District Taco

Curb Appeal/Location: Stewart Bean

Being an actual resident of the District of Columbia, I found it very misleading and discomforting that "District Taco" was in fact not in the District, but Arlington. I understand if the original restaurant started in the District, and because of its popularity sprawled into NOVA like the rest of middle class America, but this simply isn't the case. Thurbs down on location.

Like most places on Lee Highway, "curb appeal" doesn't really apply to this place. The word appeal means there is a level of attractiveness or allure to the physical structure of the building. Pretty much your standard rectangular building, glass front, and neon glowing sign. On a positive note, unlike the District, there was ample parking and no wait.

Rating: 2.0 Thurbs

Food and Beverage: Brian

Before dining at District Taco, I had heard tales of the food cart that travels around the DC metro area. Reasonably priced, authentic Mexican food is the name of the game. For starters, District Taco offers many more food choices than their namesake implies, but they still keep it pretty basic as far as Mexican food goes. Tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, and homemade guac are some of their specialties. Notably, they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner which I found quite impressive. Brian had the breakfast burrito, Stew a barbacoa burrito, Tommy a spicy chicken burrito, and Bumpy a steak burrito. We also enjoyed the homemade guacamole, and no lie, it’s homemade. The proof is in the pudding.

For those of you thinking “Chipotle Burrito” when I use that term, District Taco offers a more authentic version. Burritos are served on plates doused in sauce, covered in melted cheese and served with lettuce and tomato on the side. These are more like the burritos you would receive at an actual Mexican restaurant. I can confidently say we were all impressed and pleased with our orders. Our huge, overstuffed burrito dishes arrived reasonably quickly and piping hot. They also offered an extensive self serve bar of salsas to supplement your food. To drink, I believe we all had water. However, they do have a Boylan’s fountain featuring their full line of pure cane sugar sodas. One downside to the District Taco menu would be there lack of hard tacos. Sorry, folks. They only serve soft. Also, using plasticware to try and tackle these dishes can be quite a feat.

Rating: 3.25 Thurbs

Ambience/Entertainment: Bumpy

My past has included a couple of short travels to Spanish speaking countries and though I did not expect the ambiance of District Taco to recreate similar emotions; I did still maintain some low lying standards of Hispanic authenticity. District Taco met none of those expectations. It was likely somewhere in between the mystic, yet relaxing music playing in the restaurant that you might also expect to hear during a massage and my Hispanic cashier who couldn’t tell me what the word Orale! on his District Taco t-shirt meant that my dreams were dashed.

The restaurant was filled with families enjoying the diverse Falls Church culture, which was nice. I also appreciated the brother of the owner stopping by our table to ensure the food was up to par. However, if you’re looking for the ethnic roots of the menu to match the atmosphere of the restaurant look elsewhere.

Rating: 2.0 Thurbs

Service/Cost: Tommy

The entrance to District Taco is a little on the confusing side, with 2 doors that don't lend themselves to easy entrance or exit. The entrance, especially with all of the people coming in and out, was a little bit crowded as we tried to let people past while we waited inside for the Guest of Honor to get there. The cost of all menu items is pretty much normal/reasonable for decent Mexican food. I got a burrito mojado (spicy, apparently), and it was about $6-7, split some chips and guac with Stew and the gang for $5, and a Boylan's soda was about $2. For around $10-12, this was a really good meal and pretty much the same price as something like a Chipotle but with a different flavor and better guac.

At one point the manager/owner came out to ask how the food was and if we enjoyed everything. Obviously for a new restaurant, the management is going to be a little bit more hands-on to ensure a growing base of patrons, but on a very busy night in the restaurant, it was a nice touch to show that there was genuine interest in how people were enjoying their food and what they thought of the restaurant. Always good to see that the managers understand that people don't just come to a restaurant because of the food. Nothing amazing on the cost side, but really good service, fast and friendly.

Rating: 3.5 Thurbs

Overall Rating: 2.6875 Thurbs

This Week's Guest of Honor

The winner of this week's Guest of Honor Lottery is none other than Mr. Stewart Bean! Mr. Bean's enthusiasm, zest for life, and ability to get selected by a random number generator has earned him a spot at the table for this week's Blog Dinner. While we're on the topic, there has been some confusion about how the Guest of Honor (GOH) is selected each week. Upon entering the lottery, the entering person's name is added to a spreadsheet; 2 days before the dinner, a name is selected using a random number generator and that number determines which person is selected as the GOH. "But why don't you just do it by who you want to go with?!" complain only girls (apparently guys are just fine with randomness, or don't express their feelings). In this way, we remove all emotion from the decision and everyone gets a completely fair shot. So rather than complain about how we don't use a subjective system, consider this: what if you're not as cool as option B? What if we haven't seen option C in a long time and want to catch up? What if option D is a really cute single girl (and yes we know you think you're cute, but what about compared to all of your friends who have entered?)? As you can see, this is the best method. It's science. Without further ado, Stew, here is your completely random photoshopped photo for winning the lottery this week. Love, Thurber.

Four Sisters Vietnamese

Welcome back everyone! It's been a long hiatus, but we're back and about the same quality as before! We've gone through some roommate changes, differences in scheduling, and general apathy, but we're getting back on track and looking forward to reviewing more restaurants in the Falls Church/Arlington area. That said, we are very rusty, as evidenced by this first pick, which was far from the usual Thurber Party venue:



Full Picture Set Coming Soon!

