Washington DC for 2 Weeks

So I am going to be in DC for approximately 2 weeks and will have several occasions with which I can dart out for some lunch or dinner, I will be volunteering pretty much the entire time from morning until night but will have some time to escape. I have read the boards and looked at the 2 places listed on the site and really want to hit Ben's Chili Bowl at least to say I have been there and the Florida Ave Grill looks tempting.
 
On one the first night I am there we are going to the Stony Creek Inn Restaurant North of DC for some crab cakes as it was featured on Diner's Drive-in's and Dive's. Other than this time all my trips will need to be limited to locations within the metro system.
 
I have read a lot about Ray's Hell Burger, and since I love a good burger I am gonna try and hit it, but do people have any other recommendations for some good eats?
 
For refernce I will be at George Washington University, so the closer the better but as I said most things within the metro system should be do-able.
 
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

I hate to do this but it seems like it might have gotten lost to the ethers in all the other threads...or there really isn't any good RoadFood experiences in DC.

Either way I may need to do a serious chronicling of my eats while in DC.

Any thoughts yet from people?

Baltimore is a mere 40 miles away from Washington, and there are quick trains to take you to and fro if you do not have your own car

In Baltimore - the much heralded G&M restaurant for the much-talked about crab cakes there.  Less talked about, but still considered pretty good by many posters here: http://www.hollyeats.com/Faidley.htm

aside from that, please check out the following website: http://www.donrockwell.com/

DC:

BBQ:  
Capital Q (H Street - near Verizon Center)

Old Glory (Georgetown - Foggy Bottom metro stop to G'town bus, or Circulator Bus goes to G'town)

Pizza:  
Giant Slice (Adams Morgan - 15 min leisurely walk from Woodley Park Stop);

Kavanagh's Pizza Pub (Glover Park - take Red line to Tenleytown, hop on 32,33,34, or 36 bus South on Wisconsin Ave, get off at Calvert Street);

Pizza Paradiso (Georgetown - Foggy Bottom metro stop to G'town bus, or Circulator Bus goes to G'town)

Chinese:
Chinatown Express (Chinatown) (Lunch- get dumplings and soup)

Burgers: 
Matchstick (mini-burgers - 2 locs: H Street next to Capital Q or Eastern Market Metro, walk down 8th St.)

Clyde's:  (3 locs: Georgetown, Verizon Center, Friendship Heights)

Old Ebbitts Grill - a DC experience where the place will be filled with big-wigs at lunch time. Although, I never recognize any of 'em. (McPherson Sq. metro or Metro Center)


another DC experience: 
Market Lunch at Eastern Market. 7th Street and North Carolina Ave. SE (2 blocks north of Eastern Market Metro Stop) the Market Lunch is a popular local lunch counter that has been around for a long long time. When I go with my wife, we share the crab platter, since it comes with two large crab cakes, two sides and a roll. But, there's plenty of other stuff to order - like breakfast. The Pancakes are out of this world good, and I'm not a pancake guy. The original market building re-opened on June 26, 2009 after a fire gutted the place a few years ago.

other Adams Morgan neighborhood good eats:

Amsterdam Falafel (falafels)
The Diner (hip-diner) / Tryst (hip-diner food - same owners, different place)
Meskerem (ethiopian) 
Julia's Empanadas (2nd location in Dupont Circle)

If you like ethiopian food,
Dukem: U St (U St/Cardozo metro - green line)


Southern:
Georgia Browns (not cheap, but really good - lots of K Street Brass go here - although I don't recognize these people either)( McPherson Sq. or Farragut North Stations)

Levi's Port Cafe: A six block walk down Historic (Marine) Barrack's Row (Eastern Market metro) and under the bridge, will take you to the place where the real southerners find their favorites. real sweet tea, greens, slaw, corn bread, fried chicken, eastern NC 'cue. (mac-n-cheese, IMO, can be dry at times, so get a different side)

Mexican:
La Lomita Dos (Penn Ave near Library of Congress - Capital South Metro -walk up to Penn Ave, take right, and a few blocks down it'll be on the other side of the Avenue, or Eastern Market and walk back towards Capital on right side of Ave) Super fresh salsa. Fresh ingredients, nice margaritas. Prices went up recently, but it's still a weekly staple for me and my co-worker.

If after a week you've gone through these places, I'll write some more.

 







                

The Diner rocks, and its sister restaurant (Tryst) is more of a coffehouse with a bar and lighter fare (sandwiches, waffles, quiche, etc.).  Their 3rd place is Open City by the Woodley Park metro (kind of a Diner/Tryst combo)- a great place to sit outside on a nice day. (Full disclosure- my husband is the GM of The Diner).

I second donrockwell.com.  Ask them- they're great folks with great taste.

Enjoy!

