Two years after first reporting our plans for Crystal City, ARLnow had the opening to announce. On August 3, 2026, Ryan Cole reported that Dolan Uyghur had soft-opened at 320 23rd Street S about two weeks earlier — our fifth location, following Falls Church in 2024 and Rockville in 2025.
Cole quoted the invitation we had posted on Instagram: "Come get a first look at our beautiful new space and enjoy your favorite authentic Uyghur and Turkish dishes — from our legendary hand-crafted hand-pulled noodles and robustly seasoned kebabs to big plate chickens and savory stews. Everything we serve is 100% halal and made with love."
ARLnow photographed the exterior and the new dining room and pulled dish photos from our Instagram: the doner kebab wrap and dolma that mark Arlington's Turkish and Mediterranean additions, and a berries "burger cake" from the dessert case. Online ordering, Cole noted, was not yet available at the new location — it still is not, so Arlington guests call 703-223-8277 for pickup — but he walked readers through the menu they would find at our other restaurants: arlash korma, stir-fried lamb with onions, wood ear mushrooms and cucumbers; goshnan, the traditional Uyghur meat pie; big plate chicken, "hefty portions of marinated and sautéed chicken with vegetables on a bed of hand-pulled flat noodles"; mushroom salad, cold egg noodle and lentil soup to start; baklava, chocolate cake and Uyghur yogurt with walnuts, raisins and honey to finish.
He also quoted our website on where the food comes from: "The unique character of Uyghur cuisine is a result of local products, traditional cooking methods and recipes that have been passed through generations. Uyghur food reflects the influence of neighboring cultures such as Greek, Persian, and Arabic cultures, yet our food culture is uniquely our own."
The article recounted that Hamid Kerim, our owner and founder, opened the first Dolan in D.C. after being blacklisted by the Chinese government in 2017 and immigrating with his wife and two children, and it recalled our original plan to open in Crystal City in late 2024.
Dolan Arlington is open 11 am to 10 pm daily, a short walk from the Crystal City Metro and Reagan National Airport. Reservations are online; the kitchen is ready.
This article is our own account of the coverage; short quotations are attributed to ARLnow, which holds the copyright to the original piece.
