We got a margarita pitcher to split for around $45 and it was so much better value than getting individually drinks! It was delicious and the vibes there were super nice. We sat outside on the patio for a while and then moved inside to play some pool. Would come back! read more

El Rey - Margarita Pitcher - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great location to hang with friends on a sunny day and play corn hole, pool or watch a game. I wouldn't recommend this place for food (taco meat was cheap and overall everything is not the best but drinks were fine). Service is hit or miss - the bartender did not want to be bothered but a few other staff were helpful. read more

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

We've been to the Ballston location and had a much better time, but here we waited around 25 minutes for drinks that were ordered via their QR code system. This was weird because an appetizer came probably within 15 minutes. Additionally one dish never even showed up, but everything took so long that we just ate the cost so we could leave rather than having to wait forever to try and have it addressed. If you cannot support table ordering via QR code, that's fine, but don't do it. I don't fully know what the issue was, because no one gave a cursory 'sorry we're short staffed' or 'we are having printer issue', but there are too many good options to head here again anytime soon. read more

I recently went to El Rey Navy Yard for a weekend dinner with two friends and had a good experience. We were able to seat ourselves outside on a nice evening and the food arrived quickly (ordered and paid for via QR codes). The ambiance was fine. We shared the chips (a bit salty but good) and salsa (tasted fine, very mild) and I got a chicken taco and an asada taco, both of which were overpriced ($5 and $6, respectively) and with tough meat. El Rey is in a great location (right across from Nationals Park and right on the Anacostia) and prices were overall reasonable. read more

It definitely had a cool set up with a small outdoor and some pool tables inside but service wasn't great and for a mexican themed bar, they have a lame variety of tequila. They are very anal about you using the QR code yet the bar is not that busy. We did not have service to load the QR from our phones due to a ton of people in the area for a concert and when we asked someone behind the bar for a menu they were like "use the QR code!" disregarding what we were saying. The frozen drinks were ok and it seemed like there were a ton of empty drinks around that weren't bussed. read more

I enjoyed my meal here. I will come back. I was there for Taco Tuesday where I got the street tacos (discounted because of Taco Tuesday). The steak tacos were really good. I liked better than the chicken which was also good. They have outdoor seating overlooking the water and the boardwalk which makes for a great relaxed vibe. If you want a physical menu, you have to ask for it. When seated outside, you have to go to the bar to place an order if not ordering on your phone. read more

I can definitely vouch for this spots tacos!! I've been here before, just their spot Uptown. I had no idea they were also at the Navy Yard!?! You know what that means right? Time to get some tacos!! Let's GO!! . Where I am: @elrey_dc . Location Reviewed: 79 Lotomac Ave., S.E. Washington D.C. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Cherry Limeade ($9 with cherry juice, lime juice, & soda water). Refreshing, sweet but sour!! STAMP!! Their Chips & Queso Chorizo ($13 with tortilla chips, melted queso, & chorizo). Get this!! Cheesy, a zing in that chorizo, I could eat a bucket of this!! I added guac for $6 too...STAMP! LIKE THAT! Their Elote Frito ($13 Cheesy sweet corn fritters, chipotle mayo, & Tajin). Sweet, savory, corny!! Round fried cornbread!! STAMP!! Their Chicken Quesadilla ($16 with grilled chicken, Oaxaca cheese, sour cream, pickled onions, salad, & lime creama in a flour tortilla). Juicy chicken, well seasoned, flour tortillas hit different to me!! The Tacos *2 per order* Their Hamburguesa Tacos ($15 with club sauce, shrettuce, American cheese, & pickles). Surprisingly tasty!! A we made burger in a tortilla!! LIKE THAT! Their Carne Asada Tacos ($14 with grilled flank steak, charred scallion salsa, queso fresco, & cilantro). Well seasoned steak, with that charred scallion taste!! STAMP!! Their Crispy Cod Tacos ($14 Masa fried with shaved cabbage, curtido, lime crema, & hot sauce). Beer battered Cod, crispy, & spicy!! STAMP!! Their Churros ($9 with cinnamon , sugar, & ancho chili chocolate sauce). The chocolate had heat to it!! . Customer Service: On Point. . Parking: Rough on the street, but it's paid garages everywhere. . Recommendations: Get that Quesadilla, & try that hamburger taco!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly. 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews read more

