Every day at 11:55 am, Tenleytown is flooded with one thousand starved teenagers looking to recover from their drudgerous mornings with affordable and moderately good food. They’re confronted with dozens of options, and most of them choose wrong. To save you from that fate, here’s a comprehensive review of some of the most popular options around.
Angelico’s Pizza: 4.1 / 5
Angelico’s Pizza has been a cornerstone of Tenleytown’s fat community since I’ve lived here, and for good reason. With cheap, sizable pizza (5.8 square inches per dollar!), it’s the perfect post-school or lunch spot that doesn’t sacrifice that hard earned babysitting money. While the sandwiches left something to be desired (though they certainly had more than enough mayo), and the service wasn’t especially quick, Angelico’s will always show up for you with a huge greasy slice of pizza.
Bandit Taco: 4.5 / 5
Despite its small stature and out-of-the-way location, Bandit Taco is not missing any flavor. The restaurant consistently provides fresh ingredients and exceptional value, especially on those Taco Tuesday (thanks LeBron) deals that make it impossible to justify going anywhere else. The staff are equally kind and quick, and the chorizo burrito and rosa de jamaicas are fantastic sleeper options. The only thing Bandit Taco is missing is bigger taco portions and better seating, but that’s a small price to pay for the best taco place in Tenleytown.
Five Guys: 3.2 / 5
I will always have personal beef with Five Guys after they took $18 from me for a single cheeseburger then managed to burn it beyond belief, but even I can’t deny the cajun fries alone might be worth the trip. The Tenleytown location is clean and efficient, the service moves at a solid pace, and when the burger isn’t charred to a crisp, it’s a legitimately good fast food slop experience. The price tag will always sting for me ($13 for a kids meal is crazy), but the quality, at least in theory, is there.
Roaming Rooster: 4.3 / 5
This rating is pretty much a no-brainer. Roaming Rooster, despite being a comparatively new arrival to Tenleytown, has quickly made a name for itself as one of the go-to chicken destinations in Tenleytown, and for good reason. The chicken is free-range, halal, and grain fed, the sandwich portions are consistently great, and the service is almost always fast and friendly. The only thing holding it back is the subpar wings (if you can even call them that), but the shakes and frozen custard more than make up for it.
Seoul Spice: 3.8 / 5
Seoul Spice is essentially Tenleytown’s version of Chipotle if it was a little less mid. It’s another bowl slop place, this time with a Korean overcoat, but the ingredients are consistently fresh and flavorful. Portions are relatively large, the service is quick, and the seating is plentiful. The kids meal also provides great value, pretty much providing you with a whole bowl for only $7. Despite its occasional blandness and overdone concept, Seoul Spice is a consistently solid choice.
