First visit to Maizal and I wasn't disappointed. Much like Chipotle and other like-type restaurants, you move down the assembly line and make your selections. I went with 2 tacos, the pollo loco and the braised beef. I preferred the pollo loco over the braised beef. I found the flavor to be much better with the chicken taco. Service was fast and open area seating available throughout the food court. The restaurant is located inside the Plaza. Maizal is deep down one corridor and is a bit more quiet than what you find towards the center of the plaza. Makes eat easier to have a working lunch by being away from the most crowded areas. read more

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I had this delivered so didn't eat it fresh, but the tacos weren't bad! Good flavor. The best was the queso, it was super creamy and flavorful! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - shrimp taco and chicken taco - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Maizal at L'Enfant Plaza is a very good option for quick Latin fare. If you're familiar with L'Enfant Plaza, it is located at the old stall where Five Guys once operated. There's a mix of primarily Venezuelan and Mexican cuisine here. They offer arepas, burritos and bowls, quesadillas, tacos, empanadas, and nachos. Maizal is very reminiscent of Qdoba and Chipotle, however, in my opinion, although the others provide larger portions, Maizal has better flavor because of their unique toppings, like plantains and street corn. This location is consistently stingy with portions. I also find it disappointing they charge extra for guac and queso, where the other burrito/bowl chains don't. Other unique toppings include cucumber, pickled onions, crispy jalapeños, and crispy beets. Their sauces are flavor-packed and elevate the meal. What also separates them from Qdoba and Chipotle is they offer chaufa rice (fried rice). I normally order the build your own burrito and the combination of plantains, street corn, and fried rice is absolutely delicious. The combination of toppings seem endless and is perhaps the best part of the experience. The customer service here is good. Seating is plenty as the restaurant is located in an area with few other restaurants. read more

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I love the empanadas here. I ordered the brisket and steak empanadas. They were delicious and fresh. The sauces were watery though, that was disappointing. I went during the lunch rush so they were very busy. Even with the influx of customers, the cashier was friendly and very pleasant. I will return to try the other options on the menu. read more

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It was a bit busy and noisy. The food was excellent. A bit expensive. But overall, a good place to eat.

A month ago and the previous year, this was place was great. However, the servers changed and now they can't get the orders right and have horrible customer service. And they had no guacamole. Please bring back the previous servers. read more

From other reviews, it looks like this place had to close down during the pandemic and is now back open. But what a fantastic surprise this was! I've been looking for a relatively inexpensive Latin option near the Wharf. I ordered the Carne Asada and Brisket Nachos, 2 Carne Asada Tacos, and Yucca Fries to go. For $13, the nachos, are filling and insanely great value. The brisket was especially savory and delicious. The tacos are seemingly a bit overpriced at $5 per taco, but they really load these things with meat. The carne asada was also delicious. The yucca fries were good but could have used some salsa or mayo to pair (my fault for not asking when I was there). Highly recommend it if you're looking for authentic Latin food at a low price in SW DC! Food: 5/5 Service: 4/5 Ambiance: It's in the L'Enfant Mall read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Carne Asada Tacos and Yucca Fries - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Wow. This food was great. I had the pollo bowl. Generous portion that was so tasty! I loved the plantains. So glad that I tried it.

Our experience as a family of four was excellent. The food was super fresh and delicious, a big step up from Chipotle and Q'Doba, yet just as fast. The staff was also really helpful, courteous and generous. We will definitely come back when in DC. Finally, this Maizal is hidden down a long walkway one floor below the spy museum and Hilton lobby, but has windows that look out at a green roof. read more

Had lunch here before visiting the Spy Museum nearby, I got the chicken quesadilla which was decent came with some jalepenos and sour cream to dip it in. Wasn't mindblowing but wasn't bad at all overall decent, I will say even though there were only 2 people ahead of me the orders were taking a long time which would be my only complaint but there were only two people working that day so maybe they just happened to be understaffed. Solid place to get a quick meaL! read more

Food is good and quantity is great. The burrito bowl and burrito are both tagged as burrito bowl and the cashier got confused even though the receipt and burrito had the same number. They even cost the same, so not sure why they were confused read more

Delicious! Tasty and fresh. I enjoy the arepas and the pollo bowl the most. Guacamole is also pretty fresh and tasty.

