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Showing results for tags 'Taqueria'.
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A couple with local roots will open a taqueria at 7056 Carroll Ave., currently occupied by a Subway sandwich shop, in Takoma Park: Cielo Rojo Opening in 2019 -
"This is it," I thought to myself. "This is the best taco I've ever eaten in my life." I had read about the lines at farmer's markets for Suzanne Simon and Bettina Stern's taco stand, but didn't really know much about it. The other day, I decided to go see for myself, and I am *so glad* I found out early on about Chaia. First, the location: Chaia is on Grace Street, which is just a few feet off of Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown, south of Georgetown Park Mall - it's *right there* off Wisconsin, and even has a little sign directing pedestrians to "tacos and beer" - don't let the words fool you. Having read their website before I went, I had a pretty good idea of what I was in for, and I also had a pretty good idea of what I was going to order. One thing of great importance: Chaia is a daytime-only taqueria: Tuesdays through Saturdays it closes at 8PM, and on Sundays, it closes at 6PM - it's closed altogether on Mondays. Please don't forget this, or you're going to show up and find a closed taqueria. And they serve beer, too - in keeping with their "hyper-local" theme, the two breweries they sell are Port City Brewing and Atlas Brew Works. Don't make the same mistake I did: Donnie Boy just *had* to have a beer with his tacos, and for no particular reason, so I started off with a plastic cup of Atlas Brew Works Rowdy Rye ($5). Why in God's name I did this, I don't know - Chaia sells cold-pressed juice from Misfit Juicery and seasonal shrubs, and non-alcoholic beverages are what you should be paying attention to here, unless you *really* like hop-laden beers at the opportunity cost of something truly special. Read on for another reason not to succumb to the temptation of ordering a beer. I got the Market Trio ($11), saving all of twenty-five cents from the í la carte taco prices of $3.75. You should ignore this special, and order however many tacos you want, and get whatever sounds good. Still, three tacos were just about right for me, and gave me a chance to try three different versions, the top three on the list: 1) Mushroom with feta, red sauce, and cilantro 2) Smoky Collards with queso cotija, tomatillo salsa, and pickled radish 3) Creamy Kale + Potato with pepperjack, polano crema, green sauce, and pickled onions. On this one taco, I sprung for a fried, pasture-raised egg ($1.50, available weekends only) - I'm a sucker for eggs and potatoes together, since they conjure up memories of diner breakfasts. I'd gotten my beer first, and nursed it throughout the meal. Note that you're not allowed to go out on the patio if you order beer, so if you want to eat outside, keep it non-alcoholic. Wanting to enjoy the egg while it was hot and runny, I ate my tacos in the order 3), 1), 2), and as I was about one-third of the way into the Kale and Potato taco, I paused, and said to myself, "My God, this is the single greatest taco I've ever eaten." I know it's California-style, and that it's vegetarian, but I don't care - this was not only the best taco I've ever eaten, it was the best quick-serve food I've ever eaten (think what that's saying). The corn tortillas are unbelievable, and the combination of ingredients on this taco was perfect. Do yourself a favor and *get the egg* with this - I could not believe what I was eating, and even cheated a little bit by dripping some of the egg yolk onto the other two tacos (only a few drops, as I didn't want to flirt with ruining perfection). Read that previous paragraph as many times as you need to read it - get this taco, and get it with an egg. In fact, get *three* of these tacos, and get *each one* with an egg. It'll set you back $15.50, and you'll love yourself (and me!) forever and ever. The Mushroom taco was next up, and it was fantastic as well, with thinly sliced mushrooms that picked up everything because they were so thin. A few days ago, I complimented the Wild Mushroom Taco at Virtue Feed & Grain - allow me to paraphrase my dear friend Terry Theise: 'I like tortilla chips, and I like truffles, and I also have no problem recognizing which of the two is better.' It's the same situation here: Virtue's Wild Mushroom Taco was tasty bar food; Chaia's Mushroom Taco was a great and profound taco by taqueria standards - there's a huge difference between the two, and if you like mushrooms, get over here and order this - it would also be terrific with an egg. Then came the collards, and this is why I should have gotten a cold-pressed juice: the collards are, by nature, bitter, and the rye-based beer was loaded with bitter hops - it was bitter on bitter, and literally left me with a bitter taste in my mouth, even as I was driving over the Memorial Bridge to get home it was still there, in a pronounced way. This is a *very* collard-greenish taco, and you have to really love collard greens to love this (think about the collard greens you get at barbecue shacks, without any of the pork they usually put in them). I'm not saying 'don't order this,' merely that you should be prepared for a blast of collard greens, and if that's what you're in the mood for, then you'll really enjoy it. As a boxed set, for $11, this was a fantastic meal, and I cannot recommend Chaia enough, both for vegetarians, and also for lovers of California (San Francisco, not Los Angeles) taquerias. This food was fantastic, and I contend that the first taco was the single greatest taco I've ever eaten in my life. I don't like putting pictures into my reviews, because I think it's lazy, and ruins the surprise for the reader when they get to the restaurant. However, in this case I'm going to make an exception, because this food is so beautiful, and tastes so good, that you'll be surprised no matter what I publish. Here you go: Enjoy your meal, and thank me later. Chaia is strongly initialized in Italic, and is one of the very greatest taquerias this city has ever known. It's also quite possibly the best quick-serve restaurant in DC, and happens to be the only one currently run by women. You're going to love this place.
