food. * Bread. How can you have mussels without bread. Again, flagged down the server to to ask about bread. His response, "It's coming out of the oven." If he knew it was in the oven couldn't he have told us when our mussels arrived? Six minutes go by (I timed him) and I again had to flag down the server to ask about the bread. If I didn't flag him down would we have received our bread?! * Fries - a mix of crispy and soggy - one in my party sent his back because they were cold. * Parking is not validated - not a deal breaker - just a first-world nuisance Would I go back? Yes. The food is quite good. I just hope we get a different server. I'm a 20% tipper - but not last night.
(3)Gigi U.
OK, not great. Potential to be better. Bethesda location is better. There is no convenient close by parking. For $1, you can park at the Ballston Mall which is about 3 blocks away. Hostess staff seems young and inexperienced. When I entered there were 4 staff standing in front of me but none was able to help me. There was 1 guy in front of reservation computer who seemed to be the only one to seat people. He looked overwhelmed when there was 2 of us in front of him. If they want to serve thirsty crowds, they need to operate more efficiently b/c there are plenty of bars and restaurants in that area that will seat and serve people in a heart beat. The Happy Hour ended at 6:30 PM which I thought was too early. It should go till 7 PM or later. They would increase business exponentially. The menu is not the same as the Bethesda location. By design, it's trying to be different but overall, it's not as good. The prices are high and not much variety. I missed the flat breads that I could get at Bethesda location. The salads were boring. They could have had more interesting salads with local produce, cheese, nuts, etc. They only had a ceasar, tomato or house salad. The mussels are the best thing on the menu. The portions are enough for 2 to share. I had the Thai which was a spicy which I liked. I also liked the bread - like a baguette, soft inside, crispy outside. There is a large selection of beers. The waiter was responsive and helpful.
(3)Marisa P.
Tried again and disappointed--again. Service is slow despite the restaurant being half empty. Food served cold. Fries obviously reheated. I wish this place was good but it just isn't, especially for the price. If everyone stopped coming here maybe they would be forced to make this place decent.
(1)Ralph C.
The food's good enough, though it's a bit pricey. Word to the wise, though: don't come here for a quiet, intimate evening with your significant other. The place is a friggin' ECHO CHAMBER!!! At least it is inside. Outside shouldn't cause you any hearing loss...! If you've said all you've had to say to the person you would take to the Mussel Bar, then it's the perfect place for you--you'll never hear anything either of you have to say over the din! Oh...and don't be so insufferrable as to express dismay to the waitress after you order a beer and as she's bringing it to you she stops for 10 minutes at the table next door to have a chat with the oglers who are complimenting her ink with the hopes of getting into her drawers. She loves that kind of attention, but can't comprehend why you'd be a bit miffed over her making you wait while she soaked up the unsolicited compliments from a couple of middle-aged poseurs she'd never ordinarily give the time of day to, but whom she'll oblige for now for one or two more bucks of a tip...without considering that I'll be tipping her too. Well, actually, she got no tip from me that night!
(3)Jeana C.
Came here for brunch on sunday. I had salmon egg benedict, my husband had French toast, and his friend had the ahi tuna salad. Service was great and food was really good. I will definitely go back and try other dishes!
(4)Kevin K.
I love eating at all Robert Weidemaier's restaurants. His food is always good and the price points are well worth within value. His newest and shiniest addition is Mussel Bar. The same but different incarnation of his expanding MB brand. This location not only has a steak frites menu but also has a raw bar which is elegantly located with 3 or 4 seats in the back towards the kitchen. It almost makes me want to ditch everyone order a bottle of champagne and go to town. The mussels are always good and for what it's worth I think this is the best big name chef to come into the area. I am glad that there is a place to grab a great frisee salad, with some good apps, mussels and a steak. Enjoy this gem. Also GREAT interior! fusion of old and new rustic and industrial. Love this joint! Cheers and happy eats!
(4)Scott S.
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Arlington. The atmosphere is always lively and a reservation is going to be necessary on the weekend. Their beer selection is excellent but a little on the expensive side. For appetizers I suggest selecting one of their types of fresh oysters. They usually have three different types to fit your palette. The mussels are if course what they are known for. I prefer the Mediterranean but if you want something more simple the wine and garlic are also excellent. My only issue is their selection of broths is a little short for a resteraunt who specializes in mussels. Most importantly get a side order of sweet potato fries, they have been ranked the best in DC!
(4)Claire B.
