BIBIBOP Company Profile - Office Locations, Competitors ...

I was in DC for the summer and ate at a lot of different places, including unique restaurants and chains. I often see people post here asking for restaurant suggestions (I personally searched this subreddit for a lot of restaurant ideas), so I thought I would post it here for discussion and posterity.
I only ate at each of these places once, so the rating I give might not reflect how good/bad the restaurant actually is. ETA: these reviews also aren't comprehensive, so make sure to consult Trip AdvisoWaPo/DCist etc
Key: 1/4 = bleh | 2/4 = okay | 3/4 = pretty good | 4/4 = great food!
In D.C.
Adams Morgan
4/4 | Zenebech | Ethipoian | Sit-down, casual
If you’re a beginner to Ethiopian food, go to Zenebech and go with a group of friends. All of the dishes come out on a big piece of sour injera bread, and you share family style. The dishes are flavorful, and there are a lot of vegetarian-friendly options. I recommend the Derek beef tibs.
2/4 | Himilayan Heritage | Nepalese/Indian | Sit-down, casual
This is good South Asian fare, but it’s pretty standard.
Chinatown
4/4 | Taco Bamba (multiple locations) | Tacos, drinks | Sit-down or order at the register, casual
This is order by the taco.This restaurant is pretty loud, so you should know that there’s a take-out option in addition to a dine-in option. The pricing is also quite reasonable, since you can be filled by two tacos at $4.50/taco. I recommend the Drunken Master, Taco Arabe, and Patito.
4/4 | Daikaya | Ramen | Sit-down (limited seating), casual
There’s limited seating at Daikaya, so be ready to sit at the bar. The ramen was quick, though. The noodles were the perfect texture -- a bit chewy, a bit bouncy, and just the right thickness. The egg on top was cooked to perfection and was the star of the bowl. However, the pork left something to be desired. I recommend the spicy miso ramen.
4/4 | Boqueria | Spanish/Tapas | Sit-down, smart casual
We didn’t get tapas. Their roast chicken lunch with papas bravas was amazing.
3/4 | Bantam King | Ramen | Sit-down, casual
This ramen place is owned by the same people as Daikaya (which is just around the corner). I thought that the ramen was good, but the real star was the chicken I had in the chicken soft-serve (vanilla soft-serve ice cream with hot honey and a fried chicken drumette). Truthfully, pork ramen (which is what Daikaya serves) will always be better than chicken ramen in my opinion. So, while I didn’t enjoy Bantam King as much as Daikaya, this was still an enjoyable meal.
3/4 | Zaytinya | Mediterranean | Sit-down, smart casual
This place, like other places by José Andrés, is small plates. I normally dislike small plates, but I think that José Andrés always does a good job with this. All of the food was delicious, but this is your standard Mediterranean fare. I think that the $25 four-course lunch special is a good deal.
3/4 | Sushi Capitol (multiple locations) | Sushi | Sit-down (limited seating), casual
There’s probably about 12 seats here, so know that take-out is an option. The prices for sushi are quite reasonable, and the sushi comes out very quickly. The flavor is standard, but above average for sushi. This is a good option if you’re craving sushi for a quick lunch.
3/4 | Wiseguy Pizza (multiple locations) | NY-Style Pizza | Order at the register, casual
This is order by the slice. This pizza place has so many different options that it’s hard to choose which slices to get. When you’re here, though, you should definitely try one of their weird pizzas (like chicken tikka). Overall, this is a solid pizza place if you’re craving a slice.
2/4 | Bibibop (chain) | Korean fusion | Order at the register, casual
This is build your own bowl. The ingredients here all seem pretty fresh and tasty, and they have interesting options for your bowl base like purple rice and japchae. If you like tofu, come here on Monday for their Meatless Monday discount.
2/4 | CAVA (chain) | Medditeranean | Order at the register, casual
This is build your own bowl. Cava is the same as other build-your-own-bowl Medditeranean places, like Roti. It’s still pretty solid, but I definitely wouldn’t go out of your way to eat here in DC.
2/4 | Spice 6 | Indian | Order at the register, casual
This is build your own bowl. This is a good option if you’re craving some quick Indian food. However, the bowls can be a bit expensive, so I wouldn’t go out of your way to eat here.
