Where to grab a bite, beer and late-night snack from 11th Street to Mount Pleasant and everywhere in between.
Historic row houses, modern apartments, major retail shops and some of the city’s most distinct dining enclaves put Columbia Heights on the map. With its everyone-is-welcome Sunday drum circle in Meridian Hill Park, as well as the city’s GALA Hispanic Theatre at the Tivoli Theatre, cultural diversity is a major calling card for the Northwest DC neighborhood.
Luckily for diners, that characteristic spills over into its dining options, which span countless ethnic cuisines. Venture away from the neighborhood’s namesake Metro stop to uncover more 11th Street treasures or Mount Pleasant’s mix of Salvadoran bodegas and sit-down spots. Or, you can always just stick to the slate of bustling bars, bistros and family-owned eateries on and around 14th Street.
11th Street Eats
If you’re partial to low-key neighborhood hangouts, you’ll fall for any number of 11th Street hot spots.On weekends, the brunch at El Chucho lures a local crowd of hip young professionals and stroller-pushing parents. In a two-level one-time auto body shop that’s been painted bright turquoise, dig into Mexican-fusion fare like huevos de Chesapeake (eggs and crab cakes) and masa pancakes. Its signature hibiscus margaritas go down easy, and the coffee is good and strong, too.
Opt for a late-night casual vibe and dig in to some wood-fired pizza at RedRockssettle into a booth or vintage sofa with a slaw-covered fried chicken sandwich at The Coupe.
The Queen's Englishreflects the two specialties of the couple that owns it: fresh and fun Cantonese food inspired by Henry Cheung's childhood in Hong Kong, and natural wine offerings carefully curated bysommelier Sarah Thompson. Grab a spot on the patio, in the dining room or at the Chef's Counter to sample crispy pig ear with lychee, truffle dumplings, octopus pancakes and salted duck yolk ice cream alongside some delectable "history in a glass."A very happy marriage, indeed.
On and Around 14th
As you’d expect from the main strip that cuts through the neighborhood, you could eat every meal of the day along 14th Street. You can also catch the big game at Lou's City Bar, where your favorite bar bitesare pairedwith 20-plus beer taps and just as many TVs.
When it comes to ethnic food, DC diners have voiced their desire to do away with weak Western versions of dishes in favor of ordering the real deal, previously reserved for expats and the in-the-know crowd. Take Thip Khao, for instance. The restaurant, which serves authentic Lao cuisine, hums in evenings with diners ordering up spicy and pungent dishes like kua khao jaew bong, fried rice with fermented chilis, radishes and zucchini, and naem khao thadeau, spicy crispy catfish made with lemongrass and fresh herbs. Continue along a Southeast Asian quest for comfort with Vietnam’s signature take on soup at family-run operations Pho Viet.
Not far from what was locally known as “Little Ethiopia” – whose heyday reigned over nearby U and 9th Streets NW – you’ll find Letena, where you order at the counter for quick delivery of all the tenderloin tibs and vegetarian-friendly wats (think curry) you could desire. In true Ethiopian fashion, the food is best-consumed when folded up within small shreds of spongy injera bread and the coffee service is taken very seriously – as evidenced from the Counter Culture beans.
When you need to grab a quick bite late at night, fill up on a delicacy native to El Salvador, affordable and must-try pork pupusas from Gloria’s Pupuseria, or go with a conveyer belt-cooked &pizza.
Mount Pleasant
Starting during acivil war in the 1970s and continuing through the 2000s, a large population from El Salvador emigrated the U.S., with many of them relocating to DC, in Mount Pleasant to be specific. As a result, today its eponymous street's corner markets, like Bodega Los-Primo, El Progreso Market and Best World Supermarket, stock the neighborhood with imported Mexican sodas, fresh tortillas, plantains, jicama and other Latin American staples. When you’re itchin’ for authenticpupusas, tacos and sopes, Mount Pleasant has got you covered.
Haydee’s, founded in 1990 by Salvadoran husband-wife duo, bartender Haydee and chef Mario, is famed for its signature sounds, from the deafening platters of sizzling fajitas to the live jazz, rock and karaoke acts that play on a nightly basis.
Ellē
The award-winningElleserves small-batch coffee paired with fresh-baked breads – which customers can retrieve through a take-out window – plus seasonal, vegetable-forward fare and biodynamic wines by night. Their eye-popping pastries and cakes are a focal point.
If your sweet tooth isn't easily satisfied, conclude your evening with a scoop (or two) fromMount Desert Island Ice Cream. Flavors are adventurous and globally-minded, such asbrigadeiro (a Brazilian dessert made with condensed milk and cocoa powder) and pistachiokulfi (South Asian spiced ice cream).
You don’t have to be a Bolshevik to have a good night at Marx Café Revolutionary Cuisine, a neighborhood hangout where the bartender is quick to mingle with locals and newbies alike. The restaurant-bar is known for airing soccer matches from across the globe in the daytime, but you can also catch most major sports on its flat-screen TVs by night, too.
While you're in the neighborhood, don't forget to check out even more to see and do in Mount Pleasant.
The Ultimate Dive Bar Pub Crawl
When you want to see where the night will take you, the Wonderland Ballroom on 11th Street is your ticket.This no-frills spot has DJs upstairs on the weekends and a memorabilia-filled first-floor bar jammed with locals.
Get more dive-bar kicks on 14th Street at Red Derby, where all the beer is served from a can. If you get lucky, you'll land a spot on the righteous rooftop, where you can enjoy an order of famous late-night sweet potato fries.
Among the divey-est of DC dive bars isthe Raven Grill in Mount Pleasant. Drop by the ATM before you visit because cash is the only way you’re getting served at this spot, where “Natty Bo” tallboys go down smooth, fast and cheap.
Tip: If you want to fit in like a local, leave the suit at home, don’t order food (there actually is no grill, but you can get a bag of Utz potato chips) and slump into a booth beside towering pictures of icons like Elvis, Marlene Dietrich and John Lennon. And even if (read: when) you do stick out like a sore thumb, savor the fact that you’ve landed in one of the city’s most historic bars, oozing with personality and character.
