I believe and actually know that no DC experience is completed without going to a bottomless brunch at DLeña. The food and ambience was 10/10 coupled with the pristine service of our server, Jeff. DLeña will always be a restaurant I visit when I'm in DC. read more

Amazing is an understatement. I've been to d'Leña several times and have always enjoyed my experience. Came in once for tacos at the bar (the short rib are the best) and have been coming back for the table-side tomahawk steak ever since. Absolutely nothing beats a wood-fire grill. However, last night we came for the exclusive 8 course chef's table menu and I was absolutely blown away. Not only were we greeted by the General Manger upon entering, he actually escorted us to our table himself and gave a small presentation before we started our journey. The Executive Chef presented all 8 courses to us himself. Even on a busy night his focus was completely on us. The food is as gorgeous as it is delicious, each course was more unique and elevated than the last. It was a beautiful evening with some truly spectacular food. I would also like to thank our cocktail server, Royal, for his amazing service and drink recommendations. Bonus points for the gorgeous candle lit ambiance and live jazz in the downstairs lounge. My husband said he felt like we were on vacation, he was that impressed! An absolutely luxurious experience. 100/10! read more

So this place is located in a really cute area. I'm not from DC but I needed to check this place out. There is a parking lot across the street, so I had no problem with parking. This place definitely is beautiful. The interior is so well put together. The bathroom are super clean and the best part they have big ass mirrors with good as lightening.. so yea I was in the bathroom having a photo shoot lol anyways I got the Tomahawk Steak and let me tell you so freaking bomb. So much flavor. I got it with a side potato and broccoli. I also got their guacamole and I'm a snob. I thought this place might be over hyped because I been to Mexico and eaten their food there but it definitely isn't over hyped. The guacamole was actually pretty good. I'll definitely be coming back! I didn't try any of their drinks unfortunately this time BUT I'll be back ! 4 star only because I think the customer service could be better. The hostess wasn't the greatest and our server was alright. read more

AMAZING. Food was so delicious: queso fundido, camarones a la diabla, guacamole bonito. The place is beautiful. The best of all was our waitress Patricia, we had the most beautiful evening thanks to her. read more

dLeña - Carajillo Crème Brulée - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We had 5 star food but a 2 star experience, which was a true letdown after our building anticipation to visit dLena. My summary: our wait experience was confusing and disappointing (we got on the walk-in waitlist for patio seating and felt completely deprioritized) - we were told different things by different people and policies around patio seating weren't communicated early on; the service was well-intentioned and pleasant but slow, chaotic and confusing. Our food was phenomenal but came out slowly, despite us ordering everything up front. This made us feel rushed toward the end of our meal since patio seating has a strict end time. The house marg was a letdown - no way to know if the drinks are anywhere near as good as the food since we didn't order another. A more detailed description of the experience below. First - the wait and confusion upon seating: I've visited DC quite a bit so was looking for somewhere new/different. I was completely blown away by the reviews for dLena but wasn't able to book a reservation on short notice. We saw on the website that walk-ins for the patio were accepted on a first come first served basis, so we decided to head over around 8PM to see if we could get on the list. We added our name to the wait list at 8:13PM and were told it would be a 1-1.5 hour wait. We were really hungry but willing to wait. At about 9:10PM (57 min into our wait) we called to see if they had any update on wait times. The person who answered said that they'd stopped seating outdoors 10 min earlier and that we'd have to sit inside but it would be another 20 min wait - totally fine but we also found it odd that they'd give a 1-1.5 wait at 8PM if they stop seating outside at 9PM. As soon as I hung up the phone I got a text confirmation that our table was ready. We walked over and at this point it was about 9:20PM. We were shocked to see about 3-4 empty tables outside - which led us to wonder why we weren't confirmed and seated earlier, and whether we'd be confirmed at all if I hadn't called to follow-up. The host greeted us and asked if it was okay that we'd have to wrap up by 11PM since they have any agreement with their neighbors that they close their patio section by that time. All of this was fine with us - just odd that we got such conflicting information - and annoying that it felt like we could have been seated earlier. The slow and chaotic service: Once seated it took a bit to get menus. The another several minutes for a server. We wanted to order pretty quickly, since it was ~9:40 by the time a server came over, so we ordered everything at once - appetizers, entrees, and drinks. I'm expecting so not drinking alcohol right now. I asked the server if the bartender could make a mocktail - something with ginger - she was very confused and unsure and said she'd check. Several more minutes pass - the server comes back and to check whether I wanted gingerale or ginger beer - I still think she was confused that I was just asking for a mixed non-alcoholic drink with some kind of ginger in it. In any case, it took about 20 minutes for my husband's drink to come - the house margarita. He said it was a huge letdown and watery to boot (I suspect it was done long before it came out). We then had a few other servers stop by out table to confirm we'd placed our order - we were happy folks were checking-in on us but confused if our server was changing. Our pork belly and my drink came out next. It was phenomenal. Our initial server then came to check on us. We told her that the pork belly was amazing but that the margarita was very weak - she nervously laughed it off and asked if we wanted any other drinks since the bar was making their last call - no offer to comp or replace the drink. We declined a new drink. She then confirmed our entrees - and we replied reminding her that we'd also ordered empanadas. She left to confirm, so we weren't sure if she captured it in the order or not. Eventually our empanadas and then entrees came out. It was approaching 10:40PM as we finished our entrees and we ordered desert but felt rushed to meet the 11PM close on patio seating. The food: The prok belly was clearly top quality and cooked to perfection - not tough, chewy, or fatty. The sauce and glaze were a great touch. The empanadas were perfectly fresh and crisp - not heavy or greasy - and the filling was perfectly creamy with some of the freshest and sweetest corn. My husband's crab and shrimp empanadas were very flavorful and delightfully full of meat. My shrimp tacos were delicious - fresh, light and crisp - not soggy, even despite being on jicama wraps. I thought 1 med piece of shrimp (vs 2 med pieces or 1 larger piece) was too little meat per taco. We got the corn desert - which was more like a corn panna cotta than a cake. It was delicious and the perfect end to our meal. read more

