Submitted by BilliGirl01 t3_11sdr39 in washingtondc
Does anyone remember the old ShopHouse restaurant chain that was in DC in the early 2010s? It was owned by Chipotle and was the same concept except for SE Asian food. It was one of my favorite spots, and I’m curious as to why nothing similar as cropped up since they closed in 2017. Would love if anyone has recommendations for something similar nearby.
There was one in Columbia Maryland at the mall that I would hit up somewhat regularly when I was working out that way. I freaking loved their food.
I’ve been here so long I remember reading articles that this was opening soon. Now it’s “the old ShopHouse restaurant chain”
I regularly dream of their meatballs… it was a tragic loss when Chipotle decided it wasn’t a viable chain. I have yet to find anything similar (at that price point).
RIP in peace. Shophouse was amazing.
those meatballs were so good. green beans were too.
So so good for fast casual! That green curry!
I like to ping Chipotle once in a while and ask for a cookbook. It's not fair to fans for restaurants to just up and shut down.
Apparently we were just a test market for it. I liked their tofu in those bowls.
Their beef laab was one of the best things I’ve ever had, yet to recreate it perfectly
RIP I loved the sauces. Some say Bandoola is closest they've gotten in flavors but haven't tried myself.
It was so good. I ate there at least once a week.
Not quite the same, but I like Mezeh.
Shophouse was bomb. Bibibop is similar but doesn’t hit the spot in the same way.
God if ShopHouse is old I remember Chipotle itself being the new it thing …
Those meatballs and the charred green beans... miss them constantly.
It's kind of a trek from DC but Okonomi Asian Grill in Fairfax has good food with similar flavors and concept.
I had an internship near around 2012 And they were giving out coupons for free bowls. It was amazing. The flavors were very unique.
I miss those meatballs. I guess Bibibop is kinda comparable, but not as good IMO.
I weep for Shophouse. Chipotle are a bunch of idiots for closing it.
I haven’t been since before the pandemic but I liked this place near McPherson Square
I used to crush their meatballs when I worked near Georgetown in the mid 2010s
Does anyone have recipe suggestions?
I loved it too, but for some stupid reason, I didn't visit enough the last months . How sorry I am cuz the flavors were so unique
My eyes are watering right now thinking about their spicy deliciousness. I have a good Shophouse story. Through the incompetence of a doctor, I was told I was in "early labor." After a day of getting the runaround, and not letting me eat, and telling me I was going to have to stay in the hospital for 7 more weeks, I got up and much to GW's dismay, walked right the F out. Then I got on the metro, went to Dupont and sat my ass down at Shophouse to eat. Husband calls, "Where are you?" me: On the metro. Him: You're in labor and on the metro? me: I'm not in freaking labor, I know what labor is and this isn't it. Now I'm hungry and I'm going to Shophouse. Him: you have literally turned into your father before my eyes...
Yes, that, the green curry sauce, and rice noodles (I think) is exactly what I would order.
Bandoola bowl in Western Market is pretty similar. Not quite the same, but has the same SE Asian flavors in a casual choose your ingredients vibe. You could give that a try.
I miss ShopHouse too. Closest thing I’ve had lately is Bandoola Bowl in Western Market in Foggy Bottom. The food is solid. Per the WM website:
Bandoola Bowl is a Southeast Asian salad shop bringing the flavors of Burma, Vietnam, Thailand and beyond straight to your bowl using fresh, flavorful ingredients. Founders the Myint family are three generations of Burmese natives who have also owned and operated Burmese restaurant Mandalay in Silver Spring, Md. for nearly 20 years.
Mandalay is open for business again! They had some kind of an issue with the building they were remodeling on Georgia Ave that they were supposed to move into, so they re-opened the Silver Spring location.
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The food was good if you ordered correctly. But unlike Chipotle, where any mix of the ingredients is pretty good, if you made some poor decisions you could end up with something truly bad. That was a fatal flaw in the concept.
I would literally kill for them to come back. That green curry…
It’s almost always full when I go past it
Never tried Shophouse but there’s a chain called Bibibop that is essentially an Asian chipotle. Solid bowls with lots of veggie options. Seems relatively nutritious on the surface too but I haven’t dug into it
I’d definitely recommend it as one of the best options downtown.
Shophouse was incredible and their meatballs were legendary, but the spicy chicken from Bibibop is also pretty banging.
I remember it and miss it so much, there is nothing like it out there.
