The best places to eat in NOVA this summer

For those of us who aren’t going to be jetting off to the islands for the summer, the adventures of stay-cationing await! But there’s much more to do than sit at home and watch daytime television. There are a lot of great local haunts that make summer here great! Here are my favorite picks from my homeland of Northern Virginia (aka NOVA).

Buffalo Wing Factory

Buffalo Wing Factory & Pub in Chantilly, VA

I’ve lived in Fairfax for twelve years and one place that has stayed quite alive is the Buffalo Wing Factory. While it’s gotten a makeover inside and out since its opening, the one thing that has never changed is that they have some of the best wings in town(And craft beer if you’re 21). Some personal favorites are their Teriyaki and Spicy ranch flavored wings. However, if you’re into more daring levels of spice, try their “Flatliner Challenge.” If you can eat ten of their spiciest “Flatliner” wings, you’ll earn your name on their Wall of Fame and a T-shirt! (Note: you’re not allowed to drink or dip the wings in anything; this is not for the faint of heart… or stomach.)

Pho Bistro

Pho Bistro in Centreville, VA

Due to a high population of Asian immigrants and their families in Northern Virginia, there are a lot of really great Asian eats around town. Since I’m half Vietnamese, my Viet mom and I make a sport of trying to find the best pho place around! For those of you who don’t know, pho is a Vietnamese noodle soup featuring a specially seasoned beef broth with thinly sliced beef brisket and thick rice noodles. It’s a great soup dish for a rainy day in the early days of the summer! Definitely try some fresh summer roll before your meal as an appetizer, and if you’d like to satisfy your sweet tooth afterwards, try their chocolate pyramid!

Pho Bistro features a modern ambience with both private booths and open table seating

Lotte Plaza Grocery

Lotte Plaza in Chantilly, VA

Another cool place for Asian food is Lotte! Inside the grocery store, you can find several food vendors with great Korean, Vietnamese, Indian and Japanese food. There is indoor seating if you want to stay and munch, or hot bars to take food home if you don’t like being social like me. If you like to cook, there is an endless amount of fresh produce, including many, many varieties of exotic fruits and vegetables.

Produce in Lotte

But one of the more obscure food stands inside Lotte is one of my favorite places for to-go sushi. It’s made fresh daily and great quality! It’s a great summer treat on a hot day or if you’re out and about and want to grab a quick bite.

Lotte’s sushi bar

Milwaukee Frozen Custard

Milkwaukee Frozen Custard in Chantilly, VA

A little bit of Milwaukee relocated to NOVA. This cute little custard joint went through a scare a few years ago and almost closed, but the custard lovers of Sully Plaza came to the rescue! If you’re watching your figure but still want something sweet, their low-carb vanilla tastes just like the normal vanilla (Which makes me wonder if they’re just being sneaky and giving the same ice cream no matter what, but I digress). And every day, they have a specialty flavor at the ready! You can pick up a calendar to scope out your favorites online.

Sweet Frog

Sweet Frog in Fairfax, VA

If you want to serve yourself your sweet treats, check out Sweet Frog in the Greenbriar Shopping Center! One of the newer additions to the Center, it’s been booming for a few years now. It’s colorful atmosphere is a great place to enjoy friends and food! With lots of choices of fro-yo flavors and toppings (including some to-die-for hot fudge), there’s something to satisfy everyone!

Enjoy your stay-cation!