The food was excellent. I got the short ribs tacos and it was magnificent. The empanadas were also solid.

What an amazing place! Came here for a birthday dinner and was incredibly happy with the food, the service and the atmosphere. I tried a sampling of appetizers and each one was not only super tasty, but presented a new variation on what might otherwise have been a standard dish. I'll start with an appetizer highlight -- Get the Empanadas!! Manchego cheese in an amazing pastry shell. Wow! Totally blown away (goes really well with their Southside Mule). Hamachi Ceviche Amarillo -- Amazing texture and the perfect mix of sweetness, tartness and flavors. A very close second to the Empanadas Guacamole de Bonito -- Not sure how they made it, but i have definitely never had tuna tartar with guacamole. I am certain that this is now the new standard to beat. I inhaled it! Also, the chips aren't really chips. I don't know what they were made out of, but i do know that the chips are some sort of home made awesomeness. Tacos -- Shrimp, tuna -- so friggin good. Seriously, what's in these? Radishes are a great touch, but the marinade they use on the fish and shrimp was so good. I figured i should also try the mexican wine. Never had mexican wine before and was a little nervous to try it. I shouldn't have been. A nice balance of dry, a little sweetness and light and went great with the meal. And then main course -- Branzino. Great texture and perfectly cooked. Too often this fish is overcooked. This came right out of the wood fired over and tasted really great. Even though i had already eaten a ton, it wasn't too rich and was super easy to eat. Finished off the meal with a drink called a Close Encounter. Smoked right at the table. A great show and the drink tasted fantastic. All in all one of the best meals out i have had in years. Looking forward to my next trip (and there will be several)!! Go check this place out. So great! read more

Went here for our anniversary dinner and had such a great time! Great food and drinks and great service. Definitely will come back again

Amazing food with even better service. I enjoyed every dish and look forward to going back! Also - can't wait for the speakeasy to open! Very chic spot! read more

dLeña - Speakeasy almost ready! - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Took awhile for us to be seated with a reservation and seats were open. However once we sat down service was excellent and the food was delicious. Short rib tacos, Queso Fundido and the Chicken dish were all five stars. Other than the uncomfortable booth, and the wait would have been five stars. read more

Wild mushroom street tacos & whole head of cauliflower were delicious. Our spicy smoky cocktails were unique and tasty. Knowledgeable server. read more

dLena is an AMAZING restaurant. We enjoyed a 3-course dinner with a large party and had the BEST experience!! Troy and AJ were incredible and provided top quality service for us. It's definitely not easy to manage a large group dinner. Troy and AJ handled it with ease and had a great attitude the entire time. They were both extremely personable and made everyone smile during the dinner. They truly made the experience even better and I can't thank them enough! We will be back very soon :) read more