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BF and I tried out Tortacos tonight for Cinco de Mayo. We stuffed ourselves silly trying out all their taco varieties, including Al Pastor, Carnitas, Lengua (beef tongue), Asada, and Pollo. All of them were good but it was a pleasant surprise to have the lengua since it was not written on the board. You top the tacos at the self serve bar. They also offer tortas, burritos, quesadillas and sopes. Everything was really fresh. Even the guacamole and chips are homemade. I love that it is a family owned place instead of a chain. I thought it was a good sign that we were the only ones not speaking Spanish there. Two large family groups were eating in and there was a steady stream of carry out orders. They have nightly specials--tonight was $1 tacos. That is an amazing price for the quality of food we had. The street address is 9629 Lost Knife Road. It's at the corner of Lost Knife and Odenhal, in the same plaza as H Mart. -
Victor Albisu's Taco Bamba opened yesterday in Falls Church/Tysons. It was a rough opening day. When the wife and I arrived at about 7PM the air conditioning was not working and their expediter was doing double duty dealing with the AC techs. We tried six tacos between us, Lengua, Tripas, Suadera and Pastor. All of the fillings were excellent, especially the tripe. The Pastor was not made on a rotating spit and suffered for not being quite crispy enough on the exterior. The flavorings on all the other meats were excellent, better than anything I have had in DC. The house made salsas that were served with the tacos were also excellent. We did not try the tamales, but if they are as good as the ones sold in his mother's store next door, then they are very good. The biggest disappointment were the tortillas. They were flour instead of corn and were not house made. My wife, the Arizonan, seeing the packaged soft tacos opted for the crispy tacos which were made from masa and they worked better than the soft flour ones. For me, the result was like having great pastrami on wonder bread. I hope they get a better supplier for the tortillas. I also prefer to dress my own tacos with, depending on the type of taco, cabbage, raddish, cilantro, onion or peppers. The tacos came pre-dressed though they did have small cups of diced raddish available. With opening night jitters, we ended up missing part of our order, but that is par for the course for any opening night. I am going to work my way down the menu and give them a chance to work out the kinks. As a former Miami resident, I am looking forward to trying their Torta Cubana and I hope they take a shot at another MIami favorite I miss Lechon (whole roasted pig). All things considered, I am very happy Victor Albisu has saved me a trip to Maryland to get a taco- 105 replies
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Opened last week. Website here. No menu online yet, I have a paper copy, will try to photograph and post a pic later this weekend. Open 11am -9pm Sunday and Monday; 11am -9:30pm Tuesday -Thursday, 11 am -10 pm Friday Saturday. 7945 MacArthur Blvd. -
I grabbed lunch here for the first time today, think it's been open for a little over a month. I haven't been to every taco joint in the district yet, but the first visit here beat every visit I've made to Taqueria Distrito Federal. I had the lengua, the carnitas, and the fish taco (daily special; tilapia). The lengua had a nice crust on it, which I've not had on lengua in the past and made for more of a roast pork belly mouthfeel, and the carnitas were properly fried and chunky, not pulled pork. The fish was not overcooked, although the fish taco as a whole had more of an earthy chili funk to it than the brightness of a Baja-style fish taco. The spiciness of the base tacos was fairly mild. They have a nice selection of salsas on the table to fix that, though. I believe the tortillas were homemade, just off the griddle. A bit apt to crack but still flexible enough to do the job, great flavor, and with the correct number of two per taco. My wife's al pastor huarache was also delicious. Taqueria Habanero on Yelp Jon- 11 replies
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Señor Ramon Taqueria Opens on Baron Cameron Avenue by Fatimah Waseem, RestonNow Looks like the restaurant will open before the signage goes up; it says in the article it is opening today. This strip-mall shares the Home Depot parking lot and this location used to be a Greeberry's, then a Thai (Hibiscus Thai) place and now this. It is a few doors down from Willard's Menu Reston location. Menu looks pretty good, and will have to go by soon to check it out. We need more local Mexican-type places the Anita's and Uncle Julio's get old quickly.- 1 reply