Summary: our food was wonderful, but service was mediocre - a good spot for a casual and fun dinner with a small group of good company. Food: everything we ordered was delicious! I had the lobster mac n cheese.... life changing. So so so delicious. Possibly one of the best mac n cheese's ever. Other highlights on the table were prime rib special, oysters, and french onion soup. Also, they give you amazingly yummy bread! Environment: this place has great decor and ambiance. It's casual, yet warm and trendy still. The bar is beautiful - I definitely want to check it out for happy hour. Tables aren't too close and crowded. Music playing, lots of chatter. This is a great spot for a weeknight dinner with friends. Service: this is my one minus... but it's not a big minus at all. Our waitress was sweet, but just a little clueless and inexperienced. She wasn't knowledgeable about the menu - both food and alcohol. When I asked how the lobster mac n cheese was, felt like I was chatting with some lady off the street when she replied - OMG! so good and creamy... Of course it is, it's mac n cheese? She also didn't really understand timing. We were waiting for two in our party and had been sitting for five minutes, and she was already trying to get us to order our entrees. In summary - the service felt very much like an american chain restaurant instead of a great dining experience. But again - it wasn't awful! She was very nice. I'm looking forward to going back for happy hour sometime soon.
(4)Jim H.
I've been here several times and food and drinks are both consiistent. I like how you can see the head chef polish off all the meals to send out. Service is good even when its relatively busy. Get here early if you're hungry since the place fills up fast.
(5)Ben R.
It's not that this place was bad, it was just underwhelming and expensive for the quality of food. Positives were good service and excellent plating. The tuna was disappointing and lacked in flavor and was also still cold in the center. I tried a shrimp from the shrimp and grits and it was much better. A mostly flat glass of prosecco pushed my rating down to two stars.
(2)Jing Y.
Came here for lunch a few times. Mussels are good, and the half pound portion is plenty for lunch. The fries aren't anything special though, and probably aren't worth the extra charge. I've had both the Thai curry and the Mediterranean mussels. I would say the Mediterranean ones were better.
(3)Doug K.
So I've been back a few times since the last debacle and things are getting better. We have learned that the bar is where service meets our expectations. There are several staff members at the bar that I really should call out for service that is beyond basic expectations but I'm going to leave names out - at least for now. I think that things have settled down at the Mussel Bar and that they are on their way to being a great go to neighborhood restaurant. I still think that they overdid it on the Televisions - way too many - way too big - but whatever....
(3)Joann B.
I really wanted to love this place according to the reviews of other yelpers. Since it was my very first visit, I can't say that I'm happy to have found this place, but I know I'd like to go back and try some more. We had: oysters on the 1/2 shell, chicken caesar, chilled shrimp, kennet square mussels and fries. We can't remember what kind of oysters we had, they offered two choices from Virginia - we opted for the larger sized and they were your run of the mill fresh oysters, nothing extraordinary. Their cocktail sauce is in dire need of more horseradish. I'm the type that likes to feel the horseradish race up my sinuses - then and only then is the amount just right. The chicken that came with the salad was a little bland and needed salt. The shrimp were great and came with tasty dipping sauces. The mussels were good, fresh and tender, but nothing that knocked our socks off - will have to try the other mussel dishes to see what's the best sauce. The mushrooms in the sauce were really good, but I didn't really taste the thyme or chives in the cream sauce. The bacon addition gave it a slight smoked flavor. It was........A-OK. The fries were crispy, almost chip like, but the 3 sauces that it came with were outstanding. We also tried the Smith Island cake, very good with the berry sauce. The cake also came a la mode with some type of chocolate crumble (it looked freeze dried) and these chocolate beads that tasted like bits from a Krackel bar - they were an unnecessary addition. I do appreciate that their desserts are made in-house.
(3)Dan I.
So here's the deal: Mussel Bar isn't bad. It's very good food paired with fairly steep prices and a wait staff that's still learning the ropes. If money is no object and you don't mind a dinner that lasts two hours that would normally have only lasted one, then I'd definitely recommend checking out Mussel Bar. But if you're spending conscious and demand good service, then Mussel Bar probably isn't for you. My wife and I split an order of the white wine mussels and an order of the wild mushroom mussels. Both were very good - no complaints on taste. But they ran something like $22 each. Compare that to Lyon Hall down the street, where their mussel dishes of comparable quality cost around $16 each. Other entrees were in the mid- to high-$20s, if I remember correctly. (Can't check online, because the restaurant website still doesn't have the Arlington menu posted.) I also had a few beers. Their beer menu there is decent, but not comparable to a place like Rustico. Just an above-average list, nothing extraordinary. On the service end, our waitress was clearly new. But since other tables that arrived after we ordered got their mussels before we did, there could even be a kitchen problem on order fulfillment. The meal lasted about two hours, and it wasn't complicated. After having been open for several weeks by the time we dined here, it really should have those kinks worked out. It does have a lovely ambiance. Good job with the décor. My other big complaint is parking. It's rather absurd that they aren't validating parking in the building's garage. There are only a handful of metered spaces around the building, which is located in a busy part of Ballston, so they're often taken. You can park in a nearby neighborhood if you don't mind walking. But a place aiming for a swanky crowd shouldn't make its patrons pay for parking or walk a few blocks.
(3)MP P.
