Bring your appetite to Alexandria’s Overwood, says Post critic Tom Sietsema in his "Big Doesn't Mean Better" review, adding that “it's easy to imagine a committee of hungry frat brothers coming up with ideas for Overwood." A spin-off of Arlington’s Boulevard Woodgrill, the restaurant cooks most dishes over wood, hence the restaurant’s name and open kitchen, which gives diners a bird’s-eye view of "dancing flames" jumping off the grill.
Big portions dominate here, but Sietsema finds the menu of familiar foods (fried appetizers and salads followed by ribs, meatloaf, and lasagna) lacking, noting that more attention to detail rather than big portions would improve the experience. Despite their predictability, Sietsema calls the appetizers fun and filling. “Skinny” chicken—flattened chicken served on balsamic rice with sun-dried tomatoes covered in a lemon sauce—is “a winner in every sense.”The wine list, “a role model for neighborhood restaurants,” is decent, offering unique choices with most bottles at $30 or less. Its organization, listing light-bodied wines first and moving to heavier ones, includes descriptions meant to inform diners.
Dessert favorites are key lime pie and cheesecake, but Sietsema found the decadent Elvis pie, with its Oreo cookie crust, peanut butter filling, whipped cream, bananas, and caramel and chocolate sauces hard to resist.
Big portions dominate here, but Sietsema finds the menu of familiar foods (fried appetizers and salads followed by ribs, meatloaf, and lasagna) lacking, noting that more attention to detail rather than big portions would improve the experience. Despite their predictability, Sietsema calls the appetizers fun and filling. “Skinny” chicken—flattened chicken served on balsamic rice with sun-dried tomatoes covered in a lemon sauce—is “a winner in every sense.”The wine list, “a role model for neighborhood restaurants,” is decent, offering unique choices with most bottles at $30 or less. Its organization, listing light-bodied wines first and moving to heavier ones, includes descriptions meant to inform diners.
Dessert favorites are key lime pie and cheesecake, but Sietsema found the decadent Elvis pie, with its Oreo cookie crust, peanut butter filling, whipped cream, bananas, and caramel and chocolate sauces hard to resist.
