User Reviews for Fairfax Restaurants

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Artie's Restaurant
Mar 26, 2009 by Trish from Baton Rouge

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Service, food and atmosphere.

“Fantastic food and service! My husband got the crab cakes and said they were the best crab cakes he had ever had. He also raved about the coleslaw that came with the crab cakes. I loved the hickory cheeseburger. Do not pass up the banana pudding and flour less chocolate waffle with homemade ice cream! Everyone had a smile on their face and were very friendly. The Managing partner, came by to check on us and was extremely nice. Our server, was absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend Artie's. I know we will eat there again during this stay!”

Patriots Cafe
Feb 24, 2009 by sjw

Overall Rating: 5
Food:[5] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[1]

• Didn't get a chance to eat, but I'm told the food is good.
• Due to the stale cigarette smoke stench, I couldn't eat there.

“The problem is, they have a smoking section. If the owner wants that, it is fine with me. But as I have said for years. Having a smoking section in a restaurant, is like having a urinating section in a swimming pool. Everyone is contaminated. It's no different from Hooter's next door. The place is filled with cigarette stench.”

Bagel Buddies
Jan 6, 2009 by Laura from Manassas

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[10] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[8]

• The bacon and chive cream cheese is phenomenal!
• They're only open until 5 pm weeknights and 6 pm weekends.

“They have a terrific selection of bagel and cream cheese flavors, some that I've never seen anywhere else (Peanut Butter?). My husband swears by the plain bagels with the bacon and chive cream cheese. Delicious!”

Artie's Restaurant
Sep 21, 2008 by Paul

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Food is good, service is excellent, atmosphere is cozy.
• A bit noisy.

“Artie's in Fairfax has a good menu with a diverse offering both for adults and for kids. The crab cakes are excellent, but many of the cheaper entrees are very close, so you don't have to spend a ton of money to get a good meal. I had the Sauteed Chicken Paillard and my wife had the Portobello's with Goat Cheese, and both dishes tasted great. The wine list is decent and they also feature good, fresh micro brewed beer. Some of the other Great American Restaurants can fall a little flat with service, but our experience at Artie's was top-notch. All the wait staff were friendly and our server was very attentive to detail. My daughter is very picky about how her steak is prepared, and our server made a special trip to make sure that it was cooked exactly how she wanted it (and it was). When he found out we were interested in dessert, he mentioned they were about to run out of the bread pudding and asked if we would like him to reserve one. We ended up getting the last one, and it was a great way to end the meal. There are other restaurants with better food than Artie's, but my whole family came away having had a great dining experience.”

McDonald's
Jul 12, 2008 by Cheryll from Clifton

Overall Rating: 7

• Very clean and coffee was good.
• All the staff spoke Spanish but had trouble with English, several customers were frustrated.

“The establishment is very clean but communicating with the help behind the counter was nearly impossible unless you spoke Spanish. It was like talking to somebody with a mouthful of marbles but I did manage to receive my coffee and yogurt after several attempts. Guess if you live in Northern Virginia you need to learn Spanish if you frequent fast food establishments.”

0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Malibu Grill
Jun 16, 2008 by Lorraine from Herndon, VA 20171

Overall Rating: 3

• Service is good.
• Meats overcook, not too many selections. Salad Bar is so. Prices isn't cheap.

“Meats were overcook and not a lot of selections. Salad bar was so. Prices were not cheap (compared to Texas De Brazil in Fair Oaks). Would prefer pay more and go to other restaurants for better quality foods. Customer Service was good.”

Bagel Buddies
Mar 7, 2008 by Ed from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[9]

• The bagels.
• Long lines occasionally.

“Love their bagels. I grew up on Long Island, and these are as close to home as it comes down here.”

Bridges
Feb 23, 2008 by Robert from Herndon

Overall Rating: 3
Food:[5] • Service:[6] • Atmosphere:[6]

• Not as crowded as Auld Shebeen on a Thursday night.
• Way to expensive.

