I love celeb chef Jose Andres. I think he's charming! We went to Oyamel for brunch at the recommendation of a friend. I was enjoying my meal until my boyfriend complained that everything was too salty and overseasoned. My Mexican taste buds were pleased and I did not notice bc traditionally, you douse everything in lime and salt before consumption. But after he said that, I was upset that I did not get to control the seasoning in my own dish (they heavy handed it for me) and it was no longer appetizing to me. I thought the guacamole was fantastic and the cafe de olla was very very good. I do love the branding and the decor of oyamel but if I am doing Mexican brunch in Chinatown again, I think I will go to Rosa Mexicano. I might sneak back sans bf to try lunch/dinner, but for traditional Mexican for lunch/dinner, Casa Oaxaca remains king. read more

Oyamel was absolutely delicious! My favorites were the ceviche huachinango and the tamale verde, though the camarones al mojo and the nopal asado were very good too. It is on the pricey side and the plates are small, so I wouldn't go here very often. The service wasn't very good, though - our waitress liked to have long conversations with other tables while we waited with our menus, ready to order. read more

I was looking forward to eating here but when a friend and I went for lunch, I found the tacos, cheese and char pretty devoid of flavor. I'm neither an expert in Mexican food nor a total novice and maybe I chose the wrong dishes but it all seemed a little bland and the cheese was downright greasy. I loved my drink--margarita, the salt foam was amazing--and I should note my friend liked her food better. The service and guacamole were excellent but I left feeling generally unsatisfied, especially for the price. read more

Wow, how things have changed in DC since I moved from the area in 2003! I've lived in California for 8 years and got married in Mexico so I LOVE to eat Mexican food. I remembered going to Jaleo and Cafe Atlantico while living in DC, and loved the ambiance and food there too. Oyamel did not disappoint! I was truly surprised to find an authentic, upscale Mexican restaurant in D.C. My favorite dishes were the Napolito and the Quail - bursts of flavor! So proud of my home town for bringing Mexican awesomeness to everyone! read more

On Thursday of Restaurant Week I finally got a chance to try Oyamel, a place I've been looking for a reason to go to for a while now. The interior space is cozy and interesting and I spent a few minutes before the rest of the group showed up checking the place out and sizing up the drink menu. We were seated immediately once everyone arrived and received chips and a tasty salsa to snack on while we perused the RW menu and decided on our drink order. Oyamel is interesting because instead of getting the usual three course meal, you select three tapas, a taco and a dessert. According to the waitress, each of the courses, with the exception of the dessert, is the usual serving size. Given the amount of food that I consumed, a smaller dessert was more than fine. I ordered the gazpacho (as recommended highly by our waitress), the quesadilla huitlacoche, the tamal verde, the carnitas taco (with pork rinds), and for dessert the pastel de tres leches. All were good, but my favorites were the gazpacho (citrusy and refreshing), the quesadilla (accompanied by an excellent, spicy salsa) and the tamal verde. Of the items ordered by the other members of the group, I'd recommend the salmon ceviche and the plantain fries. No one in the group ordered the Oyamel margarita (with salt air), but those that ordered the regular margarita were not wowed; I'd stick with the beer unless you are dying for some authenticity and in that case I'd shell out the extra couple dollars for the Oyamel margarita. One brave soul in our group ordered the lengua (tongue) taco. After a little hesitation, I tried a bite and it was not bad - smoother than beef, but with a similar taste. Something to note, the other dessert offered as part of the restaurant week menu (which I don't think is on the regular menu) is flavored with anise, something you either love or hate. In my case I hate it so if you are of a similar persuasion, skip it and go with the tres leches. All in all, I enjoyed my meal and I'm glad I had to opportunity to try it out during restaurant week when I had a chance to try a variety of dishes. I would return, but likely for a light dinner at the bar or appetizers and a drink. While I can not vouch of all of the waitstaff, our waitress was great, offering good food recommendations and providing just the right amount of service without being intrusive. read more