Curb Appeal/Location: Bumpy (apparently it had been so long for Bumpy that he had forgotten the difference between Curb Appeal and Ambience...don't worry people, we'll get better)
The Vietnamese sisters restaurant was likely one of the nicer establishments that I have visited for blog dinner during my short tenure with the gang. The restaurant was a bit nicer than the other restaurants that we normally associate with. Actually, the decor led us to believe that we had made a mistake in selecting a restaurant that seemed a bit out of our league. The restaurant was filled with nice tables donning a rich wooden stain dimly lit by elegant ceiling lights. However, the largest contributor to the classy ambiance of the restaurant was the bathrooms. Any restaurant reviewer knows that the bathrooms are a fail safe method of determining how nice the restaurant is. These bathrooms were impeccably clean and spacious with plenty of privacy. The Vietnamese sisters menu was quite large, but just in case it didn't suit your palette, there was a Chipotle and Noodles and Co. nearby.
Rating: 4 Thurbs



Food and Beverage: Tommy
We knew that we were pretty far off the reservation when we saw the size of the menu at 4 Sisters. I commented that it was roughly the equivalent of a Vietnamese Cheesecake Factory. The menu listed everything from spring rolls to dishes of chicken, pork, beef, and fish, and in all different preparations. To be fair, none of us could accurately describe the difference between fares of the major Southeastern Asian countries, but many of the items that you could find in Thai, Malaysian, Indonesian, and some Chinese restaurants could be found here as well, sometimes in slightly modified versions.

I got spring rolls with spiced pork and shrimp with peanut sauce, which Andrea and I both agreed were very good. Andrea had a curry chicken with coconut milk and spicy sauce, Bumpy and I had a carmelized pork with black pepper cooked in a clay pot, Brian got a grilled black pepper beef served over watercress, tomatoes (the only slightly off part of the whole meal, these were very, very pale green, almost white), onions, and lime dip , and Paul selected the chicken sauteed with mixed vegetables. If you just drooled on your keyboard, that is the correct response. The food was fantastic, so much so that we really felt bad that we had gone there.

Usually this blog is about going to locations that are off the beaten path and finding a diamond in the rough. This time, however, we felt like we went to a place that was used to cooking everything just right. Just the right amount of seasoning, served at the correct temperature, and quickly. As soon as I saw my plate, I knew it was going to be awesome, and it was. Paul got a whole pot of jasmine tea for $0.50. I know tea is very simple, but $0.50? BP got a Vietnamese beer ("33") and declared it to be a good competitor for MGD (and will probably purchase this shirt later). If you want mystery, don't go here. If you want some outstanding food and to get exactly what you order, prepared how you want it (which, let's be honest, is kind of the ideal goal for almost all restaurants that don't involve a small blog's participants), you need to go here.
Rating: 4 Thurbs



Ambience/Entertainment: Brian

As Tommy first described the location of 4 Sisters Vietnamese, I thought, “yeah, located behind some office buildings, kind of obscure…this could be good.” However, I would soon find this establishment to be much classier than many of our previous ventures. First indicator this place was legit: tons of people sitting at nicely organized booths and tables. Additionally, matching places settings and furniture was strange to us.

You might call 4 Sisters a “normal, well-run restaurant.” Music played while we ate that was neither too loud nor soft. This allowed for casual conversation, but we were subject to being drowned out by the women’s book club/all girls’ dinner party next to us. Native artwork adorned the walls and even a picture of the 4 sisters themselves! We did have a birthday the next table over, so we halfheartedly sang to our unknown friends as a cupcake with a single candle made its way to their table. Sorry readers, no impromptu karaoke hours, club scene, or wedding receptions as you have come to expect. Never fear, we have a highly selective list of future restaurants that are sure to make up for the lack of crazy this go ‘round.
Rating: 3 Thurbs

Guest of Honor: Andrea Docos
Go Big or Go Home. That should be the motto for the Gentlemen of James Thurber Court. The new season of “Thurber: Party of Four” kicked it up a notch last week when the restaurant of choice turned out to be better than all of their former dining experiences combined – and also proved to have made its way onto the “Top 100 Restaurants in the Washington DC Metro area” list…. Imagine my delight at being the lucky lady that got to partake! (I’m still speechless people.) Upon selecting Four Sisters in Falls Church, we were excited at the thought of this place being the quintessential Thurb spot when we heard it was located on the backside of a commercial district quite close to the theater formally known as “Murder-plex”. But whatever preconceived notions we had were quickly shattered. Let me paint a picture for you: As you round the corner from the parking garage, you are greeted by the yellow glow of an illuminated corner locale. A revolving door beckons you into the eatery where the warm aroma of fresh seafood teases your senses…

We were seated and served faster than you can say “classy joint”, and proceeded to put aside our chopsticks and shovel like any decent American would do to demonstrate their approval of a particularly fabulous dish.

Now don’t let the cloth napkins and fancy table cloth fool you, this fancy-shmantzi establishment still proved to have the potential for a rip-roaring good time: Where Happy Birthday could (and would) be sung out loud by a group of patrons, as well as be the choice gathering spot for a group of middle aged women/book clubbers/maybe a wedding party? (The jury is still out.) And as if it wasn’t family oriented enough, a large framed school photo of four little girls left you wondering, “Could those be the Four Sisters?”…

Overall, the flavors were intense and the sauces were light which meant that the “I’m sickeningly full” food coma never came. We all just left smiling and snickering over the fact that Four Sisters turned out to be quite a delight. I give it 3.75 Thurbs.

