I'm going to Washington D.C. for the first time in a couple of weeks. I'd like to have a lunch or dinner of great crab and/or other seafood. I saw a show on Food Network and they went to the Dancing Crab, it looked good. Are there other places that would be fun to try? We are staying near Dupont Circle and will not have a car. Someplace to walk to would be ideal. Other restaurant suggestions would be welcome. The budget for a meal would be $30 or less - beverages not included. Thanks!

If it's crabs you want, Dancing Crab is at the Tenleytown Metro, only four Metro stops from DuPont Circle. While you may not be able to get crabs--but surely crabcakes--you can try Hanks Oyster Bar at 17th and R near DuPont Circle.

Thanks, Mike. Just the info I was looking for - and crab cakes would be wonderful also!

My favorite "new"-ish restaurant in DC is Brasserie Beck.

1101 K Street, NW

You can walk there from Metro Center (which is on the same line - red line - as Dupont). If you like seafood, the mussels are a great appetizer, and the roasted monkfish is an excellent appetizer. I've had the monkfish both times that I've been to Beck because I can't bear to try anything else. Prices are very reasonable - about $20 for an entree.

If you like Belgian beer (like I do), there is no better place in DC to enjoy one.

Correction: the monkfish is an excellent *entree.*

ttt

If you're willing to take the metro to Bethesda -- about a 15 metro ride-- you could go to Bethesda Crab House at 4958 Bethesda Ave. It's maybe a 10 minutes walk from the Bethesda metro
(http://www.wmata.com/) stop on the red line . It never fails to have good hard shell crabs. Not wild about their crab cakes, but I dont think DC does great crab cakes as compared to ones that you can get in Baltimore.
Dancing Crab is good and a couple stops closer than Bethesda.

On Capital Hill also easy to get to on the Red Line from Dupont Circle, Johnny's Half Shell(http://tinyurl.com/337fxz)
has good seafood including crabcakes. Pesce at Dupont circle is good also for seafood. More upscale is Kinkeads
http://www.kinkead.com/ in the downtown area.
enjoy DC

Thanks so much! Do you think I should make any reservations now (trip is in early Oct), or just wait until I get there and call, or just show up.
I appreciate all of the ideas, I'm kind of leaning towards the Dancing Crab but the others look worth checking out also. Thanks.

I think it depends on which ones you choose and which nights of the week you'll be going. I dont think Hank's or Pesce take reservations. Kinkeads and Johnny Half Shell are probably best to make reservations. For hard shell crabs, if there is a crab shortage, if you call ahead you can reserve the number you would like at the largest size they will have.