2/4 | Rice Bar (multiple locations) | Korean fusion | Order at the register, casual
This is build your own bowl. Rice Bar is good, but unremarkable. There’s not really much difference between it and other Asian fusion build-your-own-bowl places.
Columbia Heights
4/4 | Mi Cuba Cafe | Cuban | Sit-down, casual
Mi Cuba Cafe was awesome. I enjoyed the food a lot, and the beans were superb.
4/4 | Thip Khao | Loatian | Sit-down, smart casual
This was amazing. The pork here was the most flavorful pork I've ever had, and it was amazing paired with coconut rice.
Dupont Circle
4/4 | Chiko | Chinese/Korean fusion | Order at the register, casual
This is one of those weird restaurants where you order at the counter and they bring your food out to you. (Do you tip at these or not?) In any case, the food is kind of expensive ($15+ for an entree) but the portion sizes are HUGE (you're probably supposed to share). I recommend the orange-ish chicken.
3/4 | Zorba’s Cafe | Greek | Order at the register, casual
Their food was pretty good! My favorite thing about this place is that cashiers transmit orders to the chefs by saying your order into a microphone.
2/4 | La Tomate | Italian | Sit-down, smart casual
The food was good, but there were two problems with La Tomate. 1) There was almost nobody there, which is weird because it was a Saturday at dinner time. 2) It was SO expensive. I enjoyed the food, but I probably wouldn't come back here. Which is a shame, because it was recommended by the Washington Post during one of their weekly chats.
Farragut Square
3/4 | Sichuan Pavilion | Chinese | Sit-down, smart casual
Very fast service! If you want to eat at a classic Chinese restaurant (family-style), eat here. I recommend the pan-fried noodles.
3/4 | Little Sesame (multiple locations) | Hummus | Order at the register, casual
I didn't know if I could eat a bowl of hummus straight up, but it was delicious! I was only able to eat half the bowl because it was oily, but this was a delicious fast-casual vegetarian meal.
2/4 | Donburi (multiple locations) | Japanese rice bowls | Order at the register, casual
I got the classic tonkatsu; the panko pork was a bit flavorless and dry, but that's the nature of the dish. I would go back here again, because the presentation was nice and I think that getting the karaage was probably the better choice.
1/4 | The Flipside | Filipino | Order at the register, casual
This was disappointing Filipino food. When we walked in, the store smelled like a pet shop. I got pork belly, which was really salty and not very tender. I shouldn't have been surprised, because the pork belly looked like it had been sitting under a heat lamp for a while.
1/4 | GCDC | Grilled cheese | Sit-down, casual
I regret paying so much money for a mediocre grilled cheese.
Foggy Bottom
3/4 | Beefsteak (multiple locations) | Vegetarian | Order at the register, casual
Eat here if you’re not eating enough vegetables.
3/4 | Duke’s Grocery (multiple locations) | English pub food | Sit-down, casual
The burger was fantastic! But it’s rather expensive, unfortunately. The restaurant was also uncomfortably loud.
3/4 | &pizza (chain) | Pizza | Order at the register, casual
This is build your own personal pizza. I love pizza, and their hot honey pizza was great.
3/4 | Circa (multiple locations) | American | Sit-down, smart casual
The brunch has a nice atmosphere, and the service is excellent. The food was great, if a bit overpriced.
2/4 | Roti (chain) | Mediterranean | Order at the register, casual
Your standard build-a-bowl. The falafels were yummy.
1/4 | Toryumon | Japanese | Sit-down, casual
This was the sketchiest place ever. The sushi was overpriced and the entire basement restaurant had a weird smell.
1/4 | Bindaas | Indian | Sit-down, smart casual
I got the lamb kebab and it was way too salty. Plus, it was just meat (four meatballs) and rice. No veggies or anything.
Georgetown
4/4 | Baked and Wired | Cupcakes | Casual
The cupcakes are so yummy and cute!
3/4 | Pizza Paradiso (multiple locations) | Pizza | Sit-down, smart casual
These are personal pizzas. I think that I got the wrong order, but in general I liked their pizza. The dough was great, and you can see them make the pizza. There's probably better pizza in DC, but I think this is solid.
2/4 | El Centro D.F. (multiple locations) | Mexican | Sit-down, smart casual
I got the chicken tacos and I was thoroughly underwhelmed. The sides of rice and refried beans were good, and the tacos were decent, but I felt like I could get this anywhere for a fraction of the price.
