Outdoor Dining in DC
June 7, 2024 3:41 PM Subscribe
We're getting ready for our first long vacation in awhile, in Washington DC towards the end of this month. We're still COVID-cautious and looking for recommendations for outdoor dining near the typical touristy places and DuPont Circle.
The purpose of this trip is to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday; it'll just be her, me, and my spouse. We'll be visiting the museums and whatnot and have booked a hotel in the DuPont Circle neighborhood.
Preferably, we'd like food that's nice but not too pricey, and nowhere that requires reservations or dressing up (except possibly for the day of her birthday). Restaurants with good low-carb and/or low-sodium options are a plus. We're open to most cuisines, but have our own particular preferences (I don't eat most Indian, neither me nor my mom do sushi, the spouse and I are coming up from NJ so would like to avoid Italian). Food trucks and takeout places like delis are fine if there's parks or other public outdoor places to eat.
The purpose of this trip is to celebrate my mom's 75th birthday; it'll just be her, me, and my spouse. We'll be visiting the museums and whatnot and have booked a hotel in the DuPont Circle neighborhood.
Preferably, we'd like food that's nice but not too pricey, and nowhere that requires reservations or dressing up (except possibly for the day of her birthday). Restaurants with good low-carb and/or low-sodium options are a plus. We're open to most cuisines, but have our own particular preferences (I don't eat most Indian, neither me nor my mom do sushi, the spouse and I are coming up from NJ so would like to avoid Italian). Food trucks and takeout places like delis are fine if there's parks or other public outdoor places to eat.
Seconding Zorba’s for a casual bite.
If you’re willing to go a little bit north of Dupont, Lapis, which is right between Dupont and Adams Morgan has absolutely delicious Afghan food and fantastic dessert. They would definitely qualify as 75th birthday dinner worthy. They have only a very small patio on the side so while you wouldn’t normally need to make a reservation there, if you specifically want outdoor seating I would recommend doing so. Pretty sure that we have made reservations online there before. We have gotten space on their patio without reservation before for an early weekday lunch.
posted by donut_princess at 4:50 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
If you’re willing to go a little bit north of Dupont, Lapis, which is right between Dupont and Adams Morgan has absolutely delicious Afghan food and fantastic dessert. They would definitely qualify as 75th birthday dinner worthy. They have only a very small patio on the side so while you wouldn’t normally need to make a reservation there, if you specifically want outdoor seating I would recommend doing so. Pretty sure that we have made reservations online there before. We have gotten space on their patio without reservation before for an early weekday lunch.
posted by donut_princess at 4:50 PM on June 7 [3 favorites]
If you plan on seeing the Capitol, Mr. Henry’s has the best outdoor seating on the Hill.
posted by jgirl at 6:11 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
posted by jgirl at 6:11 PM on June 7 [2 favorites]
Best answer: I’ll second the recommendation for Kramer’s cafe. You might also enjoy Call Your Mother, which has a West End location with outdoor seating.
posted by reren at 7:03 PM on June 7
posted by reren at 7:03 PM on June 7
Best answer: Mission is a great recommendation. I also like Surfside for tacos and burritos. They are a stand/stall without their own seating but there are chairs and tables across the street.
Lucky Buns in Adams Morgan is one of my favorite burger spots and has a lovely patio. Any burger can be ordered on top of a salad for a gluten-free option. You won't need a reservation if you go on the early side.
Pizzeria Paradiso may not be helpful for the dietary restrictions but is very good. Not sure if pizza is too far on the side of Italian.
I absolutely adore Chiko for fast-casual Korean fusion. I don't think they have outdoor seating but they definitely do takeout.
These are a tick higher on the price/fanciness scale but not uber-expensive and I still wouldn't dress up for them: Agora for Greek and Turkish mezze with a huge menu and items for just about any diet, Hank's Oyster Bar for seafood, Lapis for really excellent Afghan (you might need a reservation for this one and I would probably at least put my nice shoes on but jeans and a T shirt would still be fine).
