Best Places for Outdoor Dining at the Wharf in DC

Last Updated on April 18, 2023 by admin

When looking for the best places for outdoor dining at the Wharf in DC or brunch on the Wharf in DC, it may be essential to define the terms. What one may consider the “best” may be strikingly different from another person’s point of view.

Aspects for Consideration

• The purpose behind the dining experience also may be whether a place is one of the “best” or just another place for outdoor dining at the Wharf in DC. If you come to play shuffleboard with your friends and grab a burger and some beers, that “best” experience would differ from taking your partner out for her birthday. Consider expectations before considering the “best.”
  
• Cost may be a variable that affects a “best” experience. With enough money, anyone can undoubtedly afford the “best.” However, for most personal budgets, the “best” establishment is one that you can enjoy semi-regularly without compromising cash flow.
  
• Selection of both the food and bar menu are important determinants of a dining experience, whether on the Wharf or not. In addition, the kitchen’s willingness (or not) to accommodate special requests may be a critical factor. For example, it is being able to get shrimp Alfredo without the shrimp.
   
• Service is as important as the food in a restaurant. Any server can do an excellent job with a single customer. A fairer comparison is how the service changes with volume.
  
• Consistency is a well-earned attribute. The “best” restaurant should be relied on to provide a similar, if not identical, experience on each visit. The only surprise should be the daily special.
  
• Ambiance may not seem as important, but it may be the most critical aspect on a subtle level. The “gut feeling|” that can’t be put into words long after the experience is over is partly due to the restaurant’s decor, lighting, and background music.
    
• The Restroom check is seldom spoken about but is critical. It is one more indication of the restaurant’s attention to detail and overall approach to cleanliness. 

When All Is Said and Done . . .

The” best” places for outdoor dining at the Wharf in DC all share one thing in common. They are all places that make customers want to return again and again. At the end of the night, they were places that clicked enough of the boxes. 

Seafood: Hank’s Oyster Bar

701 Wharf Street SW Washington, DC 20024

Hank’s Oyster Bar earned its place on the” best” list for the raw bar, coupled with the attentive service on the Potomac River. Fresh East and West Coast oysters are joined on the ice by clams, choice tuna, shrimp, and seasonal favorites like soft-shelled crabs. 

Larger plates, both seafood and meat choices, are available all year long. Chef-owner Jamie Leeds created the signature plates.

Spanish: Del Mar 

791 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

The hand-carved Jamón Ibérico (Iberian Ham) drama sets Del Mar Restaurant in a different “best” class. Iberian ham is considered “haute cuisine.” The process that brings this succulent ham to taste buds starts with breeding the right pigs to produce an “Iberian” ham. Then, the pigs are set free in the Iberian countryside to exercise and eat wild nuts and acorns. Afterward, the farmer cures the meat longer than other hams. Depending upon the diet and size of the pig, curing can take up to 48 months. 

The Governmental Classification of Iberian Hams is based on the acorn content of the pig’s diet before slaughter. The highest or “best” classification is Black Label Pata Negra hams. The pigs that deliver this highest standard ham are purebred Iberian pigs fed with a 100% Iberian acorn diet. 

Jamón Ibérico is a rare delicacy. It is in the same class as Beluga Caviar and expensive champagne. Gastronomes will appreciate the moist, slightly salty, and sometimes somewhat sweet meat from acorn-fed Iberian pigs. Anyone with exceptional tastes will find this level of luxury with a waterfront view the “best.”   

Breakfast: Tostique

Maine Ave SW Washington, DC 

Breakfast is often the forgotten relative of fine dining. However, Tostique demands attention and inclusion on the “best” list. The gourmet toast and juice bar is the best first stop of the day after the last best place for dining at the Wharf in DC last night. 

Asian: Moon Rabbit

At the Intercontinental Wahingtoningtn DC – The Wharf

81 Wharf Street SW, Washington, DC 20024

The Story behind the restaurant’s name alone might have been enough to qualify it for a” best” nomination. However, the entire presentation by chef and owner Kevin Tien puts it over the top. 

Moon Rabbit is a mythical figure in a Buddhist Jataka tale. The rabbit, only knowing how to collect grass, offered himself to feed the hungry old man and hopped into the fire but was not burned. The older man revealed himself as Sakra, the ruler of Trayastrimsa Heaven. He rewarded the rabbit’s unselfishness by drawing his image on the moon.  

Kevin Tien is a first-generation Vietnamese American who has won many awards for his creative work in the kitchen. The uniquely complex menu is an innovative take on traditional Vietnamese cuisine. Mr. Tien gives full credit to his Grandmother for passing recipes and traditional cooking techniques to his mother, who passed them to him. 

More “Bests”

Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen, Chopsmith, Kirwan’s, The Grill, and many more excellent restaurants that are on the waterfront at the Wharf may be your personal “best.” But first, decide what you want from the time and money you will spend.

You can read a thousand reviews, but a restaurant is only as good (or bad) as the experience enjoyed on a particular day. It is a combination of many factors that must come together at that moment. So, it’s time to decide for yourself. Enjoy your search for the pinnacle of outdoor dining at the Wharf in DC.

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