restaurant

Two Arlington BBQ Spots Rank in Top 5 of New WaPo Rankings

By ARLnow.com

Arlington is understood to be well behind D.C. in terms of fine dining restaurants and awards, but when it comes to barbecue it’s a closer contest.

Last week Washington Post food critic Tim Carman boosted the county’s ‘cue cred by naming two Arlington spots in his list of the top BBQ joints in the D.C. area.

The 2019 WaPo Best Barbecue list returns Texas Jack’s in Lyon Park (2761 Washington Blvd) to the top spot, praising it as being “as close to perfection, I dare say, as you’ll get in Washington barbecue circles.” The restaurant opened in 2015 and was recently the backdrop of a reality show filming in the area.

Meanwhile, Arlington now gets to claim Sloppy Mama’s — which opened earlier this year at Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd) and in a standalone restaurant space (5731 Lee Highway) — as its own.

Sloppy Mama’s is No. 5 on the list, down from No. 3 last year, with Carman noting that “in the past few months, I’ve tasted the best that pitmaster Joe Neuman can produce (meltingly tender slices of moist brisket at Ballston), and I’ve observed the flaws in the system (spare ribs that had hardened into meat sticks, presumably from an extended stay in a holding unit at the Lee Highway shop).”

D.C. barbecue joints claimed spots No. 2, 3, 4 and 8 on the list, while Falls Church’s Liberty Barbecue (370 W. Broad Street) ranked as No. 9.

Other Arlington barbecue spots not in the top 10 list include Smoking Kow (2910 N. Sycamore Street), Epic Smokehouse (1330 S. Fern Street) and Rocklands (3471 Washington Blvd).

‘Best of Nextdoor’ Highlights Lee Highway Taco Bell Drama

By ARLnow.com

The popular Best of Nextdoor Twitter account, which highlights “quality neighborhood drama” on the hyperlocal social networking site, has taken aim at the Taco Bell on Lee Highway.

Last night the account posted a screenshot of a post by a High View Park resident who says she was reprimanded by the owner of the recently-renovated Taco Bell at 4923 Lee Highway for taking “15-20 sauce packets” for a take-out meal for her family.

“Suddenly a man sitting and eating yells at me to leave sauces for other customers and that I’ve taken too much,” she writes. “He yells and says he’s the owner and that I have too many sauces. “It tell him it’s not like I’m stealing I just bought a bunch of food!”

“Neighbors beware, don’t take too many sauces or you will be yelled at and berated at Taco Bell,” she concludes.

Comments on the post show split reactions.

“No offense but 20 sauce packets is taking more than your fair share,” said a Leeway Overlee resident.

“What’s the proper fair share, according to the taco sauce police?” retorted a Waycroft-Woodlawn resident.

As of this morning, the Best of Nextdoor post about the Taco Bell had more than 1,800 likes and 100 replies, ranging from “you need all that sauce so you don’t have to actually taste the Taco Bell” to “if you’re going to grab 20 individual hot sauce packets, maybe just bring your own bottle of hot sauce.”

Cheesetique Opens “Bigger, Cheesier” Location in Shirlington

By Kalina Newman

Wine and cheese store and restaurant Cheesetique has opened its new, expanded Shirlington location.

Situated at 4024 Campbell Avenue, just down the block from its now-former space, signs describe the new Cheesetique location as “bigger, better, cheesier.” New features include two bars, ample seating, and a large outdoor patio.

“Our brand-new space embodies fifteen years of knowledge gained by daily interaction with customers, artisans, and small, gourmet purveyors,” said Cheesetique owner Jill Erber, in a press release.

The new location also includes a large private dining and event space, as well as a small private dining room for meetings and family gatherings.

“[Our] retail cheese and wine shop has been upgraded and expanded as well: more wine, a wider selection of dry goods, and of course, more space for cheese and charcuterie,” said Erber.

Cheesetique first opened its Village of Shirlington location in 2011 nearby at 4056 Campbell Avenue — which remained open until Sunday.

