This could get a 2 or 3. Overall bland (and maybe overpriced) Mexican food. Went with colleagues for lunch. We ordered a variety of dishes including the camarones en crema ..., torta hamburgesa (I ordered this and it was OK), taco platters, and salmon salad. Nothing really noteworthy. Better Mexican spots across the bridge in NoVa. read more

We tried this place on a whim and found it to be disappointing. The servers here are very friendly (that's what they get the 2nd star for), and that's basically where the good part of this review ends. The food is below average and the drinks aren't much better. You can get significantly better Mexican food in other parts of the city (Columbia Heights comes to mind) for less money. read more

Pros: Food ranged from fine (ceviche) to pretty good (salsa and the shrimp wrapped in shishito peppers). Salsa had an underrated heat to it, very tasty. Prices were really good for happy hour (2 tacos for $5). Had the chicken tacos, while the meat was good and saucy, it needed a crunch to it, maybe some lettuce and tomato (jalapenos maybe?) on top to balance it out. Pork barbeque taco was better with the pineapple and onion topping. Margarita ($6 hh) was pretty good: fresh, not overly sweet. Variety of beers too. Great patio dining. Cons: Atrocious service. First, the table we were seated at was dirty and the hostess had to wipe it down. Not a problem at first since they were busy and the party before us might have just left, but when the next table to leave sat uncleared for 30 minutes with birds pecking at the leftovers, the dirty tables seemed to be a trend. The waitress was pleasant, but very ineffective. We sat outside for probably ten minutes before she came to take our order. Drinks did not come out slow, but certainly didn't come right away. It was a hot day, and I finished my water pretty quickly. Even though she came by, she never refilled it (even though she had a water pitcher in her hand one time and refilled the table next to us). She never asked if we wanted another drink order, even though there were obviously two empty margarita glasses on the table. I don't know if chips and salsa are a one-time freebie here, but she never asked if we wanted more nor did the empty basket get taken away until a food runner brought our food. We ordered four things: two taco orders, ceviche, and the shrimp wrapped in peppers. About half an hour after we ordered (when the crowd had decreased in half), the waitress came by to say she would check on our food. Another 15 minutes went by before someone brought our food out. Considering service I've received at other similar places, it should not take that long for the food to come out. I don't know where in the process the problem occurred (was the waitress not checking on the food in the kitchen, should better processes be implemented for the kitchen to notify the waitress, is the kitchen slow to put out food that should be readily prepared?). But I do know it took too long. The ceviche was warm, so it had obviously been sitting out. The service took what would have been 3 or 4 stars (ambiance, food, drinks, price), and knocked my rating down. With other choices in the area, I will not be returning anytime soon. read more

Agua is a good place to meet friends and have a light dinner with drinks, great location! Their guacamole/chips was really good. Chicken Tinga taco was very tasty - drinks were okay, had sangria and margarita. read more

Awesome views, great food, affordable all-you-can-drink margs ($17 at brunch!). Deonsai was an awesome server, and Roger (the shift manager) made sure we were taken care of! read more

I met some friends for an impromptu happy hour a few weeks ago. My friend has a knack for choosing really good places for happy hour and Agua 301 did not disappoint. The happy hour drinks and food were really good. I hope to return again. Keep doing what you're doing! read more

Ria made our celebration great. Her service was stupendous. She was very attentive and made sure we enjoyed our visit.

Had a very good experience at the company dinner I attended, special shout out to Marlon for such friendly and professional service.

Brunch thoughts: It's not bad, just nothing special. Service was quite friendly, though it could have been more attentive. That said, it seems like a small number of staff were covering a ton of tables, so lack of attention likely had more to do with being understaffed. Location is obviously great if you're enjoying the summertime Yards' park stuff. Prices are actually fairly low, but you only get two tacos for $11-$12 and the chiliquiles (which they spell wrong, and thus, I am spelling wrong) were not all that great. Basically it's a rubbery blob of scrambled egg over a mound of salsa soaked chips with a bunch of things dumped on top, from cheese to more salsa, to crumbled sausage, to squirts of creamy sauce. It's not horrible - basically think loaded nachos with a rubbery and flavorless blob of scrambled egg on top - but it's definitely not worth the calories or the bloated feeling of unhealthiness that follows. Margaritas were a bit weak (and made with commercial sour mix), but that's not exactly a bad thing if you're planning on spending a few hours drinking and aren't being too particular about whether they're using fresh juice. read more

This was my first time at Agua301 and I can say that this was such a positive first experience. The food was delicious, the drinks were non-stop, and the service was exceptional. A special thank you to our waiter, Michael. We give everyone our highest recommendation. read more

We recently held our daughter's bridal brunch at Agua 301. Our host, Roger, was extremely welcoming, and we were seated immediately. Our server, Omar, was gracious and attentive. The food was fantastic, the views beautiful, and we stayed for hours. The bottomless mimosas are a must! What a wonderful experience. I highly recommend Agua 301 for your next family get together. read more

Marlon and Josh are the BEST! Great brunch experience with the best staff around! Baja tacos were great too! Will be back soon.

