Stopped at this restaurant on a whim and truly glad we did. The portion size and price for the complete meal was very reasonable and left us feeling full. The taste was actually pretty good. I ordered the Tacos Dorados (2 chicken and 2 beef). These rolled and fried tacos came with sour cream, lettuce, and pico. I also ordered fried plantains. It was a rather large amount (10+ pieces) and couldn't finish eating them all. The rice (arroz) and beans (frijoles) had good flavor. The rice is white with mixed vegetables; whereas the beans were refried but not out of a can. The server was very friendly and patient as we read through the menu options. She also provided some suggestions since she could tell we were unsure of what to get. The decor and seats were not the greatest but for a small location on H Street, this was convenient and easy to grab-n-go. I ordered in and sat in the window. I wonder if this caused the 4 other patrons to come in. Or maybe they knew how good the food tasted. read more

I very seldom eat from around where I live bc I have found that service and quality in product is compromised in this area (or maybe its just that the food isn't that good period ever)... Maybe it's just that people get comfortable and accept mediocrity for convenience. I went to this place bc the reviews were decent and I wanted tacos but not taco bell. So I go in and immediately there is already an attitude bc l interrupted the cashier from going to fill the soda machine....OK. I'm used to tacos with corn tortilla from the pack. The girl seemed to have a problem explaining what their tortillas were made of. They only sell mazeca tortillas which I cant eat. OK try the chicken.... Chicken cold not crispy and juicy like someone else said. Rice and beans were "aight" the best thing I had was the Jamaica drink. I went back bc I wanted a refill on my juice (it was good) but first I went to go take my tray to the trash and dump it, pick my empty cup up again and proceeded to the register. This same rude and very unprofessional chic they have running their front says to me the plate was not trash.....ummmmm you just stood there and watched Me dump everything on my tray n now u say something. OoppseOopps OK.... I need a refill on my juice 4. 13. Thanks. My thing is businesses should really b more careful who runs the front, first impressions are everything. That young lady was very unprofessional from the start, her tone of voice condensing, she had an issue responding to any question that I asked her. She should have been happy to have business come in seeing as how thats how she's making her money. I'm sure there are plenty of hard working and very pleasant young ladies out here eager for the opportunity to have steady work. It was my first and last time.... Terrible service+ sub par food= loss of business. read more

I liked the vibe and relaxed mood of this restaurant on H St! Was only going to have a margarita's, but looking at the menu decided to try a few items. Empanadas are "Superb" crispy flakey pastry and the filling was super delicious! Tamales in Banana Leaves are "Awesome"! These are flavorful hot and 100% house-made. Simply beautiful served on the plate! Original Margarita's was honestly the best I've had in years! You must sip this drink to truly understand that this is not your typical Margarita. Count on us to return and experience more items from the menu! Service for us was "Superb"! The perfect spot to enjoy a hot fresh meal and the company you are with! read more

I order from here ALOT through Uber eats. However today I received a very stale chicken corn tamale. I ordered a corn only tamale bit when I opened this not over did it seem old but I opened it and my god it was dry and hard. I'm giving them 4 stars because their rice and beans are Soo delicious and I've been ordering tacos and tamales to go with my rice and beans. The beef Tongue tacos are really tender and I loved the chorizo and chicken tacos. read more

I'm from LA. Born and raised in California. I recently moved to the DC area and have been on the hunt for authentic Mexican food. The burritos from this place are the only ones that I have found that come close to what I am used to getting at a taco truck back home. read more

Hey, it's more than a year later and this is still my favorite taqueria in the DC area. They've expanded to include a sit-down dinner area like I suggested in my previous review (YES!!). Their new happy hour is great - I think the tacos are only $2 for happy hour or something like that. The portions are small but it's to be expected because it's so cheap. My boyfriend and I were just in San Diego and ate at two separate restaurants where we both said, "This is not as good as OUR taqueria." We now compare all Mexican food to this place. I have noticed there's not usually a lot of people in the sit-down restaurant area, and that worries me. I don't want it to go out of business, especially with all the new hipster restaurants coming to H Street. Please come here and eat the delicious & cheap food! Note: This is a small taqueria, not a high-end restaurant. The waitress is very nice - but if you go in expecting grand service, you will be disappointed! Usually we go in and eat a sit-down dinner for two for less than 30 bucks including drinks and tip. Can't beat that. In closing, I am very loyal to this place :) read more

