Vienna Inn

This place is an institution in Vienna. It trademarks include chillie dogs and rough service. You will love it  or hate it.

This is not a place to take your first date or mother in law. (-;

I'd heard the Vienna Inn was a staple in the area for a long time, and yet I never visited there after living in Oakton for almost four years. So, on my last night before moving out to Loudoun County, I decided to give 'er a try.

First of all, let me just say that Vienna Inn is NOT all it's cracked up to be. I think all the mystique floating around must be from older locals reminiscing, high on the nostalgia of years gone by. Because this place is just straight up trashy. The benches are old, musty and wobbly. The entire inside just doesn't look clean at all. Make no mistakes -- this is a back country bar somehow misplaced in the classy little town of Vienna.

From the start, the menu is confusing. It's all over the place -- hotdogs are listed under "Chili." There are no prices on the menu, just a note that they're subject to change without notice. So if I order a hotdog for $2, it could be $5 by the time I finish my meal? They serve draft beer in a few variations, and they have a fountain machine -- but it's Pepsi instead of Coke... ew.

Back to that disgrace of a menu -- it listed two different levels of hotness for the chicken wings, but when I ordered them, the waitress asked me to choose between three completely different options. Huh? Then again, she looked as though they dragged her in from a sorority at Clemson.

Now, the experience wasn't all bad. The wings were decent, and the chili cheese dogs are not to be denied. I'm still thinking about how good my dogs were.

The craziest thing that happened at the Vienna Inn, however, is when I went to pay. There was a young girl, probably 22 or so, bartending and running the cash register. She had a toddler on her hip!!! I am not making this up!!! The little girl was not only at work with her, in a restaurant, but also she was BEHIND THE BAR! The bartender girl even let her little girl take my credit card and swipe it before handing it back. Training them young, I guess? I'm pretty sure that's not even legal.

Get some hotdogs to go, and then get the heck as far away from Vienna Inn as you can to eat them!

P.S. They also gave me a broken glass! Yikes!

This restaurant is what it is ... and as long as you're ready for it, it's fun and yummy.  It's  definitely a local dive but we loved the chili dogs (mine with chili, cheese, and slaw) and the fries.  We ordered an appetizer that came after my husband and I got our meals but before our son got his.  It's extremely casual and getting the appetizer after some of the meals were served seemed to be a nonissue for the wait staff ... so we rolled with it.  Overall, I recommend visiting; we'll be back.