Find a Satisfying Meal in Foxchase in the West End of Alexandria
Everyone in the family can find a meal that will fit their tastes
Alexandria, VA – For those of you who read the Foody Newz regularly, you know I have been looking at food-dense locations around town. This time, I headed to the Shoppes at Foxchase, a local fixture in the west end on Duke St. Some may remember the shopping center had a Magruder’s, a dinner theatre, and an X-rated movie theater. Nowadays, those shops are gone, replaced with some new choices. Everyone in the family can find a meal that will fit what they want.
Pull into the parking lot on the west end of Duke. Park and enjoy the great coffee and assorted sweets and goodies offered by Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s a good first stop since people say you should never grocery shop when hungry. Next stop is the former site of Magruders, originally a local family-owned chain of supermarkets. Harris Teeter opened one of their biggest stores in the area and featured lots of new and interesting items in the neighborhood. It’s a great place to get beautiful produce, fresh meat and fish, bakery items, and a wide variety of other goods. Samurai Hibachi & Sushi features teppanyaki Japanese cooking. Pull up to one of the big grill tables and dine on an assortment of meat and seafood prepared right in front of you by skilled chefs. Their knife work provides dinner theatre theatrics to make you meal memorable.
If you’ve got dinner planned, stop by Nothing bundt Cakes. This wonderful bakery carries so many varieties and sizes of bundt cakes, there’s something for everyone. My favorite is the Red Velvet and I manage to control myself by only getting a bundlet, an individual, personal-sized cake with cream cheese frosting. You can purchase an assortment so you can try multiple flavors. Bundt cakes come in 8”, 20”, and tiered decorated bundt cakes that can feed approximately 26. La Casa offers an assortment of Greek and Italian food in a comfortable and casual atmosphere. The menu offers salads, pizzas, pastas, submarines, pitas and more. With vegetarian and kids’ offerings, it’s a good choice for family dinner. Mom and Dad can unwind with a drink while not having to worry what to cook for dinner.
Prefer Chinese to pizza? Stop in at Hong Kong Express. The menu is not limited to just Hong Kong style dishes. You can find a variety of dishes ranging from Crispy Walnut to Szechuan Chicken. You can make a meal on their beef egg rolls, spicy wonton, pork dumplings, and shrimp toast. If you happen to be passing by the Shoppes around breakfast or lunch time, stop in to the Cortado Café. The owners are a delight and so is the food. It’s such a great alternative to that “other” coffee shop. Order a coffee and a pastry from their ever-changing assortment and relax. Or, order an avocado toast topped with a poached egg or a tuna Niçoise salad. Vegetarians can enjoy the veggie melt panini. Burger 7 offers an assortment of burgers from the B7 with two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese, and B7 sauce to the Halloumi with halloumi cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion jam. You can also pick chicken sandwiches, hot dog, B7 Melt, sliders, and one of my favorites, the Napkin Zone Fries that are topped with chili, caramelized onion, and B7 sauce.
Burger 7 (Photo: Debby Critchley)
Burger 7 offers an assortment of burgers from the B7 with two beef patties, lettuce, tomato, pickles, American cheese, and B7 sauce to the Halloumi with halloumi cheese, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, and onion jam. You can also pick chicken sandwiches, hot dog, B7 Melt, sliders, and one of my favorites, the Napkin Zone Fries that are topped with chili, caramelized onion, and B7 sauce.Chipotle offers its usual assortment of bowls and burritos. It’s always a dependable choice for a meal. Also dependable is Papa John’s. Like all Papa John’s, there are plenty of choices to customize your meal. If you want something a little different from Chinese or Japanese, stop in to Pho Huy. This little shop offers a variety of delicious Vietnamese soups including chicken, shrimp, or beef pho, and other noodle soups. There are banh mi, a marriage of Vietnamese flavors and French influences. The menu includes an assortment of appetizers, salads, rice noodles, and vermicelli. If you’ve never tried Vietnamese iced coffee, order one here and revel in the rich flavors. Last but not least on the Shoppes menu is the local chain, CAVA Mezze Grill. CAVA calls themselves “Your neighborhood Greek Hangout.” The menu features a variety of Greek and Mediterranean dips, salads, veggies, meats, and cheeses. There lots of lamb, seafood, and chicken choices on the main menu too. Your order is freshly made.
If you’re in the neighborhood, grab a bite and enjoy all that is the Shoppes at Foxchase.
