The food is sooooooooo good the service is sooooooo hot [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambience is soooooooo funnn[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Staff are super nice, mostly speak spanish but easy to communicate with! read more

El Rinconcito II - Tacos Sonora - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I stopped here with some of my friends and enjoyed dinner. I got the sopa de res which beef soup with short rib and vegetables. The beef was extremely tender and the veggies were perfectly cooked. The broth had nice rich flavors from the beef making it savory. Service was very friendly and nice. Food came quickly and was great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Inside its casual feels like you are in someones home.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

El Rinconcito II - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Love this spot for happy hour! Always looking for spots where I can get a Coronarita and their "Bulldog" margarita hits the spot at only $15. Their pupusas and tamales are my go-to's and I love the option of the mix and match platters. Their fajitas are also very good, with generous portion sizes. The staff is always attentive and kind and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the space is warm and welcoming.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They even have a spacious upstairs for larger groups![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

El Rinconcito II - 2 Pupusas 1 Tamal de Pollo o Elote Combo, Bulldog margarita - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

the waitresses are above this world good looking and the food is sooo amazing and good [[HIGHLIGHT]]the ambiance is fun with vibrant relaxing music playing all the time[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

It's pretty good, grilled is on point... We will try the seafood soup next time Hmn now deserts read more

El Rinconcito II - Grilled Salmon w shrimp and creame - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great nachos for watching football! Ive ordered the shredded chicken and shrimp nachos from them and both were very tasty. I had a balance of the protein, chips, refried beans, cheese with scoops of guac and sour cream and jalapeño slices Yum yum read more

Me and my co-workers come here sometimes during our lunch break. The food here is really good, compared to other places that serve Salvadoran cuisine. The soup, GOOD. The pupusas, AMAZING. The horchata, WOW. The price is MAYBE a bit pricey and can be for some people... Keep in mind, if you go with a group of 3+, they automatically charge gratuity. I will also say that I don't really enjoy the server who is usually there during lunch or dinner. I feel like she's probably new?!? I don't know. read more

The food is great, but let me talk about the service first. This place has so much class. The servers are so friendly and are more than happy to explain the menu to you. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is clean and very hip.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Going here just makes me happy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I am now thoroughly in LOVE with papusas!!!!!D My first Salvadorian restaurant that I recall, but I don't think that anyone at all aquatinted with Mexican or other latinx food could have much of any trouble at all: most of said regulars and staples are here (from very familiar to more "exotic") as well as Salvadorian specialties, etc. Perfectly affordable beer, as well as what looked like a variety of cocktails, wines, etc, and other beverages, including quite good, sweet horchata and I think some sort of tamarind drink and several other non-alcoholic options. There might have been at least 1 full, operational bar inside, I don't recall for sure. I remember seeing: a pretty wide array of taco options, quesadillas, papusas, tamales, various appetizers (generally under or around $10 I think) an ample variety of entrees (more around $20) and a bunch of other stuff I didn't look through too thoroughly myself, as I figured out what I wanted pretty quick. Papusas are absolutely heaven to die for, ecstatic, INSTANT new favorite, can't believe it's actually taken me this long until I've at least had a memorable one!!!!! I just got the bean, cheese, and whatever those flower-bud type thingies are (also a first for me, but had been wanting to try: REALLY interesting, perfectly accessible I think; just a really interesting, soft texture that fit in perfectly, and a somewhat delicate, quite unique, slightly pickled-like flavor? I guess maybe fairly vaguely relatable to artichoke or hearts of palm.....??o Perfectly complimentary proportions and incorporation too!!!) Gooey magic, cooked absolutely perfectly just right between crisp, soft, & just the perfect amount "greasy" / "juicy", served with an ample amount of some kind of perfectly complimentary, crisp and/or pickled, spiced and intricately saucey shredded cabbage-like & I think oniony vegetable accompaniment, an absolutely devine combination, and absolutely the perfect amount of deeply, complexly flavorful heat this spiciness-lightweight could absolutely handle without significant trouble, but wild appreciation!! Fried yucca was also AMAZING (and steamed too!) As a fairly serious and established french fried potato afficianado, this was something of course uniquely different, but WAAAY up my alley for SURE, crispy on soft, just perfect, I believe somewhat quartered, and also came with that slightly spicy, again ideally suited crispy shredded vegetable texture accompaniment: sour, spice and texture on top of luxuriant, velvety warm and comforting, mild softness, both expertly optimized and I assume honed by generations of clearly legit peeps, singular, pinnacle sensation experiences not to be missed for absolute sure.....!!!o I also had a bite of my friend's fried bananas: pretty much as perfect as I can recall in any recent memory; what a meal to finish what a lovely day!!!!! Horchata was sweet and delicious, of course!) They had several popular Mexican beers, as well as various nice other brands, all good & cold that I noticed. Our server was SUPER sweet and friendly, it was all a lovely treat and I will ABSOLUTELY be back again and again I'm sure, despite living in Baltimore.D It's across the street from the side of a supermarket in an otherwise largely mixed residential street with a very cool, chill seeming neighborhood vibe, mere blocks from lively seeming, more commercial streets with various shops and venues on offer, and just a couple more from a Metro station, Green I believe. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Super legit cool seeming people, not too crowded when we were there, not sure how quickly it could fill up, or if they ever use the upper floors for anything currently.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] There was at least 1 latinx family dining while we were there with a few other tables, as well as a pretty steady stream of multi-racial customers getting carry out, seems pretty legit to me. [[HIGHLIGHT]]We ate outside (see accomodation details below?) but the indoors seemed cozy neighborhood vibes, several more tables at least, and I think maybe a bar? Everyone there seemed extremely friendly, def cool vibes!!)[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food: 5/5 | Service: 5/5 | Atmosphere: 4/5 Vegetarian options Various bean, cheese, and vegetable dishes, including yucca and that flower-bud stuff (REALLY neat, and a great amount!!) most cheeses seemed optional, didn't notice if they had any non-dairy "cheese" or etc. options, didn't seem like there was any dairy in the quite good horchata to me, but I don't remember if we asked. Anything else with animal products in it seemed quite obvious and clearly stated to me, in english and I assume espanol, but there was a good variety of both options throughout. Wheelchair accessibility OUTDOOR accessible seating; indoors several steps down; bathroom a flight up from there. read more

