Yesterday was the opening night and was excited for a new tacos establishment in the U St corridor. The tacos were delicious-- top 3 in DC for sure. However, yesterday the service was in disarray. It took over one hour for 4 tacos to arrive. Patrons who arrived 30 minutes after me got their tacos first. When I asked the bartender about my food, all I was told was, "It's a small kitchen." Tip for these successful restaurant owners that should be shared with the bartenders and waitresses-- maybe you could at least get the patrons their chips and guacamole first while they wait for their tacos. These should NEVER come AFTER the tacos. BUT as I said before, tacos are good and they are open late. read more

El Rey - Pork and Steak Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Nice place to grab a happy hour drink. They have a retractable roof patio in the back area which is especially nice when the weather is nice. Only slight issue is the margaritas are pre-made, I am normally a fan of make them as you go instead of a giant tub that sits out over time. With that said the margaritas are still decent, nice use of mix with just enough alcohol to give you a decent buzz. The happy hour pitcher prizes are great and could easily satisfy 3 to 4 people from my pitcher. No need to order anything to eat as I was less than impressed by pork taco, too small, not enough flavor, not worth the effort to order. Place is great for a nice place to start the evening with happy hour with a few friends, the outdoor patio is perfect for socializing and enjoying the weather. read more

El Rey - Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I basically come here once a week for happy hour, steak nachos, a chicken taco and a fish taco with my cousin. We could eat the nachos a couple times a week because they are that good. They are sloppy, but exactly what I like.. melted cheese, jalapeños, black beans, meat and lime. I always get a side of sour cream (theirs has a unique taste). Now that I'm done bragging about the 4 star nachos, here are the pros and cons: Pros: One pitcher is enough for two people to enjoy about 2-3 glasses. They are strong! Food and drinks come out quickly. Most of the restaurant is a patio, so in the summer the roof is open with fans and in the winter they have heaters. Cons: The place is always crowded during happy hour, usually to the point that you can't find a seat anywhere including the bar. You have to hustle for a table.. literally. Additionally, service is typically mediocre and no workers actually care. It's almost like they know people are going to come there regardless. Lastly, beware of their drinks. The margs are strong because the bartenders pour every type of alcohol they have behind the bar in them and add margarita mix. I usually choose frozen, but they are similarly strong. This isn't necessarily a con until you are sick the next morning! Overall, this place is a barebones HH spot. Rather enjoying HH or not, I doubt I'll ever stop coming to this place because of the nachos haha. read more

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

Late NIght Review El Rey is another one of the bars on my U street bar hopping list. They' have a solid draft list as well as a variety of cocktails. If you want the status of bottle popping you can by margaritas by the pitcher. Nothing improves the appearance of your group like a bunch of margarita pitchers at your table. All jokes aside they are good,strong margaritas. There is seating late night, which gives you a chance to really people watch and enjoy the drinks. There is also late night tacos and other Mexican dishes. It's not much of a dancing bar which isn't too say you can't have your own dance party but just know you might stand out because most people come to El Rey for a conversation based night. Overall it's a solid bar for conversations with friends or a date read more

I liked this spot for happy hour but don't expect specials. The tacos were good enough for a bar and they are tiny so you need to order 2-3 to coat your belly. I tried the steak & Thai shrimp tacos. The steak was too dry for me. The shrimp was sweet & the pickled veggies on top with aioli were good. Drinks - I had a white wine Sangria & a cocktail called Ensenada which was sweet & had a little kick to it with the chipotle. We loved the outdoor space & the service could be a little faster. Overall, a cool spot to grab drinks & nibble on some tacos. read more

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A solid 4-star experience. Here's the breakdown that contributed to the rating: 1) Great location! It's right on U Street (U & 9th to be exact) in the middle of all the action. 2) Great margaritas! A pitcher allowed three of us to have two drinks each. 3) The nachos were AMAZING! It can definitely be a meal for one person or an app for 3-4 people. We added carne asada to ours and it was amazing! 4) Great vibe inside. The entire restaurant is designed from shipping containers and it gives it a very cool, neo-hipster feel to it. What prevented it from getting that firth star? This: 1) I am a sucker for Mexican street corn and although the corn was decent, it wasn't the best in DC (Go to El Chucho in Columbia Heights for DC's best Mexican street corn). 2) The service wasn't the best. It wasn't super crowded and our waiter never came to our table. The bartender came and took our orders (props to him!). read more

The ambiance is really cool - outdoors, in a shipping container, pinatas and lights hanging from the roof. I've got to give them credit for that. And the tacos are delicious - full of flavor and all those small ingredients that I usually forget to buy when I'm making tacos at home (cilantro, lime, red onion bits). The only thing I can complain about is that the corn tortilla was a bit dried out. I know corn tortillas are more authentic, but it'd be nice if they offered a flour tortilla option. BUT they were tiny! Seriously, I ate my taco in 2 bites. And for $3 a taco, it would've taken 8 tacos ($24) to fill me up. So while I might be back for the drinks, I would not come here again for an actual meal. read more

Wanted to echo some concerns in the thread re: questionable business practices / theft concerns. After I paid, I left and realized they didn't give me my credit card back. I hadn't been out of the restaurant for more than 5 mins and was 1 of 2 patrons at the bar, so I was a bit surprised when the bartender didn't seem to recognize me but also didn't ask when I had left the card. He said he didn't have it. We started looking under tables in the restaurant and in the restroom even though we were pretty sure we never received the card back, until one of the employees told us he found it in the very back of the restaurant in an area we never were. We thought the whole thing was a bit strange and told a friend who said he had his credit card stolen there. Avoid and if you have to go, pay cash. read more

Great atmosphere, good tacos, still growing. After all the hype around El Rey, I've been excited about this place for months. I finally got to go out for a drink and some tacos at the coolest construction site to ever hit DC. On that note, the place is gorgeous. You feel like you're walking into a unique and huge cantina somewhere in central america. For that, A+. The Drinks Huerta Urabana ($10): C Not my thing, but others at my table loved it. Grub: Tacos al Pastor ($3). A Roasted pork shoulder that was tender, pineapple to make it sweet (but not too sweet), picked onions, and chipotle aioli to top it off. Everything was amazingly well balanced and delicious. Carnitas ($3). B+ Roasted pork shoulder (still tender), radish, onions, cilantro. Good, but no additional sauce to really tie it together. I just wanted a little something more. And that is where El Rey leave me--wanting a little something more. I think it will eventually find it's place, but it will take time. Willing to be patient because I think the space has a lot to offer, just excited to see it happen. read more

El Rey - The spread. - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Met up with some friends midweek for some drinks and snacks, just missed happy hour but still ordered my fill. Nachos and tacos were tolerable but not particularly flavorful or tasty. Drinks were strong. Service was hit or miss. One of the bartenders had a really aloof attitude, very standoffish and removed. I was sitting, drinking, and dining at the bar but when I asked for a glass of water he directed me to get up and go down to the water station at the end of the bar. Weird considering my friends had also gotten water from their bartender, who was very friendly. Luckily I wasn't sitting by the water station though because when it came time to fill it, the barback was a bit careless and poured water all over my friend. He was apologetic though so we were able to laugh it off, just wanted to warn everyone to raise their umbrellas at water cooler refill time. Besides that, it was a cool atmosphere and I'd go back if someone was having an event/hh but I probably wouldn't suggest it or go on my own accord. read more

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Thought when I got an Uber eats order and asked for the sauce on the side I would actually get it but I paid $14 for this... read more

El Rey - Two shrimp tacos and a fish taco - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The food at this place is not good. almost an embarrassment of pathetic tacos. I understand it is located in the U street/Shaw district but it does not grant any excuse for the food to be less than average. Not impressed read more

Horrible place to go food sucks 1/10 and the service is horrible maybe one of the worst Mexican bars in d.c, if you want to go at night it worse, they have no body inside, but make everyone wait outside to make it look like it's packed, I also waited in line for 40 minute just to get kicked out of line bc someone jumped in behind me in the line, all together if u want to go out on U street, go to Capo deli, do not support this shitty place, Trust me and don't waste ur time or money. read more

Honestly we got here and no one is taking pictures.It was really awkward. The food came on time i didn't know it would but It did and it was uncomfortable with me got kicked out with the bartender. read more

So I came all the way from Atlanta to try this place and it did not disappoint. I loved the container look of this restaurant and luckily the weather was in our favor. The alpastor & shrimp tacos were my absolute favorite tacos. The chicken nachos were fantastic as well. I love that everything was a la cartel making it easy to order a lot of different things and try them all. When your in the DC area it's a must try. The area is super cute. read more

El Rey - Chicken tacos...perfect!!!! - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have been here a couple times for drinks, chips, and salsa. I ordered the Michelada (the best I have ever had), Elote (the best I have ever had), obviously chips and salsa (better than most). The place has a chill vibe and definitely reminds me of Mexico (in a good way). Great place to for drinks with your friends or to have a bite to eat. They had a band out front when you walk in, pretty dope group. read more

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

Spent many a happy hour at this spot - they have great micheladas and the food is great for having drinks with. Active atmosphere and fun place to meet up with friends. read more

Fun spot for drinks on a weekend! I usually split a pitcher here, grab some chips and (surprisingly good!) guac and have a great time. El Rey for some reason attracts a really nice crowd. Every time I've been here I've started great conversations with strangers, and there is a generally friendly vibe. The staff aren't the most helpful - but the rest of it makes up for it! read more

El Rey - Carne Asada Nachos. Glorious. - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

El Rey is always LIVE at night, and I have had some great times here, even bumping into old college friends. On the whole, the food is mediocre, but no one comes to this bar thinking that they're going to be blown away by the culinary experience, so #manageexpectations. That said, I don't want to ding their tacos, which always come with fresh ingredients. But I do have to ding their nachos, which come with this "cheese" that...well, let's just say I have had concession stand cheese that's less sketchy and tastes better. The standard margaritas are OK but they generally use well tequila, so if you want an upgrade, ask for something more along the lines of Avión. Service is hit or miss--last week, it was a miss because our server had a visible grimace when he came over and he retained it the whole evening. All in all, El Rey is a cool place. I wish they didn't allow smoking in the quasi-outdoor space that is their back dining area, though. read more

First time visiting yesterday and the tacos (had the chorizo taco of the day), margs and bartenders were awesome!! Only reason I won't give 5 stars was the initial contact/impression left by the "door guy"... it's 5:45ish on a Sunday afternoon. We go to walk into the restaurant and there is a guy sitting 6 or more feet from the door playing on his phone who snaps his head up as we are opening the door and barks "Yo, you can't just walk up in the club without showing id's"... Lol okay dude. How about you position yourself directly by the door and pay attention to the people entering the premises, maybe? Also "the club"? Nah, definitely not a club. Literally no reason for him to throw the attitude for us not realizing there was a door guy based on the surrounding circumstances... read more

Went to Happy Hour because we heard a lot about it. Unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. Maybe our expectations were too high. The atmosphere was okay. The bartender was very nice. The tacos were okay, nothing to tell your friends about. The tamale was actually very good. I would order that again. The music wasn't very lively (but it did start to change as we were leaving so maybe it was about to get better). The drinks were cheap during happy hour but the strawberry margarita was not as strong as the other reviews make it seem. It wasn't bad tho, just very sweet. I wouldn't be against going back but it probably wouldn't be my first choice. read more

Can I say 10 stars for how strong the margaritas were?!?! Hahaha! I love it here! The margaritas are strong and great! I love the nachos. It makes me think of California every time I come here. The vibe is great and the servers are awesome! Thank you for a great time! read more

I see the rating for this place and I am surprised. This place is right in the heart of the action near 9:30 club in the U street/Shaw area and in my experiences there it has delivered consistently awesome Mexican fare. When you go - keep in mind you can order all food/drink you need at the bar and there is also a separate section where you get attention from a server. There is a good selection of beers on tap and also cocktails/margaritas. If you are with a group, definitely consider the margarita by pitcher option - while it may look pricey at first, it will save you $$$ if you have three or more people who want to boogie. The food menu is heavily loaded with tacos and that is what I normally go with. Two of my favorites are the De Pescado (fish taco w/ homemade slaw and green salsa) and the Queso Con Hongos (vegetarian taco - lots of veggies, sauce and cotija cheese). If you want to branch out, there are other standard mexican options like quesadillas and nachos. All in - with location, the quality of the food options and ample drink selections, El Rey is always an option when I am in the area. read more

El Rey - Veggie and fish taco - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A cute little place. Friendly staff down to earth people. A real chill place to kick back have a few drinks and hang out with friends. Highly recommend this place for anyone. Good service by moises... read more

Got wicked food poisoning last night from the fish tacos. Where do I send my ambulance bill?

As a party of two at 9pm on a Tuesday, we were able to easily pick from a few different tables at this seat-yourself place. The noise level was pretty high and was about equal in the front inside section and the back open-air section. The Korean Beef taco (the daily special), was probably our favorite--it was spicy and delicious. The Al Pastor (pork and pineapple) was a great mix of savory and sweet. I wasn't impressed by the Adobo Chicken: nothing memorable. The Ensenada cocktail was fine but not impressive, but I'd highly recommend the hot chocolate if you're feeling chilled. It comes topped with real whipped cream, it's thick, and it has just the right amount of cinnamon to give it a bit of a kick. Admittedly, our server was charmingly inept; either that, or there was a serious problem in the kitchen. He wrote our order on his hand, in pen, which had us a bit worried (what if he ran out of room?!)...and we didn't get 4 of our 6 tacos at first. But he solved the problem quickly and took the missing tacos off our bill without us having to ask, which was much appreciated. In any case, the blips with the service didn't really mar the experience. The place is magical-beautiful, the food was good, and at least on a weekday night the vibe was spot-on. read more

My first and definitely not my last time at El Rey. I planned an early birthday happy hour with friends before I went to see Alice Smith in concert. The pitcher of margaritas were delicious and a great deal. You know, I grew up in TX where happy hour margaritas were $.25 a glass and when you stood up from drinking a couple of dollars worth, welllllllllllllllllllll, you just toppled over. I felt just like that at El Rey. If it weren't for the videos I recorded of Alice Smith singing, I wouldn't have remembered the concert. Hahahahahahaha Anyway, I loved my fish tacos. Great cilantro jalapeño sauce, needed more fish though. My friends ordered the chicken nachos and an assortment of tacos. Good food, good prices, good times. We'll definitely be back soon. read more

I've been to El Rey in the light and during the dark (aka the night time). Either or, they are both a good time. It looks like a big container bar but is still open in the winter and warm enough to enjoy. It can be a hit or miss on who is there, sometimes an older crowd, sometimes a college crowd. I just enjoy the fact that their food is actually good- highly recommend the chips and salsa or their quesadillas. read more

This is a review of security and safety: So I'm a big fan of el Rey, I go easily once a week and always come with a group but yesterday was wild. I was there yesterday during the day with some friends to day drink and I get grabbed by a guy and called a racist c*** and watched security talk to the guy even after he admitted he grabbed me, as far as I'm concerned he should've been thrown out immediately for putting his hands on me, there is nothing I could've done that should've warranted that behavior by a man and even worse that security didn't throw him out AND I had to leave. So apparently when I say drink here I have to come with my own security...smh... read more

Great vibe and friendly service, but unfortunately the food leaves quite a bit to be desired. Their guacamole lacks texture and is overly acidic. The hongos tacos were overcooked and watery; in general, just a lack of seasoning. A great place to go for drinks, but I'd get your food somewhere else. read more

Crowded bar Terrible music You wait in line for the LONGEST time And their drinks are overpriced simply to be watered down. Worst experience by far. Not a place I recommend if your trying to have a good time. read more

OMG. MISS JOJO WAS THAT GURL. SHE GOT MY SISTERS LIT. So sweet, so fun, and SO FAB. Please book her for your table cause she don't F around. My gurl knows what's up!!! Y read more

Ms. JoJo took such good care of us! We love El Rey but she took our experience to another level. Her attention and attitude was EVERYTHING.

My friend and I visited this location for our weekly edition of "Taco Tuesdays". I was thoroughly impressed with the menu specials for tacos. Even though we missing the happy hour, we still enjoyed ourselves. My friend ordered the carne asada, al pastor, and thai shrimp (2) tacos, and I ordered the adobo chicken (2) tacos. Everything was great and well seasoned! The only thing that I thought was a little strange was that we weren't offered chips and salsa with our meal. Other than that, everything was great! read more

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

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Their al pastor and veggie tacos are some of the best I've ever had. Nachos are amazing also. On top of the good food, their margaritas get your VERY lit. read more

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

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I have been there numerous times, and I have loved it since the very first time. The drinks there are good, the bartenders are even better. Over the years you make friends with these bartenders and they always treat you with the upmost respect and care. The food while drinking there is probably the most accommodating food for beer or even hard liquor. It is so satisfying! My biggest suggestion would be the shrimp tacos, quesadilla and the nachos. Those are the bomb! read more

The margarita carafes always lead to a good night whenever my friends order one. The drinks are super strong, so don't go too crazy. I find the strawberry margarita flavor to be kind of nasty and would recommend sticking to the classic. If you do end up going too crazy with the margaritas definitely give the tacos a try, they are quite good. This bar almost always has a good amount of people in it, and the crowd tends to have some diversity which is appreciated. It's more of a casual feel, Ive never really seen anyway dancing or turning up too much. It is partially outside in the summer and generally is just a nice establishment. read more

If you're on U st. It's a must. Miguel and the whole staff are super awesome! The food is dank! Margaritas on margaritas on margaritas!

I really love the tacos from here. The DC taco is my favorite. If you like Mumbo Sauce you should really try this! Great atmosphere. Nice Happy Hour place. On Saturday you get a pictcher of Margarita for $24 before 3pm! Outside eatery is nice. You order at the bar and they give you number on which the waiter will bring your food out. I'm not a big fan of self seating, we really wanted to sit outside but all the seats were taken. You can mix up your taco combinations which I really like so that you purchase one taco if you would like. Great social place and tacos! read more

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You come here to get drunk off margs. Their margs are amazing but you will get drunk quick. The nachos are the die for but I don't really have them sober.... The crowd gets rowdy and it's definitely somewhere you can go for a pre bday party or Sunday funday! read more