Four Sisters Vietnamese Restaurant
Overall Rating: 3.6875 Thurbs

Tuscany Grapes Cafe

For more pictures of our Tuscany Grapes experience click here

Also check out the Tuscany Grapes website - it's the next best thing to actually being there!

Curb Appeal & Location: Brian R.

This particular phrase can be heard in many scenes and settings. You could probably find it somewhere at a wedding or maybe it comes out in a long overdue conversation with an old friend. Whoever it may be is probably going on about their husband or wife and finally gets to the part where they affirm that he/she is “their better half”. We have all heard the saying and sometimes it’s heartfelt, but other times it’s more than apparent that the claim is false and the speaker clearly believes they are actually the better half by a long shot. Well, Tuscany Grapes, our most recent dinner venture, was definitely the better half... of 7-11. Other businesses attached to 7-11’s? Laundromats, Check Cashing establishments, Bail Bonds and crime scenes.

If your going to eat here you should probably just look for the 7-11, but to be a bit more specific Tuscany Grapes was off of Lee Highway on Rogers Road. The less than classy low-lit lot was garnished with a pulsing “OPEN” sign that left us all second-guessing whether or not the sign was actually telling the truth, but the door opened and we found that the establishment was open. Other outside décor included a white board held by steel cables and bolted into the building that advertised the name of the establishment. Really nothing else worth mentioning as far as curb appeal goes.

Rating: 2 Thurbs

Food & Beverage: Brian P.

I first noticed Tuscany Grapes Café as I traveled down Lee Highway in Tommy’s car last week. Perpendicularly attached to a 7 Eleven, it may not be the first place one looks for fine Mediterranean cuisine. Intrigued by the name and online menu, the Thurber party ventured inside this restaurant/hookah bar Monday night with somewhat high hopes. In all honesty, our group was eager to forget the disappointment of Victor’s Grill weeks before. Prior to our trip, we had the luxury of perusing a rather extensive menu on the Tuscany Grapes website. Boasting such dishes as Baba Ghanouge, Kibbi, Fatoush, and Khyar B’Laban, Tuscany Grapes certainly appeared to be an establishment steeped in authenticity. To our amazement and delight, Tuscany Grapes Café delivered!

Our rather eccentric and talkative waiter took our order and delivered a variety of well-prepared Mediterranean foods. I had the chicken kabob and hummus (to compare to Lahori Kabob,) Matt ordered falafel, Tommy enjoyed a massive ricotta/pepperoni calzone, and Brobinson had a chicken parmesan sub. Three waters and a Diet Coke were the beverages for the evening. Unfortunately, these drinks were delivered in bottle or can only preventing free refills. We sipped conservatively. To cap off the evening, Tommy, Matt and Brobinson enjoyed Strawberry Al Fakher served in one of the tallest hookah’s I’ve ever seen. Yet another crowd pleaser. I’m trying to quit.

Although we didn’t try some of the more exotic choices mentioned above, I can confidently say everyone enjoyed their meals and we will return. I also believe we Thurberites did a fine job of sampling a diverse array of what Tuscany Grapes Café has to offer. Hopefully, dear readers, you can carve out some time to make a trip right off Lee Highway on Rogers Road and visit this restaurant. It is sure to please.

Rating: 3.25 Thurbs

Service & Cost: Tommy

The entrance to Tuscany Grapes is where I would’ve designed it, had I the unfortunate luck of opening my business on “opposite day.” Although there is no sign welcoming you through the door of my preference, there were also no tables blocking entry. When I got about 10 feet away, I could see the other guys already inside, watching to see if I made the same blunder I assume they already had. As I walked inside, a very cordial man greeted me (turns out he owns the restaurant). Both the manager (who doubled as a waiter) and the owner were very friendly and made small talk with us about sports, current events, and the occasional borderline-inappropriate joke. Although I can’t give TG an excellent rating for cost since they had no soda fountain, gave only cans of soda and bottles of water (with no refills, obviously), it was a very fair price for the food itself. All in all, if you’re looking for a place that has no qualms about being the place you grab a pizza and eat it in the restaurant at 3am, Tuscany Grapes is worth a try. Completely unassuming, and I don’t think anything would’ve rattled these guys. I wanted to test my theory by laying down on a table and eating my calzone with my hands, but I didn’t want to push the limits of their generosity.

Rating: 3.0 Thurbs

Ambiance & Entertainment: Matt

How can I possibly explain what it feels like to spend a Monday evening at Tuscany Grapes? Have you ever had a weekend night where you’ve gone with someone you know over to a random dude’s apartment that you don’t really know and found yourself in the company of a bunch of other random dudes that all seem slightly sketchy but also very friendly and everyone is just lounging around, watching TV, making a few jokes, being slightly inappropriate, acting like you’re all good friends and then leaving at the end of that night never to see any of those people ever again. Maybe that’s not a scenario everyone can relate to, but I had a sense of déjà vu the whole night at Tuscany Grapes about that very type of thing. I think that says something about their friendliness and hospitality of the restaurant staff and patrons. It also says something about the disheveled Mediterranean living room décor at Tuscany Grapes, complete with flat screen TV on the wall, hookahs and ashtrays on the tables and several people hunched over laptops while checking up on their Myspace pages in the middle of the dining room. It also says something about that fact that the whole social situation that developed there was all just a little bizarre. Thirty minutes into our meal we were watching Monday Night Football with the owner, manager and cook as well as three other random customers stopping in for who knows what. Somewhere along the way it switched from eating dinner at a restaurant to hanging out with all these random dudes watching football. All of that makes for a fun time but also a bit of a surreal dining experience.

