By The Gastronomes
“If you grew up in Vienna, you went to the Vienna Inn. Not going wasn’t an option. I had my first Vienna Inn beer 50 years ago this month. Back then, you didn’t get a check. Mike or Molly or whoever was behind the bar asked you what you had, and that was what you paid for.” – Steve D’Agostino
And that is pretty much the way it still is. We have talked about rounding up some friends and heading over to the Vienna Inn on Maple Street in Vienna, VA more than once in the last 30 plus years but always got sidetracked. Guess it seemed like it was too big a trek all the way from Old Town to Vienna. Stupid, right!? We definitely won’t make that mistake again.
The re-discovery of the Inn happened by chance last month. You see, it is all because of my poor vision. My eye sight began to become cloudy some months ago so I went to the eye doctor. He examined my eyes and found that I had cataracts. I then set up an appointment with John Mitchell of the Mitchell & Morin Eye Institute in Vienna, Virginia. Their office is about two blocks from the Vienna Inn so we had no real excuse for not stopping in. Not only has my vision been restored we have treated ourselves to lunch twice in the last 10 days!
The Vienna Inn is known for its tasty chili dogs and cheap cold beer! With memorabilia-lined walls and a scrappy atmosphere, the restaurant became and remains today a Vienna institution.
Mollie Bass Abraham and her late husband, Mike, owned and ran the Vienna Inn for four decades. The couple bought the former Freddie’s restaurant in 1960 and renamed it the Vienna Inn. Mike passed away in 1999 and Mollie passed away last year at the age of 96 – she was one of Alexandria’s “Living Legends”. The restaurant was purchased by long-time Vienna resident Marty Volk in late 1999 and he took over ownership in May 2000. He has continued the establishment’s traditions.
Today the Inn retains that rustic charm. The aforementioned memorabilia includes trophies from the many local sports teams that they have sponsored over the years all along the back wall as well as a Ms. Pac Man/Galaga machine on the bar side and television for sports watching. I believe that folks go there because of that special vibe…this place is unique.
“Back in the Day” the entire menu was written on a chalk board – today the bulk of it is written on a white board on the dining room side of the restaurant and there is a specials board on the bar side and there is a printed menu with all of the offerings – there is something for everyone. You will notice that there are no prices on either of the boards or the print version. When you are ready to check out, you tell your server what you had and they present you with your check. It’s good to know this “rule” before you go in since they will know you’re a tourist if you ask how much things are.
According to their website, the average cost per person is between $10 and $20. To give you an idea, the day we had the fully loaded dogs and fries the tab came to $22.58 and that included four 12-ounce beers. On the shrimp basket and Italian cold cut sub visit, the total was $45.84 and that included five 12-ounce brews.
While the loaded chili dogs and icy cold brews are the stars of the menu, it is actually pretty extensive. We were told that the wings have an excellent reputation and we saw some pretty impressive onion rings coming out of the kitchen both days we were there. While we went for the loaded chili dogs (chili, cheese, mustard and onions). The dogs are prepared behind the bar so if you are sitting on that side of the restaurant you can see them pumping them out like a well-oiled machine. They start by putting the buns in a steamer for a few seconds before the dogs are added and the condiments stacked on and they are served to you on a tray. There are no “fancy gourmet” versions sold here – just the good old basics! The Fried Shrimp Basket is a ton of food – ten nice sized shrimp dipped in tempura batter and fried “just right” served on top of a bed of their “better than McDonald’s” fries with a side of coleslaw. The Italian Cold Cut Sub is very tasty with spicy capicola ham, salami, pepperoni and provolone cheese with lettuce, tomato, red onion and Italian dressing. We both had left overs. On our next visit we are checking out the chili mac and the steak and provolone cheese on a kaiser roll!
Have we have mentioned more than once that the beer is cold? Well, it is actually really COLD. Serving the brew in frosted mugs is “icing” on the cake. There are ten beers on tap and they have a nice selection in bottles/cans as well as selzers, a couple of RTD (Ready to Drink) cocktails (Dogfish Head Distilling Co. Vodka Lemonade – Strawberry & Honeyberry and Sun Cruiser Vodka Iced Tea) and a few non-alcoholic offerings. We were kind of surprised to find a wine list but they have two reds, three whites and a couple of sparklers.
The service here is pretty cool. The ladies that we encountered on our visits were all very proficient and friendly. Christina was behind the bar on our first visit and she was a treat to visit with. She grew up going into the Inn and has been working behind the bar for several years. Her daughters have also spent some time on the floor here while going to school. She said that they have learned a lot about human nature and what it’s like dealing with the public – it is a good education. She also told us that she loves the regulars and there are always stories to tell.
The Inn is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and from 11:30 am – 7:30 pm on Sunday. We are guessing that this is a great option for breakfast so we are headed there on the morning of the 22nd to check it out – it’s cataract surgery follow-up day!
Not much has changed over the last 64 years…still comfort food for a good price. It is hard to find joints as comfortable as the Vienna Inn in our urban area. Take a drive down Maple Avenue and treat yourself to a loaded chili dog and the coldest beer in town. And….you suspect cataracts, check out the Mitchell & Morin Eye Institute.
Vienna Inn
120 East Maple Avenue
Vienna, VA
703-938-9548
Viennainn.com