21 Great American Bistro

After seeing Unilocal reviews, I finally decided to come here for dinner with a few friends. We went on a Thursday evening and it was not very busy, so we were a bit hesitant, but we decided to try it anyways! I’m glad we did because I left the restaurant very happy. The only thing I can say needs to improve is the service. It could have just been an off night for the server, but we sat there in the beginning just waiting for service and I didn’t know why because like I said, the restaurant was not very full. Then the order of things from serving water, to serving wine, to serving appetizer without taking care of our main course order, and lastly, taking our plates away when we weren’t done. Let me get into the good stuff now. FOOD!
Appetizer:
Diver’s Scallops was served with butternut squash risotto. The risotto was tasty with a good texture and the scallops was seasoned and cooked right. It was a tease because it came with three pieces of scallops.
P.E.I Mussels was very good. The broth was tasty and they gave a generous portion. I recommend giving three pieces of toast.
Main Course:
Crab Cakes was very good with 100% crab meat and was paired nicely with corn, vegetables and finished off with a tomato base sauce.
Ribeye was cooked perfectly and seasoned just right!
Slow Cooked Duck Breast was cooked just right and had great flavos.
Bistro Burger was simply but tasty!
Overall, I would recommend this restaurant and would like to go back to try other things on the menu. I approve!

I hate to say this, but the 4.5 overall star rating for this place is a little misleading. The food here is just OKAY but nothing to write home about.
I got the shrimp and grits and it was pretty disappointing. I’ve eaten some banging shrimp and grits from all over the South, and even in parts of Northern VA, but the one here just does not do it for me. The flavor was entirely one dimensional, lacking any smokey cajun flavors. It was simply just a salty dish without depth.
Like another Unilocaler mentioned, this place plays heavily on presentation but lacks in execution of the food itself.
Oh last thing, I do believe there are hints of Asian influenced flavor in their food. For example, the broth to the bouillabaisse was quite yellow and hinting a strong curry flavor.

Thank you fellow Unilocalers. This place was delightful. Service staff was very attentive and food was as great as it looks in all of the photos.
I went with my husband and two children. Adults were greeted with an amuse-​bouche of a fried wonton and chicken sausage crostini. My eight year old’s amuse-​bouche was mac n cheese and fries, which was so good, he just ordered it again for his meal.
We dined on a variety of items and the portions were perfect as we had room for a wonderful dessert prepared by the on site pastry chef and after dinner coffee.

Can’t wait to get out there again!

Happy as clams when we get to dine at 21 Great American Bistro!
This wonderful establishment was our first «family» outing after little-​me was born, and we will continue to go back as long as they’ll have us. We arrived on a cold December night with a 2 month old looking for a warm meal and a little hospitality. I personally hadn’t been out of my house for well, 2 months. We were greeted with such kindness and hospitality that we felt like we were the only people in the whole restaurant (we weren’t).
Our hostess and waitress doted on us, ensuring we were aware of the specials, menu items and in the right area for a little tiny tot to be stationed. We were brought some «try-​me» appetizers that the chef decided to cook up as well, so we were immediately relaxed and felt like we were in great hands. So, we ordered a bottle of wine :).
We started with the Mozzarella En Carrozza — om nom, nom, nom. Then we ordered entrees — I had the crabcakes while hubby had the steak. Little-​me was content in her stroller (cooing every now and again). Both entrees were finger-​licking good, except we weren’t eating with our hands, so fork-​licking good. Having such a wonderful meal, we wanted to end on a great note, and that is none other than tiramisu. Tiramisu is traditionally hubby’s favorite dessert (not mine), but it instantly won me over with its flavor and deliciousness. I still recall the great taste as I write this review.
Because we loved the experience so much, we went back to 21 Great American Bistro for their Easter brunch. We were floored with the bottomless food options — all fresh, flavorful and plentiful! The menu included crabcakes again along with a number of options and all-​you-​can-​eat dessert cups. WHAT! I definitely had one of each, and multiple of the chocolate /​tiramisu options. Needless to say, on this visit they once again took great care of us and ensured that our family (with a 5 month old) was comfortable and had everything we needed!
I’m looking forward to walking over once the weather warms up!

