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    Little Engine

    4.9 (31 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

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    Recommended Reviews - Little Engine

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    The 4x4, white meat with Sweet Baby Raj chicken and buffalo crispy wings
    Jazmin A.

    Ugh I wish I could relive my first experience at Little Engine all over again. I came in with my heart set on the chicken Caesar wrap, but when I got there and took a better look at the menu, I knew I had to try the wings. But then, I also felt I had to try the regular rotisserie chicken. I settled for 2/3 and ended up getting the 4x4, and I was so happy with my decision. For $19, you get 1/4 chicken, 4 wings, 1 side, and your choice of sauces. I was super hungry and still had to take some of that to go. I want to start by giving a special shoutout to the staff here. Everyone was super friendly. The cashier was very welcoming and gave me recommendations as I placed my order. Typically, I go into a place knowing what I'm gonna get but I also love some feedback on what's good and how the restaurant recommends you order. I was gonna get the chicken plain, but was convinced to add some sweet baby raj sauce and I was so glad I did. I loved that the cashier had some solid recs ready and that she spoke confidently about the menu. Next, if you're eating the food there, another member of staff will bring you your meal. The young lady that was delivering the meals to each table was super warm and very bubbly, if a customer made a move to go get something, she said not to worry, and that she would handle it. She was very quick and very attentive. Next, the kitchen staff was also very friendly and very quick with the meals. I went to ask them about a to go box and bag and just all in all, it was a very pleasant experience with every member of the staff here. You can tell everyone's genuine interest in working at this establishment and I think service is so important and unfortunately lacking in a lot of places these days. On to the food, the rotisserie chicken was very juicy and flavorful and even though I got some sauce on it, I could tell it would've been flavorful even on its own. I went with buffalo for the wings and they were crispy, saucy and had a great flavor to them - I also liked the quality of the wings themselves. They weren't tiny and they weren't those huge GMO wings you sometimes get at places these days. Honestly, I loved everything on my plate, but I may just come back and order wings on their own next time because they were so yummy! Potato wedges were also a perfect side addition. You'd think you can't really mess these up, but trust me, they are not all created equal and these were the perfect crisp, salt, lightness. Last, I wanna give a shoutout to the dipping sauces. This is like the first place I've come into in recent history that doesn't charge extra for every sauce. They gave me two cups of ranch and the sauce seemed to be a homemade ranch, which I really enjoyed. It wasn't overpowering or overflowing with too many herbs as I've encountered with other house-made ranch. This is a very casual spot that I anticipate coming back to regularly, even if it's just for takeout. I was very impressed on my first visit and I wish this establishment much success, which I know won't be difficult in this area. They have a great team and great food! Give it a try, you won't regret it!

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    Markie'Sha J.

    Absolutely amazing. The food was made to order. I ended up getting wings and wedges, and I will say that the portion size was great. As a matter of fact, I couldn't even finish all of my wings. The wings were nicely sauced; the flavor I tried was sweet baby Raj or something of that nature it had like a barbecue like taste. It was actually recommended by the cashier and I was not disappointed. I originally got my food to go, but it smelled so good in there I decided to sit in and eat.

    Austin G.

    To be a restaurant open for lunch in Eastern Market, you have to somehow cater to adults and children alike. It's hard to do, but Little Engine does it well. Popping in for a late lunch on a Sunday in March, here's my nine-year-old daughter and my experience. 1) Food: To feed us both, we ordered the kids quesadilla and the adult one. The kids meal comes with chicken inside, which my daughter usually doesn't love, but she did this time. The fries that it comes with are wedges and tasty. Ask for their ranch sauce to dip them in. The adult pulled chicken quesadilla comes with a great lime crema on top. 2) Drinks: They have bottled water, Coca-Cola products in cans, lemonades, and more. They even have Fanta! 3) Service: It's excellent! The person behind the register was patient and helpful. 4) Space: It's small, but there are several booths and window seating. With big windows, lots of natural light pours in. The walls are decorated with baseball cards and old CDs giving it a retro vibe. There are two unisex restrooms in the back that don't require a code. 5) Area: Even when it's busy, you will eventually find street parking nearby. On weekdays, I usually find a spot along 8th Street SE a block away. Another option is to park in the Trader Joe's garage free for 60 minutes with a purchase.

