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Union Station (Red)
Mon-Fri. 7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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Their vegetarian bean tacos are very good, with plump pintos, real corn tortillas, and a nice tang from the fresh onions and cilantro.
Their horchata is ok, it's weak on the cinnamon.
I just wish they were open evenings. My workdays can be crazy, but I'd totally go out of my way to grab takeout on the way home...
Taqueria Nacionale, a couple blocks walk from Union Station, is one of my preferred go-to lunch spots. I come here a few times a month and it's a pretty standard order ever time I step up to the counter: three chorizo-and-cheese tacos (they are pretty small) for $2.75 each, with a hunk of tres leches cake (probably my favorite kind of dessert).
If it's a hot summer day out, then a cold bottle of my beloved Jarritos Limon soda also. I always get take-out; there are only a few tables to sit at, right outside the door.
This place isn't actually a hole-in-the-wall taqueria; it's a sanitized, upscale imitation of one. Hence a bit pricier than you'd expect. But it's still really good--better than, for example, the more "authentic" place in my Arlington neighborhood, El Charrito Caminante.
Lastly, please note that this is a weekday lunch (or breakfast) place only, because they close at 3. A shame, because my friends who don't work in the city have never been able to try this place out!
I work above Taqueria Nacional, and I am so thankful for that. This is one of the best, cheapest places to eat in all of DC, and it is lodged into a little nook 2 floors below me. It almost makes being under paid worthwhile.
My favorites are the fish taco ($2.95), chips and guacamole ($4.95), and their tres leches cake ($2.95, I think). The fish taco is perfectly fried chunks of fish (haddock?), shredded cabbage, and white salsa fresca. The guacamole and chips are freshly made; my only complaint is that there is too much red onion in the guac. And the tres leches cake, which I am eating right now, seems to be vanilla cake with a solid 1/2-inch of fluffy, not too sugary icing, smothered in some sort of crazy yummy custard-y cream. I might be allergic to wheat, but this cake is totally worth the tummy ache.
That's another thing. The tacos are on corn tortillas and the chips are corn, too, so celiacs can eat, eat, eat!
Be sure to try the agua frescas and horchata.
What else? Mexican drinks, like Mexican-style Coca-Cola. Great salsas. "American" specials everyday. Breakfast that is yummy and inexpensive. They occasionally have quezadilla, the delicious sweet cheese breakfast bread that is so delicioso.
Try it!
Cute takeout Mexican place - lots of tacos and yummy sides. I am so thankful I have this place, since there is absolutely nothing in the neighborhood except for quizno's.. short of union station. This place has fantastic yuca fries and guacamole & chips. The lower star rating is for how much it costss and how little you get. I guess the guac is an okay amount, but it costs $4. Then the yucas are amazing, but last time I got 4 and it costs like $3. I would just appreciate a little more. Tacos are good, but for veggies, you kind of have to make your own to make it exciting. I add cheese to mine, as well as the side of guac. It's a little pricey for what you get, but once again, I'm so thankful for the existence of this place. Agua fresca watermelon is like drinking a watermelon. Amazing.
Having lived in Tucson for three years and looking for the City paper's Dining Guide to make a comeback, I tried TN for breakfast on my way to a meeting at the Hall of States. I was really hoping to find an authentic taquieria. Disappointed again.
Breakfast options for authentic mexican food were extremely limited. Huevos rancheros and breakfast tacos. I went with the breakfast tacos and was pleasantly surprised to find corn tortillas. The chorizo was sparse, as was the cheese.
Both the Green and Red salsas were good, muting the flavor of the bland eggs. Some salt would have been nice.
They did have horchata, the delcious rice and cinammon drink I miss so much. I was a little worried when the cashier said she didn't like it, but I found it sweet, with a hint of the cinammon sticks I could see floating in the jar.
I'll try it again for lunch, but breakfast left me hungry for being back in the Old Pueblo.
