DC Eats

D

Duckie

25+ Posts
Can anyone recommend some places to eat in DC? I've noticed other posts mention eating at museum cafeterias and the like, but no one seems to mention actual DC restaurants.

I'm looking for low to moderately priced places. Anything that serves food unique to DC would be great. I've never been to DC, so I couldn't tell you what area of town I would prefer. I will be visiting the White House, Capitol, various monuments, etc (if that helps).

Thanks!
 
Al Tiramisu. Incredible italian. The only officially recognized restaurant in D.C. by the Italian government.

20th and P I think.

Caucus Room is one of my favorite restaurants in teh country, only it's not cheap. Steakhouse, etc.
 
Not sure what you mean by "unique to DC." I would say that there are a ton of restaurants that fit your generic description of "low to moderately priced." And they are not chains, many are ethnic. A couple that come to mind are Nooshie (aka Oodles Noodles) on 19th St. Right next door is a very kickass Greek take out place - the name escapes me. A couple of blocks away is a good Turkish/Italian lunch spot, called Rumi. But there are places in Georgetown, in and around Union Station, Adams Morgan, Dupont Circle. If you sneak into Virginia, you might try finding a place near the Clarendon Metro. I went to an Indian restaurant over there recently that was great. There is also a Morroccan place. For typical American fare, there is Whitlows on Wilson and some other places. It is easy to find a good and relatively inexpensive place to eat in DC. Check out the Washingtonian website for ideas by location.
The Link

Enjoy your trip.
 
capitol hill -
the only truly unique DC dish is Senate bean soup. guess where you can get it...yep, the Dirksen Senate cafeteria.
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i know you're probably not a fan of cafeterias, but I eat breakfast over there whenever I get a chance.
B. Smith's - get the Swamp Thang
Johnny's Half Shell - it's seafood and it's good
Armand's Pizzeria - Chicago style pizza. $5.99 all-you-can-eat pizza/salad lunch buffet
Tune Inn - dive bar. get a pitcher and order burgers. you'll probably see Rep. Ralph Hall or Rep. Gene Taylor on any given night

White House area -
Old Ebbitt Grill - raw bar. if you go for dinner, get reservations or you'll end up eating at the bar
Chef Geoff's - everything's good. i usually go with whatever special they have
Hotel Washington - drinks at night on the sky terrace. kind of cliched, but great view.

Gallery Place/Chinatown -
Clyde's - crabcakes or the crabcake sammich. the song "Afternoon Delight" came from the Georgetown Clyde's happy hour menu
Capital Q - if you're coming from Texas, you probably won't be in the mood, but this place is owned by a Texas Ex, and I love the brisket sammiches
Cafe Atlantico - mojitos, guac made tableside and steak. mmmm steak. also has a good brunch.
Acadiana - New Orleans-esque fare.

Downtown -
DC Coast - seafood/southern. run by the same folks that run Acadiana

U Street -
Ben's Chili Bowl - off the beaten tourist track, but it's a DC establishment.


hard to think of moderately priced places..it's either dives or somewhat expensive for me. i'm used to the expensiveness, so it's hard to be objective on this, i suppose.
 
I spent 6 weeks in DC a couple of years ago, drinking (and occasionally eating) out just about every night.

Standouts I remembered were:
Florida Avenue Grill
DA's RFD (Regional Food & Drink, fantastic beer selection in Chinatown)
Brickskeller (same owner as RFD, in Dupont Circle)
District Chop House
Georgia Brown's
Legal Seafood (yes, a chain, but good).

I wrote up a little guide to DC and the places to drink (and eat) that I liked to give those who followed me -- if you'd like a copy send me a PM.
 
Brickskeller serves food... who knew? Seriously, Brickskeller is a great spot for beers from all over the world. I am sure they have good pub fare.

Definitely second Savvy's suggestion of Ben's Chili Bowl. I need to make a pilgrimage there soon.

If you are looking for a great Sunday brunch, I would recommend the Tabbard Inn near Dupont Circle.
 
This is great, thanks! Keep the recs coming, please.

While I'm not opposed to eating at a cafeteria, it would probably be more for lunch. But, I definitely want to try some DC restaurants, as long as they don't break the bank. Thanks again for the recommendations!

Damor-I just send a PM for that guide. Thanks!
 
How much is cheap/moderately priced for you? How long are you going to be in town?

On the mall the best food option is at the Native American Museum cafe.

