Olive Garden's side dishes usually take a backseat to the main meals, and when you consider that most entrées come with a certain side by default, customers are even less likely to peruse that section of the menu. But if do you decide to take a look, you'll discover something exciting: You can order three of the chain's meatballs as a side dish for around $4. The only catch is that when ordered to-go, the dish might be missing a rather crucial component: The sauce.
414 K St., NW; 4700 Riverdale Rd., Riverdale Hailed as one of our Best Restaurants of 2026, these barbecue joints are offering catering packages all Sunday at their Riverdale Park and Mount Vernon Square locations. Catering kits range from $95 (feeds four) to $350 (feeds 15) and feature an array of wings, sides, and pounds of ribs and brisket. Preorder here until they sell out.
We are now in Dungeness season, which is the perfect time try one (or two) of Damansara's crustaceans. I ordered a chili crab with rice today as a first-season crab to have for lunch over the next two days. I will also make a broth out of the shells to freeze for spicy crab broth on demand. Hello, future bowls of ramen! The thought of this is truly comforting already.
From the onset, this Indian-Nepali restaurant on the border of Union Square and FiDi blends in with all of the other nearby utility spots where office goers grab takeout or tourists make pitstops along a sightseeing route, but Trisara is more special than that. The menu leans heavily Indian -dals, biryanis, and tandoori-with a few Nepali dishes like momos, goat curry, and chow mein thrown in, and the portions suggest the people working here are genuinely invested in overfeeding you.
Rather than waste your extra dollars on a disappointing takeout dip, you're much better off choosing from a number of store-bought guacamole brands or making your own at home. Comparing prices, adding guacamole to your burrito or bowl order can cost around $3, the same price for approximately 4 fluid ounces of guacamole when ordered as a side on its own. The price for a large 8-ounce side of guacamole is nearly $9.
You'll sit among regulars at Sriracha in Inner Sunset. That's because this place is where people within walking distance turn for a solid, quick, no-fuss meal. The handful of tables are usually full of people who don't even need to crack open a menu-they've been here so often they already know what they want. We like the heaping portion of
The Parkside outpost of Lou's Cafe upholds the mini-chain's reputation for stellar sandwiches. The menu of classic and more creative subs is big enough to fill a couple of massive blackboards, or you can make your own-but if you're faced with decision paralysis, we always endorse the melty, gooey tuna melt on dutch crunch. Whatever you get, make sure it's got a swath of house sauce and zingy jalapeño spread.
Chang Pai Chinese is a Bangladeshi Chinese restaurant in Ozone Park that also makes a few Thai dishes. (Actually, their tom yum soup is pretty delicious.) The casual corner spot, which you'll spot right away because of the large bubble tea cut outs plastered to the windows out front, has all your standard Chinese takeout options like hot and sour soup and sesame chicken.
Rosh Hashanah is the lighter side of the high holidays, with observers encouraged to eat challah or apples dipped in golden honey to usher in a sweet new year. In Los Angeles, members of the Jewish diasporic community have the opportunity to order complete takeout meals (or complementary sides to home-cooked dishes) to assemble and eat at home, and this year, there are some dine-in options to explore as well.