I had the classic mussels in white wine and they were plump, tender and tasty. The portion size was generous. A good thing at $22 for just the mussels. The frites were crispy and served with a trio of dipping mayos. The Worcestershire was my favorite but the malt was good. too. The bread for mopping up the sauce had a firm, hearty texture but I wish it had been grilled or toasted. The vodka tonic was small for $10. And the only reason I got that was because the wines were very expensive and very few offerings by the glass. The service was good but they tended to hover just a little too much. Maybe because I was dining alone? The biggest negative was the flies! I expect a restaurant, even a very pricey one like this, to have a fly or two now and then but this was crazy. I ended up pulling a small fan from my purse and waved it with one hand while eating with the other. It was the only way to keep them out of my food. I guess I'd go back if they fixed the fly problem and someone else was paying. My final bill was over $50 for mussels, fries, and 2 drinks. And my final pet peeve ... which applies to numerous places in the area ... they did not have black napkins! For anyone who's put a white linen napkin on black pants knows, good restaurants offer a choice.
(3)Marc L.
Great beer menu but the food was over priced and quality moderate. The mussel dishes were $24 and a moderate portion for the price. Oddly frites were not included but $1 extra. Why bother? Likely will not return.
(2)Dave J.
We went there last night for dinner and drinks. Atmosphere and bar outstanding. Great beer selection. Reasonable priced wine but not a wide selection. Food was top notch-5 star. Calamari appetizer was one of the best I have eaten Lobster macaroni and cheese outstanding. Steak filet outstanding. Service was good..... Employees were eating food in the kitchen at the end of the night....and packaging up left over macroni and cheese to take home-it appeared employees were really hurrying to get the left over lobster macaroni and cheese. The kitchen is open and viewable from the tables. Should patrons watch employees pack up food to take home at the end of their shift after we spent $75 per person for the same meal? We will definitely come back but employees should wait until all patrons are gone before they start their feeding frenzy and first/come first served on the left overs.....
(4)Mike K.
Excellent Experience. - Reservation: Sat us right on time. - Service: Great. Recommended a good beer to compliment the meal. Never went without during the entire meal. Dishes were cleared promptly, etc. - Food: Mussels in white wine sauce, excellent. More than enough mussels for two to share as an entree. Oysters Appetizer: 1/2 dozen of Virginia oysters were delicious. 1/2 Lobster appetizer: Fantastic. Ton of meat, tasted extremely fresh. The two sauces were unique and awesome too. - Ambience: A little loud for my taste...had to lean in to hear my wife talk, which is okay for a party of two. Might be difficult to hear if you were in a larger group though. - Tip: Park on Vermont Street just across Wilson. Even on a Friday at 8:30 there were plenty of spots.
(5)Paul W.
I have been to the restaurant 3 times and have yet to try a bad mussel (Thai green curry, Provencal, and white wine). They are well cooked and have different flavors for all types of palates. Make sure you order what is right for you however. The complaints I've heard from friends revolve around the smokiness of the Mediterranean, but not the mussel itself (perfectly cooked and plump). Another rarity is the portion. Around these here parts (DC and VA), often an order can fit on a salad plate. Not at Mussel Bar. The servings are more like you would find in a Baltimore pub. That's a big pet peeve of mine- mussels cost a restaurant $3 for a large serving. Pass that on to the customer who is paying $15-$25. They do have other tasty items. Friday's whole fish was excellent, pork belly was decent. And, yes, the restaurant is LOUD. Positives about noise: If you are sitting next to us, you can't hear our young girls if we bring them, and you can't hear a friend who may have had too much to drink. Good beer selection BTW.
(4)Richard T.
Good drinks and Ok food but the staff is extremely rude and condescending. We waited over 30 min for a reserved table for TWO. There were lots of open tables in the place but we were told none of them were "our table". Once we sat down we waited 10 min for someone to take our drink order. When our food arrived it was cold. This is not the classy place it thinks it is!!
(1)hillary g.
Came in for a quick lunch with colleagues (its rare we get out!) and ended up staying for almost an hour and a half! The ambiance was great, very attractive restaurant, with an obvious attention to detail. I started with the roasted beet salad, one of my favorite things, and it did not disappoint. While my tablemates REALLY didn't like beets so didn't try, I certainly enjoyed. Next I got the mussels with white wine, which were also pretty tasty. Mussels are not my favorite thing though (more of an oyster girl), but when in Rome... The service was well-paced, and our waiter, Jonathan was great. Very knowledgeable, friendly, and just attentive enough. Certainly enhanced what was already a great meal. I'm not usually in Virginia, but definitely would eat here again next time I'm around!
(4)Miranda J.
I absolutely love Mussel Bar! My friends and I are regulars here since we live right down the street. I must say out of the all the times we've been here, we have yet to be disappointed, which says a lot. The food and drinks are always consistently good! I've tried all their mussels and by far I have to say my favorite has become the mediterranean mussels! It's absolutely fantastic! I can't get enough of the fries either...regular or sweet potato...you can't go wrong with either. A must try is the grilled calamari and french onion soup...it's delicious!
