I really love this little neighborhood spot! We sat outside on the patio and we're served right away. The frozen strawberry habanero margarita was seriously the best I've ever had! Perfect amount of heat. The chips and salsa are also a must ($3.25 extra). My friend and I shared the crispy pork tacos, ahi tuna tacos, and pescado tacos. The portions are small, only 2 tacos per order, but they have a lot of unique flavors to offer. All the flavors we tried were outstanding! Good times at el chucho! read more

Best bar period. Food is amazing, service is prompt and helpful. The vibe is local and welcoming. Happy hour prices are fair with their own margaritas on tap, three choice of tacos including a mushroom vegan that's probably the best. Definitely a must if you're in Columbia Heights. read more

See all

This is one of my favorite bars in Columbia heights. Their food is actually incredible and they have happy hour deals that'll have you getting all the tacos and margaritas you can enjoy until 6pm. They have a phenomenal balance of quality, portion, and cost that leave you feeling so satisfied and happy to return. The music downstairs can be a little loud so the rooftop seating is my favorite. The downstairs is very hole in the wall and a fun environment to be in. Overall a frequent place to stop by. read more

It was amazing to come here after the circus and eat tacos and frozen margarita. I love this place such a chill vibe . Didn't want to leave . Please more fish tacos !!! I'll be back soon to you purple lights !!! read more

Here is how we found this place online: "Best Brunches in DC 2023." Price: $29.95 per person El Chucho is another of DC's great Mexican restaurants, and the good news is that they also do a cracking bottomless brunch. For $29.95 per person, you can indulge in any breakfast burrito or taco platter as well as bottomless brunch bebidas." It's a lie. It's $36.95 all inclusive or $22.50 + one brunch food item. The servings were small. Service was slow. The drinks were small. The server disappeared after 45 min and they "ran out of" Bloody Mary mix. It's Columbia Heights. Send someone to the grocery for a bottle of Mr & Mrs T. Don't bother. It's not worth $37. read more

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

El Chucho happy hour is 4-6pm Monday-Friday and the perfect spot for drinks with colleagues, friends, or a date. I tried the strawberry jalapeño marg. Love that the happy hour menu also includes food deals. I ordered the al pastor taco and asada taco. There is indoor and outdoor seating and nearby street parking options. Check it out! read more

El Chucho - Al pastor taco, asada taco, margarita - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

On the way home, I was very hungry so I pulled up my Uber eats app and look for deals in the area. Low and behold and being that it's Taco Tuesday, this taco place came up. Up. I had come here before in person but this was the first time that I had it delivered to my house. On Uber eats, you really sometimes score on the deals and being that I was hangry, I chose to get eight tacos but at a fantastic deal. Trust me, you have utilize these food ordering apps to maximize your spend on food. When I ordered the tacos I didn't realize that I would be missing the driver by at least 1 minute, so I texted him to let him know to leave it inside the lobby door. And of course I would give him the code. However, as I was getting to my place I pulled out in front, flagged down the driver and grab my bag of tacos. Tacos. I could smell it in my car and it took every ounce of my body to not rip open the bag. I waited and kudos to me for having the patience. I would say I enjoyed the pollo a lot more as it had good flavor and a little spice to it. The al pastor kind of lacked flavor in my opinion. I would like to go back and try the other varieties of tacos to compare. read more

El Chucho - Pollo tacos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Such a cool place! It felt like I walked into Mexico. Very simple place, but the food is so delicious. Prices are reasonable and service is great. read more

I've been coming to El Chucho for years. I've celebrated many birthdays here and so it was a no brainer to reserve a spot at El Chucho for my partner's birthday this year. I'm sad to report it was a pretty disappointing experience. I reserved a table for 8 people on the rooftop. When I arrived at the restaurant, I was told that the rooftop was closed because they were short-staffed and they offered me a table on the patio. The tables on the patio weren't big enough for our party and when I told the hostess that, she was surprised to hear that we were a party of 8. What is the point of allowing someone to make a reservation for the rooftop for a party if the restaurant doesn't even keep track of it or set up the table accordingly? Or at least notify the party that the table accommodations they booked were unavailable? Then, they seated us at the bar that is half inside half outside the restaurant which was okay except for the dripping water in the corner near one of the seats that was a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Lastly, as I said in the beginning- I've celebrated many birthdays here, not once before has the restaurant asked me to pay for a birthday dessert. This time, I was told I would have to pay for it. In past, I've gotten a tequila shot on the house or at least a comped order of churros. Not sure what's going on but feels like the place is going downhill. Wouldn't recommend read more