CAROLINE IS THE BEST! She handled everything beautifully on a busy cinco de mayo night thanks for everything!

Came back to the place after having a nice dinner during the DC Jazz festival back in June and got disappointed. First, we have to wait to order so long that we end up ordering from the first waiter who comes along (and the restaurant was not busy at all at the time we came). Second, after we order a pitcher of sangria, the waiter (who by the way has long and dirty nails) brings out one glass instead of two but brings out two more water glasses despite the fact that he already did bring two before. Third, we ask the waiter to clean our table because our elbows actually stick to the table, after which he says that it's not dirty but it's a damage of the table. Eventually we ask the waiter cleaning the table next to us to clean ours too. Fourth, the guacamole we ordered was not fresh. Fifth, while my friend and I were chatting with the people next to our table, the waiter takes away her salad plate despite the fact that she was obviously not done. Overall, the food was ok but service terrible. read more

Excellent food, drinks and service! Deonsai was our waitress and did a fantastic job of coordinating our birthday dinner and celebration. Would absolutely recommend to anyone having food or drinks in Navy Yard! read more

Our office had a bon voyage lunch for an employee here a couple weeks ago. Other Yelp reviews are spot on: portions are smaller than you normally expect. Service was ok, as it was new they may have still been working out small kinks. I would return again for a happy hour, but feel a full meal may be too expensive having to order two entrees. read more

Stopped by for the first time with the family for a late lunch and had a fantastic time. Great food, courteous staff There was a minor mixup waiting to be seated and they were highly apologetic -- they didn't need to be. I had tacos and the sangria -- both were great. I don't recall what the others had but they liked it. Food quantity is on the small side but not too small. Something about the tortilla chips -- a little thick and chewy instead of thin and crispy, but OK. Will definitely be back. read more

Loved the menu options here and the chicken tinga and hongos tacos were absolutely amazing! The drinks were average. Tried the jalapeño Margarita and caipirinha and felt both were watered down. Would definitely go back for the tacos! The reason for this rating is for the food, not drinks. read more

Food is pretty bad. Had some breakfast dish loaded with tortilla chips that were soggy from the sausage and eggs I guess. Just piles and piles of chips. My friend had the pancakes- really? Two??? Nothing special, she told me. Pretty location but I will never go back. read more

Food was delicious. Our server Kelsey was excellent. She gave great recommendations and was extremely attentive and helpful.

Marlon made our experience at Agua! He was so friendly, so helpful, so nice! Everything was perfect! We can't wait to come back.

Mas o menos! This Mexican restaurant is right on the Anacostia River and has some nice water views. Unfortunately, the view is better than the food. The complimentary chips were bland, but tortilla with queso was decent. I had the fish tacos and it was bland. Portions were small. I got two pieces of fish, two small corn tortillas, small bowl of beans and tiny bowl of rice. After we left, I am still hungry. No bueno! read more

Outstanding!!! What a surprise to experience gourmet dining in a Casual riverside restaurant in the Navy Yard/Ballpark area. The formally trained chef, Jaime, brings his Mexican heritage and European trading to bear in all his creative dishes. We has the very mild Poblano pepper stuffed with meat, pine nuts and rice covered in a sweet goat cheese and pomegranate cream sauce. We also had the salmon over freshly sautéed spinach and garlic base with perfect rice with a touch of sweet raisins. Perfect blend of flavors to surprise your palette. Even the salsa and chips were a cut above your best Mexican restaurants. Our waitress Nori gave us wonderful friendly service and her Manager, Roger, took extra care to be sure that guests were seated quickly and the restaurant run efficiently, as it should be. Best experience ever and we are well traveled and fond of Mexican cuisine. read more

Eric Michael is the hottest waiter I've ever had and he serves better than he looks. All over a really great experience. Had a great time

Had the hangover special and bottomless mimosas. Both were great and our waiter Eric Michael was 5 star

This place have the best flautas i ever had in my life and my entre was good as well i got the lomo the meet was so tender i enjoy everything thank you marlon you were the best read more

When you go to Agua 301 ask for Ria as your waitress. She's always on her game! I was in a huge party for a big event and she was the only one who served us and she never complained nor did she ever give a bad attitude. The food is great, the wine is great and so is the service. You can't go wrong! read more

Great brunch spot with awesome riverfront view. Our server Eric Michael was really attentive and professional!

