The McCormick & Schmick's storefront at 2010 Crystal Drive was stripped of its signs within days of closing. ARLnow reported crews repainting parts of the exterior the following Wednesday. The ARLnow report said the seafood and steak restaurant had been at that address for more than two decades and closed on Sunday, October 25. Across the street, at 2011 Crystal Drive, are two of this year's arrivals: Constellation, a café, and Altitude Wine Bar.
The two closings this fall, McCormick & Schmick's and El Mercat in Pentagon City, were both full-service restaurants. Of the 18 businesses the National Landing BID counts as 2026 openings, eight are counters, kiosks, takeout spots or cafés, five are services, fitness or retail, and a smaller group are wine bars and restaurants. That leaves an evening out in National Landing resting on a short list of dining rooms. This winter, the outdoor calendar at Westpost and Met Park carries the rest.
Two Departures, Two Different Clocks
McCormick & Schmick's was a fixture. El Mercat Bar de Tapas, at 1301 S. Joyce Street in Pentagon City, lasted about a year after opening in September 2025. It went dark on September 23. In its announcement, quoted by ARLnow, the restaurant listed "economic challenges, unexpected construction costs, delays in opening, and slower-than-anticipated sales" as the reasons.
The McCormick & Schmick's closing came with no explanation. Landry's, the Houston-based company that runs the chain, didn't give one. Its chief operating officer told the Washington Business Journal that the company would help employees move to nearby restaurants. The sign in the window points diners to sister locations, including Morton's The Steakhouse at 1750 Crystal Drive. The closest remaining McCormick & Schmick's is now in National Harbor.
One closing was a long-running restaurant, and the other was a newcomer that couldn't get through its first year. Both were full-service dining rooms.
What the 2026 Arrivals Actually Serve
The National Landing BID's retail page, updated October 2026, counts 18 openings this year and 84 since 2023. Here is that list sorted by what each place does, using descriptions from the BID and ARLnow:
| Format | 2026 openings |
|---|---|
| Counter, kiosk or takeout food | Duke's Burgers and Pizzeria Paradiso Pronto at Water Park; Monstera Burrito, 1721 Crystal Drive; Okinami Sushi, 244 19th Court South |
| Cafés and drinks | Constellation, 2011 Crystal Drive; Maman, 1450 S. Eads Street; Spot of Tea at Water Park; Flirt Coffee House |
| Wine bar and restaurants | Altitude, 2011 Crystal Drive; Stillwater & Stone in the Westin Crystal City; Seki Sushi, 480 11th Street South; Dolan Uyghur, 320 23rd Street South; Nash & Smashed |
| Services, fitness and retail | Twins Ace Hardware, 2051 S. Bell Street; Zola's Nail Boutique, 775 23rd Street South; Scissors & Blade Barber Shop on 23rd Street; Sweathouz; Urban Boxing |
The quick-service side has the most detail behind it. Duke's Burgers is a kiosk for burgers and pub food, from the team behind DC's Duke's Grocery. Pizzeria Paradiso Pronto, its neighbor at Water Park, serves fast-casual pizza, salads and craft beer. Constellation serves coffee, tea, meals and pastries, and also stocks grab-and-go market goods. Spot of Tea serves boba and matcha drinks at Water Park.
The newest arrival is Okinami. ARLnow describes it as a mainly takeout spot for sushi, ramen and poke on the ground floor of The Grace and Reva. Its owner, chef Yong Kang, has been cooking in the area since 1987. The name means "offshore wave," after the woodblock print "The Great Wave off Kanagawa." It's open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and noon to 9 p.m. on weekends. Neighbors on that stretch of 19th Court South include Flight Wine Bar, Bar Chinois and Toastique.
Where Dinner Still Comes With a Table
The full-service openings are fewer, and they explain where the McCormick & Schmick's crowd can go. Stillwater & Stone, a coastal American restaurant and bar in the Westin Crystal City at 1800 Richmond Highway, began its soft opening on Tuesday, June 16. Seki Sushi opened in late June at 480 11th Street South with a long sushi roll menu and other Japanese dishes. Altitude is the BID's featured opening on its October retail page.