(4)SK J.
I was at the restaurant to celebrate my birthday. Our server Helen made the evening extra special. She provided EXCELLENT service. She was was able to provide recommendations for food and described the selections very accurately and provided the perfect selections. I had the mussels and they were good. We also had the short ribs which were superb. Helen went above and beyond expectations in terms of her pleasant professional, and friendly demeanor. The manager on duty was also great. The atmosphere was very nice. My family and I thoroughly enjoyed our evening thanks to the exemplary service we were provided. We will definitely plan to return. I highly recommend this place as a great place to go for a great dining experience
(5)G Race B.
Very Expensive!! lol
(3)Bassem B.
Best mussels in town hands down! Also great beer selection and awesome grilled calamari.
(5)Arlingtonian P.
I almost gave it two stars because the mussels are wonderful....but there are other spots that have mussels just as good so why bother? When this opened writhing walking distance of home, was very excited and had some great meals. Apparently that manager has left, and it really shows. I saw some negative reviews here, but dismissed them because we had such great experiences. Big mistake. Due to travel and dietary restrictions, haven't been there since early October. Service wasn't great, but we had brought a large group so understandable. So, went early last night, and we're one of two tables. Sat and waited...then waited some more. Finally, my husband was frustrated enough to go up to the bar for drinks. He mentioned to the bartender that our wait staff was MIA, not realizing that the woman next to the bartender was the manager. So she...did absolutely nothing. Maybe 30minutes after being seated, our waitress comes, sees us with our full drinks and asks "want a drink?". Um..no thank you, we just got our own. "Want an appetizer?". No name, no mention of specials - just "want an appetizer?" Mussels were terrific, as was the bread. Lobster Mac and cheese was runny and tasteless - not sure what happened? Of course, our waitress was still MIA, never asked about the food. From across the room, the waitresses' apathy was obvious. Clearly, she was never trained so I blame management and not her. It is too bad that the early attitude and management is gone. If you absolutly must have mussels in Ballston, they are great. But, just be prepared for bad service and a manager that does not correct problems.
(1)Alexandra L.
We went here one Sunday a few weeks after it opened and were not disappointed. Sat at the bar and it was quite crowded. The restaurant has a open airy feeling with clean lines and rustic tables. Of course it goes without saying that the best things on the menu are the mussels which come in a variety of styles like Provencal or Thai. Order a half order of the mussels at the bar because the portions are huge! Even the oysters were plump and good sized and delicious. The tartare I would order again. The crab dip, while filling and hearty, seemed like it had a bit too much cream cheese. Great addition to Ballston.
(4)Judy B.
I've been to Mussel Bar four times already, and this place gets worse each successive time. I keep holding out, hoping my next experience will be just like my first experience, but Friday night sealed the deal. I won't be going back. The first time I went during lunch and got the half-portion Kennett Square Mushroom mussels with sweet potato fries. The mussels were delicious and a very generous portion. The sauce had so many mushrooms and bacon bits in it! The fourth time I went during dinner and got the full portion Kennett Square Mushroom mussels. There were barely any mussels or mushrooms!! My table also got the spicy blue crap dip (good), lobster bisque (really bad - had no lobster chunks), and white wine mussels (also good). This place has significantly declined since its opening. I really want to like this place because the food is great and the atmosphere is nice, but the value isn't worth it anymore.
(3)Chris D.
I've been waiting for a place like this for 8 years in the Arlington area. The French onion soup is very good. Tuna tartar I eat every time I go. Salads are good, steak is okay. The mussel are why I keep coming back, though the portions have shrunk dramatically since first opening, Plus it's walkable and a couple good beer selections by chief
(4)Cp T.
This is a go to place for lunch or dinner. Laid back enough to go with friends, but classy enough to entertain clients, or in my case, potential donors (one donor walked out after a particularly late evening and donated 100k....so hats off to mussel bar!) Have always been impressed with service and the incredibly large servings of mussels (hint get the Thai ones!!). I have eaten at other establishments that are owned by Robert (the owner ad chef) and always received impeccable service and great food! If you are a beer guy, there are enough beers on the beer menu to keep you coming back....if not the cocktails are fantastic....the servers are also excellent, never experience bad service. The only one suggestion I would make is to somehow have a private dining room so if I wanted to bring 10 or more folks I could...if there is one, it is not really evident, nor do staff mention it.
(5)Stephanie F.
Decided to give this place a second try since our less-than-great experience was several months ago. Made 1pm brunch reservations on Easter Sunday. We arrived to find the restaurant had no electricity and was therefore closed (obviously not the fault of the restaurant - I understand). The woman who greeted us said the restaurant could not notify us that they were closed because they had no power. I assume she recognizes that the phone lines and the power lines are not directly connected; I will give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that the only place the phone numbers for those with reservations was stored was in something that had to be turned on. In any case, not good enough. Still terrible customer service; I don't think I'll be giving this place another shot.
