Enchiladas, pizza and Starbucks all within the same city block - what else could a hungry (read: desperate) college student need? OK, so Tenleytown is much like TDR or astronaut food - it's more about convenience than flavor or variety.
But all that has changed since the Prince Caf? moved into the neighborhood. Offering an extensive menu of Punjabi, Tandoori and Mediterranean food, late-night hours and a hookah menu with a variety of flavors, the Prince Caf? is definitely worth the short walk. Located on 41st Street where it branches off from Wisconsin Avenue (about a block past the CVS), Prince Caf?'s dramatically lit fuchsia fa?ade and front deck beckons passersby.
Inside, the plastic tablecloths and deli-like setting almost disappear beneath violet overhead lights and an oversized TV playing Arabic dance music videos. On the berry-colored walls are framed paintings of small villages and cities, and one poster that reads, "Beirut: The City that Will Never Surrender."
The atmosphere is relaxed but exotically cool, and the menu reflects this same spirit. It offers a variety of sandwiches from gyro to falafel, all served on the caf?'s Tandoori bread, as well as a dynamic selection of dinners featuring chicken, lamb, beef and fish. There are also vegetarian options that offer the same diversity of flavors without the meat.
Appetizers include Mediterranean standards like hummus, falafel and grape leaves, as well as more adventurous options. The falafel could be the best in D.C., but it's a little on the small side. Sandwiches are modestly priced and generously sized, and the dinners, while slightly more expensive, are accompanied by cucumber salad and Basmati rice or bread.
Expect a leisurely speed of service at the Prince Caf?, because one chef makes the food from scratch in the kitchen, as can be seen from the intimate dining room. The Prince Caf? in Tenleytown has only been open for a few weeks, but the restaurant also has popular locations in Georgetown, Falls Church and College Park, Md.
The Prince Caf?'s $8.95 "King of Houka" menu, offering 30 different flavors of tobacco, is a novelty that's bound to draw crowds to the outdoor deck or the caf?'s smoking section. But if customers do come to the Prince Caf? just for the hookah, they'll come back for the delicious, inexpensive and varied menu and the invitingly unique atmosphere.
The restaurant's hours are Sunday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m., and Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 a.m. Entrees cost between $4.95 and $9.25, appetizers are $4.95, and desserts are priced between $2 and $3.25. For more information, visit cafeprince.com or e-mail info@cafeprince.com.
