For many restaurant owners, it can take weeks or even months to decide on the name for their restaurant. But that’s not always the case. “Three Brothers was taken,” says chef Andre Rush when asked why he and his business partners—three in total—named the restaurant Two Bros. Soul Food.
David Roundtree and Chris Everett, who met while attending West Potomac High School in Fairfax County, cover the business aspect of the restaurant. The two have multiple real estate partnerships, and Roundtree owns Ladies & Gents Hair Studio in Alexandria. Two Bros. marks their first venture in hospitality.
Roundtree originally came up with the idea for Two Bros. as a takeout spot, but when a larger space across the street from where they were looking opened up, the concept expanded to a full restaurant complete with a patio, two bars, live music and a DJ booth. (The restaurant doesn’t close until 2 a.m.) But the goal of bringing soul food to Alexandria remained the same.
Roundtree and Everett then brought on Rush, whose resume includes military service and cooking for the past three presidents. Rush, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, also has a background in fine dining, but his roots are in Mississippi.
Rush admits he hasn’t cooked soul food in a while and is ready to bring that tradition to Northern Virginia.“There aren’t many great, authentic soul food places around,” says Rush, but he intends to change that with a menu he describes as his “brainchild.”
From the scratch kitchen there’s 24-hour buttermilk-brined fried chicken and 24-hour smoked pulled pork. Fixings include Southern staples like mac and cheese, collard greens, sweet potato hush puppies and, while maybe not a classic, crab fries (house cut) with citrus butter. There’s also a cheeseburger dubbed Big Booty Cow and Grab the Bull by the Horn oxtails. (P.S. Is oxtail having a moment?)
The restaurant opens Friday, May 26. // Two Bros. Soul Food: 7305 Richmond Highway, Alexandria
