The best birria tacos I've ever tasted, I would always come back, I loved it I recommend it 100% read more

Stopped by Surfside Taco Stand after a long workday while out on my bike, and I needed something quick and light before a 5-mile ride to my final destination. I ended up getting a kids meal--steak quesadillas, rice, fruit, and a drink--and honestly, it was perfect. Just the right portion to refuel without slowing me down, and everything was fresh and satisfying. Now let's talk about that strawberry lemonade... whew. It was SWEET. Like, respectfully--this could take anyone out, adults included . But luckily I had two water bottles on me, so I made it work. I poured half into one bottle and diluted both, and that drink ended up lasting me the rest of the day. Honestly, the whole experience felt like a small win. A reminder that even after a long day, you can still find something that works, adjust, and keep it moving. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

This was a great spot to grab a bite while exploring the wharf. The location is excellent and the atmosphere around it is really enjoyable. The food cake out quickly, was fresh and tasted great. The yellow rice was delicious. I built my own bowl, and it was very good, the chicken was flavorful and I also tried the steak which was just as tasty. The only thing that left me a little unsure was the service, as it seemed somewhat disorganized. The prices felt a bit high. I understand you're paying for the location but I still think they're on the expensive side. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Let me start off by saying...it was late. We placed our order at 12:32 a.m., so I know everyone isn't always operating at 100% that time of night. Since it was my first visit, I was hoping for a little guidance when ordering. Unfortunately, the young lady at the counter (Server C) wasn't very welcoming or helpful, which made the experience start off on the wrong foot. Surfside is an outdoor spot, with all of the seating located outside. It was a beautiful night, so every table was occupied--a good sign that people enjoy coming here. I ordered the Martha's Vineyard, their vegetable fajita taco. By the time I got home (about a 20-minute drive), it still held up well and was tasty. My only wish is that I had been asked if I wanted to add guacamole. Maybe that's something I should have requested, but it's always nice when someone offers the available add-ons, especially to a first-time customer. The menu has plenty of variety with tacos, burritos, nachos, quesadillas, and salads, plus a wide selection of proteins that can be added to just about anything. They also offer horchata, Jarritos, fresh-made juices, and lemonade. Do yourself a favor and try the strawberry lemonade--will definitely be one of the highlights of my next visit. Despite the less-than-friendly service, I'm going to chalk it up to the late hour. The food was solid enough that I'd be willing to give Surfside another shot. Here's hoping the next visit comes with warmer service to match the quality of the food. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Martha's Vineyard - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

On another taco adventure and this time ending up at Surfside. There are indoor and out seating. When you get here, you can either order at one of the two tablets or at cash register. Service was friendly. I ordered the rio ( marinated pork) and the birrira ( braised beef brisket ). The braised beef brisket tacos win hand down. The marinated pork with a little salty for my liking. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Birria - 4/5 - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Surfside is always a consistent favorite. The street corn was sweet and delicious, however it definitely needed the lime to make the flavors pop. The steak tacos were perfect. My friend and I kept raving about the marinade. My rice was a little hard so I skipped it. Highly recommend. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Street Corn - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Needed a quick dinner on the Wharf! If you want to avoid the expensive touristy restaurants this was a solid spot. We went later on a weeknight and were able to grab a spot on the patio! You order at the kiosk or front window and pick up when your number is called. I tried the port antonio quesadilla and it was solid! Always appreciate a loaded quesadilla and there was plenty of chicken and toppings like roasted pineapple. The tortilla did not hold up super well and was soggy by the time I got to the last piece. My friend got one of the salads and enjoyed! read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Port Antonio quesadilla - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Great food. Just not a lot of place to sit down. Would definitely come back. Had the shrimp taco read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Enjoyed a meal with my daughter at Surfside Restaurant. She had the tuna poke bowl and she was satisfied with it. Randomizing my selection, I was awarded with birria. Succulent yellow rice and a side of Yucatán au jus paired well with two braised beef brisket and melted Monterey Jack cheese tacos. August is an attentive server and he deserves praise for being an amazing person. Thank you Surfside for feeding me. read more

