Walked through the union market just to browse restaurants and shops. Ended up stumbling upon Dan Dan Boyz. They offer "Chinese regional food". I'm familiar with Dan Dan noodles so I wanted to give that a shot. Thin Sichuan-style alkaline wheat noodles with Dan Dan sauce. Think more of a chili oil sauce that gives a peppery tingle/bite because of the Sichuan pepper corns. Toppings include peanuts and green onion. They offer a good portion of ground pork and noodles, definitely enough for two, as my wife and I split the meal. Mix throughout as the oil will seep to the bottom. Offers a good spicy kick, so we ended up ordering a coke to break through the oil. Staff is friendly and easy to order from. Seating is wide open, we ended up going to the elevated tables near by with the bar stool like seats. If we come back to DC, might try to beef noodle soup. read more

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This is a popular food stop on my visit. Dan Dan Noodles are served hot and tasty. Although the noodles are a bit chewy. I appreciate that it was made to order so the short wait is worth it. Beware of the heat...the dish is spicy and I wish I had asked to see if I could tone that down a bit. Admittedly I don't tolerate a lot of heat well, but if you like the heat, then this dish is for you. Also recommend paying extra for bok choy or other vegetables. read more

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I stopped in because they offered their titular noodles vegan with tofu. It was an interesting dish, but not large for the price; as others have noted the food hall economy means you're paying more than you would have for takeout without getting any kind of service or even a seat. The flavor was strong, but the rendition was oddly soupy. Even having discarded some extra broth at the end I was still hit with a ton of sodium. I'm rooting for quality Chinese cuisine to become more common in the District, but I wasn't persuaded that this was it. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dan Dan Noodles with tofu - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Located in Union Market, I was excited to see Sichuanese food. However, I was pretty disappointed by this spot. The noodles were pretty thin and too soft; I was expecting them to be a bit chewy and thick. I didn't get it with chili oil, so can't comment on the mala flavor. The portion was decently sized and I was able to make two meals out of it. But other than that, there are better Sichuanese restaurants out there and I would skip this one. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dan Dan Noodles with tofu - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I got the dan dan noodles with tofu and my friend got the mapo tofu with white rice. My meal had a large portion, although half the container filled with oil. The flavor was good. I was not a fan of the whole peanuts. It seems like my friend got much less food with her meal. I think fried tofu would have been better than the silken tofu. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dan Dan Noodles - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Really impressed with the variety of textures and attention to detail that was in the Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup. Without a dedicated restaurant, I'm glad they are delivering a traditional menu inspired by noodle street stalls and flavors you would find in Chengdu. The noodles in the soup may not be from their hand-pulled series, but they were still perfectly cooked and bouncy while being in the hot broth. It was also a good length, so chili oil and broth shouldn't splatter a lot. It is pretty important to consider this when you may have portable eats and there isn't a guaranteed sit-down area in Union Market. The broth was aromatic with spices (of course pepper corn, but a really distinct sweet anise) mixed together with stewed with unctuous cuts of beef. I am happy to see with the combination of lean cuts and tendon. When those things break down, it thickens the broth with collagen which makes it very hardy. Admittedly, this is one of the more expensive side of offerings within Union Market, but in this case, I see why. They are just offering a more complete meal that likely takes hours of prep. If you're looking for something that doesn't feel like a quick hand held snack, this is a place where you can come to Union Market and walk out full. There was a generous portion of bokchoy, and I especially liked the sprinkles of cubed pickled vegetables. It was a nice bite in between the richness of the broth. Also noting that although Sichuan food has existed for quite some time in the U.S., folks are still unfamiliar with the cuisine. Their menu does an exemplary job at explaining the ingredients and flavors you would expect, so its very accessible for new eaters. Its a good entry point to expanding your palette. I read that their restaurant began in 2019, and its very honorable to see that they stuck to their roots and survived through the pandemic. Its good to see a restaurant with this variety of regionally specific ingredients retain its popularity within this new food scene. I would look forward to trying more things on their menu. I'm pretty sure it would be of the same quality from this one I tried, good job! read more

Dan Dan Boy - Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Dan Dan Boy is one of the many food options at Union Market. Attracted by the delicious smells, I got the garlic eggplant rice bowl bc I can never pass up Sichuan eggplant. But tbh, it was a little disappointing. The flavor just was not consistent with what I've gotten at other Sichuan restaurants for the same dish- way too vinegary and the sauce was too liquidy. There were a ton of other veggies in there, which I'd normally appreciate, but just didn't do it for me here. The dish got a little better with chili oil. The Union Market ambiance is really nice, but I will say we went for lunch on a weekday & it was packed, it was pretty hard to find some seating. Service was fine. 5/10 would not recommend the eggplant dish, perhaps their noodles are better. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Garlic Eggplant Rice Bowl - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had a great meal with the chicken and noodle soup. I got the dish for my little one, so I made sure to ask if it was spicy or not. It definitely looked spicier than it actually ended up being. It had great flavor with good depth to the broth. The noodles do feel hand-pulled, so that's always a nice touch. I don't know how well the noodles travel because it kind of just sits in the broth, but if you want to eat at the Yards Park, it should make for a delicious meal! read more

