Best Bites in the Burbs: 22 Local Dishes to Savor

It’s time to shake up your D.C. dining routine. Get out to Maryland and Virginia to get a taste of what’s cooking beyond the city limits. Trust us: These dishes are well worth the drive.

Beef tofu stew at Lighthouse Tofu in Annandale
Arriving at the table still bubbling, trailing wisps of steam, you must wait a moment before plunging into this spice-laced stew that revivifies in myriad ways. 4121 Chatelain Rd. Annandale, VA; lighthousetofu.com 

Birria de res quesotacos at Little Miner Taco in Brentwood
You may have drooled over these gloriously gluttonous tacos on Instagram. Don’t worry, they live up to the hype IRL, full of slow-braised beef and melted jack cheese, with beef consommé on the side for dunking. 4308 Rhode Island Ave. Brentwood, MD; littleminertaco.com // @littleminertaco 

Breakfast sandwich at Sunday Morning Bakehouse in North Bethesda
On those mornings you want to be a glutton, order this. The soft, buttery brioche bun cradles a rich combination of bacon, scrambled eggs, melted Swiss and aioli. 11869 Grand Park Ave. North Bethesda, MD; sundaymorningbakehouse.com // @sundaymorningbakehouse

The Brooklyner at Stracci Pizza in Alexandria
This rectangular Roman-style pizza boasts a crispy, featherweight crust and a fusillade of toppings, including pepperoni, sausage, stracciatella, ricotta, Calabrian chili and a squiggle of honey. 106 Hume Ave. Alexandria, VA; straccipizza.com // @straccipizza

Butter bread at Manoa Bakery Café in Annandale
Similar to Japanese milk bread, these plump, airy loaves are best used for making French toast, grilled cheese sandwiches and bread pudding. Or you can simply toast a slice to revel in its delicate richness. 7326A Little River Turnpike Annandale, VA; manoabakerycafe.com // @manoabakery

The Crispwich at The Girl & The Vine in Takoma Park
This stellar sandwich is packed with smoked turkey, avocado, pepper jack cheese, bacon and dijonnaise. As if that wasn’t enough, a fistful of kettle chips are sprinkled into the center, adding a surprising crunch factor. 7071 Carroll Ave. Takoma Park, MD; the-girl-the-vine.square.site // @thegirlandthevinetp 

Croque Madame at Parc de Ville in Fairfax
A sunny side up egg sits atop a cloak of melted gruyère. Pop the yolk as you cut in to reveal gentle folds of ham lavished with bechamel sauce boasting just enough nutmeg. 8296 Glass Alley Fairfax, VA; parcdeville.com // @parcdevilleva 

Dan dan noodles at A&J in Rockville
A tangle of long, flat noodles — reminiscent of fettuccine — come topped with rich peanut buttery sauce and a scattering of cracked peanuts. Drizzle on some vibrantly red chili oil to create a spicy-savory-nutty bite that’s unforgettable. 1319 Rockville Pike #C, Rockville, MD; aandjrestaurant.com // @ajrestaurant

Dan dan noodles at A&J. Photo courtesy of location.

Everything Pop-Tart at Northside Social in Arlington
This ain’t the Pop-Tart of your childhood — and that’s a good thing. Speckled with everything seasoning, the flakey rectangle hides a slather of cream cheese. 3211 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA; northsidesocialva.com // @northsidesocial

Kalbas sandwich at Yekta Kabob Counter in Rockville
Tender pink folds of garlic-peppered, pistachio-studded mortadella are the stars of this memorable sandwich filled out with juicy tomatoes, pickles and ruffled sprigs of parsley. 1488 Rockville Pike Rockville, MD; yektamarket.com // @yekta_kabobi_market

Kao soi at Esaan in McLean
A chicken leg lurks in a bowl of well-spiced coconut curry filled out with a bird’s nest of egg noodles, half-moons of red onion and lemon wedges for a hit of acid. 1307 Old Chain Bridge Rd. McLean, VA; esaanmclean.com // @esaantumbar

Lebanese Bride manoushe at Z&Z Manoushe Bakery in Rockville
Though it’s comparable to pizza and pita, manoushe is its own deal. This grilled flatbread comes coronated with tangy house-made labneh, za’atar, tomato, cucumber and mint. 1111 Nelson St. Rockville, MD; zandzdc.com // @zandzdc 

