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El Rey

3.4 (520 reviews)
Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
Updated over 3 months ago

Order El Rey Takeout or Delivery

El Rey Photos

EL REY ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Loud
Happy hour specials
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - El Rey

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Reviews With Photos

carna asada nachos $18, but without protein is $10
Fatima V.

I have a love and hate relationship with this place. For starters the food does come out fast and it taste so good but the service in this establishment sucks. I have to chase down a worker for drinks and food almost always. Last time I went the bartender took our food and drinks before happy hour ended and he ended up messing up our order and the time for happy hour ended and he did not want to accommodate us again and charged us FULL price for food items we ordered with time. He realized he made a mistake as we seen how upset we all were and sent us a round of drinks which is appreciated but some of us didn't eat food as we were annoyed, he didn't try and help us out knowing he made the mistake.

Keilon L.

I've been here a number of times with friends, usually already feeling good to say the least and it's been cool. I've now tried to pop in here two times solo and the first was ok. It was nothing memorable, honestly, and the quesadilla was mid. This most recent time, I sat at the bar for a bit and waited for the bartender. He finally comes over on a non busy night and I see some beers on tap that I'm not familiar with and he says, exasperatedly, "I don't know, I'm just kinda here, I haven't tried it." I said ah ok cool and walked out.

Nachos
Kaya E.

Frozen margaritas are a yes for sure at El Rey. The Al pastor tacos though .... Are a big no no. The pieces of meat were thick squares, chewy and fatty. I only ate a half of a taco out of the 3 that I needed to buy because that was their special for the day. It was gross and inedible. My friends got the Burria tacos and loved them so go that route if you decide to stop by. The restaurant was very busy on the day I came. Shoutout to the DJ because they brought all of the energy. The bartender I was ordering with was not the friendliest but I'm sure he'd also had a long day. All in all, will not be getting Al pastor tacos from here again.

Steak Nachos
Tommie B.

El Rey is a popular spot to pregame on U Street. They are known for their Margarita pitchers, which you can have regular or frozen. Also, they have pretty good nachos. At nighttime, the bouncers are sometimes jerks and the place can get packed with a line outside the door. On one visit, they denied my friend entry because her ID had a crack in it, and they refused to scan it and accused her of having a fake ID. Mind you, we were 24 at the time. Why would we be carrying fake IDs?

Steph K.

One of our go to spots margarita pitchers and good tacos. Music is always good and people typically have a great time. Service can be hit or miss.

Arista W.

My favorite part about El Rey is the sky view from the back of the restaurant. It does get busy some nights but it's still a cool spot to have a few drinks and tacos. On Tuesdays they have 3 tacos for $10 which is a great deal! This place gives me the vibe that it's for younger people so I did feel kind of old but the music was nice and the atmosphere is cool so I've enjoyed myself here each time I've went. The women's bathroom was awful and the parking is hit or miss that's the only reason I didn't give them 5 stars.

Carne Asada Chips

Estuvimos ayer visitando el Rey con mi esposa. Yo pedí 3 tacos de asada y mi esposa una quesadilla de pollo acompañado con chips y guacamole. Todo eran muy delicioso totalmente recomendado los tacos eran una delicia con un sabor único. También pedimos una Jarra de margarita suprema de mango y era riquísima. En total hemos pasado una linda tarde y también recibimos la mejor atención de parte de Nico. Sin duda volveremos pronto!

Dc taco
Herb's B.

