"I'm Mexican, and honestly this is very, very far from being a place for authentic Mexican food. Not even the salsas they make there -- which is basically just tomato sauce -- have any Mexican touch to them. I've given this place 2-3 chances, and if you're looking for real Mexican flavor, this is definitely not the place. The burritos are packed with beans and rice with no homemade flavor at all (I'm guessing they're canned). Whatever filling you choose never tastes like what they claim it is. There's no cheese, guacamole, or pico de gallo -- just a pound of beans with rice and a little, very little meat inside. The tortas are nothing special either. I'd honestly be willing to pay more if it were actually good. You're better off getting a burrito at Chipotle Mexican Grill -- trust me, it has way more flavor!" read more

The restaurant is clean and the staff are helpful. The tacos are delicious. The inside was remodeled lately and the patio outside has a new roof on it so anyone can eat outside no matter the weather. read more

Best Burritos in the area. Enjoy it when they have lengua. This is really an underrated place.

Tiny spot on the side of an apartment building. Burrito bowl was a big hearty portion even for $15. Your choice meat on top of rice, beans, lettuce, cheese, onions, and avocados. Chorizo had alot of flavor and wasn't overly spicy. Will deff be coming back. Might try their breakfast next time. Service was quick! read more

Pica Taco - Chorizo burrito bowl - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I love me some tacos, get them anywhere I can and my favorite is in Tijuana, Mexico. I was hoping to find another good hole in the wall in DC and this unfortunately wasn't it. The fish tacos had a very strong "fishy" taste, I won't claim its not fresh...but it was a lil off for me. The shrimp tacos were legit, Al Pastor was my favorite and I'd recommend to my friends and family, so you should try it too. The veggie nachos were ok , a little too soggy, but that might be because I left it in the container for some time and you can't blame the restaurant for that one. The staff were friendly, food was prepared quickly. All in all, it may be worth it for a quick bite, but I'm not sure about making dinner plans here. Hey, try and let me know what you think. -ODL Follow me on IG: @AOEAT read more

Pica Taco - Indoors - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Went here to get a breakfast burrito at 9:30 in the morning. I saw the hours on the door which said they open at 9:00. I go in and expect to order, but was told they open at 10:00. The door, being in plain sight , clearly says 9. Not a huge deal, but it seems this should be updated so as not to give the wrong impression. read more

Pica Taco - The hours of the store, clearly posted, but are incorrect. - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I really wanted to like this place more and I feel sad about it not being better. It's a small business and it smelled pretty good when I was walking around the area (just to explore). To be fair, and in disclosure, I have been to Mexico and been to some pretty awesome authentic taco places across the country. Between the three of us, lengua, al pastor, and chicken, I had the al pastor. The sauces were good, legitimately pretty good. The white sauce had a kick to it and the green sauce had some good flavors. I like the wedge of lime, the radish that it came with it. I was bummed to find it quite salty and more importantly, missing the pineapple!! The chicken, per report, was dry :(, but the lengua report was pretty good, AND the people there were very nice!! read more

Pica Taco - al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Due to the current health situation all of the restaurants only deliver or have carry out. We came in and ordered two burrito supremes (burrito with ranchero sauce and a generous amount of cheese melted on top) stuffed with carnitas and chorizo. While we waited for our food, we saw the owners greet and thank the other customers in the restaurant. They genuinely seemed like good people. We also ended up getting their horchata which is made in house with real whole milk and no added sugar and it was very good. If you're a fan of horchata, give theirs a try. Before we left, the male owner said he appreciated our business in such a tough time and gave us chips and salsa on the house. It was such a kind act and we greatly appreciated it. The huge burritos weren't fancy by any means, but they were tasty. Lots of meat, rice and beans. What also really impressed me were the chips. To me, they were the perfect amount of thickness and went well with the salsa. The other sauces (salsa verde, roja and a white, creamy one) were all really great. I am definitely a fan and will continue to support this business. read more