Dan Dan Boy - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I got the DAN DAN Noodles which were over cooked. Usually, restaurants who care about the customers separate the noodles from the sauce and meat orrr they use better quality noodles. The meat was chunky. The overcooked noodles were breaking apart and tasted like dough. Other then all of that I hated it. Please rename the restaurant because the Dan Dan Noodles are not the star of the show. The Chili Oil was good.... Rename the restaurant "Chili Oil" read more

The dumplings here are delightfully spicy and a great snack. Unfortunately my concern is about service. The white lady working here the evening of Sunday June 14th very predictably asked every brown person for their takeout tickets, refusing to give people their food without this proof of purchase, but did no such thing with any white patron coming up for their food. Just an unfortunate pattern I observed ‍ this was the only experience of its kind that I've had here. read more

Cute shop inside Union Market. They offer weekly specials in addition to their regular menu. I opted for their beef noodle soup. The noodles were the right amount of chewy and I absolutely loved their broth. It had a hint of spiciness and was incredibly flavorful. Unfortunately, the beef in my beef noodle soup had a lot of fat on it, which made it less appetizing to eat. However, I really appreciate that they did give me three large chunks of beef with my order! Service was quick and everyone was really friendly. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Menu - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Was skeptical going here because of less than 4 star ratings, but was really craving Dan Dan noodles. I'm admittedly very easy to please when it comes to food, but my girlfriend and I thought this was a great meal. We got the Dan Dan noodles with ground pork, and the dumplings of the day which were turkey. Both were delicious and filling! A little pricey for a quick bite, it was like $31 after tax and tip for those 2 things, but that's DC. Food came out quickly and tasted fresh. Maybe wish there was some greens in the noodles, I think bok choy was extra. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dumplings - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Delicious authentic Sichuan style beef noodle with huge chunks of cooked-through tender (melt in your mouth) beef (and high quality meat). Not spicy in fact but very tasty. Love their logo too (it's a person's hair made of noodle, being scooped up by chopsticks). There's a bit of a wait once order is placed, probably because they make everything fresh to order which is a plus. Love their bowl of noodle model (made of plastic) on the counter. read more

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We ordered Dan Dan Boy at Union Market to try something new. I love eggplant, so I chose the eggplant dish. The flavors were great, but it was overall a little greasier than I expected. My husband got the Dan Dan noodles, which were great! I loved the combination of textures and flavors. Service is pretty quick. You order at the counter and wait for about 10 min. There is sometimes a line, and Union Market is always busy! You can eat outside at picnic tables or on the roof at Hi Lawn. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dan dan noodles - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The service was quick and the hand pulled noodles were delicious! I got the (less) spicy stew chicken and the entire dish was well balanced in all the flavors and textures. I would definitely come back and want to try a rice dish! read more

Dan Dan Boy - Xinjiang Street Food - Braised Chicken Hand-Pulled Noodles or 新疆大盘鸡裤带面 - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was very surprised by the reviews here based off the food that I enjoyed. First off the portions of their noodle dishes are hefty and worth the price point. While I did not try the namesake dish the hand cut chicken noodles with spicy chicken were excellent. The noodles were thick and al dente lathered in a generous portion of sauce with piled high with tender chicken and loads of Szechuan peppers. If you like spicy and flavor this is a solid dish to give a try. read more

I went with the Dan Dan noodles. They had a large portion of meat and just a healthy serving in general. I felt it was overly salty and the noodles seemed like spaghetti noodles. The service was quick and friendly. There is seating all around within Union Market, both inside and outside. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dan Dan Noodles - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The restaurant industry is hard and Yelp can make it more or less difficult. Because of that, I try to be kind in my reviews, even when giving the rare one-star rating. Sadly, my experience at Dan Dan Boy was a one star episode. It's possible they had an off day so read this with a grain of salt. 1) Food: I ordered the Dan Dan noodles assuming it was their speciality given the name. Obsessed with these noodles, I've had my share around the world, in D.C., and while living in Beijing. Dan Dan Boy's are the worst I've had. The noodles were over cooked and literally spaghetti noodles. The pork was very dry and chunky with odd texture. The flavors were non-existent, masked a pool of oil that took over the entire bowl. Even the green onions tasted poorly. 2) Price: My bowl of Dan Dan noodles cost $18- a steep price for a bowl that tasted not great. With many other worthy food stands at Union Market, I'd reconsider Dan Dan Boy. I will go back, though, to see if it was just an off day. read more