total waste of money. I USED TO LOVE this place until a week ago... I came back for dinner, restaurant week was over elsewhere but here. My husband and I asked SPECIFICALLY for the regular menu because we didn't want to get crappy restaurant week food. We order a pitcher or margarita, tacos, guacamole, tamal and meatballs... 45 minutes later our first dish comes- waiter's excuse was "sorry we are busy". I had to bring the supervisor over to start at least w the drinks (this is 20min later after ordering). Tamal was good but meatballs were not edible at all. We had to return the dish to the kitchen. Meanwhile our stomachs were in pain for not having anything but chips and guac for 45 min! The worst thing was paying $65 dollars of a margarita "premium" pticher that tasted so bad. The mix this restaurant used came out of a terrible supplier or it was spoiled.. tasted like hell. Something you wouldn't expect for that price. Tacos NEVER came after 1h10min. We decided to cancel the rest of the order for LACK OF SERVICE AND RESPECT TO CUSTOMERS. Too bad Jose Andres. This place used to be good but somehow quality of ingredients were not good at all...even our guac was not done properly. Really?the bill came for $118 dollars NOT WORTH IT. read more

Amazing food. Pomagranite margareta is awesone and uniq. The spicy guac is amazing

Food is decent at best. Don't come here hungry unless you want to leave hungry as well. Portions are overpriced and tiny.

So torn. Jose Andres' concepts are usually always genius..... the food is so flavorful and memorable here but the service has been poor on numerous accounts. We frequent Oyamel too often and the service is about the same every single time - hence the need for an official review. At first, I assumed it could've just been the bartenders, so I vowed to only sit at a dining table (though I'm the one that prefers bar service over table service 10 times out of 10). It doesn't get much better at the tables. The servers either lack knowledge or are extremely pushy about 6 serving margarita pitchers. No thanks - the two of us do NOT want a pitcher of your seasonal berry margarita. The server then decided to make the guacamole we ordered by slamming every ingredient into the mixing bowl more quickly and without even caring to ask the heat level we desired. Normally, whatever right? Except one of our guests is sensitive to spice. Overall, I didn't need his poor attitude and his aggressive ingredient dumping skills. Once we ordered food, he vanished and didn't seem to want to serve us at all. Essentially, it seemed as if we weren't obliging to his recommendations and he wanted no parts of it. He then didn't want to split the check for us at the end once he reappeared. We all work in the industry. Its possible, though maybe inconvenient. Yet, we'd tip to compensate. On a lighter note: the food's amazing! Chilaquiles to die for. Tuna ceviche is super fresh with good texture from a quinoa like ingredient. The various veggie sides are really good too - try the Brussels or the mushrooms! Go for horrible service but really good food? Maybe I'll order take out or just go to another one of Jose Andres' concepts. read more

Friends I grew up with in Texas wanted to meet here for our reunion. After reading all the reviews, I was really excited. Reservations made, people on time, restaurant not crowded for a noon Sunday brunch - this could really be awesome.... it wasn't. First, the hostess did not ask where we would like to sit. Sunday was beautiful and we would have been perfectly happy outside in the sunshine, but no. We were seated in a dark corner with a loud speaker directly overhead. Add to this, the table next to ours was obviously for a large party/family. I don't mind kids, per se, but I do mind when they are louder than the music overhead that I can't hear ANYONE. Our server was kind enough to come back three times to ask us to order (we had nearly 30 years of news to catch up on - the menu could wait). Tapas - what this means is that you get really, really small portions at a really, really big price. I knew we were in trouble when a pitcher of margaritas was $65. I would say that's at least $15 over-priced. OK $4.50 for *a* taco (and you're expected to order 3), yeah, D.C. prices, but that I could live with. $16 for the tamale mole pablano? Make a fist. Now cut the size down by half. The mole was fine, but if there was pablano in that thing I sure couldn't tell. My husband was not thrilled with the menu and asked if he could have a cheese enchilada with rice and beans. What he got: cheese quesadilla, 10 minutes later a bowl of white rice, 15 minutes later some beans on a plate with some tortillas. My companions got various tacos - there was exchanging going on because while all the tacos ordered did come to the table, they did not come to the right people and were mixed up. Salsa and chips. Salsa was chipotle meh. Chips were nice. I asked for more because a) we're from Texas - we eat salsa like it's going to evaporate and b) we ordered guacamole as well. We will need more. After asking several different people several different times, we did get more after the beans were delivered (when everyone else was finished with their meal, but we still had half a bowl of guacamole). However, we weren't allowed to actually eat them all. I actually had to stop the server from taking away the chips, salsa and guacamole that we STILL had. They did remove them when they brought the dessert menu. At no time were any of the females asked if they would like another drink - my husband was asked as they were removing his glass. I did enjoy dessert. That is why this gets two stars. I had the tres leches (I had to yell my order to the server because while he took everyone else's order, he walked away from me). I guess I will stick with the barrio. Better food, better people. read more

