10 Places to Eat Lamb in D.C. This Spring

A variety of religious traditions eat lamb at this time of year

by Tim Ebner Apr 22, 2019, 9:29am EDT

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by Tim Ebner Apr 22, 2019, 9:29am EDT

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Passover and Easter celebrations often share one thing in common: lamb. This time of year, both Christians and Jews sit for holiday meals that usher in the spring season, and many area restaurants prominently feature the meat. In D.C., lamb is available in Mediterranean preparations, in a Moroccan method, in Hong Kong-style ribs, or even in a deconstructed riff on a pastrami sandwich. Here are 10 places to find it.

Queen’s English

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There’s a lot of buzz building behind this Hong Kong-style eatery, which has walk-in service only. An early favorite is the five-spice lamb ribs, marinated in a mushroom soy sauce with garlic. It’s slow roasted in the oven then broiled for a crispy finish.

3410 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20010

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The dining room and small bar at Queen’s English

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Brookland's Finest Bar and Kitchen

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The dinner menu at Brookland’s Finest features a lamb chop served with sides of sweet-corn succotash, roasted-red potatoes, and dill-cucumber sauce for $29.

3126 12th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

(202) 636-0050

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Hazel

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Hazelito, the restaurant’s new Middle Eastern taco pop-up on the patio, features smoked lamb tacos with sumac onions and Aleppo aioli for $6.50.

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808 V St NW, Washington, DC 20001

(202) 847-4980

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Birch & Barley

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Chef Jarrad Silver recently introduced a new spring menu that features lamb as one of the main stars. He cures lamb bacon and offers it as part of a charcuterie board. And there’s also a main entree of braised-lamb shank that comes with Moroccan couscous and marinated carrots. It pairs perfectly with one of the dozens of craft beers on tap.

1337 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20005

(202) 567-2576

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Supra

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This Georgian restaurant serves a variety of lamb dishes. The Neknebi is a large, shared plate for $45 that includes five chops, carrot cucumber feta salad, and tkemali, a Georgian plum sauce.

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1205 11th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

(202) 789-1205

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Estuary

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The Voltaggio brothers are behind the fine-dining restaurant in the Conrad hotel that showcases produce and meats from the Chesapeake and Mid-Atlantic regions. The lamb pastrami, with sous vide belly and loin, is a decadent, deconstructed take on a deli sandwich. It comes with charred, pickled cabbage, black lavash, and a Russian dressing Romesco sauce for $32.

950 New York Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001

(202) 844-5895

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DBGB Kitchen & Bar

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In celebration of Easter and Passover, DBGB will offer a-la-carte menu items for both dinner and brunch. That includes a limited-addition menu item: roasted leg of lamb ($34) served in a garlic-lamb jus.

931 H St NW, Washington, DC 20001

(202) 695-7660

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Ocean Prime

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There are two types of lamb on the menu at Ocean Prime. An appetizer of lamb lollipops have a teriyaki marinade. For larger hunger pangs, give the double-cut lamb chop a try. It comes with English peas, mushrooms, and caramelized onions for $48.

1341 G St NW, Washington, DC 20005

(202) 393-0313

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Cava Mezze

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The original Cava Mezze — the brand’s full-service restaurant for small plates — boasts an entire lamb section of the menu. A must-try dish is the grilled lamb meatballs served with several dipping sauces: harissa, split-pea puree, caper-mint relish, and tzatziki. The upstairs patio is a particularly alluring perch to eat on a nice spring day.

527 8th St SE, Washington, DC 20003

(202) 543-9090

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Mason Social

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Flaky biscuits with lamb gravy make up one of the most popular brunch items on the menu at Mason Social. The dish uses ground lamb smothered in a rich cream gravy that’s topped with two eggs for $14.

728 N Henry St, Alexandria, VA 22314

(703) 548-8800

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