Hey – woohoo, 9,000 likes on Facebook. That’s awesome, guys! Seems like people are picking up what we’re putting down and we’re absolutely loving it. It’s (a rainy) Thursday which means we’re going to introduce you to another awesome Gainesville / Haymarket based business we think YOU should know about.
But – before we dive into today’s feature, I’d like to introduce any newcomers to what this page is about. Going Gainesville is a community page dedicated to the sole purpose of connecting residents to businesses in #Gainesville, #Haymarket, and nearby areas. We try to keep our coverage to about 30-minutes in and around our area (when there’s no traffic otherwise our coverage area is about 3-hours / 2 miles up I66 *rolls eyes*).
Why do I care? Well, I’m your host, Lesley Salman, and I’m a real estate agent with my company, Salman Home Realty. When I help people move here, they’re always asking “and what’s there to do?” While that was a great question, I was coming up short on great answers. How can an area as awesome as this not have a single hub where you can find things to do? Well, turns out, that was my bat signal, and I responded with Going Gainesville!
Each week I feature a business, person, event, or charity that brings a little flavor to our area. I also invite a co-host to help me manage the interviews and taste-tests (I know, we ask a lot of our co-hosts – ha!), but they’re typically business owners too and it’s just another way to get you closer to the companies, restaurants, and events that make our area pretty darn awesome.
Today, a familiar face and fan of Going Gainesville, Paul Tomaselli of Dcfoodpersuasion – a local food blogger – joined me at our featured business – Foster’s Grille!
Home of the famous Charburger, we featured Foster’s Grille (Haymarket) this week. We sat down with the president of the company, Mike Cerny, Operations Director, Scott Linkow, and head of marketing, Liala Asbergs, all graciously sat down with us to tell us a little bit more about this local staple.
“But I thought Foster’s was a chain?” It’s both a local restaurant with multiple locations AND a franchise! The history of Foster’s Grille is awesome, and our local Foster’s is the 6th location to open and they’ve been open for 16 years (woohoo!). The original “Foster’s Grille” was located in Manassas of Sudley Road where it closed five years ago. and the new “oldest” location is in Warrenton. Warrenton, Vienna, Old Town Manassas, Marshall, Haymarket, and Bristow are all corporate locations. Chantilly and Alexandria are two local franchise locations. And they didn’t forget our friends above the state line – Foster’s has two locations in Maryland in La Plata and Waldorf.
So what makes them different from the other burger joints in our area? “Well, we are unique, otherwise we wouldn’t have been open for 21 years,” says Mike – which makes a great point! 21 years is a lifetime in the restaurant industry! But he attributes the uniqueness to quality food, large portions, and fresh ingredients coupled with a laid back ambiance and community services that makes “Foster’s” a family name.
How are they involved in the community? The community outreach program, “Dining for Dollars,” aids in school and non-profit fundraising initiatives. 20% of sales made during a Dining for Dollars event go right back to the organization making it a win for not only your palate but also your community.
Pssst – they also offer catering AND on-sight catering too – so bring some life back into that company picnic with Foster’s Catering grille!
“What unique offers do you have?” Short answer, a bunch. Quarterly, limited-time offers are switched. Milkshakes are also switched, but each Foster’s hosts a different selection of locally brewed craft beers making each experience a little unique.
We absolutely had to taste-test the menu, because what terrible hosts would we be to let you walk in there without our seal of approval (we work so hard 😜). Here’s what we tried:
🍔 Double Patty (1LB of beef) with onion rings and toppings)
🍔 Philly Beef Cheesesteak (comes in chicken too!)
🍔 Our custom burgers with hand-cut fries topped with Foster’s proprietary seasoning
🍔 Kid’s hotdog (don’t worry, they sell adult sizes too)
🍔 Wiiiings! Their second most popular menu item
🍔 Salads – mixed greens, cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds and tomatoes with added protein (we chose chicken)
🍔 and my favorite – MILKSHAKES
Every milkshake is hand-scooped, hand-made, and thoroughly enjoyed. We tried the coffee milkshake and let me just say – Starbucks has nothing on milkshake coffee.
Ready to make dinner plans? After seeing that selection, we bet you are! Here’s the details.
🌭 Foster’s Grille
🌭 4418 Costello Way, Haymarket, VA 20169
🌭 (571) 261-5959
🌭 https://www.fostersgrille.com/food/
And a special thanks to Victoria King, NMLS #314753, for sponsoring this video!