The food of Washington, D.C.

What to eat

Born in Washington, D.C., and the dishes that define it

1. Born here01

   Half-smoke

   A coarse, smoked half-pork, half-beef sausage, usually under chili. The city's own.

2. Born here02

   Mumbo sauce

   A sweet, tangy red sauce poured over wings and fries at D.C. carryouts.

3. Signature03

   Blue crab

   Steamed with Old Bay and picked by hand at newspaper-covered tables.

4. Signature04

   Injera

   Ethiopian sourdough flatbread with stews, eaten by hand around one tray.

• 

  Rasika (Penn Quarter)

  4.3

Good to know

Questions about food in Washington, D.C.

What food is Washington, D.C. known for?

Washington, D.C. is known for Blue crab and Injera. Chesapeake crab, a sausage of its own, and the cooking of one of the largest Ethiopian communities outside Ethiopia.

Which dishes were invented in Washington, D.C.?

Half-smoke: A coarse, smoked half-pork, half-beef sausage, usually under chili. The city's own. Mumbo sauce: A sweet, tangy red sauce poured over wings and fries at D.C. carryouts.

Where should I eat in Washington, D.C.?

The highest-rated restaurants in Washington, D.C. on Hungru right now are Rasika (Penn Quarter), The Passenger and Art And Soul Restaurant.

What are the best food neighborhoods in Washington, D.C.?

U Street: Late-night counters and Ethiopian restaurants. Union Market: A food hall in a former wholesale market. The Wharf fish market: Crabs and oysters by the water in Southwest.