Guidebook for Washington
Food Scene
Great burgers just three blocks away. The toasted marshmallow shake is one of the "40 Things to Eat in DC."
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Good Stuff Eatery
303 Pennsylvania Ave. SEGreat burgers just three blocks away. The toasted marshmallow shake is one of the "40 Things to Eat in DC."
Eastern Market is a historic feature of Capitol Hill, open since 1873. There is a cheesemonger, farm fresh veggies, local poultry, fish guys, specialty sausage, freshly-made pasta, butchers and a bakery. Restaurants all over. There are boutique art stalls on weekends. Definitely worth a visit.
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Eastern Market
225 7th St SEEastern Market is a historic feature of Capitol Hill, open since 1873. There is a cheesemonger, farm fresh veggies, local poultry, fish guys, specialty sausage, freshly-made pasta, butchers and a bakery. Restaurants all over. There are boutique art stalls on weekends. Definitely worth a visit.
Jimmy T's is a local joint, the kind of place where every coffee mug is different. It's small, the food is adequate, not spectacular, but it does the job. Great for an easy local breakfast before sightseeing.
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Jimmy T's Place
501 E Capitol St SEJimmy T's is a local joint, the kind of place where every coffee mug is different. It's small, the food is adequate, not spectacular, but it does the job. Great for an easy local breakfast before sightseeing.
Great pupusas, tamales, burritos and other Mexican and Salvadoran dishes. It was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. And, perhaps best of all, it is VERY affordable. Great place to feed the family for $30.
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Tortilla Café
210 7th Street SoutheastGreat pupusas, tamales, burritos and other Mexican and Salvadoran dishes. It was featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. And, perhaps best of all, it is VERY affordable. Great place to feed the family for $30.
Balkan food? Yes! And Yum! It’s a little Mediterranean, Slavic, delicious. And they have a fixed price, all-you-can eat menu where waiters patiently bring you any item on the menu — from steak tartare to lamb goulash to fish of the day — as many times as you want without a grumble. Weekend brunch includes bottomless drinks.
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Ambar Capitol Hill
523 8th St SEBalkan food? Yes! And Yum! It’s a little Mediterranean, Slavic, delicious. And they have a fixed price, all-you-can eat menu where waiters patiently bring you any item on the menu — from steak tartare to lamb goulash to fish of the day — as many times as you want without a grumble. Weekend brunch includes bottomless drinks.
Ice cream flavors to die for: Gooey Butter Cake, Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, Pineapple Upside Down Cake... worth every penny.
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Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams
1925 14th St NWIce cream flavors to die for: Gooey Butter Cake, Goat Cheese with Red Cherries, Pineapple Upside Down Cake... worth every penny.
Iconic Belgian food place that has it all, fancy dishes, perfect mussels, casual lunch, outdoor tables and cute little plexiglass cabanas for safer eating options
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Belga Café
514 8th St SEIconic Belgian food place that has it all, fancy dishes, perfect mussels, casual lunch, outdoor tables and cute little plexiglass cabanas for safer eating options
Easy peasy, yummy taco place. Friendly, fast, comfortable, delicious. Humble, local stand that turned into trusted and beloved local chain.
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District Taco
656 Pennsylvania Avenue SoutheastEasy peasy, yummy taco place. Friendly, fast, comfortable, delicious. Humble, local stand that turned into trusted and beloved local chain.
Beloved joint inside Eastern Market. It’s a Washington tradition to get the BlueBucks pancakes, but the Breakfast Brick and seafood sandwiches are fantastic too. Lunch counter style, line is always long, but moves fast. Surly cashier is part of the charm.
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The Market Lunch
225 7th St SEBeloved joint inside Eastern Market. It’s a Washington tradition to get the BlueBucks pancakes, but the Breakfast Brick and seafood sandwiches are fantastic too. Lunch counter style, line is always long, but moves fast. Surly cashier is part of the charm.
Beautiful, reliable wine bar great for drinks or just an elegant meal.
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Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar
223 Pennsylvania Avenue SoutheastBeautiful, reliable wine bar great for drinks or just an elegant meal.
Large variety of elevated and basic pizzas, always has room for the soccer team or a quickie meal.
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We, The Pizza
2100 Crystal DrLarge variety of elevated and basic pizzas, always has room for the soccer team or a quickie meal.
Hunan Dynasty
215 Pennsylvania Ave. SEYour basic, solid Chinese place. Has fed decades of legislative work sessions.
Elegant, delicious, upscale Spanish tapas. Expert Sangrias.
