[mappress]

I arrived at the Hyatt Regency at about 9PM, on the verge of starvation and made a beeline for the Market Street Bar & Grill.  I was greeted at the door by the manager who seated me near the middle of the restaurant.  The crowd at the restaurant had begun to die down so there were plenty of available seats and this tends to be a recipe for disaster for someone neurotic like myself.  I changed seats about three times in total before finally settling on a seat on the patio so I could enjoy the warm evening.

Cost – $$$

Service – B+
I think the manager was working reception when I arrived and was pretty accommodating finding me a seat (although I could detect some irritation on his part after asking to be re-seated for the third time).  The waiter made a recommendation, lobster and grits in a chive lobster butter sauce, that ended up being the part of my meal but more about that in a second.  My only gripe was that I don’t believe our waiter had a comprehensive understanding of the menu.  I poked a bit, asking him to compare different dishes and he wasn’t really a fountain of culinary information (beyond recommending the lobster and grits) however he was very professional and attentive throughout the evening.

Food – A-
The lobster & grits with chive lobster butter sauce was incredible.  I could have probably ordered that dish three times and been pretty happy.  The ahi tuna sashimi was fresh, well prepared and the presentation was good.  For my main course I had the grilled filet with a Napa cabernet (Hayman & Hill) and was happy with the overall quality.

Décor – B
I get the sense that the restaurant invested a good amount of money in the décor. The furnishings are high quality and well construed. That being said, it is decorated like your standard high-end grill – nothing really stuck out to me about the décor apart from the fact that it was very nice.

Feel – B+
I arrived after the dinner rush so things had quieted down a bit, which was nice because it afforded me the opportunity to concentrate on the dishes. The customers outdoors definitely skewed a bit on the older side with a median age of 50 or so. Many hotel restaurants tend to rely on their residents so the fact that the post-rush crowd was primarily local supports the strong product that the restaurant puts out. The ambiance isn’t going to be the focal point in and of itself but I’d recommend the restaurant as a good destination for a family dinner or a business lunch in the area.

The Market Street Bar & Grill is located at 1800 Presidents Street in Reston, VA. They can be reached at (703) 925-8250.

Photos:

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