Alto Plaza Restaurant and lounge opened on the 10th, just wondering if anyone here has been to it yet and whats your opinion of the food, decor and atmosphere? I went by it tonight at around 6pm and the parking lot was pretty full, they also have valet parking, drive up to the front door's round about, hand your keys over and walk right in.
Would love to hear any reports on it...
Thanks.

Just found this information on it:

Alto Plaza writes...
Alto Plaza, located on 5800 Old Centreville Road in Centreville, VA will open January 10th! The multi-level restaurant will feature a bar/lounge and dining area on the ground floor and a fine dining establishment/cigar bar on the 3rd floor. The cuisine for floors one and two will be Nuevo Latino; the third floor, continental—steaks, lobster. Live music is planned on the third level. All three levels will have a wrap-around patio for al fresco dining. The interior design is a dramatic gold, blue and green with lush woods, stone mosaic and granite.

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Cuisine: Latin American, Continental
Neighborhood: Centreville
Price: $31 to $50
Website: http://www.altoplaza.net
Email: info@altoplaza.net
Phone: (703) 266-8811
Hours of Operation:
Casual Dining (1st & 2nd Fl): Monday - Saturday: 11:00am - 11:30pm, Sunday: 11:00am - 10:30pm
Fine Dining (3rd Fl): Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:30pm, Friday & Saturday: 4:00pm - 11:30pm, Sunday: 4:00pm - 10:00pm
Payment Options:
AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
Dress Code: Business Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Offers: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar/Lounge, Cigar Room, Fireplace, Full Bar, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Smoking Area (bar only), View, Wheelchair Access
Parking: Valet
Banquet Contact: Dustin Halcombe (703) 266-8811
Private Party Facilities: We accommodate up to 70 guests for a private party.

Is this the place that has been under construction for like 10 years??

On Lee Hwy & 28, across from IHOP?

Yes

Gee, no buzz for this place.

People, is it worth a damn or not?

Someone that went to the grand opening told me that the food was bland, the meat overcooked. She also said that the atmosphere was too casual for the prices, but that she'd like to go back to check out the bar.

I and three others tried Alto Plazo on Friday night. I called to find out if I needed a reservation and was told it was a "call ahead" process. I called a half hour before we wanted to go and my first attempt put me in voince mail. I tried again 10 minutes later and spoke with someone. I gave her my name. She was ready to hang up without telling me how long a wait there was. When questioned, she replied 20 minutes.

We were seated immediately upon arrival. We were put at a table on the second level next to the huge center staircase. We did sit close to anyone else but the pnoise from the 1st floor and other areas of the restaurant carried to our table and made it difficult to hear one another.

The waiter was very friendly. He explained that the wine list was "progressive" meaning that it went from fruity to dry. I asked for a glass of dry cabernet and he recommended the fist one on the list. Didn't seem to follow his logic.

He explained that this was a fusion restauarant where the cooks were preparing all foods with a latin twist. He explained that one chef previously worked for Great American restaurants (Sweetwater chain) and the other chef worked with Bobbie Flay and his specialty was plate presentation.

Overall, the menu was unimpressive. The food sounded plain and boring. We also asked to see the menu for the third floor restaurant. That food was more boring but much more expensive.

We tried the calamari as an appetizer. It was bland and tasteless. The dipping sauce tasted like BBQ sauce. I ordered the salmon and the other three ordered the t bone steak. My salmon was saturated with butter. It came with rice and and broccoli. The broccoli was also cooked in too much butter. The steaks that were served were very thin and unevenly cut. They only came with a scoop of mashed potatoes. There was absolutely no focus on plate presentation. I was also told that the steaks paled in comparison to what you could get at Sweetwater. Two folks also ordered a side Caesar salad for $7.00. It was very limp and not very tasty.

The waiter asked about our meals. I told him that the salmon was oversaturated with butter.He asked if I wanted something else but I declined. When he brought the check, he told me the salmon was removed.

Our bill for four averageed about $45/person with one entree removed. Three peopled had two drinks each.

Overall, the food in this restaurant is not worth the price that they charge. I can't imagine what a meal on the third floor would cost! It is disappointing to find that the investors spent so much money on the building and did such a poor job on the food. I suspect most people may try it once and not return. It's very disappointing!

Wow... thank you for telling us about your experience there. Based on what you just said, I think I might pass altogether and not even go at all. If the steaks are as bad as you say, I think i'll stick to Outback, which I love.
The building is beautiful, too bad the food wasnt.
I'm sure Bobby Flay would be appalled knowing that someone who worked for him is plating food the way they are. Doesnt reflect too well on Mr. Flay either.
Oh well at least its a nice bldg to look at.

FWIW, alot of times it is best to wait a couple months before trying out a newly opened restaurant... gives them some time to work the kinks out and get their full act together.

Does anyone have a picture of this building? It has been talked about for so long on here and I'm just sorta curious. I get to Centreville like once every ten years and don't feel like driving all the way out there just to see it.

Genevieve and I went to Alto Plaza for lunch. To make a long story short, I don't recommend going there for a while, at least not for lunch. They are apparently trying some new blended format of casual attire mixed with the (attempted) accouterments of fine dining.

To make that short story long again, the entire experience was what you would call "highly awkward". I wasn't in there trying to review the place, but they made it impossible not to do so by the way they collectively behaved.

First things first. The adjective-noun gender agreement in the name is not correct. The word plaza is feminine, so it should be "Alta Plaza".

2nd, in order to get into the Alto Plaza Parking lot, you MUST turn off of route 29 onto old centreville rd so you can make a right into the parking lot, or you'll have to make a u-turn that isn't too fun. Kinda a piss poor placement of this establishment.

Anyway, we walk up and the valet isn't working, and you can't see all the way inside with the door closed. With no signs on the door, it was hard to tell it was open until we walked in.