“Atmosphere was really nice on a Thursday night. There was a lot more room than at Auld Shebeen's up the street. The problem was that the it was way to expensive to play pool. You're better off going to Hard Times if you want to play pool.”

0 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Blue Ocean Japanese Restaurant
Feb 15, 2008 by Dennis from Burke, VA

Overall Rating: 7
Food:[2] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Pleasant restaurant.
• Bland food.

“A word of caution: while I didn't like this restaurant, it is pleasant, and the clientele, judging from appearances, seem to appreciate this restaurant quite a bit. This is a review after one visit to Blue Ocean, recommended by someone who said it was the best and most authentic sushi bar this side of Kyoto. It is a family-friendly restaurant. It's not at all romantic, not that either of these criteria were why we went. Also, the restaurant is not for the business traveler, unless for some strange reason they are stranded midway between DC and the high tech corridor near Dulles. But we went there because of the food. We ordered the soft shell crab tempura appetizer (spelled tempura on the menu). I expected something warmer than the rather tepid dish that arrived. We also ordered the vegetable tempura appetizer and large dry sake. The sake was pleasant-perhaps a bit too lukewarm when it first came to the table. It took a while for most of the courses to arrive. For the main courses we ordered udon noodles with a side of vegetable tempura (luckily we ordered the side tempura, because our vegetable tempura appetizer never came). We were charged for it, but the waitress politely and apologetically removed it from the bill. Midway through our meal, by the way, another waitress cleared our plates and asked us if we wanted anything else. We told her we hadn't received our other entree. We had also ordered the deluxe combination sushi dinner. The entrees came with a small salad of iceberg lettuce with, I guess, some kind of sesame ginger vinaigrette. It was forgettable. The miso soup was very nice. The broth was tasty, and the seaweed (I'm not sure what kind) gave a nice vegetable freshness to the soup. The sushi was extremely disappointing. The dish looked fabulous. Its presentation quite nice. The sushi were served on a long rectangular plate that had at one end six California rolls, then progressed down the length with 10 pieces of various fish and ended with three fish roe wraps. We (we shared all items) started at the California roll end, eating two and then started on the fish. It started off with a bland piece of fatty tuna, following by a bland piece of some sort of white fish (clearly I am not a sushi aficionado, although I've eaten it many times). This was succeeded by a bland piece of yellow fish. The line continued through other pieces of similarly bland fish until we came to a sliced shrimp which was not only visibly a shrimp, but tasted, should I say, seemed to taste like shrimp. It was finished off with what looked like a marinade piece of white fish. It too had only the slightest flavor. The fish roe rolls were the only things on the plate that had any flavor whatsoever. Perhaps "real" sushi, which is what I thought I was supposed to be getting-you know, the "authentic" stuff-is extremely subtle, and my taste buds are destroyed by years of pizza, habanera peppers, and the like. However, I found the dinner quite disappointing. Judging from the other diners, noticeably Japanese-which at first I thought was quite encouraging and a harbinger of something fantastic to come-everyone seemed to be quite pleased with their orders.”

0 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Artie's Restaurant
Jan 5, 2008 by Laura from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Everything on the menu is outstanding - you can't miss.
• Nothing.

“Artie's is without a doubt my favorite restaurant of all time! The food is unbeatable, the service is exceptional (they will make it right at any cost to them) and the atmosphere is relaxed but classy. You can wear a nice pair of jeans and a sweater or get really dressed up - either way you fit in. I always take out of town guests to Artie's and my husband and I go there frequently. The old fashioned banana pudding dessert is to die for and nothing like you've had before. Also, if you like tuna, the rare tuna steak hot salad is a must. The textures and flavors of everything in it are beyond incredible. Oh, and don't forget the assize rolls with herbed butter. I don't normally eat a lot but I can't get enough of them.”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bridges
Dec 30, 2007 by James from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[8] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Hot girls, good happy hour specials.
• Gets pretty busy.

