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I wasn't super impressed by El Chucho. If you love mezcal, this place should definitely be on your list though and this was the main reason we ended up here on a Sunday for dinner. The collection is vast and they do mezcal flights. However, I wasn't in love with the tacos. The tortillas were bland and flavorless and the al pastor filling was minced meat instead of the traditional thinly sliced. It also didn't come with the pina salsa which is to be expected on an al pastor tacos. Even worse, we found a piece of a hairnet inside the queso. At first we thought it was a hair and when we said something, the server said it's just a piece of a hairnet... as if that was supposed to make things better. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want anything in my food other than food. Service all around was slow and disjointed. We were seated outside and it was clear that the server in our section was brand new and overwhelmed. We waited a long time for drinks, silverware, etc. After the hairnet incident, another person came to help us who was a lot more efficient but not very personable. I wouldn't return here in the future.
Chill bar with a great all day Monday happy hour special. Plenty of seating inside and outside. This place has a great Paloma for sure. One of my favorite places in town to get elote. Tacos are solid, nothing to rave about. Chicken taco on happy hour is my preferred. Need to go back and try non HH items, but am in no rush
Came here for brunch and really enjoyed it. Got the bottomless brunch which was a really good deal for DC and must say probably some of the best margaritas I have had in the dmv. They do time you for your two hours so be aware of that, but they did give a heads up with like 5 mins left if we wanted to get one last round. Never felt rushed by any means. I got the Birria brunch option and was happy with my choice, though not the best Birria by any means that I've had but think most will be satisfied. The hot sauce was in house made and thought it was da bomb! Really loved it. Actually hot and good flavor. My partner got the torta and it really wasn't anything special. I would call it a pass. Overall I did really enjoy it here and would recommend for drinks and trying some tacos.
Really good taco spot and for fix. They have a really good happy hour deal with food and drinks special which I recommend. Vibe is cool and service is fast!
We were deciding between here & El Sol; but El Chucho was the place that was personally recommended. After a terrible experience at El Sol, we drove straight here to try their chicken tacos. Honestly, It was mediocre at best. I wouldn't eat at or recommend El Sol nor El Chucho. 3/23
Everything about El Chucho is great! The atmosphere is eclectic and fun. The food is solid, and there's no shortage of great drink options. It's a great place to go on a chill date or catch up with friends. Combine all of the above with regular happy hours and late night specials (starting at 10pm), El Chucho is a great neighborhood Mexican spot!
Was our 1st time stopping by . Was looking for nice cozy place to go to on a chilly night after a long day at work. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing The employees were friendly and welcoming The food was well served and had delicious flavor There is so many options to choose from. We will definitely be returning.
Let me start off with the good. The food is incredible. Everything we had was excellent. Let me also just get the bat out of the way. The restaurant at a 1.95% surcharge on all checks, however, the issue is that the surcharge is actually not 1.95%. It is closer to 2% or 2.1% . This is a little scummy by the establishment. However, like I said, the food is excellent. We started off with the queso fundido. This had so much flavor with the fresh tomatoes and onions on top, but the Cheez itself was grilled beautifully. The tortillas were also double layers and tasted fresh and homemade. Then we got some tacos. The duck tacos are by far the best that this place has. Super crispy and flavorful duck. That taco lives rent free in my mind. The Ahi tuna taco was also very unique as I had not tried this before. Seared ahi tuna was cooked really well. I do wish they had served this with some lime to bring it together. Finally, we tried the chicken tacos. These were also excellent, however, I personally prefer Pollo Asado over shredded chicken. Again, I think if they added a salsa or some lime, this would really bring the dish together well. The mango Agua fresco was delicious. Refreshing, bubbly, but they only give you a small quantity and fill it to the brim with ice. Service overall was fine. They came by once to fill up our water, and maybe two other times to just check on us. The atmosphere is also excellent. They have an upstairs enclosed heated area, which was nice to get away from the rowdiness at the bar downstairs. Overall, I would come back just for the queso as well as the duck tacos.
Came here with my husband and I friend and would definitely come back. Food was good and reasonably priced. We sat outside on their terrace and got a few refills on our drinks. They're dog friendly so I also enjoyed watching the pups.
