Tachibana Japanese Restaurant

The. Best. Japanese. Restaurant. in the DC area. Period.
I've been to them all. Hot new places come and go. Tachibana has been around for decades. It's a little tired looking, but food wise, it still leaves them all in the dust.

Service is great and the food selection is beyond what you should expect. I have been there several times and have ordered different dishes but always come back to the Sashimi B. A perfect selection of fresh cut fish, which in my opinion is just right. Menu prices are best at lunch.

Lovely ambiance, attentive service and fantastic food on a rainy fall afternoon. My only problem is the detailed menu has so many things I want to order, I might over order a bit. But I'm cheerfully provided with a box to take some home.

Not a restaurant. A destination. We're with my second Mom, enjoying a meal all together. My second Mom's been coming here for years and years. As was the gentleman in front of me, waiting for the restroom. He said he's be coming here 25 years. As, I imagine, have many other of the nationalities present while we were there. And, I presume many of the Japanese patrons present. Why? Tachibana feels, from beginning to end, authentic and unpretentious. Warm but attentive to the details. I'm no authority on Japanese cuisine (though I've had my share, mostly in my childhood or in Texas (?)). What I can say is that this place, on two delightful visits separated by two years, felt warm, authentic, and caring in service. As I say, this is a destination, not just a meal.

An excellent Japanese restaurant, one of the best in the area. Top-notch cuisine, ranging from delicious sushi to cooked dishes. Very good service, even when relatively crowded. Ample parking, shared with an adjoining Chinese restaurant. In the center of McLean, easily accessible from the Beltway and state route 123.