Restaurant in Washington DC, United States
Japanese BBQ that earns its $$$ price.

Beloved BBQ at Love, Makoto brings Japanese-style tabletop grilling to Capitol Crossing with serious ingredient quality — A5 Wagyu, aged beef tongue, and chili koji oysters — backed by a Michelin Plate (2024) and a 4.8 Google rating. At $$$, it is worth booking when you want an interactive, meat-focused dinner in D.C. with real technical intent behind the menu.
If you have been to Beloved BBQ at Love, Makoto once, a second visit will confirm what the first suggested: this is one of the more purposeful Japanese steakhouse experiences in Washington, D.C. The format rewards return visitors because the menu is dense enough that a single meal only covers part of it. At the $$$ price point, it sits at a level where you need the food to carry its weight, and here, between A5 Wagyu, aged beef tongue, and icy cold oysters with chili koji, it largely does. Holdable for a Michelin Plate recognition in 2024, it is a credible option when you want Japanese-style tabletop grilling done with real ingredient quality. Book it for a food-forward dinner where the cooking at the table is part of the experience, not a novelty.
Beloved BBQ sits inside Capitol Crossing at 200 Massachusetts Ave NW, a development that has gradually populated one of D.C.'s transit-adjacent corridors near NoMa. The space makes a strong visual case for itself: dark walls, large tables built around central circular grills, and a neon hallway that signals this is not a conventional steakhouse. The design language is Japanese throughout, and the format follows through on that commitment in a way that many fusion concepts do not.
The menu centers on live-fire tabletop grilling, but the kitchen is doing more than handing you raw protein. Dishes arrive as composed ideas: prime short rib comes with sudachi and a sea salt and black pepper finish; Wagyu New York strip is paired with lime and wasabi; aged beef tongue carries what the venue's own notes describe as excellent gamey notes. These are not generic steakhouse accompaniments. The pairing logic is Japanese, leaning on acids and aromatics rather than cream or reduction sauces. If you are coming from experience at places like Myojaku in Tokyo or Azabu Kadowaki, the reference points here will feel familiar, even if the context is American.
The A5 Wagyu fried rice served in a steaming hot pot is worth particular attention. It arrives with a soft egg and is folded at the table by the server, so each grain picks up the fat and seasoning evenly. It is a dish that functions as both a standalone and a natural counterpoint to the heavier grilled cuts. The tableside element is not performative here — it is genuinely functional, and it gives the meal a rhythm that solo diners and small groups can both work with.
Circular grills built into each table are central to the experience at Beloved BBQ, and they shift the dynamic in a way that is relevant to how you should think about booking. This is not a venue where you sit back and receive dishes passively. The cooking happens in front of you, and the server's involvement — demonstrated clearly in how the fried rice is finished , means your experience depends partly on timing and attention. Early in service, when the room is not at full capacity, that attention is more consistent. If the PEA-R-08 angle interests you (the idea that counter or table-level interaction adds to the meal), this is a venue that makes a legitimate case for it: the grill is your counter, and what happens around it shapes the meal more than the decor does.
For solo diners, this format works better than it might at a conventional restaurant. A seat at the grill table for one means full control over pace and cut selection. It is a more active meal than, say, a tasting menu at Omakase at Barracks Row, but for explorers who want engagement rather than observation, that is a point in its favor. For context on how D.C.'s Japanese dining options compare across formats, see Kappo and Shōtō.
Booking difficulty is moderate. The venue does not have the kind of demand scarcity that forces you to plan months out, but the 4.8 Google rating across 1,351 reviews suggests consistent draw, and weekend evenings will fill. Booking two to three weeks in advance is a reasonable approach for a Friday or Saturday. If you are more flexible on timing, weekday slots are likely more accessible. The Capitol Crossing address is accessible from Union Station, which makes it a practical choice for travelers staying elsewhere in the city.
For a broader view of what D.C. has to offer across dining, see our full Washington, D.C. restaurants guide. If you are planning a full trip, our Washington, D.C. hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest.
| Detail | Beloved BBQ at Love, Makoto | Rooster & Owl | Oyster Oyster |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price range | $$$ | $$$ | $$$ |
| Cuisine | Japanese tabletop grill | Contemporary American | Vegetable-forward New American |
| Booking difficulty | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Awards | Michelin Plate 2024 | , | , |
| Google rating | 4.8 (1,351 reviews) | , | , |
| Leading for | Meat-focused, interactive dining | Creative tasting format | Sustainability-conscious diners |
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beloved BBQ at Love, Makoto | Japanese | $$$ | Moderate |
| Oyster Oyster | New American, Vegetarian, Vegetarian (Sustainable) | $$$ | Unknown |
| Albi | United States, Middle Eastern | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Causa | Peruvian | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Rooster & Owl | Contemporary | $$$ | Unknown |
| Rose’s Luxury | New American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Washington, D.C. for this tier.
Aim for neat casual to casual dressy. The Capitol Crossing setting, dark walls, and $$$ price point suggest you will feel underdressed in gym wear, but there is no formal requirement here. This is tableside-grill dining, so factor in that your clothes will carry smoke.
The menu is heavily anchored to premium beef, including A5 Wagyu and aged beef tongue, so this is a difficult venue for vegetarians or those avoiding red meat. The oyster opener and the broader Japanese format suggest some flexibility, but confirm with the restaurant directly before booking if you have significant restrictions.
It is workable but not the format's strongest suit. The large tables with central circular grills are designed for groups, and the tableside interaction is more engaging with company. Solo diners should ask about counter seating if available. For a solo Japanese meal in D.C., Causa or Rooster & Owl may offer a more natural fit.
At a $$$ price point with a Michelin Plate (2024) recognition, the structured progression makes sense here. The A5 Wagyu fried rice folded tableside and the progression from oysters through to aged beef tongue suggest the kitchen is building a deliberate sequence. If you are coming in for a la carte only, you risk missing the dishes where the format pays off.
Yes, if Japanese BBQ is the format you want and you are ordering into the Wagyu cuts. The Michelin Plate (2024) and the 4.8 Google rating across reviews back up what the $$$ pricing implies. If your priority is value-per-calorie rather than the tableside experience, Albi or Rooster & Owl will give you more flexibility at a lower commitment level.
The circular table grills are not decorative: the cooking happens at the table, and servers play an active role in preparation, including folding the Wagyu fried rice to coat each grain. Booking is moderate difficulty, not a months-out scramble, but do not rely on a walk-in for a weekend evening. The venue is inside Capitol Crossing at 200 Massachusetts Ave NW.
The A5 Wagyu fried rice with soft egg served from a steaming hot pot is the most referenced dish and a clear priority. Start with the icy cold oysters with chili koji. For the grill, the prime short rib with sudachi and the aged beef tongue are the strongest reported selections from the venue's own menu description.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.