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The best place to eat in Northern Virginia right now is an upscale restaurant tucked away in an office building outside Merrifield that also houses the U.S. headquarters of defense contractor BAE Systems.

At least that’s the designation bestowed upon 2941 by Northern Virginia Magazine’s food critics, whose ranking of the 50 best restaurants in the region for 2023 hit newsstands on Friday (Oct. 27) as part of its November issue.

While the full list can only be found in print, reviews for the top 10 restaurants are online, led by 2941. Located at 2941 Fairview Park Drive, the restaurant impressed the magazine’s critics with the artistry of both its cuisine and setting, which features landscaping, a koi pond and a view of an artificial lake.

“Inside the soaring space, a talented contemporary American kitchen staff transforms top-flight ingredients into culinary art,” the review said, highlighting a five-course tasting menu curated by Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel as well as a la carte dishes like a “grilled rib-eye with crisped potatoes.”

Self-described on its website as “one of the most celebrated restaurants in the metropolitan area,” 2941 previously topped Northern Virginia Magazine’s annual rankings in 2021 and came in second last year. It has also been recognized in the past by Washingtonian, Eater DC and the Washington Post.

“We’re ecstatic to share that we’ve been ranked as the #1 restaurant in Northern Virginia!” the restaurant said in a Facebook post. “This recognition wouldn’t be possible without our incredible team and the support of our loyal customers. Thank you for making…us the best in the region.”

2941 isn’t the only Fairfax County restaurant to place in the top 10. It was joined by Nostos in Tysons (No. 6), L’Auberge Chez François in Great Falls (No. 8), Trummer’s in Clifton (No. 9) and Trio Grill in Merrifield proper (No. 10).

Praised for proving that there’s “much more to Greek cuisine” than gyros, Nostos (8100 Boone Blvd) was among Washingtonian’s “very best restaurants” in 2014, 2017 and 2018. Its owners are behind Vienna’s incoming Yellow Diner, which is expected to open at 501 Maple Avenue West early next year.

L’Auberge Chez François has been operating at 332 Springvale Road since 1976, when it moved from its original home in D.C. Also recently lauded by Washingtonian, the French establishment is a “captivating destination for celebrating life’s special moments” with “masterful cuisine” and “exquisite service,” according to Northern Virginia Magazine.

Trummer’s (7134 Main Street) originally opened as a fine dining restaurant in 2009, but it has been steadily evolving into a more casual American bistro, dropping the “on Main” portion of its name in 2019. Northern Virginia Magazine highlights its “skillful” blending of “Austrian and regional American traditions.”

Near the Mosaic District at 8100 Route 29, Trio Grill comes from Metropolitan Hospitality Group, which is also behind Open Road, Circa and El Bebe. When it opened a decade ago, Northern Virginia Magazine dinged the eatery for not taking more risks with its menu, but it now says Trio Grill offers “a night of fine food and camaraderie.”

Falls Church was also represented with Ellie Bird at No. 5 and the Vietnamese restaurant NUE coming in seventh. Both restaurants opened earlier this year in the city’s new Founders Row development on West and Broad streets.

(Updated at 4:05 p.m. on 1/2/2024) The Rincon family business has officially staked a claim in Merrifield.

The Tex-Mex chain Guapo’s, which the Rincons have owned since 1990, welcomed diners to its new location in Gatehouse Plaza for the first time last Thursday (Dec. 21). The building at 3052 Gate House Plaza was last occupied by Chevys Fresh Mex, which closed over four years ago now, per Annandale Today.

Guapo’s soft opening came months later than its originally anticipated launch of early 2023, but the initial response from the community suggests the wait was worthwhile.

“People have been expecting it for a while now, and yesterday was very, very busy,” Guapo’s marketing manager told FFXnow by phone on Friday (Dec. 22). “So, customers are really, really happy that we brought it to Merrifield.”

Residents of Virginia since the late 1970s, the Rincon family opened its first Guapo’s in D.C.’s Tenleytown neighborhood in 1990. The flagship location has operated at 4515 Wisconsin Ave. NW ever since, though there were reportedly plans to move down the street in 2016 that got nixed.

According to Guapo’s, the business is now run by the founders’ children, who all graduated from Fairfax County schools and universities. It has expanded to Arlington, Fair Lakes, Bethesda, Gaithersburg and Georgetown, and the spin-off Charcoal Chicken and Taqueria can be found in Herndon and Manassas.

The expansion to Merrifield was inspired by the family’s history, according to the marketing manager.

