40 "Casual Weeknight Dinner" restaurants in Washington DC.
A good casual weeknight dinner spot is hard to find. It’s a step above a make-your-own bowl place, but not somewhere you’ll need a reservation. It shouldn’t be too expensive, you should be able to talk instead of shout, and your dinner shouldn’t take more than an hour. These spots do it all.
Part trendy clothing store, part Cambodian/Thai restaurant, Maketto might just be the coolest spot in DC right now.
The Ferris Bueller of DC restaurants, The Royal is cool without trying too hard. Come for great Colombian food and cocktails.
Sushi Taro in DC can be as casual or as fancy as you need it to be. Have a low-key dinner at the bar, or do the omakase for a special occasion.
There are plenty of places to get ramen in DC, but Haikan is doing it a bit differently. Try it for a casual dinner next time you're in Shaw.
There are plenty of ramen options in the District nowadays. Head to Daikaya in Chinatown when you're craving lighter, more traditional noodles.
Chicken + Whiskey’s name says it all: it’s a casual Peruvian chicken spot in the front, and a vinyl bar with 100 varieties of whiskey in the back.
Lucky Buns in Adams Morgan is a versatile, open-late burger spot with unique toppings that’s perfect for when Jumbo Slice just won’t cut it.
Paolo’s is one of the few reasonably-priced places for drinks and a light bite on Wisconsin in Georgetown.
It gets crowded on the weekends, but El Rey is a reliable spot for after work drinks and Mexican food around U Street.
Bistro 1521 does casual Filipino food in Ballston. Add it to your lunch or weeknight dinner rotation.
