#75: Tropical Smoothie Cafe

Date Visited: 26 July 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: I was on my own for lunch on this Sunday afternoon, and tired from getting up early to play bass with our church's worship team. I was pretty hungry too. I had been meaning to give the Tropical Smoothie Cafe a try, so I went for it. It's one of the newer restaurants in Leesburg and shares a building with Tenderjacks (reviewed on 29 August 2008). It turns out that Tropical Smoothie Cafe is a national chain, and according to their web site (very Flash-y), they currently have 275 restaurants open and 80 more in development in 34 states.

On this visit i got a Buffalo Chicken Wrap ("Chicken Breast Strips, Romaine Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Low-Fat Mozzarella Cheese, Hot Buffalo Sauce & Light Ranch Dressing. Wrapped in a White Tortilla.") It was good but not great. Of course I had to try a smoothie, so I got a Blimey Limey ("Strawberries, Pineapples, Orange, & Lime"). It was very good; I could really appreciate and taste all the fresh fruit, freshly prepared. All this came as a combo, which included some chips (Nachos Doritos).

Tropical Smoothie Cafe's food is OK, but if you've got a hankerin' for a big fruity smoothie, give they're the place to go.

Location: 505A E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://tropicalsmoothiecafe.com/

Total bill: $10.84

UPDATED 29 August 2010: Corrected the comment about sharing a building with Pei Wei; Tropical Smoothies actually shares the building with Tenderjack's.

#74: Puccio's New York Deli

Date Visited: 25 July 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Puccio's opened in 2003, and its popularity has grown mainly by word of mouth rather than massive advertising. Because of this, I think Puccio's is another one of the hidden gems in Leesburg's collection of restaurants. Their web site says that their motto is "Big city taste without the traffic," and their mission is to "Serve Quality Food for Great Prices." My experience confirms that they are hitting the mark on both counts. Puccio's is located on south Loudoun Street, across from another recently reviewed gem, The Cajun Experience.

All of the Puccio's Special sandwiches have interesting names in line with the New York/Italian deli theme. On this visit I ordered the Hambino ("Maple Honey Ham, Bacon & American cheese, topped with lettuce, tomatoes & Ranch dressing, served hot on a sub roll.") The ham and bacon combination was very tasty, and overall the sandwich was great. I also ordered a side of Homemade Cole Slaw, which was fresh, crispy, and just right.

Puccio's also has a great web site, chock-full of delicious menu items and other information. Stop by and support this great local restaurant!

Location: 15 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://puccios-deli.com/

Total bill: $9.22

#73: South Street Under

Date Visited: 3 July 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: South Street Under was born about ten years ago, originally intended as just a place to bake great breads and make specialty desserts, an extension of the kitchen for the Tuscarora Mill ("Tuskie's") restaurant. On the Tuskie's web site, South Street Under is simply referred to as the "Bakery". South Street Under gets its name from the fact that they are physically located under Tuskie's, in Leesburg's Market Station shopping center. On Sout Street Under's own web site, it is self-described as a "Perfect Blend of Bakery, Deli, Custom Cakes Design, Coffee House, and Take Out." Taking advantage of the Independence Day holiday (July 3 this year), we decided to go out to lunch on this beautiful Summer afternoon; the weather was perfect, making the experience all the more enjoyable in the outdoor seating.



I ordered a New England Clam Chowder appetizer, which was nice and chunky. Wendy got a bowl of Chilled Tomato Gazpacho, which was crisp, chunky in its own way, and in her words, "wonderful!" We both got the Special sandwich of the day, which was Grilled Chicken, bacon, avocado, lettuce, and tomato on ciabatta bread. The sandwich was quite delicious, the bacon being good and salty, the avocado perfect, and the chicken just right. We didn't know it at the time, but the web site says that South Street Under is "famous for our great Italian flat bread 'Ciabatta'" - and it was great. Everything we had was fresh and delicious.

Go out and support this great local restaurant!

