Chris C.'s Profile

OK lets get this out of the way, nothing will match the authenticity and price of Eden center. But I HATE driving to Falls Church, especially driving through Seven Corners!

I live and work in Alexandria and Caphe Banh Mi hits the spot when I'm craving authentic Vietnamese Pho and Banh Mi. It's not the absolute best Vietnamese I've had but it's pretty damn solid. The prices aren't bad either, compared to the other restaurants in Old Town. It's about $5 for Banh Mi and $7-9 for Pho. It's nice to have a quality cheap eats spot in Old Town amongst the many fancy/expensive dinner restaurants that dominate Old Town.

Lets face it, indoor malls are dying. With local and niche stores now the trend with retail, gigantic malls and big box anchor stores are suffering. Landmark is just another victim on life support. The only reason you would want to go to this mall is Chic Fil A. Despite the dreadful nature of this dead mall, the Chic Fil A employees are surprisingly enthusiastic. Chic Fil A must pay their employees fairly well or offer great benefits.

Last time I went to Chic Fil A I was approached by a beggar in the food court. I'm not a person to freak out over homeless people but I've never been approached by a homeless person in a mall food court.

The rest of this mall is filled with decent sneaker stores and a bunch of flea market quality stores.

I think the only reason this mall still exists is because it's massive size is a hassle to tear down. What could be possibly built there to fill the big vacancy?

It's not exactly a coffee shop, grocery store, deli, wine bar, or even a restaurant. The best way to describe Society Fair is a more intimate Dean & Deluca, it's pretty much a little bit of everything. My review is from a dining perspective.

I work in Old Town and have passed SF many times before finally trying it. Their good taste in design and curb appeal really drew me here. So last Sunday me and my GF went to SF after church for lunch. 2 sandwiches, 2 chips, and 2 drinks ran me $34, seesh!! While we were waiting for our sandwiches, it was fun to look around the store and view their variety of high end/rare grocery items such as wines, cheeses, spices, olive oils, and deserts.

We finally got our sandwiches and found a seat outside. I had the DMQW and my GF had some turkey sandwich that I forgot the name of. Both sandwiches were high quality, mine looked like homemade pot roast on a bun and the other looked like turkey breast sliced straight off the thanksgiving turkey. There were no cold cuts or pre processed meat or cheese on these sammys. It was probably one of the best quality sandwiches I've had,  BUT I still felt shortchanged. $34 for 2 sandwiches, drinks & chips from a grab n' go deli was a bit overpriced. Maybe if SF were a full fledged restaurant with wait staff, the meal would've been worth the price.

I probably will not come back here to eat a full meal but I'd come back for wine & desert. The atmosphere is nice to socialize with a few friends after lunch or dinner.

WIth the plethora of prefabricated "Town Centers" popping up in every suburban city, Old Town gives you a glimpse at what these "Town Centers" strive to be. A locally sustained getaway with tons of charm and beautiful sights. There are a few chains but majority of Old Town is locally unique. Old Town is a great area for tourists if you're tired of the usual tourist traps of DC. It's easily metro accessible and there's a free trolley that goes up and down King St. So if you have someone in your family that can't walk long distances, Old Town is a great destination.

I love that Old Town is VERY dog friendly. Many stores have water bowls for dogs outside their doors. Also many places allow dogs inside! I walk my dog here at least twice a week because there are so many dog lovers and he loves all the attention. During the summers there are doggy happy hours in Hotel Monaco.

My only big complaint is the lack of Cheap Eats. Most of the restaurants in Old Town are pricey sit down restaurants. The type you would go to impress a date. I work in Old Town and its hard to find a good quality grab and go lunch spot without having to resort to Subway or Chipotle.

As a young 20 something I would personally like to see bit more infusion of youth in Old Town. A few hipper stores besides the many knick knack/antique/furniture stores that cater to baby boomer housewives, a cool bar or two that young locals can hang out at, and of course cheap eats. But if none of those things come to Old Town, I can always hop on the metro to Georgetown, Adams Morgan, and U Street.  At least in Old Town I dont have to watch my back for sketchy folks.

This is the type of place that really benefits from Yelp. It's off the grid away from the usual high trafficked areas in DC, the actual restaurant seems like a converted tiny1 bedroom apt on the 2nd floor, BUT the food is cheap and very good quality.

I decided to go here because I was picking up my girlfriend from work in DC and wanted to hit up a cheap sushi joint since it was lenten Friday. Kotobuki was the highest rated "cheap" DC sushi joint on Yelp so why not? My GPS took me to the correct area but I had to circle the block 3 times to actually spot Kotobuki in a cluster of converted townhouses. There was plenty of street parking and the area wasn't busy so I assumed the place would be empty. As walked up the stairs into the restaurant, the place was packed but luckily 2 people were leaving as we got there so we immediately got a seat. The restaurant was the size of a studio apt so it didn't take much to pack the place.

The rolls were all pretty standard and basic but all under $10. There weren't any exotic $15+ rolls. The sushi itself was very good and fresh. This is a great place if you have a hankering for sushi but dont want to spend a ton.

