Five years on, restaurants are still feeling the effects of the COVID pandemic shutdown. “Foot traffic just wasn’t what it was,” says restaurateur, chef, and butcher Nate Anda of his longstanding Mosaic District hit, Red Apron. Known for its meaty sandwiches, beef-tallow-crisped fries, and local cuts and brews to take home, Anda explains that, as people got used to having items like those delivered, his previously thriving in-person business floundered.
But he wanted to keep the location on Glass Alley, next to his popular B Side restaurant. “We wanted to bring some more excitement to this end of the district, so we figured that we’d put a new concept in,” Anda says.
That concept is HiFi Tex-Mex BBQ. Already proven in Del Ray, the chef calls the restaurant “inauthentically authentic.” The centerpiece of HiFi is its heavily spiced, hickory-smoked meats. Those include peppery beef brisket, chile-laden (but not spicy) pork shoulder, and Anda’s favorite, surprisingly juicy pulled turkey. They’re available on classic barbecue plates but also stuffed in tacos.
The standout among the many original creations is the Taco El Vez, a nod to Elvis Presley’s favorite sandwich. It combines smoked, braised pork belly with peanut butter and crisp-edged plantains, enhanced with smoked crema and sweet-and-sour habanero relish.
For bigger appetites (or a group), it’s best to dig into one of the larger combo platters. El Grande features a pair of ground-meat tacos, pulled pork, chopped brisket, sides, and a flavor-forward bowl of pulled pork chili verde. Not surprisingly for a Vermont-trained craft butcher, Anda makes nearly everything in-house, including sauces. A selection of squeeze bottles filled with spicy originals awaits diners at their table.
But for those who are just looking for one of Anda’s iconic smash burgers with unforgettable fries, HiFi has that, too. Just don’t forget to order some of that smoky pork chili verde and an El Vez, too. The chef says that he’s constantly adding new combos. Your order might just inspire one.
8298 Glass Alley, Fairfax
Feature image by Michael Butcher
This story originally ran in our June Issue. For more stories like this, subscribe to Northern Virginia Magazine.
