So, I read previous reviews and they all rated this establishment, 1-2 stars since new management came around. You know how everyone has to make their own opinions first? Well, that's the attitude I had , as I told my partner that our favorite neighborhood taco spot was back in business. We went to the restaurant and walking in, the decor is a bit different, more bland if you will. But, I was hungry , so we get our menus and make our way to the bar , to place our to-go order. I see that papas fritas ( my favorite side order ) wasn't on the menu. And guys, the papas fritas that was there when it was under old management??? Man. I wish I could get the recipe . Well, the old menu is apparently STILL on the site , so to all that want to form your own opinion, do take note of that. The new menu is standard things you'd see in a typical Mexican cuisine restaurant in the city ( which is GREAT---if the items had flavor ) ALSO...the phone doesn't work. ( when did it ever there, but it was busy originally that's why) now ? You're going to wish that the phone never comes on.... and again , why? In plain terms , the food sucked . Like truly sucked. It was bland rice , nastiest enchiladas with no cheese ...it was as if I cooked this back in 8th grade , when I first learned how to cook. All of the creative dishes that once were at el Camino are not there now. Like go and read what was in the old Papas Fritas dish. It was so good, salsa verde and rojo sauces and queso fresco , Pepita seeds all atop the fries. Now, bland fries. I know papas fritas means fries but it wasn't the way the old el Camino did it! My boyfriend was hungry so he ate everything lmao but truly it lacked flavor , everything did. I won't be coming to el Camino again. It should get better management and chefs to really put the zest back into the food. I have to now treat my boyfriend to a better dinner . Feel like I owe him , since he paid for bland dishes. Lol read more

I know I'm biased when it comes to Mexican after living in Los Angeles for 13 years, but this place really doesn't stack up. The decor is lovely, service was fine - but $9 for quac? Not acceptable, especially if you have me make it myself. Also, it's a bit gauche to have to pay for chips and dip. The food was fine, just not great. read more

As a native southern Californian I love Mexican food. However, el Camino missed the mark for me. The place is tiny with some seating in front a long bar in the middle and a few more tables in the back. It has a nice laid back atmosphere. The best thing about el Camino is that they have Jamiaca, a most amazing sweet hibiscus juice. Omg do I love some Jimiaca. The margarita is also decent and cheap. However, the food was bland!! The guacamole was an abomination. It wasn't fresh and had an odd consistency like when you buy gauc premade andwas very expensive. I also got a few tacos, all of which were under spiced. read more

1st experience at El Camino: just had 1 drink at the bar during HH. Pleasant experience, happy to see the place so crowded. 2nd experience at El Camino: tried to come in for dinner and couldnt get in. The hostess actually messed up and the whole thing was a debacle. I emailed the owner just to let him know and he sent me the most thoughtful and sincere response, and thanked me for not going immediately to social media (ie yelp) to complain! 3rd experience: went to brunch last weekend. arrived before they opened and they were so welcoming and allowed us to escape the rain and sit until the kitchen opened! Food was seriously awesome and our waiter was great! I love el camino and am so happy its in the neighborhood! read more

Four stars for food, two stars for service...so, I split the difference. El Camino has great outdoor seating, a charming interior, and a menu that's the perfect size. There are 8-10 different types of tacos ($2.50 or $3.50/each, depending on the type), three giant tortas, and some entrees - carne asada, enchiladas, etc. I had three tacos, which were tiny but overall not bad - I'm going to be hard-pressed to say anything negative about tacos EVER, because come on - they're a dream food. What's not to like?! Unfortunately, the service was pretty slow. The waitress was extremely frazzled and we had to ask her for water three times before she brought any out. She did come over and apologize after we'd been waiting for quite a while with no water, no chips, and no food. Totally not her fault, and a stressful situation for any server. I'd love to go back for happy hour sometime, since it looks like they have some good deals. read more

