In the midst of an economic crisis that has many Loudoun restaurateurs closing their doors for lack of business, two new eateries have recently opened in downtown Leesburg.

La Lou's is on West Market Street. (Photo by Erica Garman)

La Lou Bistro, located next to the Tally Ho at 19 W. Market St., offers a lunch and dinner menu in a small, cafe setting. (The space previously housed a coffee shop.)

The restaurant's owner and head chef, Driss Lahlou, originally hails from France and is no stranger to the restaurant biz. He owns three bistros in D.C. and another restaurant in Falls Church. His business partner and brother-in-law Mohamed Touzani lives in Loudoun and urged Lahlou to "bring his flavor" to the county.

La Lou's lunch menu features a variety of soups, salads and sandwiches starting at $6; the dinner menu is similar, but also offers steak, seafood and pasta entrees in the $15 to $20 range.

Sounds delish, right?

Leshers is on South King Street. (Photo by Erica Garman)

But sometimes, you're just craving a good ol' American hot dog.

Leshers Coney Island-Style Dogs and Burgers is serving up the lunchtime crowd at 26 S. King St. with frankfurters starting at just $2 and hamburgers for $2.80. At these prices, brown baggers may be able to afford eating out again.

Owner and Brambleton resident Dennis Martz said he mirrored Leshers after a similar hot dog eatery in his hometown of Reading, Penn. In fact, even the Berks hot dogs and many of the sodas he serves are manufactured in Reading, he said.