Rotisserie chicken cured for up to 48 hours in cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic is now roasting daily at 250 7th Street SE, where chef Rob Sonderman has opened Little Engine directly across from Eastern Market. The storefront officially opened its doors following a friends-and-family event, after earlier pop-ups that month to let Sonderman dial in the menu before committing to a permanent schedule.
The space wasn't empty for long. It previously housed Eat Brgz, a customized burger concept that first opened there in 2019 and later closed, according to PoPville. For Sonderman, the location carries personal weight beyond real estate: as HillRag reports, he was raised on Capitol Hill just blocks from the restaurant, and his parents still live within a 10-minute walk, making Little Engine something of a homecoming project.
Eater DC's Eater DC reviewed the finished menu and found a spot built around choice as much as chicken. Whole rotisserie birds are roasted for roughly 90 minutes after their long cure and come plated in quarter, half, and whole sizes, per Washingtonian's reporting. A quarter chicken order runs $11 and comes with six corn-dotted hush puppies, while chicken tenders — three to an order for $9 — can be dressed in any of 11 seasoning options, including sticky Sichuan sauce, cherry mumbo sauce, guava glaze, and lemon pepper.
A Dry Rub Named for the Chef's Daughter
One signature seasoning carries a family story: Hazel's Magic Dust, a smoky-sweet dry rub named after Sonderman's daughter, according to Eater DC. The fried wings also use a rice-flour-and-cornstarch dredge; Washingtonian notes that the preparation provides a gluten-free breading option.
What public records establish
The available public-record context does not identify Little Engine's specific operating authorization or establish a prior food-service history at the Eastern Market address. According to D.C. Health, however, the city's Division of Food inspects more than 6,500 food establishments. The storefront also sits within a historically regulated commercial setting. A 2014 D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board staff report identifies 317 7th Street SE as part of the Capitol Hill Historic District and describes the adjacent stretch near Eastern Market as primarily small-scale commercial.
The menu doesn't stop at chicken. Eater DC's review also found chicken tinga taquitos, a slow-roasted lamb pita, spicy cabbage crunch wraps with peanut dressing, and a Caesar salad topped with tortilla croutons instead of the usual bread. Vegetarian diners can swap in fried mushrooms as a salad upgrade, and the kitchen dresses dishes with a fresh herb-filled ranch or a jalapeño-lime dressing. Weekends bring brunch, served from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, headlined by burritos stuffed with scrambled eggs, marinated steak, melted Oaxacan cheese, crispy wedge fries, and jalapeño crema, as noted by Eater DC.
Family Meals and a Notable Investor
For bigger appetites, whole rotisserie chickens and family-style meals are available, per Washingtonian's reporting. Little Engine also sells canned cocktails, beers and wines under $10 and offers pickup alongside indoor and outdoor picnic-table seating, which Eater DC describes as suited to quick family meals.
Little Engine is Sonderman's new operation.
A Break From Catalogue After Nearly a Decade
Little Engine is Sonderman's new brick-and-mortar venture. Eater DC's review says he made his name with barbecue at Federalist Pig before creating Honeymoon Chicken. A separate Hoodline report discussed Salis's expansion plans for the Catalogue umbrella, but the supplied reporting does not establish that Little Engine is part of that group.
Little Engine is a new chicken option in the neighborhood. The restaurant is built to serve a weeknight family dinner crowd.
