Avenue Café & Lounge - Holiday Inn Central

My barbeque was slathered with cold sauce. Destroyed the meal.

Fine restaurant and selection. Not great, but good.

Thanksgiving dinner was amazing! We loved everything we ate and all the staff was approachable and provided great service. The buffet included a soft drink or tea, which is great value!

I made a reservation for 12 for Thanksgiving Dinner and in the notes I added that we need room for a stroller at the table. When we arrived at the hotel there was a long line to get into the restaurant. We went to the front and informed them of our reservation however either someone didn’t pay attention to the reservation system or staff didn’t communicate because they were not prepared to seat a party of 12. We were told by the manager that another staff member sat a group at the table that was supposed to be for us but they would make something work. It took a minute but they got it together and reconfigured the tables to comfortably accommodate our party.

Aside from the initial reservation snafu, everything else was good. The menu included all of the traditional Thanksgiving fixins... turkey (which was cooked to perfection), ham, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, roasted veggies etc. along with some non-tradition options such as salmon, shrimp cocktail, and tomato, mozzarella and basil. Overall it was quite a nice spread with something for everyone.

The service was wonderful! Our waiter was very attentive often refilling our drinks before we even noticed and just overall pleasant. The rest of the staff, including the manager also checked on us at comfortable intervals that were appreciative and not annoying and intrusive.

Lastly, the price was right. The cost was approx. $30/pp for adults and for the amount and selection of food and on Thanksgiving Day I found the price reasonable.

Overall, based on my experience I would recommend this restaurant to a friend but would encourage them to make a reservation and to speak up immediately if something is not right with that reservation.

Nonexistent greeting. I had to ask 3 times for them to check me in on opentable. Since the restaurant was empty (we were the only table), the server insisted that no check in was necessary. The food was just ok. I ordered iced tea. The server brought sugar with it but no spoon or straw. When I asked for a straw, she said they were out.

This Easter buffet was amazing, I could not find a better buffet at the price. Unlimited prime rib and mimosas for about 28 a person is the definition of value. The food was fresh and great tasting, and they kept everything filled to the brim. Service as usual was stellar. I highly recommend this place!

Easter buffet=incredible! More food than I could imagine, drinking flowing and an amazing vibe. Every who worked there seemed to be on the top of their game, it was great! Did I mention the food? Because that was the best part, the buffet was a never ending flavorfest!

I have been here several times and the service and food was up to par as usual. Everything arrived at a timely manner and the staff was as friendly as I remember them to be. Still highly recommend this restaurant, I'll be returning for brunch on the 21st!

Firstly, this is a Holiday Inn cafe. Food quality was poor, we were serve smuckers syrup in the disposable packaging. It is not a brunch place that is good, it is poor at best. The food is what you would get if you made pancakes out of a box. Everything about this place screamed breakfast in a 2 star restaurant. So I would not recommend coming here for brunch if you are hoping to have a good DC brunch experience.

You won't believe this restaurant is in a Holiday Inn. Best crab cakes and short ribs. Excellent craft cocktails. Quiet enough for conversation.

We weren’t sure what to expect when we walked in. It was a Tuesday evening and there were very few people outside of the bar area. The dining area had very little ambiance— bright lighting and sparse decor. However, we were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed the food. Starting with our salads, there were limited dressing choices but the greens were fresh. Overall it was a good start. Between the three of us, we had short ribs, steak kebabs with pita and chicken kebabs with pita. They were all pretty large portion sizes and were excellently prepared. The onion sumac pita that came with the kebabs was especially unique and tasty. I’d definitely order either of those again just for the pita. The service was also a perfect balance between attentiveness and having the ability to enjoy uninterrupted conversation.

We dinned there 3 times because the atmosphere was very harm. Nice place for families. The steak was very good and in a very good price. Highly recommended. The barman is a nice bro with lots of fun

Hostable attitude

The best for a family. Nice and warm attitude. The prices were to low for what they serve. Every cuisine in the menu. Nice place to relax. The waiter was one of the most kinds that we have ever meet.