Morton's, at 1750 Crystal Drive, is the closest steakhouse to the McCormick & Schmick's space. A seafood-and-steak dinner in Crystal City now means Morton's, Stillwater & Stone in the hotel, or a trip to one of the chain's sister rooms in Alexandria or DC. The ARLnow report names Chart House in Alexandria and The Oceanaire in DC.
A Wine Shop Bows Out as Wine Bars Arrive
Wine shows the same shift. Crystal City Wine Shop announced Saturday, October 31, as its last day after 14 years. The nonprofit Washington Wine Academy opened the shop in March 2012, with a focus on Virginia wines. ARLnow's account says the idea came from people at academy events, like the Crystal City 1K Wine Walk, who wanted to know where to buy the bottles they'd been tasting.
When it opened, it was the only gourmet wine shop in Crystal City. The same ARLnow article lists what has opened since: Flight Wine Shop at 269 19th Court South in March 2025, and Beauty Champagne & Sugar Boutique on Restaurant Row in 2022. Add Altitude at 2011 Crystal Drive, and most of the neighborhood's wine is now poured by the glass at a bar, while a store selling bottles to take home is harder to find.
Winter Evenings Move Outdoors
With fewer dining rooms, the biggest evening draws this season are outdoors and seasonal. Westpost's ice rink in Pentagon City reopened on October 30 with a "Thriller on Ice" Halloween weekend. It stays open through the winter season. ARLnow lists the prices and hours as follows:
- Skate sessions are $11 online or $12 walk-up for kids 12 and under, $12 online or $13 walk-up for ages 13 and up, and $11 for seniors. Skate rental is $6.
- Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and Monday, noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday.
Metropolitan Park, the 2.5-acre public space established in 2023, hosts the biggest of the remaining dates, with a few more on Crystal Drive and 23rd Street. From publication day forward, the dates fall in this order:
- Thursdays through December 17: MoCA Arlington's free "Handcrafted Holidays" sessions at Met Park, including holiday-card printing on December 10 and supersize snowflakes on December 17.
- November 22 and December 20: Workshops at Daydrift Books and Coffee, 1550 Crystal Drive, from the National Landing fall guide.
- Saturday, December 5, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: The Lodge, the National Landing BID's free winter festival at Met Park, 1330 S. Fair Street. It includes holiday train rides, photos with Santa, a market of local makers, live performances and a Dog Holiday Sweater Contest. It runs rain or shine under covered tents, and RSVPs are free.
- Friday, December 11, 5 to 8 p.m.: Miracle on 23rd Street at Melwood Arlington, 750 23rd Street South. It's free and open to the community.
The Lodge is the BID's main event of the season, and it's produced with support from Amazon. The organizers point visitors to the Pentagon City Metro.
Names Still on the Coming-Soon List
The BID's October list of coming-soon businesses leans the same way as this year's openings: Ember Kitchen & Spirits, Paris Baguette, Social Burger, Soko Butcher, Takagi Coffee, Tiki Thai and Pilates on the Mat. Paris Baguette is planned for 2000 S. Bell Street. Soko Butcher is planned for 269 19th Court South, in the same building as Flight Wine Shop. In April, ARLnow placed Ember Kitchen & Spirits at Westpost and Tiki Thai at 244 19th Court South, next to Okinami's address.
Ember Kitchen & Spirits and Tiki Thai are the two names on that list that sound like dining rooms. One would sit a short walk from the Westpost rink, and the other on the 19th Court South block that already has Flight, Bar Chinois and Okinami. The storefronts at 2010 Crystal Drive and 1301 S. Joyce Street still have no announced next tenant.
We keep track of which Crystal City and Pentagon City storefronts are changing hands and what that means for the blocks around them. If you're thinking about how this year's changes affect your own corner of National Landing, The Lyndsi + Matt Team would be glad to talk it through. Schedule a complimentary consultation.
