Cafe Kimchi

Kimch was great the food was good and the service was awesome. If you are in d. c you should come over and try it!!!

After eating lots of classic American fare during my DC visit, I was craving some Asian food. Café Kimchi was in the neighborhood, so I gave it a try. Menu is pretty extensive ranging from the usual American breakfast foods, Korean/​Mexican fusion, to classic Korean dishes. I ordered the kimchi fried rice and was not impressed. The rice was not fully cooked, there was barely any kimchi, and it was covered in a gochujang-​like sauce making it very soggy. It also had bell peppers in it, which is not typical and made for an odd combination. I could’ve also done without the bulgogi as it lacked flavor/​marinade. The best part was the fried egg on top! Being from Southern California where Korean food is abundant, I was not impressed and wouldnt recommend it to other visitors. However, I do see it’s appeal for the locals in the area. Café Kimchi adds some variety to the area’s dining options, has large portions, and is run by friendly staff/​owners.

Probably a 3.5 for me. Food is good but not great, definitely not somewhere to go out of the way for. Place is small and there are a handful of seats to eat in.
Quesarrito — pretty big size, not sure what the flavors were but it was good. A bit pricey at $ 13, I probably wouldn’t get this over a regular burrito which is $ 4 cheaper. It supposedly comes with two meats v one but honestly there wasn’t much meat in there. The quesadilla aspect was lost — just extra tortilla with a little cheese in between that was drowned by the messiness of the entire thing. The bulgogi and spicy pork did not stand out at all
Bulgogi steak and cheese — pretty standard steak and cheese and the meat didn’t stand out not sure I would call it bulgogi. But it was good. A little small
Kimchi cheese fries — not sure why they’re called kimchi because there’s none on them. These are regular string fries covered in cheese sauce and a gochujang sauce. I’m not mad at it but it’s a pretty basic side
Overall I enjoyed the meal but was still hungry when i left (split the above with a friend). I was hoping the flavors would be a lot more Korean inspired considering the name and theme of the place. There aren’t many cheap spots in barracks so it’s definitely an option if you want something quick

Phenomenal food at ridiculously affordable prices. This tiny little café literally feeds an army everyday, as they are located across from the Marine Barracks and up the street from the Navy Yard. Their breakfast is second to none. I particularly love their breakfast burritos. The kimchi is authentic and mouth wateringly good. Everything is cooked before your eyes. In addition to all day kimchi and breakfast they also serve crazy good deli sandwiches.

Ok this was my first time here! I ordered the kimchi ramen noodles. No flavor not nasty but I had to add more to it to be better. I was hoping for the kimchi sour or kimchi flavor but nope! I ask for them to add another meat. They so no you can only have chicken or pork and they didn’t have any more pork! Can’t win so I asked if a vegetable can be added she said kimchi is a cabbage and it has onions already. But I was hoping to suggest something. I will try something different maybe it will be better. I want to give it one more try. Not a bad place though.

Café Kimchi is one of the best secrets on Barracks Row, if you are looking for a quick and easy meal. The menu offers a very diverse mix of Korean and American fare. My highlights are the Potato Lime Salas burrito for breakfast, the Bulgogi sub for lunch, and the Bibimbap or Kimchi Fried Rice for dinner. Sure, things can be a bit greasy, but they’re certainly delicious.
The café has a «mom and pop» feel to it for a reason — a mother and daughter work there! Renee, the daughter, is extremely friendly and makes great recommendations. She is truly one of the kindest people in DC, which is very refreshing. Cheers to Café Kimchi for starting a small business and keeping it alive. Here’s to hoping for many more years ahead.

