MI VIDA — Restaurant in Washington

Delicious Mexican fare in a colorful, lively restaurant with fantastic service. I visited Mi Vida on a busy Friday evening with a decently sized group (6 people). We were seated nearly immediately in one of their giant booths in the heart of the restaurant, which was perfect for soaking in the place's bustling energy.

We kicked off our meal with the Fiesta de Botanas, a family-style selection of their most popular appetizers. Everything on the platter was fantastic, but I especially loved the coctel de camarones -- the shrimp was delightfully plump and slightly sweet, and the dish was generally super light and refreshing. I also loved both salsas -- the habanero had a great kick without being overwhelmingly spicy -- but nothing compares to their fresh guac.

Once we were all filled up on the appetizers, we moved on to the mains. The group absolutely loved the enchiladas -- four of the six folks ordered an enchilada platter, and they all had rave reviews. I decided to go against the grain and ordered the Pescado a la Veracruza, a seared cod fillet with a delightful roasted tomato sauce, olives, capers, and pickled jalapenos. The cod was flaky, and the various accompaniments made the dish light and refreshing, but still packed with flavor. The roasted tomatoes added a touch of smokiness, while the olives and capers provided a good hit of umami. The tomatoes and pickled jalapenos provided a hint of acid, along with the tiniest whisper of spice.

All in all, I can't recommend Mi Vida enough! It's a vibrant, upbeat restaurant with great music, decor, and energy. The staff is super friendly, and the food is fantastic -- definitely give Mi Vida a try the next time you're looking for a...

Nice vibe and atmosphere but the service was less than mediocre and the food was very average, not worth the price. What you can expect from a chain restaurant I guess. I came here with friends on a Monday night, it took us a while to be seated despite it being empty. Then the waitress kept trying to get us to order drinks and appetizers after we repeatedly just wanted entrees. I understand why, but instead of being kind, she became standoffish after realizing we won’t be a big spenders. She actually never came to check on us again after the food came (until we were done and already sent a plate away because of the quality). Also on service - a male manager came to ask if the food was good, but my friend and I were originally a bit shy to say that the carne tacos were terrible. Eventually I figured since he asked, I would let him know. After I told a waiter to please ask him to find our table when he gets the chance, he went on to ignore us even after trying to politely get his attention. It wasn’t until a female manager was much more attentive and apologized for the tacos and rectified the situation. But it was distasteful behavior to be ignored by both a manager and forgotten by our waitress.

As for food, the beef burger was good and the sweet potato fries were crispy. I recommend the burger. The carne tacos were way too overcooked and rubbery. It tasted burnt, and me and my friend couldn’t eat them. The Diet Coke was also very watered down.

Overall we wont be coming back. It’s just an average chain restaurant with fancy decor. Don’t expect excellent food, better to go to one of the other lovely restaurants that the area...

Came by here on two occasions: first for drinks before an event during a week day afternoon and then before a concert during happy hour. Both times were great! Here are some of my takeaways:

Environment Beautiful location with plenty of seating. During my first visit it wasn't packed at all and plenty of options. We sat at the bar which is a decent size and really nice. During the second visit it was packed and we got a table in one of the many rooms. They also have outside seating options. Its very modern and almost gives off a club vibe. Great unique design with a great ambiance for happy hour, for date night, for drinks and food with friends - all can be captured here.

Service the bar service and food service was great. Both were helpful and attentive. They were speedy and made sure we had everything we needed and also gave great suggestions for food and drinks. Very pleasant and warm.

Food First time around i had drinks and they were great. I had the frozen margarita - definitely suggest. The second time around I had the birriadillas and the la buena vida drink. The drink was pretty good and the birriadillas were small in portion but really good. We also had the guacamole which i thought was good but my friend absolutely loved (said it was some of the best she's ever had).

Overall Really beautiful place and great atmosphere in a great location. Good food and good energy to go along. The drinks were good and we had a really good time. I will definitely come back and try out other options and generally would stop by for happy hour and...