Favorite Casual D.C. Restaurants?
 

Hi, everyone - we're starting to plan a trip to Washington D.C. and are looking for recommendations on your favorite casual restaurants in the area. Especially looking for ones close to the tourist areas if you know of any. Just looking for good food, doesn't have to be anything fancy. And has anyone been to either of Top Chef Spike's restaurants? I thought it might be fun to try those since we watch the show. Would love any recommendations that you have. We like all kinds of food, so open to just about anything.

Matchbox, Ted's Bulletin, Hill Country

Thanks, longhorn, I'll check these out.

Teaism is good for lunch or snacks-several location. Jaleo's for tapas. Laymen for Mexican, right down the street Jaleo's. Pizza Paradiso for great salads, sandwiches and obviously pizza. Agree with ted's Bulletin and Matchbox.

Jaleo, Zaytinya, Rasike....

If you give us an idea of WHICH tourist areas you plan to visit, we can give MUCH better advice. :-)

Jaleo.

One of my favorite topics. I would happily eat at any of the places mentioned so far.

Spike’s burgers routinely crop up on DC’s best burger list. I ate at the Good Stuff Eatery in Georgetown last summer and will testify to its goodness. Haven’t eaten at either of his other places, Bernaise or We the Pizza.

Another Top Chef alum in DC is Mike Isabella who has 3 excellent restaurants — G, Kapnos (U Street neighborhood) and Graffiato in Penn Quarter. G’s received a lot of buzz recently and does sandwiches by day and 4 course Italian in the evening. Isabella was the exec chef @ the already mentioned Zaytinya.

Two areas with a boatload of good places, most of them casual, are the 14th Street corridor and the U Street/Shaw area. In the former I’d recommend the aforementioned MatchBox, Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, Birch & Barley, Le Diplomate, Rice (Thai) and B Too (Belgian mussels, chef is another Top Chef guy). In addition to the Isabella places, U Street/Shaw has The Fainting Goat pub, Marvin (chicken & waffles, great rooftop bar), a host of traditional Ethiopian places (Etete, Meskerem, and Dukem among them), and a couple of DC institutions, Ben’s Chili Bowl and the Florida Avenue Grill.

Three others I’d mention as personal favorites are Pho 14 (best Pho in DC proper), 2 Amy’s Pizza (Cathedral Heights) and Ethiopic (NE on H Street) which has a more modern look than the ones mentioned above but is, IMO, the best Ethiopian place in a city with a lot of good Ethiopian food.

DC has a good food truck culture going on. Big cluster is at Farragut Square weekdays but you’ll find them all over the city. There's good street food to be found at the farmers markets: Eastern Market (Sat and Sun) and Dupont Circle (Sunday). Union Market is a bit of an urban walk from the NoMa Metro station but is a very worthwhile collection food stalls and small sit down spots. Open Tuesday through Sunday

You mentioned staying in Old Town. Check out Eamonn’s (fish & chips), the Majestic, Cafe Banh Mi, Hank’s Oyster Bar (also in DC), Brabo Tasting Room, and Killer ESP (coffee, pie and gelato).

Thank you so much everyone for all the great info. so far. I'm going to have fun exploring all of these great suggestions. As far as what we're doing, so far we plan to go to the Museum of American History, the White House if our tickets come through, the Capitol, the Newseum - maybe? I heard this was good, but not sure? Mount Vernon, and a Nationals game. Still early planning so kind of fluid at this point. I appreciate all the help a lot!

Now that we have a grandson who lives in DC (with his parents, who live there, too LOL), we'll be visiting more often, so these suggestions will come in super-handy (although I would not put Rasika in the same category as Ben's Chili Bowl :- )

Newseum is an excellent choice -- ticket admission is good for two days.

I wouldn't put Rasika & BCB in the same category either. And given a choice I'd go with Rasika any day but the question was about casual and BCB fits the criteria. More about the atmosphere there than the food.

Congrats on your grandson, sf!

I'll second (and third) the Newseum. It really is amazing. I have been twice and each time it was a full day. Well worth the $20. I'll also suggest both Air and Space Museums (one behind Dulles is amazing but a huge time investment given the travel out there)

I have to agree with Good Stuff Eatery. I ate at the location just behind the Library of Congress. I am not much of a French fry person but theirs were wonderful. PAUL is also good for lunch. There are a few locations, near the Archives, Metro Center and Georgetown.

Agree that Mike Isabella's places are very good. Also Rasika is not easy to get into and not really casual. Union Market is fun, good food and often some fun activities happening on summer weekends.

If you are into news, don't miss the Newseum.

Thanks, guys, and I will definitely put the Newseum on our to do list. Glad to hear about Mike Isabella's places too. It sounds like D.C. has some amazing restaurants.

Definitely think Good Stuff Eatery would be something my husband would love. Burgers and shakes - what's not to love?!

Hank's Oyster Bar in DuPont Circle area is one of our faves.

I can add a couple of recommendations to the list - in the aforesaid 14th Street corridor - Etto (good pizza and killer cranberry cocktail), and Doi Moi (Thai - I haven't been there myself, but my DH and DS really like it). Also like Indique (Cleveland Park, upscale and somewhat unusual/inventive Indian)

I made these suggestions into a list, for anyone who wants to copy and print it:

Matchbox
Ted's Bulletin
Hill Country
Teaism - lunch or snacks
Jaleo - tapas
Laymen - Mexican
Pizzeria Paradiso
Zatinya
Rasika (upscale Indian)
Spike's Burgers
Good Stuff Eatery
G Kapnos
Graffiato (sandwiches by day, Italian by night)
Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
Birch & Barley
Le Diplomate
Rice (Thai)
B Too (Belgian mussels)
The Fainting Goat Pub
Marvin (chicken & waffles, great rooftop bar)
Etete - Ethiopian
Mesherem - Ethiopian
Dukem - Ethiopian
Ben's Chili Bowl
Florida Avenue Grill
Pho 14
Amy's Pizza
Ethiopic (Ethiopian)
Etto
Doi Moi
Indique

Café Ole, 4000 Wisconsin Avenue N.W. Mediterranean food that's good and inexpensive.

5 Guys Burgers

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