Rating: 2.5 Thurbs

Tuscany Grapes

Overall Rating: 2.7 Thurbs

Remember to enter the Thurber Party of 4 Lottery at the bottom of this page for your chance to join us as the next Guest of Honor! And if you think we might not have your contact information (i.e. we've never met you before), please remember to include an email address with your Lottery entry. Love, TP4

Victor's Grill II

To view the entire Victor's Grill II photo collection click here

Also check out the Victor's website - including YouTube videos!

Location & Curb Appeal: Brian P.

Although lacking any aesthetic appeal to random passersby, Tommy’s Acura found physical curb appeal as his bumper scraped against it upon our arrival at Victor’s Grill II. Located on Lee Highway (see map) in the same shopping strip as El Tio and not far from Bubba’s, the Thurber party found themselves repeat victims of the all-too-familiar Salvadorean/Argentinian combo. The only thing to attract hungry locals is a large, red, neon sign amidst other neon signs in the same strip of stores. If memory serves me correctly, a dry cleaners and some other “tienda” are Victor’s neighbors. However, it gets tough to keep track of these restaurants that have the uncanny ability to offer identical fare. Sorry, readers, not much to report on the obscurity of Victor’s. Perhaps the name of the restaurant is somewhat strange. We have also discovered, as many of these South American restaurants go, there is a common necessity to include some sort of dance floor no matter how small or large the space. Additionally, karaoke must be offered at least 3 nights a week.

Rating: 2 Thurbs

Food & Beverage: Tommy

While trying to decide on what restaurant to go to, I selfishly suggested Victor’s Grill in the hopes that we would avoid a place with bad food. Now normally I’m not a believer in karma, but in this case I would be willing to entertain the idea of it. How else can you explain picking a restaurant with the title of “Grill”, in hopes of avoiding another blasé El Salvadorian restaurant, only to find that Victor’s “Grill” is actually just what you were hoping to avoid?

To be fair, the fried steak sandwich may not be their specialty, but if you want me to try your specialty, you can’t make it $28. This isn’t Ruth’s Chris Churrascaria. As such, I was relegated to the C-list of Victor’s menu (a hilarious menu, I might add). I can only assume that this menu was not done in MS Word, as the amount of red highlighting would’ve been impossible to miss or continue without spell-checking. As such, they had “chucks” of beef, both “Johnnie Walker” and “Jhonnie Walker”, as well as literally probably 30 other typos.

I chose the Milanese, or lightly fried steak sandwich. In a meat house, we knew Matt was going to have a rough time, and he opted for the salad and cheese/rice, which actually looked just like grits. Brobinson got the steak and cheese, or as I like to call it, “the poor man’s Milanese.” BP stepped out on this one, and flexed his gustatory muscles. He stepped up and ordered the Pique Macho, and macho it was. Chucks[sic] of beef, hot dogs (what?), tomatoes, and hot peppers, all arranged in a circle on the plate. I don’t even know what to say about this dish…you just read the description so you probably are thinking the same things I was. I have to give him credit, BP chose this dish on his own, it was not a blind “point at the menu and pick” type of deal. All in all, none of us could bring ourselves to pay Fogo de Chao prices in a Denny’s-like restaurant, so we may never know the true quality of Victor’s.

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Service & Cost: Matt

I left “Victor’s Grill II: The Churrascaria” (what it would be called if it were a movie sequel) with one thought weighing heavily on my mind – “How did I end up spending so much money on food like that? I can’t believe this has happened again.” Here’s the full list of what I ate at Victors: rice, cheese and salad. Now here’s the full price that I paid: $12. How/why is this possible?! Even my meat-eating cohorts suffered an inordinate blow to their pocketbooks at Victor’s, paying sizable amounts of money for food that didn’t quite measure up. Of course, I often get the feeling that we’re not ordering the best items on the menu at some of these places we visit and therefore are not experiencing the best of what they have to offer. But then again, at Victor’s, those “top notch” things cost $20, which is a lot of throw down if you don’t entirely trust the place from the very moment you walk in.

Victor’s II also seems to be scraping for any source of revenue that they can possibly muster up. For example, if you ordered more food than you can eat, you can have one to-go box for free, but any additional Styrofoam boxes will cost you 99 cents. At the register, they looked to be selling greeting cards and a few other knick knacks that might appeal to the occasional impulse buyer. Want a refill on that soft drink? Sure, as long as that means buying a whole new drink at full price. There was even a very ambiguous disclaimer written on the menu that said, “Prices may be changed without prior notice.” As in, after you receive the check? I guess their financial motto at Victor’s is “whatever it takes.” I’m just thankful our forks and spoons and the table we ate at were included with the cost of our meal.

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Ambiance & Entertainment: Brian R.

