A new restaurant is taking shape in McLean, one that its owners hope will give local residents a reason to dine in town instead of driving down Route 123 into Tysons.
Described on its Instagram page as an “American neighborhood bistro,” Town will join forces with the recently relocated Moby Dick House of Kabob to revitalize a retail center on Old Dominion Drive left dormant by Café Oggi’s closure in early 2022.
“Our restaurant concept is something similar to like if Patsy’s married Randy’s,” Town’s owner, who asked not to be named, said, referring to Patsy’s American and Randy’s Prime Seafood and Steaks — both Great American Restaurants brands based in Tysons.
A longtime McLean resident whose past culinary ventures have included Greenhouse Bistro in Tysons, the owner told FFXnow that he has been developing the idea for Town for years in response to what he sees as a lack of downtown dining options outside of J. Gilbert’s equally suitable for families taking their kids out to dinner and friends or couples sharing a bottle of wine.
“I have a lot of friends that are like, ‘Everybody wants to go out to dinner.’ They get in their car and go to Tysons Corner, and it drives me nuts,” he said.
The closure of Café Oggi marked the end of a 30-year-old McLean institution, but it also presented an opportunity for Town’s owner and his partners to finally realize their vision.
The small restaurant group took over the property at the corner of Old Dominion and Lowell Avenue and have spent the past few years renovating it. Moby Dick, which was forced out of its previous home by a planned redevelopment, opened in the former Bottega Medici and Lafayette Federal Credit Union storefronts at 6703 Lowell Avenue on Sept. 1.
The buildout of the former Café Oggi space (6671 Old Dominion Drive) has finished, putting Town on track to potentially open in early November after it undergoes required inspections and fixes up the outdoor patio, the owner says.
While a menu hasn’t been released yet, the owner says diners can expect a variety of American staples, including smash burgers, steak, chicken wings, fish and fried chicken.
The restaurant will seat approximately 100 people indoors, with a full, 20-seat bar and room for another 35 people outside. Alcohol licenses allowing beer, wine and mixed drinks to be served are pending, according to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority.
“It’s gonna be the neighborhood place,” the owner said. “That’s what we want to build it as, and it’s kind of the reason I picked the name Town, because I want people to go to town.”
Hat tip to Mike Whatley
