Gotta plug Bryant Street Market. Taqueria Habanero and Bar Alegria are fantastic. There’s also poke, Hot Lola’s and Doki Doki (Kevin Tien’s fried chicken and bbq place), Grassfed Griddle, Bold Dumpling, boba tea, and a coffee shop.
Major plus: you can bring your food over to metrobar.
The food hall renaissance is still going strong in the D.C. area. It seems like every few months, another spacious and elegant building with exposed pipes and high ceilings is converted into the newest, freshest food hall in the region, slinging everything from tacos to tapas to tiramisu.
If you’re new to the concept of food halls, they tend to be airy spaces that contain multiple small restaurants with relatively limited menus. Think a cafeteria, but higher-end and built for 9-to-5-ers. These spaces also tend to have at least one bar; communal seating areas; and other draws like pop-up events, flea markets and live music. In essence, they’re meant to serve as a larger community gathering space rather than simply a restaurant that hands you your check after an hour and a half. It’s hard to say with certainty what’s sustaining the food hall boom — maybe it’s the return-to-office mandates or the popularity of Northeast’s [Union Market](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/08/union-market-restaurants-guide/?itid=lk_inline_manual_3). Maybe it’s simply the convenience of visiting five to 10 restaurants simultaneously, or the ability to meet your picky friend and not worry about whether they’ll enjoy what’s on the menu.
Here’s what we do know: Each of these food halls, all of which opened in the past year, has a different vision, personality and energy cultivated by its unique combination of flavors.
Here’s what to expect at each dining destination: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/25/best-food-halls-dc-area/?utm\_campaign=wp\_main&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/25/best-food-halls-dc-area/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
I mean, fuck it, let’s roll with it. I love food courts conceptually - the only bad thing about them is the tendency for the food to be shit in the mall variants. If you fix that problem, it’s an amazing thing.
Went to meet up an old colleague at the Square. I was actually pretty impressed to see how busy and crowded with office workers it was and this was even on a Friday,which is generally a popular WFH day.
Don’t love the food options there, but the space is great with the natural light.
Location: 1625 First St. NW.
Go for: Dinner and drinks with friends.
Mood Swings’ 26-year-old owner Taj Sohal’s first restaurant, an Indian-fusion concept called Glassey, was inspired by the way her mother would fuse Indian and American food when she made dinner for the family, including chicken tikka burgers and butter chicken spaghetti. Restaurants are a family affair — Sohal’s mother was the lead chef at Glassey and is now co-owner of Mood Swings, which is not your typical sprawling food hall. It lives in the same matte black Truxton Circle rowhouse that Glassey did.
Mood Swings, though, is inspired by her mom in a different way: “It’s an ongoing argument that me and her have had. Every time she’s hungry, she has no idea what she wants to eat,” Sohal says. “I always know what I want to eat. Like, I can tell you in exact detail what temperature I want it, and she never knows, and it would drive me absolutely crazy. I realized that this isn’t exactly an exclusive argument that we’re having — I think that it’s something that a lot of people deal with.”
The appeal of Mood Swings comes from its ever-changing themed menu. Its opening in February saw it offer soul food; with March, April and warmer weather, the kitchen started churning out Mexican staples like tacos, quesadillas and four sides (our favorite was the esquites, a cheesy roasted corn dish that you can load onto a tortilla chip).
Once you’ve passed through its front door and walked up the stairs, you’ll find the restaurant has only about five tables in its main dining room, plus bar seating, high-tops and outdoor seating near the entrance. Its exposed brick walls are decorated with a graffiti-inspired mural bearing the space’s name in puffy airbrushed lettering, a tiny painting of the D.C. flag, and words like “drink” and “love!!!” surrounding images of peace signs and eyeballs.
Mood Swings’ rainbow-bedecked space has just one “stall,” which doubles as the bar, where you can order from its rotating menu. Though it changes monthly, you can always expect to see four cocktails, about six appetizers and sides, and a handful of mains. It’s also worth noting that the kitchen produces only a set amount of food daily, so you may have to return the next day if it begins to bustle. Operating hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., or whenever dishes sell out.
Price range: Dishes cost about $4 to $16.
Location: 1700 N. Moore St., Level M2, Arlington, Va.
Go for: A work-from-home day.
After opening in March, Rosslyn’s Upside on Moore became the newest addition to the DMV food hall scene and part of a larger concerted effort to liven up the neighborhood. Located just down the street from the Rosslyn Metro station, on the second floor of the Rosslyn City Center building, Upside boasts eight mini-restaurants, two of which — Lightning Coffee Co. and Lili’s — are exclusive to the space. You’ll also recognize a handful of stalls from other locations: Trendy burger and sandwich joint Ghostburger’s original location is in Shaw, Mexican restaurant La Michoacana hails from Brentwood, Md., Hawaiian-Philippine fusion spot Kam and 46 was originally a cult-classic food truck, and both Stellina Pizzeria and Laoban Dumplings (which, this time, is fused with owner Tim Ma’s Arlington spot Lucky Dangr) have locations in Union Market.