5 stars for the awesome hostess and busboys. 0 stars for our server with RBF. My friends and I came here on a Friday evening and were extremely disappointed in the food on top of the the poor service. We love supporting local community restaurants. It's unfortunate that we had such an unpleasant experience. To keep it short and sweet...our server (female, tallish, dark roots with blondish ombré, permanent resting "b" face) had a stick up her ass. She was as stale as the chips. We made a comment about how bad the food was (without expecting any discount) and she said she would get the Manager. She came back and literally threw the check on the table and said, "Sorry you didn't like the food, but that's your choice that you're not happy with it." She was that rude. We started laughing because she came back and basically said "FK you, we don't really care." It was almost comical. Which was cool, but in the end I thought this girl should never ever be allowed to serve anywhere. She will wreck people's lives and make you feel bad on a good day. It was that bad. Lol Anyways, then we asked for the Manager...and he wasn't any better. Seems like the apple doesn't fall from the tree. He ended up trying to make up for it...but it was too late...the condom already broke. read more

El Camino, it's the real deal, not Texmex mall food. We ate here the second night they were open. The place was packed. We got tacos: carnitas, chicken and chorizo potato. Every one of them was delicious. The carnitas was amazing - juicy but not fatty, spicy but not mouth numbing, it had a terrific flavor. The previous reviewer thought the chorizo was a bit bland, I disagree. The combination of the potato with the chorizo was in perfect harmony. I only had a bite of the chicken taco, but it too was delicious. Everything here is fresh and packed with subtle layers of flavor. When I go back, (and I will!) I will try to get a table in the back, by the kitchen. It's probably a bit louder, but the dim lighting in the front of the restaurant seemed a bit murky to me. If you're going for drinks, sit up front and take in the moody atmosphere. If you're going to eat, plonk yourself down at one of the tables in the back and order some guacamole - it comes in a mortar so you can mash it yourself as much or as little as you like. I've never seen that in a Mexican restaurant before, and I liked it. The crowd was a mix of professional types, 20 to 40-something hipsters and neighborhood folks, including a young family with a kid in a high chair. Why not 5 stars? The first round of margaritas was a bit light on the tequila, and by round two we had to order beer and cider because they had run out of tequila all together. No worries, the cider I had was crisp and delicious, not the cloyingly sweet Angry Orchard that most places in town offer, if they have cider at all. I'll be back El Camino, and maybe you could keep the YESSS Uniforms sign above your door? Or hang it inside as a nod to the past. Boundary Stone, which is next door, has partially kept to the building's signage design which retains a cohesive look to the row of businesses here. In an area that is changing, it would be nice not to see things change completely. read more

They lost me the second I walked in and didn't see carne asada tacos on the menu. The food is bland and the menu is a poor representation of true LA Mexican food. The guac is okay, but overpriced for the amount of avocados they give you and you have to mix it on your own. I was rooting for this spot, but have to say that Chiptole makes better tacos. El Camino has potential, but with such a simple menu and all the hype... I expected so much more. Last thing... I get that it's a new restaurant, but it took an hour to get five tacos... read more

Food esquites but the burrito was bland, the sauce on the outside was very messy, the beans were tasteless like as if they just boiled beans and added no seasoning and the guacamole was drenched in lime, I like lime but it was too much at that point that you couldn't taste any other flavor, read more

