Image: Crispy Chicken
Last Updated: August 2026
Current Status: The long reliable 14th Street destination for Thai evolved in stages as part of the before-times bounce back. It is now a split-level operation. On the main floor is the restaurant long favored by locals for solid Thai supplemented with a robust selection of sushi. Down the stairs is a market with a robust stock of Asian products – both food and food related.
According to the WCP piece on the origin of adding the market, “It’s always been my dream to do the market,” [owner] Pollert says. “In the early days when we did the restaurant, it was the world before YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook. Cooking Thai was not something that was happening then. But because of social media, Food Network, and people traveling so much, D.C. has changed. Now everyone is back from vacation where they took a cooking glass in Thailand. They want to know where to find kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, and Thai chili peppers.”
For those less confident about incorporating such spices, both sit down and take-out remain great options.
Summary:
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: 14th Street
Address: 1608 14th St NW, Washington, DC 20009
Website: https://www.ricerestaurant.com/
Reservations: Walk-in
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: No coverage
Washingtonian: No coverage
