In a town where the outrageous rents are capitalized in the price of your entree, it can be hard to find an affordable meal. D.C.’s burgeoning restaurant scene is a boon to foodies and regular residents alike, but the endless parade of small plates filled with locally-sourced, humanely raised, free range [insert your protein or vegetable of choice here] can really take a bite out of your wallet. While we don’t expect lobbyists and politicians to start hosting their power lunches at the local taqueria or pho shop anytime soon, it turns out that the rest of us can still eat pretty well for under $10 a person. Here our are some of our favorite places to eat well on a budget.
Photo by KentonNgo.
AMSTERDAM FALAFEL: A falafel sandwich is often greater than the sum of its humble parts, depending on whatever you choose to top it with—tahini, yogurt sauce, fresh or pickled vegetables, hot sauce, the list goes on. At Amsterdam Falafel, it’s hard to go wrong with their dizzying salad bar of sandwich toppers. Cram as much as you can into that pita—it only costs $5-$6 either way.
Amsterdam Falafel is located at 2425 18th Street NW.
DISTRICT TACO: Lines are long at the brick-and-mortar location of this former food truck, and it’s no wonder: At only $2.25 a pop, these tacos—filled with moist meat and your choice of toppings such as pico de gallo, beans, and avocado—are a steal. Two or three tacos are enough to fill you up without putting a hole in your wallet.
District Taco is located at 1309 F Street NW.
DON JAMIE RESTAURANT: Don Jamie’s packs them in on the weekends for gut-busting, hangover-fighting specials like the huevos divorciados, a variation on huevos rancheros with red and and green salsa, and the migas, a cheesy abomination of scrambled eggs, corn tortilla, vegetables, and salsa. You’ll also find brunch basics like eggs, toast, bacon, and bottomless cups of coffee. Nothing costs more than $10, which is exactly the way it should be.
Don Jamie’s is located at 3209 Mount Pleasant Street NW.
DÖNER BISTRO: OK, this is drunk food in its purest form, but boy, does it come in portions plentiful enough to chase away—or at least soak up—that boozy feeling at the end of the night. A large cup is filled with freshly cooked fries, spit-roasted chicken or beef, a blast of curry powder, and a large dollop of a garlicky, yogurt-based sauce known only as “European Delight.” Stave off hangovers (and laminate your arteries!) for $7.99. —Benjamin R. Freed
Döner Bistro is located at 1654 Columbia Road NW.
EAT FIRST: This Chinatown staple has a really good egg drop soup for only $1.50. Fried rice or lo mein dishes are $4.95, and the majority of their other lunch options are $5.95 or $6.95. Eat First also serves hot tea with your meal for free, so that’s a bonus. When you can’t eat the best Chinese food in town, you might as well go for the cheapest. —Elisabeth Grant
Eat First is located at 609 H St NW.
EL POLLO RICO: Fans of Peruvian charbroiled chicken swear by the juicy, marinated birds at this local chain. There’s definitely something to be said about economies of scale here—El Pollo Rico only deals in chicken, which helps keep the prices low. A quarter chicken plus two sides is $5.30, while an entire half chicken and two sides goes for $7.75.
El Pollo Rico has locations in Arlington (932 N. Kenmore Street), Gaithersburg (211-G N. Frederick Avenue), Wheaton (2517 University Boulevard), and Woodbridge (13470 Minnieville Road).
Photo by manda_wong.
ERCILIA’S: What would list of “cheap eats” in D.C. list be without pupusas? This Salvadoran staple (a griddled corn tortilla stuffed with meat, cheese, or vegetables) can be found all over the area. A couple of these thick, cheesy patties topped with the signature vinegary slaw will fill you right up for $2-3 a pop. Ercilia’s serves them with that just-right ratio of slaw-to-pupusa and hit of nutty flavor that comes from slightly charring the cheese.
Ercilia’s is located at 3070 Mount Pleasant Street NW.
FAR EAST TACO GRILLE: There are a lot of food trucks waiting to sell you tacos, but Far East is my favorite for the bold flavors, large portions, and reasonable prices. A mash-up of Korean, Japanese, and Latin flavors don’t seem like they should work, but somehow it all ends up like a giant party in your mouth. Try their recommended combinations, especially the chicken with chipotle corn. Tacos are $3 each or $8 for three.
You can track the Far East Taco Grille’s movements on Twitter.
GREEK DELI: Devotees of this Dupont Circle lunch spot line up out the door for their daily dose of Greek classics, like baked pastitsio, gyro sandwiches, and chicken agvolelemono soup. Greek Deli’s popular falafel, gyro (versions include beef, chicken, and tuna), and souvlaki sandwiches cost around $7.
Greek Deli is located at 1120 19th Street NW.
HORACE AND DICKIES: As much as we enjoy some of the places that line the H Street NE corridor, the recent outposts tend to be gimmicky and—more importantly—too pricey for this list. Fine. Because the best spot in the neighborhood isn’t some new theme bar plucked out of Epcot Center, it’s Horace and Dickie’s, the 20-year-old carryout that serves up as tasty a piece of fish you’ll find in this city. And there’s no need for any adornment. For $6.05, the catfish sandwich arrives as a crispy, fluffy, massive fillet between two slices of white bread. Throw in a side for $1.85—collard greens or macaroni and cheese are strongly recommended—and there’s just enough left over for a slice of sweet potato pie. —Benjamin R. Freed
Horace and Dickies is located at 809 12th Street NE; additional location in Takoma at 6912 Fourth Street NW.