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I do have a tendency to like the hole in the wall ethnic places in Baltimore. I would recommend for great tacos on fresh delicious corn tortillas going to Tortilleria Sinaloa in Fells Point. The place has this large corn tortilla machine churning out corn tortillas that is packages in paper and sold to locals as well as some local restaurants. In terms of tacos, yeah, they have chicken and beef, but I would recommend the carnitas(pork), lengua (tongue), and chorizo tacos. On occasion, they have even had chicharron (pork skin) and cabeza (brain) tacos. The tacos are served authentically with a guacamole sauce, onion, cilantro, & side of lime. They have 2 types of salsa- both pull no punches- a verde and another orange-red salsa. I would also heartily recommend their menudo soup which has great flavor. They also have pretty delicious tamales. Everything is reasonably priced and made to order. You can also get some jarritos- mandarin, sangria, or tamarind flavored sodas. 1716 Eastern Ave, Baltimore, MD 21231 -
I was getting car stuff done at Pep Boys, so after finishing, I stopped to pick up lunch at Tacos El Costallila, since I hadn't been there in awhile. I got a sope de pollo (2.75) which was good, & oddly, tasted better later on when it was cold (especially w/ the added green salsa which is spicy) & the ceviche tostada (3.20) which was great- the lady said no more shrimp ceviche, only fish (I don't know if that was just today or permanently). The ceviche was spicy & tangy & utterly delicious, I think I'll be stopping in more frequently. As I waited for my order, I looked up at the illustrated menu board & tried to figure out what 'cueritos' was, after I was home & looked at the menu postcard I picked up (very cute, w/ Speedy Gonzalez flanking the name) I discovered it was pig skin in vinegar. Maybe another day... -
Tried this since Taqueria Distrito Federal seems to be closed and the kids really wanted Mexican. They just opened a few weeks ago and are still not on a fully regular schedule. It's a pretty limited menu with around 5 choices for tacos, same for burritos, and a few sides such as beans and rice as well as the chicken. We got two tacos (fish and al pastor), chips and salsa, a steak burrito and quesadilla. I had the steak burrito prepared al arriba, which means it is doused with salsa and guacamole. It had a nice taste, but not a lot of meat for the size. Felt like it was mostly rice and beans. Only tasted the taco al pastor which had an interesting juxtaposition of slight spice with something sweet as well, some sort of fruit I think. Kids' quesadilla was pretty standard fare, though they also forgot to prepare it so it came out quite a few minutes after everything else. Salsa was very good, though a little too salty for me. Generally the food was good, but at a cost. Our total bill was $41, then with tax and tip ended up being over $53. For a place that doesn't have alcohol and you order from a counter and then sit down, the prices are way too much IMO. My burrito alone was $15. They brought our food to us, but others they called out their numbers and were expected to come up to pick up their food. This really made me miss TDF already. -
Bartaco opened at Reston Town Center on Monday. We just stopped by early in the evening and by the time we left it was completely packed with a waiting line. Pretty impressive on a weeknight and so recently since it's opening. The atmosphere was casual and staff were friendly and helpful. Our waiter informed us that they have a order slip which we fill out and then place a small blue card on metal stand on the table to notify them when our order was order and for everything else we need. Our tacos ($2.50 each), baja fish, chicken and pork belly were tasty and surprisingly on the level of a place in DC like Oyamel. The non taco part of our order ($5-9 each), guacamole and chips, and tamales were equally as good. We didn't try the rice bowls or desserts. Definitely reasonably priced and good food, a welcome addition to the RTC. If quality remains this high can see it being a part of our regular rotation. Bartaco 12021 Town Center Square Reston, VA 703-787-8226 4pm - late -