Location: 203 Harrison St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://southstreetunder.com/

Total bill: $27.02 + $5.00 tip = $32.02

#72: Pizza Hut - WingStreet

Date Visited: 26 June 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 3 - Me, Wendy, & Alicia

Experience: Ubiquitous Pizza Hut has three locations in Leesburg: the original one on Market Street (not reviewed here yet), Pizza Hut Express (inside Target), and the newest one, Pizza Hut - WingStreet. This location is a small, take-out only operation, but offers pretty much the full Pizza Hut menu, featuring the new chicken wing offerings. Pizza Hut stores that serve the wings now have the "WingStreet" logo/sign outside. Pizza Hut is owned by Yum! Brands, Inc., that also operates or licenses Taco Bell, KFC, Long John Silver's and A&W restaurants.



On this visit, we only needed a light dinner, so I got a ten piece order of medium-hot Buffalo wings (crispy, bone-in), Wendy got a ten piece order of Garlic Parmesan wings (crispy, bone-in), and Alicia got a personal-size "PANormous" pizza with cheese and chicken. We took it home and ate it all while watching "Raising Arizona" (highly recommended). It was all good.

So, for all your pizza and wing needs... whatever.

Location: 300 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Suite 101, Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://pizzahut.com/

Total bill: $20.59 + $5.00 tip = $25.59

#71: Red Kabob

Date Visited: 19 June 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: I just discovered yet another new restaurant in Leesburg as I was leaving Starbucks last night. Tucked away in a corner of Bellewood Commons, Red Kabob had their Grand Opening on May 30th, and was attended by the mayor! Somehow I missed it. Red Kabob specializes in Mediterranean food, and is a family-run business. Husband and wife team Jon and Rana Younes, who are from Jordan, run the place and provide the most friendly service and welcoming atmosphere that you will find in this town!

We ordered the #4 Lamb Kabob ("Fresh tender chunks of lean Lamb Fillet which have been marinated in our own special sauces") and the #5 Ground Beef and Chicken Kabobs combo ("We grind our own beef then mix it with onion, salt, pepper, turmeric, and koobiden seasoning then marinate in our own special sauces; Fresh chunks of Chicken which have been marinated in our own special sauces").

We were "mmm"-ing and "ahh"-ing throughout the meal, just savoring the delicious and unique flavors of the three meats that we tried. It was pure pleasure. Both dishes came with a couple a dipping sauces; a spicy green one with mint, and a white yogurt-based one. They also come with a large pita bread (fresh from a local bakery), perfect Basmati rice (with a bit of nutmeg sprinkled on top), and a generous side salad.

For dessert we had a yummy kind-of-like-baklava-but-not-as-sweet pastry thing with a nice flaky crust and a pistachio filling. Hard to describe, but easy to enjoy.

To top off the experience, they have free WiFi, and a great web site with a friendly video greeting/introduction.

Red Kabob is another great locally owned and operated restaurant that we hope you'll visit. We hope to see you there sometime!

Location: 521A E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://redkabob.com/

Total bill: $33.37 + $5.00 tip (cash) = $38.37

#70: La Lou Bistro Restaurant & Lounge

Date Visited: 14 June 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: La Lou is another new Leesburg restaurant, open for about a month now, and occupying the former location of Market Street Coffee (next door to the Tally Ho Theater). La Lou is self-described as offering "a wide variety of modern American and Mediterranean cuisine such as: pizzas, pasta, seafood, lamb, steaks, burgers, paninis and much more…" I'll say right here at the start that our experience was so good, I hardly know where to start - we were quite impressed! From the minute we walked in, we were warmly greeted and welcomed by owner and head chef Driss Lahlou. The weather was perfect on this Sunday afternoon, so we took the offer of outside seating, which overlooks the Leesburg Town Hall Green, where they hold the Acoustic on the Green concerts.

We started off with some refreshing iced tea to drink. Driss then brought out some bread - not just any kind of bread - this was a pizza-style fried flat bread with a light topping of herbed cheese, along with an absolutely delicious olive tapenade. We suspected that the tapenade was homemade too, and this was confirmed when Lahlou's business partner Mohamed Touzani came out to our table for a visit. An incredibly delicious way to begin our meal!



