12 Restaurants Kamala Harris Loves Across The US
Kamala Harris is known to be a foodie, which makes us especially curious to know which restaurants she frequents. So where does a politician who collects cookbooks, always makes a home-cooked Sunday dinner, and once had her own social media cooking show like to eat across the U.S.? Most of her known favorite restaurants are near places where she has gone to school, lived, or worked. So, most of the ones on our list are from Washington, D.C., and California. However, Harris has found herself impressed while sampling new restaurants on the campaign trail, as well.
Her tastes in restaurants range from comfort foods to fancier fare. Some simple favorites include places she enjoyed getting a burger in college or places where she knows she can pick up a decent taco. However, she also appreciates upscale restaurants that offer a good meal with an extra layer of privacy for politicians and celebrities who like to eat there. Her restaurant tastes run the gamut from American, Mexican, and BBQ, to Italian, Indian, and Mediterranean. If you happen to be in an area that has one of her favorite restaurants, you'll probably not be disappointed if you decide to give it a try. And you might just be lucky enough to run into her while you're there.
Ben's Chili Bowl
When we're in college, the places we like to eat are often about proximity to the campus and how late they stay open. So, Ben's Chili Bowl was the perfect place for a young Kamala Harris to get a bite to eat when she was a student at Howard University in Washington, D.C. It was a comfort food spot for her, and she often ordered a burger or a Half Smoke. The Half Smoke is a regional-style sausage dog from D.C. made from a mixture of pork and beef. At Ben's, it's served in a bun with your choice of condiments.
When restaurants were feeling the sting of slow business during the COVID-19 pandemic, Harris named Ben's Chili Bowl specifically on social media, urging Congress to help provide relief for businesses with minority ownership. With her support and the support of its longtime fans, Ben's survived and is still popular with the students at Howard University. Since it's open all the way until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights, it's no wonder.
Ben's is still serving the burgers and Half Smokes that Harris enjoyed in her college days. Plus, you can get sausages, hotdogs, chili (as its name suggests), subs, sandwiches, fries, and a variety of sides. It also caters to a variety of dietary needs by offering an impressive vegetarian menu.
(202) 667-0909
1213 U St NW, Washington, D.C. 20009
Blue Duck Tavern
When Kamala Harris moved back to her old stomping grounds in Washington, D.C. as a U.S. Senator for California in 2017, she went about discovering new restaurants with more sophisticated tastes and a larger budget. Her new condo in the West End was near the Blue Duck Tavern, which was located in the Park Hyatt hotel. After giving it a try, it became a new favorite place to eat for her and her husband, Douglas Emhoff. However, she also tended to meet there with others, such as journalists.
The Blue Duck Tavern was once among the D.C. restaurants with a Michelin star rating. While it lost its rating in 2020, customers still find it to be an excellent dining choice in a rustic setting. It's a restaurant that focuses on the ingredients and culinary traditions of the region. While it uses modern cooking methods, it also has a wood-burning oven that helps imbue its dishes with flavor.
For breakfast, you can enjoy items like house-made bircher muesli and ube cheesecake French toast. Duck confit hash and jumbo lump crab cakes are featured on the brunch menu. For lunch, you can get items like wood-oven roasted chicken and wood oven-roasted bone marrow (a customer favorite). Meanwhile, if you're dining there for dinner, you might choose roasted swordfish or Carolina Gold rice porridge.
(202) 419-6755
1201 24th St NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
Cafe Milano
Cafe Milano is an Italian restaurant that tends to be the go-to restaurant for politicians and celebrities in D.C. It's especially popular for those who spend a lot of time at the White House. Kamala Harris has been frequenting Cafe Milano since she was a U.S senator. When she was a senator, she was spotted there at a dinner party with a fellow senator, a supreme court justice, and other politicians, as well as a journalist. As vice president, she visited with her husband for a celebrity-sponsored holiday party.
The owner, Italian-born Franco Nuschese, opened the restaurant in 1992. It's meant to have an Italian boutique feel, featuring designer Italian scarves and murals depicting Italian culture. However, it's also big on privacy, which makes it an attractive place to meet, wine, and dine for politicians like Harris.
The lunch and dinner menu is the same and contains the requisite antipasti, salads, pastas, and pizzas. Plus, there are also fish and meat dishes. Lunch and dinner diners can enjoy dishes like Linguine B. Johnson, (featuring Maine lobster) or Costine di Manzo Wagyu (featuring Wagyu beef short ribs). The Sunday brunch menu contains delightful Italian dishes like Uova Affogate, which is a baked egg and summer squash dish.
(202) 333-6183
3251 Prospect St NW, Washington, D.C. 20007
Centrolina
Another Italian restaurant in D.C. where Kamala Harris and her husband have become regulars is Centrolina. She's been visiting Centrolina since her years as a U.S. senator. Harris likes the restaurant enough to have chosen it to host several of her fundraisers, as well. When Centrolina's chef Amy Brandwein received a James Beard nomination, Harris made sure to congratulate her, expressing feelings of comradeship with her on being recognized in a male-centric industry.
