where to eat in D.C.
Do you have list fatigue? I have list fatigue! But for some reason, I'm still offering you another list, this one of my favorite restaurants in Washington, D.C.
Lately: I was devouring mountains of Maryland crabs when Joe Biden stepped down. I can’t fathom how much better my Sunday was than his. … Has anyone been to Catboat Pizza Bar in Alexandria? Both its name and its offerings make me feel like I need to go ASAP. … Last year, I posted about this New York Times zucchini bread recipe, and it’s time to re-up the reminder that it is so, so good. … In non-food news, I wrote an essay for , a new literary journal focused on the St. Louis Cardinals, which a family friend of mine is editing and spearheading. Give it a read and subscribe?
Also lately: I feel like I’ve been consumed by lists. In particular, the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century list, which I alluded to in a past newsletter. And the readers’ choice list the Times put out soon after, which was slightly less highbrow and slightly more in tune, I think, with what actual readers are consuming. I’ve read thinkpieces about the lists. I’ve read more lists spawned by the lists. I’ve thought a lot about methodology and how lists are compiled, and why they’re compiled, and if they’re helpful at all.
And now, I’ve written a list of my own. Since I started asking readers what they wanted from this newsletter, I’ve been asked several times to make a list of D.C. restaurant recommendations. But I’ve always been leery to do so. Why does my opinion matter? Why do I get to say what’s best?
Then I realized: I don’t have to say anything is the best. All I have to do is tell you all where I’d go if I wanted a certain kind of meal. Maybe you’ll like my choices. Maybe you won’t. They just happen to be what I like, and I happen to like food a lot and think about it a lot.
The list is limited. I haven’t been everywhere. I don’t have the kind of time or money to eat places five times before rendering an opinion. And I don’t tend to dine outside the boundaries of the District of Columbia that often. I tend to do most of my eating, in fact, in Northeast and Southeast D.C., in the vicinity of Capitol Hill. All of those things affect my choices. I don’t think they necessarily invalidate them. So, without further ado, here’s where I think you should go …
… if you’ve got one night in D.C. and want to do it right
Rose’s Luxury: Rose’s menu is filled with familiar ingredients served in unexpected combinations. Last time I was there, one of the most memorable things I tried was a pasta that tasted like Korean barbecue. The preparation on everything feels like it’s the right level of fancy (to me, that means fun without taking itself too seriously), and the service is great. You will end up with food on your table that you didn’t order, comped because your server insists it’s something you should try.
The first time I went to Rose’s, in 2019, it was still a place where you showed up to wait in line before it opened. That was the only way to guarantee a table. It was chaotic and totally out of place in the OpenTable- and Resy-ified world.
These days, Rose’s does take reservations, and it, like many of the best restaurants in D.C., has moved away from a simple à la carte menu. Instead, you pick a certain number of dishes depending on how many people are at your table, which sounds somewhat complicated but actually isn’t. And they still serve the pork and lychee salad, which may be my favorite bite in D.C. The service
… if you want a cocktail and spicy dumplings or noodles, but you’re more interested in the cocktail
Copycat Co.: Copycat is loud and chaotic, two descriptors I’ve largely aged out of, but in this case, I don’t care. The drinks are too good. It’s impossible to go wrong when you order, unless you don’t want to be surprised when your drink unexpectedly arrives in an over-the-top glass shaped like a stormtrooper. There’s just the right amount of kitsch at Copycat.
The food can feel like an afterthought, but it’s the perfect way to sop up some alcohol and leave satisfied. The dandan noodles, triple delight potstickers and meat skewers are some of my favorites.
… if you’re doing tourist things but want to eat well
Old Ebbitt Grill: I always took my parents to Old Ebbitt when I was in college and they were visiting, and I’m proud of my taste as an idiot 19-year-old. Is Old Ebbitt doing anything innovative? Definitely not. The menu is almost identical to what it was in 2006. But it knows what it does well, and it does it, which is to say that if you find yourself in the vicinity of the White House and want a good meal in a charming setting, Old Ebbitt is your spot. Get a seafood tower, or the crab and artichoke dip. The sandwiches are very good, too.
… if you want a steak, but not everyone you’re eating with does
St. Anselm: It’s just the most pleasant dining experience you’ll find. St. Anselm is comfortable, and the service is great, and the menu is a cross between a steakhouse and … something else. I love steak, and I’ve only rarely been compelled to order one there. (That’s not to say the steaks aren’t delicious.) There’s just so much else on the menu worth trying: the massive biscuits with pimento cheese, the smoked oysters, the blue crab deviled eggs, the grilled okra. There used to be a rockfish on the menu, with mussels and a saffron sauce. I dream about it and anticipate its return.
A fun St. Anselm tip: If you happen to be in the area in the late afternoon, grab a seat at the bar. They serve a limited food menu, including biscuits, which means you can grab a carb and a cocktail and achieve something like nirvana.
… if you want a burger
Hill East Burger: I grew up thinking the platonic ideal of a burger was served at Steak ‘n’ Shake, and I stand by that assessment. Hill East Burger comes closest to perfecting the crispy edges I came to expect on the steakburgers of my childhood. Their fries are a cross between a curly fry and a potato wedge, the dipping sauces are all worth the dollar they make you pay for them, and I worship the elote.
Hill East Burger also does happy hour everyday from 5 p.m. until 6:30, and the deals include $1 Miller High Lifes. On Tuesdays, all burgers are half off.
