One of the great things about D.C. is that everyone ends up here for different reasons. Some are born here. Some grow up — or still live — nearby in Maryland or Virginia. Some move here for college and never leave. Some stay for a little while and then move on. Some come here because of politics. Some don’t want anything to do with politics. That’s part of what makes our annual Best of D.C. issue so fascinating: Much like D.C. itself, it’s always changing, even as certain things stay the same. This year, like last year, we split up the coverage into two sections. One features our staff picks — the places and activities we love the most at the moment. The other is full of your picks — dozens of places to go and things to do as voted on by you, our readers.
Food
Best burgers
1st: Duke’s Grocery, 1513 17th St. NW
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2nd: Good Stuff Eatery, multiple locations
3rd: Lucky Buns, 2000 18th St. NW
Best pizza
1st: Timber Pizza Company, 809 Upshur St. NW
2nd: 2Amy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria, 3715 Macomb St. NW
3rd: Wiseguy Pizza, multiple locations
Best ramen
1st: Daikaya, 705 Sixth St. NW
2nd: Toki Underground, 1234 H St. NE
3rd: Sakuramen, 2441 18th St. NW
Best sushi
1st: Sushi Taro, 1503 17th St. NW
2nd: KAZ Sushi Bistro, 1915 I St. NW
3rd: Sushi Capitol, 325 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
Best tacos
1st: District Taco, multiple locations
2nd: Taco Bamba, multiple locations
3rd: Taqueria Habanero, 3710 14th St. NW
Best barbecue
1st: Federalist Pig, 1654 Columbia Road NW
2nd: Hill Country Barbecue Market, 410 Seventh St. NW
3rd: DCity Smokehouse, 203 Florida Ave. NW
Best sandwich
1st: Taylor Gourmet, closed during voting
2nd: Bub and Pop’s, 1815 M St. NW
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3rd: Capo Italian Deli, 715 Florida Ave. NW
Best seafood
1st: Hank’s Oyster Bar, multiple locations
2nd: The Salt Line, 79 Potomac Ave. SE
3rd: Fiola Mare, 3050 K St. NW
Best bagels
1st: Bethesda Bagels, multiple locations
2nd: Bullfrog Bagels, multiple locations
3rd: Call Your Mother, 3301 Georgia Ave. NW
Best fast-casual
1st: Shouk, 655 K St. NW; 395 Morse St. NE
2nd: Cava, multiple locations
3rd: &pizza, multiple locations
1st: Pho 75, multiple locations
2nd: Pho 14, multiple locations
3rd: Pho Viet, 3513 14th St. NW
Best ice cream/gelato
1st: Ice Cream Jubilee, 301 Water St. SE; 1407 T St. NW
2nd: Dolcezza Gelato, multiple locations
3rd: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, 1925 14th St. NW
Best Southeast Asian
1st: Thip Khao, 3462 14th St. NW
2nd: Little Serow, 1511 17th St. NW
3rd: Beau Thai, 1550 Seventh St. NW, Unit A; 3162 Mount Pleasant St. NW
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Best Ethiopian
1st: Dukem, 1114-1118 U St. NW
2nd: Ethiopic Restaurant, 401 H St. NE
3rd: Zenebech Restaurant, 2420 18th St. NW
Best Indian
1st: Rasika, 633 D St. NW; 1190 New Hampshire Ave. NW
2nd: Indigo, 243 K St. NE
3rd: Rasa, 1247 First St. SE
Best Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean
1st: Zaytinya, 701 Ninth St. NW
2nd: Maydan, 1346 Florida Ave. NW
3rd: Lebanese Taverna, multiple locations
Best steakhouse
1st: Ray’s The Steaks, 2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
2nd: Fogo de Chão, 1101 Pennsylvania Ave. NW; 1775 Tysons Blvd., Suite 50, McLean, Va.
