Everything about this place is all I could ever desire and I can't wait to go back again and again. It is very small and homey feeling, but that adds to its character. I wanted to try every single thing on the menu, and was blown away by everything we ordered. The corn (elote callejero) appetizer is OUTSTANDING, and the guacamole was flavorful and just the right amount of spicy. My friend and I both ordered from the specials menu. She got tilapia tacos which were delicious, although a very small portion. I got a ribeye steak with some sort of amazing spicy green sauce and yuca fries. I don't usually get steak, especially not at Mexican restaurants, but I am so glad I did this time. It was so tender, cooked to perfection, and the sauce was incredible-- not too heavy, and just the right amount. Our drinks were great (you have the option of chili salt on your margaritas! A great pairing with the traditional option), our waitress was friendly and knowledgable with great suggestions, and the atmosphere on the upper level was fun and energetic. I've told lots of friends about this place already and I can't wait to return! read more

I actually really enjoy El Chucho. Their happy hour is fantastic. Be sure to get the corn and the carnitas tacos. Their bar has a lot of specialty drinks - however, I dock a star for the fact that they have no ice tea or diet soda. They literally make their own soda and that is admirable, but for those guests who don't want a sugary drink - you only get water. Also, the tables are very close together and it can be a bit of a wait if you don't get their by around 5:30. But, if that is still ok for you - go for it! It's great and the service is great too! read more

I LOVE this place. Simple, hip, great food, ambiance, and service. The tacos al pastor and guacamole are my favorites. The elote is a game changer too. A great place to take friends and family from out of town. Monday Happy Hours are worth taking advantage of if you're on a budget. read more

Great tacos, great sandwiches, amazing margaritas. El Chucho's Strawberry Habanero margarita is literally my favorite frozen drink in the world.They also have a world-class selection of tequila and mexcal. The atmosphere is awesome, especially during the summer when the big front window is open. It can get crowded in the evening but its worth it. read more

Only been here once so far, but I'm damn glad to have found this place. I notice several reviews here that mention poor experiences with the service, but the one visit there my wife and I made, we had no issue with the waiter. It was definitely a slow period, so I can't speak to the service when the place is hopping, but our server was very attentive and never out of sight for more than few minutes. The tacos are tasty, and the ingredients seem top-notch, the chips and salsa were enjoyable, though not the best I've had (that honor still falls to Chuy's in Austin, TX), but the margaritas were daaaaaamn goooood! They have a huge selection of tequila, including some great looking tequila flights options to allow one to really experience tequila the way one should. The margaritas are reasonably priced, with a nice range from basic-to-top-shelf. And they don't skimp on the pouring! I had 3, my wife two, and not one was weak, tequila always easily noticed and enjoyed. And best of all, they do not use any kind of crappy powdered mix, always using fresh lime and other quality ingredients. The decor is cool and enjoyable. The rooftop deck, which is enclosed by one of those plastic enclosures when cold, is heated so I would imagine dining up there would be fine in all but sub-freezing temps, though that's a guess, since we dined on the rooftop in November, so I can't speak directly to what it might be like up there this time of year, if the rooftop is open this time of year at all. The Verdict: Our one trip there (we walked from Adam's Morgan) was enjoyable and we will be going back again in the spring for sure. read more

great food, great drinks, TERRIBLE service. "the computer didn't send your order" was our servers excuse. I guess it didn't occur to him when everyone else was getting food and we asked several times where our food was that there was a problem, duh. Would like to try again but will think twice. read more

The elote (corn on the cob) is the reason I keep coming back. It is smothered in a seasoned aioli and cotija cheese. One time I might get just 2 elotes and nothing else. read more

Completely overprice, you only pay the brand and marketing. Food is expensive and not so good. Same for drinks. Service is, however, the strong asset of the place. Walk until a real latin american reataurant such as el rinconcito and you will eat, drink better for cheaper. read more

A great neighborhood place with great Mexican street food and laid back bartenders. My favorite is the hibiscus mimosa. They have a nice rooftop deck for dining, but the downstairs is also awesome with the front window that opens facing 11th street. Definitely order the tacos- many different meats to choose and of course the salsa is amazing! read more

