This amazing whole in a wall authentic Filipino cuisine reminds me of "lutong bahay" literal meaning home cooked style food. It brings me back to my mom's home cooking. The irony is that the name of the place is deceiving because they also have Salvadoran Mexican food. But if you're in DC eastern market area, I highly recommend trying the Tapsilog with some Gulaman and Sago drink. I was so full that I did not get a chance to try the halo halo. I will have to come back for my halo halo next time. I enjoyed talking to the owner of Tortilla Cafe and asked her to truly market this amazing restaurant. If you like Filipino food and in DC try Tortilla Cafe in the corner of North Carolina and 7th right across from Eastern Market building. read more

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Vibe: very casual counter service with a few tables Service: the service here is always great! Everything comes out so fresh and the staff is very kind. Value: decent value for DC, but not the cheapest of eats. The pupusa platter (3 pupusas and 2 sides) is ~$14 Pupusa platter with fries and beans: one of our favorite meals on the hill. Their pupusas are always hot, fresh, and cooked to perfection. We love the cheese pupusas and the pork & cheese! 1/4 chicken with veggies and plantains: the skin on this chicken is so flavorful. I got light meat (trying to be healthier), but I'm sure the dark meat is even more so! And I absolutely love their fried plantains. Bonus insight: our first date was Tortilla Cafe in 2021 :) read more

Tortilla Cafe - 1/4 chicken with veggies and plantains - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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They have Filipino food here!! If you're loooklng for Filipino breakfast you can find it here in eastern market. It is only a few Filipino items but hey. It's something in a population with very few Filipino options. The owner also cooks Filipino food for catering with classic Filipino food. Even dinuguan (iyky) and bakes mamon, Ensemada, cupcakes and cakes. My food was fine. Nothing to rave about. But it is here if I do want a piece of home. read more

1st time there today and I'm a salad entrepreneur!!!. Got the veggie taco salad and didn't expect it to be soooo delicious and also forgot I'm on keto. The combo of grilled veggies and depth of flavors were iconic. Grilled zucchini, carrots and potatoes were an unexpected delight and paired well with beans, rice, onions, pepper peppers, guac, p d gallo, abd cream!! Served by a sweet lady who's name i didn't get and a friendly staff to remember, thx!!!! My new spot And can't wait to try more items when off keto.... Jay read more

Wow!! From the overflow of Eastern Market, we were initially attracted to the fact that this would be a Latin-American cafe serving classic menu items (which, of course they are). Then we saw the sign that they also had rotisserie chicken. Then we noticed their advanced menu of Filipino classics. THEN we were blown away by the signed Triple D Nation poster and we were sat. What began as a craving for a simple breakfast burrito turned into an order of the Tocilog, which definitely woke us up and made us so happy to start the day. White rice topped with fragrant garlic chips, freshly sliced cucumber and tomato, a sunny side egg ready to dress the beautiful pieces of soy-marinated, lightly-charred chicken. My notes for this dish would be that for "garlic rice"I would have expected the garlic to be a more incorporated part of the rice rather than a topping, and then something pickled or acidic on the side would be nice to cut through the richness of the dish. I guess I am kind of shocked because you wouldn't normally see these two cultures together in a menu, but if you think about it their shared colonizer, it makes sense. Its a bit empty, and I wonder why, the quality of the food we received was great. If it means I know this spot exists during the crowded bustle of Eastern Market, I wont be mad. I will note a lot of these dishes are quite humble, so its a bit of a stretch to see the price point of the menu, but I mean for the area this is a standard I'm seeing in DC. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Tocilog - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Loved the garlic rice! And the smoked fish. The location is perfect to sit outside when the weather is nice too read more

