Predator pricing... point to the places on the menu where you were inappropriately filched of your money... guacamole made table-side... Yes, the food was okay... but, I still feel icky from what happened... please, don't make me go back. read more

Oyamel has a really good happy hour for drinks. And their guacamole is amazing ! I do wish they had non pork taco options for their HH. Chicken , shrimp, something. I also don't like the limiting seating for happy hour. read more

Washington's hottest Mexican restaurant is a great spot for people watching (the Obamas are big fans and members of Congress drop in frequently), but if you're looking for a great meal, you may be disappointed. The food really doesn't measure up to the hype. Dropping in on a recent weeknight, I snagged a seat at the very crowded bar (reservations are extremely tough to come by), and ordered an Oyamel margarita, which was overpriced, undersized, and foamy. The House margarita I ordered for my second round was better, but not particularly memorable. For dinner, I ordered the Enchiladas de Pollo, which were tasty, but the dish was small for the price. To be honest, the Chips & Salsa were the best part of the meal, and even that order felt stingy. Service at the bar was friendly and prompt, but the entire restaurant was crowded and noisy, so I'm glad I wasn't trying to make conversation. Oyamel may be uber-trendy, but if you're looking for great Mexican food in D.C., there are better places to spend your money. read more

I absolutely loved this place. I had never been to what you might call a Mexican "tapas" joint. The food was all around spectacular and very different from what I had eaten before. The service was great, the inside of the restaurant is cheerful and the food was awesome (oh yea, i said that). So here is what (2 of us) we had. Started with a traditional margarita and the pomegranate drink. Both were excellent. Got to love Jose Andreas. Now to eat: We started with the homemade guacamole. So good. Just as good as Cafe Atlantico. Now the rest of the dishes I am doing from memory. I might forget one or two: Tacos - 1 Lengua Quisada (beef tounge) and 1 Chilrio de reg (shredded beef). Next time the grasshopper is all mine Nopal asado con salsa molcagete - caccus paddles with salsa Frijoles refritos con queso - refried beans with cheese Ceviche de cayo de hacha con chile naranja - sea scallops Papas al mole - fries in mole (i think, if not, next time) Codornez con sikil p'ak - grilled quail This place was great, as I said, and all the dishes came out slowly, which filled us up nicely. its not cheap, but what would you expect from Jose Andreas. read more

Title: Pretentious Food The Mood: Fancy Mexican Decor My Mood: Just got out from a unique theater production from the Wooly Mammoth The prices: $8-15 The portions: MEAGER, no meager So they say dont go to the grocery store hungry, well dont go to a 2 hour play without an intermission on an empty belly. I came out ravishingly hungry. I stopped into the first place my belly put its eyes on. Oyamel. Lets talk about the pretentiousness. I know I Americans are always on the hunt for the next latest, trendy, eating place but dont make it out of my grasp of knowledge. Everything was in some fancy spanish lingo and even the english was like reading middle english. Speaking of reading. Why is the menu read like a Spanish conquistador's journal entry??? I mean c'mon people just break it down for us ignorant Americans. (Yes thats me) So the bartender stressed that the meal is "small bites" I didnt believe her because everything was like 8 dollars and up. I chose the pork belly quesadilla, thinking it would come out like ur standard round tortilla. NOPE. It came out on a mini round tortilla FOLDED IN HALF. -_- Just look at my emoji face -_- And it tasted alright, there was nothing amazing about it. I know American culture is big heaping servings and lots of fat and oil but this is cutting it close on the conservation. $8 for a half cup of guac.... -_- The guacamole was good but Ive had CHEAPER tasty versions at Whole Foods. One thing I will give them is their unique cocktails and margaritas. I had the Cava cocktail lemon zest and some kinda brown sugar. Dont come for a full course meal come for tiny bites and cocktails. Come to fill up a lil before the u go see a show at the woolly mammoth. read more

Can we please talk about the cucumber elderflower margarita? Yum, yum, yum! We had the guacamole - everyone enjoyed. Too much lime for me personally, but 5/6 people told me I was crazy. I got the meatballs and 2 different tacos. Cochanita and carnitas. Both very good. Our waiter, Alex, was superb. If I lived in this area, I could see this as a great happy hour spot. read more