By far my favorite place in Columbia Heights. Go here all the time with gf/roommates/friends and it's been great every time. -The food is delicious, perfectly-portioned, and reasonably-priced. -The ambiance is classy yet homey, perfect for all kinds of occasions. -The drinks may be the best part, particularly the margaritas, which are affordable and dangerously tasty. The beer selection is also great, with quality local beers on-tap year-round. -The only thing that has ever been less-than-perfect is the service, but that was only once or twice and was still nothing to get worked up about. On another note, the brunch deal here is incredibly underrated. $22 for bottomless mimosas AND an entree is amazing, plus they keep the mimosas flowing the whole time you're there. I'd recommend coming here for: -Happy Hour with friends/coworkers -Casual date-night -Late-night casual drinks before/after a night out -Boozy Saturday brunch Must-Haves (food): -Tacos Al Pastor -Elote -Queso Frito -Pork Belly Burrito Must Haves (drink): -Margheritas (frozen and on-the rocks) -Mimosas (during brunch) read more

This review is for the happy hour, which I have been to El Chucho many times for. The deals are great, and it is really pleasant to sit outside during the non-winter months. Happy hour is so popular that it can get a bit crowded (around 7-8), so go as early as you can. Star dishes for me are the elote (grilled corn with sauce and cheese on top) and the guacamole. I would be happy just getting two orders of elote and an order of guacamole as a meal. Free chips for the table are great and fresh, and are refilled on request. Other good items: tacos, flautas, and house margaritas (only $4 at happy hour). read more

I really love this place. I go whenever I have the opportunity. Great tacos and the elote is addictive. The only thing I ever walk out feeling is disappointed in the service. Its inconsistent, I am really familiar with the industry but the majority of the time, I find the staff a little ungracious to be in an occupation that requires you to be nice. Sometimes its very friendly but most of the time...impatient and I don't mean in the busy times which is completely understandable, even when its slow. I'd say work on that, I'll be back and I always bring friends, I just don't want to have to over apologize if I wanted more chips or another order of corn because you look annoyed. Keep up the good stuff though! read more

okay. this is my first and probably only yelp review. if i could eat the elote at el chucho every day for the rest of my life, i would not be disappointed. i want to elop-e with this elote and i'm not even ashamed. this, along with the calabacitas tacos, the salsa, and the margs on tap makes me so happily angry that i don't live closer because it would be dangerous if i did. read more

El Chucho - the most delicious elote you'll ever eat - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Almost don't want to write this review because we like actually getting a seat at the bar-- but they deserve all the five star reviews in the world. Superb food (get the chicken tacos and the street corn!) always incredibly fresh--served fast, served late, just like we like it. I had no idea tequila could be so interesting. They have a thousand kinds to try--and they know how to mix it into extraordinary cocktails. There are no bad servers or bartenders here--they will ALL treat you like gold and, sadly, you'll probably become a regular here just like us :) We love it here so much. It's both a cozy neighborhood bar and a completely unique place worth seeking out. Great date spot! read more

The corn was tasty, creamy and delicious, A must order. The service was excellent and quick. A great place to go for Happy Hour. Loved it .

Unfortunately, can't review the food or drinks. Went with a friend on Friday around 5pm. When we got there the hostess asked if we wanted a table or the bar. We sat at the bar. There was one another couple at the bar, one bartender and a kitchen full of cooks getting ready for a busy Friday night. Problem was the bar had a strong, foul odor Worse than any frat house basement I have experienced. You know the odor. Upon closer inspection, there were tons of flies buzzing around and on various jars and containers sitting around the bar as well as the open top trash can. Given that the place opens at 4pm this smell was from an accumulation of not being cleaned the night before or many more. No way the bar tender couldn't smell this. Given that they are open air, sanitation is critical. Given the extreme poor sanitation at the bar and heavy stench we decided to leave. Not sure who manages this place but they aren't doing a great job. read more

Well they didn't have a good selection of drinks. Seems like everything my friends and I ordered were declined because they didn't have something ( including tonic water). They didn't have half the menu of whiskey. After we had finally settled for what drinks they had we began smelling a puke smell. My friend said if was a fried dish they served but I said it was puke likely from the restroom. I asked one of the workers if we could open one of their windows in the front you can see in the picture but he said they couldn't (weird cause it's up in the picture). It's unfortunate overall, the place seems cool but because of what happened I have to give it an overall 1 star...my friend tweeted, "Us: Can I have a Tito's and Tonic, Jack and Coke, and Gun Powder Wiskey. Bartender: Sorry we don't have Tito's, Tonic, Jack, Tonic, nor Gun Powder Wiskey. #11thStreetNW"....need I say more? Bottom line, don't go here. read more

