Best Food Near the Beauregard Corridor

The Beauregard corridor in Alexandria, Virginia, is one of the most rapidly evolving neighborhoods in the Northern Virginia region. Named for the street that serves as its spine -- Beauregard Street, running north-south between King Street and Seminary Road -- the corridor has been the focus of the City of Alexandria's Beauregard Small Area Plan since 2012. That plan envisions a transit-oriented, mixed-use community with improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, expanded green space, and thousands of new housing units balanced by ground-floor retail and community amenities.

The development has been substantial. Large-scale apartment buildings have replaced aging garden-style complexes. New townhouse communities have filled in gaps between existing neighborhoods. The population density along Beauregard Street has increased meaningfully, and with it, the demand for dining options that go beyond the fast-food and chain-restaurant baseline that has historically dominated the corridor.

The Mark Center Factor

At the northern terminus of Beauregard Street, where it intersects Seminary Road and I-395, sits the Mark Center. This mixed-use complex includes the Washington Headquarters Service (WHS) building, commonly known as BRAC-133, which houses approximately 6,400 Department of Defense civilian and military personnel. The building was completed in 2011 as part of the Base Realignment and Closure initiative, consolidating Defense agencies that were previously spread across leased office space in Northern Virginia.

The Mark Center workforce generates significant weekday lunch demand. Security protocols at the building mean that workers who leave for lunch must pass through screening on re-entry, which puts an on restaurants that are close, fast, and worth the trip. Taza sits four minutes west on Seminary Road from the Mark Center entrance. A chicken shawarma pita at $9.95 or a shawarma bowl at $12.45 can be prepared in three to four minutes, eaten on-site or in the car, and the entire trip from desk to desk can stay under thirty minutes. That time efficiency, combined with food quality that far exceeds the building cafeteria, is why Mark Center workers have become some of Taza's most consistent regular customers.

The Corridor's Diversity and Dining Demand

The Beauregard corridor is among the most ethnically and culturally diverse areas in Northern Virginia. Census data and community surveys consistently show significant populations from the Middle East, Horn of Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and Latin America. This diversity creates demand for a wide range of cuisines and dietary accommodations -- including halal certification, which is a baseline requirement for a large share of the corridor's residents.

Taza is 100% halal. Everything on the Taza menu is halal, from the shawarma to the pies. It is one of the primary reasons Taza has built a loyal base among the corridor's Muslim community -- and, more broadly, among residents who simply prefer the quality and freshness that a dedicated halal kitchen tends to deliver.

What Makes the Food Different

The vertical rotisserie is the centerpiece. Most quick-service restaurants in the Beauregard corridor and surrounding areas cook their chicken and beef on flat grills, in ovens, or on warming trays. Taza operates a traditional vertical spit. Layers of marinated meat -- chicken or beef, prepared separately -- are stacked tightly on the spit and rotate against open flame . The exterior caramelizes while rendered fat bastes every layer beneath. When a customer orders, the meat is carved directly off the spit. That process produces a flavor profile and textural contrast (crisp edges, tender interior) that flat-grilled or oven-baked protein cannot match.

Shawarma at Taza is carved off the vertical spit to order, so each plate gets fresh slices from the cone. Yogurt provides tenderness and tang. Fresh lemon juice adds brightness. The chicken and beef turn on the vertical spit and are carved off to order, crisp at the edges and tender inside. It is the reason the first customer at 11 AM and the last customer at midnight both get shawarma with the same layered flavor.

The oven handles all manaeesh and specialty pies. Za'atar manaeesh ($6.95), lahm bil ajin ($8.95), cheese manaeesh ($7.95), and spinach manaeesh are baked on the oven deck to order. At Taza the flatbreads and pies are baked in the oven as orders come in. Specialty pies -- sfiha, spinach, cheese, veggie, za'atar -- are $2.95 each, folded and baked fresh. At that price point, they represent some of the best food value anywhere near the Beauregard corridor.

Falafel comes out of the fryer to order, and the flatbreads come out of the oven. Hummus is blended from soaked chickpeas. Falafel is fried to order, and the manaeesh, pita and pies are baked in the oven. Falafel is formed from a ground chickpea and herb mixture and fried to order -- it is never pre-fried and reheated. Baba ghanouj starts with fire-roasted eggplant. Rice pudding comes topped with crushed pistachios and rose-water honey syrup. The pita bread comes out of the oven throughout the day. "Taza" means fresh in Arabic, and every item on the menu holds to that standard.

Menu Depth for Every Table

One challenge for families and groups dining near the Beauregard corridor is finding a single restaurant that covers everyone's preferences. Taza handles this by offering a menu that spans multiple categories: pita sandwiches (chicken shawarma, beef shawarma, falafel), shrak flatbread wraps (the same fillings rolled in traditional thin-baked flatbread), grain bowls (protein over rice or greens with Mediterranean toppings), manaeesh (oven-baked flatbreads), specialty pies, sides (hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh, fries, rice, soup), a kids menu (chicken tenders at $7.95, cheese pizza), smoothies and fresh juices (including the popular Avocado Boost at $5.95), and desserts (rice pudding at $2.95, harissa at $1.99).

That range means a table with a health-conscious bowl eater, a wrap purist, a vegetarian falafel fan, and a six-year-old who only wants chicken tenders can all order from the same kitchen and leave satisfied. It also means that repeat customers from the Beauregard corridor can visit multiple times a week and work through different parts of the menu without repeating a meal.

Late-Night Access the Corridor Needs

Taza is open from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM (midnight), seven days a week. That schedule is significant for the Beauregard corridor, where many residents work shift hours, commute long distances, or simply want a late dinner that does not involve fast-food chains. The rotisserie continues running through the evening, so a 10 PM shawarma order uses the same method and produces the same quality as a noon lunch. Call (703) 340-1014 with any questions.

A Note on the Route

Getting from the Beauregard corridor to Taza requires no highway driving. From most points along Beauregard Street, the route is north to Seminary Road, then west on Seminary Road for about 1.5 miles. Taza is on the right at 5820 Seminary Rd in Bailey's Crossroads. Free parking is available in the lot. From the Mark Center at the northern end of the corridor, it is a straight four-minute drive west on Seminary Road -- no turns at all. That simplicity and proximity are why Beauregard corridor residents treat Taza as a neighborhood restaurant, even though it technically sits across the city line in Falls Church.