Restaurants come and go in our area all the time, and we are here to help you keep track. Recently opened eateries are serving breakfast sandwiches, Lebanese favorites and a shareable rum-based cocktail. Find your new favorites here.
Last updated Oct. 8.
September Openings
Sunday Morning BakehouseÂ
This woman-owned bakery opened its second DMV location on Sept. 21. (The first is at North Bethesda’s Pike & Rose.) Serving all-day breakfast and lunch items such as breakfast sandwiches and a BLT on fresh, made-in-house breads the restaurant also has seasonal goods and special-occasion cakes. In addition to pouring coffee and tea, it has cocktails and mocktails on weekends, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. 1796 Chain Bridge Road, McLean
Naja Mediterranean
Replacing Kirby Club at Mosaic District, this spot that opened Sept. 20 says it is a “Mediterranean love letter from Beirut to D.C.” The menu features pan-seared halloumi, spreads such as hummus and tzatziki, meat and veggie kabobs, and entrees like branzino with cous cous. The new owner, Tariq Alaeddin, was a longtime Kirby Club team member, so some menu items will look the same, such as its signature havuc dip. 2911 District Ave., Fairfax (Mosaic District)
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BOE
Short for “bodacious experience,” this new bar brings a taste of Nashville to Clarendon, complete with a mechanical bull. On the menu are country-style dishes such as the BOE Biscuit with hot honey butter fried chicken and signature cocktails like the aptly named Bucking Bronco, a twist on a whiskey sour; a hard lemonade. For a change of scenery, skip up to BOE’s Tiki Bar, a rooftop space with a tropical-meets-country vibe. There, guests can share the Pink Flamingo Bucket, a combo of Malibu Coconut Rum, pineapple, mango, cranberry juice, passionfruit, fresh lime, and lemon-lime soda, served over crushed ice in a fresh pineapple. The bar had its soft opening Sept. 19 and will celebrate its grand opening Sept. 25. 2854 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)
Knockout T@KOs
Celeb chef Spike Mendelsohn launched this new online-only plant-based taqueria Sept. 16. Available only through UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub and the T@KO app, the food includes tacos, taquitos, burritos and bowls. There’s the Chimi Supreme Taco with Beyond Steak tips, Tropicauli Pastor (crispy cauliflower in sweet-smoky al pastor, topped with mango salsa and pickled red onion) and Jalapeño Taquito, which is stuffed with cheddar, mozzarella and jalapeños. Prefer to pick up your order? Get it locally from Tysons Corner Whole Foods (1635 Boro Place, McLean).
GrillMarX Steakhouse and Raw Bar
A family-owned restaurant with three locations in Maryland opened Sept. 8 in Falls Church. The raw bar menu features Oysters Annapolis (four baked oysters with crab and panko crust), chilled snow crab clusters and shrimp cocktail. Meat lovers will be glad to know they can get ribeyes, prime rib and filet mignon. For something more casual, there are burgers, crab cake sandwiches and eight salads with nine house-made dressings. If you need a drink to accompany your meal, the cocktail menu has plenty of options, such as the Haven & Hell (coconut rum, pineapple juice, lime juice, habeñero simple syrup and a jalapeño garnish) and the Sea Cucumber Martini (gin, muddled cucumber and lime, sour mix, and a fresh cucumber slice). 510 S. Washington St., Falls Church
Toastique
Whole foods are the focus of this nationwide chain, which opened a spot in National Landing on Sept. 6. The fast-casual spot serves gourmet toast topped with avocado, spicy crab or honey-roasted peanut butter, fruit, and granola. Or try a smoothie bowl. The Dragonberry Bowl is packed with a blend of pitaya, mango, agave, strawberry and coconut water topped with fresh strawberries, kiwi, coconut, goji berries, granola and honey. The drink menu includes coffees and Iced Collagen Lattes made with collagen, beets, matcha, turmeric and blueberry lavender. 244 19th Court S., Arlington (National Landing)
