Cheap Eats in Adams Morgan

[hillvalley]

I am suppose to have dinner with a friend in Adams Morgan tonight and need some place cheap but good. Less than $20 (not including drinks) would be great. We are adventurous eaters, so we'll try anything once!

[morela]

hillvalley:

try not to go if you can. it's horrible there...

Cashion's, Rumba Cafe, and maybe one other place are worthwhile, but the people even on the coldest Saturday night, cancel out the best of meals. I cld do Cashion's for $20, but I am evil.

[JennyUptown]

Cheap eats in AM = tough. I really like Rumba, but it can be so crowded and the prices add up quickly (might be the influence of alcohol!).

That said, here are a few to try:

Mantis - the food (mostly small place, Asian-inspired) is pretty good and the cocktails are great. For food, I have enjoyed asparagus with black beans and garlic and the satay dishes.

Reef - only if you can go early though (e.g, before 8). Inexpensive options, but portions are small (and I'm someone who is an advocate of reasonable not huge portion sizes). My favorite item there is the buffalo hangar steak.

Slightly outside of the AM craziness - Mama Ayesha's isn't bad.

[Malawry]

Yes, go to Mantis, but only if you can nab a seat far far far from the door. Brrrr! Another option is 88, further down on 18th Street. I enjoyed their whimsical nachos when I ate there...a starter of those and a "half note" salad and some cocktails could make a very nice dinner.

[cjsadler]

You can get a savory crepe at Chez Antoine and a delicious Belgian beer to go with it.

[bilrus]

What about the Ethiopian places? I haven't been but have been wanting to try some.

[hillvalley]

Yeah, I usually try to avoid AM but my friend is house sitting there, and the house has a garage so I can drive down. Frankly I would rather stay in, but oh well.

I wanted to do Ethiopian, but she doesn't like it.

We'll see......

[Swankalicious]

You're probably eating by now, but for future reference...

Mixtec (yummy, authentic Mexican...in sparse surroundings)

Pasta Mia (be prepared for a wait)

Chez Antoine

Meskerem

San Marco

Julia's Empanadas (not really dinner...more of a late night stop)

Tamarindo

[hillvalley]

We ended up at Coppi's on U street. I reviewed it here. Thanks for all the suggestions. She will be there for a while so I will report back on any we try.

[theakston]

Grill from Ipanema (on columbia) used to be pretty good, and after a couple of their caipirinhas you wouldn't feel the cold. Suprised nobody mentioned it, but then we haven't been for a year or two either. Anyone been recently?

The only time we go to AM these days is for a brunch of crepes and belgian beer at Chez Antoine.

[JennyUptown]

Grill from Ipanema (on columbia)

I went about a year ago and wasn't all that impressed. The food was just ok and we found the atmosphere and service lacking.

[PoorLawyer]

Perry's on Columbia is pretty good. more of a summer place with the rooftop patio

[butterfly]

Too late to help you, but my favorite cheap eats in Adams Morgan:

Santa Rosa Seafood--ceviche, pulpo asado...

Chez Antoine--crepes, salads, homemade ice cream...

Churreria Madrid--milanesa sandwich, menestra, tortilla, churros...

Mixtec--torta Pancho Villa (not "authentic," but a good sandwich nonetheless), sopa azteca (or any of the other soup specials), platanos fritos...

Tryst--sandwiches, waffles, strawberries with nutella, good espresso...

And further down 18th Street, there is also Caravan Grill, Addis Ababa, Harambee, and El Khartoum (more a carryout).

[hillvalley]

Thanks so much butterfly! It's good to hear from you.

No need to apologize, I always like to have a few "cheap eats" in mind. I hope to make use of your info.

How is the food at Santa Rosa? It is one of those places I have always wanted to try but end up somewhere else.

Edited January 16, 2004 by hillvalley (log)

[danzig]

wow! adams morgan is rough....eat brunch at The Reef...good and cheap..and still good...avoid cashions...same menu for 5 years...Mantis does have some fine eats too but beware of going late..it becomes a bit clubby...avoid "the diner" cuz it absolutley sucks...news flash..if you are looking for good eats try to ignore adams morgan and look at whats comin up...Tonic in Mt. Not so Pleasant

[butterfly]

HillValley--

Santa Rosa Seafood is one of our favorite cheap eats. Especially on a nice day when you can sit out on the porch. Their ceviche mixto is excellent. It's an appetizer, but it makes a full meal. You can get cancha (fried corn--not on the menu) on the side. I also like the pulpo asado (octopus). My SO usually gets the lomo saltado (meaty and potatoey).

[liamdc]

Sara and I are Thinking of meeting some friends in the Adams-Morgan vicinity next week for drinks/dinner...

We might start at Mantis and then move on to somewhere close by for dinner. I've thought of Cashion's but was also considering somewhere we hadn't been before: Both Santa Rosa Seafood and San Marco caught my eye.

Any recent reports from the eGullet crowd? Or any slap-downs akin to: "You are a fool. Why would you eat at either of those two places when you could eat at [fill in the blank]!!!"

Edited to fix dumb-ass typos

Edited July 6, 2004 by liamdc (log)