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The new El Rey location is at a beautiful location right by the water in Navy Yard. The space is really open and perfect for a summer day/evening grabbing food with friends. They have plenty of TV's scattered throughout and they also have the QR codes set up so that you can order your meal/drinks right away. What I didn't love so much about this location is that the food runners/servers never really checked up on you. They dropped food and then would go look off into the distance or start socializing on their phones. I say this because it was so difficult to talk to someone after receiving really bad guacamole. The guac tasted like it came from a package at Costco unfortunately. The Al pastor tacos were decent. They tasted fresh but the filling to taco ratio was not there. The meat was super skimp. After wanting one more taco my friend and I decided to split the cheeseburger taco and it was not good. Super greasy and lacked a sauce. For now I would only recommend this El Rey location if you're coming for drinks and a nice view. The food is a little off. read more

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Waterfront restaurant? Don't mind if I dooooo! Ok this spot is a vibe, especially before a game! The indoor and outdoor space can't be beat. Awesome for small or large groups, just go! We kept it light with salt and pepper calamari, crispy cod tacos, nacho, a coke, and a HH margarita! Our favorite bites were the tacos and nachos, we didn't loveeeee the calamari and so wouldn't order again if we return (oh we willlll be back!) They take orders using an app, so be prepared for that! All in all, a cool experience! read more

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The good, great new location right on the water. I didn't love the vibe though. The service is minimalist. Order from your seat using your phone and so interaction with any service staff is pretty limited. They bring your drinks and food, but don't really check on you other than that. The chips, salsa and guacamole are a nice starter. Shared tacos with friends and so we could try different meats. Tried the al pastor and carne asada tacos. Both tacos had plenty of meat unlike some previous reviews. They had good flavor, but being a Tex-Mex snob, I felt they didn't quite live up to my expectations. It's worth a try, but maybe not even the best tacos around Navy Yard. read more

El Rey - Al Pastor and Carne Asada tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Having spent much of my adult life around Hispanic communities in Florida and Texas I realize I have developed a high standard. I tried the chicken and carne asada tacos for a quick dinner. Neither were particularly flavorful. The toasted tortillas were nice and crunchy but the meats could use a little attention. The place itself is open and is comfortable. The staff were great and made sure the beer didn't stay empty long. read more

My best Mexican spot in the neighbourhood, and in the best location. The good: service here was rapid. They use qr code ordering which I am not always thrilled with but the kitchen and servers were on top of their game with every order while we were there. The food was also great, I have not been thrilled with some of the other Mexican options in Navy Yard and was thrilled that this spot has opened up. The dining area is also a great evening hangout with a covered patio overlooking the river. The mediocre: I got nothing to complain about all fire. They even let me bring my dog! The bad: my only complaint is that this place is not closer to my apartment. See you at happy hour!! read more

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Good food, bad service. I come here with my coworkers all the time after work. I came to happy hour yesterday and my tab was less than $20, I gave the bartender a hundred dollar bill and he gave me a dollar back. I asked him where the rest of my change was and he swore I only gave him a $20 bill. He laughed in my face numerous times when I asked for my money back. The manager got me my money back but my other coworkers also complained about the bad service they received also. If you want bad service and good food come here. read more

ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE SERVICE! MANAGER FOLLOWED ME OUTSIDE TO TALK SMACK AFTER I PAID AND LEFT!! Manager started talking shit to me (during the meal) when I implied the waitress might have to bring our food to our table by recognizing me instead of using a plastic number... No servers. If you ask for a refill of water, expect to get it yourself. There's a warm jug outside and some plastic cups. Had to go ask the bartender for a pitcher of ice water to get a refill No menus, you have to order yourself and give them your phone number and credit card in advance. If I wasn't here with family and friends, I would have left before the food even got here. read more