Great neighborhood spot, especially for happy hour! The pupusas are excellent (try the bean + cheese). Super nice staff, good vibes all around. read more

I ordered the desayuno and a side of tamal de elote and horchata and was NOT disappointed. It was all so delicious! I ordered for pickup as I couldn't stay to eat but it was a rainy day and they were enjoying some soup which also smelled delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It was nice inside and nice decoration and set up.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]It has a bar too![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Gotta go back to get pictures of my dish because this was so good I ate right away. read more

So okay. I was not ready for this little spot. Not being from DC, I was not ready for the biggest cup of coffee I could get for like $4. But also, the food was very flavorful and the drinks were strong! Must visit when I come back again! read more

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El Rinconcito is a cute neighborhood Salvadoran and Tex-Mex cafe in Columbia Heights. Came here on an early Sunday morning for brunch and it was pretty crowded. - The desayuno tipico with chorizo ($16) which came with scrambled eggs, avocado slices, plantains (crispy!), two corn tortillas, refried beans, block of Salvadoran cheese (tasted like heavy feta), and sour cream. - El Rinconcito is probably know for their pupusas and they did not disappoint! There are lots of fillings you can choose from and the one with meat, beans, and cheese was super flavorful and came with a side of slaw - The Mariscada Salvadorena ($19) (seafood soup) came with two tortillas too. It tasted fresh and came with lots of shrimp, squid, mussels, and even crab! You can choose to get the cream on the side (I like the soup better with cream and soak the tortilla in it) read more

El Rinconcito II - Pupusa - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As a Californian, I've struggled to find a great burrito in DC. This was great for the area! read more

El Rinconcito II - Drink Menu - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Popped in unexpectedly while on a walk and so glad I did! Really enjoyed a bean and cheese pupusa, corn tamale (fried) with crema and horchata. read more

El Rinconcito II - 1 Pupusa 1 Tamel de Pollo o Elote Combo Horchata - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Pupusas are slightly better than average. Service could use a lot of work. They also didn't honor their happy hour specials, even after asking for them. Maybe it was an off day but the place needs a better vibe. read more

Pretty delicious! Prices were higher than i'd like but so are other DC restaurants in the area. The food wasn't mind-blowing, but definitely hit the spot and was delicious. Comfort food with a margarita. Pupusa combo is a must! read more

