All the food was good! We had the bronzino, short ribs tacos, chicken, and pork belly. The food was prepared well and the presentation is top notch. Though I would look at the menu closely as the bronzino and the chicken has similar taste / marination/ sauce. Next time, I would try to pick something that has different sauces. read more

See all

Had an amazing date night here! The service was excellent. Our server was very attentive and the food came out quickly! We were interested in checking out the bar downstairs and the server let us know that seating was available there after we wrapped up our meal. The food was delicious. The corn empanadas were my favorite dish--a must fry. We are pescatarian; we enjoyed there vegetarian options and the tuna tacos. I really like how specific the vision of the restaurant is--not just Mexican food, but wood fire Mexican food. Great concept, great food, great service. read more

See all

Amazing! I Have been coming here since Opening Day I Have Never Been Disappointed! Came For Brunch Sunday I am A very picky eater I had the bottomless food &Drinks Every dish was absolutely Great I Mean Every one I Had About 9 different dishes truly Amazed On Of My favorite restaurants Highly Recommend! read more

Overall pretty disappointing experience. Service was ok. The food was not. Started with the crab Guac and grilled oysters. The oysters were poorly shucked so there were shells throughout, not a great way to start. Have had crab guac in many restaurants previously and I would say that in comparison to the others this was not very good. The price was reasonable had it been a decent portion which it wasn't. The crab was way over seasoned and overpowered the rest of the dish. We had the tortilla soup which they try to present like a more upscale restaurant by pouring the soup into the bowl at the table. Unfortunately, the soup had a strong resemblance to a canned or powdered broth. The short rib in the tacos were good but the crunchy addition to the top had to be taken off since it dries out the inside of your mouth which is unfortunate since the meat on its own is very moist. We had heard people walking past on our way in say that the food was not very good and they wouldn't go back. We ignored this as the yelp reviews seemed to be the opposite. Overall pretty big disspointment. We Should have listened the people walking past and not gone in read more

All I can say is Wow! The service was on time and our lovely waitress was knowledgeable of the menu and helped us choose. We ordered the guacamole, salsa, corn empanadas and pork belly for appetizers and were not disappointed. Everything is cooked to perfection and wonderfully seasoned. (Don't skip the empanadas!) For our entrees we got the Short Rib tacos, Hongos a la Lenas, and Zarandeado. Everything was delicious. Now let's talk about the interior. If you're about aesthetics, this is your place. When you first walk in your greeted with a full tequila bar (love that) and the vibe doesn't stop there. Each table is dressed with tea candles for the perfect candle light date night and the general colors are v neutral which is great for pictures. I would 10/10 recommend this fabulous restaurant and will def be back! read more

See all

What a wonderful restaurant! From start to finish the experience was lovely. Our server Troy was excellent and attentive. He could teach a class on service. The appetizer came out late but they handled it with professionalism. The main dish were bomb! The short rib and white fish tasted sooo good. We can't wait to go back and try the tomahawk steak which looks so good. read more

I've been to dLeña for dinner, however I was told brunch is truly the star. I booked my reservation for a few friends and I a month in advance - that's how hard it is to get a Sunday reservation for brunch. Just as I expected, the food and drinks were 10/10. We did bottomless food and mimosas. Two mimosas is all you need for a little buzz ha. My favorite food items from the menu were the birria beef tacos, the salmon and the churros. Brunch ends at 3pm, so I would make the reservation no later than 1pm, I believe the kitchen closes at 2:45pm. I don't live in DC, so I always drive into the city, luckily for me I was able to snag a parking space right near the restaurant. If you give up on finding street parking, there's a parking lot adjacent from the restaurant. I will be back for brunch! read more

dLeña - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I actually really liked this place. My biggest issue is that for the price, you should have sides. I had the shrimp enchiladas and they were absolutely delicious. 9/10. But it needed rice and beans which this establishment does not serve. Otherwise great time in my opinion. read more

DC is lucky to have dLena. This place takes you straight to Tulum/New York. Perfect for dates or nights out with a group of friends. The food is amazing (love the short ribs tacos and the ceviche SO much). The flavors are really out of this world. All that being said, I think the best part of dLena is the fact that after dinner, you can head downstairs for drinks and live music in a cozy & aesthetically pleasing bar. read more