I was in Va for something. I can't remember, but I remember seeing mission bbq. I pulled off the road and parked and saw this little chain looking taco spot which turned out to not be a chain. I could be wrong, but it seemed like the only one of its kind and the food was scratch made and authentic. I don't have time to research the company. Either way I ordered two shrimp tacos to go with everything but radishes. They were very well cooked and came out in a few minutes. I got them to go and was so hungry I ate them there. They also have these three homemade sauces which I used. The facility wasn't the cleanest and could use a good scrubbing. That's why I subtracted a star. I would recommend his place, but come expecting an old world experience. There's no frills just good food. read more

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We had the tacos, tostadas and quesadillas, they were all excellent! Quick, fresh and hot. read more

Pica Taco - Tostadas, Cheese Quesadilla, Veggie Taco, - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

First-time guest. I shared clear instructions I did not want sauce on the burrito as I was driving and preferred a hand-held item. It was in a bed of sauce which required utensils. What's great is they removed all dairy. It tasted good. Yet, I had to sit and eat, then drive home. read more

I ordered through the app Ritual for mobile orders. It's not their website that they take mobile orders, but I'm here to tell you it's on Ritual! I was able to pick up my food in 10 min after ordered through the app. The food was good, I had the 2 taco platter with was more than enough to fill me up. It was tasty. Staff was friendly. I liked the food so much that I came for lunch and dinner because the food is good, price is good, and service is good. Here are some tips: 1) Use Ritual app to do mobile orders 2) Within 30 min of opening their meats wont be ready. I came in at 10:15am and told me their meats won't be ready until 10:30. Luckily I live down the street so I came back later. 3) Desserts are okay, I got the cake but it's a little small and the price a bit much read more

I'm a huge fan of supporting small businesses, and this is definitely a hole in the wall restaurant tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets. But beware, because the prices are no where near small! RUNDOWN: - Restaurant is on the small side since most food is ordered as take out, so it probably sits no more than 8 people - Most dishes are handmade on the spot (i.e. they assemble the burritos and tacos in front of you) - Everything is surprisingly on the pricy side given the portion size and quality of food (3 tacos came out to be over $9 after tax even though it's $2.50 each...) - Service and cleanliness could use some work, but the ladies who work there are nice! TIPS/RECS: - They have sauces there free for the taking when you dine in, but they also have the sauces in little to-go jars, so ask for it! -- TAMALES (pork or chicken, they're both fantastic!) read more

Pica Taco - $2.50/taco (pictured: barbacoa, pastor, chorizo) - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I'm a VERY picky taco eater. I LOVE hard shell, ground beef tacos only. Surprisingly, they're hard to come by. Tacos should be simple (like a hot dog) and quick. This place has THE best taco for my taste in the dc area. Update: I've tried all of their salsas and am not fond of any of the ones they offer in the dispenser bottles; however, I now specifically ask for their tomato salsa they serve with nachos. Sometimes they charge an additional 50¢ for a portion cup of it, which is worth it. A bit spicy but not too spicy. I'm hoping they'll accept my suggestion and add this one to their regular selection. read more

Pica Taco - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This is definitely my favorite place in the area for Mexican food. I may be biased, just because I live so close to this location. We usually get the enchiladas, rather than the tacos. Orders are always timely, staff is always courteous. read more

1 star for poor customer service. Order lunch from them, order guac as an appetizer. When I showed up, I saw they gave me guac but no chips so I inquired about it. I explained I wanted an appetizer of chips and guac. She said I bought a side of guac because they do not have chips and guac as an appetizer. I asked if I could buy chips for my guac. The cashier told me it would be $4 because they don't sell chips on their own, I would have to buy the "Chips & Salsa" app or the "Chips, Salsa & Guac" app despite the fact I already bought guac. Chips cost nothing and instead of making a happy customer, they attempted to rip me off and deserve this negative review. Not to mention the food isn't even that great and the ranchero sauce consistently hurts my stomach. read more

My husband and I love this place. We moved here from CA and have struggled to find good Mexican food here in general. We were very spoiled in CA. Pica Taco is so yummy and on par with what we are used to. Thank you Pica Taco for being so delish! read more

Fresh food and fast delivery. Definitely a great spot for tacos and tostadas. I would post a picture but I smashed the food. Also the place caught my attention because they have favorite soda Jarritos Pineapple. Ordered with Uber eats read more