A disclaimer- I am a California girl so I know my Mexican food. I wasn't expecting authentic, but this was just mediocre. I was dying for some guacamole & a margarita; and the menu looked promising. But this was far from Oyamel, my favorite DC mexican place. (my favorite in VA is La Mexicana). It seemed like everything needed to be tasted before it left the kitchen, not enough salt, too much salt, weird combos. and it was expensive. Drink- Blood orange margarita- sweet but not great Guacamole- no flavor. needed lime, salt, cilantro. i tried to add some salt... Pork belly taco- best thing I ate, it was great. mole ribs- this got rave reviews on yelp, but I found it too salty. It tasted like someone literally poured bottled hoisin sauce over it. It had a weird starch with vanilla and orange flavors. I also tried my friend's ceviche, and it needed salt and lime and spice. So, I will not be coming back. I had high hopes. I think if you stay at the bar and have a regular margarita and a pork belly taco you may be fine.... read more

Great Bartender!!!!!! Drinks were made right. Perfect place for a taco Tuesday. I think he wanted us to stay but either way it worked.

Our family stopped into Agua 301 on Sunday afternoon around 2:00pm. Yes It was brunch and there were lots of full tables. Our party of 6 was seated in the back of the restaurant and another young family came in after us and were seated nearby. At 2:25 when they were getting their food, we still hadn't received water, or even had an encounter with our server. We got a scramble with another server bringing us 1 basket of chips and 5 containers of salsa. Service was terribly slow and erratic, one order was completely wrong (shrimp tacos instead of salmon). The manager did come over and apologize saying a server quit right before we were sat. However, we also noted that said manager was sitting and visiting with a lady at a back table. If he was concerned about losing a server and knew the other servers were slammed, perhaps he should have stepped up and helped his team. Great view, so-so food, terrible service and management. read more

Another restaurant resting on its laurels because it's in a prime location and no matter how bad the service and food are, it can still rely on a stream of hungry people wandering by. Was first dismayed because man at the host stand didn't bother to make eye contact, but said "Huh, who?" when I gave him the name of the reservation. I didn't need to bother repeating myself because he found the name and managed to pass menus off to a coworker, still while making no eye contact. Must be nice to work somewhere where the customers are so privileged that this amazing restaurant decided to establish itself in this location - that's the attitude that came across. The guy that seated me was the nicest person I dealt with all evening. The waiter mumbled and was hard to understand. Felt rushed to put in a drink order but then the waiter was hard to track down the rest of the evening. The drinks that were so important for us to order arrived after the first dish (I had to wave the waiter down - pretty sure he forgot the drinks at the bar). I was never asked if I wanted salt on my margarita. Our appetizer order was entered incorrectly and came out wrong. Empanadas were over cooked and are floating on top of what appears to be congealed Cheez Wiz. Shrimp tacos were ok - flavorful but nothing to write home about. Waiter never came back to check on us and it took us about 20 minutes to catch his eye to get the check. No offer for refills on drinks or did we want dessert?...nothing. Maybe he was happy to see us go so he could be one step closer to getting out of there. That was our exact sentiment, as well. Save yourself the time, money and calories. Morini - next door - could teach this place a lesson in service and food. read more

Be careful if you make a reservation through Yelp. They hadn't checked the Yelp reservations on a busy Saturday evening. As a result, we had to wait 20+ minutes for a table. Once seated, service and food were all good. For vegetarian options, the mushroom flatbread is better than the bland veggie enchiladas. Margaritas were a bit bitter. Overall a decent meal in a lively, fun area. read more