The part of my order that was correct was good. The customer service was TERRIBLE. Check your food before you leave because if they gave you the wrong food they will blame you. read more

The food here is delicious and authentic! I have been eating here for the past year very often. I love the pupusas and tostadas, rice & beans and their yucca. The agua frescas are amazing as well. I have always called in and placed an order to pick up. They are even on Uber Eats now which is really convenient. Last week, I brought some friends and we dined in the back area for the first time. We had good cocktails and margaritas and they loved the food. But I was thrown off at the end when we received our bill... the bill included a 15% "service charge" -- the waitress said this was because our bill was over $100. The "service charge" is an automatic added gratuity in any restaurant I've ever been in - but our waitress was telling us that she does not get any of that %. This made us feel like we needed to tip, on top of already paying an additional $20... it was really uncomfortable. I hope that the management will see this and educate their staff on how that "service charge" works so that they can be better prepared for this type of situation. read more

I went there for the first time to order and the cashier already looked like she was having a bad day. I proceeded to order mind you I has asked her if the enchiladas brought avocado. She said yea. My order was ready in less than 5 min and when I come to see she didn't give me what I had ordered instead she gave me attitude saying "you must have thought they were Salvadoran, this is a Mexican restaurant". Real smart ass. They ended up not being good at all. My first experience was terrible. You should hire friendly staff. read more

Fresca Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went to this place multiple times. It's just alright. Their food doesn't have much seasoning. I tried multiple things on the menu (taco, tostado, and garnacha), and was still left disappointed. read more

I've been meaning to try this place since they started construction. The menu is a bit confusing even for a seasoned taco fan. I went with the Al Pastor and fried plantains. Both fell short of expectations. The tacos we flavored well but on the small side for $2.75 a piece. Plus I generally prefer a spicier pastor with the sweetness of pineapple to balance. Both were missing. The fried plantains were charred instead of caramelized. Nice crunch but again not what I was looking for. Maybe it was an off day but they were not busy. I'll probably give them another chance. Maybe breakfast next time. read more

Very good. Although small, their fish tacos are excellent. Very popular with neighborhood workers and police officers.

Before the sit down restaurant opened, I would have rated this place at 4 stars. The experience we had tonight at the expanded restaurant ruined my love for Fresca. We should have jumped up and ran after the waitress explained that they were out of chips and salsa. The standard free appetizer at many restaurants. We waited almost 1 hour for a rice and onion filled burrito, and enchiladas served on saucers. The empanadas that we ordered for an appetizer NEVER came out. Please expand your kitchen, cooking staff, and train your servers Fresca; or end up shuttered like so many other H street eateries that had potential. read more

I do not recommend this restaurant, not only did the server forget to check on us but there is nothing Mexican about this restaurant. Micheladas and tacos are flavorless. I will not be coming back. read more

Good food at reasonable prices. Family-run business. They won't win any awards, but the food is tasty. Worth patronizing these guys and skipping the ever growing number of chain businesses. read more

Fresca Taqueria - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

My first thought upon walking in was "this place needs Robert Irvine." It's more like a dungeon than a restaurant. No décor to speak of, nothing that rises above the level of "drab," and a giant menu hanging above the counter that probably hasn't been updated since the grand opening. I can say that with certainty because half of the dishes on there are, apparently, no longer offered. You know that famous Monty Python sketch when Michael Palin pays for an "argument clinic" and John Cleese just answers every question with "no it isn't?" This place is the "argument clinic" of restaurants. Can I have the salmon salad? "No, you can't." But it's on the menu! "No it isn't." How about a lemonade? "We don't have lemonade." A cup of water? "We don't have any cups." I might as well have asked for good food because they surely would have said "we don't have any" and let me tell you, that would have been the one promise that they could keep. read more