Papi's Taco Joint On an unseasonably cold spring Sunday, with temps dipping below zero, we engaged in some culinary counterprogramming with street tacos and Coronas for dinner. This was my first visit and and my friends' n-th time there. It's a cute place. Full service bar area as you walk in, a small dining room is adjacent (maybe 20 seats) and a covered patio (even smaller) with heat lamps. Collectively we've only ever tried the tacos, which you order from a small printed menu pad on each table, wherein you check off your selections like a sushi menu. They come in orders of two ($5-8.50). I went with braised short rib (probably their most popular) and the ground beef - both with soft shells, with cilantro, onion, radish, lime wedge. Incredibly flavorful meats and fresh veggies. Complimentary chips/salsa are clearly made in house but the former were cold and otherwise unremarkable. Service is quick and attentive. For < $15, I had a very filling meal plus an adult beverage. Just one order of two + chips may be plenty for lunch. I'll definitely be back. Warning: the habanero-based sauces on the table (one red, one green) should be approached like like Caps fans entering the playoffs (with cautious enthusiasm). Anyone been to either of their sister restaurants: Alexander's Tavern (also in Fells) or Huck's American Craft (Canton)? -
Four years later, I finally tried this place. Twice in the last couple of weeks and I'm sure quite a few more times in the future. A wide variety of tacos are available from the "normal" options (carnitas, al pastor, carne asada) to some more adventurous choices (buche - hog stomach; tripitas - intestines, I think). They also have goat and lamb and lengua and others. Tacos are under $2 (either $1.69 or $1.79, I can't remember). They also have tortas, burritos, sopas, and my wife ordered chilaquiles today which was good and a fairly large portion (she brought half of it home). There are two types of salsa with decent, but not overpowering, heat and a toppings bar with jalepanos, cilantro, onions, beets, and more. I'm going to call this place "authentic". In our two visits, it was busy both times and we, along with one other person on our first visit, were the only non-Hispanics. The cashier speaks some English but certainly isn't fluent. That didn't stop my wife from trying to ask several questions about her order which I believe went mostly unanswered. When the orders are ready for pickup at the counter, the lady only calls out numbers in Spanish. No worries, though, they recognized we might need a little help with that and made sure we got our order when it was ready. Facebook Page- 2 replies
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This place is in Bailey's Crossroads near the Peking gourmet restaurant. It had a soft opening this week with an official opening this weekend. The menu is still a work in progress I spoke with the owner and his intention was to have both traditional Mexican tacos and Korean Fusion tacos. The corn tortillas in the tacos are handmade and you can watch the cooks making them. Yum! The only Korean taco on the menu was bulgogi, it was good but not amazing. Of the Mexican tacos my favorite was the lengua the tongue was cooked perfectly. 6017 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041 -
Had my second dinner in a row here tonight, I can't believe that there is a restaurant this good on my way home from the metro. The menu here is very simple, the have a number of meats that can be had as tacos, burritos, tortas, or tostadas. The meat here is the real attraction, they have chicken, chorizo, beef or goat barbocoa, carnitas, tongue, tripe, & carne asada. They also have a great al pastor that is not on the menu but was offered to me by the server both times. All of the meats Ive had have been incredible, tender & very well spiced. The tacos are small enough that Ive had both barbocoas, the carnitas, the chorizo, and the al pastor. I think three would make a good sized meal, although my friend -who is a real eating machine- put away six tonight. The al pastor & the beef barbocoa are especially good, very flavorfull & not at all dry. I don't quite know how to put it, the meat here has that something that the rest of the bland mexican Ive had around here lacks. One of these tacos has more flavor than 400 meals from Haydee's or Don Juan's, let alone Lauriol Plaza or the Austin Grill. They must make a new batch of each meat everyday, the beef barbocoa in tonight's torta was incredible. The bun of the torta was good too it had been grilled with a small amount of cheese in it and did a great job of soaking up all the beefs juices. It also came with lettuce, tomato, & avacado. The tacos come with radish, onions & avacado. There were small cups of red & green sauce with my takeout, and the tables also have pickles on them. Did I mention it is also dirt cheap, the tacos are $2 or 3 for $5 & the burritos & tortas are $5 each. The beer I had with my takeout last night cost me more than my meal. By the way the new Dogfish "Golden Shower" Imperial Pilsner goes very well with the beef barbocoa or al pastor tacos. They don't sell beer, but they do have 4 kinds of homemade drinks. The tamirindo drink I had tonight was quite tasty, but this is something I don't have alot of experience with so I dont feel too qualified to comment. The guy running the place is