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Restaurants with Easy / Cheap Parking


hopsing

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I live in Arlington and hardly ever venture out to DC anymore for my Saturday dining due to the tough parking situation. That and the fact that there are tons of great restaurants in Northern Virginia which is closer to me and easy to park. However, for RW, I wanted to try Bistro Bis so decided to overcome my parking phobia. What a pleasant surprise! You can get free parking at the garage across the street from the restaurant. Wow! How easy and stress-free.

So now, I wonder, what other good restaurants in DC also have a good parking situation. I’d be happy to dine at DC restaurants if I knew parking wasn’t a hassle. The only reason I found out about the validated parking at Bistro Bis was because I called up. I guess I can do that for any DC restaurant I’m interested in, but was wondering if you foodies knew of any offhand. Places that have free or cheap parking garage/lot or there is plenty of street parking. I was at BlackSalt (also for RW) and noticed they seemed to have plentiful street parking.

Thanks.

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Parking in DC is not usually easy or cheap. The garages are on the expensive side. Street parking is usually your best bet if you time your outing right.

My favorite spot is the huge open air lot at 8th and I Sts., NW. It is within walking distance of Acadiana, PS7, Proof, and most of the Verizon Center restaurants. I believe up to 2 hours is about $8.

Then there are the places that do valet and cost you a tip, like Capital Grille and just about all of the high end steak houses. Parking at J&G Steakhouse, for example, cost me a $5 tip. If I were you, check the restaurant's web site. If they offer valet, it costs you a tip.

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I never have a problem parking on the street in the Logan Circle - U Street area, especially if you arrive on the early side for some drinks. There are plenty of good restaurants from which to choose. It helps if you do not mind walking a few blocks. If you can adjust to not finding a spot right in front of your restuarant, parking is really not an issue.

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Parking in DC is not usually easy or cheap. The garages are on the expensive side. Street parking is usually your best bet if you time your outing right.

My favorite spot is the huge open air lot at 8th and I Sts., NW. It is within walking distance of Acadiana, PS7, Proof, and most of the Verizon Center restaurants. I believe up to 2 hours is about $8.

Then there are the places that do valet and cost you a tip, like Capital Grille and just about all of the high end steak houses. Parking at J&G Steakhouse, for example, cost me a $5 tip. If I were you, check the restaurant's web site. If they offer valet, it costs you a tip.

I guess if it is under $10 (for lot or for valet tip), I'm willing to give it a try. For budgetary reasons, that may make me go into DC less often (unlike the free parking at Bistro Bis), but at least I will go sometimes for special occasions. Unfortunatey, my husband is not very flexibe in terms of when we go for dinner: it is always Saturday around 7pm (primetime). So unless it is somewhere like the Palisades, where it looked like it had good street parking, I will pay something.

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I never have a problem parking on the street in the Logan Circle - U Street area, especially if you arrive on the early side for some drinks. There are plenty of good restaurants from which to choose. It helps if you do not mind walking a few blocks. If you can adjust to not finding a spot right in front of your restuarant, parking is really not an issue.

Walking a few blocks is no issue (unless it is arctic like it was last night)! Thx.

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IMHO, I think any restaurant, that's driving distance way and is worth eating at, is worth hunting for parking for. And, generally, the cost of a garage is less than the cost of the martini that starts a $200 dinner. Timing is everything on Saturdays -- the crowd starts late, and there are no computers, so 5-7 is usually pretty calm.

Weekdays, it's always nice to time an arrival for 6:30, when many (but not all) parking restrictions are lifted.

With all due respect to dcs, I think he's delusional regarding Logan Circle any time after 7PM

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With all due respect to dcs, I think he's delusional regarding Logan Circle any time after 7PM

That's why I arrive at 6:30pm. :) Right turn at P Street from 18th. Left turn at 14th. Usually I can park on P between 15th and 14th. Rarely do I have to proceed more than three blocks north on 14th. Just when like I used to drive to concerts at Madison Square Garden. Seldom did I have to park more than two blocks away. Then again, I'm Irish. I hear told that we are lucky. :)

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I live in Arlington and hardly ever venture out to DC anymore for my Saturday dining due to the tough parking situation.

At the risk of sounding like a typical district resident, why not either use Metro or take a cab? Or metro one way and cab back? That way, no need to search for parking spots, or limit yourself to places that have valet.

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At the risk of sounding like a typical district resident, why not either use Metro or take a cab? Or metro one way and cab back? That way, no need to search for parking spots, or limit yourself to places that have valet.

I also live in Arlington, and do exactly that. But then again, when I am going to have a nice dinner it generally includes copious amounts of inebriants, and even while drunk I know that a cab costs less than a lawyer.

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I also live in Arlington, and do exactly that. But then again, when I am going to have a nice dinner it generally includes copious amounts of inebriants, and even while drunk I know that a cab costs less than a lawyer.

Ditto. But even without getting housed, for us it is just plain easier to set aside or add in to the calculation an extra 40 bucks for the cab rides from and to Arlington. From the Pike it is about 20 bucks to anywhere in the city and that is usually with a generous tip to your friendly envirocab driver (save the air for the same fare!). I just consider it the opportunity cost for being more relaxed, not worrying about parking, and not risking it even if you only have one or two drinks.

All that being said, the big lot where the convention center used to be is only like 5 bucks. That gives you access to all the restaurants around Verizon. Whatever you do, don't park in the one attached to the center. I think it is like $18 even on non-game nights. There is generally sufficient street parking around the west end restaurants (Blue Duck, Ris, Marcel's) if you look up and down 24th, 26th or closer to N but I think the meters run until 8.

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Ditto. But even without getting housed, for us it is just plain easier to set aside or add in to the calculation an extra 40 bucks for the cab rides from and to Arlington. From the Pike it is about 20 bucks to anywhere in the city and that is usually with a generous tip to your friendly envirocab driver (save the air for the same fare!). I just consider it the opportunity cost for being more relaxed, not worrying about parking, and not risking it even if you only have one or two drinks.

All that being said, the big lot where the convention center used to be is only like 5 bucks. That gives you access to all the restaurants around Verizon. Whatever you do, don't park in the one attached to the center. I think it is like $18 even on non-game nights. There is generally sufficient street parking around the west end restaurants (Blue Duck, Ris, Marcel's) if you look up and down 24th, 26th or closer to N but I think the meters run until 8.

My budget doesn't permit cab rides to or from the city unless it is for a super-splurge. Dinner with a bottle of wine for two already costs a lot (~$125) and I don't want to regularly add $20-$40 on top of that. However, the convention center lot sounds reasonable and good to know about street parking around RIS, which I would love to go to someday.

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