DC Dining Recommendations?

[Colleen27]

Any DC area DISers have suggestions for can't-miss restaurants for a family visiting for a few days? It has been so long since I was there last that I may as well be a first timer, and I've never gone with kids. I'm looking for unique and/or ethnic places, the kind of foods that are hard to find here in small town middle America. We'll be staying at either the Omni or the Embassy Suites downtown and spending most of our time at the Smithsonian with one day at the National Zoo.

 

[golfgal]

5 Guys Hamburger shop is a great place to eat. It is "ethnic" in that it is good old American food but the food is great and the prices are reasonable.

The cafe at the Museum of the American Indian is worth a stop if you like ethnic foods. You will find a lot of meals with Buffalo and other Native American foods. It is a place to eat lunch, not dinner, as they close early.

All of the museums have some kind of a restaurant, food court, etc. We at at the Library of Congress one day, that was nice because the selection was huge!

 

[Ohiodislover]

We enjoy the Capitol Brewery. Kids do to. Good bar type food--Chicken Fingers, good sandwiches. Not really ethnic, but a good place to please picky kids, if you have any of those

I agree w/ Five Guys too. The fries there are very regional. Of course around my house we are addicted to them.

Golfgal--Thanks for the info about the Native American museum. That is our next place to visit in DC. I hear it is one of the best. DH was excited to hear about the cafe.

 

[justhat]

Umm, 5 guys is a hamburger chain that is basically equivalent to eating at Wendy's or Cheeburger Cheeburger. Fine and all, but really, why travel to DC to eat at a place that is located in mall food courts? If you really want 'American' as far as cheeseburgers go, go to a local place like Old Glory in Georgetown or Ray's Hellburger in Clarendon (Arlington, VA).

In Georgetown there is Zed's, which is Ethiopian and pretty decent. Some people love it, it wasn't much my thing, but I still enjoyed it. And the setup of how you eat there is neat.

Not quite as 'different' but we LOVE Cactus Cantina, which is Mexican as you might have guessed. It's fairly close to the National Zoo and their food is great and it's very kid friendly. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it so far.

For Italian, Pasta Mia is incredible and walking distance from the zoo in Adams Morgan. They're open at 6:30pm except Mondays and Tuesdays and a line forms around 6pm everynight.

Specifically for pizza, which I know may sound lame, 2Amys is great. It's actually certified by Naples as having authentic pizza. It's also pretty close to the zoo, right next to Cactus Cantina actually.


ETA: The American Indian museum does have a good food court with actual 'ethnic' foods, not the standard museum food court stuff. But I wouldn't go there specifically for the food, only if I were visiting the museum anyway. And we've gone a few times but its not the best museum for small kids. There is a lot of reading to do an not so many hands on exhibits.

 

[Uuaww]

In downtown DC there is a retaurant called Nandos... South African Portugese chicken... amazing. it is a can't miss place, my favorite.

 

[Colleen27]

5 Guys Hamburger shop is a great place to eat. It is "ethnic" in that it is good old American food but the food is great and the prices are reasonable.

The cafe at the Museum of the American Indian is worth a stop if you like ethnic foods. You will find a lot of meals with Buffalo and other Native American foods. It is a place to eat lunch, not dinner, as they close early.

All of the museums have some kind of a restaurant, food court, etc. We at at the Library of Congress one day, that was nice because the selection was huge!

We enjoy the Capitol Brewery. Kids do to. Good bar type food--Chicken Fingers, good sandwiches. Not really ethnic, but a good place to please picky kids, if you have any of those

I agree w/ Five Guys too. The fries there are very regional. Of course around my house we are addicted to them.

I'm hoping to steer clear of bar/American food, simply because that's the one thing we can get plenty of at home. One of the things I remember most about past trips to DC was really unusual food.

The Native American museum cafe sounds like it would be right up my son's alley.

