Maple Ave Restaurant

What a gem! Don’t look like much from the outside but inside, it’s very comfortable and clean. The dishes are very creative and very flavorful. The shrimp and grit is a must try. Very limited seating so make a reservation just to be sure.

You probably wouldn’t notice it if you drove by, but this small restaurant in the heart of Vienna is one of the best in DC. Despite its unassuming appearance, the quality of the food is top-​notch! Be sure to make reservations well in advance because they fill up quickly (there are only about 10 tables). Order anything on the menu, you truly can’t go wrong!

Writing an update because I forgot how delicious this place is. I am a fan of Tim Ma’s restaurants (water & wall, maple ave, kyirisan — have not tried chase the submarine yet), and there are a few dishes here that are also served at kyirisan.
The place is tiny, like 8 or so 4 top tables. Very small dining room and tiny parking lot. The service is extremely attentive and food doesn’t take too long.
As far as food goes, everything I’ve had here is delicious. Most recently, went with:
crème fraîche wings — these are delicious (also served at Kyirisan)
mussels with chinese sausage/​coconut broth — also very good (and also served at Kyirisan). Need to order extra crostinis though to get all of the delicious broth
bone marrow — 3 large bones, crostinis, very rich and tasty
braised beef cheek — perfectly tender, served on top of semolina which is like a super thin, creamy mashed potato with a demi sauce.
duck confit — duck leg cooked perfectly, the brussels that are served with this are seriously amazing.
gnocchi — this was a favorite of mine, perfectly cooked gnocchi with asparagus, pesto, mushrooms, and shaved manchego. delicious
bottom line, the food is on point and the service is good. Make a reservation due to the small size. You won’t be disappointed

Best place for celebrations and birthdays! The food is delicious and I love the duck confit!

Rustic and modern, and wholly unique and local!
It’s not our first time visiting Maple Avenue Restaurant, and each visit have always been pleasant! Don’t let the location fool you. It may not look like much from the outside (or even as you peek inside). But the star of Maple Avenue Restaurant is the food, and that’s exactly what you should come here for!
Our latest visit was perhaps the most unique with the restaurant’s first Chef’s Tasting event, this one themed the Forest Tasting.
Maple Avenue Restaurant is known to mix a lot of influences from around the globe, and it’s just not that I learned that (1) Chef Juste, owner of the restaurant, is a woman, and (2) She’s Lithuanian! I’m not actually familiar with foods from that side of the globe, so it was nice to learn where the influences for each dish came from.
The chef greeted everyone throughout the courses and took the time to chat with each customer. She explained every dish carefully, include the inspiration behind the dish, and her thinking process in the entire tasting menu. For example, we started with a very common Lithuanian bar item, beer served with rye bread topped with cream and manchego cheese. The tasting ended with the same rye bread, crumbled and sweetened, garnished on top of the strawberry reduction. Basically bringing the tasting to full circle!
The highlight of the tasting for me is probably the chilled English pea soup, topped with sorrel, venison sausage, and sprinkled with cured egg yolk. Who would’ve thought? The egg yolk is simply cured with salt, and wow. It totally «wakes» up the otherwise simple English pea soup.
Another highlight for me is the empanadas. Yes, talk about a trip around the globe. This one filled with salsa creolla and served with radish, mizuna (very similar to arugula, but with a bite), and braised, melt in your mouth, beef tongue. At least that’s the compliment my husband gave for the beef tongue. Unfortunately, my stomach couldn’t handle such delicacy. Yet.
I can’t be more satisfied with this tasting. The portion was surprisingly large for a chef’s tasting, but everything was so delicately put together! I loved every minute of it. It was so nice to finally meet the chef in person. We can’t wait to dine here again in the future!