    6 wings all flats- Hazels Magic Dust
    Kim J.

    I'm a fan! I've had them twice and the food has been consistent. The hush puppies really are that good! I love that I can order all flats with the wings. And the wings are a good size. The rotisserie chicken is also good, not as good as some other chicken spots but still a good option to have in the neighborhood. I do like that you can get a variety of sauces with your chicken. They are .75 extra but worth it. I've had the jalapeño lime and Thai peanut sauce. I will say, if you are ordering for pickup, check your bag and make sure you have everything. I ordered extra sauces and caught that they didn't include but forgot to check for the others. I was looking forward to trying the Sweet Baby Rajs. Good spot overall. I have yet to eat in but they have some dining seats inside and nice options outside. I'll be back!

    CD wall - yes we needed to explain this to our 6 year old.
    Evan P.

    This is the Little Engine that CAN and WILL become a regular part of your rotation. Located in Eastern Market, the Little Engine has a cool, 90s nostalgia vibe with a CD wall, wall of 90s sports cards, and 90s movie posters gracing the walls. Look closely in some of the upper nooks and you'll even see some old VHS tapes. They had light music playing from the 90s as well. Service was fast, friendly, and the staff gave great recommendations. While you really cannot go wrong with whatever you order, they help you pick the flavors that you are craving. The food is fantastic! They have rotisserie chickens roasting on a spit and the wings are packed with flavor. The Hazel's Magic Dust was a table favorite with its dry rubbed spices and the Thai peanut, spicy Szechuan, and Sweet Baby Raj sauce all left us looking forward to trying more at our next visit. Great for takeout and a more casual dine-in (with 90s vibes included), the Little Engine is well worth a visit and will be one we come back to again and again!

    Brittney S.

    As a big fan of chicken wings, im now a big fan of Little Engine! I got the 4x4 meal so I could try the wings and the rotisserie because I couldn't decide. They also have different sauces and dry rubs to pick from and I wasn't sure what to get, so the owner actually came over to give his recommendation on the most popular things. The chicken was 10/10! Crispy, flavorful, and hot! The space was also really cool , very 90s and early 2000s vibe with the music and decor.

    12 flats. Expertly cooked. Little baby Raj sauce and Sticky Szechuan. PERFECTION!
    Dakine B.

    Helluva wing spot right next to Eastern Market. Clean space. Incredibly kind employees. And the wings? HELL YES! I stopped by yesterday morning on my way to the airport and got 12 perfectly cooked and sauced wings. And they will accommodate all flats! Hot damn! This little engine sure as hell can!!!

    This is such an amazing neighborhood chicken place. Incredible serving sizes and tasty sauce; always good and friendly customer service too. You all should have celery and carrots to serve with the wings though!

    Sticky Szechuan and Sweet Baby Raj's wings
    Tierra A.

    These wings are insanely delicious and my new favorite go to wing place in DC. The sticky Szechuan is a unique and spicy flavor I couldn't get enough of ; and the sweet baby RaJ was kind of like a sweet heat barbecue flavor I assume like a "Sweet Baby Ray's" type of flavor with a touch of Indian spice. The quality of the wings and the size is so satisfying, and the wings are gluten free! The customer service was welcoming and attentive, and the restaurant clean and bright. I'm so excited to try the other flavors, I would definitely recommend .

    Feel like I've tried everything on the menu and it's all delicious. Wings definitely the standout, but all the sides, sauces and dips were incredible too.

    Wings galorrrre

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    24 days ago

    Huge fan, great chicken and sides. Will be back often. Had the quarter rotisserie of dark meat, smoky flavor. 10/10

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    2 months ago

    Everything was pricey great, flavorful with large portions & a friendly staff would def recommend to all!

