On the hunt to try some of D.C.’s most diverse and innovative culinary and dining experiences? Looking for a place to eat that will satisfy a large group of friends? Consider checking out the many food halls popping up around the District.
Food halls feature multiple food vendors that represent a range of cuisines from around the world. They also offer a unique variety of dining options no matter cdiners’ dietary preferences.
Located in Friendship Heights, The Heights offers nine different places to dine, a sit-down restaurant and eight local-chef food stalls. The food hall also has two full-service bars and a speakeasy.
Teresa and Enrique Quezaba went to The Heights in search of Latin cuisine but appreciated the variety the food hall offers.
“It’s convenient. For example, if he doesn’t want something that I want, we have some options and we don’t have to get the same thing,” Teresa told The Eagle. “We think it's good that people have the chance to try different and new things.”
The Heights offers many options in a modern, yet intimate, dining space. From sushi, crafted by a James Beard-nominated chef, to vegan Indian street food and boba, there is something for everyone.
Open Sunday through Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., you can take a quick train ride from the Tenleytown-AU Metro station to Friendship Heights to check out what The Heights brings to the table.
The Square is a show stopper for its stunning natural light — it's located in downtown D.C.’s International Square’s glass atrium — and plant-filled interior. The food hall also provides a taste of the world all in one spot.
Outside of food, The Square also hosts community events that are a pull for people to visit one of the many food halls popping up in The District.
“I like how it gives that sense of community without being super in your face,” said Natalie Russell, who dined at The Heights and is new to the D.C. area, told The Eagle. “In a lot of other cities I’ve lived in, food halls were where everyone came together for social events.”
With 13 chef-driven concepts, The Square has a wide variety of vendors to try. Nativo Coffee Shop, Above Board Bar and Brindle Boxer Kombucha offer drinks to guests, while hungry customers can select from a range of food options, from pizza to Spanish street food.
Reopening and renovated in 2012, D.C.'s Union Market is a historic market now turned into a bustling food hall, retail hub and community event center.
With plenty of spots to get a bite to eat and something to drink, there are options both located in The Market and the adjacent La Cosecha, a contemporary Latin marketplace with its own set of shops and restaurants to pick from.
Union Market and La Cosecha are located within the greater Union Market District, once the city’s hub for produce and meat or fish vendors and businesses, which is a vibrant hub for shopping and dining and other local businesses.
Located in D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, The Roost is a food hall “created by the DC community, for the DC community.” It is an expansive collection of diverse food and drink offerings and also includes a full-service restaurant.
This community gathering space also has a mini store, Shop Made In DC, that provides a storefront for D.C. residents to shop for local makers’ goods.
When looking for a new dining spot in D.C., consider trying a new cuisine, learning a new skill or making some new friends at one of the many food halls across the city.
This article was edited by Maria Tedesco, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Emma Brown and Ariana Kavoossi,