These tacos are the truth! Ordered to go, super easy quick experience for pick up. I love when rice is well cooked and I loved the yellow rice, so flavorful with lime. The steak was also really tender and they don't skimp on toppings either! This wharf location is pretty small so it's not a full size restaurant. It's small but clean and easy to navigate. And service is polite and friendly. Only thing is the guacuamole "side' really isn't worth the price to me and horchata was just okay. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Cabo San Lucas Horchata Guacamole - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

Came after a full night out in the DC area! Was going to try and go to 12 stories but they were near closing. Stopped in for tacos and queso and the service was quick and efficient! The queso was really good but quite expensive for the serving size! Nice quaint ambiance right by the harbor! read more

See all

I think this was good for a late night experience. We went around 1am so this was perfect. The food came out pretty quick. The jerk chicken quesadilla was cooked well but not my favorite. I would not order it again but not their fault. I think I just didn't like the flavor profile. There is outdoor seating and a couple of indoor seats. Parking at the wharf is easily accessible. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Jerk chicken quesadilla - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Wanted to grab a quick bite to eat while out with friends. This spot is open until 2:00 am which is very convenient if you're already out and about. I had a few of my sisters guacamole and chips and it was pretty solid for a walk up spot. Additionally, the jerk chicken quesadilla was pretty tasty too. It's not the typical savoriness of a quesadilla because they have added pineapples and sweet jerk sauce, which is definitely a different flavor profile than what I was expecting. It wasn't bad but it also just wasn't my cup of tea. You place your order at a kiosk and they call you up by number. It's a walk up stand so the ambiance is definitely causal and a tad bit noisy. read more

See all

tl;dr: A convenient place to eat on the Wharf, although not the most authentic, if that matters. The Wharf has a lot of places to choose from, especially ones that are a little more "upscale." I found Surfside when I was heading to a concert at The Anthem and wanted something fairly quick, reasonably priced (considering the area), and of course, good tasting. I ordered the chips and salsa, which were OK. Not the best salsa that I've had. Like I said, it was fine. I also ordered the Cabo San Lucas tacos. They were a good size and I liked the carne asada. The rice wasn't anything too special. My friend got the Martinique burrito and liked the shrimp. It was a decent size for the price. Overall, did I feel like this place was truly authentic Mexican food? Not really. Does it need to be? Also, not really. It's just a decent choice if you are at the Wharf and need a quick-ish bite to eat. Seating: This is a grab and go place. There are some places to sit outdoors, but it's really limited. read more

See all

I was pleasantly surprised by how good these tacos were! I tried the Cabo San Lucas which is grilled marinated steak, grilled poblano peppers and onions, guacamole, lime crema, and cilantro on flour tortillas. The steak was well seasoned and tender and it was a huge portion, good quality for the money. The location is small with only about 3 tables available inside, so plan for take away if it's busy. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Cabo San Lucas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I saw another review saying "these tacos are the truth" & that basically sums up the experience. My friend and I came to Surfisde after leaving Lip lab across the street and was happy with our choice! Chicken fajitas and frozen margaritas for the win! For another quick, good bite to eat before carrying on with other activities in the surrounding area, Surfside is a great (and super convenient) place to go! read more

My favorite Mexican spot in DC. Every single thing here is SO delicious. I'm obsessed with their rice I could have a whole meal with just that and hot sauce alone. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Surfside is a tasty and less expensive option on the Wharf. The tacos have a Baja flavor and don't skimp on portions. If you are looking for walk around options this is the place for you. Their digital ordering system makes things easy. Full descriptions are presented for free each regional flavor. The digital POS system makes it easy to order and there is convenient indoor and outdoor seating. Stop here for a convenient snack or meal on the Wharf. read more

See all

I have a soft spot for any place with a walk-up window, and Surfside nails it. There is something about being able to order great food without stepping inside that feels like such a win, especially for those of us with dogs who like to tag along. I wish DC had more spots like this because it makes grabbing a bite feel easy and fun. I first tried Surfside for breakfast and had their breakfast burrito. It was fine, but as someone who spent a year in Texas and California, I will admit I am a bit of a breakfast burrito snob. This time though, I stopped by craving tacos and went for the shrimp tacos, and wow. The mango pineapple salsa was divine, the rice was full of flavor, and the shrimp was perfectly cooked. Everything hit just right. If you find yourself near Surfside and the weather is nice, walk up, grab your order, and enjoy it outside. It is one of those casual DC spots that just makes you happy to live here. read more

