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Fried pickles at Momofuku CCDC
Fried pickles at Momofuku CCDC
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A Monster Guide to Fried Pickles in D.C.

The beloved bar snack remains popular

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Fried pickles at Momofuku CCDC
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It's been three years since Eater D.C. started seeing fried pickles popping up consistently around town. What started as a trendy menu item has become a full-fledged, standard bar snack in D.C. and its surrounding suburbs.

There are plenty of ways to prepare this salty, greasy treat: cornmeal-crusted, beer-battered, deep fried, etc. Fans will debate whether chips or spears are the proper vehicle for fried pickle execution (consider Eater #teamchips). Some call them "frickes," others avoid the cutesy name and call it like it is. Usually, a creamy dipping sauce appears on the side, whether it be ranch dressing, remoulade, or chipotle-spiked.

Here are many bars and restaurants in town that celebrate the fried pickle. This map includes bars that have featured the snack for years, like The Pinch and Southside 815, as well as others that just recently started serving the favorite, including Momofuku CCDC and newcomer Vieux Carre.

Have another favorite fried pickle place in town? Share in the comments.

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Acadiana

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Head to the bar at Acadiana and find deep fried pickles there, served with remoulade for $5.

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Bar Deco

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Fried pickles will set diners back $12 at this cocktail bar.

Boundary Stone Public House

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At this neighborhood pub in Bloomingdale, the pickle chips are cornmeal-battered (the dish got a makeover when the bar expanded).

Brookland's Finest Bar & Kitchen

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Find a whole fried pickle basket at this neighborhood bar with pickled okra, banana peppers, spears, and dipping sauces.

CityBar

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This rooftop newcomer takes bread and butter pickles and beer batters them. They're $6 regular price, $5 at happy hour.

Continental Modern Pool Lounge

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Fried pickle chips at Rosslyn hangout Continental are often discounted for happy hour.

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DC9's fried pickle chips are thinly sliced and served plenty of ranch on the side.

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Del Ray Pizzeria

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You won't find them on the menu, but in-the-know fried pickle lovers ask for frickles with remoulade sauce as an appetizer at Del Ray Pizzeria.

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Drafting Table

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Fried pickles are cornmeal-crusted at this popular soccer bar, and they're chips served with remoulade.

Front Page (Multiple Locations)

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Fried pickle spears here are served with ranch dressing.

Garden District

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When the weather warms up, grab a picnic table and an order of half-sour fried pickle spears at this outdoor beer garden on 14th Street.

Grillfish

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On Grillfish's happy hour menu, $4 fried pickle spears make an appearance.

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Mad Fox Brewing Company (Multiple Locations)

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Find frickles at both locations of Mad Fox, where they're served with chipotle ranch.

Momofuku CCDC

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Fried pickle chips (with pickles made at the restaurant) are available for happy hour at this hot spot.

Old Glory

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Need some spice with your fried pickles? The crispy frickles at barbecue restaurant Old Glory in Georgetown are a mix of both dill pickles and bread and butter pickles with jalapeños. The frickles are fried with cornmeal buttermilk batter, and served with horseradish sauce.

Scion (Multiple Locations)

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Instead of regular ol' pickles, Scion tops its namesake burger with sliced fried pickles. You can get fried pickle chips paired with ranch dressing as a starter too, or on special during the restaurant's happy hour for $5.

Smoke & Barrel

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Slices are the pickle of choice at this barbecue bar, where they're battered and served with chipotle aioli.

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Southside 815

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Here's what goes into Southside 815's "state fair" pickles: the bread and butter pickle chips are pickled in-house, then sliced, flash fried in southern breading, then paired with their own remoulade sauce.

Spider Kelly's

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Spider Kelly's lengthy list of appetizers includes thinly sliced, super crispy fried pickles with a buttermilk ranch sauce on the side.

The Pinch

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Laidback Columbia Heights restaurant The Pinch gets fancy with its fried pickle appetizer: pretzel-crusted pickle spears, paired with horseradish mustard for dipping ($6).

The Wonderland Ballroom

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Wonderland Ballroom specializes in fried pickles of the speared variety, served with a housemade ranch.

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Tune Inn Restaurant & Bar

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Capitol Hill's Tune Inn is a shrine to all things fried, so of course fried pickles are on the menu here. The pickle spears are coated with the restaurant's special beer batter, fried and dished out with salsa ranch dressing. And they're only $3.99

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Vieux Carre

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This bar just launched its food menu this week, and fried pickle chips are available for $5.

Woodward Table

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Woodward Table is serving fried late summer squash pickles with remoulade during happy hour at the bar and on the patio.

Acadiana

Head to the bar at Acadiana and find deep fried pickles there, served with remoulade for $5.

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Bar Deco

Fried pickles will set diners back $12 at this cocktail bar.

Boundary Stone Public House

At this neighborhood pub in Bloomingdale, the pickle chips are cornmeal-battered (the dish got a makeover when the bar expanded).

Brookland's Finest Bar & Kitchen

Find a whole fried pickle basket at this neighborhood bar with pickled okra, banana peppers, spears, and dipping sauces.

CityBar

This rooftop newcomer takes bread and butter pickles and beer batters them. They're $6 regular price, $5 at happy hour.

Continental Modern Pool Lounge

Fried pickle chips at Rosslyn hangout Continental are often discounted for happy hour.

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DC9

DC9's fried pickle chips are thinly sliced and served plenty of ranch on the side.

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Del Ray Pizzeria

You won't find them on the menu, but in-the-know fried pickle lovers ask for frickles with remoulade sauce as an appetizer at Del Ray Pizzeria.

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Drafting Table

Fried pickles are cornmeal-crusted at this popular soccer bar, and they're chips served with remoulade.

Front Page (Multiple Locations)

Fried pickle spears here are served with ranch dressing.

Garden District

When the weather warms up, grab a picnic table and an order of half-sour fried pickle spears at this outdoor beer garden on 14th Street.

Grillfish

On Grillfish's happy hour menu, $4 fried pickle spears make an appearance.

Official

Mad Fox Brewing Company (Multiple Locations)

Find frickles at both locations of Mad Fox, where they're served with chipotle ranch.

Momofuku CCDC

Fried pickle chips (with pickles made at the restaurant) are available for happy hour at this hot spot.

Old Glory

Need some spice with your fried pickles? The crispy frickles at barbecue restaurant Old Glory in Georgetown are a mix of both dill pickles and bread and butter pickles with jalapeños. The frickles are fried with cornmeal buttermilk batter, and served with horseradish sauce.