Tortilla Cafe - Tinapalog - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I visited Tortilla Cafe just outside of Eastern Market, ordering the Tex Mex Burrito plate. Overall the food was okay, not bad but not a stand out. I'm still trying to find a truly memorable option for Mexican food in D.C., but the workers were friendly and there is both indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Tex-mex Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Cute little shop with a few tables to eat outside. We ordered food to eat there. The young lady was working hard, taking orders and delivering food to the tables. Food was good. We got beef fajitas and papusa platter. The fajitas was ok, there was much more bell peppers and onions than the meat. Got plantains as the side and those were good--on the sweeter side. The papusa was good, we got 3 different fillings. The chicken and cheese was our favorite--the cheese was gooey, though any of them we'd have again. We got beans and rice as the side that was also good. A mystery baggie of veggie slaw(?) also came out--not sure what it was but we ate it and my partner liked it more than me. I think I found it too vinegary for my liking. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Beef fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I don't think I actually understand what it means about a restaurant to be on Diners Drive-Ins and Dives but I do know tortilla cafe was - I really hope this spot maintains steady foot traffic and avoids the eastern market local restaurant shut down curse - a small, easy to miss, counter service, local spot with a large EXTREMELY AFFORDABLE menu of Mexican & El Salvadoran dishes. seats about 20ish people. - I got the 1/2 chicken plate ($12!) and my dining companion got the texmex burrito ($11!). you can make most dishes "platters" but adding on 2 sides such as refried beans, yucca, rice, etc - this chicken was soooooo moist. the skin was salty and the seasonings sank into the meat. their signature jalapeno sauce was a thick perfect mix of creamy smooth and tang - I'm always going to love a place where I can get a plate of just chicken lol. like let's be real. but the woman behind the counter was so sweet and the food came out quickly so extra points - the burrito was OK. insane to get a burrito with chicken, steak, and shrimp for under $12. the pico was clearly homemade but the flavors of the burrito itself weren't too unique or amaze. read more

Tortilla Cafe - 1/2 chicken platter, Tex-mex Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Food (3) Service-D I went in place wasn't busy And worker was in the back, I hope not cashier & chef Anyway I ask for A burrito with chicken! Which includes what's ever is a burrito! Mind you my first time) in there! Then he said you get two sides! I still didn't understand! How much beans & rich a person needs? The choices limited! Communication was a F I wanted a chicken burrito including what's ever goes in a burrito????? I pay 15.00 or so for A lot of & rich beans wrap & etc. No chicken When I called this person didn't care ABOUT my business as a customer. He was not friendly about it? Or asked do I want to come back? I was sitting outside. And outside his place it was dangerously snow on ground outside his place! So that's why I called! Some of these food establishment are NOT cooking delicious food! Such a rip off! But mostly he didn't care! I thought it could be that he didn't understand me, he being Latino or Mexican? Idk ‍ eastern market was once known for good food. Idk anymore! read more

solid pupusas. pork and cheese and chicken and cheese were both good, fresh, great texture on outside. the meal comes with beans and an undressed salad. also tried a silog which was nice, garlic rice is good read more

What a sad progression (see my other reviews! TC has long been a top 5 DC favorite) -- Tortilla Cafe continues to plummet in quality from what it once was. The change of ownership a few years ago meant higher prices for the same menu, which was understandable. But the consistency of the food itself, the service, and more recently, the cleanliness has continued to go downhill. Today I stopped by to grab a chicken burrito to go with a side of jalapeño sauce. Didn't check my order until I got in the car because I had an overtired toddler in tow, and I was unfortunately busy stopping my kid from grabbing the dead cockroaches on the floor of the restaurant. When I hungrily started eating my burrito in the car, I was bummed they forgot the jalapeño sauce I paid for, but that's forgivable. Worse was the multiple pieces of long hair I found in my burrito, which combined with the roaches on the floor may have turned me off of one of my oldest favorite DC eateries forever. read more

Sadly the original owner sold Tortilla Cafe during the pandemic. It has seen several owners since. The latest one brutalized the pupusas that were served to me. Pupusas are not pancakes. I cannot recommend this neighborhood pupuseria anymore. read more

Still some of the best Salvadorian/ Mexican food in D.C. There 1/2 chicken plater is a good choice and so are the tamales. My fave is the sweet corn one, but sad to say they run out of that one quick. One of my faves though are the tacos they make. Also, recommend getting the in house salsa they make to go. Good with chips! read more

Worst tacos I have ever had. Didn't even know it was possible for tacos to be this bad. Just some lettuce, pieces of chicken, and pieces of tomato. I thought it was about on par with elementary school food, but then my elementary school age kids also said they didn't like it. And I wouldn't say the place is particularly cheap either. read more

I wanted to love it, I did. I personally think the menu should be much smaller. I don't think they should offer Mexican because it doesn't deliver:/ I ordered the fajitas, and I was very underwhelmed. I'm Mexican, I know what I dig. I appreciated the effort, but this was a miss for me. I think they should perfect their pupusas, and make that their focus:) read more

This is a nice little cafe selling Mexican and Salvadoran food. We ordered a pork and cheese pupusa but we couldn't find or taste any pork inside it which was odd. Similarly with the spinach and feta empanada that only had spinach and no feta. Regardless, the food itself is good but it didn't leave a good enough impression on me to come back. They really need some AC inside. It was a very hot day and the heated store makes the wait seem so much longer than it actually was. All food will be given in take away containers which doesn't seem environmentally friendly. I'm hoping this is only done whilst the covid restrictions are still in place for DC. read more

