Adams Morgan DC Restaurants Guide

Adams Morgan DC restaurants in Washington include modern Afghan bistros on Columbia Road, Salvadoran and Mexican kitchens on Florida Avenue that serve pupusas and tacos, and craft barbecue counters known for smoked sandwiches. Pick one dinner, one quick bite and one lunch, and rate each by the dish.

This page covers Afghan food, pupusas, barbecue and a night out on Columbia Road, with what to order at each and how to plan an easy day on foot. Menus and hours change, so check before you go.

Which Adams Morgan DC restaurants should you try first?

Begin on the main strip. Modern Afghan bistros here cook homestyle dishes from family recipes with seasonal ingredients, with vegetable plates, kebabs and dumplings on the menu.

Florida Avenue NW is the quick, casual choice, with pupusas and tacos, and craft barbecue is the third stop. Together they cover three different cuisines within a short walk, which is one of the pleasures of this neighborhood.

Where can you eat Afghan food in DC?

Afghan bistros on the main strip are the neighborhood's answer for Afghan food. Many serve lunch on weekdays, dinner daily and brunch on weekends, so ask what time the kitchen opens.

Order a mix of vegetable dishes, a kebab and dumplings for the table, and tear the bread to scoop. Note in your rating which dish carried the meal, and whether the spices were mild or bold. If anyone in your group needs halal meat, confirm it with the restaurant when you book.

Where can you get Salvadoran pupusas in Adams Morgan?

Salvadoran kitchens on Florida Avenue are the neighborhood's pupusa stop, with empanadas and affordable Salvadoran and Mexican dishes, and some have served the neighborhood for years.

A pupusa is a thick griddled corn cake filled with cheese, beans or meat, and it is served with a tangy cabbage slaw. Order two with different fillings and compare the crust and the filling. Rate the slaw too, since it is half the dish.

What is DC craft barbecue like in Adams Morgan?

Craft American barbecue made in-house may include a smoked prime rib sandwich with horseradish sauce. Pitmasters smoke several kinds of meat for hours, and the best counters sell out.

Go early in the day if you can, since a place that sells out may run short by evening. Order a sandwich and a side, and share if you are two. Note the smoke, the sauce and the bread in your rating. A smoked sandwich is also easy to split, so order a second side and compare the two plates in your notes.

What is Columbia Road like for a night out?

This is the neighborhood's main strip, and the Afghan bistros sit on it. The area also holds bars and live music, but a meal is the easiest way to begin an evening, and a table on the early side leaves room for a walk afterward.

Plan to walk. Eat first, then stroll to Florida Avenue for something casual. Weekends are crowded, so a table on a weeknight is easier. If a place has a wait, put your name down and take a short walk rather than standing on the sidewalk, and note the wait in your rating. Rate each dish by name as you go, so that a friend following you can tell the kebab from the pupusa at a glance.

How do you plan a day in Adams Morgan?

Pick one sit-down meal and one casual stop, then leave time to wander. Lunch at a kebab counter or a pupusa place is an easy way to start, and dinner is the time for a larger table.

Public transit is easier than parking, and a weeknight is calmer than a weekend. The three kinds of stop described here are within a short walk of each other. If you are with children, choose the pupusa counter, which is the simplest to order from.

How do you track Adams Morgan food with Mosey?

Rate the dish, not only the place. Mosey needs only the place and stars; then you can name the pupusa or the barbecue sandwich, add tags such as Group Dining, Quick Service or Family Friendly, and attach a photo. A rating that says "cheese pupusa, crisp edge, lots of slaw" tells the next diner what to expect.

Make a list called Adams Morgan with a dinner, a pupusa and a sandwich, and send an invite link to a friend so they can add their own. Follow friends to see what they rated and saved, and tag the people you ate with so each can add their own rating of the same meal. The lists page covers sharing.

What else should you read?

For more of the city, the U Street guide covers the next neighborhood east, the half smoke and Ethiopian guide goes deeper on two local specialties, the cheap eats guide covers the budget end and the gluten-free guide lists dietary options. See the Washington page, the District of Columbia page and the US food guides.

Before your next Adams Morgan night, open the Mosey app, rate every dish by name and keep your favorites in a list.