Amazon’s new Arlington headquarters already has a growing roster of eateries under its belt—Peruvian Brothers, Good Company Doughnuts & Cafe, and Toby’s Handmade Ice Cream, among others. On Friday, October 6, Water Park—the development’s most elaborate new food concept—has its grand opening. And a few more local restaurateurs will debut dining spots by early next year. Here’s a rundown of what’s to come.
Water Park
1601 Crystal Dr.
This landscaped outdoor area will be filled with trees, fountains, and nearly a dozen food and drink kiosks. (No water slides or wave pools, despite the name.) There’s a wide range of options: Brij, a wine bar and cafe; Bubbie’s Plant Burger, a vegan, kosher burger-and-fries spot; Cracked Eggery, a new branch of the DC egg sandwich purveyor; DC Dosa, a South Indian street food shop; Dolci Gelati, an Italian gelato place with more than 450 flavors; Falafel Inc., a hummus and falafel bowl bar; PhoWeels, a spinoff of a food truck; Tiki Thai. a Thai restaurant and tiki bar; and Queen Mother’s, James Beard nominee Rahman “Rock” Harper’s fried chicken destination,. There are also two full-sized dining spots run by an Atlanta-based restaurant group: a New York-style pizzeria called Crush Pizza, and Water Bar, a raw seafood bar with cocktails and a cascading fountain.
Mae’s Market
1400 S. Eads St.
Nicole Jones, who owns the Old Town market/cafe/sandwich shop Mae’s and its adjoining wine bar, Virginia’s Darling, will open a second Mae’s in the Metropolitan Park development early next year. Though the Amazon outpost will have grab-and-go service, it will feature the same from-scratch deli sandwiches and picnic-friendly items as the original.
Taqueria Xochi
1400 S. Eads St.
The hot-pink U Street taqueria from José Andrés restaurant alums Teresa Padilla and Geraldine Mendoza is getting a sibling at Met Park in February. Xochi’s signature item is the Pueblan-style cemita sandwich, a seeded roll layered with a thin milanesa cutlet, beans, stringy Oaxaca cheese, avocado, and smoky chipotle.
Surreal
2117 Crystal Dr.
Chef Enrique Limardo—behind the pan-Latin Seven Reasons and other high-powered DC restaurants—is set to open this glassy indoor-outdoor fusion restaurant in October. Set in a park-like green space, Surreal will open early for breakfast dishes like queso fundido shakshuka and grab-and-go pastries, and stay open late with Venezuelan-inspired cocktails and fusion dishes like swordfish carpaccio with “flaming hot totopos.”
A version of this article appears in the September 2023 issue of Washingtonian.