Was not a huge fan of the food. Everything tasted like vinegar. The guacamole was the best thing at the restaurant (would I give a 5 start for that) If you go for just the guac and drinks I think it would have been better. The service was not so good. It was an anniversary dinner so I wanted something outside of the box and boy did I get it. Was not happy with this place. read more

Love this place and the food, the drinks and the wait staff is great - go there everytime im in DC

Recently ate here with my family and loved the food. The chips are amazing and the guacamole is to die for. We enjoyed the ahi starter and tried several of the tacos. They were all very good, tiny but had a ton of flavor. My only feedback was the service. Our server was very short with us and treated us like he was doing us a favor by serving us. I had a few questions and he acted completely put out. Not alot of communication at all and felt very rushed. Our dinner was $120 and barely got a thank you in passing. read more

If everything at Oyamel worked as well as the menu and the kitchen, this place would be a home run. Creative ceviche and tacos, tasty soups, fresh crispy tortilla chips, and a tableside-made guacamole that is the best anywhere, period. Unfortunately the serving staff and the bar do irreparable harm the the experience. When we visited on a Saturday night the dining room was full, so we sat at the bar. We were 'served' by one of the bartenders at first, who got us our menus and took our guacamole order. We watched the other bartender as she short-poured every single drink she made. Despite the short drinks, my wife ordered a $12 pomagranite margharita. We enjoyed the chips and amazing salsa, continued reviewing the menu for our next round of food. We asked for some serrano chilis to add to the guac. Instead they brought out serrano salsa. Not what we wanted, but unexpectedly good, so no complaints. Eventually the margharita arrived, and the bartender asked if we wanted anything else. She was a little late asking, becuase by then we had filled up on the chips, salsa and guac (easy to do, they're all pretty addictive) so we asked for our check...once...twice...three times. We watied a total of twenty minutes while the bartender argued with a nearby frustrated customer who was futilely tryign to get a lime wedge. We watched her stare at wine glasses for a few minutes more. Twenty minutes later we finally got our check. We paid fast and got out, because the delay had made us late. I noticed my wife had only finished half of her $12 margharita. Asked if she wanted to finish it. "No, it wasn't that good". "why didn't you say something?" "The bartender never came back, so I couldn't tell her". Oyamel's slow serivce is a particular liability given its location. Restaurants in that neighborood cater to customers on their way to nearby several theatres and the Verizon Center. Customers don't want to be late. Oyamel's menu and kitchen earn at least four stars. But they lose stars for slow, indifferent and incompetent service, and short, dissapointing and over-priced drinks. Oyamel is far from a lost cause. Better management in the front of the house could quickly fix the bar practices, and bring in servers who are on their toes. The optimist in me will give the another try, and hopefully upgrade this review. read more

Very expensive. Margarita small carafe for $63. Menu claims 6 glasses. Coffee cup size glass full of ice. Maybe 4 glasses. read more

Oyamel - Small "pitcher" of margaritas $63 - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I completely loved this place. Came right in from airport from Columbus, Ohio (go bucks we love you dc) and Arrived early and was greeted by a wonderful host. We were both freezing to death and he was on it in a second. Didn't make me feel like a prime Donna for complaining about the a/c. He was a finely dressed perhaps African American. Great way to start. Chips and salsa were way better than average. I got the ahi Tuna ceviche and can honestly say it's one of the best things I've eaten in a decade. I had an ahi Tuna salad too and I didn't like it. The camarones were very good but nothing compared to that ahi Tuna ceviche. I'd go back in a second in fact I'm going to go back tomorrow! Not a place I'd be uncomfortable dining solo. See ya'll tomorrow! read more

This was my first time coming to this restaurant and It didn't meet my expectations. The ambiance is amazing and very nice set up but when it comes to the service it is not good. The food is not as I expected. I had ordered a Bistec and I had to order rice on the side, the meal doesn't come with rice it just comes with 5 small pieces of cut up steak and that it. No beans or pico de gallo like a normal Mexican dish should have. The portions are tiny and very expensive. It's not worth it and I would recommend to go to a real Mexican restaurant that serves big portions for reasonable price. I will never come back . As a Latina, this is not a place you will want to take your family to if they are traditional with their Hispanic foods. read more

