Brasserie Beck, web site, 1101 K Street NW, Washington, DC, 202-408-1717 (Metro Trip Planner – opens in new window) [Washingtonian | WaPo | City Paper | Don Rockwell | Yelp | Gayot]
Good French fries, mussels, and comfort food dishes. It can get crowded and noisy but go early for what can be quite a good meal. The beers here are very popular, I would say stick with the weirder, more Belgian entrees to avoid being stuck with the boring dishes on the menu.
The beef “carbonnade” stew over pureed turnips is one of my favorite dishes in the city. Recommended if you like hearty, comfort-type food.