My girlfriend and I ordered 2 carne asadas and most of the meat was just fat... the eatable pieces were almost too tough to cut through with the plastic cutlery provided. Worse than the food here is the service, the young girl at the front who takes your order is not accommodating with most things. Essentially no substitutes, we asked if we could substitute the rice, beans and corn tortillas (as these are things we don't eat in our diet) for anything else, like plantains or yucca and the answer was no, the only thing she was willing to substitute in was a tiny "salad". At the end of my meal with most of the fatty meat still on my plate I notified the same girl who took our order that most of this meat was just fat and it was not easy to eat and all she said was "sorry about that, some of the cuts simply have more fat, she didn't offer us a different meal or refund, simply a "sorry, sucks to be you" type of apology. There are dozens of better places to eat at in the area that are either better priced or priced comparatively, don't waste your time or money. read more

I am extremely confused after my quick experience trying to eat at Fresca's. I came here for dinner and tried to grade papers, as I'm a teacher in the area. I ordered my food and was seated and then was told that I could not drink my Starbucks drink since it was from an outside establishment. I totally understood that and asked if I could buy a drink at the restaurant. The server then said it's alright and walked away. Shortly after another server came to me and said that they needed the outside tables for reservations. I asked if I could move inside, since I had only been there for 15 minutes at the time and didn't even take a bite of my food. She said that she didn't know. Even after I stated that I would order more food I was told to hurry up. This is equally awkward and upsetting because the table next to me stated that they did not have a reservation and had no problem. I'm not sure why I was signaled out and do not want to make it a race thing, but that's what it felt like. In my adult life I have never been told to rush to eat my food and was forced out of a restaurant for no apparent reason. I do not recommend this establishment for anyone trying to have a decent dining experience. read more

Amazing & Authentic Mexican Food. Coming from Southern California, I've been seeking for years now for a great Mexican restaurant on the east coast. This place is it! Definitely coming back for more! read more

Great little hideaway full bar and fresh food. More people should check this out! Prices are good for what you get and the beef and chicken meals are filling. I went with the tacos and my guy went with a chicken platter. We were there at Happy hour so we had to try the house margaritas and draft beers available. If we're ever in the area again I'd definitely go back ! read more

Went to dinner with local friends tonight. The restaurant I will say does look very nice! We all ordered out drinks and that's where things went down hill. I ordered a strawberry margarita, was brought a strawberry mojito. I told the waitress that it was the wrong drink but it was fine and that I would drink mojito. She then asked again if I wanted the margarita even though I was clear it was fine. The food came and I will say it looked good, and that's when that ended. My tortillas was very bland and under cooked! My cheese empanada was just that plain, bland melted cheese in fried dough. The best part of the meal the GUACAMOLE! And even though I was given the wrong drink, my brink was actually pretty good! read more

I like the burritos, but after getting hair in one of them I stayed away. I think they still don't wear hair nets. Please wear hair nets cause your good is not bad but the hair is yuck. read more

Deeply mediocre. Nice servers, good location, positive space. But, the food is like Mexican food if it was served in a hospital: Little depth or breadth of flavor, unimaginative textures, just... not good. The ingredient seem okay, so if they hired a new chef, thier issues would clear up. ATM though, cant recommend. read more

Very good place to stop and grab a few tacos. The crab tacos are the best, but really everything here is quite good, and they're reasonably quick about it too. There are good choices for everyone and it's a nice place to grab a quick bite. read more

My favorite taco spot in DC... that says a lot since it seems like we have like 10 spots! The husband and I came hungry so we got plantains, 2 al pastor, 1 lengua, 1 burrito, 2 chorizo papulsas, and an empanada. It took about 10 minutes but the wait was worth it. Ask for the spicy chipotle sauce! All that food cost less than $30! I can't wait to come back and try their tamales, not sure what their specialty is it looked like it was tamales. I wish they had soup options, which H st is definitely missing. read more

