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A plate of rice-cured, fermented pork from Thip Khao.
Rice-cured, fermented pork from Thip Khao.
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

13 D.C. Restaurants Perfect for Spicy Food Lovers

Where to feel the burn

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Rice-cured, fermented pork from Thip Khao.
|Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

由於大量的四川,泰國,印度,和even amped-up burger restaurants, D.C. diners who like a heavy dose of spice have no shortage of options. The places on this map won’t serve the kind of heat that requires customers to sign a waiver, but they have seriously piquant dishes that pack in a ton of flavor with a pleasant burn.

Have another favorite spicy dish? Sound off in the comments.

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Quarry House Tavern

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At this classic Silver Spring dive bar, the “Afterburner” burger with four-alarm sauce, jalapenos, and pepperjack cheese calls out to heat seekers. Wash it down with a cold beer to calm the burn.

Pho Viet

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Pho Viet’s Spicy Lemongrass Pho is made with two kinds of chile and flavored with lemongrass, ginger, onion, and shrimp paste. Order it “quarter spicy” and you might still be sipping water between bites. Real chile heads get it “medium” or more.

Thip Khao

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Just about anything from this restaurant's jungle menu will satisfy heat-seekers, but the Thetam muk houng phet phetis especially spicy. This Lao papaya salad made with an assortment of Thai chile peppers, shredded green papaya, fish sauce, cherry tomatoes, lime, shrimp paste, crab paste, and dried shrimp packs a whole lot of funky flavor.

Panda Gourmet

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This Sichuan staple inside a Days Inn has a lot of spicy items on their menu, but the boiled fish filet in hot chile sauce deserves to be singled out. A heaping portion of fish boiled in a spicy broth swarming with red chiles and chile oil delivers a slow and steady burn.

Lucky Buns

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You probably wouldn’t expect a place like this to be in consideration for spicy food, but Lucky Buns isn’t your average burger joint. Try the “Hot Tiger” bun, a fantastic fried chicken sandwich with Sichuan pepper paste topped with pickles, onions, and Chinese yellow mustard. Or get the “Hot Amato” bun, which has a single beef patty in addition to that spicy fried chicken.

Astoria DC

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Thisrecently openedcocktail bar from CopyCat Co. founder Devin Gong gets its Sichuan peppers shipped from a source in Chengdu, China. Don’t sleep on the water boiled beef—- tri-tip in a fragrant stock of mustard greens, celery, and a ton of chiles that get cooked with a ladling of hot oil at the end. The brave should slurp that sauce right from the bowl.

Little Serow

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This basement spot with a fixed menu is known for serving some of the spiciest Northern Thai food in town. The menu changes frequently, but there always will be multiple course brimming with chiles that bring out sweat and tears from customers. A side plate of cold greens and herbs helps to combat the burn.

Pappe

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Although the vindaloo is the most popular spicy dish of at this Indian spot on 14th Street, the fiery redjunglee laal maasis even hotter. Made with dried red chiles and bone-in goat, it packs a lingering heat.

El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria

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Partner and chef Jessica Solis personally oversees daily salsa production to ensure enough chiles make their way into squeeze bottles of houseverdeandrojo.Hot, epazote-laced chilaquiles are a true wake-up call at any time of day, and the chicken tinga boasts a smoky spice of chipotles. — Gabe Hiatt

El Sol chilaquiles
Chilaquiles and carne asada from El Sol
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Laos in Town

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香料水平高在諾瑪這個新發現long as customers request their food “Lao spicy.” To really feel the fire, order the crispy rice salad, a signature item that has bits of curried rice with fermented pork, cilantro, peanuts, and an added kick from a heap of julienned ginger. It can be made vegan upon request.

Crispy Rice Salad at Laos in Town
Aparna Krishnamoorthy/Eater DC

Bombay Street Food (Multiple locations)

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At the Capitol Hill location of this hit Indian spot, thelal mirch(red chile curry) comes with a choice of lamb, chicken, or goat. These bring on a warming heat with a slow burn, and so does the spicy goat monsoon wedding, which packs in heat from peppercorns in addition to chiles. On Capitol Hill and at the original in Columbia Heights, a street food section includeskheema pav, a minced lamb dish served with buttered bread that’s served on the spicy side, just like it is at some roadside stalls in Bombay.

熱哈哈a's

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This Sichuan-spiced hot chicken restaurant from Himitsu founder Kevin Tien serves up four different heat levels. Go for the OG Hot for a comfortable spicy heat, or the Too Hot, if you really want to push it.