El reeeeyyyyyyy!!!!!! I've passed by so many times but it's always tricky trying Mexican inspired spots (sorry not sorry) this obviously isn't authentic but the taste is there. I appreciate a creative taco, and I'll give them that recognition. My Al pastor taco came with pineapple and as a sweet and savory LOVER. It melted into my mouth. The meat wasn't rough or too chewy either. It was flavorful and not dry which was worth it. I also got the choriqueso and it was a bit underwhelming. The other toppings got overpowered by the choriqueso (duh) but it tasted more like a pupusa rather than taco. My fellow kitties got the chicken burrito, dc taco and the carne nada - the meows that were shared were also a bit underwhelming- the dc taco was a bit too dry and disappointing (as a dc native you'd like to support dc everything!!! Maybe not this taco.) it was also reported that the burrito's chicken was also a bit dry. The beans and sour cream carried apparently (you can't mess up beans tho) regardless of that experience, the carne nada? 9/10. The toppings paired nicely with the fake meat and it was juicy!!!!! A juicy fake meat is hard to come by. The flavors meshed well and it was worth it. The service was a bit confusing at first since people have usually come by just for drinks. We did have to wait a second before getting served water and told how to order (I'd consider adding a QR code for ordering - they added it for the menu and then another link to download another app to order ?? Was confusing.) the ambiance was good, we came around 8:30-9 on a Saturday night before It got too crazy. We sat outside and it felt so nice. They had fans everywhere and the decorations were what was expected when you go into a Mexican inspired place. We also got drinks and they were good. I had the classic spicy marg (SO GOOD) and mango crush was also ordered. Sweet and tangy. Pretty normal. I'd come back for the drinks!

Kyra M.

El Rey is always a go-to spot, the food is consistently good and it's a fun time every time! Whether you're going for a casual bite or a lively night out, the good vibes never miss.

DC Taco
Larry M.

I'm LATE!! I know I know...I should've hit this taco spot a looonnngg time ago. But, better late than never!! With that being said, let's GO to El Rey!! . Where I am: @elrey_dc . Location Reviewed: 919 U St., N.W. Washington D.C. . Menu Includes: Chicken, Shrimp, Fish, Beef, Vegetarian, & Impossible Tacos, Nachos, & Quesadillas. Chips n Salsa, Tostadas, Elote, Tamales, Wine, Cocktails, Beer, & Beverages!! . Items Reviewed: Their Tacos (all $4 each) The Choriqueso Taco (on a flour tortilla with mozzarella, chile de Arbol salsa, jalapeños, Spanish onion, & cilantro). DELICIOUS!! Meaty, spicy, probably better on a corn tortilla. The Thai Shrimp Taco (on a flour tortilla with marinated shrimp, carrot jicama slaw, sriracha aioli, & cilantro). STAMP!! Spicy & tangy slaw, & well cooked, & seasoned shrimp!! The DC Taco (on a flour tortilla with fried chicken breast, potato frites, house Mambo sauce, & cilantro). STAMP!! Crispy chicken strips, sweet & spicy Mumbo, with crunchy potatoes!! They're Quesabirria Tacos (with braised beef, cheese, onions, cilantro, creama, & consumé $15). LIKE THAT!! Cheesy, with well marinated meat!! STAMP their thick, & savory consumé!! Their Nachos (with chicken, Queso, black beans, & cilantro $15). STAMP!! The chicken, & cheese set this off!! Perfect nachos!! Their Elote (corn on the cob with lime aioli, cotija cheese, & cayenne $6). LIKE THAT!! Fresh corn, thick, & tangy aioli, scrumptious!! . Customer Service: The waiter didn't write down my order so I had to repeat myself several times, via him not getting it right. The waiter also insisted that I didn't need all the food I was ordering, saying "The quesadilla would be enough." I didn't ask. Service was on point after that. . Online Navigation: Easy . Parking: Rough . Recommendations: The Nachos, & tacos!! =STAMP =LIKE THAT =DELICIOUS =DECENT =PASS =NAH #Bigschlimsreviews

Al Pastor Taco Thai Shrimp Taco
Elaine F.

Those margarita pitchers omg! When I tell y'all I left this place lit, I'm not lying! Also they were so good! Not too sweet, just right & then more! I only ordered two tacos the Al Pastor and the Thai Shrimp taco. The Al Pastor was good but I didn't really like the Thai one that much. I still ate it though lol. I'm took off one star because of the tacos, i enjoyed the Al Pastor but I plan to visit again to try other food!

