Dulles Corridor Restaurants

[Chantilly Bob]

SBC cafe.  One of the best sandwiches in DC.

In the same plaza is possibly my favorite indian resturant in the DC region, Minerva.  I think that location is a bit better than the fairfax location so I make the drive out.

Yum.  Go for lunch.  I had this deep flied cauliflower dish that was covered in a spicy sauce last week (on the lunch buffet).  It was amazing.

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Have you compared that Minerva to the newest one at 50 and 28 in the Chantilly Park Plaza, where you can also find Thai Basil, Picante! The Real Taco, and Rawal Kabob?

[Anonymouze]

Where is SBC is it in Reston as well? We went to and LOVED Minerva...MmmmMM delicious! I will avoid Chutney's on your comments here.

That clock tower plaza is amazing - Wow lots of variety of places to pick also there's places closer to my home, in Great Falls, Reston, Sterling all very close by... we went to this BBQ joint in Sterling the name I think is Famous Dave's?! It was pretty good we liked it though it was nothing real special.

Now that we're settled in we've also discovered Saffron which has tasty gyro's, kebabs and more in the Seneca Hill Plaza off of Rte 7 in Great Falls... try it sometime! Anyone that knows of other great picks nearby please let us know!

[hshiau]

Hi all,

My wife and I are flying out to Paris in January and have a 5 hour layover at Dulles. Any recommendations on where to go for lunch? Nothing too highbrow but something nice. Thanks!

Howard

[takomabaker]

Gosh, Dulles is so far out in the middle of Virginia that the fact they call it a DC airport amazes me (think Newark in relation to NY). And with all of the security craziness and the really heavy traffic out there, I'd be afraid to leave and come back with just a 5-hour layover. But someone else may have a different viewpoint and advice.

Hi all,

My wife and  I are flying out to Paris in January and have a 5 hour layover at Dulles.  Any recommendations on where to go for lunch?  Nothing too highbrow but something nice.  Thanks!

Howard

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[Busboy]

Hi all,

My wife and  I are flying out to Paris in January and have a 5 hour layover at Dulles.  Any recommendations on where to go for lunch?  Nothing too highbrow but something nice.  Thanks!

Howard

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Hah. Every time I gofrom DC to Europe I get stuck with a layover at JFK. I'll ask you next time.

Anyway, this thread has plenty of suggestions. Despite Takomabaker's fears, I know for a fact that you can do downtown-to-Dulles in 30 minutes if the traffic gods are with you. But I'd stick to the NoVa area -- the gods are fickle.

Are you travelling on a weekend? How much cab fare are you willing to spend?

[hshiau]

We arrive at Dulles around 11:30am on a Friday. Not sure about the transportation yet. We might hit up a friend that lives in the area.

[jparrott]

Go to Old Dominion's brewpub. Decent beer, decent bar food, 10 minutes away, wireless if you ask for the code. And chances are one of the regulars will offer to drive you back .

[MiFi]

I live in DC and fly out of IAD all the time. Frankly its insane to even think of leaving the airport - or the security area where you'll catch your Paris flight. Figure by the time you get off the plane, find where your next connection is, that probably 1-2 hours. Traffic is horrible and its too much of a gamble. If you're luck enough to arrive or depart from concourse C, head over to Vino Volo - a decent little wine bar with nice snacks/tapas and friendly service (http://www.vinovolo.com/), and look forward to being in Paris (although CDG is an even worse airport than IAD if you can believe that).

[chuchelo]

Go to Old Dominion's brewpub.  Decent beer, decent bar food, 10 minutes away, wireless if you ask for the code.  And chances are one of the regulars will offer to drive you back .

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Thanks for the tip! I used it to meet a friend who was passing through DC with a 6 hour layover. It's rather difficult to find (no signs!) and once we arrived it was a perfect fit. Thanks again!!

[John Talbott]

I'd like to revive this thread and ask again about good food in or near Chantilly (I'll have a car so I certainly can travel, but I don't want to go into DC) that's not reported here. It's also a year later.

Thanks

[Anonymouze]

I'd like to revive this thread and ask again about good food in or near Chantilly (I'll have a car so I certainly can travel, but I don't want to go into DC) that's not reported here.  It's also a year later.

Thanks

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Okay, I can't suggest as far out as chantilly but you may want to try : Malibu Steak House in Fairfax it is a Churrascaria (You can see my posting on Donrockwell.com about it) so I don't have to reiterate it here. Also more out this way you may want to try Fiore Di Luna in Great Falls or Tavern on the Lake by Lake Anne in Reston VA also Reston Town Square has some real nice choices as well. If you want to venture farther out I can recommend some places in Tyson's corner/Falls Church area or further north in Leesburg I like Red Hot & Blue which is a BBQ joint with tasty grub! In Sterling I like Sweetwater Tavern fantastic service, good beer if you like beer, I don't! LOL and superb bread to die for... haven't had desserts but I hear that they are delicious as well! Goodluck. PM/EM me if you want more ideas or suggestions in Southern Loudoun Co or Northern Fairfax Co in Virginia though I've only been here <1 YR.