The La Lou lunch menu included not only the regular lunch items, but also a special Saturday and Sunday brunch menu. I ordered from the brunch menu and got the Steak & Egg ("Strip steak with two eggs any style & home fries"). The steak was surprisingly tender, and a very generous portion. Wendy was more adventurous and ordered one of the specials of the day, called the Bistro Trio - and what a special it was! It featured chicken stuffed with sausage on a bed of pasta with a slightly spicy tomato sauce, a filet mignon on a bed of home fries, a small kebab with shrimp and grape tomatoes, and a side of green beans. Every bit of it was amazingly tasty! The stuffed chicken was a real treat, expertly prepared. Every detail seemed perfect, even the green beans - cooked just right.

Overall, we had a completely satisfying and pleasant dining experience in every dimension - the food was great, the service superb, the weather wonderful, and the company lovely (my honey!) Driss invited us to come back anytime! If you want to have this unique dining experience for yourself, visit La Lou as soon as possible. Support this truly great local Leesburg restaurant!

Plus, they have a great web site, unusual for many new restaurants.

Location: 19 W. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://laloubistro.com/

Total bill: $43.29 + $12.00 tip = $55.29

#69: Razzle Dairy Bar

Date Visited: 13 June 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Alicia

Experience: Razzle is a great little local business, located in the Virginia Village shopping center since about 2006. Although it's primarily about ice cream, we checked out their lunch menu on this visit. The name Razzle supposedly comes from the Razzle machine, like the McDonald's McFlurry.

I had a Chili Cheese Dog, which was filled to overflowing with chili and cheese so you have to eat it with a knife and fork, just the way it should be. Alicia had the Chicken and Fries, which turned out to be chicken chunks. We got a couple of classic sodas in glass bottles: I had a Stewarts Classic Cream Soda, and Alicia had an 8 oz. Classic Coke. Yum!

We've been to Razzle plenty of times before for ice cream, and they have pretty much anything you want. Razzle is a very popular place for soccer and little league baseball after-game treats, as evidenced by the hoardes of little kids we saw running around the place.

Support another local Leesburg restaurant, and give Razzle a try!

Location: 13 Fairfax St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: none

Total bill: $13.04

#68: Leshers

Date Visited: 30 May 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 3 - Me, Andy & Alicia

Experience: Leshers Coney Island Style Dogs & Burgers has been open in the heart of downtown Leesburg for about a month. According to the Washington Post, "Owner and Brambleton resident Dennis Martz said he mirrored Leshers after a similar hot dog eatery in his hometown of Reading, Penn. In fact, even the Berks hot dogs and many of the sodas he serves are manufactured in Reading, he said." Their hours are somewhat limited at this time (11:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Monday - Saturday), but perhaps they'll be open later for special events this summer.



Leshers is all about simplicity; there are only four food items on the menu (see photo):
#1: Mustard, chili sauce, & onions, $2.20
#2: Mustard & sauerkraut, $2.20
#3: Plain, $2.00
#4: Hamburger with mustard, chili sauce, & onions, $2.80

Leshers also offers several kinds of canned sodas, plus the specialty bottled Reading Soda in various flavors.

I had a #1, Andy had a #2, and Alicia had two #3s (unusually big appetite that day!) We forgot to try the Reading Soda, but will certainly do so on our next visit. And yes, there will certainly be a next visit.

The best thing about Leshers is that the food is good and cheap! Visit today and support this locally-owned and operated restaurant!

Location: 28 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: none (yet)

Total bill: $10.95

#67: Fractured Prune

Date Visited: 30 May 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 2 - Me & Alicia

Experience: Another new addition to Leesburg's restaurant lineup, the Fractured Prune is a unique type of donut shop. Their main uniqueness is that donuts are made to order while you wait, so they're always fresh and warm - no donuts sitting on shelves. The donuts are hand-made and dipped in various toppings. There are many standard combinations with crazy names like "Creamsicle", "Morning Buzz", "Ms. Prunella", and "Myrna Medley". You can also create your own custom combinations. The Fractured Prune also serves a small variety of sandwiches and hot dogs.

