While trying to squeeze meals into a busy class schedule, Foggy Bottom restaurants are going to be your primary spots.
Many students come to GW to be in the nation’s capital and explore the District, but it’s easy to get stuck in Foggy Bottom during your freshman year, especially while still learning how to balance classes, school work and your social life.
Fortunately, Foggy Bottom has great dining selections if you find yourself never leaving campus. Here are some of the best restaurants in the neighborhood:
Kaz Sushi Bistro
You’ll get bored quickly of having food delivered to your dorm, so opt for Kaz Sushi Bistro, a hidden GWorld gem. The traditional sit-down restaurant is perfect for a first date, dinner with friends or just for a meal after a long week of class.
You can get takeout from its location at 1915 I St. NW or sit inside, but a reservation is essential on weekends, when the small restaurant tends to get crowded.
Begin your meal with some crispy brussel sprouts with sweet potato in a ginger dressing ($8.50) or a grilled avocado ($10.50) stuffed with lobster and topped with a wasabi mayo sauce. The restaurant’s small plates are perfect to share with friends so that you each of you get a taste without breaking the bank.
Kaz’s sushi rolls come in either maki – the more well known sushi rolls – or temaki, known colloquially as a hand roll, that is larger and can be eaten with your hands. Buy a round of the sushi specials like the sweet sea scallop ($10) with an apple-lemon sauce or the Icelandic Arctic char with lemon zest ($7).
If raw fish isn’t your thing, spend the extra cash on a tasting platter bento box with chicken teriyaki ($26) that comes with seaweed salad, shrimp and vegetable tempura, miso soup and rice.
Bindaas
For a twist on classic Indian food, head to Bindaas in The Shops at 2000 Penn. The spot opened in the fall in the heart of campus, and Bindaas is the perfect option for when you’re craving a sit-down meal rather than a quick grab-and-go.
Bindaas is hosted in an open and youthful space with hanging lamps, graffiti-like walls and a fun tile flooring, and its menu ranges from small plates for sharing to kebabs and sandwiches.
Start small with masala popcorn ($2.50) seasoned with curry leaf, coriander and cumin, or a roasted sweet potato ($8) spiced with cumin, chili and yogurt. Don’t forget to split an order of naan bread ($4) in special flavors like the bacon cheese chili that is salty and savory, especially when dipped in the accompanying sweet sauce.
For your entree, go for the chili salmon kebab ($14) served over rice with coconut moilee – a type of Indian curry – and green chili cinnamon. They also have great lunch options for a treat between classes, like Bindaas’ fried chicken sandwich ($12) with a beet-tomato chutney.
GCDC
Cheese lovers rejoice. There’s an entire restaurant that accepts GWorld only 10 minutes from campus dedicated to different takes on the classic grilled cheese sandwich.
GCDC, located at 1730 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, has a menu that almost exclusively consists of grilled cheese in different varieties. GCDC’s grilled cheeses use nontraditional ingredients like fig jam, lobster and short rib, and each comes with a side of tomato soup, salad, tater tots or mac and cheese.
First timers should try the Carolina BBQ ($14), a hearty sandwich stuffed with mac and cheese, pulled pork, bacon and jalapenos. Those not as fond of meat can order the mushroom melt ($13) with sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and truffle oil, for a lighter dish. This place is best for rendezvousing with a new friend or sitting outdoors to get a taste of your new city.
District Commons
In D.C., brunch is considered essential to your weekends. District Commons, located on the outskirts of campus along Washington Circle, is the place to switch it up when your friends suggest a Founding Farmers brunch for the fifth weekend in a row.
For a larger group, start your brunch at District Commons with the pig board ($16). The charcuterie platter comes piled with ham and salami served alongside biscuits, butter and pickled cherries, with assorted cheeses for an additional $5.
The restaurant dishes out brunch options like a traditional eggs benedict ($13), along with Southern-inspired fare like the omelet Louisiana ($15) stuffed with crab, shrimp, crawfish, green onion and goat cheese, and New Orleans-style French toast ($7) loaded with bananas foster sauce and toasted pecans.
Split a flatbread ($13) amongst the table, like the Old Spoiled Daddy served with baba ganoush, roasted peppers, feta and pomegranate molasses, or the Kentucky Colonel with roasted turkey, bacon and tomato.
You’ll want to fill up on carbs to get your money’s worth from the bottomless mimosas and bloody marys ($16), which have a two-hour maximum.