A quick and warm hearty lunch can be found at Café Kimchi. It’s not cold right now on Dec. 22 but it will eventually turn to winter weather and kimchi warms up your belly quick. I ordered over the phone the kimchi Reuben sandwich-​delish and the Kimchi Jjigae (). It is a spicy Korean stew made with fermented kimchi, pork belly or chicken and optional tofu. It is served with a bowl of rice and a perfect mid day lunch for comfort and nutrition. We all know KIMCHI is packed with antioxidants which help with cardiovascular and digestive system. Go here and try all the kimchi menu items; they are all yummy. They also sell the kimchi in jars in the fridge so you can take some home and cook with it or eat it as a side dish with meats or stews.
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I can only speak to their breakfast, because this is a frequent-​ish place for me to stop by after a workout at Atlas Fitness nearby. I’m making a point to try their kimchi and bibimbap for lunch or dinner. But this review is only about breakfast options.
Their breakfast sandwiches are excellent, but of course pretty straightforward (slices of bread, plus eggs/​cheese/​protein). But, if you’re REALLY hungry, you’ll want one of the «breakfast boxes.» In particular, the «Walker’s Breakfast Box» can feed an army or (if it’s named as I suspect) a single hungry Marine. It’s basically a bit of everything, plus toast. If you find yourself with kids, and you don’t want to cook breakfast for them one morning (maybe, say, you’re a clueless guy like me and it’s not your forte), you have the option to get chocolate chip pancakes, which are HUGE, and will satisfy even kids who are picky eaters.
I think this is a great option for a solid, quick breakfast (you can get stuff to-​go). Bayou and Ted’s are great, but so is this place. It’s really nice to have more breakfast options on Capitol Hill start to pop up (that aren’t McD’s).

This is a confusing review to write. I loved their food. And then there was a bug in it. We politely let them know and they refused to apologize or take the blame. Honestly, in that case as a business they should at least apologize. I won’t be eating here again because of how they handled the situation.

Excellent place to stop while waiting for Marine Barracks Parade to start. Kimchi tacos were amazing, and a first for me! Would go there again.

I really like their bulgogi burger and their kimchi cheese fries.
The bulgogi sub is a little meh. I much prefer the «Wassub Food Truck» for subs. However, I added the kimchi cheese fries to my Café Kimchi bulgogi sub and it was kind of stellar.
I’ve also tried their fried rice. I asked for «omurice» which is a Korean dish not on the menu. It’s just fried rice with a sheet of egg on top drizzled with ketchup. And it wasn’t too bad.
The ambiance of the interior is small, kind of hot (because the kitchen is behind the register), and very «foreign,» meaning there are a lot of non-​asian people in line for food. My dad says once a foreigner get’s hooked on kimchi, there’s no going back ;).
I prefer to sit outside if the weather permits because it’s kind of humid and greasy inside.
The food is good though. That’s all that matters :)

This is the 3^rd time I’ve visited and their food are really good. First I got was their turkey avocado sandwich (yum!) and this time I had their chicken with bacon panini with onion rings (it’s a rare I order onion rings) and my lunch was really good. My husband got the Bibimbap.
It’s a good place to take out since there’s not a lot of seating available, but if there’s an availability. Grab a seat! :)

This is a pure 3 experience for me.
I am not a fan of kimchi or bulgogi. I ordered off their standard menu that offered typical American fare items. I got the steak and cheese sandwich with a side of chips. All items are al la carte. I enjoyed my meal, and even more so enjoyed the price considering Barracks Row isn’t the cheapest place in the city.
The people behind the counter were nice. No issues there…
I just found this place to be average. Nothing special about it in my opinion. I think that it is nice to have something different among all the fancy restaurants, but that’s all I’ve got to say really.

Kimchi bulgolgi cheese quesadilla is delicious! And honeydew boba! NOM! It’s a small venue and not ideal for big groups but if it’s nice outside they have outdoor seating. They ajuma and the young woman behind the counter are nice. I saw a woman order chicken and waffles and they DO NOT skimp on the portions! I’ll have to get that next time.

Breakfast food is great here. Great huge selection and it makes me hapoy they arent overlly expensive either.
My favorite part though was the amount of kimchi themed dishes you can get. Literally its everything and kimchi. Very novel and creative and not overly expensive. I am a big fan of this place.

Overall — must try!
Kimchi this, Kimchi that
This place takes kimchi to a whole new level. From a kimchi style burger to kimchi fried rice, you can kimchi any way you like.
Kimchi bulgogi burger
Must try! Heads up, if you like your eggs over easy aka more runny, be sure to ask– the egg that is in the burger is cooked thoroughly.
Kimchi cheese fries
MUST try with bulgogi on top
Tacos
They are okay but I’d say Takorean does tacos better. So of you had Takorean, order something else on the menu.
Boba
The mango boba was yummy. Definitely suggest ordering the boba!
Spoiler alert
If you like the taro flavor boba, the store may not have it. The past 2 times I visited, taro boba was out. I know it’s popular, but really a shame when it is NOT in stock and there is DEMAND.