Marinara rustica pizza at Inferno Pizzeria Napoletana in Darnestown
The mainstay round comes simply topped with crushed tomatoes, roasted garlic, a sprinkle of parmesan and fresh basil, though pros know to take it up a notch with a few extra toppings, like ’nduja, ricotta and Calabrian chiles. 12207 Darnestown Rd. Darnestown, MD; inferno-pizzeria.com // @pizzeriainferno

Naem khao thadaeu at Padaek in Falls Church
Start meals with this DIY lettuce wrap set up where you furl together crispy coconut rice, sour pork, peanuts and all sorts of bright, beautiful herbs. 6395 Seven Corners Ctr. Falls Church, VA; padaekdc.com // @padaekdc

Napoli sub at the Italian Store in Arlington
You can’t go wrong with any sandwich here, but we’re partial to this spicy sub jammed full of pepperoni, capicola ham and mozzarella. 5837 Washington Blvd. + 3123 Lee Hwy. Arlington, VA; italianstore.com // @theitalianstore

Peking duck at Lao Sze Chuan in North Bethesda
First you receive petite squares of crispy duck skin on turbinado sugar, a bite so indulgent it feels like dessert. Ten minutes later, the rest of the duck arrives with all the fixins, so you can roll up the tender meat with plum sauce, cucumbers and pickled daikon in still-steaming, diaphanous pancakes. 20 Paseo Dr. North Bethesda, MD; laoszechuandmv.com // @laoszechuan_dmv

Premium combo at Honey Pig BBQ in Annandale
Get a group together to tackle this epic meaty spread, featuring kalbi beef rib, pork belly, shrimp, octopus and so much more. Despite your best efforts, you’ll probably still have leftovers to savor when you get home. 7220-C Columbia Pike Annandale, VA; honeypigbbq.com // @honeypigbbq

Taiwanese chicken at Jumbo Jumbo in Rockville
Betcha can’t eat just one. Tossed in five-spice and golden-fried, these popcorn chicken bites packed with tender, juicy meat are irresistible. 15192 Frederick Rd. Rockville, MD; jumbojumbocafe.com 

Torta asada at Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita in Arlington
This ’wich is a beast. French bread is split open and packed with New York steak complemented by avocados, tomatoes, cheese and pickled chilies. 2911 Columbia Pike Arlington, VA; tortasytacoslachiquita.com // @ttlachiquita2911

Veggie combo platter at Beteseb in Silver Spring
Spread out on a swathe of tangy injera bread are dollops of misir wot (stewed red lentils), kik alicha (split pea stew), atakilt wot (spiced cabbage), ye gomen wot (simmered collard greens), and shiro wot (chickpea stew). A meal that’s as filling as it is flavorful. 8201 Georgia Ave. Silver Spring, MD;
betesebrestaurant.com // @beteseb1

Deep-fried whole flounder at Ruan Thai in Wheaton
Awash in lard prik sauce made with fistfuls of aromatic Thai basil, the fish’s golden skin crackles when you dive in for the tender meat beneath, using the sticky rice on the side as your utensil. 11407 Amherst Ave. Wheaton, MD; ruanthaiwheaton.com // @ruan_thai_

Nevin Martell

Nevin Martell is a D.C.-area based food and travel writer, parenting essayist, recipe developer, and photographer who has been published by The Washington Post, The New York Times, USA Today, Saveur, Men’s Journal, National Geographic, Fortune, Travel + Leisure, Runner’s World, Michelin Guide, Plate, DCist, Washington City Paper, and many other publications. He is the author of eight books, including Red Truck Bakery Cookbook: Gold-Standard Recipes from America’s Favorite Rural Bakery, The Founding Farmers Cookbook: 100 Recipes for True Food & Drink, It’s So Good: 100 Real Food Recipes for Kids, the travelogue-memoir Freak Show Without a Tent: Swimming with Piranhas, Getting Stoned in Fiji and Other Family Vacations, and the small-press smash Looking for Calvin and Hobbes: The Unconventional Story of Bill Watterson and His Revolutionary Comic Strip. He has appeared on The Frommer’s Travel Show, The Kojo Nnamdi Show, the Chatter on Books podcast, and elsewhere. Additionally, he is the co-founder of the highly successful New Kitchens On The Block event series and the internationally acclaimed Pay It Furloughed initiative. Last, but definitely not least, he is a proud poppa and husband. Find him on Instagram and Twitter @nevinmartell.