Yahoo! - washingtonian

Very Best Restaurants: The Prime Rib

Very Best Listing | Very Best by Cuisine | Very Best by Location

The Prime Rib ***
Washington, $$

In 1976, when it opened on what then was Washington's luxury restaurant row, the Prime Rib was the new kid on the block. Twenty years later, it has not merely outlived its haute-cuisine neighbors, it has gained the respect of its competitors as the city's recession-proof restaurant. Week in and week out, at both lunch and dinner, the place that Buzz BeLer and his late brother Nick launched way back when still plays to packed houses, suitably accompanied by a pianist playing a Lucite-topped baby grand.

The secret of its success comprises several partsits black-and-gold, 1940s Manhattan supper-club setting appeals to the diner's sense of romance; its menu offers celebratory American food, consistently well prepared from top-quality products; and the jacket-and-tie dress code makes the clientele look important, an impression reinforced by service that is smoothly formal, yet unstuffy. In combination, these make even a casual visit to the Prime Rib seem like a special occasion.

Here you will dine in style with the best steakhouse salad in the country, the best roast rib of prime beef in the city, an imperial crab that is the definitive version of our finest regional dish, and a rare addition to a menu that has changed little over the yearsBuzz BeLer's splendid version of baked shrimp stuffed with crab. The wine list is as impressive for the breadth of its selection as for its fair prices.

The Prime Rib , 2020 K St. NW, Washington; 202-466-8811. Open Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

Return to Restaurant & Entertaining Directory