“When the family first came from Colombia to Virginia, they lived in Gallows Road that’s why they chose Merrifield to honor their beginnings in the United States,” she said.

All locations are owned and operated by the Rincons, who haven’t tried franchising. Guapo’s says they plan to “stay local for now before we decide to expand nationwide.”

While the look of the Merrifield restaurant is more modern, the owners were committed to keeping the same recipes and level of customer service seen at other locations, according to the marketing manager.

The menu features many staples of Tex-Mex cuisine, including enchiladas, fajitas, burritos, tacos and a variety of meat, seafood and chicken dishes. There are also salads, soups and brunch options, such as omelets and eggs benedict.

Guapo’s is open in Merrifield from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. during the week and from 10 a.m. until midnight on Saturday and Sunday. A grand opening celebration planned for Jan. 10 will be highlighted by a live DJ and salsa music from a band at 5-10 p.m.

(Correction: This story previously misstated Guapo’s hours of operation and timing of the band’s performance at the upcoming grand opening.)

Located northwest of the Route 50 and Gallows Road intersection, Gatehouse Plaza is also home to Sweetwater Tavern, Uno Pizzeria and Grill, a Wendy’s, Starbucks, Panda Express and a Sunoco gas station.

Centreville’s Meat Project is preparing to fire up a grill at Halstead Square in Merrifield.

The all-you-can-eat Korean barbecue restaurant is expanding for the first time to The Lofts apartment building at 2727 Merrilee Drive, where it has leased a 3,456-square-foot, ground-floor space, per a site plan from retail broker Rosenthal Properties.

Construction has begun on the new location, Meat Project owner Sam Kim says. The business is aiming to open in early December.

“We are an all-you-can-eat, Korean meat-focused place,” Kim told FFXnow. “There’s places that have a la carte, there’s places that have different Korean food, but for us, it’s more so that people can try different things when they just pay per person. It gives them the opportunity to try different things.”

The possibility of expansion wasn’t guaranteed for Meat Project, which opened at 5825 Trinity Parkway in Centreville in July 2020 — right as Virginia was easing restrictions imposed on businesses to limit the spread of COVID-19.

Kim and his mother, Grace, created the restaurant to expand their reach after gaining a foothold in Annandale as the longtime owners of Rainbow Food Catering and Manoa Bakery Cafe, Northern Virginia Magazine reported at the time.

Launching in the middle of the pandemic, pre-vaccinations, “was very hard for us,” Kim says, but after two rocky first years, the business has now settled down.

“Now, we’re getting more regulars. We’re getting more people in, so we felt like now is a good time to expand,” he said.

Located across the street from Lost Dog Cafe in the former Gama Chicken & BBQ space, Meat Project’s Merrifield restaurant is smaller in size than its standalone Centreville location, but the menu and bar will have more items, according to Kim.

In Centreville, the menu features a variety of beef, chicken, pork and seafood options, from staples of Korean barbecue like bulgolgi and galbi (short ribs) to more unusual items like honey butter octopus. The bar will serve “cocktail items and stuff like that,” Kim says.

The restaurant charges a flat $30 per person for all-you-can-eat meals, though kids shorter than 4-and-a-half feet can eat for $20 and kids under 3 feet are free.

Kim says the Merrifield location will likely follow the same operating hours, opening at noon every day and closing at 11 p.m. or midnight.

Korean barbecue options are limited in Merrifield, at least compared to Centreville. Right now, the closest restaurant to Meat Project’s upcoming site is Puzukan Tan in Yorktowne Plaza Shopping Center at 8114 Arlington Blvd.

VIENNA, VA — The "winningest man in barbecue" is ready to welcome customers to his newest restaurant at the Dunn Loring Metro.

Myron Mixon's Pitmaster BBQ is opening at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28 at 2670 Avenir Place, Vienna, VA, which is near the Dunn Loring-Merrifield Metro. Meanwhile, Myron Mixon's Pitmaster BBQ announced that it closed its location at 220 N. Lee Street in Old Town Alexandria after Christmas Eve, Dec. 24.

The restaurant focuses on classic Southern smoked barbecue with smoked meats like brisket, pork, chicken and "fixins’" like Mama’s slaw, peach BBQ baked beans, collard greens, and mac ‘n’ cheese. The new Dunn Loring location will have fast-casual counter service will beer and wine at the bar.

"We greatly appreciate all of our loyal customers, and welcome you to join us at our new place in Dunn Loring-Merrifield, the only place you'll find Myron Mixon's great BBQ in the DC metro area!" the restaurant brand shared.

