The 10 Best Places For Soul Food In Washington, D.C.
Soul food is synonymous with the big, hearty, comforting flavors of Southern home cooking. Its roots are in African-American cuisine, Native American cooking, and the flavors of the Bayou and Gulf Coast. Think lots of fried chicken, mac ‘n’cheese, hushpuppies, game, chitterlings, and pig’s feet and you have yourself a classic soul food menu. Here’s our list of the best places to find soul food in America’s capital, Washington, D.C..
1. Hitching Post
Restaurant, Soul Food
2. Oohh’s & Aahh’s
Oohh’s & Aahh’s
Oohh’s & Aahh’s has a reputation for serving hearty soul food. Located close to the African-American Civil War Museum, it has served celebrity guests like Jay-Z, LeBron James, and Angie Stone. On the menu are appetizers such as chicken wings, fried shrimp, and Caesar salad and entrees that include turkey wings, fried or grilled whiting, beef and turkey meatloaf, beef short ribs, blackened catfish. For dessert, there’s apple pie, fudge cake, or hummingbird cake.
Oohh’s & Aahh’s, 1005 U St NW, Washington, D.C., USA +1 202 667 7142
3. Georgia Brown’s
Georgia Brown’s
Soul food and live jazz make a pretty enticing combination at Georgia Brown’s. Just a couple of blocks from The White House on McPherson Square, Georgia Brown’s offers a taste of lowcountry cuisine inspired by the cooking styles found in South Carolina and Georgia. Expect lots of fried green tomatoes, chicken, and peach cobbler for dessert. The entrees offered include catfish with Carolina red rice, Frogmore stew, Carolina crab cakes, gumbo, shrimp and grits, and Shenandoah chicken.
Georgia Brown’s, 950 15th St NW, Washington, D.C., USA +1 202 393 4499
4. Florida Avenue Grill
Restaurant, Soul Food
5. Eatonville
Restaurant, American
6. Marvin
Bar, Bistro, Belgian, American, Pub Grub
7. Vidalia
Vidalia
In central Washington, D.C., close to Dupont Circle and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel is Vidalia. There’s a five-course tasting menu and appetizers include soused shrimp with smoked trout roe and jumbo lump crab cakes with shiitake mushrooms, preserved apricot, and creole mustard. For mains, you can try bison short ribs, parsnips, watercress, and persimmon butter or bacon-wrapped rabbit loin with chestnut puree and smoked carrots.
Vidalia, 1990 M St NW, Washington, D.C., USA +1 202 659 1990
8. Southern Hospitality
Southern Hospitality
Also known as SoHo DC and based in the fashionable, culturally rich Adams Morgan neighborhood, Southern Hospitality has a growing reputation for top-quality soul food. On the highly regarded menu you’ll find plates of shrimp and grits with Cajun cream sauce, hushpuppies, fried green tomatoes, and mac ‘n’ cheese. Entrées include filet mignon with crispy kalettes and mashed potatoes, chicken and waffles, fried chicken with mac ‘n’ cheese, and short ribs braised in tomato sauce.
Southern Hospitality, 1815 Adams Mill Rd NW, Washington, D.C., USA +1 202 588 0411
9. Acadiana
Bar, Restaurant, Contemporary
10. Beuchert’s Saloon
Beuchert’s Saloon
Beuchert’s Saloon serves classic, old-fashioned American fare by Executive Chef Andrew Markert. All of the produce is brought in from the Saloon’s own organic farm in Poolesville, Maryland. The Saloon was established in 1880 by local businessman John Ignatius Beuchert and was used as a speakeasy during the Prohibition era. The farm-to-table philosophy ensures only the best ingredients are used in dishes such as bone marrow with parsley salad, deviled egg plate with radish slaw and toasted shallots, pork belly and shoulder, and braised rabbit with chanterelle mushrooms.
Beuchert’s Saloon, 623 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, D.C., USA +1 202 733 1384
Culture Trips launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes places and communities so special.
Our immersive trips, led by Local Insiders, are once-in-a-lifetime experiences and an invitation to travel the world with like-minded explorers. Our Travel Experts are on hand to help you make perfect memories. All our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.?>
All our travel guides are curated by the Culture Trip team working in tandem with local experts. From unique experiences to essential tips on how to make the most of your future travels, we’ve got you covered.