Since Yelp does not do half stars, I will bump it up to 4 stars where I really believe that they are more deserving of a 3.5; however I will give them the benefit of the doubt, what with it being a new restaurant and their kind demeanor towards us while we were eating. It's true, this "authentic" take on Mexican is better than most, but their taco menu has plenty of space to grow with a lack of Al Pastor and Carne Asada. Which is a real pity because as far as I am concerned, they are staples of Mexican cuisine. The head chef is a self-proclaimed white female with interest in Mexican cuisine, and while her Mexican sous chef helped create the menu, there is room to grow in all aspects of this restaurant. $9 for the guacamole, will earn you the avocados in a volcanic mortar with all the mix-ins on the side so you can make your guacamole to your own tastes. The guacamole, while a little skimpy in terms of portion size for what you are paying, was by far the star of the evening's meal. That being said, the size was sufficient for two people when paired with tacos. Is it worth the $9? Pricey, but seeing as it was the star of the evening, yes. The mix ins are of the standard variety (tomatoes, red onion, chile, and cilantro) and you determine how lumpy and loaded you want the guacamole to be. The chips they serve are also delicious, and I certainly would recommend this to any avocado lover. Tacos are priced between $2.5 and $3.5. The tacos come served with only one tortilla - not made on the premises fresh and it shows - which I found a trifle annoying because they load up the tortilla so much that it is spilling out over the sides. Real Mexican tacos come served with two tortillas to mop up the sauces and to divvy the meat more appropriately. The sauces also were also outstanding, but they give only a teaspoon on the plate where the tacos are served. You can easily ask for more sauces, but I do not understand why the restraint when the sauces shine, and only serve to enhance the taco. The sauces should be given freely, and I think with time they will come to realize this. For my tacos, I ordered the lengua, rajas, and chorizo with potatoes. If you've read any of my other reviews you know that I am in a constant search for a good lengua taco. Unfortunately- I believe in an attempt to cater to their American clientele's pallet- they have cut the lengua with short rib meat. What comes out is a somewhat bland take on what is easily the most flavorful meat taco. El Camino should just take the plunge and make it a full lengua taco, both for those who want the truth of the taco and those who are willing to experiment. Or if not, then make it more clear on the menu that it is not what it purports to be. If you want a meat taco, I would try something else, since this was a disappointment, although not wholly unexpected for a DC taqueria. My favourite tacos were the Rajas. They were not "rajas" in the sense that I am familiar- poblano peppers- but carrots! I am a huge fan of cooked carrots, and the carrot with the (Oaxaja?) cheese was a tasty result that I give two thumbs up to. The carrot was soft and the cheese nicely melted, and overall this was a proper taco. It was a soft flavor without being bland. The chorizo left me feeling "meh", because I am not convinced they used a Mexican spiced chorizo and the potatoes were lacking in distinguishing themselves from the spiced sausage. The place is small, and I would recommend getting a place in the back near the kitchen - that while perhaps a bit louder - keeps you away from the near constant swinging of the door. (Which in November is a place no one really wants to be near). Still, the volume of the place was not too loud, and the clientele are those hipster 20-40s folk looking for a more authentic experience. Did we have to speak in an elevated voice? Perhaps just a notch above indoor, but there was no straining to hear one another. We did get to the restaurant early, so it wasn't too loud, nor was there a wait to be seated, but by the time we had finished our meal, the crowd had started to pick up. The plates the food is served on are playful, a vintage china set, wholly at odds with the aged dark wood that serves as the table and chairs, against the yellow plum booth. The walls are painted cheerful shades of blue and orange, true to Mexican style, and our waitress was kind, attentive, and never a moment over bearing or absent. I was twice asked what I thought of the food, and upon giving them my somewhat annotated thoughts, it seemed to me that they listened - and while I'll never know if they passed on the message - at least they convincingly put on the air that they did care and would report back to the chef. TLDR; For under $20 a head for a dinner , I left heavy in the belly. This place has plenty of room to grow but a solid 1st effort. read more

Can't lie: I was a little skeptical about El Camino when I first heard about it. I guess I assumed that it was too good to be true. I love Mexican food. I love margaritas. And, I live in Eckington, so Showtime is my go to spot, and I'm on the block all the time. In short, El Camino is very close to as good as a neighborhood spot gets. The lack of a happy hour knocks it down one star, although I understand that's about to get fixed (EDIT--THE NEWish HAPPY HOUR IS AMAZING. 5 stars now! $3 Tecate tallboys!) The build out of the restaurant is really solid, with booth seating in front, the bar in the middle, and more seating in back. It breaks up the space into manageable sections. Personally, I've sat at the bar several times and at a table once. I like the bar service a bit better, and since I'm not usually in the market for a full-on meal, it works for me. DRINKS: Three words-Straight up delectable. Cocktails are all under $10, which is awesome. Mick--formerly of the Passenger--works behind the bar most nights, and he's totally cool and totally on point in his drink slinging. I think the To Kill a Mule (tequila mule) is the best option, but the mezcal old fashioned is also terrific. There's a shooter for $4 which I've had a once or twice, and it's a solid option at a low price point. Beers and standard drinks are all reasonably priced for the neighborhood. Not as cheap as Showtime (d'uh) but also at or less than Boundary Stone. FOOD: Oh man, I love the guac. They bring out the smashed avocado and you can mix in the accoutrements yourself. Rad. The tortas are so, so, so, so, so good. Carnitas torta is a total revelation. I love it. SERVICE: Usually super fast at the bar. Was incredibly slow once at brunch. But, I'm willing to call that an aberration and not knock 'em for it. AMBIANCE: I give El Camino through the end of the calendar year before it starts to get crazy busy on weeknights and moderately busy on weekends. It's not really a great setup for late night weekend raging, but there's Showtime for that. Enjoy it while it lasts. I keep thinking to myself that Bloomingdale is far enough away from Metro to avoid the hoards of visitors from Arlington's, but I don't want to jinx it. OVERALL: Awesome. Five stars. read more

