Dining for Groups in Washington D.C.

Group dining should be an enjoyable experience when you’re traveling. Groups traveling in Washington DC have a plethora of restaurants to choose from. When making reservations for groups, adult or students, I try to make sure there is a nice balance of local flavor and known or recognized brand names such as Hard Rock Café or ESPN Zone.

Each of these are a visited by most groups, Hard Rock because they love the booming sounds of the rock & roll music, the large portions are filling and because they really know how to cater to mixed groups of students and adults. ESPN Zone for the same reasons plus they have an arcade with the coolest games. Tokens or game cards can be purchased prior to the trip (or on the date of visit) so when the meal is finished students can hit the games while the adults sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee and watch the game. What game? Whatever sports are happening is on. As a rule, there is no pre order requirement for these restaurants so your group shows up at the reserved time and you get to order something really tasty off the group menu.

Another great thing about these two eateries is that they are located close to many of the attractions all groups visit while in the Washington DC area. They are just “down the street” from Ford’s Theatre, Petersen House, The National Mall and Smithsonian Museums, The International Spy Museum, The Vietnam Veterans Memorial and the U.S. Navy Memorial to name a few.

Planning an itinerary for groups traveling in any city requires much forethought so the attractions and meals are in a logical flow and the group isn’t spending too much time on the motor coach riding from place to place. Buca De Beppo is another fabulous place I always send groups to. This is a family style Italian restaurant that serves generous portions that are meant to be shared. Don’t be put off by “family style”, these restaurants know how to treat a group. The last time I dined at Buca De Beppo in DC, my group was so impressed by the beautiful artwork on the walls that after the meal many did a self-guided tour of the place. The wait staff there is the entertainment. Our waiter was humorous and knowledgeable about the product and helped us make choices for our groups’ meal. The Italian pizza was awesome and there was some type of infusion oil to sprinkle over it that added something different to the pizza.

Since this is family style we all got to taste several different entrees and not one person came away disappointed or hungry. Desert looked incredible! Unfortunately, I had no room left for sweets but the Tiramisu and the Double Dark four layer Chocolate Cake looked awesome.

A visit to Ben’s Chili Bowl is an experience of the local flavor I mentioned earlier. This is a Washington DC landmark that has been featured on Food Network. Since 1958 Ben Ali has been serving up chili with all different kinds of entrées. If you’re not a fan of chili there is still plenty for you to choose from so don’t hesitate to eat there.

If you’d been around in the 50’s or 60’s you could have seen Dr. Martin Luther King, Ella Fitzgerald or Nat King Cole eating there.

Groups will always be happier and have a better experience during meal time if reservations are made ahead of time. Showing up at a restaurant like Ben’s Chili Bowl at meal time with a group means you are standing in line on the sidewalk waiting for seating. School groups typically travel in March, April, May and June, so remember yours isn’t the only group who wants a table at these restaurants. Phone ahead! Where ever your group decides to eat on your trip, enjoy your meals and your trip.

Vickie Dodson