Johnny's Half Shell
400 N. Capitol St., NW
Washington, DC 20001
202-737-0400
Neighborhood: Capitol Hill
Cuisines: Southern, Seafood, Modern, American
Opening Hours:
Open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Open for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5 to 10 PM. Closed on Sunday.
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Nearby Metro Stops: Union Station
Price Range: Moderate
Noise Level: Chatty
Reservations: Recommended
Website: http://www.johnnyshalfshell.net
Best Dishes:
Roasted-beet-and-cucumber salad with smoked sturgeon and a caviar parfait; charbroiled Chesapeake oysters; made-to-order oyster stew; gumbo; Maryland crabcakes; lobster with drawn butter and fresh shell beans; coconut cream pie.
Price Details:
Entrees, $17.95 to $27.95.
Special Features: Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly
Ann Cashion has been hailed over the years for championing local foods, but the James Beard Award winner is perhaps more properly understood as an advocate for place. At her bustling Capitol Hill restaurant, the traditions of the Mid-Atlantic are given their due in unfussy preparations, while the divides of Congress are surmounted as politicos find commonality in food and drink.
It doesn’t hurt that Cashion sends out some of the city’s finest seafood, from perfect crabcakes to an immensely satisfying grilled lobster.
Leave room for cakes and pies that, like the restaurant, never show off and always hit the spot. Don’t miss: Barbecue shrimp; grilled chicken wings; tequila-cured gravlax; charbroiled oysters; oyster stew; sautéed soft-shells; crab imperial; lemon chess pie; chocolate angel-food cake. Open: Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner. Expensive.