There were a bunch of people hanging out at the reception area, and that's where our first awkward interaction took place. The girl who greeted us was way overly enthusiastic and not too genuine about it. She got our menus and took us up two flights of stairs to our table. She made some kind of grandiose and forced statement to us about the restaurant welcoming us and the information about our server. The encounter was made more awkward by her starting with a greeting that made it seem like we had just walked in the door... anyway, she passed us off mercifully (or so we thought) to our waiter.

The atmosphere is nice enough. We sat in a booth but they appear to have a pretty swanky bar, and the patio is much larger than it appears to be from the outside. The booth was a two-person booth, a lesson a lot of new restaurants seem to be gleaning from places like cheesecake factory.

They seem to have a nice selection of drinks, but the regular menu needs a lot of work. The one we saw had at least one item not available (Genevieve ordered it and was rejected, as they had stopped carrying it that day). The rest of the menu was an attempted mix of what appeared to be dishes from the approximate region of the Mediterranean Sea. I think the key word so far in this review is "attempted". They attempted a lot of things that didn't go well.

Ok, so all of this drama before our rather diminutive waiter appeared at the table. He stayed with the theme of the restaurant by offering the single most awkward greeting I have ever been handed at a restaurant. It was a mix of attempted sophistication with a scripted tome about welcoming us to the restaurant, but the poor schmuck couldn't remember his lines. He flubbed his way through his opening and then proceeded to over-serve us immediately. He ran through a long list of drinks off the top of his head. That was no problem. I wonder if the restaurant realizes people around here normally don't pound mixed drinks at lunch? His alcohol sell was pretty heavy.

We ordered sodas and we got chicken quesadillas as an appetizer. The moron waiter apparently forgot we were around at that point, and we began to regret asking for a few extra minutes to decide what we wanted.

At some point while were waiting to order, the next genius appeared at our table. The is the third person to come to our table. Just now it occurred to me that MANY people visited our table during the time we were at Alto Plaza.

Anyway, this guy had our bread. Now, I waited tables for a while, and delivery of the pre-meal munchie food is not a task that should require showmanship, procedure, and most importantly someone with an IQ of 100 or higher. Any retard should be able to carry bread and butter to the table, set it down, and get the fuck out of the way. But that is not good enough for Alto Plaza. This dude told us he was new (since the restaurant opened last week, that was kind of a lame statement) and he didn't totally get the procedure for serving us yet. So he kinda passed the bread and butter dishes around in his hands, as if to demonstrate he did not know how to set them down. I reiterate, there shouldn't be any mystery here. Set the shit down and walk the fuck away. But no, Gene the Genius took what seemed like an eternity to set the bread and butter down so we could, you know, get on with our lives. I'm not making this up: the dude actually seemed flustered by how to properly set bread down on a table.

I was flustered watching it so I knew how he felt.

Anyway, Gene finally managed to get the bread to touch the table facing two o'clock with the butter facing seven o'clock, or whatever he was trying to do. At that point he asked us if we needed anything else, and we told him we were ready to order. Yes, we haven't even ordered yet. This flustered Gene even more, and he made some bumbling statement about that duty belonging to our server, and he just wandered off without making a definitive statement about actually going and getting the guy, and he took our menus with him so we had no reference guide for when the order was to take place. Our waiter did reappear soon after, and we placed our order.

Genevieve ordered the tortarellina de pollo (I may have butchered that name), but they had decided that day to stop carrying it. The server actually went into that much detail. So Gen ordered the classic american go-to, the burger, which is ironic because she's a canadian.

I ordered the caprezza panini, which is a ham panini with lettuce, cheese, tomatoe, and relish. I went sans relish. That shit causes cancer.

So while we're waiting for our waiter, tom thumb, to ante up, we had our fourth visitor to the table. Some guy brought us our appetizer. We ate it and someone had the dish taken away within seconds of us finishing.

This must be why, a little while later, some girl, the fifth different person to visit us this afternoon, offered us the exact same appetizer, again. We hadn't been served our meal yet at this point, and apparently the restaurant thought we looked hungrier than we let on, so they decided to offer us a second appetizer. Or, more likely, they were as flustered in the kitchen as they were on the floor, and the appetizer got made twice. Either way, that shit lowers your immune response when consumed in large quantities, so we sent it back.

We were starting to wonder where our meal was, as Genevieve was in a hurry to get to yoga camp and I was eager to go sledding and play ice football. The waiter had asked us if we wanted drink refills, and went to get them, when suddenly he reappeared with a wait aid. He apologized for not getting our drinks, as he had run into the wait aid carrying our food, and he was then obligated to follow the food back to our table and serve us before he could get our drinks. We really didn't care, we just wanted our drinks, but he made sure to explain it to us in detail.

The wait aid was person number 6 to come to our table.

So, finally, we had our food, tom thumb got us drinks, and we basked in the glory that is food. Genevieve liked the burger enough, but she would have preferred the following burgers:

- Five Guys
- Red Robin
- Insert Generic American Restaurant
- White Castle
- Gen's mom's
- Carl's Jr.

Anyway, the burger was passable. My sandwich on the other hand bordered on not good. The were trying too hard to make a fried sandwich have fresh ingredients. The fries were totally plain but we ate them. Least distinctive fries ever. Look up "average" in the dictionary and a picture of these exact fries is next to it.

So we ate this food. I mostly didn't eat mine because it sucked, but I ate some. Gen's burger and fries were a lot better looking.

At some point towards the end of the eating process, a gentleman in a neatly pressed suit strolled busily up tour table, asked if everything was ok, and took our plates away even as I buzzed about lead poisoning. This guy seemed to be the manager, but since he took the rare step of not over-explaining himself or sticking around unnecessarily, I wasn't totally sure and couldn't ask.

