Daily dispatches on the Washington, DC area's food, restaurant and dining scene.
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Cheap Eats Critics' Picks
These dishes stood out among the many we sampled for the 100 Best Bargain Restaurants issue. Check back Monday for the full Cheap Eats guide.
By
Todd Kliman
,
Cynthia Hacinli
,
Ann Limpert
,
Kate Nerenberg
,
Rina Rapuano
Published Friday, June 26, 2009
The codwich at Eamonn's in Old Town Alexandria gets our vote.
Best . . . Use of a breakfast staple: Home-style bacon with peppers, onions, and salty black beans at Hong Kong Palace. Reason to order a salad at a pizza place: Chickpeas with lemon and kaffir lime at Comet Ping Pong. Bar snack: Tandoori chicken wings at Spice Xing. Chili high: Karahi, a stir-fry of ginger, garlic, chilies, and tomatoes with chicken or beef at Ravi Kabob House and Ravi Kabob House II. For fiery-food-phobes: Creamy, gently spiced green curry with shrimp at Amina Thai. Nod to the West Coast: Shrimp tacos with pineapple salsa, lime sour cream, and yellow rice at Surfside. Lamb dish: Lamb fateh, tender meat smothered in yogurt and sprinkled with pita chips at Lebanese Butcher & Restaurant. Southern-inspired sweet: Lemon chess pie at the General Store. Near-the-Beltway barbecue: Smoky, char-crusted pork ribs smothered in sweet sauce at KBQ Real Barbecue.
Two meals in one: Chilaquiles with rojo sauce, fried egg, and fried-chicken cutlet at La Sirenita. Spring rolls: Silken Shawl Imperial Autumn Rolls—with pork, prawns, and a lacy, handmade wrapper—at Present. Upscale Filet-O-Fish: The Codwich—just-fried cod, lettuce, and freshly made tartar sauce on a warm, crusty roll—at Eamonn’s. Authentic Chinese cooking that will please timid palates: Sizzling beef with black pepper in hot pot at Full Key. Bargain charcuterie: Cevapcici—small, garlicky Bosnian sausages with hot, house-made bread and sour cream—at Cosmopolitan Grill. Drinkable dessert: Toasted-marshmallow milkshake, the sweetness tempered by Greek yogurt, at Good Stuff Eatery. Rice dish: Lamb kebabs over shirin polo—rice with sugared orange peel, almonds, and pistachios, topped with shallot yogurt—at Shamshiry. Dumplings: Mantu—delicate meat-filled dumplings with yogurt—at Faryab. Way to satisfy a steak craving on the cheap: Au poivre burger with blue cheese and sautéed mushrooms at Ray’s Hell-Burger. Fun-to-share dish that’s not pizza:Seafood pancake at Gom Ba Woo. Picnic fare: Perfectly seasoned fried chicken at Flavors Soul Food. Fish for less: Seafood ceviche at La Limena. Most elegant dish for less than $10: Roasted quail with lime dip at Four Sisters. Fatty indulgence: Pork belly with bright-green long beans, ginger, and bamboo at Sichuan Village. Savory pastries: Salteñas at La Caraqueña. Meal on the go: Pete’s Original tomato-and-cheese slice at Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza. More>> Best Bites Blog | Food & Dining | Restaurant Finder | Follow Best Bites on Twitter
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Comments
If you want cheap eats that are good, you need culture. Washington DC is like a mall food court. How much pan-asian molecular gastronomical fusion tapas can you eat. If you want good cheap and real food in the District youre eating Ethiopian, Ben’s, a pupusa in Mt. Pleasant or maybe something in Chinatown (which can be a crap shoot). Everything else is in the burbs, Eden Plaza, Korean in Annandale etc.
Posted by: Joneci, Aug 22, 2009 04:23:49 PM
@ Stewart, seriously, all of these places are relatively close. Who cares if the Washingtonian decided to expand their food selections. Good job Washingtonian
Posted by: Not a fan of Stewart, Jul 22, 2009 01:40:45 PM
I thought this magazine was the ’Washingtonian’, not ’MD/DC/NOVinian.’
Posted by: Stewart , Jun 27, 2009 03:08:04 PM
Good Stuff Eatery stole their idea from Stand in NYC.
Posted by: Joe, Jun 26, 2009 12:08:30 PM
@Kevin, these are only 25 of the top dishes as selected by the critics. Check back on Monday for the full Cheap Eats guide, which you’ll see has many DC selections.
Posted by: Catherine (washingtonian.com), Jun 26, 2009 09:50:36 AM
@Paul Whitaker, your wish has been granted!
Posted by: Catherine (washingtonian.com), Jun 26, 2009 09:49:00 AM
The only ones in DC are Good Stuff and Pete’s. Seriously? There are other "cheap" eats in the city.
Posted by: Kevin, Jun 26, 2009 09:47:59 AM
Links from the restaurant name to more info would be helpful.
Posted by: Paul Whitaker, Jun 26, 2009 09:09:39 AM
Are ANY of these places in the district? What’s the point?
Posted by: cs, Jun 26, 2009 09:06:41 AM
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