Where to eat in Wheaton

Where to eat in Wheaton

1. Eat

   El Pollo Rico

   Universally acclaimed in local, national, and international food circles is Wheaton's El Pollo Rico, serving unbeatable pollo a la brasa—Peruvian chicken roasted over smoky wood charcoals to just the perfect point at which a slight crisp falls upon the skin, over succulent, moist white and dark meat, and the spice fiesta of salt 'n pepper, huacatay, aji, cumin, achiote, garlic, and lemon magically penetrates the meat straight into the bone. EPR for a long time ran out of a can't-see-your-hand smoky little take-out only shack, but that burned down, and it's now in a cheery little eatery with tables for the few who aren't taking the bird home to the family. Lines are long, but move fast. Placing your order is simple: yell whole, half, or quarter, and then enjoy the sound of the lady's meat cleaver hitting the counter through the meat.

   10:30AM-10PM daily·Chicken: $5.30-14.20

2. Eat

   Full Key Restaurant

   An unassuming but pleasant little eatery, offering Hong Kong cuisine into the wee hours of the night—wonderful noodle soups, soup dumplings, congee, and barbecued meats—the roast duck tends to run out, but you can call ahead to reserve a portion for a late night visit.

   11AM-2AM daily·$3.50-20.00

3. Eat

   Moby Dick Sushi

   Odd name for a Korean-run Japanese place. Korean-run Japanese restaurants are usually a lesson in cross-cultural misunderstanding, but this is an exception, run by an eminently competent and seasoned preparer of Japanese cuisine. Three reasons to come: great tempura, good sushi, and impressively low prices.

   Mon-Thu 11:30AM-9:30PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10PM·$7-15

4. Eat

   Nava Thai

   Served in a space that is comically and unmistakably a former cheesy Tex-Mex restaurant, Nava Thai's food is incredible, with a menu full of items Thai food lovers of the Western variety will not recognize. Dishes range from those ablaze with chilis, garlic, and curries, to those with a more subtle cilantro or perhaps pig's blood. The sweet and sour squid is famous, but if you want to play it safer, the husband and wife team here are experts with the noodle dishes, and you'd have trouble finding a better pad thai anywhere, except Ruan, of course.

   Sun-Thu 11:30AM-10PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10:30PM·$6-20

5. Eat

   Nick's Diner

   Old-school family-run diner with Greek menu options. Breakfast and lunch only.

   6AM-3PM

6. Eat

   Paul Kee Restaurant

   Delicious, authentic Cantonese food served to a mostly Cantonese clientele. The service and ambiance are also authentically Cantonese, but they are also hallmarks of a place that serves great food at low prices. The roast and crispy meat dishes tend to be especially good bets.

   Sun-Thu 11AM-1AM, Fri Sat 11AM-2AM·$5-25

7. Eat

   Ren's Ramen

   D.C.'s ramen scene is not as well-developed as New York, but this place comes pretty close. Very flavorful broth and delicious chewy noodles, no matter which variant of ramen you choose. The dumplings are also tasty.

   $10

8. Eat

   Ruan Thai

   Trying to decide whether to eat at Nava or Ruan is best decided by a coin flip—they are both fantastic, small, and as authentic as they come. Aside from walking distance, Ruan is a little divier and marginally less expensive, which is either a plus or minus depending on your outlook. It also serves an incredible smoked eggplant salad, a fiery crispy whole red snapper, and killer larb.

   Mon-Sat 11:30AM-10PM, Sun 4-10PM·$6-18

9. Eat

   Ben Yehuda Cafe & Pizzeria

   Kosher dairy restaurant with pizza and vegetarian mock meat.

   Sun-Wed 11AM-8PM, Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri 11AM-2:30PM, Sat: 90 minutes after sunset until midnight

10. Eat

    Cam Ranh Bay Pho & Grill

    Vietnamese food.

11. Eat

    Ertale Ethiopian Restaurant

    2310 Price Avenue

12. Eat

    Filippo's Italian Specialties

    Popular Italian deli.

13. Eat

    Gourmet Inspirations Chinese Restaurant

    2646 University Blvd W

14. Eat

    Kantuta's

    Latin American diner.

15. Eat

    Nut House Pizza

    Voted the best kosher pizza by Washingtonian Magazine.

    Mon 11:30AM-9PM, Tue 11:30AM-9PM, Wed 11AM-9PM, Thu 11:30AM-9:00PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sun 11AM-2PM, Sat open 1 hour after sundown until 1:00AM

16. Eat

    Thai Taste by Kob

    Street-style Thai food.

17. Eat

    Woomi Garden

    Korean barbecue, hot pot, sushi, and Japanese food.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Wheaton (CC BY-SA 4.0).