I love finding little secret spots to chow down at both at home and on the road. To get a little cold weather talk going, here are my favorite restaurants and dishes (right now) around Arlington/Alexandria/Falls Church
1) RT's Restaurant- Mount Vernon Avenue in Del Ray-Alexandria- The best crawfish etouffee I have ever had, including multiple visits to New Orleans.
2) Rus Uz- Fairfax Street, Ballston-Arlington, Try the Plov. Seriously, try the Plov.
3) Astor Mediterranean- North Pershing Street, Arlington VA. - You can't beat the lamb kababob
4) Bahn Mi DC- intersection of Arlington Blvd and Graham, Falls Church VA- $20 for 4 Banh Mi Thit Nuong (Grilled Pork) sandwiches. Baguette, sweet pork, pickled radish and carrots, jalapenos, and a little mayo. The best cheap sandwich you can buy.
5) Red Hook Lobster Truck- various locations. Lobster rolls from a food truck? Yep. Get the Connecticut style.
Runner Ups-
Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich at Dogwood Tavern, Falls Church
Chicken Tenders, Sweetwater Tavern, Falls Church
Maxi Deal, Meat in a Box, Falls Church
Butter Chicken, Haandi's, Falls Church
Comments
A little Pricey but The Charthouse in Old Town Alexandria has a superb Prime Rib (and supposedly some fish too for people who eat that kind of stuff...)
Yogi the Lab's Pie - Lost Dog McLean & Arlington, VA (also pretty much any of their sandwiches and craft beer on tap)
Steak and Cheese Combo - Madison Deli - McLean, VA
Sunday Brunch Buffet- Pan e Vino - Lorton, VA. A bit pricey ($21/p/p) but it's well worth it.
$21 seems reasonable for brunch in NorVa, which makes me sad.
Pupatella in Ballston.
It is the best pizza you'll ever eat. Period. Just get ready to wait in line. Literally any pizza. Although I tend to get a Filetti Doc when I go.
Golden Cow (Pho) in Falls Church/Arlington.
The best Pho in the area, they have the best broth and fantastic prices. Service is spotty as a person who doesn't speak Vietnamese, but it's fast and delicious. Personally I recommend you get the lean brisket raw so you can add it your hot Pho when it arrives on the table and cooks to a much better texture than if you have it arrive in your soup.
Layalina in Ballston
Up west on Wilson from Pupatella's this Lebanse restaurant has great dishes, wonderful Baklava, and a great outdoor patio with Hookah if that's your thing. Loved being able to walk here in the spring for dinner when I lived there. I personally loved the Fatteh there (shwarma style meat over a bed of toasted pita, yogurt and rice sauce). There are a number of Hallal spots close by that have awesome food too. As a bonus if you love cool cars, the late night there in the vet parking lot is great to walk by since lots of the loaded Lebanese and Syrian guys roll up in their money cars with their hot wives.
I second Pupatella. I just didn't mention it because according to some, as a non-cheese eater I have no pizza credibility.
Have you tried Pho75 in Falls Church (also in Reston)? I was brought there years ago by a Vietnamese co-worker and I believe it to be the best in the area.
I do not like the broth from Pho75 , every place has their own broth so personal preference will definitely play a role. Golden Cow is my favorite, but I accept it is not everyone's. I also firmly believe the pricing at GCow to be superior as well for the volumes you can get.
On the asian train I also want to add Bonchon to my list of delicious NOVA establishments. Korean Fried Chicken is just somehow different and amazing from its american counter parts.
I can see the broth playing a role. I haven't been to Golden Cow, but I'll make it out there and give it a fair shake.
You won't get any arguments from me on the Bonchon recommendation; that place is great.
+1 for Pho 75.
Present, Falls Church. Get the dill fish soup.
Mark's Duck House, Falls Church. Wonton soup. The crispy pig (pork belly).
House of Dynasty, Kingstowne. Two-flavor fish.
I pine for Po Siam (used to be across the street from RTs) and their boat noodles (aka floating market noodles, aka "country beef noodles").
Upvote for Mark's Duckhouse. One of the best Chinese/Dim Sum restaurants in the area (in my opinion)
By the way, not the best pho, but the best name: Pho Kim, in Rose Hill.
If your a lover of middle east or lebanese food (as I am 25 percent Lebanese myself), Lebanese Taverna is the best in the area. Locations in Tysons, Pentagon Row, Connecticut Ave, and Arlington Blvd. Shawarma is top notch, kibbeh, hummus is the best you will ever eat. Layalina's is good as well but I am much more fond of Lebanese Taverna.