Finally, we asked for the check. Once we had paid it, the waiter gave us a long sales pitch for the for-rent rooms at the alto plaza. Apparently there is no champagne room. I was very disappointed in this development. Otherwise, the entire rest of the place seems to be for rent via some package or another.

We got our shit and bolted, glad to be gone from this nightmare of errors. Maybe we'll try back in six months, once they've "got their shit together".

Peace out.

I had the Gravis burger at the alto. It was bland, tasteless and greasy.

Thanks for the info. Disappointed and Reston peace should take over Tom Sietsema's job as restaurant reviewer for the Washington Post.
I will pass on Alto's for a while - like the rest of my lifetime!

Tricke

An $8 million, three-story restaurant has opened in Centreville on a piece of land that used to house a small hardware store.

General Manager Hakin Elmanouzi, a former operations employee at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Georgetown, teamed up with four silent investors to open the 23,575-square-foot Alto Plaza.

The restaurant opened quietly at 5800 Old Centreville Rd. on Jan. 10, according to a Monday statement.

It is the investors' first restaurant.

The investors preferred to remain unnamed, but Samuel Velasquez bought the land for $1.3 million in 2002 from David Chin, according to Fairfax County tax records.

The owners broke ground two years ago and built the restaurant from the ground up.

It has about 600 seats and two bars. The first two floors serve Latin American food including seafood enchiladas and half a roasted chicken marinated in criollo sauce. The top floor, which is reservation only, serves continental fare including lobster, rosemary-crusted veal chops and North Atlantic salmon. The third level will offer live music and has a cigar bar, according to Elmanouzi.

The restaurant's design is Moorish, with a lobster tank in the entryway, a staircase with wrought iron banisters, and a fireplace on the third floor.

$8M???!?!?

vaburbia.com

My wife and I ate at Alto Plaza tonight and found it to be terrific. The food was excellent and the service was fast and courteous. I had chicken enchiladas and my wife had skirt steak. We ate in the casual dining area on the second floor and found the decor comfortable and chic. I have one suggestion that they turn the lights down a little bit. We thought it was a little bright. We did take a tour of the third floor VIP/Fine Dining area and are looking forward to our Sunday night reservations with another couple.

By the way, we thought the prices in the casual area were appropriate to the quality of food and serving size.

Give them a try, I think you will be pleased.

I don't understand what all the fuss is about, I ate there the other night and it wasn't too bad. I thought their chicken quesadillas were excellent, actually. My friend had some rotisserie chicken entree which was also good. good date spot in my opinion.

Well stated RESton Peace. I should have read your review BEFORE i made the mistake of visiting. bland, awkward, disappointing, and a few other choice words. I dont dare try lunch there. I wonder what the next owner of that land will build there? Centreville could use a Wendy's!! I give it 6 months. and $8 million? the view isnt worth it. one last note, perhaps the General Manager (who reportedly is a former operations employee at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Georgetown) should have stayed there. A friend of mine is an 'operations employee' - hes the nightshift cleaning crew...

Robert Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder what the next owner of that land will build
> there? Centreville could use a Wendy's!!

Isn't that what the land used to be? Or was that McDonald's? That and the 7-Eleven, Hunter Hardware, Pink Guitarz, the State Farm office... I'm surprised they didn't take half the fire house along with it.

All too disappointing about alto plaza. It really looks swanky. I guess after years of built up anticipation anything less than 5 star dining will piss people off. Get over it people. It's responses like this that make companies go under. It's the middle of centreville people!! Not DC, NY, or LA! What's the deal, they're trying something new, give the guys some time to get their shit together. On another note...if they do go out of business, I vote for a chipotle. Why the fuck to I have to drive all the way down to fairfax, chantilly, or manasshole to get a decent burrito. I vote that it should go where border cafe was. Where the hell did that place go? No doubt to you people giving negative reviews. They had cheap beer, good food, and a great band...but obviously that wasn't enough for you people. I have one thing to say to you negative fuckers, go back to your wendy's and taco bell and red robins! They're just a few investors trying to give centreville something nice!! Seriously....do you really want another hooters or sports bar? Doesn't it piss anyone else off that you had to drive to fucking dc or tysons corner to get some upscale dining?! Fuck carabbas and the red rock canyon, you want to talk to me about over priced bland food....stop eating there and put them out of business for heavens sake!!

This is a good point. People like this who just bash anything that comes along that isn't cookie cutter get what they deserve--a bunch of boring, low quality crap. You want Macaroni, Carrabas, Olive Garden, etc? Keep it up. Otherwise, patronize the few who take a chance on creating something new and different and help them make it.

totally agree about carabbas and red rock canyon.

but then again i think any meal over $15 is overpriced.

Oh, they'll last till say...July 4 weekend.

Then it would make a great 3-level strip joint. Third floor could be full lap dances with a view and happy finish.

Just a thought...

Yea I lied, the restraunt sucks and it was awful. I just wanted to get some of you to waste your money. The food was so plain, for that price you can eat at such proven chains as Olive Garden and Red Robin.

First floor chipotle, second floor retail, thrid floor visitors' center and scenic view (for when 29 becomes an interestate highway with such pull-offs

http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp?paper=62&cat=104&article=93118

I think that guy from the connection read my review and decided he could a longer, even more pointless one.

LEts cut the shit once and for all...



I just sat here for the past hour reading the most RIDICULOUS comments EVER! I can name THOUSANDS of restaurants that have the same isssues all day everyday. For example...ive been going to Rio Grande my whole life and let me tell u not all the time do i get everything that way i want it. THere are times where the rice is cold, or the chips are extremely greasy or the service is bad....but it doesnt stop me from goin...nor does it stop a whole rack of people. NOt to mentiont the prices are pretty damn high too. So y give Alto Plaza so much shit??? Complaining how u can only enter from one way? HAHAHAH!! DOes it really bother u that much that u HAVE to make that extra turn just to get in? BUt u can go to DC and circle the damn city for hours just to look for parking for a damn restaurant!


