Doing DC: Union Market
This marks the beginning of my new series: Doing DC! These are meant to be stories about new places I explore. Whether it be a hipster coffee shop, a great tapas dinner, museums with incredible art or walls with great murals, this is the chance for you to get a glimpse of DC and all of it’s magic!
Today’s feature: Union Market!
Nestled in the heart of NoMa sits Union Market, a meeting place for locals filled with a fusion of international cuisine. This is truly the best place to expand your horizons and try some unfamiliar foods. While the nondescript white building feels a bit unimpressive at first, the energy and warmth that greets you inside establishes an inexplicable charm.
Although it’s not a massive space, the Market is large enough to house almost any food you may be craving at any given moment. Indian, burgers, crepes, acai bowls, kombucha, Italian, sandwiches, ramen… you get the idea.
It is good to note that this is not a cheap market experience. With one meal ranging from $12-20, I can’t imagine this being your daily lunch special, unless you are cool with dropping some green. I’ve found that a great way to experience all the tastiness is to come with a foodie friend and go halfsies on meals! Peter makes the perfect partner for my food adventures because he happily indulges in foods that are far beyond the confines of my comfort zone, while still enjoying a simple burger & fries that are undoubtably inside my wheelhouse.
The Goods: all the food we loved
Lucky Buns
Wow. Such a good burger!! I was a little hesitant about this double patty burger because 90% of the time I stick sandwiches offering a 70/30 ratio on toppings to meat. Think McDonald’s style thin burgers.
Surprisingly enough, the combination of pickles, lettuce, secret sauce and cheese had me inhaling this enormous masterpiece.
My best advice: definitely order the Lucky Bun (#1 on their menu)
Red apron Sandwich
Along with our burger, we decided to split an Italian sammy from Red Apron. To be honest, this wasn’t the best thing ever but we could still appreciate how fresh the meat was.
If you want to order it, I suggest splitting the sammy with your foodie friend or opting for the roast beef and cheese - it looked insanely good and wasn’t quite as big!
Crepe
This was my introduction to Union Market and it was yummy! I went for a brie cheese and ham crepe for lunch and it kept me full throughout the entire afternoon. I will have to give the sweet crepes a try next time and report back with a comprehensive review.
Coffee
You can never go wrong with coffee. I tried the oat milk latte (because I’m a lactose intolerant chick hehe) and it was very yummy! It definitely is nice to have a little coffee shop in the Market, especially for slow days where you can actually find a seat to spend some time!
Tips!
It’s expensive, be prepared.
Weekends are crazy & seating is tough to come by. If you are with a large group, the odds of you finding a large table are slim to none.
Warmer seasons are great for the outdoor tables!
Bring your own water bottle. I know this is probably not encouraged, it will save you the $3 charge for drinks!
While there is a parking lot at the Market, it is rather small and packed. I would recommend taking the metro to NoMa or parking in the public lot behind Blue Bottle Coffee, where it’s free for an hour or so.
Have you been here before?! What’s your fav spot to grab some food? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Cheers!
xoxo - Katie