very friendly & fluent in english. After I ordered he asked me where I lived & if I had drove. When I said I had walked from Mount Pleasant he mentioned that I had passed alot of restaurants on my way. My response that "none of them serve Mexican food" got a big smile. His place definitely does. The meat in the tacos is in my opinion much better than the meat Ive had in Riverdale, I would be interested to see how the people who have posted negatively about La Sirineta ect think this place stacks up. If I could get a mole sauce here I wouldn't feel a need to go back Riverdale. It is worth noting that both El Tapatio & La Sirenita have broader menus (Enchiladas, Mole, Seafood ect). The guy said they may offer some of these things as specials. I also think the tacos here are better than the ones at Oyamel, again the difference is the meat (although Oyamel has better tortillas). I'm neither Latin or from California, but I imagine it is only a matter of time before this place gets a huge reputation in the Latin community and is always packed. Can you tell I know where I'm having dinner tommorow? -
Didn't see a thread for this place, whose Logan Circle location I've been frequenting for dine-in and takeout at least once a week for the last month or so. I have nothing but good things to say about it. The menu is extensive with authentic, fresh Mexican food ("Mexican food made by Mexicans") at prices that make it easy to come back often. I've become particularly partial to the pescado and camaron tacos, each of which are a total steal at $3 and come on two house-made corn tortillas. The portion of fish and shrimp (big, crisp, fresh shrimp) in each of them is ample, and the slaw in the fish tacos packs a nice spiciness. The mole poblano is equally delicious, though the rice and beans it comes with are relatively plain. They advertise brunch, but I haven't been yet. The staff is always friendly and accommodating, with the owner (a former chef downtown, he told me) often sitting at the bar happy to chat before closing up for the night. And with the kitchen open until midnight on weeknights and 1 a.m. on weekends, it's one of the better, cheaper, more delicious late-night dining options that I've found in the neighborhood. The atmosphere is calm, with Latin soccer games on TV and most of the bar stools and tables occupied, but I've never had to wait for a table. It's an easy place to have a conversation, unlike it's cacophonous yuppy neighbor down N street. In short, you should go to this place if you're in the neighborhood and looking for some good food,- 10 replies
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On my eternal quest to truly know tacos, I stopped in at La Fondita Michoacana a few blocks from my house in the Heights the other day and was not disappointed. Situated next door to Tortas El Angel (another place I need to explore), it ain't much to look at, but all of the middle-aged ladies working the kitchen and register were super friendly, even when my halting Spanish wasn't quite enough to meet their halting English. The standard taco fillings are represented, and served on freshly made flour or corn tortillas. The pastor and barbacoa were fantastic on flour, with a good red and green salsa available (I preferred the brighter verde). Enchiladas rojas were done well, with rather tossed-off sides of rice and refried beans. I'd put the tacos a few notches above Tacos A Go Go, a single notch above Chilosos (though I love Chilosos thick tortillas for breakfast) and on par with Unos Pinches. Tierra Caliente is probably still juuuuuuust a little better. That I can easily walk or bike to Fondita means I'll probably eat here more often than any of the others. -
"Death of an Urban Legend Gives Birth to a New Taco Haven in DC" by George Gonzalez on dclatina.com I have not been yet, but I have been to the old "restaurant' where you would ring the doorbell and they would throw the key down and it was some of the best Mexican food I have had in the region. This could be a very exciting place if the cooking is at the same level. ETA: I can't find a menu on-line, but the Yelp reviews reference pig's head tacos, huitlacoche, tacos al pastor, and mole tamales.- 9 replies
