Food Near Washington-Liberty High School

Finding good food near Washington-Liberty High School is a daily consideration for thousands of students, parents, teachers, and staff in Arlington, Virginia. The school sits on N Stafford Street in a busy residential area surrounded by chain restaurants, coffee shops, and convenience stores. But for families who want something more than reheated frozen patties and limp lettuce wraps, the options in the immediate vicinity can feel limited.

Taza Shawarma & Falafel, located at 5820 Seminary Road in Falls Church, is approximately a 10-minute drive from Washington-Liberty HS. That short commute opens the door to an entirely different category of food: fresh-baked pita, shawarma roasted on a vertical spit for hours, falafel fried to order with a crispy exterior and herb-green interior, and stone-oven pies that cost less than a bag of chips from the school vending machine.

The Washington-Liberty Student Experience

Washington-Liberty -- formerly known as Washington-Lee before its 2019 renaming -- has a student body that reflects the rich diversity of the Arlington and greater D.C. area. Students come from families with roots across the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Europe. This diversity means students have high standards for authentic food, and they can immediately tell the difference between a place that takes its recipes seriously and one that does not.

At Taza, the recipes come from the Levantine tradition -- Lebanese, Palestinian, Jordanian, and Syrian cooking that has been refined over generations. The chicken shawarma marinade includes cardamom, turmeric, garlic, and lemon. The falafel blend uses soaked chickpeas (never canned), fresh parsley, cilantro, and a precise mixture of cumin, coriander, and cayenne. The zaatar on our manaeesh is a genuine blend of dried thyme, sumac, and sesame, not the generic "herb mix" sold in bulk at wholesale stores.

Halal Food for the Arlington Community

For Muslim families in the Washington-Liberty community, finding trustworthy halal food is not optional -- it is essential. Taza is 100% halal certified, meaning every protein we serve meets strict halal standards. This is not a restaurant where halal is a marketing label. Our supply chain, preparation methods, and kitchen protocols are built around halal compliance from the ground up.

Arlington has a growing Muslim population, and many families have told us they struggled to find a halal restaurant that also served food their children actually wanted to eat. At Taza, the halal chicken shawarma pita (from $9.95) competes with any non-halal chicken sandwich in the area on taste and value. The halal chicken tenders ($7.95) satisfy younger kids who want something familiar. And because every item shares the same halal kitchen, families do not need to worry about cross-contamination or ask complicated questions about preparation.

Affordable Meals for Students on a Budget

High school students rarely have unlimited food budgets. The money in their pockets needs to stretch, and the usual fast food chains know it. A burger combo at a big-name chain near Ballston or Clarendon can easily run $12 to $15 after tax. At Taza, a cheese pie is $2.95. A zaatar manaeesh is $6.95. Two stone-oven pies and a drink cost less than seven dollars.

For students who want a full meal, the falafel pita at from $8.95 is a complete sandwich loaded with protein, vegetables, and tahini sauce. The chicken shawarma bowl at from $12.45 feeds a hungry athlete after a two-hour practice. And for groups, splitting a hummus plate ($4.95) with pita bread and a few sfiha pies ($2.95 each) means everyone eats well without anyone going broke.

Vegetarian and Healthy Options

Mediterranean cuisine has deep roots in plant-based cooking, and Taza reflects that tradition. Our menu includes more than fifteen vegetarian items, from the classic falafel pita and falafel bowl to hummus, baba ghanouj, labneh, zaatar manaeesh, spinach manaeesh, spinach pies, cheese pies, veggie pies, and zaatar pies. Students who follow vegetarian, vegan, or plant-forward diets will find genuine options here -- not afterthought salads or sad side dishes.

The bowls are especially popular with health-conscious students. Start with a base of basmati rice or mixed greens, add falafel or shawarma, and top it with fresh vegetables from our 14-item toppings bar. Finish with tahini or olive oil dressing. The result is a balanced meal with protein, complex carbs, healthy fats, and fiber -- the kind of food that actually fuels studying and athletic performance.

Late Hours That Match Student Schedules

Taza is open from 11:00 AM to 12:00 AM (midnight), seven days a week. School lets out around 2:25 PM at Washington-Liberty. An evening basketball game might end at 9 PM. A Friday night football game wraps up around 10 PM. The spring musical lets out at 9:30 PM. In every one of those scenarios, Taza is still open, still cooking, and still serving fresh food.

This matters because most sit-down restaurants near Arlington close their kitchens by 9 or 10 PM. Fast food stays open, but the quality drops as the night goes on. Taza keeps its standards consistent from the first pita at 11 AM to the last shawarma bowl at 11:45 PM. The spit keeps turning, the oven stays hot, and the falafel fryer is ready until we close.

Catering for W-L Events and Team Dinners

Washington-Liberty has an active student body that generates constant demand for group meals. The football team post-game dinner. The Model UN celebration after a conference win. The AP study group that needs fuel for a Saturday review session. The booster club end-of-year banquet.

Taza handles catering orders of all sizes. Our platters include shawarma, falafel, mixed pies, hummus and pita, rice, salads, and desserts. We work with organizers to match group sizes and dietary needs. Halal, vegetarian, and allergen-friendly options are built into our catering menu. Call (703) 340-1014 to start planning your order -- we recommend at least 24 hours notice for groups of 20 or more.