Washingtonian: The Best Cheap Eats Around the DC Area

These days, dining well on a budget can be a challenge.

Menu prices are up almost everywhere—you’ve probably gotten used to paying $20 for a sandwich or a single cocktail—and you have to look extra hard to find restaurants that are both very good values and very delicious. That’s exactly why this felt like the perfect time to resurrect Washingtonian’s once-annual guide to the area’s best cheap eats. We scoured more than 200 places—from far-flung strip-mall dining rooms to old-school delis to TikTok-famous burger joints—to curate this list of our 60 favorites. And while our $25-per-person budget doesn’t include drinks, tax, and tip like it used to, it does cover a satisfying, superlative meal.