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I will accept your thanks in advance as I am now full and can't breath. I caught wind of this place on the cesspool that is Fairfax Underground and decided to check it out on my way back from DC today. The old Fairfax institution Arthur Treacher''s has gone the way of the dinosaur. Gone are the days of frozen deep fried fish and chips. Instead lets say hello to the days of fresh deep fried fish and chips. I showed up at 1 this afternoon and there were about 5 tables filled. Since this was a scouting mission, I jumped on the grenade and over-ordered. See the things I do for this community? Fish and Chips - Fries - a solid 6, but nothing special. The fish. A solid 8 +. Light batter and the fish was fresh and firm (that's what she said...) They use Cod. Tarter Sauce is homemade and good. Hushpuppies - two gripes - they should throw a couple of these in an order of fish and chips. Also, these would be better with some kind of butter or honey butter which was not offered. Regardless, I got the appetizer and they were actually good. Crispy, fluffy and not greasy. Of course, they sell tacos so I got two of those. Come on. I dare you to name a single fish and chips joint that does not also sell authentic mexican street tacos.... Anyways, I had the Carnitas and Barbacoa. Both were actually very good and the fresh tortillas were nice as well. The Carnitas had a good flavor and were not dry. The Barbacoa was spicy and tender. They also do chicken, chorizo and fish. Now I am full thanks to you guys. I would write more but I am going to hit the treadmill to see if I can regain some of my self esteem. In the meantime, if you are in the area and need a cheap lunch - skip Chipotle and check them out. When I go back, I don't know what I will get because everything I ordered was a standout.- 76 replies
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A few years ago, Don helped me get in touch with Eric Ziebold, who in his vast culinary background once worked for Thomas Keller at the French Laundry. I was going to San Francisco and wanted to know where the chefs go to eat in their time off. La Taqueria was one of those places. I hit it again on my most recent visit this past week, and the beef head (cabeza) quesadilla was as good as it was when I first tried it a few years ago. The beefy flavor was intense and wonderful, beating the heck out of any ground meat that might find its way into a typical beef quesadilla. The line to get in is a testament to the place's reputation, and the lunch counter ordering and minimal seating have not dissuaded the multitudes from descending on some of the best fast-Mexican food in San Francisco. -
This restaurant just opened up this week with high hopes, as the executive chef is from the acclaimed gas station taqueria in Elkridge, MD - R&R Taqueria. I absolutely, wholeheartedly love R&R - the devotion to food is incredible there. It was packed at 730. It's the former One Lounge in DuPont Circle and they did a fantastic job with the space. There is red tiled floors, beautiful wood ceilings, exposed brick, a nice bar. Something is different recently in terms of service in this town. Maybe it's a re-expression of what is important in a dining experience, or that people are just nicer, or social media is forcing customer service to be better. In any case, in the District itself, I find myself pleasantly surprised with service. We were told 45 min, and were called back in about 35 for our table for two. I know it's different with these higher end places, but there are not chips and salsa served with the meal - it's 4 bucks a pop. And since a few Yelp reviews stated that the salsa tasted canned and not fresh, I didn't order it. We got the queso fundido and the pozole to start. The queso was not melty goodness. It was silly putty consistency and not tasty. It was too hard to eat - you had to hand pull it to get it onto the tortillas served aside it. The pozole was tasty, fresh with cilantro and spice, but ... served cool! I mentioned it to the waiter, and he said he would tell it to the kitchen. We ordered two plates of tacos. We had the chorizo and the fish. The chorizo was almost as good as the R&R version, but a little different. Only one tortilla instead of two (I don't know why that matters, but it does to me). I don't know if it was masa, but it did taste good. The green sauce they gave with it had a bite, I liked it. The fish tacos were lightly fried and had a nice sauce, the typical white sauce of west coast fish tacos mixed with seasoning so it was brownish and tasty, but heavy feeling. Salsa was a few bucks extra, we ordered it, but they forgot. We didn't mention it. The kitchen was very slow, and the server came more than once to tell us how backed up they were. I'm very sad that this place didn't kill it. R&R is so amazing. The idea that they were going to have a real restaurant 25 minutes from me was so exciting. They don't have the Barbacoa, or the lamb stews. I saw fajitas at the table next to me that smelled and looked delicious. It was sceney- lots of pretty folks here. Nice service. Out of respect of the original location, I'll go back, but not for a few months. One question - does executive chef mean something unique? Does it mean his ideas but he isn't there? Because then it maybe explains away the food/execution. Simul- 8 replies