I miss California where Mexican food abounds! We tried this place and it was ok. Was not what we expected. We didn't have a reservation and were told we could be seated but had to finish our meal within an allotted time because there were reservations coming in. We found the way that the hostesses approached that situation odd and but we went with it anyways. We almost got talked into buying a pitcher of margaritas until we saw that one pitcher was $60+!!! What's in the margaritas? GOLD!? The chips were ok and the salsa was amazing. Nice and spicy. Second bowl of salsa will cost you though. We were instructed that the meal was more tapas style. We ordered two tacos each and shared some fried plantains. The food was good. I don't really know what to say about Oyamel though. In all honestly, I probably will not go there again. read more

I want to provide a warning for those people out there from Texas who are looking for Mexican food in DC: don't go here. Texans avoid this place, you will be disappointed! No rice and no beans on the side for any dish. I paid $9 for a quesadillas made with a 6 inch tortilla and that was it, no sides. My fiance order the shrimp for $10 or $12, and was served 6 small shrimp, again no sides. Did the food taste good? Yes. Is this Mexican food? No. We're we full? No. Did we finish dinner somewhere else? Yes. Will we be back? No. Please, if you are from Texas, don't go here, you'll walk away sad and hangry. read more

I'm a giant cliche, I know, but I tried Oyamel out with some girlfriends on Cinco De Mayo. I know, I know...but whatever, I'm glad I did. We were able to make a reservation and were seated immediately, which was fabulous. After a round of celebratory/obligatory margaritas, we were ready to order. The menu wasn't your typical mexican/tex mex fare, it was interesting and eclectic...we decided to try out a bunch of small plates so we could sample a variety of their offerings. My friends tried the ceviches and were really happy with them. I'm not a ceviche lover myself, but they did look pretty tasty. The chicken mole poblano was incredible...the flavors were rich & the mole sauce was the perfect compliment to the chilis & almonds. I also sampled the braised short ribs which were fantastic, the meat tender & delicious...the house made tortillas were great for dipping into the various sauces, and the Tinga Poblana tacos were divine. My favorite dish of the night was the albondigas (little meatballs) served in a chipotle sauce with cheese & cilantro. yum. Overall, this is a restaurant that invites eaters to get adventurous with their food and rewards them with fantastic flavors. I will absolutely be back! read more

3.5 stars but I'm rounding down. The original plan was to go to Momoyama, but then I remembered that all DC sushi sucks, so we decided to bail on that. Then we were gonna do Rasika (which I still wish we would have done), but it was my buddy's brithday and I was taking him out to lunch and he said, "oyamel is right around the corner... let's do that instead." okey dokey. I'd never been here before but judging by Jose Andreas' other establishments I wasn't expecting much. First let's get to the really good stuff. The house margarita with the salt foam was fantastic, one of the best I've ever had. The fish tacos were scrumptious, highly recommended. The huitlacoche quesadilla was also pretty freakin tasty.... I've never had huitlacoche before but I've always wanted to try it. For those of you that don't know it's corn smut... a black like corn fungus that has a pretty unique texture and flavor. The bad (or not so impressive). Red snapper ceviche was kinda bland, the chips and salsa were decent, the salsa being the better of the two, but neither impressed. The lengua (beef tongue) tacos were decent, but I thought it was going to be better than it was given Anthony Bourdain's recent endorsement of them, the tamale was average, and overall I just wasn't impressed. I feel this way with Jaleo, Zaytinya, Cafe Atlantico, and now Oyamel. I still really want to try minibar, but ressies there are so hard to come by. oh well. read more

You know that I am obsessed with José Andrés - his cooking, his tweets, his show and his restaurants, right? I was only able to fit in two of his restaurants while on vacation but boy were they good! This was just as great as Jaleo and by far the best Mexican food I have ever had and I have had mucho! The little tacos and the desserts were the best part. We were here during restaurant week and between us, we probably managed to taste everything on the menu. And they had Mexican coke, done. While you are here, check out the bathroom even if you don't have to go. You can message me gracias later. read more

My favorite José Andrés' restaurant so far. The ceviche is even better than in China Chilcano. Also, only place where you can find chapulines (grass-hoper) tacos! read more