Went after a concert at 11:00 PM on Sunday - got a chicken burrito, steak quesadilla, and vegetarian tacos. Service was super friendly even though they were clearly slammed, and the food came out quick even with a huge concert crowd placing orders. The food was high quality and the to-go containers worked great for transport on the metro. Not the most authentic Mexican or Tex-mex, but I would rely on them for a post-concert experience. For the record - the quesadilla was the best out of the three! Steak was grilled perfectly. read more

There's a counter to order and the 4 or so tables are outside. Unfortunately we had some ants on ours. The son's breakfast burrito with egg, bacon, and hashbrowns was pretty great. Bacon does that. The daughter had the Belize (steak) quesadilla. I had the birria tacos which were quite good. My husband's chicken/fruit/guac tacos were too sweet for me but I did like the guac. The tacos were his favorites after sampling the rest of our food. Both tacos came with rice inside which was a little weird for us Californians. Good horchata. 4.5 stars... I'm giving it 4 because it was forgettable after our week in DC. read more

I stopped by for lunch to try something different. I had the punta cana tacos. The lunch specials come with yellow rice. Flavor wise, I think the tacos were ok, nothing spectacular. The sauce definitely helped because the chicken itself is very bland. My favorite part of the meal was the yellow rice. I received my order pretty fast, the employee I interacted with was cool. I took my food to go but you can sit down and eat if you want to. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Punta Cana - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I enjoy Surfside, but they've started to become a bit inconsistent. I'll update this review if I see improvement. Their barria tacos are some of the best I've ever had but the problem is you never know if you're going to get meat or 90% brisket fat with cheese. It's starting to happen enough times to where I no longer want to order it, which is disappointing because I really like it when there's actual meat in it. Can we get the chefs to make sure they're paying more attention to what they're chopping and putting into the tacos? I'm only complaining now because it's happened too many times. It seems like the fish in some of the tacos sometimes changes as well, which catches me off guard so I've stopped ordering that as well. You also never know if you're going to get a crispy taco shell or no crisp at all. I'm trying my best to keep giving them another chance, hoping that this location will improve. Lastly, I miss the surfsider smoothies. Those were amazing. Hopefully those aren't gone forever. read more

2.8 stars Cute for a quick bite, got the street corn and the shrimp quesadilla. The street corn was good, a little burnt but it's fine. I love street corn. The quesadilla comes with yellow rice. It's definitely not yellow Spanish rice, it's just jasmine rice with a little sazon for color, I can just tell. The service was decent, pretty quick. The shrimp quesadilla was definitely underwhelming, the shrimp isn't really seasoned but with a bit of sauce I was fine. Also (my quesadilla was the kids quesadilla, it comes with a "lemonade", definitely wasn't lemonade and very sweet read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Street Corn - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Had the steak and poblano tacos and a cold Corona, excellent tacos, good music and a great spot to people watch while eating. Give them a try. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Steak and poblano tacos. Cabo San Lucas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Surfside is the perfect taco spot, tucked right off the Wharf with beautiful views while you eat. The service is fast, even during busy moments, and the food is consistently delicious and filling. The chicken and steak taco will hit every time with a side of Elote. yummy! One of my favorites is the strawberry lemonade--it's so refreshing, it's hard not to order a second one. Honestly, I just wish it came in a larger size--it's that good! read more

See all

Really good food! I was too impatient and didn't snap a picture. I got the Maui/fish tacos with yellow rice and my son got the ground beef nachos. The ones with everything on them, forget what they're called. He said they were his favorite nachos he's ever ordered . For him, he preferred the melted cheese on this dish the usual queso because he doesn't like soggy chips. My Maui tacos were very good and made even better by using the peach salsa that was on the table. Food was fresh and we ate up every bite. Great option when you're staying on the wharf! read more

3.4 stars I got the steak tacos with flour tortilla. The steak had decent flavor and the guac tasted fresh. Overall it was a decent taco, but too expensive. $18 for 2 tacos I liked that it was a stand, had a NY vibe to it. Friendly staff as well. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Steak taco - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

See all

The food is always great. My go to order is the cheese quesadilla with street corn. Always a reliable meal.