I genuinely thought I was the only person who still dreams about ShopHouse. I was a noodles/meatballs/green beans/green curry gal myself. I’ve found my people.
shophouse was great!! especially when i used to work in chinatown. honeygrow was right there too and it’s closed also
same. delicious!
I still follow the Save Shophouse Twitter account and every now and then it pops up with a tweet at Chipotle asking them to bring it back.
DC has birthed some pretty epic, high quality fast casual restaurants, but Shophouse was the best of them all.
Mmm those green beans. And properly spicy food!
Use to go there often when I worked in Dupont…awesome place.
Yess the Dupont location 👍👍👍
Maybe I'm just contrary, but ShopHouse was absolutely terrible -- I'm honestly shocked that so many people miss it.
I miss it and I wish they had shut down chipotle to save Shophouse!!!
Do I remember ShopHouse? Is the pope catholic?
Rest in power, Shophouse.
Yep. I remember when Old Ebbitt was the New Ebbitt.
Welcome, we meet MWF in the little multi-purpose room at the Community Center. One person usually brings coffee, another muffins or donuts. Trust you’ll like it here.
How are we all feeling about Taylor Gourmet these days?
Yea, I remember Bibibop replacing the Shophouse in Chinatown. Funny enough, it's now where the Chipotle moved to.
Loved it but recalled them never ever having noodles available lol. Probably just my bad luck
Yeah, this was similar, but Thai and Vietnamese flavors instead of Korean, so like, lemongrass and coconut milk rather then gochujang and sesame oil. For whatever reason the Korean-inspired ones have just been way more successful and I'm not really sure why (there's also Seoul Spice, TaKorean, etc.).
Looooved that place! Still dream of their noodle bowls. It seemed really well-liked—not sure why Chipotle discontinued the concept.
Seoulspice and bibibop are the most similar ones that I've found.
It’s really solid, I used to work near there and would go at least 91st a week.
>bringing the flavors of Burma, Vietnam, Thailand
As soon as I read that, I'm like "Burmese owners" just as you later confirmed.
Nothing ground breaking, it's just when one type of ethnic food with a small footprint in our area gets lumped with other big boys, the owners are rightfully platforming. Hopefully Lao and Burmese food become big players here too.
My boss would walk and get Shophouse 3-4 times a week, and would eat it in the tiny workspace we were renting. I tried it, the food was good, but my goodness it smelled like warm vomit. We all begged him to at least throw the bowl out in the office kitchen, but he never did and we would sit and suffer the stench on those warm spring/summer days... RIP ShopHouse.
It was pretty awful the last time I tried it. Now Grazie Grazie on the other hand, which was started by one of the original Taylor Gourmet guys, is excellent.
Oh boy, you're gonna make me cry. I was working next to Union Station when that location opened up (and closed). For the 2 years (?) that it was open, I ate there 3-4 times a week. I loved that place. Tasty, healthy, fresh!! Fuck Chipotle really...took a great concept (and there were long lines every days) and canned it because they couldn't get a handle on Chipotle back then, I hate them for it and stopped eating at chipotle since then. Sometimes I dont understand corporate America!!
This was my exact opinion. The thing I ordered regularly was great, but if you mixed the favors wrong it could be terrible. At Chipotle, rice, meat and beans can only be combined in so many ways.
I didn’t think it was terrible but it was nothing special. I’m always confused by all the love 🫣
Yes. It was was my go-to after class late dinner meal. I think of the meatballs every time I’m on Dupont circle.
Omg this was my favorite spot too! I would drive from Fairfax to go get it during the work week. I was bummed when they closed.
Lao food finally got out under the Thai/Issan umbrella.
Would be happy to see Burmese Malaysian Cambodian have a similar glow up.
I frequented them when in grad school in Georgetown! I was thinking of them the other day.
If you're ever up in Baltimore, the Thai chicken meatballs at Ekiben are pretty good. I think they are only available at the Fells Point location, and if you eat inside bring ear plugs, the music was SO LOUD I literally put earplugs in. https://www.ekibenbaltimore.com/menus/
Omg, I didn’t realize that there are dozens of us!
If anyone has any copycat recipes to share for the meatballs, green beans and curry, please send!
I used to work there, food was great very authentic ingredients from SE Asia. Pork and chicken meatballs laab steak and chicken satay were the main entree choices
I remember when Old Navy was just the Navy.
keyjan t1_jcd7922 wrote
Yes it was great I miss it. 😕