I love the tacos here, I especially like that the have morning hours. Nothing like a good ole taco for breakfast. The two ladies that work here are very friendly and run a smooth operation. I really like the chorizo taco. I just ordered the chicken mole and the carnitas. I'll let you guys know up they taste on the next update. This place is usually packed for lunch, but they do get you in and out quickly. The prices are fair. The establishment is what you would expect for a carryout taco joint. Well here is my update since my tacos came quicker than expected. Like is said the Chorizo tacos are great, just tasted the Carnitas and it had an excellent flavor, but way too much salt. Don't know if this is just a slip up, but I would try them again another time, so say good for now. I really wasn't feeling the chicken Mole, not my cup of tea, but it may be yours. There u have it, all and, it's a little above decent. read more

Pica Taco - Pica Taco, very small place - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is good if you know what to get and pretty bad if you don't Do get: Lengua Tacos - actually among the better lengua I've had in DC. That doesn't say much but nothing wrong with being a big fish in a little pond when I don't have a car to drive to the better ponds (did that make sense?) Barbacoa/Lengua/Pastor Torta - They make great tortas here. They have great bread and that stringy Oaxacan cheese that I have yet to see anyone else serve out east. Don't Get: Chicken Tacos - So dry! Burrito - they don't wrap it well and the cheese melts funny. Breakfast Burrito - same as the burritos above. don't bother. If you follow my advice it's a 4 star joint. If you don't it's a 1 star joint. Trust me on this one. read more

My friends and I are relatively new to the neighborhood and had made a mental note to try this place every time we passed it on the way back from the Columbia Heights metro. Thank goodness we finally did because 1. I'm in love and 2. this is now my go-to taco place. Venue is on the smaller side, and I would definitely recommend the outdoor seating space that looks out onto a side road. Pica had a well-stocked fridge with plenty of soda options. The tacos (I opted for chicken) were perfectly seasoned, the right amount of juicy, and generously sized. Additionally, their bowl option was massive, and I would venture it would be a great choice if you're looking to have leftovers. read more

Pica Taco - Chicken tacos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Soooo, as I'm sure you've read, this is not a "traditional" Mexican taqueria by SoCal standards, but for this region, it will do. The place is clean, the staff is friendly, and the food is actually good. They don't offer typical Carne Asada, but instead have Barbacoa. Their carnitas were a tiny bit dry, but the lengua and Al pastor were very tasty. And, the fact that this place has ACTUAL salsa and Mexican Coca-Cola, makes it a winner! ...at least for this area. :-) Price for 3 tacos and a soda is $9.35, that's why it got 3 stars instead of 4. No one should be charging that much for tacos! read more

Pica Taco - Lengua, Carnitas, and Al Pastor tacos with fresh salsa and a Mexican Coca-Cola - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I can't believe it took me this long to finally give Pica Taco a chance, I have literally walked pass this place on my way home for close to two years before I finally decided to give it a try. Definitely not much to look at, this is a little hole in the wall place that seems to be connected to an apartment complex. I had the chicken burrito, the size was huge, definitely will keep you more than full. All the ingredients were fresh and well prepared. The chicken was tasty and flavorful, the beans were nicely prepared and cooked well. My only issue with the burrito was that it wasn't that well put together, it fell apart while I was eating it but wasn't a huge deal. Definitely worth a visit if you want a burrito and you're near Columbia Road. read more

Pica Taco - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

As a former small business owner, I know how important small businesses are and how hard it is to stay in business in today's crazy economy. It's so easy to find a decent taco place in LA but when you're in DC, you're lost. Waking into Pica Taco knowing I can possibly expect good tacos and ladies and gentlemen, they're not good but they're amazingly good! Their tacos are tasty and flavorful. You know I'm glad I didn't just pass this tiny little hole-in-a-wall in the heart of DC. I still remember those times when I wait for an elevator only to find out they're normally either going up when you want to go down or going down when you want up. And you keep seeing people every time elevator door opens. You started from acting normal to a little bit more friendly to where you'd say hi and wave and them. Some will wave right back at you but some will repeatedly press the 'close' button so they can get going with their lives. I never want to stop anybody, rather to just wave and say hi or bye because you might not see them ever again. Next time when you come across small businesses, walk into with your mind wild open, expect all the unexpected and leave gracefully with a big smile on your face. read more

