pie-tanza — Restaurant in Virginia

Pie-Tanza is one of our favorite restaurants in Arlington. Consistently great food, generally fast and friendly service, and an extremely family-friendly atmosphere overall.

As for the food: awesome all around. They have a solid lineup of starter dishes (including caprese, calamari, fried goat cheese, and many more) and the best salads I’ve had anywhere (all of which are served in very large and easily shareable portions, FYI). Main courses include super tasty pasta dishes (particularly the Sweet Tomato Cream Penne, Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Parmigiana), fresh subs and sandwiches, and tons of yummy Italian style pizzas. Last but certainly not least: they have a VERY impressive kids menu with a great variety of main meals and additional side options to choose from, including: all of the usual kid menu staples like Mac and cheese, chicken tenders, grilled cheese, butter noodles, spaghetti, meatballs, etc, plus additional healthy choices like salmon, fresh fruit, several (cooked and uncooked) vegetable options, and even a number of gluten free options.

Lots of desserts as well, plus a solid if not particularly inventive or extensive drink menu. (NO liquor though, FYI, at least there hasn’t been in the past…I’ll update this post next time I’m there if incorrect.)

Overall: It’s a pretty awesome place. If I could afford to eat out every night I would probably end up eating there 5 out of 7 nights. Give or take.

We still do takeout only these days, as our three kids are still too young for vaccines and we’re not taking chances going inside to eat anywhere yet. But it’s always been a favorite dining spot for us (as it is for many families in the surrounding neighborhoods and beyond), and we’re looking forward to being able to eat inside with the...

When I'm looking for quick Italian food, this is the spot that I frequent. You must get the chicken farm entree! The chicken is so tender. The meat lasagna and sweet tomato penne are pretty good. The meat lasagna is sweet, but not overly sweet. The sweet tomato cream penne is good for someone who is looking for a pasta dish with a creamy sauce. The restaurant doesn't have an Alfredo chicken dish, so this is what I normally order. The antipasto salad is also a good choice with chopped up Italian meats, olives and banana peppers (yum!).

The service is pretty decent. I have never had any major issues there.

The restaurant has a rewards system that I would recommend if you frequent this spot. You have to download their App, which is called Cardagin. After accruing points, you can get rewards such as $5 off. When you pay for your meal, mention that you have the app. You will have to write your phone number down on your receipt so they can record your points.

For this season, they have a gift certificate promotion. If you buy a $50 gift certificate then you get an extra $10 off your next meal. For those that frequent the restaurant, it might not be a bad idea to buy these for yourself....

Their catering service (and food) is amazing! I hosted a dinner party for 10 adults with a few food allergies/restrictions. Ed walked me through good options, meticulously checked the recipes for ingredients that could be an issue, and provided alternate solutions (ie- serving part of the dish on the side, single serve portion with a different protein, etc). On the day of pickup, I got there early because I was rushing and it wasn’t ready because they were prepping it to be hot and fresh exactly for the time we agreed to. Karen, who was working the catering items on the day of the event, was incredibly helpful. She realized my panic, got the items ready for me, and even got me some bags of ice and walked me to my car with the items. The service cannot be beat! I cannot recommend their team highly enough! We ordered a pasta and salad, and both were delicious with many people asking about the restaurant and for the name of the pasta dish so they could order in the future (it was sweet tomato penne with rosemary shaved chicken; delicious). Thank you, Pie-Tanza, Karen, and Ed for getting me over the finish line and helping to make my...