Restaurants – The Ten Best Eats for Cheap in Washington DC

DC Restaurants for a Budget

Are you hungry and on a budget? We’ve got a restaurant list that can help you out. If you visit one of these places, please come back and drop us a comment. We want to see how good our list is and what your thoughts are on the list. Here you go:

Top 10 Best Eats for Cheap

1) Federalist Pig – Located at 1654 Columbia Road, Washington DC, The Federalist Pig arguably  has the best BBQ in DC right now, hands down. I recommend trying the beef brisket, it’s great.

2) G Sandwich – I believe this restaurant has the best sandwiches in DC. G is a casual, contemporary Italian restaurant and sandwich shop with a full-service bar that is open daily for lunch and dinner. The all-day menu offers a full selection of of sandwiches, antipasti and pastas, such as G’s spiced baby goat sandwich, arancini and delicious mushroom ravioli, a specialty of Chef de Cuisine Elliot Drew. The 15-seat bar area is home to an Italian-inspired cocktail program. Each week, Chef Isabella presents Sunday Gravy, a recreation of his family’s traditional end-of-the-week feasts. Expect classics like crispy calamari, a classic Caesar salad, house-made spaghetti served with pomodoro sauce and a traditional meat gravy with meatballs, sausage and pork shoulder.

3) Bub and Pop’s – A close second for best sandwiches. As teenagers in South Philadelphia, Mae & Irv (Bub and Pop) Wagner fell in love and married in their early 20s. They both loved delicious home-style food, especially the delicacies of the 9th Street Italian Market. When Pop returned from WWII – a decorated hero – they bought a small corner grocery/deli in West Philly and created their own style Italian Hoagie and Braised Beef Brisket sandwiches. Almost 60 years later these sandwiches are the inspiration for our menu as their grandson Jonathan reinvents these classics.

4) Donburi – Japanese restaurant providing rice bowl dishes in a compact, minimalist space with counter seating. Rated 4.8/5 on Facebook and 4/5 on Yelp.

Daikaya – Daikaya is divided into two separate restaurant spaces, the ramen shop on 1F and izakaya on 2F. Daikaya Ramen opened its doors on February 14, 2013, and the second floor izakaya opened on March 28, 2013.

Our ramen shop serves Sapporo style ramen. Just like in Japan, our ramen shop is a fast paced place where diners can come in for a quick, satisfying bowl with a draft beer or cup of sake. Our recommendation is to sip the broth, slurp the noodles, and then dig into the roasted vegetables and broth-soaked meats. After three bowls, it becomes an addiction. Read more…

Tacos El Chilango – Probably my favorite tacos in DC. This unassuming storefront restaurant, a spin-off of a popular food truck, purveys tacos & aguas frescas. Rated 4.9 on Facebook and 7.4 on Foursquare.

Wiseguy NY Pizza – As close as DC gets to good New York, by-the-slice pizza.

Beef and Bread – I really like the roast beef sandwiches at this restaurant. Freshly roasted meats & interesting toppings fill buns at this corner counter-serve spot.

Red Apron Butcher – Located at Union Market, Red Apron Butcher is one of the best burgers in DC (the sandwiches are great too). Our craft is defined by an inimitable catalog of nearly 80 original artisanal products – all of which are 100% handmade and deliberately produced in small batches designed not merely to mimic traditional or familiar foods, but rather to introduce both new and innovative flavors inspired by old world technique.

Chaia – Vegetarian tacos may sound like a terrible idea, but these are actually really good. Truly driven by building a better food system, close friends Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern founded Chaia to share the beautiful, flavorful food they love to cook for their family and friends with the larger community. Inspired by their work as food writers and educators, their love of Mexican cooking and their roots – Bettina grew up in New York City and Suzanne hails from the Midwest – Chaia’s “farm to taco” is a unique relationship between farmers and urban street-style food. First in the kitchen, then at the farmers market and now a brick-and-mortar shop in Georgetown, Chaia offers seasonal, plant-based tacos, sides and natural drinks in a stylish, casual setting. We are dedicated to good food. Serving delicious, handmade food + drinks with great attention to detail. Seasonality celebrating vegetables at their very best.