Their bottomless brunch is one of the best -- and tastiest -- in dc. Not only is the food great, but the service is also amazing. Jerson was a great server! read more

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The restaurant set up is very interesting and kind of small but the food is great! The Hongos tacos are the best tacos I've had in the city. Even if you don't like mushrooms, they have a very good taste. The drinks are also very good! read more

Celebrated my Birthday at Roja Lounge @DLeña, great cute, quaint hidden gem! Luis took care of our table and was attentive in suggesting great drinks. The live music added a great ambiance and it turned out to be a perfect night. read more

We sat outside, and the place had a neat vibe. However, I was not impressed with the food or alcoholic beverage that I ordered.

Good food and drinks; and if you want to be treated like you're at one of those satire restaurants where you pay them to demean/insult you, then dLeña is the place for you. My fiancé and I have been to dLeña previously, more specifically to their Roja Lounge for drinks and small plates. The drinks were so good that even our friends who were from out of town insisted we go again when they were back in town. I don't remember anything standout about the service, good or bad. When we saw that they were doing a New Year's Eve dinner with live music at their Roja Lounge, we were very excited to go with some friends. I booked the reservation, but noticed there was no ability to book the Lounge so I gave them a call to enquire about their NYE event and how seating downstairs would work. I was told that the setup would be as normal downstairs and there would be no reservations, walk-in only. I pushed a little bit on seating and the host insisted that it would be first come, first serve. I thought that was a bit odd on a night as busy as NYE, but didn't think much of it past that. On NYE we arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and our table wasn't ready, we were told we could go grab a drink at the bar upstairs or go down to their Roja Lounge. We opted for the lounge to give our friends an idea where we'd be spending the rest of the night after dinner (the ambiance is amazing downstairs). We come downstairs to find every table/lounge area has a RESERVED placard on it. At this point, I was very confused as the person I talked to on the phone insisted that they would not be doing reservations in the lounge, so when we went upstairs, I enquired with the host. She explained that the tables are only for members of their 'Tequila Locker Program', I asked why that wasn't explained to me on the phone when I enquired and eventually was told, "well you don't understand these people spend 2k every 6 months." As others have mentioned in their reviews, it seems to be a common occurrence at dLeña that insinuate that you don't belong or can't afford certain things. Keep in mind that we ended up spending more than a grand on dinner/drinks for ONE NIGHT, not a locker membership for 6 months. Now to the dinner, we tried to keep a good attitude and not let this ruin our night. The food was good, but nothing to write home about, which wasn't surprising given how rushed/backlogged the staff was. Upon sitting down, we ordered our first two courses, as we were eating those our server came back and asked what we wanted for our following courses. We were in the middle of eating and enjoying what was pretty good starters, so we hadn't had time to decide and asked for a bit more time. When our server came back, we were still going back and forth. You could tell she was really stressed and at one point said, "I really hope you guys are ready now", I don't blame the server for this as you could tell they overbooked for the night and the serving staff was just trying to keep up by turning tables as quickly as possible. Most "fine dining" restaurants in DC only do a few seatings on NYE for this exact reason, as they take pride in their patrons' experience over making a quick buck. After dinner we went downstairs to the bathroom and there were still quite a few tables with reserved on them that clearly weren't occupied, this was around 11pm. While I went to the bathroom my fiancé enquired with the staff downstairs about what they would do with those tables if no one showed - they said the weren't sure. In the meantime, our friends had gone upstairs and found 2 seats at the bar, we were very excited that we finally found some seats to enjoy the rest of our night at! My girlfriend and I went to order drinks and were immediately told that she could only serve people who were sitting. At this point we were done with the constant inconveniences of this restaurant and asked for a manager. We explained the series of events to the manager and were met with again with a demeaning tone about how there are some very important people here tonight and constant name dropping of who those people were (director at IBM/Director of DC Parks & Rec), as if that had anything to do with the situation. Last time I checked, my money spends the same as the Director of DC Parks & Rec. After going back and forth, the manager went downstairs and came back up to tell us he may have something downstairs for us. We followed him downstairs to find the "space" he had for us was just that, a space in the corner of the bar with no seating. He said a table may free up and they we'll need to grab it as soon as staff took the reserved sign off. We decided at this point it was just time to leave, as we would have been in competition with the numerous other parties who also wanted somewhere to sit for the night. Again, if they had just explained that the tables would be completely booked, I would have either made plans. As you can imagine, it is impossible to get into anyw read more

absolutely love this restaurant. servers are amazing the food is delish and the place is just lovely. really nice for a date night.