One of the food places I ventured while during my Washington DC trip. This place is located inside a food court. The ordering process is pretty simple, you can choose from pre-made Arepas or get it custom order. Topping choices are unlimited. I went ahead and ordered a couple of custom ordered Arepas (chicken and beef). The toppings are fresh and the sauce that it comes in tasted freshly made. Definitely gives you the feel of eating street food. It was a messy eat, but price wise, it was not bad for $3.95 each for some good, quick eats. read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Custom Arepas; Beef and Chicken ($3.95 each) - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Maizal is located conveniently close to work, which makes it a good lunch or dinner option for me. I had recently tried them at an Elite Event, so was thrilled to find their actual location. The pricing is super reasonable. You can make your own arepa or bowl, or chose from pre-made arepas. I prefer to make my own arepa. There are plenty of toppings to choose from, which makes me happy, and the arepa is always super filling. I also love their yuca fries, which are one of the better versions of I've had (as are there arepas), and their tasty empanadas. Their juices are also great, and I'm partial to the maracuya. Definitely happy to be close to Maizal. read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Yuca - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I came on a Wednesday during the lunch rush hour looking forward to trying their arepas. When I got to ordering, they said they didn't have any left. What? It's lunch rush hour. I can't reward poor management (or whatever the reason is) with a good Yelp review. With so many other options around me, I wasted my time waiting in their line. I ended up getting some of their Specialty Items which were all not bad: 1) Salchiyuca - fried yuca, fried beef frank, garlic sauce, fancy sauce, pickled onions 2) Columbian Hot Dog - gourmet hot dog bun, all beef frank, pineapple jam, garlic aioli, fancy sauce, melted mozzarella cheese, potato chip crumbs 3) Street Corn - roasted ear of corn, chipotle aioli, queso fresco, cilantro I only recommend coming here if there's no line and you're just not feeling anything else. read more

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Extensive menu and a welcome addition to L'Enfant Plaza. Its point of view is different enough - rice bowls (similar to Roti) and arepas - to add into the lunch rotation. I came a little after 1pm and while there was a line, it moved quickly. Most people opt for the rice bowl, which takes on a Chipotle ordering style of scoop and serve, so it was about a five minute wait before it was my turn to order. I ordered two of their signature arepas, La Caraquena (shredded beef, black beans, plantains, queso fresco, garlic aioli) and La Cerda (pulled pork, pickled onions, guacamole, queso fresco, fried egg, and sour cream). The arepas were prepared quickly. If you're in a time crunch, it's faster to order the rice bowl, but I wasn't waiting for too long. Two arepas amounted to $8.69, and I was pleased with the heft of the container when they handed it to me. La Cerda was disappointing. While the arepa had plenty of the protein, they forgot to include the guacamole and sour cream. It needed more flavor overall. I liked La Caraquena - I would order it again. My favorite place for arepas is still Arepa Zone, but La Caraquena was comparable in terms of flavor. However, La Caraquena was light on the cheese and garlic aioli - they were almost non-existent. I also think Maizal's arepas could benefit from some sauce. As for the arepa itself, these arepas were thin. They did have good texture, but Arepa Zone remains the place to beat. There is still room for improvement, but overall, a solid lunch choice. read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - La Cerda (pulled pork) and La Caraquena (shredded beef) - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Yummy yummy food ! Quinoa, carne asada,plantains,sweet potatoes, cucumbers , beets , etc Soooooooooo good ! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Yummy food and great service ! We had the create your own bowl with Potatoes, plantain's beats, beets , quinoa The other yummy toppings! - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Came here for a work lunch on a weekend so their menu was a little limited. I wish there was some signage before I got to the counter. They told me that they didn't have tostadas or empanadas, but my coworker was able to order an empanada! the food was tasty, but I am hesitant to go back because of the service. steak taco - very small and they did not double up on the steak. the flavors were okay. arepa balls - they fry these on the spot and it takes about 5 minutes. super crispy on the outside and warm and fluffy on the inside. you get two significant balls. churros - super oily and all you could taste was the oil really. I didn't get any flavors from the cinnamon sugar or dough. I think the arepas here would be really good. I wish i had reception down there so i could have viewed the yelp recommendations! read more