Poorly managed in regard to walk ins and first come first serve people. They communicate that the lower basement lounge is "first come first serve" but then have a reserved sign on EVERY single table ... even the bar. My group and I approached the guest service leader, Daisy, she had a disgusting attitude and when we expressed our frustration she brushed it off and, after that, felt like she was personally having it out that we don't sit at all. The crazy thing about it all is that these tables were sitting for OVER AN HOUR with a reserved sign. Had they said "you all have X amount time to be here" we would've been understanding with it. I approached the gentleman at the main entrance and he basically backtracked the whole concept of "first come first serve" pitch when we first came in. Ambiance is beautiful, heard the food was amazing ... lol but if you are anything BUT a reservation. Don't bother coming. read more

This place was so good!!! We called for a reservation and said they were booked, but we went anyway and were sat on arrival! They have indoor and outdoor seating along with bar/dining room/ and I think a lounge? The staff and server were very nice and made the experiment great! The drinks were great and not too expensive. The food was amazing! The cheese appetizer was so good and not what we expected. We got the mushroom, shrimp, and rib tacos that were so good. Lastly, we went for my birthday and got a birthday plate with churros!! Delicious! The price was honestly not terrible, all the items were under 20$ and we shared it all. Lastly, their bathroom was private with each restroom being a full door stall. Highly recommend going!! read more

See all

The food is delicious and the atmosphere is great. Excellent service was provided by Johan read more

10/10 experience!!! Our waitress Rebecca was so nice and made it a wonderful experience. I recommend getting the maryland crab guac, it's a unique twist to guac. The margaritas were perfectly balanced. Totally recommend coming here for a date night as the vibes are top tier. read more

Not a single dish disappointed. I've had ceviche in Lima, Peru, so my standard is exceedingly high, and I've never, until now, found a ceviche in the US that I liked. But, holy shit, dLeña did it!! So freaking delicious. Everything I ate there was mouth watering read more

See all

Dleña is hands down one of the best places I've been to in DC. It is worth every penny. The experience here is unmatched. We ordered the queso fundido, the branzino, and steak. The salsas and tortillas were super savory as were the drinks. Great spot for a date night! Highly recommend! Haven't tried their brunch but it's next on my list. read more

See all

Came here for the first time on a Friday night for a girls date night and I really enjoyed myself. The ambience is amazing it's perfect for a date with your partner or even a girls night out. The drinks were the best thing I had! I had a tamarind Margarita and it was perfect! The guacamole was my fave appetizer, the chips are perfectly seasoned with a house mixture. I would definitely come back because I really enjoyed everything overall. I would recommend you book a reservation well in advance, it's very hard to get a resy here. read more

dLeña - Short rib tacos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Last night I treated my best friend to dinner for her birthday at the chef's table. I can honestly say it was the best dining experience I have ever had. Chef Camacho made 8 AMAZING courses for us to enjoy. Not only was the food amazing but the presentation was beautiful as well. The chef's table is in a more private area of the restaurant and we got to watch Dleña's kitchen in action, as well as Chef Camacho make all 8 of our courses. The pork tenderloin and chilean sea bass were my two favorite courses of the night. The flavor was amazing and everything just melts in your mouth! Not only was the food delicious, but the service was 10/10. Everyone made us feel welcomed and comfortable during our time there and we were consistently attended to by our server Carmen who was also very sweet. My best friend said this was the best birthday she has ever had! read more

I've been to dlena now a few times and each experience has been outstanding. Jeff was our server for our small group for brunch and he really took care of us and made sure we had all we needed, and the other staff were extremely attentive as well. Everything we ate was clearly well thought out and carefully prepared. I've got to come back for happy hour but those bar seats are hard to get!! read more

See all

Best happy hour, you can't beat the prices, the drinks or the food! Margs for $6 and taste amazing??! That's my kind of happy hour! The birria tacos are also so good and different, not like any other taco I've had! Amazing atmosphere- great seats & decor and timely service read more

The brunch is delicious and they are always accommodating to my husband who has a gluten allergy.

Food as okay. Service as extremely slow. Came here for brunch. It took 10 minutes just to get salt for my ceviche. I would avoid this place.

