219 Restaurant

Q: When is the best time to go to 219 Restaurant?

For live music and the late-night vibe, head to 219 Restaurant after the nightly 9:00pm entertainment; for a much quieter early dinner try arriving around 5:30–6:00pm (weekday happy hour runs Mon–Fri 5:00–7:00pm).

Q: What seating arrangements/rooms does this restaurant have?

219 Restaurant's elegant main dining room (reservations only) sits alongside private dining rooms; the second-story Basin St. Lounge has live music and a cigar lounge, the downstairs Bayou Room hosts DJs and dancing, and there's a covered/heated front patio, lounge and bar seating are first-come, first-served.

Q: What are this restaurant's opening hours?

219 Restaurant, Restaurant: Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm; Fri 4:00 pm–11:00 pm; Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm; Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm. Lounge: Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–2:00 am; Fri, Sat 2:00 pm–2:00 am; Sun 2:00 pm–1:00 am. Bayou Room: Mon–Fri 4:00 pm–2:00 am. Happy Hour: Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–7:00 pm.

Q: What is the best day to go to 219 Restaurant?

Saturdays are a favorite for the full live-music and cigar-lounge scene, 219 offers blues/jazz seven nights a week, and guests often note the upstairs music and Saturday-night energy.

Q: What are the portion sizes like at this restaurant?

Many guests say portions are generous and filling, several reviews call entrees and plates (notably the jambalaya) nicely sized, with diners leaving comfortably satisfied.

Q: Is this a good pick for date night?

Yes, 219 Restaurant is often chosen for special evenings: guests report Valentine's and anniversary dinners, intimate window seats, and attentive service that make it a solid date-night spot.

Q: Does this restaurant have outdoor seating?

Yes, guests have enjoyed the heated, roofed front patio, and reviewers note patio seating as part of the venue.

Q: What's the ambience/atmosphere like in this restaurant?

219 Restaurant fills a historic 19th-century townhouse with modern Southern/Creole fare, an elegant main dining room, an upstairs Basin St. Lounge with nightly blues/jazz, and a downstairs Bayou Room for DJs and dancing, guests describe it as cozy, classic, and very music-forward.

Q: What is the dress code for 219 Restaurant?

Smart casual, aim for polished but relaxed attire; guests do dress up a touch for special occasions like anniversaries.

3.6 (983)

$30 and under

Southern

219 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314

Make a reservation

219 Restaurant

3.6

$30 and under

Southern

Alexandria

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 7, 2026

7:00 PM

Booked 11 times today

About this restaurant

Charming
Healthy
Neighborhood gem

Please note reservations are only available for the main dining room. The lounge and bar areas are first come first serve.

Housed in a historic 19th century townhouse blocks from the waterfront, 219 Restaurant offers modern Southern cuisine with creole influence. Our menu focuses on classic dishes with a southern influence to make for an exceptional dining experience.

We offer private dining rooms in addition to our elegant main floor and offer pre-fixed banquet menus suitable for any event. After your meal, you can unwind in our spacious second story Basin St. Lounge, and be entertained by world class blues/jazz music - seven nights a week - or head downstairs to our Bayou Room, for live DJs and dancing.

Whether you're looking for a casual night out or something a little more intimate, 219 Restaurant has what you're looking for... seven days a week!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Elegant Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Southern, Contemporary American, Creole
Hours of operation
Restaurant Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm Lounge Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–2:00 am Fri, Sat 2:00 pm–2:00 am Sun 2:00 pm–1:00 am Bayou Room Mon–Fri 4:00 pm–2:00 am Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Phone number
(703) 549-1141
Website
http://www.219restaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Catering
We do offer catering upon request.
Private party facilities
Please inquire. We regularly host wedding parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, corporate functions and retreats, and hail and farewells. We host regular wine tastings, wine pairing dinners, cigar tastings and cigar pairing dinners, and scotch tastings.

Location
219 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Neighborhood
Alexandria
Cross street
N. Fairfax Street
Parking details
In addition to available street parking, we recommend the affordable, municipal parking garage underneath City Hall just around the corner, on Fairfax Street.
Public transit
King St. Metro [<1 mile]; Free trolley services on King St., from Metro.
Entertainment
Live blues music [including Grammy-winning acts] six nights a week upstairs in our massive, well-appointed cigar lounge, the Basin Street Lounge. Downstairs, in our casual bar the Bayou Room, we offer DJ format dance music complete with laser lights.
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cigar Room, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Indoor Smoking Area, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine

Concierge
AI Beta

Our AI assistant, Concierge, is here to answer your questions about this restaurant.

Jambalaya$32.00
crawfish / gulf shrimp / chicken andouille / cajun roux / rice
Shrimp Creole$30.00
shrimp / spicy stewed tomatoes trinity vegetables / rice
Crawfish Etouffée$30.00
crawfish / creole roux trinity vegetables / rice
Southern Fried Chicken$27.00
creole dusted dark meat chicken / southern greens / french fries
Chicken Fettuccini$28.00
garlic white wine cream sauce / parmesan/ garlic toast
Blackened Atlantic Salmon*$34.00
orzo risotto / crispy brussels sprouts / beurre blanc
NOLA Shrimp & Grits$30.00
louisiana-style bbq gulf shrimp / cheddar stone-ground grits
Hand-Cut Ribeye*$52.00
haricot vert / potato dauphinoise / mushroom ragout / port wine bordelaise

Sides^

$15

Truffle Fries
Loaded Fries
cheddar & bacon
Crispy Brussel Sprouts
Southern Greens
ham hock
Haricot Vert
Cheddar Grits

Reviews

OpenTable reviews from verified diners

Reviews from people who have dined at 219 Restaurant.