“Bridges is better than any of the other bars in Fairfax, great music, great people, and great staff. Busy on weekends, full of hot girls, wouldn't spend my night anywhere else.”

0 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Artie's Restaurant
Nov 21, 2007 by Ed from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 7
Food:[8] • Service:[8] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Food quality, microbrews, dessert selection.
• Prices.

“We'd been looking forward to trying arties since moving to Fairfax last summer. Fortunately we had the opportunity to visit whilst my mother was in town. Overall I liked the place good food, prompt/polite service, family friendly. On the downside, each selection was overpriced by $3-4. I realize it is Fairfax, and you're obligated to overcharge since most of your customers bilk the American taxpayers for their salaries, but come on, $16 for Jambalaya! Thankfully Arties brews their own tasty beers (recommend the Pale Ale), and they also make a stunning pumpkin cheesecake (to die for) unfortunately it's $39 if you want to take some home. In closing, Id go to Arties again especially if my mom's back in town (AKA picking up the check).”

Patriots Cafe
Oct 19, 2007 by JayaKrishna

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Food is really good and served with a smile.
• Lighting can be a little brighter.

“Situated in the Fairfax shopping centre, this is a pretty good place to hang out with friends. The food is really great, good and prompt service. They also have a karaoke on Thursdays which is really good. Do check it out.”

Main Street Bagel Deli
Sep 12, 2007 by Chris from Centreville

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Service is great; its a NY style deli w/ hometown service.
• Not much.

“This by far is one of the best delis in the area. The bagels are made fresh, they accommodate to special orders, and the staff is more than friendly. They are great for breakfast, or a quick lunch to go. They are fairly generous with their portion sizes and keep the place clean. It is a treasure to find this good of a deli outside of NY. The only problem is that sometimes their service is so personable that you'll wait a little longer to order on busy mornings, but the food is well worth the wait.”

Patriots Cafe
Aug 28, 2007 by Jason from Woodbridge

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Good food and service for the price. Cute chic's waiting the bar.
• Needs brighter lighting.

“$5.89 (includes tax) all you can eat buffet, what can I say? Food isnt bad either and they have some hot chic's working the bar. The older lady who waits tables and does a good job of it. I go here every week with friends, usually on Beef tip Tuesdays.”

Blue Ocean Japanese Restaurant
Aug 12, 2007 by Margaret

Overall Rating: 5
Food:[7] • Service:[2] • Atmosphere:[4]

• The decorations make the place festive; nice salad bar with lunch.
• Service is inconsistent, with more days of bad service than good.

“As a frequent customer of this restaurant, I have noticed a continuing decline in the service at this establishment. The service is often inattentive and slow, and sometimes unfriendly. Based on my latest experience, I never plan to return again. The food selection and quality are middle-tier decent, but they suffer from portion control at times. On my last visit, 2 people ordered the same thing and both got significantly different portions. Complaints about it resulted in only feeble apologies and excuses, followed by the waitress knocking a glass of ice water into my dining partner's lap.”

Bombay Bistro
Jul 3, 2007 by tina from burke, va

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Excellent choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.
• Could add more vegetarian dishes.

“Excellent food, excellent service, and very friendly atmosphere. Your money is worth going there and enjoying delicious Indian food.”

Blue Ocean Japanese Restaurant
Apr 14, 2007 by David from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[8] • Service:[7] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Good value, good food.
• Service could be more attentive.

“Just plain good sushi for your money. No fancy decor, it reminds you of a small hometown sushi shop in Japan. I actually prefer this place over TatiaNA”

Bagel Buddies
Sep 28, 2006 by bubba from chantilly

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Love it.
• Nothing bad.

“Best food ever!!! if you like bagels or sandwiches you will love this place! they have really good smoothies too and black and whites (type of cookie).”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bagel Buddies
Sep 25, 2006 by Mary

Overall Rating: 7
Food:[8] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Quality service.
• Expensive.