We’ve been here plenty of times and each time has been great, but this time, we came for their very first tasting (Forest Tasting).
Chef Juste gives homage to her country, Lithuania. Each dish she served gives a glimpse into what she grew up eating. Yet, its her take on it, using (for the most part) fresh local ingredients!
The very first dish, or, maybe more like a snack was basically, what it is, a bar snack. A cup with a shot of beer (Hefeweizen?) with a stick of fried rye bread with some mascarpone cheese and garlic on top. Delicious! perfectly fried and crunchy, You’d think the garlic would overtake it but not at all. The beer was the perfect medium to wash it down.
Next came the pea soup. What? just, pea soup? I can go to vie de france for that! No. this aint just any pea soup. This is cold pea soup that has cured eggs in it which was used in place of cheese. The bits of baby sorrel leaves gave a very fresh note that complimented everything in the dish. The drops of tangy beet juice balanced the sour cream and pea soup, almost like a pallet cleanser. Very refreshing!
Next was a Dumpling. Not just any dumpling! this dumpling as made of potatoes! and im not talking about the filling. The casing was potatoes, not flour. How neat is that? It’s almost like a round perogie was turned inside out. And the filling was duck confit. The sauce that it sat on was a mushroom sauce. I wanted to lap it up — canine style! My friend also agreed! Didnt know a mushroom sauce can taste that tasty. Also, the presentation was amazing. There was bits of mizuna flowers ontop with sprinkled of bacon. all around sitting in that smooth grey mushroom sauce, just see the Unilocal pictures! Its a work of art!
Next was the beef tongue empanada. You get 2 empanadas, baked to perfection with a slice of beef tongue to show what you’re eating. Some people (like my wife and friend) got sicked out by the thought of it. But not me! that beef tongue by itself was amazing, It’s like eating a piece of smoked brisket but twice as more tender, yet some how there was that chargrilled taste to it, and the whole thing was flavorful. Ontop of that was a mizuna salad which was locally grown! Like, 1.5 miles away from the restaurant locally grown! I forgot the name of the farm near by, but thats quite nifty. It gave a fresh note to my pallet as I was munching away on that empanada.
Although, my only complaint — yes there is a small complaint in this 5 star review — was the quality control. Mines did not have mizuna flowers ontop and i didnt get as much bacon as my wife’s. A small error but no biggie, it did not change the taste. The Ramsay would have flipped, i bet.
Last savory meal was Wild Boar Ragu! THIS was quite a treat. Although i was super stuffed by that time… So, it was like pulled pork but the boar was so amazingly delicious. Pulled pork is delicious because they soak it in bbq sauce. This dish, was flavorful cuz its freakin’ wild boar! It’s as free range as you can get! Whats even better was the «pasta not pasta» it sat on. It was a mixture of vegetables like squash and cucumber and other stuff i forgot in some kind of delicious creamy sauce, drizzled with smoked olive oil. So it had the texture of pasta but the freshness of vegetables. This veggie pasta, paired with the savory boar ragu really balanced the dish and then you have the notes of smokiness from the olive oil. Fantastic!
Lastly was dessert. I forgot the name but what i do remember googling on my phone was «sea buckthorn.» WTF IS THAT??? like some kind of weird animal from the sea that has horns or thorns? and its in a DESSERT?! No, its a freaking berry. Yes — a berry. Is it from the sea? No its a shrub. Anyway, it tastes like a tamarind. Tangy, sweet with a little more of a bite. This was made into a beautiful yellow sauce along with the strawberry sauce. The main dish was this round puck of what appears to be cheesecake with out the breading. But this was made with rye bread! So it has that mellow milky rye-​like flavor. Very beautifully done and has a very unique sweetness. Its almost like it got it’s sweetness from the rye. She even made rye crumbles which looks like bacon bits for a second.
All and all, great experience and loved her tasting. I think this was the best tasting i’ve had in quite a while! Also, it didnt break the bank (too much). I hope she starts this tradition! I’d totally be down for this again. Also, its nice watching all the cars sitting in that horrid traffic while you’re sitting back and enjoying some fine foods.

Went to the restaurant for a date night with another couple. Had a wonderful experience. Very small intimate restaurant where you feel invited.
Food was very good. I had the scallops risotto and ice cream. Sounded different so I gave it a try. Very tasty!
Enjoy the restaurant and our dinner. A bit pricey. Will be back again but probably more of a special occasion place.