I placed an order with only 2 TWO items. How can you screw up a 2-item oder? With my entree I paid for the overpriced strawberry lemonade. I got only my entree. When youre eating at work at 4am you need your food to live up to the hype. I called 5 times to get my drink delivered. No human being answers the phone AND the prompts all lead to voicemail that i a FULL. This was my first and last experience at Surfside. read more

I won't be back. Ordered 2 different shrimp tacos and they were so sauced I threw them both out after a bite or two. The sauce should not make your taco into soup. Service was fine but you order at a window and wait for them to call your number. There is no "ambiance". That's not a knock but it's a taco stand built into the side of a building. read more

Decided to try something else! Lol The CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP is so divine it made my toes curl!! FAB-U-LOUS!!! I LOVE chicken tortilla soup anyway so I was really excited to try this! As soon as Chick-Fil-A brings theirs back during the fall, that is all I order but this beats that hands down! Deducted a star only because of the buttery taste. Still a 9.7/10! Try it! You'll love it!! read more

After happy hour drinking and snacking at a nearby tiki bar we decided to stop for something a bit more substantial. This place had great reviews and we hunted it down. We ordered from the kiosk at this pretty much take-out only place. It was hard to choose since they had a wide variety of tacos that are not your typical Mexican fare. We got one order of the St. Lucia tacos (2) on corn tortillas. They were excellent - really different flavors. Great spice. The prices were OK. If I lived in the area I would definitely be back here to try more of the menu. read more

09.19.2023. It was Taco Tuesday & I wanted something that would tantalize my tastebuds. I considered my normal taco spot in the District, but I haven't been fully satisfied as of late. Enter Surfside Taco!! We found street parking & walked to the Wharf Taco Stand. Garage parking is over $30. This place is really cute and celebrates the Caribbean culture. I waited in line versus ordering from the self serve stations. It was hard deciding because there was so many options. I ordered the St. Lucia tacos. Two tacos with a small side of yellow rice is $15.95. Since it was Taco Tuesday, they offered a 3rd taco as a BONUS. Yay!! I selected the Maui taco. My friend ordered Negril tacos & his bonus was the Cabo San Lucas. Seating indoor & outdoor is limited, but we were able to grab seats outside once a patron finished. Our number was called about 12 minutes later. We went inside to grab our food. The tacos were filled to the brim and the textures & flavors were on point!! They are some of the tastiest tacos I've had in a long time plus this location is pretty good for people watching. Can't wait to return! read more

See all

I was staying by the Wharf on a business trip and was able to try the birria taco. Serendipitously I happened to go on a Tuesday which was taco Tuesday so I got an extra taco at no charge. It was a super filling meal and I would definitely come back if I am back in DC! read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food was amazing. Service a little slow, but the food was worth the wait! Fresh and delicious!

Service was horrible. Food overpriced and not worth it. Waited an hour and would not recommend to anyone. Plenty of better places the warf.

I was surprised at the amount of places in the wharf that were barely open at 1100 for lunch, and after doing some walking I found Surfside. This place is a regular eatery with the cut and paste beach vibe, so I wasnt expecting small, bland artisan tacos with inflated prices. I ordered the bora bora tacos (they come in 2s), and a side of braised beans. I was surprised to see the size of the tacos, they were bigger than expected. The tacos were good, and the orange slices gave it a different element that I never knew I needed. The rice that came with it was largely forgettable, and the beans were cool...not bad but not great. 12.95 for those tacos, in such a touristy area was a good value in my opinion. read more

Surfside Taco Stand - Tex-Mex Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Took 30 minutes to get 3 "gourmet" fish tacos with generic salsas, basic guac, and cost $22. These are tacos. Taco stands are staffed by 3-5 people and classically can push out orders as fast as they are ordered. That's the point. All of the sudden, after 30 minutes, 10 orders came out. Most of them were one plate. So many people had cold food. And worst of all, honestly, was that the tortilla wasn't grilled. Skip and go down the street to shake shack. read more

The taco stand is located in the middle of the Wharf. I can tell you there is not much ambiance left there for you to feel; there are just too many people. However, I have to say that every order of mine (over 10) has been problem-free. They were exactly how I was placed online. Not one time did I have to wait. The staff who worked the pickup counter were very accommodating and friendly to me. Last, I couldn't thank them enough for keeping their doors open later than anyone else in the area. read more