Cheap Eats 2008: El Pike

Reviewed by Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Cynthia Hacinli , Dave McIntyre , Rina Rapuano

El Pike (Pike Pizza)

4111 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA
Phone: 703-521-3010

Cuisines:
Steaks, South American

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
None nearby

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Weekend Brunch, Kid Friendly

Best Dishes
Chicken or beef saltenas (weekends only); huminitas; sopa de mani; lomo; mochanchinchi; Inca Cola.

Price Details:
Appetizers $1.35 to $6.95; entrées $5.15 to $11.50


 

Reader's Rating:
No Reader Reviews

Why go: This oddly named restaurant—there’s not a single pizza on the menu; the name’s from a previous incarnation—is one of the area’s best places to experience Bolivian cooking, from savory pastries and meal-in-a-bowl soups to big plates of beef or pork.

What to get: Chicken salteñas (weekends only), flaky pastry stuffed with a sweet/savory filling of rich tomato broth, potatoes, and meat; zestier beef salteñas (weekends only); humintas, a cakier iteration of tamales; lomo, a thin steak topped with two sunny-side-up eggs with sides of boiled potato, rice, and salad; sopa de mani, a peanut soup; cumin-spiced pork chops.

Best for: Meat-and-potatoes types—steaks are deftly handled here, and many plates come with two to three starches.

Insider tip: Take a look at the check—the tip might be included even for a table of two.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.

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