Taco City DC — Restaurant in Washington

Ugh. I just hate updating reviews to lower a previous five-star rating, but it's warranted. In the last few months, we've dined at Taco City and it's gone downhill. Here's why.

1. Wait time: Both times we walked into an almost empty restaurant and it took a very long time to be welcomed, water brought, food ordered, etc. Times are tough in the restaurant industry, but since we were the only ones there, it seemed odd.

2. Food: Literally everything we ordered was so bad from the tacos to the chips and salsa. The carne asada was very tough and half couldn't be eaten. It tasted like literally nothing so we had to heavy up on the soggy onions and avocado dip they brought with it.

I want to love Taco City and will come back to give them another chance, but our previous two recent experiences make us hesitant. Taco City DC may be the city's best bet for good Mexican food. There are a few other spots that can make a good argument (Columbia Height's El Chucho and...well...that may be it). Taco City DC is on a mission to serve the city "authentic Mexican" and they hit the mark. Here's why:

1. Food: Some of the best tacos I've had in the city. They have a decently sized menu, but the spicy chorizo and shrimp tacos were excellent. The shrimp especially is among the best I've had in Washington, D.C. The free chips and salsa they bring to your table is good too. The salsa starts out bland, but it grows on you over time!

2. Price: It's cheap (for DC). Tacos are just $3 and they aren't super small. Happy hour tacos (4-7pm during the week) are $2.50 each.

3. Drinks: They have a large menu and make really good (and strong) margaritas for $5 during happy hour. My wife and I each ordered two!

4. Atmosphere: The shop is small and simple in design. There's nothing amazing about it, but that's the true sign of a good Mexican taco shop. It can't be fancy.

5. Location: It's just south of Barracks Row across the street of one of the city's best beer gardens, The Brig.

If you're craving a good taco, Taco City DC is...

I really wanted to like this place. Have heard about it as authentic with great cocktails from at least three friends. The bottom line is that the service was below average and the food was average, regardless of the weird service issue I had (details below) which, if we had gotten decent service once getting our food, I wouldn't even mention.

The food was good, but nothing exceptional. I got a three tacos - camarones (shrimp), Chorizo, and Carnitas. The Chorizo had good flavor but was drenched in sauce, the shrimp was good (best of the three) and the Carnitas was the worst as the pork was dry.

Service story: I came in around 7 to meet a friend for dinner. I got there early so looked around to see if there was a host, didn't see one, so stood at the bar for a minute. They weren't terribly busy but there was only one bartender and three groups at the bar so I guess she didn't notice me. No big deal, I wasn't in a hurry. So I decided I might get service sooner by sitting down (assuming it is seat yourself, which I know it is now but wasn't sure at the time) so I grabbed a booth. I waited about 5 minutes before I flagged someone down to make sure it was seat-yourself (I thought maybe you had to order at the bar and then they'd bring your food to your seat). The guy helping us was friendly and apologized for the wait, and even gave me a discounted (Happy Hour) margarita. We asked for waters and didn't get them until we had finished our meal -- and I actually went to the bar to grab them. We also asked for more sales for our chips but never got it.

I may try this place again but honestly, for the money (and the speed and service) I much prefer Santa Rosa Taqueria...

I recently tried Taco City DC, and unfortunately, it didn’t live up to expectations. Maybe it was just an off night, but everything tasted bland, unremarkable, and definitely not worth the price. The chips seemed like they were a day or two old, lacking any of the crunch and freshness you’d expect. I ordered the crab quesadilla, which was almost flavorless, and the $14 guacamole had visible brown spots, making it unappetizing. It was the mushy liquidy kind, not the chunky kind. I han hate the liquidy kind. Bleh. They doused it with tomatoes and cogito cheese which didn’t help it at all. The Mexican black beans were another disappointment—al dente to the point that it seemed like they hadn’t been cooked long enough.

The restaurant was super empty when I arrived, so I thought I’d be getting freshly made food, but that just wasn’t the case. On a positive note, the pick-up process was seamless, and the staff was friendly. However, the food really needs some help to match the price point and the menu’s promise. Right now, it’s just not delivering in terms of taste or quality. I hope they can improve, but based on this experience, I wouldn’t be rushing back...