Whether you’re heading to the fireworks on the National Mall or hosting your own backyard cookout, DC-area restaurants and shops have you covered with fried chicken picnics, grill packages, and more. Most items for July 4th require advance orders, so make sure to double-check the deadlines.
Summer picnic basket from Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
1308 G St., NW; 7511 Leesburg Pike #103, Falls Church, VA
Treat yourself (and three friends) to a taste of the south with Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken’s summer picnic basket. The meal includes eight pieces of fried chicken, four biscuits, one large coleslaw, and six doughnuts ($50 per basket). For the sweets, choose from patriotic “USA” doughnuts, birthday cake doughnuts, or cherry pie doughnuts. Pre-order a basket by calling 202-809-5565 or emailing info@astrodoughnuts.com by July 3rd, and pick it up on July 4th anytime from 7:30 AM to 5:30 PM at G Street, or from 7:30 AM to 8 PM at Falls Church.
Fried chicken picnics from Penn Commons
700 6th St., NW
Pick up an American feast-in-a-box from Penn Commons, which is located within walking distance of the Mall in Penn Quarter. The to-go pack, which feeds two, includes buttermilk fried chicken, dill potato salad, sweet corn chow-chow, and summer peach hand pies. Even the price is patriotic: $17.76. Place an order by 4 PM on July 2nd by calling 202-905-2999 or emailing info@penncommonsdc.com, and pick up the box on July 4th anytime from 11 AM to 9 PM.
Grill-at-home packages from Del Campo
777 I St., NW
If you’re hosting your own July 4th cookout this year, try one of Del Campo’s at-home grill packages to recreate the Argentinean asado experience. The restaurant’s butchers prepare an “El Gaucho” package for $110 (short ribs, chorizo, veal sweetbreads, buvette steaks) or the “El Asador” for $175 (ribeyes, chorizo, morcilla, veal sweetbreads, Brazilian lobster tails), with various prepared salads and sides. Packages serve four people, but all items are also available à la carte. Place an order at least 48 hours in advance by calling 202-289-7377, or emailing events@delcampodc.com. Pickup is available from 11 AM to 3 PM on July 4th.
Independence Day chicken bucket from Pearl Dive Oyster Palace
1612 14th St., NW
Fuel yourself and a couple of friends with the hearty fried chicken bucket from Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, available for $35 on both July 3rd and July 4th. The meal includes six pieces of dark meat fried chicken, three jalapeño cornbread muffins, coleslaw, potato salad, blueberry hand pies, and patriotic cookies—plus a tablecloth and serving ware. Place your order using this form by July 3rd at 6 PM for pickup on July 4th (pickup times range from 11 AM to 5 PM).
July 4th grilled meats from Kapnos
2201 14th St., NW; 4000 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA; 4900 Hampden Ln., Bethesda, MD
All of Mike Isabella’s Kapnos restaurants are offering July 4th catering options, perfect for groups of eight or more. Choose from spit-roasted lamb shoulder or Greek pulled pork for $65 (one order serves 8 to 10), which can be matched with additional appetizers, snacks, and sides like Mediterranean mac n’ cheese and lemon-roasted potatoes. Also available for pickup is a “gyro bar” with meats priced by the pound and served with pita bread, romaine, pickled onion, and tzatziki.
Place an order on or before June 30 by emailing events@cateringbymic.com. The restaurant will work with you to set a pickup time at any of the locations for July 3rd. Orders can also be picked up between 10 AM and 12:30 PM on July 4th at the DC Kapnos only. Find the full menu and order form on all three Kapnos restaurant websites starting on June 27th.
July 4th to-go packs from Red Apron Butcher
1309 5th St., NE; 709 D St., NW; 8298 Glass Alley, Fairfax, VA
Simplify your backyard cookout with a readymade pack from Red Apron Butcher, featuring Red Apron meats and all the fixings. Choose from the burger pack for $45 that includes everything you need to make eight cheeseburgers (including the tomato slices, Thousand Island, and pickles), or the “Haute dog” pack for $25 with six sausages, bacon-braised sauerkraut, and hot mustard.
Also available as à la carte options are the Red Apron Sriracha-pulled pork ($10 per pound), bacon cheeseburger sausages ($14 per pound), bacon ribs ($16 per pound), and ground beef (discounted to $8.99 per pound July 1st to 4th). Everything is available for purchase in Red Apron shops starting July 1st (with no pre-order necessary). On July 4th, the hours for pickup at each location are as follows: 11 AM to 4 PM for Union Market; 9 AM to 4 PM for Mosaic; and 8:30 AM to 8 PM for D Street.
Summer Grill Feast from Pinstripes
1064 Wisconsin Ave., NW
This Georgetown eatery offers July 4th platters for six to eight people, which can be delivered anytime between 7 AM and 10 PM within a 20 mile radius. Highlights include bratwursts and buns ($33 per dozen), black angus mini burgers ($32 per dozen), and pulled pork sliders ($39 per dozen). If you’re throwing a huge bash, there are also catering options for 50-plus people that include grilled meats, sides, desserts, etc. Email veronica.d@pinstripes.com or call 202-316-9113. Small orders must be placed 24 hours in advance, while large-party catering for July 4th must be reserved by July 1st.
To-go options and picnic basket from Firefly
1310 New Hampshire Ave., NW
You can feed a few mouths or a large group with Firefly’s assorted to-go options made special for the 4th. If you’re looking for the whole shebang, choose the duck fat fried chicken basket for $49 (eight pieces of chicken, four pieces of cornbread, choice of two sides, and either four handpies or four popsicles). The smaller options include a wrap combo for $14 (choice of curry chicken, farmer’s market, or turkey avocado), a selection of dips for $9 (edamame hummus, guacamole, and salmon dip), as well as handpies, popsicles, and sides à la carte, priced at $3-5.
Add the picnic basket option, and Firefly will package your order up for you. All orders should be placed by July 3rd at 10 PM by calling 202-861-1310, and you’ll select a pickup time for the 4th. The restaurant will also be operating with normal hours on July 4th, for those who’d like to order from the regular menu.
Former editorial fellow Erica Sloan is now an editorial assistant at Martha Stewart Weddings and Martha Stewart Living.