Last year I made a pact to be a better D.M.V. resident meaning, more Salvadoran food. Respect to the Salvadoran diaspora. I know there's a lot more to offer than pupusas. I mean, I love quesadilla for breakfast but I do believe I found my spot. Once upon a time I'd eaten here an ordered Milanesa de Pollo which is a dish that isn't exclusively Salvadoran but one that's near and dear to my heart. But my most recent visits, both of which were in the same week, have been all about pupusas. Now I enjoy the curtido here but pupusas themselves are what do it for me. My favorite is the Loroco, Queso y Frijol pupusa which I haven't seen at other pupuserías. Usually it's just loroco and cheese but beans too--next nivel. I usually get mine with a side a plantains but the next time I think I going with my dream order, Milanesa de Pollo and a Loroco, Queso y Frijol pupusa. read more

El Rinconcito II - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I have always liked the food in this place, but recently, the portions are becoming smaller, the prices have increased a lot and to make it a lot worst, now they include a 10% gratuity for pick up orders!!! That is crazy, why do I have to pay for that when I am the one that had to leave my house, get in my car, drive there, find a parking spot and go inside to pick it up?? This is definitely a reason enough for me (my family and co-workers) to stop buying food from them, which is a bummer because the food is really good. Good bye, Rinconcito... read more

Got food to go! Will go again the food was filling and comforting. Recommend the burrito if you are high (review from a friend). read more

Best margs in dc. The Smokey spicy one is so good. All the food is always amazing. Outdoor seating with the new cover and lights makes it a fun environment. read more

El Rinconcito II - Ropa Vieja - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This review comes from a lover of pupusas. I first discovered this dish from visiting Balompies in San Francisco. It has admittedly created a high bar. One day I will create a guide to the best pupusas in DC, but here's the starting point: The good: 1) location - conveniently placed near the Metro and the Giant store 2) menu options - they have a nice variety here. I know a purist would say the plain cheese and pork+cheese are the original picks, but I'm not above mixing it up, and like having some choices in my fillings. They have a few options here, including bean and cheese, chicken and cheese, etc. The not so good: 1) slaw - I tend to think a good tangy slaw helps make the humble pupusa really pop and stand out. the slaw here is kind of soggy and not that flavorful, so I kind of just felt like I was eating a glorified cheese empanada 2) sauce - I also really like to have some zesty red sauce to kick up the whole experience. here again, I found the sauce unfortunately lacking in style points - pretty bland and flavorless outside of that, they've got a nice little collection of beers and a casual outdoor patio. service was fairly quick. I'd still lean towards going to a couple of the spots further north on 14th st - Pupuseria Maria is my current favorite in the neighborhood. It's a bit cheaper, more authentic, and tastes better, although they don't have as nice of a seating situation. read more

This walk-down-the-stairs very home-y small business is super authentic! They have Spanish music in the background, and the staff can barely speak English... but they are nice (that wasnt to say that it affected the service in any way, just to note that it's pretty legit Salvadorian)! I've had better (more moist) pupusas. Tamale and beans were good. Nothing supperrr amazing, though. The rice was AWESOME. read more

El Rinconcito II - yum! - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came to Columbia Height to meet up with a friend for dinner. He recommended this place after regularly/constantly seeing locals swamp this place at night. With an extensive menu of both El Salvadorian and Mexican/Tex-Mex options, my husband went with their Chicken Enchilada and I went with their El Salvadorian grilled shrimp platter. Thank goodness for complimentary stale chips because our food took closed to an hr. I understand that this was a mom/pop establishment on a Saturday night, but the service was almost non-existent. To make things worse, the food was crap. My shrimp was cooked to death. The rest of the my platter was just tossed on pre-made sides. Establishments like El Rinconcito confirm my belief that yelp ratings in DC are generally inflated. 4 stars really? read more

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My favorite pupusa joint in DC! Their quality is second to none, and the food is well priced. You are also able to sit down and eat. I always go for the pupusa combo, however have been told the seafood soup cures all hangovers! read more