Mixon, who has been called the "winningest man in barbecue," has won over 180 grand championships in barbecue, including the Memphis in May World Championships five times. He also appeared on TLC’s "BBQ Pitmasters," Destination America’s relaunched version of "BBQ Pitmasters," and Destination America’s "BBQ Pit Wars." He is also the mayor of Unadilla, Georgia, the town where he is from.

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The Alexandria location of Myron Mixon's Pitmaster BBQ had been open since 2016. But the closed location won't stay vacant for long, as a change of ownership special use permit application was filed to the City of Alexandria. The owners of the new restaurant would be Ralph Davis, who opened RT's Restaurant and ran other Alexandria restaurants, as well as his son Matthew Davis.

The proposed restaurant would be called Mystic BBQ & Grill and continue to serve BBQ and other items similar to what Myron Mixon's Pitmaster BBQ served during its first years of business. Mystic BBQ & Grill is proposing minimal changes to the space, such as painting, refinishing floors and new decor.

Some of the D.C. region’s hottest new restaurants can be found right in Fairfax County, according to the Washington Post’s recently released spring dining guide.

Restaurants in the county claimed four spots on longtime food critic Tom Sietsema’s round-up of his favorite newcomers to the regional dining scene — more than any locality other than the District itself.

Leading the pack is Kirby Club, the eastern Mediterranean restaurant that launched in the Mosaic District late last year. The new concept from the restauranteurs behind D.C.’s Compass Rose and Maydān ranked no. 3 on Sietsema’s list, which highlights 25 eateries where he would “be happy to go on my own dollar.”

ICYMI: @tomsietsema has named Kirby Club as Number 3 in the @washingtonpost Spring Dining Guide!

Read what sets Kirby Club apart: https://t.co/pWuE9RQtlh

Tag a friend who needs to try their signature kebabs and dips this summer.

: @mariahmirandaphoto pic.twitter.com/5qzBC5UDiy

— Mosaic (@mosaicdistrict) May 19, 2023

Opened on Dec. 20, 2022, Kirby Club drew praise for its “always sunny” atmosphere and menu of kebabs and dips, which Sietsema says remain “luscious” even though original chef Omar Hegazi has returned to his home base in New York.

He also highlighted the restaurant’s offerings of both share-able platters and plates fit for one:

Non-sharers will rejoice over the plates for one, featuring a variety of kebabs — chicken, lamb, oyster (mushroom) — that feel like a feast given the fluffy yellow rice, sumac-spiked onions and bright salad that accompany them. “Picnic platters” are a throwback to Previte’s childhood memories of Labor Day spreads with the Kirby Club, a Lebanese social group her maternal grandparents helped found in 1933 in Akron, Ohio. My ongoing fascination is the whole roast chicken, massaged with garlic, turmeric and oil and presented on a raft of flatbread with the aforementioned rice and salad, but also crinkle-cut fries sprinkled with za’atar and a rainbow of sauces.

After initially opening with evening hours only, Kirby Club has expanded its operations to include lunch and to-go options. A second location is in the works in Clarendon.

“We love being a part of the vibrant Fairfax County community and welcoming in so many local friends and family to Kirby Club in the Mosaic District every day,” Kirby Club owner Rose Previte said. “It’s wonderful to have the Washington Post celebrating so many restaurants we know and love.”

Unranked after the top five, the guide also gives some love to Ingle Korean Steakhouse and Jiwa Singapura, signaling that Tysons may at last be breaking free of its reputation as purely an American-steak-and-business kind of town.

Ingle Korean Steakhouse at Pike 7 Plaza instantly won the Post’s food critic over with elegant decor, attentive servers, “distinctive cocktails” and “delicious dips” for its array of grilled meats and seafood.

For Jiwa Singapura, which opened on Feb. 15 in Tysons Galleria, Sietsema emphasizes the luxuriousness of the food and the setting, which he says suggests “a fine-dining lair.” He points to the salted egg shrimp, chicken rice and chili crab as menu highlights, though the “beef rendang isn’t worth the 30-minute wait.”

Moving outside the Tysons area — and price range — Sari Filipino Kusina rounds out the Fairfax County entries in the guide. Sietsema says the fast-casual Filipino restaurant in Annandale stands out for the “haunting” flavors of dishes like kare kare stew and smoked chicken wings glazed with adobo, which draw on co-owner and chef Paolo Dungca’s childhood in Manila.