There's not a lot I would recommend to you near the tourist places. There's nothing directly on the Mall other than the museum cafes (none are any good, not even the overhyped Mitsitam, and all are indoors) and the National Mall food trucks which should be avoided like the plague. Nearby you've got Chinatown and the Wharf which are both very expensive/fancy dining areas (there are some decent fast-casual type places but none have outdoor seating that I can recall). There is a Lucky Buns and a Hank's at the Wharf but they book up really fast. I'd just opt for eating near your hotel.
Oh but if you go to the zoo, definitely go to Duke's Counter.
posted by capricorn at 8:32 PM on June 7 [4 favorites]
Lucky Buns in Adams Morgan is one of my favorite burger spots and has a lovely patio. Any burger can be ordered on top of a salad for a gluten-free option. You won't need a reservation if you go on the early side.
Pizzeria Paradiso may not be helpful for the dietary restrictions but is very good. Not sure if pizza is too far on the side of Italian.
I absolutely adore Chiko for fast-casual Korean fusion. I don't think they have outdoor seating but they definitely do takeout.
These are a tick higher on the price/fanciness scale but not uber-expensive and I still wouldn't dress up for them: Agora for Greek and Turkish mezze with a huge menu and items for just about any diet, Hank's Oyster Bar for seafood, Lapis for really excellent Afghan (you might need a reservation for this one and I would probably at least put my nice shoes on but jeans and a T shirt would still be fine).
There's not a lot I would recommend to you near the tourist places. There's nothing directly on the Mall other than the museum cafes (none are any good, not even the overhyped Mitsitam, and all are indoors) and the National Mall food trucks which should be avoided like the plague. Nearby you've got Chinatown and the Wharf which are both very expensive/fancy dining areas (there are some decent fast-casual type places but none have outdoor seating that I can recall). There is a Lucky Buns and a Hank's at the Wharf but they book up really fast. I'd just opt for eating near your hotel.
Oh but if you go to the zoo, definitely go to Duke's Counter.
posted by capricorn at 8:32 PM on June 7 [4 favorites]
The Mall is unfortunately seriously lacking in good food options, but right by the L’Enfant Plaza metro station there is Rice Bar DC. It’s the best food within walking distance of Hirshhorn, Air and Space, and American Indian, and you can site outside in front or walk through to the back where there’s a courtyard.
posted by sizeable beetle at 4:59 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
posted by sizeable beetle at 4:59 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In my experience trying to dine outside in DC (also COVID cautious), you might want to consider reservations for dinner. There's enough pressure on places that take reservations for their outdoor tables (some don't) that it can make life easier to have the reservation. Although we're not talking "book days in advance" - earlier in the day is fine for most places.
Food near the Mall is hard. Here's what comes to mind that's realistically walking distance:
A few blocks off the Mall near the Navy Memorial there's a Teaism. I think they have a few sidewalk tables, but it would be easy enough to order carryout and walk back to the Mall to eat.
Near lunch, just open up Google Maps and look for the closest fast casual place, get food and bring back to the Mall - &pizza, Sweetgreen, Potbelly etc all have locations in the vicinity, as well as some local places.
Nearer the White House, The Elephant and Castle has a nice patio. I've never eaten there but pub food tends to take effort to mess up too terribly?
There's a food court in the Reagan Building that's kind of a nuisance to get to and you'd have to bring your food outside, but it's not all fried, heavy stuff (although also not exactly cheap). Could do in a pinch.
If you need a little treat, stop by Dolcezza (gelato, coffee, and some baked goods) at the Hirschhorn.
Wrapping up your day near the Capitol and heading down Pennsylvania Ave into Capitol Hill (Mr. Henry's was already recommended) offers quite a few options. I think it could be a bit much to try to get into Capitol Hill and back as part of a whole day at the Mall (similarly the Wharf is far enough to be a hike just for for lunch), but could work depending on how you're structuring your time at the Mall.
Nthing Lapis, Lucky Buns and Agora for dinner options in the Dupont area. A block or so south of Lucky Buns, Bar Charley has a patio in the back, and I like their food and cocktails (reservation might be a good idea, though, it's not a big place).