I've only been here a couple of times, but each time I left fully satisfied. The first time I dined her, we ate outside under their tented seating. It was on a weeknight so they weren't terribly busy, but the there was still enough energy for it to feel vibrant. I ordered the ahi tuna tacos and they were bangin'. The portion was perfect and the seared ahi tuna was topped with pineapple salsa, pickled shallots, avocado and drizzled with jalapeno-cilantro aioli. The blend of flavors did a happy dance on my tongue with each bite, making devilishly delicious as well as satisfying. I also really love the selection of agua frescas. When I'm in the mood for a non-alcoholic option, I'll order the hibiscus and find it so refreshing that it's become my go-to beverage when dining here. So although I've only recently discovered El Chucho (when my best friend moved down the street) it's quickly becoming a fave!
Found this place on Yelp...and I'm glad I did! It's a tiny place, but it was a nice night and they have a big patio, so we sat out there. The salsa was better than nearly any other restaurant I can remember. The elote was amazing! Our server suggested the flautas and that was an excellent recommendation! I had the asada tacos - they were good but a little dry. My daughter really enjoyed the birria quesa-taco. Overall, a really tasty dining experience! And it's super inexpensive!
Your boy's relationship is on the rocks. You've been a bit MIA lately. Everybodys been adulting. The perfect time to finally get the crew together for the first time in months! Someone name drops El Chucho. This crew is clearly full of sophisticated intellectual musicians and scholars because we all immediately know it's a the right choice. Enter the building: it's busy. It's always busy! BECAUSE ITS GOOD you understand? BUT somehow by the grace of baby Jesus we snag a good table. Tequilas all around because that's what El Chucho does. We order tacos of course. But here's where I make aove that might seem out of ordinary, it might raise eyebrows. BUT I DONT CARE. I'll say it proudly: there's a lot of places you can get a good taco in this city, but the reason I pick El Chucho is because they have the ultimate tiebreaker: their BLACK BEANS ARE JUST DIFFERENT TRUST ME. So I ordery tacos and then I say "and a side of beans" and wait for the reaction from the table. But again, this is a crew of sophisticated intellectual musicians and scholars. They're already hip to it. THEY KNOW that El Chucho is cooking up the best side of beans in the city. BUT WAIT. Out sever hits us with a curve ball: Black beans are OUT, it's PINTO beans now. WHAT. After some initial shock and consolations around the table, We recognize that wait... we TRUST this institution with our taste buds. If they made the change it was for good reason. If they made the change the change is for the better! SEND THE PINTO BEANS. This is Yelp so I'll spare you the details of the beers and tequila that followed. The stories of love and heartache and television fame and laughter and good times. THIS is what El Chucho is for! And because of the five-stars above and because of the trajectory of the narrative thus far, you already know there's no disappointment here, you already know that the pinto beans were fantastic. I may still maybe prefer the black beans, but this was a equal trade-off. Thai was best for best. So of course I'm still coming to El Chucho for tacos because they still have the best tiebreaker in the city: THOSE PINTO BEANS read more
2 days ago
This is a cool little mexican spot that one of my friends recommended so I got to try it out. It's quaint and cozy with a bar at the entrance and smaller table seating along the sides. Nothing over the top or super fancy about the space which is actually refreshing. Although it was a Monday there was a fairly decent crowd and apparently they feature an all day happy hour menu on this day which had items such as street tacos, guacamole, queso as well as beer and shot specials. Quality service overall the bartender was easy to get a hold of whenever I needed something. I decided to order the al pastor and brisket tacos. Both options were very good, fresh ingredients and toppings and the meats were flavorful and not dried out. All in all no complaints about my taco experience, definitely recommend giving them try whenever you're in the area. read more
I wasn't super impressed by El Chucho. If you love mezcal, this place should definitely be on your list though and this was the main reason we ended up here on a Sunday for dinner. The collection is vast and they do mezcal flights. However, I wasn't in love with the tacos. The tortillas were bland and flavorless and the al pastor filling was minced meat instead of the traditional thinly sliced. It also didn't come with the pina salsa which is to be expected on an al pastor tacos. Even worse, we found a piece of a hairnet inside the queso. At first we thought it was a hair and when we said something, the server said it's just a piece of a hairnet... as if that was supposed to make things better. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want anything in my food other than food. Service all around was slow and disjointed. We were seated outside and it was clear that the server in our section was brand new and overwhelmed. We waited a long time for drinks, silverware, etc. After the hairnet incident, another person came to help us who was a lot more efficient but not very personable. I wouldn't return here in the future. read more
Chill bar with a great all day Monday happy hour special. Plenty of seating inside and outside. This place has a great Paloma for sure. One of my favorite places in town to get elote. Tacos are solid, nothing to rave about. Chicken taco on happy hour is my preferred. Need to go back and try non HH items, but am in no rush read more