ALl im saying is that you need to give it some time.....they are in the process of a SOFT OPENING, meaning they are makin changes to everything everyday. Y go to DC to when u have it down the street from ur house.

The food is amazing....the environment is welcoming....the place is beautiful....


i just wanted to make a point....

Naming rio grande as your example sucks... that place blows in every way.

Alto Plaza's problems had nothing to do with the food or whatever. They are just trying to hard to be something they are not, and that nobody really wanted.

I hope u REST in PEACE ...



ignorant ppl like u dont even belong in restaurant like alto plaza anyways...

AP FAN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> LEts cut the shit once and for all...
>
>
>
> I just sat here for the past hour reading the most
> RIDICULOUS comments EVER!

LOL - it took you an hour to read these comments?!? Either English is not your first language, or you are reading at a 1st grade level!

I can name THOUSANDS of
> restaurants that have the same isssues all day
> everyday. For example...ive been going to Rio
> Grande my whole life and let me tell u not all the
> time do i get everything that way i want it. THere
> are times where the rice is cold, or the chips are
> extremely greasy or the service is bad....but it
> doesnt stop me from goin...nor does it stop a
> whole rack of people.

What is a "rack" of people? I am not familiar with the numerical value of a "rack."

NOt to mentiont the prices
> are pretty damn high too. So y give Alto Plaza so
> much shit??? Complaining how u can only enter from
> one way? HAHAHAH!! DOes it really bother u that
> much that u HAVE to make that extra turn just to
> get in? BUt u can go to DC and circle the damn
> city for hours just to look for parking for a damn
> restaurant!

I'm not some cheapass who refuses to valet. I don't eat at a restaurant in town without valet.

> ALl im saying is that you need to give it some
> time.....they are in the process of a SOFT
> OPENING, meaning they are makin changes to
> everything everyday. Y go to DC to when u have it
> down the street from ur house.
>
> The food is amazing....the environment is
> welcoming....the place is beautiful....
>
>
> i just wanted to make a point....

Not very well

AP FAN Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
> The food is amazing....the environment is
> welcoming....the place is beautiful....

The food was no where close to amazing and the waitstaff were so awkward that they freaked me out.

I wanted very badly to love Alto Plaza. But it just wasn't happening.

Genevieve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> AP FAN Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> > The food is amazing....the environment is
> > welcoming....the place is beautiful....
>
> The food was no where close to amazing and the
> waitstaff were so awkward that they freaked me
> out.
>
> I wanted very badly to love Alto Plaza. But it
> just wasn't happening.

From his writing it appears he is used to eating at homeless shelters, so in fairness Alto Plaza may have had amazing food from his perspective.

ABC Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Oh, they'll last till say...July 4 weekend.
>
> Then it would make a great 3-level strip joint.
> Third floor could be full lap dances with a view
> and happy finish.
>
> Just a thought...


Olive Garden is officially considered fast food.
So is applebees

It's a new restaurant getting on their feet. It's the same cost as Sweetwater or Bonefish. Try it out once, if you like it then good, if you don't, then cross the street to IHOP.

I went somewhat late on a Saturday night, service was great, a little too attentive, but probably just trying to make a good impression. Our appetizer was good and our meals were quite hot (not warmed under a lamp).

I think this place is a good complement to the "ever changing" Sweetwater menu and the somewhat routine, with exceptions, Bonefish menu.

Even if you didn't like it, try it again in a couple of months. Nice to have an independent restaurant make a run at it besides another boring chain restaurant.

Despite the "glowing" reviews Alto has received in this forum, my wife and I plan to keep our reservations for dinner on the top floor tomorrow night. We live less than a mile from the restaurant, so it's impossible not to try it at least once.

Anyone who's dined off the 3rd floor menu have any recommendations? Whether it's horrible or wonderful, you can be sure I'll be back to voice my opinion to this highly-interested forum. In fact, my buddy and I run a website dedicated to food in the MD/DC/VA area. Check it out - http://www.greaze.org

jeicen Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> totally agree about carabbas and red rock canyon.
>
> but then again i think any meal over $15 is
> overpriced.


hahah

have you ever tried a meal over $15?

BOTTOM LINE - CENTREVILLE DOESNT HAVE ANY GOOD FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS.

these dudes take $8M and open up a PIZZA JOINT?

you got to be kidding me.

My wife and I had dinner at Alto Plaza last night - Feb 13, 2008. After months of driving past we were very interested in what the experience would be like. We had no reservations, but were early and were seated immediately on the second floor. The service was excellent. The waiter was able to answer our questions. My wife ordered chicken and I ordered steak. We both had the soup. Excellent food and a nice environment. Prices were well within expectations for the location and quality.

great fake promotional post.

"Dave"

ROFL

I wanted so much to like this place but was quite disappointed. (I feel I should preface this review by saying that I have worked in a restuarant as a host, server or bartender for the past 4 1/2 years so I am pretty understanding when it comes to restaurant experiences). The food was really bland and not prepared well. My mom and I had the lamb and both of our entrees were overcooked. The word bland doesn't even begin to describe the mash potatoes; they tasted like they came from a box. The lamb was very fatty and tasted as if it had not been seasoned at all. I had the tropical crab salad as an appetizer and the citrus vinagrette was WAY too overpowering. The only good part of the meal was the dessert-the tres leches was very good. The service was not very good. After our server took our order he disappeared. We waited quite awhile for our plates to be cleared after we finished. What is even more troubling is a manager walked by our table numerous times and didn't even notice that we had stacked plates pushed to side of our table. When it came time to leave we had to wait almost 20 minutes for our car. There is only one valet entrance so there was no room for the retrieved cars because new guests kept filing in. We would have parked our car ourselves but there is no parking! I wouldn't have been so upset by our experience except dinner for two was over $100 with tip. If I'm going to pay that kind of money I expect better food or service, I don't even need both to be good. I understand the restaurant is new and they are hammering things out however most of the problems are due to VERY poor planning. They need more parking, more efficient valet service (need to expand valet area or have separate areas for pick up and drop off), food needs a complete overhaul and service needs to be worked on.

