Great for Groups

Peking Gourmet

Second- and third-generation family members operate this business, which opened in 1975 in the Culmore Shopping Center. It has grown over the years, including the addition of a farm in Purcellville that grows garlic sprouts, jumbo spring onions and other produce exclusively for the restaurant. But the menu mainstays are what bring people back, especially during the winter holidays when reservations are a must and the restaurant serves more than 10,000 of its signature ducks. Peking Gourmet tries out a few new dishes each Chinese New Year to consider adding to its massive menu. Recent newcomers include stir-fried five-spice beef with red and green chilies; flaky kung pao Chilean sea bass; and flash-fried firecracker tofu.

Culmore Shopping Center, 6029 Leesburg Pike, pekinggourmet.com

City Diner

If you’re craving an authentic diner experience, look for the iconic black, red and white sign near the intersection of Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike. City Diner offers a giant menu, plenty of hearty Greek and Italian classics, and gigantic breakfasts. Stuffed blintzes, corned beef hash, chicken-fried steak and Western omelets – this is what getting up in the morning is all about. Triple-decker sandwiches made with Virginia ham, chicken breast or egg salad – all topped with bacon – make for a satisfying midday nosh. And don’t forget to stop at the bakery case, which is full of freshly made fruit pies, pastries and cakes.

5616 Leesburg Pike, citydiner-restaurant.com

Full Kee  

Go for the Hong Kong noodle soup; stay for more than 100 Cantonese, Szechuan and Hunan options. Full Kee has ample parking – it’s adjacent to a Best Buy and Trader Joe’s at the intersection of Leesburg and Columbia Pikes – and offers plenty of room inside for families and other large parties. The sea creatures lolling in tanks are not for show; fresh tilapia, lobster, clams and crab are specialties of the house. The restaurant is open until 1 a.m. six days a week, so if you have a midnight craving for a pile of roasted duck, chicken or pork, this is the place.

5830 Columbia Pike, fullkeefallschurch.com

Meaza

The Washington region is home to the largest Ethiopian population outside of Africa, and there are many wonderful places to enjoy stews, kifto (a dish of raw or rare-cooked, seasoned beef), and meaty tibs, scooped up with spongy injera bread. Owner Meaza Zemedu’s dining spot packs a café, restaurant, banquet hall and grocery into 7,000 square feet along Columbia Pike. The restaurant is known for the country’s signature doro wat stew, featuring chicken, garlic and hard-boiled eggs. Meaza also offers an array of vegetarian options including lentils, yellow chickpeas, collard greens cabbage and a savory dish called shiro, in which powdered chickpeas are cooked with olive oil, garlic, onion and sprinkled with fresh jalapeño peppers.

5700 Columbia Pike, meazaethiopiancuisine.com