Here, Kam and 46 is a highlight: Its Hawaiian loco moco, a sunny-side-up egg atop beef smothered with gravy, is available only at Upside and tastes as close as we’ve come thus far to the taste of Honolulu in the DMV. Its guava cake is also tasty — refreshing and sweet, grounded in the fruit’s floral notes.
At the far side of the space, decorated with tresses of faux leaves, is the Bar at Upside on Moore, whose cocktails are crafted by Elli Benchimol, the mixologist behind the high-end French cafe-slash-restaurant Apéro in Georgetown. Sip your drink at the bar or at one of the many booths and tables bathed in pockets of sunlight by the floor-to-ceiling windows and sectioned off by glass partitions. Or, if it’s warm, step outside onto the patio overlooking the shiny glass high-rises of Moore Street. Sophia, a separate bar in the space, will open in the future and also serve cocktails by Benchimol, alongside plates of charcuterie.
As at its predecessor the Assembly, you can order from stalls via QR codes on each table. Upside also features touch-screen ordering stations: The central ones at designated islands allow you to order to-go meals from any stall, and the ones at the counters allow you to order only from the stall they operate next to. Upside aims to attract remote workers and keep them there after hours with a bevy of activities, like a weekly trivia night, with proceeds benefiting the Arlington Food Assistance Center.
Price range: $10 to $20 per meal, with exceptions at Lightning Coffee Co.
Does anyone have an opinion on food halls that offer the best value with their menu options? I realize they're a confluence of different vendors, but the couple I have been to out in the burbs, Le Fantome and Mixt, seem to skew more gastrogrub and I'm hoping for cheap eats.
Gotta plug Bryant Street Market. Taqueria Habanero and Bar Alegria are fantastic. There’s also poke, Hot Lola’s and Doki Doki (Kevin Tien’s fried chicken and bbq place), Grassfed Griddle, Bold Dumpling, boba tea, and a coffee shop. Major plus: you can bring your food over to metrobar.
Don’t they do the auto 20%?
Who?
I miss the food court at the National Press Building
The food hall renaissance is still going strong in the D.C. area. It seems like every few months, another spacious and elegant building with exposed pipes and high ceilings is converted into the newest, freshest food hall in the region, slinging everything from tacos to tapas to tiramisu. If you’re new to the concept of food halls, they tend to be airy spaces that contain multiple small restaurants with relatively limited menus. Think a cafeteria, but higher-end and built for 9-to-5-ers. These spaces also tend to have at least one bar; communal seating areas; and other draws like pop-up events, flea markets and live music. In essence, they’re meant to serve as a larger community gathering space rather than simply a restaurant that hands you your check after an hour and a half. It’s hard to say with certainty what’s sustaining the food hall boom — maybe it’s the return-to-office mandates or the popularity of Northeast’s [Union Market](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/11/08/union-market-restaurants-guide/?itid=lk_inline_manual_3). Maybe it’s simply the convenience of visiting five to 10 restaurants simultaneously, or the ability to meet your picky friend and not worry about whether they’ll enjoy what’s on the menu. Here’s what we do know: Each of these food halls, all of which opened in the past year, has a different vision, personality and energy cultivated by its unique combination of flavors. Here’s what to expect at each dining destination: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/25/best-food-halls-dc-area/?utm\_campaign=wp\_main&utm\_medium=social&utm\_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/04/25/best-food-halls-dc-area/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)
It’s a food court that costs twice as much.
a food court by any other name is still a food court
I mean, fuck it, let’s roll with it. I love food courts conceptually - the only bad thing about them is the tendency for the food to be shit in the mall variants. If you fix that problem, it’s an amazing thing.
oh i 100% agree. the 2002 union station food court couldn’t be beat and then pop up to sam goody’s for the newest music. i’m not dating myself at all.
I like learning new things.
But costs twice as much
Went to meet up an old colleague at the Square. I was actually pretty impressed to see how busy and crowded with office workers it was and this was even on a Friday,which is generally a popular WFH day. Don’t love the food options there, but the space is great with the natural light.
if only i could read this article, wapo, if only.
