Fairfax County had a strong showing in this year’s round-up of the 50 Best Restaurants in the region by Northern Virginia Magazine.
Unveiled in full at noon today (Wednesday), the annual tribute to Northern Virginia’s top dining establishments features a total of 24 eateries in Fairfax, including five that made the ranked top 10 released last Friday (Oct. 16) and seven that are making their first-ever appearances on the list.
Fairfax County police are investigating a series of potentially connected burglaries targeting mostly fast-casual chain restaurants, dating back to July.
The first burglary was reported on July 13 at 8:05 a.m., drawing officers to a Taco Bamba in Springfield’s Backlick Shopping Center (6691-A Backlick Road).
There has been some upheaval at the top of Northern Virginia Magazine’s annual ranking of the region’s best restaurants, but Fairfax County and Fairfax City remained dominant with five spots among the top 10.
After placing first or second for each of the past five years, including a no. 1 finish in 2025, Executive Chef Bertrand Chemel’s 2941 in the Fairview Park area of West Falls Church slipped to no. 7 in the 2026 Top 10 Best Restaurants list released today (Friday) by the magazine.
Northern Virginia remains a hot spot for Asian cuisine, judging by the five local establishments that found spots on the Washington Post’s annual ranking of the top 40 restaurants in the D.C. region.
Released yesterday (Wednesday), the 2026 list is the first compiled by new food critic Elazar Sontag, who took over the position in November 2025 following the retirement of longtime reviewer Tom Sietsema.
Fairfax County is planning to streamline its restaurant permitting process and improve communications to support small businesses.
The county recently conducted a study of its permitting process, covering the time from when restaurants submit building plans to their opening day to identify areas the process is slow or could be improved. The results were presented to the Board of Supervisors’ audit committee on Oct. 6.
An annual fundraiser that encourages diners to indulge their sweet tooth in the name of supporting breast cancer research will return to Northern Virginia this Friday (Oct. 16).
Four eateries in Fairfax County are participating in this year’s Bakes for Breast Cancer campaign, which asks restaurants, cafes, bakeries, grocery stores and other businesses to donate proceeds from their dessert sales to fund research and treatment of the disease.
True Food Kitchen has permanently closed its Reston Town Center location after more than five years in business.
The health food chain announced yesterday (Monday) that it has filed for bankruptcy to kick off a restructuring process that involved shuttering 12 restaurants, including ones in Reston and Bethesda. The affected locations had their final day of service on Sunday (Oct. 4).
A Chantilly-based dessert store is expanding its offerings with the launch of a new battery-powered gelato cart that it hopes to operate at weddings, corporate gatherings, and other events.
SoftSpot, which opened at 13905A Metrotech Drive in early 2025, will churn its fresh Italian-style gelato in front of guests in the self-contained cart — without the need for outlets or cords.
A longstanding staple at the South Lakes Village Shopping Center in Reston is saying farewell at the end of September.
Lakeside Asia Cafe (11130 South Lakes Dr J) will close after its last day of business on Wednesday, Sept. 30, according to notices posted outside the restaurant and on its website.
A doner kebab chain with more than 170 locations across the globe is opening its first Virginia restaurant in Fairfax County this weekend.
German Doner Kebab (GDK) will host its grand opening celebration at 11 a.m. Oct. 3 in Idylwood just outside Falls Church City (7121b Leesburg Pike Ste R2), the restaurant recently announced via a social media post.