OMG OMG! We started here for a date night Friday and were blown away. THEE BEST TACOS I EVER HAD! Like I talked about this place for 3 days in a row to every fam&friend I encountered. AND the Casa margarita was Delish! I love me some good margaritas! By good I mean tasty not overly tequila'd but not so light on tequila you can barely taste it and have to order like 5 margaritas to feel anything! These margaritas were ON POINT! I had the short rib tacos & the barbacoa tacos. My husband had the pork belly. Also this place is sexy ESP DOWNSTAIRS (which is a separate spot ). Downstairs speak easy vibes were a date night TouchDown! Thank you Dleña read more

We came to dLeña for a special birthday dinner, and the experience was exactly what we were hoping it'd be. It's hard to tell with new restaurants, especially with those that have mixed Yelp reviews. The ambiance was very trendy. The space was dark and had decor that reminded me of my time in Tulum. Our server, Jessie, was fantastic. She knew the menu well and gave us honest recommendations and accurate descriptions. The appetizer hit was the guacamole de bonito. The tuna was so delicious, topping off a well-balanced dish. We also go the corn empanadas which were good, but really just corn inside. We did enjoy the ají amarillo and the chimichurri butter on top. It could use maybe one more ingredient of substance, maybe, but that is just me being critical. They were very good. We went for the tomahawk steak. Jessie torched it by our table, which was fun! It was just enough for two (not three, as I've seen on Facebook groups). It came with two sides so we picked the potato and the broccolini. The potato was so rich and very yummy. The broccolini was the right choice, too, to add a green side. We were so full that we decided again dessert, but Jessie brought my a birthday dessert to go anyway! This was such a nice touch. I look forward to coming back to dLeña and trying their happy hour! read more

See all

Ehhhhh nothing special! I give it like a 2.5! It was very hyped up on Tik Tok. The waitress wasn't very attentive. The guac was okay. The shrimp tacos were on paper thin tortillas and it tasted very generic and had an Asian flare type of taste. The margs were watered down. 2 margs in and never been more sober. The queso is soooo miss leading, what did y'all make it so shallow smh. This place is expensive and not worth MY money. I do want to try their happy hour. They do have great happy hour deals. I kinda want to try their brunch once they release the menu. Overall not impressed but I'll be back. read more

See all

The food was amazing! The Esquites de Ajo Negro is a MUST try. The plating of each course was gorgeous and really helped create an elevated dining experience, which we appreciate. Our waitress provided wonderful service and the AGM, Mike, was extremely welcoming. Overall, we had a great time and will definitely visit again. read more

dLeña - Esquites de Ajo Negro** (the best thing since sliced bread) - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I visited dLeña for happy hour last night and left super full! I ordered barbaco tacos. They were so delicious and so filling. I also got a casa and mercado margarita. Both were delicious. I would go as far to say that I found my favorite margarita in DC! Thank you dLeña for beautiful service. I can't wait to come back! read more

See all

I really don't understand the buzz. The wood grilled ribeye was decent but didn't come close to the $55 price tag. I will come back after the dust settles and maybe they improve some things. Minus one star for being seated next to some idiot Instagram influencers who took flash photos the entire time. Get a life. You can find me at El Sol, amigos. read more

dLeña is one of my top five places in DC. The ambiance is very laid-back and relaxing with dim lights. The items I always reorder are the queso fundido, pork belly and pork shank. If you go downstairs to the Roja Lounge, you have to try the mezcal painkiller. It has mezcal and a pistachio milk ice cube. Love love love!! read more

I came in to celebrate my birthday and experience the bottomless brunch. The front staff was friendly and seated us quickly. We were initially seated in a tight corner near a rowdy table but our server was kind enough to move us to a bigger table without us asking. The server asked us if we had any allergies and we made it known that both my father and I are allergic to shrimp. After we put in our order the food came out quickly which was a big plus because we were both quite hungry. However the very first thing they served us was the shrimp ceviche. I found that to be odd given the fact the server just asked us about our allergies, but we later found out that it was meant for another table but was accidentally brought to ours. This mistake was understandable so it didn't really bother me at all. The main reason for the 2 star rating was the flavor of the food. I felt as though the visual appeal of the dish was made a greater priority than the actual flavors and thus I was quite disappointed. The back staff bringing all the food to our table seemed to not be on the same page as our server because they kept giving us extras of random dishes we had already received. Out of the whole bottomless brunch menu I feel as though the only winners were the chicken and waffles, steak and eggs, and churro. Generally I am willing to try any establishment twice however given the 3 week reservation time and the hour long commute I am finding it difficult to give this restaurant another opportunity. read more

