Recently labeled by Forbes as a “hidden gem” getaway spot for travelers, Tysons has plenty of options for a vacation or staycation — especially for foodies.
Tysons is undergoing major rebranding by the Tysons Partnership and developers, who want to rethink the area as a major metropolitan destination. Along with new events hosted by Tysons Partnership also comes a push from Fairfax County itself to drive traffic to Tysons.
Visit Fairfax wants to increase tourism in Tysons by expanding conference centers around the area and educating people on the dining opportunities, according to the organization’s CEO Barry Biggar.
For people visiting Tysons — or who already live here and want to enjoy a staycation — the restaurant scene seems to be a big attractor.
Last week, Tysons Reporter asked readers what they’d prefer to spend extra money on in the area when it comes to leisurely activities. Of the responses, fine dining beat shopping for the most votes.
Biggar told Tysons Reporter in a recent interview that there are many upcoming restaurants that people might not know about in the area unless they work nearby.
If he took a vacation in the area, he said he would “sample at least two or three culinary opportunities” over the course of a weekend.
For example, Agora (7911 Westpark Drive) opened in July and serves up specialties from Turkey, Greece and Lebanon in a split-level eatery featuring Turkish decor. Entre prices range from roughly $10 to $15, according to the menu on the eatery’s website.
Agora is participating in the extended Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Week, leeting foodies can take advantage of set lunch and dinner specials through Sunday (Jan. 26). For $35, guests can order a four-course dinner, which includes a sampler of htipiti, cacik, hummus, a choice of starter, a main meal and dessert.
Though not a new restaurant, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood and Steaks (7900 Tysons One Place) is participating in the restaurant week specials and offers fresh seafood with a high-class dining experience.
Diners can start with a caviar tasting for $169, which offers a trio of flavors. For the main course, people have the choice of various fishes, meats and a few vegetarian options. Salads, sides and drinks are also available.
For people on a budget who want to skip the $75+ seafood platters, there are other appetizers available, like the Hawaiian Yellowtail Sashimi for $19. The price of the main courses range from $36 to $90.
Gary Block, the chief investment officer of The Meridian Group, said at a Bisnow event in Tysons last week that Eddie V’s “is packed” on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Anyone craving breakfast can check out Founding Farmers (1800 Tysons Blvd), which has multiple locations around the D.C. area — each offering various deals and specials, according to the website.
The $33 breakfast buffet cost includes unlimited fried shrimp and green tomatoes, brisket, bacon, eggs in every style, pancakes, breakfast breads, fried chicken, grits, gravy, potatoes, salads and desserts. If the unlimited buffet isn’t ideal, the restaurant also offers single plates, sides and à la carte options.
The eatery also serves up mimosas, bloody mary drinks and other cocktails for $10.
The food options continue to diversify in Tysons — both in price ranges and cuisine.
From the upcoming openings of a new concept from the owners of the now-closed Tysons Biergarten and restaurants like North Italia in The Boro to the arrival of City Works, three spots from Great American Restaurants and more in 2019, diners have a variety of choices.
Let us know in the comments below where you like to dine around Tysons.
Photo via Founding Farmers Tysons/Facebook
When Solace Brewing opens a new location in Falls Church, people can expect a casual spot to grab beers.
Called Solace Outpost, the new pub will take over the spot previously filled by Max Fox Brewing and include food from BlackFinn and Freebyrd Chicken, according to a press release.
Co-founder Jon Humerick said Solace decided to partner with H2 Collective and Pub Partners, which runs BlackFinn and Freebyrd, because the agreement allows each vendor to play to their strengths and best serve future customers of Solace Outpost.
“We’re the beer guys, we know brewing. We don’t know restaurants,” he told Tysons Reporter.
While Mad Fox Brewing had more of a sit-down, formal atmosphere, according to Humerick, he said he plans for Solace Outpost to be causal. “It’s going to be similar to what we have here in Sterling.”