The food here was SO GOOD and incredibly fresh. I loved the flavors and the bowl sizes were quite large. What I didn't like was the staff. Despite being the only customer, the woman at the front counter took her time to wait on me. She and the cook appeared to be more interested in talking with each other than helping guests and were not friendly. I would go again, but hope to be there when different employees are working. read more

This is a great alternative to ROTI but South American style. It's perfect for those days that you're looking to stay under $10 dollars for lunch and still want to be healthy. I love that you can get kale as a salad option and they even have rice, beans, quinoa, and what seems like a smorgasbord of toppings to choose from. Fill your bowl until your tummy desires!! They have arepas too but I have yet to try them! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - SALAD Bowl with Chicken and Chimicurri dressing. - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This food is tha bomb. Like some other reviewer indicated the setup is like Chipotle or Roti where you get you select green or grains, meat, then the wonderful add ons. My suggestion is if you are absolutely starved and still have that hunkering to be healthy, skip the grains and select the greens. You still can get your grains by selecting the quinoa as your next selection on the assembly line. Then you have a choice of meats. Then there is a plethora of toppings to choose. Since I'm a glutton usually by lunchtime, I select a spoonful of everything that is offered plus an extra serving of plantains. I can't not eat Spanish type food without plantains. To me plaintain is the umami unifier extraordinaire. Last, I get the garlic aoli sauce separately because I absolutely have to dip my corn bread arepas into this wonderful sauce. So if you are ever by L'Enfant Metro station or are in the vicinity stop by and give this South American street food a try, you won't regret it. read more

4-star!! food and service here were excellent. But the main reason for the review is to give some helpful tips. Being a visitor to DC as we were, you may not have heard of Maizal. tip1: For everyone sake, step to the side and review the menu before getting in line. Maizal is similar to Moe's in that you can build your own bowl starting with rice, protein, veggie, then sauce. But if you do not know what they are, you'll be one of those standing there with peeve hungry DC'ers behind you. Do not be one those people :-) tip2: better yet, just review their menu online before getting in line: http://www.maizalstreetfood.com/Maizal-Menu.pdf tip3: to avoid getting food, and sitting down, only to find you forgot your utensil to eat with, they are to the right of the cashier. So as a tourist, I try ordered a rice bowel as a DC'ers : Base: Rice ("what type of rice?", they ask. Me quickly answering, "Cilantro Lime Rice") Protein: Chicken ("what type of chicken?" DC'ers behind me looking up from glazing at their phones. They smell a tourist nearby. I quickly answered, "grilled! I want grilled chicken!" As I check over my shoulder) Toppings: "Everything!" check over my shoulders again. Some return back to their phone glazing, a couple nodes of approval. umh!, one millennial still giving me the once-over. not sure what to think! Sauce: "Spicy." I say. "We have several spicy sauces." And the extreme helpful server proceeded to name all 10 sauces they have. I HAVE BEEN OUTTED! Phones ignore and true DC'ers begin their mumbling fest! LOL, I decided to go with Chipotle Aioli. Having been outed, and to rub it into the millennial that now throwing eye daggers at me, I asked, "how big are your empanadas?" Might as well go for broke as a tourist right? :-) In the end, this tourist enjoyed his rice bowl and chicken empanada! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Lime rice, Grilled Chicken, all veggie, with Chipotle aioli sauce! HMMMMM! - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Flavor of meat and vegetables are good but the rice was too soggy. The fruit juices was the best part. I was leaning more towards 4 stars... But gave it a 3 because I didn't get much meat and they ran out of empanadas... Which is why I went here. read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I had the beef brisket empanada at Maizal this afternoon and I'm here to say it is the worst empanada that I've consumed in my life not recommended go to chicken pollo or something read more

Authentic arepas but also very customizable. I love the unlimited toppings i can add to my arepa customized to my mood and appetite. This place also offers a bowl option too. I tried the chicken arepa with pesto. It was so delicious, affordable, and filling! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Absolutely delicious. The food was very good. The portions were large. Unlimited toppings. Service was average at best. They should add some more menus out front for people to use when ordering. read more