If you're up to go a bit further afield for dinner, there are some nice options in Mt Pleasant, like Purple Patch (Filipino and American) and Beau Thai, as well as good ice cream at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream. If you want Ethiopian, Dukem and Ethiopic have nice patios. Supra (Georgian) also has a nice patio.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:16 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
Food near the Mall is hard. Here's what comes to mind that's realistically walking distance:
A few blocks off the Mall near the Navy Memorial there's a Teaism. I think they have a few sidewalk tables, but it would be easy enough to order carryout and walk back to the Mall to eat.
Near lunch, just open up Google Maps and look for the closest fast casual place, get food and bring back to the Mall - &pizza, Sweetgreen, Potbelly etc all have locations in the vicinity, as well as some local places.
Nearer the White House, The Elephant and Castle has a nice patio. I've never eaten there but pub food tends to take effort to mess up too terribly?
There's a food court in the Reagan Building that's kind of a nuisance to get to and you'd have to bring your food outside, but it's not all fried, heavy stuff (although also not exactly cheap). Could do in a pinch.
If you need a little treat, stop by Dolcezza (gelato, coffee, and some baked goods) at the Hirschhorn.
Wrapping up your day near the Capitol and heading down Pennsylvania Ave into Capitol Hill (Mr. Henry's was already recommended) offers quite a few options. I think it could be a bit much to try to get into Capitol Hill and back as part of a whole day at the Mall (similarly the Wharf is far enough to be a hike just for for lunch), but could work depending on how you're structuring your time at the Mall.
Nthing Lapis, Lucky Buns and Agora for dinner options in the Dupont area. A block or so south of Lucky Buns, Bar Charley has a patio in the back, and I like their food and cocktails (reservation might be a good idea, though, it's not a big place).
If you're up to go a bit further afield for dinner, there are some nice options in Mt Pleasant, like Purple Patch (Filipino and American) and Beau Thai, as well as good ice cream at Mount Desert Island Ice Cream. If you want Ethiopian, Dukem and Ethiopic have nice patios. Supra (Georgian) also has a nice patio.
posted by EvaDestruction at 9:16 AM on June 8 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thank you for all the suggestions! Been going through them and marking them on Google Maps. Seeing okonomiyaki as the first item on Teaism's menu already has me salivating. Rice Bar looks great as well, as does Kramer's (all three of us love bookstores).
I'll look into the rest of the suggestions later today. I think Lapis would be a bit far out of the way, sadly.
posted by May Kasahara at 8:24 AM on June 10
I'll look into the rest of the suggestions later today. I think Lapis would be a bit far out of the way, sadly.
posted by May Kasahara at 8:24 AM on June 10
Response by poster: Got back from our trip yesterday. I was not expecting DC to be a foodie town, but it totally is, and you all nailed it with your suggestions. Here's where we ended up going, in no particular order:
- Mission
- Kramer's (twice)
- Pizzeria Paradiso
- Agora (mom's birthday dinner)
- Teaism (DuPont location, twice; the one near the Navy Memorial didn't have outdoor seating)
- Dolcezza (DuPont location, twice)
On the first night, we went to Capital Doner, me having forgotten the detail about Chiko not having outdoor seating, and it being nearby. Heavy, but very tasty. There was also Rakuya, next to Kramer's, a couple of times. I know I said I wanted to avoid sushi, but my mom and I found enough other stuff on the menu to enjoy. The shishito peppers there were quite good.
Thank you all again!
posted by May Kasahara at 7:25 AM on July 2 [2 favorites]
- Mission
- Kramer's (twice)
- Pizzeria Paradiso
- Agora (mom's birthday dinner)
- Teaism (DuPont location, twice; the one near the Navy Memorial didn't have outdoor seating)
- Dolcezza (DuPont location, twice)
On the first night, we went to Capital Doner, me having forgotten the detail about Chiko not having outdoor seating, and it being nearby. Heavy, but very tasty. There was also Rakuya, next to Kramer's, a couple of times. I know I said I wanted to avoid sushi, but my mom and I found enough other stuff on the menu to enjoy. The shishito peppers there were quite good.
Thank you all again!
posted by May Kasahara at 7:25 AM on July 2 [2 favorites]
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posted by xaire at 4:45 PM on June 7 [4 favorites]