Dana C.

Went to El Rey with two friends before a show at the 9:30 Club. We sat outside on the patio, which was great. At the time we were there, around 6:00 on a Wednesday, it wasn't too busy or too loud. Service was friendly and timely. The food was really good. The only negative I want to mention is that this restaurant adds a 20% tip onto every bill without telling you, then they add a tip line in addition. Up to you if you want to add more than 20%, but be aware that that much is already included.

Steak Nachos

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Ask the Community - El Rey

What time are their happy hours until?

Monday-Friday, happy hour ends at 7.

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Oyamel

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3.8(3.5k reviews)
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This restaurant from Jose Andres was one of the better elevated Mexican restaurants at which I've…read moreeaten. I wasn't super starving so I had a fish taco and the enchiladas. The taco was amazing and was some kind of fried catfish! YUM! And the enchiladas were delicious as well. The green sauce cut through the overabundance of cheesy goodness quite well. I like that you can mix and match tacos so you're not stuck with all of the same one. The menu didn't have a ton of choices, which made deciding a bit easier. They had an amazing bar staff too that was absolutely killing it mixing cocktails. The margaritas were on point and the one had a flair of "salt air" foam instead of a messy, sticky rim. Who wants a messy sticky rim, right?

Boss pulled up and said "we're going to Oyamel" and that was the right call. Weekday lunch, Penn…read moreQuarter, reservation secured because this place does not slow down for anybody. Pitcher of margaritas for the table: smooth, rich, not too strong. Exactly what a group lunch needs without turning into a whole situation. The guacamole is terrific and they'll adjust the spice level to your liking, which is a small thing that goes a long way when you're feeding a whole office with different tolerances. The tacos are built on house-made masa tortillas and you can taste that they care. I did the Pollo à la Parrilla and the Chilito de Res. Both landed. The beef especially, slow-braised and seasoned like they meant it. This is a José Andrés restaurant, so you already know the room has energy. If you're in the District and haven't made this a regular stop, fix that.

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El Sol Restaurant & Tequileria - Fajita El Sol

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4.1(779 reviews)
0.7 miShaw, Downtown
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This place hit the spot, even toddler approved! We ordered take out and it was prepared pretty…read morequickly. The menu is quite extensive, it took us longer to decide on what we wanted. I got the nachos, my husband got tacos, and we got a chicken quesadilla for our toddler. The nachos were PILED with toppings and so colorful - even in a take out container is looked beautiful. They were SO tasty, very full of flavor and spice. My husband said the tacos were delicious and our toddler actually ate a lot of the quesadilla. Win all around. Highly recommend!

In town for the week, tried to get into Unconventional Diner for brunch...a backup was needed. We…read moreventured down a few blocks looking for anything and found El Sol. Fair sized joint with a smallish patio out front. Having perused the menu on the way, I was looking to try something just beyond "staple of cheap Mexican." Sadly, we were presented with brunch menus, so it was a breakfast burrito for me and the breakfast tacos for her. I was remarkably hungry, so the burrito was eaten (and quickly). But truth be told, it's standard Mexican fare made with breakfast ingredients. No more description necessary - you've had this before and you'll have it again. The service was marginally lackluster- if you're not in a big party, you might get shuffled down in prioritization (or at least I thought we were...once ready to leave I did the 'fidget with credit card' trick to get the staff to close us out. It took frustratingly long. All in all, if I lived in the neighborhood, this would be my cheap Mexican place and more out of convenience than culinary merit.

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dLeña - Pork Belly** and Short Rib**

dLeña

4.4(1.3k reviews)
1.1 mi
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Great ambience, chill romantic vibes. Great service…read more I had the short rib tacos;tasty. The prickly pear margarita, good. Tres leches tiramisu, eh, ok. I would come back.

