Carlyle

I used to go to this place often when I lived in Arlington, their Ribeye is delicious! Also, their Jambalaya, I can go on and on… oh! and their Tex Mex egg rolls, outstanding! Now for the service, Top Notch! I cant wait to go back again.

I admit that recently spotted Carlyle Restaurant (near the Pentagon Metro) unintentionally the same day that I was in this area for a job interview. The waiter was very cordial and served both my food and refills of my sweet tea in a timely manner. The ambrosial dish that I ordered was pecan crusted trout with lemon caper butter and a tasty cauliflower mash (that was in a similar smooth consistency as mashed potatoes). I felt energized after eating the meal.

Wonderful as always. Brunch menu is tops and
Eggs Benedict are the best. Extensive drink
Options are tasty. The service staff are great, Nick was our server today and we thank him
Cheers everyone to this great local restaurant that gets it right every time

I’ve been here 3 times and each time was EXCELLENT. The calamari is perfectly cooked and seasoned. We’ve order many menu items and each one has been delicious. Our service has been great as well. We were 15 minutes late for reservation and we were immediately seated as soon as we arrived. They are extremely accommodating and we’re always greeted with a smile!

I’m giving 5 stars solely based on their service. I went here to meet up with my friends and have dinner together. We ordered variety of dishes: short rib, salmon, chicken, jambalaya and calamari for appetizer. I ordered mixed green salad (so refreshing and light!) and blue crab appetizer. I asked if Tex mex egg rolls could be made without chicken since I don’t eat meat, their answer was no. I guess since the restaurant is so busy, they pre-​make everything so dishes can’t be modified. Anyway, one of my friends who ordered short rib could not swallow his food because it was SOOOO SALTY! Almost everyone at my table said that their dishes were salty. I mean we are 100% Koreans who live on fermented spicy salty kimchi everyday but wow he could not eat that short rib. If you are sensitive to salty food, make sure you tell your server that you want chefs to be easy on the salt.
When my friend returned his dish, our server notified the manager and the manager came over and asked us if he needed anything while he was waiting for another dish. They were very attentive to us to make sure that our dining experience at Carlyle was superb. Another friend who had jambalaya indicated that her dish was also salty but not as much as the short rib so it was edible. When she let our server know that her dish was salty too, our server was very apologetic and he brought THREE desserts for free! Wow!
Although we didn’t enjoy their food as much as we’d like to, we definitely enjoyed their service. Keep up the good service and we might return in the future.

This is a very nice restaurant with healthy options if your on a diet like me. My friend brought me here because this is her favorite restaurant. We came about an hour and half before closing and we were still given great treatment. My friend ordered the tuna taki (I think that’s what it was I have a picture lol) appetizer it was very fresh and flavorful I loved how it was on seaweed and low carb. I got the fish special of the day grouper with sate spinach and crispy leaks. I did not want the sauce so they put it on the side for me. It was very fresh and I nice portion. My friend ordered the steak and substituted the potatoes with cauliflower mash. I never been to a restaurant before where they offered a low carb mash like that. I tasted hers and it was creamy and flavorful. You could barely tell it was made with cauliflower. My friend raves about their white chocolate bread pudding but we did not get it this time. They have a lot of different options and a fair price. And portion size is not to big or small.

I have eaten at Carlyle when in the Washington area numerous times over the past 25years or so.
Eating there tonight, I enjoyed the pecan crusted trout with corn on the cob, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon with 2 friends, and delicious bread.
Meals are always superb. Service is consistently very good, and the staff is always willing to cater to an individual’s preferences and substitutions.
This is a quality restaurant in an area with many good places to dine. I always return because it is well worth the time and money for a great meal in a relaxing atmosphere with a good wine list.

I’ve come here twice for breakfast/​brunch with a friend. This place is very large, and has seating out the wazoo. The menu itself isn’t huge, but all of the items seem to be well made and well thought out in their flavoring. Now to the meal!
Upon sitting down, we were given a basket of fresh bread (VERY warm, and VERY soft) and spreads from the local bakery BBBC (Best Buns Bread Company), which were absolutely phenomenal. I know that this really says nothing about Carlyle’s food– but you have to respect that they realize that they cannot top something that good, and decide to give it to you straight from them.
We placed our orders, My friend got the «BBBC Brioche French Toast» (again, they accept that they can’t beat the bakers. love it), and I got the «Squibnocket Scrambled Eggs» (hilariously strange name), and split a «Sticky Bun» (also from BBBC).
When the food finally came, the «BBBC Brioche French Toast» was clearly the star of the show. It was large, fluffy, and very well presented with the fruit around it. My friend enjoyed it greatly, and the bit’s i stole from their plate certainly satisfied me. The «Squibnocket Scrambled Eggs» were very good for standard breakfast fare (eggs, potatoes, bacon, mushrooms). What was disappointing was the stickybun – it was room temperature to almost cold– which maybe threw me off a bit. It looked nice, and had an okay taste– but I was expecting to be blown out of the water by the taste again (since the BBBC things had all been phenomenal).
Overall, it’s a nice place, that serves a solid breakfast/​brunch. Would recommend, but go early, as this place seems to fill up quickly.

