Little Voices,

It is called the Silver Line Express, runs every 20 minutes and drops you off at Wiehle Metro. Door 4 up the ramp at IAD. 5 Dollars cash or credit card plus the metro card to get to DCA. I am always amazed how many people don't realize the Silver Line opened and still take the 5A bus over the other two public transportation options( Silver Line Express and Fairfax Connector 981/983 bus). I think Google did not update and still using the 5A bus to get to wherever.

I think Heavy Seas Alehouse may be a good fit: they have a Virginia oyster stew, an oyster po' boy (sandwich), and a couple blue crab items. If you're looking for something a little lighter, but still in the soup and sandwich realm, consider Cosi on Lynn St (not bad for a chain).

Not quite: Google Maps has never incorporated Fairfax Connector buses or the Silver Line Express's predecessor, the Washington Flyer bus from West Falls Church Metro. For a bus or any other transit route to appear in Google Maps, the transit agency needs to publish their schedule data in "GTFS" format, then sign a legal agreement with Google.

Metro took more than two years to complete both steps after first throwing up a variety of specious, control-freak reasons to boycott Google Maps. Fairfax Connector has taken the first step but apparently not the second, and I have no idea what's up with MWAA.

To get back to littlevoices' query: If you are taking the Silver Line Express and then the Silver Line Metro into Arlington, exit at Clarendon for the densest assortment of quality dining options. Within three blocks of Metro, Liberty Tavern (new American, probably your best choice overall), Lyon Hall (more of a French/German gastropub), Pete's New Haven Apizza or Faccia Luna (pizza), and Iota (good sandwiches, strong beer selection) are all great options.

(If you eat at the Cheesecake Factory instead, we're all going to make fun of you :))

Thanks for all of the many suggestions, I've added them into tripit so I can pull them up when I get there. DCA Writer - Thanks for highlighting that the silver line service is now up-and-running, as you say the lack of mention on it for google (or here previously) made me assume it was still a work in progress. That should make things a lot smoother on my trip, and hopefully lets me have lunch (if I can manage it after my flight of course) and sight-see too a bit.

Solid advice for the next person in this situation as well

I would also consider Rays to the Third in Rosslyn or maybe Teds Montana Grill in Crystal City. The restaurant area in Crystal City has been nicely redeveloped.

The last time I rode 5A (pre Metro to Reston) I couldn't even get in the front door so I had to pay and then climb in the back door.

The bus is part of the DC area's local transit system and not designed or intended for passengers with luggage (although nothing prohibits it). No different than a city bus you might take for 8-10 blocks in downtown DC.

If saving money is of paramount importance, it is of course an option. But, it is not a good one if your budget gives you any flexibility.

I have thought hard about this but ever since the Silver line opening I don't really see any reason to take the 5A bus over the 981/983 Fairfax Connector and Silver Line Express bus. Even when the Washington Flyer bus was the only other option, I would take that bus any day over the 5A bus. The only two legit reasons I can think of if the hotel is in Rosslyn/ L Plaza or they need to get on the blue or green line. And even then it is fairly easy to get to it all by the Silver Line.

Often, that is thing though, it is currently 3rd in price for public transportation. 1.75 e/way for the 981/983 FC, 5 dollars for the Silver Line Express plus the 10 dollars for the Smart Trip card. So for the budge people, it is currently 3rd plus least reliable/comfortable, way too many variables for it to work. Not exactly something I would ever use.

Wasn't it me who mentioned the Silver Line running and not being on google the page before? Not a huge deal though.

With Uber no longer offering flat fares, any good car service deals between IAD and DCA?

UberX has become quite cheap: about half the price of taxi. I would guess in the low $40s for IAD to DCA.

The flat rate was $65 and then dropped to $55.

p.s. Note that it has been documented here that bus 981/983 takes like 30 minutes for the short trip to the metro so it's not a good option.
p.p.s. It's not worth stopping at these places around Arlington. Very underwhelming food in general. It's not better than the airport. There you have Legal Seafoods, which is old school American. Not that I recommend it particularly. But you don't really have that much time especially if you opt for public transport.

As an FYI, to close this out, after my trip:
We arrived on time at IAD from LHR, experienced the silly bus transfer that slowed us all down, but we got through immigration very quickly due to the new automatic machines that really speeded up this aspect of coming to the US.

Per the advice here, our transfer was the Silver Line Express bus, Silver line metro, connect to the blue line - very quick and easy without much waiting around. The only mistake I made was I paid a peak fare when I should have been offpeak (I think I got on about 3.30pm and peak started at 4pm but on exiting our cards had a dollar or so left on them), but negligible and preferable to the last time we were on the Washington metro where we'd made a mistake the opposite way and didn't have dollar bills to top-up the fare which caused challenges as the machines didn't accept twenties and had no staff!

In fact it was so painless that we made an earlier flight at DCA as a result of how quick our transfer was, though we cut that close.

Thanks to BA feeding us we decided to skip food and instead nibbled a bit of soup in the lounge before our next flight.

4.5 hours is doable provided there are not massive delays at IAD on inbound aircraft.

I live in Western Fairfax (not as far as IAD, but outside the Beltway). I try to leave for DCA 90 minutes prior to scheduled departure time. Has worked every time. I could leave 15 minutes later, but I prefer to get a bite at the Admiral's club before departing.

Whomever was doing a transfer from International at IAD to a flight out of DCA....3 hours. woof. Hopefully everything worked exactly as planned.