Evening Star Cafe
Address: 2000 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria, VA 22301
Phone: 703-549-5051
Neighborhood:
Alexandria, Del Ray, Alexandria
Cuisines:
Modern, Breakfast, American
Opening Hours: Open for lunch Tuesday through Friday 11:30 to 2:30. Open for dinner Monday through Thursday 5:30 to 10, Friday and Saturday 5:30 to 11, and Sunday 5 to 9:30. Open for brunch Saturday and Sunday 10 to 3.
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Kid Friendly: Yes
Nearby Metro Stops: Braddock Road
Price Range: Moderate
Dress: Informal
Noise Level: Chatty
Reservations: Not Needed
Website: Click here to open in new window.
Best Dishes Duck springrolls; Quail stuffed with goat cheese and shitakes; chicken-and-andouille-sausage gumbo; chicken-and-apple sausage with cheddar mashed potatoes; steamed mussels with ginger and lemongrass; rosemary-braised lamb shank; roast garlic-marinated duc
Price Details: Lunch appetizers, $3.75 to $7; entrees, $6.50 to $14.
Dinner appetizers, $4 to $12; entrees, $15 to $25.
Sunday brunch entrees, $6 to $11.
Lounge menu, $5 to $9.
Special Features:
Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly
Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly
From January 2004 100 Very Best Restaurants
This Del Ray restaurant hasn't invested in decor. You wouldn't be surprised if the restaurant showed up in a 1950s movie as a working-class diner. There are two dining areas, the rear one likely to house regulars having a brew or a glass of wine. Upstairs is a wine bar/lounge. The list has many entries priced well under $30, and the restaurant allows diners to bring in wines from the Daily Planet wine store next door for a reasonable corkage fee of $8.Good starters are grilled quail stuffed with goat cheese and shiitake mushrooms; chicken-and-andouille-sausage gumbo; chicken-and-apple sausage on cheddar-scallion mashed potatoes with a shallot demi-glace; and steamed mussels with fresh ginger-and-lemongrass broth. Recent main-course additions worth savoring are rosemary-braised lamb shank; roast garlic-marinated duck breast with mashed sweet potatoes; sautéed salmon on a Roquefort risotto cake; sautéed beef tenderloin with cheddar-scallion mashed potatoes; and Cajun-style crabcakes studded with chili peppers. Home-style desserts like pine-nut tart and pumpkin cheesecake make for a fine finale.
