10 Great Places To Eat In The H Street Corridor Area Of Washington DC

The H Street Corridor, an area famous for riots following Martin Luther King’s assassination, has been largely regenerated in recent years. It now has a plethora of new clubs, boutiques and restaurants. These are the top 10 spots that showcase the diverse cuisines here.

1. The Atlas Room

The Atlas Room

The Atlas Room brings refinement to traditional American cooking. The chefs regularly change their menu to reflect changing eating sensibilities, and they take inspiration from around the globe to create the relatively small but well executed menu. There is also a range of vegetarian and gluten-free dishes. The interior is quite small, with tables situated quite close to each other, but you will often find that people will happily chat with their neighbors. There is also a specialty wine list that showcases rare, vintage and artisanal wine from small producers.
The Atlas Room, 1015 H Street North East, Washington, D.C. 20002, United States, +1 202-388-4020.

2. Boundary Road

Bar, Bistro, Butcher, American

The restaurants on the H Street Corridor are typically laid back and friendly, and Boundary Road certainly fits this mould. The neighborhood bistro and bar serves new and traditional American cuisine, providing simple and carefully prepared meals. There is a large emphasis on ingredients and the staff proudly sources their foods from local suppliers EcoFriendly Foods, Earth N’ Eats, New Frontier Bison, and Northern Neck Fruits and Vegetables. They also butcher all meat in-house, utlizing all parts of the animal. The interior feels very Brooklyn, with many wooden and repurposed furnishings, and a light feature made from a mattress.

3. DC Harvest

Restaurant, American

One of the more upscale restaurants in the H Street Corridor, DC Harvest offers locally sourced modern American cuisine. They have set daily specials, including pappardelle with mom’s bolognese on Sundays and smoke braised brisket with roasted acorn squash on Wednesdays and Thursdays, alongside their seasonal menu. Healthy and responsible eating is important to DC Harvest and vegetables and grains are showcased on the menu. The restaurant is located in a 19th-century building and features original brickwork and dark wood.

4. Ethiopic

Diner, Restaurant, Ethiopian

Ethiopic is the first Ethiopian restaurant on the H Street Corridor and remains as one of only a few Ethiopian restaurants in the nation’s capital. The restaurant itself is very spacious, with large windows and well-spaced tables, with decor that brings a traditional element to the space. The owners visited dozens of Ethiopian restaurants before setting up Ethiopic, and incorporated some of the best elements from around the world. The menu is traditional Ethiopian cuisine ‘with flair’, bringing real Ethiopian food to the American diner. For the uninitiated, there are vegetarian, beef and chicken samplers, all of which have the option of being served with fried croaker.

5. Le Grenier

Restaurant, French

Fine French cuisine may sound out of place in the trendy H Street district, but Le Grenier gives traditional French food a modern update in its lovely bistro atmosphere. The restaurant is family owned and operated, and there is certainly a personal touch to the menu and the decor. French for ‘the attic’, the family has taken plenty of care in furnishing the restaurant, with items including trunks, bird cages, vintage mirrors, and carefully chosen seating, giving an eclectic feel to the space. In addition to entrees, appetizers and sides, the extensive menu includes a wide selection of soups, cheeses and even a charcuterie section, and of course a comprehensive wine list.

6. Granville Moore's

Restaurant, Belgian

Every city has its fair share of gastropubs, but few have a gastropub with a ‘healthy Belgian fetish’. Established in 2007, Granville Moore’s attracts foodies and beer lovers with its extensive selection of beers—there are more than 50 Belgian ales alone to try—and speciality mussel dishes. The old building with its heavy dark wooden furniture and beams, and the large bar, make for an attractive, traditional interior. Granville Moore’s claims to pump out 1,200 pounds of mussels and 1,400 pounds of potatoes every week, demonstrating the popularity of mussels and fries in the neighborhood. The restaurant also won the Washington Post award for D.C.’s best fries. In addition to the many moules dishes, there are also sandwiches, classic American dishes and brunch on offer.

7. Smith Commons

Bistro, American, Contemporary

Smith Commons takes its name very much from what it is: a dining room and public house. The restaurant is set over three storeys, split into the ‘smith’ dining room, on the first floor, and ‘commons’, or public house, over floors two and three. The large mural on the side of the building is hard to miss from the street. The interior has a retro appeal to it, with exposed brickwork, fireplaces, vintage chairs and mirrors, and dark wood tables. Smith Commons prides itself on being a neighborhood restaurant. It serves traditional comfort food such as short ribs, lamb chops and beef stew, along with more updated dishes such as sous vide chicken, teres major, and artisanal cheese and charcuterie plates. Look out for their events and list of famous Smiths.

8. Po Boy Jim

Restaurant, Cajun, American, Seafood, Pub Grub

A Cajun and Creole restaurant in the heart of D.C., Po Boy Jim offers the best Southern style food in the district. The menu features traditional Louisiana po boys, and the fried catfish, fried oyster, and rasta vegan come highly recommended, as do other Southern dishes including shrimp n’ grits, gumbo, and crab cakes. The ambience is rustic, casual and trendy, with wooden furniture, exposed brick walls over their three dining areas, and an extensive bar with plenty of beer on tap. During the H Streetfest they even host a po boy eating competition.

9. Toki Underground

Toki Underground

Toki Underground was the first ramen noodle restaurant that opened in D.C.’s H Street Corridor and Atlas District. The restaurant itself is quite small and is one of the more popular Asian restaurants in D.C., meaning that you may be hard pressed to find a seat, especially during the busy lunch and dinner periods. Toys, skateboards, stickers, motifs and eye-catching wallpaper give the restaurant the look of an authentic Taiwanese ramen bar. The menu is inspired by the chef’s time working in Taipei’s Hakata Ramen. Popular dishes include the Toki Classic ramen and kimchi ramen. In addition to their ramen offerings they also serve traditional Taiwanese dumplings, cold tofu, and daily sides of the day, all of which are homemade on the premises.
Toki Underground, 1234 H Street North East, Washington D.C. 20002, United States, +1 202-388-3086.

10. Sticky Rice

Bar, Restaurant, Sushi

An American pan-Asian restaurant with a ‘charming atmosphere and bad attitude’, Sticky Rice has been the go-to sushi restaurant for residents of the area around the H Street Corridor since it opened in 2008. The extensive menu features noodle bowls, sandwiches, starters, a lone burger, tempura and a whole host of sushi, including the ‘best of’ collection with quirky and nonsensical names such as ‘2000leagues’, ‘G.I. Joe’ and ‘Goochland’. Sticky Rice also has one of D.C.’s boldest interiors, with music videos playing from TVs; bright, funky art; red furnishings and an illuminated bar. It also hosts weekly events, namely sushi happy hour, karaoke club, bingo, and DJ dance parties.

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