My wife and I dined on the third floor ("The AP Room" as the host called it) at Alto Plaza for the first time last night for Valentine's Day. Our reservation was for 6:15 and we arrived promptly. The hostess accompanied us in the elevator from the 1st to the 3rd floor, which was somewhat awkward, but still made us feel special that she would depart the hostess area to see us to the dining area on a different floor.

Jonathan, the host, showed us to our table, which was your average booth on one side and wooden chair on the other. Our first impression was that it was a great atmosphere with certainly a "DC Feel". We were a bit disappointed not to be sitting near a window. While the view from "The highest point in Centreville" isn't much to see, the sunset last night was gorgeous. Jonathan stumbled a bit through his introduction to the restaurant and menu, however politely.

Soon after, our waiter, David, greeted me by name (from the reservation), which I thought was an excellent touch. It should be noted that all of the waiters were dressed very nicely, which added to the ambaince. David took our drink orders - A Strawberry Bellini for my wife and a glass of Shiraz for myself. As we waited for our drinks, we noticed the piano playing from the other room, which contributed nicely to the atmosphere. Our drinks arrived along with a basket of warm bread. My wine was just what you'd expect for a $7 glass; my wife's Bellini was a littl eheavy on the champagne (excessively fizzy), but she didn't seem to mind. The bread was delicious.

For our meals, my wife went with the crab cakes and an a la carte side of mashed potatoes, and I decided on their Valentine's Day special: choice of appetizer (I ordered the crab & shrimp "cigars" which were long, thin spring rolls), entree (I ordered the surf and turf - an 8oz. filet, a crab cake, mashed potatoes and seasoned vegetables), and a dessert (We ordered the Tres Leches). My seafood spring roll appetizer arrived not long after. There were two ~6" spring rolls, amply stuffed with crab and shrimp and served with an Ancho Chile bbq sauce. They were fantastic. Bursting with flavor from the first bite. As my wife and I polished those off, I finished my glass of wine. David almost immediately asked if I'd like another glass of Shiraz (kudos for remembering what I was drinking).

When our meals arrived, the presentation did little to excite us. The food and dinnerware looked nice, but nothing special. I dug into my filet, which I ordered medium rare. The inside was cooked more medium than rare and the outside was definitely overcooked, as I could taste a bit of char in nearly every bite. Aside from that, the texture and flavor of the meat was good. My seasoned vegetables were overly crunchy, not tender as I felt they should be. My wife and I agreed the potatoes were "sticky", not smooth and airy as you'd desire. Her 2 crab cakes and my one were overly breaded and and over-cooked on the outside. It was difficult to cut them with a fork alone. Her dish was also served with a cole slaw that was not mentioned on the menu (and likely would have discouraged her from ordering the side of mashed potatoes).

Disapointingly, I did not receive my second glass of wine until roughly halfway through my meal. The manager came by our table and asked how everything was going, which is always nice. In favor of a non-controversial Valentine's Day Dinner, I opted not to go into the things I felt could have been improved. The Tres Leches dessert was delicious - a solid combination of airy cream on a spongy white cake. We ordered coffee as well, and it was served in individual stainless steel coffee presses, which David pressed for us at our table - another nice touch.

When the bill arrived, I was pleasantly surprised that the coffee did not appear on it (complimentary, always free, or an oversight, I don't know). However, there was a charge for the dessert, whcih was supposed to be lumped into one price with my appetizer and meal as part of their Valentine's Day Special. David apologized and rapidly corrected the bill. For the two of us with 3 drinks, 1 appetizer, 2 entrees, 1 dessert and 2 cups of coffee, plus tip the bill was $115 - a bit overpriced for the quality of the entrees and the current state of the service.

After dining, we walked around to the bar area on the third floor. It was bustling with energy and I was surprised the noise did not leak into the dining area at all. Apparently this will be a cigar bar once they have installed glass doors to seal it off from the dining area. There were chairs that appeared quite comfortable, a plasma TV and a suite of windows. We walked out on the patio for a few minutes and joked that Centreville really wasn't much to look at - Hey, there's the porn shop, the psychic and Trader Joe's! We proceeded to tour the second floor, which seemed lively, and then the first floor which can best be described as "Clinical" based on the shiny floor and open space between tables.

It took a considerable amount of time to retrieve our car from valet, and then longer to try to navigate out of the parking lot that reminded me of a car dealership. It's inevitable that there will be accidents in that lot on busy days.

All in all, I'd rate the "AP Room" at Alto Plaza as such (out of 4 stars):

Service - ***
Atomosphere - ***1/2
Food - **1/2
Value - *1/2
Overall- **1/2

It was good, but not great. We'll try it again in a few months with hopes the service and quality of food has improved. As far as atmosphere goes, I challenge you to find nicer in the Centreville/Fairfax/Chantilly/Manassas area.

Be sure to check out Greaze.org for local restaurant reviews, photos, and other exciting features.

How is the lounge area overall? Is it a good place for happy hour or late night?

Do you have to use valet or is there self-parking? -§

Bar area on first floor is nice, but smoky. TV only visible from ~75% of the seats. Third floor bar has nicer furniture and is a bit fancier, but the bar is set up almost exactly the same as on the first floor. I'd say it's a good place to grab a drink or two, but I couldn't imagine spending an entire evening there.

There's self-parking when they're not super busy, but I believe it's your only option on weekends. It's free (except for tip). I've seen people park at IHOP across the street and just walk over.

From the reviews so far, it seems like the place rates slightly higher than TGI Fridays for looks but the food is basically (burnt) cardboard.