Pretentious menu serving over-priced obscure food. Wait staff are attentive and polite. Drinks overpriced for what is received. $11 for an add on splash of vodka to an agua fresca?!? REALLY? read more

Oyamel is a fairly good experience, but really not as good as I was expecting, having heard all the hype from friends and family. It seems as though the concentration is really the decor (the place is beautiful)and not so much the food, although, I haven't seen tacos de Chapulines (fried grasshoppers - a Oaxacan specialty) anywhere but on Andrew Zimmer. Thumbs up for originality and, uh, authenticity. I started out with the sopa de frijoles. While it was great and hit the spot on such a cold day, I wished they would have put the salty cheese on the side. It sort of ruined the soup a little. The guacamole is mashed table-side, to specifications, and is quite good, but again, it could have used less salty cheese. I had two tacos, one cochinita pibil con cebolla en escabeche, and the other carnitas. Both were very good and the pork tender and juicy, and at $3.50 and $4 respectively, not badly priced by downtown DC fancy restaurant standards. It is certainly not an NYC neighborhood taco truck. If that is what you are expecting, you're out of luck here. The desserts are delicous, but a bit of a taste overload, so it is best to share. The hot chocolate is to die for, and almost made my mother weep for it was just like her grandma used to make. ::sigh:: Oyamel is definitely worth a trip! Since downtown DC is now an emerging shopping mecca, Oyamel is very strategically placed. 3.5 stars read more

"So much food. Much lighter wallet."- This is what I posted on my twitter feed on the way out of Oyamel. Diners beware, the tastiness does not come cheap. But... the food is thoughtful and surprising and much more complex than one expects from Mexican cuisine. This is special occasion dining, not a joint for queso and pitchers of swirl margaritas. My friend and I dined at the bar- if we'd had the chance, I would have preferred seats, as the bar stools are tiny (I'm not a big person and felt like my butt was hanging off for half the meal) and uncomfortable (the cushion doesn't exactly soften the hard metal beneath). We started with the Oyamel margarita. I'd had it years earlier at Cafe Atlantico and liked it... here it was too fanciful to enjoy. It is hard to drink an adult beverage when the "salt air" (foam) keeps sticking to your nose and not feel like a messy, sloppy child. Since I'm a spaz to begin with, I don't like my drinks making me more self-conscious. Tasty, but let's get something else for the next round, shall we? Standard, "classic" margaritas it is! Yum, much more my speed. For food we ordered: Camarones al Mojo de Ajo Negro- 6 jumbo shrimp in a spicy sauce with delicious carmelized shallots. Arrachera con salsa molcajete y nopales escabeche- Medium Rare steak- perfectly cooked, delicious spicy accompaniment Sopes de chorizo con papas- little pastries with ground chorizo on top- tasty, but seemed just one step above passed apps at an event. Machuco relleno de fríjol con salsa negra- Plantain fritters filled with black beans- description was much better than the actual order tasted. The plantain and black beans were bland, and the salsa negra tasted too much like mole, which I don't like We each also order a shredded beef taco, which was the special of the evening, and so delicious that I housed it in two bites. We finished with an order each of the Café de Olla, which was not completely the same as the one on the menu, as the new version has bits of lime gelatin in it. The dessert was tasty, minus the lime, and I left sufficiently stuffed. I really really liked the meal, but I didn't LOVE it, so three stars it is. I'd definitely be back, but I would probably wait until my parents were in town to treat me... read more

Why is the room spinning? Am I paying extra for this magic ride? Wait... you only want $4 for this 'rita? Yea, most of the two hours of happy hour (4:30 - 6:30) were spent asking these all important questions while enjoying Oyamel's classic margaritas ($4) and tacos ($2). The tacos, while small, are pretty amazing. A taco is only as good as the tortilla it comes wrapped in and there must be one amazing abuelita back there, cause she makes a mean masa and an even meaner tortilla. The flavor of the corn was bright and present as it wrapped it's love around chunks of lengua or carnitas. The lengua was beautifully prepared slathered in a chipotle sauce, while the carnitas were bright and fresh in flavor adorned with a green tomatillo guac, chicharrons and a fresh squeeze of lime. Totally happy hour worthy! read more

