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Dining Near Union Station


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I'm marooned between Union Station and the MCI Center, and I need to go out for a quick lunch now and again. I have the Billy Goat (feh!), the Sunspot Cafe (found a cigarette butt in my salad last week - yes, really), and a Philips near me for quick food, but a girl needs variety.

Does anyone have suggestions on what to eat - either quick sit down, or, better, to go? I'm Union Station Food Court fatigued, but if you've got standouts, I'd love to know. (I eat a good amount of Aditi) I've eaten at those Irish pubs, too, and they taste....sort of like the night after a bender.

Of course, I'm counting the days until Johnny's Half Shell shows up.... biggrin.gif

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[The following posts have been split into separate threads:

Capital City Brewing Company (JPW)

Kyoto Sushi (NolaCaine)]

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welcome to (culinary) hell beezy! I too have struggled to find anything appetizing in the area, despise Sunspot and think Phillips is overrated and way overpriced (esp for non-sandwich items)....you have Bistro Bis of course but unless you're on an expense account its hardly a daily destination

my favorite is the sandwich bar/grill in the GU Law Center Gym building....they do reasonable panini's, and on Fridays the grill will often have fish and chips which can be good....and sometimes not so good.....BUT its closed until the academic year begins again

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I second this request. I work at First and G NE and can't stomach the Union Station food court anymore. God bless Aditi--yesterday they even had Keema, one of my favorite dishes of all time--but even that's wearing on me. I wish I could afford to make more frequent trips to Bis.

Lately, I've been having a sandwich and soup from ABP. I do like their honey mustard; it's the very honey-y and spicy mustard kind, a condiment not a dressing.

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On the other side of Union Station is a small place called Banducci's that makes some decent subs. Also their tuna salad is quite good. If you head north on North Cap, on the right hand side about 20 feet from H St. is a small little sandwich joint. I am not saying that it is anything great, just a little bit better than most places aroun that area.

Otherwise you are stuck in culinary hell.

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I'm marooned between Union Station and the MCI Center, and I need to go out for a quick lunch now and again. I have the Billy Goat (feh!), the Sunspot Cafe (found a cigarette butt in my salad last week - yes, really), and a Philips near me for quick food, but a girl needs variety.

Does anyone have suggestions on what to eat - either quick sit down, or, better, to go? I'm Union Station Food Court fatigued, but if you've got standouts, I'd love to know. (I eat a good amount of Aditi) I've eaten at those Irish pubs, too, and they taste....sort of like the night after a bender.

Of course, I'm counting the days until Johnny's Half Shell shows up.... :unsure:

I like the sandwiches at My Brother's Place, if you don't mind the environment. It might be too much like the Irish pubs for your liking. It's more of a happy hour place than lunch, but I've had good lunches there, and it's pretty cheap and quick if you eat at the bar. I don't know what they have to go.
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I spent a year at FSA (Federal Student Aid). Just North of the CNN/FSA buildings is a Dept. of Energy building that has a pretty decent cafeteria on the second floor. The stairway is directly inside the front door and you don't need to go through security.

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I spent a year at FSA (Federal Student Aid). Just North of the CNN/FSA buildings is a Dept. of Energy building that has a pretty decent cafeteria on the second floor. The stairway is directly inside the front door and you don't need to go through security.
I find that it is hit or miss. The cold sandwiches are decent, but the hot items are generally flavorless and overly greasy.
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Do you guys really like Aditi? I find it absolutely flavorless.

I work in the new office buildings right next to Union Station and going out for lunch is terrible. I don't mind the gyros and falafel at the greek place downstairs, but they're certainly nothing special. I also go to saladworks quite a bit, which is fine, if not expensive.

There is a little informal Italian joint across the street from Schneider's; not the Mass Ave side, but the other one. It's in a rowhouse and has one waiter. Service can be a bit slow and some of the pastas aren't too good, but the sandwiches are alright and the pizza looks good and it's really really cheap. I'm not sure how it stayed in business before the SEC came to town, since I recognize everyone in there when I go to eat.

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Do you guys really like Aditi? I find it absolutely flavorless.

It is a little bit like spicy, buttery mush, but it's better than a lot of the other much more tasteless and greasier mushes that are sold in Union Station. Plus, after all the years I've eaten Aditi, there's still been no cigarettes in my briyani, and it's never rotten or smelly. I cannot say the same for finding unpleasant suprises in other Union Station culinary emporiums.

