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El Chucho

3.6 (748 reviews)
Closed • 4:00 pm - 11:30 PM
Updated 2 months ago

Order El Chucho Takeout or Delivery

El Chucho Photos

EL CHUCHO ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Hipster
Casual
Loud
Good for groups

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Piece of hairnet in the queso
Anna S.

I wasn't super impressed by El Chucho. If you love mezcal, this place should definitely be on your list though and this was the main reason we ended up here on a Sunday for dinner. The collection is vast and they do mezcal flights. However, I wasn't in love with the tacos. The tortillas were bland and flavorless and the al pastor filling was minced meat instead of the traditional thinly sliced. It also didn't come with the pina salsa which is to be expected on an al pastor tacos. Even worse, we found a piece of a hairnet inside the queso. At first we thought it was a hair and when we said something, the server said it's just a piece of a hairnet... as if that was supposed to make things better. Maybe it's just me, but I don't want anything in my food other than food. Service all around was slow and disjointed. We were seated outside and it was clear that the server in our section was brand new and overwhelmed. We waited a long time for drinks, silverware, etc. After the hairnet incident, another person came to help us who was a lot more efficient but not very personable. I wouldn't return here in the future.

Tacos (chicken and al pastor)
Kyle W.

Chill bar with a great all day Monday happy hour special. Plenty of seating inside and outside. This place has a great Paloma for sure. One of my favorite places in town to get elote. Tacos are solid, nothing to rave about. Chicken taco on happy hour is my preferred. Need to go back and try non HH items, but am in no rush

BRUNCH BIRRIA TACOS! Get the hot sauce!
Leah C.

Came here for brunch and really enjoyed it. Got the bottomless brunch which was a really good deal for DC and must say probably some of the best margaritas I have had in the dmv. They do time you for your two hours so be aware of that, but they did give a heads up with like 5 mins left if we wanted to get one last round. Never felt rushed by any means. I got the Birria brunch option and was happy with my choice, though not the best Birria by any means that I've had but think most will be satisfied. The hot sauce was in house made and thought it was da bomb! Really loved it. Actually hot and good flavor. My partner got the torta and it really wasn't anything special. I would call it a pass. Overall I did really enjoy it here and would recommend for drinks and trying some tacos.

AL PASTOR (2 TACOS), ASADA (2 TACOS), COSTILLA CON MOLE (2 TACOS)
Thomas N.

Really good taco spot and for fix. They have a really good happy hour deal with food and drinks special which I recommend. Vibe is cool and service is fast!

POLLO (2 TACOS)
Ashleigh B.

We were deciding between here & El Sol; but El Chucho was the place that was personally recommended. After a terrible experience at El Sol, we drove straight here to try their chicken tacos. Honestly, It was mediocre at best. I wouldn't eat at or recommend El Sol nor El Chucho. 3/23

Ian C.

Everything about El Chucho is great! The atmosphere is eclectic and fun. The food is solid, and there's no shortage of great drink options. It's a great place to go on a chill date or catch up with friends. Combine all of the above with regular happy hours and late night specials (starting at 10pm), El Chucho is a great neighborhood Mexican spot!

Fløyd L.

Was our 1st time stopping by . Was looking for nice cozy place to go to on a chilly night after a long day at work. The atmosphere was peaceful and relaxing The employees were friendly and welcoming The food was well served and had delicious flavor There is so many options to choose from. We will definitely be returning.

POLLO (2 TACOS)
Nikhil R.

Let me start off with the good. The food is incredible. Everything we had was excellent. Let me also just get the bat out of the way. The restaurant at a 1.95% surcharge on all checks, however, the issue is that the surcharge is actually not 1.95%. It is closer to 2% or 2.1% . This is a little scummy by the establishment. However, like I said, the food is excellent. We started off with the queso fundido. This had so much flavor with the fresh tomatoes and onions on top, but the Cheez itself was grilled beautifully. The tortillas were also double layers and tasted fresh and homemade. Then we got some tacos. The duck tacos are by far the best that this place has. Super crispy and flavorful duck. That taco lives rent free in my mind. The Ahi tuna taco was also very unique as I had not tried this before. Seared ahi tuna was cooked really well. I do wish they had served this with some lime to bring it together. Finally, we tried the chicken tacos. These were also excellent, however, I personally prefer Pollo Asado over shredded chicken. Again, I think if they added a salsa or some lime, this would really bring the dish together well. The mango Agua fresco was delicious. Refreshing, bubbly, but they only give you a small quantity and fill it to the brim with ice. Service overall was fine. They came by once to fill up our water, and maybe two other times to just check on us. The atmosphere is also excellent. They have an upstairs enclosed heated area, which was nice to get away from the rowdiness at the bar downstairs. Overall, I would come back just for the queso as well as the duck tacos.

Taqutios, AL PASTOR (2 TACOS)
Julia G.

Came here with my husband and I friend and would definitely come back. Food was good and reasonably priced. We sat outside on their terrace and got a few refills on our drinks. They're dog friendly so I also enjoyed watching the pups.

AHI TUNA (2 TACOS)
Tara L.

I've only been here a couple of times, but each time I left fully satisfied. The first time I dined her, we ate outside under their tented seating. It was on a weeknight so they weren't terribly busy, but the there was still enough energy for it to feel vibrant. I ordered the ahi tuna tacos and they were bangin'. The portion was perfect and the seared ahi tuna was topped with pineapple salsa, pickled shallots, avocado and drizzled with jalapeno-cilantro aioli. The blend of flavors did a happy dance on my tongue with each bite, making devilishly delicious as well as satisfying. I also really love the selection of agua frescas. When I'm in the mood for a non-alcoholic option, I'll order the hibiscus and find it so refreshing that it's become my go-to beverage when dining here. So although I've only recently discovered El Chucho (when my best friend moved down the street) it's quickly becoming a fave!