The name Victor’s Grill was deceiving at best. What was by day a sparsely frequented restaurant turns popular dance club by night. Well, no I wasn’t there last Friday night, but judging from the disco ball and speakers on the wall it definitely has potential. I’m not saying you should cancel your weekend plans and expect to find Ricky Martin electrifying the dance floor, but the owner definitely did not skimp on TV’s or speakers. Nor is he looking to have any of those stolen, given they are being watched by six security cameras throughout the dining room.

Don’t let me raise your anticipation too much though. Just to wet your palette with a small example of Victor’s interior decorating efforts, our table was located perpendicular to a picture (see above) seemingly meant to be a 4x6, but transformed into a poster with stretched pixels of what most likely used to be a pig roasting on a fire with John Wayne looking on in the background. The bar, on the other hand, seemed like the only remnant of what used to be a five star restaurant. As for the rest? There wasn’t.

Potential for a romantic date? Not here.

Rating: 1 Thurb

Victor's Grill II

Overall Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Guest of Honor Review: David Garber

Victor's Grill, Roman Numeral 2, was among the most lackluster culinary experiences of my adult life. Imagine it with me: it's a "park in front" type of restaurant, which is never my first choice (something about the too-often characteristic charmlessness of worn out strip malls...), and is flanked by used car dealerships and a mega-graveyard. Inside is the church basement glare of fluorescent lights, two or three employees scurrying around the two (of thirty) occupied tables, and ivory-iridescent floral-theme wallpaper suited more for an unrenovated family dentistry lobby than anyplace I'd enthusiastically choose to eat. White floor, white walls, no less than 12 security cameras, and one lonely, silver (but glimmering with the metalic blink of every color in the South American meat-focused wall hangings) disco ball - a hint of the post-dinner crowd .. or is there one?

They didn't have plantains, which was pret-ty much the only thing I wanted, so I got yucca fries and a chicken and - surprise! - green olive pastry with what appeared to be a dash of red sharpy across it: demarking chicken as opposed to, say, beef or pork. Lick your lips appetizing.

In sum, dinner here was an experience worth having for this singular life lesson: trust your instincts - don't waste your time or your stuffed-in-jean-pockets greenbacks on the ol' Vic deux.

You could be the next Thurber Party of 4 Guest of Honor! Remember to enter the Guest of Honor Lottery at the bottom of this page for your chance to win.

This Week's Lottery Winner

Upon random selection from the names entered into the TP4 Guest of Honor Lottery, we are glad to announce THIS WEEK'S GUEST OF HONOR...

This week's lottery winner lesson: Apparently it pays to consistently enter your name in the lottery with some sort of sarcastic, no-way-i'll-ever-win type of nickname included - i.e. John "why do I even bother?" Doe ... or Joe "no chance of winning" Smith. This week's winner did this very thing for weeks, and his sardonic self-deprecation has finally proven to be a lucky charm.

Come back Friday for this week's full review.

SPECIAL NOTE from TP4 - We know we've been pretty spotty with our updates over the last few months. I guess even blogs need an extended summer break. But that inconsistency is a thing of the past. You can count on us, America! We won't let you down. Even in our absence, great things have been happening with TP4. And you'll just have to stick with us to find out what that entails. Thanks for reading.

** You could be the next Guest of Honor! We have reset the names for the lottery and you must enter your name again each week. To enter, scroll to the bottom of this page and look for the Guest of Honor section. No duplicate winners will be selected until everyone has had a turn. Remember - official Thurber Party of 4 "followers" will have their entries counted twice in the drawing!

Papa Joe's Pizza

View the entire Papa Joe's photo set with comments here.

Also, to see a map of Papa Joe's location, click here.

Location & Curb Appeal: Brian P.

You may recognize Papa Joe’s location from our previous visit to Bubba’s BBQ earlier in the summer. Located right next door to Bubba’s in a strip of stores and shops off Route 7, Papa Joe’s contains no more uniqueness than the rest of its peers. A plain, red fluorescent sign illuminates the storefront with a somewhat festive logo adorning the entranceway. Neon/LED “open” signs also fill the large windows. Two nice flat screens on opposite walls may serve to draw customers, and the bright red and yellow décor visible from the street would please any Redskins fan.

Externally, there is not much at Papa Joe’s to catch the potential patron’s eye, which is a shame. However, if you do happen to get a glimpse of this small establishment, you will notice a relatively steady stream of customers popping in to pick up a pizza or calzone. I feel no guilt in giving Papa Joe’s a low rating on curb appeal due to the fact it compensates by offering quality, reasonably priced fare. (It’s a bargain if you use the coupon we received in the mail!) Papa Joe spends his money on what counts: Food! The Thurber Party enjoyed our shared pizza that evening and we plan to return!

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Food & Beverage: Matt

Having spent the last several years in youth ministry, I have eaten more than my fair share of pizza. In particular, there is one brand of pizza that I have specialized in during this period of time - Papa John’s. I would venture to guess that I have consumed more than 300 pieces of Papa John’s pizza in the last four years. The sight, the smell and the taste of John’s mass-produced pizza creations will be forever engrained in my sense memory, for better and for worse.