I went Oyamel this past week for the second time after not having been for several years. My experience was not great. Our server seemed disinterested and annoyed by our presence, not very attentive and even forgot to bring a drink for my date. Our table was right outside the kitchen; very cramped and distracting. The food was hit and miss, but more miss than hit. The guacamole was great, but some other menu items were definitely NOT worth the price (cactus paddle, mushroom tacos, plantain fritters). The cocktails were nothing to write home about. I really don't think I'll be going back any time soon and hesitate to recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting DC. read more

I read the other reviews before assigning this one five stars. I really, really liked the place but I do recognize that my view was shaped by the following: a) I am a rube from Canada where there is no authentic Mexican food (and any hapless Mexican who tries to open a restaurant with authentic cuisine goes out of business here for lack of 'con queso') b) I was so happy to see the selection of the foods and the quality of the preparation that I didn't mind the high price for what is mostly Mexican street food. (Also, someone else paid the bill.) c) My five stars tend to go to fine dining places. This was a lunch composed of fairly simple stuff but since it was so very good by all measures, I had to go with the five. In my reserved Nordic way, I say: "Olymel: Not only did it not disappoint, it could not be improved." A couple of points: Service was excellent -- liked the Maitre'd so much I felt like sticking around and hanging out with him for the afternoon. Server was smart and attentive. Extremely attentive. But he avoided the appearance of hovering by shaking, folding and refolding my napkin every couple of minutes. Kinda charming. I thought he was gonna do swans, like on the cruise ships... Food -- Had the pozole, ceviche and tongue taco. Even though they advertise small plates, the pozole was hearty and satisfying enough to be a meal on its own. I like the optional ingredients they bring you to augment the flavours -- lime, chicharrones, chopped vegetable, etc. Tuna ceviche was exactly right. - simple, fresh, and bright. Taco was a small savoury bite on a nice fresh made baby tortilla. Menu had dozens of other things I wish I could have tried. Ambience -- great location. Interior that is both classy and fun. And I loved the Day of the Dead skeleton collage in the top floor restroom. If it was not about four feet long, I would have left with it under my arm. Really, I am glad we don't have anything like Oyamel anywhere near my house. If we did, I'd blow several paychecks and then have to enter a 12-step program to keep me from spending my kids' inheritance. read more

Like others, I'm surprised to see the bad reviews here, although that would lead me to think that Oyamel has a few issues with different chefs etc which makes the dining experience a little unpredictable. We came in for a late lunch, and opted to have a few appetizers - we were told by the waiter that they would advise 3 or 4 of these 'antojitos' per person as they were small. We ended up ordering 3 total, and one taco, and it was easily enough for lunch. We went with the albondigas enchipotladas ('meatballs' to you and me), the tamales verdes, camarones al mojo de ajo (shrimp) and the tinga poblana (chicken, potato and chorizo taco). All of the food we had was excellent - incredibly flavorful, cooked perfectly, and the portions were much bigger than we were expecting for 'small plates'. The chips and salsa that come to the table were also very good - home made tortilla chips which almost melt in your mouth, and a wonderfully spicy salsa which could have done with being a little thicker, but a great taste nevertheless. The service was hit-and-miss; certainly nothing special, but this may have had something to do with it being a Thursday lunchtime. I'd certainly come back here - maybe a little wary due to other's experiences here, but it sold me for a repeat trip. read more

Oh, Oyamel. You are so tasty. I've come here on several occasions since my last review, and I've always left stuffed and satisfied. On my last couple of visits, I had the pleasure of trying the Oyamel margarita, which is a traditional margarita, except, instead of being served in a salt-rimmed glass, it's served topped with salt foam - exactly the kind of nifty molecular gastronomy we've come to expect from Senor Andres. It's foamy and light and really fun without being overwhelming in its salt taste. As far as the food goes, my new favorites are their scallops, bistec, and their "cachetes de puerco con camote." The cachetes are a braised pork dish served with sweet potato - an unexpected combination that melts together perfectly in your mouth. My brother really loved the albondigas (meatballs) here - so much so that he devoured several on his own. I did not really like the brussel sprouts here, though. They are supposed to be crispy but they came out so burnt that all I could really taste was the burnt-ness. Service is fine. You can tell the servers are really busy but your food comes out fairly quickly and they do a good job of checking up on you. read more