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This is not it. These chicken strips are dry and distasteful. It's just disgusting. Did not eat read more

Tortilla Cafe - Photo explains for itself but these are not it. The Cajun Chicken Strips are dry and distasteful. It's just disgusting. Did not eat - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Small restaurant. Not suitable for large parties. Nice customer service. We ordered: Cheese pupusa - came out fresh and the cheese was stretchy when you took your first bite. Pork and cheese pupusa - also came out fresh and had more flavor than the cheese because of the pork. Chicken tamale - I actually ordered the pork but the chicken came out. I didn't care to complain because i didn't want to have to wait. It was good. The masa was not dry and crumbly. Even when you put your fork in to break apart, it seemed dry but when you're actually eating it, it was moist and almost pasty texture. I enjoyed it. Oh and it's Salvadoran tamale so it's bigger than what you're used to. read more

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This restaurant in the Capitol Hill area has Good food good customer service, healthy portions. They also have breakfast for very expensive prices. read more

This is a small place, but the food is excellent. We had the tamale, Salvadoran chicken sandwich, and the 1/4 roasted chicken. Everything was moist and tasty. The food came out quickly. The only thing we didn't like was that there is no printed menu, you have to look at a screen or on your phone to order. read more

A staple on the Hill. The food is fresh, clean, fast and reasonable price. Always a go to for me

Tortilla café gets 3 stars for amazing customer service, convenient location and inexpensive eats! However, when it comes to the food I was underwhelmed, I had the Pupusa plate with a side of refried beans and a side of yuca. The pupusas were extremely greasy and were mostly cheese (as opposed to chicken or chicharron). The beans didn't taste very fresh, they had a weird sour aftertaste, and the yuca was dry and greasy. Overall it was an ok meal, I was hoping for better, more authentic but then again the plate was $7.99 so I can't expect be too harsh. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Ambiance - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

This place is a gem at Eastern Market area, it's open daily for lunch. The rice and beans are not that great, a lot of space for improvement. The pupusas are great, fresh,warm and reasonable priced, make sure ask for the red sauce. read more

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Small little hole-in-the-wall but very authentic food, and friendly staff. Today was my second time here (I'm out of state) because I have been craving their cheese pupusa for several months. Freshly made, warm corn taste, and stretchy cheese, and great price (2.99). I left super satisfied. Highly recommend you stop by if you're in the area. I'll be back for a third time! read more

Tortilla Cafe - Refried Bean & Cheese Pupusa - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Under older ship it was delicious food however a waitress is picking your pimples while she was asking us what we wanted and I told the management and a snobby customer heard it and lied about me I didn't like that read more

I am not sure why the recent reviews for Tortilla Cafe are all negative. I had a great experience here! There are not many good options around the Eastern Market area, so I am so glad I was able to try this place! I ordered the tamale platter with 2 sides for only $6.99. The chicken tamale I got was delicious and moist! It was the first tamale I have ever tried and I loved it! I got black beans and yucca as my sides. The yuca was PERFECTLY fried and crispy. The service was extremely accommodating and the platter came out within 5 minutes. There are a few tables outside for outdoor seating. read more

Great place for the location and the low prices. The lady at the front was very nice and sweet, as well as the guy who brought out my order. The pupusas were good and I liked my entree too. I'd come back! read more

I normally order the seafood tacos but today I got one shrimp per taco. Really? ????????????????????????????? read more

Tortilla Cafe - One shrimp per seafood taco....I order from them all the time and today I was really disappointed! - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Love coming in for lunch. The food is always so fresh and tasty and the service is friendly. One of my favorite places in Eastern Market to eat at. read more

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Finally, a go-to Mexican restaurant -- after 11 years of life in DC! Exceptionally friendly service, best deliciousness in town, and unbelievable value. I ordered a lot of extra items, thinking that for these low prices, everything must be small. Well, it's not! Nice portion sizes; the tacos are larger than most anywhere, and generously filled. The cheese pupusa and vegetarian quesadilla are especially delicious. Grabbed some steak tacos for a Latin-American handyman who was working in our house at the time. He said they were really good, seemed impressed, and asked where they were from. A good endorsement in my book! Will definitely be back at this small gem right in Eastern Market. read more