Fantastic food and service! I went here with my boyfriend for the first time tonight and it was AMAZING. I ordered the House Gnocchi with the Apple Pie Sangria — Perfection! Just made reservations for this weekend already!

Don’t let the looks of this restaurant fool you. The food this place serves is top notch! I ordered the gnocchi and was impressed. The gnocchi was pan-​seared yet tender on the inside. The sauce was perfectly balanced and complemented the gnocchi really well.
The service was also splendid. Within 10 minutes of walking in, my food was brought out. In fact, service was so fast I completed my meal in less than 20 minutes!
However, I did feel this place was a bit overpriced. Other than that, this is surely a restaurant worth visiting!

My hubs and I went here for date night at 5:30pm on a Saturday. It was a small, quaint little place. Not that full at that time. Probably only fit about 30 people at once. It looked as though everyone had to make reservations because the seating was limited. They text you to confirm reservations and a 30min reminder with tips of foods to try. It was very sweet. Oddly enough, it felt like someone was texting me and that it wasn’t automated.
When we arrived, we were greeted by our server, who seemed one of three. He was very nice and attentive. We ordered the crème fraîche wings and empanadas to start. The empanadas tasted fresh and weren’t oily at all. The wings were small but juicy and the sauce was amazing. The waiter said that people have liked it so much that they ask for it as a dip to their fries!
We got the house gnocchi and duck leg for our entrees to share. The apple cider gastrique on the fried brussel sprouts and duck made the dish. The entire duck dish was great! The house gnocchi was very tasty. I just wish there were more larger cut mushrooms or a protein. But overall, we were really happy with our meal!
We will definitely be back for the happy hour and to try the other dishes!

Love this mom-​and-​pop restaurant!
We started off with the baked mac, steamed mussels, & the beef tartare (which does not appear to be on the menu anymore.) All 3 of the small plates were mouth-​watering and flavorful. It was my first time trying the beef tartare and absolutely loved it! Of course I was skeptical to try raw beef after being only accustomed to ordering tuna tartare at restaurants, but with the first bite of the beef tartare with the chips I instantly loved it.
As for the main entrée, we ordered the lemongrass chicken and the braised beef cheek. The meet was flavorful and tender.
This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants, thanks to the boyfriend for introducing me.

I had a really nice Valentine’s Day dinner here. The restaurant looks like a diner off Maple Avenue and we missed it at first. One wouldn’t have guessed it had quality fine dining and service. It’s very small and intimate; fitting about 22 to 24 couples.
Best part about dates is you get to also try your partner’s dishes! For the special Valentine’s Day menu, we started with the pineapple salad and seafood soup. There wasn’t anything special with the salad, but the creamy broth for the soup was very very very good! Each creamy bite had cucumber for cooling effect, cilantro for added flavor, and fresh scallops, shrimp, and mussels. I literally took my spoon and scooped every bite of the creamy broth after I devoured all the contents. It was that good. If they served it in an entrée portion, I would be one very satisfied diner.
For the entrée, we had the seared duck breast and the gnocchi. The gnocchi was delicious with the perfect bite and the mushrooms made it even better. Though the duck dish was delicious, it didn’t really stick out compared to other duck dishes that I’ve had. I wasn’t too crazy about the pears in that dish. The finger licking potatoes in the dish were good but you couldn’t really go wrong with potatoes.
We ended the night with the sparkling sorbet and yuzu crème brûlée. The sparkling champagne was a bit too strong for me but the homemade sorbet was very refreshing and lightly sweet. The dried oranges in there added a nice texture and bite. The yuzu crème brûlée was amazing; probably one of the best I’ve had. The custard was very light and the sugar on top was good quality sugar. It also had dried oranges, which really didn’t make a difference for me because it would still have been awesome without it.