… if you want to never feel the same about a scallion pancake again
Maketto: I’m biased; my wedding reception was at Maketto. That said, the reason my wedding reception was at Maketto came down to one factor, largely: the food. It’s Cambodian-Taiwanese fusion. The menu stays relatively static, with a few rotating seasonal dishes. The aforementioned scallion pancake is made with sourdough and is puffy, chewy, salty and topped with a ginger-sesame drizzle and some finely diced green onions. If they ever take it off the menu, I may perish.
Two of Maketto’s latest menu additions are stellar: the scallop curry and the brisket. The curry is spicy, yet I’m still tempted to drink it once the scallops are gone. The brisket is dry aged, smoked and sliced thick, served over a cucumber salad and a smooth, purplish root veggie puree. It comes tucked under two massive pieces of flatbread, perfect for making using to scoop up a piece of brisket topped with all the fixings.
My unpopular Maketto opinion is that the much-hyped fried chicken isn’t nearly as good as most of the rest of the menu.
… if you want a sandwich
A Litteri: It’s a small Italian grocery store where you can stock up on cheese and wine and flour and pasta — but don’t sleep on the takeout sandwiches. I always go for the eggplant parm or chicken parm.
Your Only Friend: It’s effectively a shrine to Duke’s mayo. There’s a Duke’s stained glass mural and Duke’s wallpaper and Duke’s on every sandwich. Oh, and the sandwiches are excellent — some classic, some very weird. You can order from a takeout window or sit down at the bar (there are a few small tables, too) for a cocktail and a sandwich. Don’t sleep on the apps and sides, either. I’ve had some supremely good loaded fries (with cheese and fish sauce and sesame seeds) and a caramelized onion dip that came with Zapp’s chips for dipping.
… if you want a breakfast sandwich
I Egg You: Their sandwiches range from simple to elaborate, and they’re served on thick, toasted, buttery slices of milk bread. I’m also partial to the potatoes, both the simple and the loaded. There’s a lot of Old Bay aioli at play here, which never disappoints.
Hog Haven Farm: Hog Haven serves its breakfast sandwiches at many D.C. farmer’s markets. They’re served on homemade English muffins, with thick pork sausage patties and a transcendent aioli. They’re almost impossible to eat while on the move, so take them home with your farmer’s market haul and assemble a massive pile of napkins before you dig in.
… if you want barbecue
2 Fifty: It’s Texas barbecue with a Salvadoran influence — think red beans, pupusas and fried plantains. 2 Fifty just opened a D.C. restaurant in Mt. Vernon Triangle, but the original location in Maryland is still worth a visit.
… if you’re a vegetarian and you’re not on a budget
Oyster Oyster: It’s a tasting menu, which means it’s pricey — but Oyster Oyster is unique enough to justify the damage it’ll do to your wallet. The menu is as seasonal as it gets, and I’ve only gone in the summer. I was floored. I’d like to go back this winter to see what the Oyster Oyster kitchen does with root vegetables and other wintry bounty.
… if you’re a vegetarian on a budget
Shouk: In 2021, the Washington Post’s Tim Carman put Shouk’s mushroom shawarma on its list of the best sandwiches in D.C., and I was skeptical. What can I say? I’m a carnivore, and Carman sang the praises of the way the sandwich mimicked the taste and textures of a beef or chicken shawarma. Generally speaking, I’m usually inclined to just get the real thing, but at some point, I found myself near the Shouk in Georgetown, and I figured why not.
That’s all to say, I stand corrected. The mushroom shawarma is a work of culinary genius, whether it’s in a pita or a bowl, and now whenever I’m in range of one of Shouk’s locations, I make sure to grab some takeout.
… if you want Indian
Daru: A few years ago, Daru was on all the lists, which meant it was impossible to get in the door. These days, it’s gone from impossible to merely difficult, and I begrudge them nothing. The food is that good.
Daru bills itself as Indian-inspired, and the menu is a laundry list of flavors, textures and creative pairings. There’s a scallop curry that’s perhaps even better than Maketto’s, the black daal burrata will make you want to lick the bowl, and the naan is puffy and light and dreamy. Daru’s cocktail list is always a lot of fun, too.
… if you want pizza
The Little Grand: I keep branching out when it comes to D.C. pizza, and I keep coming back to the Little Grand, with its sourdough crust and well-appointed bar and immaculate interior vibe.
… if you want pizza, but also hummus
Yellow (in Georgetown): Yellow, which has another location at Union Market, is one of my favorite D.C. cafes for creative, over-the-top coffees and surprising pastries. The pitas are outrageously good, as is the hummus, but the real star is the pizza Yellow serves at its Georgetown location in the evening.
Yellow claims this pizza isn’t actually pizza. It brands the evening menu as (not) pizza, which I find unnecessarily confusing. On a technical level, it is sourdough baked in a pita oven, but aesthetically, it is pizza. Otherworldly pizza. There’s one with Brussels sprouts and lemon that will haunt you if you decide to share it with someone rather than hoover it up all yourself.
… if you want hummus and not pizza
Albi: Yellow is actually just an offshoot of Albi, which is among the best restaurants in D.C. and certainly has my favorite Mediterranean food in the District.
… if you want Mexican
Pascual: Pascual is one of the closest restaurants to my house, and this is both a blessing and a curse. I walk by it daily and curse the fact that it’s not open for lunch and too expensive to dine at every evening. It’s upscale Mexican, the vibes are immaculate, and the guacamole comes on a lazy Susan dotted with snacks and salsas.