Wow, this place is terrible. I've literally never in my life not eaten food that I've ordered and paid for at a restaurant, but I couldn't eat this. I ordered the vegetable enchiladas, which had no vegetables in them, no cheese, and no enchilada sauce - just bland beans inside of bland tortillas with more bland beans on top, served with a side of unseasoned plain white rice. Thinking they might have accidentally missed something in a rush, I went up to the counter to ask if they could add some grilled vegetables and they said this was what I had ordered. I showed them the menu that said "vegetable enchiladas" (was it crazy to think they might include vegetables?) and that the menu listed cheese, salsa, etc. They took my plate and put some cheese and avocado on top of the empty enchiladas. I ate the avocado and left the rest. The other people I was with said their food was bland, with no seasoning at all. Save your money and go literally anywhere else - H street is full of interesting and flavorful restaurants, unfortunately Fresca is not one of them. read more

Lovely service and staff. However absolutely horrible food, no flavor or spice, not at all Mexican, and unfortunately way over priced.

Wandered in for early lunch on a Saturday and did take away. Got chorizo egg scramble, corn, an empanada, and two beef tostadas; spending under $25. The service was incredibly friendly. The food is ample - a great buy for the price. The quality is extremely good. ; the food is delicious and super fresh. I will be going back! Highly recommend to anyone in the area! Note - they offer bottled non-alcoholic beverages. This is not a place for margaritas with friends. It's a place to eat a substantial amount of delicious food. read more

Affordable, incredibly friendly and delicious. I will certainly be back. They made a tres leche cake for a birthday event. They even helped me into my uber. Everyone loved the cake. read more

Being a Texan and Mexican I like to think I can serve as a valuable taco opinion in the District, Ive been here for 3 years and have not found anything that comes close to my tacos from home. However, my husband recently brought home tacos from Fresca and I am delighted to say I have finally found AMAZING tacos!! I got the carne asada and carnitas tacos and they were the best Ive had outside of visiting home in years! The carne asada meat was some of the best beef Ive every had in a taco anywhere. Needless to say, definitely a new favorite and so glad its in our neighborhood! read more

In fact, can't even give this restaurant one star. I ordered my dinner more than an hour and a half ago for delivery. It has not arrived. Also, there's no way to reach the restaurant to check it's status. No one answers when I call. I did leave a voicemail and I sent an email. I wish I could give them a good review. But this is really, really bad service. read more

So so so good!! Best Mexican food I've had in a really long time! The sit down part of the restaurant is down off the main street just a bit. We almost missed it!! Lots of foods al a carte so you can try different things. Get the beef empanadas! Even my picky eater loved the steak tacos! We are in from out of town, too bad, wish we had one of these in our home town. read more

Nice clean interior, large menu, plenty of seating inside and out, staff was friendly and helpful, food was great!! Definitely returning!

This place is awesome, I bet it becomes a hit on H Street. The taco selections are tacos al vapor (not sure exactly what this means -- probably something with steaming) and tacos al pastor. My first visit I got tongue and carnitas tacos al vapor. Both were excellent -- generously filled with flavorful meat/radish/cilantro/ and with cucumber on the side. I had their red spicy sauce which really packed a punch. Both times I've gone they have been out of al pastor tacos, so I'm looking forward to trying those. The second time was even better. I had a beef tostada. The tostada was a perfectly fried salty crunchy tortilla, solid shredded beef, and a cold topping of lettuce, tomato, cheese, avocado and some type of sauce. What really made it great was the contrast between the hot beef and the cool crisp vegetables/crunchy tortilla. I also had a quarter chicken -- this place is a rosticeria in addition to a tacqueria. The char on the chicken skin was really incredible, it was so crunchy and delicious. Again the small side sauces they included -- a green creamier one like you would find at a Peruvian chicken place-- and a thinner green sauce like you would find on a taco -- were excellent and really added another level of flavor to whatever I put them on. Can't wait to go again and try something else. read more

This is by far the best Mexican food in DC that I have found. And I'm from here. Super simple and fresh ingredients. Service is quick and friend too. P.s - get the mango smoothie. read more

Just got delivery and the food is AMAZING! Highly recommend! The chorizo taco and empanadas are delicious.

