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The Salt Line - Ballston, Arlington, VA

The Salt Line - Ballston

4.7
4.7
816 Reviews
$31 to $50
Seafood

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 43 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Good for business meals
The Salt Line, the popular DC homage to New England’s iconic fish and oyster houses, brings a second location to Arlington’s burgeoning Ballston neighborhood. Just one year in, The Salt Line has already established itself as one of the top dining spots in Northern Virginia. Executive Chef Matt Singer is leading the kitchen team in partnership with award winning Long Shot Hospitality Chef/Partner Kyle Bailey. The Salt Line is where "New England meets the Chesapeake" so guests can expect the same New England classics and renowned raw bar found at the original location, along with lots of new chef driven fish and seafood entrees, house-made pastas, exciting selections of crudos, and of course the best lobster rolls around.

In addition to dining, the welcoming year round outdoor bar (tented in the winter) has also become a favorite neighborhood gathering spot and is the perfect place to enjoy The Salt Line's signature beverage program and grab what many say is the best burger in town.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Location
    4040 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203-4434
  • Phone number
    (703) 566-2075
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Oyster Bar, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Kyle Bailey
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 816 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Virginia - DC Suburbs

    Seafood

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Salt Line - Ballston offers a vibrant dining experience with standout seafood dishes, including "delicious oysters" and a "creative menu featuring seafood." The atmosphere is lively, and the service is "friendly and attentive." While some find it pricey, the quality of food consistently earns praise.

816 Reviews

  1. Susan VIP

    Washington DC7 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Six of us were celebrating a birthday. Everything was outstanding. Great food, cocktails, wine. But I want to give highest marks to our wonderful waiter, William. He was attentive, knowledgable, helpful with a specific request, and hilarious. He made the evening. Can't recommend The Salt Line highly enough!

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  2. Joel

    Orlando5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Thank you all so much for the wonderful experience, especially expanding the reservation for us last minute. Truly knocked it out of the park. Amazing food and service we will be back.

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  3. Ron VIP

    Richmond42 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Our waiter was very knowledgeable regarding the menu and made some excellent suggestions, particularly regarding their raw bar. Service was attentive and professional. We both had a cup of clam chowder, which was not the thick chowder many restaurants serve, which was very flavorful. For the main dishes, we had the Portuguese stew and the scallops. Both were well prepared and very tasty. Overall, a very enjoyable experience.

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  4. Erica

    Washington DC18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I would recommend going to Salt Line - Ballston. I went on a Sunday for brunch and was impressed. It wasn’t too busy, the server was attentive and everything we had to eat was great. We had the brussel sprouts and crispy potatoes for an appetizer and then I had the French Toast and bacon for my meal. I want to back to try some oysters and the dinner. The only issue was parking can be a bit tricky so allow time to look for parking.

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  5. StephanieA VIP

    New York City1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Apps are amazing but the prices for entires are high for what you get

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  6. Natalie

    Dallas3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    12 out of 10!!!! Service was attentive without being obtrusive, incredible food and drinks, and a great lively ambiance. We will be back!!!!

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  7. Margot

    Washington DC3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Beware of happy hour oyster pricing. Ordered 2 dozen during happy hour and they were not 1/2 price. Apparently only some oysters are 1/2 price, a fact that’s not mentioned on the happy hour menu or by the server.

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  8. Janice VIP

    Washington DC240 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great place for fish & seafood. Especially liked the clam chowder. There were 6 of us. Other good dishes were the cod, the house salad and the stew. I ordered the Boston cream tiramisu dessert. That was only OK. Sour server was very good.

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  9. Debbie

    Raleigh8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on February 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our waiter was superb. Very attentive even though he was busy. Highly recommend the raw oysters and shrimp cocktail. The best I’ve ever had.

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  10. STEPHANIE VIP

    Washington DC34 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on February 17, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was good, nothing special. we had a few issues with the food but chose to forgo sending it back. Our server for other tables around us was amazing, however to us he became very snippy. William is hard of hearing and not the best whisperer. We could hear when he made comments about us to the kitchen! not cool.

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FAQs

The Salt Line - Ballston offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (703) 566-2075.

The Salt Line - Ballston is rated 4.7 stars by 816 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 43 times today
Google Map for The Salt Line - Ballston

4040 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22203-4434

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Phone number
    (703) 566-2075
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Seafood, Oyster Bar, Contemporary American
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Thu 11:30 am–10:00 pm Fri 11:30 am–11:00 pm Sat 11:00 am–11:00 pm Sun 11:00 am–10:00 pm
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Kyle Bailey
  • Delivery & takeout
    Order direct
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