Get atún, pescado and vegetales tacos. Wash it down with a passion fruit margarita and you are good to go! Cozy spot, don't need reservations. read more

El Chucho - Tuna taco - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I went as a Saturday outing with a friend. I made a reservation online. When I got to the restaurant I was the only one wearing a mask in the place and they stated I really didn't a reservation but there was a time limit on dining in. I chose the rooftop dining option. It was a really cozy place that is nestled on quit 11th street in DC. My friend ordered the bottomless brunch and I ordered from the daily menu. My choice was the short rib and mushroom enchilada and my friend had the breakfast burrito plate. The margarita I ordered was very strong with tequila and couldn't really taste the passion fruit in the drink. The short rib enchiladas were good and the rice and beans were surprisingly seasoned and good. I may will go back for Happy Hour. I didn't take any pictures of my food this time. read more

We ventured to El Chucho's bottomless brunch last weekend and had such a fun time. The roof deck is absolutely ideal for brunch and we got lucky and snagged the table out on the balcony overlooking the street. The service was 5 stars - friendly staff who kept the alcohol flowing and gave some good recommendations. The food & drinks were 3 stars - good but nothing groundbreaking. The mimosas were pretty syrupy/sweet (we had the hibiscus and the Tamarindo but unfortunately they were out of the watermelon) but they were strong. The agua Fresca was not my fav - tasted way too strongly of tequila. As for the tacos, go for the shrimp and the Carne asada. I wasn't a huge fan of the chicken or the lengua. Also, I would've loved if the margs were on the bottomless menu! That would really level this place up in my opinion. Overall, I'm sure I'll be back to try their happy hour soon. read more

El Chucho - Taco Platter - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Let me be the first one to say I LOVE this place for brunch. From their flavorful mimosas to their well-made tacos I am absolutely a fan. I normally opt for the rooftop seating for more of an open atmosphere and parking isn't too terrible with street parking around the area. I would recommend making a reservation though because the seating is a bit limited in the upstairs area for larger groups. read more

El Chucho - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Perfect happy hour for an after work meet up. My friends and I come here pretty often and I consider it a great neighborhood bar. I love their margaritas and you can't go wrong with the elote callejero. I'm a huge fan of street corn and El Chucho doesn't disappoint. They also have pretty solid tacos for a quick bite. My faves are the Al Pastor and Asada tacos. YUM! read more

I'll cut to the chase - Mexican street corn was roasted - some delicious sauce - more cheese. It packs quite the appetizer. And then the fish tacos - first time I've had fish tacos with salmon and I can never go back. It's incredible. I'm sure everything else was great - but come for the street corn and fish tacos and you won't be disappointed. read more

See all

Definitely make a reservation here on the rooftop! Their happy hour deals are great and the tacos are very authentic street tacos. Loved the Al Pastor so much that I ordered two more after happy hour ended! The Asada steak taco was a little more tough and chewy but still good. Service seems to be fast and trying to get you out the door for the next reservation though (a server literally told us there was another one after us that we had to leave by). read more

El Chucho - AL PASTOR (2 TACOS), ASADA (2 TACOS) - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Craving #tacos be sure to check out @elchuchodc because they are relatively close to authentic! We can't wait to check out their happy hour for their #specials which make this place even more enticing. They have a super cute rooftop patio (check out the reel) and additional outdoor seating at their streetery. * Al Pastor Tacos $6.50 for 2 (would def recommend) Pollo Tacos $6 for 2 Ceviche $13 El code (classic margarita) $7(HH)/$11 Also tried the Ginger Lemongrass Marguerita $9(HH)/$14 - tasty! read more

See all

Place was okay. Fair prices, fair service. A nice spot for a weekday happy hour. It's nothing spectacular but a sufficient place to set the scene for a weeknight drink. Drinks were good enough. Only ate chips here. read more

Great place to go for happy hour and a nice rooftop area when the weather is nice! Food was pretty good with a lot of items to share. read more

See all

Best tacos I've had in a while!!! Maybe ever. I rarely give a place five stars...four is the standard to give room for a ceiling but this place pretty much hit everything. The drinks were AMAZING!!! I recommend the passion fruit margarita. Blackberry margarita is good as well. The tacos were AMAZING!!! The best was prob the fried shrimp. Second was the tuna. Third the salmon. All three were great. The waitress suggested the steak to us as well. Definitely going back. They have brunch as well so I can't wait to try that. I will be a returning customer. read more

See all

Good food at decent prices. Out bartender was knowledgeable and very helpful. She was very good. Very nice atmosphere read more

