11 New Late Night Food Options Around DC | Catch My Job

You’ve hit Duccini’s for a jumbo slice, joined chefs after the shift at New Big Wong, and watched the sun rise from Bob & Edith’s Diner. Then the pandemic hit, and late night options disappeared like a hangover after 2 AM Honey Pig. Thankfully, many of the tried and true places are back – and there’s a new wave of bars and restaurants serving drinks and belly-padding eats until midnight (or well after).

Here are a few newer and newly reopened spots to try, ranked from ridiculously late to smart midnight. Don’t sleep on the classics, either.

Rebel Taco U Street
1214 U St., NW
The taqueria is set to reopen on the busy U Street nightlife corridor on Thursday, October 6 – and it’s going in with a taco takeout window that’s open until 4 AM on weekends. A jumbo slice will get some competition from the “taco grande,” an eight-inch taco stuffed with all the fixings and your choice of protein (ie pork al pastor, lamb birria, grilled shrimp), all served with chips on top.

Clarendon Ballroom
3185 Wilson Blvd, Arlington
Disco Pizza, a new independent pizza bar, opens in the nightlife spot on Friday, September 30. Revelers can grab slices until 2 AM (check for later hours), or order a whole pie to go.

Little Chicken
1100 15th St., NW
The new fry joint and bar in Midtown Center serves chicken buckets, tenders, pie and huge sandwiches for nightbirds until 1 AM on weekends. The drinks are fun too – there are beer buckets or sangria service for your crowd before a game of shuffleboard. The place is also open on the later side (11 PM) during the week.

Taqueria Xochi
924 U St., NW
Birria cravings that hit after midnight can be satisfied at this stellar taqueria, open until 1 AM on Fridays and Saturdays (we’re team lamb quesabirria all the way). The late night menu also includes street style tacos, elote, chips and salsa, and other treats.

Tiki on the 18th
2411 18th St., NW
New late-night hours for tiki drinks and DJs run until 2 AM, while the kitchen dishes out its full menu until 1 AM on Friday and Saturday. Lumpia (spring rolls) were reimagined as mozzarella sticks hit just after midnight, as did bountiful plates of pancit noodles.

Mi Vida 14th Street
1901 14th St., NW
The corridor’s colorful new Mexican spot serves tacos, margaritas, and more until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (11 PM weekdays). Groups can do well with margarita pitchers and shareable Mexican snack or dessert plates.

Bar Chinois
455 I St., NW
Dumplings after dark is the move at this moody Mount Vernon Triangle spot—open for dinner until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (the bar pours cocktails and bubbly much later). Patrons can snack on French onion-inspired gyoza and pork belly bao, or dig into larger plates like garlic noodles.

Chicken + Whiskey Navy Yard
70 N St., SE
The Peruvian chicken is hot and the whiskey is strong at this parkland twist. Patrons can grab stuffed arepas, giant sandwiches, and rotisserie chicken with sides until midnight, Wednesday through Saturday (service is quick, but a full bar pours drinks until 2 AM). The 14th Street flagship stays open even later for food – until 2 AM on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 3 AM on weekends.

Gatsby
1205 Half St., SE
This retro-glam tribute to American diner serves all-day breakfast, milkshakes, and wings until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays (11 PM weekdays).

*Correction: The original post included Thirsty Crow, which is open late but their kitchen closes at 10pm.

Food Editor

Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Before joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute’s MFA program and Columbia University in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and St. John, US Virgin Islands.