Lost Dog Café Fantastic Pizza And Beer Joint | Arlington, VA

Lost Dog Café has long been a go-to for good pizza and great beer.

Back when diverse beer selections comprised only an ale and a lager, the restaurant's brew-loving owners were scouring the country, and storing their curious microbrews on every available inch of retail shelving, cooler racks and empty floor space.

That carefully curated stockpile has mushroomed since 1985, and the staff is always ready to recommend limited-edition pairings. 

Start with a lager and signature onion rings–called "dog collars" ($4)–which are crisp and fiery thanks to Tabasco sauce mixed into the batter.

The menu includes 53 eclectic and excellent sandwiches, but the 16-inch pizzas remain the kitchen's best feats. The fearsome Pit Bull ($20) is intimidating at first glance, with a top that's seared and blistered with hot peppers. But mellowing slices of red onion and pepper-rimmed pastrami balance the pointed heat.

The Sardegna ($20) is the pizza equivalent of a Trojan horse, cutting velveteen garlic butter, rosemary, Parmesan and mozzarella with the briny smack of olives and capers.

After 27 years, this Dog still has a few tricks.

Lost Dog Café, 5876 Washington Blvd., Arlington; 703-237-1552 or lostdogcafe.com