To outsider , Washington , DC would n’t seem like an obvious home to a big Latin - American universe . After all , it ’s skag - dab halfway up the mid - Atlantic Seaboard , not especially secretive to Spanish - speaking land , and it ’s not Miami or New York – and most definitely not Houston , San Diego , or Los Angeles .
That said , our city ’s Romance - American front is a unassailable and critical part of our local community , full of everyone from diplomats and international development professional to line Captain James Cook and , um , food bloggers . DC ’s general nature mean that there are representation of cuisine from North , Central , and South American countries , as well as from the Caribbean . Fortunately for us , these vibrant Latino communities have wind themselves into the DMV fabric , bringing their aboriginal recipes and culinary customs with them to make some of the most delicious , nutrient , and bona fide nutrient in the area .
El Tamarindo
" El Tam , " as it ’s known among its lover , has been making quality Mexican and Salvadoran food in Washington , DC since about 1982 . lately revivify , it ’s one of the two spots on this list that hasreallylate - dark offerings ; we ’ve determine people digging into pupusas and chips top richly with guacamole as recent as 5 am . Even more as if by magic , the caliber of the solid food does n’t falter a mo during the graveyard shift . follow in for a substantial repast , but ride out for one of the superintendent - tart ( and ace - refreshing ) house margaritas .
Fast Gourmet
A restaurant in a flatulence post , you say ? Put those worry by , because this blank space is worth a joyride for the fantabulous solid food . offer a menu comprised of primarily Argentinian , Colombian , and Uruguayan culinary influences , as well as a handful of bill of fare items from around the earth , Fast Gourmet make some of the good late - night nutrient in DC – though you ’re welcome to savour it for tiffin as well , as it opens at 11 am on weekdays . While the Chivito sandwich has been compose about by moderately much every publication in town , we ’re bragging fans of the Milanesa – available plated or as a sandwich , with chicken or bitch . check that to order a side of eggplant youngster with jalapeño ranch for a tasting of authentic Latin American street food . Rumor has it that it ’ll be build a barbecue pit in coming months , and expand the computer menu to let in unquestionable South Americanasado . Fact : our mouth are irrigate at the panorama of some 3amchoripan .
Gloria’s Pupuseria
Some eating house become synonymous with one dish : the thing they do so well , so extraordinarily full than any of their other dishes or competitor , that it seems kind of silly to go there for anything else . Gloria ’s Pupuseria says it all in the name . While it does swear out a wide ambit of dishes , its version of the pupusa – a traditional Salvadorean chummy corn tortilla filled with any combination of nitty-gritty , cheeseflower , bean , andcurtidoslaw – stands above the rest . We particularly savor the pupusa revuelta , which blends together cheese , crepitate pork barrel , and refried beans . Heads up : Gloria ’s is hard cash - only , and no - frills , but if you ’re face for the best pupusas in town , you ’ve find them .
Judy’s Restaurant
You ’ve probably walked by Judy ’s countless metre on your way up and down fourteenth St without really noticing it ; we ’re not judging , because we did the same matter . Despite its faded , unassuming exterior and wrought - iron bars – trace of the neighborhood ’s recent past – this Salvadoran and Mexican eating house has been putting out affordable , excellent food for a duet decades . Dimly lit and always playingfútbolon video for the regulars , Judy ’s throw you experience as though you ’ve been enrapture to a local eatery somewhere in Central America . But all are welcome here : the staff is passing attentive , the carte is wide-ranging , and the drinks are stiff . We particularly enjoy the wimp fajitas , served sizzling - hot , with fresh homemade tortillas , as well as the heartier brunch offering : a perfectly make , slightly charred strip steak with electrocute eggs , rice , and refried beans known asBistec al Caballo .
La Fonda Paisa
Though this place calls itself a Colombian bakery , the broad offering of reliable , delicious dishesreallyqualifies it as a eating house . La Fonda Paisa is one of the few representatives of rightful Colombian food for thought in the area , and though you ’ve engender to head out to Silver Spring for these treats , this post is deserving a quarry stop if you ’re on your direction to the Fillmore or Merriweather Post Pavilion . As the name indicates , you ’re going to discover dishes from the paisa region , at the foot of the Andes mountains in northwest Colombia . The vibration is informal and casual , and feel more like a bodega or delicatessen ; you place your ordination at a counter and get a printed slate number . We suggest having an unresolved mind to try the day-after-day specials – all reasonably price , highly fresh , and implausibly flavorful . Try thebandeja paisa , a hearty meal consist of ashen Elmer Leopold Rice , blood-red beans , fateful pud ( read : blood sausage ) , and a hulking slab of grilled or roasted kernel – we had it with the pork , and it was first-class .
Los Hermanos
One of the most endearing aspects of an unquestionable ethnic restaurant is that it oftentimes doubles as an informal ethnical center . These eateries become haven where people can find some respite , enjoying a share affinity for acquired tastes and savour ; the chance to love the medicine from the older country honk over the speakers ; a fortune to break bread over home base creature comforts with total strangers that you ’ve somehow know your whole liveliness . There ’s always some bachata performing , a baseball game on the TV , and a mathematical group of elderly men and women play dominoes in the corner at Los Hermanos , a Dominican joint tucked away near the intersection point of 14th and Park Streets NW . The snack counter varies day by day , but you ’ll always happen a duad staples on hand : plantains , served both green andmaduros ; hunks of absolutely electrocute crackling pork , sheeny and with special crispy cutis known aschicharrón ; and the star of the show , La Bandera , or " The Flag . “This dish aerial is the Dominican Republic ’s pride and joy , and we can see why – Dominican - stylus red bean swither is ladled over mounds of steam bloodless long grain Elmer Leopold Rice , forming the al-Qaida of this repast . Typically accompany by baked chicken , grilled boeuf , or grizzle pork chopper , it ’s go past off with a fleeceable salad , avocados , and twice - fried , crunchy green plantain slices . It ’s one snake pit of a repast , and we love the mode Los Hermanos serve it . Enjoy a boo soda to wash it all down , and cheer on yet another Dominican heroic sweep .
