Mumbai Street Food and Curries · Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan
By Monty Khas, Anonymous Critic. Pays every bill.
Every city needs an Indian restaurant where you can eat very well for very little, and in Washington that's Bombay Street Food. Since 2018, its Columbia Heights original has served the snacks and curries of Mumbai to students, families and anyone craving a big, flavorful meal without the fine-dining bill.
The people
Bombay Street Food is the work of Asad Sheikh, a restaurateur who started out running fast-food franchises before building a string of Indian restaurants in Virginia and DC. He also runs Butter Chicken Company, a lunch spot that closes when the pot is empty. Washingtonian named Bombay Street Food one of its Cheap Eats picks in 2019.
The room
The Columbia Heights dining room is a love letter to the city once called Bombay. Murals show city landmarks, Bollywood stars and Gandhi, and there's a photo of Anthony Bourdain, who loved Indian street food as much as anyone. It's colorful, casual and usually busy.
What to eat
Start with the vada pav, Mumbai's famous potato fritter in a soft bun with chutneys. It's the city's answer to the burger and the perfect first bite. Indo-Chinese chili chicken, sticky, spicy and garlicky, is the dish every desi kid grew up ordering, and the samosa chaat smothers crushed samosas with yogurt and tamarind chutney.
For mains, the monsoon wedding curry, made with chicken, goat or lamb, is a house favorite. Chicken 65 brings South Indian crunch. If you're with a friend, get the thali for two: six curries, tandoori chicken, raita, chutney, pickle, naan and gulab jamun. It's a feast that barely dents the wallet. The kitchen will make dishes milder or hotter on request, so be honest about your spice tolerance.
Breakfast and chai
On weekends, look for anda bhurji, Indian-style spiced scrambled eggs, and don't leave without cutting chai, the strong, sweet half-cup tea of Mumbai's streets, ideally with a plate of pakoras.
Before you go
The original is at 1413 Park Road NW, a short walk from the Columbia Heights Metro. A smaller Adams Morgan location on 18th Street NW is handy for a late bite. The brand has also expanded to National Harbor in Maryland.
Why it matters
Bombay Street Food doesn't try to reinvent Indian food. It serves the dishes people actually crave, generously and at fair prices. In a city with plenty of splurges, that's worth celebrating.
The Quick Fix
What to order: Vada pav; Indo-Chinese chili chicken; samosa chaat; Chicken 65; monsoon wedding curry; the thali for two; cutting chai with pakoras
Pricing: Budget. One of the best-value Indian meals in DC.
Best for: Budget eats, groups, families, takeout, homesick Mumbaikars and first-timers to Indian street food
How it compares: Cheaper and more casual than Chai Pani; more curry-focused than Tapori; the best thali for two in town
See where Bombay Street Food ranks: The Best Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Restaurants in Washington D.C.: Our Top 10 for 2026
The food was always this good. We're just paying attention.