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Anthony's Restaurant, Manassas and A New Falls Church Location


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Continuing my theme of restaurants that I enjoy but that most would probably abhor, Anthony's Restaurant is an old standby when in F-Church and needing a good bite, cheap. Sure, you need to keep a blind eye to the décor, make it two blind eyes, but for my money, they churn out a number of quality items. Highlights include the Gyro, Chicken Suvlaki, and Steak & Cheese -- all piled high, well seasoned and appointed. A basket of crinkle cut fries (yes!) or rings will complement those items nicely. I've also had their pizza, which is good, tho it can come out with too much cheese at times. I think their tzatziki is pretty good too.

**Waves good bye to whatever credibility existed**

My next post will be on the delicious club sandwich that can be had at the Cheesecake Factory"¦

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Continuing my theme of restaurants that I enjoy but that most would probably abhor, Anthony's Restaurant is an old standby when in F-Church and needing a good bite, cheap. Sure, you need to keep a blind eye to the décor, make it two blind eyes, but for my money, they churn out a number of quality items. Highlights include the Gyro, Chicken Suvlaki, and Steak & Cheese -- all piled high, well seasoned and appointed. A basket of crinkle cut fries (yes!) or rings will complement those items nicely. I’ve also had their pizza, which is good, tho it can come out with too much cheese at times. I think their tzatziki is pretty good too.

**Waves good bye to whatever credibility existed**

My next post will be on the delicious club sandwich that can be had at the Cheesecake Factory…

You sure Anthony's and not Brinkley's? :P

P.S. Anthony worked in a grocery store.

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I like this place also. It is a great place to go with the kids for breakfast. Cheaper than a place like Silver (or Metro) Diner and the breakfast is pretty much the same. Only been for dinner a few times, but I remember having a solid Chicken Parm sandwich. I would rather frequent an old school joint like this than a chain any day of the week.

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I'm just waiting for the PM where you kindly (?) explain why you had to rescind my membership :D

Hah, well he'll have to take mine too! Those crinkle cut fries make me smile every time I get them :P The chicken parm sub is pretty serviceable and everything my coworkers have ordered in the past have been pretty decent too. I didn't know they did breakfast, might have to check that out sometime!

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Continuing my theme of restaurants that I enjoy but that most would probably abhor, Anthony's Restaurant is an old standby when in F-Church and needing a good bite, cheap. Sure, you need to keep a blind eye to the décor, make it two blind eyes, but for my money, they churn out a number of quality items. Highlights include the Gyro, Chicken Suvlaki, and Steak & Cheese -- all piled high, well seasoned and appointed. A basket of crinkle cut fries (yes!) or rings will complement those items nicely. I’ve also had their pizza, which is good, tho it can come out with too much cheese at times. I think their tzatziki is pretty good too.

having worked in FC for many years, Anthony's was great when I needed a dose of greek pizza like I used to get at the "House of Pizza" places back in New England.

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It is a great place to go with the kids for breakfast. Cheaper than a place like Silver (or Metro) Diner and the breakfast is pretty much the same.

Indeed and at about half the price of a Metro 29 breakfast quite the deal. Has a real diner vibe that would be right at home on Route 22 in Union, New Jersey.

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Anthony's does what it does pretty well, and the people who run it and work there are very nice. The pizza is surprisingly good. Steak & cheese subs are pretty good. Gyros and souvlaki have their modest charm. The "East Carolina Style BBQ" sandwich they served me went straight on to my list of Worst Food Ever Encountered in a Restaurant. I'd suggest not ordering that.

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having worked in FC for many years, Anthony's was great when I needed a dose of greek pizza like I used to get at the "House of Pizza" places back in New England.

Hey....there was a House of Pizza run by Greeks in Millersville, PA. I haven't been there in 30 years, but I remember fondly the greasy pizza topped with canned mushrooms, accompanied by a pitcher of Genessee Cream Ale, as my standard date night fare....could it be the same chain?

Yes, I grew up in Lancaster County, in my pre-foodie days, where the standard compliment for food was "That's not spicy at all!" and where a bottle of Heinz 57 was on every restaurant table.

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Hey....there was a House of Pizza run by Greeks in Millersville, PA. I haven't been there in 30 years, but I remember fondly the greasy pizza topped with canned mushrooms, accompanied by a pitcher of Genessee Cream Ale, as my standard date night fare....could it be the same chain?

Yes, I grew up in Lancaster County, in my pre-foodie days, where the standard compliment for food was "That's not spicy at all!" and where a bottle of Heinz 57 was on every restaurant table.

It's not a chain. Those places are all independent. They just all use the name "[iNSERT NAME OF TOWN OR NAME OF OWNER's] House of Pizza." Sounds like the Millersville folks had the formula down pat -- greasy pizza, canned toppings, cheap beer. For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure, this is great eating, and Anthony's does a fine job of it. Also, I second the Hersch's advice. Stick to pizza, subs, and the usual Greek fare (souvlaki, moussaka, etc).

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It's not a chain. Those places are all independent. They just all use the name "[iNSERT NAME OF TOWN OR NAME OF OWNER's] House of Pizza." Sounds like the Millersville folks had the formula down pat -- greasy pizza, canned toppings, cheap beer. For anyone who hasn't had the pleasure, this is great eating, and Anthony's does a fine job of it. Also, I second the Hersch's advice. Stick to pizza, subs, and the usual Greek fare (souvlaki, moussaka, etc).