Went to dlena for my husbands birthday, made a reservation and put that it was his birthday and that wasn't acknowledged. We got the oysters 7/10, the pork belly (1/10), steak 5/10, and the braised short rib (5/10). This place is really underwhelming and I'm not sure if they just didn't have a good chef in the kitchen that night but it was just not the quality or taste worth the prices. I did complain to the manager that my pork belly was burned and nothing was done about it. He just literally said oh ok, we were so hungry still when we left, we just stopped by to get fast food on the way home. The only reason I gave this place two stars because I saw the servers were trying their best to give good service but every five minutes someone was trying to clear our plates even though we still had food on the plates actively eating. Worst birthday dinner ever, waste of 250 dollars. Definitely won't celebrate here again! I've also noticed that the owner only responds to positive reviews. Beware! read more

DLena was one of my favorite new restaurants in Washington DC until recently. I had a negative experience at the bar the second weekend May. Sat there for 15 minutes before anyone greeted me, offered a menu, offered a drink. I was confused. I end up ordering one cocktail and appetizer after 25 minutes. I sat there for another 45 minutes and the staff never asked if I wanted to order dinner - or checked on my empty cocktail cup. I make eye contact with someone who looked to be the manager - in fact he was. He apologized, took my dinner ordered and offered me a drink - which he comped. I was satisfied with response. It was not PERFECT, however he acknowledge the lack of quality service and attempted to correct it. Now this weekend - the manager CINDY was the WORST hospitality/restaurant manager I have ever witnessed. Group of 3 dine for dinner. We placed appetizer orders, drink orders and dinner orders. The waiter was very nice.  My food and another guest food comes. We make no fus and assume maybe it's coming soon. We look up ... the 3rd guest food NEVER came! The very nice waiter did not put the (3rd) entrée in!! Like how does that happen?? CINDY was called over to the table. She looks us dead in the face and say " Oh I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do". No empathy, no compassion no understanding. And this was my guests FIRST time at DLena. As a manager - when your staff makes such a rooky mistake you correct it. She literally did not care and treated us like we were annoying. The food is amazing - however nothing is ever THAT good to be treated as if you are not a valued customer or to receive a lackluster experience.  I do not think I will be back at DLena. read more

A party of four visited May 16 this new culinary addition to DC, D'leña, a Mexican high scale restaurant. From the very moment we walked in, we were impressed with the décor and the beauty of the restaurant, and we all felt warm and comfortable. We fell in love with the fantastic fruit Margaritas and the unique appetizers with a magistral presentation. We chose several starter dishes melted cheese, ceviche, guacamole, and a huge boned New York steak, fish, as the main dishes, which was plenty for a table of four. No too extensive menu, but everything we tried was delicious, natural food, an authentic chef, and incredible presentation, and the service ambiance is top-notch too. I think we have found a new culinary gem, and in a place where you can spend a long time with friends and strongly recommend this new spot. We would definitely return regularly. Oscar read more

While visiting DC, a bartender at Sovereign recommended D'leña. We love love love Mexican food and frequent Mexican restaurants often and hands down this is #1 on our list now! It started with with exceptional service we received from Nicole. Nicole was attentive and responsive. She spoke about the menu genuinely and with passion for the food. It was evident that Nicole believes in the product which says a lot about the restaurant itself. Nicole was not only great at detailing the menu and assisting us in making a selection but also a fabulous bartender! Her drinks were balanced and delicious. We were so impressed with the food and service that we returned for brunch the following day. Brunch did not disappoint! I spoke to one of the managers, Josh to let him know about our experience with the food and service. I mentioned that we were going to miss the food and Nicole! He said maybe his boss would consider a restaurant in Vegas. We really hope this happens! Hands down recommend D'Lena because it is absolutely delicious. Thank you Nicole for your kindness and excellent service. Thank you Josh for your professionalism and acknowledgment of your excellent employee! read more

Loved the atmosphere and their service was fast. The food was excellent I recommend their queso fundido and their short rib tacos.

