Washington DC?

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My husband and I are finally going on our honeymoon to Washington DC. We already spent pretty much our entire budget on hotel and train tickets, so we are looking at the smallest possible budget for food.

Does anyone know of good, healthy places to eat in Washington DC that are cheap? I have heard there are lots of crazy food trucks, and we plan to eat from at least half a dozen of them, but we'd also like to find a good restaurant for dinner a couple of nights that won't break the bank or our belts.

Any tips on Washington DC are appreciated- not just food! If you live there, perhaps you can tell us where you ate lunch with your pals last week or whatever. Which art museum is not in the brochure that should be? ANYTHING!

We'll be going in late August.

Replies

  • jbruced
    jbruced Posts: 210 Member
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    The words cheap or inexpensive don't go with Washington DC in a sentence. There are way too many politicians and lobbyists on expense accounts in DC
  • eastcoastcoco
    eastcoastcoco Posts: 12 Member
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    I live in DC and you can totally find cheap if you eat during Happy Hour. A couple of my favorites are La Tasca and Masa 14, they do tapas style so small plates! Feel free to message me if you want other suggestions based on food preference. :)
  • SweetestLibby
    SweetestLibby Posts: 607 Member
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    healthy but inexpensive in DC? well... do you have a ballpark $ of what you want to average in a meal? I can suggest plenty of healthy places but the aren't the cheapest. I can also suggest plenty of cheap places with spectacular food but they might not be the healthiest.

    I'll come back and update this tomorrow once I've had time to think/not using an exhausted brain.

    If you want an awesome Food truck try TastyKabob! No really. It's awesome. I love the lamb but it's definitely not something I can eat often. During the day it's normally within 4 blocks George Washington University's campus/Near the State Department/C Street/Virginia Ave area.
  • Soulflwr
    Soulflwr Posts: 49 Member
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    There is a sandwich shop across from the verizon center on 7th street it's next door (or two) from Rosa Mexicana that sells sandwiches. I wouldn't necessarily call cheap but you can get a nice filling wrap for about 8 - 10 bucks. I would stop here if you plan to take a trip to Chinatown.

    Also, there are a LOT of pho restaurants. It's a vietnamese noodle soup that is served in huge bowls with lots of greens and a little cuts of meat of your choice. I know soup doesn't sound filling but trust me, they give you so much and it's so good that it could be a challenge to finish it. I would google for some that around where you plan to visit.

    There are a lot of restaurants here...people here love to eat. Most of them also have websites with the menu listed, I would visit yelp for reviews and pricing info and also takeouttaxi.com, that way you can plug in your hotel address and see what's around as well as the menus.

    There are also some chain places like, Chipotle, Qdoba, Chop't, and Sweet Greens. The first two have great healthy options, and the last two are strictly salad places.

    I would also like to recommend heading over to georgetown to a place called Baked and Wired. It's a funky little bakery and while the items they serve there are certainly not healthy...I highly recommend treating yourself with one of their cupcakes. They are so goood! People here may suggest the more famous Georgetown cupcakes, but Baked and Wired's baked goods are MUCH better.

    If you plan to rent a car you can take a 15 - 20 min drive over to The National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD or the Alexandria Waterfront in Virginia. If you want to do both, I would advise parking at the Harbor and taking the water taxi over to the Alexandria waterfornt. Both are great and both have a nice mix of expensive and less than expensive restaurants, and lovely views from the water.

    Hope this helps and enjoy your honeymoon!
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
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    Thank you all SO MUCH!

    We are looking to spend about $25 per meal for the two of us on average. (So $12-13 per person) We can do a crappy burrito or whatever for a few meals to make room for some nicer places, but that's what we are looking at. I plan on packing some small snacks to help keep costs down a little bit.

    La Tasca, Masa 14, Chop't, and Sweet Greens sound excellent! I will also be sure to keep an eye out for TastyKabob! :-)

    My husband wants to know if there is a German food truck.
  • AlexBoBalex79
    AlexBoBalex79 Posts: 99 Member
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    There are tons of places to eat here that won't break the bank. Check out Tom Sietsema's column, the Going out Guru's and especially the Restaurant guide on the Washington POst Food Section. There are SO many great places to eat. Have a great time while you are visiting!
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    It might not be healthy, but you can get completely FREE tacos on Thursday nights at The Front Page in Dupont Circle. It's in a part of the city with a fantastic nightlife.

    Potbelly sandwiches is a great lunch option. Chop't and Sweetgreen are tasty salad places. Le Pain Quotien isn't strictly local, but it sure is healthy and delicious!
  • Ascolti_la_musica
    Ascolti_la_musica Posts: 676 Member
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    Free tacos? Hang on... I think I hear my husband running out the door! :-D
    I hope they still do this in August! He will LOVE that!
  • barbi1281
    barbi1281 Posts: 48
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    My husband and I are finally going on our honeymoon to Washington DC. We already spent pretty much our entire budget on hotel and train tickets, so we are looking at the smallest possible budget for food.

    Does anyone know of good, healthy places to eat in Washington DC that are cheap? I have heard there are lots of crazy food trucks, and we plan to eat from at least half a dozen of them, but we'd also like to find a good restaurant for dinner a couple of nights that won't break the bank or our belts.

    Any tips on Washington DC are appreciated- not just food! If you live there, perhaps you can tell us where you ate lunch with your pals last week or whatever. Which art museum is not in the brochure that should be? ANYTHING!

    We'll be going in late August.

    I don't have food suggestions except for Fuel Pizza (Google them - there are two DC locations) - they have the best Stromboli I've ever had... I can't attest to any of their other food but yum on the Stromboli :smile: but I really like the National Geographic Museum (http://events.nationalgeographic.com/events/locations/city/washingtondc/).
  • McCelmer
    McCelmer Posts: 99 Member
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    I highly recommend Graffiato - they feature small plates so portion control is made easy. Everything I've had from their menu has been amazing. Prices are reasonable, in my opinion.

    http://graffiatodc.com/menus/

    Have fun in DC! If your budget allows, check out the Newseum. Occasionally, Gold Star, Groupon, or Living Social offers discount tickets.