The Washingtonian food team just wrapped up all the reporting for our annual Cheap Eats feature (out next month!) and yes, our pants are tight. With all those bargains on the brain, critic and food and wine editor Todd Kliman asked his weekly dining chatters about their favorite deals. If you’re as, er, thrifty as us, you probably want to bookmark this post. Oh and hey, feel free to leave your own favorite dining deals in the comments.
Regular chatter Arlingtongue nominated a suburban (Falls Church, specifically) sandwich: “For value you cannot question a bánh mì at Song Que: a fairly sized sandwich on crusty bread with fresh toppings priced between $3.25 and $3.75 depending upon which one you order. That is less than the price of the average drink at Starbucks, and a whole lot more delicious.”
NEDC, meanwhile, directed fellow foodies to Franklin’s in Hyattsville: “The food is always good and the service even better. The regular menu has great diversity without overreaching, and the specials don’t disappoint. They are very kid-friendly, but that doesn’t mean Chuck-E-Cheese.”
Arlington, VA schooled us on unspendy seafood: “Fish in the Hood was my go-to place, but now I found Fishnet. It is much cleaner than the first and does not smell like an uncleaned fish tank.”
Van Ness plugged H Street’s Ethiopic: “We almost always get the veggie sampler platter at Ethiopic and add on the fried croaker (I believe it is a $2 add-on). It’s enough to feed three people before you hit the injera wall.”
Fireflies in Del Ray got the thumbs up from Alexandria, Virginia: “It has a small but diverse menu, good drinks from the bar, and a great kids’ menu (mac and weenies, how could you go wrong?), plus they give each table butter-laden popcorn to munch.”
Best bargain in town put in a vote for sartorially successful Mexican eats: “In DC, I really like the Well-Dressed Burrito. For a salad, beans, and a burrito, it is big enough to last two meals for $6 to $8.”
The Lickety Split lunch at Restaurant Eve has found a fan in Alexandria, VA: “Restaurant Eve’s food for less than $15!”
Washington, DC, meanwhile, likes the veggie sandwich at Seventh Hill Pizza near Eastern Market, “rife with marinated vegetables and mozzarella.”
Here’s what Falls Church had to say about Bayou Bakery’s regular $7 Tuesday special: “It’s a BLT with thick-cut Benton’s bacon, oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, arugula, and just the right amount of what I suspect is homemade mayonnaise on a huge, toasted French bun.”
Sounds delicious.
Read the full transcript of this week’s chat here.
