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Verizon Center Cheap Eats


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I thought I had seen a thread about this but can't find it.

For now, there is the "On the Fly" cart doing pasta dishes...orzo, chicken, lasagne. And the DCCK Capital Carts doing excellent gumbo and decent sandwiches. The Delle & Campbell guy hasn't been there "for weeks" according to the guy at OtF.

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My new job has me near the epicenter of recent growth in Washington. There are lots of great dining options around here, but many of the ones that leap to mind or rank atop Don's Penn Q and Verizon Ctr Dining Guides (Proof, Poste, Source, Rasika, PS7s) aren't places I can afford to visit all that often. So, where are the good lunch spots, best happy hours and inexpensive dinner spots near Verizon?

Here's what I've got so far:

Momji is a good option for cheap sushi dinner.

1791 seems to be a good sandwich spot.

PS7s has been my go-to happy hour for years.

Zaytinya and Oyamel can be less expensive and still good, interesting food.

Are Full Key and Chinatown Express the best of old chinatown? Are there other cheap ethnic spots around, maybe somewhere for Thai?

What else is good around here for lunch, happy hour, inexpensive dining?

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What else is good around here for lunch, happy hour, inexpensive dining?

PS7's has a daily 3-course lunch prix-fixe for $20 and on Monday and Tuesday nights, a 3-course dinner prix-fixe for $40 with ALL bottled wine 50% off. Not a bad deal and as you mentioned the HH specials can't be beat with a stick!! Kanylaya Thai is good for pad thai!!

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Are Full Key and Chinatown Express the best of old chinatown? Are there other cheap ethnic spots around, maybe somewhere for Thai?

What else is good around here for lunch, happy hour, inexpensive dining?

As for chinese, I believe the answer to your question is "yes, sadly".

Kanlaya is the only Thai joint in walking distance. It's pretty good, in my limited experience, but lunch starts at $10 after tax, so it's hardly cheap.

See link in my sig for more lunch options...I've been slowly trying more and more places since my office moved here in the summer.

As for happy hour, I've been to relatively few, mostly at RFD with RocketBar or Matchbox occasionally sneaking in. Have little desire to go happy-hour hunting, though, so I'm sure there are better options.

Let me know if you find anything good that I don't already have on EricEatsLunch....this area is a wasteland and I'm always looking for more options.

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See link in my sig for more lunch options...I've been slowly trying more and more places since my office moved here in the summer.
Wow, that is awesome and you are my new hero.

Adding Matchbox and Nandos Peri Peri to the list from Eric's map.

Poste also has good happy hour specials ($4 wine, beer and truffle frites)
You know, I've been down on Poste since their happy hour wines went from rotating selection from their wines by the glass list and switched to less enjoyable swill that doesn't seem to rotate. That combined with fries being the only discounted food option and the recently increased bar menu prices ($15-16 for little sandwiches? they are tasty and all, but...), they've been downgraded from bold to not even being italicized in my happy hour guide. :lol:
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Are Full Key and Chinatown Express the best of old chinatown? Are there other cheap ethnic spots around, maybe somewhere for Thai?

Jackey Cafe is surprisingly good, equal to Full Key. I really can't eat Chinatown Express anymore - way to greasy. Another option is Capital Q for BBQ which is pretty decent. Ellas Wood Fired Pizza is also good as well.

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Jackey Cafe is surprisingly good, equal to Full Key. I really can't eat Chinatown Express anymore - way to greasy. Another option is Capital Q for BBQ which is pretty decent. Ellas Wood Fired Pizza is also good as well.

I used to be a big CapQ fan, but I've had some really bad meals there since moving to the area. I have written them off my list of lunch options. The ribs in particular are freakin' terrible.

Haven't done Ella's for lunch, but the pizza has been acceptable in the past when I've been for happy hour or dinner.

I haven't been to the various chinese joints enough times to completely make up my mind about the hierarchy, but I did enjoy my Fried Good Dale at Jackey's.

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I often work from home in that neighborhood. Here are my suggestions:

-Clydes on the Walk- reasonably priced, pretty high quality sandwiches, soup, salad

-Baked Potato Place under the Clara Barton Condos

-Chop't

-Taqueria Nacionale

I would also like to add that the mini cookies and Hot Chocolate at Coco Sala are a nice alternative to Starbucks if you need a mid-day fix.

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I work in NW DC, and aside from a Subway, PotBelly, and Quiznos have not found any good deli's close by. Does anyone have any suggestions of a place to get a great sandwich around here?

I work at 9th and F, or about two blocks from the MCI Center.

It isn't that close (McPherson Square), but Loeb's Perfect New York Deli has pretty good sandwiches.

Better, more expensive, and closer to work:

Tuna sliders at PS7's

Slow-roasted pork panini at Proof

Smoked-duck ruben at Poste

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<snip>Kanlaya is the only Thai joint in walking distance. It's pretty good, in my limited experience, but lunch starts at $10 after tax, so it's hardly cheap.

<snip>

Is Thai Chili Peppers' DC branch no longer in the Cinemas on 7th? That was another nearby Thai joint, though I think I prefer Kanlaya.... What about Sushi Go Rounds' bento lunches? I thought their fried rice was fluffy good.
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Is Thai Chili Peppers' DC branch no longer in the Cinemas on 7th? That was another nearby Thai joint, though I think I prefer Kanlaya.... What about Sushi Go Rounds' bento lunches? I thought their fried rice was fluffy good.

Good catch...I often turn a blind eye to anything inside the black gate (clyde's on the walk excepted). Tried the yellow curry today...not impressed, and expensive (almost $13 after tax). Might give 'em another try if you vouch for the fried rice, but I've had more luck with Kanlaya so I'll probably just stick to that.

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Good catch...I often turn a blind eye to anything inside the black gate (clyde's on the walk excepted). Tried the yellow curry today...not impressed, and expensive (almost $13 after tax). Might give 'em another try if you vouch for the fried rice, but I've had more luck with Kanlaya so I'll probably just stick to that.
Just to note that I was vouching for the fried rice at the Sushi Go Round place (I was unclear on which you tried. :lol: ). But it's been awhile since I've been back to Sushi Go Round. I've never tried the Thai Chili Peppers fried rice...

If anyone's willing to walk a bit further Cowgirl Creamery has some sandwich and other lunch options too. I forget though whether it would be a cheap eat or not....

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Oyamel has their basic classic margarita for $4.50 a pop weekdays from 5-7. I find their drinks otherwise entirely overpriced and a major drawback to dining there, but this makes a quick bite and a couple drinks a reasonable happy hour option. And they're pretty good for house margaritas - here's their description of them

Herradura Silver, fresh lime juice, triple sec and a splash of fresh orange juice
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Had a pre-Springsteen meal at Thai Chili at the Verizon Center last night. Very surprised this place has no write up in the Restaurant Guide. I may not be an expert on Thai cuisine, but I've tried the ubiquitous and Americanized pad kee mau (drunken noodles) at about two dozen restaurants in this area, and this was one of the better versions. I would return for that dish alone. Plenty of meat -- I ordered the combination -- and very nice spice.

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I've always wanted to try this Ghanaian place, which may be on the outskirts of the Verizon Center (although you may be forced out this way if you're looking for street parking). I posted about the Hot Potato Cafe for lunch, solid place.

I can assure you that eating in the Verizon Center is not cheap, but now it appears that it is not safe either.

Groady to the max.

Edited by DaRiv18
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