13 street food places in Washington DC we have eaten in, sorted by editor score. All cuisines in Washington DC | Street Food across every city.

Washington's street food and quick-eats culture is built on the chili half-smoke, the empanada, the market fish fry and the late-night slice. Ben's Chili Bowl on U Street is the icon of the genre, while Julia's Empanadas in Adams Morgan and the open-air Maine Avenue Fish Market downtown carry the hand-held, eat-on-your-feet tradition.

Ben's Chili Bowl ★ 4.6

Street food · $

1213 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Ben's Chili Bowl in Washington DC is the 1958 U Street counter from Ben and Virginia Ali, the city's defining chili half-smoke counter serving past 04:00.

Julia's Empanadas ★ 4.2

Street food · $

2452 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Julia's Empanadas in Washington DC is the Adams Morgan 18th Street empanada counter since 1993, the late-night corner that established the format.

Captain Cookie & the Milk Man ★ 4.4

Street food · $

2040 I St NW, Washington, DC 20006

Captain Cookie & the Milk Man in Washington DC is the Western Market flagship of the DC food-truck-turned-storefront on I Street near Farragut Square.

Pho 14 Columbia Heights ★ 4.3

Street food · $

1436 Park Rd NW, Washington, DC 20010

Pho 14 Columbia Heights in Washington DC is the Park Road Vietnamese counter near the Columbia Heights Metro, with pho served from a 14-hour broth.

Tortilla Cafe ★ 4.1

Street food · $

210 7th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

Tortilla Cafe in Washington DC is the Capitol Hill 7th Street Salvadoran-Mexican counter across from Eastern Market, with pupusas, tacos and Salvadoran.

Pizza Mart Adams Morgan ★ 3.7

Street food · $

2445 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Pizza Mart Adams Morgan in Washington DC is the 18th Street late-night pizza counter, one of two rooms claiming to have invented the jumbo slice.

Duccini's Pizza Adams Morgan ★ 3.6

Street food · $

1778 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Duccini's Pizza in Washington DC is the U Street NW jumbo-slice counter near the Adams Morgan strip, open to 05:00 on Friday and Saturday nights.

Jumbo Slice Pizza ★ 3.4

Street food · $

2341 18th St NW, Washington, DC 20009

Jumbo Slice Pizza in Washington DC is the 18th Street late-night pizza counter on the Adams Morgan strip, holding the same 04:00 weekend close.

Weenie Beenie ★ 4.0

Street food · $

2680 S Shirlington Rd, Arlington, VA 22206

Weenie Beenie is the Arlington half-smoke counter at 2680 South Shirlington Road, a 1950s walk-up window that claims a Northern Virginia hold.

Maine Avenue Fish Market ★ 4.4

Street food · $

1100 Maine Ave SW, Washington, DC 20024

Maine Avenue Fish Market in Washington DC is the Southwest Waterfront open-air seafood market on Maine Avenue, the oldest continuously-operating open-air.

Florida Avenue Grill ★ 4.2

Street food · $

1100 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20009

Florida Avenue Grill in Washington DC is the LeDroit Park diner at the corner of Florida and 11th since 1944, the city's oldest soul food counter.

Oohh's & Aahh's ★ 4.4

Street food · $

1005 U St NW, Washington, DC 20001

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.

Henry's Soul Cafe ★ 4.2

Street food · $

1704 U St NW, Washington, DC 20009

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.

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