3.5. Good...but probably requires a second visit to be great.
At around $10-11 for three fish tacos (on corn tortillas; flour tortillas are for suckers), yucca fries, and a super-refreshing mango agua, I was pretty satisfied. I was fat-full after three tacos, though, so next visit I won't be such a glutton and eat just two.
Don't set expectations too high, tacos are essentially street food, not foie gras and fancy sauce. Taqueria Nacional will see me again, soon.
For months I've been saying that DC needs a real taco place -- none of this "Laurel Plaza is the best Mexican food in DC" crap. Last week my friend and I organized a small group of coworkers to branch out of their routine lunch patterns and explore Tacos. I know Taqueria Nacional has a very fancy sign out side for such a hole-in-the-wall, but their tacos are good -- double tortilla, grilled meats with onions and cilantro -- just like a quicky Mexican taqueria in Mexico. The other options like Yucca fries, chips and guacamole and Aguas Frescas... yummmmy!!
Don't set your expectations too high, they are just tacos and definitely aren't mind blowing... but I highly recommend people try this place. My only gripes are the salsas -- they are pumped from a container like it's ketchup and they aren't very spicy. I, however, will overlook this since other Mexican places in DC clearly serve stuff that is from or equal to salsa from a glass jar.
For $10 I got 2 tacos (steak was the best one), an order of Yucca fries and a Fresca. The price it a tad high, but for the most authentic tacos in my year here in DC, I don't mind paying a little extra. Make sure to arrive just before the noon lunch rush and be patience in finding this place as it's well hidden inside the courtyard. Seating is limited, but on a nice day, there is plenty of grass across the street for a nice picnic. Happy eating!!
Delicious. You must get the yucca fries and although the guacamole may be a bit oniony as long as everyone in your party eats it you will be fine. This was only my first time there and I will be going back to try the other types. I got the beef and bean, which were pretty good.
This is such a great place for reasonably priced, good portioned, authentic mexican food. A friend recommended this small place, behind Johnny's Half Shell, a short walk from my office in Judiciary Sqaure. There is no seating inside, but they have 4 tables out front that usually come and go pretty quickly. Both times I've been there, I've gotten a seat.
The fish tacos are great! Especially with some hot sauce and salsa ;) I also loved the beef tacos, served with pieces of steak instead of ground beef dog food. They use hand made corn tortillas, which really add to the flavor. Each taco is between $2 and $3, and they are the perfect size so that if you have 2, you'll be full but not feel gross. The rice is wonderful, fresh cilantro and tomatoes mixed in. The guac is pretty good, it's chunky which goes well on the tacos. The tortilla strips are fresh as well. The agua fresca comes in a bunch of different flavors, all fresh and refreshing! All in all, it's the perfect size for your stomach and your wallet.
This place is great to get some friends together and walk to. Although you may not find a seat, you can walk somewhere nearby and picnic it - or head back to the office.
I am a huge fan of this small taco joint. Great fish tacos and love the yucca fries (especially the dipping sauce that comes with, I ask for two so I can put some on my taco). It's quick and easy and a nice break from Senate cafeteria food!
Yucca fries (soaked in buttermilk ?) are worth the trip. These yucca's are not your typical hardened pieces of fiber sticks but are creamy on the inside and lightly fried on the outside wunder fries.
I also had two fish tacos consisting of two small pieces of fish and a smattering of slaw. Nothing special but hey at least they have it on the menu.
For a drink I choice to skip my usual soft drink and try one of their numerous sugar waters (aqua fresca), basically lightly sugared water with added blended fruit. I had the strawberry, not much extra berry taste, and certainly not worth the $3.
I completed the meal with the tres leches cake, it was very good, I would definitely get it again.
I went here for lunch last week and it was amazing! I ordered tacos - fish and chorizo & cheese. The fish tacos were delicious. The fish was lightly battered and fried, topped with a cabbage slaw and sauce. They were so good. The chorizo and cheese taco was great, too! The fried yucca fries were fresh and salty. The tacos are small, so 2 or 3 make a perfect meal with some yucca fries.
They also served agua frescas -which I had never had before. The blueberry one was very good and refreshing on a warm day.
