Monday, January 13, 2014

The Majestic, Alexandria, VA

Lately, I've been spending time in Alexandria, Virginia and have been trying to find suitable vegan options. Mostly, I've been disappointed with the lack of vegan food in the area around Old Town so someone I know recommended that I try The Majestic. Super excited -- I made lunch reservations to go there with a colleague.

As soon as we pulled up though, I felt like this wasn't going to be as good as I thought. The outside reminded me of an old-style movie theater. The name of the restaurant was placed vertically towards the top of the building spelling out "Majestic" in bright neon.


Inside, the tables were diner-style with big chromed feet and the seating had outdated upholstery. After reading the history on the website later on, I realized the first version of this cafe dates back to 1932 and through numerous iterations, they had attempted to preserve some of the original elements. Eh, I guess I'm just not a fan of the old-style stuff.


I started with one of their house grapefruit juniper sodas. It was pretty good. When I called ahead, they had told me there was really only one entree I could have -- Red's Veggie Plate. I was fine with that. For $18.50 for a vegetable lunch plate, I figured it had to be really good.


The server was not very knowledgeable about the items so we had to ask multiple times to get answers to our questions as he went back to confer with the chef on our questions. Finally, we placed our orders.


In the end, the Red's Veggie Plate was a big disappointment.  The presentation wasn't very nice. It was as if they just took random veggies and threw them on the plate. The spinach was just steamed, the squash was doused in oil, and the rapini was overcooked. The potatoes and green beans were fine, but nothing to write home about. I felt like we were completely ripped off at $18.50 for that plate.


If this is some of the finest Alexandria has to offer, I dread my future restaurant visits here. For now, I can assure you that I will not be returning to The Majestic.

The Majestic
911 King Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 837-9117

The Majestic on Urbanspoon

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