Beautiful classy décor, great service, and good food. The Carlyle is in the same Great American restaurant family as Mikes, Coastal flats, Artie’s, and Sweetwater. The menu is very similar to Coastals, prices are reasonable and food is consistent. I’ve frequented Coastal many times and had the lobster roll, which I also had at the Carlyle. Everything from the lobster roll to the shoe string fries and corn on the Cobb were the same. However, I think the corn at Coastals was better charred and the bread at Carlyle was just okay.
Nice place for lunch or dinner. Service was friendly and prompt.

I went to the Carlyle with a large group of co-​workers after it was HIGHLY recommended by a friend of mine. It was conveniently located at the Village of Shirlington.
The Carlyle hit on all major categories. The space was large; two levels of seating and a great bar area if you’re waiting for your group to arrive.
The staff was super friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere was lively and upbeat.
Lastly the food. I ordered the shrimp and grits, and I was a bit concerned because it was a grit cake and not the creamy type. To my surprise, the dish was good, not the best I’ve had but good. With my meal, I ordered a cocktail and a large 22 oz IPA :)
Overall, my experience was good and if I’m ever in the area I’ll definitely go back.

Carlyle is another one of the many Great American Restaurants. They have certain dishes that aren’t found at the others — I’m particularly fond of the jambalaya pasta with a bit of hot sauce dashed across the top.
They have Ozzie rolls on the weekends although they don’t have the fresh fried buttery goodness — they tend to be tossed in sugar and cinnamon. But otherwise, it’s solid service with good food. What more can you ask for?

Came here for brunch with a friend. I ordered the steak and egg hollandaise and my friend ordered the crab cake. The entrée was decent but my favorite part about the whole meal was the biscuits they serve before the meal. I would go back just for the biscuits. It’s all about the buns.
Parking was fairly easy and customer service was great.

I went to the Caryle for lunch with a friend on 4÷5÷16.
I wasn’t super hungry and was going to lunch more for the company than the food so I was super happy to see that the Caryle had some lighter lunch options like salad. Although, I wasn’t super hungry (and my salad was good); it wasn’t a very large portion (considering its price point). I wouldn’t hesitate from ordering a salad again, just know it is not enough for a full meal (or a good choice if you’re starving).
Our waitress was fantastic. She found that nice balance of checking in on us the appropriate amount of times without being intrusive. She recommended the strawberry shortcake dessert which was a «special» for the day. They should consider making this a permanent dessert on their menu. It was superb.
I really liked the ambiance of the restaurant although it was a little on the loud side considering the restaurant wasn’t very full (which was not unusual, it was a late lunch on a weekday). I would imagine during more peak times it might be hard to hear the people.
I loved the red and gold accents of the Caryle. It felt very glamorous without being overdone.
It is a nice touch that Best Buns is next store. I got to experience the smell of fresh bread baking while we were finishing up our lunch.
In a nutshell, a little expensive but I wouldn’t hesitate to go back if I found myself in the area.

I’m just not a fan of this place (or any of the Great American Restaurants, for that matter). I’ve been here a few times, but the food is always too fatty, the meat low quality, and everything is too one note and boring. I always leave here feeling full but like I just ate dessert for breakfast, or like, chewed through a gristly fatty dinner.
I’ll admit it could be a preference thing. If you’re looking for a giant hearty breakfast this will do the trick, but it’s not nourishing and I always want to sleep for 5 hours after.

A superlative and pleasurable dining experience by far, mucho gracias!
At 1^st, I didn’t want to venture out to Arlington County, & so very glad I did. This is my friend’s go to place 1 – 2 times a week & raves about his visit all the time. He usually sits at the bar, yet for my newbie interaction, we dined upstairs. Journeying up the staircase was a treat all within itself as I was in awed of the mirrors, artwork & back drop of the wine collection that illuminated various colors of the massive bottles of wines.
We were seated in a two person booth, that came with a private coat stand & red leather chairs accented with bronze nail heads, simply highlighting the intimate setting. There was plenty of table space that was laid out with an ambiance light, both regular & Gluten Free menus, white linen napkins, appetizer plates & shiny flatware.
& here comes our 6’7, straight out of a GQ magazine server, Connor. I could penn this review for hours on his phenomenal presence, personality, attentiveness, genuinity & of course his extraordinary table service… enough said.
We started off with the Tuna Poke, amazingly fresh ahi tuna, guacamole, ginger, cilantro on crispy nori chips (comes with Spicy Mayo that we negated), 4 to an order with an hearty portion of tuna on each chip… the nori tidbits were delicious. I selected the Short Smoked Grilled Salmon Salad on arugula, thin green beans, fingerling potatoes, black olives, (minus the eggs & goat cheese) tomatoes & sherry dijon vinaigrette… SUCCULENT to the 10^th power. The Executive Chef did his culinary craft with the smoking process, by far the best Salmon Salad I have ever consumed. My dining companion ordered the Slow Roasted Beef Short Ribs, with red wine reduction, mashed potatoes, with a few asparagus & crispy fried onions. I must give credit where credit is due… those ribs looked incredibly good. They come boneless & the meat just seemed to fall apart while he used his fork with no need for a knife.
Of course great pairing of wine (Malbec, Don Miguel Gascon, Mendoza) & gimlets sealed our savory consumption like a red ribbon now on a gift.
Leading into wine, not only do they offer over 30 bottles of wines, the housed the wines in their distinctive & architecturally designed wine coolers/​racks. On the side of such, they host their signature with a lone star & very cleaned wine glasses. We were later informed that 2 sets of managers inspects the glasses on a daily basis… well done.
They offer an in house bakery with selections from Old Fashioned Banana Pudding, Deep Dish Apple Pecan Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream & Warm Flourless Chocolate Macadamia Nut Waffle. & yes, even some Gluten Free items & Dog Biscuits you can take home to your faithful canine.
During my photo taking excursion, I met Brennen the Manager. She later visited our table to share some culinary ingredients & insight along with ensuring that we were enjoying ourselves & that our dining encounter was going well… please, it was superb.
A 25 minute commute, easy parking on the street, friendly hostesses, a short wait at the bar, a warm/​distinctive atmosphere & magnificent food, this eatery of the Great American Restaurants (Coastal Flats one of my FAV is part of the FAM), provided me with a new & remarkable food feast to remember.
Connor, I will come find you at Coastal Flats-​Fairfax soon, thank you for an amazing evening!

