Where It's At: Amsterdam Falafelshop

Prior to officially moving here in January 2011, I took many recreational trips to the District of Columbia.  I had a fairly large friend network here and since I fell in love with this city on my first visit, when time would permit I didn't hesitate to hop in the car and head southward to visit with folks in my favorite city.  On one of these visits, my friend, Todd, promised to take me to the National Zoo.  Since I was staying in Fairfax on this particular trip with my friend, Sarah, I met him at his apartment in Arlington and we metroed from Clarendon into the city.  It's funny how before you actually know a place, various parts of town seem so disconnected and you don't quite understand how and where everything fits together.  Now that I'm a resident of not just the District of Columbia, but of Woodley Park, I realize how our afternoon fit together.  We got off at the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan metro stop and walked through Adams Morgan, where I marveled at the beautiful row homes and contemplated the possibility of residing in one of the English basements below them upon my relocation to DC.  It was well past lunch time and we were each fairly hungry, so Todd took me to one of his favorite "fast food" places on 18th Street, Amsterdam Falafelshop.

There are only two things on the menu at Amsterdam Falafelshop, falafel and french fries, and they do each remarkably well.  It's pretty hard to mess this up.  You really only have to make two decisions to place an order: (1) small or large and (2) white or wheat pita.  Once your order is up, however, you have a smorgasbord of toppings at your disposal: hummus, babaganoush, tsatsiki, cucumber salad, hot peppers, and so much more.  The tables have holes cut into them where you can hold your paper cone of french fries.  You can go back as many times as you'd like to the topping bar, so long as you use little plastic cups for your refills.  It's a tiny dining space, but it's got character.  I wouldn't go so far as to say the management has a "soup nazi" attitude, but they can be a little impatient if you arrive at the register and have to him and haw over your order; there are only two decisions to make, after all.  Last Spring, I took advantage of a Scoutmob deal for a free falafel sandwich with my friend, John, and the line was out the door.  It's also a popular late night food destination since it is located in the heart of Adams Morgan and is open until 4am on Fridays and Saturdays.  DC loves Amsterdam Falafelshop and Amsterdam Falafelshop loves DC. Soon, other areas will have the pleasure of experiencing this Adams Morgan treasure; franchising opportunities are now available!