Phantom Foodie: Hitting the Open Road

by Phantom Foodie

Salmon

I was cruising around Reston Town Center one evening and hit the brakes at Open Road Restaurant & Bar. I'd never been, so I brought two phriends along.

Sometimes you stumble upon a restaurant that feels like a road trip you didn't plan but are glad you took. Open Road is that kind of place: sprawling, spirited and unapologetically American. Here's my distilled take.

Brick Chicken

We arrived to a lively crowd and were greeted and seated promptly. The space is massive, think wide-open highways, not cozy country lanes. The noise level runs high, as expected for a venue that doubles as a sports bar, but the energy suits the space. Come prepared to lean across the table.

Before the menus arrived, a bowl of complimentary popcorn landed on the table. Salty, simple and a welcome start, or perhaps a clever nudge toward the drink order. We skipped the cocktail menu and instead opted for a nonalcoholic beverage, which took a minute to find tucked among the alcoholic offerings. Worth noting: Open Road has its own distillery, Open Road Distilling Co., with house-made vodka, gin, bourbon and barrel-aged rye. That's a road worth traveling, rideshare recommended, on our next visit.

We started with the crispy onion rings, which were well executed, golden and easily shareable. My Brick Chicken arrived with crispy skin and was evenly cooked, paired with creamy garlic mashed potatoes that quietly stole the show. The Atlantic salmon came beautifully marked from the grill, resting on a hearty farro salad with spinach, assorted mushrooms, halved plum tomatoes and olives. The portion was generous without being overwhelming. One note: The chef recommended medium, but the consensus at the table was that medium-rare would have been preferable.

We also sampled the Margherita pizza. Tasty, thin and a solid choice for the table. Then came the S'mores Bar: warm, gooey and deeply satisfying. It was the kind of dessert that evokes campfire nostalgia. Do not skip it.

Service was friendly, attentive and unhurried. Our server checked in without hovering, kept things moving and made the evening feel easy until it was time to close out. Splitting the bill became something akin to cracking the Enigma code at the point of sale. Open Road isn’t trying to be something it isn’t. It’s a big, loud, fun American restaurant with good food, strong bones and a distillery waiting to be explored. The first trip went well, and we’ll be back for a

Commanders game, along with Ms. Foodie, to check out the Heirloom speakeasy hidden inside.

Open Road

1871 Fountain Dr Suite 200

Happy hour: M - F 3 - 6 PM

Gift cards available

Disclaimer: The Reston Letter and its staff do not receive solicitation, compensation, or special endorsement from any restaurant or culinary establishment. Our reviewer dines unannounced to make the experience genuine. Our mission is to provide our readers with an accurate representation of our reviewer's experience so they may make their own informed decisions. Taste, service, and culinary preferences vary.