Upon receiving the Papa Joe’s coupon at our doorstep, my initial impression was that this place was just trying to ride the coattails of a national pizza chain and hopefully garner a handful of accidental, confused customers who got mixed up in the Yellow Pages. Whether they’re rivals, relatives or just two pizza makers that happen to have very similar nicknames, I can say with certainty that Joe’s pizza is way better than John’s. This may not be saying much, but let me re-emphasize by saying that Papa Joe’s pizza is really, really good. All of our food was fresh, flavorful and plentiful. Our party shared an extra-large pizza with loads of vegetables and a tasty white sauce. They seem to make their own dough, and it pays off because it’s awesome. Three of us had salads that were also fresh and good. Really, the only knock against the food that I can even come up with is that their salad dressings are served in commercial-brand pouches – including the “house” dressing. Although we all drank water, they do have a decent selection of beverages at a great price, with discounts running all the way until 8pm. Joe’s is no joke. If you’re looking for a good pizza, go see the real Big Papa.

Rating: 3.5 Thurbs

Service & Cost: Brian R. (the new guy)

Being a new Thurb, new to the Falls Church area, the Thurber traditions and Papa Joe’s Pizza, I came with wide eyes and soaring expectations of what to expect. And what I found was none of what I had anticipated. I felt as if Papa Joe mistook me for the Prodigal Son. It seemed that his pigment differed quite a bit from my true father and he gave me no signet ring, but his warmness made me feel as if he actually had slain his prize goat to prepare our dinner.

Some may have said he was a little slow to leave his laptop in order to welcome us, but tending to Facebook friend requests carries a high importance also, so we were quick to forgive him. As he walked toward us, he boldly sported an oversized Tony Romo jersey and a warm smile that asked where had we been? After ordering and upon receiving our salads Brynnan confirmed that he was the actual Papa Joe. Not only was he Papa Joe, but he confidently added that he went by “Big Papa”. This must have been his street name, but he should not be confused with Biggie Smalls who similarly has been dubbed Big Papa in his popular song “I love it when You Call Me Big Papa”.

The service was constant and consistent, which may have been slightly correlated to us being his only dine-in guests. Regardless, the service was impeccable for the price we paid, which was only 12.99 for an XL pizza via a coupon. The rest of the menu was rather cheap and included everything from salads to submarines to pizzas for under $10. Beers started at 2.50 and stayed there until 8 when they went up to 3.50. Also notable was that not only did we receive our 10 slice XL pizza for 12.99 this time, but Big Papa extended the mercy of letting us keep our coupon and use it next time. And a next time there will definitely be.

Rating: 3.5 Thurbs

Ambiance & Entertainment: Brynnan Cox, Guest of Honor

I have to begin by saying how exciting it was to be this week's Chosen One. I seriously felt like I hit the actual jackpot--and Papa Joe's (and the Thurber Party of 4 company, of course) didn't disappoint. When you first walk in to Papa Joe's, it's hard to tell whether you've just walked into an old Mexican restaurant (bright and vibrant colors--a corona beer flag banner around the wall, etc.), or Redskin's Central. The particular shade of yellow and burgundy accents would suggest the latter. Interestingly enough, despite the fact that there were framed memorial images of Sean Taylor and other tributes to the much-loved DC team, Papa Joe was very adamant about the fact that he was a Cowboys fan (he was sporting his Tony Romo jersey).

While the service was great, the food was delicious, and Papa Joe was really quite a gem, strictly speaking of the topic at hand, I have to say that the ambiance wasn't exactly the greatest if you're looking for a nice quiet evening out or a romantic dinner for two. There was little sitting room for dining in and there were two televisions with quite the extreme levels of volume. It was hard to hear myself think at times, and definitely difficult to hear what my dinner company was saying. One nice aspect, though, is the light reading provided while you wait for your pizza to cook. On the counter were plenty of issues of Pizza Magazine Quarterly and a magazine all about German Shepherds...you could really pick up some random trivia and helpful tips from those two. In conclusion, if you're looking for a place to sit down and enjoy a quiet evening over pizza and beer, Papa Joe's may not be your best bet. But, if you're looking for some delicious pizza to take home or to a gathering (or you're a HUGE Redskins fan and want to be surrounded by your team colors), then it's just the place for you.

Rating: 2.5 Thurbs

Papa Joe's Pizza

Overall Rating: 2.75 Thurbs

Don't forget to enter your name in the Thurber Party of 4 Lottery found at the bottom of this page for your chance to be our next Guest of Honor! And remember - official blog "followers" are counted twice in the lottery drawing and are twice as likely be our lucky winner.

Miguel's

View the entire Miguel's photo set with comments here.

Location & Curb Appeal: Matt

This being Mark's final blog dinner as part of the TP4, we could have viewed it as a grand celebration of our time together and chosen a more lively, festive venue. But instead we just went to Miguel's. There is little about the outward appearance of Miguel's to attract attention or interest. The common passerby would probably not even realize there is a restaurant connected with the luxurious Best Western "Falls Church Inn" on Rt 50. All that distinguishes Miguel's from the hotel itself is a very innocuous awning with an old graffiti-like logo. So essentially, if you are not a guest at the Best Western, you would probably never know that Miguel's even exists. This, as they say in the restaurant biz, is "not a good thing."

(Side note: the Best Western/Miguel's combo is just across the street from our previous location, the Quality Inn/Bentley's hotel & restaurant combo. I like to imagine that there's some kind of vicious Falls Church hotel war going on between these two neighboring rivals, marked by corporate espionage, price fixing and customer ambushing. But, realistically, probably not. In fact, I think they may even be partners of some sort. How boring is that?)