I love Carlyle’s! If you asked me what my favorite salad spot in the whole world was, I would say Carlyle’s without any hesitation.
Their crispy two noodle shrimp salad is by far the most incredible salad I’ve ever had. The lightly battered, fried shrimp, brings warmth and a little crunch to my salad. The salad is paired with a sweet thai chili sauce that compliments the fried shrimp and mango’s. The mango’s help bring out the sweet and tangy flavors and adds a pop of flavor to this very special salad.
You have to come here and give it a try, even if you aren’t a salad person … this salad will make a salad non-​eater to a salad lover. I’ve already turned a couple of coworkers :)
They have great service and parking is easy and free.

Was pleasantly surprised here. The décor is really nice, and the staff is very helpful. It gives off the vibe of the type of place old times mobsters would go to have cigars and cocktails.
The food was very tasty. I had the lobster roll, which was good, but not that filling in itself. It came with fries that were really thin and crispy, and grilled corn on the cobb. I actually liked the corn on the cobb more than the lobster.
Overall a good meal, friendly staff, and pretty reasonably priced.

This is our go-​to GAR in the Arlington area. Unfortunately, the one night that we decide to dine here to celebrate a birthday, they failed.
I did a call-​ahead and mentioned a birthday celebration. I was informed by the hostess that they do not provide a complimentary dessert and do not sing, but they DO offer a nice decorated birthday platter if we order dessert. Yes, I’ve been here and do appreciate the celebratory platter. Once arrived, the gracious hostess asked us who was celebrating a birthday and wished our recipient a ‘happy birthday’.
It went downhill after that… the overall service was not the typical GAR standard. Lucky us, we ended up with a server who was either brand new or just didn’t care. It took him forever to take our orders and he rarely came back to take each step of our orders. Appetizers and meal orders took an eternity. Thank goodness, GAR has food servers or we would have never gotten our food.
The biggest disappointment is that we NEVER had any kind of birthday décor on our dessert platters. It’s obviously too late now, you can’t turn back a birthday. It was definitely the server didn’t care enough to check the system for this birthday.
So, if you are celebrating anything, hopefully you won’t end up with this server.

I went here on a Tuesday night at 5pm with some friends. I parked in a garage nearby but there is some street parking around if you’re lucky to find a spot. It is one of the Great American Restaurants so it is very similar to the rest. I ordered the Pecan Crusted Trout with the original chardonnay citrus sauce, lemon dressed arugula & sweet potato fries ($ 18). The portion was big, fries were very good (I’m picky about my sweet potato fries), and the side of arugula was just right. The rest of my friends ordered the Jambalaya ($ 18), Chicken Palliard ($ 15), and Cheddar Cheeseburger ($ 12). They all said their food was good.
Desserts:
We tried the Warm White Chocolate Bread Pudding ($ 8) and the Old Fashioned Banana Pudding ($ 8). Can’t go wrong with either. Both were a great end to a good dinner. We were stuffed.
The service could’ve been better. The guy didn’t really refill our waters except in the beginning when we all just took one sip from our waters. He barely came back, but was nice enough to split our check in 4. Overall good experience.

I love this place. For us, it was a great escape from the bustle of the DC area. The food was fresh and savory. The service is the best that I have had. The staff was ready with an etch a sketch for each child (we had 3). This helped to keep everyone distracted as Mom and Dad ordered and had a glass of wine.
We ordered: Coastal Lobster Roll, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, Short Smoked Grilled Salmon Salad, and kids got the burgers. It all came out fast and that was great because we were hungry. I would recommend these items if you are in the mood for seafood.
Once we finished, the staff did not rush us out. We just hung out a bit longer to collect ourselves and plan the next activity.