Opening: Mastro's Steakhouse

By: Laurie Wallin

Capital Cooking Contributor

Penn Quarter adds Mastro’s Steakhouse to its list of extensive dining options. Mastro’s comes to DC from locations across the US including Arizona (the location of the original), California and New York, and this location opened with a splash, featuring an expansive raw bar, prime steak, hors d'oeuvres, and endless bubbly. Upon entering the restaurant, trays of drinks including sparkling, red and white wine, and cocktails greeted guests.

Mastro's Steakhouse was a family-owned restaurant, founded in Scottsdale, AZ in 1999. In 2007, Mastro's Restaurants acquired the Scottsdale-based restaurant group. Their mission is to create the finest experience for their guests by combining the highest-quality steaks and seafood with exceptional serice in a cosmopolitan and entertaining atmosphere. The newest outpost of the brand certainly speaks to the cosmopolitan atmosphere with its dark tones, wine walls, sophisticated lighting, and lovely artwork. The restaurant features a large dining room and bar area and boasts a second bar downstairs, accompanied by several private dining rooms. 

Featuring king crab legs, fresh oysters, and some of the largest cocktail shrimp I’ve ever seen, Mastro’s raw bar was fresh and tasty. I’m not usually an oyster fan, but paired with a glass of bubbly, these were extremely fresh and the combination delicious. The crab legs were succulent and the jumbo shrimp were sweet and luscious. 

Mastro’s attentive staff wandered around delighting guests with numerous hors d'oeuvres. My personal favorites were a spin on a California roll (this one made with lobster), featuring a slightly spicy sauce that nicely complemented the sweet lobster and a tomato bruschetta made with roasted tomatoes.

 

Of course, the experience would have been incomplete not having tried Mastro’s steak! Featuring an extensive carving station, the steak was tender and juicy, and I loved the whipped horseradish sauce – light with just a touch of horseradish, the flavors paired nicely with a glass of red wine. For those who prefer a more substantial accompaniment to their meat, they also were featuring a peppercorn sauce.

Serving lunch M-F and dinner nightly (the bar opens at 4pm daily), this elegant outpost provides DC diners with a new, delicious option for steak and seafood. For more information or to make reservations, please visit https://www.mastrosrestaurants.com/Locations/DC/101-Washington-DC-Main/Default.aspx