One of my favorite restaurants in northern Virginia. Tip: definitely call ahead and make a reservation. Seating is very limited.
I was recommended this restaurant by a random food enthusiast I met while waiting in line for another restaurant. I wish I knew who she was so I could thank her once again for this rec. Maple Ave. restaurant is a hidden gem in Vienna that from the outside looks very unsuspecting but once entered will shatter your expectations and blow your taste buds away.
First off service was exceptional as everything was clearly explained by the waiter. I came here as a group of four so we were able to start with two appetizers and tried a bite of each other’s entrée. We also shared a dessert. I’ll describe the items we tried below.
Appetizers:
1. Shrimp and grits. A classic. For dinner this was a welcomed appetizer option. Shrimp was grilled and still juicy. Grits were well cooked, soft, and well buttered.
2. Bone marrow. I felt this was the weakest option we tried that night. Onions overpowered the marrow itself. But it was not bad overall.
Entrees:
1. Seared scallops. this is the entrée I ordered. This was PHENOMENAL. I’ve never had my tastebuds pulled in so many directions and yet still melded into a single beautiful bite. The coconut risotto with basil ice cream, was an interesting combination, but it works. Especially coupled with the scallops. That is all I can and will describe. You have to try it for yourself. Trust me.
2. Beef cheek. one of the other favorites of the table. The meat was sooo tender and soft. Flavor was complimented by the sauce.
3. Duck confit. not bad, not great. But again, we were not disappointed.
Dessert: bread pudding/shared.Again not disappointed.
Summary: this restaurant definitely has its strengths and we felt nothing we tried was a «bad choice». I will definitely be coming back here to try some other menu options.

Came for Restaurant Week and wasn’t particularly amazed. Maple Ave is a TINY restaurant located right in Vienna. There are only about 8 – 9 tables inside and little to no ambiance… It’s decorated very plainly and housed in an extremely small free-​standing building, with the main dining area in the front, the kitchen in the middle, and a small extension in the back that doubles as a waiting area/​bar/​extra seating. It’s very casual.
Food: ranged from pretty good to bland.
— PEI Mussels: The mussel app, served with coconut saffron broth, was the highlight of the meal for me. The mussels were large and the broth was really flavorful. The portion size was was also surprisingly large.
— Beef cheek with semolina: This was such a let down. The beef was extremely tender but so under-​seasoned. Such a shame. It needed more sauce maybe, or salt… It was so bland I didn’t finish it.
— Duck confit: I tried a few bites of the duck, served with crispy roasted brussels sprouts. It was cooked perfectly and the brussel sprouts were a great accompaniment. It was drizzled with honey, which didn’t bother me as I actually think sweet sauces go well with both duck and brussels, but I heard a few complaints about the dish being too sweet.
— Yuzu crème brûlée: By this point I was so full, but the crème brûlée was good… very citrusy and light.
Overall, I’d say the food is good, and you can tell the chef really put thought into the menu and tried to make conceptually innovative dishes (especially the scallops with basil ice cream). But, the dishes just didn’t quite deliver what I was expecting given the stellar reviews and higher prices. I’d like to come back to try Maple Ave for brunch, but it probably won’t be at the forefront of my mind when thinking of dinner options.

