Our blog, Hobnob Blog, carries periodic  restaurant reviews.  However, we recommend the reviews on Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide.

See some of the places our faculty and authors like in "Faculty Favorites" on Hobnob Blog.
 

Also see:

• Washingtonian - Washingtonian magazine restaurant reviews. Generally reliable. Recommended

• Washington City Paper restaurant finder

• Washington Post restaurant reviews

Note: The places where we like to eat tend toward Asian cooking and seafood. Some of the restaurants we like have pleasant decor, but a good value is paramount. Unless otherwise noted, major credit cards accepted. 

• Song Que - Vietnamese sandwiches and bubble drinks - try the crispy grilled pork sandwich with a bubble drink, a very good dinner for under $6. 6773 Wilson Boulevard, Eden Center, Falls Church, VA  [Yelp | Washingtonian]  Very good value.   Highly Recommended

• Los Tios - Mexican/Tex-Mex/Salvadorian in Del Ray. 2615 Mount Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 703-299-9290 [Don Rockwell | City Paper]  Recommended

• Bombay Curry Company - 3110 Mt. Vernon Avenue in Alexandria, VA  703-836-6363  [Washingtonian | City Paper] Good value.   Highly Recommended

• Kabob Palace - 2333 S. Eads St., Arlington, VA, 703-979-3000  Middle Eastern [Washingtonian | City Paper] Good value.  Recommended

• Al's Steak House - "Alexandria's First and Foremost Philly Cheese Steak Shop" - Good cheeseburgers, and great greasy onion rings (avoid the fries).  1504 Mt. Vernon Avenue, Alexandria, VA 703-836-9443 [Yelp | The Best Phlly Cheesesteaks] Very good value.   Recommended

• Ray's the Steaks - great steaks.  1725 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA  Reservations well in advance recommended. 703-841-7297  [Yelp | Washingtonian | City Paper] Good value.   Recommended

• Royal Restaurant Saturday and Sunday buffet brunch - cook to order omelet's, Belgian waffles, sausage, grits, biscuits, mac and cheese, fruit, and much more.  734 N. St. Asaph Street, at Madison Street, Alexandria, VA, 703-548-1616 [Yelp | WaPo | City Paper]

• Chart House - all we get here is the fried calamari appetizer and the Chocolate Lava Cake in the lounge.  One Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA  703-684-5080  [City Paper]

• Front Page Restaurant and Grille - good burgers and salads, near DuPont Circle. 1333 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington DC  202-296-6500

• Malaysia Kopitiam - our favorite Malaysian restaurant in DC (in NYC, try Sanur, 18 Doyers Street, 212-267-0088). Try everything. 1827 M St. NW (between 18th & 19th Sts.)  Washington, DC  202-833-6232 [TCEDG | Yelp | Washingtonian | City Paper]  Very good value. Recommended

• Full Kee - Try the wonton soup and steamed chicken. Just off Leesburg Pike and Columbia Pike, across route 7 from Borders Books in Baileys Crossroads Center (in the same shopping center as Trader Joe's at 5847 Leesburg Pike)  5830 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA  703-575-8232 [TCEDG | Yelp | City Paper]  Very good value.  Recommended

• Pho Bowl - Vietnamese Noodle Soup Restaurant.  Excellent.  6406 Landsdowne Center, Alexandria, VA  (just north of Ft. Belvoir at the south end of Beulah, near the CVS).  703-339-9101. Closes at 9:00 pm Excellent food [Yelp] Very good value.   Recommended

• Carlyle Grand Cafe - good, solid, reliable food (and one restaurant we go where the decor is good).  4000 S. 28th St. (just off I 395 at Shirlington) Shirlington, VA 703-931-0777  [Yelp | City Paper]   

• Although it's not a restaurant, the pizza, hot dogs and chicken bakes at the Costco food court are reliable and inexpensive - call ahead to order pizza at Pentagon City: 703-413-2324, extension 3250. Members only, cash or checks.  (Please, no whiny emails about this - Costco is not fine dining, it is not ethnic food, it IS a good $1.50 hot dog with drink and a good $9.95 pizza. If you don't agree, then don't go there.) Pentagon City, 1200 South Fern Street, Arlington, VA  Very good value. 

Also see our Visiting Washington, DC page

TheCapitol.Net is a non-partisan firm, and the opinions of its faculty, clients, and of the owners and operators of its vendors are their own and do not represent those of TheCapitol.Net.

Quick DC Links - Washington Essentials