I tried DC Facebook Marketplace food so you don’t have to

My Big D.C. Obsession

Once a week, I'll dive into the latest trends in D.C. food and culture, plus whatever's catching my attention online.

Trying Food from Facebook Marketplace

“This was a huge mistake,” I said to myself as I pulled into an empty residential lot in Beltsville, Maryland. It was my first of three stops where I would try food from Facebook Marketplace — an adventure I naively thrust upon myself despite my editors' warnings.

My first order, a Dominican stewed pork dish, was waiting for me, but the risks of buying food from a stranger on the internet weighed heavy on my mind. I unearthed a stray bottle of Tums from my back seat. If I was going to do this, the least I could do was be prepared.

Facebook Marketplace is the Wild West where you can get anything, even a meal. A quick local search shows dozens of postings for everything from Dominican breakfast plates and homemade Libyan food to bowls of sago sago and tamales sold by the dozen. The prices are surprisingly cheap (I’m talking $2 a tamale) and the sellers range from weekend hobbyists to full-time home chefs.

For months, my social feeds have been bombarded with videos of brave influencers buying and rating food from Facebook in their cars. (Like this one of Florida-based food content creator Gabriel Rivera picking up a $160 seafood boil from a stranger’s house.) Rivera said he’s gained more than 700,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok since starting his Facebook food haul videos.

I was hooked. I decided to spend a whole weekend buying and trying food on Facebook Marketplace to answer what had become a burning question:

Was the best food in D.C. coming out of home kitchens rather than restaurants?

This was my dream now. I couldn’t be talked out of it.

On My Radar

My singular and opinionated observations of D.C. life, from restaurant openings and viral trends to that one cool bug I saw.

What’s So Bazaar About This Meat Anyways?

Last night, I bussed my way through the storm to attend the opening party for José Andrés’ newest restaurant, Bazaar Meat. Located in the Waldorf Astoria, it’s a steakhouse rebrand of his former Spanish-Japanese restaurant Bazaar.

I congratulated myself for leaving my house before realizing seemingly half of D.C. was also in attendance. The ornate restaurant was filled with hundreds of journalists, chefs, influencers, and politicians making calculated plays for the raw bar. Everyone except Andrés and Mayor Muriel Bowser that is, who were chatting away, heads bowed, for the better part of thirty minutes.

My first priority was assessing the passed bites. I grabbed a handful of oysters, a beef cheek, and a cone full of caviar for dinner. Then from behind me came, “Is that…Nancy Pelosi?” I turned. So that’s whose purse was digging into my back this whole time.

Bazaar Meat, which soft-opened last month, specializes in large-format cuts of meat and theatrical dining. It seems to be Andrés’ last-minute addition to the D.C. steakhouse trend ahead of America’s 250th birthday. “What can be more American than a great steakhouse?” Andrés said in a press release ahead of the opening.

He’s not the only one leaning into the traditional American dining trend. Nearly a dozen steakhouses have opened since September or are slated to open this year, according to the Washington Post. But Andrés wasn’t interested in talking about all that last night. Instead he simply said, “Make more love, take less selfies, and the world will be a better place.” And who am I to argue?

DC, Honestly

Every week, I’ll answer a reader question on how to navigate D.C.’s food and events scene. What do you want to know? Fill out this form to get it answered!

I’ve been dying to try Menya Hosaki, but whenever I go the wait is over an hour. How can I get in!? - Priyanka T.

The white whale of D.C. foodies everywhere, this Petworth ramen shop has cultivated a mythical reputation for being impossible to get into. It doesn’t help that its hours are short and oddly timed (it’s closed Saturday - Monday and after 2 p.m. Tuesdays). It makes you question how much a bowl of creamy tonkotsu is really worth but for me, it’s worth the wait.

So, here’s what you’re going to do:

1. Go on a Wednesday, their least busy day.
2. Line up at 4:30 p.m. to be the first group let inside. Call in sick, use that summer Friday, do whatever it takes! If you’re not in the first seating, it will be an hour and a half wait minimum.
3. Bring no more than three friends. Their largest table is a four-top.
4. Be mentally prepared to wait. You can add your phone number to the virtual waitlist and explore Upshur street in the meantime. Hit up Loyalty Books or shop at Fia’s Fabulous Finds. I’ve even been known to grab a slice at Timber Pizza to hold me over.

Before you know it, you’ll get the text that your table is ready. Put in an order for the spicy tonkatsu and you’ll understand why all this trouble was worth it.

Can’t Miss Weekend Events

My top picks for events in the District this weekend. Become a City Cast DC member to get our full event guide in your inbox every Monday.

📚Spring Reading Series with Lost City Books

Thursday, May 14 | Festival Center, Dupont | $6

Authors such as Caren Beilin and Arden Levine will read a piece of their choosing before breaking for some festivities. Eat, drink, talk, meet fellow lit lovers, and mark the changing of the seasons together at this quarterly series.

🎛️ Tunes: Jyoty at Transmission

Friday, May 15 | H St. Corridor | $42

Indian-Dutch DJ Jyoty is coming to D.C.’s newest alt music venue with her recognizable mix of baile funk and grunge beats. Tickets benefit the Emergency Contraceptive for DC non-profit, which will also host a supply packing event directly before the show.

🐲 Fiesta Asia Street Fair on Penn Ave NW

Saturday, May 16 | Dupont | Free

This annual outdoor street fair boasts hundreds of performers, vendors, and activities. This year there are a bunch of challenges, including cooking and cosplay. Look for me in the karaoke dueling section.

🛍️ Yard Sale Extravaganza on Capitol Hill

Saturday, May 16 | Capitol Hill | Free

My nana (famously thrifty) would absolutely faint over the sheer number of yard sales happening on Capitol HIll this weekend. I got to 70 and stopped counting. Check out the map with all of them but the hub is at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.

🏮AAPI Art & Vintage Market at Maketto

Sunday, May 17 | H St. Corridor | Free

Sip on a five-spice honey latte from Maketto’s cafe while wandering two floors of local AAPI makers and curators. One of my favorite vintage knick-knacks sellers The Disco Loft will be there. (You can never have enough knick-knacks!)