Yum, Yum, and Yum! This place is crowded even on a Wednesday. I have to say that everything was tasty (except for some weird appetizer on the specials menu). I think we got a decent sampling of the menu and all good. We ordered a few tacos, the queso fundido, ribs, and the duck. I think the duck was my favorite. We also ordered a margarita which was delish, but the mojito dorado...I could sip on that all day! It has some kind of lime air that made the drink a little different but still refreshing. This place has all the right things...great food, great atmosphere, great service. You definitely have to try this place out. read more

My family is Mexican and I enjoyed MANY authentic, homemade Mexican food cooked by mi suegra (mother-in-law), so my standards for Mexican food is very high. I'm always skeptical when I try new Mexican restaurants, but Oyamel impressed me from the start! Starting with the taco chapulin to the arroz huitlacoche, I knew I hit the jackpot! All the dishes had authentic flavor, did not skimp on the. spices, and was enjoyable through every bite. The margaritas were just as flavorful; you must have a glass while you're here. Final thought? I'm DEFINITELY coming back! read more

0 stars Anniversary dinner with husband. Cockroach running around the rim of the first appetizer dish (tuna ceviche) delivered to our table. Waiter asking if we'd like to have a replacement. (No.) Manager apologizing, taking my husband's contact info, and promising to have the general manager contact us to make it right. 48 hours later - no word from the restaurant. read more

Happy hour is okay I guess, but I hate that it's only from 4-6. I also hate how tiny the bar is, by the time more people come from work, it is full. The margaritas are okay, although a little on the sweet side. The tacos are okay, but the filling taste more like soup and they are extremely small. I stopped by here the other day and the tacos I was served were cold. I absolutely hate the salsa that comes with the chips, it is disgusting and they'd be better off serving Tostinos. The real problem here most recently, however, was the service; the bartenders were goofing off and could have been a little more attentive. The lack of attentiveness is probable what caused them to mess up my check (I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt). I got my bill, it said $20; I handed my card along with said bill; I get my check to sign and it says $70. Say what?! I know he didn't think I was giving him a $50 tip, so how the hell did he manage to charge me $70 when the bill said $20 ($23 to be exact). Then he had the nerve to have an attitude about it and not even apologize, after I gave the check back to someone else to fix, he came back over and said "Oh"...that's it, no apology. Ummmm, No! I certainly won't be rushing back here anytime soon. read more

I have no idea what people see in this place... it's terrible. The portions are tiny (yes, I know they are tapas) and the service is lackluster at best. Way overpriced for what you get. The interior is nice, but you are in Crystal City so there ain't much to do nearby. read more

There's already a ton written on this place, so I won't repeat what is already written, but I just wanted to add a couple things to consider. The order of guacamole was huge...one order was enough to share for a party of 4. They make it fresh in front of you, which is what most decent mexican restaurants do nowadays, but its still a novelty I enjoy. I don't know what it is about a waiter/waitress preparing my food in front of me, but it makes me feel like a VIP. Also, definitely try the cold avocado soup. On a warm summer night, you can't top that. It had a great flavor, consistency, a touch of spiciness. I would give the restaurant 5 stars just based on that soup. But, all other dishes were excellent as well. read more