This rating is for the brunch and the brunch only... I have to be completely honest about this for…read moreanyone planning on going for brunch. The service was ok, we had to tell our server we weren't seeing him enough, there's a 2 hour limit and we weren't getting a chance to order more drinks. After that he kept the drinks coming. WARNING! You DO NOT get to choose what items you want from the ayce brunch menu, they bring every single dish out and they do it at a pace that you barely get a chance to enjoy anything. Every dish is loaded with fillers and barely any meat. Every dish has a similar flavor of chilli, lime and cilantro. I say this with the upmost respect to this restaurant, the only good thing about the brunch were the churros and they don't give you that until you're ready to leave. The chicken and waffles were almost good but the sauce on the chicken with the waffle just ruins it. The steak and eggs were ok and you only get a 1oz piece of steak. Birria tacos were just ok and the fish taco was ok. Everything else was not worth it. A lot of items went to waste. If we could've chose exactly what we wanted, it might have been better. This would also add to why the service did not start off well because our server gave us our first drink and left. After that, every item from the brunch menu were just getting dropped off by food runners. It became overwhelming. We didn't even have room on the table for all of that. Then we also had to ask for new plates because we did not want to mix the flavors of every dish. The drinks were also not good, I had margaritas for my drink of choice and they are so sour and filled with cheap tequila... respectfully for 70$ a person you're better off ordering à la carte. The restaurant is beautiful though, great for pictures and the food is colorful as well but the flavors are just not that good and you're ultimately paying for a bunch of food that you don't really even want nor enjoy. I really hope they adjust this because I heard it was 10x better in the past.

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Mi Vida - Fish taco

Mi Vida

4.0(232 reviews)
1.4 miPenn Quarter
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Worked a full day, and didn't eat lunch. I was looking for a nearby Happy Hour. I found this one…read moreonline, and that their HH started at 3. Perfect timing! This is Directly across from the Chinatown Metro, F /7th St NW. TACO Tuesdays, are $4.50 on HH (compared to $6 HH tacos) I tried the Pescado (fish) and Camarones (Shrimp). The Shrimp was the BEST!!! I also ended up getting 2 ALITAS ($2 each) Marinated wings. SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! And the DE LA CASA ($8) good! and Ponche De Lola ($8) Refreshing!! Tables outside. Bar was clean. Hostess was very nice! Bartender was helpful and nice, answered all of my questions I will be back!

We were here to celebrate one of our friend's birthday. Glad we reserved the time around the…read moreWizards game as this place wasn't crowded much as the game was going on. Parking can be hard to find in the area during the game days. I recommend taking the metro or bike if you live in DC. The ambiance was great. The service was great as well. The server recommended some of her favorite apps to start with. Highly recommend the freshly made quac and hot salsa with the chips. So good. One of the best hot salsa in the city. For entrees I ordered the chicken fajita and my husband ordered the birria tacos. The tacos did not come with the sauce. We thought the birria tacos was suppose to come with the sauce. When we asked the server she said you have to order it separately. Well that's mostly why I am giving them 4 stars and also the chicken in my fajita was pretty dry. I had to dip it in the hot salsa to make it nice and juicy.

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Jaleo

Jaleo

3.8(2.7k reviews)
1.5 miPenn Quarter
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I've eaten here several times now and each time everything, food, wine selection, service, and…read moreambiance, was on point.

I met up with a few friends here after attending the nearby escape room…read more Jaleo has been on my list for a long time. I love Jose Andres and have been to a couple of his restaurants. The restaurant was packed. So for sure get a reservation if you can. First things first, the restaurant is beautiful. The art, the menus, the ambiance. Just a really great hangout spot. Our server was really knowledgeable and friendly. As for the food , unfortunately, i didn't have anything that blew me away. My mini hamburger/Ibérico de bellota mini hamburguesa was actually my favorite item. Very juicy and flavorful. Though $13.00 for one slider was a bit much. My least favorite was the rabbit confit with apricot puree/Conejo en salmorejo con puré de albaricoques. I was excited about this because I can't recall the last time I've ever had rabbit but I think it was the texture of the puree that took away from the dish. Coming in at the middle was the seafood paella. I know it's one of the restaurants headlining menu items but I found the seasoning inconsistent. The rice seemed a bit salty and the shrimp was pretty bland. Combining it to balance it out didn't yield the flavor I was hoping for. Weirdly enough, if I went back and the table ordered it again, I definitely wouldn't mind but probably wouldn't get it myself unless my companions were interested. All in all, I'm not opposed to trying other items on the menu should I know anyone who would like to visit though I can't say it hooked me enough for me to go on my own accord