Dan Dan Boy - menus on display in a restaurant - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I am very happy there is a spot with Chinese glass noodles in Union Market. They were sour and yummy. The mapo tofu was odd - a different style altogether and not really to my liking. I wish I could eat gluten and eat their dumplings. There was an older Asian woman making each dumpling by hand. They seemed delicious! read more

Dan Dan Boy - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I thought this place was mediocre...I've had Dan Dan Noodles at other places and the version here wasn't up to par with my expectations for great noodles. The meat had a bit of an odd consistency, but was very savory. The noodles were a bit softer than the texture I was expecting. Unlike other versions of Dan Dan Noodles, the sauce was basically oil that sat at the bottom of the bowl and not the usual sauce of layered rich flavors. The service was good and it's easy to navigate the menu since there isn't an overwhelming amount of options. If I went back to this spot, I'd definitely try one of the other dishes they offer. read more

I was in the area and already got my go-to order of gravlox crostini in union market but it had been some time since I've been here so I took a gander and noticed dan dan boy. I love szechuan and so I went on yelp to see a guy giving this place a 1, comparing this small shop to beijing. Laughable. I decided to try it for myself. Ordered the dan dan noodles and I give it a 3.5. The noodles were indeed overcooked but definitely not spaghetti noodles the flavor is there and tofu's nice. But when I think of Szechuan, I think of numbing. Their hot chili oil wasn't bad but it could use some more peppercorns in their recipe. Perhaps it's been made to the Westerner's taste. The portion is pretty big but I'm trying other dishes on their menu before getting the dan dan noodles again. read more

The food here that's good, it's great, then there are less than good dishes. Spicy Sour glass noodles are fantastic, one of my favorite noodle dishes in DC. Dan Dan however is not good read more

Dan Dan Boy - Spicy Sour glass noodles - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The hand pulled noodles and chicken was amazing. That was the only thing I tried but would 100% recommend. The noodle texture and sauce were elite read more

You smell it before you see it- pepper and garlic wifting all around the stall in union market- so yummy Quick service on a Sunday night. Simple food stall decor. Had the sour and spicy glass noodles-huge serving full of numbing spice, pickled turnips and bok choy- incredible taste- but spicy-very spicy! Just don't try to have a conversation cause the spicy will go down the wrong tube and you will suffer- lol Pork dumplings were salty and not cooked long enough- kind of hard and the dough tasted raw- but we still finished them off-lol read more

i ordered the wonton soup for the broth (under the weather) it was no broth and absolutely disgusting. it's unfortunate because i was really excited to try it but the wontons were bland and it tasted like noodle water no broth at all. service was fine but i threw the whole soup away. read more

I came to Dan Dan Boy after hearing glowing recommendations. I was excited, thrilled, even ready to indulge in flavors that were supposedly out of this world. Instead, I was greeted with what can only be described as the culinary equivalent of sadness. The food had no flavor. None. As if the chef had sworn an oath to banish seasoning from existence. It was expensive, too. It was priced as though Trump's tariffs had gone into effect and doubled the cost of mediocrity. As I forced myself to chew, I looked like a child grimacing through a plate of cold, nasty vegetables. My soul wept. My wallet wept harder. And the worst betrayal? I was led here by my friend, who shall remain nameless, but let's just say her name rhymes with Janelle. The disappointment cut so deep I briefly questioned my trust in humanity. I almost considered ending it all....not my life though. Because when food this bad enters your body, trust issues follow. In summary: if you are hungry--I beg of you, stay away from Dan Dan Boy. Unless, of course, you're craving the taste of broken dreams. read more

I got the Dan Dan noodles with tofu, excited to eat this dish that I am so fond of. The first red flag was that the lady at the check out didn't know what toppings were already in the dish. She didn't even know that the dish had sesame in it! When I got the food, the sauce was basically all water making a gross soup at the bottom of the bowl. The tofu tasted off as well. This dish honestly made me feel sick. I never throw away my food but I could not finish this. read more

