The guys working the counter of Horace & Dickie are happy to banter with you as they deal their wares, mainly fried fillets of whiting by the thousands. “I’m gonna give you four small ones,” one says to the woman behind me on the line. “Why? You don’t like me.” “No, I like you fine,” he replies. Then, glancing over at the tall white guy sticking out like a sore thumb on the line [me], “I don’t like him.”In jest, perhaps, but if read into, the four words speak volumes on what’s going on at this legendary neighborhood fish fry and the neighborhood that surrounds it. Horace & Dickie lies in the heart of the neighborhood known as H Street Northeast, one of DC’s gentrification capitals. Around the corner from its spartan digs on a 12th street corner sit no less than 5 new bars: Palace of Wonders, The Red and the Black, The Martini Lounge, The Pug, and Granville Moore’s, all part of a redevelopment of the area. They all cater to a mostly white clientele in the traditionally black neighborhood. Folks that look more like me are moving in, and it is changing the face of the place.
But it doesn’t seem to change the face or the size of the line at Horace & Dickies. There’s a line out the door to go with the fishy aroma whaffing from the 4 deep fryers inside. And everyone’s there for the same thing—mammoth portions of fried fish. The centerpiece of the menu is the Four Piece Fish Sandwich ($5.29). Crab cakes, fried shrimp and seafood, and fried chicken are the other mains on the menu, with fries, potato salad and coleslaw, collards, and mac & cheese all available as sides for $1.65.
The line moves fast, partly because with the volume they’re doing, they’re not cooking to order. Baskets of already fried fish, chicken, and fries await. Place your order (and most people go for the Four Piece), choose white or wheat, and the scene plays out. Swath of foil. Two slices of bread. At least 4 fillets plopped on top. The guy at the counter will present your order to you for approval before they wrap it in foil. Gotta make sure you’re getting your fair share! One tartar sauce and one hot sauce come standard. If you want any extra, that’ll be 11 cents, but I find the amount given to be enough.No counter, no bar stool, no room to eat inside. It’s strictly take out. I find it hard to make it back to my car. The bag is that heavy! And the smell makes you want to tear it open and start eating right away. The serving is mammoth, seemingly well more than 4 pieces. The fish is as white and moist as I’d hoped and the light cornmeal breading lends a slight crunch and flavor to the mild fish. Not a sandwich in the traditional sense of the word, I explore a few different eating methods. Dip a chunk in the tartar sauce. Balance a few pieces on a flimsy slice of the bread. Don’t try to actually put all of the fish between the two slices. It’ll be twice the size of a Dagwood. Because the food is not cooked to order, the batter tends to be a bit soggy, which greatly takes away from what would be an otherwise superlative cheap eat. Nevertheless, I scarf down the whole thing, but the sandwich could be easily shared by 2 hungry people. At Horace & Dickie, you're in for some pretty good fish, but above all, you’re getting quantity.
Horace & Dickie
809 12th Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202)-397-6040
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