“Expensive a bagel sandwich and a bag of chips is not worth.”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Chutzpah Real New York Deli
Sep 24, 2006 by Ron from Silver Spring, MD

Overall Rating: 4
Food:[4] • Service:[5] • Atmosphere:[2]

• Nice shopping center around it.
• Food preparation leaves a lot to be desired.

“The Chutzpah Deli? Several of us visited the Chutzpah Deli in Fairfax, Virginia. The deli is rather small and very plain, except for the cute drawings on a couple of walls. While the service was good when we got it, there were a couple of times when we asked for more coleslaw and pickles and some sour cream that they completely and repeatedly forgot about it, and we had to ask three times. This was irritating but rather minor, when compared with the food. More significantly, we wish to register our views regarding what we ordered:. The cheese blintzes were fine; small but no problem--except for getting additional sour cream. 2. The kishkas--These were sliced in thin, 1/4 inch thick pieces and served covered with an overpowering brown gravy that tasted like the kind one gets in a can; not very good. Now I did not go to the rest room and wash off the kishkas, so I cannot comment much on them au natural. But as a whole--sad. 3. The varnishkas--These were made up of bow ties (a pasta shape) and pieces of kasha. This dish was also nondescript; about the only flavor it had was saltiness. 4. The coup de grAcce for the deli experience were the pastrami sandwiches. Now the bread was good rye bread with a crisp crust, but the pastrami? The right way to make a pastrami sandwich is to slice a hunk of pastrami into thin slices for each sandwich. The wrong way is the way the Chutzpah Deli did it. The pastrami was previously sliced; then it was heated, perhaps in an oven, until each slice almost became a piece of pastrami leather. The slices were dry and tough because of that. Sadly, again, the pastrami sandwiches were not a good experience. Conclusion: I would not recommend going 40 miles, as we did, to the Chutzpah Deli, when so many local delis are available in the Washington-Maryland-Virginia suburbs. In fact, the same items created from our grocery stores would have been more satisfying. I hope the Chutzpah deli becomes enlightened so they can improve their product. Saddened and disillusioned.”

Artie's Restaurant
Jul 31, 2006 by Wendy

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[9] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• Good service, good food, nice ambiance (casual)
• Nothing negative to report.

“Artie's has a casual family-oriented ambiance and is the perfect place to chill with friends as well. We really enjoyed our experience. The hush-puppy style rolls were delicious and the meal kept getting better. We highly recommend Artie's for a delicious meal at a reasonable price. Artie's put a unique spin on some standard recipes. Two thumbs up !”

7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Purple Onion Catering Company Inc
Jul 27, 2006 by A from Richmond

Overall Rating: 3
Food:[2] • Service:[5] •

• Convenience for employees in the same building.
• The food in general and sometimes the lack of service.

“Pino's is an in-house cafe for the employees that work in the same building. The food leaves much of something to be desired and it really is silly to consider eating here since there are many other restaurants all within less than a mile that serve much better food at a much better price. Many employees have gotten sick because of the food and it is a known fact that people eat here only for convenience because they are too busy to go out to eat. Word of advice: Stay AWAY from the breakfast burritos and the salsa. The service is so-so. If Pino's hired employees that spoke fluent English, the service would be better. Take your $6 dollars and go to Star Thai, Quiz nos, or even Chipotle for a quick fix and much better atmosphere.”

1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Bridges
Jul 22, 2006 by Jason from Annandale

Overall Rating: 1
Food:[1] • Service:[1] • Atmosphere:[1]

• That I've suffered for you.
• Attitude, from the wait staff up to and especially, the management.

“If you love to be treated like dirt and over-charged, why drive to DC? Get that filthy feeling close to home. PLENTY of other bars in Fairfax that actually value their customers. ”

6 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Pomodoro Pizza Pasta & More
Jun 25, 2006 by Brandy from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• The great taste of the pizza.
• Nothing.