Went here for thanksgiving, and wow! The food in the buffet was great and never ran out (or even low, thinking back in it). Despite the restaurant being packed, the staff were attentive to us and really went out of their way to make sure we had a great time! If you don't feel like defrosting a turkey for several days next year, consider treating yourself and your family here, I would definitely recommend it.

Hubby and I came here because we were not about to spend our holidays cooking and I have to say that I was impressed with how it was handled. There was a real big spread with a ton of food, which was much appreciated as I came to EAT. The carving station had this prime rib that was omg, so soft and tender. This is totally a hidden gem, literally, I had a hard time finding the location of the restaurant only to figure out it was right in front of me. When you go here keep in mind that it doesn’t exactly broadcast its location, it’s attached to the Holiday Inn. Trust me, you won’t regret taking a evening off to come here.

The restaurant is slow but the servers are nice. The food is okay.

Avenue Cafe is a great place to snag a meal in a casual setting, the food prices are more than reasonable and the quality exceeds what you would expect. The staff are fun and attentive. I can’t think of anything glaringly wrong to write about. Do yourself a favor and fill up here!

I had an extremely pleasant visit, I am a repeat customer and have found that my experience is just as good as it was the previous times; the staff was friendly, the food was reasonably priced and of great quality and the service was fast and accurate. Would recommend stepping in for a bite!

My friend and I decided to get Dinner here after hearing about their specials. I got the steak and my friend got salmon. My steak was both tender and juicy, excellently cooked as well. It felt like I was in a quality steakhouse. My friend seemingly enjoyed his salmon too, im not a huge fish guy by it looked pretty good. The only thing I'd like to note is that we had some issues finding the location because there was no sign with the name. A literal hidden gem. Would recommend to anyone.

Food was excellent. I ordered NY strip steak. Great choice. my server Emon was super friendly and Knowledgeable .highly recommend this place.

False advertising. Looks nothing like the picture. Didn’t even know where to go and randomly saw a banner with the name on it. Food came out wrong and took a while.

Its a Holiday Inn - you cant expect much. Food is cheap which is a plus.

The service was great. The food was good but not much better than your typical hotel restaurant cuisine. The decor wasn't much to write home about, but there were some interesting and amusing pictures lined around the walls. I was using an app for a discount certificate but they asked me to print it out using one of the hotel's printers. I'm not sure why since it had all the same numbers, but getting them the printed version only took a few minutes.

Arrived to find a 15 minute line of people waiting to be seated. Very disorganized.

Great value!

Much better than expected for a restaurant in a Holiday inn!! Food was delicious ! Very friendly waiter.

I really liked the service the waitress was very nice and friendly. The angus burger was very good and plentiful. The restaurant however, seemed very slow. I think that they need to promote the restaurant and offer daily specials on the menu. This will also help to bring in more business. They need to offer discounts to the Holiday Inn hotel guests. It can help so much, try these ideas!

Amazing queso dip, awesome yucca fries, and delicious taco salad. Beans and cheese burrito was served cold with a little salad on the side. They give you chips with red and green salsas while you wait. Service was ok, she did not give us a refill on soda or offer. Very very noisy restaurant so prepare to talk loudly across the table. Overall food was great and experience was good. Would go again for Mexican food.

I went there with my mom for the Thanksgiving buffet lunch at a very reasonable price (27.5$ per person before taxes/tips). They had a variety of traditional choices, food tasted great, staff was super friendly and provided excellent service. They asked several times during our meal how we liked it and whether we needed anything. We felt taken care for. I liked the restaurant's abmience: they have many historical photos related to the US Presidents, and an exhibit of Presidential Dishes in a hall between the hotel lobby and a restaurant. We will come back! Thank you!

This place is great! We ate there three days in a row. FYI, they do NOT take reservations.

Horrible overpriced food!!! Don't eat here

We had the buffet. The waffles were good as was the omelette. We had the fruit which was fresh. The buffet had a good variety of food.