3.6

(983)

3.2Food
3.9Service
4.1Ambience
3.2Value

Noise • Moderate

983 Reviews

A
Aysha
Washington DC1 review
2.0
Dined on August 14, 2026
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Drinks were not good at all, and the shrimp and grits were unfortunatley some of the worst my boyfriend and I have ever had.
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R
Richard
Washington DC2 reviews
1.0
Dined on August 12, 2026
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 1
This was by far the most unforgettable dining experience that I’ve had in a very long time. That place is in need of a face lift, a chef, and some fresh air. Not to mention the price exceeded the quality.
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M
Michael
Washington DC2 reviews
5.0
Dined on August 6, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
219 was great for my dad’s birthday. The drinks are very good and served in a speedy manner!
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S
Sherry Gold
Key West27 reviews
4.0
Dined on July 1, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had 5:30 reservations which I guess is early, we had no other guests in the restaurant, I’m surprised because the food was good and king street location close to the water was great! They have entertainment at 9:00 nightly so I guess they get a late crowd
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D
Deshawn
Washington DC3 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 6, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food and amazing cocktails. Customer service was excellent.
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Y
Yvette
Washington DC3 reviews
5.0
Dined on May 3, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The vibe at 219 was 10/10. 🎶 Good food, a live band playing the classics, and an atmosphere made for relaxing. Definitely my kind of night!
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J
Jonathan
Greater Boston30 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 18, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Gentle Readers and Fellow Travelers, The wife and I, both having deep ties with the city of New Orleans, craved some real creole flavors, perhaps with some music on the side. We certainly got the flavors at this establishment. On a very crowded Spring evening, we were seated at a table overlooking the Main Street, King Street, able to watch the people as they went by. The drinks (King Street Sour and Cab Wine) were quite nice. I recommend the Cab. We had a dozen fried oysters to start, and they were excellent. 2 were of sufficient size to give that real burst in your mouth. The remoulade sauce was not overpowering, but instead well-balanced. When our main dishes came, jambalaya and shrimp creole, we were both really impressed by the dark roux based sauce, the fresh ingredients, and the flavor. My only complaint is the shrimp has the tails on. I am in the camp that says if I am paying that much, I should not have to pull my tails off. Then the desserts came. Their cheesecake was outstanding. The bread pudding left a little bit to be desired. While it was tasty, even delicious, in flavor, the ice cream was nothing special. The pudding itself could not hold a candle to Mother’s on Poydras or to the White Chocolate Bread Pudding from Nordstrom. Sorry, guys. You’ll have to up that game to get the 5th star. Service was so nice! Kudos. The only ambience down was a lingering smell of cigars. There is a cigar lounge somewhere there, and the smell cannot be stopped entirely. Overall, this was worth the price.
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Y
YVETTE
Washington DC8 reviews
2.0
Dined on April 5, 2026
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Was hoping we found a replacement for Acadiana restaurant (new Orleans french). Not! Jambalaya was not appealing, lacked seasonings, oily, too much red sauce. Fried chicken was super oily and lacked seasoning. Unusual heartburn from both dishes. Great service thou!!!
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D
Darice Gold
Wisconsin9 reviews
4.0
Dined on April 1, 2026
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 3
Amazing food, our waitress/bartender was very attentive and provided phenomenal recommendations. Great birthday dinner on a rainy Wednesday night.
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S
Stephanie
Washington DC6 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 28, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was excellent from appetizer to entree. The service it was very good. The weight staff was very attentive and had a good knowledge of the menu, what to suggest, what not to suggest. Will be back.
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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Elegant Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Southern, Contemporary American, Creole
Hours of operation
Restaurant Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–10:30 pm Fri 4:00 pm–11:00 pm Sat 10:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 10:00 am–10:00 pm Lounge Mon–Thu 4:00 pm–2:00 am Fri, Sat 2:00 pm–2:00 am Sun 2:00 pm–1:00 am Bayou Room Mon–Fri 4:00 pm–2:00 am Happy Hour Mon–Fri 5:00 pm–7:00 pm
Phone number
(703) 549-1141
Website
http://www.219restaurant.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Catering
We do offer catering upon request.
Private party facilities
Please inquire. We regularly host wedding parties, rehearsal dinners, showers, corporate functions and retreats, and hail and farewells. We host regular wine tastings, wine pairing dinners, cigar tastings and cigar pairing dinners, and scotch tastings.

Location
219 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Neighborhood
Alexandria
Cross street
N. Fairfax Street
Parking details
In addition to available street parking, we recommend the affordable, municipal parking garage underneath City Hall just around the corner, on Fairfax Street.
Public transit
King St. Metro [<1 mile]; Free trolley services on King St., from Metro.
Entertainment
Live blues music [including Grammy-winning acts] six nights a week upstairs in our massive, well-appointed cigar lounge, the Basin Street Lounge. Downstairs, in our casual bar the Bayou Room, we offer DJ format dance music complete with laser lights.
Additional
Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cigar Room, Dancing, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Indoor Smoking Area, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Weekend Brunch, Wine

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