Sami’s Hot Dog Cart — Restaurant in Washington

Sami's is one of those hidden gems in DC that you only know about if you live or work in the area. I absolutely love half-smokes and DC is famous for them. If you want the most legit half-smoke without paying the crazy tourist prices of other places, then come to Sami's cart.

I love lots of onions on mine and just mustard. But Sami will make it any way you like. My friend sometimes gets his half-smoke without the bun and Sami is happy to accommodate him. Sami also has plenty of other snacks and treats to add to your order like sodas, water, chips, candy, etc.

Sami is such a friendly guy and always welcomes you with a big smile. And if you become a regular then he will also remember you. He has been in his current location for such a long time. Way before I even moved to DC. But he is a famous legend in the area.

So if you are in the L'Enfant Metro area, you must stop by Sami's cart. It is in front of the Federal Aviation Administration headquarters building in front of a nice green space where you can enjoy your half-smokes. I strongly urge any tourist who is tempted to get hot dogs from those other carts you see scattered across the national mall to rethink their choice. Walk just a little bit more and get yourself the best half-smoke anywhere near the...

So let's just start by saying Sami was a really humble and awesome person. I told him about how his reviews online were amazing and he said he doesn't even check them, he just enjoys the company of the people who come to see him. I totally believe that, especially because (it was slow this time of day so it wasn't an issue for service) he spent a few minutes talking with us and a few minutes talking with the people just before us.

I asked him to tell me what I wanted, which I often do where I get to speak with the owner. He asked if I liked spicy, and then he was off to the races. I tried the spicy half smoke with chili, cheese, onion, and sriracha. This was an excellent dog (if you even call a half smoke a dog, who knows haha) that I would definitely get again. A nice little amount of heat on the dog, the chili was meaty and delicious (with no beans), the onion was small dice and fresh, and the sriracha gave it a nice little added pop. I will tell you I've had the half smoke at Ben's and I feel this was just as good. I will definitely be back to try his regular dogs with the chili so I can see the difference in heat level from that to the half smoke.

Sami's Hot Dog Cart in Washington, DC -...

Came here for the unusual high ratings. No clue why. The food tastes like hotdog, basically because that's what it is. It is not better or worse than other chilli hotdogs in town. What bothered me the most was that prices were not posted, so you end up paying 8 dollars for a fairly regular sized hotdog of average tasting, plus whatever the other Costco (Kirkland) items Samy sells for God knows how much. God bless my soul for ordering only one, if I had followed my lead I would have ordered 5 or 7 of these to really be full. It's worth to note that hotdogs, and street food is expensive in the area, so expect to pay around that for the same thing around the Capitol. Samy is a nice guy, with a big smile on his face. But the food is not worth the non advertised price of $8. Please, post prices, like other street vendors do. Coming from NYC, where a street Hotdog costs $4 I was not expecting to pay that much for one in DC. A hotdog is not really good or healthy food, and costco sells them, Coke included, and double the size, for $1.50. The seating area overlooking the capitol is nice (not sure if Samy...