In recent years, food halls have become as much a part of the DC food scene as restaurants themselves. Until recently, out-of-towners knew about Eastern Market and maybe Union Market but weren’t necessarily excited to try a new food hall during their visit. Nowadays, suburbs like Arlington, Chevy Chase and Silver Spring have globally-focused food halls that are conveniently located near metro stations, while newer ones in DC proper are just as regionally-focused as their counterparts.These 10 food halls give you the best opportunity to try all the DMV has to offer in one spot.
La Cosecha
La Cosecha is focused on the flavors of Latin America. The bi-level main hall is the festive area, where you’ll find vendors specializing in favorites like pupusas, arepas and pollo a la brasa. If you want to see the main hall at its most energetic, attend during a soccer match or the bi-monthly Salsa Social sessions.
While the main hall is where the action is, there are two restaurants with separate seating areas, each a completely different experience. Apapacho is run by a Mexican-born couple who have worked in kitchens from Santiago de Chile to Copenhagen. The focus is on Mexican street food, including breakfast tacos and vegetarian options. In the main hall, Arcay Chocolates stands out, thanks to its artfully-designed bonbons with flavors like churro, marzipan and tamarind. But at El Cielo, you can wash your hands in chocolate without leaving your table. The first Colombian restaurant to be awarded the coveted Michelin star has two tasting menus where presentation is paramount to the point where your server will create fog at your table to mimic the experience of drinking morning coffee in the Colombian mountains.
Love, Makoto
Chef Makoto Okuwa is a Nagoya, Japan native, and this food hall is his culinary love letter. In the main hall, you can order ramen bowls, curry rice and soft-serve ice cream from one of the touch menus. Donuts are filled to order with Japanese-flavors like matcha and yuzu.
For more upscale dining, head to one of the three stand-alone restaurants, each specializing in a different form of Japanese cooking. Dear Sushi has an omakase experience that’s quite affordable. At Hiya Izakaya, you can watch (and sample) 10 different meats and vegetables prepared over binchotan charcoal. If you prefer to do the grilling yourself, grab a table at Beloved BBQ. It has the best variety, as you can try grilled meats as decadent as Wagyu A5 and sushi with a one-to-one fish-to-rice ratio (the truffle salmon sushi is also topped with gold flakes). The plant-based soba salad with spicy sesame dressing is as delicious as any meat or fish item you’re likely to try.
Luna Hall DC
Luna Hall started in DC and has since branched out to Ellicott City and Wheaton, with Rockville and Tyson’s Corner locations also in the works. If you’re looking to experience DC’s Chinatown in one spot, this is the place. The best food spot is Dumpling District, which is at the end of the food hall, so it’s best to try the vendors in reverse.Try all of their rainbow soup dumplings if you have no dietary restrictions, as each flavor is noticeably different (chicken and shrimp/zucchini are the two best non-pork options). It’s also worth trying the buns, which are pan-fried on the bottom. Luna Hall DC also has a sizable bar and ample seating, where you’ll see many young professionals working on their laptops while drinking bubble tea from Kung Fu Tea. Other notable options include Taiwanese fried chicken and poke.
Solaire Social
If you’re only going to try one item from one vendor among the different DC food halls, it should be the picanha steak from Fire Pit at Solaire Social. Chef Gui Gonzalez grills the top sirloin cap over a gas-powered grill with a charcoal tray beneath. The southern Brazil native seasons the meat only with salt in order to bring out its flavor — and that flavor is significant to the point where you don’t even need the green sauce that comes on the side. There are nine other vendors, including Kati Roll Wala and Pau & Sophia’s Thai Kitchen. The latter is run by a couple from Myanmar, so it’s best to start with the Burmese noodle salad. It’s served warm with a moderate spice level and crispy onion that adds a bit of crunch.
