There’s No Suffering at Succotash Prime in DC

 Succotash Prime

915 F Street NW

Washington, DC 20004

Day 3 in Washington was our most jam-packed day yet. We ended up skipping breakfast and heading out to Arlington National Cemetery, walking back into DC from there, and visiting some of the monuments at the National Mall. Lastly, we headed to Ford's Theater. By the time we finished our tour, it was definitely time for dinner. I could sense that Katie was nearing her tipping point, so I quickly veered from my restaurant wishlist and looked for something good near Ford's Theater. One spot stood out to me, and that's how we ended up at Succotash Prime. 

Succotash Prime is part of the Knead Restaurant Group, which also includes Gatsby, The Grill, Mi Vida, Sagrada, and other establishments in its portfolio. Succotash Prime's chef and owner is celebrity chef Edward Lee. He has been featured on numerous competitive cooking shows, served as a judge on Top Chef, and won a James Beard Award for his cookbook, Buttermilk Graffiti. Along with his other restaurants in Louisville, he operates Succotash Prime, located a few blocks from Ford's Theater, and another in National Harbor, Maryland. 

We had no reservation for dinner, but we arrived at Succotash Prime before 5 pm, beating the dinner rush that would eventually fill the empty tables around us during our 1.5-hour stay. We were seated on the bottom floor of the two-story dining room, which resembled the courtyard of a fine New Orleans home. A well-stocked bar was situated on the left-hand side of the restaurant, and the opposite wall was lined with comfortable leather booths. We were seated in the middle portion of the restaurant, which featured a large skylight that, at this hour, began with sunshine and transitioned into early evening as the restaurant's muted lighting took effect. 

The menu at Succotash is distinctly Southern, but with a slight nod to Chef Lee's Korean heritage. The addition of kimchi to the collards and the crab dip is a good example. They offer a 'greatest hits' option of their most popular menu items, served family-style, for $60 per person. Other entrées available are Southern staples, along with steaks from their smoker. Mains hover around the $30 mark, while steaks go for anywhere between $47 and $145 for their bone-in tomahawk, a 42-ounce steak that can easily feed two. Katie assured me that she would not be able to eat her share of this huge steak, so we perused the menu for what would eventually be placed in front of us. Here's how everything came out for us. 

Katie's always one to order cornbread when she spots it on a restaurant menu. At Succotash Prime, that meant we would start with Jamie's Cornbread ($8). These little loaves came topped with some hot honey and browned butter. This cornbread was moist and not crumbly, unlike others that tend to be. I would have liked a touch more hot honey topping these. The browned butter was a good partner to this cornbread. 

My crabcake quest continued here with the Maryland Crab Cake ($27). This was another example of a very well-made crabcake. Not full of filler, and the lumps of crab were prevalent in each forkful. I was also a big fan of them having this sit on the grill for a short time, as it added a little bit of texture. The curried remoulade was an interesting choice, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of this crab cake. I used it sparingly. The salad was a complete miss for me, as it came barely dressed, and tasted just like plain lettuce, even though the menu claimed it would come with a carrot vinaigrette. 

One of the most photogenic burgers we've seen in a while, the Pimento Cheeseburger ($19.50) was Katie's selection this early evening. The sesame-seed bun stood tall on top of the thick and juicy beef patty, house pickles, bacon jam, and the pimento cheese, which was nice and melty. Katie gave me the last few bites of this delicious burger. It was indeed juicy, and I'm usually not a fan of bacon jam, but it worked well in this case. I would have enjoyed the burger even more if there had been some burger sauce or even mayo involved, but it was still a very satisfying burger nonetheless. The fries were cooked well, accompanied by a Gochujang ketchup, another nod to Chef Lee's Korean heritage. 

The Chicken and Waffles ($29) is not usually something I gravitate towards, but I didn't want to splurge on a steak, and the other mains were seafood. With my crab cake earlier in the meal, I wanted something land-based. This was a great choice. The chicken came with two legs and two thighs, already topped with bourbon maple syrup, pickled okra, and Manchego cheese sprinkled on top. The breading on the chicken was nice and crunchy, with the dark meat chicken incredibly tender. I enjoyed the sweet and savory vibe this dish brought. One of the better chicken and waffles plates I have had. I also selected their Old Bay Mac and Cheese ($10.50) to round out my meal. This mac and cheese was just how I like it. The cheese was plentiful and adhered well to the noodles. The Old Bay seasoning hung out in the background of each bite, so it wasn't overwhelming. 

Hummingbird Cake (13.50) has become almost irresistible to me. For those who are unaware, hummingbird cake is a spiced cake with cream cheese frosting, similar to a carrot cake. Instead of carrots, the hummingbird cake contains pineapple and sometimes smashed bananas. This three-layered slice from Succotash Prime was pretty large, and I enjoyed it, but I like a sweeter cake portion. I'm reasonably sure that they don't use bananas in their version. It was a little too dense, but it made for a good ending to our meal. 

Succotash Prime was a great end to our most jam-packed day in DC. We needed a spot to reenergize, and the excellent food here definitely did just that. Not only was everything placed in front of us fantastic, but the service we experienced this evening was exceptional. Yes, the prices were a little on the high side, but for food of this quality, we don't mind paying for it. The portion sizes were more than generous, which is something that's not often said these days in many restaurants. A true gem for people in DC seeking some Southern cuisine with a touch of Korean influence. 

Our third day in DC had many highlights, but a trip to the Lincoln Memorial is always a must when visiting Washington, DC. Pretty awe-inspiring, and good exercise if you are walking up the 87 steps from the chamber to the reflecting pool. It's great for walking off all the food this city has shown us so far. 

Out of five blue whales (because the 19-foot-tall marble statue of Lincoln weighs approximately 175 pounds, the same as the blue whale), five being best to zero being worst, Succotash Prime gets 4 blue whales. 

For more information about Succotash Prime, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.succotashrestaurant.com/