I was super excited about trying this new spot on H street as I LOVE tacos. The woman who takes the orders was extremely rude. I asked if I could use the restroom and she told me it was out of service. Told me I could go to the barber shop next door. That drives me nuts when restrooms at eateries are out of service. You can't call a plumber??? I ordered a beef and chicken tostada. It took about 15 mins to get my food, which isn't a problem BUT it was cold. Good flavor but would have been better hot. She also tried to charge me for an extra sauce. At the very least if I order two things, I should get two sauces. Super annoying. As I was eating, I saw someone use the restroom. So I guess the restroom is only out of service to SOME customers. Probably won't be back. Good luck to you. read more

Good location. Really really good food. The fish tacos were amazing .... ONLY DOWNSIDE is the Customer Service. (almost five stars.) It's not that they are rude it's just it's Not the most friendly service. Again they make up for it with their food. If you near the Washington Nationals Stadium after the game this would be a cool spot. It's small on the inside but it's clean. The food was fresh. If your ever in the mood for some Really good authentic Mexican food go there. The prices were reasonable. read more

Fresca Taqueria - Outside - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Place doesn't have the stuff that's on the menu. Woman at cash register acted as if I was admitting her by asking questions. I won't be coming back to this place. The only reason I'm giving it 1 star is because this app won't let me post my rating without selecting a star rating. I select negative 1 star. read more

So I'm from Los Angelos...a skip from the border to be exact-- so I KNOW good tacos. This place has great food and just as equally horrible service. Many of my friends in the neighborhood frequent less authentic taco spots because they feel the workers are racist. While I've had some less than ideal experiences, I'm just there for the tacos, so I've gone over 20 times in 3 months. Regardless, I'm starting to feel the same way. Whenever I go, I always ask to pay for extra salsa and they charge me .75 per round. I know that's egregious, but I just want it. I never ask for it. I always ask to pay for it because I know it's a business, despite the fact I've heard others ask for more and they're given it with a smile. I decided to eat in the other day because I know you they'll give you the bottles. I literally ordered 2 chicken tacos and it took 16 minutes to come out because it appeared they were processing online orders, while I sat there alone. No one else in the place. When it finally came up, she didn't bring it to me, she sat it on the counter with a bottle of red, but saw me looking. I asked for green and she literally tossed one container on the plate. I said, can I have the bottle, like usual, when I eat in and everyone else gets. She said she didn't have any but simultaneously looked in the fridge and "found" one. When I got my order, I'm not exaggerating, there were literally onions (like 4 on one) and not the other. I took it back and said there's no onions on this. She rudely said, "if you want more, all you have to do is ask" as if asking for extra is not frowned upon or even worse, as if they were actually there to begin with. I started to say, "not asking for more, just the ones I paid for" but let it go. As I was leaving, I kindly returned both bottles to the front and said thanks, with no reply. Went back to retrieve my belongings, and because I grew up in hospitality, I said, "thanks" once more as I left because, you know, people have hard days...and maybe I came off hangry?? (I didn't, though). She didn't look at me and said "you're welcome". No "thanks" or no "have a good day". Really not trying to pull the race card because I'm from Cali where everyone is diverse and I'm an assistant principal at a black and brown school in dc, but every encounter, there were white people there who didn't get questioned, got checked on and certainly got "thank yous". The white folks this night were in and out but everyone was treated so much more kind. Im not really offended...feelings are hurt because they clearly are rude towards black people, just like all the neighboring businesses say. Crazy I may have to stay in Columbia heights to get my tacos because today was just unnecessary. read more