Why go: The region’s best soul food, dished out from a galley kitchen to customers who josh with chef Oji Abbott as they tear into heaped-high meals. The mac and cheese inspires devotion, fried chicken is the stuff of dreams, and candied yams conjure a homey Thanksgiving dinner.
What to get: Fried chicken; mac and cheese; Cajun-spiced turkey pounded thin and lightly fried; collard greens shot through with vinegar and (surprise) no pork; candied yams.
Best for: A hearty lunch; a comforting, calories-be-damned takeout dinner.
Insider tip: To serve the U Street bar scene, an after-midnight menu on weekends features chicken and waffles—arguably the best rendition in town.
>> See all 2010 Cheap Eats restaurants here
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.
