Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The local catch is delicious fried as well.
Terry's of Charlevoix
Carlson’s Fishery is a Great Lakes institution.
Carlson’s Fishery
The Cathedral Café maintains the building’s original church exterior.
Cathedral Café
Exterior of the historic Dyffryn Arms pub.
Dyffryn Arms
Most of what’s on the menu here comes from Michigan.
The Glenwood
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Siegfried Tieber specializes in sleight-of-hand magic using small objects, as well as mentalism, which gives the illusion of reading minds.
Does a Magician Really Never Reveal Their Tricks? AO Wants to Know.
10 days ago
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
13 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
17 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
24 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Washington, D.C. Florida Avenue Grill
AO Edited Gastro Obscura

Florida Avenue Grill

The world's oldest soul food restaurant is also one of its best.

Washington, D.C.

Added By
Ian Hall
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Florida Avenue Grill.   Daniel Lobo
Florida Avenue Grill.   Daniel Lobo
Framed photos line the walls at Florida Avenue Grill.   Ted Eytan
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Florida Avenue Grill ca. 2007.   IntangibleArts
Florida Avenue Grill’s corner.   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Florida Avenue Grill’s corner.   Daniel Lobo
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

When Lacey and Bertha Wilson opened The Grill in 1944, they were the sole employees, and Lacey's most recent job was as a shoeshine man. Today, it is an epicurean gem, the world's oldest soul food restaurant, and a D.C. institution.

The decades-long path was not always an easy one. Staff refer to the restaurant as being financed "two chickens at a time," since Lacey would fry and sell two chickens and then the couple would buy two more. During the violence and unrest that followed the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1968, the couple's son, Lacey Jr., who eventually took over the business, says he sat outside with a shotgun to protect the restaurant, and still had to put out a fire that threatened the establishment.

Despite the obstacles, its food has always been revered, drawing celebrities and a notably multi-racial crowd, even when segregation was the norm in Washington, as well as laudatory writeups that include a local food writer claiming that The Grill's "dense but moist" corn muffins would be his last meal.

In 2005, Lacey Wilson, Jr., sold the restaurant to entrepreneur Imar Hutchins. Although he made some changes, including the tweaked name, he kept most of the original details, and when he replaced the parking lot with a condominium building, he called it The Lacey as a nod to the original owners.

The walls are still packed with framed and signed pictures of countless politicians, athletes, entertainers, and other luminaries who have visited. Patrons can even eat in the "Shotgun Booth," which features a plaque remembering the stand made by Lacey Wilson, Jr., during the 1968 riots.

Related Tags

Food Restaurants Unique Restaurants & Bars

Know Before You Go

Everything on the menu is delicious, but ordering the smothered chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, collard greens, and a big cup of sweet tea is particularly sublime. The menu also features some vegan options—an addition introduced by owner Imar Hutchins, who is vegetarian.

Community Contributors

Added By

blimpcaptain

Edited By

Collector of Experiences

  • Collector of Experiences

Published

September 8, 2021

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://www.foodnetwork.com/restaurants/dc/washington/florida-avenue-grill-restaurant
  • https://intentionalist.com/b/florida-avenue-grill/
  • http://www.floridaavenuegrill.com/history.html
  • https://blog.resy.com/2020/09/soul-survivor-the-story-of-the-worlds-oldest-soul-food-restaurant/
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/florida-avenue-grill-celebrates-70-years-as-a-soul-food-favorite-now-with-vegan-options/2014/10/03/ff221fc4-4a6a-11e4-891d-713f052086a0_story.html
Florida Avenue Grill
1100 Florida Ave NW
Washington, District of Columbia
United States
38.920473, -77.02739
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Ben's Chili Bowl Mural

Washington, D.C.

miles away

African-American Civil War Memorial

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Evans-Tibbs House

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 49

Nearby Places

Ben's Chili Bowl Mural

Washington, D.C.

miles away

African-American Civil War Memorial

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Evans-Tibbs House

Washington, D.C.

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

United States

Places 285
Stories 49

Related Places

  • These meat substitutes come close to the real thing.

    Queens, New York

    Bodhi Village

    Get to know the plant-based fare of Chinese Buddhist monks.

  • Kurdish cuisine shares some dishes, like meat kebabs, with other Middle Eastern cuisines.

    Tokyo, Japan

    Mesopotamia

    The only Kurdish restaurant in Japan invites you to learn and feast.

  • Fried, meat-filled khuushuur pastries with two kinds of chilled salad.

    Morton Grove, Illinois

    Mazalae Mongolian Restaurant

    Just outside Chicago, one of the few traditional Mongolian restaurants in the U.S. serves a misunderstood cuisine.

  • Seattle, Washington

    Tai Tung

    The city's oldest Chinese restaurant offers local history and seriously good food.

  • Aged duck served with seasonal and preserved vegetables.

    Tsaghkunk, Armenia

    Tsaghkunk Restaurant

    This modern tandoor eatery was once a canteen for Soviet farmers.

  • The tortillas come in a rainbow of colors.

    Tlacolula de Matamoros, Mexico

    Criollito

    This Oaxacan restaurant serves native corn and Indigenous recipes.

  • Milos, Greece

    Sirocco

    This "volcanic all-day restaurant" is right on the beach.

  • Silver Lake, Oregon

    Cowboy Dinner Tree

    Eat like a "buckaroo" at this remote restaurant.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.