For a quick snack, there's Dent's Seafood Grill (18526 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle, 703-441-6300, 703-221-4051) just north of Quantico.
Bonefish Grill (7611 Somerset Crossing Dr., Gainesville, 703-753-2597, www.bonefishgrill.com) is an upscale seafood restaurant from the owners of Outback Steakhouse. The fish is flown in fresh daily, and the selections are grilled and served with your choice of sauces. Don't miss the Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer.
Owner Nelson Head, above, has strived to get his barbecue ribs at Dixie Bones to taste like the ones he enjoyed growing up. Medina Kabob Restaurant, left, specializes in Pakistani cuisine, such as samosas.
(L. William Kobelka For The Washington Post)
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STEAK: There are many reasons for seeking out Globe & Laurel (18418 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle, 703-221-5763). It's featured in several of Patricia Cornwell's best-selling novels. It also serves the best steaks in the county. Near the main gate of Quantico Marine Corps Base, it is beginning to be crowded by development. But the food and the camaraderie keep drawing people back.
Sully's Steak House (4182 Dale Blvd., Dale City, 703-670-7121) is a local steakhouse with a menu that is better than most of the mid-range steakhouses in the area. There are roasted peanuts on the table, a long bar in a separate room and a good down-home atmosphere.
FRENCH: Chez Marc (7607 Centreville Rd., Manassas, 703-369-6526) is the county's premier French restaurant. The decor is traditional, and so are many of the preparations. But that doesn't make the venison, scallops or duck less appealing. Save room for a dessert soufflé.
LATIN AND MEXICAN: Pupuserias and charbroiled chicken restaurants compete with some of the county's more established Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants.
Casa Chimayo Mexican Dinner House (8209 Sudley Rd., Manassas, 703-369-2523) is perhaps the grandfather of the county's Mexican restaurants.
Just down the road is La Tolteca (8412 Sudley Rd., Manassas, 703-257-7293), part of a Williamsburg-based chain. Nearby is Anita's (10611 Lomond Dr., Manassas, 703-335-6400), which serves New Mexico-style food with an accent on chilies.
There are many other Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in the county. Sandia Café (4220 Merchant Plaza, in the Glen Shopping Center, Woodbridge, 703-878-4400, www.sandiacafe.com) serves New Mexico-style food, as does Mateo's Santa Fe Cafe (5081 Waterway Dr., Montclair, 703-670-7477, www.mateossantafecafe.com).
El Charro Mexican Restaurant (2893 Dale Blvd., Dale City, 703-680-0484) is part of a family-owned chain. Guapo's Mesquite Grill ( 8498 Centreville Rd., Manassas Park, 703-393-9449, www.guaposrestaurant.com) is part of a Washington chain of Tex-Mex restaurants and features charbroiled chicken and ribs. La Jaibita (8059 Centreville Rd., Manassas, 703-330-0577) specializes in Mexican seafood.
Pupuseria Maxwell's (9043 Liberia Ave., Manassas, 703-335-9623) houses a small dining room and a much larger space that operates as a nightclub, with live Latin music. It offers much more than pupusas, including Mexican and Salvadoran specialties. Pupusas, a street food in El Salvador, come with cheese, pork, chicken or a mixture of pork and chicken. The Salvadoran enchiladas are more like chalupas and are served with sliced, pickled jalapeños. Shrimp dishes are also a specialty.
El Garrobo Restaurant (9007 Centreville Rd., 703-330-1466) and Hermanos Restaurant (8699 Parkland St., Manassas, 703-365-2598) also specialize in Salvadoran food, including pupusas.
Las Brujas de Cachiche (8909 Centreville Rd., Manassas, 703-393-7070) offers Peruvian cuisine, including wonderful ceviches and shrimp dishes. Las Brujas is one of several restaurants in the area that feels almost like an eatery in a foreign country.
PORTUGUESE: There are only a handful of Portuguese restaurants in the Washington region, and two are in Manassas. Carmello's & Little Portugal in Old Town Manassas (9108 Center St., 703-368-5522, www.carmellos.com) devotes much of its menu to Italian cuisine, but the Portuguese dishes are the most interesting. It's a favorite for celebrations.