I like the Georgetown area best for all kinds of eats, and given the student population, a lot of the places are pretty reasonably priced, believe it or not.
I've done the walk from GWU to Georgetown many times before; it really is not that bad at all, unless it is really sticky hot and humid (which, of course, it could well be).  In that case, follow Scorereader's transit instructions.
In terms of eats...
I like Billy Martin's Tavern:  http://www.martins-tavern.com/  Been around for ages, nice atmosphere, good food, and good prices.
There is a Five Guys Burger also on Wisconsin Avenue, near Billy Martin's (I think you mentioned in another thread wanting to try the burgers here?).
I've always liked Pizza Paradiso on M Street (another one in Dupont Circle). http://www.eatyourpizza.com/
I've always liked Booeymonger's sandwiches (only three local establishments; main location in Georgetown, near the University) http://www.booeymonger.com/locations.html
The homemade ice cream at Thomas Sweets (near P Street and Wisconsin Ave., near Billy Martin's and Five Guys) is sublime, IMHO.  Well worth it (as the lines out the door will attest).
Hope this helps!

Note to Scorereader:  I was going to throw in a recommendation for Nathan's in Georgetown for brunch, as I always liked the atmosphere and the food, and really found it reasonable pricewise...lo and behold, just googled it to find it closed this past weekend!  What a loss.

And Ray's Hell Burger is great (as is his Ray's the Steaks). 
 
For a quick, cheap slice, we like Vace (Cleveland Park metro and right by the Zoo).  Have them heat it up for you.

Hank's Oyster Bar.  There are two locations.  One is at 1624 Q Street in the District; the other is at 1026 King Street in Alexandria, VA, about a ten-minute (at most) walk from the King Street Metro.
 
I've eaten at both locations.  Had good soft-shell crabs in DC, and a nice (though not as good as in Maine) lobster roll in Alexandria.
 
http://www.hanksdc.com/

mtbuckingham


And Ray's Hell Burger is great (as is his Ray's the Steaks). 
 
For a quick, cheap slice, we like Vace (Cleveland Park metro and right by the Zoo).  Have them heat it up for you.

RE: VACE, I like their whole pie, too. I'd have recommended this place too, but it's really an Italian Market ,and there's no seating. I LOVE Vace's pizza. One of the few places that get close to NY thin style pizza. In DC, typically, the "best" pizza places are the brick oven places. It's not a thick crust, but it's not thin either. Vace's is thin, crusty on the bottom, and chewy on the top. Perfect. I like Vace's pizza better than The Italian Market's pizza in Arlington, but the Italian Market has better sandwiches (philly style subs) and a larger selection of Italian imported goods. When I need to buy just dough, to make pizza at home (and skip the step of making my own pizza dough), I go to Vace's.
 
tacchino: Nathan's closing made all the news stations. Although, honestly, it wasn't a regular stomp of mine, even in G'town.
 
Also, Thomas's Sweet is good, but I'm a Max's Best ice cream fan in Glover Park, up Wisconsin Ave.
 
The Five Guys in g'town took the spot of Au Pied du Cuchon - the once famous, but later infamously notorious place for bad food and a filthy kitchen. It was, not so lovingly, referred to as Au Pied du Cockroach the years following up to its closing. Five Guys gutted the place, as was needed, and it sparkles. I have yet to go to that Five Guys, though.
 
 

Speaking of Georgetown, The Tombs is a uniquely Georgetown U. experience.

And, for a GW experience, try Lindy's. Someone once recommended this place in another DC thread, and it was a good lunch spot filled with students and hospital employees as described. I got the recommended Greek Burger, and enjoyed it.

 

El Chalan at 1924 I Street NW has excellent Peruvian food.   Everything I've had there was good -- seafood, poultry, even goat.   The bread's tasty and they have delicious pisco sours, too.
 
It's in a basement, and a little cramped, and it is easy to walk right by it if you aren't looking for it.  
 
It's not rock-bottom cheap, but the portions are large, so it is good value for DC.
 

Scorereader


Speaking of Georgetown, The Tombs is a uniquely Georgetown U. experience.

And, for a GW experience, try Lindy's. Someone once recommended this place in another DC thread, and it was a good lunch spot filled with students and hospital employees as described. I got the recommended Greek Burger, and enjoyed it.

 

I got to eat at The Tombs last December when I visited a few friends. It was really good and really busy.


Thanks everyone for the quick responses I appreciate it.

Scorereader has reliable advise.
www.washingtonian.com is a great resource.  Their "best of lists" is worth checking out.
I enjoyed Hank's Oyster Bar on a recent visit.
I second the nomination for Pizza Paradiso.  It's a small venue.  If on your own, eat at the bar and enjoy watching the kitchen.

soccer, Scorereader gave me some good tips before we went back at New Year's: http://www.roadfood.com/Forums/Weekend-in-the-District-of-Columbia-m476805.aspx 

Of those joints I would recommend Busboys & Poets and the Lebanese Taverna most strongly.  Neither's in Georgetown and I remember we did have to use the Circulator to get over there.

Tom Sietsema, the restaurant critic for the Washington Post, has a live on-line chat every Wednesday morning. http://www.washingtonpost.com/ 
 
He often has good suggestions, and might even choose your question to answer.