First we have been going there for years and this doesn't seem to be surprise but the people who work at the restaurant is so inconsistent. We have met the original owners and they ran it like they really cared about the business even her oldest daughter which I have also met cared about their customers. The one we encountered today total opposite...when I order something and YOU make a mistake and you bring me something totally different...then tell me I have to pay for YOUR mistake!! Also they were so confused they double charged me ..but to be taking shots at the bar are more important than your customers. Then after they revised the charge when I talked to the waiter about it being his mistake he said "this is what it is and it's over" like his was talking to a child. Then to make it worse his partner a young girl when I made the comment to my wife saying "this is why we shouldn't come here" she says " we don't care" really..I commented well there's always Yelp. We didn't care either about not giving you a tip. A word to the owner and the oldest daughter....if you value that restaurant which I know you have worked hard for..... don't leave those 2 in charge of your business they don't care and they are so unprofessional makes the business look bad with the smart ass remarks.To all people who go there or are thinking of going look else where but if you do check your receipt and also make sure that they take your order right and if not give it back they will charge you for their mistake. read more

This place rocks between the Happy Hour hours of 4-7PM M-F A modelo beer and huge plate of texmex bean-cheese nachos are $11 You can't beat the taste of these two items and you certainly can't beat this price read more

I was super hungry and was almost down to eat anything ... as it was raining outside and Chipotle was right around the corner. While I was waiting for my friend, though, I decided to browse around what was good in the area on Yelp! and... voila! I stumbled upon El Rinconcito :) This place is super cute in a hole-in-the-wall sort of fashion and not at all far from the Columbia Heights metro station. It's tucked away in the basement of a random townhouse across from Giant, but inside its a comfortable, albeit small, sit-down restaurant :) My friend and I were overly ambitious and ordered way too much. We tried asking the waitress if the portions were large or small, which didn't work particularly well since I don't think she understood us at all! They're huge, in case you're wondering. We got the pupusa platter, grilled chicken, beef stew, 2 margaritas, and the yucca and chicharrones. The standouts were the yucca and chicharrones and the grilled chicken. I was pretty impressed at how tender the meat was on the grilled chicken, even though it was breast meat. I'm always a fan of fried chunks of pork :) The beef stew was good but I didn't think it was overly special. The menu here is very extensive so we definitely did not try a lot of the items on there. I totally want to come back and try more things! :) read more

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This is one of many times I've ordered pupusas in this place and every single time they give me the pupusas like this burn I don't think if someone give them something like this they won't complain read more

El Rinconcito II - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

We have been wanting to eat here for awhile, but for some reason it always slips through the cracks when we are picking somewhere to eat. I'm sorry it has. The spot is small and simple. The staff was very friendly. We ordered pupusas (bean and cheese, chicken and cheese and cheese), Tamales (one of each), guacamole and Yuca. He had a beer, I had a margarita. The drinks were fine. The guacamole was unimpressive (and thickly lined with lettuce on the bottom-- so the small serving was even smaller). Otherwise, I have no complaints. The tamales were superb! The sweet corn was perfect, and I can not wait to eat them again... these will be my go to. He loved the fried ones. The pupusas were pretty delicious too, with plenty of sauce. All in all this was a solid meal, with decent drinks and a VERY accommodating staff. We will be happy to come back! read more

It may not look like much from the outside, but the food was delicious! I'm always on the search for the next great Mexican/Latin American/Spanish restaurant - and this one was an amazing surprise! The food came quickly and everything I ordered hit the spot. The pork and cheese and bean and cheese papusas were the best I've had in quite some time. The cabbage slaw on top gave it a good crunch mixed with the flavorful inside filling. For my entree, I opted to test out the enchiladas and I'm so glad I did. Great amount of cheese and the tortillas were amazing - the perfect vessel for meat and cheese. Overall, I am so excited to have found this spot but wish I found it years ago! I'll definitely be back for more papusas!! read more

El Rinconcito II - Beef enchilada platter - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is the second location I have been to in DC and I will say this one is MUCH better. The other location in Mount Vernon is a hole in the wall. The Columbia Heights one has abundant space to sit including an inside (and upstairs) and a decently large patio. The exterior of the building makes it look much smaller than it is. Came in the mood for good Mexican food. DC continues to slightly disappoint me as it is not as good as I want it to be. Ordered the enchiladas with no rice. I do this at every Mexican restaurant I go to and normally end up with 2x the beans as a substitute. However my enchiladas came out with a tiny serving of beans and they were extremely extremely dry. Sad. Service was okay but not overly pleasing or attentive. We were part of a large party which normally sizes up to be longer waits but I felt it was a little worse than it should be. Drinks took forever. Food orders were skipped and not really taken. No chips were on the table. For the price point and the business we were bringing I was disappointed. read more

