10 New Lunches to Check Out Around D.C.
Fresh midday meals to get you through the week
Updated
Emily Venezky is an Editorial Associate at Eater and a proud Washingtonian. She fell in love with food while growing up in Los Angeles, eating plenty of street tacos and Sichuan dishes.
As many workers are returning to downtown offices (whether they want to or not), restaurants around the D.C. area are beginning to roll out lunch menus and lunch specials for anyone dying to get away from their desk or hold their next meeting over chips and salsa. These brand new or few-months-old midday options may convince busy officer workers to break up their busy days — or at least treat themselves to a slow lunch on a Friday.
You don’t have to wait till this Michelin-recognized Mexican spot’s happy hour to chow down on chips and a trio of salsas. Starting last month, Amparo Fondita now serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Pair three tacos or a burrito with a black bean soup or ensalada verde and a coffee-flavored flan or agua fresca for the Comida Corrida lunch special ($26). The Itacate Bowl ($26) is also a midday special that comes with rice and beans, pickled vegetables, greens, a moist corn tamale, and your choice of any protein or grilled mushrooms in one delicious bowl.
Amparo Fondita
The West End satellite of the luxe sushi chain opened up for lunch this spring, offering the usual sushi, sashimi, and nigiri, along with a three-course lunch pre-fixe ($40) filled with choices like mini sushi tacos, chicken teriyaki, and fish and chips. A more traditional Japanese bento box option ($62) comes with tuna sashimi salad; assorted nigiri and maki; rock shrimp tempura; miso soup; and the famous miso black cod. Lunch is available Monday through Friday from 11:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m.
Nobu
This high-end steakhouse outpost from Wolfgang Puck started serving lunch again in April, with filet mignon, wagyu steaks, and tomahawk ribeyes available for a decadent midday meal from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on weekdays. A Cut Burger with shallot marmalade and sandwiches featuring chicken schnitzel or crispy Carolina trout are also on the new menu, along with plenty of starters, mains, and sides from the dinner menu.
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Rosewood Hotel
Lost Sock coffee can be found at cafes and restaurants across D.C., but the coffee roaster is just beginning to expand its own cafes. The newest NoMa outpost pairs coffee drinks with guava and yuca pastries, plus egg sandwiches and avocado toast, but there’s also lunch fare on the menu. A chicken Caesar wrap with sharp cheddar cheese and black bean hummus baguette sandwich stuffed with pickled cauliflower and roasted peppers are served until the cafe closes at 4 p.m.
The highly anticipated New York City transplant with a 50-year-old bagel recipe just arrived in Mount Vernon Triangle in early June. H&H’s classic bagel sandwiches with nova salmon ($16.25) or bacon, egg, and cheese ($8.80) are available till 4 p.m., along with build-your-own sandwiches ($9.95) with roast turkey, roast beef, smoked ham, or bacon on bagels, kaiser rolls, or croissants.
H&H Bagels
La Collina quietly rolled out a daytime Italian tigelle sandwiches late last year, stuffing house made crispy flatbreads from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region with chopped meats, cheeses, and vegetables. There’s a classic Italian version with three deli meats and hot pepper relish, a warm meatball and marinara sauce variation, and even a vegetarian marinated artichoke and avocado option. Executive chef Katarina Petonito has always dreamed of opening a simple sandwich shop, and these house-baked flatbreads made with grains from a local Maryland farm are helping her fulfill that goal. The $5 sandwiches can be ordered at a takeout window Tuesday through Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
La Collina
A reliable spot for fishbowl cocktails and sunset views, this rum distillery’s restaurant is now open for lunch from noon to 2:55 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. All-day tropical-inspired fare is available, like tuna poke and spam musubis, along with an “Affordable Feast” lunch special that pairs one food item, like a Hawaiian flatbread or gravy-covered loco moco, with a rum punch, glass of wine, or beer.
The first stateside version of Scotland’s famous seafood showpiece just opened on the Wharf in late April and rolled out lunch soon after. The midday menu features many of the seafood-focused dishes found on the dinner menu, including a fried catfish sandwich and tuna carpaccio, along with surprisingly affordable prix fixe options. A two-course prix fixe ($18) and three-course prix fixe ($25) are available, with guest deciding between a selection of seasonal starters, mains (seafood pasta, fried catfish with fries, and more), or a dessert of ice cream or sorbet.
Dave Watts/Fish Shop