I wanted to rate this a 3.5 But i gave it a 4 because of the Beef Cheek.
My friends and I had come for dinner based on a recommendation from his boss. The food did not disappoint but the size and ambiance of the restaurant was underwhelming. Parking was not the easiest to find but i guess for the size of the restaurant, the 7 parking spots was enough (definitely need to make a reservation beforehand!). Beyond that, the rest of the experience was great! I did not catch our waiters name, but he was amazing. He was very helpful when it came to answering any questions about the menu items and would keep a close eye to make sure our party was comfortable and well accommodated for.
The Food:
Since there were a few of us, most of us tried different dishes.
For the Small plates, we had gotten the Shrimp and Grits and Roasted Bone Marrow. The creamy grits stole the show for the Shrimp and Grits. The Shrimp could have been cooked slightly less as ours were a little on the overcooked side. As for the Roasted Bone Marrow; we could have really done without this dish. I am a big fan of bone marrow but the relish topping was too overpowering. All i could taste was the relish.
For the Main Plates, we tried the Braised Beef Cheek, Duck Confit, and Seared Scallops. Coming from 4 guys in their 20’s, the portions of all the main plates were small. That being said, it was expected.
Of the 3 dishes, The Beef Cheek was by far my favorite. The beef cut like a hot knife through butter and melted in your mouth with tons of flavor. the Creamy semolina was a good texture balance to the beef.
The most surprising of the dishes we ordered was the Seared Scallops. The scallops were well cooked but the stars of the dish were the coconut risotto and basil Ice cream. Independently they were good, but as the ice cream melted into the risotto, the flavors were enhanced. This was well designed by the chef.
Finally there was the Duck Confit. The Duck was cooked magnificently but the dish as a whole left more to be desired. I felt there was a lack of flavor as a whole.
For Dessert,
We got the Bread Pudding. I don’t really have a sweet tooth so this dish was good for me. The Bread pudding was mild in sweetness but the dish overall was only slightly better than your generic Bread pudding.
Overall:
Besides the extremely small size of the restaurant and limited menu items, we were able to try some creative and well prepared dishes. The portion sizes are a little small for the price you are paying, but if you are looking for the fancy dinner experience in Vienna. then look no further

3.5 stars, but rounded down to 3. I visited Maple Ave Restaurant by myself for brunch recently and was surprised by how casual the place is! It looks a little like it’s located in a large trailer off the side of the road (across a car repair place). The tables are very casual inside (almost picnic table-​esque) and it has a very small and limited dining area. I ordered the Shrimp and Grits (tiger shrimp, venison blueberry sausage, okra, stoneground grits) and it was tasty, but a super tiny portion! There were only 2 – 3 shrimp pieces in the meal. It was decently tasty, but the atmosphere and food were not what I was expecting. There is parking, though it could be a bit tight when it’s crowded.
Bottom line — decent food, though small portions unless you pay a lot more. And a very tiny trailer-​looking place, which really doesn’t warrant the price tag on the food items. I’d return, but probably not anytime soon. It’s certainly not a fancy occasion type of place.

3.5 Stars
She hadn’t looked at the menu. There was no expectation, just hunger as the driving force of anticipation. I took the liberty of ordering, as my dining partner was unfamiliar with the fare. I, on the other hand, was possibly blinded by the nagging pain in on the left side of my abdomen. I ordered half of the small menu and was intent on inhabiting the satisfaction I knew I deserved (hunger and frustration – due to rain and traffic – absolutely do not mix).
The waitress, didn’t catch her name, was alarmingly charming and accommodating. She checked on me at least five times to make sure I was ok during my wait for my darling Deena H. Her compassion was probably derived from my look of irritation… not for the anticipation of Deena, but from my loosing streaking on the Domino app with Ruth C. (I’m coming for you Ruth!!).
As soon Deena arrived I was ready to order. We requested our food to arrive at our table as soon as the plates were made.
Fried Green Tomatoes: Any time they’re on a menu, I order them without hesitation, and they didn’t disappoint. Melted pimento cheese with sweet tomato relish, the fried green tomatoes were lightly seasoned and fried to perfection. I would order theses again and again.
Braised Beef Cheek w/​Semolina and Corn: This dish was good, very tender. My only gripe is that I felt though it was missing something. Maybe a little more spice, heat, something that would make it stand out. Like I said, it was good, just not great.
Shrimp & Grits: I was pleasantly surprised to find that the broth was seafood based, which quite honestly made me biased. Yes, I liked it. The shrimp was tender and seasoned well with a bit of heat on top of creamy, rich grits I likey.
Coconut Risotto & Scallops w/​Basil Ice Cream: Perfectly cooked risotto and scallops. I wasn’t sure what to make of ice cream in the dish, but was surprised to find a well balanced dish. The only problem I had was the the risotto wasn’t hot enough, besides being topped ice cream of course, this is a dish that needs to be served IMMEDIATELY.
Crème Fraiche Wings: I thought the wings were alright. Sauced, so there wasn’t a need for ranch or blue cheese dressing. Although they were ok, I probably would never order these again. They tested like they were missing a bit of spice. Something extra like green onions might have been the trick.
Mac & Cheese: I also didn’t think this dish was anything special. I’m not a fan of toasted toppings, so the Mac & Cheese was just blah to me.
Chocolate Dumplings: I was most disappointed with this dish based on the lack of creativity and the overwhelmingly doughy dumpling. Meh.
Overall, I think my expectations may have been a bit too high. I like Maple and will surely be back just won’t be ordering the whole menu again. Prices were reasonable and comparable to many $$-$$$ restaurants in the area. Be prepared for the small space. THIS IS NOT A SMALL RESTAURANT. This is a TINY RESTAURANT with a small parking lot. If you blink you will miss it. I passed it twice.