In Georgetown there is Zed's, which is Ethiopian and pretty decent. Some people love it, it wasn't much my thing, but I still enjoyed it. And the setup of how you eat there is neat.

Not quite as 'different' but we LOVE Cactus Cantina, which is Mexican as you might have guessed. It's fairly close to the National Zoo and their food is great and it's very kid friendly. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it so far.

For Italian, Pasta Mia is incredible and walking distance from the zoo in Adams Morgan. They're open at 6:30pm except Mondays and Tuesdays and a line forms around 6pm everynight.

Specifically for pizza, which I know may sound lame, 2Amys is great. It's actually certified by Naples as having authentic pizza. It's also pretty close to the zoo, right next to Cactus Cantina actually.


ETA: The American Indian museum does have a good food court with actual 'ethnic' foods, not the standard museum food court stuff. But I wouldn't go there specifically for the food, only if I were visiting the museum anyway. And we've gone a few times but its not the best museum for small kids. There is a lot of reading to do an not so many hands on exhibits.

Ethiopian sounds interesting, that one is definitely going on the list if I can convince DH (no picky kids here, but DH has his moments )

Glad to get a recommendation of a good Mexican place, because that's one of the things I miss about living in the city. Detroit has a Mexican neighborhood with excellent restaurants, but we hardly ever get into the city anymore.

 

[Claire L]

We had a nice Indian meal, last month, at a restaurant on Conneticut Ave near the junction with Calvert St, just a minute or two walk from the Omni Shoreham, I am sure it was next to the Sushi restaurant. Also Tony Cheng's in Chinatown has a nice Chinese upstairs and a Mongolian restaurant on the first floor.

Claire

 

[justhat]

We had a nice Indian meal, last month, at a restaurant on Conneticut Ave near the junction with Calvert St, just a minute or two walk from the Omni Shoreham, I am sure it was next to the Sushi restaurant. Also Tony Cheng's in Chinatown has a nice Chinese upstairs and a Mongolian restaurant on the first floor.

Claire

We live a couple of blocks from there and there are actually 3 Indian restaurants on that corner, pretty much right next to each other. One is a buffet, which might be good for your husband if he's picky.

BTW, my husband is such a baby when it comes to trying anything new, it's ridiculous. He did eat at Zed's, but only cause we went with friends who were moving and really wanted to try it. He didn't love it, but was satisfied enough with his dish.

The Chinatown area is pretty neat to explore so if you do check out Tony Cheng's you'd be able to walk around a bit too. The Chinese Cultural Center has some neat exhibits and is free to see.

Banana Leaves in the Dupont area is a good Asian fusion kind of place, but it's tiny and the atmosphere isn't too amazing.

And if you head to Cactus Cantina I can assure you that you will not be disappointed! Everything is fresh and tasty, and they have great margaritas!

 

[NewCrew42]

Zed's was featured on Samantha Brown's Weekend Getaway for DC on the Travel Channel. The video looked interesting. She also featured Ben's Chili Bowl, which is chili dogs or maybe sausage rather than hot dogs. I can't remember.

We are just back from DC and our favorite place to eat was the Cascade Cafe at the National Art Gallery. There is a lovely cascading waterfall that you can sit by, a moving sidewalk nearby that with "cool space lights" (that what my kids called it). Anywho, the food was excellent and fresh at the cafe, and reasonably priced for DC.

Here is what their website says:

Cascade Café
East Building, Concourse Level

The Cascade Café, with a view of the cascade waterfall, offers soups, salads, specialty entrées, wood-fired pizzas, sandwiches, and a selection of fresh pastries and desserts.

The Cascade Café features daily Chef's Table specials.

View Menu (PDF 95k)
(Download Acrobat Reader)

Hours
Monday–Saturday, 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

To inquire about group meal plans, please contact the café manager at (202) 712-7458.

