Southside 815, which serves large portions of Southern-style cuisine, has been a fixture in Old Town Alexandria for more than 20 years, and for good reason. Washingtonian Magazine has placed this restaurant on its list of 100 Bargain Restaurants for 10 consecutive years.

Regulars recommend starting your meal with a bread basket, which is $2.95 and includes homemade buttermilk biscuits, sweet potato biscuits, and cornbread, served with homemade peach-pepper jelly and apple butter. An entree favorite is the pulled pork, which comes in many dishes, including the pulled pork eggs Benedict, pulled pork nachos, and pulled pork sliders. Frequent diners also enjoy the fried green tomatoes. You have the option of adding fried green tomatoes to the Virginia burger, which also comes with ham, cheddar cheese, and hickory smoked barbecue sauce.

Southside 815 offers brunch on Saturday and Sunday, with hearty options such as chicken fried steak and eggs; sausage, biscuits, and gravy, red beans and rice.

Southside 815
815 S Washington St.
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 836-6222
www.southside815.com
www.yelp.com/biz/southside-815-alexandria

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/jeffreyw

The humble pita bread sandwich can take many forms, but Northern Virginia natives will tell you that nobody does it better than the Perfect Pita in Alexandria. This top-flight Mediterranean eatery draws from many regional cuisines to fill out its extensive menu, and regulars rave about the freshness and fair prices. As you might expect from the name, the pita bread here is fantastic. Made from scratch and baked fresh daily, it’s remarkably light, fluffy, and savory. It pairs amazingly with The Perfect Pita’s exceptional fresh hummus, but they also offer some less traditional sandwiches and dishes that are very good. The BLT sandwich served in a pita is a fun, tasty take on the classic that regulars rave over, and the breakfast pitas are an awesome way to start your day for just a few dollars.

The Perfect Pita
951 N. Fairfax Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
(703) 683-8805

www.theperfectpita.com
www.yelp.com/biz/the-perfect-pita-alexandria-2

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/stu_spivack

From 1792 to 1933, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum was a family business selling everything from medicine to garden and farm equipment to soap, perfumes, cigars, and art supplies. Famous customers included Robert E. Lee and Martha Washington. Today, the Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum is home to what visitors call a truly astonishing array of historic and archival materials.

The Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum has been operated as a museum pretty much since the doors closed to mercantile customers during the Great Depression, so the entire original inventory remains on display. Visitors say the structure itself has been flawlessly preserved, and it’s a great cultural experience for anyone interested in herbal remedies or the history of pharmaceuticals and medicine.

Tours are available, and history buffs will likely be fascinated by the curiosities on view.

Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum
105-107 S. Fairfax Street
Alexandra, VA 22314
(703) 838-3852
www.alexandriava.gov/Apothecary
www.yelp.com/biz/stabler-leadbeater-apothecary-museum-alexandria

CC-BY-SA-2.0/Flickr/giiku