Ox & Olive

This was one of the most unique steakhouse experiences I’ve had, and while not everything landed, I’d absolutely come back. The steak program is easily one of the best I’ve seen. Having the cuts explained tableside was genuinely educational, picking out our steak knife was a fun touch, and the martini program which involved showing the history of martinis was also really well done. We chose a Tasmanian steak that was cooked perfectly and had an incredible grassy, earthy, umami flavor unlike any beef I’ve had before. The steak itself was a solid 5 stars. There were a few misses elsewhere. The restaurant leans very hard into beef tallow, to the point that it felt overdone. Even the bread came with beef tallow butter, which completely overpowered it (felt like I was rubbing hamburger drippings on my bread). The beef tartare itself was good (I loved the shaved provolone), but the mustard-heavy sauce and pickles dominated the flavor. It was also served with a crunchy bread that looked like part of the presentation, so I had already finished one before our server came back and explained we were supposed to eat it. A small explanation when it arrived would have gone a long way. At the end of the meal, they give you a sesame seed covered BEEF TALLOW caramel lol but it was very good and I didn’t mind the tallow there. The broiled oysters were fine but quite small, and the whipped potatoes were too pasty and cheese-forward for my taste. On the other hand, the cocktails were excellent, and the carrot cake despite the $29 sticker shock was absolutely worth it. It’s one of the most unique, complex, and delicious carrot cakes I’ve ever had. One thing I’d love to see improved is pricing transparency. The menu lists the steaks as roughly 1.5 pounds and around $90–110, but we didn’t realize those were priced per kilogram rather than per steak. Our selection ended up being about $200. It was more than enough food for two, so we wished we could have customized our portion more. Service was good overall, though there were a couple funny quirks. We accidentally booked outdoor seating and were the only table in the enclosed patio, so it felt a little strange compared to the lively dining room inside. It also was a bit hot out there, but they do have personal fans on the tables. Since the water glasses were opaque white stoneware, the staff constantly had to lean in very close to inspect whether we needed refills. It was attentive, but after a while it became unintentionally comical. If I returned, I’d request a seat inside (or at the bar) and focus on what they do best: martinis, steak, a salad and give another dessert a try. Even with a few misses, this is an incredibly memorable steakhouse experience that’s well worth trying.

WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Was so hyped to try this place after seeing it all over social media—reservations are hard to get so my friend and I picked Monday night and opted for bar seating. The restaurant is small, inside felt crammed, but I guess the ambiance gives off an intimate upscale vibe. However, the music is TOO LOUD, we had trouble hearing each other and I couldn’t hear the bartender half the time—this was frustrating. For a high end steakhouse, I would have expected more from the management staff—they all seemed unfriendly and never came around to follow up with guests on their dining experience (at least not us!). But the food runners were friendly and cheerful. Food menu is not that extensive. Their pride and joy is the high quality “Beef with Tail to Tell” steaks so we got the Kuroge (Montana) 1.5lb for $148.50. It was huge, definitely shareable for two—meat was tender but the steak LACKED FLAVOR, very bland, and we requested for the steak to be cooked medium but it came out medium RARE. I had to ask for salt to add to the steak. The Whipped Potatoes texture was comparable to a toothpaste sticky texture, not soft and was way too overloaded with cheese. The Maitake Mushroom was good, I liked the peppercorn madeira sauce. The Carrot Cake ($29) was a MAJOR LETDOWN—says it serves 2 but the portion is small!!! The carrot cake presentation itself is cute, designed in a shape of a carrot, but the cake inside is thin, layered outside with sugar coating (or candy melt) which throws off the taste, and there were dark brown sections that were so bitter it was not enjoyable whatsoever. This dessert was a bait! Cocktails were decent. Dirty Martini is good if you like strong drinks, French Martini if you like a more sweet or juice taste, and Pornstar Martini if you like champagne. The martinis ranges from $18-24 a drink. Bartender Jeff was super busy making drinks all night, seemed like he was the only one. Note: the final bill adds an automatic 20% Service Fee, which we were not informed ahead when making reservations, when ordering or written on the menu. Overall, overpriced and underwhelming dining experience. Tip: There’s no valet here so recommend parking in the Georgetown Park Parking which is a block away. For roughly 3 hours, parking was $26.