There used to be a Greek-owned House of Pizza in Carlisle, PA, too, nicknamed Za's by the college students. I'm not sure if it closed in the 80s or 90s. Getting kind of far afield, but that was when I first discovered Greek pizza places. (There was at least one other right nearby.)

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"...it can come out with too much cheese at times. "

I totally agree with the cheese comment. I had Anthony's pizza several times years ago when I lived in Falls Church and did not enjoy it due to the plethora of chewy cheese and thick crust. The last time I visited, about a year ago, I vowed never to eat there again. The gyro was nothing special- reminicent of my college cafeteria's version, and my boyfriend's chicken parmesan was unpalatable- not even resembling chicken and the pasta was cooked worse than at a school/church spaghetti dinner.

I understand Anthony's has been in Falls Church for years and is a restaurant tolerant of big groups and families, but I wouldn't recommend it to any of my family members or friends (who haven't already had the pleasure of trying it).

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Anthony's, Falls Church closed on June 2. It received an incredibly long ode to its 41 years in the local Falls Church newspaper. I had found it reasonably good, well priced, hearty breakfasts on the weekends, servicable pizza, as I recall, good greek styled chicken dishes. The place was 41 years old at closing, had expanded over the years and was a true institution in that community.

An earlier article describing the closing: http://fallschurchtimes.com/39719/anthonys-restaurant-closing-june-3/

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The closing was the result of much more than a lease termination. The land and entire site were part of a large assemblage of land including quite a few properties to the south of Anthony's including the old closed post office site.

Falls Church has been working on getting more mid rise and various developments in the community for up to a decade, if I remember correctly. There are quite a few recent midrise properties along Broad Street, mostly residential but also commercial.

This large property is evidently going to include a Harris Teeter, mid rise residential property and more commercial. Evidently Anthony's spoke with the developer, about a planned restaurant space, but the rental rates are way above what Anthony's would/could/felt comfortable paying.

Anthony's is reportedly looking for a location in the Falls Church area to relocate and reopen.

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Anthony's of Falls Church is just opening at its new location at 3000 Annandale Road.  That is the intersection of Rte 50 and Annandale Road outside of Falls Church proper.

Soft Opening going on right now.

Where exactly at that huge intersection is the new Anthony's? Google street view still shows the old strip-mall shopping center that was torn down several years ago, on the southwest corner. Is it in there somewhere, with the car dealer or whatever is there now?

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Where exactly at that huge intersection is the new Anthony's? Google street view still shows the old strip-mall shopping center that was torn down several years ago, on the southwest corner. Is it in there somewhere, with the car dealer or whatever is there now?

Don't know. Saw notification off the web.  Haven't visited yet.

.....Ah....web update.  Its part of the newly rehabbed Westlawn or Bill Page Shopping center.

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Don't know. Saw notification off the web.  Haven't visited yet.

.....Ah....web update.  Its part of the newly rehabbed Westlawn or Bill Page Shopping center.

Ah. Thanks. I was unaware that there would be a new shopping center; you can't really tell from Route 50 (at least I couldn't when I drove by a couple of times fairly recently, eastbound).

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Where exactly at that huge intersection is the new Anthony's? Google street view still shows the old strip-mall shopping center that was torn down several years ago, on the southwest corner. Is it in there somewhere, with the car dealer or whatever is there now?

 

It's across the street from the 7-11, so west of the 50/Annandale intersection by about a block.

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It's across the street from the 7-11, so west of the 50/Annandale intersection by about a block.

I am terrible with directions, but if anything, I would have said about a block "South" of the 50/Annandale Road intersection.  50 runs pretty close to East-West there, and you would access the shopping center from Annandale Road.

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I am terrible with directions, but if anything, I would have said about a block "South" of the 50/Annandale Road intersection.  50 runs pretty close to East-West there, and you would access the shopping center from Annandale Road.

Annandale Road runs even closer to north-south there, so yes, it's south of the intersection.

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We made our first trip over to the new location. The space is clean and open (things you couldn't really say about the old location), if paint-by-numbers design. If you've read any of my other posts, you know I'm a fan of the dank, and this is a decidedly dank-less place. But enough about the atmosphere...the food was very good, as I always thought it was. I detected no dip in service or quality from the previous location. I had the chicken souvlaki, and it was an ample portion, piled with fresh lettuce, tomato, onion, feta, and house sauce (not tzatziki). The wife had the gyro, and it also shared these qualities (but with tzatziki). The boy had a small cheese pizza, which was fine, though my preference would be for them to put less cheese on it next time. Anyway, Anthony's continues to offer very good food (if not the dank). 

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Having been to the original location in Falls Church and sorry to see it close, I found the new location and have been several times.  Nicer decor and brand new build out so the "charm" of the old diner has been updated and improved.  Food is consistent and good.  Their Greek specialties are best, but their pasta dishes, steak and cheese as well as meatball and cheese sub are great.  Their house made red sauce (with/without meat is excellent). Service is good, and staff is friendly.  

Entire surrounding area is a work in progress from new car dealerships to face-lifted strip malls.

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