– Brunch Review Only –
Best brunch I’ve ever had. The ricotta pancakes changed my world of what pancakes are. These were crispy, soft, chewy, and so flavorful that I didn’t even need the syrup. The bacon strips were just average though. I’ve had better bacon on burgers before. The potatoes were really good too. They were light and crunchy, and not at all oily — but tasted a lot better than being baked. I think they were pan fried.
The truffled eggs were pretty good too. Although it was the same price as the pancakes — I know truffles cost a lot of money, but I don’t get what all the hype is about. It was good, but I would have been happier if I had gotten extra pancakes instead.
The only coffee they have here is french press, which is good enough for 3 – 4 cups of coffee. Just alright coffee.
The place is usually packed full, and from what I hear, it’s hard to get a reservation because the place only had about a dozen tables. Small groups of 2 — 4 are easier to accommodate, but big groups will have to jump through a lot of hoops.
It’s a little pricey, but I think it’s worth the treat every once in awhile. Since the place is small, I think there was only 1 waitress working the entire floor. The food is worth whatever wait though. Some of these other Unilocalers are hating on their dinner service, but i’m looking forward to making my own decision.

The food here will not disappoint… from the bone marrow to the shrimp and grits (I have a soft spot for southern food. Yummers); it is all well done and sized for sharing. We were quite gluttonous and, I thought, we ordered too much; however, I don’t think we stopped eating until the plates were clear. I regretted that decision afterwards when I stared at my food baby *rubs tummy like a preggo lady* …but it was satisfying nonetheless.
The ambiance was romantic. It was a very small restaurant with very small tables. If you’re claustrophobic, it might not be suitable for you. And the parking situation is nothing to be desired so small ladies in big cars that they shouldn’t be driving (like myself), beware. It’s very small, tight, and could be easily missed if your zooming by.

I came here to dinner on a very rainy night. It took me 1.5 hour from the city on a weeknight in the rain and during rush hour. I didn’t know it would take that long but I can tell you by the time I arrived, I was ready to eat. The restaurant is very small and off on the side of the road. Parking is limited. I entered incorrectly from the back of the restaurant into their kitchen! Then I had to walk my self back outside into the rain to get to the front. The staff tried to offer me an umbrella but I was too stubborn to accept it.
I walk into the real restaurant and there was maybe ten tables total. Not huge. Menu is one page long. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I also didn’t even look them up before I arrived so wasn’t sure what to order.
My friend and I ordered a ton of food. And I’m glad we did for one reason, some things I truly didn’t like. The thing I forgot to photograph was the fried green tomatoes. They were my favorite as well as the shrimp and grits. I didn’t like the Mac and cheese but I’m really not a Mac and cheese person in general.
The dessert was not good. It was just fried dough and I felt my waistline cuss me out for wasting our calories on something that doesn’t taste good.
Service was good. The waitress kept bringing out fresh plates and silverware because she saw us sharing all the small plates and the meals. They even had wet naps for the wings.
Overall it was a good experience but it was expensive as heck for my taste but we also did order a ton of food. Don’t do what we did. One small plate is enough. I learned my lesson.
Here is the bottom line:
1. Order the fried green tomatoes
2. Order the shrimp and grits
3. Don’t order chocolate dumplings
4. If you are coming from the city, don’t come on a rainy night in rush hour. If you do, get a book on tape that you can finish before arrival
Happy chewing!