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Joselito Casa de Comidas
660 Pennsylvania Ave. SEElegant, delicious, upscale Spanish tapas. Expert Sangrias.
Beautiful beer garden with twinkly lights and elevated, German fare.
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Cafe Berlin
322 Massachusetts Ave NEBeautiful beer garden with twinkly lights and elevated, German fare.
This is a bit far for a walk, a bike ride or car ride, but just-opened new Capitol Hill hotspot food hall. Calling itself a culinary clubhouse, you grab a table in the gorgeous space and order on your phone from any of the stalls in the foodie food court — sushi, gourmet pizza, Avo toast with Arctic char, insane beer and cocktail selection — and they bring it to your table!
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The Roost
1401 Pennsylvania Ave. SEThis is a bit far for a walk, a bike ride or car ride, but just-opened new Capitol Hill hotspot food hall. Calling itself a culinary clubhouse, you grab a table in the gorgeous space and order on your phone from any of the stalls in the foodie food court — sushi, gourmet pizza, Avo toast with Arctic char, insane beer and cocktail selection — and they bring it to your table!
Rustic, Belgian charm in a place where the bread is only the beginning. Sometimes we just order the basket of assorted breads — which arrives with a trio of toppings, including several flavors of their house-made Nutella — and decadent Belgian hot chocolate. But also salads, tartines, and soups are delicious, healthy and surprising.
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Le Pain Quotidien
660 Pennsylvania Ave. SERustic, Belgian charm in a place where the bread is only the beginning. Sometimes we just order the basket of assorted breads — which arrives with a trio of toppings, including several flavors of their house-made Nutella — and decadent Belgian hot chocolate. But also salads, tartines, and soups are delicious, healthy and surprising.
Foodie corner grocery with terrific breakfast and lunch sandwiches to go.
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Union Kitchen Grocery
538 3rd St NEFoodie corner grocery with terrific breakfast and lunch sandwiches to go.
An easy morning walk from the house (just turn right outside the front door and walk straight), they have cute outdoor seating and classic, deli offerings (knishes, matzo ball soup, latkes, egg creams, New York water bagels) and over-the-top breakfast sandwiches (Cheezus Has Risen, The Green Piece), deli sandwiches, frozen adult drinks, beer and wine
Buffalo & Bergen - Capitol HIll
240 Massachusetts Avenue NortheastAn easy morning walk from the house (just turn right outside the front door and walk straight), they have cute outdoor seating and classic, deli offerings (knishes, matzo ball soup, latkes, egg creams, New York water bagels) and over-the-top breakfast sandwiches (Cheezus Has Risen, The Green Piece), deli sandwiches, frozen adult drinks, beer and wine
Gorgeous outdoor seating, luxe and romantic indoor seating, French food at its finest in the city. Perfect classics -- onion soup, pate, steak tartare, escargots, coq au vin, roast lamb, lunch, dinner and brunch.
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Bistro Cacao
316 Massachusetts Ave NEGorgeous outdoor seating, luxe and romantic indoor seating, French food at its finest in the city. Perfect classics -- onion soup, pate, steak tartare, escargots, coq au vin, roast lamb, lunch, dinner and brunch.
Bombay Street Food
1413 Park Rd NWSolid Indian street food, lively sidewalk scene.
Perfect spot for a sweet little meal. Fantastic breads, quiches, light lunches. The pastries! The bread! Sometimes, we just go for the mixed bread basket and all the unique jams and house-made versions of nutella to spread them with. Hot chocolate is hot milk and melted chocolate. Fresh salads, soups, shady, lively sidewalk seating.
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Le Pain Quotidien
660 Pennsylvania Ave. SEPerfect spot for a sweet little meal. Fantastic breads, quiches, light lunches. The pastries! The bread! Sometimes, we just go for the mixed bread basket and all the unique jams and house-made versions of nutella to spread them with. Hot chocolate is hot milk and melted chocolate. Fresh salads, soups, shady, lively sidewalk seating.
Drinks & Nightlife
The watering hole of choice for many congressional staff and a locally famous bar. Worth a stop.
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Hawk 'n' Dove
329 Pennsylvania Ave. SEThe watering hole of choice for many congressional staff and a locally famous bar. Worth a stop.
The longtime political dive bar of Capitol Hill. Personalities galore, where policy is being debated by congressional staffers and plumbers. Drinking food, too.