The Taverna can just depend on which one you end up at, I've had it, it's good, I more consistently got the experience I was looking for at Layalina. Also it was walking distance from my house so accessibility prb played a role in my selection of it.
Pupatella is great but Red Rocks is #1
Bro....Golden Cow! That place is a trainwreck haha...You want to go to Huong Viet in Eden Center. Why you ask? Because that is where Vietnamese people go to eat Vietnamese food the beef vermicelli noodle salad with with crispy spring roll is insane...the Pho is really good too!
Huang Viet. Best spring rolls I've found. And the lemon-honey chicken.
As someone new to Arlington, I would give turkey legs to you all if I could!
If anyone needs Baltimore restaurant info, I'll hook you up
Buttermilk chicken, you say? I'll have to try that, i'm at dogwood almost once every week. Walking distance ftw
It is quite good.
I'm normally there getting wings for 60c wing night. It's getting to the point where the servers recognize me
When I worked in Old Town and didn't have NHL Center Ice, I was at Bugsys so much that I got invited to the employee Christmas party.
BonChon Chicken aka Bombtron among my roommates. It's a franchise but the only location farther south is in Richmond. Get the spicy and enjoy. If you haven't had Korean fried chicken before, prepare to taste chicken that has a paper thin, ultra-crispy crust surrounding super juicy meat. Best enjoyed fresh.
Open Road - 50/50 burger. Half pork half beef, and I think it's 1/2 lb. Served on a toasted brioche bun. I strongly suggest ordering the short rib sliders as an appetizer to complete the meal.
La Sandia - Steak fajitas. Something about them here is better than everywhere else I've had them. Kind of pricey but very tasty. Their fresh guacamole is also delicious.
I do like Bonchon. For some reason though my stomach never feels good the next day.
Every time I go back to DC, I must get a Napoli from the Italian Store, hard roll. The Milano, Capri are real good too. All of their sandwiches are phenomenal.
Yes! The Napoli is perfection. I go "soft, no sweet".
Capri with everything for me. I quote HistoryHokie:
(Edit for clarity: that's me, not HH (@seanhoganVT) but I think I stole it from him)
Thief!
Capri, hard roll, every topping except I exchange the provolone for fresh mozz.
Heaven on a hard roll!
moving a 5 minute walk away from The Italian Store is one of my greatest life decisions.
When I lived in Arlington, I lived in the Cardinal House Condominiums which are right across Spout Run Pkwy. I would go virtually every Saturday.
long time reader, first post ever. getting very hungry reading this thread...
Annandale: Silverado - Steak Fajitas
Arlington: Lyon Hall - Bohemian Sausage Platter
Vienna: Plaka Grill - Chicago Gyro Plaka Style (pending other suggestions in the area)
I absolutely agreed with your username! Love it. Leg
I agree on Plaka Grill, that place is fantasic. Just discovered it when I moved to Vienna a year ago, wish I knew about it before.
Plus 1 on the steak fajitas at Silverado. I know a ton of folks who love Plaka, but it didn't vibe with my taste buds.
SusieQ and I had dinner at The Evening Star in Del Ray last week. The buttermilk fried chicken and Hoppin John was very good.
AND WELCOME. DIVE RIGHT IN. We need more lurkers becoming posters. This is a great community and it is a shame to not take part!
Whaaaat? No love for the infamous chili dogs at the Vienna Inn?
Give me a Skeeters dog any day. They don't put slaw on their hot dogs. It is unacceptable. Cool place though.
Agree - and they have a pretty good jukebox.
Isn't Lyon Hall the place with the awkward bathroom? I've never seen people wash their hands faster.
WELCOME!
Ford's Fish Shack (South Riding and Ashburn):
Fish 'n' Chips, Mac 'n' cheese, trout, fried lobster tail...
I love this place. I really love seafood and i think the pricing is really good for how good it is. I go to the one in Ashburn alot (never been to the one in South Riding), and it is always packed.
Point of order - Sweetwater Tavern is in Merrifield, not Falls Church.
Also I agree about RT's.. total dive, but awesome creole/cajun food. Basically Arlandria's claim to fame, along with the Birchmere and the Wafle Shop.