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    3 months ago

    I got the 4x4 with 1/4 chicken, 4 wings, and hushpuppies. Everything was so so good!!

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    3 months ago

    Everything is so freaking yummy. Went back to back days. Got to say, very good value too!

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    The wings here are really good, and you can tell the chicken is well seasoned. My group's favorites…read morewere the garlic parm and hot honey. My friends and I also had an amazing experience with the owners of Wingos. They were so sweet and friendly. We walked past this place earlier in the day, and their shop stood out to us because of the shredded chicken mural on the wall. It made me laugh and ended up being a memorable detail that I now associate with a great visit. I recommend this spot to anyone looking to support a local business with delicious wings!

    This place is a carryout place pretty much. Out side of the few tables they have out front on their…read moresidewalk, there is no where else to eat there. You will find a few parking spots on the street in front of the restart and within a reasonable walking distance. They serve wings and tenders with a large selection of sauces to choose from. I placed my order online, so it was ready by the time I got there. I just double parked, like most people do in the city, ran in and got my food. The staff there was very nice. The inside customer area is very small, but I was in and out. I ordered 10 wings, which I thought I ordered in 2 flavors. however it only came in one, mambo. That is ok. The wings were very delicious. I mean like finger licking delicious, packed with flavor. I also got a side of mac and cheese, which was also really good. It was cheesy like I like it, fresh and tasty. All in all, I really enjoyed my meal here. I am always skeptical when a see a restaurant claiming to have the best of something. This restaurant claims to have the best. After eating my meal, I would say there is some truth to that. I highly recommend checking this place out.

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    This is a carryout Asian joint co-located in a pub named Hill Spirit Unlimited. There is very…read morelimited metered street parking within walking distance of this restaurant, and those spots are at a premium. You order and/or pick up your food. They serve Korean Fried chicken, chicken sandwiches, fries, bao, chicken tenders, and some Korean dishes. I placed my order online and got 8 wings, some fries, and street corn. They have a few sauces to choose from for your wings including soy garlic, spicy, Korean BBQ, or yangnyeom. I got the yangnyeom sauce on my wings. The staff there was ok. They did their jobs, not overly friendly, but not mean either. My food was ready in about 20 minutes. Even though there was seating available, I took my food back home to eat. My food was really good. The wings were crispy, and the sauce was sweet and spicy, as I like it. The corn was also tasty and very cheesy. The cole slaw that came with the wings was ok. It was edible, but I have had better. The fries were decent, but it is really hard to mess up fries, even though I have seen it done. This joint has an easy process for placing food orders. The food is better than average, and I really liked it. They lost one star because the service was just mehhhh or not memorable.

    One of my clients is near this Bonchon, yet I'm usually always rushing home to eat dinner. I…read moredecided to have a slower evening and eat at Bonchon for dinner for once with my partner. I was a little wary of coming here based on a past Bonchon experience elsewhere and based off of some reviews, but I was pleasantly surprised with the experience here. The only one star deduction is that the tables felt perpetually sticky and that's never a great feeling. Other than that, the service was super prompt, the ambiance was fun since we came on trivia night (we didn't want to play), and the food exceeded expectations. If you're not into having a loud lively environment, I'd advise against coming when their trivia nights are (when I went, it was on a Tuesday evening). The sides we ordered were kimchi and street corn. The street corn tasted a bit more on the Mexican side than the Korean side - MexiKorean fusion I suppose? I'm also not quite seeing it on the menu anymore... The kimchi was very standard. What exceeded expectations was how fresh the chicken was, and how perfectly crispy and saucy the fried chicken was prepared. We opted for half soy garlic and half spicy drumsticks and wings. The spicy was a little more spicy than I expected it to be, and the soy garlic was as expected: savory, sweet, and salty. The pickled radish is always a nice palate cleanser! If you're craving Korean fried chicken and you're in the Navy Yard area, I'd give Bonchon a try as a dine-in customer. I can't really speak much to takeout as that's a whole different experience.

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