HERNDON, VA — A $9.99 Indian dish helped a Herndon restaurant earn a spot among the Washington, D.C., area's 40 best restaurants, according to a new ranking by The Washington Post.
Chaatwala, an Indian street food restaurant located at 1050 Elden St., ranked No. 36 on the newspaper's annual best restaurants list, released Wednesday.
The recognition puts the casual Herndon eatery alongside some of the region's most expensive restaurants, including establishments serving elaborate tasting menus costing hundreds of dollars.
Washington Post food critic Elazar Sontag compiled the list after dining at 189 restaurants over 10 months, evaluating everything from inexpensive neighborhood establishments to high-end dining destinations.
Among the meals Sontag highlighted was a $9.99 plate of bread and chickpeas at Chaatwala, illustrating the range of prices and dining experiences represented in the ranking.
Chaatwala specializes in Indian street food, including chaat, a category of savory snacks known for combining different textures, spices and sauces.
Its menu includes chole bhature, a dish of spicy chickpea curry served with fried bread; gol guppa, crispy shells filled with potatoes and chickpeas; and misal pav, a spicy sprout curry served with toasted rolls.
Many dishes cost around $10, according to the restaurant's online menu.
The 2026 ranking marks Sontag's first year compiling the newspaper's list of the region's best restaurants.
Sontag, who previously worked as restaurant editor at Bon Appétit, said he spent much of his first year exploring the Washington area's dining scene and trying to understand what distinguishes it from other major food destinations.
The resulting list includes 40 restaurants across Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia, representing a wide variety of cuisines, prices and dining experiences.
The selections reflect the region's diverse restaurant industry, including strong representation of international cuisines and restaurants that draw on locally produced ingredients.
According to The Washington Post, Sontag visited restaurants anonymously or made reservations using aliases. The newspaper paid for his meals.
The ranking is intended to help readers choose restaurants for everything from everyday lunches to special occasions.
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