Alicia had one of the specialty donuts called the "OC Sand". They were also handing out small samples of this one the day we visited. It was pretty good.



Not being a hard core donut man, I ordered the Breakfast Club (ham, egg, cheese, and bacon on a bagel), and a coffee. The sandwich was also hot and made fresh, but kind of bland. I asked for salt and pepper and they seemed kind of surprised, and an employee went off in search of some, eventually finding a couple of small packets. The bagel tasted like it was bought next door at Bloom.

I guess I'll have to come back again with some donut-loving people and give the Fractured Prune another chance. Visit their web site and discover where their unusual name comes from! I also learned from their site that Fractured Prune is a chain, with restaurants in several eastern states.

Location: 828 S. King St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://fracturedprune.com/

Total bill: $9.65

#66: The Cajun Experience

Date Visited: 29 May 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: It's always fun to check out a brand-new restaurant, so we were really looking forward to visiting one of Leesburg's newest, The Cajun Experience. Especially after fellow blogger Tara commented on her experience there (pardon the pun), we were eager to try it ourselves. The Cajun Experience bills itself as a "taste of South Louisiana". The interior is simple, unadorned, and unpretentious, yet there is just a hint of Louisiana atmosphere inside.

We began with an appetizer of Boudin Balls (two), which are deep-fried crunchy round balls of ground pork and onion, served with a dipping sauce - delicious!

For the main course, I had the Seafood Gumbo ("Mixture of crab, shrimp and crawfish, cooked in a dark roux with a mixture of the “trinity” (bell pepper, onion, celery) with hints of garlic"). Nice and hot, with perfectly balanced flavors. Wendy had the Shrimp Maque Choux ("A flavorful, spicy shrimp dish with corn, tomatoes, and peppers; presented over a bed of rice that's signature of the Lafayette Parish Bayous"). I didn't really get to try much of it, as she liked it a lot and there were no leftovers! It wasn't too spicy either.

For dessert, we ordered the highly-recommended Beignets ("Fritter-like doughnuts paired with bold coffee with chicory that's reminiscently familiar to mornings in the French Quarter") and cafe au lait. The Beignets were marvelously warm and yummy!

The experience (pun again, sorry) was completed by the excellent attention of our server, Schuyler. We also got a visit from the Chef as he made the rounds, greeting the diners; we found out he is actually from Louisiana, which accounts for the authentic, flavorful dishes we tried. Unlike many smaller, family-run restaurants, The Cajun Experience has a good web site too, with the current lunch and dinner menus to salivate over!

Support local restaurants and experience (sorry) The Cajun Experience today!

Location: 14 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://cajunexperience.biz/

Total bill: $43.86 + $ 10.00 tip = $53.86

#65: Dunkin' Donuts

Date Visited: 6 May 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: Dunkin' Donuts is, of course, everywhere, so Leesburg has one too. The current slogan is "America runs on Dunkin'". Ours is colocated with a Baskin-Robbins; Dunkin' Brands is the parent company for both.

On this visit I got a combo with an everything bagel, cream cheese, and a coffee (I don't need the extra sugar of a donut right now). It was a nice breakfast snack on the drive to work. I've also had their iced coffee (which I learned to love while in Japan), and it's pretty good on a hot day.

For donuts, bagels, and great coffee, Dunkin' is the place!

Location: 521 J E. Market St., Leesburg, VA, 20175

Web site: http://dunkindonuts.com/

Total bill: $4.00

#64: McDonalds (Edwards Ferry Rd.)

Date Visited: 5 May 2009

Meal: Breakfast

Diners: 1 - Me

Experience: For completeness' sake, I have to visit every restaurant in Leesburg, and that includes McDonalds. I last visited our other McDonalds (Market St.) back on 24 April 2008. This time I got the same thing: the McSkillet Burrito with Steak, and an upgrade to a large coffee.

For purposes of my quest, McDonalds is all done!