The location will feature both indoor and outdoor seating and have “rustic-industrial” decorations — including wood accents and a concrete bar, he said.
Solace Outpost will be the company’s second brewing location, and Humerick said the location will produce a “significant volume” of beer.
“The new brewery will feature experimental IPAs and other beers and methods, such as kettle sours and smaller batches but will keep a core quartet of Solace favorites — Sun’s Out Hops Out, Lucy Juicy, Partly Cloudy and Crazy Pils — permanently on tap,” according to a press release.
Going forward, Humerick added that they are still working with Solace’s partners to work out the details and he will have more details within the coming months.
Photo via Solace Brewing/Facebook
The “coming soon” sign has been outside Chi Mc for a few months, but diners may have to wait a little longer for the eatery to open in Vienna.
Tysons Reporter first learned of the Korean eatery’s plans to come to Vienna via a permit to serve wine and beer in June 5.
In November, Tysons Reporter saw “coming soon” and the “Chi Mc Korean Friend Chicken” signs at the spot in Danor Plaza (126 Branch Road SE).
Jon Weiss, the vice president of leasing for Rosenthal Properties, told Tysons Reporter that he believes the eatery has faced some permitting delays — “nothing unusual.”
Chi Mc might open at the end of January, Weiss said.
Chi Mc, which means “chicken and beer” in Korean, currently has locations in Annandale, Alexandria and Chantilly, according to its website.
Paris Baguette is now open for business in The Boro development in Tysons.
The bakery-cafe recently opened at 8344 Broad Street, an employee told Tysons Reporter.
Paris Baguette has more than 80 locations across the U.S.
The location is open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.
Photos via Paris Baguette/Facebook
People will have to wait a few more weeks before they can enjoy a beer at The Casual Pint in the Falls Church area.
Owner Darren McClure previously told Tysons Reporter that The Casual Pint (6410 Arlington Blvd) was going to open yesterday with a grand opening party on Jan. 17, but said today (Jan. 10) that the opening has been delayed until later in January.
McClure said the spot is still awaiting inspections before it can open.
Inside The Casual Pint, employees were working on setting up the draft board, which offers guests more than two dozen drafts, which will occasionally rotate. Many of the options that will be available are locally sourced from breweries around Virginia.
McClure decided to open The Casual Pint on Arlington Blvd three years ago and has been working up to the location’s opening since.
People have already been knocking on the door, hoping the bar would be open, an employee told Tysons Reporter.
Once more people move into the Loren apartment complex next door, McClure said he expects the location to become a popular spot.
Just next door, BurgerIM, Jon Smith Subs and Orangetheory Fitness announced upcoming openings with window covers.
Construction crews were busy working outside, but it was unclear when any of the locations will open.
Several restaurants recently opened in the Falls Plaza Shopping Center in Falls Church and another one plans to open this week.
Jersey Mike’s new location will open on Wednesday (Jan. 8), according to Phil Duncan, a Falls Church City Councilmember, who said that it will be the first new business to open in the City of Falls Church this year. The hours of operation for the new spot have not been announced yet.
The sandwich chain has more than 2,000 stores across the country, according to its website.
Tasty Dumplings (1112 W. Broad Street) in Falls Church officially opened in November.
The eatery offers customers a choice of either fried or steamed dumplings filled with beef, veggies, chicken or pork. Diners can also try the pork soup dumplings, which Linda Lang, Tasty Dumplings’ co-founder, said are extremely popular.
The eatery is open from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Plaka Grill (1216 W. Broad Street) relocated to Falls Plaza in December from a previous spot in the city and will continue to serve Greek and Mediterranean fare, according to its website.
Hours of operation are from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, according to Google.
Updated 1/10/20 — The Casual Pint has delayed its opening to later this month.
Earlier: Hungry for more food options around Tysons? Foodies are in luck — several eateries are set to debut this winter.