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Tune Inn
331 1/2 Pennsylvania Ave. SEThe longtime political dive bar of Capitol Hill. Personalities galore, where policy is being debated by congressional staffers and plumbers. Drinking food, too.
It's a whiskey restaurant and bar. The food is great -- high-end BBQ with cheeky apps and sides -- but the drinks are what they're known for, especially their multiple versions of the Old Fashioned. Our favorite:
"I Am Serious, and Don’t Mezcal Me Shirley"
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Barrel
613 Pennsylvania Ave. SEIt's a whiskey restaurant and bar. The food is great -- high-end BBQ with cheeky apps and sides -- but the drinks are what they're known for, especially their multiple versions of the Old Fashioned. Our favorite:
"I Am Serious, and Don’t Mezcal Me Shirley"
Essentials
Grubbs Pharmacy
326 East Capitol St NEGreat local pharmacy.
Good local convenience and grocery store. It will meet most of your needs.
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Capitol Hill Supermarket
241 Massachusetts Ave NEGood local convenience and grocery store. It will meet most of your needs.
Giant Food
1345 Park Rd NWHarris Teeter
900 Army Navy DrOne of the best liquor stores around. We’ve never stumped them.
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Schneider's of Capitol Hill
300 Massachusetts Ave NEOne of the best liquor stores around. We’ve never stumped them.
Trader Joe's
750 Pennsylvania Ave. SEGreat, unique groceries, beer and wine
Sightseeing
See the Apollo missions and all manner of historic planes and rockets. Like all Smithsonian museums, it is free.
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National Air and Space Museum
600 Independence Ave SWSee the Apollo missions and all manner of historic planes and rockets. Like all Smithsonian museums, it is free.
See everything from the Hope diamond to the jaws of an extinct Megladon shark. Great for kids. Like all Smithsonian museums, it is free.
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National Museum of the American Indian
4th Street SouthwestSee everything from the Hope diamond to the jaws of an extinct Megladon shark. Great for kids. Like all Smithsonian museums, it is free.
This is where the U.S. prints the money. See your life salary printed in a matter of minutes!
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Bureau of Engraving and Printing
301 14th St SWThis is where the U.S. prints the money. See your life salary printed in a matter of minutes!
The sleeper tourist attraction! Not on everyone’s list, but around the corner from the house and totally worth a visit. Make sure you get a look at the main reading room and the Gutenberg Bible — rotating exhibits are alway excellent and it’s never crowded. It is opulent — you’ll think you’re in Versailles or at The Hermitage. The fountain is right out of an Italian film. But it is one of the few government projects that was completed ahead of schedule AND under budget!
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Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave SEThe sleeper tourist attraction! Not on everyone’s list, but around the corner from the house and totally worth a visit. Make sure you get a look at the main reading room and the Gutenberg Bible — rotating exhibits are alway excellent and it’s never crowded. It is opulent — you’ll think you’re in Versailles or at The Hermitage. The fountain is right out of an Italian film. But it is one of the few government projects that was completed ahead of schedule AND under budget!
D.C.‘s newest museum and a fantastic, moving, necessary experience for every American. Make sure to start in the very bottom, which begins with searing and evocative details of a slave trader’s ship. And spiral your way upward through history and the African- American experience. Powerful, moving, triumphant, and important.
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National Museum of African American History and Culture
1400 Constitution Ave. NWD.C.‘s newest museum and a fantastic, moving, necessary experience for every American. Make sure to start in the very bottom, which begins with searing and evocative details of a slave trader’s ship. And spiral your way upward through history and the African- American experience. Powerful, moving, triumphant, and important.
Getting Around
Bike share stations are all over the city and there are a variety of options for rental (hour, day, etc). The bikes are sturdy and easy to ride. This is a great option for touring on Capitol Hill and on the National Mall.
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Capital Bikeshare
Bike share stations are all over the city and there are a variety of options for rental (hour, day, etc). The bikes are sturdy and easy to ride. This is a great option for touring on Capitol Hill and on the National Mall.
Historic Union Station has restaurants and shops. It is both a train station and a metro station. The metro will get you almost anywhere you want to go in DC.
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Union Station
Historic Union Station has restaurants and shops. It is both a train station and a metro station. The metro will get you almost anywhere you want to go in DC.