Ay-ya-ya Oyamel es muy muy bien :) The only negative thing I can write about my overall experience at this restaurant is the limited, I repeat, limited supply of fresh chips and salsa. When I eat Mexican fare, I want have the comfort of knowing that that server will never stop brining me hot, tortilla chips! Oh well, it doesn't happen here, but I can live with that because the traditional (NO tex-mex here!) Mexican flavors and dishes are just divine. Yes, so you have to pay for additional tortilla chips - after the first basket - but they are simply perfect. Hot, homemade, crunchy, and salty. And, they go great with the extra-smoky and slightly-spicy salsa. Now for the main affair, the dinner. (*Keep in mind this restaurant only serves "small plate" dishes, hence the reasons our party of three ordered quite a few.) Usually when I dine off of a tasting menu, or a an eatery that serves only small plates, tapas, or amuse-bouche style options, I am rarely stuffed after a meal. Not the case at Oyamel. We were all pleasantly filled, for a very reasonable price of $85 - for 3 adults! First we had to have the made-in-front-of-you guacamole. It was very light and creamy, with a hint of spiciness from the Serrano peppers and a cooling reprieve from the lime juice and green tomatillos. Next, we ordered the queso fundido with hot peppers - a must for me at any Mexican restaurant. This one far surpassed others I have tried in DC. The reason? The thick, Oaxacan cheese was permeated with strips of sauteed hot peppers, and then infused with tequila! Wow, this dish really blew me away. Great way to get the palate turned on for more. Next (the plates sporadically arrive to the table as they are ready - always a nice tantalizing surprise!) came the pork tacos. Just get ready for this one: Soft, homemade corn tortillas stuffed with a confit of pork belly, topped with crispy pig skin, a green tomatillo sauce, and sauteed onions and peppers. Ensuing came the fish tacos: Once again, amazingly good tortillas stuffed with fresh fish; not too fishy, not too flaky. The hearty cut of fish was covered with red onions and a puree of cilantro, cumin, and lime juice. Just splendid! The final entree item was the braised beef short rib; packed with flavor and incredibly tender. Plus, it was about the size of an appetizer, always a good thing! Overall, I absolutely loved Oyamel, and I am a harsh critic of Mexican cuisine. This establishment really lives up to the hype, plus it's affordable and boasts a fun, inviting atmosphere. Great place to eat before a night out on the town. read more

Didn't get a good start here ... Hair in our guacamole. Ugh. Famous chef. Apparently everyone in DC loves this place (that we talked to). And after dining here, let's just be honest, I won't be chatting them up anymore ... ;) Fancy Mexi. Decent but didn't live up to the hype. In this general area of town, I would have preferred Rosa Mexicano. A positive note: our waiter was really good. He was on top of everything, very helpful and friendly. read more

I was very excited to obtain a reservation at Oyamel for Restaurant Week. I wish that I had a great experience - but unfortunately it was probably my worst restaurant experience since moving to the DC area a year ago. We'll start with what is decent - the food. The food was definitely different - my friends loved the grasshopper tacos. The chips are very good and the guacamole is delicious. The other food got good reviews from the rest of my party. However, the service was absolutely horrific. I would have been happy giving absolutely no tip - something I have never done. It started when our server (who gave off the air that he was definitely too cool to be there) dropped a full bowl of salsa on the table - splashing everywhere including the upholstery and my friends clothes and hair. While he did apologize, he did not bring new salsa or offer to make it up to us in any way. My friend had to request new water as there was salsa in it and the waiter had left it on the table. While he was not very helpful, the rest of the crew was even worse. It is difficult to remember what you ordered when you order four dishes in a foreign language, even if you do have a working understanding of spanish. It did not help that every time someone would bring a plate to the table, they would not say what it was or indicate who's it was. I had to repeatedly ask the waitress to come back and say the name of the dish the dish, so we could figure out who it belonged to. She did so grudgingly. When the busboy came to get our plates, he actually pointed silently at a plate near me for me to pick it up and give it to him. If I'm paying $40 per person, it seems they could be a bit more classy! At the end of the night, we received a check that was about half the price of what we were expecting and obviously not ours. My friends are so kind, as they patiently waived down our waiter (which took about five minutes) and told him he was mistaken. He blatantly guffawed, but did not thank us. As we hurried out, none of the hostesses or staff said thank you or goodbye. Overall, a horrible experience. I can chalk it up to Restaurant Week, but the service is inexcusable at any time. I will never come back - there are far better places in DC to spend my money. read more

We chose Oyamel as our restaurant week destination because of a papier mache sculpture of a demon that sits in their window display. My boyfriend had seen it many times at a little store called All Things Mexican, I think. For just $200 bucks, he was seriously considering buying it but Oyamel beat him to it. The story goes something like the artist was in a coma for twenty years, and during that time was in a tormented dream state, like an alternate universe, where he was tortured by demons. When he woke up, he began scultpting what he saw. There are smaller sculptures inside from the same artist, all of which are colorful, freaky, and twisted, with little demons popping out of larger demons and so on. Starting from that point, I expected this place to be a creative dining adventure, and it did not disappoint me. I see that others had divergent experiences, which is a shame. Maybe they were on their best behavior for restaurant week, or maybe it was the dishes we chose, but I loved this place. First and foremost, I was extremely impressed by the service. Our server was sharp and professional. The pace was right, and his dessert recommendation was good. I managed to spill my glass of water all over my barely-touched charra (there's a longer name, but basically a delicious steak). I felt like an idiot, but he appeared out of nowhere with a towel and my plate was desparecido Argentinian style. Without our asking, ten minutes later he brought another one like nothing had happened. It was not on the bill. Smart man. And the food - we ordered the red snapper ceviche (help me God was that good), the scallops, the garlic shrimp, the chicken in mole, the forementioned steak, and the fries covered with chocolate mole and some delicious creamy melted goat cheese. Everything hit all the right notes for me. With dessert we were full enough to have to take a little walk around Chinatown before going home. Ye neighsayers, I say give it another chance. read more