In Falls Church, The Casual Pint, a chain watering hole, is scheduled to open this month. The owner of the local franchise told Tysons Reporter that he plans to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, Jan. 17 at 6410 Arlington Blvd.
Jersey Mike’s is opening a new spot at 1108-A West Broad Street in Falls Plaza on Wednesday (Jan. 8), according to the sandwich chain’s website.
Over in Tysons, North Italia, an Italian restaurant chain, plans to open Feb. 5 at 1651 Boro Place. The restaurant would be the latest of several newcomers to The Boro development — Flower Child and Whole Food’s food hall and bar opened last year. For job seekers, there’s an ongoing job fair at the restaurant.
In the Town of Vienna, a new tavern is revamping a building along Maple Avenue. Bear Branch Tavern is set to open this winter with two bars, a patio, indoor and outdoor fire pits, an oyster bar, frozen drink machines and bike racks at 133 E. Maple Avenue.
While not a restaurant, Black Dog Beer Shop is set to start selling craft beers near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro station in February. The owner told Tysons Reporter in December that the new store plans to debut at 2672M Avenir Place in early February.
Photo via The Casual Pint/Facebook
Diners looking to eat Greek cuisine at the newly opened Archontiko in McLean will need to wait a month.
The restaurant is temporarily closed, according to a sign in the window.
“Due to remodeling and [the] hire of [a] new executive chef we will be closed until January the 29th,” the sign says. “We are sorry for any inconvenience and hope to see you all again soon with exclusive tasty Greek dishes and our vast variety of wines.”
After a year of delays, the restaurant opened in the former spot of Mediterranean restaurant Evo Bistro (1313 Old Chain Bridge Road) in the fall.
While Tysons Reporter isn’t sure when the sign first appeared, a tipster emailed us about the sign yesterday.
The Casual Pint, a chain watering hole, will finally open its doors in Falls Church (6410 Arlington Blvd) just after the new year.
The location’s opening date is set for Thursday (Jan. 9) with a grand opening party and ribbon cutting on Friday (Jan. 17), according to the bar’s owner Darren McClure.
The original opening date was pushed back from December because of a delay in county inspections, according to the company’s Facebook page.
“We decided to wait until after the holidays,” McClure said. “We are excited to get going.”
McClure said he plans to invite Falls Church City Council Members to the ribbon-cutting on Jan. 17.
Free growlers await the first 50 attendees that day and there will be a variety of other prizes up for grabs, he said.
Hours of operation listed on Facebook are Sunday through Friday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m. On Sundays, from 11 .m. until 12 a.m.
There will be around 34 craft beers on tap, according to McClure, adding that he is in the process of forming agreements with local brewers.
“We want to represent the whole area,” he said.
The location will accommodate around 60 people at one time, McClure said. Both indoor and covered outdoor seating will be available.
Photo via The Casual Pint/Facebook
A fish-focused taco spot and Italian restaurant now plan to open in The Boro early next year.
Earlier this fall, a construction contractor working on-site told Tysons Reporter that North Italia was expected this December, but a recent press release says that the restaurant plans to open Feb. 5 at 1651 Boro Place.
The restaurant is slated to host job fair sessions from Jan. 6-18 from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., the press release said.
More from the press release:
North Italia’s menu is centered around made-from-scratch Italian favorites for lunch, dinner, weekday happy hour and weekend brunch, along with rotating daily specials.
Made with the freshest ingredients, menu highlights include: White Truffle Garlic Bread with house made ricotta, mozzarella, grana Padano and fresh herbs; Tuscan Kale Salad with crispy pancetta, charred grape, apple, pistachio, breadcrumbs and parmesan vinaigrette; house-specialty Bolognese served atop a bed of fresh tagliatelle noodles sprinkled with grana Padano; a selection of Italian desserts such as the signature Bombolini; and a kids menu offering a variety of child-friendly options.
Back in November, a sign said Fish Taco planned to open in December too.
An employee at Fish Taco said that the Maryland-based eatery has pushed its anticipated opening to early January.