One of the most fabulous lunch today again. I was fortunate enough to have the chef prepare his specialty steak au poivre. This was not on the menu but the type of restaurant of skilled chefs, with enough notice they will custom entire dinner for you. This was completely absolutely mouthwatering delicious another five star review.

Cute place with great food. Wanted to try something new so turned to old trusty Unilocal.Decided to try this spot since its on the way to pick up the kitties from the nearby vet.
We came for a late lunch (2:00PM) on a Saturday. There was no wait and looked like we missed the rush — score! We were seated right away and service was very attentive and friendly. While we waited for our order, we were served some appetizers, gratis. I think it was a cheese and crab spring roll and reminded me of a light crab Rangoon. It was good but I wasn’t crazy about it.
The husband had the butternut squash soup and said it was really good, I didn’t try it but I do trust that it was good. He’s not a soup person and he ate ALL of it so that should tell you something.
He had the bistro burger and said it was pretty good. The bun was nice and crispy — he said it was too crispy for his taste but I thought it looked perfect! I ordered the miso salmon and it was cooked perfectly! You can tell the chef cooked it with TLC before it came out. It was the perfect crispy on the outside and just a little undercooked in the middle. The pilaf was fine but the grapes and orange gave it that little kick I was looking for. Yum!
I would def go back to check out their dinner options. Small menu but what they do make, they make right :)

I just wanted to gloat over my most fortunate encounter with the amazingly delicious bourbon-​soaked bread pudding here.

We have been to this restaurant 3 times in the last two weeks. Service is excellent and the food is high quality and simply delicious. I am moving away soon and will miss this great lunch spot. I wish them the best of success and continue doing what they do best: Good food!

I stopped in with the family, after buying shoes at Pacers and was amazed. While this is by no means a family restaurant, the staff went out of their way to please our children. The kids were given fries to munch on at no cost while we waited for our entries.
Baked Brie — Amazing, JIbarito — Amazing, Meatloaf — Amazing, Burger — Amazing.
Cannoli — delicious.
Everything including the staff, I think our severs name was Dakota, was fantastic. I’m excited to go back with the wife on a date without the youngsters.
I highly recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for a great meal in Fairfax City.

What a fantastic restaurant in Fairfax City! I wish I could give this restaurant more than 5 stars. Arrived and could tell they were extremely busy. No tables available for us since we needed a reservation. My wife and I noticed the bar was empty and we decided to ask about sitting there. The hostess said sure and set us up to sit at the bar. The staff is unbelievably friendly, and they make sure you are well taken care of. We were waited on quickly and they brought out several appetizers for us to make up for us having to sit at the bar — not that we minded. Most restaurants don’t do that for you. The chips and homemade guacamole was fantastic and perfect as a starter. Couldn’t describe the next appetizer, but it was very tasty and appreciated.
My wife has the Barrumundi fish, which was presented well with various vegetables. As nice as it looked, it was even tastier. I had the Bistro Boullibasse and it was delicious. The presentation had the seafood, broth and veggies in a boat shaped bowl with a thick piece of garlic bread. Fantastic, broth was so smooth and tasty, had no fat in it whatsoever.
Upon finishing our meal, our server asked about dessert, but before we could order, two slices of double chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sauce. Since my wife eats gluten free, I just had to eat both pieces! How delicious!
I look forward to many meals here, as the service is right up there with the 5-​star Michelin rated restaurants. The only request I could make for the future is to have a gluten free menu so your gluten free diners do not have to figure out what might have gluten in it. Otherwise, keep up the good work, we’ll be back soon.

The food was phenomenal. Just amazing. Same with the service. You have to get a dessert, also. This is a place where you go all out and get three courses, and of course a glass of wine. The only thing I found strange was that the vibe didn’t really match the restaurant – it seems like it deserves a nicer venue. However it is still a very nice place to go for special occasions. I can’t wait to go back. Best food in Fairfax!