The food deserves more stars but the service does not. I've repeatedly had bad service even after tipping extraordinarily well and going out of my way to try to order directly from the business to save the them the profit loss caused by delivery services. I realize staff and management to deal with some really unreasonable folks - especially these days - so I try to double down on grace and patience when I go into businesses. However, I can find no excuse for how short, snippy and straight up rude a particular El Camino employee is. You'll pay a bit more around the corner at Republic Catina but the difference in service and just basic decency will be worth the extra steps. read more

Summary = BLAH. I've been here twice and both times I've been less than impressed. The happy hour margarita for $5 was so small, I thought the restaurant had made their drinks smaller to accompany the smaller price. When I went my second time, I realized, NOPE, they just serve really small, flavorless and overpriced margaritas. Sad face. The chips and guac are fairly standard. The guac gives you an option of "housemade or make it yourself." We weren't given an option (maybe because no one wants to go to a restaurant to make their own guac?), so housemade it was. The guac has a decent amount of chunks of avocado, but no real spice or flavor. My friends got tacos, but didn't have much to say about them. El Camino does have a wonderful patio out front that was great for accommodating bigger groups for HH and enjoying some sunshine and fresh air with your food. One OK experience? Okay, I'll try them again. Two okay experiences? Okay, I'll go somewhere else. There's gotta be more flavorful Mexican food in this city! read more

Queso Fundido - 4/5 - I like the vegs in it and they used good chorizo. Tasted authentic but they could have used a better cheese to filling ratio. Puerco Asado - 4/5 - pork shoulder chili verde stew. Meat was well cooked. Overall a good dish. It's a good twist on pork chili verde. Grilled Fish (Branzino) - 4/5 - fish cooked very well. Two different rubs on either side of the butterflied fish. Loved eating it with the green onion. Service - 4/5 - our main waitress was not as attentive as the manager was for us and would always leave the table before we were done but overall good. read more

Where to begin? TBA Bad food, bad service, no light, why bother? I was very disappointed. I ordered 3 crispy corn tacos with lettuce, tomato and onion. One carnitas burrito and a side of refried beans. Ordered it to go. Should have looked in the bag. Tiny, mushed soft tacos, no lettuce, no tomatoes, no onion. And black beans, no refried like I'd ordered . Who serves French fries with a burrito? They were mush as well. Do not bother with this awful place. read more

This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant in DC! I highly recommend the cucumber margaritas--super smooth and refreshing. The plantains and ceviche were also yummy. The owner and bartenders are all so friendly, too. This is one of those lovely family-owned businesses that cares about its customers and its food. So glad El Camino is back under this new ownership!!! read more

Very good tacos and a wonderful selection of tequilas and mescals. Service was prompt. The place inside is small, but it does have a bar and also tables outside. read more

As a neighbor to El Camino I am thrilled they have reopened and I'm pleased to find some familiar items on the menu as well as some interesting new choices. Overall, the food and beverage quality is good, and seemingly more consistent in quality than before. My main critique is that-- like many restaurants in this neighborhood-- the price point just seems a little bit high for what you get. But I get it: real estate is expensive. read more