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Food & Beverage: Mark

Let's face it. Miguel's was mediocre, and that is pretty much what we were expecting. The meal began with the traditional tomato soup -- sorry, I mean salsa and chips. Typically, you can practically see the hot grease on your freshly salted, hot out of the fryer tortilla chips. I think Miguel cooked up a big batch in the morning and then decided he would keep them warm for us all day. Yeah, they were pretty bad, but to my surprise, I kept eating them. Pure hunger, I suppose.

Tommy and I both had the chimichanga, and the first few bites started off actually pretty good. The later innings of our meal started to go down hill. Perhaps, the crisp shell turning soggy, bland flavoring, and too much salt had something to do with it. I'm not a food extraordinaire, but I'm pretty sure you want the meal to get better with every bite.

Rating: 2.5 Thurbs

Service & Cost: Brian

The Thurber household spied Miguel’s from across Route 50 just a week earlier when visiting the homage to old-folks eating, Bentley’s. Boasting Mexican/American cuisine, Miguel’s appeared to be a restaurant with a menu free of guesswork. We all expected similar outcomes in regards to cost as well. Aside from the quality of food presented, dishes were reasonably priced in the 8 to 15 dollar range for a variety of typical Mexican fare. However, Miguel’s slumped in the service department.

First, we entered a massive dining room and bar area to be greeted by no one. Then, from across the great expanse of tables, our hostess/waitress/bartender lumbered over at a snail’s pace. Whether due to personal injury or sloth we’ll never know. The lack of urgency displayed in seating the only patrons in the restaurant made a less-than-sterling first impression. Additionally, our slow-footed hostess decided to forego a number of nicer table locations, and proceeded to seat us next to a partition separating our party from the kitchen door.

Next, our meal arrived. I will admit the chef/cook did prepare our large portioned dishes in a timely fashion. Luckily, our food did not fall prey to our slow-footed waitress as the chef helped deliver them. I will give her credit for making phone calls in order to ascertain the ingredients of such mystery cocktails as the “Pecos Bill” or the “Nobody” that we tried to order. Alas, even these attempts were fruitless. Lastly, in an effort to cap off the evening in much the same manner it began, hostess/waitress took her sweet time in compiling our bill. This should be a relatively simple process that was arduously drawn out beyond necessity. Needless to say, her tip suffered accordingly. Miguel’s would benefit by excluding the Hispanic tradition of leisurely meals. It doesn’t translate well in the U.S.

Rating: 1 Thurb

Ambience & Entertainment: Tommy

If your idea of a fun evening is heading out to your local hotel and hanging out in the lobby, you’re the type of person who will love Miguel’s. To be fair, at least the hotel wasn’t too shabby (apparently it was the Best Western Hotel in the region). I couldn’t figure out who stood to gain from the partnership between these two businesses. Either the hotel lost a bet when picking their adjoining restaurant or the restaurant couldn’t find any standalone structure.

Interior décor is what I like to call “Southwestern Applebee’s” (sorry Applebee’s), but they looked like they had taking the fake stained-glass lamps and then threw in the occasional Incan idol or parrot (you know, like the parrots they have in…Mexico??). It was clean, and I felt like it was on the cusp of greatness, if only the location, food, and service weren’t holding it back. The bar was mostly for show, as nobody knew how to make any drinks (more on that in another section) and in actuality, there was no discernible “entertainment” per se, save the Better Western’s pool, which I don’t think we can include since you can’t use it for at least 30 minutes after you eat. I know we’ve set the bar high, but when your biggest “draw” is Univision on blast from the flat screen tv next to our table, there’s still something to be desired, and that something is anything…just get ANYTHING.

Rating: 1 Thurb

Miguel's

Overall Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

And now, a final word from Mark:

Alas, this is my final blog posting as a Thurberian. And while the food, often times, has been bland and uninspiring, the experience has been anything but. It has been fun. It has been real. And now, picture me doing the Sammy Sosa routine where I rapidly pump a peace sign between my chest and my mouth, followed by the anticipated arm held high, spreading peace across the land. Now, the camera gets over exposed and zooms out and pans over the field. Bowman out.

Stay tuned for the addition of a new member to the Thurber Party coming very soon! And don't forget to enter the Guest of Honor lottery (scroll to the bottom of this page) for your chance to join the party.

Bentley's

View the entire Bentley's photostream with comments here.

Also, to see a map of Bentley's location click here. Sorry, no website this time. That's just for teenagers and youngins'.

Curb Appeal & Location: Mark

I’m getting married in 17 days!!!!! Oh, and Bentley’s is located in a hotel off Rt. 50 that may or may not still be open for business. It’s hard to tell. Thanks folks!

(Note: this post was not actually written by Mark)

Rating: 2 Thurbs

Food & Beverage: Brian

I know you’re wondering, dear readers, if the sensitive, fickle palates of the Thurber household were diminished during our long, summer hiatus. Never fear - with our recent trip to Bentley’s, the long hibernation of our cynical taste buds came to an abrupt end with the familiar taste of mediocrity. Yep, I come out swinging.