(it's sad that we've come to 'not tainted' as a ruler of excellence here in the neighborhood.)

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I've had a few enjoyable meals at East Asia Cafe (I think that is what it is called) upstairs in Union Station. My fav was a tofu and grilled veggies plate. The tofu had a nice crust to it and the veggies were crisp -- I hate overcooked veggies. I'd ask them to go light on the sauce if I had afternoon meetings because it had a decent amount of garlic.

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I tend to think of the food options in the neighborhood as "Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here."

Mr. BLB is working near the Judiciary Square Metro and he hasn't reported finding anything special. He hasn't come down with food poisoning yet either and I think he's mostly eating at Jack's.

There is a Firehook at 4th and D NW if you like Firehook.

Armands isn't a bad option over at Mass and 3rd and D NE. My boss has been boycotting for close to 10 years since the dead bug on his plate but I have chosen not to be that picky... The things I'll do for spinach garlic pizza.

The Japanese place across the street, Kyoto, is so-so. It was under different management when it opened and had amazing udon soups which have since left the menu.

It's just grim if you can't afford Bis or Charlie Palmer on a regular basis.

Jennifer, snugly in the middle of Capitol Hill...

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There is a mexican place called La Loma right next to Two Quails on Mass. It won't blow your mind but its good and pretty consistent. My girlfriend and I were once in a rush at lunch and she asked how long here entree would take to prepare, the servers response was "6 minutes" which I thought was an odd response until exactly 6 minutes later our piping hot entrees were in front of us (and they were busy at the time).

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One option no one has mentioned is Chinatown. I often walk there from my little slice of culinary hell on 1st St. NE, to get a pizza at Matchbox, or order Chinese and then either hop on the Metro back, or walk (depending on the weather, and what I ordered). But then again, I have been known to follow-up a meal at Corduroy by walking to Marcel's for a glass or two of wine.

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Armands isn't a bad option over at Mass and 3rd and D NE. My boss has been boycotting for close to 10 years since the dead bug on his plate but I have chosen not to be that picky... The things I'll do for spinach garlic pizza.

The Japanese place across the street, Kyoto, is so-so. It was under different management when it opened and had amazing udon soups which have since left the menu.

Armands is ok. Big thick crust, if you like that, and all you can eat for cheap. The sushi place went downhill since reopening as Kyoto. Yamato was decent, but this place I find a big step down. Near the Senate, my favorite is Bistro Italiano. Near the others on Mass Ave between 3rd and 4th Streets, but off of Mass so that lots of folks miss it. Its nothing special, but makes some decent southern italian food for cheap. I think its on D Street.

Another option is the restaurant in the Washington Court hotel. Its a step up from these other spots, but not quite to the level and price of Bis/Charlie Palmer. I guess its called Bistro 525. http://www.washingtoncourthotel.com/pdf/Lunch.pdf

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I used to work over in that culinary wasteland. My faves (?) were Banducci's, the take-out at La Colline, which I know is not there any longer, the bagel place up Massachusetts, and the Chinatown joints if the weather cooperated. I'm so glad to be over in the Metro Center/Gallery Place neighborhood now!

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I've had a few enjoyable meals at East Asia Cafe (I think that is what it is called) upstairs in Union Station. My fav was a tofu and grilled veggies plate. The tofu had a nice crust to it and the veggies were crisp -- I hate overcooked veggies. I'd ask them to go light on the sauce if I had afternoon meetings because it had a decent amount of garlic.

The House special Spicy Ginger Beef is a bright spot at East Street Cafe, which is on the top level of Union Station. Sit at the bar, talk to Jerry, and you'll find that they'll prepare just about anything to your liking. And they're willing to make things seriously spicy.

There are a lot of items on the pan-asian menu I haven't tried. Feedback anyone?

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speaking of Sunspot, every time I go there I swear it will be the last, but because its in my building things invariably intervene so that if I want to eat I need to go there.....BUT THIS TIME I MEAN IT!!!! Never, ever again.....I went down there at 1.45 figuring that at that late hour the chaos that normally pervades the place might have died down.....I was right and was basically the only customer....and for reasons that are unclear I had to stand and wait FIFTEEN FREAKING MINUTES for a gyro......never again (famous last words)

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The House special Spicy Ginger Beef is a bright spot at East Street Cafe, which is on the top level of Union Station. Sit at the bar, talk to Jerry, and you'll find that they'll prepare just about anything to your liking. And they're willing to make things seriously spicy.

There are a lot of items on the pan-asian menu I haven't tried. Feedback anyone?

