You might be able to stop by your favorite D.C. restaurant whenever you please, but the District’s pop-up food scene is rapidly changing.
Pop-ups, temporary eateries that pair up with established restaurants to host, are appearing around the District with menu items ranging from American to Mexican cuisine. From burritos, bagels to bacon, visit these blink-or-you’ll-miss-them joints for a bite to eat before they travel to the next temporary location.
Fight Club DC
Beuchert’s Saloon, a new American restaurant and bar in Capitol Hill, has temporarily transformed into sandwich spot Fight Club DC to combat revenue losses caused by the pandemic. Helmed by Head Chef Andrew Markert, the restaurant serves sandwiches like the Tonnato Melt with roasted pork & fishy tonnato sauce ($14) and the GT Cauliflower with tso sauce & broccoli slaw ($12). You can also grab a creative cocktail by Beverage Director Mackenzie Conway.
Available daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., 623 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, pickup and patio seating, sandwiches starting at $11.
Muchas Gracias
This Mexican restaurant in Chevy Chase is offering a burrito lunch menu for the time being. Diners can choose between carnitas, short rib, chicken tinga, chorizo, vegan camote, sweet potato or “mystery” fillings for their burritos ($12). Sides include chips & guacamole ($8) and vegan queso ($7).
Available Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5029 Connecticut Ave. NW, pickup and delivery, burritos for $12.
Soleado
This health-food inspired pop-up runs out of the gourmet kitchen of Seven Reasons. Soleado, which translates to “sunny” in Spanish, was imagined by one of Seven Reasons line cooks who “always craved something that was delicious but also good for you; a healthy balance between the two,” according to its website. Soleado will incorporate Seven Reason’s latin flare into the concept of healthy, affordable food, according to its pop-up advertisement. Customer must sign up for a pickup time slot for orders for up to eight people. The menu includes individual dishes like a burger with avocado yogurt and pickled red onions ($8), tostones with aji aioli ($4) and the ensalada verde with pineapple, pepitas and cojita cheese ($5). But the menu also features “picnic specials” family style meals ranging from “pequeño” ($21) to “gigante” ($45) in quantity.
Available Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Seven Reasons 2208 14th St. NW, menu items range from $4 to $45
Delikatessen
D.C. favorite All Purpose Pizza, known for creatively-topped pizzas baked in their outdoor pizza oven, has recently added a temporary Jewish-style deli at its Shaw location. Delikatessen’s menu includes classics like potato latkes ($12) and pickles ($6/pint) as well as deli salads in varieties like tuna ($8), egg ($6) and smoked whitefish ($10). Bagels are made daily by local bakery Bullfrog Bagels and are topped with house-made schmears or served as sandwiches with eggs, pastrami, smoked salmon, tuna salad or pizza toppings.
Available Friday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 1250 9th St. NW, pickup and delivery, bagel sandwiches starting at $12.
Butter Me Up
Sausage restaurant HalfSmoke, known for its game tables, sports TVs and party atmosphere, now operates a breakfast pop-up each morning, according to Washingtonian. Compared to the host restaurant’s vast menu of customizable dogs, Butter Me Up’s indulgent menu feels simple. The pop-up, created by HalfSmoke’s General Manager Michelle Andrade, offers sandwiches with sausage ($10), eggs ($8) or bacon ($9), as well as the customer favorite “Feels Like Home” buttermilk fried chicken sandwich ($10). Sides ($4) include home fries and sweet potato tots.
Available daily, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 651 Florida Ave. NW, pickup, delivery and patio seating, sandwiches starting at $8.
Pier 1354
Although the interior of Swiss restaurant Stable might make you feel at home in the Alps with its wooden beams and pine decorations, its new pop-up that opened Aug. 6 is going for more of a beachy vibe. This summer, nearby Gallery O on H’s patio was transformed into Pier 1354, described on its website as a “summertime seafood shack.” The menu combines classic New England seafood selections like shrimp ($23/dozen), oysters ($21/dozen) and mussels ($19) with custom mixed drinks, like a Pier Chic with vodka & watermelon juice ($12) and a Gin Ricky with gin, lime and club soda ($12).
Available Thursday through Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m., 1354 H St. NE, patio seating, seafood starting at $12.