Centrolina consists of an "osteria" (its restaurant) and a "mercato" (its market with Italian-food staples). Chef Brandwein has a rotating seasonal menu which features antipasti, pasta, side dishes, and desserts. Plus, she has a whole category of items called "a lenga," which are ones cooked in the restaurant's wood fire oven. When Harris visits, she tends to enjoy seafood. Plus, she gravitates toward the restaurant's veggie dishes. Some seafood items often available include Polpo (featuring wood-roasted octopus) and Branzino (a Mediterranean sea bass dish that Harris likes to order). Meanwhile, there are lovely veggie sides like Piselli (a rosemary-flavored mushroom and pea dish).
The restaurant plans to close for election night 2024. However, it's offering a five-course Election Night Kit for Two for pickup, which will help pay its employees for an evening off to vote and watch for the election results.
(202) 898-2426
974 Palmer Alley NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Guelaguetza
Guelaguetza is an Oaxacan-style, James Beard Award-winning Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles' Koreatown. It has been open since 1994, and its claim to fame is its mole, which Harris loves. The mole there is so beloved that the restaurant ships its mole starter all over the country to people who are too far away to enjoy it in person.
Back when Kamala Harris was San Francisco's attorney general, she often visited it. Not only was it near her office, but she enjoyed the food. She's been back since moving to Washington, D.C., to attend a grassroots fundraiser there.
When Harris visited before her primary in California for Vice President, she asked for the Lopez family's favorite dishes to try. One of the offerings the family brought out was its Festival de Moles sampler, which contains four different types of moles. Another order that showed up at the table was the Botana Oaxaqueña, which is a tasting platter full of other Oaxacan-style specialties. Before leaving, Harris made sure to make extra orders of all her favorites to bring back to her staff members and to get a copy of the restaurant's cookbook to add to her collection.
(213) 427-0608
3014 W Olympic Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90006
El Cholo
El Cholo has been around since 1923, making it the oldest Mexican restaurant in Los Angeles. Being over 100 years old means that, long before it was a favorite of Kamala Harris, it was a favorite of other celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and Gary Cooper.
When Harris and her husband moved to Brentwood, it was only five minutes away from the Santa Monica location. So, that's the one they tend to visit when they're back in California these days. She's also chosen it as a meeting place with foreign dignitaries. However, Harris' husband started out as a fan of the original LA location, which was a better location for him to visit in college and when he was working nearby.
The restaurant started out in its early days making a few typical Mexican dishes like enchiladas, with new dishes like nachos, chimichangas, burritos, fajitas, guacamole, and more being added over the decades. Customers love its enchiladas and its potent margaritas, but another part of the appeal is the restaurant's comfortable feel that comes from its archways and nooks and crannies for dining. It's the type of place that feels a little like home because many customers have been going practically all their lives. It's also not unusual for people to go there for celebratory events.
(310) 899-1106
1025 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401
Frida Tacos
Another Mexican place in Brentwood that Kamala Harris and her husband like to visit when they're back in California is Frida Tacos. This small taqueria that was named after Frida Kahlo is a favorite for the couple to visit when they're strolling around Brentwood Country Mart.
Frida Tacos is a walk-up restaurant that doesn't have tons of seating other than a few barstools outside its order windows and some nearby picnic table dining areas. So, it's common for Harris and her husband to pick up food from Frida Tacos as a takeout option rather than dining in. While we don't know what she normally orders there, we do know that Harris' favorite type of taco features carnitas made simply with cilantro and a squeeze of lime but without any onions. However, sometimes, she'll opt for fish tacos, instead.
The restaurant prides itself with serving authentic Mexican dishes to its customers. It has a variety of meat choices, ranging from more ordinary grilled chicken and pork carnitas to more highly-spiced items like chicken mole and pork cochinita pibil. These meats feature in a variety of dishes like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, tortas, nachos, and more.
(310) 395-9666
225 26th St #14, Santa Monica, CA 90402
New Delhi Restaurant
With Kamala Harris' mother having been originally from India, it's always interesting to note which Indian restaurants catch her attention. However, New Delhi Restaurant has been about more than just the food for Harris, with her visits stretching back to her early career.
New Delhi Restaurant has a long history as a hub for the San Francisco Indian community and helping to meet its needs. When Democratic candidates have wanted to get involved in helping the Indian community, it has been an obvious point of contact and place to hear what they have to say. Harris has been one of the many voices expressing the concerns of the Indian community there, going back to the time before she was running for president or even attorney general of San Francisco. Both local and national political figures have visited, including Bill Clinton when he was first running for president.
