1799 Prime Steak & Seafood

“It’s surreal when I think about where my ancestors have been and where we are now.” – Jahmond Quander, Founder, 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood 

With blindfolded wine tastings, inventive tableside cocktails and standout dishes like blackened whiskey shrimp, 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood delivers an experience that’s as memorable as the history it honors, inviting guests to savor Alexandria’s past, present and future in one unforgettable evening. 

Founded by Alexandria native Jahmond “Jay” Quander, the restaurant is deeply rooted in both personal and national history. Jay’s family, the Quanders, is one of the oldest documented African American families in the U.S., tracing their lineage back more than 350 years, with ancestors once enslaved at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, eight miles from Jay’s restaurant today. The name 1799 marks the year George Washington died and those enslaved there were emancipated, a turning point that shapes the restaurant’s identity today. Inside, a custom mural maps the family’s journey from West Africa to modern-day Alexandria, and walnut tables mirror a historic tree at Mount Vernon where enslaved families once gathered for Sunday supper. 

Today, this legacy lives in this Old Town dining room where titles disappear, and everyone is welcome, from longtime locals to first-time visitors.