Washington, D.C
The 9 Best Restaurants In Columbia Heights – Washington DC – The Infatuation
You’ve worked up an appetite after releasing your inhibitions at the drum circle in Meridian Park, and now you need to feed your renewed spirit. Luckily you’ve got options like sticky beef sesame jerky at a local Lao spot and the city’s best breakfast burritos. Here’s your guide to where to eat and drink in Columbia Heights.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Nina Palazzolo
Thip Khao makes some of the best food in the city. The Lao spot’s sinus-clearing red-curry noodle soup is our go-to for crying into on a cold winter (or any really) day. And we love their crispy beef sesame jerky. So it’s not surprising that there’s often a line before the doors open. If you do manage to crowd your way into Thip Khao’s dining room, just know you’ll be squeezed so close to your neighboring table that you’ll be able to hear everything going on over there, which is nice if you’re a nosy person, not so nice if there’s a break up situation happening.
photo credit: Nina Palazzolo
When you’re looking for a breakfast spot that won’t judge your 3am texts, go to La Tejana. The Tex-Mex restaurant serves nine ridiculously good tacos that they rightly recommend you order in batches of two or three. Each soft taco is made with some variation of eggs, queso, potatoes, or refried beans on flour tortillas made in-house. On the weekends, expect a line that forms early, but moves quickly. You can take your order to-go or hang around the standing counter mounted against a wall.
No, Queen’s English isn’t a posh British tea house. It’s actually a living room type restaurant serving some of the best Cantonese food in the city. You’ll find yourself rubbing elbows with your neighbors as you curb the temptation to pluck a generously coated truffle dumpling off their plate with your chopsticks. The family-style menu is meant for sharing, just not with strangers at the next table. Exercise some self control because you won’t want to share once your table starts filling up with your own plates of orange sesame rock shrimp and spicy cucumber.
photo credit: Nina Palazzolo
If you’re on the lookout for a chill spot to work, The Coupe is a great option. The all-day breakfast cafe takes up the entire corner of the block, and is full of booths with a view and more secluded tables to get some serious work done. Just like any top-notch café, they’ve got an extensive coffee and pastry menu for those not up for a full meal. But, if you’re hungry, The Coupe Royale is the way to go. It’s loaded with eggs, sausage, a crispy hash brown square, and your choice of either french toast or pancakes (get the pancakes, always get the pancakes).
photo credit: Nebabu Tadesse
For the days when there’s no better company than your own, head to Letena Ethiopian Restaurant. Snag a comfy seat, drown out the world with Ethiopian jazz, and dive into their solo-friendly menu. We swear by the vegetarian sampler where seasoned green collards and spinach, peppery orange lentils, and vibrant red beets will have you thanking whatever higher power you believe in for bringing you this far.
The pastries at Ellē are so good they’ll inspire you to move to France, enroll in culinary school, and lead a life making buttery guava turnovers. Until then (boo capitalism) enjoy the best mudslide walnut cookies that life has to offer alongside freelance poets sipping on $6 lattes that are most definitely being written off as a critical expense. If you’re looking for a quiet workspace, head to the secluded backroom where you can lean against the cool brick wall while you knock whatever assignment you’re working on.
photo credit: Golshan Jalali
Options for good Mexican food in the city are limited, but fortunately, there’s Taqueria Habanero. You’ll find kids swinging off chipped wooden chairs while their parents unwind over sopping birria tacos, and lone diners savor sizzling shrimp fajitas at the bar. For the ultimate experience, come here midday. It’s not as busy, the service is fast, and your tender beef brisket flautas will be served piping hot. And to seal the deal, never leave without an order of the churros. Double up if you’re sharing, so you’re not fighting over the last one.
photo credit: Rey Lopez
This neighborhood spot is your all-around Italian restaurant, whether you’re looking for a great pizza, the city’s freshest donuts, or a reliable low-key date night spot. Little Coco’s long dining room is a combo of high tops, small wooden tables, and plastic-covered booths where you can tight-squeeze five of your closest friends. You’re not going to find DC’s best pasta (though it’s good enough for a casual night out), but you will find delicious gooey pizza, like The Dr. Pepper covered in pepperoni and fior di latte, that tastes exactly like we imagine the ultimate Ninja Turtle cheese pull.
photo credit: Nina Palazzolo
This three-story bar is popping almost every night of the week with people who live nearby enjoying an afterwork drink and hookah. Twinkle lights line the ivy on the small covered patio where you can pull up a seat for most of the year. Happy Hour, which runs from 5-8pm, is your best bet, but get there early if you want a seat at the small first-floor bar (the only one that’s guaranteed to be open) because it gets packed quickly.
4 things to know about the weather:
- Grab the umbrella
- Big temperature ranges
- Thunder possible Thursday night
- Warmer days on the way
Heads up commuters! For Thursday morning, there will be some thick fog in spots with some rain possible, especially around the Mason-Dixon line. The fog should clear out by 10 a.m.
Throughout the day, some sunshine should develop with highs warming into the low 60s. Those in Northern Maryland could see some showers throughout the day but those near the D.C. area will stay relatively dry except for a stray shower or two.
Some rain and evening storms by 8 p.m. will impact the area Thursday night. Although it’s a bit unusual for this time of year, don’t be surprised if you hear thunder Thursday evening.
Warmer temperatures coming this weekend
These next few days will come with some major forecast challenges.
Much, much warmer air is just to our south and cold, high pressure is moving into New England. The front separating the 40s from the 70s will be laying right across our region for the next two to three days.
So keep in mind, when you’re looking at the forecast highs in the text below, that it will be warmest in Fredericksburg, VA and coolest in northern Maryland.
Friday’s weather will be similar as a front system remains just over the area, separating chilly air to the north and warmer air to the south. There might be a stray shower or two, too.
