As DC neighborhoods go, Dupont Circle isn’t exactly known for cheap eats. The area is largely filled with overpriced restaurants, fast-casual chains, and restaurants well-suited for a date but not for a quick bite to eat. But two blocks away from the Circle itself, on P street between 20th and 21st Street, sits Food Corner Kabob House, a small kabob joint that’s serving up one of the best values in the district.
Photo courtesy of yelp.com
I was introduced to Food Corner Kabob House before I’d even moved to DC by my good friend AP, who insisted that one night of my visit to the district had to be spent eating dinner there. I loved it, and since moving to DC this tiny spot has been a go-to location for a quick, tasty dinner. One of five Food Corner Kabob House locations – the other four, all in Virginia, are located in Annandale, Centreville, Tyson’s Corner, and Springfield – this little restaurant consistently delivers large portions of delicious food at great prices.
I have to confess, I can’t talk too much about the diversity of the menu, because every time I’ve gone I’ve ordered the exact same meal: the A.6 Combination Kabob with lamb and chicken. Three good-sized hunks of chicken and three of lamb are seasoned well, seared on the grill, and served incredibly moist and juicy. The meal comes with a small salad – lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers with an oil and vinegar dressing – two pieces of Afghan bread, and a delicious spicy green yogurt sauce for dipping (there’s something about the spicy green sauces in DC right now). On top of all that, the kabobs come with rice topped with your choice of side dish: anything from chick peas to chicken or lamb curry to fried spinach. I always order half potatoes and half lentils, and I’ve never once regretted it.
Combo platter with chicken and lamb at their Annandale location, courtesy of Yelp.com
The price for all of this food? $10.75. Not that hungry? Get a kabob sandwich with potato chips for only $6.75. For the amount and quality of food you’re getting, these prices are a steal.
Though Food Corner Kabob House may come off as a take-out place that just happens to have a few tables inside, we highly recommend eating there if you have the time. While you’re waiting for your food to cook, the manager will almost always bring over small bowls of chicken, rice, and vegetable soup on the house. More importantly, the bread will be served as a bed for the kabobs instead of on the side, allowing the meat’s drippings and seasonings to soak into it and make every bite that much more flavorful. It’s absolutely enough of a reason to stay there and eat.
So instead of spending too much money on a smallish portion of just okay food, stop by Food Corner Kabob House for dinner the next time you’re in Dupont Circle. Just prepare to leave absolutely stuffed.
