Salt and Pep"Havabite" at Fairfax Eatery

Name: Havabite Eatery

Cuisines: Greek; Italian

Payment:  Cash, credit

Alcohol:   No

Price: $

Address: 10416 Main St. Fairfax,Va.  22030

Hours of Operation: Mon-Sat: 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.

Salt Says:

When I was a kid I loved Three's Company. I'd sit close to the TV and dream about the day my friends and I could hang out at the Regal Beagle.

I completely forgot about that particular, probably embarrassing memory, but when I walked into Havabite, that was all I could think about.  The resturant was tiny and bright, and aside from the cuisine, it could have been a dead ringer for the Beagle.

Havabite's been a Fairfax staple since 1975, at least that's what the proprietor told me. From what I can see, the décor hasn't been updated much since then. Even so, it was warm, cozy and not too loud. The perfect place to bring a date or hang out with friends—both of which plenty of people were doing the night I visited.

Once I sat down I looked over the menu for a good 10 minutes until the server decided to see what I wanted. If I hadn't gone to the cash register and picked up a takeout menu, I would have been waiting even longer. A couple who walked in right before me literally got their menus about the same time I ordered.

I decided to start with the stuffed grape leaves, but was given the Greek combo plate, another menu item which also had grape leaves as well as cucumbers, pepperoncini and Greek olives.  Everything was well seasoned and incredibly fresh. For the main dish I ordered the Spanakopita, which to me, was unimpressive. It was good, but nothing really stood out to me.  I was charged an extra $2.50 for a lot of things I didn't want.

I think it is what I observed while I was waiting for my food and not what I ate that has me thinking about giving this place a second whirl.

 I could see the cook prepare what had to be Shrimp Sandorini.The way he was cooking it was like watching an artist create a masterpiece. It smelled so good, that I decided even though my meal was just average, I would definitely go back to check it out.

Pepper Says:

Whenever you visit a city with a district dubbed, "Old Town," you, inherently know you are venturing into some place special.  Most restaurants in these areas aren't chains, but locally owned.  Havabite Eatery is very easy to find in Old Town Fairfax and if you don't go in the mornings when everyone is looking for parking, it’s pretty easy to grab a free space.

When I walked in, the place was completely empty and very small, about 10 booths and a few tables. The place had a homey feel, and definitely wasn't overly decorated by any means. I looked through the menu and was tempted to go with my all-time favorite, the chicken souvlaki. But because I owe it to my readers to not always have the same thing, I went for pizza.

The pizza here is a bit pricier than Pizza Hut or Dominos, so I was hoping for greatness. I ordered a medium pizza with extra cheese, Pepperoncini and bacon.

The staff said it would take 20 minutes; believe it or not, it came out in exactly 20—not a minute more or less. They were pretty generous with toppings, and the crust was good. It was little soggy, but that was probably due to the extra oil from the cheese. All in all, I would rate it as decent pizza.

The place was small and quaint, but the service was not very friendly. And since I was the only patron in the restaurant, I was hoping to be treated a little better. The place was clean, and I don't object to returning. But because of the service, and the fact that there is no shortage of Greek-Italian places in the Manassas area, I don’t see myself running back.