What’s not to love about this joint? Low key, off the beaten path, and the ladies who work here are super friendly.
The food is standard Korean fare, with all the usual suspects. I almost always get the bimibap, with pork. And since I’m now miserable and going paleo, I have to forgo the rice and get it with extra veggies. They can make anything to order, so don’t hesitate to ask.
And, the new side benefit is the District Donuts next door for dessert!

I think this place is overrated, but the service was extra nice… so they are getting what they deserve from me.
If you know good Korean, this place is meh, nothing special. However, it’s counter service at normal prices, which isn’t too common in the area.
We had bipimbap and kimchi tacos. Neither were great, but both were fine. She gave me a seafood pancake as she was making the mix for catering an event tomorrow.
The tacos didn’t have much meat (pork) in them and I didn’t taste any kimchi, although they didn’t taste bad in way.
The staff were super sweet (tall young lady).

About a 2.5: I’ve been wanting to try out Café Kimchi for quite some time, but never had a chance to stop by. My husband and I went to grab some dinner, and I was pretty excited! They have only been open for about 9 months, so it’s a relatively new business in the neighborhood. Their menu offers breakfast (egg & cheese on toasts, breakfast burritos, breakfast platters, omelettes, and bagels), burgers, clubs, paninis, subs, Korean/​Mexican fusions (kimchi tacos/​burritos/​quesadillas, burgers, reubens, and grilled cheeses), ‘traditional’ Korean entrees (bibimbops, tuna kimchi jjigae, fried wings, seafood/​kimchi pahjuhn, mandoos, jahp chae, etc.), smoothies/​bubble teas, and sides (french fries, sweet potato fries, home fries, and onion rings). We tried the spicy pork Kimchi Tacos (which came in a small flour tortilla with grilled kimchi & onions, lettuce, cheese, and gochujang sauce; the spicy pork was okay, but it was a not as flavorful as I thought it would be, and definitely not ‘spicy’ by any means; I wasn’t a fan of the ingredient fillings, and the gochujang sauce was way too sweet), Bulgogi Bibimbop (carrots, cucumbers, yellow/​green squash, bean sprouts, red cabbage, white radish, a fried egg, and gochujang sauce; the bulgogi was very sweet, and the gochujang sauce made the dish even more sweet), Kimchi Fried Rice with bulgogi (with a little bit of jahp chae; the jahp chae was forgettable; the kimchi fried rice would have been okay on its own, without the meat option, and without the gochujang sauce), Kimchi Pah Juhn (this was definitely on the oily/​greasy side — it was crispy, though, but extremely salty (and, I love my salt, but this was just way too much!), Kimchi Jjigae (current special — came with small chunks of pork belly, tons of kimchi, and a side of regular plain fried rice; this was my favorite out of all that we’ve tried, as the soup itself was nice and hearty; the side of regular fried rice was also forgettable), and a Passion Orange Guava smoothie (didn’t really mix well enough, but it was still refreshing and not too sweet). I highly recommend that you request the gochujang sauce on the side, so you can control how much you want of it, if at all. Renee, who was the cashier, was extremely friendly and oh-​so-​sweet! The restaurant is small, and they have some counter seats and a table with some chairs. I’m glad I was able to try this place out, but not sure if I’d go back.
+ask for Renee, she is such a sweetheart! :D
+kimchi pah juhn is way too salty (maybe request with little or no salt?)
+current special of the kimchi jjigae is pretty good: D
+Korean/​Mexican fusions were highly forgettable
+gochujang sauce was extremely sweet (ask for this on the side)
+metered-​parking around the area

I got the green tea pancake platter because of the beautiful weather and it was Friday.
SOOOO good! The adorable and kind woman behind the counter made everything fresh. The pancakes were fluffy and had a light green tea taste to it. What really stood out was the home fries — unlike most home fries which are greasy and make me feel quesy, these were light and had distinct kimchi undertones to them. Spicy and soft — I devoured these home fries!
The kimchi fries are absolutely delicious and addictive. The cheesy kimchi on the fries topped with gochuchang was the perfect afternoon pick me up. Support this local and yummay café!