Chasin' Tails: Seafood that Celebrates! — Restaurant in Falls Church

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Culinary Odyssey: The Inaugural Bespoke Experience at Chasin' Tails, Falls Church, VA

Let me be clear: what happened at Chasin’ Tails was not just a dinner—it was a gastronomic revelation, a culinary symphony conducted by a team of visionary artists who bent the limits of flavor, form, and hospitality. We had the unparalleled honor of being the very first guests to experience their newly launched Bespoke Experience, and what transpired was nothing short of transcendent.

According to their website, the Bespoke Experience promises a “No Limits Experience.” That’s not marketing fluff—it’s an oath. Despite my short notice, the Chasin’ Tails team embraced collaboration, partnering with me to create a once-in-a-lifetime seafood soirée for my partner’s birthday. And let me tell you: Julie was FLOORED. Every. Single. Course.

The Creative Minds Behind the Magic: Ashley, the GM and owner, was nothing short of a hospitality virtuoso—interrupting her own birthday dinner just to make sure the planning process flowed smoothly. Then there’s Chef Daniel—a bona fide culinary auteur whose plating is visual poetry and whose flavor combinations transcend imagination. He’s not just a chef; he’s an alchemist, a gastronomic storyteller, a flavor engineer with the Midas touch. Turned every single request and guideline I provided and made them into the most extravagant, mouth-watering, soul-quenching dishes Julie and I EVER have experienced. Who would have thought Fine Dining could be this amazing.

The Bespoke Culinary Journey: Every dish was tailor-made with ingredient integrity, fine-dining finesse, and an artist’s soul. From amuse-bouche to the grand finale, the progression was intentional, masterfully paced, and Michelin-star-worthy. I do not lie about food, these foods were so astronomically elevated, both Julie and I were thrown back at every bite and were at awe of "how in the universe could something look like this and taste like this?" If heaven could be sampled in bites, Chef Daniel was THE angel who compressed the heavens into each ingredient, presentation, and delivery. Chef Daniel respects the ingredients and the art and we felt it to be true at every moment.

From personalized menus to surprise sparklers, from bespoke florals to behind-the-scenes views of the open kitchen, this experience redefined hospitality. Every member of the Chasin' Tails team—from kitchen to front-of-house—played their part in this culinary theatre, and the result was pure magic.

Chasin’ Tails’ Bespoke Experience isn’t just a meal—it’s a manifesto. A bold declaration that food, when touched by creativity, passion, and precision, becomes transformative.

Julie and I left feeling like royalty, hearts full and “full-curious”—yes, I coined it. That rare moment when you’re full… but the food is so good you simply must keep eating. Because how could you not?

A heartfelt thank you to: Ashley, Chef Daniel, the entire staff, the brilliant marketing & event team, the floral artist, local vendors—you all created something eternal.

This wasn’t just dinner. This was history.

11/10 Stars– A new benchmark in bespoke fine dining. Bravo, Chasin’...

Not sure when they changed locations, but the new place (while nice) isn't the same as the old one. Chasin Tails was known as a casual, chill spot for boiled Cajun seafood. Now it’s "ritzy" with this weird balloon-decoration setup thing, that feels random and the Cajun seafood is served on matte black bowls and dishes instead of in the classic plastic bags. The plates are cute, they look nice, but my food was lukewarm when it came out lol face palm. The bags solve that issue, that’s why they’re there. When I asked my server why the bags aren't used, they said it was to be bougie. Meaning management is more interested with their "image" than giving a real experience. So…I dumped my food from the cute plate into the plastic bag that was in my bucket on the table (it was supposed to be used for trash) and shook it up. The way it’s meant to be. The bag helps distribute flavor and keep the food hot. The bags serve a purpose. That's a Cajun seafood boil. Even their version of a smoked Old Fashion was very lackluster: it didn’t come with a top to hold in the smoke, and the smoke vanished literally after a few seconds. Because I was going with friends who had never been before, I had hyped up Chasin Tails and the experience. One of my friends had even asked “Oh the place that has the plastic bags?” Only to get there and be surprised, as well as a bit disappointed by the changes. The food was good, service was great, the plates are nice, sure. But if I had known the experience would be different I honestly would have gone to Hot n Juicy, or a different place for Cajun seafood. If you want a "cute" time out and aren't familiar with seafood boils, this place is nice. But if you want a real experience, this isn't the place to find that anymore, unfortunately (unless management has a change of heart and gets bougie plastic bags 🙄😆 smh 🤷🏽‍♀️🙄). I used to take my dad here for his birthday because he loves seafood. I skipped it this year because the feel of the restaurant isn’t what brought us back repeatedly years prior anymore. It honestly feels like some suave business person walked into the old Chasin Tails, and said “I like what you’ve done with the place”, then took it, got rid of what made Chasin Tails truly Chasin Tails (the plastic bags, the paper on the tables so you don’t make a mess) and coughed up what we have now in the new location. It’s not the same, and it’s not any better. I honestly feel sorry for the servers to have real plates to bus versus just being able to throw table covers and plastic bags away. While this had been my favorite place for Cajun seafood, especially when they expanded their menu items and desserts, I honestly can’t bring myself to go back. I want a fun, casual place to enjoy Cajun seafood. Not a bougie establishment in...

I got the crawfish boil and mac and cheese. I liked both, my only slight complaint was that the mac was a bit on the oily side.

The service was decent. Waiter was nice, but kept asking over and over if I wanted more drinks and more food than what I stated. I understand asking customers if they want an additional drink after finishing one, but I was asked 3 or 4 times. It felt like I was being pressured into getting another drink/more food (I was also asked if I wanted multiple pounds of crawfish when I had asked for 1 order of it, which was just a little confusing at first). Not a huge complaint though, just mildly annoyed by feeling pressured. Another service falter however, was the fact that the chairs were weirdly very dirty before being seated. I noticed a lot of crumbs and oil stains on my chair before I sat down. I wiped it off myself. I'm not sure how a chair got so oily/crumby, but I could tell it was obviously not cleaned after the previous guest.

The atmosphere was my least favorite part of the experience. I thought this was going to be a more upscale experience considering I paid $140+ for two people, but the vibes were more akin to that of a "fast casual"/"upscale fast food" place rather than a nice/fancy restaurant. I think it was a combination of clashing decor, uncomfortable chairs, and weirdly short furniture; almost kiddy table like furniture. It did not help that I had to wipe off the chair before sitting. I wouldn't expect to be wiping down the furniture before I sit at a nice expensive seafood restaurant. The vibes were like that of a Shake Shack or a Chipotle; not as bad as a fast food restaurant, but worse than other restaurants I've been to at this price point. Actually, worse of a vibe than restaurants I've been to with a slightly lower price point ($80-$90 for 2 people). There's a fine line between chic modern and nice casual; the atmosphere was definitely leaning nice casual disappointingly, considering the relatively high price point.

Overall, I did enjoy the Mac and Cheese and the Crawfish Boil. However, I would choose another restaurant the next time I want to eat at this particular...