The Hamilton restaurant

This newcomer filled a serious gap in the late-night dining scene in DC, with a kitchen that stays open until 2am at weekends. It’s the latest outpost from the Clyde’s Group, which is known for simple-but-good American food. That reputation holds true at this combination restaurant/concert venue—the dining room is on the first floor, live music is downstairs—which serves easy-to-love classics like crab cakes, BBQ brisket, mac and cheese, and nine different varieties of milkshakes. There are more ambitious entrées, too, but—with the exception of the reliably good sushi—these can be hit-or-miss. And anyway, when it comes to late-night dining, what could beat a burger, fries and a chocolate-and-peanut butter shake?