Went there for dinner on a Saturday night and was seated immediately (bonus) with no reservation. The chips and guacamole were the best I've had in the city, although next time I won't get it so spicy. The beef taco was a win but I was not a huge fan of the fish taco. The cactus had the texture of okra and tasted pretty much like it. I wasn't a huge fan but the boyfriend liked it. The beef short ribs will be ordered again. The sauce that went with the plantains was ok. Overall it was a great experience. Definitely get the margarita pitcher. read more

Oyamel is one of those great restaurants you wish could be your secret in-the-know spot, even if it is one of the trendiest restaurants in town. I'm originally from California and of course I have the occasional guacamole craving. We west coasters will search high and low for some fresh gauc, only to be disappointed. Even the avocados at Whole Foods don't taste right here!! Thank god, Oyamel has fixed this problem. I LOVE the drinks at oyamel. Every drink I have tried has been amazing! My favorite are the ones with the "air", my very favorite had hibiscus "air' on top. Delish! In a city where an absolut cocktail can cost you $12, I think the price point for these is DC standard. The menu is daring and exotic, maybe only Jose Andres can get away with putting grasshoppers on the menu. As expected, every dish I've had has been just mouthwatering delicious. I think Oyamel would be a great place to get a Chef's tasting menu. I will likely always choose the old favorites fish tacos, carnitas, etc, however I would for sure eat any of dishes on the menu if they had been chosen for me. The fish tacos taste exactly like the fish tacos at the local surf place, except they cost nine times as much. Ug. Maybe with the more exotic plates you get more bang for your buck, but with the majority of these dishes, they are rolling in profit. Oyamel is everything you could want from a trendy snack and drink place. Fun drinks, small expensive plates, and killer vibes. But come too hungry and you could walk out feeling like you got ripped off. read more

This restaurant was shockingly disappointing and appallingly overpriced. At $13.50, the guacamole seemed unreasonably expensive. However, we ordered it anyway because we were expecting something special for the price. There was nothing unique or extraordinary about it. Indeed, it was some of the most boring guacamole that we have ever tasted. It should have been $3.50 instead of $13.50. Nothing was outstanding and everything was extremely salty. We eat Mexican food all of the time in Adams Morgan (and in the Latin American market in Adams Morgan). We have had the most authentic Mexican that you can get in DC (or so we think). This place seemed to promise something exceptional. What we got was a second-rate version of the Adams Morgan equivalent for four times the price. read more

$50 pitcher of margs. GET OUT OF HERE WITH THAT. It's things like this that remind me of how pretentious DC is, because honestly, it wasn't even that great of a marg. NO marg should cost that much especially if it's only El Jimador going in there. Save your loot and head over to Haydees in Mt. Pleasent and purchase 4 times as many pitchers that taste basically the same. The guac was OUTSTANDING. Best part of the meal for sure. The chips and salsa were delish. But again, they nickel and dime you here ($2 for more salsa. COME ON SON.) I'm sorry, but unless we're at mini-bar, you're not doing the world a favor by simply existing, do your customers right and refill that salsa. ESP after charging them 50 bucks for a tiny pitcher of margs. The tacos were okay. The Chilaquiles con salsa de tomatillo were BANGING. My buddies were all pretty average about their food as well. For dessert we split a Tequila sorbet. It was pretty decent. Our waitress was awesome, the busboys kind of went in for the kill while we were still finishing our drinks (ease up there guys.) The decor was really cool, loved the butterflies hanging from the ceiling. i'd honestly give it a 2.75. The service and ambiance were good. The food and drinks were average and the price was just stupid. read more