I spent several lunches chatting with Jerry. He would recommend whatever was strong that day. While the previously mentioned tofu and grilled veg was my fav, thanks to Jerry I enjoyed the basil chicken and Manila pork too. Never had the spicy ginger beef. Maybe next time I'm in town with meetings on the Hill.

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Is 3rd and Eats still around? Anyone been recently? I remember it being ok (sometimes rather good), but that was 7 years ago.

3rd and Meats or is it Eats is still there, but I've never tried it. Also another place I've never tried but looks half decent is Jack's Famous Deli across 3rd street. It really is a food wasteland. I usually walk over to Chinatown.

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I had a pretty good, pre-prepared chicken curry salad wrap from the coffee counter in the GU Law sports center today. They also had club sandwiches, tuna salad and tomatoe/mozz/basil salads and a few other salads to go.

$4.99 plus tax

The grill/panini shop there will reopen the 3rd week of August....

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My office used to be on 5th & E and when we moved over here, almost everyone I know bemoaned the loss of interesting food options. If I had to choose between anything near Union Station and Chinatown, I would trek to Chinatown, no questions asked!! so for the record, no, you're not missing anything. There is very little to eat around these parts....

That being said, there are a few stand-outs that I have seen around here that make me feel just a bit better about being relocated to this culinary wasteland.

TheWhite Tiger on 3rd and Mass. Ave. Their Indian lunch buffet is pretty good, as far as buffets go. I got a really nice lunch there about a week ago. Also, the Union Pub is reliable and cheap for typical pub food. Their burgers are pretty tasty! There's also the Dubliner at the Phoenix Hotel on North Capital Street.

I will second the raves about the Italian Bistro and East Street Cafe. Both of them are pretty much my favorite go-to places for a sit-down lunch. The pizzas at Italian Bistro are yummy!!

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On a slightly different note: what about Sunday breakfast/brunch? It's hotel haven over there; there's gotta be something.

I volunteer with a group (8-10 of us) at DC Central Kitchen and we go to brunch afterwards. The usual hangout is Teaism (Penn Quarter). More recently we ventured to Capital City Brewery only to find out that the Union Station location doesn't serve brunch. (The Station Grill is on my shit list 'cause they charged me $2.50 for a cup of hot water -- even though they were out of tea! :unsure: ) Someplace that can handle a crowd, serves Sunday brunch, is relatively inexpensive and within walking distance of Union Station.

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On a slightly different note: what about Sunday breakfast/brunch? It's hotel haven over there; there's gotta be something.

Thunder Grill does an a la carte brunch that doesn't look half bad. So does America Cafe.

Also, there is always the famous B. Smith's brunch (which I actually like much more than the much-touted Georgia Brown's). They will even do omlettes and waffles to order for you if you ask nicely.

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Newbie here, so I will try assiduously to adhere to DonRockwell.com style, protocol, culture, & c. :unsure:

I work on the Senate side right across the street from the Hart Building, and would second many of the recommendations (as well as the tales of the desolation that is the Capitol Hill dining scene) -- particularly that of my good friend LoganCircle in re: East Street Cafe in Union Station (one thing to keep in mind -- they give you absolute loads of food, so either come with an appetite or make sure you ask for your noodles or tofu to go).

An option I choose at least once a week is the cafeteria in the basement of the Dirksen Senate Office Building (the middle Senate building -- between Russell, which is the oldest, and Hart, which is the modern-looking one). The food is cheap (it must be subsidized by the gub'mint -- for example, you can get rotisserie chicken breast and wing, one side dish, slaw and a piece of sweet Northern-style cornbread for $4.35) and the rotisserie chicken is quite good. Oh, and -- when I'm feeling naughty -- the mac-and-cheese is a spectacularly decadent way to spend 600 calories or so. Speaking as a native Southerner, this macaroni would do any Dixie aficionado or other soul food fan quite proud.

I, like others banished to this part of the world during the business day, am quite excited about the advent of Johnny's Half-Shell on the Hill. Oh, and I find the pub-grub staples at the Dubliner perfectly acceptable for a hearty lunch or happy-hour meal (love me some Guinness Burger). And their patio is a great place on a lovely day.

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I have been meaning to try Bistro Italiano, but for whatever reason I haven't (it might be because I am on the other side of Union Station near the bus station). Neb's looks much better than the other craptastic places infesting this part of town. Just one decent hot dog cart would make all the difference in the world, but nope they all suck as well.

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