WDG’s Favorite Places to Eat in Clarendon, VA

At WDG, the best part of coming into the office is then leaving midday with your friends from work to fetch a bite to eat. Luckily, we are nestled in the heart of Clarendon/Arlington, VA, which features a thriving restaurant scene that our stomachs are grateful for and fuels all this creativity. There’s a veritable feast of culinary options at our disposal, but here are some featured staff favorites.

The Dining Code: Restaurants in Arlington

Just like world-caliber athletes with specialized diets, our development team is beholden to their own superfoods to maximize cognitive performance. They relish full stacks of everything from tofu to barbeque.

• Dan B: “Four Sisters. Their Banh Mi deserves all kinds of superlatives I can’t even articulate. I always order a minimum of three extras before the pilgrimage back to Baltimore.”
• Rob: “I’d agree with Dan, and I never agree with Dan. Four Sisters is the best. I’ve never been disappointed there, and I get disappointed easily.”
• Kurtis: “Rocklands BBQ for us carnivores and omnivores who prefer hickory-smoked.”
• Avik: “On the day-to-day, Sweetgreen. It’s healthy and more crucially, right at the bottom of our building. Intermittently I’ll do Hanabi Ramen, also close-by with delectable noodle bowl combos. If I’ve exhausted those two, then Citizen Burger for much-needed animal meat.”
• Doug: ” I’m with Avik (which is rare); Hanabi Ramen. To be frank, I was a little skittish around restaurant ramen before, but now I’m fully converted.”

Food in Clarendon: What You See is What We Eat

You’d think our designers would care more about Instagram-worthy plating, but ultimately it’s all about having good taste.

• Alyssa: “The Italian Store. It’s reasonably priced with healthy portions and has an authentic, local vibe. Everyone who works there, from the waiters to the owners, makes you feel at home. There’s even a quaint little market for Italian groceries and wine. #worththedrive”
• Kristina: “Four Sisters.That grilled pork noodle is [emoji]!”

Strategizing the Best Meals

Our strategists are skilled at reading both RFP’s and menus, and are always concerned with the content of their diet.

• Jake: “I’ve got a few. Hanabi Ramen for lots of noodles and ice-cold Kirin. They chill the pint glasses; this is key. Galaxy Hut has tots smothered in cheese with jalapeños and an endless assortment of beer on tap. There’s typically quality movies/music on all the time, and it’s an ideal happy hour spot for small groups. Oby Lee has an unmissable crepe collection and in the summer, the best iced coffee.”
• Lisette: “For cheap(ish) eats — Trader Joe’s because wow, Washington, DC is expensive. But TJ’s is nice to my wallet, and their frozen food section is pretty legit along with their Wonton Soup. For Happy Hour eats, it’s all about Bar Bao. Their bao buns are soft and deliciously flavored, and it’s generally really hushed during lunch hour too. My happy place remains Citizen Burger — the servers are amiable, the burgers great, and the truffle fries heaven.”
• Andrew: “South Block. It provides the twin benefits of being glared at for seeming pretentious and the goodness-delivery-system of the Super Green smoothie. Normal salads are too much work. And El Pollo Rico. You can get half a chicken for ten dollars. It’s dead, but it’s still just ten dollars.”

Our PM’s consistently have the same priorities top of mind. Always keeping a meal within the budgetary scope. Keeping to the timeline as to not overstay at any given restaurant. And the assurance of a quality deliverable on the plate.

• Josh: “Four Sisters has some bomb*ss chicken.”

NOVA Lunch Special Experts

Bronx Pizza : One slice for $2 on Wednesdays. That’s some good math. 

Mexicali Blues: If it’s Tuesday and your wallet is thin, the ‘Big Fat Burro’ (burrito) is just $5.

Four Sisters: The Josh menu secret (PM life hack). Order the following sides: rice, chicken and small salad. A hefty meal for about $8.

Setting the Table

Restaurant Recap:

• Bar Bao
• The Italian Store
• Hanabi Ramen
• Galaxy Hut
• Oby Lee
• Citizen Burger
• Sweetgreen
• Four Sisters
• Rocklands BBQ
• South Block
• El Pollo Rico

Navigate through all our favorites on Google Maps here.

So while the runaway winner is clearly Four Sisters, there’s still nearly every kind of option for every type of person. And like Anthony Bourdain said, no matter your differences, when you break bread (or truffle fries) with someone, you’re going to forge a real connection.

Whether you’re hungry in your career or just straight-up hungry, WDG is one of the best places in Arlington to work (and eat). If you have any comments/suggestions on our choices, or if there’s a greasy spoon gem we missed, tweet us or give us a shout here.