(1)Daniel W.
great place for mussel and Belgium beer, but everything else was ok. Slightly on the expensive side, and outdoor seating feels like you could be hit by a car at any time. I work right across the street so it is convenient to treat clients out there.
(3)Nina M.
I went once for Brunch, and another for Dinner. Brunch. It was nice to seat outside,I like the fresh French pressed coffee,the waitress was great ,very friendly and efficient. But I should had requested a little salad with my omelet,to replace the greasy fries it comes with .It was like a bomb in my empty stomach, it bothered me the rest of the day. Dinner inside- If you feel like a bar atmosphere,go ahead. It's very noise,so to have a conversation you have to scream. The food, which again was heavy ,took a long time,the waiter was not that attentive as the other girl. If I ever go back,I'll seat outside and look very carefully at the menu before I order.
(2)Dave G.
Avoid like the plague. I had been warned going in the food was great, the service was iffy. I still walked in with an open mind. Perhaps I hit it on a bad night, but I got the worst of both. Our server was cut immediately after our drink order. Unfortunately, they didn't even bother to tell us this until 15 minutes later, when the new staff came out. Keep in mind this is at 8:00 pm on a thursday. I ordered the lobster bisque, which turned out to be an unrecoverable mistake. If you want orange water with some corn starch, and zero lobster in it, this is the place. This crap wasn't fit to be served at a McD's, let alone a restaurant like this. I'm pretty sure that the green turtle's (next door) beer mop would taste better than this crap. I had the luxury of being charged $10 for this, despite asking for it to be taken off the bill since it was literally unedible. The Mussels Med I suppose was decent. I was so bothered by the soup, that it was hard to be objective. I can tell you they were hot, timely, and a decent amount of mussels, but thats about it. The service was deplorable, esp since they had just cut at least one waiter. If they're slow enough to be cutting people, there's no reason for service to be that slow. And if they're cutting people at 8:00pm on a thursday, how is it that the food is that bad? If you really want to waste your money, go bet on the Dallas Cowboys to win the superbowl. There's a chance that a miracle could happen. Spending your money in this shit shop is just as bad as lighting it on fire to warm yourself.
(1)Aaron B.
Best place I've had mussels at so far in NoVA. They offer happy hour appetizers and drinks during the week at a generally reasonable price. The main menu can be a bit pricey but I gladly pay for mouth-watering mussels and sauce. I've had each kind and don't really have a favorite and I think most will be satisfied with whatever choice is made. I would like to note that on one occasion, the mussels were extremely gritty and was like chewing on sand. This happened only on one occasion and I've been there at least a dozen times. When this happened, they promptly brought out another batch but it had the same consistency. They were understanding and took it off the bill. This seemed to be an isolated incident and has not kept me from going back. They have a good selection of beers on tap and a good wine selection. It can get crowded both weekdays and weekends so if you want a spot, make reservations or come early to get a spot at the bar. Happy to have this restaurant in my local Ballston area and would recommend it to others. I've also had flatbreads and the burger from here and both were very good as well.
(4)Ann T.
Love the atmosphere and mussels. Seemed VERY busy so be prepared for a wait or to sit elbow to elbow with someone at the bar. Highlight: White Wine sauce for the mussels.
(5)Michael N.
This place just keeps getting better and better. Mussels are awesome but so are the other dishes I've had there. The seafood stew special was memorable and so are the soups (especially when it's 35 degrees outside). And the beer sampler I had on my last visit (which consisted of four Virginia and DC beers) was outstanding. My only complaint is the noise level. It would be nice if there was at least one section with more sound-absorbing wall covering and ceiling panels. Even when it's not March Madness season, it's not easy having a quiet conversation.
(4)Brittany B.
Review of the mussels---SOOO good. I've been here twice, once for brunch and once with a large group for new years eve, and both times split the mussels with my fiance, and both were so yummy. The bacon/mushrooms mussels and the chorizo mussels are both awesome. Their craft beer menu is extensive , though not a huge wine list. Service was great both times, just had a major issue with getting separate checks on new years because it was so busy and we had a very big group. Great for brunch, cheap yummy mimosas!
(5)Jenny R.
So fresh and so clean clean. Everything I had here was superb tonight and had something fresh to offer. Great drinks from a well done Manhattan to their Nova Martini which was all tangy, citrussy and just having a tingling little party in my mouth. Their jumbo sized spicy shrimp were at a perfect temperature and tasted so good when dipped in their two house sauces... and oh what an amazing Bronzini, crispy skin, soft and moist on the inside, served on a citrusy Kale blend. Whoever can make a grassy tasting thing like Kale delicious gets the aces in my book. Couldn't have asked for better seafood tonight. My only downside tonight was I kept having food A-D-D. Every time I saw a new dish pass by or my nose smelled something yummy close I was distracted by it and wished I wore my stretchy pants.