Birria Queso Taco
Dave W.

Found this place on Yelp...and I'm glad I did! It's a tiny place, but it was a nice night and they have a big patio, so we sat out there. The salsa was better than nearly any other restaurant I can remember. The elote was amazing! Our server suggested the flautas and that was an excellent recommendation! I had the asada tacos - they were good but a little dry. My daughter really enjoyed the birria quesa-taco. Overall, a really tasty dining experience! And it's super inexpensive!

Ceviche, al pastor tacos, shrimp tacos, carnitas tacos

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

The cocktails are great, the food is wonderful and priced well. Love going here regularly!

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2 years ago

Love this place. I get it all the time. Food is solid and service is great. I really really wish they sold nachos. :))))))) LOL

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Flight Club D.C

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Well, this was my first time playing darts. Apparently at Flight Club, it's more than throwing…read moredarts at a board and hoping you hit the center. There are a variety of games that test your accuracy and precision. The club is intimate with it's Victorian decor. All the games are played and scored electronically. Food was okay. I got the beef sliders and parmesan fries. Items were pricey as the sliders did not include the fries. The patties were a tad too salty as well. Oh, and you get videos of your time there the next day if you enter your email at the start of the game.

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Free State - Hazy IPA

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Not to be confused with Free State Distillery in Upper Marlboro (though many also call it Arthur…read moreWheeler Spirits haha), this place is located just off of the main street in chinatown, and it's surprisingly lowkey. It's a basement bar with a bit of a dive vibe, but it's hard to ignore the nautical, blue crab theme throughout. Turns out that one of the owners is a Marylander, which is cool to see reflected in the decor in a place in dc, even though it is next door. They have a happy hour and they have a great variety of drinks in general. It's bring-your-own-food (BYOF) and there are a bunch of delicious looking Asian spots nearby, including upstairs. It didn't start getting crowded until closer to 10, which, as I said, is surprising for this part of town to me. Everywhere in Chinatown is not going to be packed and busy, and this place is here to remind you of that. Stop by if you're looking for a more chill vibe. Staff are pretty cool.

Free State is perfect for a chill bar in the Downtown area. It's exactly the kind of place you want…read moreto share a few drinks and be able to hear the person in front of you. I had a delicious orange crush drink and my friend had a sangria. The bartenders are extremely chill and nice; they only come up when you need it which is nice for good conversation. I'll easily be back when I want to catch up with friends without a speaker blaring in our ears. Great place to introduce to more people!

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Chadol Korean BBQ

Chadol Korean BBQ

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Chadol Korean BBQ was such a fun pick for our monthly dinner series! My friends and I had a great…read moretime and honestly left fullllll. For $45 per person, the all-you-can-eat experience feels like a really solid deal considering how many protein options and side dishes you get. They start you off with a variety of banchan (side dishes), including a salad with this super tasty dressing that had the perfect little spicy kick. For the BBQ, we kicked things off with the spicy bulgogi and butter garlic shrimp, while the others tried the pork belly (I don't eat pork). Later we ordered the steak, spicy brisket, and grilled squid, which were all delicious. The spicy brisket especially was a standout for me. The guys also ordered two rounds of fried dumplings that looked amazing, but since they contain pork, I had to sit those out. I'd love to see Chadol add a veggie dumpling option to the menu! As for the sides, the kimchi and cold glass noodles were both hits at our table, and of course we all added white rice. The "mashed potatoes" though? Definitely more like potato salad and unfortunately very bland. On the other hand, the cheese corn costs extra but is 1000% worth adding. For drinks, the guys enjoyed the Woody Old Fashioned while I had a mezcal margarita-style cocktail that was smoky and refreshing. We also ordered one of the chicken options but never received it and eventually just gave up on it. One of the coolest parts of the experience is the ordering system. Most meats are ordered directly from a machine at your table, and the food comes out quickly on this conveyor belt-style setup which was honestly so fun. Drinks and side dishes are ordered through the servers. The atmosphere was lively and energetic without feeling overwhelming. The restaurant is actually much larger inside than I expected, with a modern setup that works well for smaller groups. That said, I didn't really notice tables for larger parties, so I'm not sure how they accommodate groups bigger than 6 people. Service started off a little rough because our server wasn't very attentive, but after I called it out, he definitely stepped it up and things improved. Overall, Chadol was a really good experience and absolutely worth the price. The 1.5-hour seating limit makes sense too, both to keep things moving and give others a chance to enjoy the experience. I'd definitely go back!

I ate here around a year ago and reviewed them on google. The food is not good, service is slow,…read morefor some reason you can't order certain things with the tablet, and it's really easy to miss the little automated train thing that brings out your food. This place has negative reviews deleted on Google. Spend your money elsewhere, there's better Korean food in DC.

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4.1(14 reviews)
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Omg!! The food was delicious. This was my first time patronizing this restaurant and I was blown…read moreaway. Interestingly enough they have two locations which I did not know. The food at this location was great. The red snapper with the rice and tomatoes was very flavorful. The red snapper could have been cooked a little harder. However, other than that it was great. My friend order the same dish except with salmon. She enjoyed the dish as well but also mentioned that the fish could be cooked harder. We sat at the bar so we didn't get service from the waiter. However, the service from the bartender as great. He was very knowledgeable on the drinks and the food. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the drinks. But I ordered a smoked margarita which had a great taste. The ambiance was wonderful. It was very aesthetically please. From the flowers on the ceiling to the rooftop overlooking the Capitol it was great. The roof top provided a chill vibe with low music. It could be a great place for a date night or just a place to go to meet up with friends. I 100% recommend.

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El Chucho - mexican - Updated October 2026

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