Came here for brunch and really enjoyed it. Got the bottomless brunch which was a really good deal for DC and must say probably some of the best margaritas I have had in the dmv. They do time you for your two hours so be aware of that, but they did give a heads up with like 5 mins left if we wanted to get one last round. Never felt rushed by any means. I got the Birria brunch option and was happy with my choice, though not the best Birria by any means that I've had but think most will be satisfied. The hot sauce was in house made and thought it was da bomb! Really loved it. Actually hot and good flavor. My partner got the torta and it really wasn't anything special. I would call it a pass. Overall I did really enjoy it here and would recommend for drinks and trying some tacos. read more
1 year ago
We were deciding between here & El Sol; but El Chucho was the place that was personally recommended. After a terrible experience at El Sol, we drove straight here to try their chicken tacos. Honestly, It was mediocre at best. I wouldn't eat at or recommend El Sol nor El Chucho. 3/23 read more
Everything about El Chucho is great! The atmosphere is eclectic and fun. The food is solid, and there's no shortage of great drink options. It's a great place to go on a chill date or catch up with friends. Combine all of the above with regular happy hours and late night specials (starting at 10pm), El Chucho is a great neighborhood Mexican spot! read more
10 months ago
Was our 1st time stopping by . Was looking for nice cozy place to go to on a chilly night after a long day at work. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing The employees were friendly and welcoming The food was well served and had delicious flavor There is so many options to choose from. We will definitely be returning. read more
9 months ago
Let me start off with the good. The food is incredible. Everything we had was excellent. Let me also just get the bat out of the way. The restaurant at a 1.95% surcharge on all checks, however, the issue is that the surcharge is actually not 1.95%. It is closer to 2% or 2.1% . This is a little scummy by the establishment. However, like I said, the food is excellent. We started off with the queso fundido. This had so much flavor with the fresh tomatoes and onions on top, but the Cheez itself was grilled beautifully. The tortillas were also double layers and tasted fresh and homemade. Then we got some tacos. The duck tacos are by far the best that this place has. Super crispy and flavorful duck. That taco lives rent free in my mind. The Ahi tuna taco was also very unique as I had not tried this before. Seared ahi tuna was cooked really well. I do wish they had served this with some lime to bring it together. Finally, we tried the chicken tacos. These were also excellent, however, I personally prefer Pollo Asado over shredded chicken. Again, I think if they added a salsa or some lime, this would really bring the dish together well. The mango Agua fresco was delicious. Refreshing, bubbly, but they only give you a small quantity and fill it to the brim with ice. Service overall was fine. They came by once to fill up our water, and maybe two other times to just check on us. The atmosphere is also excellent. They have an upstairs enclosed heated area, which was nice to get away from the rowdiness at the bar downstairs. Overall, I would come back just for the queso as well as the duck tacos. read more
Came here with my husband and I friend and would definitely come back. Food was good and reasonably priced. We sat outside on their terrace and got a few refills on our drinks. They're dog friendly so I also enjoyed watching the pups. read more
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I've only been here a couple of times, but each time I left fully satisfied. The first time I dined her, we ate outside under their tented seating. It was on a weeknight so they weren't terribly busy, but the there was still enough energy for it to feel vibrant. I ordered the ahi tuna tacos and they were bangin'. The portion was perfect and the seared ahi tuna was topped with pineapple salsa, pickled shallots, avocado and drizzled with jalapeno-cilantro aioli. The blend of flavors did a happy dance on my tongue with each bite, making devilishly delicious as well as satisfying. I also really love the selection of agua frescas. When I'm in the mood for a non-alcoholic option, I'll order the hibiscus and find it so refreshing that it's become my go-to beverage when dining here. So although I've only recently discovered El Chucho (when my best friend moved down the street) it's quickly becoming a fave! read more
Found this place on Yelp...and I'm glad I did! It's a tiny place, but it was a nice night and they have a big patio, so we sat out there. The salsa was better than nearly any other restaurant I can remember. The elote was amazing! Our server suggested the flautas and that was an excellent recommendation! I had the asada tacos - they were good but a little dry. My daughter really enjoyed the birria quesa-taco. Overall, a really tasty dining experience! And it's super inexpensive! read more
3 years ago
Came here with friends based on a couple recommendations around the Columbia Heights area. Cute place for a casual meetup with friends or a date! The menu had a good variety of taco options and while it's not as you'd get in actual Mexico, it's pretty authentic all things considered. For a table of 3, we shared chips and the ceviche. It was a really cute and interesting take on ceviche and tasty too, I just wish there was more! Food was pretty good, nothing amazing but no complaints. Service could've been better but not that bad. Just had to ask for chips a couple times and we didn't see our server much during our entire meal so getting water refilled and our check took longer than ideal. read more