For really cheap in the $5 range you may want to try the food vendors. DC just handed out more vendor licenses so there should be some pretty diverse food options out there now. If not you have to at least try a half-smoke from any cart.

For food in the $10 range my favorite spot near the Mall would be Teaism. There have been several new bistros downtown that are in the $20-$30 range. Brasserie Beck for a mind boggling amount of Belgian beer and eats. Central for a really good burger and frites.

If you are in Dupont Circle the best pizza is Albertos on P St and only around $4 for a huge slice. Otherwise, the 2 Amys near the National Cathedral is a must for great pizza. It should set you back $20.

And end each day with a stop at Gifford's for some ice cream to keep you cool.
 
We'll be there for two days, one night. Since all of our meals will be out, we're hoping to spend not more than $30/meal (for two of us), if possible. Expensive for us would be $50+(for two). We're not opposed to a "nice" meal, but since we'll have already spent time in Phily and NYC, and DC is at the end of our trip, the funds might be a little low at this point.
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Just remembered...Five Guys Burgers are cheap and pretty good. You can find them in Georgetown, Dupont Circle, Chinatown and near Metro Center. Bread Line is also good option, and not far from the White House. Or food court at the Reagan Building (you will have to go through security), or at the Old Post Office Pavilion. On a somewhat related note, if you can't get tix to the Washington Monument, the top of the Old Post Office Pavilion has a comparable view of the city. If you like Greek food, try Zorba's Cafe in Dupont.
 
Capitol Grill, Sam & Harry's, Clydes in Georgetown. Good, small, quiet fish place "Pesche" just off Dupont Circle.
 
I ate at Old Ebbitt Grill a couple years ago and it was a good experience. Had the trout and it was very good. The place has a cool history too.
 
Cripes! Five Guys has expanded from just the Arlington location I guess. Good for them. They cranked out amazing burgers and fries for years! Rock on.

The Indian place near Clarendon, was it by chance either Delhi Dhaba or Madhu Ban? MB was only vegetarian but amazing.

If you like Ethiopian or want to try it, which I suggest, a common spot and a perfect one for first timers would be in Adams Morgan. Meskerem is the name. Try the Meskerem Mesob which is a sampler of many items. You will thank me later. You will also likely have a new favorite cuisine.

I hope it is still there but try to find Las Cruces on U Street. The owner, Mark, is from there and it is good NM food. Chances are it is not given the brutal nature of the big cities on local eateries.

There was a day when I did not have to pay for my meals at places like The Palms, Vidalia, Prime Rib, Sam and Harry's, etc... My mouth is watering this very second.

Great suggestions above too.

Oh, and if you want good Persian kabobs and are in Georgetown, go to the southwest side of the Wisconsin and M intersection. Head towards Foggy Bottom and go towards the water on the street with the Tow Path dam and where the Foundry Theater was. Moby Dick makes good Persian kabobs.
 
Thanks for the advice! We visited DC a couple of weeks ago and ended up at the following:

G &M Restaurant: Not in DC, but we stopped on our way (from Philadelphia). I think it was either in Balitmore or just between Baltimore and DC. Anyhoo, I HIGHLY recommend this place. The crabcakes were the best I've ever had...seriously good stuff!

Kramer's Books and Afterthoughts: Dinner was pretty good. It had an "Austin" feel to it. It's in the Dupont Circle area, which was really neat too.

Larry's (?) Ice Cream for dessert--pretty good.

Clyde's: Lunch was okay, althought I didn't try the crabcakes.

Two Amys: Excellent pizza!! Thanks for this recommendation!


Again, thanks for all of the recs!!!
 
My wife is going up to DC for the weekend. She'll be staying near the Capitol. There seems to be a lot of good suggestions here, but which ones would be best in that area? Also, are there any good breakfast joints that she should go to?

Thanks.
 
There are some good places by the Capitol. Savvy's list has more of the Capitol Hill stuff. There are a couple of very nice restaurants on the Senate side. Bistro Bis is one that comes to mind. Maybe a bit fancy for a weekend alone though. Union Station has a bunch of good eateries for like a lunch. Its also just fun to explore.

My favorite breakfast place in DC is now the Tabbard Inn, near Dupont Circle. It is a brunch that is hard to beat.
 
Actually, her parents are going to be there as well, so they're looking for a few places to try out. Probably mid-range, i.e., $15-25 per person for dinner before wine.

I'll definitely recommend Tabbard Inn.

Thanks.
 
She should try and make a reservation for the back patio at the Tabbard Inn. If it is not smoking hot inside, they will really like it.
 
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