The Early Word on Clarity, Vienna's Latest Addition

Clarity opened its doors about a month ago in Vienna, Va., with some familiar names like Jonathan Krinn and Jason Maddens at the helm. What's the verdict? Here's what the first Yelpers, bloggers and others have to say about Clarity.

The Pork Shanks News: Clarity is currently ranked with 4.5 stars on Yelp with 43 reviews in. A couple singled out the pork shanks, including Bailey R., who writes, "At the chef's recommendation, my table ordered the pork shanks and octopus appetizers.  These were both gluten free and MOUTH WATERING.  I wanted to lick my plate and bury my face in the pork shanks." Likewise, Dan F. calls them, "The best pork dish I've ever eaten. It's lightly fried and extremely juicy and falls off the bone. The honey/chili glaze is delicious. Served with a nice slaw which provides a good contrast." [Yelp]

News for the Neighborhood: Those who live around Clarity generally seem to like it. Alice B. writes, "If you live in Vienna and are reading this review, you know exactly this is the kind of restaurant our town needs. My husband and I have been living in Vienna for over two years now and there were times where we wanted to go grab a drink, the only choices were Bazin's and Bazin's Next Door (now only opens for private parties.(. When Clarity opened three weeks ago, we couldn't be happier." Also on Yelp, J.R. says, "The food is creative and at a good price point --but don't expect it to rival the very upper-end of DC restaurants.  My guess is that is not what they are trying to do -- this is a very good, upscale place that will be a great "go-to" place whenever we are looking for very good food, but don't want to break the bank." On Facebook, Lauren reviews "For the quality of food and the price, it is much better and affordable than its competition in Merrifield and Tysons Corner. I will definitely be coming back!: And on Don Rockwell, Biotech concludes, "Bottom line is that it's a solid win for Vienna, or anywhere for that matter." [Yelp, FB, DR]

Some General Raves: The burger is getting some buzz. On Twitter, @phongmai calls a burger and wine there a "bite of perfection." On Don Rockwell, Jbag57 says of the burger, "In addition to the beef having a good beefy flavor (dry aged), the confit tomato, a garlic aioli spread, and the white cheddar cheese make for a compelling taste combination," disagreeing with a waitress's comparison to Five Guys. And overall, @Brian5Kelly Tweets, "a refreshing concept, and relaxing environment to gather for amazing food, drinks, and a wonderful experience." [Twitter, DR]

A Few Complaints: Blogger MMCEat has slow service. "Service wise, they struggled to keep our water on the table full, we were asked 2-3x for our menus prior to ordering because they ran out of menus, and it took awhile to get anything. Looking around the restaurant I noticed a lot of curious heads looking around for their server, but that also could be patrons taking in the new restaurant. We can easily entertain ourselves for the course the meal, but we ended up leaving just shy of 11:00pm after sitting down around 7:45." And on Yelp, Gigi U. is unimpressed with dessert. "The desserts were really weak - please improve.  first of all, there was only 3 desserts.  The waiter recommended the pineapple cake and was terrible.  I think they used canned pineapple - seriously?" [MMCE, Yelp]