Well, technically it is in Falls Church (albeit not the City of Falls Church). There's no such town called Merrifield. It is just an area with a post office in the no-man's land between Falls Church, Fairfax and Annandale (and Vienna, sort of); it's only official designation is for statistical puposes.
I should know...I've lived in Merrifield for 25+ years.
The shopkeeper was a different story. We had to beat him to death with his own shoes.
That's my old lady.
I learned it from Keith Richards when I toured with the Stones. This may be the reason why Keith cannot be killed by conventional weapons.
Eh, we could go around in circles arguing about the correct name for an area and what the authoritative source of an area's name is. But I'll keep it simple. If an area is well-known by a unique name, it should be referred to by that name to reduce confusion, regardless of whether it's a town, a county or the name of the guy who had a farm there in 1721.
The Postal Service allows a ton of overlap in place names, to the point where they're not all that useful for identifying specific areas. The territory referred to by various people as "Falls Church" plus the zipcodes allowed by the Postal Service to use "Falls Church" is a pretty big area - too big to be particularly useful when describing where something is. So big in fact, that place names for sub-regions have developed over the years, such as Merrifield, Seven Corners, Bailey's Crossroads, etc to reduce confusion.
If someone says they live in Falls Church, I think Falls Church City, not Seven Corners and definately not Merrifield.
TLDR; if you can look a place up on google maps use that name.
p.s. Annadale isn't a town either
p.p.s. I used to live in Merrifield too.
Sweetwater's address:
3066 Gate House Plz; Falls Church, VA 22042.
We're splitting hairs here, but basically Merrifield is a community in Falls Church, Fairfax County.
If you live in Seven Corners,Bailey's Crossroad, or Merrifield, your postal address will not reflect those informal designations. If you live in Annandale, your postal address will indicate Annandale, VA. I believe the only thing with a Merrifield address is the Post Office.
The reason for that is Merrifield used to be pretty ... industrial. Now that a lot of new development is going in, you might see some businesses begin to use it now that it as a more positive connotation. The postal service will accept both Merrifield and Falls Church (or Fairfax or Vienna depending on which side of Merrifield you are on).
yeah but Merrifield is considered Fairfax County...Falls Church separated from Fairfax County to be its own city in the 1950's because they didn't want to desegregate the school system.
Is Falls Church High School in Falls Church?
No, it's in a Falls Church postal district of Fairfax County. The only high school in Falls Church City is George Mason (which is separate from George Mason University in Fairfax).
Some of my favorites:
Sandwiches:
The Italian Store (Spout Run and Lee Hwy) - Capri or Milano on hard with everything and extra sweets and hots) and Earls Sandwiches (Court House and Ballston) - Earl's Cuban Club
Moroccan:
Fetoosh (literally right next door to Pupatella in Ballston) - get the Chicken Bastilla, it's sooooo good.
Kabobs:
Kabob Palace (Crystal City) is the best kabob I've had in the area by far.
Asian:
Bistro 7107 (Crystal City) is the only Filipino restaurant that I know of in the area, and is fantastic. Best Pho in the area is at my girlfriend's mom's house...other than that, it tends to be inconsistent at each place. Pho 75 (Court House) and Pho Sate (Falls Church) are usually solid. If you go to Pho Sate, head down to Ba Le while you're there and pick up some Pate Coux (pork mixture baked in a puff pastry). Last but not least, Peking Gourmet Inn (Falls Church) serves awesome Peking Duck.
Steaks and Fancy Dinners
Rays the Steaks (Court House) has very good steaks
Green Pig Bistro (Clarendon) has always impressed me with everything I've gotten there - the Pork Shank was good, as was the duck fat poutine.
I added Green Pig Bistro to my mental list of restaurants to try, but I've been informed that I've actually eaten there. It was only brunch, so it can't make my list yet, but it was really good.
Probably a little remote to be considered NoVa, by the Inn at Little Washington is the best dining experience I have ever had. The menu changes daily, but the tasting menu with wine pairing is legendary. Be prepared to lay down a car payment on dinner, though.
I have to agree. I've eaten at lots of nice places but this place is tops. It is expensive but all in all a great value if you appreciate fine dining.
I will edit/update this list as I think of them. I am trying to keep this in Northern VA. If expanded to DC, the list would be too long.
The Wine Kitchen - Leesburg, VA: The menu rotates, but their pork chop was on another level.
Four Sisters - Merrifield/Falls Church: anything in a clay pot
The Majestic - Old Town Alexandria: braised short ribs.