We all had salads. You could choose your lettuce, a protein, and 6 toppings, as well as your dressing. Then you would watch your salad being tossed. The cost was $8.95 for the salad. There was also a salad bar.

We were so glad to have something green and very fresh. I had read about this cafe prior to our trip but couldn't figure out how to squeeze it in. On our last day, we walked out of National Archives (who's cafeteria was closed), and were hungry, so we walked over to the gallery.

It was excellent and fresh as well as quiet. My kids were so glad to be in a quiet environment for a few moments as we found DC to very noisy.

Have a great trip!

 

[golfgal]

Umm, 5 guys is a hamburger chain that is basically equivalent to eating at Wendy's or Cheeburger Cheeburger. Fine and all, but really, why travel to DC to eat at a place that is located in mall food courts? If you really want 'American' as far as cheeseburgers go, go to a local place like Old Glory in Georgetown or Ray's Hellburger in Clarendon (Arlington, VA).

In Georgetown there is Zed's, which is Ethiopian and pretty decent. Some people love it, it wasn't much my thing, but I still enjoyed it. And the setup of how you eat there is neat.

Not quite as 'different' but we LOVE Cactus Cantina, which is Mexican as you might have guessed. It's fairly close to the National Zoo and their food is great and it's very kid friendly. I haven't met anyone who doesn't like it so far.

For Italian, Pasta Mia is incredible and walking distance from the zoo in Adams Morgan. They're open at 6:30pm except Mondays and Tuesdays and a line forms around 6pm everynight.

Specifically for pizza, which I know may sound lame, 2Amys is great. It's actually certified by Naples as having authentic pizza. It's also pretty close to the zoo, right next to Cactus Cantina actually.


ETA: The American Indian museum does have a good food court with actual 'ethnic' foods, not the standard museum food court stuff. But I wouldn't go there specifically for the food, only if I were visiting the museum anyway. And we've gone a few times but its not the best museum for small kids. There is a lot of reading to do an not so many hands on exhibits.

Umm, 5 guys isn't everywhere. They just opened their first ones here and I had never been to one before. We loved the food, MUCH better then Wendy's or McDonalds, I have no idea what Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger is like because they don't have them here.

 

[Claire L]

I found the receipt and it was the Rajaji that we ate at

Justhat we were surprised to see so many Indian restaurants so close together as it is not often that we have seen Indian restaurants in the US

Claire

 

[justhat]

I know, it's weird that there are so many Indian restaurants in that one spot. We have a bunch throughout the city.

My husband reminded me of Moby Dick's, which is Iranian cuisine. I have never eaten there, but he did have a dinner there for work and said the food was really good.

I know Five Guys isn't all over, but they are in mall food courts, so they're not exactly great eateries. We think their burgers are okay, but pretty similar to Wendy's, with those really thin patties (though yes, they give you 2). There's nothing wrong with Five Guys, but it is a fast food chain and DC has so many non-chain places that it just seems like a waste.

As far as burgers go, the other 2 places I mentioned are at least specific to DC, just 1 establishment not a chain at all, and they are meaty burgers. Ray's Hellburger uses actual steak meat in their burgers and they're great. Only big problem is that since Obama ate there the crowd has grown exponentially.

Ben's Chili Bowl is neat, the only thing is the area is kind of shady. Very popular with locals.

Georgetown (and I know I keep mentioning that, but it's got a good variety) also has a bunch of Vietnamese restaurants, though I can't specifically think of the names at the moment. I wouldn't say one struck me as significantly better than another, they were all pretty good.

Oh, and on Connecticut Ave. right near the Indian places Claire mentioned, is Lebanese Taverna. That is a local chain, I think there are 6 of them, but definitely ethnic and the food is great. Incidentally, that area of CT Ave is right by the zoo metro stop, so they'd be really convenient.

 

[pearlieq]

I really enjoyed our visit to Filomena in Georgetown. Really tasty Italian, a lovely space, and a great lunch buffet on Friday and Saturday that would be good with kids.

www.filomena.com

 

[Christine]

I agree with all of justhat's suggestions!