The restaurant only takes cash and it has four small outside tables. The restaurant is a short walk to the Capitol fountains or the Taft Memorial.
This place fits all my lunching needs: it's delicious, has lots of vegetarian options, cheap, and relatively fast. The tortillas are made with corn, the fried yucca is delicious, and everything is made right there in front of you so you can see how fresh it is. The agua frescas are also delicious, and come in variety of flavors. Very refreshing on a hot DC day!
Two points about this place that are worth keeping in mind, however - there's no seating, so it's not a sit-down lunch place, it's a take-away place only. Also, they take only cash, much like other small lunch places do around this area, which can be frustrating if you're just used to carrying around your credit card like me. Fortunately, there's an atm just catty-corner across the courtyard from the Taqueria!
First time here. Had trouble finding it, it's in a courtyard of an office building. Tacos are tiny and all under $3 each (depending on the filling). Sides are cheap too. Quick service, cute little sitting area outside in the shade. I had a chorizo & cheese taco, guac & chips, yucca fries, and bean tacos. Tacos were decent, chorizo wasn't very spicy. Guac was missing something and kind of bland but the chips were nice and fresh. Yucca fries were good. A nice little eatery but nothing amazing.
I think this little taco stand is very cool. I like the taste of the steak and chicken tacos and the Aqua Frescas are great. But, I can't help feeling that Taqueria Nacionale is just a little too pricey for what you get.
Rob O. turned me on to this place, and even though I love the tacos here, somehow I end up paying $4 for guacamole, I know I shouldn't but it's so good. Although the horchata is tasty, the Jamaica / hibiscus drink is my favorite of the aguas frescas. Don't ignore the american comfort food menu either. The pot pie is pretty dope, and I just tried the lasagna on tuesday, which was amazingly good. Not a whole lot of red sauce, but plenty of noodles, ricotta and carrots! Grab your food here and head over to the reflecting pool by the Taft Memorial for a nice sunny lunch.
I've been here two or three times, and I will say that I've really liked what I've eaten. However, I always found myself going down to the cafeteria in the office downstairs after we had taco day.
If you like refried beans, order them. They're like 2.75 for an order, and you get a LOT of them, and they'll compensate for how small everything else is. The tacos (I like the beef best) are good, but you've got to get a couple of them, and you've got to add salsa. They have a tendency to be really dry otherwise.
This place is overhyped, but alright. It's worth going to every once in awhile.
Very good fish tacos, great salsas, and the yucca fries are fantastic. As others have said, it is a bit pricier than you want it to be. However, the kitchen (and ownership) is apparently shared with Johnny's half shell, so I try to think of it as high end fast food. Well trained chefs trying to cook for we the people instead of lobbyists. It is hard to find, but worth seeking out. The seating is limited and the last time I was there a crazy homeless lady was wandering about and screaming at people about mind control after smashing a glass bottle. If the weather is nice, I'd suggest walking over to the fountains in front of the capitol and looking for a bench.
I think I just had my expectations set too high, because for me this place was a let down. Yes, the tacos were authentic, but unfortunately both my fish and pork tacos were only luke warm. As you can imagine luke warm breaded fried fish tacos are just not the bomb. While they had the authenticity of my beloved Mexican tacos with the meat, cilantro, and two corn shells, they lost it on the price; $2.50 per taco. So for $5 I left still feeling hungry. I would've done better to go to Subway and get the foot long deal. And who the hell is writing the cheap eats' for the Washingtonian, a rich person? $2.50 for a measly taco is not cheap.
Unless they start allowing loncheras to park around the Capitol, Taqueria Nacional is the most authentic Mexican food you'll find in the heart of D.C. The tacos are made with corn tortillas, high-quality meat and the usual trimmings. The guacamole is a bit expensive and does not come with enough chips, but it was well done. The only disappointment was the horchata, which was a little watery for the price. If you come, be prepared to eat somewhere else as there is only one table.