MaMa Chang

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There are a number of dishes at the latest Peter Chang restaurant that bombard diners with spice, but one that stands out is the pickled chile flounder pot. Fish, vermicelli, and tofu are all carriers for heat and respites from it, depending on how many chiles sneak onto each bite.

Quarry House Tavern

At this classic Silver Spring dive bar, the “Afterburner” burger with four-alarm sauce, jalapenos, and pepperjack cheese calls out to heat seekers. Wash it down with a cold beer to calm the burn.

Pho Viet

Pho Viet’s Spicy Lemongrass Pho is made with two kinds of chile and flavored with lemongrass, ginger, onion, and shrimp paste. Order it “quarter spicy” and you might still be sipping water between bites. Real chile heads get it “medium” or more.

Thip Khao

Just about anything from this restaurant's jungle menu will satisfy heat-seekers, but the Thetam muk houng phet phetis especially spicy. This Lao papaya salad made with an assortment of Thai chile peppers, shredded green papaya, fish sauce, cherry tomatoes, lime, shrimp paste, crab paste, and dried shrimp packs a whole lot of funky flavor.

Panda Gourmet

This Sichuan staple inside a Days Inn has a lot of spicy items on their menu, but the boiled fish filet in hot chile sauce deserves to be singled out. A heaping portion of fish boiled in a spicy broth swarming with red chiles and chile oil delivers a slow and steady burn.

Lucky Buns

You probably wouldn’t expect a place like this to be in consideration for spicy food, but Lucky Buns isn’t your average burger joint. Try the “Hot Tiger” bun, a fantastic fried chicken sandwich with Sichuan pepper paste topped with pickles, onions, and Chinese yellow mustard. Or get the “Hot Amato” bun, which has a single beef patty in addition to that spicy fried chicken.

Astoria DC

Thisrecently openedcocktail bar from CopyCat Co. founder Devin Gong gets its Sichuan peppers shipped from a source in Chengdu, China. Don’t sleep on the water boiled beef—- tri-tip in a fragrant stock of mustard greens, celery, and a ton of chiles that get cooked with a ladling of hot oil at the end. The brave should slurp that sauce right from the bowl.

Little Serow

This basement spot with a fixed menu is known for serving some of the spiciest Northern Thai food in town. The menu changes frequently, but there always will be multiple course brimming with chiles that bring out sweat and tears from customers. A side plate of cold greens and herbs helps to combat the burn.

Pappe

Although the vindaloo is the most popular spicy dish of at this Indian spot on 14th Street, the fiery redjunglee laal maasis even hotter. Made with dried red chiles and bone-in goat, it packs a lingering heat.

El Sol Restaurante & Tequileria

Partner and chef Jessica Solis personally oversees daily salsa production to ensure enough chiles make their way into squeeze bottles of houseverdeandrojo.Hot, epazote-laced chilaquiles are a true wake-up call at any time of day, and the chicken tinga boasts a smoky spice of chipotles. — Gabe Hiatt

El Sol chilaquiles
Chilaquiles and carne asada from El Sol
Rey Lopez/Eater D.C.

Laos in Town

香料水平高在諾瑪這個新發現long as customers request their food “Lao spicy.” To really feel the fire, order the crispy rice salad, a signature item that has bits of curried rice with fermented pork, cilantro, peanuts, and an added kick from a heap of julienned ginger. It can be made vegan upon request.

Crispy Rice Salad at Laos in Town
Aparna Krishnamoorthy/Eater DC

Bombay Street Food (Multiple locations)

At the Capitol Hill location of this hit Indian spot, thelal mirch(red chile curry) comes with a choice of lamb, chicken, or goat. These bring on a warming heat with a slow burn, and so does the spicy goat monsoon wedding, which packs in heat from peppercorns in addition to chiles. On Capitol Hill and at the original in Columbia Heights, a street food section includeskheema pav, a minced lamb dish served with buttered bread that’s served on the spicy side, just like it is at some roadside stalls in Bombay.

熱哈哈a's

This Sichuan-spiced hot chicken restaurant from Himitsu founder Kevin Tien serves up four different heat levels. Go for the OG Hot for a comfortable spicy heat, or the Too Hot, if you really want to push it.

MaMa Chang

There are a number of dishes at the latest Peter Chang restaurant that bombard diners with spice, but one that stands out is the pickled chile flounder pot. Fish, vermicelli, and tofu are all carriers for heat and respites from it, depending on how many chiles sneak onto each bite.

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