Food Chain (M St. between Connecticut Ave. and 17th St., NW; 14th St. and New York Ave., NW; North Capitol and E sts., NW). One of downtown DC’s best lunch values comes out of these three hot-dog trucks—and it’s not a half-smoke. Jerk-chicken wraps ($5) and tacos ($2.50) feature peppery meat and mango salsa.
It’s rare that vegans can order from a street cart, but the Caribbean bean taco ($2.50), spilling beans and salsa and topped with a sprinkling of coconut, is as good as its chicken counterpart. For an extra kick, ask for the fire sauce; the smoke sauce is milder. Items can sell out quickly—get updates at twitter.com/foodchaindc—but look for the outfit to expand into more carts with more cuisines.
Open Monday through Friday 10 to 4.
>> See all Dirt Cheap Eats Restaurants
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
