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A Subway (801 N. Quincy Street) that closed last year is being replaced by Vietnamese sandwich shop Lee’s Sandwiches with a grand opening planned this coming Tuesday, Aug. 18.

The Ballston spot will be the second location in Virginia for Lee’s Sandwiches — a California-based franchise — with an existing location in Falls Church. The sandwich chain has a variety of sandwich options but specializes in banh mi, a popular Vietnamese sandwich with savory ingredients in a short, toasted baguette.


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A growing restaurant chain, offering food in the style of that served by street vendors from around Asia, is opening a new location in Ballston.

Signs are up for Hawkers Asian Street Fare at 4201 Wilson Blvd, in the Ballston Exchange complex across from Philz Coffee. The company says via social media that it is planning to open in the spring of 2021.


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An ambitious new restaurant is coming to an unlikely place: a former chocolate factory and paint store.

Ruthie’s All-Day — a family-friendly neighborhood restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner — plans to open this fall at 3411 5th Street S., a historic building that most recently housed a Sherwin-Williams store, in the front parking lot of the newly-renovated Dominion Apartments.


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Reese Gardner had planned to open The Pinemoor in March but… well, you know. After months of pandemic-related delay, Gardner said today (Thursday) is finally the day to throw open the new Clarendon restaurant’s doors.

For a little over a year, signs have announced that The Pinemoor would be inhabiting the space that was once Clarendon Grill at 1101 N. Highland Street. Gardner said the restaurant is launching today with its full menu after months of consideration for when the right time would be to reopen.


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Despite everything, Sandra Wolter is hoping to have a coffee shop up and running in the former Java Shack space by Labor Day (Sept. 7).

It’s been a long few months for Sweet Science Coffee, which Wolter co-owns. The local coffee brand launched its own location in D.C. after years in shared spaces just months before the pandemic hit the region. The hopes were to get the location up and running by March, but even the hoped-for September opening is tentative.


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A new barbecue joint is hoping for an opening sizzle despite other restaurants going up in smoke during the pandemic.

Smokecraft Modern Barbecue is planning to open at 1051 N. Highland Street in Clarendon, in the former Citizen Burger Bar space, on Friday, July 31, the restaurant just announced.


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The details are scarce, but a new restaurant appears to be coming to Ballston Quarter mall.

Permits have been filed for a restaurant called Superette at 4238 Wilson Blvd, the mall’s address. The restaurant will seat somewhere between 1 and 100 people and will serve beer, wine and cocktails, the permit suggests.


News

Ballston is getting a new taco spot later this summer.

Chef Victor Albisu has scrapped plans to open Huevos, an all-day egg restaurant concept, and is instead going with the tried and true: a fifth location for his popular Taco Bamba chain. The 1,500 square foot eatery at 4000 Wilson Blvd will feature a 35 seats, another six at a bar, and a small patio.


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(Updated at 4:05 p.m.) Surprise! Arlington is about to get a major restaurant opening in the midst of the pandemic.

Cafe Colline, a neighborhood French bistro from prolific local restaurateurs Ian and Eric Hilton, is set to open for takeout next Thursday, June 25. Both phone and online orders will be accepted.


News

The new Wiseguy Pizza location in Pentagon City is set to begin its soft opening today.

The latest outpost for the acclaimed local New York-style pizza chain is on the ground floor of the Witmer, a new 26-story luxury apartment building at the corner of 12th Street S. and S. Hayes Street. It’s the second Wiseguy Pizza in Arlington; the first is in Rosslyn.


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Undeterred by the pandemic, a new outpost of a bánh mì sandwich chain is getting closer to opening.

As we reported in January, Lee’s Sandwiches is coming to 801 N. Quincy Street in Ballston, where a Subway sandwich shop closed last summer. Signs are now up outside the restaurant entrance, one of which says it is “coming soon.”


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While coronavirus has disrupted the businesses of local restaurants across the country, a new one is popping up in Shirlington despite the tough times for the industry.

New fast-casual Mexican restaurant TACO + PINA is scheduled to open tomorrow (Tuesday) on Cinco de Mayo. The eatery is located at 4041 Campbell Avenue, formerly Lotus Grill and Noodles.


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