Location: 965 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, VA, 20176

Web site: http://mcdonalds.com/

Total bill: $4.86

#63: Spanky's Shenanigans

Date Visited: 3 May 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, Andy, & Alicia

Experience: Spanky's Shenanigan's is another Leesburg establishment that's been here as long as we've lived here. On their web site, Spanky's claims to be "Leesburg's Oldest Pub". Spanky's has undergone a significant makeover in recent times, recasting itself as a more family-friendly restaurant rather than just a neighborhood bar. Their current slogan is "Good Food - Good Music - Good Times", and their new Mission Statement(!) is "Get Relaxed, Get Your Belly Full, Have Fun, Try our Variety of Beverages & Let Spanky's Take Care of Business." Not normally frequenting this kind of place, with much fear and trepidation I took my family here for lunch on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the first thing to greet us upon entering the place was the strong smell of cigarette smoke, even though the dining area is advertised as smoke-free from 11 AM to 9 PM. However, we braved this first obstacle and decided to give them a try. Spanky's menu has a relatively good selection of appetizers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pasta, and seafood specials.

We got "Spanky's Onion Ring Thang" for an appetizer (although I couldn't bring myself to say "thang" to our server, and substituted "thing"). It's basically a plate of oversized onion rings (about eight), and it was all the greasy goodness you'd expect. For my lunch, I got the "Spanky's Steak & Cheese Sub"; good, but kind of average. Wendy got a bowl of Irish Potato Chowder, with big chunks of potato and toppings of bacon, cheddar cheese, and scallions. Her comment: "I like all the stuff"; I had a small taste and it was good. She also got the "General Jubilee" (ham, turkey, and bacon sandwich). Her comment: "nice fat sandwich!" Andy got the "Pub Burger" (8 oz. burger with bacon and cheddar cheese extras), which he judged as "average". Alicia got adventurous and ordered a Caesar salad (dressing a bit bland), and a bowl of Spanky's Chili ("flavorful").

Overall, a few of the food items were pretty good, but most were average. As non-smokers, the atmosphere was a bit hard to take, but hey, it's a bar! In warmer weather, there is seating out in the back, and there are other seafood specials from time to time. If any of this sounds interesting, check it out for yourself!

Location: 538 E. Market St., Leesburg, 20176

Web site: http://spankyspub.net/

Total bill: $49.91 + $10.00 tip = $59.91

#62: Kobe Japanese Steak & Seafood

Date Visited: 25 April 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy (plus a number of other friends)

Experience: We were invited to go to Kobe to celebrate our good friend Perry's birthday, so I took the opportunity to do a review. Kobe is a Japanese steakhouse that serves teppanyaki-style cuisine and sushi.

Teppanyaki is always fun, and our chef, "Bubba", was skillful, entertaining, and most importantly, a good chef who delivered excellent food. We started off with Miso soup, which was very clear and fine. Then we all had a small salad with a wonderful ginger-soy dressing.

Next, the teppanyaki performance really began. Bubba started by cutting up some zucchini, carrots, broccoli, mushroom, and onion on the grill. As these were cooking, he began the fried rice, adding rice, peas, egg, and sesame seeds on the grill. A batch of noodles was also cooked up. Once the fried rice was ready, we all got served our portions, and then some of the vegetables and noodles. Throughout the performance, we were thrilled by his utensil juggling, egg spinning, and of course, an onion ring volcano. Delicious!

Bubba then began to prepare the individual entrees. I ordered the Filet Mignon, Shrimp, and Scallops. Wendy got the Steak and Shrimp. We were all given two small bowls of dipping sauces; "Yum Yum Sauce" (white and creamy) for the seafood, and a brown ginger sauce for the vegetables. The shrimp were done first, and we got them while our rice, vegetables, and noodles were still hot. The shrimp was very good, with a delightful slight crispiness from the grill, plus the seasonings added (soy sauce plus ?). My scallops were ready next, and they were some of the best I've had. Well done, perfectly chewy but not rubbery, seasoned with soy sauce and another brown sauce I couldn't quite identify. Finally, our steaks were grilled. Bubba first filleted mine into the shape of a lobster while it cooked! Before serving, all the steaks were cut into small pieces for easy eating with chopsticks.

Kobe is a great place to go for traditional teppanyaki cooking and fun for a group of friends. Try it!

