| Address | 1939 14th St., Washington, DC 20009 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 328-7545 |
We went to this restaurant because it had been described as the closest thing to Napa in the area with something like 40 different wines by the glass. We were disappointed to find that there was only one flght of red wines to try (the rest were white or a combination of whites and reds), and our waiter seemed more interested in telling us what he liked rather than finding out what we like (or what we'd be eating for that matter) and making a recommendation based on that. Both meals were good, and while the waiter was unable to help me find something on the menu that was vegan, I had emailed ahead of time and the chef was able to prepare something special for me. Ambiance is more romantic on the smaller restaurant side - the bar side is a little too open and like a wine store.
Washington is one of the world's most expensive cities for dining out, so it's hard work to maintain a roster of affordable eateries for casual feeds. Islamabad, a Pakistani dive of the sort frequented by taxi drivers, fills a crucial niche in that roster: Pakistani (i.,e., Indian, but don't tell them I said that) food served up without pretense or the traditional DC markup. The staff are extraordinarily friendly, and there aren't any annoying waiters to deal with - you just go to the counter, point at what you want, and they give it to you; the quintessence of service. The food is simple but hearty, slightly oily at times, and, thankfully, spicier than the competition (still, unfortunately, nowhere near spicy enough to really justify the term).
