Why go: Irish expat and Restaurant Eve chef/owner Cathal Armstrong shows his love for his homeland through the fryer at this fish-and-chips shop.
What to get: The Codwich, a hot filet of battered cod stuffed into a crusty white roll with lots of tartar sauce; fried cod and thick-cut chips with a draft Guinness; creamy coleslaw; sauces such as warm curry and Marie Rose (ketchup-tinted mayo) for the chips and Sarson’s malt vinegar and tartar sauce, heavy on the capers, for the fish; doughnut-like fried dough balls.
Best for: Takeout (everything is served in brown paper bags, and there’s only a handful of seats); staving off a hangover from PX, the owners’ speakeasy upstairs.
Insider tip: Persuade a child to try the fish and he or she gets a free soft-serve cone.
Open daily for lunch and dinner.
>> See all 2009 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.