Solaire isn’t the only food hall on this list with an ice cream vendor, but it’s the only DC-area food hall with one that specializes in the flavors of West Africa. Anyone who has been to Lagos should recognize the toy danfo buses next to the bottles of malt beverage imported from Nigeria. Shuga x Ice’s popular flavors include Love Nwantinti, which is malta-flavored, as well as Gbas Gbos, a spicy chocolate ice cream. And it’s not just spicy by ice cream standards — it’s comparable to West African pepper soup in terms of heat level.
Have a side of history with your meal
The Heights
The Heights is the kind of place you bring an out-of-town tourist if you want to impress them. Vendors include the South Indian DC Dosa and Middle Eastern Yasmine, which is one of the best food spots at the much larger Union Market. If you don’t get a drink from the bar, try a Cuban coffee at Saoco, where you can get a taste of Miami’s Little Havana in the DC suburbs. And save room for dessert at the first Mimi’s soft-serve location. The flavors rotate in and out but tend to be ones you’d find in Japan, like black sesame, ube and matcha.
The Roost
Unlike other DC food halls, The Roost focuses as much on drinks as they do on dining, making it feel more like a neighborhood hangout than a typical food court. There are two bars, each with a different focus. Show of Hands has more than 200 different whiskeys to choose from, while Shelter is The Roost’s beer bar with more than 50 beers on tap.
The pizza at Slice Joint is slightly oily on the bottom with a thick, crispy crust. According to Roberta’s alumna Rachael Marie, who is now part of the Roost team, the pizza was inspired by Prince Street Pizza in Lower Manhattan (it’s square and more airy than Detroit-style). Meanwhile, Hi/Fi Taco seems less concerned with recreating a food truck from Mexico City and more into offering a handful of fun interpretations like Taco Night in America, which is served with the sometimes scoffed-at crunchy tortilla. But it’s the soft-shell mojo braised chicken taco that stands out the most, with its mix of smooth avocado crema and mildly spicy enchilada sauce.
The Square
While you’ll find pizza and a sushi restaurant with a very affordable 30-minute omakase option at The Square, the Spanish food stands out the most. That’s mainly because of Casa Teresa, which is a sit-down restaurant with a tapas corner and extensive Spanish wine menu. Chef Rubén García’s other concepts at The Square include Jamón Jamón, Junge’s and Brasa, where you can enjoy meat and veggies grilled to order.
Nativo Coffee opens four hours before the other vendors and serves breakfast items that reflect the owners’ Jamaican and Venezuelan heritage. The Cafe Bombom is their signature latte and the one drink you must try. It’s as sweet as any dessert and as tasty as any Vietnamese iced coffee you’ve ever had. If fermented tea is more your thing, check out Brindle Boxer Kombucha.
Union Market
If you only have time to visit one DC food hall, Union Market should be the one. A whole district has sprung up around it to the point where the area is now an ideal home base when visiting the city. Old warehouses and national ice cream brands like Van Leeuwen mix with high-rise condos and new hotels like the Hotel Nell-Union Market.Pizza, ramen and ice cream stalls share space with vendors serving Korean tacos, Japanese omelets and classic British cuisine. There’s even a Ladurée cart near one of the entrances. Head up to the 21-and-over rooftop where you can drink and play lawn games behind the iconic Union Market letters.
Upside on Moore
Upside on Moore is conveniently located above the Rosslyn Metro station, and you can also walk here from Georgetown via the Francis Scott Key Memorial Bridge. Lili’s and Ghostburger tend to get the longest lines, while KAM & 46 has the most interesting menu items. Just picture a 5,200-mile culinary bridge from Oahu to the Philippines. There, Spam and poke share menu space with Philippine-influenced dishes like crispy garlic calamansi wings and pancit, is a traditional noodle dish.
Western Market
No relation to Eastern Market, Western Market is a food hall located on the grounds of George Washington University. Standout vendors include Bandoola Bowl, which is the only Burmese spot at a food hall in DC proper. My Cake Theory, known for an appearance on the Food Network, has a pop-up location with limited seating here. While the cupcakes aren’t build-your-own at the Western Market location, they are the best tasting (and looking) you’ll find in any DC food hall.
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