Skip the Stomach Ache! I had heard some great things about this place and the wait for 35 mins on a Friday night was anticipated. The chips / guacamole were very good but it was all down from there. I ordered some sort of "cauldron" soup that tasted like it was stirred by an old shoe possibly. I am a fairly hearty eater and its not often I turn my nose up at a meal but this was just terrible. My girlfriend ordered some sort of egg battered squash sandwich that was completely mushy and lacked any sensation of flavor or semblance of being edible. They were gracious enough however to credit the cost of the soup even after I had told them I had no problem paying for the meal in entirety. It has great potential with the roof deck. The best I can suggest is they start off anew with a better Mexican menu or just head over to Mixtec for the real thing. read more

This review is for brunch only. I hear their tacos are quite tasty. However, DO NOT GO TO EL CHUCHO's BRUNCH. Coffee came in paper cups and tasted terrible. The huevos racheros (the only brunch item available) were some undercooked eggs with a little salsa splashed on top, with a side of rice and beans. The torta was like an unseasoned sloppy joe, with a bunch a meat heaped on a giant piece of bread. We left so unhappy that we had to go across the street for some Johnny Cakes and coffee at Kangaroo Boxing club just to get the taste of this brunch out of our mouths. read more

I really like El Chucho, great ambiance, good but somewhat simple food, I love the terrace, the staff is chilled out and friendly. However, last night I went and ordered a few tacos, guacamole & margaritas with my sister. I would swear that the 5 margaritas we ordered didn't have a drop of tequila in them. We each ordered one when we sat down and I told my sister and our waiter they seemed to have no tequila. The waiter disagreed, of course, and I felt like ordering another because I sort of just wanted to verify. My sister also ordered a second. Even after two margaritas I was completely sober. My sister ordered a third at the end of the meal, again pretty much to verify (bcz it just seemed so ludicrous) and lo and behold she was totally sober after the third.... normally after one margarita I am pretty tipsy so with two I would pretty much be well into a drunken state.... maybe I'm a light weight. I drink most weekends so I know when something is off. I feel a bit reluctant to return for margaritas which is a shame because I really enjoyed them in the past. I might give them another shot but if I still feel the same I'll just go for a nice Pisco Sour at my other fave local place and not go back to El Chucho. In that case Peru wins ;) Viva El Peru haha :p read more

I LOVE LOVE LOVE This place! I felt like I was back in Austin where I lived for years. The ONLY place in DC that I've found that can actually do tacos and margs CORRECTLY. Every place in DC that I've found so far uses crappy mix for their margaritas. A true margarita has NO mix and nothing but tequila, lime juice an an orange liquor. A certain 3-story place on 18th street in Adams Morgan, BEWARE! Your pitchers of margs have sucked for years and its about time you learned how to make them correctly... I repeat, a real margarita has NO MIX! Finally, a place outside of the Lone Star state that knows how to make a margarita. God Bless all y'all. Food rocks, home made hot sauces with habaneros, its all good. I'm going back again and again. read more

Brilliant guacemole, but no margeritas for us.. Don't come here with a European driving licence or an expired US licence. Staff is overzealous about carding, even if you're clearly and beyond reasonable doubt over 21. Pity. read more

Low key, local bar with yummy Mexican food and tamarind margaritas. The street corn is amazing!

Not only was service incredibly slow (drinks came out the same time as our food, didn't receive silverware), but both my food AND margarita had hair in them. read more

Walked in, sat there for 10 minutes, never brought water or served. They do deserve one extra star though, for being proficient in ignoring their customers. They win at that. I wouldn't recommend this dump to anyone. read more

The Mexican corn was incredible. Seriously amazing. Flautas con huitlacoche was delicious, as were both tortas we tried. Wish I could say more about the service, but our waiter was really terrible. Totally disinterested and inattentive. Other staff seemed great, though, so hoping it was a fluke. Looking forward to going back! read more