The store and restaurant features dishes such as “grown up” grilled cheese sandwiches, along with ample charcuterie and wine served by the glass. It also has locations in Del Ray and Merrifield.

The new Cheesetique takes over the space of the former Luna Grill and Diner, which closed in 2016.

Asiatique in Clarendon Closes for Renovations and Rebranding

By Kalina Newman
1/3

Just a little over a year after opening, Clarendon’s “Cajun Seafood and Sushi Lounge” has closed for renovations and a rebranding.

When complete, Asiatique — located at 3225 Washington Blvd, on the ground floor of the Beacon at Clarendon apartment building — will be renamed “Utahime.” The newly rebranded restaurant will serve Japanese cuisine.

“Yes, we are closed for remodeling the new restaurant to Utahime,” a representative from Asiatique said. “The reason we’re changing is that we only want to do sushi and hibachi.”

The restaurant hopes to reopen by Friday, November 15, “depending on the construction and printing new menus.” The former Asiatique signage has largely been taken down, and work has begun inside the restaurant.

A contractor said they were installing individual grills on the tabletops, so “people can grill all kinds of meats.”

Nearby in Clarendon, Japanese BBQ restaurant Gyu-Kaku features a similar cook-your-own meat dining experience at 1119 N. Hudson Street.

Reintroduction of Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Ties Up Route 7 Traffic

By ARLnow.com
1/7

The much-hyped Popeyes chicken sandwich is back and causing some traffic chaos in at least one corner of Arlington.

The sandwich returned to Popeyes restaurants on Sunday, weeks after the chain sold out nationwide amid a national craze. With the return of the sandwich, however, has come problems — some more serious than others.

Around lunchtime today, the sandwich was causing a traffic jam in front of the Popeyes at 4675 King Street — on Arlington’s western border, not far from Wakefield High School.

One lane was effectively blocked along westbound King Street approaching the Walter Reed/Beauregard Street intersection as drive-thru customers waited over 40 minutes to get their hands on the savory combination of bread, fried chicken and sauce. In the eastbound lanes, drivers trying to turn left into the cathedral of cluck also caused heavy traffic.

Leaving the restaurant, college student Bryce Davis of Ft. Washington, Md. was empty-handed.

“I waited at least 30 minutes and left without a sandwich,” he told ARLnow. “The wait is ridiculous. With social media and everything, there is too much emphasis placed on just a chicken sandwich. I heard it’s pretty good, though.”

For Nick Jirasophakul, an Alexandrian who works at a local car dealership, the sandwich was worth the slog.

“I think it’s worth the wait,” he said, chowing down with coworkers. “The sauce really ties it together. The sauce is good and it’s crispy.”

Similar to the drive-thru wait, Jirasophakul and his coworkers reported waiting about 40 minutes inside.

“This is my second time” getting the sandwich, Jirasophakul said. “It’s better the second time.”

Photos and reporting by staff photographer Jay Westcott

El Fuego Celebrates One Year Anniversary of Arlington Restaurant

By Kalina Newman

(Updated at 11:50 a.m.) After one year in Arlington, Peruvian restaurant El Fuego (2300 N. Pershing Drive) is still going strong.

On the heels of its one-year anniversary in the county, El Fuego owner Manny Alfaro says new things are on the way, including a new drink menu with beer, wine, and Pisco cocktails — as soon as the restaurant obtains its Virginia ABC permit.

“Plus, something big is coming on Food Network for Father’s Day that I can’t say much about,” Aflaro said. “Stay tuned!”

The Lyon Park space is the brick-and-mortar location to El Fuego’s successful D.C. area food truck. Settling down after being mobile for years wasn’t easy, said Alfaro, but it’s been worth the effort.

El Fuego offers traditional Peruvian cuisine with staples such as ceviche, plantains and “lomo saltado,” a beer stir-fry served with white rice and french fries.

But Alfaro, who likes to draw influences from other cultures, opened his business in order to have the freedom to cook outside the box. For example, Alfaro’s “aji de gallina” dish, made from pulled chicken, is wrapped in an egg roll with mozzarella cheese.