I frequent this inexpensive lunch spot on the weekdays. There is often a line but I've never waited more than a few minutes to order. There is also not much seating at the restaurant but there are nice public spaces in the area to have lunch outside. I haven't tried everything on the menu but here are some of my favorite dishes:
The yucca fries are outstanding. Certainly the best I've had anywhere. I usually get the fries with two tacos which is quite satisfying. The pork and beef tacos are their best, IMO. I agree with others that the fish tacos are a little bland, but still good for DC.
Whenever you see brisket tacos on the menu, definitely give 'em a try. They don't serve them very often but they are very good!
On Wednesdays, they serve great chicken pot pie. Seems strange for a taco joint to serve pot pie but for some reason they make a pot pie that even Cartman would die for!!
More like 3.5 stars.
This place is absolutely cute, except I can see how it would be impossible to actually eat here unless you had an office to take your plunder back to and wolf it down at your desk. Fortunately for us, we got in early enough to snag seats at the very few tables just outside the shop.
Between the pair of us that met up for lunch here on a gorgeous day, we got a bevy of different things:
Plain horchata: Pretty basic, not much cinnamon (which is a plus in my book), a little bit sweet and sour, kind of like a Chinese rice milk beverage that I grew up with.
Chorizo taco: Kind of meh. The chorizo wasn't as flavorful as I'd expected, but the salsa verde out of the pump managed to spice it up enough to be enjoyable.
Chilled cucumber mint soup: Creamy and delicious! I just had a bite, but it was minty and bright and refreshing!
Fried yucca: Maybe half a dozen large sticks of yucca with s ome random dipping sauce that wasn't terribly impressive. Paired with the salsa verde, they were yummy! Crispy on the outside and starchy on the inside, just like a good fry should be!
Guacamole: A bit too salty for my taste - either that, or the chips that it was served with were salted up a bit too much. Quite fresh, with small chunks of avocado in it - thoroughly enjoyable.
Basically, the salsa verde makes everything here better. Cute joint. Glad I stopped by. Wasn't mind-blown. I'm glad that my dining companion knew where it was - it would otherwise be amazingly easy to pass it because it's inside a little courtyard behind everything else in the corner.
This place, although a bit hard to find (the location, nestled next to Johnny's Half Shell is rather bizarre) serves up all that it promises. The service was quick and easy and in my admittedly inexpert opinion, the food tastes awesomely authentic. I should note that I did show up around 1:30, possibly missing the lunch rush, but in my experience the short line moved quickly and I had my food in no time.
Now, on to the chow itself. I had a fish taco, a pork taco, yucca fries, and the horchata. Here's the thing about the tacos - although not much to look at, trust me when I say they tasted really really good. The shells were soft and light and it was clear that high quality fish and pork were used. Not surprising, then, when great flavor comes from great ingredients! The yucca fries were crispy on the outside and soft within with just the right amount of salt. I don't recommend the green dipping sauce they came with though... kind of reminded me of a green tartar sauce and didn't add anything to the yucca flavor. Finally, the horchata, served icy cold, was pretty good.
Overall, this place hits the spot but... it ranks second to Tacos Pepitos Bakery II (now Supertacos) which still does better tacos and horchata. I don't think they have yucca fries there so the advantage on those still lies with Taqueria Nacionale...for now.
Let the taco wars begin.
Why all the hype???
Seriously though. My boyfriend Matt J. lives here and he not only heard about this place through the Washington Post but his mom who lives in the Los Angeles area even ripped out a page from a magazine saying that this place was a not to miss eating location in the DC area!!!
So after all of that we decided that we had to try it when I was visiting DC last time. It took us a bit to find it since it is tucked away inside of a business/office building. Oh ya and there are maybe 4 tables total outside of this place, so take it to go for a picnic or back to your desk if you want to try it! There was a line here, so this place really isn't a secret anymore, but when we got inside we think it was a secret (or it at least was to us!!!!) with how few options there were on their menu!!
It is basically types of tacos and then sides of rice and beans. There were more breakfast items than lunch items we thought!! And just a little fyi the tacos are definitely street tacos, so be sure to order some sides!!
