Opening: Good Stuff Eatery Crystal City

By Ashley Eames

Capital Cooking Contributor

Spike Mendelsohn is expanding his empire once again with the addition of a new Good Stuff Eatery in Crystal City. No longer do Virginians have to make the trek into D.C. for a taste of Spike’s signature burgers and shakes.

A crowd formed outside the new location on Friday night to celebrate the occasion and toast to Spike’s success. Spike’s family was front and center, and business partner David Greenberg was asked to do the honors of cutting the ceremonial ribbon.  

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony guests were treated to some of Spike’s delicacies. The menu is the same as the original Good Stuff Eatery, featuring salads, burgers and hand-spun shakes.  

Fries with Spicy Mayo - In a nod to Spike’s time living in Europe, Good Stuff offers a dipping bar with an assortment with mayonnaise based sauced.

Caesar Wedge Salad - The addition of bacon kicks this salad up a notch from your regular Caesar. Crisp romaine is lightly tossed in Spike’s homemade dressing and topped with the usual additions of parmesan cheese and croutons.

The ‘Shroom Burger – By far my favorite dish of the night. This slider packed a ton of flavor between the meaty portobellos and the surprising addition of melty munster and cheddar cheese. It was all tied together is a deliciously fried package. I went back for seconds on this one.

Uncle D's Famous Chili – Although winter has come to an end there’s still something intrinsically comforting about eating chili. Spike’s version has sweet notes of cinnamon up front and a spicy heat that grows towards the end.

The Smokehouse Burger  – What really stood out to me about Spike’s burgers were the buns. They were soft, sweet and buttery – everything a bun should be. Although the Smokehouse Burger didn’t win me over in the same way that the Portobello burger did, it was still delicious. The crispy onions on top were a nice contrast in texture.

Spike’s signature Toasted Marshmallow Shake capped off the evening of great food and drinks.   

Good Stuff Eatery in Crystal City is located at 2110 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA 22202

Metro: Crystal Cuty (Blue and Yellow Line)