Your guide to the Courthouse neighborhood

This small neighborhood in Arlington might not have the curbside appeal of a Dupont or Capitol Hill, but it’s flush with an array of reliable restaurants and bars perfect for exploring.

First, Coffee:

Bayou Bakery should be your first stop. The New Orleans-style cafe has top-notch coffee with concoctions like ginger iced coffee and basil mint lattes. I highly recommend going for a full breakfast, but at the very least, don’t leave without a few beignets. If you want somewhere to hang out for a while, Simona Cafe has a fantastic neighborhood-y vibe and delicious scones.

What To Do:

Get your friends and co-workers to go with you to Bond’s Escape Room to make or break your relationship. They even have an “art attack room” where you can splash paint all over each other. Ragtime Restaurant has local musicians perform almost every night and a great draft menu. If you’re there on a weekend, the farmers market is one of the biggest in Arlington.

What To Eat:

The $3 street tacos from Tacos Me Rancho are some of the best (and cheapest) in the DMV. The popular food truck is always parked on Fairfax Drive and Cleveland Street. Another personal favorite is Afghan restaurant Courthouse Kabob where the meat is grilled to juicy perfection and the pita is the size of your head. Don’t sleep on the bolani, it’s a must get.

Where To Drink:

Slide into a picnic table at Courthouse Social for a giant pretzel and German beer. It’s an Arlington standby, but be warned, everyone here works for Deloitte. I don’t make the rules. For something a little hipper, try the dive bar Galaxy Hut. They’ve got karaoke, old-school video games, and vegan tater tots.