The Top List of Best Buy Restaurants - Washington, D.C.
Besides individualized eccentric charm, the list of best buy restaurants contains a rich ethnic array of small eateries that offer good food at moderate prices by Magda Nakassis & Judy Leaver
Beyond the stunning monuments and the National Mall, Washington consists of several clearly defined neighborhoods, each with its own character. Besides individualized eccentric charm, they contain a rich ethnic array of small eateries that offer good food at moderate prices. Most are also family-friendly and casual as well. There are probably ten best buy restaurants in every neighborhood, but here are the top picks to get you started.
AMMA VEGETARIAN KITCHEN 3291-A M Street NW,Washington, DC 20007 202-625-6625
Hours:Mon–Fri 11:30am–2:30pm, Mon–Thur 5:30pm–10pm, Sat 11:30am–3:30pm, 5:30pm–10:30pm,Sun 12pm–3:30pm, 5:30pm–10pm
Bourgy Georgetown is the unlikely home of Amma Vegetarian, a second-story South Indian hole-in-the-wall with rock bottom prices and magnificent dosas. Amma is not the place to take a date—unless they are impressed by styrofoam plates and plastic cups. But this restaurant serves consistently delicious food that’s easy on the wallet. The dining room itself is tucked away towards the west end of M Street, and can be difficult to find initially as it’s on the second floor. The service can be unpleasant at times, extremely accommodating at others, and the décor is minimalist—which is to say, barebones. All that being said, the food is the #1 draw here, and the atmosphere is wonderful for those who appreciate character and need a break from the ostentation of Georgetown.
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10
BEN’S CHILI BOWL 1213 U Street NW,Washington, DC 20009 202-667-0909
Hours: Mon–Thur 6am–2am,Fri–Sat 7am–4am, Sun 11am–8pm
Stepping foot into Ben’s Chili Bowl is like walking into a 1950s time capsule: vinyl stools at a Formica counter, staff in red hats and aprons, Jackie Wilson on the jukebox. It’s hard to imagine Washington, DC without Ben’s; it is a true cultural and culinary institution. Ben’s started off as Black Broadway’s late-night hang out spot, where jazz musicians would come for tasty eats after the clubs closed. It survived the 1968 riots, and it survived the construction of the Green Line Metro Station, bringing gentrification and skyrocketing property value with it. But over the decades, Ben’s Chili Bowl still serves the same delicious half-smokes and thick milkshakes. In addition to being one of the few spots where all walks of DC life rub shoulders, it has also attracted a number of out-of-town (even celebrity) fans—Bill Cosby being the most vocal among them. Come be part of local history with a delicious order of chili cheese fries.
Estimated cost per person: $10
MESKEREM ETHIOPIAN RESTAURANT 2434 18th Street NW,Washington, DC 20009 202-462-4100
Hours: Daily: 12pm–12am
If you've never eaten Ethiopian food, you're in for an experience. Meskerem brings new meaning to one's understanding of breaking bread together. Injera, traditional Ethiopian bread, is part of every entrée. It is a large spongy crepe that is used to scoop up bites of food. Various stew-like dishes will be served on a huge round dish from which everyone at the table eats by dipping his/her injera into the foods. No utensils are used! A variety of spices produce the exotic tastes of lamb, seafood, beef, chicken, and vegetarian entrees. If you like very spicy food, order a dish that has a berbere (red pepper) sauce. Menus are printed in English so you have some sense of what you're ordering even if you don't recognize it on the plate. Just dig in and enjoy!
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $15
THE DINER 2453 18th Street NW,Washington, DC 20009 202-232-8800
Hours: 24/7
If, at any time, you're hungry for regular American food that's not "fast," this is the place! In the heart of Adams Morgan, one of Washington's most ethnically diverse neighborhoods, you can order homemade meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, chocolate malts, steak and eggs, and a variety of other distinctly American foods. The Diner is a new restaurant in an old building. Décor is retro contemporary: tin ceiling, booths, red stools at the counter, those little white tiles in the floor. It has a nice open, airy feeling to it. Comfort food is served in generous portions, especially rich desserts. (The hot brownie à la mode can feed an army.) The Diner is very popular with the twenty-somethings who live in the neighborhood, so it gets quite crowded for brunch on weekends. Lucky for us all, it’s open all day, everyday—making it a destination “for early birds, night owls, and everyone in between.”
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $15
SKEWERS 1633 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 202-387-7400
Skewers serves Middle Eastern food, in addition to few vaguely Mediterranean (read: Italian) entrees. Food is fresh, light, and healthy. There is actually a “Light Combinations” section in the menu that consists mostly of kabob choices. The lamb was tender and flavorful, especially teamed with Baba Gannouj and warm pita bread. Of the comprehensive menu, the Tajin appetizer is a real treat—a small Tunisian potato and spinach quiche. I would recommend any of the entrees with the possible exception of the yogurt feta. It contains large, tough croutons that distract from the flavors. Skewers is not a good choice for families with children in strollers as you must go up several front steps to enter the door and tables are placed very close together. But for the rest of us, here’s to eating fresh and healthy food without breaking the bank!
