September 25, 2007
Lunch on Capitol Hill for $5 or Less
By DCist contributor Elisabeth Grant
D.C. can be an expensive place to eat lunch. A meal from Cosi will set you back $8, any sit-down place is at least twice as much that, and even if you're just going for coffee, a grande pumpkin spice latte (the most delicious beverage on the planet) will put you out over $4. While many of the folks who work on or around the Hill, like those with expense accounts, may not mind shelling out double digits in cash for lunch, there are plenty of us looking for a good deal. Whether you're a Hill staffer, a non-profit lobbyist, or a Senator who is saving all your money for a legal defense fund, check out the places below to live the dream of eating out for $5 or less on Capitol Hill.
Eastern Market - 306 7th Street, SE
Eastern Market is still undergoing renovations to repair the major damage caused by a fire on April 30, 2007. However, vendors have been able continue to serve their customers in a temporary facility located across the street. Venture inside and you'll find multiple inexpensive places to eat:
The Market Lunch
The Market Lunch is a neighborhood favorite for brunch on the weekends, drawing crowds who know the wait (sometimes up to an hour) is worth it. Luckily, it never gets as crowded on weekdays, when you can get a hamburger for $3.95, a bacon cheeseburger for $4.75, or a hot ham & cheese for $4.95. There are a number of other sandwiches in the $4.50 range, but you'll have to get them on a Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday; the Market Lunch is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Photo of the pre-fire Market Lunch from Hoffman.
Union Meat Company
For hot dog lovers who are wary of the curbside stands around the city, try out the Union Meat Company's all beef hot dog for $2 or their jumbo polish kielbasa for $2.75. Both come with chips and a soda at no extra charge.
Fine Sweet Shoppe
Don't be fooled by the name, the Fine Sweet Shoppe offers lunch options too. Chose from one of their four sandwiches (ham, turkey, corn beef, or B.L.T.), each only $3.50. Though only the strongest willed will be able to pass up getting an éclair or pastry as well.
Seating inside is at a minimum at Eastern Market, with just one counter available for The Market Lunch customers only, but if you're lucky you can find a spot on one of the picnic tables or benches just outside each entrance.
Prepared Food
If you don't mind food that has been prepared and packaged earlier in the day, then here are some places you should check out:
Marvelous Market - 303 7th St. SE
If you can't find what you're looking for at Eastern Market, just head across the street to a different market, the Marvelous Market. Most of the sandwiches and salads here hover around the six to seven dollar mark, but there are a handful of items that will keep you under $5 for lunch. There’s the Thai spring roll with chicken ($3.99), the petite garden salad ($3.99), or the penne pasta w/ sundried tomatoes ($3.69). In the warmer months there are plenty of tables available outside for Marvelous Market patrons.
Yes! Organic Market - 658 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Vegetarians and vegans want to eat on the cheap too! At the Yes! Organic Market you'll find plenty of vegetarian and vegan prepared foods for under $5. Their vegetarian delight meal comes packed with stuffed grape leaves, a side of lentils, mini pitas, and a generous scoop of hummus for $4.49. Try their vegetarian & vegan pad Thai or vegan dumplings for $4.99. They also have a variety of sandwiches for around $3, like baked tofu slices on rye or the V.L.T.; but beware, sometimes the bread is soggy by lunchtime.
Grocers/Convenience stores
Roland's Grocery - 333 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Grocers and convenience stores around the city have options like boxed cereal or yogurt cups, which can be grabbed for lunch in a bind, but Roland's Grocery steps it up with their Deli counter at the back of the store. Their made-to-order sandwiches and subs range from $3.95 to $4.75, depending on your meat and fixin' selections. And since you're in a grocery store, you can easily grab a drink (and all sorts of dry goods and household items for that matter) on your way out.
Pizza
Pizza Bolis
Just down 8th Street S.E., a few blocks from the Eastern Market metro, you can find an incredible lunchtime deal at Pizza Bolis. This take-out and pick-up pizza place doesn't offer seating, but they do have jumbo slice of pizza (we're talking as big as your head) and a 12 oz. soda for $3. It's one of their "pickup specials," and is a delicious, though greasy, lunch option.
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Plenty of fugly rooftop extentions in historic districts. Look around 13th, U, or T Streets NW. But if it's built to code, I don't see how you can do squat about it. Unless you want to amend the regulations to fit some nebulous aesthetic criteria, which wouldn't be a first for DC.
Whoa, wrong page.
Eastern market is too far to trek for most Hill staffers who are lucky to get 20 minutes to grab something to eat. However, when we get a chance to get out, Pete's diner (on Penn Ave and 1st or 2nd SE I think) is quick, very cheap, and tasty.
Too bad these are all on the House side... there are even fewer $5 and under options for us Senate-siders!
I don't see how you can mention Eastern Market without Tortilla Cafe. All their breakfasts are under $5, and most of their lunches are $5 and a quarter. And unlike most cheap lunches, they're actually pretty tasty. The $2 tamales hit the spot when you're on the cheap.
