Raves/Reviews
Fairfax County Times, December 2012
The $25 lunch special — either one tapa and one entree plus dessert or three tapas plus dessert — is a bargain. The list of tapas is intriguing enough, with or without wine, to invite return visits just to try more of them, complicated by the fact you may end up reordering favorites.
Open Table, Top 50 Wine List in the United States, 2011/2012
Rated top 50 restaurant for notable wine list in the United States from more than 10 million reviews submitted by OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants.
Washingtonian, Great Bars Issue, February 2011
At this neighborhood favorite, families and small groups can feast on a Mediterranean menu with something for everyone - from soups and sandwiches to marinated anchovies and paella. The dramatic marble bar is framed by an Enomatic wine dispenser with more than 50 taps, and the wine list is coded according to grape guru Robert Parker, Wine Spectator, and the International Wine Review. With a shop next door, it's easy to bring home a favorite pour.
Northern Virginia Magazine's: Top 50 Restaurants 2010
"Fried mushrooms add crunch to butternut squash-filled noodles basking in heavy cream. Stock-sopping risotto is engorged with sautéed onions (piquant whites, turned translucent) and truffle oil, all enrobed by a savory web of shredded Parmesan. Serrano-wrapped trout is surf and turf supreme."
Washingtonian "Best Of" Issue, July 2010
Featuring our Lobster Ravioli: Many of the Mediterranean small plates at Evo Bistro are satisfying, but one of chef Driss Zahidi’s creations stands out above the rest: ravioli made fresh daily and stuffed with lobster, cream, salt, and pepper. The sweet disks of pasta are set in a lobster-and-crab reduction, then topped with jumbo-lump crabmeat, crispy bits of Serrano ham, and pan-fried leek matchsticks. The result is the restaurant’s most popular item—with customers and with us.
Capitol File Obsessions, 2010
Listed as a "suburban gem"
Northern Virginia Top 50 Restaurants 2009
"Robust sardines, juicy oranges and foamy jalapeno aioli produce a rising tide of deliciousness."
Washingtonian Cheap Eats 2009
Why go: Dinner and drinks on a Cheap Eats budget? This convivial McLean wine bar makes it possible with a Mediterranean/Moroccan small-plates menu and a wine dispenser that doles out mini-pours of more than 30 wines.
What to get: Piquillos rellenos, goat-cheese-and-wild-mushroom-stuffed Spanish peppers; fried calamari with smoked-paprika aïoli; grilled lamb sausages with olives and harissa; chicken-leg tagine with green olives and preserved lemon.
Best for: Girls’ night out; date night for parents.
Washington City Paper, Top 50 Restaurants, 2009
Washington City Paper, June 2009
From the moment you walk in the door at Evo Bistro, you’re made to feel like, somehow, you’re late to the party—and you better catch up fast.
Washingtonian's Best Bars Issue, March 2009
"Outfitted in modern decor and dark wood, this 45-seater is a locals-only joint dressed up as a wine bar. The staff warmly greets regulars who return for the automated wine machine that’s operated by a rechargeable debit card—you choose one-, three-, or five-ounce pours from a roster of 32 bottles. For those who prefer a traditional pour, another 24 are available by the glass, and if you taste something you really like, you can buy a bottle to take home."
Zagat
"Hip and trendy, this small but handsome wine bar in McLean draws contented oohs and aahs with its delectable Med-style tapas and self serve automated wine system that vends vintage vinos by the ounce."
The Washington Post, October 2008
"Dark wood, stained concrete floors and a great soundtrack lend an air of sophistication to Evo Bistro, which serves a worldly selection of wines with its generous small plates."
Washingtonian, Cheap Eats 2008
"Why go: For the nifty wine dispenser that puts mini-pours from more than two dozen boutique and better-known producers in your glass via a restaurant-supplied debit card. The fun is in mixing and matching tastes with savory Mediterranean small plates."
Executive Biz, September 2008
"For anyone like me who needs superb food and a fine glass of cabernet to survive, a year-old wine bar in McLean is wowing critics and patrons and received the ‘Top Rated Newcomer’ award."
On Tap Magazine
Sure, Evo Bistro has the usual wines available by the glass or bottle. And its tapas menu, regarded as one of the best around, earns rave reviews from diners and critics alike for the varied Mediterranean flavors. But the real star here is the Evo Card, a unique debit card that buys one thing only: wine.
DC Magazine, July 2008
"Grab a glass and a prepaid card at this McLean hideaway, where wines are dispensed self-serve-style from a sleek Enomatic system."
Biz Bash, February 2008
"A wine bar nestled in a McLean, Virginia, strip mall isn't likely to feel cosmopolitan, but Evo Bistro manages to do just that. Open since September, Evo is the only place in the United States where you can get a glass of Australian Penfolds Grange."
The Fairfax County Times, January 2008
"Among the stars are the tender butternut squash ravioli bathed in a light cream sauce delicately flavored with sage and perched on a nest of sliced wild mushrooms; the nuggets of fried potato in a memorable cabrales cheese sauce; the shrip in garlic sauce; the large, succulent mussles in a white wine, shallot and garlic butter; and the grilled, slightly spicy lamb sausage merguez served with an unusual salad of chopped olives. So far, none have disappointed and some have been so memorable that they've been repeated."
Washingtonian, December 2007
At Evo Bistro, a new wine bar in McLean, it's easy to foregt you're in a restaurant. The place has the feel of a house party that never ends. Customers - many who seem to know one another - come, go, sit at the bar, and gather around a gigh-tech altar that delivers wine at the press of a button.
Pamela's Punch, November 2007
The idea of a self serving wine bar and being able to pick out our own wines was a fun experience. EVO Bistro intended this concept to bring a “social” atmosphere to what otherwise would be just a normal night after work. But, the wine tasting is just one part of what EVO has to offer. The menu is wonderful.
The Washington Post, November 2007
"A petite filet of beef was paired with a rich piquillo pepper sauce and topped with sauteed oyster mushrooms. A simple beef turnover was encased in delicate puff pastry. The fried clamari was nearly greaseless and, oh, so tender."
Pamela's Punch, October 2007
EVO Bistro creatively creates an atmosphere were winos, both pro and joe, can mingle amongst each other and talk about the various tastings, likes, dislikes, comments, feedback, recommendations, etc. Think Napa Valley wine tasting (minus the vineyards, wineries, and fabulous countryside) meets DC suburbanites.
If you enjoyed your experience at Evo Bistro, please review us at Urban Spoon, Yelp, Zagat, Gayot, The Washington Post, Metromix, Chef Moz, or The Washington City Paper.