For the weekend, Saturday looks to be the warmer of the two days with highs in the low to mid 70s. Some rain overnight Saturday will lead to cooler temperatures on Sunday.
Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to check the weather radar on the go.
QuickCast
THURSDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Stray Shower Possible
Big Temperature Range
Wind: Southeast 5 mph
Chance of Rain: 40%
HIGHS: 62° to 72°
THURSDAY NIGHT:
Cloudy And Chilly
Rain Likely
Some Thunder Possible
Wind: Northeast 5 mph
Chance Of Rain: 70%
LOWS: 44° to 54°
FRIDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler For Most
Isolated Shower Or Two
Wind: East 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 52° to 68°
SATURDAY:
Partly Sunny
Breezy And Warmer
Isolated Shower
Wind: Southwest 10-20 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 66° to 78°
SUNDAY:
Mostly Cloudy
Cooler
Few Showers Possible
Wind: Northwest 5-15 mph
Chance of Rain: 20%
HIGHS: 64° to 72°
Sunrise: 6:35 Sunset: 6:05
Average High: 53° Average Low: 36°
Stay with Storm Team4 for the latest forecast. Download the NBC Washington app on iOS and Android to get severe weather alerts on your phone.
WASHINGTON (7News) — D.C. taxpayers may be confused by back-and-forth between the D.C. City Council and Congress over taxprovision. The city’s financial officer sent a letter to Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson, that said the District’s tax laws will not change, despite recent actions by Congress.
7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy.
“The short answer is, nothing changes. Filing Season can continue as it has been, continue as planned, and according to the laws as we understood them in January,” said Husak.
“If you’ve already filed your taxes, you don’t have to change anything. And if you want to file your taxes, the rules are still the same as they were on the books before,” said Husak.
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Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee’s revenue estimate issued Friday does not include an estimated $180 million expected this fiscal year from the city’s decoupling law, “due to the uncertainty of the associated revenue as a result of Joint Resolution 142,” according to a released letter.
“The CFO was in a tough spot here. If he agreed with Congress, then businesses and overtime workers will get bigger refunds. But if he agreed with the Mayor and the Attorney General, then families with children and lower income workers would get bigger tax cuts,” said Husak.
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“We as District residents can’t control, you know what happens in the courts, what happens in, you know, what Congress does in the future,” said Husak. “But for now, the CFO has said, you know this is, this is a law as it stands, and the law that I’m going to enforce so, you know, file your legally obligated taxes, and maybe in the future, there’ll be a surprise.”
WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW
7News spoke to director of Tax Policy at the Center for American Progress Corey Husak to explain the complicated tax policy (7News).{ }
WASHINGTON (7News) — The nation’s capital is just about ready to be transformed into a breathtaking pastel landscape of cherry trees in bloom. The famed blossoms around the Tidal Basin are not only a symbol of spring’s arrival, but also of a long-standing friendship — a gift of more than 3,000 trees from Tokyo, Japan, to the United States in 1912.
So what is considered “Peak Bloom”?
The National Park Service (NPS) defines peak bloom as the time when at least 70% of the Yoshino cherry trees around the Tidal Basin have opened their blossoms. This is the period when the blossoms appear most full and spectacular and most ideal for photos, and soaking up spring’s beauty here in DC.
Because cherry trees respond to the cumulative effects of winter and spring weather, especially daily temperatures, it’s very difficult to predict peak bloom more than about 10 days in advance. Warm spells accelerate blooming; cold snaps slow it down.
Average Timing — What History Shows
Since 1921 overall, national data indicate peak bloom typically fell around early April (April 4), based on historical averages.
Since 1990, the average has kept shifting earlier and earlier. In fact, the last 6 years our peak has occurred in late March.
These shifts reflect how warmer springs have nudged peak bloom earlier over the decades.
Earliest & Latest Blooms on Record
Earliest peak bloom: March 15 — recorded in 1990.
Latest peak bloom: April 18 — recorded in 1958.
Of course, most years fall between those dates, with the last week of March to the first week of April historically being the most consistent window for peak bloom.
Earliest Peak Bloom Washington DC
Recent peak blooms show how variable and climate-dependent the timing can be:
2025: The National Park Service predicted peak bloom between March 28–31 (and confirmed the official peak around March 28).
2024: Peak bloom arrived very early, on March 17, several days ahead of NPS projections — tied for one of the earliest peaks in decades.
These examples demonstrate not only how much each season can differ, but also a trend toward earlier spring blossoms in recent years.
What to Expect for Spring 2026
As of early March 2026, the cherry trees are still dormant. The buds haven’t begun significant growth yet. The weather will become more critical in the weeks leading up to the bloom will be the biggest factor in determining when peak bloom happens in 2026.
Heavy winter cold, as experienced this year, tends to delay bloom compared with recent early springs. In contrast, an early warm stretch could push peak bloom earlier — as long as it doesn’t come with subsequent frost.
Look for the green bud stage first. This is when the buds are small, tight, and green, with no sign of petals yet. Trees are still several weeks from blooming.
Tips for Cherry Blossom Visitors
Plan in the “sweet spot” — peak bloom often lasts a few days to about a week, but weather (rain, wind, heat) can shorten that window.
Visit slightly before or after the predicted peak dates for smaller crowds and extended color. Blossoms can be gorgeous even before 70% bloom or as petals begin falling.
Check NPS updates and First Alert Weather forecasts in late March for tweaked peak bloom dates.
The cherry blossoms of Washington, D.C. remain one of the most iconic harbingers of spring in the U.S., and while exact bloom dates vary year-to-year, history and natural patterns point to late March through early April as your best bet for seeing the Tidal Basin in full floral glory.
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