Annie's Paramount Steak House

Literally run, do not walk. If Apple Bee's were transformed into a better, LGBTQIA+, local, neighborhood establishment, this would be it. It is the perfect, mom's home cooking feeling to warm you up on any day.

Annie's is truly an iconic joint in the DuPont Circle neighborhood. This is by no means a fine dining joint, but the menu variety and drink selection is amazing. You truly only need one cocktail, they are so good but be warned. I honestly order pretty much the same thing each time, which is the country fried chicken salad.

The staff is quirky and efficient. They are always kind, and I truly can't recommend this place enough.

So I've been here a few times. I have a good friend who lives in the district and whenever I come to visit, we're always looking for a good place to go to dinner. He has always recommended this place and every time I come, I'm never disappointed. It's got a lot of LGBT history and I'm excited to contribute and share about it. Every time we come, it's always busy! Be prepared to wait on the prime nights. But we always are so glad we waited because we always enjoy ourselves here.

Last time, I got the southern fried chicken and it was very filling and very much what I wanted. My friend had the Southwest Grilled Chicken which was also really good and flavorful with some good spices. They came with sides like coleslaw and a baked potato. Everything was top notch! Look around and you might see someone who is well known around the district in politics or not. Definitely a high-profile place! Looking forward to returning in the future.

Another 5* visit.

This place just doesn't miss. I hadn't tried the Chicken Parmesan yet, so I ordered that. Also ordered the Mac and Cheese Bites for an app. I also tried the Wedge Salad w side of (app) Fried Chicken Strips. It was all so, so good. The Chicken Parmesan and Penne with red sauce was very flavorful. (Fried) Chicken at Annie's is second to none. So, with the Chicken Parmesan, it was a nice twist on my favorite fried chicken option. The sauce was very, very good. Overall, great dish. Huge, so bring yoir appetite. The Mac and Cheese Bites were tasty. Who doesn't like Mac and Cheese!?

Service by "Papa" who has worked here for 55 years. Wow. He was on point tonight. He had some great 5* moves.

Annie's continues as one of my favorite DC restaurants. It is more than just "comfort food" options. Give them a try! Tell me what you think!

Then drinks are strong, the food is good and the wait staff are wonderful! They have a great Happy Hour menu with a variety of small bites (go for the fish bites, and fried shrimp) and discounted cocktails (cosmos, manhattans, martinis). The upstairs bar is a little more tucked away/private and perfect for getting a group together. Love that this place has been around since 1948 and still thriving!

I enjoy going to Annie's for dinner last night. My only issue was the limited choices from healthy dining on the menu. I selected the grilled salmon, but it doesn't include any bed of vegetables or salad. That's all extra. If you just order the salmon, you get a laughably small portion of fish with a barren plate otherwise.

Yum! Love this James Beard-recognized restaurant, which is super queer friendly! The wait staff and hosts are absolutely lovely. The food is great too! I loved the rich sauce on the southwest chicken.

The interior is so cute and colorful!

Stopped into Annies for happy hour the other day with some girlfriends and was pleasantly surprised. The ambiance is great, we sat in the outdoor section and got to people watch on a very sunny day. The happy hour martini deal is amazing- $10 for a martini of your choice, and they were massive. We got some burgers as well that we thoroughly enjoyed. The service was quick and our waiter was lovely. Annie's is a great place for a little get together and we will hopefully be back for more martinis soon!

What a fun restaurant! I enjoyed the ambience and the servers and the other people. It made me think of Cheers, where everybody knows your name. it is clearly a community gathering place and for good reason. The drinks flow freely and it is a very accepting environment. Advertises itself as LGBTQ+. We are not from the DC area but we're staying two blocks away with friends, who highly recommend the place. So far we've been there twice once with friends from the area and two grandchildren. Tonight we went with the two of us , my husband and I. I love this place and will probably will go again before we leave the area. I took off one star for my review. This is only because I'm a crabcake snob, born in Baltimore. The first night I ordered the crabcakes. The second night I ordered crabcake bites and wedge salad. my husband ordered the pot roast and he ate most of my crabcake bites. The pot roast was beautiful, but really needed some salt and pepper. But the place is fun and the food is plentiful. And as I said it advertises as LGBTQ+. I guess tonight my husband and I and our grandchildren were the plus part. But we were totally at home and it was a great experience.

Came here on Sunday when it was perfect patio weather, the famous martini is no joke. Its a great deal for the amount of booze that comes in it, but tasted like straight vodka. We nicknamed them "the goblet of fire". But I am not complaining. Chicken tenders were juicy and dipping sauces were great. The Annies burger was good, very basic, but good. Fries were awesome. Patio vibes were 10/10. The servers were kind and attentive. I live super close, so I am open to coming back sometime!

We picked Annie's Paramount for a pre-graduation dinner with family and friends due its: 1) proximity to our hotel; and 2) its group-pleasing menu of steaks and American comfort food.

It was absolutely bustling on a Friday night at 6:30, with a loud and packed bar and every table occupied (We had made ressies). Atmosphere was friendly and upbeat. The clientele was mostly gay, as expected for this neighborhood. We noted that Annie's was celebrating their 75th anniversary this year - Impressive!

Nice menu here for sure. Everyone found something they were excited about, including me (Crab cakes - I had missed the Maryland style). Since steaks are only a small part of the menu here, it seemed to me Annie's could replace "Steak" in their title with "Comfort Food." But then again - it doesn't really have a good ring to it. ;-)

As for my meal:
-- Maryland Crab Cakes: ($31) I ordered these fried and they were very OK. Nice flavor, but a little too doughy and bready for me. I couldn't find many visible lumps of crab meat either. A 4/10 on the crab cake scale. The mashed potatoes on the side were good but obviously scooped from a bin (complete with scoop marking); and the side broccoli was steamed with no detectable seasoning (3*)

-- Key Lime Pie: ($9.50) Disappointing. A little too sweet and more of a cheesecake than a pie. Not nearly tart enough and too little key lime flavor. Did not finish it. Gets 3/10 on KLPS (key lime pie scale). And yes - everything has a scale. (1.5*)

The rest of our party seemed to enjoy their food more than I; but I did not collect votes or ratings. (If any of them want to write a review I won't stop them). Based on my experience, however, I can't give Annie's anything better than a C-. Considering how popular this "institution" seems to be, I doubt it will make an iota of difference.