Photo by Hawkins

The worst part of New Year’s celebrations is that they’re followed by New Year’s hangovers, the often painful start to what you’ve promised yourself to be a happier and healthier year than the one prior. It’s on days like these that you crawl out of bed, curse your choices and desperately seek something edible to make you feel at least marginally steadier. So in the spirit of how you feel after the festivities went too far, we’ve rounded up a few choice locations that you can hit up whenever the need for satisfying and soul-restoring foods is at its greatest.

FLORIDA AVENUE GRILL: It would be a disservice to this 68-year-old landmark to truncate its appeal at that of a hangover salve. But since opening its doors in 1944, the Florida Avenue Grill—strike that, make that the World-Famous Florida Avenue Grill—has been dishing the kinds of meals that chase away those boozy blues. But the fat and carbs are only a portion of the charm. This is a greasy spoon that has been owned and operated by the same family since Bertha and Lacey C. Wilson opened it all those years ago. Amid all the history its weathered, the Grill has also turned countless nights gone awry into mornings-after of possibilities, whether you’re tiptoeing down 11th Street NW or hobbling up from Shaw. Breakfast is served all day, fried chicken and other entrées begin at 11 a.m., and if you don’t order at least two of the hot cakes, you’re just doing it wrong. — Benjamin R. Freed

Florida Avenue Grill is located at 1100 Florida Avenue; (202) 265-1586.

ALSO: Ben’s Chili Bowl. Duh.

Photo by anokarina

OSMAN & JOE’S STEAK ‘N EGG KITCHEN: The Steak ‘N Egg Kitchen may not have the history or central location of the Florida Avenue Grill, but the eatery remains an institution in its own right. Located on Wisconsin Avenue between Tenleytown and Friendship Heights, the Steak ‘N Egg Kitchen serves up massive portions of protein at reasonable prices; an eight-ounce steak cooked to order, two eggs, hash browns and eggs will only set you back $8.99, and they’re sure to soak up whatever you put in your body the morning before. It’s even got the Marion Barry Seal of Approval. —Martin Austermuhle

Osman & Joe’s Steak ‘n Egg Kitchen is located at 4700 Wisconsin Ave NW; (202) 686-1201.

Also: Market Lunch in Eastern Market, where you can get everything from blueberry buckwheat pancakes to a Scrapple Brick. Yes, a brick.

Photo by Plantains & Kimchi

PHO: After a long night out, your body needs salt, but maybe it was too long a night to be able to stomach anything too solid. When chicken soup won’t do, opt for pho, the deliciously large bowls of Vietnamese broth and noodles which are sure to quiet any growling stomach and bring you back to a zen place. —Martin Austermuhle

Pho is available at a variety of locations, including Pho 14 (1436 Park Road NW, 202-986-2326; 1769 Columbia Road NW, 202-986-2288), Pho Viet (3513 14th Street NW, 202-629-2839) and Pho 75 (1721 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 703-525-7355).

Also: Sakuramen in Adams Morgan.

Photo by sinksanctity

CREME: I’ve only ever heard one thing about Creme Cafe on U Street: if you go, eat the chicken and waffles. All told, fried chicken and waffles may be the perfect hangover food, a marriage of sweet and savory. —Martin Austermuhle

Creme Cafe is located at 1322 U Street NW; (202) 234-1885.

Also: If you’re on U Street, Marvin also does chicken and waffles, or you can hit up soul food mainstay Oohh’s and Aahh’s, where the fried offerings, collard greens and mac and cheese will certainly have you oohhing and aahhing in no time. Further up 14th Street (near Crittenden Street NW), try the chicken and waffles at Smokey’s Fried Chicken take-out.

Photo by leklund

TED’S BULLETIN: This Barracks Row diner offers up a strong defense of the hangover breakfast: The Big Mark features three eggs, two pieces of bacon, two sausage links, hash browns, toast and homemade pop tart, and they’ve even got a Walk of Shame Breakfast Burrito for those really bad nights out. And for those of you that don’t want to truck it down to Capitol Hill on a bad hangover, fear not—a new Logan Circle-area location is expected to open soon, and it will even offer up what is soon to be newest culinary trend in D.C.: donuts!

Ted’s Bulletin is located at 505 8th Street SE; (202) 544-8337.

Also: The Diner in Adams Morgan is always a smart choice, and it never closes. For a little more personality, there’s Jimmy T’s on East Capitol Street, where traditional diner fare food is served in the corner rowhouse.

Photo by Benjamin R. Freed

THAT HALF A SANDWICH IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR: OK, so you’re not going to make it out of the house this morning. The gut instinct is to flop around in bed, texting “Fuck off!” to people calling you, and perhaps contemplating the relevancy of life. Assuming, that is, that your guts are in any shape of forming concrete thoughts. But, wait! Something needs to soak up all that leftover alcohol before your gastrointestinal tract goes off like a combustible kettle. Ah, did you leave half a sandwich in your fridge the other day? Splendid! Hopefully its from someplace reliable. Fast Gourmet has been straggling of late; same can be said for the rapidly expanding Taylor Gourmet chain. (Though even at a day old, both remain decent, if not admirable, options for eating one’s feelings.) Did you go dumpster diving at 7-Eleven, or perhaps a Chinese carry-out that isn’t Yum’s II? Better keep that to yourself. Did you save a sandwich from the Adams Morgan Wine Shoppe? Oh, you lucky son of a bitch. Now, what’s on this sandwich? Hopefully some kind of cured meat or breaded fillet. Marinara sauce would be swell, too. And if it’s got cheese on it, damn, you’ll be like Hasselhoff on a hamburger in no time. Is it tuna salad? Shit. You just lost the game. — Benjamin R. Freed

Your refrigerator is in your kitchen. Don’t worry, you can boot on the way there. No phone.

THE PEOPLE’S CHOICES: Here’s what a few of you offered up as your favorite hangover options in and around D.C. Feel free to add more on our Facebook page, or leave your ideas in the comments. If you’re not too hungover, of course.