“This restaurant is the one you have been looking for we live in Alabama now and we have our friends buy and ship pizza to us; nothing else compares. Once you try their pizza you will want no other.”

4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Bailiwick Inn
May 24, 2006 by Christine from Fairfax, VA

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[8] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[9]

• Gracious and attentive service.
• Nothing.

“A romantic restaurant housed in a historic landmark, The Bailiwick Inn offers friendly and attentive service, candlelit tables and a little old fashioned romance. The music is pleasant and not overwhelming. In addition to quaint dining room tables, there is also an outdoor terrace for warmer days/nights. Though a bit on the expensive side, little touches such as personalized menus (for reservations) are a pleasant surprise and the food is quite good. Perfect for special occasions”

4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

Main Street Bagel Deli
Apr 29, 2006 by Erin from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[9] • Atmosphere:[8]

• Best kept secret- but I'm willing to share. It's that good.
• The shopping center where it is located is kind of a pain.

“If you like bagels, then you will swear that Main Street's are the best you have ever had. Not only are the bagels always made fresh, but the home-made breads are amazing, the meats are top-quality (Boar's Head), and you will love all the other delicious surprises. You can't beat the deals, so you have to try it at least once. ”

Bravos Italian Cafe
Apr 20, 2006 by Pam from Clifton

Overall Rating: 9
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[8]

• The food, the staff and good drinks!
• Smoke, especially the rare cigar smoke - yuck!

“We used to eat in the restaurant side all of the time but now we love the bar side, although, we could do without the smoke. The staff at Bravo's is fantastic, the food is really good and very reasonably priced. The manager runs a smooth operation and you can sense that with the staff. Everyone goes about their task but still takes a few moments to stop and chat with the guests. I really like this place. We've had clients stay at motel across the street and Bravo's even delivers to the guests! Full service here! The karaoke and entertainment provide a fun evening, try it!!!! ”

1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Bellisimo
Mar 17, 2006 by JCD from Burke, VA

Overall Rating: 10
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[10]

• The wine is the best, the food and sauces are superb.
• None.

“The food is the finest and most delightful. We have traveled extensively in Italy and find the Bellisimo fair second to none. The staff is focused on your enjoyment and acts to ensure that you will return again and again. Our family dines at Bellisimo regularly, it is always a treat.”

2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Tippys Taco House
Feb 19, 2006 by April from Fairfax

Overall Rating: 8
Food:[10] • Service:[10] • Atmosphere:[7]

• Food is great for dinner, a snack, the ideal comfort food, and unbelievable after drinking.
• Only one counter person, one kitchen person, so if there is a crowd it could take 5 minutes to get your food.

“The restaurant is very basic (orange bench seats, plywood/plastic tables). But you go for the food! If you are getting it to go, try the taco kit. For like $10, you get shells, meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, sauce, and tomatoes to make at least a dozen tacos. Cannot beat it. And the food is so damn good!”

Bellisimo
Jan 1, 2006 by nancy

Overall Rating: 2
Food:[5] • Service:[3] • Atmosphere:[2]

• Leaving
• .N/A.

“I was so excited for my New Year's Eve dinner. It went south before we even arrived at the restaurant. Embellish called us 3 times beforehand to ensure our 8 o'clock reservation. However, never did they mention that the street would be closed for First Night long story short parking was a major problem. When we arrived 20 minutes late our table for an 8 pm seating was even ready. After making us move where we were standing and waiting 3 times, they finally offered us a drink which I swear they said would be complimentary, but our glasses of white wine never were we given a choice ended up costing $13 apiece. The dinner menu was reduced to 1/3 of the total menu and the prices. Increased by 50% - again not mentioned beforehand. 80% of the menu was fish (I have a seafood allergy). They could not accommodate making me anything even slightly different and I wasn't about to pay $35 for pasta and red sauce. There was just NO understanding on their part nor any mention of this menu change ahead of time.”

2 of 5 people found this review helpful.