Ray's the Steaks - Arlington, VA: probably the best steak for the money in the area. Had a dry aged hangar steak last time I was there.
Matchbox - Merrifield/Falls Church: I think their dinner is pretty standard fare, but for brunch they have a crab cake benedict wrapped in bacon.
Matchbox is opening a second location in Ashburn over the summer. I have the drawings for it on my desk.
I presume that you mean a second Virginia location. There are already a couple in DC. That said, Matchbox is looking to expand rapidly, and that kind of scares me:
Could Matchbox become the next Cheesecake Factory?
I am mostly scared because I think that the Cheesecake Factory is terrible and I am afraid that the quality of the food will be diluted as it becomes a national brand.
Heard that too.. on the one hand I like Matchbox, so having more locations would be nice... but on the other hand they don't strike me as being so awesome that the inevitable reduction in quality from going national will end up with them being much more than average.
Yes, second location in Virginia
This probably isn't the "best", but it ranks pretty high for me and I haven't seen it mentioned yet. The Buffaloaf sandwich from Screwtop in Clarendon. Its a buffalo meatloaf sandwich with bacon, sundried tomatoes, chipotle aioli, topped with awesome.
In the Chantilly area if you like thai food i'd recommend Thai Basil. It's in a small strip off of 50 and the owner was featured on the food network in a throwdown with bobby flay where she beat him in a pad thai cookoff. They have a "heat scale" per order and if you ask for 4 peppers you are going to feel the heat.
Like someone else mentioned Ford's fish shack is definitely a good spot but it's crowded and harder to get a reservation.
I can second Thai Basil. That place is delicious
Is it poor form to include DC? I have a deep and abiding love of the oysters at the Old Ebbitt Grill.
Definitely not a high-end place, but one place I frequently visit when I'm in NOVA is this place called "& pizza." Weird name, but their Maverick aka meat lovers on steroids is the best pizza I have ever had. I know there is one in the Springfield mall, but I think the rest of them are spread around downtown DC. It's like the pizza version of Chipotle and everything is freshly prepared right in front of you. I'm going up with a few of my buddies next week during spring break for a Wizards game and I'm honestly more excited about the pizza than I am for the game. I just wish they would come a little further south to RVA and then we'd be set.
Oh man. That place is a good value in DC but I'd almost be tempted to call it a flatbread personally. I get annoyed with New Yorkers who are holier than thou on all things but they do pizza pretty damn well up there.
French, since you seem to be in Falls Church frequently, have you tried the Mad Fox? The whole menu is pretty solid, and they have a decent of craft brews. I'm a fan of the pretzel appetizer.
I live in Falls Chuch (over near Jeff District Golf Course.) I have not been to Mad Fox.
I used to live in the area (off of Idylwood), but I find Mad Fox hit or miss. I have had some really overcooked pizza there.
Second this. Went there for my company holiday party and was underwhelmed with my meal (pork chops). My girlfriend also claims to have gotten food poisoning from there before.
Mark's Duck House - Falls Church. Go for the Peking Duck (it's their specialty), and the Dim Sum is really good too.
Fortune - Falls Church. Also amazing Dim Sum
Izakaya Seki - DC (I think Logan Circle?) - Amazing Japanese food, and pretty authentic to boot.
Lost Dog Cafe - Merrifield. The sandwiches are pretty good, and they have an amazing beer selection.
Will add more as I think of it
There's a Lost Dog in Merrifield? I know they are in Arlington and McLean; I didn't realize they had a 3rd location.
Yeah it's relatively new, part of the new shopping centers at Dunn Loring.
Nice. Im glad to hear that they are expanding.
Merrifield? Don't know that one. Original was on Washington St near the E Falls Church Metro; then Tysons/Mclean near MITRE; then the one near Arlington Cinema & Drafthouse; so maybe Merrifield is fourth?
So I guess that makes the new one in Old Town the 5th?
By the way, also in that Glebe Rd / Columbia Pike / Walter Reed area are two good Thai places: Thai Square, and Bangkok 54. Although the grocery of Bangkok 54 might be better than the restaurant.
I grew up in Falls Church lived there for 25 years and moved a couple years ago...it is funny you said Meat in a Box cause we always make fun of that place...also the food at dogwood leaves something to be desired fun place to drink though. If you want a good kabab try Ravi Kabab in Arlington not Meat in a Box in FC hhahha
Also if you want Banh Mi you need to go to the Eden Center DC Banh is trash
edited. Erroneous post.
