Washington, D.C.

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Finally, Good Food By the Mall

An August 2001 trip to Washington, D.C. by scotth

Visitors to Washington quickly notice the total absence of good food around the monuments and museums. Fortunately, good food is not far away along the revitalized sections of Seventh Street.

  • 9 reviews

Finally, Good Food By the MallBest of IgoUgo

Overview

Manhatten Deli, best quick food within a block of the Mall.

Jaleo (E and 7th St), a tapas bar with the best food of any of the restuarants along 7th Street.

Washington's small Chinatown starts at 7th and H. The section is made up of around 20 decent, inexpensive restaurants.

The District Chop House which has happy hour beer specials and first rate french fries. The restuarant is between D and E street on 7th Street.

CoCo Loco Friday Happy Hour (4-7 pm). They put up enough free food for a traveler to have a filling dinner.

Quick Tips:

The pizza at the Manhatten Deli (.85 a slice) is probably one of the best quick lunches you can get close to the Mall. The pizza is good and the slice large, a lot better deal than you will get for the cardboard the vending trucks right at the Mall sell as pizza.

Best Way To Get Around:

You can take a short taxi ride but the restaurants along 7th Street are only a 10 minute walk from the Mall.

Seventh Street runs through the Mall between the West Building of the National Gallery of Art and the gallery's new sculpture garden. The restaurants are a few blocks up the street into Northwest Washington. You are walking the right way from the National Gallery if you go towards the National Archives and the U.S. Trade Commission. If these buildings don't stand out from the other hulking federal buildings, look further up the street for a red-bricked, gold-domed building on the right.

District Chop HouseBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

The District Chop House attracts those who like to eat steak, smoke cigars and swagger. Even if this doesn't exactly describe you, you will probably enjoy the food which averages around $15 an entree. Defiantly order the french fries. The best happy hour drink special in the area happens here from 5 to 7 with $2 pints of beer brewed on the premises.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

District Chop House
509 7th Street NW Washington, District of Columbia 20004
(202) 347-3434

Manhattan DeliBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Manhatten Deli"

The Manhattan Deli is located beside the Naval Memorial at the intersection of 7th and Pennsylvania Avenue. The restaurant tries to keep the office workers who are its regular customers happy by serving up a wide variety of food. There's a traditional deli counter with hot and cold sandwiches, a large prepared food bar and even a small pizzeria. The pizza ($1.85 a slice) is some of the best in a city without much good pizza.

The Naval Memorial with all its fountains is a pleasant place to sit down and eat. In the summer, Navy drill teams conduct drills at the memorial. Depending on your timing, you can either watch the sailors drill or see them smoke and pick up young women aside the monument during their break.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

Manhattan Deli
801 Pennsylvania Avenue North West Washington, District of Columbia 20001
(202) 737-2211

Saffron DeliBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

A fancy sandwich shop, the Saffron Deli seems a little on the expensive side. Sandwiches costs around $6 but are enough for two. The smoked salmon club ($5.50) is a personal favorite.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

Saffron Deli
407 7th Sreet Washington, District of Columbia

Legal SeafoodBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Legal Seafood between G and H comes through on its promise of delivering fresh and good seafood (entrees starting at $10).

Fuddruckers at the corner of 7th and H is a Fridays-type-place hamburger and fries place and is better than Legal Seafood for those looking for a quicker meal.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

Legal Seafood
704 7th Street North West Washington, D.C., United States 20001
(202) 347-0007

CoCo LocoBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Co Co Loco"

CoCo Loco, a Brazilian restaurant/dance club, offers a mix of South American dishes and an under $7 lunch special menu. The restaurant's happy hour each Friday between 5 and 7 features $3 Coronas or Margaritas and free nachos, pasta and sauteed chicken, more than enough for a hungry traveler looking for a free dinner. Hip folks come out to dance here after about 10pm.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

CoCo Loco
Between H and I on 7th Street Washington, District of Columbia

Chinatown Express RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "China Town"

Washington's China Town should really be called China Street. The restaurants along H Street between 7th Street and 5th Street are all that make up China Town. I work near China Town and have eaten at almost all of the restaurants. None of them are that fantastic, though most have adequate food and service. Go-Los on the right coming from 7th Street has never disappointed me. Taishan, the second restaurant on the right coming from 7th Street, is one of the more authentic places and is patronized mostly by Chinese. I've never had a bad meal there either.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

Chinatown Express Restaurant
746 6th Street NW Washington, District of Columbia 20001
(202) 638-0424

JaleoBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

The first fine restaurant to venture into the rundown area five years ago, Jaleo specializes in tapas, small servings of rich Spanish food. Tapas run between $5 and $9. Two tapas per person is usually enough. Gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), calimari a la romana (fried squid) and pattatas bravas (a filling cheese potato mix) are smart choices.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

Jaleo
480 7th Street North West Washington, D.C., United States 20004
(202) 628-7949

7th Street Art GalleriesBest of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Small 7th Street Art Galleries"

Several small art galleries operate on the same stretch of 7th Street. The building at 406 7th Street houses five galleries. At least two of the galleries have an interesting exhibit at any given time. Zenith Gallery at 413 7th St. always has an first-rate painting or sculpture exhibit.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by scotth on August 15, 2001

7th Street Art Galleries
Between D and F Street Washington, United States

About the Writer

scotth
scotth
Washington, District of Columbia
  • "The past year or so I've been settled in Washington, having started my first real job and all that...."
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  • 11 reviews

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