Eat Great Cheap 2018Best known for Vietnamese soups—five-spice-perfumed pho and bun bo hue, load-ed with pig’s knuckle, pork-blood curd, and crab balls—these lively cafes also do a stellar grilled pork chop. Along with the caramelized meat, be sure to get a bit of fried egg, pickled vegetables, pork skin, and rice on the fork before swiping the whole bite in fish sauce spiked with house-made chili paste. Also good: Crispy pork rolls; grilled-pork or house-special bánh mì.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
Jessica Sidman covers the people and trends behind D.C.’s food and drink scene. Before joining Washingtonian in July 2016, she was Food Editor and Young & Hungry columnist at Washington City Paper. She is a Colorado native and University of Pennsylvania grad.