I thought this place was cool. I liked the ambience. I think they best thing about it was the service. Danny, our waiter, was very knowledgeable and when I told him it was someone's birthday in our party he gave him a surprise. I'm okay with the food. I think it could've been seasoned better. The favorite guacamole was really good. I had the pork chicarrones and they were bland for my tastes. I also had the verde soup and thought it was decent. read more

Washington, DC is so fortunate to have Jose Andres as our uber-celebrity chef. The man is everywhere (NPR, PBS, Today Show, Food Network) talking about the importance of good food and the dining scene in our nation's capital. I've been to all four of his Penn Quarter restaurants many times. The only one that awaits is Minibar, which is part of Café Atlantico and reserved in my mind for a very special future occasion someday. This past Sunday we surprisingly found ourselves with brunch plans at Oyamel. The invitation came from friends of ours as we rarely take just ourselves to brunch and when I saw Oyamel's brunch offerings, I was enthusiastic! (FYI, we love the idea of brunch but never get our butts in gear to enjoy this meal that is "not quite breakfast, not quite lunch, but it comes with a slice of cantaloupe at the end.") We've been to Oyamel a couple of times, but not since restaurant week more than a year ago I'm sure. As big fans of the small plate concept for tasting and sharing a bunch of different dishes, it was interesting to compare Oyamel to recent stellar dinners we've enjoyed at Zaytinya and Cork, which are also successful exponents of small plates for dinner. For brunch, at least at Oyamel, the small plate concept didn't flow so smoothly. This might be because Oyamel's cuisine is street fare prepared with the flair of a high end restaurant, and street food is not meant to be shared but just eaten on the run by one person. The soft taco my partner ordered may have been delicious, but it was only a single portion and not something easily shared with one other person, let alone three. Guess that means ordering at least two of the soft tacos next time. The Caesar salad came in a big glass bowl with huge romaine lettuce leaves that were awkward to share. The cactus and tomato salad I ordered did not come with a spoon so we had to make do sharing with our forks. Ditto the avocado and beet salad. It seemed that these delicious dishes were not meant to be shared unless you're really good friends and don't mind sticking your fork into someone else's dish. Eew! But then the egg dishes arrived. Each was so delicious and perfectly proportioned for one and clearly not meant to be shared. This I won't complain about because I wanted mine all for me, and I think we all felt the same! Only the offer to share the chilaquiles with chorizo, cheese, and the fried egg seemed reasonable since it was sizeable and hot and delicious and we all dug in for a bite. My sunny side up egg with refried beans, a strip of pork belly and the tomato and habanero (though not flaming) salsa was delectable, as were the huevos rancheros according to the two who ordered them. I can't say for myself because my fork was too busy with my own dish to get distracted with someone else's at that point. Oyamel certainly earns its stars because the food is so outstandingly good. I'm just not sure the small plate concept works for brunch if you get a dish that's not easily shared though. Is it because it's brunch food that's not set up for easy sharing or is it because it's street food prepped for one? I'm not sure, but I'm more than willing to go back for another try. read more

Being from Portland OR and having worked at a culinary school teaching Restaurant Management, I'm always looking to be on the side of hardworking restaurant staff and being an advocate for places to eat. I was really disappointed in the flavor, portion size for the price and the service at Oyamel. We arrived after a busy lunch hour at 2:30 pm on a weekday and were seated but unattended to for a long time. My friend ordered a flight of tequilas and my other friend and I ordered beers and the bottles were dirty. The portion for the price is very small with very little flavor and the service was slow so the food was served cold. Very disappointing. read more

great service, great food, a little bit noisy, i would definitely recommend AGAINST the camarones a la plancha (sp?) - the seared shrimp were not good. everything else we had was excellent: -guacamole -red snapper ceviche -braised short rib (EXCELLENT) -grilled flank steak (maybe it was skirt steak i dont remember but it was GOOOOD) -chicken taco -carnitas taco -fish taco (EXCELLENT) -seared shrimp - NOT good, overcooked and the sauce did not complement the shrimp well -caramel with passion fruit and pineapple sorbets the food is great but my only gripe is that it's overpriced. for example, the ceviche was $12 and it's about 3 tablespoons of food, literally. my solution is to drink a lot of wine to make yourself feel better. read more