There was no signage outside building where restaurant entrance was from sidewalk/street, only tiny unmarked door outside hotel(not very accessible). Access is better through main hotel lobby however, as I discovered few days later from night auditor that they do have an accessible restroom to the right of restaurant, even though management/staff only showed me to tiny inaccessible one on other side of hotel lobby pretty far from restaurant. Waiter didn't hear or understand my order for fish after I asked him about it, he thought I only wanted appetizer. They were able to accommodate my gluten food allergies by substituting bread with lettuce. The main dish was overcooked, baked flounder was dry around edges, not as moist buttery as fresh fish should be. I used my Belly points for the free house wine which was not supposed to be billed to me; basic average American fare, little over priced for the quality, but considering the neighborhood Thomas Circle and it's high rent area, it's typical overpriced than Logan Tavern. Beacon Bar Monday nights happy hours specials are better. I had to call the main phone number which goes directly to Concierge desk who also didn't understand what I was asking for, someone to help me out of the tiny restroom. There was language barriers with service staff and concierge desk. I told him I'm not in a hotel room, I'm a restaurant patron stuck in the restroom without wheelchair access/doors, etc. They didn't register my open table points until after I called and left a few messages for the manager. Overall it was quiet, almost empty only 4-5 patrons between bar and restaurant, mostly caters to businesses lunch and conferences. Service staff were all pleasant. A tourist family from Midwest sat next to me and enjoyed late 9-10p, burgers and desert after a busy day sightseeing. They seemed pleased with the area, food, ambiance, and took my recommendations. It seemed odd staff were unaware of the bigger more accessible restroom.

The food was pretty good but the overall experience was nothing special

I had the chance to work with Emon I. he was a great server and very patient. Also Luis Arias the Manager on duty was extremely professional and kind.

Thank you and kudos!

This was my first and last time to eat at this restaurant. Let me begin by stating that there were no more than 5 or six customers. When we arrived, I stated that I had an Open Table reservation. Not one of the wait staff understood what I was talking about. I even spoke to the clerk at the front desk and she was clueless. One woman, who was part of the wait staff, told us that all the tables were open.
The so-called manager, who immediately spoke the Caucasian women, who was my mentee, was clueless about Open Table. The manager told me that she was unfamiliar with Open Table because most of their guests were there for overnight stays. The manager claimed that they rarely booked customers on Open Table.
The we ordered hamburgers, and they were awful. It took the kitchen over :25 to bring the food.
I make a lot of reservations with Open Table, but this is the worst restaurant that I have ever gone to under your recommendations.

This place is my total favorite for Sunday Brunch‼️it is a hidden gem as far as DC restaurants go as to the bang for the buck. I considerate it my happy place to take friends & family. Saturday Brunch would be a good idea too. Management please take this into consideration.

I love the staff here, they are the very best! Extremely attentive, friendly, & willing to make special accommodation when requested. Love love love this restaurant. The chef is great & I can't begin to thank the managers Marshall & Mehret. Special people all‼️💖. And last but not least the waitstaff Carlota & Lee - fantastic.

Anyone looking for a reasonably priced, delightful , unpretentious Sunday Brunch buffet with unlimited mimosas all under $30 should definitely put this place on your list to check out. I'm sharing my secret special place with you, so please put on your happy face, come hungry & enjoy.

I went there for a birthday dinner. We had happy hour at the bar. The beer didn't taste right - really watered down. The bartender even said so. He ended up changing the kegs, but something was still off. In addition, it took him a long time to do anything, even though it was not very busy.

My mom had the crab cake sand which and before she even too a bite she said it smelled fishy. It tasted horribly so she sent it back and got the pulled chicken sandwich, which she says was very good.

The service was great and the food okay. But the restaurant was so quiet. They only had three tables full in the whole place. Maybe they need to offer daily specials and offer dining specials for the guests that stay at the Holiday Inn hotel to get more business.