For my money I'll go elsewhere or wait until the reviews get better on food quality. We have one positive review, whose first name matches that of a waiter there so that review is suspect.

Ok, tonight was our first time............ Forced valet parking, handed over my Land Rover to 7 mexicans,went to the second floor , sat next to the kitchen door against a wall, bad atmosphere, bad decor,not very cozy or inviting, lots of wasted space, anoying Spanish music, decent waitress, piss poor menu, typical mexican food, ordered a glass of wine, it was hot, sent it back, ordered calamari it came with bbq sauce, terrible.

We decided to cut our loses, paid the bill, and went somewhere else. Sorry this place is a flop, I would not recomend it.

I believe the menu of alto plaza is still changing right up until the "offical" grand opening.... but I have noticed they seem to be unable to understand that some of the odd combinations they try to team up are gross.

For me, Centreville is like the moon. It’s familiar but distant; far away and seldom visited. I also have as many reasons for going to Centreville as I do for going to the moon...

... But today I decided to make a rare cross-county trek to check out that mysterious “new building” everyone’s been talking about in here for the past year. I wanted to see for myself what this Alto Plaza place was all about. After all, the whole reason I accidentally stumbled upon Fairfax Underground was because I was searching for local restaurant reviews. I like to be kept in the loop on such things, so why not put this forum to good use?

The place looks nice on the inside. I was expecting something a little more pretentious, but it’s not. The hostesses was prompt at seating us on the second floor near the window. I do agree with the “awkwardness” comments made previously. While the waiter was friendly, he sort of stumbled thru some spiel about the “latin-flavored” theme, and the “freshness” of their food. It wasn’t annoying, it was just unneccesary.

We started off with the calamari for an appetizer. It came quickly, was well-presented, and piping hot. While it wasn’t as good as the stuff you’ll find at a nice seafood or italian restaurant, it was a step above the frozen stuff some places try to serve you. The breading was a bit bland, but with a squeeze of lemon and some marinara, this dish became quite tasty. The waiter made a point to explain that it was also served with a homemade “ancho chili” sauce. Don’t let them fool you; this stuff tasted like barbecue sauce and should be avoided. (Hint for the chefs: fresh squid shouldn’t be served with BBQ sauce. Save that stuff for the pork.)

Our entrees were timed pretty perfectly after the appetizer. I’ve always been a big fan of Peruvian food, so I had the Lomo Saltado. I was interested to see if Alto Plaza’s version of this staple dish could stand up to some of the better places around here like Costa Verde in Arlington or Pollo Inka in Herndon. I thought it was pretty good. They didn’t use as much garlic as most places do, but the beef was tender and they used just the right amount of cilantro. I didn’t care for the fried plantains they put in it, but they are easy to avoid and might work well for people who like them. The dish was also served with a small side of black beans (which I didn’t see on the menu). That was a nice touch, if not a little overkill on an already over-sized lunch. My friend had seafood enchiladas and she said the scallops were really good. The meal also came with run-of-the-mill chips and salsa, which in my opinion was unneeded. And as much as I wanted to try the tres leches, we were really too full for dessert.

All things considered, it was a positive dining experience. I liked the food and the service was attentive without being a distraction. They were slow at bringing out the check, which always annoys me, but I have no complaints. We made it out of there just under $50, which is a little overpriced, but about what I expected for that type of restaurant.

Good stuff, but I can’t say I’d rush all the way back out to Centreville just to go there again. It’s a slightly above-average place, in a county filled with slightly above-average choices. But if you live in that neck of the woods, you should be happy to have a local place like that.


On a side note: I don’t think I’ve really been in C-ville since they built that 28/29 interchange. My god does that place look different than it did ten years ago!!

lol, i just noticed that someone else mentioned that calamari/bbq sauce thing.... ha, i seriously never heard of something like that before, until today... they really need to get rid of that bizarre idea

Warning: Your car could be towed if you park in the parking lot across the street (IHOP)...BTW, this is where the valet will take your car if the regular lot is full.

Went to Alto on Sat. with a few friends, needed to see the building, the decor which is beautiful. The tile work and the lighting is exquisite but unfortunately, I have to agree with the previous tale, the beauty ends there. The front end, (valet parking and greeting) is chaotic at best. No one seems to know which way to put you. We went to the bar on the first floor, looked at their drink specialties, and found that, although nice and pretty, the drinks are incredibly weak. I am a light weight and I still couldn't taste anything. The bartenders are inexperienced and are having too much fun behind the bar instead of taking care of the customers. Very slow service.
Dinner consisted of Brazilian salad, enchiladas and tacos thinking we would get the South American flavors, and the food had no taste. Very disappointing. Nothing had a hint of spice or marinade, and things did not seem fresh, seemed out of a package. And the service was one step above amateur. Sat without water and drinks for 15 min. and this was after we had been there for an hour. Waitress was friendly, but very disorganized and got no support from the bartenders who were not busy. The bussers didn't take any dishes from our table and we were in the little tables in the bar.
Prices are reasonable to the point of cheap, I would rather pay more for a good meal and service, than what we got last night.
Suggestion: hire a chef that knows the flavors of South America, and hire a professional service person that can train the staff for service and not playing around in a restaurant.

