Exclusive midday menus and discounts that beat out the sad desk lunch

Intense lunch competition has made it tough for small fish to survive, even for the most beloved of local options.

The San Francisco-based chain is famous for its automated ordering system, but it has everything else that fast casual seeking Washingtonians want, too.

Lamb burger … more like DAMN burger.

Made up of more than 2,000 pounds of food that would have otherwise gone to waste.

They’re serving up lunch between 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Doesn’t have to be all drudgery.

Looking to gorge for lunch? D.C. has plenty of midday brunch options. Some are great, some are lousy, but all will fill you up.

Like unicorns or free parking downtown, a weekday lunch for less than $7 or $8 often seems like a figment of the imagination. Cheap lunch eats exist, though, and we’ve rounded up a list of tasty options town.

J. Wellington Wimpy would be proud: word is that Z-Burger will be handing out free hamburgers to customers on days after the Dow Jones Industrial Average loses 500 points or more.