I would like to give El Chucho a better review, but the last few times I have dined here, the service has been incredibly unpleasant. Time after time our waiters have been all too noticeably rude, as well as unfriendly. I live in the neighborhood and used to recommend EL Chucho to friends and family, but after receiving the same feedback from them, I will not be returning nor recommending! read more

I really want to like this place. Unfortunately, it's probably my least favorite restaurant in DC. Super overpriced, portions are tiny, and what food you do get just isn't very good. I've been here twice at the suggestion of friends and each time found myself wishing I was at home instead. The drinks are fine I guess but also expensive. In general, I just feel like a complete hipster chump at the end of an El Chucho experience - shelling out a bunch of cash for faux Mexican street food that is so unsatisfying that I need to eat again about an hour later. read more

Oh, I'm sorry is my patronage interrupting your shit talking session? Firstly, to get it out of the way the food was great (awesome salsa and guac) so its shame that the bar is being run by walking PMS and her trusty sidekick farmer-ted fire-beard. Okay so first things first, getting her attention each time took about 10 minutes which would't have been a big deal, had the bar not had maybe 10 total seats while being manned by two people who would prefer to whisper into each others ears than (CRAZY THOUGHT) take an order. So finally we wrangle her and she laboriously takes our (liiiike why are you bothering my rigght nowww) . When the order comes out it is dropped at our table by what I'm assuming was a ghost because homeboy had disappeared into thin air before we could tell him THIS ISNT WHAT WE ORDERED. We ordered guac and he brought us salsa. We attempted to not touch it and alert them that we needed a change but they literally refused to make eye contact. So we relented and dug in. The salsa was good but we didnt order it. So finally we catch her attention and let her know that we ordered guac, she literally said, "Oh well I entered salsa so thats right" - implying that we were in the wrong. There are two of us who agreed we ordered guac, not to mention we ALWAYS order gauc at mexican places so there is not way in HELL we ordered salsa. But she enters an order for gauc (which was delicious when we tried it - kudos to THE BACK OF THE HOUSE). When the rest of our meal was delivered it was equally yummy. Also, an older gentleman started working behind the bar and he was super nice. When this nice man gave me the check I didnt even point out that we had been charged for the salsa we didnt order (we did eat it so I called it even). What is the moral you ask? If you enjoy being made to feel like you are a masochist who enjoyed being made to feel like a leper and a constant pain in the ass, orr if you have a fetish for hipsters with mystical, wild firey beards then GET YOUR ASS TO EL CHUCHO - otherwise go to Oyamel since the food is equitably priced and the service is INFINITELY BETTER! read more

This had to be the worst dining expereience ever. It was our first time at El Chucho. Our server J@ke was hostile and unwelcoming. I felt completely rushed. At one point he simply stood over me and commented that "it wasn't the cuban missle crisis" as I reviewd the menu. Meanwhile I was sitting with my boyfriend who is actually cuban. The food came. It was not that great; neither was it what we expected. The house margarita was barely drinkable. J@ke returned to his conversation at the back. Terrible. Just terrible read more

as a native Californian, i've always felt that DC has a supreme lack of quality Mexican food. alas, El Chucho has filled that gap!! we had the asada tacos, the guac and chips, the elote corn, and the house margaritas with chile lime salt- all were delicious. huge plus: the covered green roofdeck where you can catch the summer breeze sitting below pinatas. just perfect! read more

Great place. Great location. Charming, cozy rooftop. The staff was a little slow checking on us and refilling our drinks though.

Went here last night for dinner and was so pleasantly surprised (had not planned to go here). We were seated on the rooftop which was noisy, but cool. We were there for happy hour so we got pork tacos (2 for $3) as well as a softshell crab special, which were both phenomenal. Also got street corn and a coconut lime homemade soda which were awesome. Am already planning my next dinner here I highly, highly recommend it. read more

Stupid rule alert: if you have a vertical drivers license you won't be served alcohol even if it's valid and you're over 21. You're cool El Chucho, but not that cool. read more

I recently chose to have 26 of my closest friends join me at El Chucho for happy hour on my birthday, and I am so glad I did! Granted, we started early (4pm), which gave us the ability to grab some prime spots to gather in. The service was surprisingly good, I was never given a hard time about the huge crowd, on the contrary, they accommodated us in any way they could. All my friends were delighted by the cheap yet quality tacos, guac and margaritas. My new favorite neighborhood spot! read more