3rd: BLT Steak, 1625 I St. NW
Best doughnut
1st: District Doughnut, multiple locations
2nd: Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken, 1308 G St. NW; 7511 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church
3rd: Sugar Shack Donuts & Coffee, multiple locations
Best bakery
1st: Baked & Wired, 1052 Thomas Jefferson St. NW
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2nd: Little Red Fox, 5035 Connecticut Ave. NW
3rd: A Baked Joint, 440 K St. NW
Best coffee
1st: Compass Coffee, multiple locations
2nd: La Colombe Coffee Roasters, multiple locations
3rd: Northside Social Coffee & Wine, 3211 Wilson Blvd., Arlington; 205 Park Ave., Falls Church
Best bottomless brunch
1st: Ambar, 523 Eighth St. SE; 2901 Wilson Blvd., Arlington
2nd (tie): El Centro D.F., multiple locations
2nd (tie): Cava Mezze, multiple locations
Best vegan restaurant
1st: Shouk, 655 K St. NW; 395 Morse St. NE
2nd: Fancy Radish, 600 H St. NE
3rd: NuVegan Cafe, multiple locations
Drink
Best dive bar
1st: The Pug, 1234 H St. NE
2nd: Showtime, 113 Rhode Island Ave. NW
3rd: Quarry House, 8401 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring
Best bar for cocktails
1st: Columbia Room, 124 Blagden Alley NW
2nd: Copycat Co., 1110 H St. NE
3rd: The Green Zone, 2226 18th St. NW
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Best place to drink outdoors
1st: Dacha Beer Garden, 1600 Seventh St. NW
2nd: The Salt Line, 79 Potomac Ave. SE
3rd: The Midlands Beer Garden, 3333 Georgia Ave. NW
Best distillery
1st: Don Ciccio & Figli, 6031 Kansas Ave. NW
2nd: Cotton & Reed, 1330 Fifth St. NE
3rd: Republic Restoratives, 1369 New York Ave. NE
Best brewery
1st: Port City Brewing Company, 3950 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria
2nd: Right Proper Brewing Company, 624 T St. NW; 920 Girard St. NE
3rd: DC Brau Brewing Company, 3178-B Bladensburg Road NE
Best craft beer bar
1st: ChurchKey, 1337 14th St. NW
2nd: Meridian Pint, 3400 11th St. NW
3rd: Pizzeria Paradiso, multiple locations
Best winery
1st: City Winery, 1350 Okie St. NE
2nd: District Winery, 385 Water St. SE
3rd: Early Mountain Vineyards, 6109 Wolftown-Hood Road, Madison, Va.
Best wine bar
Share this articleShare1st: Maxwell Park, 1336 Ninth St. NW
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2nd: Primrose, 3000 12th St. NE
3rd: Flight Wine Bar, 777 Sixth St. NW
Best rooftop bar
1st: POV at W Washington DC, 515 15th St. NW
2nd: DC9, 1940 Ninth St. NW
3rd: The Brixton, 901 U St. NW
Best place to dance
1st: Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar, 1104 H St. NE
2nd: Eighteenth Street Lounge, 1212 18th St. NW
3rd: Rock and Roll Hotel, 1353 H St. NE
Best gay bar
1st: Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St. NW
2nd: Pitchers, 2317 18th St. NW
3rd (tie): Trade, 1410 14th St. NW
3rd (tie): The Dirty Goose, 913 U St. NW
D.C. Life
Best yoga studio
1st: Yoga District, multiple locations
2nd: Yoga Heights, 3506 Georgia Ave. NW; 255 Carroll St. NW
3rd: Flow Yoga Center, 1450 P St. NW; 1508 14th St. NW
1st: Vida Fitness, multiple locations
2nd: Washington Sports Club, multiple locations
3rd (tie): Mint, 1724 California St. NW; 1346 Florida Ave. NW
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3rd (tie): Off Road, multiple locations
Best fitness class
1st: B.Fit, 1339 14th St. NW
2nd: Orangetheory Fitness, multiple locations
3rd (tie): SoulCycle, multiple locations
3rd (tie): Solidcore, multiple locations
Best bike shop
1st: The Bike Rack, 1412 Q St. NW; 716 Monroe St. NE
2nd: City Bikes, multiple locations
3rd: BicycleSPACE, multiple locations
Best salon
1st: Scissor & Comb, 7009 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park, Md.