Warning Part II: your call WILL be towed if you park in the fire department lot. My I arrived early enough to get a spot in th AP lot, but a dinner companion parked in the Fire Department lot and DID get towed. Mostly her fault for ignoring all the 'No parking', 'Fire Dept Only' signs, but also blame the AP for building such a HUGE building with not enough onsite parking. A friend who lives nearby stated that the employees park in the resturant lot taking up VERY valuable spot away from patrons..Overall- I wont be back. 2 months in operation and some basic flaws still exist

THIS ALTO IS FORCED......WHY WOULD YOU PUT THIS IN CENTREVILLE?? THERE IS NO WAY THAT THIS STAYS AFLOAT PAST AUGUST........SOON YOU WILL START TO SEE COUPONS IN THE CENTREVIEW FOR "BUY ONE GET ONE FREE" ENTREES, THE WAIT STAFF WILL DECREASE, VALET PARKING WILL DISAPPEAR, AND ALL THAT WILL BE LEFT IS AN 8 MILLION DOLLAR DISASTER.......OH ALTO

My husband and I met at 5:30 on Thursday night 2/21 to try out Alto Plaza on the fine dining 3rd floor. I totally agree with "RESton Peace" about the awkwardness of how the staff acts toward you. Our waitress was "good" in the sense that everything worked out ok, but the slow movements, precise placement of silverware, and robotic lengthy diatribes made for an awkward EXPENSIVE dining experience.

My husband had the filet minion and thought it was superb, but we both did not like the fact that the steak was the one and only thing on the plate. His salad and his huge bowl of sauteed mushrooms were each priced separately. He also had a glass of cabernet.

I was too creeped out over the prices to order a real meal, so I ordered a bowl of clam chowder, the calamari and iced tea. The waitress had raved about the clam chowder, but it was just "good" in my mind. I could have done without the red and green pepper strips in it. I actually liked the two dips that came with the calamari, but that could be due in part to my disappointment with the calamari itself.

On other notes, they really try to sell the booze, the mineral water, and the desserts and in fact place silverware in front of you before asking if you're interested in dessert.

There were water people, bread people, the waitress, iced tea people, and a manager that came by at one point or another. Oh, and the coat lady.

I get the impression that the owner must love smoking, since so much of the place is geared for it. I thought it was odd, for instance when the waitress was rattling off a bunch of wine, that she described one type that had a tabacco flavor to it (neither of us smoke).

Anyway, our bill was over $75 for the equiv of 1-1/2 meals with no shared appetizer, and no dessert or coffee, and although my husband really liked the steak, the overall experience and price just isn't worth it. Oh -- and they also hinted to us that we were underdressed even though we had come right from work.

In both of our opinions, we'd rather go to Bonefish any day over Alto Plaza and have a better mean for close to half the price.

Bonefish is somewhere I have meant to try... I'll have to make it over there sometime.

Steaks cost too much in restaurants... if I'm in the mood for the perfect steak I usually grill it myself.

correction to your statement, I worked with Hakim at the Ritz, He used to be a Lobby Bar and Lobby Cafe manager. He used to be an asset to the Ritz I was sad to see him leave the company. I wish him the best I am sure soon they will fix all their issues. Alto Plaza has just opened give them a chance.

Here is why Alto Plaza sucks -

1. THE OWNERS AND MANAGERS ARE ARROGANT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. THE FOOD IS OVER PRICED AND REALLY NOT THAT GOOD.

3. One night I was there at 11:15 with four people. I was told last call. The bartender was infuriated at the manager.

4. On another night at 10:30 we were told that the kitchen was closed by a manager "BUt MacDonalds is Open!"

THis place would be palatable if Management was not so arrogant.

IHOP baby! Right across the street & better food.

My husband and I went there on Friday, 2/29. We had watched it being built for some 2 years now and wondered what it was going to be. After I found I it was to be a restaurant and a high-end one, I was happy about that--seems to be a paucity of restaurants in this area.

So, we went. My husband ordered the surf and turf and I had the lobster thermidor. He ordered his stead medium rare and it arrived medium. It was o.k., but as others have stated, not worth the price. My lobster was just o.k. and seemed too small of a portion for the price. Everything is ala carte.

The drinks we had were just o.k. My husband ordered a martini and was surprised when they offered different types of olives. He had the anchovy ones. My cosmo was just so-so. We each had a glass of wine with dinner, too, and split a salad and the asparagus.

The experience there was just o.k. I think Sweetwater has much better food and is a better value. I did want somewhere quiet, though. The waitress told us that they haven't had their grand opening yet. We may give it another chance, since maybe they're just working out the kinks.

When my husband complained about the steak, the waitress offered us a free dessert. My husband had the chocolate cake, which he said was fine. I had the flan with the caramel sauce, and again, it was just o.k.

Hope this helps...

I work about 10 mins from there and heard plenty of good things from there. I have yet to dine there but intend to go . My cousin is a host there and she tells me how nice the place is,

I still haven't gone, mostly because if I want to pay $100 for bland food I'll walk into McD's and announce to all in line that this round is on me.

Hey,
chihuahuamom ,
There is one more restaurant with this name http://www.altoplaza.com . Is this restaurant is different or same as .net.

Damn, it sounds like you guys generally do not like Alto Plaza. I've been there more times than I can count and I have taken people there on many occasions and they all had the same reaction... they loved it. The food is very good, the service is wonderful, and it's a great atmosphere. I think this place is going to be around for a long time. Most of you all seemed to of went when it first opened. Go now, they worked out a lot of the kinks I think you will be happy with the changes they made. Give them some credit they JUST OPENED.

va2323,

Which floor do you bus?

Here is he problem - you cannot trust any restaurant review because the generation that is rating grew up on single mommy serving canned food when she got home from work at 7:30 pm. So anything is better than the PBJ appetizer when you got home followed by Ramen.

This place is alot of fluff and is overpriced. If you want to go see a bunch of pretenders and never - were's go there.

It is the old shark club crowd. Alot $30,000 per year loud talkers and old people thinking they are hip.

Taco Bell is better.

I tried Alto Plaza about a week after it opened.

I would give it a 3 out of 10. I ordered the ceviche and it tasted like it was made with bottled, reconstituted lemon juice...yuck. I also ordered the "Saltado de Mariscos", which was ok, but the rice was definitely instant rice like uncle bens or minute rice.