Located in the L'Enfant Plaza food court near 950 L'Enfant Plaza building. First timer! Joined by two work colleagues who also were. We all had the bowl. Starts with choice of different rice, beans, and meat and then a large number of other great adds, e.g., plantains and sweet potato. Guacamole was a small up charge. Bills itself as South American. Everyone thought it was excellent and very reasonable. We wanted something a little different and it delivered! Enjoy! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great, new addition to the L'Enfant Plaza food court! If you are like me, and you have never heard of an arepa before, just order two of the signature arepas. Mix and match to get a better idea of the flavors. Food is good in taste, portion, and cost, and it is made quickly. read more

This place is not recommended at all. I understand some people like thin taco tortillas but mine ripped into pieces as soon as i picked it up. The shrimp was good but I couldn't eat it as a taco because it was all on my plate and not in the tortilla. Tostada also fell apart and the empanadas were so bland we couldn't finish them. The arepa was the worst. Tortilla also dry and the inside was so sloppy. Maybe get a bowl if you go but don't order anything else. read more

It ain't pretty but boy does it taste good! It is as advertised: street food. The char from the grill and the messy wrap and go Arepas will instantly transport you from pristine foodcourt in the District of Columbia to the gritty streets of Colombia. Just finished the Vegetariana. It was soooooo good!!! The reason why I left off a star because they had to make more bread and I had to wait. Even still HMMM!!! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I literally eat here almost daily. The food is so good, healthy, and fulfilling. This place is so much better than cava, roti, and chipotle! Try it, you will love it! read more

Inside L'enfant Plaza food court. I had the El Cartel- arepa with chorizo, plantain, sauce, and crushed chips. I wish the chorizo was broken up into pieces rather than kept whole. It was good though. Also had the Columbian hot dog. That was a disappointment. Beef hot dog with crushed chips, sauce, and mozzarella cheese. The dog wasn't grilled for smoky flavor nor boiled for that dirty water dog moistness. The meat in the dog was blah. I've had better oscar meyer nuked in my microwave. Not hating, just get something else f you're going. Other people's bowls looked appetizing. read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This place recently opened inside L'enfant plaza food court and it is delicious! You can either create your own meal (same as chipotles) or you can choose from their signature arepas (which is what I would recommend doing). I ordered one La Inka arepa and that was more than enough food to keep my stomach full and happy. The arepa was filled with chicken, pickled onions, sweet potatoes and yuca fries, all for like four bucks. They also have other specialty items, like street corn and empanadas which I most likely be trying next time I go. Definitely give this place a try! read more

Maizal L'Enfant Plaza - Signature arepa - Latin American Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I am reviewing this place on my coworkers behalf just from the sheer fact that this place is his first choice by default. He always get two of the chorizo arepas every time! I have tried it once. It's definitely different from a regular arepa even in terms of the toppings they use. There is a lot going on- it has fatty chorizo, guacamole, plantains and crushed potato chips. It was a texture overload for me. It was get salty taste from potato chips and sweetness from plantains but all in a weird way. It was good to try for one time. Not sure if I'd eat it again but my coworker would obviously say otherwise. read more

This food is so good. I was hesitant with my order (burrito bowl) since it was my first time there. I cant wait to go back. Keep up the good work.. They need to open a location in Landover, MD so I can visit weekly. read more

The food here is great especially the Tilapia cakes way better than chipotle. All the food is fresh and delicious, great option for lunch or Dinner. read more

Can't get enough of the arepas! I've also never had a churro with filling, and Maizal's are AMAZING.

This food was SO yummy! It was a new addition to a row of restaurants in L'Enfant Plaza and I had to try it. It is like Roti in that you have a few bases, meats, and then lots of toppings you can add to your dish. I tried one of their menu options and was not disappointed. Can't wait to go back and try some other toppings! read more

Absolutely delicious, wow. Made an account just to write this. The food is so fresh, balanced, and clean. Very well-spiced. Excellent food, would definitely get again!! I got the bowl and my friend got the arepa (vegetarian), and both were so good! read more

SO good. I made a custom bowl with greens, veggies, chicken, and would like to be closer to do this more regularly. The line was longer around 1pm on a Friday, but didn't take very long to get through. I was so thrilled with my selection, and for a little over $9 after tax, felt like it was a great price. read more