A beloved British restaurant chain is finally making its way to the nation's capital.
Wagamama, the Japanese noodle joint popular across the UK and in several U.S. cities, including New York and Boston, is about to open its first restaurant in the DMV at 2950 Clarendon Blvd in Arlington.
The brand new eatery in Clarendon (one block from the Metro stop) will open on Thursday, August 1, with a $40 ticketed grand opening party that includes a welcome drink, food tastings, happy hour specials and a DJ.
The 5,100 square foot space itself is substantial, with 131 seats at communal tables and booths, plus 47 seats outdoors. The menu offers Wagamama's standards melding Japanese, Korean and Chinese fare—sharable dumplings and salads, teppanyaki stir-fried noodles, ramen, rice dishes, curries and more. A kids' menu is also available, as are plant-based options. Lunch and dinner will be offered daily, along with a happy hour. Cocktails, Asian beers, sake and juices are on the beverage menu.
Wagamama Clarendon will take reservations via OpenTable and also offer takeout and delivery via online orders.
Wagamama fodder has been a long time coming for the D.C. area. In 2009, the brand signed a lease in Penn Quarter, exciting locals the London-based chain was finally opening. By 2012, the plans were officially called off, with no promise of a future Wagamama in the region.
Now the Wagamama watch can wind down, as D.C. residents can finally get their own taste of the international sensation.