Hey buddy. How’s your head today? Not great? How much water have you had this morning? Probably not enough. Go drink some. I’ll wait. Now that you’re closer to being properly hydrated, let’s talk hangover food. You must be craving fat and sugar. Give into that urge. Follow through with your resolution to eat better tomorrow. Below are places to get hangover food you want regret eating from last year’s list, plus a few new options.
Photo by Inspiration D.C.
WAFFLES: After I’ve had too much to drink, my body forces me to crave syrup and I indulge it. I’ve already praised Belga Cafe’s savory waffle selections — Mais Wafels (a cornbread waffle, avocado, pulled pork, fried egg and crème fraîche) and Wafel A La Quiche (puff pastry quiche, ham, cheese, eggs and cream) — while Locolat Café offers an even more indulgent option: a $16 waffle burger that features bacon and an egg. Lincoln’s Waffle Shop is a good choice if you’re looking for something more basic, as is the Original Pancake House if you find yourself outside of D.C. If you think you’re better than me and want to skip the syrup, try a sandwich at Wicked Waffle.
Belga Cafe is located at 514 8th Street SE; Locolat Café is located at 1781 Florida Avenue NW; Lincoln’s Waffle Shop is located at 504 10th St NW; OHOP is located at 7703 Woodmont Avenue, Bethesda, Md. and 7395 Lee Highway, Falls Church, Va.; Wicked Waffle is located at 1712 I Street NW.
CHICKEN AND WAFFLES: 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 from Best Hangover Foods 2013
Creme Cafe is located at 1322 U Street NW
Daikaya Izakaya takes chicken and waffles and flips it on its head on their brunch menu. And why not have a little fun, since brunch isn’t even traditionally eaten in Japan? Chicken karaage, Japan’s answer to fried chicken, is crackling and juicy with a delicate crust. The poultry pieces come nestled next to an adorable fish-shaped waffle stuffed with earthy red bean paste. The whole thing is topped with a drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of wasabi butter in a surprisingly successful marriage of sweet and savory. — Alicia Mazzara, the Weekly Feed
Daikaya is located at 705 6th Street NW.
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 Hawkins
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 from Best Hangover Foods 2013
Florida Avenue Grill is located at 1100 Florida Avenue
Also: Ben’s Chili Bowl. Duh.
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MISO SOUP: Sodium and water: Things your body needs after a night of drinking that are conveniently found in miso soup. It’s also a perfect hangover food option, as you can have it delivered from a number of places and stay in your pajamas. If you do plan on venturing outside, YO! Sushi in Union Station offers a bottomless bowl plus the ability to refill your own water glass. Plus if you embarrassed yourself on New Year’s Eve, you can hop on a train and start a new life.
YO! Sushi is located at 50 Massachusetts Avenue NE.
Also: Packets you buy at the supermarket.
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 from Best Hangover Foods 2013
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: Chicken soup may be the Jewish penicillin, but grandma is not around anymore to make me her version. Thankfully we have the Vietnamese. Pho—the ubiquitous beef noodle soup of Vietnam—has also earned the penicillin nickname. And if you’re more in the mood for a fowl version for old times’ sake, many pho joints will serve up pho ga as an alternative option to the beef broth/cow cuts option. With two Pho 14 locations around me and Pho Viet just a little further up 14th Street NW, I no longer have to travel to Pho 75 in Rosslyn to get my fix. It’s a medicine best taken at the restaurant. But, if you’re looking for a hangover remedy delivered to your doorstep, most shops will bundle the soup separately from the noodles, beef, and veggie condiments so you can assemble the fresh ingredients yourself. But it’s not the same as a steaming bowl being set in front of you with everything already swimming inside. — Josh Novikoff from Best Brunches
Pho is available at a variety of locations, including Pho 14 (1436 Park Road NW; 1769 Columbia Road NW), Pho Viet (3513 14th Street NW) and Pho 75 (1721 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, Va.).
Also: Sakuramen in Adams Morgan and Toki Underground on H Street NE.
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.
Ted’s Bulletin is located at 505 8th Street SE and 1818 14th Street NW.
PETE’S DINER: Bacon and eggs can heal whatever ails you. At Pete’s Diner, the least pretentious place you’ll find on Capitol Hill, you can behave like Ron Swanson (“Just give me all the bacon and eggs you have.”) and not leave broker than you already are. The staff is kind, the coffee hot, and the lights just dim enough to make it a great post-hangover spot. — Sarah Anne Hughes
Pete’s Diner is located at 212 Second Street SE.
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.