Well first lemme say that I'm from San Diego and have been eating Mexican food in San Diego and Mexico for as long as I have lived. I got a carnitas taco, it was pretty good. Nice flavor, but not worth $5. I ordered the chicken mole. The Mole sauce was above average. Not the best but better than some I've had in San Diego. The "chicken" which was probably some sort of tiny bird was tough as hell. Then there was the white rice with a sliver of fried banana on it. The rice was flavorless, except for the flavor of salt. For a taster, the price was expensive. Especially given the quality. My final order was the shrimp with chills and blacked garlic. By far the best dish that I ordered though I'm still confused as to why they would remove the tail and leave bits of shell on the shrimp. An over site I'm guessing. By this point I felt like I hadn't really eaten yet (I could easily eat a full meal now). I suppose I could fill up on chips, but they're overly salted and seasoned. Not a huge fan. read more

It's clean and the food is good but I'm from Cali so the concept of going to a nice sit down restaurant for $10-$20 taco meal just doesn't make any sense to me. I liked the experience well enough but again, $10-$20 for tacos?!?!? I mean, I could get this kind of stuff in LA for like $3.95...for a PAIR! Unless you're really really craving some high-end tacos, my recommendation would be for you to shell out couple more bucks and walk down 2 blocks to Rosa Mexicana. read more

Food: The guacamole was too lemony for my tastes. I like my guac a bit more nuanced if you will. The shrimp and crab ceviche was fantastic. So refreshing, but not startlingly so. The chipotle salsa that came with the free chips (first basket free) was sublime. I don't normally like smoky flavors, but this salsa had the perfect combination of vegetable and spicy elements. The low note of our dining experience was the dessert. Now, I'm a stickler about not sacrificing flavor/quality for the sake of innovation. Innovation without flavor/quality is nothing to me. You might as well put a time machine on my plate. The 'kahlua jello pudding dessert' as I like to call it (its real name is 'Cafe de Olla') consisted of the following: cubes of kahlua jello, chocolate pudding, chocolate cookie pieces, a viscous sugar syrup and a scoop of star anise ice cream. The jello was just plain weird and not kahlua, but rather lightly coffee flavored. The syrupy sauce was like honey, except clear and not flavorful and the ice cream's licorice flavor destroyed any last chance of harmonizing the flavors in the dish. And the textures you ask? Throw me a bone! All I have to say is that some dishes are not meant to contain every texture known to man. Service: The 3, yes 3, hostesses (at least they were all hanging around the hostess' podium) were bitchy as all get out. When the 4 of us arrived, they huddled like an anorexic football team to discuss how to deal with us, because as they later revealed, they were expecting guests with actual reservations. *Oh no you didn't!* Our waitress, however, was lovely - pleasant, fairly attentive, though a little forgetful (forgot the dessert menu twice). Atmosphere: Very creative interior. Loved the sea-colored tiles and the mobiles hanging from the ceiling. Nice touches. I also appreciated that the bar and the main dining area were seperated by a ledge. read more

Like seemingly every tapas place in DC, you'll find yourself paying a lot of money for relatively small amounts of food. That said, the food was excellent. The guac is expensive but freshly made and well-balanced, and between my boyfriend and father, I'm pretty sure almost the entire menu was sampled. Pork tacos were great, as were the salads and soups we tried...a tortilla soup and some sort of pumpkin, I think. While some items were not to my taste (ahem, grasshoppers), nothing jumped out as being terrible or ill-prepared. The margaritas were also excellent and they have a nice selection of tequilas. While the quest for amazing Mexican in DC is still in progress, Oyamel is a tasty, if expensive, option. read more

I was expecting a lot more from Oyamel. I came in hearing all the hype about this Jose Andres restaurant but I was not impressed. We ordered a variety of things off of the menu and most things lacked flavor. The only dish that was decent was the steak and it left me hungry the portion was very small. Overall the cost was high for the portion size. I left in no hurry to return. read more

I have no idea why it has taken me so long to review Oyamel! This is long over due! Oyamel has quickly become one of my favorite eating/hanging out places in the District. The best thing about Oyamel is their costumer service. Kudos to all of the staff (the hostess, the waiters, etc.) The team is fantastic! On a Friday night I came here with a friend and we were unsure of how many other people were going to join us. In spite of how busy the restaurant was, we were seated immediately without a reservation and our waiter said he would accommodate our party as more people arrived. In the end we were 6 people. We were quickly moved to a table that suited our needs when the rest of the crew arrived and the staff did not seem to be bothered at all by the changes, late arrivals and lack of reservations. Where else in DC can you get that kind of service on a Friday at 7 pm? FANTASTIC! In addition, the drinks and food in this place is very good. The signature food is the guacamole which the waiter prepares for you in front of the table. While the guacamole is very good, my favorite dish are the tacos and the tamales. Decoration and ambiance are also nice. I have nothing bad to say about Oyamel! read more