We ordered their special of the day which was a chorizo tostada and then a steak taco and a fish taco. The chorizo salad was so so--not that big, but still pretty tasty. And the steak taco----WHERE WAS THE STEAK? we opened up the box with the taco in it and we were almost speechless! But the fish taco made up for it, so be sure to get that one and more than just one so you leave a little fuller and happier than we were!!
For supposedly one of the best mexican places in DC...we were not that impressed....what should we try next washington post??? eh????
I liked it. I did. Street tacos with onions and cilantro on your choice of meat. They even had fish tacos, something I've missed since... I can't remember the last time.
But I can't endorse a place that sells street tacos for over $1.50.
I'll admit I'm spoiled with Mexican food, having had the best in the city that makes it from heritage, so I may be the out lier here.
Decent quality. One taco runs you about $2.75, plus $3 for a horchata that's more water than milk. Maybe their other agua frescas are better.
Yucca fries were good though. Just about the only thing that was priced fairly. But, they know what they're doing. There's no other place you can go for authentic style tacos in the district .
"If you're good at something, never do it for free."
The good: Awesome tacos and daily specials (meatloaf especially), yucca fries are crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, all of the sauces are great, I recommend trying the beef taco. Staff is very friendly
The Bad: ever since they got a good write up in "Cheap Eats," the line has been really long, fish tacos aren't great, no place to sit
The Ugly: the guac and chips, the guac is good and all but it is way too much with too few chips
This is not a taqueria for someone with a big boy appetite. The portions are laughable. Each taco is literally no more than a couple bites worth of food and an order of yucca yields a measly five fries. Everything tasted fine. The green salsa was exceptional and the chorizo and cheese taco was very flavorful. I just wish I could eat this mountain of leftover packaging here on my desk.
Sorry to be so negative, I just get grumpy when I'm hungry.
I've heard lots of good things about this place, and I guess it must be really popular, but I'm not that impressed.
Sure, the tacos are good, but they are small. I know that's how you get them in Mexico (and I like them that way), but in Mexico they're a couple of pesos. I just don't understand the price structure here. I mean, I guess if you're only going to eat one taco, this place is good for "Cheap Eats." But again, they are so small! 3 tacos is not a stretch for any hungry person, and you'll probably want a drink. Oh, and maybe you want some chips and guac. Well, for 2 people, you've just spent about $25. Not to mention that it is carry-out only.
Oh, and am I the only one put off by how much packaging they used? I think it is all recyclable, but really-- my tacos don't EACH have to come in their own box.
I did appreciate the good flavors and their salsa, but it was just hard to get over how overpriced it is.
Really NOT a cheap place to eat considering how small the $3 tacos are and how little they are filled. The salsas are very good, and the chicken in the tacos was delicious, but if you want a decent size lunch, be prepared to shell out at least $15 bucks for a lunch consisting mostly of tortillas.
Damn, dude, this place is pretty tasty. A little out of the way for me as I have no business on the hill, but worth a nice bike ride through the city to get their fish tacos and yucca fries. (As a side note -- their fish tacos are somewhat bland, I prefer mine charred or spiced, but it's nothing that the salsa can't remedy)
I also had the watermelon agua fresca and helped myself to their salsa offerings, both of which were very satisfying.
The line was out the door when I went, but they seemed to handle it efficiently.
Inexpensive and hassle-free. I dig it.
Delicious! The beef tacos are my absolute favorite. The beef is perfectly seasoned, the tortillas are warm and chewy... yum.
Needs more seating though!
My Qualifications:
Los Angeles, CA is my hometown
My highschool was 60% latino
My sister lived in San Diego for 5 years
I lived in the bay area for 4 years
I was very excited to go to Taqueria Nacionale however I left unsatisfied. I ordered a chicken taco, fish taco, yucca fries and a horchata. The horchata lacked spices. I'm used to a horchata with a much stonger flavor of cinnamon and other spices. The chicken taco was passable. The chicken could use more flavor and the tortillas could have been steamed a bit longer to make them a bit more pliable. The fish taco had way too much cabbage in it but I'm sure it was to mask the flavorless fish.
