Horace & Dickie's

We're loyal Man v. Food viewers so we were really excited to see that Adam Richman was coming to D.C.! It was Mr. Richman that led us to a residential neighborhood in Northeast (that is fond of electric blue paint) to sample the fried fish sandwich at Horace & Dickie's Seafood.

There was a long line out the door of this tiny carryout restaurant at 3 p.m. on a rainy Saturday afternoon. After we waited for about 15 minutes, a man came out and announced that anyone who wanted 1 or 2 sandwiches could form a separate line. We jumped in that line and were inside in about 10 minutes. After squeezing in the door, we were greeted by Big Mama herself. She was busily packaging up fish sandwiches, but was happy to flash a huge smile when B called her a T.V. star from her appearance on Man v. Food.

The fish sandwiches are served with 4 or 6 pieces of fried fish on top of Weber's wheat bread (did you know Weber's made wheat?). The 6 piece sandwich comes with 8 slices of bread and could feed a small family. Since we were in the "express line" we were given two 4 piece sandwiches.

They normally come topped with coleslaw, but they had run out on this busy day. Instead, I slathered our sandwiches in hot sauce (bottles available on the counter) before we headed home to enjoy them in front of the T.V. We also added a little bit of the tartar sauce that was provided in our to-go bag.


You're probably wondering if the sandwich is worth the trek to Northeast and the lengthy line. I would say that the experience is definitely worth it. The sandwich (sans coleslaw), though fun to try, was nothing amazing. I think the lack of coleslaw left it a bit too dry for my taste. The fish was crispy and the hot sauce added a flavor kick, but it needed the creamy crunch of the coleslaw to moisten things up a bit. I hope to make a return trip to see how the sandwich fares when it is fully dressed.

Second Thoughts from B

In my younger days I would have taken Adam Richman's lust for culinary gluttony as a challenge to prove my manhood (and considerable appetite). The more mature and sophisticated me (I say this with more than a touch of sarcasm) finds the food challenges comical and rather disturbing. Still, Adam's enthusiasm for hole-in-the-wall "pig out joints" is always entertaining and he's yet to steer us wrong.

First, a disclaimer: I've never been to a place that features someone named "Big Mama" that I didn't like. However, without the coleslaw, Horace & Dickie's certainly competed for our adoration with one arm tied behind its back. One bite of the sandwich instantly cried out for something creamy and crunchy. However, not all was lost. Even without a signature ingredient, I enjoyed this odd concoction. In some ways it tasted like what I'd call an "urban fish taco." And if you know me, you know that anything that reminds me of fish tacos is good in my book.