this brunch spot is extremely overhyped and does not live up to expectations. went for bottomless brunch and everything was bland, or just sweet. everything was topped with pickled onions but the onions had no tanginess at all. it was just red, cold, sweet, red onions. one of the hostesses is also extremely rude. my friend said she noticed servers talking crap about guests under their breath. ambiance was good but thats about it. read more

See all

Food was delicious. We had the guacamole- very fresh and tasty with freshly made chips. The short rib tacos were excellent- supposedly a best seller and my taste agrees. We liked it so much we ordered another round. Also had the octopus tacos - didn't love them. Pork belly was really tasty- but a little chewy. Wagyu empanadas were perfect... I usually don't like crème brûlée, but the coffee flavor and the tableside flames made it a great choice for dessert. Service at the bar and our table was friendly, attentive and welcoming. Isabella and Franco made for a fantastic evening with friends. read more

Our server Troy was top notch, and the food was amazing as always. The short rib is second to none. I'm from Miami and this place is hands down my favorite restaurant. Thank you Dleña for being consistent with the excellent food and service read more

dLeña - Best short rib in the USA hands down - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Love my Yelp refers, so i was so excited to book this spot to celebrate a birthday! I'll be generous and give a 4/5. Here's why. The spot is beautiful. Awesome photo op spots, and like the reviews, delicious food! Reservation was about a month out - due to popularity. So naturally, I'd scoped out the menu and picked my meal. However 7:30p, and they were out of my pick... the tomahawk steak! Oh no! Nights over!! I'm a planner and this wasn't part of the plan!! Okay.... Regroup.... Rib-eye. And chef agreed to the fine marrow butter. Everyone loved it. Only issue was that it continued cooking on the skillet, so what started as medium ended up well done rather quickly. I still want that tomahawk tho. Seafood Enchiladas were good but the seafood isn't highlight. It gets lost. Branzino was delish! Desert for the birthday was an awesome conclusion. Server was a little pulled, and sometimes it was hard to get him. Also, we ordered wine and they had difficulty finding it. Or rather they didn't, so we canceled it. They were apologetic and made up for it though. So....I'll be back for my tomahawk, @Tomahawk Tim!! read more

See all

Went to celebrate a birthday. The food was amazing, but I only rated it 3 starts because service wasn't great. read more

dLeña - Short rib tacos & Crab Cake Tostada** - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Speakeasy downstairs is cool af. Drinks are fantastic. Design is super chic and chill. Great vibes when it's not stupid busy. Can really enjoy an evening there. I've been here for brunch and not huge on the food. The Mexican cuisine is too american for my taste. For a simple brunch is solid for some though. But drinks and vibes are immaculate. read more

