Muchas Gracias — Restaurant in Washington

I really don’t know where to start with this review, because the entire experience from staff to service to ambiance and most importantly the food was perfection. I was warmly greeted upon arrival and quickly shown to a table. Decided to start with the Bobby Loves Mango cocktail..it was good, but maybe I’m not a mezcal girl it was just a bit too spicy and smoky for me. Next was the queso fundido appetizer with chorizo and it was sooo good. Spicy chorizo and super melty cheese with warm, soft flour tortillas. For my main I went back and forth, initially considered the quesadilla or tacos but the waiter recommended the whole fish.. so I decided to go with that and it was definitely the highlight of the entire meal!! You first “taste” with your eyes, and it was the most beautifully presented dish I’ve ever had in my life. Then I tasted it and the flavors blew me away. The fish is served with taco fixins, so every bite is different depending on whether you pair it with the sliced avocado, herbs, edible flowers or pickled onions. I didn’t touch the tortillas, didn’t need them for the fish but they were great the next day with my leftover queso fundido. The fish was so good I had to force myself to stop eating it so I could save some for the next day to relive this glorious culinary experience all over again. It was so good I thought about that fish throughout the following day at work until I made it home and enjoyed my leftovers for dinner. They offer 2 dessert options and I’m not a fan of flan’s texture so I ended up getting the tres leches cake. I’m not a fan of sponge cake but the tres leches was the perfect ending to a perfect meal. It was moist, full of flavor and not too sweet. Reading the menu I learned about their mission to pay their employees a living wage and support the Latin American immigrant community. In case you can’t tell I’m now a big fan of Muchas Gracias, love everything about this restaurant and can’t wait to bring my friends and family...

Muchas Gracias para nada!

After reading mostly good reviews, we were anticipating a nice Mexican meal at Muchas Gracias on Connecticut Ave. in NW DC. After taking a look at their restaurant week menu, we opted for the Quesa Birria (short rib) and Alambre (skirt steak) taco plates. We ordered a margarita while waiting for our food. The margarita was refreshingly good, until we noticed a fly in the drink. Oh my, estaba muerto! The waiter unapologetically brought us another drink. Our food arrived shortly after. Dios mio! We would have done better with some street tacos from pretty much anywhere – the skirt steak pieces were overdone and rubbery. No muy sabroso!! Worst of all, it was accompanied by a tiny petri dish sized side of beans and rice. Perhaps the kitchen was 'experimenting' with how small a portion of rice and beans they could get away with. Not at all what one might expect for $26. The quesa birria tacos weren't much better. There were puddles of oil left on the plate, and the consome dip tasted more Middle-Eastern than Mexican. Still, a slightly better value for $19. All in all, the worst tacos ever and the worst meal ever at $45 per person. Que paso Muchas Gracias? At these prices you can do mucho mejor – and why not throw in some chips and salsa and a reasonable serving of beans and rice. No wonder there was only one other table of diners....

We went for their "Restaurant Week" specials. I got the Carnitas burrito Restaurant Week combo ($10 for burrito and an agua fresca) and my partner got the Chorizo burrito ($12) from the regular menu. I would say both were good. Definitely better than Chipoodle (not their actual name). We also got an Hibiscus and a Tamarind aguas frescas. Both were very good. That being said, they didn't have horchata... So, I'd give a slight knock for that. I would also give them a slight knock for their prices: $12 for a just a burrito (albeit a good one) is a bit steep. I think at the $10 price point they are only slightly more expensive than Chipoodle, but definitely better. At $12 it is just a little on the steep side, and it isn't enough for leftovers like at the other place. Lastly - don't cut my burrito in half for me. It lets out all the juices and makes it much messier than it needs to be.

Bottom line: I'd probably go back, but I'd ask them to not cut my burrito in half, and I'd probably not go all that often because of the price point. Also, if they made horchata at the same level as they do the hibiscus and tamarind aguas frescas I would definitely go back.

No photos because we already...