I'm also on board with her 5 Guys comments. Well, I do think that they are quite a bit better than Wendy's but nothing to write home about. I eat there about once a week for lunch because it is convenient to my office and very budget-friendly. I think it's a great place to go if you are touring and not wanting to spend a fortune on lunch. The burgers are cooked to order and made per your request as for toppings.

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

I would suggest some seafood while you are here...
http://www.dcseafood.com/

 

[fabumouse]

Umm, 5 guys isn't everywhere.

Umm, it's still hamburgers.

Definitely try Moby Dick's.

 

[Quiksilvr]

I tend to eat at a lot of places in Penn Quarter (relatively close to where I live). I noticed that a lot of the posters are sending you kind of far afield from the Smithsonian area, so here are some that are pretty close to the Mall.

Zaytinya - Mediterranean
Rasika - Indian Food (awesome)
Jaleo - Hispanic-oriented tapas
Cafe Atlantico - fusion kind of place
Tosca - Italian
Oceannaire - good seafood, but expensive for what it is
Chef Geoff's - interesting takes on American food
Central - same kind of thing as Geoff's, except better, and much harder to get reservations
Bobby Van's - great steak
Zengo - fusion


Matchbox has great pizza, but I hate on Matchbox because you can't make reservations.

 

[justhat]

Oceanaire is expensive, but they do fly in their fish fresh on a daily basis, so you pay for that. It's good though, and their desserts are awesome and huge. They dont have a kid's menu though, and there aren't too many 'plain' fish entrees if your kids aren't super into seafood.

I've never eaten at Chef Geoff's, but his twins are in my son's class at school and FWIW, the food he made for their birthday party was great!

 

[clutter]

In downtown DC there is a retaurant called Nandos... South African Portugese chicken... amazing. it is a can't miss place, my favorite.

Ok, last time a DC restaurant question came up, someone from Alabama recommended Nando's. Now, it's someone from St. Croix.

Actually, I eat there a couple times a month. It's my 'go to' when I don't bring lunch from home. A bit spicy (I get the chicken wrap mild, and it's got the best chili jelly!), but sssssoooo good. They are on 7th street between H and Eye. They also have a location in DuPont circle. It's like PeiWei, you order and pay and they bring it to you.

I also have to second (third) Moby Dick's. I have one near home, and my dd12 and I eat there frequently. (During sports season, it's weekly, sometimes 2x a week.) Good chicken, their salad dressing is SO refreshing, the rice is great, grilled tomatos. Yummy.

Also, if you're looking for mexican, South Austin Grill has a few locations, I think they started out local. Rosa Mexicano is supposed to be outstanding. Haven't gotten there yet. Someone mentioned Banana Leaves. Our company used to order from there a lot, and I've had better fusion. It's ok. A good salad 'chain' (I think they're only in NY and DC) is Chopp't. Really good salad choices.

 

[Colleen27]

I found the receipt and it was the Rajaji that we ate at

Wow, the menu there looks good. That might make the list, because DH loves curry & tandoori so it'll be an easier sell than Ethiopian.

Ben's Chili Bowl is neat, the only thing is the area is kind of shady. Very popular with locals.

That's one that I've been to before, I think, on a trip I took with a friend who interned with Congress when we were younger.

I would suggest some seafood while you are here...
http://www.dcseafood.com/

Oooh, Dancing Crab looks amazing. I haven't had good, fresh crab in so long! I don't know why I didn't think to look for a seafood place since DC is so nearby to the best seafood I've ever had (on trips to MD & VA).

I really enjoyed our visit to Filomena in Georgetown. Really tasty Italian, a lovely space, and a great lunch buffet on Friday and Saturday that would be good with kids.

www.filomena.com

All you can eat is always good with my son, and the baby especially loves Italian food.