I love a good happy hour and had been wanting to try El Rey before a Nationals game and it finally worked out this week. You can't beat the beautiful location overlooking the river. They have a nice outdoor seating area but we were hot and decided to eat inside in the A/C. We were shocked when the place was empty at 5:30 pm but realized that people were not eating out because of the federal occupation of DC. Very sad that businesses like this are being harmed... Anyway, we were given a lovely booth and quickly ordered traditional margaritas. I really loved mine, sweet, sour and nice and strong. We stuck to the happy hour menu for food and ordered the chicken tinga taquitos and the elote frito. We got two orders of the taquitos, which came 3 per order. They were packed with chicken and crispy, topped with onions, shredded lettuce, and a delicious crema (I could've used more of that, it was so good!). We shared the frito, which were four little corn fritters. Very tasty and moist. This was plenty of food to satisfy us. We had to have a second round of margs (definitely feeling happy at this point!) and couldn't resist the Dulce Churros for dessert. There was a long delay before the churros came out so our wonderful server, Mary, comped us for them. I have to say I wasn't sure about the chili chocolate sauce they came with but it was mighty tasty! Highly recommend. We really enjoyed our time at El Rey. We definitely want to go back. read more

El Rey - Taquitos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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So the food is excellent! We ordered some hamburgesea tacos, some chips and quac, and the sheet pan nachos with steak. All were very delicious. We felt like the atmosphere of the restaurant was a nice vibe. Here's the thing you need to know. You basically seat yourself. Someone will bring you water. You will use the QR code at the table to see the menu, then open your own tab to order. A server will bring your food out, but other than that, no one will check on you unless you flag them down or add more to your tab. When finished, we closed out our tab online and paid. Here was our dilemma...do you tip typical restaurant tips? No one seated us, helped us with the menu, answered questions, or refilled water unless flagged down. I definitely would eat here again as the food was great, but just know the service is not typical. read more

I don't really eat pork and for this location to have chicken alpastor it has to be my fav spot . The waiter was so amazing. The manager was definitely welcoming us with a great smile . The tacos are 10/10 . I enjoyed my experience here ! read more

El Rey - Food - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

It was a bit frustrating with the menu because they were drinks listed on the menu that they don't have anymore, and that feels weird for a place that has only been open for a couple of months. But McKenzie, the server, was outstanding and smoothed the way for the rest of the meal. He suggested wonderful cocktails that they did have and that were delicious. He also gave us great recommendations for tacos. Me and my dad had a wonderful time and my dad does not love Mexican food. lol.... Also.....the place is gorgeous and in a wonderful, perfect location!! read more

El ray is a New Mexican restaurant in Navy Yard that opened this year. Food is average and service is horribly slow. If you are going there during game day, think again. read more

The food is just really not good. Even the salsa and guac are not tasty, most of the food seems not fresh and made really far in advance. Drinks are ok- but there are plenty of places to drink cheaper and better in the area. The space is beautiful and has a lot of potential as a hangout/happy hour spot so I hope they fix the kitchen. read more

The front dining area of El Rey is vibrant and inviting, setting the tone for a cozy and fun dinner experience. I had the carne asada taco, which was delicious -- the hot sauce added a nice extra kick. I paired it with chips and salsa and a refreshing cocktail, all of which hit the spot. Service was quick and smooth with no issues at all. I'll definitely be back! read more

El Rey - Carne Asada taco w/ Llama de la Llama (spicy margarita) - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great customer service, great food, great happy hour, and best of all a great view! I definitely recommend for happy hour, you get a lot for the price. read more

El Rey - Happy hour nachos! Reaaallly good! - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This place is pretty good in a nice day like today its 80 out and I sat outside with the breeze coming off the water. The food was good. You had to order from the code on the table. Which was cool. Be a nice spot for a hapoy hour. The food was like small like a tapas though. It was worth it. read more

El Rey - Cod tacos - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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If you are looking for authentic hispanic food and drinks, this is not the place. It's a bummer because this is such a great location and I had high hopes - but it seems to be more of a pre-game or post-game drinking spot with low quality food. Would not recommend. read more

Great food, quick and easy place! We got our food instantly, the quesadillas, pastor tacos and chorizo tacos were wonderful! read more

El Rey - Mango basil marg - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Food and Service was great. I got the short ribs and ate off the platter for days. The portions were huge.