El Rinconcito II - Enchiladas. They are definitely small on the portions. I asked for no rice and got little bean - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

A divey place in CoHi with super friendly staffs, tasty dishes, and super CHEAP prices, especially for happy hour. Come for happy hour. Get the $5 nachos and easily feed 2 hungry adults. The margs are not great, but they're good for the money. For the main course I had the chimichanga and it was so good. It's nothing pretty, but the taste is fantastic. And it's huge. You'll walk away from this place full. read more

El Rinconcito II - $5 nachos!? - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is my favorite Latin American place in DC so far. Since I left I've been craving for more pupusas... ughhhhh. The struggle is real. As the server Anthony told us, "you get more than you pay for" and that is true. Great value and you will feel full after an $8-9 meal. I know Chipotle may be closer to the metro... but for real walking 5 more mins to get to this gem (right across from the Giant in Columbia Heights) is SO WORTH IT. Get on it. P.S. Corn tamales... better than chx. read more

Up until I went to El Rinconcito II with the girlfriend, I had absolutely zero knowledge or experience with Salvadoran food. I love trying new things so I was very open to idea. Upon sitting down, we received the standard basket of chips and sauce, which weren't bad, but nothing special. However, the Salvadoran experience began when I decided on the pupusa dinner that came with a choice of two pupusas (I chose the chicharrón and queso, and the frijoles and queso), tamale, and a side of curtido, a Salvadoran "cole slaw" all for $8.00. Since I have no basis for comparison, I thought the portions were all very generous especially given the price. Also, I thought the food was flavorful, likely completely unhealthy, but satisfying (and filling) nonetheless. I got the distinct impression that the dishes were very authentic in their execution and flavor. El Rinconcito II isn't going to blow you away with fancy décor and artistic presentation of its food. However, it does provide good value for your dollar. I'd gladly make a return visit. read more

This review has been sitting in my drafts for a VERY long time. We have never been back to what had been a favorite neighborhood spot. I hope they have since recognized that their staff were taking advantage: Below is a revised draft of my review from more than two years ago, which I didn't post at the time, but still can't go back here because of that aweful experience... much to our dismay. We loved El Riinconcito. Here it is, with some timeline edits: This LONG and has more to do with corrupt practices than quality of food... don't bother reading it if you are not interested in how the business operates. I don't want to punish the kitchen staff, who are awesome. But if you drink anything other than beer, please read this. If you don't, please be happy with the food and other services of this otherwise delightful venue. Bottom line, their managerial staff are (were!) ripping customers off and hurting their business. We were patrons here for almost four years. From late 2012 to about mid 2016 we were serious regulars. Every week or two we'd get take out. The staff knew our orders before we placed them. Even on the phone. Their service was fantastic, and the food was great, always. But changes in El Riconcito's management hurt this once amazing neighborhood find. If you want take-out food, or dine in with only beers, you will still get a great deal and good food. BUT if you order drinks, especially on a weekend night, BEWARE!!!! Never mind that their margaritas are horrible (they are the worst), this is about fraud. The staff at El Rinconcito were stealing, from both their customers and their bosses. If you ordered any hard drink, staff would charge for TOP SHELF, regardless of what you actually ordered, and certainly what you received. I suspect they must have figured out a way to charge the customers, but show a well drink on the bill they shared with the owners. At least that has been our experience. The night I originally drafted this review was the THIRD TIME this had happened to us. A couple of years prior, new "managers" appeared to have taken advantage of El Riconcito's popularity... That night in mid 2016, my husband ordered a vodka soda, with a splash of orange while we waited for takeout food. We SPECIFICALLY (could not have been more clear, even remarking on our previous two bad experiences) requested WELL vodka, using various English and Spanish descriptions. (I am reasonably bilingual so there was only deliberate misinterpretation.) We ordered from the Venezuelan waiter who attended us, explicitly and IN SPANISH. In fact, we developed some rapport with him, because I have ties to his country and we spoke about current politics. (In retrospect, I'm pretty sure it wasn't his fault. I'd like to think so. He understood me, but was perhaps caught in the web of deceit at his workplace or simply did not know what was happening.) We ordered a XX beer for me and a WELL DRINK vodka/soda for my husband, while we waited for take out food. Instead of generic vodka, we received a bill for Grey Goose, triple the fee. I queried the bill and had to ask for the manager. A woman, who said her name was Claudia and who claimed she was the manager, instead of being "customer friendly" aggressively asked me an odd question: "How would you know the Vodka was not Grey Goose?" ... I said, first, from the taste, but more importantly, because we didn't order it and had explicitly ordered BOTTOM SHELF VODKA. And we ordered it in Spanish. "Claudia" immediately (I mean knee-jerk rapido!) re-did the bill. I paid the reduced bill, but requested her full name, citing our experience with previous overbilling on well drinks. She refused to provide her name, saying (twice!): "You don't need to know my last name." I asked how long she'd worked there, and she replied that she'd "been --coming-- here for 10 years." I asked her specifically how long she'd worked there, and she said angrily: "I've been working here six years. And don't come back!" Which we haven't. Not once. After being bi-weekly regulars for years. We had never seen nor spoken to "Claudia" before that night, but we stopped not only going to El Rinconcito, but stopped telling others to go there. I was sad and hurt at the time and did not post this then because their well-deserved reputation should not be tainted by some shady hires. But we're still in the neighborhood and have lost a good dining option because they did not pay enough attention to their staff and fly-by-night "managers" were stealing from a family-owned restaurant and ruining the wonderful and well-deserved reputation built by dint of hard work and great food. I remain distressed that an incredible neighborhood restaurant fell into disrepute because of a series of dishonorable managers who were dipping into the till and sullying a wonderful brand. read more