This is one of my regular neighborhood spots. Margaritas are good, everything is priced right, and the guac is delicious! The only time I didn't like something I've gotten was the time i ordered the ceviche. The Elote Corn is only OK as well. What is good are the tacos. Chicken tinga and the shrimp are my two favorites. i've had the bean one, fish one, beef and lengua. All have been muy delicioso. read more

¡EXCELENTE! This place is a gem. Great tacos (especially the chorizo and potato) for $2.50 a pop. I loved the cactus taco -- would never have thought to add peanuts to nopales. The guacamole was chunky and nicely balanced -- almost as good as homemade. Really enjoyed my margarita -- Y Tu Mama Tambien -- on Margarita Day. :) The tequila was tasty and the orange peel added a freshness and a zing. The competent, friendly staff and the comfortable, relaxing ambience really push this place over the top. We decided that we'll bring friends and visitors to El Camino because it feels like a happy oasis in overly-serious DC. Perfect spot for folks who eat a gluten free, vegetarian or vegan diet -- dishes are well marked on the menu. That is always appreciated. If you don't eat dairy, just remember to ask for your dishes "sin queso" or "sin crema" so the kitchen doesn't sprinkle cotija on everything. ;) read more

I really want to like this place because it's across the street from my house but beyond drinks, It's the worst. I had been here for about 40 minutes and even have food, but I don't have utensils or even a napkin. The waitress has even brought water out to the dog before giving me my utensils (that was after I asked for them). I ordered chips and salsa and the fish tacos today. The fish is over fried so much that I spit it out in fear that I was chewing on plastic. I'll continue to come for drinks...maybe if Crisp is full, but other than that no Bueno. read more

I wouldn't suggest frequenting El Camino or have any intention of going back. Subpar service, stale chips, and margaritas that taste like sour mix. We went for drinks and maybe dinner but after an app and drinks we left. Don't waste your time, so many other better options. read more

Another addition to the Bloomingdale neighborhood. I wouldn't have written a review on a Mexican restaurant, I mean usually it's hard not to like one, but El Camino disappointed me enough to write this review amid all the 4-stars that it's received. It looks like most are raving about the place on their happy hour, bar. For me, my review is more from the perspective of the restaurant experience. As soon as I walked in, I had a gut feeling that I was going to have similar experience of many other Bloomingdale restaurant experiences at initial opening. The beginning...as soon was I walked in, all I could see was the bar. Ok, this place like so many others in Bloomingdales knows where restaurants make money..alcohol. The seating section of the place seemed like an afterthought. Ok, that's fine. But when seated, the table was sticky. Ok, it's not a fine dining place, I'll give it a pass. The menu, food...I don't know, to me it seemed to try too hard. It had a good selection but at the same time, it seemed lacking. Anyone know the feeling? Continuing on to the actual meal, none of the food was hot or cold, everything was lukewarm. It might be my personal preference but I like piping hot, refreshingly chilled, warm and toasty..in this case..tacos, chips, etc. Nope, just room temperature. And the prices..kind of makes you go hmm..especially after the meal. Yelp's 2-star rating description "Meh. I've experienced better" truly is right on. Actually, let me add "much" in between experienced and better. I pay for good food, no qualms no matter how expensive BUT the food has to justify the price. The service...good. As expected for a new restaurant, it's good, friendly. Unfortunately, good service doesn't satisfy my appetite for a better Mexican restaurant in Bloomingdale..I'm still hungry. Let's hope El Camino will become better with age. read more

This was one of the first spots that I went with my wife and our roommate since we were craving Mexican food and we wanted to try something new. We did sit outside (which is dog friendly!) during dinner time. Service was pretty great, but the people outside were better. Two customers did get into it and it was such an awkward situation and it wasn't handled at all by anyone in the restaurant. Our server did apologize for the disruption, but that was it. I'd love to come back again at another time, possibly try the lunch. read more