El Mercat Bar de Tapas
Step into a Spanish culinary journey at this new Westpost eatery that opened Sept. 5. It’s the second location for executive chef George Rodrigues, who opened the first in 2023 in Rockville, Maryland. It’s easy to try lots of dishes because tapas are designed to be snack-sized. Get veggie-based ones such as mushroom croquettes or fried shishito peppers, meaty ones such as St. Louis pork ribs in a cider glaze, and seafood-centric choices such as mussels and chorizo in white white. The restaurant also serves five kinds of paella, a Spanish staple. To wash it all down, there is, of course, sangria, plus a Hibiscus Margarita and the Pineapple Smoke (smoked mezcal, tequila, agave, jalapeños and pineapple juice). Stop in on the weekend for brunch. 1301 S. Joyce St., Arlington (Westpost)
Lapu Lapu
Initially aiming for a spring opening, this Filipino eatery from chef Javier Fernandez finally opened its doors Sept. 1. It specializes in breakfast sandwiches made with pan de sal buns from Gwenie’s Pastries, a bakery owned by Fernandez’s sister and mother, which is also opening a storefront in the neighborhood. The buns come stuffed with corned beef, sweet pork chorizo, turkey bacon and more. 550 14th St., Arlington (National Landing)
August Openings
Chip City Cookies
The cookie craze continues with the Aug. 29 opening of this national brand’s Tysons Corner Center location. Chip City Cookies bakes more than 100 flavors that it rotates through throughout the year. It’s famous for its Cannoli Cookie, but other favorites include Peanut Butter & Jelly, Oatmeal Apple Pie, Blueberry Cheesecake, S’Mores, and Lemon Berry. 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons
Locket
Situated inside the new 36-story Hilton Arlington Rosslyn The Key, this all-day restaurant serves a buffet breakfast, salads and sandwiches at lunch, and raw bar selections at dinner. Also open for brunch, guests can get Nutella French Toast or the Key Bridge Breakfast, which comes with French toast, two eggs, applewood bacon, home fries and fresh fruit. The hotel and restaurant both opened Aug. 27. 1900 Fort Myer Drive, Arlington (Rosslyn)
Level99
The newest entertainment destination opened at Tysons Corner Center on Aug. 25 with high-tech games and dining by Victory Brewing. Work your brain and body in more than 50 interactive challenge rooms and then refuel with wagyu burgers, Detroit-style pizza, a falafel or bar bites like Cantina Nachos, with cheddar, chile de arbol, roasted tomato salsa verde and jalapeño. Also find a long menu of cocktails, such as the Chartreuse or Dare, made with house-made pineapple rum, herbal liqueuer, amaretto, passionfruit, lime and torched rosemary. 1961 Chain Bridge Road, Tysons
Luna Hall
Another food hall opened in Northern Virginia on Aug. 18, this time in Tysons. It joins a few others by the same name in D.C. and Maryland, but is the largest of the group. Its anchors are the popular French Korean bakery Tours les Jours, District Dumpling, Takumi Japanese Bistro & Bar, and Pelicana Korean Fried Chicken. The first two are open now. Takumi is in soft opening operations (the sushi isn’t available yet), and the latter will open by year’s end. Expect bubble tea and dessert spots to join the mix, too. 8201 Greensboro Drive, McLean
Nettie’s Tavern
A laidback bar has returned to the former home of Whitlow’s on Wilson. Restaurateur Reese Gardner, who’s behind Brass Rabbit Pub and Quinn’s on the Corner, opened this gastropub Aug. 8. It pays homage to his friend Nettie, an Italian immigrant who called West Virginia home. To that end, it serves Italian-meets-Appalachia dishes, such as pepperoni rolls and tiramisu French toast. Nettie’s Tea, made with moonshine, crushed lemon and mint syrup, is a signature cocktail. 2854 Wilson Blvd., Arlington (Clarendon)