Georgetown’s red-hot steakhouse scene rose in June with the arrival of high-end American grill, the Oak Room, which comes with a bonus supper club up top, Bernadette’s. The two-story venture comes courtesy of Ten Five Hospitality – the fast-growing group
behind Union Market’s country barDesert 5 Spot.
Housed in the former El Centro space, the Oak Room is led by James Beard Award-winning chef and Thomas Keller protege Tim Hollingsworth. In addition to his D.C. restaurant, Hollingsworth currently runs a New York restaurant called Hundredfold that opened in 2025, and he was a founder of Chain, the pop-up and festival that celebrates fast-food restaurant nostalgia. Before that, he made waves with his Los Angeles restaurants.
This swanky new spot gives Georgetown’s stacked steakhouse market – see: Ox & Olive – some immediate competition.
What to order
- I almost caved for a ubiquitous shrimp cocktail before recalling the name of the must-try seafood starter the owner told me about on the phone weeks prior. The attentive server caught my frisbee and knew I meant the Coupe De La Mer – a great gazpacho-y glass of chilled seafood, tomato, lime, and avocado, served with Ritz-like crackers ($32). This is obviously not suited for a takeout box, whereas most of the menu is.
- The thick-and-juicy slab of koji pepper-rubbed prime rib ($98 for the Queen Cut) comes with a silver saucer of horseradish creme fraiche – just one of many house-made accoutrements Hollingsworth does well. The marbled beauty is not for the faint of heart, so much so that I needed to take a brisk walk afterwards (luckily, the nearby Exorcist stairs were right there).
- Pair any meat on the menu – which includes prime rib-eye cap and côte de boeuf – with a side of pot-roasted vegetables ($14) for a good cross-section of what’s in season.
- The heirloom tomato salad ($22) is screaming summer right now, joined by juicy peaches and sweet corn under a shower of red wine vinaigrette.
- Every high-end grill seems to be doing roasted chicken these days, but not all are created equal. The Oak Room’s take ($48) is excellent, served on a bed of morels, button mushrooms, and sauce vin jaune.
What to drink
The Oak Room scored big with the hire of gregarious sommelier Corbin Goldstein, an Apero alum who knows her way around a wine list. She poured us a bottle of Domaine du Grand Mouton’s Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine, which went nicely with pretty much everything on the menu.
The vibe
I figured this is probably Georgetown’s newest bro-dude spot, and it is, but I was pleasantly surprised to also see plenty of girls-only nights in the wood-framed dining room lined with elegant paintings. And it’s good for big groups; two corner booths played host to birthday parties the same night.
Insider tip
After dinner, head upstairs to Bernadette’s for a Sinatra-esque vibe complete with crimson-colored booths, crooners under chandeliers, a well-executed espresso martini, and a quaint back patio straight out of Paris. Guys, don’t wear shorts; my date got denied.
