Fodorites have been so helpful in the past that I hope you can help me find a restaurant in Washington DC. We are meeting old friends for dinner during our first trip to DC this fall. We would like to find a restaurant with these features:

Entrees no more than $25
Good basic options like chicken or fish simply prepared (I've got food allergies)
Quiet (one of us is hearing impaired and can't converse in noisy places)
Easy to reach on the Metro (our parties are coming from Arlington & the Zoo area)

A view would be a plus. I have searched previous restaurant posting but they are too old to be useful now. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Here's one that may work -- DC Coast hits your requirements for menu and location, but I can't remember about the noise level. The only places with views are either crazy expensive (W hotel) or noted for terrible food/service (Georgetown waterfront). http://www.dccoast.com/

One that I know is quiet, and could meet your dietary needs if you ask for plainer preparation than their more ambitious style, but is mostly above your price point is Corduroy.
http://www.corduroydc.com/dinner_menu/index.html
Again, no view.


Do some browsing around Opentable.com for DC, using Downtown, and American or Seafood restaurants as your search limits. You'll get links to the restaurants' websites and menus, see some reviews.

Any good restaurant can handle a request for simply prepared fish or chicken, so you might also look to steakhouses or French or Belgian cuisine. Just ask questions when you call for reservations, and make your needs known.
Good luck.

You search by outdoor dining if you want to people watch whilst eating.

Boy, DC Coast's prices have come down over the years. They have an upstairs and a downstairs and depending upon where u sit, it could be quiet. Downstairs is a bar with a TV blaring sometimes. Upstairs tends to be quieter.

Phillips Seafood on the Maine Avenue, SW, waterfront has an excellent buffet for $25-30. I can't remember the exact price. While it is "touristy", you won't find a larger buffet anywhere. People go crazy for the Alaskan king crab legs. Despite being "touristy", by the way, plenty of locals stuff themselves at that buffet.

Mind you, Phillips is nothing fancy. Just straightforward food. There is a lot of stuff on that buffet also that has nothing to do with seafood.

A buffet might not be a good choice for someone with allergies, and there are many very good restaurants with much better Metro access than Maine Ave, so I don't think Phillips meets the original poster's needs.

McCormick & Schmick's at 17th and K.

Why don't you take a look at the Washingtonian's restaurant finder (http://www.washingtonian.com/RestaurantFinder.html)

It lets you sort by cuisine, price, neighborhood etc, and is pretty comprehesive. Feel free to ask about any places that interest you -- I'm happy to give my opinion!

I would suggest Montmartre. Quiet, calm, excellent food/wine/service/ambiance. It's one block from the Eastern Market Metro stop on the Blue/Orange line. They have outdoor tables if you prefer.

You'll need to reserve a table.

Eastern Market itself is an area worth checking out - if you want to walk and chat after dinner, consider walking back to the Capitol South Metro to take the Metro back.


http://montmartredc.com/

Also - I just cannot let something recommended above go by: Phillips is truly AWFUL. Everything is prepackaged, non-local, the seafood comes from Asia - even their CRABS are from south-east Asia - which are the ONE thing you would think would be local! Phillips has all the worst elements of a tourist trap chain restaurant. Stay as far away as possible.

Ditto on bardo's recommendation to skip Phillips. Another Eastern Market recommendation is Belga Cafe. Delicious mussels!

Hi

Here is the spring dining guide online from the WaPo restaurant guru. He started using decibel ratings at some point, so hopefully this will contain those as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/di...ring-2010.html

Here is another one he wrote:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/be...ngs,82318.html

Best Bets in general:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/be...urants-DC.html

I don't know if all the Best Bets have the decibel ratings or not.

I agree with GeorgeW's recommendation of McCormick & Schmick's at 17th and K. They have varied selection, seafood of course, along with steak, chicken, etc. They will prepare it simply and according to special requests. They also have some very nice booths that are curtained off for privacy and allow for quieter conversation, and just half a block from the Metro. Ask them which stop to take.

We have McCormick & Schmick's in our area and do like it. Certainly something to consider. I've got to find time to look at the Washington Post's best bets as well as the Washingtonian. Thanks for all the suggestions.