Amparo Fondita — Restaurant in Washington

Unfortunately everything about our experience dining at Amapro Fondita on Friday night was subpar. When we arrived on time for our reservation the hostess informed us that they did not have any tables ready; we were not seated until 20 minutes later. For our troubles we were generously offered a round of drinks on the house. We ordered one of each of the agua frescas but were brought two of the same flavor. This was corrected but the flavors of the drinks were so off: the guava agua fresca was cloyingly sweet, tasting suspiciously like bottled guava nectar; the hibiscus agua Fresca desperately needed more acid and sweetener. Service was off the entire night, it was painfully obvious that front of house was understaffed. After being seated we had to wait another 10 minutes before a waitress came to our table asking to take our orders; however we still hadn’t been given menus, which took another few minutes to come our way. When we finally received our menus (with lacklustre offerings) and placed our orders we ordered the ceviche, the fish tacos, the al pastor tacos, and the nightly special of chorizo sausage and beans. The ceviche arrived first, and was delicious. After the ceviche, everything went downhill. The special sausage dish arrived and was utterly disappointing. The sausage tasted like it could have come from trader joes, the beans were cold (and we confirmed with the waitress that they were not supposed to be cold), and the scoop of potato salad was gloopy. The textures, temperatures, and flavors of the dish made no sense and had no cohesion. When the tacos arrived, we were presented with the fish tacos and the veggie tacos (which we did not order). We politely asked if the al pastor tacos we did order could be brought to our table — we never received that part of our order. The fish tacos were mediocre at best. I don’t understand why mounds of raw, unseasoned and undressed cabbage topped each taco. It lended an unpleasant vegetal bitterness that overpowered the rest of the ingredients and made the taco difficult to eat. Overall the dish lacked spice and couldn’t rival the fish tacos one could make at home. The saving grace of the evening was our server, Ashley M, who graciously accepted our feedback and apologized for it being an off night for the restaurant. I will sadly not be returning to Amparo Fondita unless there’s a drastic overhaul to the menu offerings and...

For a Valentine's celebration, my partner and I made reservations at Amparo Fondita three weeks in advance, eager to indulge in what we had heard was a culinary delight. From the moment we walked in, it was evident that this restaurant takes pride in its high-quality ingredients and knowledgeable servers.

Our culinary journey began with starters of Ceviche and Totopos. The Ceviche was a burst of freshness, with flavors that danced on the palate, while the Totopos, though good, were accompanied by small yet intensely flavorful salsas.

Moving on to the main event - the tacos. We sampled a variety, each offering a unique flavor profile. The Tinga de Pollo impressed with its smoky undertones, earning a solid 8.5 out of 10. The Cochinita Pibil and Chorizo con Papas stole the show with their bold and authentic flavors, scoring a commendable 9 and 9.5 respectively. Amparo's Barbacos, a house specialty, lived up to its reputation with a solid 9 rating. However, the Camaron Gobernador, while flavorful, scored a slightly lower 7 due to its acquired taste, primarily attributed to the prawn's head-on presentation.

To complement our meal, we indulged in fried plantains, providing a delightful contrast of sweetness against the savory tacos. The interplay of flavors was simply divine.

The libations at Amparo Fondita were equally impressive. While the Mezcal Negroni packed a punch with its potency, earning a respectable 6, the Masa Antigua, with its robust yet mellow aftertaste, satisfied with an 8. As a whiskey aficionado, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the complexity of flavors in each sip.

Overall, our evening at Amparo Fondita was a journey through authentic flavors and culinary craftsmanship. From the freshness of the ceviche to the boldness of the tacos and the expertly crafted drinks, every aspect of our dining experience was memorable. Amparo Fondita offers a true taste of Mexico in the heart of DC, making it a must-visit for any food enthusiast looking to explore the vibrant tapestry of...

We just finished dinner here for the first time and overall, it was good but not epic. We sampled several dishes and they ranged from so-so to good. Service was great throughout the evening, very friendly atmosphere. Decor is surprisingly bland and way too minimal / sterile.

We started with the following dishes:

Nopal Asado (grilled baby Mexican cactus, queso panela, roasted mushrooms, salsa molcajete) - solid flavor, but nothing too memorable

Caesar de Broccoli Asado (grilled broccoli rabe, lime-caesar dressing, cotija, boquerones, corn tostada) - deliciously salty anchovies made this memorable, and the dressing and cotija cheese complemented the broccoli very well. Solid dish.

Chile Relleno (egg battered roasted poblano, chihuahua cheese, frontera salsa, chile oil) - loved the salsa this was bathing in, added a ton of flavor. The chihuahua cheese was the most memorable part of the pepper. Another good but not great dish.

As for our mains, we tried the following two dishes:

Tacos de Pescado Estilo Baja (market catch of the day, guacamole, guajillo mayo, pico verde, purple cabbage) - my wife was not a fan, in part because the guacamole was not fresh, and while that was true I didn't mind the fish tacos but at best, they were just good

Can't remember the name special (mix of fatty wild boar and jalapeno cheddar venison sausage, on a bed of pinto beans and a side of Mexican potato salad) - overall very good, especially the smokey pinto beans and the sausage together. The boar was basically pure fat, like pork belly, too rich for me. The potato salad had a nice mustardy tang.

As for dessert, the Tres Leches cake was excellent and well presented. They also gave us a complimentary hot chocolate with some sea salt on top, delicious as well.

Service was steady and friendly, a very nice part of the experience.

I think with some tweaks on the menu to bring flavors more alive, Amparo could...