Anyone who knows me knows I’m a major foodie. This is great in some ways, but not so great for my wallet. Sometimes I genuinely cringe thinking about how much of my money goes toward good quality food. That’s why in recent times, I’ve become particularly attuned to some great places to get cheap, but delicious eats in DC and some other places that while expensive, are worth the cost in my opinion.
Two of my recent discoveries for affordable and yummy meals are: Wiseguy Pizza and Bandit Taco. In terms of pricey, but worthwhile restaurants, I 100% recommend: Succotash and Bresca.
Bandit taco, located in Tenleytown, delivers in a big way when it comes to something DC often does poorly: authentic Mexican food. Forget that Cactus Cantina or Guapos crap (not that I don’t like a good cactus margarita or some tex mex food every once and awhile). Bandit taco, will quite literally steal your heart with its tacos (true to its name). I would highly recommend going on a Tuesday, when they have two dollar taco specials for select taco fillings. Not to mention, the service is fast and the people who work there are kind. My recommendation? Pick up an al pastor taco, a Baja fish taco, and a lime Jarritos and go from there. You’ll leave happy and with a satisfied stomach.
Wiseguy Pizza has locations in Chinatown, Foggy Bottom and Navy Yard. A DC staple, this pizzeria sells both pies and by the slice with a large selection of toppings. It’s the type of food that is perfect after a drunken night of shenanigans since its open late until at least 2 am every day. Not to mention, service is super fast, perfect for a quick meal when you’re hungry. Their classic margarita pizza tastes wonderful with its thin crust and strong sauce to cheese ratio.
Moving on to pricier options that are worth the money, I give you Succotash. I went for the first time to this restaurant with my boyfriend on our anniversary and it did not disappoint. Not only is the F street location beautiful, spacious and elegant, but the food is also some of the best I’ve ever put in my mouth. The cuisine Succotash specializes in is southern-style comfort food. So, your chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, cornbread, bourbon pecan pie and other hearty favorites. I still remember savoring their cornbread. The infused butter they served with the bread made the combination melt in your mouth and was so delicious I wanted to wrap it up and take it home with me. Their main courses were equally amazing. The depth of the flavors impressed us both greatly and since we went during restaurant week, we got a great deal for a 3 course meal.
Bresca, located in the heart of the city, on 14th street, is another favorite for when you feel like splurging. My boyfriend and I tried it out for a special occasion. We are both obsessed with cooking and love Master Chef an unhealthy amount. Since Bresca is a Michelin-star restaurant, I expected a lot and it lived up to the hype. For one, the waitstaff was lovely and cleared and cleaned our table in between each course. The food was also exquisite. We selected a variety of starters and medium plates: the bread and butter, shaved beef, scallop, halibut, tomato and burrata said and chocolate ganache cake. The delicacy of lightness of the dishes was incredible, not to mention the rich and complex flavors. My favorite of the dishes were the scallop, the burrata salad and the bread (of course.) We also sipped fancy cocktails along with our meal. Their bees knees signature drink was a hit both in terms of presentation and sweet honey taste.
While, I am definitely not an expert in the food world, I am someone who loves hunting down a good meal and I watch a copious amount of Food Network shows so thats got to count for something, right? To finish off this blog, I’ll leave you with my bucket list of restaurants to try in DC:
- The Dabney (mid Atlantic)
- Maydan (middle eastern)
- Espita (Mexican)
- El Sol (Mexican)
- Taqueria habanero (14th Street, tacos)✔️
- Bad saint (Filipino food)
- Ellé (cafe and brunch)
- St. Anselem (steaks and fish)
- Call your mother (bagels and deli food)
- Wiseguys (pizza, dive)✔️
- Timber pizza company (pizza)
- Etto (pizza on 14th street)
- All purpose (brunch pizza in Shaw)
- Sushi taro (sushi)
- Sushiko (sushi)
- Toki underground (ramen)
- Daikaya (ramen)
- Old ebbitt grill (oysters and American food/experience)
- Thai chef street food (Thai)
- Founding farmers (farm to table)
- Oohs and ahhhs (soul food, u street)
- Amsterdam falafel shop (falafel)
- Surfside (tacos, takeout, open late)
- Federalist pig (BBQ)
- Tail up goat (Mediterranean)
- Zenebech (Ethiopian, vegetarian)
- Hazel (Turkish food)
- Red hen (Italian)
- Estadio (Spanish)
- Little serow (Thai)
- Masseria (Italian)
- El rinconcito cafe (Salvadorian)
- Kinship (fine dining)
- Poca Madre (Mexican)
- Centrolina (center city, Italian)
- China chilcano (Peruvian)
- Rasika (Indian)
- Rose’s luxury (Vietnamese)
- The salt line (navy yard, oyster shooters etc)
- Ben’s chili bowl
- Fiola mare (seafood, beauty)
- Ted’s bulletin
- Himitsu (Japanese)
- Kith/kin (Afro Caribbean)
- Lucky buns (burgers)
- b dc penn quarter (burgers)
- Duke’s counter (burger, British fare)
- Duke’s grocery (pub food!)
- Maketto (Cambodian and Thai)
- Indique (Indian food)
- Indigo (Indian restaurant)
The Bucketlister 
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