I hate to give this place only 3 stars because I really did enjoy my experience and meal but nothing stood out that would make me want to come [out of my way] back. However, if I was in the area Agua 301 would definitely be a solid option. It was a nice space and the service was good. I had the Blackberry Caipirinha which I liked and would order again. But I did want to try something different and the server recommended their special pomegranate margarita (he said it was served with jalapeno that I could opt out which I did). It was good, but not as good as the Blackberry Caipirinha. The salsa was very good with a nice consistency. I hate salsa that is too watery or not blended. The chips were standard, thicker cut, probably ordered in bulk from the supplier. I do enjoy very thin chips that are made in house but it was fine. We also ordered two guacamoles for the table. The Guacamole Traditional (avocado, lime, jalapeño, tomato, cilantro, onion) and Guacamole de Jaiba (jumbo lump crab and sweet corn medley). Both were good and standard but I do wish the Guacamole de Jaiba stood out more. Basically it was regular guac with crab meat sprinkled on top. I do wish that maybe they would add more spices to make it stand out a little. Nonetheless can't go wrong with guac. There were several entrees on the menu I wanted which says a lot. I decided on the Chipotle Shrimp. The shrimp were standard sized and the white wine chipotle cream was very good. It complimented the shrimp and rice very well and I enjoyed my meal. I also shared a side of the yucca fritas which were very salty but I like salt so I enjoyed them. Overall good experience and for a solid meal it's worth checking out. read more

I had the best experience. Amazing service. Awesome food. Great prices and a beautiful view. Definitely recommend! Thank you Noree and Deonsai. Couldn't have asked for quicker and more attentive servers. read more

In my opinion I have no idea how or why they're in business. Our waitress, lord help us. She was a complete ditz. We had to reemphasize everything to her bc she couldn't get it right. Our food was nasty. I ordered the chipotle shrimp and my husband got their tacos, we also had their guacamole. All bland and tasted off. Honestly, how do you ruin tacos?! My plate, the food was slopped on & the sauce looked like someone just splattered it on top of the rice with a tostado on top. I got about 2 bites in and couldn't go any further. Did I mention I'm 37 weeks pregnant and hadn't eaten all day so I was famished and would've eaten dog food at this point?! It's now been a few hours since we've been home and we can't get off the couch bc our bellies are in shambles & we keep taking turns torturing our toilets. Our pet won't come by us bc of the funky soundscape our stomaches have also now created. Complete disappointment. Go to Baja Fresh, less money and way more flavor. read more

The manager and servers (Josh and Omar) were very pleasant. They checked to ensure our large party was doing well and were taken care of. They were very accommodating and patient with the varying requests for the large group, which included young children. Great brunch option. My favorite was pumpkin pancakes. Sooo delicious - actually got another order. We had a fantastic time! read more

I don't quite understand the poor review on here. We loved this place! The location is awesome, right on the water by nats stadium. Our server was fantastic. Super friendly, efficient, and took great care of us all three hours that we were there for cinco de mayo. Five dollar margaritas, can't beat that, and corona on tap to get in the true spirit of the holiday. We loved the complimentary salsa, it actually had some heat to it, which is hard to find at a Mexican restaurant in the states. The tacos for the most part were amazing, we liked some better than others. Our favorites were the kimchi beef and the pork carnitas. I could have eaten those tacos all day long they were so good! The way Mexican food should be, fresh, simple favors, no need to drown everything in cheese and sauce. We absolutely would come back here if we lived locally. I grew up with real Mexican food at home, and this place certainly does it justice. Bravo! read more

The happy hour specials seemed great so we decided to come here before the Nats game. The attitude in this place was horrendous. It started out with us walking in and pointing to the bar to let the 4 people standing at the hostess stand know that we wouldn't be needing a table. One of the girls let out a huge sigh and said "SERIOUSLY?!". The next person in need of a MAJOR attitude adjustment was the bartender. His face expressed pure annoyance when I asked for a happy hour menu, then I had to repeat my order 3 times and ask for water twice. It was decently crowded but it was definitely not loud or crowded enough for his reactions. To top it off, as I was finishing our last taco, he pulled the plate from under me as I went to take a bite! Last but not least, my boyfriend was standing behind me because there was not a free bar stool. A waitress comes by with a few plates in her hand and doesn't bother to say excuse me, but decides to reprimand him and tell him there is no way she is passing through if he doesn't move. Again, more attitude. Maybe everyone in this place was having a bad day, maybe they didn't appreciate our NY Mets gear, but it left a sour taste in my mouth that had nothing to do with the margarita (that lacked tequila). read more

The happy hour menu is AMAZING! 2 tacos for $5 and they were soo good. I recommend the baja fish tacos. Our waitress, Kelsita, really made it a great dining experience! I will be back! read more