My dining companions and I loved our experience at Ox & Olive. The restaurant is a little hard to find, tucked in an alley behind Sweetgreen and SoulCycle, but once we made our way in, we were greeted by an exceptionally warm host. That set the tone for the rest of the evening. The service throughout the meal was friendly and attentive. We started with the excellent brisket hot dogs and tartare eclairs. For mains, we had the Bear Creek ribeye and A5 Wagyu. The ribeye was especially good, with a perfect cook and a flavorful crust. The sides were just as strong as the steaks, particularly the potatoes aligot and the creamy greens. The playful carrot cake was fun, but the desserts overall were not as memorable as the mains. Ox & Olive made a very strong impression and is a wonderful addition to the DC dining scene.

We had high hopes for Ox & Olive, but unfortunately, our experience did not match the price point or the level of service the restaurant appears to be aiming for. Our 9:00 p.m. reservation was well after the peak dinner rush, yet the dining room was extremely loud and uncomfortably hot. We were nearly shouting to hear each other across the table. We understand that an open-fire kitchen creates heat, but the ventilation and temperature control did not seem adequate for the space. It was difficult to enjoy a rich, heavy meal when we were physically uncomfortable throughout dinner. We brought a bottle of wine, which the sommelier took to decant. She tasted it without first asking our permission, explaining that it was restaurant policy to check whether the wine was corked. We frequently dine at restaurants with sommeliers and are always happy to offer them a taste, but we have never had someone assume they could taste a bottle we brought without asking. A restaurant may have its own policy, but that policy should be communicated before opening or tasting a guest’s wine. The complimentary welcome cocktail was a thoughtful surprise. It was fruity and well-balanced, but barely chilled. Unfortunately, temperature became a recurring issue throughout the evening. To start, we ordered the yellowtail and the brisket hot dogs. The yellowtail had an unpleasant, almost gelatinous consistency and was inedible for us. When our server removed the nearly untouched dish, she apologized, but there was no offer to replace it or remove it from the bill. At this level of dining, an untouched dish should prompt a conversation rather than simply being cleared away. This felt less like an individual server issue and more like a lack of training and support from management. The brisket hot dog with caviar was enjoyable. The rich meat paired nicely with the caviar, and it was a fun dish to try. I would not say I was blown away for $25, but it was creative and tasty. My partner ordered the rye Old Fashioned, and I ordered the espresso martini. My espresso martini was delicious, although again, warmer than it should have been, so I drank it more quickly than I would have liked. The large ice cube in the Old Fashioned completely melted within approximately 16 minutes, diluting and essentially ruining a cocktail priced above $30. That also demonstrated just how warm the room was. The stone-fruit salad and steak fries were the highlights of the meal. The flavors in the salad were lovely, but the base had become warm, soupy, and almost curdled in texture, which made us hesitant to continue eating it. The steak fries, however, were excellent—perfectly fluffy inside with a wonderfully crisp exterior. We ordered the Australian ribeye. We were surprised that on a steak menu ranging from roughly $150 to $300, nearly every option was a strip steak, with only one ribeye available. The meat itself was beautifully marbled, and we appreciated that the steak was frenched without our having to request it. However, we ordered it medium-rare and it arrived rare. It was also noticeably underseasoned, and we had to flag down our server to request salt and butter. The most disappointing part of the evening was the lack of attentive service. After delivering the wine, the sommelier never returned to the table. Our server primarily appeared to deliver or remove dishes rather than checking whether everything had been prepared properly. A manager never visited our table, despite the untouched yellowtail and multiple issues throughout the meal. There are some promising and creative ideas at Ox & Olive, and several individual components were enjoyable. However, the dining-room comfort, food and beverage temperatures, seasoning, communication, and overall service need significant refinement. At these prices, guests should not have to repeatedly flag someone down or quietly accept dishes and drinks that are not served correctly. We hope management takes the feedback seriously because the concept has potential, but our experience did not justify the cost.