I was coming home from getting an MRI, which is not pleasant, and craving something comforting, like chicken noodle soup. I was thinking chicken ramen when I pulled into Union Market, but then I walked past Dàn Dàn Boy and saw, "Braised chicken and hand-pulled noodles." This is definitely one of my new favorite things to eat to in DC. The chicken, all white meat, is moist and tender. The broth can only be described as silky as it glides over your tongue. It is richly flavored, but not over powering, with a suggestion of heat, and studded with matchsticks of fresh ginger and herbs. The noodles themselves are fluffy and toothsome, nearly potato dumplings. The potatoes, peppers, and onions are razor thin and a bit of an afterthought; this would normally knock off a star, but everything else is so perfect that I'm letting it go. It will be hard to order anything else from this food stall, but I will try. I waited about 10 minutes for my meal, and that was a little after 7pm on a Sunday. The woman taking orders at the counter had been patiently waiting explaining every dish to the man in front of me--and it was clear that she more than selon my decisive order. read more

unfortunately i really did not enjoy this place. the garlic eggplant rice bowl on the menu caught my eye because i LOVE garlic eggplant, but it had no protein in it so i asked to add some tofu, which cost me an additional FIVE dollars. i paid it but that's $22 for a bowl, which is frankly exorbitant. when i ate it, i was super underwhelmed. the sauce had no flavor and the eggplant wasn't even fully cooked; i got takeout, so i doctored it at home with more sesame oil and chili sauces, but i shouldn't have to alter a restaurant meal for it to be edible. overall a very disappointing experience :( read more

Service at the register is lacking. We were there June 1 @ 1:33pm. We were told our order would take 10-15 mins. Took nearly 30 mins. Turns out the woman working the register gave my daughter both the small ticket (that the customer is to hold) AND the larger ticket that is meant for cook. When we asked why it was taking so long we provided the woman the tickets she gave us. My daughter handed the larger ticket to which the woman asked "did I give you this?" Yes. Who else would give it to us? I certainly didn't jump over the counter to grab it. The cook realized the mix up and proceeded to make the order at once. However, not a single apology from the woman who gave us the wrong ticket. She just handed it over to the cook. And went back to her register. No apologies, no acknowledgement that she messed up. There are many other stalls in Union Market with better service. You've been warned. read more

Overpriced, which is annoying when they're going for a "street food" concept. I don't know what it's suposed to taste like, but my $20 veggie hot pot was overwhelmingly peppery and otherwise bland. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Mala Mao Hot Pot - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I don't usually review places, and I rarely rate any establishment 1 star. However, the Garlic Eggplant dish I got had little to no flavor at all. I could only taste the plain rice. The portion was large, but for 23$ this was one of the biggest overpays of my life. read more

High-quality noodles. Even the mild version is spicy; I would be scared of the spicy version. Make sure to mix the noodles before eating as a lot of the sauce and oil settles to the bottom. Staff is pleasant and prices are reasonable for the huge portion size. read more

Found this gem of an eatery tucked away in the middle of Union Market. If you're looking for an authentic bowl of Chinese noods, check out this lovely joint. Efficient and kind staff made delicious food. I will back to try more! read more

Dan Dan Boy - Dumplings + Sichuan Chili Crisp = yummy in my tummy! - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Good location, but noodles missed the mark. Wait time wasn't bad. I like have appreciated photos of the noodles so i would know more about what I'm ordering. Gave stars for fast service, polite. $33.13 for a bowl of noodles, 6dumplings and tip. read more

Beware of this scammy below-mid noodle spot. To charge a 3% credit card charge with NO option of receiving change instead you must give them the exact cash amount is beyond me and most likely ILLEGAL. They'll also try to rob you with their $2 chili oil. The Dan Dan noodles were bland and the eggplant rice bowl was soggy tasteless mush. Avoid this spot and try literally any other noodle spot in Union Market. They should also consider hiring competent staff who actually knows what allergens are in their food read more

Beware of Blue Mold! Mapo Tofu Nightmare Experience I recently had the unfortunate experience of trying the Mapo Tofu at Dan Dan Boy, and it was nothing short of a NIGHTMARE. There was blue mold in the tofu! I was violently ill with food poisoning symptoms that left me bedridden for hours. read more

Their noodles are absolutely delicious! So much flavor in the dishes we got (I personally loved the Dan Dan Noodles with pork), and plenty of food for the price. Highly recommended if you're in the Union Market area, great service and I definitely plan on returning. read more

I'm a huge noodle head -- have traveled in southern China -- and this place is legit. I was confused by the negative reviews and they seem to be mostly from people who are gluten free and are complaining about credit card fees??? Ok that's nonsense. The noodles here are incredible. Chewy, spicy, perfectly seasoned. Bok choy for vegetable contrast. Man these are good. Go! read more

Might be better than my mom's. (Don't tell her). Can't go wrong with any of the dishes here but this might be a new fave! Also check out any workshops by Chinese Street Market DC, always a lot of fun and informative. read more

Dan Dan Boy - Ma Po Tofu from Dàn Dàn Boy is delicious! - Food Stands Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia