I'm actually surprised by all the bad reviews here for this...which is why I was initially skeptical and didn't come for a long while. Listen, we're not in Cali where delicious tacos (even for breakfast) just fall off trees. There frankly isn't a sizable Mexican population in DC, so we have great Salvadorean and Peruvian food, but our tacos generally suck, despite being such an intrinsic part of American culture now. So, if you are expecting your hole-in-the-wall LA taqueria with tongue tacos on 2 corn tortillas, cilantro, onion and lime and nothing else, this isn't it. That being said, yes, they were a bit small. I'm ok with that because the tacos were surprisingly flavorful and filling. The al pastor taco had a very good texture, just the right amount of fat, not chewy, not too liquidy either. And it had a good flavor, a little spice, a good amount of pineapple, and a tasty sauce on top. I also had a special peking duck taco they had, which was pretty good...had it on flour tortilla and tasted like I expected -- crispy Peking duck with plum sauce (clearly not Mexican). Despite being small, the tacos were surprisingly substantial. I had 2 and felt full enough. If I had been really hungry, I'd get 3 and maybe some chips. Still, not that expensive by DC standards. The things are only a few bucks and are good quality. Moreover, the place was just kind cool. It reminded me of Austin, with a nice little outdoor patio, hip decor, and a chill bar. Very loud though. read more

El Rey does tacos. Tasty, tasty tacos. I tried them all on this visit (chicken in adobo, pork with pineapple, spicy beef, and fish), and the baja style fish ones were my favorites, although someone had a heavy hand with the sauces, so it was definitely a four napkin job to eat them. We sat out in the 'patio' area of the restaurant (still enclosed with walls, but with an open roof) and ordered some freshly fried chips and guac as we sat down. We enjoyed them with a couple michealadas, a beer based cocktail with tomato juice and lime that tastes much better than it sounds (not made with the Boh that night, though...). Our second round included the 'short mexican stiffy,' a smokey and intense little number, with mezcal and orange making tequila into something more interesting than a margarita. I did notice that they allow smoking in their outdoor back garden, which is the nicest place to sit, so if that concerns you, I wouldn't go here; their indoor seating is not sufficiently separate. (I would hope when the roll they roof back in the winter that cancer sticks will not be allowed, but you never know.) This is a good, solid four star place. Service was excellent (caveat: we went there before 7PM on a weeknight), the menu was short enough that the kitchen excelled at everything they cooked and the cocktails were innovative and tasty. I was surprised it wasn't more crowded, either, as their happy hour specials were good. read more

Came here last night for HH. Good location on U street with plenty of space in the back, and it wasn't too crowded when I arrived at 6pm on a Friday (what a treat compared to the mob at some other HH spots!). The deals are fine, but you have to explicitly ask about HH specials because they stock the normal menu on every table. Margarita pitchers are $18 (vs. regular $28, yeesh!) and tasty enough. What really disappointed me is the food. Their elote, or corn on the cob covered in cheese and crema, was a boiled cob absolutely drowning in crema. If you want better elote, go to Taco Bamba in Falls Church (or better yet, ask my friend Sharada to make you one!). The chips are $3/tray and come with no sides. Guac was also $3 in came in a tiny plastic cup. Service was speedy, but it was clearly because the chips and sides are sitting lined up for a runner to grab. I enjoyed my al pastor taco, but again, you can get tastier tacos elsewhere--even District Taco impressed me more. Quick note to people who can't stand cigarette smoke: the back half of the restaurant is patio-esque but covered, so smoking is permitted. read more

As an Angelina (CA), I can say I know good tacos. El Rey has a good ambiance and great set-up, but the food isn't on-par. Food: My friend and I tried the guacamole, Tacos de: asada, carnitas, and al pastor. The tacos are small for $3 a pop (which I know is the norm around here) and usually include an additional ingredient which takes away from the taste it should have. They added a pickled vegetable to the tacos, which is more of a Salvadorian/Central American custom. The carnitas taco had a spicy mayo sauce which completely ruined it. Like many imitation "mexican" spots in the DMV area, this one too has a central american twist which is quite disappointing. The guacamole was a joke...they served about two tablespoons of it in a small sauce-cup with about 15 extra salty chips. Don't recommend it... Drinks: We tried the margaritas which were good, but nothing to brag about. Overall recommendation: Cool spot for spring/summer with a nice ambiance for drinks, but save yourselves the disappointment and avoid the food. read more

Yessss. I genuinely really like this place. Love the rooftop patio; kinda has a chill "perfect for summer" vibe. But if you want AC you can sit "inside" and still feel like you're outside! but MOST IMPORTANTLY, I came for happy hour and ordered a margarita on the rocks, going with my usual assumption that on the rocks is stronger than frozen bc it's not so watered down -boy was I wrong! It was so weak. Well, why did I still give it 4 stars? Because as the bartender pointed out, their FROZEN MARGARITAS ARE NOT BLENDED WITH ICE!-- They literally just make a strong ass margarita and freeze it! no ice! so its actually the STRONGEST margarita they have. In other words, get the frozen. You'll be happy and everyone around you will too. I also had the nachos, which were INCREDIBLE cheesy melty goodness. read more

Went here last night. when I got to the front of the line the bouncers spent fifteen minutes grilling me about my ID before they just took it from me. It was my legal ID, not a fake. I don't have an ID now. read more

El Rey is one of those hard-to-find places where both the drinks and atmoshpere, as well as the food, are both fantastic. Get the tacos! There is an indoor and semi-outdoor (roof opens up) section with lots of great nooks that you can seperate into with your group. Later at night the whole place is activated and great music, drinks and dancing fill the floors. It is, of course, very difficult to get a drink at the bar late at night, and it gets too crowded, so try to go in the afternoon for food or before 10pm if you want space and service. You've also got to try their tacos, which are some of the best I've had in DC, suprisingly. They taste so fresh and light, but flavorful as hell. read more

Went for dinner and drinks the other night with a few friends. Place was busy even on the Wednesday before Christmas. I had a michelada, this was my first time trying the drink, so I cant compare, but it was fizzy and spicy and good. I also got 3 corn tortilla tacos: al pastor, carne asada and de pescado. The al pastor and de pescado were excellent combinations and super delicious. Unfortunately the carne asada wasn't as good-the meat was super dry and overall that kinda ruined the deliciousness. It was edible, just wouldn't get it again. Awesome place to hang out with people-they have heat lamps for winter so you don't freeze, but those can be inconsistent based on location. read more

Came in randomly with some friends after a rowdy brunch so needlessly to say we were famished. I got a Michelada in anticipation on a possible hangover the next day and it was great. Certainly not the best but still good in my opinion. I got 3 tacos. The Vegan which left me pretty bummed. There was nothing truly WOW about it. The Fish Taco which was definitely better but still meh. The real winner was the Shrimp Taco. I actually ended up ordering two more of those. They were scrumptious. That's saying something when I'm under the influence. Service was fast and the staff were very nice. I would definitely give this place another shot and try other menu items if I'm in the area. read more

Disclaimer: the margaritas are STRONG. Which is fine by me. But if I come for happy hour, I'm usually done by 10. Ha! As most people on here say, the ambiance is great. I love the concept, it's fun and a bit off-beat - for DC anyway. The first time I went, though, I was very confused as to the process of ordering: go to the bar, or expect to be waited on? Apparently, it depends where you sit. But the service is usually pretty quick. The tacos are good, though a bit messy. I don't like a ton of sauces on my tacos (cilantro, lime juice, salsa fresca and I'm good). But they're tasty anyway. I love the chips and guacamole. The saltiness of the chips aren't a turn off for me either, particularly after a few margs. read more

Stopped in for dinner on a Wednesday night. Ordered chips and guacamole, multiple tacos and beer. There was a good Latin beer selection. The tacos were each $3 and decently sized. I felt 3 tacos plus chips and beer was quite filling. The tacos do not skimp on the meat and were delicious. The margaritas were a little overpriced for the size. The atmosphere was nice. Since the restaurant is made out of shipping containers, it can get pretty loud. If packed, I could see it being very loud. Overall, looking forward to going back. read more

Looking for the best tacos in dc? Keep searching. Tacos are overloaded with sauce to mask flavors of the ingredients. Corn was labeled grilled on the menu but turned out to be cooked, waiters acknowledged. On a lazy Saturday afternoon, staff was too busy chatting or making drinks for themselves to provide adequate service. They serve Mezcal but couldn't make a Bloody Maria. They also brought tortillas to the table and charged for them without us ordering. They kindly took it off the bill. Definitely like the atmosphere and decor but better save this place for happy hour or drinks and skip the meal. read more

I had heard lukewarm responses to El Rey since it opened up, but after the visit, I don't see why. It's a cool space (can't wait for that roof to open in spring), interesting decor, and every staff member I had interaction with was nice and helpful. The girlfriend and myself got six tacos, chips and queso, and a pitcher of margarita, for a reasonable price. People saying the prices are too high -- I'm not understanding those people. The tacos were good, nothing wrong there, I like the queso, and the marg was the highlight. Basically, it was exactly what I came in for. It wasn't high cuisine, but it was perfect for my expectations, and my craving that day. I'll for sure be back read more

Pretty underwhelming - the margaritas were subpar and small for the prices. Chips were over-salted and not fresh/warm, (or complimentary, unlike the competition in the city) and the guacamole was brought in a TINY cup and had huge onion and pepper chunks and very little flavor. We still held out hopefully for the duck tacos we had heard about... They too were disappointing - drenched in an overbearing sauce and a little dry. Same went for the fish tacos. The best thing about this place was the ambience. The shipping containers and outdoorsy/beer garden colorful vibe is fun and when the rooftop opens I can see it being popular. A good crowd was there already but if this place wants to stay relevant with us foodies it better step up it's game. Not adding to my favorites. Nothing was bad, but there are much better places around! read more

This is one of my favorite places to go during the week. The tacos are great and so are the margaritas. The back area is also best when it's warm out and the roof is opened up. If you're walking home on a weekend night, it's also worth checking out El Rey's late night menu which you can order from at a walk up window near the front door. read more

Chips to pico ratio is poor at best. We came to El Ray to celebrate P****** birthday with high hopes, but left greatly disappointed. One star because we were offered k*tamine in line. I get it's U street but come on. Margs are heavy on tequila - for that I'll up it to two stars. read more

It's all about the patio baby! From the exterior, you'd think.....what is this, dystopic future Mad Max sequel in D.C.! Shipping containers staked high and a bouncer! But one you get past the front room and kitchen, a sprawling back-yard and bar is at your disposal. We came on a Saturday night and the place was jumping. The taco portions have seemingly increased since some of the pictures on here were posted. The home made margaritas are fresh and perfect. No fuss, just done well! This is my late summer night jam spot for back-yard relaxing with a marg!! read more

El Rey's is honestly hit or miss food wise . The first time I went, this summer, was on Tamale Tuesday and it was the best tamale I've ever had. I was especially happy they had vegetarian tamales which aren't typical at most Mexican restaurants . The second time I went I ordered the same, hoping for the same salty savory experience. However, my tamale was super mushy and undercooked. The tacos and nachos are average . I tried a shrimp taco and fish taco, they were tasty enough but despite the cilantro and crema , didn't have a very impactful flavor . Still, for only $2-3 dollars, I can't complain . The best part of this place is definitely the margaritas. Frozen or regular , strawberry or lime, they're strong and delicious . That's what we all go to happy hour for anyway, so I left happy . read more

I'm usually a fan of El Rey because it is less crowded than its neighbor, Dodge City. I came here a couple of weeks back and this place was PACKED! Not that I minded THAT much, because there was still some places that I could stand without getting stepped on (read: away from the bar). My beef with El Rey is this: people were dropping glasses LEFT AND RIGHT and the staff was not quick to clean up the shards of glass on the floor. I was walking on glass ALL night. I informed an employee about the broken glass everywhere and he was not quick to clean it up. Definitely a safety hazard for tons of people in sandals. I would say that El Rey should probably work on their crowd control and clean up to ensure the safety of its patrons. read more

This was my favorite place to eat until I recently went with my friend to get food here and we both got food poisoning. I emailed the GM and never heard back about the issue. I am not sure if they switched the kitchen staff or what. We ordered the nachos and quesadilla. read more

I went to El Rey on a Friday night for a friend's birthday. The food was absolutely phenomenal. Three days later, I'm still salivating over the corn on the cob slathered in cotija cheese with paprika and lime. Absolutely amazing. You really can't beat $3 tacos and $5 tall boys. The patio area is awesome on a breezy summer night and the service was great given how crowded it was. I was shocked at how attentive our server was. Only downside - it was exceptionally loud. read more

I went to El Rey for a Birthday/ HH event on a Thursday and despite the reviews from friends about the tacos and nachos being good I was NOT impressing. The chicken taste as if it come out of a can and the tacos were beyond "personal" they were truly bite size and I don't not think it was worth the money. The margaritas where extremely weak. read more

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

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Cool place. I love the vibe and the shipping container concept. The atmosphere and interior is AAA, great for socializing with friends in a sexy, yet semi avant-guard place. I'm a pretty decent fan of Hilton Bros. stuff. I can't comment on the drinks as of yet. The food: Yes the tacos are small and relatively expensive. The carne asada taco contained one (1) long tough chunk of skirt steak cut with the grain as opposed to against it. (Skirt steak is a moderately tough cut that is usually cut against the grain of the meat to facilitate chewing and biting...) The queso y hongos taco was completely forgettable. I guess I was just eating...something.... Bleh. Pico was good, but there wasn't very much of it. The relleno was EXCELLENT. I'd def go back and get 1-3 rellenos. I don't smoke cigarettes anymore, but it's really cool that they let you smoke in the demi-enclosed rear "patio". Hmm, I wonder of they allow cigar smoking............... read more

Great decor and outdoor seating. We sat at an outdoor table and waited ten minutes for service. Finally got up and ordered at the bar. Apparently, specific tables outside are bar service only (no signs, and noone told us). $6 guacamole was the size of a 6 ounce night creme sample. I asked for salsa and was told there's no salsa, then was brought a bottle of hot sauce. Chips without salsa?! read more

Tacos.. small. Pretty good. I suggest the Carnitas, Pastor, Fish, and Carnitas. Service. Not great. Why i'm pissed? I paid 5 bucks for a small serving of pico de gallo. Tomatoes and Onions. I paid 6 bucks for queso in the same small ass container. This place has potential, it's basically a mexican beer garden. It wouldn't kill them to size up their portions a bit. read more

Get the chicken nachos. Seriously. I get lured into going to stupid events in this area, just go get these nachos after. The margaritas are small, but strong, and their in-house fireball is amazing. Also all the tacos I've had I've enjoyed, except for the chicken which is a tad bland. Love this bar. read more

The reason I like El Rey is because the tacos are authentic - fish (pesca) chicken (pollo), and beef (carne asada). Even picking up from the late night counter is where its at because the flautas are crunchy. There is no comfortable seating because the high top tables feature steel stools. There are TVs and the El Rey can get pretty crowded so be prepared to grab a table if you can. The bunch is usually young and doesn't mind sacrificing comfort for beer and fast food. Service can be attentive or not. The frozen margaritas are strong. You can smoke inside the patio area so be mindful of that. read more

Really cool spot with excellent staff and service. The inside has a great set-up with an outdoor area and retractable roof. The nachos were delicious. Marvin, the bartender, was phenomenal. He made some delicious margaritas, was really quick with our orders, and was one of those bartenders who could find a few moments to chat and be friendly, have fun, and provide great service while serving everyone quickly on a busy night. We will definitely be back! read more

Drinks were good! Pricing for drinks are ok. I would go back. Maybe they should play music from time to time. And food prices were good!

I came in after excitedly recommending El Rey to my friends from out of town. We arrived at 1:10pm for our 1:00 reservation and weren't greeted by our server until 1:42. At that point however, all of us had ordered our drinks from the bar directly where we each started tabs. Upon speaking to the manager about this 32 minute delay, he just informed me he couldn't do anything for us (not even to provide some chips and salsa or something of the like to hold us over with the delay). Throughout the course of our visit, we had to walk to the bar to get our pitchers refilled for bottomless mimosas, our bartender couldn't open the champagne and while I helped her open it, I wasn't allowed to pour it into the carafe and we had to wait another six minutes for them to be filled. The food came out stagnantly and the service was in general not very considerate or efficient. The food was good, I won't take away from their kitchen. Their front of house leaves a bit to be desired however. Patrons understand issues occur- get ahead of them and make sure you're are making up for any gaps preemptively, not begrudgingly. read more

Mushroom taco! Do it! It was one of the best tacos my boyfriend or I ever had. We also got the pork which was good, the the chorizo tamale-amazing ly moist. I would give this place 5 stars, but the space heaters were ridiculous. I couldn't stand within 5 feet of the bar or any table because of the extreme heat. It was literally burning my skin. read more

A nice change from the usual overpriced bars on U Street with reasonable drink specials and good good. This will be a review just for the drinks and the overall location. I really like the setup El Rey has going for it. Built out of shipping containers the bar has a nice open space and plenty of seating. Ordering food is easy - you receive a number and the server brings it out to you. The food looks pretty good and are a step up from typical bar tacos. Beer selection on draft is what you expect from a Mexican bar - Dos Equis, Corona, Pacifico (a favorite of mine), as well as some smaller brews. Draft beers are $6-7, which is reasonable for the area. My stay here was far too short to give a full review, so I plan on coming back soon. read more

El Rey is absolutely disgusting. I was hyper sexualized by the bouncer and denied entry because I "looked like a prostitute." I had a long raincoat (it's was raining) on covered hood to knee, zipped up completely; there for he could only see my face and below me knee. He was implying I had nothing underneath it, meanwhile I wearing a dress because it was my college graduation night. I've spent and a lot of money at this business over my last few years attending Howard University, and this is beyond disappointing. Ive heard of issues at this establishment me in relation to treatment of black people (even though we support this business as well it's promotion in DC). The hyper sexualization of black bodies is the only possible explanation for that bouncer's behavior and that is simply not okay. read more

Good Tacos. Good Drinks. Good atmosphere. Good Times. I went with a group of friends and found myself drawn to the tacos. Being from California tacos often call to me. I tried the carne asada and the el pastor. Both were very good, just what I expected and needed late night. I also had a margarita which was also spot on. The service was quick and the staff was attentive. The bar itself was not too crowded even for a busy night. The indoor/outdoor open roof patio type area was pretty awesome, that is where we spent most of our time. I think it's a good place to go with a group of friends who want to chat and not be too croweded on U Street. Tacos are a good perk too. read more

Loved it! Maybe it was the way the stars were aligned but it was pretty awesome. We got a parking space a block away - okay that has nothing to do with the place but when does that happen, on the first try, on U St? I digress...walked in and found a table immediately...also awesome. It's self seating and the setup is pretty functional. Perfect place for a great time with friends. The retractable roof in the back is also a great addition. On to the rest. Our server, Hope, was attentive and prompt. We never had to look to for her or wonder when our order would arrive. We had the chicken nachos and a couple of pork tacos. Very tasty!!! Also, if you like strong margaritas, you'll be very excited. I drink tequila, for a living, and the drinks were strong to me which is not a bad thing. This will definitely be a nice edition to our summer bar hopping list! read more

The tacos are great....not sure if they fry their tortillas though. The margaritas are phenomenal. The service is nice and fair :) and the ambience is great for the location! It's a great place to mingle, but not the best place to watch a game. They had one lone television! read more

Let it be known to the world: I love Mexican food. It's a challenge for me to find a place that meets my expectations of tasty food while enjoying a few drinks, whether they are foreign or domestic. Sadly, El Rey didn't exactly win me over on the food, but the with the killer chill atmosphere and prices they definitely earn a gold star. Appeal/Atmosphere This place is built uniquely with shipping containers, making it different than everywhere else on U Street. It's rather similar to the Fairgrounds at Nats park. Their outside is pretty nice, and built for all seasons. While my visit to El Rey, we saw the retractable roof in actions, which is pretty cool to see. Note, they also offer an inside section, for those who can't handle the weather outside. Everything else The food is cheap compared to the rest of the places surrounding it and your taste buds will be left satisfied. We ordered the chips, guac and queso and it met my expectations of cheap but decent bar food. I can't talk about the rest of the menu.My boyfriend and I checked out El Rey on a Friday Afternoon to watch the Women's US Soccer game (Go USA!!) and it was great; be sure to arrive early, but not too early because the doors open at 5pm. By 6pm, the place was packed and everyone was having a great time--drinks were flowing! All in all, I will definitely be returning back to try some more comida Mexicana! read more

We come here all the time so we've tried a good bit of the menu. My favorites are the nachos (with or without meat they're great-the green sauce is delicious), shrimp tacos, (new) DC tacos and the quesadilla. I'll usually also get the sangria or regular frozen marg pitcher. The swirl is way too sweet for me and may or may not have previously caused me to show up to work hungover the following day. read more

I can not come to DC without making a stop here!! I love everything about El Rey's the margaritas are on point and the tacos are so delicious! Whenever me and my friends go we always get a pitcher. If you have 2-3 people I would definitely recommend it. My favorite tacos are the shrimp tacos they are a m a z i n g! The sauce on these bad boys are everything my only complaint is I wish there was just one more shrimp inside, but then again that's just me being greedy. A pitcher for $28 dollars is not a bad deal at all! We also mix the original and strawberry. Can't wait to come back :) read more

A great vibe and the margaritas are delicious. The shrimp tacos are really good too. Definitely should be a stop on your night out.