Location: 514 E. Market St., Leesburg, 20176

Web site: http://kobejs.com/

Total bill: $62.42 + $12.00 tip = $74.42

#61: Pei Wei Asian Diner

Date Visited: 18 April 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Pei Wei is one of the newer Leesburg restaurants, self-described as "a limited service quick-casual restaurant. The menu features classic Asian favorites cooked to order using contemporary recipes." And from the parent company's web site: "P.F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. owns and operates two restaurant concepts in the Asian niche. P.F. Chang's China Bistro is our full service upscale casual dining concept and Pei Wei Asian Diner is our quick casual concept." I'd describe Pei Wei more as upscale Asian fast food. One of the unusual things is that your order and pay up front (with no way include a tip), but your food is delivered to your table by a waiter; very similar in that way to Tenderjacks, which is in the building next door. Pei Wei shares the building with California Tortilla (reviewed on 3 August 2008).

On this visit, we started with the Crab Wontons appetizer ("You can taste the freshness and quality of our crab wontons in every bite. We fill our crisp golden wontons with a mix of delicately seasoned rock crab and and cream cheese and serve it with a side of sweet chili sauce. The perfect balance of flavors and textures!"). They were indeed nice and crispy, with a great slightly-spicy sauce (which we used to dip rice in later).

I had the Thai Dynamite with chicken ("Sriracha chile [sic] sauce gives this dish its kick! Fresh lime, soy sauce, scallions, red bell peppers, carrots and Thai basil balance out this delicious stir fry dish"). It had an overpowering lemongrass taste. It also came with brown rice done just right. It wasn't really very spicy, given the Sriracha chili sauce.

Wendy had the Pad Thai ("This satisfying Thai noodle stir fry brings together the balance of salty, sour, and sweet with 5 spice tofu, bean sprouts, scallions, egg, crushed peanuts, fresh lime, cilantro and rice noodles"). The mushrooms were big, firm & fresh, beansprouts too. The chicken was very tender, and the overall impression of the dish was that it was authentic.



Later I realized that we both ordered Thai dishes, so we'll have to come back and try some of the other styles. All of our food was delivered with a nice presentation. The only complaint would be that our entrees were served a little too fast; we had hardly started on our appetizer when they arrived - but hey, this is basically a fast food restaurant. The cold Chai Tea was surprisingly good, a nice change from run-of-the-mill iced tea.

Overall, Pei Wei was good but not great. If I want great Thai food, I'll go to Thai Pan (formerly Thai Royal); if I want great Chinese food, I'll go to either China King or Jasmine. If I want great Vietnamese food, I'll to to Xuan Saigon.

Location: 528A E. Market St., Leesburg, 20176

Web site: http://peiwei.com/

Total bill: $26.63

UPDATED 29 August 2010: Added the comment about Pei Wei sharing a building with California Tortilla. One building over, Tropical Smoothies shares the building with Tenderjack's. Also, the comment about there being no way to add a tip at Tenderjack's is no longer true. I havn't been to Pei Wei in a while, so I don't know if they've made that change too.

#60: Golden China

Date Visited: 5 April 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: Golden China is another long-time Leesburg restaurant that's been here since we moved here in 1987. For most of that time, Golden China has remained the same, serving up a good variety of favorite Chinese items. Originally, they featured Mongolian Barbeque too, but that ended a few years ago with the loss of the main chef. Just recently, they added a new sushi bar and sushi chef, and is the focus of their current advertising campaign.

Our best experience with Golden China has always been to take advantage of the lunch buffet on Sunday after church, with the whole family or with friends. On this particular visit, it was just me and Wendy.

The lunch buffet is a fixed price deal, $7.95 for the regular buffet, and $12.95 if you want sushi too. Wendy got the regular, and I took the sushi option. The range of dishes available at the buffet are of good variety, hot, and good combinations of tastes. You almost can't go wrong with any of the choices. All the Chinese favorites were there, such as General Tso's chicken, beef & broccoli, sweet & sour chicken, etc. There are some American-style items (mostly for kids, I think), like french fries, donuts, jello, and cakes. The new sushi bar was very enjoyable, with a good variety of maki and nigiri sushi, and the sushi chef hovering around, ready to make more.