I have been to El Salvador 3 times and love the food there...especially pupusas. In the states however I had never been to an authentic Salvadorian place that could pull off the flavors that you get while in the country. Thankfully, that has now changed with Tortilla Cafe. Excellent rice and pupusas. My favorite is the bean and cheese pupusas, though the pork and cheese was good too. The French fries were even good here. There is lots of Salvadorian and other Latino options on the menu. While this is a DDD spot, the staff was friendly and the service was fast and excellent. read more

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What can I say but wow! Totalmente un placer comer aquí. This place truly delivers that fantastic Salvadorian feel against a Capitol Hill/Eastern Market backdrop. The place is unassuming and sparse, but what they lack in decor they make up in taste and price. I'm on a vegetarian kick this meal so I best as I can attest their pupusas shine, I cannot comment on their Mexican food - but in short; I will be back. Tonight's meal: Pupusa vegetarianos; fantastic and totally blew me away. Some pupusas are forgettable, these are certainly not those. They were a good size and generously stuffed. Nice and melty cheese. Cabbage mixture came generously served but premixed and as such a little watery. Tamales, served in a Salvadorian style; they are dessert sweet, yet clearly high quality. They are very dense but not overwhelming. I contented myself with approximately half of one. Plátanos; the sweet varient and damned well a cut above the rest. I found them so good that I did not even need sauce or think to apply their white sauce. Walking distance from the Eastern Market metro, but arrive early, they'll close at 19:00 (7:00pm) weeknights. Tl;dr pupusas done right. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Menu, front cover with contact points - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Decided to go for Mexican with my friends visiting from Mexico. Got chicken burrito with beans and plantains. Chicken was so dry and lacked flavor. I traded with my husband because I was so unhappy. Plantains we're good. Beans soso. I should have gotten a pupusa. Food took a long time to come out too. Small place not a lot of seating. read more

Tortilla Café is one of my favorite spots on the Hill, and it's not just because Guy Fieri endorsed it! The menu prices are outstanding for what you get. The restaurant is extremely casual, and you order and sit down. This tiny little spot is very busy but they get you in and out rather quickly if you are dining in. The service is awesome, and everyone there is incredibly helpful and friendly. My top two favorite orders are the Salvadoran breakfast and the Tex Mex burrito. I have never had a bad meal here, and have been numerous times.I highly recommend making sure you get a side of the refried beans, I don't know what they put in them but they are SO delicious. My day is exponentially better if I get to go to Tortilla café. read more

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I'm leaving D.C. soon after a semester in town for an internship, and Tortilla Cafe has been a mainstay for me for the past four months. Their pork burrito plate is amazing, their service is great, and I always know that I won't have to wait long to get my food. There are plenty of good reasons why the place is always packed, and I know I'll be back if I'm in the area in the future. Couldn't recommend more highly! read more

Don't waste you time coming here since they have had new management.. they food quality Had went down . An they are so unprofessional With customer service . read more

The pupusas platter is delicious and very hearty! It comes with two side option. The pupusas tasted authentic but the could have used a bit more flavor. The beans smelled a bit old. I do like that they whole sell rotisserie chicken and chips to go. The place is a good option for the weekend Eastern Market. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Pupusa Platter to go with side of Beans & Rice. - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The restaurant is small so you will need to get your seats and have someone order. The prices are outstanding and the cute gal working is friendly. The disappointment is in the food and salsa. There was hardly any flavor in anything on my plate. I had the carne asada plate which is a flank steak with 3 sides and a drink for under $9 which is outstanding. For my sides I had the rice, black beans and fries. I should have ordered the fried plantines instead of the fries. The other weird thing was the platter did not come with tortillas for the steak. Normally you get that to wrap your steak with. By the time I got my plate I was already disappointed with the salsa which to me is an indication of the food. It was citriousy and salty and nothing else. I wanted to like this place really bad and if I am in the area again I may give it another go. I may try the chicken as it is rotisserie and looked good. read more

Tortilla Cafe - Carne asada platter. Lacked flavor. - Mexican Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Saw this cafe premieres on food network, so I was anxious to try it. Our family planned the day around visiting this cafe. Glad it was a great area with a flea market that distracted us for the horrible restaurant experience. Cashier was nice however .... Fish tacos # failed Beef soup # water w unnecessary carbs( potatoes) It was more like flavored water with carrots etc Chicken quesadilla #failed Lastly our beef empanadas which no longer is on the table was it return immediately. Got out of shower was made out of like a flaky croissant dough and burn like no othe it was more like flavored water with carrots and Got out of shower was made out of like a flaky croissant dough and burned read more

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