Out of any other restaurant we’ve visited, no other says “I’m old and set in my ways” more than Bentley’s. Don’t get me wrong the food wasn’t bad, but it certainly wasn’t stellar. Imagine a menu that represents every aspect of typical Americana (a la Shoney’s minus the buffet.) We sampled a fair portion of the gems Bentley’s had to offer. After much deliberation, I tried the Chicken Florentine, Matt had Pasta Primavera, Tommy the Fried Chicken, Mark a scant plate of Chicken Fingers (on a diet for the wedding), and Laurie chose the Country Fried Steak in spite of being from New Jersey. We all drank water. As mentioned previously, I would venture to say our party was certainly full after our entrees, but certainly not overly satisfied nor impressed. I can speak for Matt and I by saying the “cream sauce” tasted like the remnants of condensed New England clam chowder mixed with water. Also, Laurie was miffed at Bentley’s refusal to properly identify corn and potatoes as starches.

Lastly, in a rare Thurber Party occurrence, all five of us ordered dessert from the old school pie case. Tommy and I had apple pie, Mark and Laurie had the carrot cake, and Matt savored the lemon cake. We all agreed we saved the best for last. As our evening winded down, we all agreed Bentley’s was a place we never visited before, yet the fare was absolutely too familiar. Come to expect this when you visit a restaurant with 70s green decor, attached to a motel, and whispers of retirement and health problems fill the dining room air.

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Service & Cost: Tommy

When I walked through the door beneath the green and white, 70’s-era awning outside Bentley’s, I thought to myself, “I’ve been here before, except it was called Marie Callendar’s.” We lamented the fact that we got there around 6:45 (early for a Thurber blog dinner) and completely missed the presumed 4pm early bird rush. The woman who tended to our table didn’t seem to know what to make of this group of 20-somethings breaking up the usual crowd of retirees. I can only assume that the workers here are accustomed to the patrons having some form of deteriorated hearing, because they talked loud enough to disturb anyone but the hearing impaired.

“Julie!! BRING IT!!” bellowed our server from the back, for an item that we couldn’t see. Julie apparently brought it, because we didn’t hear any more about it, but after about a 20-minute wait for our food, I wanted to see if I could yell the same thing and get Julie to bring our meals. Mark got hearty congratulations from the waitress for finishing his chicken tenders, with the sort of feigned enthusiasm usually reserved for a 4 year old who has just finished his or her broccoli. I was slightly worried that I wasn’t going to be allowed to eat a slice of pie because I didn’t finish all of my corn, but to my surprise, my request for dessert met no (verbally expressed) resistance. Overall, the cost of the meal was right at average, a fact explicitly stated by Bentley’s exterior sign. If you enjoy getting a taste of the respect given to The Greatest Generation, stop by Bentley’s, where you can get your dinner, dessert, and still be home in time to watch Matlock.

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Ambiance & Entertainment: Matt

The sign out front says “Celebrating 27 Years of Service,” but it very well could have said “Celebrating 27 Years with the Same Furniture and Unusual Decorating Scheme!.” Even before arriving, we had been informed that Bentley’s generally caters to an older crowd (i.e. retirement age). This fact would prove to be obvious on a number of levels throughout our visit. First there is the aforementioned furniture and décor. Bentley’s interior combines a unique mixture of old-fashioned diner sensibilities (countertop bar seating, murky glass dessert case, paper placemats, seafoam green seat cushions that you would normally expect to be covered in plastic) with outlandish aristocratic/equestrian-themed accessories. The entire restaurant – seriously, the entire place - is covered with wallpaper that depicts various fox hunting scenes. Statues of sporting dogs and horses are displayed in the windows. Equestrian gear, such as stirrups and riding helmets, are hung on the walls. Whose idea was this? How does this make sense? As far as I can guess, the only common denominator in this design scheme is that it’s all stuff that old people might like.

The second feature that makes it obvious that Bentley’s attracts old folks is the types of conversation that could be heard around the dining room - mostly stuff about retirement plans, the latest grandkid news and the weather (most of that is true). There was also a general quietness and slowness around the restaurant that reminded me of vacations spent around my grandparents’ house. I can almost hear my parents reminding me, “It’s just a different pace of life.” The third, final and most obvious feature that makes it clear that Bentley’s is for old timers is the fact that we were 30-40 years younger than every other person eating in the restaurant. And just how I always somehow enjoyed visiting my grandparents even though it wasn’t exactly what I would call “fun,” somehow I also enjoyed this visit to Bentley’s even though it wasn’t exactly what I would call “good.”

Rating: 2.5 Thurbs

Guest of Honor Review: Laurie Westock

There are many things that can swiftly bring back memories of home; hugging someone who smells the way mom did as she read a bed-time story, big coniferous trees that arouse memories of adventures had under the "giant" pines in the backyard, or a man's Old Spice cologne that suddenly retrieves the forgotten sound of how Pop Pop said "Hel-looo!" while giving you a wonderfully stifling embrace.

Bentley's was another one of those places that flooded my senses, bringing back memories of youthful days spent in... New Jersey. That's right! For a couple of glorious hours on Monday night, dinner with the Thurber boys transported me back to my beloved home state. From the classic diner decor--highly outdated but with the usual quirky theme, to the staff who seemed to have nothing to lose and plenty of time, to senior citizen conversations about retirement, this place was the epitome of the "just-off-of-the-highway-diner." Although it was nice to have a glimpse of home, I was glad to be stepping back into northern Virgina when we left the restaurant. With a whiff of fresh air, I could still smell the country fried steak on my clothes...and maybe Tommy's fried chicken, too. I'll have to wash that shirt twice :-)

PS-The carrott cake was amazing.

Rating: 1.5 Thurbs

Bentley's

Overall Rating: 1.8 Thurbs