So what did I like?
I enjoyed the fried yucca and the green sauce was the only thing that saved my tacos. Everyone else who came in after me ordered the chicken pot pie. I'm not sure why I should have been ordering that at a Taqueria. I'll probably never go here again given that it's out of the way and is only open during my work hours. Not worth a special trip and really not worth going back. I was also bothered by the excessive packaging although it was recycled. I didn't need two boxes and a bag for what I ordered.
I think I have died and gone to heaven.
Well, not quite, but as far as Mexican food goes here in the District this place is phenomenal. It's clean, the staff is helpful, the food is great, the the variety is fantastic. While it is not a sit down, capitol-hill power lunch kind of place, it is a nice respite from the mediocre quality food found around these parts.
Even though it rained and I had no umbrella. . .even though I needed a warmer coat, today was a good day. Why? Because today I discovered Taqueria Nacionale.
Finding Taqueria Nacionale meant I got tacos, yucca fries and a pineapple agua fresca for lunch. If I'd known how rare it would be to find good tacos (or really, any tacos at all) in DC I would have eaten a whole lot more before I left California.
I studied the menu on the wall before making my order and asked Wayne if he had any ideas on where I could eat my lunch; Taqueria Nacionale doesn't have any tables and it was raining outside. He told me it was fine for me to eat at the small counter near the salsas and aqua frescas. Not one to argue I placed my rucksack at my feet and dug in. Meanwhile, Wayne kept me company talking shop to me about DC restaurant history (he's a native and an accomplished chef) and giving me a few tips on places I needed to check out.
TIPS:
The green salsa, the one in the middle, is best - GET IT
Yucca fries are INCREDIBLE and perfectly fried
Beef tacos come with awesomely tender beef
Don't miss the aqua frescas
Best part about this discovery? It's super close to the Metro's red line. I think Union Station just became my new favorite stop! Just remember that Taqueria Nacionale is only open Monday through Friday and closes at 3:00PM.
I was initially skeptical after seeing the little itty bitty tacos that my co-worker's kept ordering. Although inexpensive(the refried bean goes for $1.75, pork/chicken/chorizo 2.50 and fish 2.95--by far the most substantive of the options), an inexpensive single taco means nothing if you need to order 10.
I'm very, very fortunate, however, to report that A) It's incredibly delicious and B) that it's in my building, so it's literally the easiest lunch option for me.
I've had the taco's(bitchin--particularly the pork and fish), the guac(great although the salt on the chips is too much), and the yucca fries, which are alone worth a special trip. All the freshly made sauces are amazing.
If you're a person with a standard appetite, two tacos and some yucca fries or refried beans is going to be plenty of grub.
Be prepared to eat somewhere else though(there's a good park a block up off of Louisiana)
Taqueria Nacionale is a side project of Ann Cashion, of Cashion's Eat Place and Johnny's Half Shell. You can usually see her working there at lunchtime.
The menu is very simple, as they only do breakfast and lunch. The lunch menu consists of: 5 kinds of tacos; a daily "plato tipico" which was chicken pot pie when I was there; a few sides, including yucca fries; and a changing selection of aguas frescas, including horchata. There are also 3 kinds of house-made salsa. I haven't managed to make it over there in the morning to see the breakfast menu.
Prices are low-- while the tacos are small, they cost between $2.00 and 2.50 so you can get a few if you want. $6.00 is enough for a taco, a side of yucca fries, and an agua fresca, not bad for lunch but kind of small. Next time I'll probably skip the drink and get an extra taco.
