Photo courtesy of Matt & Tony's
A dish from Matt & Tony's in Alexandria's Del Ray neighborhood.
An Alexandria restaurant made the Yelp Top 100 U.S. Restaurants 2026 list announced this week. Congratulations are in order for Matt & Tony's All Day Kitchen + Bar in Del Ray. The restaurant is an energetic American fare restaurant serving breakfast all day, lunch and dinner daily with a welcoming, communal bar. It opened its doors March 16, 2022.
Matt & Tony's has earned 4.5 out of 5 stars on Yelp from 1,100 reviews. The restaurant is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Other Virginia restaurants on the national list:
- Chay Restaurant in Falls Church, a vegetarian restaurant specializing in Vietnamese cuisine.
- Fountain Grill in Ashburn, offering a diverse menu including burgers and wings.
Photo courtesy of Matt & Tony's
Matt & Tony's in Alexandria
At Matt & Tony's, the menu features Scotch eggs, crispy Brussels sprouts, mussels, burgers, meatloaf, salmon steak and all-day brunch items such as French toast, crab hash and "M&T's Rather Large Breakfast Plate." Cocktails will be crafted by beverage director Michael Riojas.
The "Matt" behind Matt & Tony's is Matt Sloan, who heads up Mitten Hospitality, and who is also an Alexandria Restaurant Partners partner. He is a restaurant industry veteran has led front-of-house operations and restaurant openings for ARP, Daikaya and Matchbox Food Group. Before Matt & Tony's, he was involved in opening Ada’s on the River in Alexandria. He also previously worked at Lena’s Wood-Fired Kitchen and Tap.
Tony is Matt's late great-grandfather, Anton “Tony” Schabas, an immigrant who was a formally trained pastry chef. Tony immigrated to the U.S. from Austria, paying for passage by cooking on a German ship.
The building was once home to Fireflies and, more recently, Charlie's on the Ave. It has undergone extensive renovations inside and out.
"The restaurant, designed by David Anthony Chenault, features a contemporary dining room with a full bar encircled with blue tiles and American oak, stone-colored brick walls, custom lighting fixtures, natural greenery and a central seating feature that encircles live trees. A full patio will seat 40 patrons and indoors, guests will have the option of table, booth or bar seating indoors," the restaurant noted.
Yelp notes latest dining trends
“Grandma-core” hits the dinner table. Often called “nonna-stalgia,” this cozy trend encourages diners to step out of their fast-paced lives for old-fashioned, slow-cooked family recipes made with simple ingredients — often served on charmingly mismatched dinnerware in warm settings that remind them of simpler times. You’ll find this trend at Cincinnati’s Pepp & Dolores (#10) and Boston’s Carmelina’s (#91).
Sandwiches steal dinner. Elevated comfort foods have become a round-the-clock staple, with sandwiches leading the charge after dark. This year’s list features 9 sando-slinging spots, including Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que in Kansas (#15) and Stasio’s in Orlando, Florida (#75), both turning humble handhelds into destination-worthy bites.
Breakfast wins all day. What’s more comforting than breakfast? Cafes and all-day brunch spots claim another 9 slots on the 2026 list, including Waffle and Berry (#4) in Honolulu, Hawaii; Comfort Cafe (#5) in San Antonio, Texas and RJ Skillets (#14) in Portland, Oregon.
Japanese flavors take over. Sushi spots, handroll bars, and Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian) fusion restaurants command 10 spots on the list, including award-winning wood-fire restaurant Noko in Nashville, Tennessee (#24). Other Asian cuisines — such as Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese — add 12 more, including America’s first and only Michelin-starred Korean steakhouse, COTE, in Miami, Florida (#20).
Worth dressing up for. Cozy comfort aside, Yelpers are also voting up special-occasion stunners. Houston’s Taste of Texas (#2) delivers a “prime” Texas steakhouse experience, while New Orleans’ GW Fins (#8) offers white-tablecloth, dress-to-impress seafood dining.