I always enjoy coming down to Oyamel. I can't speak for their small plates, but I really enjoy the tacos! I usually eat between three and four tacos and I am full for a meal. Last time we went was on a Monday night and the joint was packed with a 45 minute wait for a table. Therefore I would recommend having a reservation as opposed to just walking in for dinner (there is no restaurant I am waiting 45 mins to eat at). For dessert I am obsessed with their tres leches cake! The rum infused whipped cream is both unexpected and amazing. It's not a huge dessert but I take my time with it because it's special to me! :) read more

Oyamel - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The best Mexican in DC. Oyamel is trendy and hip, but better than the ambiance is the amazing food. Fresh and flavorful. Guac made table side, hello, amazing. Between three of us we got ceviche, tacos, and burrito - all were amazing. Service is prompt and professional. All in all a great experience. Can't wait to go back. read more

See all

The hubby and I went here for Restaurant Week. It's not a bad dinner package for it - you get a five-course tasting that includes dessert, coffee and sodas. My impressions of the place are as follows. DECOR: It's like Chevy's trying to be upscale. Walls are muted but colorful and the furniture is streamlined trendy. Unfortunately the pinatas hanging form the ceiling were distracting. FOOD: I love going out with my husband. I get to try twice as many menu items :-) Overall the food was alright. Some dishes were average, yet some were noteworthy (not necessarily in a good way). Cactus salad had a good vinagrette but the cacti cubes were slimy in texture (it's even worse to me than tomatoes, and I HATE tomatoes). Salmon ceviche was good but whatever sauce it was in tasted disturbingly sweet, almost like candy. I liked the mole sauce that came with my braised short ribs. And the desserts - they were the best thing I had. My chocolate coffee crumble dessert thing tasted amazing with the cinnamon tasting-jelly, though the anise ice cream was too weird. My husband's tres leches was amazing - it also had a lime jelly cube with it too. SERVICE: Our waitress was attentive, but I'm not sure if I like the timing of the food coming to our table. According to the RW menu, you 're supposed to get course one, two, main course, tacos, then desserts. Got the tacos before the main course, which kinda threw me off. I also didn't appreciate the fact that my "main course" tapas came at least 5 minutes before my husband's. Overall a satisfying yet not especially impressive RW experience. The desserts in itself maintains three stars for this alright place. Wouldn't go out of my way to dine here, and honestly I'm not sure the RW price was economical enough to be worth it. read more

I have been wanting to try this place for quite some time.... and it lived up to my expectations. After an afternoon walking around the city, my wife and I checked it out. With its comfortable surroundings, unpretentious attitude, and dishes that lend themselves to sharing, this was the perfect choice for the day. Here's what we ordered: horchata (sweetened rice milk), a carnitas taco, a chicken taco, braised short rib, fries w/ mole sauce, shrimp in black garlic sauce, and a red snapper ceviche. Everything was fresh, tasty, and perfectly cooked. This was my first ceviche (sad, I know) and if all ceviches are as good as this one, I'll be eating them breakfast, lunch, and dinner! The service was good. Our waiter took the fries off of our check because "they weren't cut as long as they usually are". Okay.... wasn't expecting that. But money off the check will never result in a complaint.... only an extra couple bucks on the tip. The price was a little less than I thought it would be (taking the fries out the equation of course). Going into this Jose Andres establishment, I thought I would be paying for the name in addition to the food.... glad to see that wasn't the case. Overall, I was very happy with our meal.... as was my wife. We go to the Penn Quarter part of town at least twice a month, so I can see us ending up at Oyamel again soon! Highly recommend!! read more

Wow! Such mixed reviews. I'm having a hard time understanding why this place gets one star from reviewers. I went to Oyamel for a private group dinner and I must admit, the food was pretty good. We had a tapas style fixed menu where several (maybe 8) dishes were brought out and shared by all. I know someone earlier dissed the chips and salsa, but I thought both were pretty damn amazing - and I'm from California. If I'm ever in DC again, I'm sure I'll go back. read more

I went with another couple and service was terrible. My friends wife food didn't come out till we were already finished with our food. We didn't get an apology or anything. I wouldn't go here as staff isn't attentive read more