Yucca and Chicharrones - tastyyyy there was a great dryness but in a really good way to their pork. It's hard to describe but delicious to eat. Pupusa platter with a corn tamale was pretty good too. Nothing life changing and the mt pleasant/columbia heights area so far looks to be the pupusa capital of the city. The pupusas were nice and fluffy. The corn tamale was sweet and corny (get it? lolz) Everyone there gets this seafood soup. I don't know what it is but I'm getting it next time. read more

I'm a big fan of this place - it's located in a row house, and it's easy to miss it the first time you go, but once you're in, you'll be happy you went. The food is delicious Salvadorean food, and I've been happy with both breakfast and dinner options. The meals are generous in size and come out fairly quickly. My favorites include the beef enchiladas and the pork pupusas. The Salvadorean breakfast is really great too. There are muted telenovelas playing constantly, which I find hilarious, since it's always fun to guess what the people are saying. The only two things I'm not thrilled about are the margaritas, which I was told were legendary but which I found to be decidedly average, and the music, which is way too loud. It comes out of a jukebox, though, so if you're lucky your fellow diners will value the sounds of pleasant conversation over those of blaring music. read more

Who knew this quiet little place existed? Certainly not me - mostly because I rarely go up to Columbia Height's. Tonight however, Gregg M and I were looking for a bite to eat prior to going to a concert. Columbia Heights looked like it might be a good place to check out, so off we went. This Salvadorian restaurant/cafe had some good reviews so we decided to give it a go. We both got the pupusa's. I got the pork one and also the been, cheese and veggie one. This also came with a choice of a corn tamale (yum) and a side of "slaw". Everything tasted very good. Even the "slaw" had this nice spiciness to it. Is this the best place around? Probably not. Will you leave satisfied? I certainly did! I would gladly go back and try other items on the menu, but honestly I was very happy with the pupusas! read more

El Rinconcito II or El Rinc perfectly captures the concept of a neighborhood restaurant that serves delicious, comforting, and affordable meals. Living in Columbia Heights this is my go-to on nights where I don't feel like making dinner. It has all the dishes you would expect to find at a Salvadoran restaurant at a fair price. The highlights of the menu are their Mexican Pizza (they don't have it on the menu anymore, but trust me it's amazing and if you ask for it they just ring you up for nachos), any of their chimichanga, their pupusas, and honestly any of their specials (personally I love the Ropa Vieja and all of the Camarones dishes). The salsa that comes with their tortilla chips is amazing as well. They re-opened after an electrical fire late October last year (a dark period in my life for sure) and they're back to their former glory. I've never had an issue with seating, they've got outdoor seating as well as a sizeable upstairs space. You can eat at the bar as well. Take-out service is quick too and they still hook you up with the chips and salsa. Honestly, can't say enough good things about this place! read more