The list of top contenders for the 2025 RAMMYS Awards is here, and it includes a few nods to the dining scene in Fairfax County, particularly in Tysons.
Among the five finalists for Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year is Ometeo, which was eligible for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington’s (RAMW) annual awards for the first time after opening at Capital One Center (1640 Capital One Drive) in Tysons in December 2023.
Developed by the D.C.-based company Long Shot Hospitality, which won last year’s RAMMY for Restauranteur of the Year, the restaurant offers unique spins on tacos, fajitas and other staples of Tex-Mex cuisine, along with an outdoor bar and late-night music from a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays.
For the 2025 awards, it’s competing with King Street Oyster Bar, Tail Up Goat, Petite Cerise and Amparo Fondita, which can all be found in D.C.
One of the Casual Restaurant of the Year finalists can also be found at Capital One Center: Stellina Pizzeria, whose Tysons location launched at 1610 Capital One Drive on April 30, 2024. The 4,700-square-foot restaurant is the chain’s largest, joining sites in Arlington and D.C.
Other finalists in the category include 2Fifty Texas Barbecue, Tsehay Ethiopian Restaurant And Bar, I Egg You, and The Falls, which opened in Falls Church City’s West Falls development in October 2023 as a rebranding of Liberty Barbecue.
Another D.C.-area pizza chain, Andy’s Pizza, is competing in the Fast Casual Restaurant of the Year category alongside Emma’s Torch, Yellow, La Tejana and Love on the Run at Love Makoto.
Now boasting about a dozen locations across the region, Andy’s Pizza got its start as an anchor of Tysons Galleria’s third-floor food hall in 2018, where it has continued to draw shoppers even as the rest of the space got an overhaul. The business expanded to Fairfax City last year and added its first Arlington site in Ballston earlier this month.
This is the first time that the Fast Casual Restaurant award, previously named Favorite Fast Bites, is being decided by a panel of judges, rather than a public vote. The category is open to quick-serve restaurants, bakeries, delicatessens, coffee shops that serve food, and mobile food vendors.
“Fast casual restaurants are making their mark in the region’s culinary scene, and this change reflects their elevated stature in the industry,” RAMW said in a press release.
The last two Favorite Fast Bites recipients — the Egyptian eatery Fava Pot and Indian chain Rasa — both had locations in Fairfax County, among other areas.
Finally, the Restaurant Manager of the Year finalists include Lorena Reyes of Founding Farmers, which has spots in Tysons (1800 Tysons Blvd) and at Reston Station (1904 Reston Metro Plaza), and Metropolitan Hospitality Group’s Antonio Chavarria, who works as the executive chef at Open Road Grill in Merrifield.
Open Road Grill can also be found in Rosslyn and at Reston Town Center, where Metropolitan Hospitality Group opened its first distillery and the speakeasy-style restaurant Heirloom. Founded in 2005, the company is behind the concepts Trio Grill, Circa and Él Bebe as well.
According to RAMW, the Restaurant Manager award can go to any non-owner manager or general manager at a food service establishment “who displays the highest level of professionalism and leadership.”
“This person must be an inspiration and mentor to all their co-workers displaying outstanding service, an excellent work ethic and a positive image,” the association said.
The 2025 RAMMYS Awards finalists were announced last night (Monday) at a reception with local chefs, restauranteurs and other industry leaders. Four categories — Best Bar, Best Brunch, Hottest Sandwich Spot and Favorite Gathering Place — will be determined by public voting, which will take place from May 1-31.
The winners will be announced on Sunday, Aug. 3 during a gala at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C.