See all

Went here for dinner with the BF the other night. First of all, great location right down the street from us in Bloomingdale! (which is becoming all the rage, we love it). The Food: We tried the guac & chips first. You can make your own or have them take care of it for you, which is what we opted for. Not bad, but also not the best I've had. Chips were pretty solid, not the papery stuff you hate. Then had mutiple tacos, including the rajas, lengua, chicken tinga, chorizo/potato, and ground beef (forgot the real name). My favorite of those was the chicken tinga, and my BF liked the chorizo/potato. Tacos are pretty small but 2-3 were enough after the guac. We also got the creme brulee which was quite well made and delicious. The Drinks: I was boring and just had a beer, but the BF tried both the regular $7 marg and the more expensive cucumber margarita, which was refreshing and a great combo of both marg and cucumber flavor. The basil oil added great scent too. He also had another mixed drink, don't remember what, was also delicious. Solid bar. The Place: Set-up is interesting, most of the smaller 2-4 person tables are in the back and there is a sit-down lounge area in the front with a very hip bar in between. It was quite popular, packed with people right as happy hour was winding down and dinner hour was starting but really it stayed that way till we left. The whole restaurant was packed and this was a weekday. Seems the place to be. The Price: Quite reasonable. All of the above was less than $90 and we left stuffed. All in all...great neighborhood addition, will definitely be back. Just hope it doesn't become so much more popular we can't get in, which seems to be the track... :) read more

We went as we heard that el camino reopened under new ownership and our dinner did not disappoint! The margaritas here were great. Service was also great and we really enjoyed the ceviche and plantains. read more

El Camino - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

AMAZING SERVICE AND GREAT strong DRINKS!!!! will definitely go back again we went for my roommates' bdays and the waiter went above and beyond and even gave us candle read more

The happy hour is a great deal -- and the specialty and house margaritas are worth a visit in and of themselves. Love the tacos here, which are real Mexican style -- not the cheese-soaked TexMex disasters one usually finds around here. The atmosphere is charming and comfortable, and the service is superb. From young professionals to couples with babies to older DC denizens (like me), there is something for everyone here. read more

Excited to try the reopened el Camino but the food is still mediocre and the service is still terrible. I won't be back.

Easily one of the better Mexican meals I've had in a while. Guacamole was fantastic. You can tell they are suffering from labor shortage like most restaurants but we were in no rush and honestly the service didn't suffer. The staff was hustling to make sure it didn't. read more

Went on a cold Saturday night, had to wait about 45 minutes for a table. Not unexpected (thanks Yelp!) but still annoying since the bar area was pretty packed. That said, good guacamole and good tacos. Tacos were small in size - I got three for my meal, probably could have eaten one more. I got the chicken tinga, the rajas, and the carnitas. Carnitas was my favorite. Quick and friendly service. I would go back, but probably on a weeknight instead. read more

My wife and I were looking for a place to go on a Thursday night and got into the typical: Her: I'm ok with anything. Me: What about... (insert 15 different restaurants) Her: Nah Finally since it was a nice night and the car was about to run out of gas we happened upon El Camino and the great sidewalk seating, and boy are we so glad we did. On Thursdays they have all you can eat tacos for $17, which we have to commit to memory. We only did 1 taco to say that we tried them and the Carne Asada was very flavorful and fresh. The most impressive feat about this is that we didn't get there until well after 9:00 and the food was still fresh. Starters down, now lets move on to the entree. We shared the Fish of the Day and it was hands down the star of the night. The fish came butterflied and one half had a chimichurri and the other had a blackened preparation. So flavorful and fresh the wife deemed it her new favorite. Prices were very good with GREAT drink specials. AMAZING MICHELADA . The flat spot for us was service was a little slow. But we were never not entertained with the people watching on the patio that is super dog friendly. We'll have to work this one into the regular rotation. read more

Service was phenomenal, hence some kind of rating, but the food... the food ain't it! I had a few tacos that were blah while my partner had ceviche that was half decent. read more

I honestly have no complaints for this place! I tried it for the first time with 2 friends for dinner on a Saturday night. We were a little discouraged by the 30 minute wait, but saw three spots open up at the bar and decided to eat from there. The atmosphere was cozy, not too loud, and we had great service from the bar tender. We each chose a different cocktail and ended up swapping and sharing because we liked them all so much. We then ordered three different meals (pork shoulder, scallops, and an array of tacos) and ended up eating off each other's plates through the whole meal. Finished off with the Mexican baklava, which was a unique and delicious flavor. I will definitely return! You'll also notice that everyone who gives this place a low review forcibly states, "I'm from California and I know everything about Mexican food" which is a pretty boring reason to dislike this place (seriously, look for yourself)... We get it, you grew up in LA. You also weren't afraid during the DC earthquake. What else makes you so interesting? Highly recommend! read more