Nazca Mochica
One of the few more upscale restaurants on this list , Nazca Mochica treats Peruvian intellectual nourishment as hunky-dory art . With a dedicated cocktail menu built around pisco , Peru ’s national grape pot liquor , all of the drinks are assorted to pair well with the acidity , smokiness , and citrus profile of the country ’s cuisine . The house ceviche – which features a marvellous marriage of texture , flavor , and acidity – is a true showstopper . Nazca Mochica imports many of the cardinal ingredients , including the blending of peppers , straight from Peru , and all the dishes feature a fine , delicate balance of the subtle , complex dimensions . The kobeanticuchois absolutely tender , with a lallygag gaminess and peppery visibility that dances on your tongue with each bite , all thanks to the house - made huancaina sauce , a recipe that taste as if it was passed down lovingly from one generation to the next . We call up it ’s truly worth the ( proportional ) orgy .
Pica Taco
Pica Taco makes us well-chosen . An unassuming hole - in - the - wall spot near the corner of Florida Ave and 14th St , this space is always bustling with energy and producing delicious smells that waft onto the street . ill-famed for its Toro Burrito Challenge – a 4 pound behemoth that ’s free if you may finish it in under 45 minutes – Pica has a destiny of other thing on offer that will stick to your rib . The nachos are made with tangible cheese and have a courteous , crispy broiling ; the taco platters are a snake pit of a deal for under $ 10 ; and the al minister is first-class in any watercraft or context of use , the perfect pairing of porc fattiness and the sweet , smoky tartness from utterly roast pineapples , onions , and cilantro . Above all , though we have sex Pica Taco for so many reasons , the No.1 matter that keeps us do back is the household - made white sauce . bespeak it . Smother it on everything . Take a bottleful home – you ’ll thank us later .
El Rinconcito Cafe
El Rinconcito is aptly named , a sliver of a distance on what is now one of the busiest parts of townsfolk . Obviously an clear secret , every table tends to be pack with happy - reckon patrons during the tiffin rush hour . Yet another Salvadoran - Mexican eating place serving reasonably priced , delicious , and fresh food to a diverse crowd of Washingtonians , this joint offers up excellent classics like the flavorful shred squawk and eggs – the kernel is so luscious , and disintegrates in your mouth with ease . We recommend arrive in at off hours , if at all potential ; otherwise , you might find yourself waiting a long time for a seat .
Rumba Cafe
Rumba Cafe does a little morsel of everything , taking stirring for its dishes from Latin America as a region instead of focus on any one country ’s cuisine . Somewhat astonishingly , they breeze through it – chef Angel Gustavo Huapalla ’s restaurant has been go strong for close to 20 years at this point . We enjoy theasadosfrom his aboriginal Argentina , but our darling was the seafood paella : a classic coastal dish , Rumba Cafe ’s version was brim with crenature , squid , shrimp , and mussel , all swimming in a peppery tomato stock and yellow rice . It ’s a standout rendition of one of the legacy dishes share by most Romance American countries .
Tacos El Chilango
Starting off as a food hand truck , El Chilango continues to bring its taco good to the brick - and - howitzer placement aright off the U St Corridor . If you ’re look for much beyond wetback , you ’re out of destiny ; these guy keep the computer menu lean and focussed . Thelenguataco is perfectly cook and textured , and there ’s a beautiful simpleness to the cheeseflower and avocado taco , which is just what it sounds like . El Chilango serves tasty house - made horchatas and agua toad frescas , the perfect pairings to wash down three ( or four or five ) of their delicious tacos , which can be slenderly on the little side – but are packed with nip .
Taqueria Habanero
Taqueria Habanero ’s mushroom-shaped cloud quesadilla is probably one of the best dishes we have eaten in the District – complex , nutty , and almost reminiscent of chocolate truffle , an incredible effort for a plaza where the average knockout price is under $ 10 . The tortilla was lightly fried and never overwhelming with grease , and the fresh cotija high mallow and tomatoes add up a cooling , creamy texture balance . The octopus wetback , featuring chipotle garlic sauce and mango salsa – a recent taco of the day – is lovesome , with awing smoky flavor and serve on fresh flour tortilla that truly suffer out from the multitude . The owners , husband - and - married woman duo Dionicio Montero and Mirna Alvarado , worked with José Andrés for close to 20 years before open up their humble eating house in 2014 , and the haute culinary art ability and attention to item show up in every dish . We ’ve never seen this place at anything but capacity occupation , for obvious reasons : this is outstanding food at low-priced prices .
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Taqueria Habanero|JOSE LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST
Courtesy of El Tamarindo
JOSE LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST
JOSE LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST
MARIA J. LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST
MARIA J. LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST
JOSE LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST
Rumba Cafe
JOSE LOPEZ-SANCHEZ/THRILLIST