EatingOUT: 

Amid all the high rise apartment and business buildings in Virginia’s Crystal City, 23rd Street hosts a block of restaurants that is as full of diversity as a UN roll call. You won’t have any problems finding Freddie’s—rainbow flags fly proudly and announce the presence of a restaurant that is jam-packed with delights, both visual and gustatory. The very second you step foot into the door you know you’re going to have a great time.

You’ll be greeted at the door by Rita, all outfitted in a purple gown, accessorized with Mardi Gras beads, feather boa, and crowned with a lavender wig. She’s such a dummy! Window decorator’s dummy, that is. Once inside, be prepared to gawk.

Owner Freddie Lutz has outdone himself and turned the place into a visual carnival for the eyes. The color scheme is purples and lavenders. There’s a small stage with a great, old Wurlitzer jukebox. The ceiling is highlighted with hanging round, transparent globes and spangled by disco balls. The walls, oh my, the walls! They are festooned with wooden collages created by Freddie himself. You’ll find furniture pieces, such as chairs, tables, and headboards. Add to that carnival masks, a great looking pair of women’s legs, and too many other geegaws to name. A rail above one of the walls is home to a fabulous collection of Barbie dolls and several trophies that Freddie’s has won for its floats in Pride parades. Small wonder that the Washington Academy (drag) voted Freddie’s Bar of the Year in 2003. All through your meal you’ll be surrounded by creative, exuberant décor.

It took Susan and me a while to settle in and read the menu. Our server, Thomas, is another trophy at Freddie’s. He’s handsome, helpful, and had several good recommendations to make. One of those, the special of the day appetizer, coconut chicken, was my choice to start the meal. Susan bypassed the roasted red pepper hummus and opted for the quesadillas. The list of appetizers is long and luscious sounding, and you might just want to make a meal out of them.

The coconut chicken was really good—tender chicken pieces with a golden fried batter studded with coconut. It comes with a mango chutney sauce that complements the chicken without overwhelming the flavors. Susan’s quesadillas were crispy triangles filled with smooth, flavorful cheese and accompanied by a plate loaded with sour cream, jalapeno pepper slices, red onions, guacamole, tomatoes, and salsa. Both were so good that we swapped plates halfway through.

Freddie’s offers a bountiful list of sandwiches, as well as soups and salads. For entrees you can select crab cakes, salmon, chicken, or pasta. Be sure to check out the daily specials. Since Mondays are half priced burger nights at Freddie’s, that was my choice. To keep up her Latin theme, Susan ordered the shrimp fajitas. My burger arrived just the way I ordered it—medium rare. It’s a two-fisted sandwich served on a big, fresh Kaiser roll, sided with sweet red onions, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise, with potato chips heaped on the plate. I have a love affair going with good hamburgers and this one was tops. Susan’s fajitas arrived hissing and crackling on their own hot plate, along with a platter of the same accompaniments that were with her quesadillas, proving that you can’t have too much of a good thing. The shrimp were plentiful and tender and were cooked with red and green peppers and onions in a wonderful picante sauce. All just the right things to stuff into the soft tacos that came with it.

There’s a wonderful homemade ice cream mud pie on the dessert menu. Don’t pass it up. It’s a crumbled Oreo cookie base topped with a combo of chocolate, vanilla and coffee ice cream, with another layer of crumbled Oreos then covered with chocolate sauce and mounds of whipped cream. It tasted every bit as good as it sounds. Susan’s strawberry shortcake was a great summer treat. The cake was light and topped with huge strawberries and, again, loaded with whipped cream.