As far as the food goes at New Delhi restaurant, it's attracted plenty of food celebrities like Julia Child and regular celebrities. You can even pay for a recreated celebrity dining experience mimicking the meals of celebrities who have eaten there, like Anthony Hopkins, Bill Clinton, or Steve Jobs. They all come with appetizers, main dishes, accompaniments, and dessert, featuring main dishes like goan kofta with salmon, pepper paneer chicken, and mattar channa lamb ghungani. There's not a celebrity dining experience for Harris, but who knows what the future holds?
(415) 397-8470
160 Ellis St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Rasika West End
Kamala Harris has also found a great Indian restaurant in Washington, D.C. While it's not the same type of cultural and political hub that her favorite San Francisco Indian restaurant is, she has still met colleagues there. Back in 2017, Harris was seen eating there and talking with two other Democrat senators for a couple of hours. Fast forward to 2023, and she remembered it fondly enough to get a private room with a party of 15, including family members. Having chosen it for a place to share with others, whatever the occasion, seems to indicate it was a hit with her the first time around.
Rasika has two locations in D.C., but it seems to be the West End location that Harris favors. The executive chef, Vikram Sunderam, is a James Beard Award winner, and the restaurant is listed in the Michelin Guide as one of the five best Indian restaurants in D.C. Harris also owns the cookbook that Sunderam co-wrote, titled "Rasika."
The menu features both traditional and more modern dishes. You'll find tawa (griddle) items like Beetroot Goat Cheese Tiki and sigri (barbecue) items like Spicy Reshmi Kebab. It also has curries, seafood entrées like Lobster Hawa Mahal, meat entrees like pork chop vindaloo, and Arurvedic specials such as Dal Dhungaree. If you find too many good things on the menu to decide, the restaurant also offers a tasting menu.
(202) 466-2500
1190 New Hampshire Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20037
Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ
When Kamala Harris was in Charleston, South Carolina, on the campaign trail in 2019, she made a stop at Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ. It's the only restaurant we found where she went to social media to rave about the food experience. Her lunch included barbecued pulled pork with sides of Southern-style greens and cornbread. After her meal, she said via Facebook, "Rodney, you gotta share these recipes!" Of course, she didn't just eat while she was there; she also met with potential voters who were also enjoying a meal there.
As its name suggests, the restaurant roasts whole hogs over hardwood fires in its barbecue pits. Rodney Scott explained to Tasting Table that South-Carolina-style BBQ is distinctive mainly because of the type of sauces it uses. Scott's region uses a sweet and sour vinegar-and-pepper-based sauce. However, the restaurant also offers some other South Carolina sauces. And, with it having locations in Georgia and Alabama, it's also not surprising that the restaurant features two Alabama-style sauces as well (including North Alabama's white sauce).
In addition to pulled pork, the menu at Rodney Scott's includes pulled chicken, turkey breast, beef brisket, ribs, and cheddarwurst sausage. Plus, you can get burgers, sandwiches, or even some catfish dishes — all with classic Southern BBQ sides.
(843) 990-9535
1011 King St, Charleston, SC 29403
Toscana
The proximity of Kamala Harris' home in Los Angeles helps make Toscana an easy choice when she and her husband are back home. However, what makes this Italian restaurant extra special for the couple is that it was the site of their first blind date.
Toscana operates with a farm-to-table concept, focusing its menu on dishes from Northern Italy. While there are plenty of other Italian places customers could visit, this Brentwood restaurant has lots of regulars, with many well-known personalities and celebrities who have been visiting for decades. For many, it's the nostalgia and the comfort of their favorite dishes that keep them coming back year after year. Plus, you're likely to get a hug when you come in the door, making it feel like you're coming home to eat among friends. It's also a safe spot away from the paparazzi.
While the restaurant continues to try out new, modern dishes, it's the old favorites like spaghetti pomodoro that continue to sell best. In addition to pasta dishes, the restaurant serves wood-fired pizzas and several meat dishes from its wood-fired oven, like a prime filet mignon dish called Filetto di Manzo. Plus, the menu contains a few special dishes from Tuscany, like a grilled Mediterranean sea bass dish called Trancio di Branzino.
(310) 820-2448
11633 San Vicente Blvd #100, Los Angeles, CA 90049
Zankou Chicken
Zankou Chicken has been making Armenian-Lebanese chicken and other Mediterranean dishes in Los Angeles for over 40 years. While there are several locations, the one Kamala Harris is known to order from is located on Sepulveda Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Zankou is famous for its moist, crisp-skinned rotisserie chicken, but that's not all that gets customers in the door. It also offers Chicken Tarna (a proprietary marinated roast chicken dish), shawarma, kabobs, falafel, bowls, salads, wraps, and typical Mediterranean sides. However, a dish you probably won't see elsewhere is its salad made of banana peppers, tomatoes, and pickled turnips that are colored bright pink from having been cooked with beets.
Part of what makes Zankou Chicken so special is the chain's thick and tangy Lebanese garlic sauce. It gets its tang from lemon and is known as "toum" in Arabic. The sauce makes practically anything on your plate taste that much better.
(310) 444-0550
1716 S Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90025