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Best Bargain Restaurants: Hard Times Cafe

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Hard Times Cafe
Alexandria , Clarendon , Rockville , Herndon

Hard times cafe tries to steer clear of the endless chili debates by offering three distinct kinds and several variations on each. Cincinnati-style chili, favored in the Midwest, contains finely ground beef and tastes of cinnamon. You can order a 3-Way (chili, spaghetti, and cheese), a 4-Way (plus onions) or a 5-Way (plus onions and beans). Texas Chili, made with a coarser grind of beef and no tomatoes, can be ordered with or without beans, onion, or cheese, or even with spaghetti (a variation not native to the Lone Star State). Even further permutations are possible if you order your chile as part of a chiliburger or chilidog.

All the chilies are properly served with cornbread. Onion rings are terrific. Hard Times Lager, made by the Virginia Brewing Company, is the thing to drink, but Dominion Brewing Company's root beer in a longneck bottle is oddly good with the Cincinnati chili.

Hard Times Cafe , 1404 King Street, Alexandria; 703/683-5340. Open Monday through Saturday 11 am to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 11 pm. AE, MC, V. MapIt!

Hard Times Cafe , 3028 Wilson Boulevard, Clarendon; 703/528-2233. Open Monday through Thursday 11:30 am to 10:30 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 10 pm. AE, MC, V. MapIt!

Hard Times Cafe , 1117 Nelson Street, Rockville; 301/294-9720. Open Monday through Thursday 11:30 am to 10 pm, Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 11 pm, Sunday 11:30 am to 9 pm. AE, MC, V. MapIt!

Hard Times Cafe , 394 Elden Street, Herndon; 703/318-8941. Open Monday through Thursday 11 am to 1 am, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 2 am, Sunday 12 to midnight. AE, MC, V. MapIt!

QUALITY: ****Excellent; *** Superior; **Very Good; * Good
PRICE RANGE: $$$= Very Expensive; $$ Expensive; $=Moderate; ¢=Inexpensive

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