Overall, Golden China gives a good variety of dishes at very reasonable prices, and we will continue to patronize them, especially when the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet urge strikes!

Location: 1039 Edwards Ferry Rd. NE, Leesburg, 20176

Web site: http://goldenchinaleesburg.com/

Total bill: $22.70 + $5.00 tip = $27.70

#59: China King's Restaurant

Date Visited: 3 April 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy

Experience: China King is another long-established Leesburg fixture (just a couple doors down from The Leesburg Restaurant). The official, full name of the place is actually "China King's Restaurant" (that's what is on the menu), but the outside sign just says "China King", as the photo shows. The inside is rather small and not fancy. An initial glance at the menu reveals all the usual Chinese restaurant staples, with a few Chef's specials too. But this is where the surprise is - the menu may appear ordinary, but the food is fantastic!

We started off with soups - I had the Hot & Sour, and Wendy had Wonton. The Hot & Sour was good and hot, and had a strong beef taste to it, very nice. Next, we had the Shrimp Tempura appetizer. It was not exactly Japanese-style tempura; the batter was very thick, but it was delicious!

For my entree, I had the "Kung Pau Two Kind", which is described as "Chicken and Shrimp with peanuts, onion, and red peppers." This dish was so good, I can hardly say enough good things about it! The shrimp in particular was very melt-in-your-mouth tender and yummy. The overall dish had just the right amount of spiciness, fresh vegetables, and good balance. Wendy had the "Crispy Prawn with Walnuts", described as "Slightly spicy hot! Lightly battered shrimp flavored with a tangy sauce and walnut topping." Not being a big fan of things even slightly spicy, she ordered it "mild". The sauce was sweet, but not too sweet, and the prawns were nice and thick in a crispy batter.

Overall, we were very impressed with the quality and taste of all the food we tried here. Despite the humble look of the place, China King is a top Leesburg restaurant that we will continue to support.

Apparently China King is a pretty common name for Chinese restaurants; for example, there is a China King Restaurant in Herndon. But there is a note on the menu that says "China King's is not affiliated with other establishments of similar name."

Currently, there is a contest going on called "The Sixth Annual Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in USA". There is a poster up in the window of China King that publicizes it and encourages you to vote for them. I honestly think they belong on that list! Register and vote now!

Location: 5 South King St., Leesburg, 20175

Web site: http://chinakingtogo.com/

Total bill: $41.88 + $10.00 tip = $51.88

#58: The Leesburg Restaurant

Date Visited: 15 March 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, Andy, & Alicia

Experience: The Leesburg Restaurant has been a long-time fixture in the heart of downtown Leesburg. It has an old-fashioned feel, the inside looking like it hasn't changed much in many years. It has a nice "used" and comfortable feel to it. The counter and wooden booths add to this impression.

On the advice of the head chef, I tried the Peanut soup as an appetizer. He said it was very popular with the customers, but that he himself didn't like it! I liked it pretty well; it was very thick and creamy, with small bits of peanuts throughout. For my entree, I had the Philly Steak & Cheese, with onion rings on the side. It was OK. Wendy had the Chicken wrap, with sweet potato fries on the side. Her comment: "Fresh, lots of meat; the green tortilla an orange sweet potato fries made a pleasing contrast." Andy had the Triple Decker Club. His comment: "Good, B+"; pretty high praise from this discerning gourmet. Alicia had the Caesar salad. Her comment: "Too much dressing; chicken good."

As I googled for the restaurant's web site, and finding none, I did peruse the comments by diners who had posted comments on other restaurant review sites. One comment seemed to kind of sum things up: "Typical diner like restaurant, very slow service, decent diner food." That was pretty much our experience; the food was good, but not outstanding, the service tolerable, and the ambience enjoyable.

They really need a good web site of their own. Oddly, the URL http://www.leesburgrestaurant.com/ actually belongs to Tuscarora Mill. That's got to be annoying.