I also worked at the original Lost Dog for 3 years...I have some hilariously disgusting stories that would keep you from going in those doors ever again...
I'm pretty sure that's true for anyone who's worked in a restaurant before. Haven't gotten sick and their craft beers are tap are fantastic so it's still good with me.
negative comment deleted...sorry this wasnt appropriate
Another winner is Flavors Soul Food on Columbia Pike....they have great fried chicken and fish and soul sides..it is only open for lunch and dinner though closes from 3-5 I Believe
Sorry this is my last post here...but my man French you said you live near jefferson if you go up 29 toward falls church city proper on your left before you get to meat in a box lies Super Chicken which is the best Peruvian chicken in DC. Without a doubt it is better then Pollo rico/Caribbean Grille/Crisp and Juicy. The chicken is just juicier and better cooked at Super Chicken plus they have better sides!
Lastly Tyler Cowen puts out a great list for "Ethnic" Food in DC area
https://tylercowensethnicdiningguide.com/index.php/welcome/
Peruvian chicken is the bomb diggity. Anyone here ever been to King Pollo out in Chantilly?
negative comment deleted
Any Rio Grande location best frajitas steak or chicken.
RIRA Irish pub, Clarendon and Georgetown...best Irish food
I don't live in NOVA anymore, but will throw out four of my favorites. Its been 3 - 4 years since I have been there, so there is a chance these places don't exist or suck now.
Reston:
Reston Kabob - Pretty much anything but the Chicken and Lamb kabob was my favorite
Woodbridge:
Vietnam 75 - Best Pho I could find while living in Nova. Go for the B3, flank steak and brisket.
Dumfries:
Mandarin Court - Singapore Rice Noodles. Perfect amount spice and heat.
Tim's Rivershore - Fresh crabs if they got them especially the medium or large. Otherwise can't go wrong with the spiced shrimp. Bring the GPS if trying to get there by car.
Good call on Reston Kabob. Place is excellent.
Cafesano is good in Reston as well.
Virginia Kitchen is the best diner type place I've been in the area.
Usually a lurker but here you go....
Super Chicken in FCC is the best imo. I agree with ssoarever
"Philly" from the Italian Store for me - can't wait for new one in Westover to open.
Red Apron Butcher in the Mosaic is excellent....mmmm...Porkstrami sandwich....
Pho88 in FCC is my go to Pho....
Dogwood is my usual haunt....usual a decent VT crowd for games too....Was awesome for the World Cup last year.....Better than average bar food.....and yes, everyone knows my name....
Clare and Don's in the summer is a must.
Mad Fox is meh in my opinion. They used to have a brisket sandwich which was surprisingly excellent. Not on menu anymore. Beer is good but the hangovers are much more brutal for me....that's why I will be at the Wood after posting here.
Thanks and carry on....
I haven't had anything at Dogwood besides that buttermilk fried chicken sandwich. But, I dig it.
Stop by - I will buy you a beer. I will be the guy at the bar holding court.....
Any tips on diners? Metro 29 is brutal. I love Fairfax Inn for Filipino breakfast Tapsilog, but I need a place where I can go get waffles, a tough greasy steak, hasbrowns, and a side of biscuits with sawmill gravy and half not taste like hot garbage.
I cant attest to the steak,but Saratoga Pizzeria in the Saratoga Shopping Center in Springfield has the rest of those things and they are all good. Greek family owned diner and breakfast is only on the weekends. It's cheap and good and worth a try.
I posted this above but Waffle King's Virginia Kitchen in Herndon sounds like it would fit the bill for what you're looking for. Family owned and operated and their Thursday special Thanksgiving dinner is always enjoyable for me.
Amphora, in Vienna and Herndon?
La Caraquena, Falls Church. Get the arepas, especially "JP's favorite." It's in the sketchy looking "Stratford Motor Lodge" across from the post office on Broad St. Just be prepared to wait - they are so dedicated to making your fresh, that they don't even crush the peppercorns until after you've ordered. (At least, that used to be the case. Haven't been in a little while.)
It keeps strange hours. Susie and I have looked to try it a couple of times, but it has been closed.
I had a plate full of RT's crawfish touffe last night. It baffles me how many people I know have not visited or heard of RTs. If you like Cajun food, go there.
Also, I am a big fan of Haandi's (west falls church metro vicinity) for Indian food. Their butter chicken is excellent.
Pizzeria Orso in Falls Church is pretty good