Food Near Marymount University

Marymount University sits on North Glebe Road in Arlington, Virginia. The campus is compact, the community is tight-knit, and students quickly figure out the best places to eat off campus. Taza Shawarma & Falafel in Falls Church has become one of those places -- a 10-15 minute drive south that delivers food worth the trip.

The core of the menu is built around shawarma. Chicken and beef are marinated, stacked on vertical spits, and slow-roasted for hours until the outside caramelizes and the inside stays juicy. Each order is sliced fresh -- not scooped from a pan that has been sitting under a heat lamp. The chicken shawarma pita (from $9.95) is the single most popular order from college students. The beef shawarma pita (from $9.95) runs neck and neck.

For vegetarian students -- and Marymount has a growing number -- the falafel program is the draw. Each falafel is fried to order: crispy on the outside, herb-green and moist on the inside. The falafel pita (from $8.95) and falafel bowl (from $10.45) are both substantial, protein-rich meals. Add hummus ($4.95) and baba ghanouj ($4.95) for a complete Mediterranean spread.

The stone-oven pies are what make Taza especially practical for students on a budget. Zaatar pie costs $6.95. Cheese pie, spinach pie, and sfiha meat pie are all $2.95 each. That is a freshly baked, stone-oven snack for less than the price of a campus coffee. Two pies and a drink come in under $7 -- a real meal for the kind of money that usually buys a single item at a chain restaurant.

The smoothie menu is another standout. Ten flavors, all blended fresh with real fruit and milk. The Avocado Boost ($5.95) is the top seller -- creamy avocado, honey, and mixed nuts blended into something thick enough to be a meal on its own. The Lemon Mint ($5.95) is a traditional Middle Eastern lemonade that cuts through the heat on warm days.

All meats at Taza are halal certified. For Muslim students at Marymount -- and for the broader Northern Virginia community -- this is not a marketing bullet point. It is a commitment to sourcing and preparation standards that matter. Every cut of chicken and beef meets halal requirements, every day, without exception.

Taza is open from 11:00 AM to midnight, seven days a week. That schedule matters for college students. Evening classes at Marymount sometimes run until 9 or 10 PM. Study sessions at the Emerson G. Reinsch Library go late. By the time students are done, most restaurants have closed. Taza has not. Drive over after class, after studying, after a late practice -- the kitchen is still running.

The 14-topping self-serve bar deserves a mention. After your shawarma or falafel is prepared, you walk over to the toppings station and add pickled turnips, hot sauce, garlic mayo, fresh mint, olives, tahini, baba ghanouj, and more. No extra charge. Students who are particular about their food build exactly what they want. Students who want everything pile it on. Either way, the sandwich comes out different every time.