Don't know how Pete's Diner on 2nd stays in business; everything's in the $5 range. You can get out of Taverna the Greek Islands for under $5. Falafel's pretty good, but the gyros even better.
If we use the realtor's definition of "Capitol Hill" to include Potomac Avenue and parts of Northeast, you're choices expand dramatically.
Most of Mangialardo's subs are around $5 and change. Across the street, Gourmet Express is one of the few purveyors of the fine art of "House Special Soup;" basically, triple delight with vegetables in hot soup stock. $4.25 for a large and there's nothing better on a cold day.
The only other decent not-obscenely-greasy $5 Chinese I've had that's near the Hill is Danny's on H Street NE. Their fried chicken wings are some of the best I've had in DC; during the lunch rush, they do volume business, so the stuff is fresh. But if you're going that far, you might as well go to Horace & Dickies and get the $4.75 4-piece fish sammitch, which is enough to club a harp seal with and still have room for hot sauce.
Pupusas or the very chunky soups at the Tortilla Cafe, 210 7th St SE
"Too bad these are all on the House side... there are even fewer $5 and under options for us Senate-siders!"
Bah! Have you not tried the ramikin of mayonaise with a glass of water at The Monocle? $4.95!!
Can you run the same story for K St?
"The only other decent not-obscenely-greasy $5 Chinese I've had that's near the Hill is Danny's on H Street NE."
Just to clarify: Is that the Good or Evil Danny's?
And if you're willing to walk down 8th St to the Navy Yard side, near L St., don't forget cheap meals at Levi's (good fried chicken) and Chicken Tortilla (good steak dishes & beef tacos)!
Also, try Taqueria Nacionale next to Johnny's Half Shell -- may be slightly over $5 but still cheap.
I have yet to try Good Danny's, so I'm talking about the Danny's at 12th and H.
This Good vs. Evil Danny's thing is getting to be like Ray's Pizza.
"Famous Original Ray's Pizza (not affiliated with Original Famous Ray's Pizza)."
Can this be a regular column? I'd really love to know the recommendations for cheap eats around my work.
The deli in Gandell's Liquor store on Penn. between 2nd and 3rd SE has both a great meatball and Italian sub, both huge, good, and I believe around 4 bucks. they are only open until 4 or 5 though.
13 - Right on! Without a doubt the most useful thing dcist has written since the kickball bit.
Is Good vs. Evil Danny's like the Adams Morgan jumbo slice wars ("First Oldest Original Jumbo Slice")?
Also, Jimmy T's on East Capitol Street. Adorable, tiny, and full of yummy grease.
My Capitol Hill lunch spots:
Gandel's Liquors. Sandwich on sub or hard roll ($5 or cheaper!) add a $0.99 bag o' chips and it's enough for 2! lunches (plus you can make a mental list of all that liquor you wish you had a use for).
Burrito Brothers. Regular Spinach burrito ($4.75) is more than enough for lunch. Added benefit: complete meal. protein, carbs and leafy greens.
Hunan Dynasty. Forget lunch, go for a dinner. It's under $10, but enough for at least 3-4 meals (do the math). Steam rice included. Some assembley required. ;)
Happy eating!
$5? Bah, I laugh to myself when I see the prices these hillgeoisie are willing to pay. I can get twice the amount for half the price down in Anacostia. Or on ebay.
-- Hillman
See, it's times like these that I really miss Sherrill's Restaurant and Bakery. You could kill yourself in there for $5.
Damn you, Starbucks! You Maniacs! You blew it up! Ah, damn you! God damn you all to hell!
awesome! thanks for this. who wants to meet for lunch today??
An enthusiastic second for Burrito Brothers--make mine a regular black bean, with lots of fixin's from the bar. Yummy.
Hunan Dynasty is not greasy spoon chinese, but not 100% authentic either...and not under 5 or even $10
Second to Jimmy T's @ 5th and East Cap
As far as wings go, I thought Howard China holds the title as the biggest and best...home of the mumbo sause!
How about donuts on the hill? Other than dunkin donuts, or other shops that use hydrogenated oil (trans fat).
Jimmy T's is awful.
Possibly the worst place ever.
If you go cancel any plans you have for the day as it will take a 2-3 hours to get your food.
Does Mangialardo and Sons on Penn SE count? I don't remember how much their sammiches cost but maybe one of them is about $5.
Please do one for Dupont, thx.
Is Kenny's BBQ at 8th and Maryland considered on the hill? Their prices, especially for dinner, are more than reasonable...
Tune Inn, 400 block of Pennsylvania Ave SE?. Best burgers I've had in a while. Good crispy fries. And pretty cheap. 'Old school' waitresses that actually seem to enjoy their jobs.
Also the Wellness Cafe at 325 Pennsylvania. Totally natural and healthy (no, those aren't always the same). There's a hot prepared food at lunch or a'la carte...though a'la carte can be a little slow, worth the wait though. (Caveat is it's slightly more than $5.)