The Food Austin Network

Local 16
1602 U St, NW, Washington, DC 20009 - +1 (202) 265-2828
http://www.localsixteen.com/

Local 16 is both a nice neighborhood eatery and a lively weekend hotspot and the dishes unpretentious and quite tasty.  The fact that they work with many locally grown ingredients really scores high in our books, we’re all about being local here at Food Washington, and it’s refreshing to see a restaurant be that way.  The atmosphere of the place matches pretty consistently with the majority of the clientele; it’s decked out in dark colors and hip vibes and is trendy yet approachable.  As far as dishes go, the New York Strip is done quite well and is accompanied with all the American staples like spinach, and garlic mash potatoes.  There are a couple of other dishes on the menu where the inspiration is clearly foreign, but this is where it stops. There is no attempt at pure fusion, which is nice considering that fusion in Washington is a little like bipartisanship, largely for show and without any real substance. 

Local 16 was one of the first places to offer this kind of refreshing hipness in a formerly hard part of town, and still carries the flame. While lots of other great places have opened up nearby, there is still no alternative to the rooftop bar and patio. It is a nice place to just kick back with some friends for a lazy weekday and also a nice spot for a casual yet stylish first date. So come for the food, and stay for the drinks and a cool breeze on the rooftop. I would advise coming early though since the rooftop becomes cattlecar-ish as the evening progresses.

Price: $$ (20ish per person)

I’ve already been there twice in the last 5 days. They say that they have famous burgers, and they can definitely back that up. It has been a very long time that I’ve had a burger when I’ve gone out to eat, and I wasn’t disappointed. I’ts juicy, meaty, and not at all that greasy. The taste is pretty amazing, I’ll admit. I’m not really sure about the rest of their food, but if you want an amazing burger with a good serving of fries, this is your place. It’s cheap too.