Restaurant Spotlight of the Week

Joe's Place Pizza & Pasta was opened in 1978 in Woodbridge by experienced New York-style pizza makers. Its popularity resulted in an expansion across the Northern Virginia area. For the past 22 years at its Bailey's Crossroads location, Joe's has pleased the masses on three simple premises of its manager Jorge Aleman: delicious food, friendly service that "gives 200%," and reasonable prices. After trying it out, I can safely say that Joe's surpasses each of its goals.

Though Joe's does have delivery and take-out, its main attraction, as Aleman will attest, is the all you can eat buffet. Even though the restaurant's name indicates that there is only pizza and pasta, the buffet has a surprising amount of variety. To start off with, there is a full salad bar, complete with 26 topping items (even anchovies). Also on the lighter side is soup. The "Mamma's Minestrone" is chock full of fresh vegetables and a good way to start off the imminent feast.

The only pasta at the buffet is ziti with meat sauce, which is tasty as expected. You can mop up the extra sauce with the never-ending supply of garlic bread. If you decide not to opt for the buffet, there are many other pasta styles to choose from, such as the staff favorite of plain spaghetti with olive oil.

What most people come for, though, is the pizza, which is also all-you-can-eat. Offerings include the deep dish Siciliana with pepperoni or sausage, or the thin crust Napolitana with pepperoni, sausage, green pepper, mushrooms, or plain cheese. There is also a delectable white pizza with tomatoes and feta cheese. The pizzas go fast, so there will never be a very long wait for the particular flavor you want. In terms of taste, the pizza is better than any mainstream delivery selections. Plus, you can actually see the pizzas being made, so you know they are as fresh as possible.

Not available at the buffet, but still popular are the subs. Most popular among them is the traditional steak and cheese sub. Aleman recommends The Zep, an American hoagie. And if you're craving a calzone, look no further than the Alla Carne (pepperoni, sausage and mozzarella).

A big bonus to dining at Joe's is that it won't put much of a dent in your wallet. The lunch buffet is a bargain at $5.99, but the Monday night buffet dinner special is a steal at $4.49 for adults and $2.49 for children under ten. That's a cheaper price than fast food for far superior (and all-you-can-eat) Italian cuisine.

Though the atmosphere is a bit stale, the friendly staff and glut of other diners will make you feel right at home, which is how the staff wants you to feel. There's no need for fancy clothes; just enjoy good food over a glass of wine with some good friends.

If you decide that Bailey's Crossroads is inconvenient, there are four other locations in the Northern Virginia area, including one on Lee Highway close to the Lee-Harrison shopping center in Arlington. You can expect the same quality of service and food at all Joe's locations.

In short, if you're a bit tired with the "Papa's" and "Huts" of the industry, try something new by going to Joe's. You're guaranteed to have a fun, tasty, and inexpensive dining experience.