Armed with Secret Service, President Donald Trump headed one block from the White House to Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, and Stone Crab to prove how safe DC is following his federal law enforcement takeover. It’s the first DC restaurant Trump has visited over his two terms as president, other than the now-closed steakhouse in his former Pennsylvania Avenue hotel. He was joined by VP JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other top White House officials—plus a group of shouting protesters who were inside the restaurant.
Trump booed as he enters Joe’s Seafood a block from the White House. pic.twitter.com/oGVWj0pPmp
— Jessica Sidman (@jsidman) September 9, 2025
“Here I am standing out in the middle of the street. I wouldn’t have done this three months ago, four months ago. I certainly wouldn’t have done it a year ago. This was one of the most unsafe cities in the country. Now it’s as safe as there is in the country,” Trump told reporters outside the restaurant. “The restaurants now are booming. People are going out to dinner where they didn’t go out for years, and it’s a safe city.”
As Trump exited his motorcade, he waved at the crowd gathered on the street—some cheering and others booing and yelling “f— you!” Inside, he was confronted by a group of protesters with activist group Code Pink yelling, “Free DC. Free Palestine. Trump is the Hitler of our time.” The president stood in front of them with a slight smile before pointing to the side, indicating it was time for them to go. “What do you want your legacy to be?,” one of the protesters yelled as security led them out.
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Joe’s isn’t a totally surprising choice for Trump. It’s got Florida roots, plus it has a sizable Republican clientele and plenty of steak on the menu. “The President and his team enjoyed crab, shrimp, salad, steak, and dessert,” Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who was also in attendance, told reporters after the dinner last night “The food was phenomenal and the service was fantastic. Thank you, Joe’s!”
A representative from Joe’s declined to comment.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
