Together, Simone Rathle and David Guas boast a combined 55 years of hospitality experience between them: she’s an accomplished restaurant publicist and he’s the chef, cookbook author and TV personality behind Arlington’s beloved Bayou Bakery, Coffee Bar & Eatery. Opening a full-service restaurant near their McLean home was a long-held dream for the husband and wife that finally came true in 2024. Rathle played a hand in Neutral Ground’s ebullient coastal design, while Guas’s approachable menu includes eats such as wood oven-roasted oysters, a bone-in pork chop with black-eyed peas and an excellent burger. On Sundays, a raucous jazz brunch with a roving cocktail cart and a live band gives a nod to the couple’s New Orleans roots. At the same time, partnerships with McLean businesses such as The Organic Butcher and Chain Bridge Cellars make the dining experience here a hometown affair. –Adele Chapin
Other top vote-getters:
Aracosia McLean
J. Gilbert’s Wood Fired Steaks & Seafood
McLean Family Restaurant
Sorn Thai Restaurant & Bar