Favorite Arlington food?

[foodgeek]

What are your favorite restaurants, cafes, etc in Arlington?

Mine are:

Lebanese Taverna (Westover or Pentagon City). The LT Market si good as well.

Arax (Lebanese cafe) for dessert (pies, middleeastern desserts, homeade icecream)

The Italian Store for Pizza, and Italian groceries. And they carry Toigo's tomato sauce.

I would have included Nam Viet, but the Arlington location closed.

Kabob Bazaar

El Caminante for dirt cheap Mexican food. I love the goat tacos and lorocco pupusas.

Bukhara (indian)

El Pollo Rico for the best rotisserie chicken. Too bad it has a limited choice of sides.

Coffehouses/Cafes: Common Grounds and Arax.

Chinese: Hope Key, and China Garden for dimsum

Tirolo (Italian/austrian), although it is for the time being only open for lunch. never open weekends.

Sangria: La Tasca

Matuba and Matsukate for Sushi

Random European groceries (besides the Italian mkt): The fish store across Wash Blvd from the VA SQ. Giant.

Farmer's Market: Courthouse.

[mnebergall]

Crisp and Juicy

[PoorLawyer]

Italian Store, Lebanese Taverna and Pollo Rico are great choices.

I like Nouveau East way better than Matsutake.

Gaffney's has reasonable and pretty good seafood, especially crab cakes and fried shrimp.

I heard Nam Viet is open again also.

[bbq4meanytime]

Carribean Grill & Crisp n Juicy for roasted chicken

[BigWyoming]

What is this El Caminante?

Could you provide any details as to location and menu? Would you say it's southern Mexican/Central American or more Northern/Central Mexican?

As a Mexico City transplant I'm always on the prowl for good Mexican.

Gracias!

[Mark Sommelier]

Hope Key ! ! The Lobster XO rocks.

[sara]

El Pollo Rico for Peruvian rotisserie chicken

Cafe Dalat for 5 spice chicken and other assorted great Vietnamese food

Mexicali Blues for tamales de elote

Costa Verde for ceviche

Rio Grande Cafe for chips and swirlie margaritas

Hard Times Cafe for chili

[pastramionrye]

common grounds has the absolute worst service for any coffee establishment i have ever been to...and this is coming from a person who refuses to go to Starbucks, and who worked in coffee establishments as a young lad...go to greenberry's instead (right neext to rays the steaks),

i like guajillos for mexican

kanpei for sushi..i havent been to a lot of restaurants since i moved to arlington, as i work in the restaurant business and havent gotten out as much as i would like.

[foodgeek]

Italian Store, Lebanese Taverna and Pollo Rico are great choices.

I like Nouveau East way better than Matsutake.

Gaffney's has reasonable and pretty good seafood, especially crab cakes and fried shrimp.

I heard Nam Viet is open again also.

Nam Viet is open again? I hope so.

I had horrible sushi the one time I tried Nouveau East. Bad enough not to try it again. Could have been an offday I guess. I've tried Matsukate 3 times, and it was always good.

[ecreson]

The Food Factory for Afghani Kebobs. Fairfax Drive in Ballston, in the same shopping strip as the 7-Eleven. The entrance is from the back parking lot, rather than the storefront.

[foodgeek]

What is this El Caminante?

Could you provide any details as to location and menu? Would you say it's southern Mexican/Central American or more Northern/Central Mexican?

As a Mexico City transplant I'm always on the prowl for good Mexican.

Gracias!

Mexican Taqueria El Charrito Caminante

2710-A Washington Blvd (703 351-1177)...about a 1/2 or 3/4 mile from Wilson Blvd, near a 7-11. No tables or chairs, just stools and counters. They used to own a taco truck. $2 tacos, $3 burritos, $1.50 pupusas. The pupusas are made to order in front of you. I recommend the goat tacos, and lorocco (herb and cheese) pupusas. The chorizo tacos are good too.

I don't know regions of Mexico. Sorry.

denada. :)

[foodgeek]

El Pollo Rico for Peruvian rotisserie chicken

Cafe Dalat for 5 spice chicken and other assorted great Vietnamese food

Mexicali Blues for tamales de elote

Costa Verde for ceviche

Rio Grande Cafe for chips and swirlie margaritas

Hard Times Cafe for chili

I actually like the food at Rio Grande, even if it is a chain. Too bad they stopped making goat.

I like the ceviche at Rio Grande.

I'm debating whether to try the ceviche at Tia Maria (Near the Ballston Mall) when I eat there with a group of ethnic foodies next week...but its so divey that I'm afraid to get raw fish there. I tried Tia Maria for the first time last night. The visit was inconclusive. I need to go back, and try fifferent things. Nice hotsauce and fried corn kernal munchies.

What is elote?

[foodgeek]

The Food Factory for Afghani Kebobs. Fairfax Drive in Ballston, in the same shopping strip as the 7-Eleven. The entrance is from the back parking lot, rather than the storefront.

I've had mixed luck with the Kabobs at both of Ballstons (Pakistani) kabob houses.

At food factory I've had better luck with the steamtable indian food...although that new ground chicken and herb kabob is good. And I like the bread. I'm there every so often since I live a couple of blocks from it. :)

I prefer Kabob Bazaar (Persian) in Clarendon for Kabobs.