By the time we left there were people lined up all the way down the stairs waiting for seats.

I love the layout of this park. It's a long and narrow path where you can walk your dog off leash. Most dog parks are just an enclosed square with ALL the dogs in one concentrated area which can often lead to fights and tussles with dogs who aren't as social. I like going to Shirlington to walk Kirby off leash up and down the path. He can interact with a few dogs at a time instead of the WHOLE MOB sniffing his butt at the entrance which often scares him.

Other Amenities:
Stream for dogs to swim (a stream for runoff water, so you may want to rinse your pup after swimming here)
Water stations
Small Dog/Puppy area (very populated unlike other puppy pens with no other small dogs for yours to play with)

The only downside to this park is that your dog will be dirty afterwards. Like most dog parks, grass doesn't last which leaves alot of bare dirt and dust all over the place. I'd love to take Kirby here more often but I live in a small carpeted apartment and can't have him dirtying up the place after running around Shirlington. Luckily there's a DIY dog bath connected to the park in case your dog is way too dirty to take home.

I came here to claim the Scoutmob deal as well. I think it's unfair to expect a Banh Mi sandwich to be better than it's authentic counterpart found in Eden Center for $2.50-$3.75 a sandwich. Being in DC I wasn't expecting Bonmi to be THE REAL DEAL but it was pretty darn close.

The baguette was crusty on the outside but soft and warm on the inside. I've tried other mainstreamed banhmi joints and they usually use B grade baguettes as if they were purchased from Costco. Bonmi has the bread right and it's very comparable to its authentic counterparts.

I had the lemongrass chicken which was flavorful and tender. The veggies were fresh and gave the banhmi it's signature crunch and contrast to the meat. The only Americanized aspect of the sandwich was it's use of spicy mayo instead of patte and jalepeno peppers. The mayo added to the freshness of the veggies.

If I was in DC and had a hankering for Banh Mi I would definetly visit Bonmi again. If you want the REAL Authentic Banh Mi you can drive at least 30 mins to Falls Church but Bonmi cures my craving if I'm inside the beltway.

Burgers lately have adopted a sexiness and fondness beyond being known as the epitome of unhealthiness served by McDonalds and Burger King. Going to Five Guys, Burger Joint, Shake Shack, and In & Out is an experience to brag about to your friends. The Fuddruckers name still seems to be stuck in the 90's when eating a burger was nothing to brag about and you felt quite ashamed for indulging on a fatty burger. It's often overlooked when compared to the sexy cool burgers of Five Guys, Burger Joint, and Shake Shack. BUT the burgers here are EXCELLENT!

I had to go here because I pass by it everyday. It's hard to ignore because the building is HUGE for a Fuddruckers. Most of the Fuddruckers I've known of since the early mid 90's have closed down. I was surprised this one is still open. I decided to try it because on Mondays they used to have special for 1/3 Burger + Fries for $4.88. For me and my girlfriend I paid $10 for a huge burger, fries more like potato wedges, and unlimited toppings. My favorite topping is their fresh salsa which I can eat on its own. The bun is often overlooked but Fuddruckers buns are fresh, soft, and can handle the big meat patty. Five guys buns seem to mysteriously disappear 3/4's into the burger and you find yourself just holding onto meat. I've been here MANY times since.

I only knock it down one star because it's decor and marketing strategy need major updating. This place looks the same as when I went to Fuddruckers 15 years ago as a kid. It has the cheesy decor of a 90's Hard Rock Cafe(remember when collecting these shirts was cool?) with piles of junk hung on every inch of the walls. The inside looks like a house American Pickers would go shopping. With some updated decor and a new marketing strategy, I think Fuddruckers can compete with Five Guys. BUT I'm afraid nothing will be changed and this great burger joint will disappear alongside the other forgotten Fuddruckers.

I tried Shake Shack to see what the hype is all about and I was underwhelmed. You don't get a "bang for your buck" you get "smaller for your dollar." The portions remind me of elementary school lunch. I paid $15 for a burger, shake, and cheese fries. The shake itself was $5 and smaller than a soda can. The fries were crinkle cut, cmon we all know those are frozen! The burger was the same size of a Mcdonalds burger, which is ALOT smaller than commercials portray it to be. For more bang for your buck go to Five Guys

I was excited to see this Dunkin Donuts open because I live nearby BUT I was quickly disappointed by the poor service. The Dunkin Donuts near my work is FAST and efficient even though there are often lines in the morning. This Dunkin Donuts is the complete opposite. They're slow and the cashiers barely speak up. This isn't a sushi restaurant. The owners need to realize that

This Dunkin Donuts location is a good example of what's wrong with many franchises. The franchisor lets anybody with money buy a franchise. The franchisee doesn't care about service or the food, they just hope to strike rich because they now run a nationally known franchise. The owner thinks the name will bring in floods of customers. I've seen this many times with Quizno's and Subways where they're run by a lazy franchise owner who employs family members that take no pride in service.