I thought the prices were very high for the quality of the food. The service was also pretty slow, and there weren't even a lot of people there.

I may give it another try, but I was not impressed.

THE PLACE IS NOT OWNED BY RESTAURANT PEOPLE AND THAT IS OBVIOUS.

IT HAS A CHAIN-LIKE MENTALITY AND IS FAKE LIKE A CHAIN.

THE FOOD THEY SERVE HAS A PLACE AND A PRICE - ALTO PLAZA SIMPLY DOES NOT QUALIFY.


THE CHEF NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AS DOES THE GENERAL MANAGER AND THE OVERWEIGHT WAIT STAFF AND BARTENDERS.

THIS PLACE IS HORRENDOUS, ALL THE WAY AROUND.

seriously people... wtf?


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

pgens Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I still haven't gone, mostly because if I want to
> pay $100 for bland food I'll walk into McD's and
> announce to all in line that this round is on me.


Total agree. It's one thing to have a bad meal. Another to drop $100+ on it. Hope they're reading this thread. They have the makings of a great place from the outside, work out the kinks on the inside.

I and my family have been there 4 times now... Service was good. Food was well prepared and delicious. Don't know where all the bad reviews are coming from. View of Centreville is not pretty.. View of the Bull Run Mountain at sunset is beautiful. Guess you get out of an experience what you put into the experience.

That place sucks...they overcharge for crap food and crap service. Put something more practical in that spot. And the view sucks unless you sit on the side facing the mountains.

ALTO PLAZA SMELLS LIKE FARTS

All of you people talking shit about Alto Plaza are a bunch of idiots, because Centreville did'nt have shit before this restaurant opened. Why would you idiots worry how much this restaurant cost, it did'nt come out your f@#king pockets. These people made something beautiful come alive in this bullshit dump you call Centreville. I could tell all of you who have given this restaurant a bad review your first time there are nothing but a bunch of hillbillies who have no sense of pride for your neighborhood and for not giving them a chance to work out there kinks. Everything that is new and upcoming is not always perfect the first time around. I was there recently and the staff and the food was very good, give these people a chance. Dont show your ignorance by by talking shit about something you know nothing about. these people are trying to show you what fine dining is all about at a reasonable price. Enjoy the food ,the drinks, the scenery and stop whining. I believe in giving people a chance at something they obviously worked very hard at.

For what its worth, Big Rick is "Chief" Dishwasher at Alto.

yeah thats right 496, I work right next to your momma who is my assistent. Idiot

Yep. SHe told me about the delusional retard that believes he is mgmt when in fact, he is a janitor. Now mop the floor boy.

Shut the fuck up "Big Rick". It certainly is not fine dining if you can see the porn shop out your front window. The food is overpriced and overcooked. The valet parks the cars at the psychic gas station across the street. And why the fuck do you need 5 beaners jumping in your car to take a ride across the street? Fuck Alto Plaza and fuck you for talking out of your ass.

That place took forever to build...an eyesore to drive past for what seemed like forever. When they opened they fuck the community with high prices on cheap food so they can make up for two years worth of construction costs.

I wonder how much of your gas the "valets" use looking for a parking spot in the DMZ across the street.

This place is really terrible.

I mean it is a real joke.

Fuck off

Looks like Big Jim Stud id just another DUD

Fuck You too you big bitch. Big Pussy is the right name for you, because only a big pussy like you would answer for another person. go stick your nose up someone elses ass you bitch ass fagot, no one asked you to join in....BITCH

Damnit Rick, I told you to clean the deep fat fryer, stop yapping and get to it boy.

Big Rick sounds like his ass hurts from being pounded once to many times a night up at the Alto. Pisssssssss coming from your ass Rick? Say hi to your mom for me, you ball sniffing nag.

Rick must work the late shift at Alto...then races home to see what people said about him on here. LOL

Why is the skirt steak so expensive?

Why don't they have enough parking? Why are the shrimps constantly overcooked. Why is the bread stale. Why does it look like the staircase is the main attraction there? Why do the bartenders play on their cell phones when they should be mixing my drink and checking on my overcooked shrimps. I have more taste in my penis.

Skirt steaks have been in really high demand over the past 10 years due to the growing popularity of Tex-Mex, Mexican, and other fajita-serving restaurants. That's why it's expensive. It's not even cheap at the grocery store, usually 8-10 a pound.

You can go to Two Amigos in Centreville and get a cheap skirt steak...but they have cockroaches swimming in their salsa.

SkirtStk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You can go to Two Amigos in Centreville and get a
> cheap skirt steak...but they have cockroaches
> swimming in their salsa.

Cockroaches add flavor to mexican foods.

I drove past that place last night and saw nothing but frat boy looking douchebags, lookin like they all went and got their hair did at the same place all the guidos from this thread.

http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/read/2/86662.html

Just go to Artie's, it's always good...

The place is out of place. It has been built before it's time, when the shopping center across the street, part of the revitalization, is completed. It is way overdone. Solid brick construction makes buildings expensive, good reasoning to justify high pricing! It looks like it landed from space onto the ridgeline overlooking the Centreville Valley. They should of built the Dunkin Donuts there instead.

The place is for suckers with an open wallet.

I'll go someplace else.

OMG I ate there last night and have been on the toilet since.

I suppose if I flush enough, it will make it back to Alto's kitchen

I can't see any real upscale professional waiters wanting to work at this joint. And thats the kind of service you deserve when paying so much for a meal. Look at all the douchebags that hangout on the patio now that its warm out. Sausage party. Who wants to have an upscale dinner where douchebags hangout?

This is a place for Centreville Fairfax Corner rejects.

They should rename the place to Losers.

I'm getting tired of my place of employment getting ripped.
Last night I took a piss in the soup and shit in the mushroom gravy to get revenge on you whiners. Fuck you.

thanks BigRick for trying to add some much needed flavoring to the tastless food