History

The DC carryout (pronounced "carry-out" as one word) is the city's defining late-night plate-format: a styrofoam clamshell holding fried chicken wings, a generous mound of beef-and-egg fried rice, and a portion cup of mumbo sauce on top. The format spread from Chinese-American takeaway counters across the city, mainly in Black neighbourhoods east of the Anacostia and along Georgia Avenue, through the 1970s and 1980s. The carryout plate is engineered as a single $10-12 meal that holds heat, travels in a bag and absorbs alcohol; it appears in every go-go-era reference and dozens of DMV rap lyrics. The chicken should be deep-fried to order, the rice sticky, the mumbo sauce on top.

Common allergens: Gluten, Soy, Egg

Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 30 minTotal 45 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 6 chicken wings (3 drums, 3 flats)
  • 100g all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Neutral oil for frying
  • 200g cooked long-grain rice, ideally day-old and chilled
  • 150g beef sirloin, sliced thin
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 100ml prepared mumbo sauce (or recipe from this guide)

Method

  1. Toss wings with flour, salt, garlic powder and paprika. Rest 10 minutes.
  2. Heat 5cm neutral oil in a pot to 175C (350F). Fry the wings 8 to 10 minutes, until deep gold. Drain.
  3. In a wok or large pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over high heat. Stir-fry the beef 2 minutes, set aside.
  4. Add the diced onion to the pan, stir-fry 1 minute. Add the rice, breaking it up with the spatula, and stir-fry 2 minutes more.
  5. Push the rice aside, pour beaten eggs into the cleared space, scramble, then fold through the rice with the soy sauces and sesame oil. Return the beef.
  6. Plate the fried rice with the wings on top. Spoon mumbo sauce in a portion cup on the side; never pour it on the rice yourself, that is the eater's job.

Tip from the editors. Day-old rice fries far better than fresh; if you only have fresh rice, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered for an hour first.

Where to eat wings, fried rice and mumbo sauce (carryout plate)

Wings, fried rice and mumbo sauce (carryout plate) in Washington DC

Henry's Soul Cafe ★ 4.2

Street food$Mon-Sat 11:00-21:00, Sun 12:00-19:00

Henry's Soul Cafe in Washington DC is the U Street soul-food counter from Henry Smith since 1968, with sweet potato pie sold by the slice and the carryout.

Try: Sweet potato pie, fried chicken, mumbo wings

Tip: The sweet potato pie ships nationally; buy the whole pie at the U Street counter to take home.

1704 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Florida Avenue Grill ★ 4.2

Soul food$Mon Closed, Tue-Sun 08:00-16:00

Florida Avenue Grill in Washington DC is the LeDroit Park 1944 diner with breakfast all day, the city's cheapest soul food sit-down with eggs-grits-biscuit.

Try: Breakfast plate with eggs, grits, biscuit ($13)

Tip: Breakfast runs all day; the half-smoke breakfast plate at $13 is the editorial value meal of the menu.

1100 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009

Oohh's & Aahh's ★ 4.4

Street food$Mon-Sat 11:00-22:00, Sun 11:00-21:00

Oohh's & Aahh's in Washington DC is the U Street soul-food counter from Oji Abbott since 2005, with mumbo sauce wings, fried catfish and the carryout.

Try: Soul food with mumbo sauce wings

Tip: The fried catfish and shrimp with mumbo sauce is the menu standout; takeaway runs faster than the dining-room queue.

1005 U St NW, Washington, DC 20001

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