You’re sitting with your friends, trying to decide where to go to eat. After going back and forth for 30 minutes, you decide on a place you’ve been a million times before. If you want to avoid this dreaded scenario, keep reading.

Tastee Diner:
Tastee diner is a small chain of diners located in the DMV, the closest location being Bethesda. Tastee has a roadside ‘50s diner feel with inexpensive, homemade-tasting diner fare. It’s incredibly casual and feels much more laid back, cozier and “old school” than Silver Diner in Rockville.
Tastee is a great place to go early in the morning for a cheap, yummy breakfast or late at night to tame that midnight snack craving (they’re open 24 hours). A go-to at Tastee is a plate of thick-cut, crispy french fries and a stack of three fluffy pancakes doused in maple syrup.

Al Volo in Union Market:
If you can’t actually get away this spring break, you can still let your taste buds travel the world with a trip to Union Market in D.C. Union Market offers cuisine ranging from Vietnamese to Italian with over 40 food vendors all located in one building. It’s an open space with food kiosks everywhere. The second you walk in you’re hit with scents of food from all over the world, making picking what to get a bit difficult.
A favorite at Union Market is Al Volo. Al Volo Osteria is a restaurant found throughout the DMV, but if you’re craving a bowl of pasta to go, you can find it at their kiosk in Union Market.
At the kiosk you choose one of their house-made pastas and pair it with the sauce of your choosing. The pasta is house made and very easily some of the best there is. There’s a type for everyone, from fettucine to rigatoni. Not to mention there’s a sauce for every mood. If you’re looking for a hearty meat sauce, the bolognese is a go-to. If you want something lighter, the bright green pesto is perfect. They’ll top it off with parmesan or ricotta cheese. Bowls are a bit pricey, around $14, but definitely worth trying.

District Taco:
District Taco is a personal favorite; from yummy burrito bowls to the huge salsa bar, it is definitely a fun place to go for a casual lunch. They serve food like burritos, tacos and quesadillas. Their breakfast menu even includes Huevos Rancheros, fried egg with toppings like salsa and cheese over a corn tortilla.
District Taco’s food is undeniably good and not very expensive. Most menu items range from $7-9. They have locations near Metrocenter in D.C., but also one in Tenleytown.

D.C. Dosa:
This is another Union Market favorite. DC Dosa serves dosas, which are south Indian pancakes that look much like crepes in addition to fun drinks like mango-ginger and their sambar (lentil) soup. At DC Dosa you can fill your dosa with roasted cauliflower, potatoes or eggplant.
Everything at DC Dosa is vegan as well as inexpensive. For people looking to try something new and healthy this is the perfect place to go.

Grafiatto:
Graffiato is small, two story trendy Italian restaurant near China Town in D.C. The menu is small, but everything on it is incredibly good. The prices for entrees are about 15-20 dollars.
The best of the menu can be found in the pasta and pizza sections. Their pastas are incredible, my personal favorite being the gnocchi. It’s served in a short rib ragu with a dollop of ricotta. It’s rich so splitting that and a pizza with a friend is a good idea. As for pizza’s you can find ones topped with calamari, egg, meatballs and so much more. Their pizza is nothing short of life-changing. Going to grafiatto means you’ll walk out with a new favorite pizza place.
If you’re ever bored with your friends, try a new restaurant; you never know, it might just become your new favorite.