El Tutumaso, 3018 Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA, 703-531-1081
A very authentic Bolivian restaurant with a more extensive menu than most. Excellent soups and consistent all around, although I never like the dishes that use hot dog slices. One of the two or three best Bolivian places for people watching and definitely worth a visit.
"Bolivian cuisine" on wikipedia
La Caraqueña, web site, 300 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-533-0076, where Café Rose used to be in Falls Church City (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
They serve Venezuelan, Bolivian, and Chilean dishes; the proprietors are Bolivians who lived for quite a while in Venezuela. Definitely above average. I loved the peanut soup (Sopa de Mani). Chilean sandwiches are hard to mimic in this country, so I didn’t order one, but I saw two go past and they looked delicious. Even their Bolivian dishes are not exactly the standard. An original place, worth having in the repertoire and a nice homey atmosphere.
Bolivian Bakery, 6184 Arlington Boulevard, Falls Church, VA, Willston Shopping Plaza, right next to Mark’s Duck House, 703-531-0777 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [openlist]
The “subtitle” of this restaurant is “Palacio del Silpancho”. How can you hate a place like that? This is not the very best silpancho but it is at least at the area average and sometimes above it. Maybe it is too salty in parts. But this is a very sympathetic restaurant and they have lots of fruit drinks too. Worth an occasional visit.
Annandale Cafe, 133 E. Annandale Road, Falls Church, VA, between Hillwood Ave. and S Washington St, though to me it looks like it is on Hillwood, 703-237-7275 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
[MenuPages]
I love this place, which right now is the best Bolivian food around, despite being a bit on the dark and dingy side. I can’t imagine how they handle crowds and I suppose they don’t. The Saturday peanut soup is the best around, lots of pasta in it. The meats are very fresh. The plates are large. The authenticity level is high. They also pretend to have a connection to Argentinian food but it really is mostly Bolivian. Right now this place is a clear first choice in its category.
Victor's Grill II, 7634 Lee Highway, Rt. 29, Falls Church, VA, 703-573-4161, where Black-Eyed Pea used to be, near Mehak (another location at 436 South Washington Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-532-8878) (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press | City Paper | Yelp]
Bolivian as well, but the closest you will find to real parillada. You get an enormous plate, it is quite good but not for all tastes, be prepared for huge slabs and meat and innards. Recommended. It would almost make my favorites list, except I can’t eat this stuff more than once a year.
My Bakery & Café, web site, 3508 Courtland Drive, Falls Church, VA, 703-933-7333, off Columbia Pike, after Blair Road, and right before Full Kee (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | openlist | Yelp]
Recommended for Bolivian pastries and breads. One Bolivian reader recommends the “api, a purplish corn-based drink, served hot,” I may stick with jellyfish. The chicharron and mote are recommended as well.
Portales, web site, 6148 Franconia Road, Alexandria (Springfield), VA, 703-922-4827, this place used to be on Glebe Road (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Yelp]
It always looked a little boring/”continental” to me, but I have yet to visit the new locale.
Paladium, 5171 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA, 703-241-8701, where the larger Luzmila’s (and formerly Copa) used to be (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [City Paper | Citysearch]
NOW CLOSED. Good peanut soup when they have it, it has half a foot in the Argentinean and Peruvian camps as well. Not a top performer in any single area, but useful to have around.
Luzmila's Cuisine, 809 W. Broad Street, Falls Church, VA, 703-237-0047 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | Falls Church News Press | City Paper | Yelp | Citysearch]
Mom and pop Bolivian place, not up to Don Arturo’s or the nearby Victor’s, but good enough to enjoy and very friendly and fun. Pablo Ayala tells me that their saltenas are very good.
Rinconcito Boliviano, Randolph Hill Center, 4824 Boiling Brook Parkway, Rockville, MD, 301-881-0332 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian |food-plan | Yelp]
NOW CLOSED. More mom and pop stuff. Live music on Sundays. You get to Boiling Brook by turning right on Nicholson, off of Wisconsin.
According to food-plan, this place is closed.
Llajtaymanta, 7236 Arlington Blvd. (Rte 50), Falls Church, VA, in the Graham Center (at Graham), next to where Cha Gio used to be, 703-204-0593 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian]
One of the most authentic Bolivian places around. The menu is in Spanish only. The waitresses don’t speak any English. The soups and meats are very good. I’ve only been once, but I will add this to my repertoire. Great atmosphere too.
Victor’s Grill, 436 S. Washington St, Falls Church, VA, 703 532 8878 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Falls Church News-Press | City Paper | Yelp]
I’ve now been here three times, and great every time. One of the best Bolivian places around, and probably the largest portions of any place listed in this guide.
Casa Blanca Bakery & Cafe, 5037 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, in the CVS shopping plaza east of Bailey’s Crossroads, 703-280-1904 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window)
Mostly a bakery but they have many Bolivian snacks. Eli Lehrer likes this place, I have yet to go.
Don Arturo's Restaurant, 2716 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA, 703-276-1050 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Citysearch | Yelp]
One of the ultimate mom n' pops. Everything I have had here is excellent. At first you will think the restaurant is empty but then you will observe many plates of food being brought to the back room. That being said, you will never really know what is going on. I am fond of the silpancho here, (chilies and tomatoes and onion piled on meat, on top of a bed of potatoes), I like that so much I never get the chance to work through their menu. Put lots of the spicy green sauce on top.
Cecilia's, 2619 Columbia Pike, Arlington, VA, 703-685-0790, usually open (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [WaPo | Yelp]
The main Bolivian place in the area, and a center for Bolivian social life. Excellent food, I really like the Pork Fricasee. The menu is not purely Bolivian (Mexican specialties are offered), but you should probably order Bolivian, even though everything looks good. Music and dancing at night on weekends.
The key to Andean restaurants in the U.S. is to avoid ordering a plain piece of meat; the quality of the meat will not be bad, but it will not be high enough to justify your choice. Look instead for sauces, stews, soups, and concoctions. Or a piece of meat with lots piled on top of it, especially chiles and green sauce.
Elena’s Oven, 9542-B Arlington Blvd., Fairfax Circle Plaza, Fairfax, VA, 703-352-0917 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Citysearch | barrio flores]
Best is the lunch buffet, some evenings they close or don’t have Bolivian food at all, moving to Italian offerings (the entire matter of their evening hours appears to be in flux). Definitely recommended, an amazing bargain plus they will have many Bolivian dishes that other places don’t. Put this place in your repertoire, plus your wimpy friends can get the pasta. The pizza is also decent.
Tutto Bene, Ballston, web site, 501 N. Randolph Street, Arlington, VA, 703-522-1005, just off Glebe Road, across from the Harris Teeter (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Yelp | openlist | Citysearch]
Bolivian food on weekends, certainly good but not my first choice for Bolivian (menu here). I actually prefer the Italian dishes here, it is an Italian restaurant most of the time, very tasty. Tastes like the Italian food you get in South America, which is usually excellent, perhaps because it is especially rich. The ravioli are my favorite.
Julia's Empanadas
(Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | food-plan | yelp | openlist | Gayot]
Should this be listed under Argentinean? Who knows. They have Chilean, Jamaican, and Bolivian style empanadas as well, even a vegan entry, all super cheap, good snacks.
Pike Pizza, 4111 Columbia Pike, at the intersection of Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive, Arlington, VA, 703-521-3010 (Metro Trip Planner - opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | Citysearch]
First-rate Bolivian. They do not, however, have pizza, despite the name. The best Bolivian sausage around, too. Amazing atmosphere.