Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant were both dramatically affected by the riots that raged across the nation's capital in 1968 following the assassination of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. Many of the homes in the area became neglected over time, paving the way for immigrants from El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, and Vietnam to put down roots in the area.
New Columbia Heights blogger Andrew Wiseman, who has lived in the neighborhood for roughly a decade, notes, "The restaurant scene has really exploded since I moved here in 2007. It was at first mostly only a few chain places and a few (tasty) small spots that catered mostly to Latin Americans, clustered on 14th, Park and a bit on Georgia, but since then it's really blown up. To me it got moving after Wonderland [Ballroom], Red Rocks and Room 11 opened, and it's just grown since — The New York Times noticed it back in 2011, which to me says something. Now you've got all kinds of food and people still line up in the late afternoon to get into Bad Saint."
Both Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant remain some of the most ethnically diverse parts of the city, and that is reflected in the available cuisines. From Cuban to Dominican to Mexican to Vietnamese, there's a world of dining options to explore.
— Updated by Adele O’Donnell
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