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $15
HARD TIMES CAFÉ 3028 Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA 22201 703-528-2233
Hours: Sun–Thu 11am–1am, Fri–Sat 11am–3am
With locations in Old Town Alexandria, College Park, Bethesda, and beyond, Hard Times is an American chili parlor where ground beef and ice-cold beer rule supreme. I’ve never been disappointed by a bowl of Terlingua Red at any Maryland or Virginia location, but have chosen to highlight the Arlington Hard Times (in the heart of downtown Clarendon) because of their jukebox. Yes, thank you, I believe I will listen to that bluegrass tune about heartbreak while pounding back this beef and beer. If you spend more than $10 here and don’t leave overstuffed, then you need to adjust your lifestyle. Hard Times is a great place for friends, for wings, and for eating on a budget… Three things that largely define my life. Beyond the B&B (beef & beer) combo though, Hard Times also caters to the abstemious, with a killer vegetarian chili, and some of the best sweet tea and old-fashioned lemonade (put them together for a great Arnold Palmer) in the area.
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $15
OOHHS & AAHHS 1005 U Street NW, Washington, DC 20001 202-667-7142
Hours: Tue–Sat 12:30pm–10pm
It’s called Oohhs & Aahhs for a reason. This U Street restaurant is barely the size of a shoebox, but the smells and flavors generated here drift out from the open kitchen, past a handful of counter stools, through the (inevitably) open door, and down onto the 1000 block of U Street—filling the neighborhood with the delicious scent of perfectly fried chicken. You can also treat yourself to moist pork chops with gravy, collard greens, and crab cakes, but it’s the fried chicken that is the center of the menu. The potato salad and homemade barbeque sauce do deserve honorable mentions, though—it must be said. This is soul food done right, and while it’s no Georgia Brown’s in terms of presentation and ambiance, you’ll get more bang for your buck, and more down-home personality, here at Oohhs & Aahhs.
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10
PHO 75 1721 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22209 703-525-7355
Hours: Daily 9am–8pm
Pho 75 serves, erm, pho. Lots of it, in various ways—all of ‘em beefy. Orders are distinguished by the cuts in them (i.e., brisket, rib-eye, tripe, etc.) and all come with a hot and hearty broth, thin rice noodles, and sliced onions. Then there comes the Vietnamese fixins bar (of sorts), composed of bean sprouts, chilis, Thai basil, cilantro, and rooster sauce. Diners can fashion their pho just to their liking, and the meal-in-a-bowl will fill you up for just over $5. The dining room is extremely, extremely plain—but you’ll hardly notice with your face bent over your bowl, slurping away at your soup.
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10
HORACE & DICKIE’S SEAFOOD 809 12th Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 202-397-6040
Hours: Mon–Sat 10am–2am, Sun 10am–9pm
H Street—excuse me, “the Atlas District”—is changing. With hotspots like the Rock & Roll Hotel, the Red and the Black, and the H Street Martini Lounge sprouting up overnight, the face of this neighborhood has, well, it’s had a gentrified facelift. But Horace & Dickie’s pre-exists the hipsters, and I can’t imagine it’ll ever go out of business. Who can resist the smells of fried catfish filling the street? And especially at 1am on a Saturday night? The lines for Horace & Dickie’s wind around the block at night as well as day, and once you reach the front, you will understand why. Crispy croaker, a tall soda, and a slice of strawberry cake should be enough to put a sated smile on any person’s face, and I highly recommend you give it a try.
Estimated cost per person for dinner: $10
ZORBA’S CAFÉ 1612 20th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009 202-387-8555
Hours: Mon–Sat 11am–11:30pm, Sun 12pm–10:30pm
There’s a reason so many of the restaurants on this list have been in business for decades. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is the unwitting motto of Zorba’s Café. The outdoor patio seating here is tops; the plastic tablecloths and Anthony Quinn wall hangings are not. While other new restaurants (such as Zaytinya) have come in to offer dressed-up Greek mezedes, Zorba’s relies of traditional Greek food, served in big portions and at reasonable prices. The spanakopita, souvlaki, and stuffed grape leaves are all traditionally prepared and tasty—and apparently their recipes have been passed down over four generations. So step into a crowded dining room filled with the sounds of bouzouki music, and pretend you’re very, very far from downtown Washington. The cost of the experience is so much less than a plane ticket to Athens.
The Top List of Best Buy Restaurants - Washington, D.C.