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Mi Vida

3.9(1.6k reviews)
2.6 mi
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Mi Vida is located along the Wharf, with tons of outdoor and indoor spaces…read more I went with a hungry group of 8 and started with their guac and small plates/apps. We ordered their "most popular apps" for 5 which came with tamales, croquettes, empanadas, deviled eggs, oranges, and fried pork rinds (chips?). The serving size was definitely enough for our group, so I'd only order this for an actual group of 5 if you weren't eating anything else. I had their pork tacos as an entree and tried their carne asada. Both were satisfying but neither stood out. Overall, I'd say this place is a safe place to dine - you know the service will be good and the food will be solid. I wouldn't say that their dishes stand out, but I also mainly tried their basic items.

I really wanted to love Mi Vida because the atmosphere is beautiful and the decor is stunning. At…read morenight, it has such a lively vibe and the service has always been wonderful! I'm giving it 3 stars because the food just hasn't hit for me as much as I hoped. The first time we went, I tried the birria and tacos de pescado. I wasn't a fan of the sauce on the fish tacos, it kind of took away my appetite after a few bites. I had my boyfriend try them (he thought I was being dramatic), and he immediately agreed something was off, though his tacos were great. We went again another time and ordered 3 or 4 things, but the chicken tasted a bit old, which was disappointing. I'd still be open to trying it again in the future, but right now it sits at just okay for me. A cute place for drinks though!

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Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar

Pisco y Nazca Ceviche Gastrobar

4.6(2.9k reviews)
1.3 miDowntown
$$

We came here for dinner and made a reservation ahead of time to make sure we had a table, though it…read morelooked like they also offer walk-in bar seating. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, and the staff was friendly and welcoming from the moment we arrived. The food was delicious, especially the dessert! We were visiting a friend who recommended this spot, and it definitely lived up to the hype. The atmosphere was lively and energetic, but even with a full house, it was still easy to have a conversation at the table. Overall, a great dining experience and a place we'd happily return to.

This place is a solid 3.5 stars but doesn't hit a 4 because the main dishes were underwhelming…read more We came here on a Monday night and it was pretty busy. They have good drink options which was nice for a group which all had different tastes. We started with appetizers, including the chicken empanadas, the tuna tacos, and ceviche sampler. The chicken empanadas were good, if not particularly memorable. But had a nice crunch on the shell and the inside had a nice savory flavor and not dry. The tuna tacos, which didn't have the most appetizing color, was also tasty. The tuna was tender and balanced well with the crispy shell. The ceviche sampler was also delicious, each one having a different flavor profile. I liked the tigre de leche the best in terms of the acidity and brightness. I just wish the ceviche had some kind of vessel to eat it with. One of the ceviche had plantain chips which was nice but I wanted more. Without it, the texture is just one note. For the main dishes, we got the lomo saltado and the aji de gallina which are two, iconic Peruvian dishes. Both were just meh. The aji was the better of the two. The sauce was flavored well with the creaminess of the sauce not overwhelming the garlic and tumeric flavors. But the rice was SUPER dry, almost crunchy. The lomo saltado was even worse. The beef was overly cooked, some pieces were very sinewy and chewy. It was also overly salty and the veggie to meat ratio heavily favored the veggies and made the dish feel cheap. Overall, it was fine but given the options for Peruvian in DC, not sure this deserves 4 stars+.

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El Rey - mexican - Updated May 2026

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