“We have the blessing of Peruvian cuisine’s incredible diversity and variety will always allow us to bring something fresh to the table,” he said.

The food truck still roams around D.C. and Arlington, serving area lunch crowds, but having a fixed restaurant location has allowed Alfaro to make new friends and establish new regular customers.

“Neighbors, followers, old friends, all in all Arlington has been the most welcoming,” said Alfaro. “Exactly that, welcoming, and it’s been great.”

Clarendon Sports Bar Offers to Refund All Checks If Nats Go Back-to-Back

By ARLnow.com

The restaurant business has notoriously thin profit margins. Which makes a new promotion from Clarendon sports bar Bracket Room (1210 N. Garfield Street) seem extra risky.

The restaurant, which opened in 2013 and is co-owned by Chris Bukowski of Bachelor fame, says it will refund the checks of every guest for the entire year if the Washington Nationals go back-to-back and win another World Series in 2020.

There’s a catch, however — you have to keep the receipts. From a Facebook post:

We are launching a promotion to celebrate the Washington Nationals winning the #WorldSeries! If the Nats win the 2020 World Series we will refund every check for the entire year! Hold on to your receipts bc if the Nats go #back2back you will receive a full refund on all food, beverages and taxes (excludes tips) from Nov 2, 2019 to when the 2020 champion is crowned!

As unlikely as everything about the offer sounds — but still, go Nats — perhaps an even greater stretch of credulity is the challenge issued by Bracket Room to the entire D.C. area.

“The owners of {Bracket Room}… challenge everyone in the DMV to eat and drink with them 7 days a week over the next year,” the company said in a press release. That might be difficult to achieve: at last check, Bracket Room had a seating capacity of 100 inside and 36 on the outdoor patio.

Congrats to the Washington Nationals! We are launching a promotion to celebrate the Washington Nationals winning the…

Posted by Bracket Room on Saturday, November 2, 2019

Photo (top) via Facebook

Naan Kabob Is Closed for ‘Renovations’

By Airey
1/5

Naan Kabob near Clarendon is closed — at least for now.

The Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi buffet-style restaurant at 3300 Wilson Blvd has posted a sign saying it is “closed for renovations” on its front doors. However, a staff member told ARLnow in an email yesterday (Wednesday) that the restaurant is closed “permanently.”

As of Wednesday afternoon, the tables and chairs were gone from the dining room. Calls to the store’s phone number for more information went to voicemail — which was full.

The restaurant replaced the Pio Pio in 2017 after the Peruvian restaurant closed temporarily several times before shuttering for good. Since then, Naan Kabob has generated mixed reviews on Grubhub and Yelp.

It has been a busy week of kabob-related news in Arlington. Just down the street in Courthouse, the Afghan Kabob House is closing permanently after the owner accused food trucks and delivery apps of cutting into his business. Another kabob restaurant — Courthouse Kabob — is expected to replace it as early as this week.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Congrats to the Nats — Fireworks could be heard in parts of Arlington as the Nationals won the World Series in Game 7 just before midnight. [Twitter, Twitter]

Nats World Series Run Helps Local Startup — “BreakingT’s business is very much staying in the fight. The Arlington T-shirt retailer had already seen a significant boost from the Nationals’ playoff run… Until last week, BreakingT’s biggest revenue day was during the All-Star Game hosted at Nationals Park last July. But each of the three home World Series matchups have now exceeded that.” [Washington Business Journal]

Severe Storms Expected Tonight — “Hazardous Halloween weather is possible in the Washington area and many parts of the Mid-Atlantic, where a line of storms, some of which may be severe, will sweep through during the evening. ‘A potentially dangerous weather event is unfolding for Thursday,’ wrote the National Weather Service serving the Washington region.” [Washington Post, Twitter]

Chick-fil-A Customers Cause Crystal City Cycling Consternation — “Diving deeper geographically from streets to blocks and overlaying vehicle type, a story starts to emerge from the data. We already knew the majority of bike lane blockages were on Crystal Drive, but now we can see that the 2100 block of Crystal Drive is where all the action is, why? Chick-fil-a!” [Greater Greater Washington]