El Chucho - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

El Chucho is an excellent taco restaurant with a great happy hour. The spicy margarita is always a go-to and the tacos are tasty. My preference is the asada and chicken tacos. Whenever I need to find a crowd pleaser, El Chucho is at the top of the list. It's often energetic ambiance is great for a group outing. read more

Not my first time here but it's been a while. Portions are slightly bigger. Food is still good. Bar is always a good spot to sit. read more

See all

I'll preface this review by saying that I do try to give restaurants the benefit of the doubt for most grievances, especially after the pandemic. That being said, my experience could have just been an off day here, so I'm being generous with the stars. My friends and I were meeting up in DC on a rainy Saturday night. We considered making a reservation to eat since covid has made walk-ins damn near impossible. But when we checked online, this restaurant had a ton of open reservation time slots between 7:30-9 pm. A member of our party had an unknown eta, so when we saw the online site, we figured we could still show up and get a table. However, when we arrived, we had the most awkward exchange with the staff at the door. My friend and I first asked if tables were open, and the staff told us there was nothing available. So we asked if we could wait for one to open up. The man we were speaking to flat out didn't answer us. Then after a beat, he said he could squeeze us into some small corner seating by the front window. We asked again if it was possible to wait for a table, and the guy ignored us again, looked past us and noticed my bf standing behind, and proceeded to ask how he could help him HIM. When my bf said he was part of our party, the guy looked annoyed so we just agreed to get the corner seating by the window to end the ordeal. Next thing was the food. The menu was a little confusing because it indicated that most of the items were only available on weekends from 3-4. But thankfully it seemed like everything was available that night. I tend to judge the quality of any taco joint by their al pastor. And at this place, the pastor was NOT it. Like literally, idk what I got, but it wasn't al pastor to me. The meat was more of a chorizo texture and did not look like it was cooked the traditional schawarma style. It had flavor, sure, but was also super oily. The tacos are also pretty small for the price. I also tried the costilla mole tacos, and those had a ton of flavor, I really enjoyed them. Until I got home and nothing was sitting well with my stomach. I was the only person in my party who had the mole so I suspect it was that, as everyone else that I ate with that night seemed to fare just fine. And I don't have a typically sensitive stomach, but it's been two days and let's just say things are irregular. So I think I'll be sticking to the taco joints I'm used to. read more

The rooftop is pleasant. Service was good, the tacos were good. But like do not get the churros, they have no flavor. read more

See all

I went here for happy hour. I hadn't been in years, but the weather was unbelievably gorgeous and I knew they had a patio. In the past you couldn't make a reservation, however since Covid you now can, even for the patio for happy hour! We ordered a bit of everything! The house margarita, the poblano taco, the chicken soffrito taco, and the beef. The poblano was a bit disappointing since it had only onions and peppers, and we were expecting mushrooms. The chicken was great, a bit greasy, but very good, and the steak was excellent! We also got the chips w salsa and guacamole. The salsa was ok day one, but much better the second day! The guacamole was really great and managed to finish a large portion. Overall I was impressed with their Covid protocol and how seriously I saw the restaurant take precautions. I would certainly go back! read more

El Chucho - The Elote Callejero - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Went to El Chucho for brunch and thought it was delicious and well-priced! Two of us at the table had the bottomless mimosas/agua frescas with tacos. I loved all the different flavors for the mimosas. The tacos were delicious--even as a non-vegetarian, the mushroom taco was one of my favorites! The street corn is also outstanding. COVID note: We ate at the table at the edge of the upper balcony overlooking the street. It was wonderful on a nice sunny day, and we felt safe. However, I might've felt less safe at other parts of the restaurant that felt less open. read more

Popped over on a Saturday @ 1:00 w/ no resos but we were sat immediately with the best seat in the house: 4 top on the upstairs patio overlooking the street. Margaritas are solid and made with housemade sodas. Ordered a lot but was so hungry only got a picture of the shrimp street tacos which ended up being my favorite dish. Chimichangas, Flautas, Elote street corn, lobster tacos were all equally delicious! Server was awesome but the kitchen was slow and disorderly. Chips and salsa came out after corn and tacos..shouldn't they be the first? The salsa has an earthy" flavor not my style but could be for others. All in all I recommend this place and will definitely go back, great ambiance and really good food! read more