What I liked: Just about everything. So far I've had the carnitas (braised pulled pork), and really liked it- tender, flavorful. TN seasons their carnitas far better than places like Chipotle and California Tortilla, where it tends to taste like pork and saltwater. The yucca fries are thick and mealy and still moist. The tartar-like sauce that they serve with them makes me think of the sauce for the fries at Amsterdam Falafel, in that you'll want to totally drench your fries in it. I also really enjoyed the watermelon agua fresca. Granted, you're basically paying 2 bucks for water, sugar, and a little pureed fruit, but this stuff had enough fruit in it to really give the texture and taste of fresh watermelon. Try the salsas.
What I didn't like: getting jostled around by the self-important Hill dorks who come in and out every 2 seconds; Ann Cashion's dubious spanish grammar (where did that "e" come from?)
As with many of my reviews, the 4 stars are a product of taste relative to price, and for sticking to one thing and doing it well. I will definitely be back for more.
If you don't look hard enough, you'll miss this little taco joint tucked right behind Johnny's Half Shell in the Hall of States building.
I finally found it with the help of a friend one recent day. I had one chicken taco and one fish taco. LOVE the choice of sauces you can take with you. The chicken taco was yummy, fish taco not so much. What bothered me a bit more is that they weren't so proper with the preparation - the girl who made my tacos wasn't wearing gloves (she did wash her hands, but I'm not sure how I feel about it).
The price is definitely right and the employees were friendly. I've also heard recently that they have really good yucca fries. I'll give this place another shot at some point to be sure, but it's not the Taqueria I was hoping for.
Another trip, another pleasant surprise. This time I picked up a fish taco to accompany my favorite chorizo & cheese, and I added a side of pinto beans to the order. The beans were wonderful, rich & flavorful despite being vegetarian. And they had horchata! I was pleasantly surprised to see that they featured it today, and it didn't disappoint.
The goods:
I had the beef taco and the chorizo and cheese taco. Was pleasantly surprised to find the…
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tasty tasty tasty
My friend and I made the "trek" to Union Station from Georgetown for the sole reason of eating here.
carnitas taco, fish taco, and yucca fries were enough to make me full and stay full for awhile. I was worried it wouldn't be enough, but those yucca fries sure are filling! My friend got the same thing but Beef (steak) instead of pork. We were both in taco heaven for the 5 minutes it took us to eat it. Then, we went into food coma....
Very cheap for the quality and service, not to mention the taste. I wish it were open on weekends and past 3pm on weekdays.
Taqueria is next door (on the right) to Johnny's Half Shell; the door and sign are a little unobtrusive so you have to look for it a little bit.
The place is a tiny little storefront and quite popular already so check your claustrophobia at the door. You order, pay, get your ticket, and wait for your number to be called. It took about 7 or 8 minutes for my food to be ready.
I had the bean tacos, guacamole, yucca fries, and pineapple agua fresca. The tacos are two small soft corn tortillas (about 4 inches in diameter) stacked flat and topped with some beans and finely diced fresh onions (no cheese). Unless you're a three year old or smaller, you'll definitely need to order two bean tacos, which is fine because they are super cheap.
There are several salsas to choose from; make your choice fill up your tiny little cup(s) while you wait for your food.
The guacamole serving was very generous; the perfect size for two of us. It was quality guacamole obviously made only from fresh avocado, but could definitely have used more flavor. If I get it again I'll add a squirt of the hottest salsa available.
The yucca fries were great; very thick cut but fried to a gushy perfection.
The agua fresca was good but not as flavorful as I'd hoped. I normally drink water, preferring to save my calories for actual food, and I won't be trying an agua fresca again because I didn't think it was worth the calories.
I wish the packaging was a little more eco friendly. Every item comes in a cardboard clamshell box which adds up to a lot of trash for a single meal. (It may be that these boxes are made of recycled biodegradeable cardboard--but the first principle in "reduce, reuse, recycle" is still reduce and I'd rather make less trash than make better quality trash.) This will keep me from going back too often.
All in all, this is a nice addition to the otherwise sparse and dismal dining scene around Union Station.
Washington, DC
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Columbia Heights
Category: Mexican
Washington, DC
Category: Coffee & Tea
Washington, DC
Category: Soul Food
Alexandria, VA
Category: Tex-Mex
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