I’m super stingy with my stars, but this place really did a phenomenal job. I came late on a Friday night, and surprisingly it was empty. The hostess greeted us and showed us to our table. She was really nice, chatted us up a little bit, and made it feel like we were honored guests. The waitresses were excellent as well. Made the whole night very enjoyable. I’ve been to more expensive places that wished they had customer service half as good as this place does.
The menu is simple, and may sound basic, but don’t worry. The flavors are all there, and everything is plated as if it’s going on the cover of a magazine.
The East Coast Barramundi was cooked very well — moist, juicy, flaky, and flavorful. I wish they used a Chilean Sea Bass instead, but that’s just personal preference. The mash cauliflower that it sat on top was amazing though. I could have probably ate a plate of that alone.
The Shrimp and Grits was amazing though. I’m not from the south, so I don’t have much exposure to grits, but this was delicious. They butterfly the shrimps, so each piece feels fancier than just biting into a non-​butterflied piece. IDK. The sauce was flavorful with cajun spices, and didn’t need any additional spices after it came out.
The PEI Mussels were pretty tasty. I’ve had better, but it’s hard to beat $ 9 for a big bowl of mussels. The sauce was good, and the bread they give you is good for soaking up the juices.
Spinach salad is the perfect size as a side dish to your entrees. It’s good to add some fresh greens to your meal, but that’s about all it did. It wouldn’t be big enough to be considered a dinner salad, which I don’t think it was labeled as such.
We were stuffed after our 2 entrees, salad, and mussels, so we didn’t have room for dessert. With most entrees under $ 25, this is a really cheap spot for dinner. Great value, food, and atmosphere, I don’t think you’ll find anything that fits that bill in the general area.

Now I’ve only eaten here during the lunch hours so I don’t know how this place operates during dinner rushes, but from what I can tell its probably A+.
They just recently introduced a new lunch menu, and on it were a great variety of foods. I had the jibarito which was pretty much a deconstructed soft tortilla taco. Now usually with tacos, I either have to add some type of sauce hot sauce – even Siracha. But these tacos had such a unique flavor that I knew I had to come back for more.
And that’s what I did. Kind of. I came back for lunch two weeks later and had the bistro burger. Now this was something I definitely did not expect. I think what really sold me were the buns. I know they were cooked with olive oil but there was a slight hint of garlic in there that really satisfied these taste buds. The only hard part was that the burger was huge and a little hard to eat, but it was manageable.
For dessert, my coworkers had bread pudding and I had the Nutella cake. The bread pudding was perfect– not too sweet, but sweet enough that it could be called dessert. If it was coupled with coffee it would have been perfect. The Nutella cake on the other hand was drenched with a raspberry syrup of some sorts, which balanced out the rich sugary taste of the cake. Unfortunately for me, I preferred the bread pudding, but to each his own!
The service here was also amazing. Our waiter had great knowledge of our menu, and definitely had a slick tongue because everything he read off the menu could have sold me.
And it actually might have. 21 great American bistro is a refreshing restaurant in the heart of old town fairfax. If you’re ever in the area, you should definitely give it a try!

21 Great American Bistro is a wonderful family owned restaurant in Old Town Fairfax. The service here is really something of note. From the moment we walked in until we left, we were very well taken care of.
The chef started us off with an amuse-​bouche before our appetizers. What a nice touch! We had the mussels and mozzarella en carozza. The mussels had a spicy broth with peppers and sausage. Mozzarella was fresh and not overly fried.
It was hard to choose an entrée as everything on the menu looks delicious. We ordered the crab cakes and rack of lamb. Unfortunately, the lamb came out well done so we had to send it back.
For dessert, we had the strawberry shortcake, «cannoli» and tiramisu. The shortcake was the star of this trio! I would not call the cannoli a cannoli as it’s more of an éclair.
We will be back for sure!

