Randy’s Prime Seafood & Steaks
Vienna | Steakhouse | $$$$
“It’s definitely out of our wheelhouse,” says Jon Norton, the CEO of Great American Restaurants, a brand known for mid-range pricing, mainstream flavors and an unflinching dedication to consistency. Randy’s is the first new concept in a decade for the local brand built in the 1970s. (Anyone remember Fantastic Fritzbe’s Flying Food Factory?) Named after founder and patriarch Randy Norton (Jon’s dad), the high-end steakhouse in Tysons Corner feels both like a departure and a continuation of this fleet of feel-good restaurants.
Would a single monster-sized tiger prawn, priced at $22 at lunch, dare show up at Coastal Flats? Probably not. But the always-professional, always-smiling service feels just as sunny. Steaks are charred and gleaming, cooked just right and made to please. Sides feel special, especially creamed corn turned into a brulee situation topped with shards of crisp bacon. Or, just get the truffle fries showered in Parmesan; a steakhouse is a no-rules land of indulgence. Brown-bag the leftovers and order The Chocolate Cake, a slice that needs all caps to compete with its five layers of cake and ganache that is held together with, what else, a steak knife. // 8051 Leesburg Pike, Vienna
This post originally appeared in our November 2019 issue’s 50 Best Restaurants cover story. For more food reviews, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