Just tried the taco salad - delicious, fresh, and surprisingly a healthy portion. Look at those slices of avocado and radishes! About $11. read more

Pica Taco - Taco salad with black beans, avocado, barbacoa, sour scream, and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I just went for the first time and was excited to find this place. Excellent food, reasonable prices, and friendly service. I love the black bean burrito - glad they have good veggie options! I enjoyed the outdoor seating at this location as well. My one piece of advice to Pica Taco is to offer a veggie burrito that has a plantain filling. (I like that you can order plantain as an appetizer here!) A veggie burrito w/ plantain filling is extremely tasty and rare (I believe the only place that offers this is The Little Chihuahua in SF). It would be unique to DC and something none of your local competitors have! read more

So good! Had the chicken taco and the al pastor and chicken was delicious standard traditional Mexican taco. The al pastor was a bit tough but not bad but would probably not order again. The chicken taco salad also looked amazing and I want to go back to try. Also want to try the carnitas, enchiladas, and quesadillas- all looked amazing. Cheap too! read more

Pica Taco - Shrimp and al pastor chicken - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is a fantastic no-frills, hole-in-the-wall. They have a couple of locations, which I have frequented with friends for as long as I've lived in the Columbia Heights/Shaw area. Here's what you should know: The staff is friendly and efficient. Yes, it's more expensive than chipotle. But their standard taco/taco bowl WAY better than competing chain concepts in the area. The food is made fresh to order, and you get real chunks of avocado, a sliver of lime, the chicken is pulled not cubed, which I prefer, and the portions are substantial. There is no price gouging at this place. Sauce is not an upcharge, which I would say is a big bonus. The white sauce is delicious, and their hot sauce is actually HOT. The plastic chairs/lawn-furniture set up is a sure sign of an authentic taco joint. This is a great place to grab a quick bite on weekends or grab something to take back to the office during the week. read more

The food is very reasonably priced. I normally get takeout here but did stop by once when I was on my way somewhere. The ambience is not for a fancy meal, but that's not why you would choose to go here. The breakfast tacos and burrito are particularly tasty. Highly recommend. read more

This place was pretty middle of the road for me. I had three tacos here (barbocoa, pastor, and chorizo) and they were decent, but nothing awe-inspiring. They were each around $2.5 which seems to be pretty common for the area, but sour cream was an extra $1.5 which I was NOT happy about. One problem with this place is it's hours. It closes at 9 PM Mon-Fri so that is not bad, but I wish it stayed open another hour. However, on Saturdays it closes at 8 PM and Sundays it closes at 6 PM. I have tried coming here at least 5 times (I never learn) on my way home from the metro and last week was the first time I got to Pica before it closed. At the end of the day there was nothing wrong with the food here, but it was just OK so I will probably go to Super Taco next time I am craving Tacos. read more

Pica Taco - The challenge - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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They serve the driest chicken I have ever had. I'm not sure how they do it but the chicken is drier than a Popeyes biscuit. I got nachos here, they burned the mess out of the nachos. I've gone here about three times, I really want to like them but I can say I have never had a good or satisfying meal here. read more

I love this Pica - it's quick, it's friendly, and it's delicious. The specials are great and the meat is tender. I recommend the lengua tacos and the horchata. read more

Reasons not to go here: 1. Expensive for what you get. You can get cheaper, better tacos at Cafe Eagle on 9th St. by the Convention Center or the apartment restaurant on Park Rd (it is only open on weekends though). 2. The Al Pastor is just plain bad. Something just doesn't taste right. 3. The food is bland. You will need to use a lot of hot sauce to make it have a reasonable amount of flavor. Honestly Pica Taco isn't bad (minus the pastor), it just is expensive for what you get. If you are in dire need of getting a Mexican fix and can't make it anywhere else (god forbid) then it will do. read more

