Since opening in 2004, Oohhs and Aahhs has put the smackdown on encroaching U Street soul food competitors. A combo of first-mover advantage and superior cooking scared Brown Sugar off the block last summer and sent A Taste of Carolina packing from 9th and U a few weeks ago. (A sign in Taste’s window reads, “Closed for Relocation.”)

The place is small, so much so that a line of four customers is enough to make us feel claustrophobic. The signs warning us that the credit card machine isn’t working look permanent. You order at the counter and head upstairs, awaiting your Styrofoam delivery. The cook staff is also the wait staff, and there’s no dishware for the intimate (read: three tables only) upstairs dining room.

But with all the quirks of a small business comes warm, personal attention. Owners Oji Abbott and Indiah Wilson are always there. Wilson knows her regulars by name and recognizes sporadic customers like us by face, even when we haven’t stopped by in months. She lets us taste the sides to pick our favorites. And we like the way she presents the container for our approval before sealing it and sending us on our way.