[PoorLawyer]

I had horrible sushi the one time I tried Nouveau East. Bad enough not to try it again. Could have been an offday I guess. I've tried Matsukate 3 times, and it was always good.

my experience has been completely opposite.

[PoorLawyer]

I agree with Kabob Bazaar over Food Factory

[foodgeek]

I had horrible sushi the one time I tried Nouveau East. Bad enough not to try it again. Could have been an offday I guess. I've tried Matsukate 3 times, and it was always good.

my experience has been completely opposite.

It happens. :)

Case in point:

I'm pretty sure that our bad exp at Ravi Kabob was an offday, but it was a bad enough exp for my dining partner...that we aren't going back. Dry kabobs are icky. :)

[foodgeek]

I agree with Kabob Bazaar over Food Factory

What do you think of Ravi?

[foodgeek]

common grounds has the absolute worst service for any coffee establishment i have ever been to...and this is coming from a person who refuses to go to Starbucks, and who worked in coffee establishments as a young lad...go to greenberry's instead (right neext to rays the steaks),

i like guajillos for mexican

kanpei for sushi..i havent been to a lot of restaurants since i moved to arlington, as i work in the restaurant business and havent gotten out as much as i would like.

At Common Grounds I just go online, get my order, and head upstairs. I don't really interract with the staff their (which is odd for me) but they aren't really my style. That said...I've had no problems with the service. And its a great location for me. I like their teas a lot, but not many their baked goods.

Is greenberry's near a metro? Have an address for it? It has been recommended a couple of times.

If Arax Cafe was metro accessible (it is in Westover), I'd go there more. :)

Where is kanpei? Have you been to Matuba?

[PoorLawyer]

I had horrible sushi the one time I tried Nouveau East. Bad enough not to try it again. Could have been an offday I guess. I've tried Matsukate 3 times, and it was always good.

my experience has been completely opposite.

It happens. :)

Case in point:

I'm pretty sure that our bad exp at Ravi Kabob was an offday, but it was a bad enough exp for my dining partner...that we aren't going back. Dry kabobs are icky. :)

Kind of like an experience I had at Johnny's Half Shell. Everyone told me how great that place was for over a year and I finally went there and had one of the worst meals ever but everyone else still loves it. Will never go back out of principle, but that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't good (although it isn't!)

[pastramionrye]

kanpei is on the right side of Wilson if heading out of Roslyn into Arlington, just prior to the Safeway...i have been to thematuba in bethesda, and i like kanpei a lot...

greenberry's is on wilson too, in a little strip that also has Ray's the Steaks and Guajillo's...just a few blocks up from Kanpei.

My finace and I also love Lebanese Taverna...their markets and cafes are just far better and a bettter value than their flagship in woodley park.

[foodgeek]

kanpei is on the right side of Wilson if heading out of Roslyn into Arlington, just prior to the Safeway...i have been to thematuba in bethesda, and i like kanpei a lot...

greenberry's is on wilson too, in a little strip that also has Ray's the Steaks and Guajillo's...just a few blocks up from Kanpei.

My finace and I also love Lebanese Taverna...their markets and cafes are just far better and a bettter value than their flagship in woodley park.

We tried the cafe in Rockville. It wasn't nearly as good as the Westover location. The market is a bit pricey for a Middle Eastern Market, but it is LT...so I guess it is ok.

[sara]

El Pollo Rico for Peruvian rotisserie chicken

Cafe Dalat for 5 spice chicken and other assorted great Vietnamese food

Mexicali Blues for tamales de elote

Costa Verde for ceviche

Rio Grande Cafe for chips and swirlie margaritas

Hard Times Cafe for chili

I actually like the food at Rio Grande, even if it is a chain. Too bad they stopped making goat.

I like the ceviche at Rio Grande.

I'm debating whether to try the ceviche at Tia Maria (Near the Ballston Mall) when I eat there with a group of ethnic foodies next week...but its so divey that I'm afraid to get raw fish there. I tried Tia Maria for the first time last night. The visit was inconclusive. I need to go back, and try fifferent things. Nice hotsauce and fried corn kernal munchies.

What is elote?

I believe elote is edible flower petals.

[CarrotStick]

I like Kabob Palace on Eads Street, and I really liked Formosa Cafe until they closed/moved/whatever. The Pakistani place on 23rd Street is pretty good, too--I like the haleem.

[foodgeek]

I like Kabob Palace on Eads Street, and I really liked Formosa Cafe until they closed/moved/whatever. The Pakistani place on 23rd Street is pretty good, too--I like the haleem.

What is haleem?

[bbq4meanytime]

El Pollo Rico for Peruvian rotisserie chicken

Cafe Dalat for 5 spice chicken and other assorted great Vietnamese food

Mexicali Blues for tamales de elote

Costa Verde for ceviche

Rio Grande Cafe for chips and swirlie margaritas

Hard Times Cafe for chili

I actually like the food at Rio Grande, even if it is a chain. Too bad they stopped making goat.

I like the ceviche at Rio Grande.

I'm debating whether to try the ceviche at Tia Maria (Near the Ballston Mall) when I eat there with a group of ethnic foodies next week...but its so divey that I'm afraid to get raw fish there. I tried Tia Maria for the first time last night. The visit was inconclusive. I need to go back, and try fifferent things. Nice hotsauce and fried corn kernal munchies.

What is elote?

I believe elote is edible flower petals.

Elote is corn