We stopped in for a few drinks and the service was amazing. Our server was exceptionally nice, I even asked for my habanero mango marg to be a little more spicy and they delivered! Lovely people lovely place read more

3.25 Stars Taquerias and "authentic" Mexican joints are popping up all over the place these days (are people finally tiring of Mexidoran or are people finally ready for the real deal?). Personally, I find most of them to be not good value for money. El Camino is no exception. You have to pay for salsa and chips, but the two varieties of salsa are house made, and at $11, the chicken enchiladas in salsa roja were overpriced, although they did come in their own cast-iron skillet. The tacos are (mostly) authentic, use quality ingredients, and offer the best value for money here. I had the lengua, potato and chorizo, and carnitas tacos. The only non-authentic touch was the addition of caramelized onions to the carnitas rather than the more traditional pickled onions. There is a full bar with the requisite tequilas and various takes on the Margarita in addition to two draft beers: Negro Modelo and DC Brau's El Jefe Speaks. I will say that El Camino is a beautiful space; lovely semi-circular plush booths up front, horseshoe shaped bar in the middle, and tables in the back. I especially like the decorative cinder block; very evocative of Latin America. And as has become de rigeur these days, there's a picture of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the wall. read more

I have lived in DC for two years and my biggest complaint about the city is that I cannot get real Mexican food. I just went to El Camino under the new ownership and wow, it was amazing. Everyone in my party LOVED their food! We are already making plans to come back! 100% recommend this place read more

This is such a great neighborhood spot - came here with a friend and my puppy for some margaritas and tacos on the patio. The staff was extremely accommodating and the service was quick. The tacos were amazing - thanks to the waiter who recommended the carnitas :) Will definitely be back! read more

I really enjoyed this place, but for drinks, taste, and location. The margaritas were really tasty, not over powering sweet or tequila-y. I think the margarita was $6-7, so a good price for a solid drink. The selection of bottled beer was impressive... Maybe too impressive with three times the number beer options as food. The food was tasty, but not filling. You can have your choice of tacos ($2-4 each) or other Latin treats, but unless you want a big meat dish, you will probably end up eating a bunch of tacos and no sides. The guacamole ($9) was great! Lots of veggies, good spices, and the portion was solid. Service was pretty good and helpful. And despite being packed we were seated on 20 minutes - long enough to order a drink. However, when we ordered the food came out in about 3 minutes... So you can make your own judgements, but I felt like I was at a fancy food truck. I'll go back, but probably for drinks and a snack - not dinner. read more

I know you're thinking, wow 5 stars, but this place definitely deserves it! While this was my first time going finally after it had opened not too long ago, I'll definitely keep going back to make sure this rating still stands! It's a little hard to notice from the street at night, only because the sign is kind of hard to read as it blends with the window, but they had sign stands out front advertising specials, etc. It's right to the left of Boundary Stone. We were greeted by the host who estimated a 30 minute wait and as usual, we opted to wait at the bar. While every seat was taken (they have stool seating across the bar against the wall also), 1 spot opened up and the couple next to us graciously moved over so my partner in crime could sit too! Mick was our bartender who I am partial to, but he did just have his jalapeno-infused ginger beer win an award, so I give him props. He always did weird, but tasty concoctions at Hogo and The Passenger! One important experience to take away from here is that everything was fresh! As someone who cooks homemade meals with mostly everything from scratch, you could say I can tell the difference between something that has been freshly made and something that is processed. I'm sure most people can, but seriously, every bite I had was so succulent and refreshing! We ordered several tacos, a torta, the empanaditos with squash, and guacamole. My favorite of the tacos was picadillo and carnitas. I loved the carnitas so much, I ordered the torta carnitas too! I can't wait to go back and try other things on the menu! read more