9 months ago
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9 months ago
Great food, great music and atmosphere. Came here for a casual Saturday brunch. There was not a lot of inside seating, and it was way too hot outside to sit outside but we got a table. They had a huge drink menu, service was quick and friendly, and the food was great! read more
2 years ago
It's my first time at this spot. The churros are amazing! Will definitely have more pictures coming soon though. read more
5 years ago
Went for brunch with a few friends. Vibe- if you haven't been to this spot it's so darn cozy and the decor is fun and festive. It's locally own and has a chill and vibrant vibe. Food- there was so much variety in the options. Salad, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and so much more. I got the shrimp tacos and elote and it was super tasty. My friends got the breakfast burrito with home fries (super crispy and delish) and taco platter. Service- everyone that helped us was personable, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. COVID- staff was all wearing masks and you needed to show proof of vaccination to enter. read more
Great brunch options as well as unique coffee selections. They brought back the chiliqueles which I would definitely recommend trying out, but don't be afraid to use your hands. Staff was fast and friendly, this restaurant had everything you'd look for in a solid brunch place. Suggestion from my Mexican friend - for the chiliqueles the salsa verde would work better than salsa roja read more
If you're looking for a budget friendly bottomless brunch, this is the place to go! For $35, you can get 1 entree and bottomless drinks. What I love about this place is that it has multiple drink options and not just your classic OJ mimosa (try the tamarind mimosa, it's my favorite). I got the pollo burrito along with it, which also was great. The place is a bit small, but they make up for it with great food and service. We had an extremely kind waiter that made sure we never had an empty glass. It's definitely one of the cheaper bottomless brunch places in DC, but the food and drink quality are definitely worth more than the price. I do wish there was a bottomless food option, or a multiple course option, though. It definitely could add to the experience since it's a lot of drinks but not as much food. read more
2 years ago
One of my favorite taco spots in DC! Seating is very limited so small parties are better (4 at most really; 2 is better) and only street parking is available but the staff is friendly, the food and drinks here are actually good AND it's reasonably priced for the city so it's totally worth it! Fyi they also have many vegetarian and non alcoholic cocktail options here. I have tried their tacos al pastor, fish, shrimp, steak and elote, and I also love their salsa and guacamole! I'll keep coming back more! read more
Finally! A taco place that reminds me a tad but of home. First off, I wanna talk about the vibes of this place. If you've been to Por Que No in Portland, this is totally what El Chucho reminds me off. Fun decorations, great music, easy going people. Love love love! Secondly, the tacos. Two for $8... best deal I've definitely come across in the DMV so far. They're small as they should be but GREAT IN FLAVOR. I tried the carne asada and was impressed with how well it was cooked. The steak was really tender... I really wanted to try more but I was also so full. DEFINITELY GOING BACK! Lastly, the margaritas were sooo good! The frozen margaritas tend to have habanero and the fresh ones had jalapeño. Just an interesting FYI but that kick definitely came through and I absolutely loved it. read more
I ordered delivery for dinner tonight and had a taste for tacos so I decided on El Chucho. I'd never had them before but the reviews were pretty good and the prices were even better compared to another place I usually order tacos from. I had the Al Pastor Tacos, Carne Asada Tacos, Elote Callejero and Churros. I enjoyed the Carne Asada Tacos and the steak was really tender. The Al Pastor Tacos were a different story and the pork had an interesting taste I didn't like. The Elote Callejero was good although the way it was packaged seemed unconventional. It was wrapped in paper and foil so when you unwrap it, most of the cheese and mayo come off with the paper. The churros weren't as crispy as I would like either but there's enough in one order for sharing. I was pleased enough that I would order again and try some different items on the menu. read more
I came to El Chucho with some friends and thought it was a pretty average brunch spot. My chilaquiles were ok. The staff was great and very attentive and the space is nice as well. It's a reliable hangout spot for friends in need of a quick sit down meal or margs. read more
Came here for Happy Hour right before the world shut down and really enjoyed it. My one complaint is that the service was super slow and the unlimited HH is valid only during the HH hours, so you pay the same regardless of what time you actually sit down. So we paid for 2 hours but were only got an hour, which was a bummer, esp since they only let you order one drink pp at a time. The guac is delicious, and I actually love all the food on the HH menu. They all pair really well with an ice cold marg. read more
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El Chucho - mexican - Updated August 2026
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