Hosted a birthday party here for a small group. It was fabulous. The service was flawless and the food too.
We ordered bouillabaisse, lamb, and duck as entrees. For appetizers, we ordered the baked brie and the driver’s scallops as well as two bottles of the Joel Gott zin. At the end, we collective enjoyed one of each of the desserts: tiramisu, a chocolate cake with (heavenly) raspberry purée, and a cannoli.
Each new order possibly tasted better than the last!
The bouillabaisse was some of the best I’ve ever had – the scallops were prefect. Cranberry marmalade on phillo-​wrapped baked brie was inspired. At dessert, the cannoli was the standout. It was lighter and less sweet (and better) than what I have normally had.
I’m happy to have this new option in downtown Fairfax and I highly recommend it.

Had a pleasant and highly enjoyable meal here as I am in town for a buddy of mine’s wedding. The grilled beef lollipops were a favorite among my family along with the mussels for the apps section. For entrees my family tried: the pork tenderloin, crab cakes, lamb chops, duck breast, while my GF had the veggie entrée. Everyone enjoyed their meal as the portions were a good size. The pork tenderloin came with a great baked apple and the pork was seasoned nicely with a nice risotto. The crab cakes were amazing great large flakes of crab and well seasoned. The duck breast was flavorful and not gamey– and came with a nice sweet potato ravioli. As for the lamb– wow, the potato croquette was awesome and the lamb chops were extremely tender. The veggie entrée came with a nice grilled corn polenta and the veggies were fresh and grilled nicely.
A real highlight was dessert! We tried all that was available as they have a pastry chef who bakes daily. For this meal we tried the baked french cannoli, tiramisu, chocolate Nutella raspberry cake and the chef made a fresh fruit bowl for my gf. The tiramisu was great but slightly on the rich size but had amazing coffee flavor. The chocolate Nutella raspberry cake was a real treat also with a raspberry sauce that was great (a compote sauce) and really went with the chocolate cake. The best thing was the baked french cannoli, great shell and the cream was not too sweet. The cannoli by far was our favorite.
Our server was Tom– amazing service! He was funny and attentive and extremely conscious of his tables. He was very nice and put our order ahead of a very large party so we weren’t stuck waiting for our meal longer than we needed to. My family and GF all agreed that this restaurant is a gem for the area and we will stop by whenever in the area.

Ann (ah-​nn) is the hostess and sister of the owner. She’s the first person I’m including in my review because she’s awesome. This is a family owned restaurant and the majority of the staff is family. Ann gets you situated and gives you an introduction into the must haves and favorites. I’m always looking for the inside scoop, which is why I Unilocal,so she made life easier.
I love this place. We came here for date night and the layout is spread out so that you really feel like you’re the only folks there, though we weren’t. In a good way.
They bring you a complimentary course of a crispy bread and sweet n sour dipping sauce as well as a tiny salad. Nice touch. Both were tasty.
We started with the mussels and bone marrow. The mussels are mixed into a sauce of andouille sausage, some peppers, white wine and were a great mix of savory and spicy. The crostinis are crunchy butter goodness. I mean you want to dip them in any liquid available, good.
The bone marrow was ok. The bones used for the marrow aren’t filled with much marrow so you really don’t get more than a tablespoon between both bones.
The crab cakes are mainly lump crab, which is true dream. You have just enough breadcrumb to bind the ingredients, but the flavor is all crab. There is also a corn salad that pairs well with the crab — a bite of sweet and different texture.
Duck is one of my favorite proteins. This duck was very good, but I actually enjoyed the crab cakes more. The duck is paired with what I think was an Israeli couscous and raisins. The couscous on its own is a bit on the sweet side, but paired with the duck is a perfect bite. My only wish for the duck would have been a crispy skin to give a bit more depth to the textures of the plate.
They kill it at dessert here. I would even come here for an espresso and pastry. The chocolate Nutella mousse cake… nomnomnom. Get a spoonful, dip it into the raspberry sauce and cut a tiny piece of strawberry. Perfect bite for that dish.
The tiramisu is also very good. Ann downplayed it as being pretty good, but I was pleasantly surprised when I took a bite. It is the right mix between moist but not soggy, coffee flavor but not overshadowing the rest, and a cocoa dusting that brings in the bitter element. Creamy. Goodness.
We actually were going to celebrate my fellas recent review at work. He did amazing. We told Ann about it and she sent us a cannelloni to go. She was planning on plating it and writing congratulations, but 2 desserts later we would have died with more food. Very thoughtful.
Oh, we also had a nice bottle of red wine. They have a page of wine options that are varied enough for those looking for some local wine through to some Napa and Australian wines.
I had never heard of this place and now I’m wondering howwwww that’s posssssible. Great find. Go check them out. Get a mix of what Ann and your waiter recommend. They each had different recommendations and we went with both and had a fantastic meal.