(4)Hanie H.
Visited mussel bar last Monday and came away thoroughly unimpressed. The space is nice, open, didn't feel trapped. We tried the Mediterranean mussels and I gotta day they were great. The broth, the merguez, it was tasty. The main fish was another story. I had their chef special on Mondays. It was a boneless chicken thigh with risotto and a tomato sauce. The risotto didn't have much flavor, neither did the tomato sauce. Pretty generic. The chicken was pretty good but for $22 a single chicken thigh wasn't enough. The service was eh. The server wasn't really engaging and kind of just took our order. Overall, it wasn't horrible, but I don't see myself going back there
(2)E. L.
Pros: happy hour available on sat, good ambiance Cons: The mussels were quite small; bad service including the waiter kept on making mistakes on our drink multiple times and we had to remind him to bring things we asked for
(3)Brad D.
2nd time here. Went for Valentines day. This place is slowly becoming my favorite restaurant with a welcome atmosphere and terrific smells walking Into the mussel bar is a treat. Awesome selection of drinks we opted for some cocktails. Started off with spicy crab dip and some oysters which were both very well prepared. Main entree was of course mussel's with a side of fries. My gf had the Mediterranean and I had the curry. Both are wonderful make sure to have a side of bread. Overall a great night out. Staff was friendly attentive and overall nice people to deal with. They genuinely want you to enjoy you dining experience 5 stars for great food and service. Just a bit pricey for me to attend more often which is a shame. Looking forward to my next visit this spring
(5)Pui Ying S.
Ok. I've been back multiple times and things have gotten much better. The staff is more experienced now and I have been taking the 15 month old back so he is welcome and gets a plastic cup with a straw. I have not checked out the changing table situation yet. The food here is superior to Rustico and I like how they have daily specials and tons of beer. Love watching the open kitchen. I wish they have a more lunch friendly menu where there is a "boxed" or express pick-and-choose option like Rustico's lunch box for $15. All drinks, sides, and entrees together easily pushes lunch to above the $25 range (not including tip) which results (when we want fine dining for lunch) in choosnig Rustico 100% of the time
(4)Hannah B.
I went back :) This time for dinner. Still loving the great beer selection. Of course the mussels are good, but I tried the shrimp and grits. Loved those creamy grits! I also tried a bite of lobster Mac n cheese, also good. Can't wait to try even more!
(4)Scott R.
Been there three times and each time the meals get better. The chicken and waffles and steak frites are delicious. Also we loved our server, #207.
(5)Anson P.
So I met up with my old college roommate and his associates here mainly because his sister lives a block away. I was thinking because this place has some type of relationship with Brasserie Beck, I had a certain expectation. Note: I really like Brasserie Beck. And that expectation wasn't met. We had the lobster mac and cheese based on everyone else's suggestion. This was essentially mac and cheese soup with a few lobster bits thrown in. It tasted good, but I wasn't expecting cheese soup. We also decided to get 3 flavors of mussels. We went with the Thai curry, the kennett square mushroom, and the white wine. By far, the best flavor was the kennett square mushroom. The bacon and cream went well together and provided the most flavor. The Thai curry lacked heat and was like mild Thai food. The white wine was a little disappointing in that most of the flavor was from the lemon. The service was rough. At some points, it was decent like when the food came out, but drinks took awhile and refills were really slow. Overall, I might give this place another chance down the road, but for the time being, it's not one of my first choices.
(3)Danielle P.
Had a 6:30 reservation, place was empty and short staffed so it took us over 30 minutes to get seated. Then we were given things we didn't order just because they thought we'd like them and worst of all the mussels were gritty to the point of inedible. This is not a place I will be returning to.
(2)Sara J.
Decent neighborhood spot with a great rustic/industrial atmosphere. I went for lunch with a group of moms with babies in tow and the staff was very nice and accommodating. However, our server didn't smile once... Awkward. Food: my beet salad was delicious but wasn't quite as advertised--missing the walnuts but still beautifully presented and very fresh and plentiful. My friend and I shared the bacon and cream broth mussels. Huge portion and pretty standard mussels and frites situation. All in all not a bad dining experience and I can see this place being a great option for a glass of wine and simple dinner with friends.
(3)Kimberly B.
I was extremely disappointed with our experience last night. We could hardly understand the server she refused to talk over the noise, and she seemed to be very out of her element and have no idea what she was doing. The drinks and crab dip were awesome, but our entrees and the service was so disappointing. My steak, which was medium rare, came out not even warm as if it had been sitting out for 10 minutes. My friend's mussels (and this is supposed to be a mussel place) included several unopened ones, had sand in a few of them, and hard grissly pieces in the mussels. Some of the worst I've tried in the area. When I sent my steak back instead of cooking a fresh one, since it had obviously be sitting out, they just cooked it more, so of course it came back well overcooked from medium rare. The chef was very rude about it all as we watched his interaction with the server, and the noise level from the kitchen was so bad it was unpleasant. Definitely go to Lyon hall or fireworks for mussels in Arlington, and anywhere else for steak!
