Victor Albisu, chef-owner of Taco Bamba, says that he gets thousands of requests for him to open one of his restaurants in one particular neighborhood or another around the DMV. “It’s an overwhelming amount,” he says. “Herndon was really among the loudest and most requested locations.”
And those fans will finally get their wish, perhaps as soon as this summer, when Taco Bamba opens at 2445 Centreville Road in the Village Center at Dulles shopping center, famous for its clocktower. “I’ve always liked that center. It has some character to it and is so central to so many,” says Albisu. An Annandale native, Albisu says that he often visited friends in the Chantilly/Herndon/Reston area when he was growing up. “This is our first toe in the water in that area … We’ve been building in that direction for a while,” he adds.
Like the other Taco Bamba locations, the menu will be unique to the new restaurant. Albisu says that he will play off the diversity of the neighborhood, which includes restaurants from Indian to Persian to Japanese heritages, but also features that German-style clock. “You’ll see something like bratwurst or Wiener schnitzel,” says Albisu of tailoring the menu to the surroundings. “We’ll have fun.”
But before Taco Bamba Herndon debuts, look for the location in Alexandria’s Landmark neighborhood. Albisu says that restaurant will open in the first quarter of 2022. Those will be locations seven and eight in his collection of eateries that are already open in Ballston, Fairfax, Falls Church, Springfield, Vienna, and Rockville, Maryland.
And don’t expect the expansion to slow down anytime soon. As Albisu says, “We’ve built a great following in Northern Virginia. We try to listen to our fans and our die-hard customer base.”
Feature image by Greg Powers
2445 Centreville Rd., Herndon
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