2/4 Farmers Fishers Bakers | American | Sit-down, smart casual
I don't really understand how this restaurant can serve tacos, burgers, pizza and sushi. If I told you that this restaurant did this, you'd probably think it'd be a low-end diner. But indeed, this is a fancy restaurant in Georgetown. Decent, but expensive. (And LOUD!)
2/4 | Il Canale | Italian | Sit-down, casual
I thought that the food was decent, but nothing to really write home about. I don't really understand why so many celebrities have eaten here.
Logan Circle
4/4 | Jinya Ramen Bar (chain) | Ramen | Sit-down, smart casual
Okay, I know that loving Jinya is a really hot take. But I really enjoyed the ramen I had. The ramen was so rich and flavorful. I loved their spicy broth, and the noodles had the right texture that I was craving. I recommend the spicy tonkatsu.
3/4 | El Sol | Mexican | Sit-down, casual
If you want good Mexican food in DC, go to El Sol. They have your standard Mexican restaurant fare, but I think they do a good job.
2/4 | Milk Bar (multiple locations) | Desserts | Casual
Everything here is pretty expensive. You’re paying for the aesthetic.
Navy Yard
3/4 | Bonchon (chain) | Korean | Sit-down, casual
Three words: Korean. Fried. Chicken. If you’re craving good fried chicken, this is the place to go.
Penn Quarter
4/4 | Jaleo | Spanish tapas | Sit-down, fancier side of smart casual
The food here is wonderful. I’ve never really liked small plates, but this was great.
4/4 | Shake Shack (chain) | Burgers | Order at the register, casual
Shack-cago hot dog, fries, and a peach pie custard. That was an amazing meal. If you’ve never had Shake Shack (because of regional availability or whatever), I recommend visiting one of DC’s many locations.
2/4 | Carmine’s (multiple locations) | Italian | Sit-down, casual
The portions are HUGE. Don't come here unless you have 4 or more people and are very hungry. Otherwise, the food is above average.
U Street
4/4 | Masa 14 | Asian-Latin fusion | Sit-down, smart casual
This restaurant is closing in August, but nonetheless I enjoyed the brunch. The bottomless brunch is $25 if you don’t drink alcohol, which I think is a pretty good deal. The menu was nice and had a lot of variety.
In Virginia
4/4 | Meokja Meokja | Korean barbecue | Sit-down, casual
Good KBBQ is good KBBQ. You’ll have to wait a little (no reservations for small groups -- you have to write your name down -- but the meat was good and flavorful.
3/4 | Ye Chon | Korean/Japanese | Sit-down, casual
Authentic Korean food. Don’t come here for Japanese food.
3/4 | Ambar (multiple locations) | Balkan | Sit-down, fancier side of smart casual
This was your standard brunch fare, but good nonetheless! The pricing is quite good for what you get.
3/4 | Roll Play | Vietnamese | Order at the register, casual
Good Vietnamese fast food, but there's not really many places to sit.
3/4 | Rice Paper (Eden Center) | Vietnamese | Sit-down, casual
I really enjoyed the noodles here. I thought it was approachable for people new to Vietnamese food.
2/4 | Marumen | Ramen/Japanese | Sit-down, casual
At this point, I had had ramen at three other places, so I found this to be mediocre in comparison. The ramen was good and fast, but I think you can find better ramen elsewhere.
2/4 | Hong Kong Pearl | Dim Sum | Sit-down, casual
The typical dim sum experience is that you get your food fast and probably a bit lukewarm or even cold. This was the typical dim sum experience. It had all the push carts and standard dim sum fare you’ve come to expect. The waits aren’t bad either.
1/4 | Peking Gourmet | Chinese | Sit-down, smart casual
This was quite disappointing. Everyone comes here for the duck, but it was so flavorless.
In Maryland
2/4 | The Walrus Oyster and Ale | Seafood | Sit-down, casual
This was a pretty regular tourist-y place. Basically, it's the same caliber as most seafood shops in waterfront tourist areas. It's definitely not fine dining, but the food was fine.
Edit: Thanks y’all for sharing your opinions! By posting this my hope was that we could all share opinions and recommendations for future readers who might search for food recommendations. Take my opinion with a grain of salt—it was only meant to start discussion!