The ambiance was great, the food and drinks were better, but Troy our server was absolutely the best and the reason I'll be coming back!! Troy recommended the best food and beverages, was very attentive, spoke nothing but great things about the other staff and restaurant and was a whole vibe! had a great time, get the chicken with brocollini, it's not your average chicken! read more

The food was amazing and the ambiance was great as well. But I wish the host were more warm. A waiter place down at my table and didn't tell me it was hot. I ended up burning myself. That really sucked and kind messed up the night. read more

One of my favorite spots, especially for happy hour on a Friday afternoon. Beautiful and intimate on the inside, great food and drinks. The band that plays downstairs in the "basement" lounge area.....It's all such a vibe. Been there 1,000 times. Never disappointed. read more

Meh. Drinks were nice but missing alcohol. They did not have any chicken which was weird for a Sunday. Steak and sides were ok. Was pretty disappointed because I was expecting so much more. May give it one more try as maybe it was just an off day read more

I came up to DC with my sister for the day and we were welcomed here with open arms. We had drinks in the downstairs lounge and the environment and energy was absolutely immaculat. Our server jerson was very attentive and recommend several local spots for us to visit, I would totally come back for his service. read more

ISABELLA WAS AMAZING!!!! She made sure our visit to Dlena was worth the wait. We will be back very soon!

Well done! Every dish was tasty and impressive. Our waiter was very helpful and gave great recommendations. I highly recommend the empanadas, tacos, and wagyu beef is not to be missed. read more

Our first server wasn't the best but during a shift change I guess our second server did an amazing job and we made sure he got the tip not the first server. read more

Came for bottomless brunch with a large group. Our waiter, Troy, was amazing! One of the best brunches I've ever had in DC. Troy and the rest of the staff were personable and attentive. The birria tacos, habanero salsa, corn & shrimp enchiladas, and churros were my favorite - I couldn't just pick one. Would definitely recommend coming here for brunch. read more

Troy is the best waiter !!!! Ask for him every time. That's all there is to say! Excellent service every time !

Food was amazing. You can try walk-in and take bar seat if you haven't booked yet. Enjoy the happy hour!

Merly M's service was as amazing as the experience at Dleña. She made sure our glasses were never empty and kept the plates full of food. I'm definitely coming back. read more

Dined at D'Lena for the first time last weekend after seeing many friends post from there. The restaurant decor is beautiful and really creates a cool, sexy vibe. Especially the downstairs bar. I loved it! And they had live music. Our food was really good. I couldn't give the restaurant a 5 star review only because of the service. It's always a shame when you go to what should be an all around great restaurant but the service messes up the experience. The hostess was snappy and not pleasant and our server Bergen B (name on receipt) did not give us a good dining experience. He wasn't very attentive, he never smiled - very serious and short - and he never checked on us during our meal to see if we needed anything (which we did so we had to flag down someone else). Only after we finished our main entrees did he come by to "upsell" us on drinks and dessert. It's a shame we had to have an unpleasant experience because otherwise we would've left very happy. Bad service can definitely kill someone's impression of a place especially a place that is not cheap and where you expect the service to match the price point. That unfortunately definitely happened to us. read more

Always a standup experience at the Roja Lounge. Great atmosphere, lovely music and the most amazing drinks! Nanci is one of the best servers I've had. She's very attentive and really helps you out with ordering and crafting a drink that perfectly suits your taste! She has always gone above and beyond and makes us feel special when we come for drinks. Would highly recommend you give Roja a visit! read more

Food & cocktails are always delicious, great vibes, and Ben was so helpful and attentive!

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! From the ambience, food and the top of the line customer service! Our host Merlyn was beyond amazing she provided us with a great experience from her menu recommendations to her short conversations and jokes! She's a superstar!!! read more

Very nice upscale Mexican restaurant. Tried the Mercado and a Cadillac margarita. Preferred the Cadillac much more, but that's due to my preference. Tried the guacamole and queso fundido. The queso fundido was delicious, the guacamole was okay, much more fancy than I'm used to. Order the Tomahawk, great presentation and delicious taste. Tried the broccolini, which was very good, the baked potato was okay, and the roasted carrots were pretty tasty. The espresso créme brûlée was absolutely delicious! Was excited to check out their speakeasy, but it was closed, so I was pretty bummed about that. read more