See all

The food was good and the server was pretty swift! There were no mistakes made in my order and all of the food came out at once. My guacamole was pretty good, pretty heavy on the onions which was a negative for me. I really loved my enchiladas suizas, Chicken was tender, flavorful, and the filling was delicious. The rice was quite bland so I would recommend not getting that at all. It was literally just white rice. There were 14 people in my group so honestly I wouldn't recommend bringing a large party here for a dinner party. The space was very cramped and was not accommodating to move around let alone even go to the restroom without asking everyone to get up. Another thing I did not like is that they charged a 20% gratuity and a service charge. That makes zero sense to me so my 25 dollar meal turned into a 40$ meal quick. The food was good but not work that much. I don't like spending more than my meal is worth especially since the tacos are bite size. If I come back it would probably only be for happy hour where the food is worth the price. read more

El Chucho - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Surprised this place only has 3.5 stars. Like why? I recently read an article of the top 14 taco places in DC and decided it's my goal to try them out. We were driving to Renwick when I realized El Chucho was right by us. Obviously we stopped to grab a bite! Their tacos come in 2 per order. I got the asada which was amaazzzinnnggg!! The meat was marinated and grilled perfectly! I also got a side of their elote and it was sweeter than most places I've gone too. It had a creamier sauce than usual and not spicy. My friend thinks it's the best corn he's had. My other friend put more chile on it. I thought it was good as is! So glad I tried this place and will probably come back! The staff was super friendly, gave us recommendations, and were quick (without us feeling rushed). It's kinda small but super hip. Also they have a rooftop which is where we sat because the weather was amazing! read more

See all

Made reservations for five people for Saturday evening via online. When we walked in on Saturday, it wasn't busy at all. They have inside seating and outside seatings. It's D.C. so finding parking is not easy. The seats inside are like high chairs. They have this giant "window" that they lefopen, which would explain the flies inside the restaurant. They were quite bothersome. We ordered the guacamole and chips, asada taco, al pastor taco, pollo taco, lengua taco, fried salmon taco, and Adobe fried shrimp taco. Each taco came with two pieces! I enjoyed some tacos and didn't enjoy others. It didn't taste "fresh"? Some meat was kinda dry? I don't know, It was just okay. I didn't get to try their piña colada because they ran out that day Our server was very sweet and attentive. read more

See all

We came for brunch and enjoyed the bottomless brunch drink deal (& especially because it's on the cheaper side for DC). They were out of everything watermelon--sad--but the hibiscus mimosas and agua frescas were good. I can't even remember what filling I got, but the burrito and side of breakfast potatoes were tasty. read more

El Chucho - Breakfast burrito - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Some of the best fish tacos I've ever had in my life! They were so delightful and the covered rooftop seating had very nice decor, music, and ambience. Will definitely be coming back for more read more

El Chucho - PESCADO (2 TACOS) - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Paid 30 dollars for 4 tacos that looked like this and if you have ever been to el chucho this is just wrong read more

El Chucho - Birria tacos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

If you're anything like me, you're a sucker for a good rooftop. Even more so, drinking on a good rooftop. The servers here were so so friendly and really made the experience. Happy hour got you on ~$2 tacos and $5 margaritas, Elote $3.5!! I'm definitely going back for the vibes and to try the tequila pops -- even the bathroom had inspiring quotes like "kill the cop in your head". Like I said , beautiful beautiful place read more

See all

(3.5 stars) After an afternoon of kayaking, tacos here just really hit the spot. I wish they gave you more chips with the salsa and the guac, and the tuna tacos weren't my favorite, but I could go for their steak tacos pretty much any day. The highlight for me though was the ceviche, which actually legitimately had some heat. The peppers in there are no joke, so If you want something light but with a kick, don't miss it. read more

El Chucho - Ceviche - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

El chucho is the neighborhood spot that rarely disappoints. I visited during their all day Monday happy hour special around 7pm and there were a few seats available outside and near the bar. It was dimly lit and you could tell most people there were from the neighborhood. Drinks: I ordered the house margarita with chili lime salt. The drink wasn't too strong but satisfied my desire for a margarita. I was disappointed that the frozen machine was not working because I prefer those drinks. Food: I love the elote here but this time it was okay. I would reccomend they add a bit more sauce to it which is where the amazing flavor truly comes from. I also ordered the pork tacos which was okay. Nothing to write home about. I would love if they added a fish taco to the happy hour menu (even if it's priced higher). All in all, I'd go back! read more

El Chucho - Happy hour menu - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

I've been many times and love it. Ambiance is great. Very cool vibes. The birria and the seared ahi tacos are the best. Service is always good. The blood orange habenero margarita always hits. read more

This is a great and affordable place to eat Mexican food in Columbia Heights. There is a great ambience and very authentic menu.