who knew that dc actually had good mexican food?! for my latin fix, i was content with my salvadoran pupusas and peruvian chicken up to this point, foresaking all dc "mexican" (entre comillas) eateries. however, we stumbled into oyamel one sunday afternoon and my world was rocked! we were seated right away (even though the place was packed -- not sure how we swung that) and went straight to our work. we ordered a bunch of tapas to share. several different ceviches, several different tacos, etc. it was all great. the yellowfin ceviche absolutely blew my mind. seriously. there were little bits of gray matter oozing out of my ear. that's just how good it was! the service was good, the setting was fun and upbeat (but not rushed), and the food was dy no MITE. the prices, as others have posted, were a little steep. but heck -- i don't splurge all that often and i'd say oyamel was the perfect place for doing so. totally worth it. read more

The food is perfectly serviceable. But if you're concerned about actual service think twice. Or three times. We had a large group and they failed to recognize the obvious, that they should split the bill for us. So we spent an hour working out the check. And that's after the extraordinarily slow service all night long. When I have rosa Mexicano right down the street, who go here? read more

Updated Review: After having a waitress charge me for a $15 tip that I *did not* authorize on my receipt, I am very pleased to report that Oyamel's management has satisfactorily resolved the issue in a polite and expeditious manner. After leaving my previous review, Oyamel's manager Andre left me a message on Yelp asking to be contacted so he could address my concerns. Not only did he apologize for the inconvenience (standard customer service), but he also insisted on refunding my entire meal (outstanding customer service). I am usually not a big complainer, mistakes and unfortunate events happen out of your control and to dwell on negative issues is not productive, but I am quite impressed with Oyamel's response to my situation and its reassuring to know that if I do go back there and experience a similar situation, it will be quickly resolved. Oyamel values their customers and I am happy to say that I've experienced their dedication first-hand. read more

Being brown, you usually get treated like shit at most white owned restaurants, no matter 1 star or 5 star, in DC especially. Came in with my family. Everyone from the person who seated us to our two waiters were wonderful people. Not only did they acknowledge us but were smiling (shocking!) and treated us with utmost respect and dignity. We just regular people though, but we felt very well taken care of here. Waiters attended our requests very quickly, despite the fact we came in Saturday evening so the restaurant/bar area was packed. Oh yeah the food, freakin awesome. Fresh guac too. Will come again. read more

I'm not the biggest fan but I wouldn't turn down a meal here. The food was basic americanized mexican served in a fancy way. The mole was ok. The salsa has a nice flavor. The abordigas are pretty tasty though. The drinks are too fancy and too expensive. read more

Impeccable customer service, they were amazing despite how busy they get. Try their brisket tacos and the oyamel their fancy margarita.

This was my first trip to Oyamel I was excited to try something new in DC. I went understanding that it was a small plates restaurant which I enjoy, as well as it is authentic mexican not tex mex. My husband and I enjoyed the food, it was beautifully prepared. We really enjoyed the pollo con mole (?). But we weren't raving about each entire dish their were hits and misses. Although my husband does not like guacamole it smelled fantastic from the next table and we were able to sample some in one of the tacos we ordered (which are tiny fyi) The service left something lacking. It was mildly busy on a Saturday night but my waitress (Lindsey) left something to be desired. She never asked for a drink order? I felt very rushed by her like she just wanted to turn tables. The food runners and bussers were far more attentive. I felt in a nicer establishment I should have received better service, frankly I have received better service at Outback which is pretty sad all in all. I would suggest to not go for dinner but go and sit at the bar for drinks and appetizers the restaurant had a beautiful ambiance. But frankly there are better places to go in Penn Quarter. While I gave it three stars for the the food I don't think there will be a repeat visit. read more