[Slamdunkpro]

There is a Red Hot & Blue in Fairfax - Much closer than Leesburg. For Sushi check out Hama Sushi in Reston. Good cheap Tex/Mex is available at Anita's in Chantilly. I can give you more if you like.

[John Talbott]

I wound up eating at Pho 98 in Chantilly; not bad but nothing like Viet Nam itself or Dan Bau in Paris. If one is stuck at the Westfields Marriott as I was, though, not a bad spot.

[pork]

I've eaten at Malibu Steak House in Fairfax a bunch of times. I would call the food spotty. I've definitely gotten kebab there that I spit out because it tasted rotten. Some days the red meats are pretty good though. The bacon-wrapped turkey is usually too salty, but I like it anyway. I go there on hangover days and mainly eat the turkey and lots of green salad. I like all-you-can-eat salad.

There's a new Texas de Brasil in the mall at fair oaks but I am usually too lazy to go that far for lunch.

Also the brand new Market fresh at Fair lakes has great fresh fish, among other things, at eat-in counters.

[kellytree]

I have heard that the new restaurant Hooked - in Dulles Town Center - Sterling is suppose to be really good.

[John Talbott]

At Washington-Dulles IAD itself

Vino Volo, @ Dulles itself, Terminal C, 703-661-1999, open daily 11am - 10pm (no reservations but they’ll accommodate you quickly). For complicated reasons we had to get to Dulles at about dinner time although our plane left at 10 PM. A couple of weeks ago we’d scoped this place out and asked if at 8 PM they’d have seats – “sure!” The welcome and service were exemplary, especially in a place that cannot see many regular customers. The setting is minimalist and stark but they have yet to figure out how to configure it to accommodate folks more quickly - too many tables are occupied by one person (at a two-some) or two (at the four-some). The food was quite tasty but huge portions for those used to European-sized dishes; we had lentils, salads and a pork mole taco; the duck confit is available only in the Baltimore location which disappointed me. Also a bit silly is their corkage fee of $12 per bottle, which added to their cheapest offering ($18) really is too much for a fast-food, tapas/wine bar-type place but truth be known, the wines are intelligently chosen (but annoyingly described in winetalk) and of a broad variety. The bill with one bottle of wine and no coffee = $65.65.

Go again? Probably if stuck under similar circumstances.

[John Talbott]

This weekend's FT had a very nice article on Vino Volo.

[Mark Sommelier]

At Washington-Dulles IAD itself

Vino Volo, @ Dulles itself, Terminal C, 703-661-1999, open daily 11am - 10pm (no reservations but they’ll accommodate you quickly).  For complicated reasons we had to get to Dulles at about dinner time although our plane left at 10 PM.  A couple of weeks ago we’d scoped this place out and asked if at 8 PM they’d have seats – “sure!”  The welcome and service were exemplary, especially in a place that cannot see many regular customers.  The setting is minimalist and stark but they have yet to figure out how to configure it to accommodate folks more quickly - too many tables are occupied by one person (at a two-some) or two (at the four-some).  The food was quite tasty but huge portions for those used to European-sized dishes; we had lentils, salads and a pork mole taco; the duck confit is available only in the Baltimore location which disappointed me.  Also a bit silly is their corkage fee of  $12 per bottle, which added to their cheapest offering ($18) really is too much for a fast-food, tapas/wine bar-type place but truth be known, the wines are intelligently chosen (but annoyingly described in winetalk) and of a broad variety.  The bill with one bottle of wine and no coffee = $65.65.

Go again?  Probably if stuck under similar circumstances.

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If you aren't flying business class, where the booze and snacks are FREE, this place is a good alternative.

[John Talbott]

At Washington-Dulles IAD itself

Vino Volo,

Go again?  Probably if stuck under similar circumstances.

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Despite my not finding this fare up to Rob Kasper’s level of praise, I returned to Vino Volo at Dulles a few days ago when abandoned by United and found the olives, plate of fennel salami, Virginia ham and prosciutto with mozzarella in a base of peppery olive oil, braised shredded pork soft tacos with cabbage and an indiscernible mole sauce with some Sicilian wine ($12 corkage) to be a fine way to wile away 3 hours after the cancelled flight.

[pork]

I have heard that the new restaurant Hooked - in Dulles Town Center - Sterling is suppose to be really good.

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It is very good. It's not exactly in DTC though, it's off Algonkian Pkwy over in the shopping center that Bloom is in, Great Falls Plaza, I think it's called.

The prices are fairly high, but the seafood is of excellent quality. The chef is/was a protoge of Michel Ricard at some point. The original concept was top quality seafood to go for the rich folks in Lowe's Island...but I don't think that worked out. They've since remodeled to put in more tables. I've only been twice, but the food was really good both times. Also the sushi bar has real wasabi.

[pork]

If you aren't flying business class, where the booze and snacks are FREE, this place is a good alternative.

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Anymore, if you aren't bringing your own booze and snacks you are not doing it right.

There are ways in which one might do well to emulate Hannibal Lecter