Z-Burger Set For Fall Opening In Virginia Square

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by Aaron Kraut — August 1, 2012 at 3:45 pm 5,818 61 Comments

The owners of the growing Z-Burger local burger chain say they plan to open a franchise in Virginia Square this fall, perhaps as soon as September.

In March 2011, Z-Burger co-owner Mohammad Esfahani told ARLnow.com that he hoped to have the location open last summer. But co-owner Peter Tabibian said today the company is now focused on opening its new Columbia Heights location first, in the next few weeks.

Esfahani said construction is ongoing for the 4,000-square-foot space at the corner of Wilson Boulevard and N. Kenmore Street. This will be Z-Burger’s sixth location and first in Virginia.

A BGR: The Burger Joint opened last year in Clarendon, and the location will also face competition from a nearby Five Guys (2300 Wilson Boulevard) and Wiinky’s (3902 Wilson Boulevard), among others.

The two-story red brick building that used to house a video conversion business and a realty company has made way for a new structure. A crew was working on the new building’s interior today (Wednesday). The before and after comparison is below.

JamesE

They built the entire DARPA building faster than this one
novasteve

Are they going to keep the Transvideo sign up there, is it historical?
- TJLinBallston
  
  Ditto on that. Throw in the ragged “Arlington Motors” up Wilson a block or two. Please tear them down.
  - Richard Cranium
    
    Was that the “Tu Trabajo es Tu Credito!” place?
SomeGuy

Sweet! I was wondering when someone would put a burger joint in this town.
- ArlingtonRes
  
  I think Virginia Square folks complained they didn’t want to walk to Clarendon or Ballston for a burger, needed a place of their own.
  - Tabby_TwoTone
    
    Where’s Wiinky’s?
    - nom de guerre
      
      3902 Wilson Blvd., next to Gold’s Gym.
      - Tabby_TwoTone
        
        The special at Wiiiikys today is a fieldgrass-infused, tenderly raised chicken breast with cilantro-seasoned field greens and an avocado-mounted, locally sourced sun-dried tomato medley.
        
        While supplies last, $8.99 with a coke.
- novasteve
  
  You know what, if someone actually dared to to infuse (yes, I hate that word) other cultures food with burgers, like thai or indian influenced burgers? Man, I bet a tikka hamburger would be good. A thai style burger would be good. An old bay burger (MD is another country) would be good… A canadian burger of Maple syrup and poutine would be good.
  - nom de guerre
    
    Speaking of international style burgers, tomorrow’s Sam’s Food Truck special features a greek style burger-Half pound of sustainable, locally sourced ground lamb burger with garlic and mint on a toasted pita with baby spinach, red onions and tzatziki sauce. Only while supplies last.
    - novasteve
      
      If Sams were only on Columbia Pike, it would be more vibrant there 🙁
    - South Awwlington
      
      Are they accepting the Euro?
    - Tabby_TwoTone
      
      Day-old tobacco-infused fries with a chipotle-meth dressing.
      - Tabby_TwoTone
        
        Cat fur extra.
  - bert
    
    steve i highly agree with you. i think a huge korean bbq joint should go where harry’s tap room was. and that “soon to be open” pizza joint in clarendon should be a poutine joint. the late night crowd would tear that up.
    - novasteve
      
      At this point I’d even prefer a St. Hubert to open up here before another “Tavern” does.
  - John Fontain
    
    Steve, that already exists. It’s a huge chain called IHOB.
  - Mary-Austin
    
    A Canadian burger??
    an MD burger??
    Sounds like leftie liberal socialist bs to me. You might as well call them bigot burgers Steve!
- Captain Pup McPuppo
  
  LOL
- Sgt. Hartman
  
  Another Chick-fi-A would be a nice touch.
  - Tabby_TwoTone
    
    The special at Chik_Fil_A is an Anita Bryant-blessed, cage-traumatized melded chicken parts-patty, beaten down to a pancake, sitting on an anemic, poor-quality white flour bun with a searingly sour pickle circle.
Tre

5 Guys > Z burger
- awesomepossom
  
  Agreed, but they are both gross.
- NoVapologist
  
  WTOP listeners agree with you:
  
  Here’s how the other burger joints did in WTOP’s Top 10:
  
  1 Five Guys
  2 Elevation Burger
  3 BGR The burger joint
  4 Tastee Diner
  5 Ray’s Hell Burger
  6 Good Stuff Eatery
  7 Cheeburger Cheeburger
  8 Foster’s Grille
  9 Z Burger
  10 Shake Shake
bert

man, that’s in the bad part of virginia square…
- Richard Cranium
  
  Yeah. South Virginia Square. Ugh.
- Yes, yes it is
  
  So make sure you don’t go to Z burger and if you do, walk or ride your bikes… why? because it’s a BAD part of town…
  
