South African spicy chicken restaurant Nando’s is opening its newest location at Rosslyn’s Central Place on Monday (March 12), the company announced today.
A press release noted that players with a Washington sports team will make an appearance for a grand opening charity event to benefit “local underserved youth,” but a Nando’s representative declined to be more specific. A Ballston Nando’s opening in 2016 featured several Washington Capitals players flipping chickens.
Wakefield Advances to Championship — The Wakefield High School boys basketball team has advanced to the Virginia Class 5 championship after defeating Edison last night 82-66. The team will face Varina tomorrow at VCU. Meanwhile, Wakefield senior forward A’Mari Cooper has been named Northern Region Class 5 Player of the Year. [Washington Post, InsideNova]
Metro Starts Selling Merch — Despite its reliability issues and subsequent image problem, Metro has launched a new line of clothing and gifts, sold online and at a new gift store at Metro Center. The reaction to the merchandise has been mixed. [WMATA, NBC Washington]
Chalk up another name-brand restaurant heading to Ballston Quarter mall.
The renovated mall, which is set to open this fall, has announced an 18-restaurant food hall with the likes of Timber Pizza and Ice Cream Jubilee, plus the entertainment-oriented bar Punch Bowl Social.
A new Indian restaurant, Urban Tandoor, is one step closer to opening its doors as it hangs it sign at the Ballston space.
There still isn’t a posted opening date, though construction has been ongoing since at least September 2017. The restaurant, at 801 N. Quincy Street, will replace a series of eateries, like Republic Kitchen & Bar and Leek American Bistro, which have closed in recent years.
Damn Good Burger Co. is planning to open tonight in Shirlington, employees said.
The sister restaurant to Ballston’s Big Buns burger shop, Damn Good Burger served some of its first customers Wednesday and Thursday nights as part of a soft opening. As of midnight last night, the restaurant was closed but employees were still working on the finishing touches inside.
Update at 4:30 p.m. — Reese Gardner, the owner of Dudley’s Sport & Ale and Copperwood Tavern, reached out to ARL now after deadline. The sports bar has a revised projected opening time frame of between May and June 1 this year.
“We’re putting in a steel rooftop with 300 some people on top of a structure never designed to have a rooftop,” said Gardner. “There’s a whole lot of things that go into it.”
A new, casual eatery is coming to Virginia Square.
In a couple months the Atrium Cafe will open in the former Jen’s Kitchen space in Virginia Square, according to cafe owner DJ Lee.
Delia’s, a mediterranean grill and brick oven pizza parlor with several area locations, is set to open a new location in Arlington Ridge in mid-March.
The location’s general manager, Oliver Garnowski, confirmed the scheduled opening and added that there will be more daily specials than at the Alexandria, Va., location that he currently works at. There will also be a few menu changes.
(Updated at 6:30 p.m.) Rosslyn’s Central Place will soon be welcoming another restaurant option to the neighborhood.
Nando’s, a South-African/Portuguese chicken restaurant, is coming to 1800 N. Lynn Street. It is currently expected to open in March, we’re told.
Bibimix, a quick-service Korean restaurant, is getting ready to open in Courthouse as soon as next week.
The new Korean restaurant at 1910 Wilson Blvd will be replacing the former Shawafel, which closed in 2016 after only being open for about a year.
A Taiwanese noodle and dumpling restaurant is coming to the food court level of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City.
A construction barrier and “coming soon” signs are up outside the storefront, located between Garrett Popcorn and Haagen-Dazs.
Another dedicated poke restaurant is set to open soon in Arlington, this time in Rosslyn.
Signs are up for Poke Bar at 1735 N. Lynn Street, on the first floor of the International Place building and next door to the Potbelly sandwich shop.