Kudos for Hot Lola’s in Ballston — “Got a hankering for a fried chicken sandwich? Forget Popeyes — go for Hot Lola’s’s version in Arlington, says a new report. Washingtonian says Hot Lola’s hot-chicken sandwich are the best in the D.C. area, tied with Wooboi in Herndon for the No. 1 spot in their list of the top five in our region.” [Washingtonian, Patch]

Paul Rudd’s Pentagon Ice Cream Connection — “While searching for the quickest route to the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City from my apartment, I went down a weird internet black hole and discovered that the Google Maps photo for the Baskin-Robbins at the Pentagon features Paul Rudd dressed as a Baskin-Robbins employee. What’s the deal with that?” [Washingtonian]

Tomorrow: Horticultural Event at Arlington National — “Friday Nov 1: Join ANC’s Horticulturist for a walking tour of the cemetery’s Memorial Arboretum. We’ll look at trees, shrubs and perennials that survived the wet spring and hot, dry summer of 2019.” [Twitter]

Flickr pool photo by Kevin Wolf

Arlington Kabob Owners Taking Over Former Afghan Kabob House in Courthouse

By Kalina Newman

After over a decade in business, a beloved kabob restaurant in Courthouse will be changing hands this week.

Mere hours after Afghan Kabob House shutters its doors for good tomorrow (Thursday), Courthouse Kabob will open in its place the next morning.

The new owners also manage Arlington Kabob on Lee Highway (5046 Lee Highway). Co-owner Susan Clementi said the Courthouse transaction happened quickly and seamlessly.

“We know this is a fast changeover, but we are excited to bring an extension of Afghan kabobs to the Courthouse area,” Clementi said.

Located at 2045 Wilson Blvd, Courthouse Kabob will feature a similar menu of grilled meats and lunch specials. Unlike Afghan Kabob House, however, it will not feature hookah tables and will close earlier in the night, at 11 p.m.

“Our primary focus is to provide quick and healthy lunch and dinner options such as kabobs, assortment of fresh prepared salads, fresh baked to order naan, and authentic Afghan vegetable side dishes,” Clementi said.

Courthouse Kabob’s official hours will be 10 a.m.-11 p.m.

Former Afghan Kabob owner Akbar Mandany recently told ARLnow his decision to close stemmed from food trucks and third-party delivery apps taking away from his business.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

23rd Street Restaurants Worry About Parking — “Owners and operators along Crystal City’s ‘restaurant row’ are demanding changes to Roseland Residential Trust’s proposed multimillion-dollar expansion of the Crystal House complex, saying the project may irreparably harm their businesses… At issue are 95 pay-to-park spaces in a lot at South Eads and 22nd Street South, around the corner from the restaurants on 23rd Street.” [Washington Business Journal]

Juvenile Detention Facility in Question — “The City of Alexandria, City of Falls Church, and Arlington County will host community meetings in November to obtain public input for a study examining the future of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center (Center). The facility, located in Alexandria, is operated by the three jurisdictions through a regional Juvenile Detention Commission.” [Arlington County]

Wardian Was Also a Weekend Winner — “This was the first year of the MCM ultramarathon, a 50K, and MCM tweeted Sunday afternoon that Arlington marathoner and ultramarathoner Michael Wardian won that event. Earlier this year, Wardian ran the entire Capital Beltway. Wardian, whose first-ever marathon was the MCM win 1996, finished with a time of 3:11:52.” [WJLA]

Neighbors Negotiating With Amazon — “A group of neighborhood activists started discussing a unique joint effort, aiming to set a ‘livability agenda’ for the area and better bargain for the benefits they want to see… The partnership has helped community members take their needs directly to Amazon, and the company’s main developer and landlord in the area, JBG Smith.” [Washington Business Journal]

Crash at Shirlington Bus Depot — “Medics on scene of a crash between a van and a Metrobus in Shirlington. At least one minor injury reported. Not clear how the crash happened.” [Twitter]

Photo for Allison Bredbenner

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