  (but mostly because I don’t want you idiots parking in el pollo rico when I want my chicken at dinner time. haha)
sarcastic_commenter

They’ve been “working on” opening that Columbia Heights location for well over a year, I think.
arlingtongal

What’s going up in the Barrister’s Square block nearby?
- novasteve
  
  Insert lawyer joke.
- TJLinBallston
  
  There’s another sign to nowhere! Why leave these eyesores standing around?
- VASQ
  
  Two high-rises, both built by Dittmar. One will be a 6-story building, the other 13 stories.
  
  I do wish they’d rip down these old signs!
Allie

I think I preferred the old brick building more. That is one ugly facade. Looks a little bit like some of the other 70s-era office buildings on Fairfax that you pass in the VA Square neighborhood.
CrystalMikey

What opens first, this or Bronx Pizza?
MikeQuick

I’m confused. Where are the offices and affordable living units in that building?
- DCBuff
  
  Not to mention the street-level retail. Uh, never mind.
- novasteve
  
  Is Z Burger going to be LEED Platinum certified?
  - John Fontain
    
    Triple Platinum with a fried egg on top!
Pablo

And somehow across the street, Pio-Pio, the chicken place that never has customers inside, remains. Still awaiting an ARLNow investigation into that one.
- John Fontain
  
  If they would rebuild that Pio Pio into a new Dunkin Donuts (which ws the predecessor to Pio Pio), that place would do tremendously well. Or better, how bout a Waffle House?
  - 5555624
    
    I’d vote for the Waffle House!
    - ArlingtonRes
      
      +1000
- Boss
  
  What about the Highlander Inn?
- Never going there
  
  I was told by the family the owns el pollo that the one day they were completely closed (for the funeral of the father who originally owned the location) that place across the street actually sent a guy over to stand outside their door and tell people that Pio Pio was related as some sort of branch off el pollo and people should go there that day because the place was closed down. Seriously?? Who does that?
novasteve

Oh let’s make it sophisticated and pronounce it Zed Burger!!!!
- Richard Cranium
  
  Zed’s dead, baby. Zed’s dead.
nota gain

I thought it was going to be a Chic-Fil-A. Same color of the chicken chain. Oh well, where will people park? Should b good traffic problems with people cutting across.
Stop light please to also assist the Chic Polo down the street, not on Wilson.
DarkHeart

That looks more like a Jiffy Lube.
NoVapologist

I always thought Trans Video was a porn joint.
karzai

Too many burgers. I’ll wait for it (Z Burger) to fail and then maybe buy it out and open up my bagel idea there. Fans of Sam’s Corner will love it.

Someone asked about Bronx Pizza – they’re going great guns in there and making lots of progress. They’ve got a new awning up that says Bronx Pizza on it.
- Richard Cranium
  
  I really hope your bagel joint will have clearly posted hours.
  
  And that then you’ll operate exclusively outside of those posted hours, just to piss people off.
South Awwlington

Nothing, including 5 Guys, can be Rays. Can we move on to some other genre de gourmet. Nom???
jenn

great news! i’ve been going to the tenley town location before AU games for a couple years now, and i personally prefer Z burger to BGR and its other local clones. haven’t tried wiinky’s yet, will have to give them a shot before the Z burger opens. anybody know if they’re still cash only? i remember hearing that a little while back.
- BU
  
  Wiinky’s takes credit cards now and has for the last few month. Definitely give it a try.
James Moron

I will say that Z-Burger is outstanding although this was apparently the least “shovel ready” construction job ever.
Leslie

My opinion is that there are too many burger places in this part of town. Burgers, dry cleaners, nail salons, and more burgers.
Tre_Vick

Maybe open up a FroYo beside it too?
Hasdrupal

I felt sorry for that brick house. It looked fine but was tortured in a slow destruction. What they put in its place is an eye sore. And the last thing we need on Wilson is another low rent eatery.’….and one without parking. They should plow under the whole block. Maybe Dittmar will buy it up and put up another mega condo with one room units and no parking.
TJ

According to their website (http://www.transvideo.net), they moved to Pershing drive.

Why does that sign remain?
Jay W

The sign is probably still there so they can cover it with one for the new store. I’ve been told that arl county code makes it very hard to errect a new sign anywhere.

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