Location: 9 South King St., Leesburg, 20176

Web site: none

Total bill: $46.06 + $10.00 tip = $56.06

#57: Ledo Pizza

Date Visited: 8 March 2009

Meal: Lunch

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, Andy, & Alicia

Experience: Ledo's has been a fixture in Leesburg since we moved here. We only visited once so before, around 1990 or so! On that visit, the thing we all remember is that we ordered a pepperoni and bacon pizza with extra bacon, and that we nearly died from bacon overdose. It was literally piled on. So we figured that it had been long enough, and we would give Ledo's another try. Ledo's is a nationwide pizza franchise.

I was impressed by the clean, bright decor, and Italian countryside themes painted on the walls. It looked a lot nicer than it did almost twenty years ago. The place was fairly busy on the Sunday afternoon we visited.

For this visit, I ordered the featured Calamari appetizer ("enjoy our new, tender, breaded Calamari served with seasoned waffle fries and your choice of LEDO sauce or spicy LEDO tartar sauce for dipping"). It was pretty good, the calamari was indeed tender, and the spicy tartar sauce was a nice touch. No one else in our family would try it, due to the assumed "ick" factor. For my entree, I got the Buffalo Chicken Salad ("crisp, white meat, chicken served on a cool mix of lettuces with grape tomatoes, Blue cheese crumbles, bacon and red onions. LEDO buffalo sauce and Blue cheese dressing served on the side"). It was also pretty good - the chicken had a nice crunch, and the mix of Buffalo and Blue cheese flavors was a good combination.

Wendy got the Traditional Cheese Tortellini ("jumbo cheese tortellini tossed in your choice of LEDO marinara or creamy Alfredo sauce. $7.99 add mushroom or green peppers $0.60 each, add Italian sausage $1.00, Grilled chicken"). She selected the Alfredo sauce option, and added the grilled chicken, which she said was good, but the tortellini itself was a little overdone.

Andy got the Turkey Bacon Ranch sub ("sliced turkey, bacon, tomato, provolone cheese, oven toasted, served with ranch dressing and lettuce"). He ate it all (a good sign), but said it was a bit sub-par.

Alicia got the Chicken Calzone ("LEDO sauce grilled chicken with onions & mushrooms"). She ate about a quarter of it (generally a good sign), but wasn't overly impressed either. I think she didn't realize how many mushrooms were involved. I ended up with the leftovers for lunch the next day.

I also ordered a small Meatlover's Pizza ("pepperoni, sausage and meatballs"). It was unanimously judged not very good. I got the leftover slices for lunch the next day, in addition to the leftover calzone, but I'm not picky about lunch at work.

We tried to order a variety of menu items to sample what Ledo's had to offer so we could make a fair evaluation. Unfortunately, our overall impression is that we were not very impressed with the food. The service was good. We'll give 'em another try some time in the future.

Location: 1037 Edwards Ferry Rd., Leesburg, 20175

Web site: http://ledopizza.com/

Total bill: $55.07 + $10.00 tip = $65.07

#56: Wendy's

Date Visited: 25 February 2009

Meal: Dinner

Diners: 4 - Me, Wendy, Andy, & Alicia

Experience: We needed a quick dinner after church on Wednesday night, and Wendy's was on the list. Wendy's is a nationwide hamburger chain that distinguishes itself by having some menu choices not available in most other fast food restaurants.

Wanting to sample some of the more unique offerings, I had a double cheeseburger, small cup of chili and a baked potato with sour cream and chives. Wendy got a Chicken Club combo with a side salad, Alicia got a Spicy Chicken combo with a large Frosty. Andy mistakenly ordered a Homestyle Chicken Fillet combo instead of a hamburger; he tried one bite and determined that he would not be able to eat it, so he went back and got a Baconator (double cheeseburger with loads of bacon). I ended up with his chicken sandwich for lunch the next day!

The food was OK, about average for a fast food restaurant, except for their french fries, which are below average. To me, their unique items (like chili and baked potatoes) are about the only reason to go there.

Location: 404 E. Market St., Leesburg, 20176

Web site: http://wendys.com/

Total bill: $31.36