Let me preface this review by noting that I am a fairly enormous snob when it comes to Mexican food. The few years I spent in Tucson, AZ, genuinely spoiled me when it comes to all things delicious and Mexican, though I will also say that the best Mexican food I've ever eaten came from a roadside stand in Hatch, New Mexico. A few months back, I won a four person tasting dinner at Oyamel at a silent auction to benefit Pediatric AIDS. I wasn't sure what to expect, but, as I've found few genuinely authentic and impressively experimental Mexican restaurants in D.C., except perhaps the highly lauded Rosa Mexicana, I was eager to discover Oyamel's offerings. I was immediately impressed by the decor at Oyamel and found that the whimsical butterfly mobiles floating around the ceiling and the tables nestled into window nooks created an atmosphere that was at once upscale but also intimate and pretty. As my boyfriend and I were early for our reservation, we chose to sit at the bar, which was somewhat crowded. However, the restaurant has placed tables behind the bar for standing room, so at least one has somewhere to rest their drink while they wait for a bar stool. I had a traditional margarita on the rocks with salt. I chose the margarita from an extensive list of authentic and sometimes quirky cocktails, all of which looked delicious, because it is a quick and easy way to immediately assess the quality of a Mexican restaurant. I will not drink anything that involves sour mix and sugar. A margarita should be made with high end tequila, lime juice and Cointreau or Grand Marnier. I must say that, while Oyamel's margarita was certainly delicious and authentic, it was not among the very best I've had because it was too salty (and this, coming from someone who adores all things salty). Their method of mixing the margarita includes adding salt directly to the drink itself and, while this creates a beautiful frothy top on the drink, the method overwhelms the taste of the tequila. When the rest of our party arrived, we were seated one of the aforementioned window nooks, which created a quiet, intimate atmosphere for myself and my guests. Upon making my reservation, because some of those in our group had health restrictions, I asked that the food be served using as little fat and sugar as possible. This is a pretty risky and difficult demand to meet when cooking Mexican food, which traditionally consists of enormous amounts of butter, oil and lard, and I was overjoyed to see that the chef had taken my request to heart. The dishes were not only healthy, but also successfully experimental and, most importantly, delectable. While I genuinely applaud Jose Andres, I must also applaud the staff, including especially the sommelier and our waitress, for putting up with my rather raucous and celebratory table and for laughing along with us. The service was truly wonderful. Our tasting menu began with more margaritas, chips, and salsa and guacamole, which was made fresh at our table (one of my favorite practices in Mexican restaurants, because one can specify the amounts of each ingredient and I always find that restaurants often skimp on the cilantro and jalapeno in guacamole). Next, the sommelier came to our table to discuss our wine choices and I have to say that I loved his candor, enthusiasm and decision to go with some wines that were "a little out there". In the end, we chose to experiment with a white wine from Arizona and a red wine from Mexico. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the wines, but I will say that I was quite impressed by their quality, especially considering the regions in which the grapes were grown, and by the sommelier's ability to pair the wine almost perfectly with the food we were served. The white, which had a lovely hint of grapefruit in the finish, went beautifully with the Ceviche de huachinango and the Ceviche de marlin azul con toronja y coriandro that began our dinner. I have had some incredible ceviches and I would absolutely rank these among the best I've ever tasted. Throughout the evening, the food's quality only increased. We were served delicious sea scallops (though they were slightly overcooked); sirloin steak that was cooked at a low temperature, in water, for over twenty-four hours; beautiful and colorful salads and rice dishes; and absolutely outstanding desserts. I won't go into too much detail about each dish, because I've come to believe that it's likely that everything on the menu is equally delicious. I truly loved the way in which the meal was served as well - almost tapas style, on small sampling plates, which allowed us to sample a variety of dishes without become overly full. Finally, I would recommend Oyamel's truly impressive tequila bar. We completed our meal, truly sated and dazzled, by sipping on a glass of Casa Noble Anejo, served in a champagne flute. read more

A great place for Mexican food right by the sites and museums in DC. It's a small plate kind of place so don't expect large portions but you get to try a few different items and they do not disappoint. The wait to get a table can sometimes be too much but certainly worth it. read more

Food is OKAY- not quite Mexican, I'd say a lighter version of real Mexican food. But I love their drinks!

I go to this restaurant basically every time I am in DC. It's so good. The atmosphere is fun. The salsa is smoky and delicious. Their ceviche is amazing! And the margs are everything. Highly recommend. read more

Love this place! Great drinks and food. Juan was awesome. We almost past by but some people said go there! Must try.

We came in just because it looked colorful and interesting and it ended up being the best decision we made all day. The food we ordered was absolutely delicious, but I could have made an entire meal out of the fresh, warm chips and salsa for the table. We ordered a bowl of guacamole, and I wasn't even the least bit upset when I found out it was $15. It was worth every penny. The salt foam margaritas are also a unique and clever spin on a classic drink. I would definitely come back! read more