Tia Pepa — Restaurant in Washington

I decided to check this place out for something different for lunch. The location is cozy with inside and outside tables. The outside tables are well shaded with umbrellas which made a difference on a hot, sunny day. The inside seating consists mostly of high, bar type tables with a few larger low tables. It also functions as a Spanish grocery store which gives one something interesting to look at whilst eating.

I tried the pork rib sandwich. It comes with chips. It was a good size and was tasty. It wasn't as spicy as I thought it might be, but still filling. I also tried the tres leches cake which was quite good. The sandwich and chips were served on a plate, however the tres leches was in a to go container from the refrigerator case. I didn't mind this, but the cake was good so there was little chance of any being left over to take with me.

They seem to do a fair amount of take out business judging by the number of people who picked up food during my time there.

The groceries are authentic Spanish, being actually from Spain. Wines, sweets, desserts, olive oil, main dishes, sausages, paella pans, they have a surprisingly large selection for a small store. I'll be back to buy some items to cook at home.

They do have happy hours during the week. They have several different types of house made sangria which I couldn't try as I was on lunch from jury duty alas.

Give this place a try if you're...

Came in with a Groupon and glad I did. I walked out with a Passion Fruit Mousse, three empanadas (2x Chicken 1x Beef), and the Prawns Mango & Goat Cheese salad. The salad was excellent and a refreshing lunch item in and of itself. The empanadas were good as well, the chicken was a little dry, but the beef was great and overall a worthy lunch item. Lastly, the Mousse was not something I expected to get but with a Groupon you usually can try some things outside of your typical order and I was very surprised by how tasty this was. If you like tropical flavors the Passion Fruit Mousse is a must get, and it seems to be popular as I snagged the last one just before noon. Great spot in NW DC for a work lunch!...

It's a small, but really nice place to get some Spanish cuisine. I really liked their salmon and cheese mollete or sandwiches, which took me back to a lunchtime in Madrid. The ambience is also quite bright and cheerful. For DC prices, I would probably say that the prices here are reasonable unless you are buying some of their take-home products, but that is probably because they are imported from Spain. The ingredients here are high-quality.

Another mollete recommendation I have is their grilled chicken with piquillo peppers. I also really liked their andalusian gazpacho.

Overall, I definitely recommend giving Tia Pepa a try if you are ever in the...