Restaurant Spotlight of the Week

Perhaps the most famous sandwich joint in the Arlington area (and justifiably so), Lost Dog Café has taken an integral place in the restaurant scene of the Falls Church area. It's a great place to go with your buds, whether you want to simply hang out or you want a great place to eat. Regardless of your motives, you can expect a great experience just about every time.

To experience the monstrous scope of the menu, one must visit the Lost Dog numerous times. Specialty sandwiches, gourmet pizzas, subs, pastas, salads and sides are all fleshed out with many examples of what each category should be. There are around 50 specialty sandwiches alone, not to mention the sandwiches and subs that can be made to order. There are a fair amount of classic dishes, but mostly, the ingredients used are something you've never tried before. The gourmet pizzas are some of the more exotic dishes, including such items as Polynesian Pizza (with shrimp, hickory ham, pineapple, bacon and extra cheese) and Mediterranean Pie (homemade tomato sauce, fresh eggplant, spinach, green olives, parmesan and mozzarella seasoned with thyme).

Even while traveling into varied original territories, Lost Dog Café maintains a friendly theme and atmosphere. The walls are colorful, adorned with surreal and whimsical portraits of dogs that emit a pleasant southwestern aura. Even alone, one is likely to remain enchanted by the wall ornaments alone.

Of course, it's more likely that visitors will fall in love with the restaurant by the quality of the food. Enjoy a restaurant specialty with friends by ordering the White Pizza (and choose between two varieties, as a matter of fact), which is a cheesy goodness never rivaled. And of course, it's worth it to get the amazing chili on the side, which is filled with an excellent choice of vegetables that only aid the delicious taste. For dessert, you can get the scrumptious Reese's Peanut Butter Pie, which is an excellent cake version of the candy with a cheesecake consistency.

To ice the proverbial cake, Lost Dog Café offers not only excellent food, but a number of other services. Of course, there is a great delivery service to the surrounding area, which is sadly uncharacteristic of specialty pizza places such as this. There is also the deli, which offers excellent choices of food and spirits.

Most of all, however, the restaurant has additionally become a rescue foundation for lost cats and dogs. Philanthropy, after all, can apply to dogs as well. Dogs are saved from shelters and then spend time at the Lost Dog Ranch until they can find better homes. Over the period of thirteen years, the café has rescued hundreds of house pets. Those are, of course, a fair amount of the portraits on the walls in the restaurant.

All in all, every experience is a great experience when it comes to Lost Dog Café. It's a staple of Falls Church residents, so you might as well dig in. After all, you can enjoy the tastes, enjoy the sights, enjoy the humanitarian spirit, and most of all, enjoy your stay quite easily.