2nd: Bang Salon & Spa, multiple locations
3rd: Immortal Beloved, 1831 14th St. NW
Best women’s boutique
1st: Violet, 1924 Eighth St. NW, Suite 115
2nd: Lou Lou, multiple locations
3rd: Current Boutique, multiple locations
Best home goods store
1st: Salt & Sundry, multiple locations
2nd: Miss Pixie’s Furnishings & Whatnot, 1626 14th St. NW
3rd: Tabletop, 1608 20th St. NW; 6927 Laurel Ave., Takoma Park, Md.
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Best vintage/consignment shop
1st: Buffalo Exchange, 1318 14th St. NW
2nd (tie): Meeps, 2104 18th St. NW
2nd (tie): Secondi, 1702 Connecticut Ave. NW
Best bookstore
1st: Politics and Prose, multiple locations
2nd: Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Connecticut Ave. NW
3rd: Capitol Hill Books, 657 C St. SE
Best non-car commute
3rd: Metrorail
Best flower shop
1st: UrbanStems, urbanstems.com
2nd: Flowers on 14th, 1712 14th St. NW
3rd: Lee’s Flower and Card Shop, 1026 U St. NW
Best dog park
1st: Shirlington Dog Park, 2710 S. Oakland St., Arlington
2nd: Shaw Dog Park, 1673 11th St. NW
3rd: S Street Dog Park, 17th and S streets NW
Sports
Best college sports program
1st: University of Maryland
2nd: George Mason University
3rd: Georgetown University
Best college mascot
1st: Testudo the Terrapin (Maryland)
2nd: Jack the Bulldog (Georgetown)
3rd: The Patriot (George Mason)
Best college sports venue
1st: Capital One Arena (Georgetown), 601 F St. NW
2nd: EagleBank Arena (George Mason), 4500 Patriot Circle, Fairfax
3rd: Xfinity Center (Maryland), 8500 Paint Branch Drive, College Park, Md.
Best local pro team
1st: Washington Capitals
2nd: Washington Nationals
3rd: D.C. United
Best local pro sports venue
1st: Nationals Park (Nationals), 1500 South Capitol St. SE
2nd: Capital One Arena (Capitals, Wizards and Mystics), 601 F St. NW
3rd: Audi Field (D.C. United), 100 Potomac Ave. SW
Best sports bar
1st: Penn Quarter Sports Tavern, 639 Indiana Ave. NW
2nd: Penn Social, 801 E St. NW
3rd: Nellie’s Sports Bar, 900 U St. NW
Best food at Nationals Park
1st: Shake Shack, Section 240
2nd: See. You. Tater., Section 106
3rd: Ben’s Chili Bowl, Sections 110, 141 and 317
Arts
Best music venue
1st: 9:30 Club, 815 V St. NW
2nd: The Anthem, 901 Wharf St. SW
3rd: The Birchmere, 3701 Mount Vernon Ave., Alexandria
Best place to see comedy
1st: DC Improv, 1140 Connecticut Ave. NW
2nd: Arlington Cinema and Drafthouse, 2903 Columbia Pike, Arlington
3rd: The Big Hunt, 1345 Connecticut Ave. NW
Best large theater company
1st: Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington
2nd: Arena Stage, 1101 Sixth St. SW
3rd: Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, 641 D St. NW
Best small theater company
1st: Constellation Theatre Company, 1835 14th St. NW
2nd: Mosaic Theater Company, 1333 H St. NE
3rd: GALA Hispanic Theatre, 3333 14th St. NW
Best gallery
1st: Touchstone Gallery, 901 New York Ave. NW
2nd: Artechouse, 1238 Maryland Ave. SW
3rd: Art Enables, 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE
Best non-Smithsonian museum
1st: National Gallery of Art, 500 17th St. NW
2nd: Newseum, 555 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
3rd: National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW
Best Smithsonian museum
1st: National Museum of African American History and Culture, 1400 Constitution Ave. NW
2nd: National Portrait Gallery, Eighth and F streets NW
3rd: Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Independence Avenue & Seventh Street SW
Best multi-purpose performance space
1st: Kennedy Center, 2700 F St. NW
2nd: Wolf Trap, 1551 Trap Road, Vienna
3rd: Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U St. NW
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