Carnivores and Taco Bamba fans alike have another reason to celebrate chef and founder Victor Albisu: Next summer, he plans to open Electric Bull, an upscale steakhouse in Vienna.
“I’m hoping to bring a lot of energy into this idea of a steakhouse; something where you want to go to get a good steak and you don’t have to break the bank, you don’t have to go anywhere stuffy,” Albisu says. “It should be neighborhoody and fun at the same time, and I think Vienna is the perfect spot for something like this.”
Located at 176 Maple Ave. W., the neighborhood destination will open for lunch and dinner in summer 2025. It will beef-focused cuisine, a full bar, and an online butcher shop for carryout orders.
“The idea is always centered around the grill,” Albisu says. “That’s where I feel most comfortable — I’ve always felt the best in front of fire.”
The Chef
DMV diners may be most familiar with Taco Bamba, Albisu’s popular chain of taqueria and mezcal bars with 15 locations across Virginia, Maryland, DC, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
“Taco Bamba is our favorite Mexican restaurant in the area,” says Herndon resident and frequent Taco Bamba diner Amy Zettler. “I’m excited to try their new steakhouse; I’m certain the quality of food and service will be outstanding.”
Electric Bull will continue to build on Albisu’s award-winning legacy as an acclaimed chef and restaurateur. Over the years, he has enjoyed success as the executive chef of BLT Steak and the chef-owner of Del Campo, his Argentine grill which Esquire dubbed a 2013 Restaurant of the Year.
With over a decade of experience in fine dining and upscale French, American, and Latin American restaurants, Albisu blends his Latin American heritage with his culinary education to create unique, impressive cuisine. In his spare time, he donates resources and time to global culinary relief initiatives, including extensive work with CARE and World Central Kitchen, for whom he was a founding board member. Since Vienna is where he lives, he’s eager to create Electric Bull in his own backyard.
The Food
The elevated steakhouse experience will feature a raw bar offering crudos, ceviche, carpaccio, and tartar. Interesting pizzas will be on the menu, like fugazetta pizza, an indulgent double-crusted Argentine specialty that comes with caramelized onions and mozzarella. Upscale oysters, eggs dishes, and lamb will be served, in addition to Electric Bull’s star of the show — red meat.
Expect two signature items: the return of Albisu’s acclaimed burger and his iconic rolled skirt steak, a dish that defeated Bobby Flay on his Food Network cooking competition, Beat Bobby Flay. Albisu will also create both classic and non-traditional steakhouse cuts, such as flank and flat iron steaks, picanha, hanger steaks, teres major, South American–style short ribs, and a housemade chorizo that uses a family recipe.
“I was basically born into butchery. My mother had a Latin market since I was a little kid, and I grew up in a butcher shop with Argentinians and Uruguayan and South American mentors and butchers that taught me a lot,” says Albisu, who grew up in Falls Church. “It really informed my whole culinary journey and my whole career.”
The Space
Located just three doors down from the Vienna Taco Bamba location, Electric Bull will replace CAVA, a Mediterranean fast-casual restaurant. The 80-seat steakhouse will have 2,500 square feet for dine-in service, a full-service bar, and a patio. The original Taco Bamba designer, Peter Hapstack, will head Electric Bull’s design process.
“Vibe to me is everything in a restaurant,” says Albisu. “It’s going to be vibe-y and moody and have a coolness to it that I think Vienna deserves.”
For guests preferring to dine at home, Electric Bull will offer carryout service along with a variety of meats from the online butcher counter. Raw and cooked items, like simple salads and roasted vegetables, will also be available for carryout from the restaurant’s rear entrance.
“The idea is that you can come and get cuts or order them online with dry rubs and marinades and dressings that you can take home,” he says. “I think since COVID there’s a ton of great grillers out there now — we want to be part of that too.”
“It’s not just about you and what you can do as a chef or as a restaurant; it’s really about connecting with people and the people of Vienna are interested in great food and great experiences and good new things,” says Albisu. “I just hope to be a nice addition to an already growing and already vibrant culinary scene.”
Feature image of Victor Albisu courtesy KnowPR
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