Purple Patch
Filipino restaurant · Mount Pleasant ·
Filipino comfort fare with creative twists & herb-infused cocktails
Filipino comfort fare with creative twists & herb-infused cocktails
"The Washington Post called Purple Patch the 2023 Restaurant of the Year eight years after the Mount Pleasant spot debuted as one of D.C.’s first upscale local Filipino restaurants, now the institution is celebrating 10 years of feeding D.C. diners. The sizzling, spicy pork belly and pork shoulder sisig remains a favorite dish, along with such staples as longanisa (sweet garlic sausage) and tocino (sweet grilled pork). There are also a surprising number of satisfying vegetarian dishes on the menu, with highlights like sweet and spicy calamansi tofu with pineapple fried rice and three different umami-packed vegetarian adobos (eggplant, cauliflower, or a seasonal mushroom and carrot). You also can’t leave without trying an ube-flavored dessert (which you can also snag from their shop upstairs) or the ube waffle with fried chicken marinated in soy sauce and vinegar at brunch. Chef and owner Patrice Cleary, who was born in the Philippines, also opened casual Joia Burger a block away last year, serving up wagyu beef smash burgers or housemade bean burgers with chopped toppings and ube soft serve. A second Joia recently debuted in Glover Park. Even celebrities like comedian Jo Koy have made a stop in Mount Pleasant to praise Cleary’s cooking. Vibe check: The small indoor space was newly renovated during the pandemic but the covered patio remans the best spot at Purple Patch, with moody twinkle lights, purple curtains, and great people watching on Mount Pleasant Street." - Tierney Plumb
"The essential Filipino restaurant in Mount Pleasant offers ube (purple yam) bread pudding like the one then-Vice President Kamala Harris enjoyed in her own backyard last spring. Other colorful desserts include cupcakes served with ube ice cream, frozen mango floats, and halo-halo loaded with red mung beans and jackfruit over shaved ice. Chef-owner Patrice Cleary also serves a vibrant ube soft serve at her Joia Burger down the street." - Tierney Plumb
"With a large outdoor covered patio and a sizable indoor space with a separate area for larger parties, this Filipino mainstay is a solid choice for a group outing. Order platters of lumpia and pitchers of Palawan — a rum-based cocktail with pineapple and lemon, cream of coconut, and calamansi honey — for the table." - Missy Frederick
"Recommended for sizzling sisigs in Mount Pleasant and included as an Eater 38 pick." - Eater Staff
"Tucked in the lower level of a pre-war building in Mt. Pleasant, this Filipino restaurant has the homey feel of a familiar mom-and-pop shop and plenty of inspired brunch dishes on the menu. You’ll find a harmonious balance of sweet and savory by ordering the ube pancakes, served with macapuno syrup and lechon kawali. Our other essential brunch choices include the eggplant adobo bowl, pork belly breakfast sandwich, and tofu hash. If the weather’s nice, take it all outdoors—the large shaded streetery in front is great for prime people watching and a leisurely brunch." - mekita rivas, omnia saed, tristiana hinton
