Fast Gourmet Restaurant

U Street Corridor, Washington, DC –

Just a couple blocks behind the glorious party madness that is the U Street Corridor, Fast Gourmet seeks to provide exactly what its name implies – quick food with an upscale twist – and does it while sharing space with a discount gas station.

It all seems pretty normal at first, but just past the attendant surrounded by cigarettes in his bullet-proof box, there’s a spacious green room full of black tables and tall stools, a wall of drink coolers, and a menu of Middle Eastern, South American, and North American classics ready to fuel a diverse crowd of U Street revelers.

Friday and Saturday nights’ late hours bring in all types, much to the dismay of the knowledgeable hipsters who feel that they discovered the place, with the venue hosting everyone from musicians who just caught a show at the 9:30 Club to the rowdy college crowd stumbling in from Local 16.

The counter and cashier are right in front of the kitchen, so everyone can view the prep, while above the counter hangs a colorful chalkboard menu scrawled with items like basic burgers, Cuban sandwiches, and breaded New York strip.

The Chivito – a multi-layered sandwich that includes tenderloin, black forest ham, bacon, and hardboiled eggs – is particularly popular.

An unlikely setting for a creative array of fresh and never-processed food, Fast Gourmet is the perfect place to fill up both the car and the stomach after another great night on U Street.