Anita, Phil and son Tom founded Anita's over 40 years ago in a little donut shop they converted into a carry out in Vienna. After Phil's transfer to the U.S. Postal Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C., it forced the family to relocate from Albuquerque. Anita soon realized that her family recipes that had been handed down for generations from mother to daughter were unlike anything else she found here in Virginia. Her dream of sharing those recipes with the residents of Vienna and beyond was soon realized when they opened for business on December 23, 1974.
The basis for a great deal of our first menu was the flavorful sauces made from New Mexico where chilis were picked early in the season, and chopped, to form the base ingredient for the milder green chile sauce. Those that weren't harvested green could ripen fully until red. They were then harvested and bound into a rista, allowed to dry in the hot New Mexico sun, then later grounded into a powder that became the main ingredient in the spicier red chile sauce. From day one Anita has always insisted that the chilis used in our recipes come exclusively from the mother land, and those of you who have enjoyed them before certainly know why.
Today we have eight restaurants, with more opening soon, serving thousands of happy patrons everyday. Our menu has expanded over the years to include a greater variety of traditional New Mexican dishes as well as some popular American favorites.
All of our locations serve breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week and most open as early as 5:00 a.m. We've always placed a lot of emphasis on our entire menu being available for dine-in or carryout.
For years Anita's has also been providing quality, affordable full service catering. We've established a tradition of on-time delivery and setup for thousands of clients. We provide top-notch service with the same focus on quality food and personal service you'll find in our restaurants. Whether you're planning a formal meal for hundreds or a casual meal for a few you can count on Anita's experienced staff to spice up your next event with our traditional New Mexican dishes and more.
On behalf of our entire family I want to thank all of you for your support and enthusiasm for Anita's over the past four decades. You've helped make my mother's dream a reality, and for that I owe you my eternal gratitude. We’ve have always valued your feedback and suggestions, and we look forward to hearing from you. Please let us know how we're doing by phone 703-281-8580, or email your comments or suggestions to Mr.T@anitascorp.com.
We have a lot of exciting plans for the near future, including new locations to be opening soon and delicious new menu items we will be introducing this spring, so I invite you all to visit our website at www.anitascorp.com, where you'll find information about these exciting changes and more ...
-Tommy