Best food and drink for Nationals fans

Nationals Park

Washington, DC

Ben's Chili Bowl (Sections 109, 140, 301, 315): This District food icon has been a Nationals Park standby since the ballpark opened, and the main draw is its plump half-smoke.

Flippin' Pizza (115, 214, 310): The foldable cheese, pepperoni and tomato-basil varieties and cost $6 each; if you're feeding a group, a full pie goes for $36.

Dolci Gelati (112, 135, 235): Enjoy the flavors of peanut butter, stracciatella, mint chip, lemon and strawberry. A cup costs $5 to $7.

Hard Times Cafe (106, 115, 129): Keep your eyes open for a notebook-size vessel of tortilla chips, the local chain's signature chili nachos.

Taste of the Majors (117, 313): Regional dishes from 17 Major League Baseball cities.

Red Porch (100): Aspiring for the type of fare found at a place like Meridian Pint in Columbia Heights, food-and-beer pairings are front and center.

Shake Shack (240): Shack burgers and Concretes.

El Verano Taqueria (239): A trio of tacos or a folded quesadilla goes for $7.75 at this surprisingly authentic taco stand. At $3.75, churros are a must.

Box Frites (238): Belgian-style fries with your choice of creamy dipping sauces.

Blue Smoke (237): The barbecue options here provide a great synthesis of summer's favorite food with summer's favorite sport.

Justin's Cafe

Washington, DC

No secret here: Justin Ross's two-year-old bar and restaurant was one of the first players in the Southeast riverfront food scene, and it remains one of the best. The wonderful craft beer list, hearty sandwiches, "American-Neapolitan" pizzas, soups and imaginative salads make for great, if crowded, pre- and post-game eating. Something you might not know: Justin's is open daily for lunch -- a great reason to leave work even earlier for a weekday game, when the dining room won't be so crowded.

Lot 38 Espresso Bar

Washington, DC

Need a kick before first pitch? You don't need to rely on any national bean pushers -- the riverside community has its own coffeehouse. Only a couple of blocks from the nearest Starbucks, Lot 38 Espresso Bar bests its corporate competition with the help of the Italian coffee brand Illy and a nice selection of locally baked pastries and house-made sandwiches. But its biggest contribution to the year's baseball season probably will come in the form of free WiFi and large, frosty cups of iced coffee.

The Yards Park

Washington, DC

If there's a downside to the Metro's proximity to Nationals Park's center field gate, it would be that the majority of fans come and go with such ease that they don't stray much beyond the Half Street corridor. But if they did, the Yards Park wouldn't be such a valuable secret.

Opened in 2010, the 5 1/2-acre park sits on a former Navy Yard annex site, stretching from Second to Fifth streets SE along the Anacostia River. It's hard not to make comparisons to New York's High Line, a similarly reclaimed public property that occupies a stretch of elevated railroad track. At the Yards Park, there are terraced gardens and sleek wooden recliners; elegant fountains and a wading canal that laps at the open river; a spacious boardwalk offering shoreline views; and large swaths of greenery perfect for informal gatherings or picnics. Industrial buildings on the site are set for redevelopment, including the Boilermaker Shops project, which will feature a brewery, bakery, restaurants and shopping when it's completed next year.

The stadium is now more accessible from the Yards Park, thanks to a section of the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail that connects the park by a footbridge to the steps of the stadium's first-base entrance.

The Fairgrounds

Washington, DC

Nationals fans looking for their first pregame drink this season will be in for a shock: Das Bullpen - picnic tables and imported brews in a lot across from the Navy Yard Metro - is gone, and the Bullpen - beers, brats and music just steps from the center field gates - has evolved into something unrecognizable.

In an effort to pump up neighborhood business on non-game days, Bullpen creator Robert "Bo" Blair has retooled the parking lot into the Fairgrounds, an elaborate market built from recycled metal shipping containers. There will still be pregame happy hours, cornhole and live music, and on some game nights, ESPN is scheduled to broadcast from one of the shipping containers facing Half Street. But the Fairgrounds is also primed to draw visitors to the neighborhood when the Nats are far from home.

The corrugated metal boxes will be filled with merchants selling clothing, art, produce and flowers every day. The Bullpen bar opens daily at 11 a.m., and a few food trucks will be there on weeknights. "The more we get into [the summer], I think we'll also start to have music at happy hour on non-game nights," Blair says.

There will be a farmers market and dozens of vendors on Saturdays (organized by the people who run the flea market at Eastern Market) and a lunchtime concert series on Wednesdays from May through September. Truckeroo, the popular monthly food-truck festival, will return May 11.

Every Sunday starting May 6, a family day will feature carnival rides, games and kid-friendly music and entertainers.

When the Nats faced the Red Sox in the only spring exhibition game at the stadium, the Fairgrounds site wasn't quite ready for prime time - most of the lot resembled a construction site, and there were only a half-dozen food trucks.

"Hopefully, by mid-May, we'll have all the vendors in place and the Fairgrounds how we envisioned it," Blair says. The whole neighborhood has to be hoping he's right.

Cornercopia

Washington, DC

This unassuming corner store might seem out of place on a list of the best eats and drinks near the ballpark, but it's an indispensable resource for anyone planning a picnic in the Yards Park. Albert Oh took over the business from his parents three years ago and reopened the property as a reimagined corner store with a small gourmet deli section. The upscale menu of made-to-order sandwiches, a small but respectable wine and beer selection, Korean dumplings, kimchi and other favorites (Thursday is bulgogi day) and a small collection of baked goods are enough to fill out a quality blanket-top buffet.

Southwest Waterfront

Multiple Locations

• Station 4 (Washington, DC)
• Cantina Marina (Washington, DC)

Just a 10-minute walk from the stadium, the relatively less-crowded Waterfront Metro station is something of a secret for fans in the know. Skeptics might claim that the trains are just as packed, but the walk has plenty going for it, with a handful of restaurants providing additional pre- and post-game options. The biggest draw is probably the tequila and taco spot Cantina Marina, where the riverfront deck provides one of the city's best outdoor spaces. Right next to the Metro station is a new Z-Burger, a less-crowded alternative to closer-in eats. Finally, there's Station 4, a more formal sit-down spot from the owner of Tunnicliff's, Ulah, Stoney's and Bullfeathers. The restaurant has a great promotion for domestic beer fans: a Nationals ticket stub gets you $3 Miller Lite and Blue Moons. Watching the game at the bar? Wear your Nats gear and enjoy the same deal. Although Post critic Tom Sietsema didn't think much much of the menu in an early review in the fall, he did talk up the decorand the char-grilled octopus. You know, ballgame food.

Barracks Row

Multiple Locations

• Molly Malone's (Washington, DC)
• The Ugly Mug (Washington, DC)
• Ted's Bulletin (Washington, DC)
• Matchbox - Barracks Row (Washington, DC)
• Belga Cafe (Washington, DC)
• Senart's Oyster and Chop House (Washington, DC)

Fans looking to extend their day beyond extra innings are well advised to set their sights on the restaurants and bars on Eighth Street SE. The many drinking and dining options on Barracks Row are just 15 minutes from the ballpark by foot, and even less if you take advantage of the Union Station-Navy Yard Circulator bus, which stops right outside the Metro station and runs over to Eighth.