(2)Brandon L.
I went to this place for the first time for my sixth month anniversary with my girlfriend. It looks great from the outside, and I passed it a lot since I live in Ballston, so I wanted to try it. It was awesome! Our server, John, and the manager were so great. She had the swordfish, and I had the Mediterranean mussels. I'm not exaggerating at all, they were the best mussels I have ever had. The whole experience was great, and I highly recommend it. I will definitely be back.
(5)Elizabeth S.
Service was lousy and food was marginal. I had the lobster mac n cheese.
(2)Amy W.
Went there for the second time Saturday night. We really wanted to like this place but its really just ok- much better options around. Service was slow- after asking for another minute to look at the menu our server disappeared for 15... and we were dining with 2 children so time is not our friend, and we had to wait about 20 minutes between finishing our salad and our entrees. We got the chopped salad which could have been good but was way overdressed. I got the Kennet Sq mussells which were ok-but could have more flavor and the mussells were big but there were not that many of them. Fries looked like the dregs- all little peices. My husband had the trout and it was just ok as well. We eat out 2-3 times a week in the area and there are just much better offering especially for the $. The mussells were $24- at a similiar restaurant in Clarendon they are $15 and I think much better, again $23 at Mussell bar- $19 elsewhere. If you are going to charge 10% more the food and service should be worth it and its just not...
(2)K. J.
Great place for happy hour. Their "cocktail of the day" tonight was a creation on par with any of the hyped mixologists. Our bartender, Quinn, was attentive to our large, diverse group. I do wish they had more group friendly apps to share - that would raise them to 5 stars for a team happy hour.
(4)Anne M.
Went there last night around 7 (Sat night). Did not know to make reservations but do now! Not too long a wait - about 30 minutes. The place was rocking. Lots of energy. Waiter Ken was very attentive and food was wonderful. Had raw bar oysters and white wine mussels. Bread was fantastic. Only problem was noise level. Way up there. Could not converse normally and the other tables' conversations very loud by necessity. This may be the result of a crowded Sat night, but I would not return if it as noisy always. I will try again on a weekday at an earlier time. I did enjoy seeing all the families there. It must be kid friendly.
(3)sheila k.
Let me start off by saying I loved this place when we first went a couple of months ago. The service was great, the food was great, and the ambience was great. Last night was a completely different experience. The bar staff were awful. I mean truly awful. No eye contact so we waited and waited for a drink. Finally flagged a bartender down. He just seemed disinterested in serving at all. Then we were seated. It took a good while for a server to come over. He also seemed disinterested in his job and spent most of the time we were there chatting with other staff by the bar. The food was just sort of eh and one item was way too salty. Things like no bowl for mussels or a mussel fork? At a mussels place? Just shoddy. We didn't even bother with dessert because we were over this place already. Did I mention the bathroom had no paper towels and the drying machine was broken? I wouldn't go bk unless I get a coupon in my valu pak envelope. Seriously.
(2)Britt C.
I'm suprised to read some of these negative reviews. This has been come our neighborhood go to place. I have liked everything I've had on the menu with the exception of the thai mussels which lack the flavor of the others. Too spicy for their own good and I like spicy. The others are done so well (Kennett Square and Mediterranean are my favorites) The beet salad and tuna tartar are both awesome. I've tried the burger and it's good as well. Great beer selection and the service we've had has been fine. Maybe a bit slow. It's pretty loud so not the best place for quiet conversation.
(5)J B.
Dear Robert Wiedmaier, the only thing between making your new restaurant in Ballston a four star restaurant versus a three star restaurant is service. The service is flat off. I have been to Muessel Bar about seven times and thoroughly enjoy the space and food. However, the bartenders and servers are flat, lack attentive service and hold this establishment back. Maybe it's time to go back to basics and instill a higher level of service which is consistent with your other restaurants.
(3)Jason R.
Not worth a 2nd trip. Wait staff was confused and inattentive, portions were small, and the mussels were underwhelming. If you're looking for a far better experience at a similar price point, with top notch mussels, go down the street to Lyon Hall.
(2)Charles C.
This was my first trip, and I will check it out again and order some different items. That said, the frites and sauce I had were not particularly good. Too greasy, and string fries were used. Makes me wonder if the person who designed the menu has ever been to Belgium and ordered frites. They had some moderately interesting beers on draft, but the import bottles were way overpriced. $14 for an Orval? Service was good.
(2)Mikie S.