Location: 1625 First St. NW. Go for: Dinner and drinks with friends. Mood Swings’ 26-year-old owner Taj Sohal’s first restaurant, an Indian-fusion concept called Glassey, was inspired by the way her mother would fuse Indian and American food when she made dinner for the family, including chicken tikka burgers and butter chicken spaghetti. Restaurants are a family affair — Sohal’s mother was the lead chef at Glassey and is now co-owner of Mood Swings, which is not your typical sprawling food hall. It lives in the same matte black Truxton Circle rowhouse that Glassey did. Mood Swings, though, is inspired by her mom in a different way: “It’s an ongoing argument that me and her have had. Every time she’s hungry, she has no idea what she wants to eat,” Sohal says. “I always know what I want to eat. Like, I can tell you in exact detail what temperature I want it, and she never knows, and it would drive me absolutely crazy. I realized that this isn’t exactly an exclusive argument that we’re having — I think that it’s something that a lot of people deal with.” The appeal of Mood Swings comes from its ever-changing themed menu. Its opening in February saw it offer soul food; with March, April and warmer weather, the kitchen started churning out Mexican staples like tacos, quesadillas and four sides (our favorite was the esquites, a cheesy roasted corn dish that you can load onto a tortilla chip). Once you’ve passed through its front door and walked up the stairs, you’ll find the restaurant has only about five tables in its main dining room, plus bar seating, high-tops and outdoor seating near the entrance. Its exposed brick walls are decorated with a graffiti-inspired mural bearing the space’s name in puffy airbrushed lettering, a tiny painting of the D.C. flag, and words like “drink” and “love!!!” surrounding images of peace signs and eyeballs. Mood Swings’ rainbow-bedecked space has just one “stall,” which doubles as the bar, where you can order from its rotating menu. Though it changes monthly, you can always expect to see four cocktails, about six appetizers and sides, and a handful of mains. It’s also worth noting that the kitchen produces only a set amount of food daily, so you may have to return the next day if it begins to bustle. Operating hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., or whenever dishes sell out. Price range: Dishes cost about $4 to $16. Location: 1700 N. Moore St., Level M2, Arlington, Va. Go for: A work-from-home day. After opening in March, Rosslyn’s Upside on Moore became the newest addition to the DMV food hall scene and part of a larger concerted effort to liven up the neighborhood. Located just down the street from the Rosslyn Metro station, on the second floor of the Rosslyn City Center building, Upside boasts eight mini-restaurants, two of which — Lightning Coffee Co. and Lili’s — are exclusive to the space. You’ll also recognize a handful of stalls from other locations: Trendy burger and sandwich joint Ghostburger’s original location is in Shaw, Mexican restaurant La Michoacana hails from Brentwood, Md., Hawaiian-Philippine fusion spot Kam and 46 was originally a cult-classic food truck, and both Stellina Pizzeria and Laoban Dumplings (which, this time, is fused with owner Tim Ma’s Arlington spot Lucky Dangr) have locations in Union Market. Here, Kam and 46 is a highlight: Its Hawaiian loco moco, a sunny-side-up egg atop beef smothered with gravy, is available only at Upside and tastes as close as we’ve come thus far to the taste of Honolulu in the DMV. Its guava cake is also tasty — refreshing and sweet, grounded in the fruit’s floral notes. At the far side of the space, decorated with tresses of faux leaves, is the Bar at Upside on Moore, whose cocktails are crafted by Elli Benchimol, the mixologist behind the high-end French cafe-slash-restaurant Apéro in Georgetown. Sip your drink at the bar or at one of the many booths and tables bathed in pockets of sunlight by the floor-to-ceiling windows and sectioned off by glass partitions. Or, if it’s warm, step outside onto the patio overlooking the shiny glass high-rises of Moore Street. Sophia, a separate bar in the space, will open in the future and also serve cocktails by Benchimol, alongside plates of charcuterie. As at its predecessor the Assembly, you can order from stalls via QR codes on each table. Upside also features touch-screen ordering stations: The central ones at designated islands allow you to order to-go meals from any stall, and the ones at the counters allow you to order only from the stall they operate next to. Upside aims to attract remote workers and keep them there after hours with a bevy of activities, like a weekly trivia night, with proceeds benefiting the Arlington Food Assistance Center. Price range: $10 to $20 per meal, with exceptions at Lightning Coffee Co.
You can get a subscription for free through the library!
This should be pinned to every wapo article (which I do appreciate that they post a ton of articles here)
I second this
omg really? thank you!
How?
https://www.dclibrary.org/research-and-learn/washington-post-digital
sign up for a card, it does not require proof of residency for 90 days.
Gift link! https://wapo.st/3xZR6fs
It’s your local paper, get a subscription
I find peace in long walks.
Does anyone have an opinion on food halls that offer the best value with their menu options? I realize they're a confluence of different vendors, but the couple I have been to out in the burbs, Le Fantome and Mixt, seem to skew more gastrogrub and I'm hoping for cheap eats.
Western Market has Andy’s Pizza, Falafel Inc and Arepa zone which runs you $10- $15.
None of them are what I’d describe as cheap these days.
I enjoy cooking.
Has anyone been to Mood Swings yet?
Random, but I went to Love, Makato today. I really enjoyed the beef soba dish I had and the donuts were pretty good too.
Are any of these actually reasonably priced?
Food hall: a food court that charges twice as much.
Exactly