Nice addition to 11th street. Portions are good--you can try a bunch of different stuff without being stuffed---and the prices are fair. I'd say even on the cheap considering some of the alternatives on 11th street. read more

Poor service. Waiter was a knucklehead, who complained and was rude in front of our party because we weren't ready to order. immediately. He also messed up our check by not returning our change, even after the check included 20% gratuity. The food was okay, but I could honestly make way better tacos at home, and I'm a shitty cook. I'll avoid coming here in the future. read more

If I could give -10 stars, I would. I called beforehand after a very long day of professional development all the way in Virginia to ask if this establishment was hosting happy hour. The bartender answered cheerfully and I presumed that this guaranteed a good time at a new place. Upon arriving, parking was simple. I walked in with two others, and was immediately greeted with hostility. I asked the hostess if it was self-seating at which point she snapped, "well, how many?" It was obvious that all three of us were together seeing as we walked in speaking to each other, but I guess she was unsure because one of us was not black? The establishment is small, and most of the seats were taken up. We said "3," and my friend pointed out that there were bar stools along the window sill. Two other patrons were pushed far away from the bar so I hesitantly approached the corner. The hostess again snapped, "so then do you not want to sit there? Because I thought you want to sit there." I turned around and said in an agitated voice, "there's nowhere else to sit, here is fine." She walked away grumbling, which I ignored. We sat for about 10 minutes and had yet to be approached by a server. The hostess kept her back to us and no one brought any water. I saw a man, presumably the waiter, approaching everyone on the adjacent wall and raised a still have to catch his attention. I smiled at him and waved a little more, at which point he raised his eyebrows and did not move or acknowledge me. I said to my friends, "maybe we are supposed to talk directly to the bar tender" as that is sometimes the case since we were sitting on bar stools at the window sill. Two minutes later, he loped over and asked, "what would you like?" I ordered tacos al pastor and said I was having trouble locating the drink menu. He said it was on the back, but the venue does not have a. learning front and back as the binding is so worn that when you flip a page, it looks just as much like the front or the back as any other. He never offered to help, so my friend turned and flipped the menu to the appropriate page. I asked, does the margarita on the rocks come in any flavor? He said yes, strawberry but it's very spicy. I said that's fine. He said, are you sure? It's very spicy! I said again, I don't mind. When he came back with the drinks, he handed me a frozen margarita. For health reasons, I cannot consume a large amount of ice, which is why i asked for a margarita on the rocks. My friend called the hostess over and asked if that flavor comes on the rocks- the same question I asked the waiter. She said no. I said that i have to send it back because i can't have ice. I asked if it could be replaced with anything on the rocks. The waiter zoomed over and bit, "I told you it was spicy!" I said, "sir, I didn't even drink from it, I can't have frozen drinks. I asked for a margarita on the rocks." He said, "No! You asked for a frozen margarita!" I said, "No, I asked which flavors of margaritas on the rocks there are and you said strawberry." He attempted to continue arguing and at that point, my friends stood up and said we would just leave. He seemed soothed by that answer, so I assume we weren't welcome to begin with. If you're a black female, I would say don't bother frequenting this establishment. Clearly our money is no good here. read more

We went here for my girlfriend's bachlorette party and we had a great meal and a great time! Luckily, they were able to seat our party of six right away. Although we didn't get to sit at the much talked about rooftop, we appreciated the fact we were able to get seated quickly. We shared an order of guacamole which was served the way I like it...nice and chunky! I had the street corn (elote callejero), the beef tongue tacos (I love me some lengua!) and I also had the ginger margarita. It was all good. Of course you can't go wrong with the street corn with its buttery cheesy goodness. The lengua tacos were 2 to an order an prepared simply (I believe they were only served with onions and cilantro), but were tasty! The ginger margarita was good as I have never had one before and the ginger provided the drink with a cool bite! I also had some of my friend's torta (Mexican sandwich) ahogada which was covered with a deliciously spicy red sauce. You had to eat it with gloves and that was part of the fun of it! The food was good and reasonably priced so I would definitely come back again! read more

One of our favorite restaurants on one of our favorite streets in D.C. The food is always excellent and reasonably priced. Excellent pollo tacos and the Mexican street corn is slammin. They also do a weekend brunch, I'd highly recommend the marinated pork chimichanga. Can't wait to get back here! read more