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I've been dying to try this place since it opened, but it never panned out. Today was the day!!! I had a half order of the Provincial Mussels, Lobster Mac, and my friend had the filet. The mussels were in a really rich and almost creamy sauce. The Lobster Mac was unreal, it was so damn good. It was also a full dinner portion so I took most of it home. My friend was pleasantly impressed by his filet. His is a very picky eater and will not hesitate to complain or send food back. He was happy with how well the meat was cooked and it had a buttery well flavored taste. For desert we had the new maple/sour cream ice cream.... This is better than sex! It came with meringue kisses and caramel popcorn. I totally loved the meringue kisses, but didn't care for the popcorn. THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE SPOT! I'm def coming back for brunch this Sunday and bringing tons of friends! -ps the service and beer were fantastic too!
(5)Aryn C.
A large group of girls (15) and I headed to Mussel Bar for a birthday celebration. I arrived 30 minutes earlier than our reservation to see if we could be seated and not only was the hostess staff very friendly but they were able to seat us and we didn't have to wait for our entire party to arrive. I sat at the bar for a bit when I arrived and had the cocktail of the week; it was so-so and slightly over-priced but I think if I had the same drink 5 months down the road after they've been serving and open for awhile, I'll see a difference. For my meal I ordered the mushroom mussels with sweet potato fries ($22 for mussels and $2 fries), which most of the girls ordered some type of the restaurant's mussel offerings. My entire meal was absolutely amazing and I was practically eating the mussel sauce like a soup is was so tasty. Not to mention the sweet potato fries came with 3 dipping sauces and were very crispy and delicious as well. I have to say the most amazing part of the night was our waiter splitting our check 15 ways WITHOUT us even asking... that is a rare rare quality. Possibly expect slightly slow service... they've only been open a week and the place was jamb-packed when I went. All in all great place to grab a drink and delicious mussels to go with. Great addition to Arlington and I'll be returning soon!
(4)Hannah P.
Hands down best meal we have had in Arlington since we moved here 6 months ago. From the moment we walked in the door the service was phenomenal. Our server was Helen and she was amazing. in all seriousness she was one of the best servers we have ever have, attentive, knew every detail of the menu, and was extremely sweet. The beers are great and the mussels are even better. Definitely recommend the Mediterranean mussels. This place is great
(5)Linda G.
The food is great. Everything is fresh and flavorful. My favorite things are the crab dip, lobster roll, oysters, and smith island cake. They have a great variety of beers, but they are a little stingy about their pours for the drafts.
(4)Noah W.
Muscles were fantastic! Amazing taste, portion and flavor. We ordered the Mediterranean. Make sure to ask for fresh bread. Delicious. Great beer albeit a little pricy. Signature drinks over priced and meh. All over good with the newbie staff
(3)Erin H.
Had a reservation for dinner with a friend last night. We arrived and there was some confusion (they thought we were a party of 3 even thought I said 2) - so we waited for 20 plus minutes as they sat numerous parties till they came over and asked where our third was. I checked the open table and it was clearly for 2 guests. Either way we were then seated promptly at a booth near the bar. It was so loud we had to shout to here each other - the bar looks like a great place to get a nicer meal and catch a game but if you have a reservation you should be seated in the quieter sections of the restaurant (or asked if you want to sit outside since anything would've been preferable to the shouting match that occurred). The bear list was exceptional (although overly priced) and the mussels were amazing - highly recommend the mushroom, the Provencal where alright but I've had better. Very delicious plump mussels and although higher than others in the area $ wise - they were the best I've had in Arlington. The food came promptly and delicious. My water went empty for several checks from our waiter - and he cleared my plate (with food on it) while I was in the restroom - which was a clear disappointment since I wasn't done and my friend wasn't paying attention and he didn't ask. All in all I'd give it another shot when I want a loud night out I would head there.
(3)Eric P.
Nice laid back place... Good bar and wide selection of beers... Food was good but not great.. Had the mussels and was underwhelmed the fries are right out of the freezer bag... But the sauces served with the fries are great.. The grilled calamari app was excellent... Nice addition to ballston... I will back just wish the mussels were better
(3)Michael G.
First of all, it's not the fault of the wait staff. The host and hostess, waiters, bussers and food runners were nothing but friendly, cheerful and attentive. But this had to have been one of the worst meals we've had in a long time. I've had better food on airplanes. My wife ordered something billed on the menu as giant prawn stew with pearl pasta and chorizo. They were not giant prawns or even prawns, but medium sized shrimp. They might have waived a chorizo over the stew as it was cooking but there was no sign of it in the dish served. There was a small quantity of pearl-like pasta in the sauce, which my wife said "had some kick to it." I ordered braised short ribs. The meat was tough and stringy, which was a surprise because braising is a process that is supposed to make meat fall-off-the-bone tender. There were some stewed vegetables served with this that were, in fact, nicely done with some crunch to them. The sauce was intense to the point of being astringent. You would think that for $24, you would get a hardy portion, but the portion actually was quite small; which was in the end a good thing, as the dish was barely edible, and I left maybe a third of it.
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