Do you ever feel compelled and drawn to something for reasons completely unbeknownst and mysterious to you? That's how it was for me at Pica Taco. I was taking a long walk back from the farmers market and saw this tiny place, rising like a mirage on Columbia Road. There were a few happy looking people seated in their outdoor seating area looking full and content, and though I wasn't hungry I went in. It's tiny inside, maybe 10-15 seats, and for whatever reason, although it was a bit chilly inside it was like 90 degrees. I could barely stand there waiting for my food. But I'm glad I did because I had an AMAZING barbacoa torta. Every ingredient in it was perfect, though I particularly liked the vinegar-y peppers which was a nice balance to the mildness of the queso and avocado. It was $7.50. Definitely worth going out of your way for. There's even a nice park across the street which would probably be better than the dining room for enjoying your food. read more

Starving but don't want to wait forever for a quick bite? This spot was quick and the tacos were Stacked with a hearty serving of meat. The barbacoa was juicy and delicious, but the chorizo was quite dry. Both were topped with sliced radishes, tomatillo salsa, spicy crema, and cilantro. Planning on returning for EL TORO BURRITO, a four pounder to eat in 45 minutes for pride/shirt/gift card/a wicked food coma. read more

Pica Taco - Tacoooooos with a menu in da back - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Excellent breakfast burritos, 5 stars . But finding this hidden treasure was somewhat of a challenge. read more

I wanted to like this place. I really did. I ordered the chicken enchiladas thinking that I would be given a plate of enchiladas verdes, or if lucky enough, a plate of enchiladas suizas. Instead I got a casserole of a tomatoey red sauce (not tomatoey enough to be entomatadas, not spicy enough to be enchiladas rojas, not complex enough to be a mole sauce) topped with shredded yellow cheese. I get it that the costs might be too high to incorporate queso chihuahua/menonita, ranchero, or even just queso blanco, but seriously, shredded yellow Kraft-like cheese. Awful. They don't make their own corn tortillas and I won't knock them for that or for using mass produced store-bought corn tortillas. There simply aren't any tortillerias in the DC area making homestyle tortillas, so just a fair warning for anyone wondering about the tortilla situation. They don't make Mexican rice and instead offer a tasteless plain white rice that honestly tasted like it came out of one of those instant rice packets. The beans were also pretty bland. I don't ever really find the need to salt food when I eat out, but this was one of those few exceptions. All in all, this was a huge disappointment. (Oh yeah, the prices were high too). If you don't know any better and are looking for a Mexican style food option (this isn't even Tex-Mex), you might enjoy it here. Otherwise, I'd say move on to your Plan B. read more

Pica Taco - Chicken Enchiladas. I was expecting Enchiladas Verdes or Enchiladas Suizas but instead got this yellow cheese monstrosity. :( - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I got the three taco combo: carnitas, pastor and barbacoa on soft corn tortillas. All three were pretty great interpretations of street tacos, some of the best I've had so far in DC. The al pastor was my favorite, but the barbacoa was a little dry and the carnitas could have been juicier too. It's very, very cramped inside, and the staff seemed flustered (to the point of being rude, actually) when I asked about a bathroom when it got a tiny bit busy, so I'd suggest taking it to go or squeezing at a table outside if you have more than three people in your party. (No bathrooms here, in case you're wondering.) Would definitely return if I was in the area, but wouldn't travel cross-town for these tacos. read more

Pica Taco - Taco plate, covered in salsa y crema - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Worst place ever! Just walking in the restaurant you can tell that the two women that were there today had an attitude taking my order. I ordered a burrito and some chips and guacamole and without asking they charged me for xtra guacamole cheese and SOUR CREAM. Like what? I know guacamole is extra but cheese and sour cream? They give you this little container of green and white sauce and when you ask for extra they charge you 1.75$ for the thing like no. As a Hispanic and food critic myself do not waste your time here. I rather go to chipotle where they won't charge me for cheese and sour cream read more

I'm giving it a 2 because the food is okay. The horchata is really good. However, customer service is so valuable for a business. Every time I order in person, the cashier looks like she dislikes me for no reason. I have no idea why, but she is always uninterested in serving me and looks annoyed that she has to help me. For that reason, I will stop going. It happens every time with the cashier. It's unfortunate because she treats other customers well. I never felt welcome there and looking at other comments it seems like this is a trend. Today was the last time for me. read more