From: dlee@oasys.dt.navy.mil (David Lee)
Newsgroups: dc.dining
Subject: Re: Restaurants in Reston, Va
Date: 1 Oct 92 12:27:02 GMT
Reply-To: dlee@oasys.dt.navy.mil (David Lee)
Distribution: dc
Organization: Carderock Division, NSWC, Bethesda, MD

In dc.dining, rhsu@src.umd.edu (Richard T. Hsu) writes:
In article <60701@mimsy.umd.edu> lizw@cs.umd.edu (Elizabeth White) writes:

.>I'm looking for recommendations for interesting and not too expensive
.>restaurants in the Reston area.

>Reston, being another one of those "planned" communities, has some decent, if
>uninspiring restaurants. One good thing I've noticed about it is that there
>is not a lot of fast food, and the fast food that IS there has service like
>you would not believe (it's surprisingly good). But I digress.


I've eaten at all the various Reston fast food places and do not find
this to be true at all.. They are no better or worse than at other places..
I don't know how this conclusion was reached; but I, for one cannot concur
in this statement.. The service is about average for fast food places and
in Reston proper, I can count 2 Roy Rogers, 2 Seven-Elevens, 1 Popeyes,
2 Subways, 1 McDonalds, 2 Pizza Huts, 2 Dominos Pizzas and an assortment
of Chinese and sandwich carryouts.. So, there are a few around.

>The Hyatt Regency in the Reston Town Center has two restaurants--the Cafe
>Allegro, which seems to be a Greek restaurant. I haven't tried their entrees
>but they have a great lunch salad bar for $6. Crisp greens, lots of fresh
>veggies, and a "main course"...once it was seafood, yesterday it was Beef
>Bourginon (sp?) over pasta.

Anything in the Hyatt is EXPENSIVE!!!! as is most in Towne Center..

>The other is the Market Street Bar and Grill. Decent American-style restaurant
>pub. Definitely a burger and fries kind of place. Clyde's and Cafe Rio Grande,
>both chain-restaurants, are also in the Town Center. Clyde's is an overpriced
>Bennigan's (IMO) and CRG is solidly good, but expensive for Mexican food.

I've eaten at Clyde's and was surprised at the quality of the food and the
rather in-expensive prices!!!

>The one place that I want to try that's supposed to be good is Il Cigno, in
>the Lake Anne Town Center. Italian, food's supposed to be good and reasonably
>priced, and they have an outdoor patio which faces the Lake Pier. I thought
>it would be a great place on a nice day...better hurry.

This particular restaurant is just one of many that has occupied this
location since Reston was founded.. and the view is un-inspiring, to
say the least.. A better view of Reston lakes can be had from the two
restaurants at South Lakes Shopping Center.. However, neither restaurant
is particularly great; but passable..

Surprising though Reston is a "planned community" is how poorly the
planned shopping centers are.. There are 6 Reston shopping centers,
counting the new Towne Center and 3 or 4 smaller "strip type" shopping
areas. It's amazing how poorly they appear to do. The best ones seem to
thrive because of the grocery stores that are located there and not
because of the other stores; especially the restaurants. These seem
to pick up only "stray" business. Lunch time seems to be their busiest
times..

If I'm out in Reston and hungary, I'll eat at one of the fast food places
and get it over with... If I'm looking for a place to sit down and have a
nice meal, I'll leave Reston and go to Herndon or Vienna,..etc..

I hope my second opinion will give you a few more choices...
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Newsgroups: dc.forsale