We had such high hopes for this place especially since I live very close by, and all started out nice, but unfortunately it all went south quickly. Let me preface this by saying that I was here on day 2 of the restaurant opening and I understand there are always opening pains for a new restaurant but I feel some of these issues were particularly egregious even for a new place. After arriving and being very impressed by the decor and vibe, the previously-mentioned high hopes continued, and the two of us were very excited to try this new place. I was even able to take a quick tour of the currently-not-yet-opened basement area which was quite impressive. Things were going well after seating, and I was excited to order the mezcal flight, and she ordered the tequila flight which was one of the main reasons we came to visit this restaurant which for years was advertised as a TEQUILERIA. Then after about 30 minutes after we placed our drink order, we were informed by the server that there was no way to make the drinks we ordered because they were OUT OF TEQUILA and MEZCAL (except for one), and the server mentioned we are out of "most of everything needed to make strong drinks.".Well, ok this was quite disappointing, so as I tried to figure out what I maybe could indeed order that was desirable, I was told nope, no old fashions, nope no ....almost anything. So, we had to regroup and spend some time trying to figure what to order. So after some time, I begrudgingly opted for an IPA and she got a glass of wine (Not at all what we wanted at an advertised TEQUILERIA. How do you run out of tequila and mezcal on day 2??!). So, we ordered and after almost an hour after we had been seated (this whole thing took much too long)we finally got our drinks. The food; Well, being vegan I wasn't expecting much but I got the carrot dish and it was, well.....underwhelming (I really came for the vibe and drinks). She got the jicama/prawn tacos and the presentation was nice and she enjoyed it. But honestly, the entire drink issue and the way it was handled really spoiled the entire experience. I mean, Why was it not communicated earlier that there was not available alcohol to make the signature drinks? Why were you out of tequila on day 2? Also, BTW no manager ever came to our table to talk to us about how we were doing or to inquire about our experience. We saw a lot of activity going on around us (The manager even appeared to speak to multiple tables around us that had similar issues with lack of tequila, but never spoke with us. He seemed more preoccupied with larger group tables around us), but no direct contact was made to us about any issue we may have had. When ready to go (honestly we were ready to go much earlier when were told about the alcohol issues), our server who likely sensed our disappointment, tried to provide us with complimentary desserts but we didn't take her up on her offer. To top it off, when I received the check, I took advantage of the contactless payment option on the receipt which I was pleasantly surprised to see. I scanned the code on the receipt and paid on the app, and as I was leaving the server seemed quite confused that we were preparing to leave (thinking we hadn't paid yet). I advised her that we paid on the app via the contactless option, and this totally confused her as she seemed totally unaware that this was an option. She wasn't rude about it or anything, but clearly she wasn't made aware of the payment procedures available to customers. It was just a fitting end to a disappointing night. I'll maybe try again later, but hopefully they get these issues worked out. read more

Had such a great brunch here! We opted for the bottomless option which includes their brunch cocktails and brunch small plates. To keep it easy, our waitress just brought us the whole menu from light to heavier, and then dessert. Yes, bottomless margaritas are included in this deal. I thought it would be super sugary but they are quite good! I think I had 3. The Bloody Mary was delish, it's a lighter Bloody Mary, much thinner than you may get elsewhere (as opposed to think tomato juice). Staff was pleasant and nice. There was a rude woman seated at the table next to me and the waitress at the table diffused her well. read more

I've been here once before and overall it was a decent experience. I attempted to go to happy hour another time and was met with unnecessary attitudes and a level of arrogance and passive aggressive behavior that I found very unappealing, especially for a restaurant that was completely empty aside from the bar. Luckily for us, there were several other restaurants in the area so we chose to go to a place with a lighter and more welcoming environment. read more

I am completely in love with this place. Came on a Friday night and the restaurant was packed. We were lucky enough to find two seats at the bar. My friend who used to live in the neighborhood recommended the Tamarindo so I had to get it. It was so so good - the tamarind was very present and gave the drink a delicious sourness. I had a sip of my friend's Paloma (also very good) and Mango Margarita (good but more like juice). The bartenders were all very friendly and funny. A lot of orders were coming in but they handled everything super well and the drinks came quickly. read more

dLeña - Tamarindo - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I haven't been writing reviews for a while. You all have been doing such a good job, but tonight, we had one of those unforgettable experiences (more than just a meal), that I just had to write about it. We are just visiting DC, but would definitely make a reservation (be forewarned, they are already booked through February!) next time we are here. D'Lena has it all. Very well designed interior, good music at just the right volume, a fantastic, beautiful bar, good lighting, great location, etc. People - uniformly excellent, all clearly passionate about what they are doing. Beverages - from the house marg to my choice, the Tamarind, also executed with top notch skill and ingredients. Appetizers - we had the Maryland crap guacamole and the corn empanadas. Both highly recommended. Finally, the food - our mains were, in our opinion, perfect in every way, from quality, presentation, temperature to just flat out wonderful. I had the fajita style (don't think about any fajitas you have ever had. These are, IMHO, far superior) Wagyu steak a la Piedra. My wife had the Zarandeado, with a perfectly sized portion of Branzino as the main feature. Richard Sandoval and his staff are, again, highly skilled. This special restaurant deserves your immediate attention! read more