Fairfax City has another legitimate contender for culinary must-​dine hot spot. There have been few options in this area like Villa Mozart. Most of the trending spots (Gypsy Soul, Plan B) tend to be in Mosaic District in Merrifield. This new spot by Chef Joseph Nguyen can surely hold its own against any in the DC area like Mintwood, Le Diplomate, DBGB, Kapnos or Jaleo. And does so without the jarring effect to your budget.
The eclectic menu that is qualified as new American, reflects many facets of flavors from a variety of cultures. The bone marrow is an excellent starter and the toasted brioche is perfect to pick up every little unctuous bits of marrow. The Christorra con queso is savory and salty with the chorizo and melting cheese. The beef lollipop is a playful and tasty presentation with a really addictive ponzu sauce. The entrée pick of sous vide duck is beautifully prepared with a wonderfully crunchy seared skin. The Duroc pork tenderloin is oh so succulent and bursting with savory flavors. The chef shows some real technical prowess with the balance of each meal.
Definitely leave room for dessert. This place has one of the most exquisite cannoli I have ever had in a long time. The flakey shell is firm and crisp with a light and creamy filling.
The only drawback is a lackluster pick of wines. The Oregon pinot options are perfectly acceptable and pairs well with the meals but none are standouts. Which is regretable since 2012 was an outstanding year for Oregon pinots. Also, I would think an Argentinian malbec or a chateauneuf du pape would also go well with most of the fares.
I had great service with all of my visits so I would think that they have worked out their opening day issues.
If I was local, this would be my regular goto dining spot. Fortunately, my parents live nearby so I have an excuse to come as often as possible.

My fiancé and I dined here for our weekly date night and we both enjoyed our experience here. This is such a charming restaurant in Fairfax City and perfect for date nights and intimate meals with friends.
We ordered the fattoush salad, PEI mussels, bacon mac’n’cheese, cheesy grits, Yukon gold potato, and crab cakes to share between the both of us. They came out with a complimentary pork belly appetizer which was a tasty way to begin our meal. Everything was delicious, but the items that really stood out to me were the PEI mussels (due to their generous portion and amazing broth), bacon mac’n’cheese (…because bacon and cheese, duh) and the crab cakes (it was basically 90% filler!). We finished our meal with the canoli dessert — a must have if you’re a sweets lover! Additionally, there is a nice selection of wine and beer to choose from.
The service here was excellent throughout our meal. All of the employees were friendly and accommodating. We would definitely come back again to try out their other dishes.

A little slice of Heaven in Old Town Fairfax! 21 Great American Bistro made a fan out of me from the second I walked in – I knew all these fabulous Unilocal reviews wouldn’t steer me wrong!
First off, the staff is so friendly and welcoming, I felt like a regular customer right from the get-​go. They brought out a couple of complimentary appetizer bites — a little tomato salad and an arancini (risotto ball). We shared the mussels as an appetizer and they were fantastic — just the right touch of spice! And with the grilled bread to dip into the sauce… Mmmm.
I got the miso salmon as my entrée, which was tender and delicious. It was served over a sweet couscous salad type thing, and I really enjoyed it.
The ambiance of this place is unexpectedly quiet and romantic — it would make a great date night spot! I can’t wait to come back and try more of the delicious-​sounding items on the menu. Congrats on a great debut, 21 Great American Bistro, and welcome to the neighborhood!