Report: Midwestern steakhouse to make East Coast debut in Tysons

Another steakhouse is staking out a claim in Tysons.

The Iowa-based, family-owned chain 801 Chophouse has leased space in the Westpark Corporate Center (8484 Westpark Drive) that was vacated a few years ago by McCormick & Schmick’s, the Washington Business Journal reported yesterday.

This will be the first East Coast location for the business, which originated in Des Moines in 1993 and has since added six more sites, all in the Midwest. 801 Restaurant Group also owns an upscale seafood restaurant called 801 Fish and the American eatery and cocktail bar 801 Local.

At 12,500 square feet, the Tysons Chophouse will be the brand’s biggest restaurant yet, 801 Restaurant Group Executive Managing Member Jamie Lynch told the WBJ.

“We are very excited to venture out in the Tysons area,” Lynch said. “I think it’s an exceptional growth opportunity for the restaurant group to stand up the 801 Chophouse’s biggest location, and the newest, in the D.C. market. We need to earn our stripes, get out there, be humble and put together a collection of people and just try to get better every day.”

801 Restaurant Group didn’t immediately return FFXnow’s request for comment, so here’s more from the WBJ on the company’s existing ties to the Tysons area:

Lynch runs the business with his father, restaurateur Jimmy Lynch, who hails from Greater Washington. Jimmy Lynch and his wife grew up in the McLean area. Jamie Lynch was born in D.C. on the Fourth of July, and as he tells it, there’s a political connection between the first 801 Chophouse in Des Moines and the D.C. region.

Des Moines has long been host to the first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses, for both the Democrats and the Republicans, though the Democrats have recently floated the idea of moving their kickoff to another place. Regardless, the Des Moines 801 Chophouse has hosted more than a few presidential aspirants over the years, and the restaurant features its own private space called the Caucus Room. The restaurant’s appeal extends beyond politics, however.

“801 Chophouse is, hopefully, a timeless and quintessential steakhouse, with some contemporary elements to it,” Lynch said. The restaurant boasts a deep inventory of meats, wines, spirits, and fresh fish, brought to the table by servers wearing green coats. It seeks to foster a celebratory air without feeling stuffy, snooty or snobby. “It’s first class in terms of the commitment we have to being a true steakhouse.”

According to its website, Chophouse has an “in-house meat program” that serves “only aged USDA prime cuts, wet and dry-aged products and select Japanese and domestic Wagyu beef.”

Non-steak offerings include a “fresh sheet” with seafood and seasonal vegetables and fruit, desserts made in-house, and wine and cocktails.

Per the WBJ, an opening for the Tysons location isn’t anticipated until late fall 2023, but if successful, the restaurant could pave the way for a broader expansion in the D.C. area, potentially including introductions of 801 Fish and 801 Local.