About Eat Great Cheap 2019
This article is a part of Washingtonian’s Eat Great Cheap feature, our annual list of where to eat (and not break the bank) right now. Our food editors put together the best new restaurants around DC where you can find Detroit-style pizza, Japanese egg-salad sandwiches, chicken-nugget-filled tacos, and more—for $25 or less per person.
Out: lentil patties. In: plant-based burgers that taste, smell, and grill up medium-rare like beef. Pro tip: Unless you’re vegan, skip the nut cheeses and “vrioche” buns—science hasn’t come that far.
Large Mack at American Son
Chef Tim Ma loves Big Macs—hence his vegan, special-sauce-slathered homage, offered to late-night diners at the progressive Eaton DC hotel. Find it Thursday starting at 10, Friday and Saturday at 10:30. 1201 K St., NW.
Impossible Melt at Bareburger
This NYC-based chain has both omnivore and vegan menus. We love this faux patty melt with American cheese and caramelized onions. 1647 20th St., NW.
BBQ Bacon Burger at Fare Well
Doron Petersan—behind the meatless diner and vegan bakery Sticky Fingers—dishes up a decadent burger with caramelized onions, tangy barbecue sauce, and shiitake “bacon.” 406 H St., NE.
Sweet & Spicy Club Burger at Quarry House Tavern
Any of this dive bar’s 11 burgers can be ordered with an Impossible patty on a squishy potato bun. Try one with Gouda, chili mayo, tomato, avocado, and (it’s dark, no one cares) real bacon. 8401 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring.
Classic Impossible at Founding Farmers, Farmers Fishers Bakers, and Farmers & Distillers
This local chain hews to tradition with a house-made bun and an Impossible patty cooked to your preference. We like medium-rare plus real cheddar. Multiple area locations.
This article appears in the August 2019 issue of Washingtonian.
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.