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I was sure this had been talked about on this thread but apparently not. And if that's the case, the fault is mine, as I'm the person who spends the most time on here talking about taco options on or near the H Street corridor. This place opened up earlier this year in the former Grace Deli spot on the corner of 7th and H. Per Prince of Petworth, they've applied for licenses for both outdoor seating and to serve alcohol, both of which would be nice. In my opinion, right now these are the best tacos on H Street. The tortillas at Impala remain the best, but I much prefer the tacos, and really the rest of the offerings I've tried, at Fresca, although in fairness they are very different establishments (Impala is a full sit-down restaurant with a bar and patio while Fresca is a small, counter-service establishment with minimal seating). So far we've mostly stuck to tacos and tamales, and I need to work through the rest of the menu.- 1 reply
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Yesterday was supposed to be the first day for Gringos & Mariachis (see List of Restaurant Openings - 2014)), and although they still had their soft opening signs up, it was pretty well full, and I was fortunate to find a single bar seat. The bar staff I saw there could be described in three words: young, male, and friendly. For example, the Wizards game was showing on the flat-screen in front of me, but one of the gentlemen took the time to come up to me (who was watching the game) and asked me if I'd mind if they switched it to the Olympics. ("No, actually I'd prefer it - thanks for asking.") After enjoying a bottle of Breckenridge Agave Wheat ($8), I ordered a bowl of Pork Pozole ($5.95), a good appetizer-bowl of soup based on chicken broth, with all the requisites: morsels of pork, hominy, radish, a couple of tortilla chips for those who wish to break and dunk them, and tiny containers of hot sauce and dry spice for self-seasoning. This was a really satisfying bowl of soup, and even though it might not stand up to some of the more "meal-like" pozoles in town, I couldn't imagine anyone being terribly disappointed with it. I ordered a second bottle of Breckenridge Agave Wheat too soon, and should have gone with the Breckenridge Vanilla Porter ($8) as a more perfect match for my Mole Poblano ($14.95), two pieces of chicken - large thighs, I think - drowned in a 28-ingredient mole (according to Bethesda Magazine), and served with a large scoop of tinted rice. This was a good mole poblano that might not win any awards, but one which I certainly didn't regret ordering, especially on night number one. Playing a guessing game, if I had to pick out one restaurant Gringos & Mariachis feels like, it would be an early Bandolero, and the food - at least the food I had - was something comparable. I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant which scarcely even has any signage up (Mia's Pizza will be your locator - this is in the old Bangkok One space). The tacos, even though I didn't order any, looked a bit on the small side, but I didn't really get a good look, so I'm going to pretend I didn't see them and initiate coverage of Gringos & Mariachis in Italic in the Dining Guide.
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The Poet of Little Mexico, Todd Kliman, "discovered" this place (sort-of like Columbus discovering America), and insisted they had the best tacos in the area. He's right. This gem is serving Mexican food, hidden smack dab in the middle of a Mexican-American neighborhood, with Mexican-Americans in the kitchen, and Mexican-Americans as customers. It'll take you strongly out of your comfort zone at first, but when you settle into the menu, with gentle pricing, pictures accompanying the English-language descriptions on the wall, and good cans of Mexican beer, you're going to wonder how it is you've never heard of this culturally rich enclave, and you're going to dream about the tacos: seven kinds including chorizo, oxtail, goat, tongue, three kinds of beef (the spicy beef is particularly good), each costing only two dollars. And you're never going to want to go to Oyamel again. Rocks.
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What does $4 buy these days? Sadly, not much! But for $4 one can get a delicious fresh burrito made with high quality ingredients that has more flavor than the burritos as big as your head that McDonalds Chipolte serves. The green sauce is potent and has a nice amount of heat. According to the owner, they make their own sauce because commercially available salsas have too many chemicals and do not appeal to the tastes of El Charrito's target market. 2710 A North Washington Blvd Arlington VA 22204