Photo by LaTur.
JULIA’S EMPANADAS: While many of us can cop to drunkenly snarfing down an empanada from Julia’s during a night of poor decision making, these savory pastries are also delicious in the light of sobriety. A single empanada is big enough for a light meal and will only set you back $3.60, less if you opt for the daily vegetarian special. If you’re feeling a bit more peckish, try the Good Meal Deal, one regular empanada, one fruit empanada, and a drink for $5.91, or the Health Meal Deal, an empanada, soup, and a salad for $6.37.
Julia’s Empanadas has locations in Adams Morgan (2452 18th Street NW), Brightwood (5235 Georgia Avenue NW), and Dupont Circle (1221 Connecticut Avenue NW).
PEDRO AND VINNY’S BURRITO CART: Pedro and Vinny’s is a McPherson Square staple, slinging hefty burritos loaded with beans, rice, chicken, guacamole, and cheese. The burritos come in three generous sizes and will run you $4.50-5.50, plus extra for certain toppings.
Pedro and Vinny’s cart is located at 1500 K Street NW.
PETE’S DINER: Pete’s Diner is a long-time favorite breakfast spot among DCist staff. The classically no-frills diner breakfast is cheap and filling. Dog owners take note, you can also dine with your pooch on the outdoor patio.
Pete’s Diner is located at 212 Second Street SE.
Photo by Mr. T in DC.
PETE’S NEW HAVEN STYLE APIZZA: As these lists often remind us, D.C. is no New York City, with its proliferation of utility slice joints. But Pete’s crusty New Haven style pizza fills a pretty good void, with single slices priced between $2.50 and $3.25. Try the lunch special (two cheese slices and a drink for $6) or stop in for happy hour for a pint of Peroni and a cheese slice for $5.
Pete’s has locations in Clarendon (3017 Clarendon Boulevard), Columbia Heights (1400 Irving Street NW), and Friendship Heights (4940 Wisconsin Avenue NW).
Photo by TheDeliciousLife.
PHO 14: If you want a cheap, tasty sandwich, it’s hard to argue with a banh mi, a mash-up of crusty French bread with bright Vietnamese flavors. The best deals are at the Eden Center in Falls Church—Banh Mi DC (3103 Graham Road, Falls Church) offers 24 different varieties and none cost more than $3.50. But for something closer to home, Pho 14 offers a pretty solid deal. Grab a sandwich for only $3.99 or upgrade to a platter which includes soup and an appetizer for $8.99.
Pho 14 has locations in Adams Morgan (1769 Columbia Road NW), Columbia Heights (1436 Park Rd NW), and Van Ness (4201 Connecticut Avenue NW).
PHO 75: Pho 75 is a quintessential hole in the wall, with a cafeteria-like setting, brusque service, and menus attached to the table. Pho 75 is one of the oldest pho joints around; they do one thing, and they do it very well. A regular bowl of their flavorful beef soup is less than $6.
Pho 75 has locations in Arlington (1721 Wilson Boulevard), Falls Church (3103 Graham Road) and Hyattsville (1510 University Boulevard E).
TACOS EL CHILANGO: Three yummy tacos for $7.50. They’re small but tasty and they double up on the corn tortillas so they don’t fall apart. — Lynne Venart (We reviewed Tacos El Chilango in September and also found them to be very tasty.)
Tacos El Chilango is located at 1119 V Street NW.
TAYLOR GOURMET: The long lines and rapid expansion of the Taylor Gourmet sandwich empire is a testament to the quality of their Italian-style hoagies and delicious house-roasted meats. Don’t miss the breaded chicken cutlet or succulent roast pork with broccoli rabe. A six inch sub runs about $7.
Taylor Gourmet has seven locations in and around D.C.
Photo by yujie_.
THE WELL-DRESSED BURRITO: In terms of burritos, there’s always perennial hole-in-the-wall. The Well Dressed Burrito is literally a hole in the wall, as its small space is tucked away in an alley off 19th Street between M and N Street. Compared the behemoth burritos of Chipotle, the Well-Dressed Burrito is cheaper (around $5 or $6 per wrap), bigger (seriously, they’re MAMMOTH), and better. The only downside is that it’s only open from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and only on weekdays. —Matt Cohen
The Well-Dressed Burrito is located at 1220 19th Street NW.
YOUR KITCHEN: There is the obvious: go to your nearest Safeway or Giant and eat the fuck at home. If you’re feeling too adult for macaroni and cheese, peanut butter and jelly, or ramen soup, try one of my personal eat at home favorites: something I like to call the Buffalo Taco. Get a bag of frozen boneless buffalo chicken, microwave it, and put it on a tortilla. Toss the chicken with Italian dressing (no, not Bleu Cheese—trust me on this), along with some shredded mozzarella and corn. I could probably work out price points and how many of those buffalo tacos you could make. I’m actually gonna eat one now. —Valerie Paschall
Your kitchen is located somewhere inside your home. The Buffalo Taco is located somewhere inside Valerie Paschall’s stomach.
