911 King Street
Alexandria
703.837.9117
www.majesticcafe.com

Majestic Café has been in operation on King Street since 1932. Starting in 2007, it has been operating with the addition of new investors, including Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and a very talented chef, Shannon Overmiller. I decided to give Majestic a try during a busy Friday lunchtime.

As you enter this landmark, everything including the beautiful full bar looks the same, yet updated. The walls are painted with light-colored paint and the giant framed mirrors add depth to this narrow restaurant. In the tray ceiling, cascading dry wall is mixed with old style silver-colored metal panels. Directly in front of you is the open kitchen, slightly elevated and buzzing with the chef ’s energy. You look up one minute and she is Majestic Café has been in operation on King Street since 1932. Starting in 2007, it has been operating with the addition of new investors, including Virginia Governor Mark Warner, and a very talented chef, Shannon Overmiller. I decided to give Majestic a try during a busy Friday lunch time.

As you enter this landmark, everything including the beautiful full bar looks the same, yet updated. The walls are painted with light-colored paint and the giant framed mirrors add depth to this narrow restaurant. In the tray ceiling, cascading dry wall is mixed with old style silver-colored metal panels. Directly in front of you is the open kitchen, slightly elevated and buzzing with the chef ’s energy. You look up one minute and she is behind the counter busily cooking. Next time you see her, she is walking around and carefully watching happy customers devour her creations. I am told by my waitress that with the exception of the butter, which is made by the Amish, everything including breads, chips, pickles (more on them later) and pasta is made in the house. While looking at the menu, I keep busy by nibbling on freshly made country-style bread with Amish butter and drinking homemade ginger soda. For the first course, I order the chicken liver pate, fried green tomatoes and the fried local oysters. More like a mousse, the chicken liver pate is served with toasted country bread and lightly drizzled with dark, tart syrup of reduced balsamic vinegar. The pate is lightly textured and creamy with a satisfying snap when you bite into it. Ten seconds into my first bite, I am amazed by the powerful yet delightful tidal wave of after-kick gusto.

I have always been a fan of fried green tomatoes since the movie of the same name starring Kathy Bates was released in 1991. Majestic’s version of this quintessential southern dish is sure to make you feel like you are back in nouveau Atlanta. It is served over a bed of roasted peppers, julienned eggplants, pine nuts and fresh oregano. The sliced tomato is topped with a thin piece of fresh mozzarella and served with Nicoise olive aioli and homemade French cornichon and pearl onion pickles. You will re-order this dish just to eat the olive aioli and the pickles. Out of the three, I keep the best one to the end: the fried local oysters. Chef Shannon gets these delivered by a local micro farmer from a secret southern Virginia location where the waters are still clean. They are divine. Flash fried and served over a tangy parsley remoulade, the oysters are succulent, soft and feathery. I want to ask for a fresh baguette and make a heavenly po-boy for myself.

For the main course, I try the roasted turkey sandwich and the Majestic steak and cheese sandwich. The turkey sandwich is made with sliced avocados, delicious bacon, spring lettuce and tomatoes. The sandwich bread is buttered and grilled which forms a rich layer of crust on the outside. On the side are homemade fried chips and more pickles. I give high marks to the sandwich and the pickles, but the chips were over-fried for my taste.

Majestic’s version of the steak and cheese is wrapped in parchment paper and served with French fries and two types of dipping sauce: aioli and an enticing rosé. The steak is complimented with wild mushrooms, caramelized onions, a generous heap of provolone cheese, spring lettuce and sliced tomatoes and served on ciabatta bread. Like its Lake Como-style cousin, it has a crisp crust, a somewhat soft, porous texture and is light to the touch. It is the perfect choice for this rustic all American sandwich.

The Majestic Café, in their own words, stands for “Pure and Simple Rustic American” food dished up by a youthful and pleasantly dedicated staff. The café has been a part of our town since 1932 and will likely be here for another seventy-five years.