DCGuide

Where To Eat And Drink In Foggy Bottom

Foggy Bottom is more than GW students and sandwich shops (although there are a lot of those). Here’s your guide to navigating it.
Where To Eat And Drink In Foggy Bottom image

photo credit: Jai Williams

A constellation of sandwich shops, food trucks, and long lunch lines, Foggy Bottom has fast-casual down to a science. But if you’re looking for anything else, the neighborhood can definitely feel like a food desert. Rather than moseying around for forty years, let this guide serve as a map - and if you’re still thirsty, hit up one of the many happy hours.

The Spots

Deli

Foggy Bottom

$$$$Perfect For:BreakfastCheap EatsLunchQuick Eats
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There are a bunch of interchangeable neighborhood sandwich spots in Foggy Bottom, and everyone has their personal favorite. But only at GW Deli do you get an actual stack of bacon in your bacon egg and cheese. This is one of those places where you’ll spend all your time in line deciding you want one thing, only to get to the front and find yourself impulsively blurting out something else. But don’t panic while you wait - you’ll be happy with whatever you end up with. We like it best for breakfast (see above about the BEC), but it works for lunch too.


Go to Sweetgreen to feel better about your weekend food and alcohol binge. If you’re coming at peak times, definitely order ahead using their app. It’ll save you both time and the embarrassment of uttering, “The Beets Don’t Kale My Vibe, please” - but your dressing will come on the side.


Fun fact: Beefsteak’s trademark was initially rejected by the USPTO because the meaty name was deemed “deceptively misdescriptive” for a place that serves a beet burger. Beefsteak seems to have come out on top, because it kept the name, and expanded to several more locations, all of which have big bowls of grains and steamed veggies. If you are craving something besides plants (or if you’re an indignant trademark attorney), Beefsteak does have chicken sausage, eggs, and salmon.


A sports bar known for its grilled cheese sandwiches and outdoor seating, Stoney’s does a food and drink happy hour from 5-7pm and then again from 11pm until close. We like the honey sriracha lime chicken wings (10 for $10 during said happy hour), and if the Caps game goes into overtime but you’ve exceeded your drink limit, end the night with a Captain Crunch milkshake. Don’t be scared off if this sounds like the perfect student hangout. It’s mostly a post-grad crowd.


Jetties is only open from 11am to 3pm, but it still deserves a plaque for the service it’s done for lunch in Foggy. You’ll find both the GW and lobbyist crowd here during the week for excellent sandwiches, salads, soups. There are a few tables to eat at here, but we suggest taking your sandwich to-go (preferably to a nearby bench, not your fluorescent cubicle). We love them most for the Nobadeer, their year-round Thanksgiving sandwich featuring roast turkey, stuffing, and cranberry sauce on sourdough.


If you want to get technical, Rasika West End is a little beyond the Foggy Bottom border. But if anyone you’re with complains about the two-block walk, they’ll promptly go silent after their first bite of the spinach chaat. This is some of the best upscale Indian food in the city, and for a special occasion or client dinner in the general area, it’s your best option. Compared to the original Penn Quarter location, West End has a much more sleek and modern design. The menu is a little different too, but you’ll still find the classics like black cod and chicken tikka masala. It’s not an every night kind of restaurant, but if you’re looking to impress, this is the move.

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