Immigrant Food at the Planet Word Museum

Wow! Probably one of my new favorite spots in DC! Literally everything we tried was phenomenal - and I think these are the best fries I've had in DC! I got Madam VP Heritage, and my husband got the Mumbai Mariachi. Our kids got the Classique Grilled Cheese, which was delicious (I want to know what bread they used) and perfectly balanced with the ham and Swiss. We finished our meal with the alfajores, which I didn't get a photo of because we gobbled them up. But I was incredibly impressed with the food and service. Reasonably priced (especially for where it's located), bright and airy. It is a bit small, so it would be difficult to accommodate a large group, but there's plenty of seating, and there were several folks here reading and just hanging out on a Friday mid day. I can't recommend this spot enough - as a gastroadvocacy spot, it was already intriguing enough, and the diverse (and changing) menu is exceptionally executed! Excited to come back and try more things on the menu - with a side of fries!

Vegetarian options: There are very clearly labeled vegetarian and vegan options. It's not an extensive selection, but they are delicious!

Parking: It's definitely in a difficult area to find parking since it's in the heart of the city and close to many tourist attractions.

Kid-friendliness: There is no kids menu, but it's reasonably kid friendly otherwise. Our kids really enjoyed the grilled cheese and fries and cookies. May not be suitable for children who are very picky.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The ceviche with tostones were great! Highly recommend the branzino and Brussel sprouts with cherries, as well. This place never disappoints!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 4

Recommended dishes: Plates, Filipino Fried Chicken

Great restaurant. We had the Mediterranean wings, Belgian fries and west African gumbo and everything was delicious.

Great lunch place with variety of food options including many vegetarian dishes.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Been to this location multiple times and it is the great food and drink that keeps me coming back. Tucked away in the Planet Word museum is this NW DC gem. Their seasonal offerings are always great and the drinks change over every so often. Their dim sum offerings are all great for shared plates but if I had to pinpoint a crowd pleaser it would be their burger. Short rib was fantastic on my last visit but I often come back for that burger and a drink. Service is always fantastic. Cannot go wrong with this choice, especially if you want to taste some great flavor!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

There is so much to like about this restaurant. The ambience is nice. The people are super nice. It feels nice. I would come back here except for my food. Specifically, my partner got the chicken sandwich and that was good. A bit overcooked on the edges but that happens with chicken sandwiches. A solid 4 on 5.

My dish — the gambas with the arepas — was a solid 1 on 5. It was the worst dish I have tasted in a while. There are so many things wrong. The shrimp were not fresh. Gambas is made with big fresh shrimp. The sauce gets flavour from the shells and the heads. You cannot use frozen shrimp. The sauce looked like dishwater. It was insipid and odd. Gone was the brightness of the paprika oil (which should be a flaming red). In its place, a grey dishwater smelling and looking … broth? The arepas do not soak up the liquid like bread. So why arepas? This dish is served with bread to soak up the oil. This is such a simple and great dish — garlic, paprika, shrimp. Why, what, how — what’s the point of this odd take on it?

I just eat out often. I am not a professional chef. Here, I think the chef is not getting honest feedback from the staff to know if an experiment is working or not. When I spoke to the waiter it was clear he didn’t think highly of the dish too.

I might still return because folks were nice and I like what the restaurant stands for. However, I will not order this dish and would urge the chef to either change it entirely or go back to its original classic version.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Ordered for Pick-up and had the best Banh Mi in DC. What a pleasant surprise! Would love to go back and try the rest of the

Food: 5

The food was OK, would not come back the second time. I was expecting more variety, but the options were quite boring.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 3

Service: 4

Can’t go wrong with any of their dishes. Pupusas were comforting. Short rib was truly the best I’ve ever had. Philippino fried chicken with banana ketchup was the perfect mix of flavors with a banana front and slightly spicy finish, and we learned why banana ketchup became a thing from the host (lack of tomatoes/food shortage in Philippines after ww2). I had the ceviche at their ballston location and almost wanted to just order that again because it was so good. Immigrants make America great

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Filipino Fried Chicken

Very cute place and kind waiters

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great food.
Ribs are fantastic.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Lamb Skewers, Filipino Fried Chicken

Staff friendly and wonderful,positive attitude, nice atmosphere outside, couldn't recommend more 👌

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Pleasant atmosphere, polite staff, and delicious food and wine. Will definitely come back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

5/5 stars

I recently dined at Immigrant Food at Planet Word during my visit to the museum. I was blown away by the flavors and hospitality!

As a vegetarian, I was impressed by the numerous vegetarian/vegan friendly options.

The Indian samosas and Venezuelan Tequenos with chili mayo dip were absolute standouts!

The Burrata, with its Thai Basil pesto and zaatar ciabatta, was a game-changer again.

Don't even get me started on the refreshing Agua de Jamaica.

The staff was warm and knowledgeable, happy to guide us through the menu.

Immigrant Food truly embodies the diversity and richness of global cuisine. Highly recommend!

Will I return? Absolutely!

You should too!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Mezze Platter

Flavorful food, plentiful portions and superb service. This place is my go-to I’ve tried most of their menu and have yet to find something I DONT love!! Friendly staff and a fun atmosphere

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5