September 5, 2007
What We're Missing: Authentic Mexican Food
For anyone living in Washington who grew up in the West, the dearth of authentic Mexican food in this city is likely a constant complaint. D.C. is the home to several sizable ethnic groups, Salvadorans among them, and while we applaud the ready availability of authentic, and delicious, Salvadoran cuisine, the attempts by these same lovely folks to cook Mexican food is almost uniformly terrible. They use the wrong cheeses. They don't know how to make or deploy good red sauce. They forget to add flavor. Ordering Mexican dishes at a Salvadoran restaurant is an exercise this writer, who grew up in Tucson, AZ and lived in Los Angeles for five years before moving here, engages in on probably a bi-annual basis, just out of sheer desperation, but it always ends up making me angry. It's just not the same. And then I start fantasizing about importing a cook from Arizona and making millions by starting my own Mexican restaurant.
All that said, I agreed to be interviewed by Washingtonian magazine this month for their regular "Favorites" feature -- basically they ask some local person the same list of questions about what their favorite things are (btw, my favorite color is green and I also like long walks on the beach). And of course, I had to bring up the Mexican Food Issue. I asked Washingtonian readers to email me any suggestions they might have about where I could get some real Sonoran enchiladas and maybe a chile relleno, and a number of people responded. So for those of you out there who pine for Oaxacan-style mole sauce and homemade tortillas, here's what I've been told so far. Add your own suggestions in the comments, and as you can see from this list, far-flung locales are not only acceptable, they're probably necessary. And remember, I haven't tried any of these place out yet, so they could well be red herrings.
>> "While it is a drive from D.C. (about 90 very scenic minutes), I think you would like to try el Costeno in Gettysburg, PA. It first opened its doors when I was in college at Gettysburg about 12 years ago as a restaurant called Lupita's. It was owned and operated by a family who came to G-Burg as migrant workers. They have since sold to whoever owns them now, but the food is exactly the same. I believe it is what you are looking for."
>> "It's a bit of a drive out to Columbia, Md., but I guarantee you that this place has authentic Mexican food: Zapata's True Mexican Food Restaurant - It's THE BEST! A real hidden gem ... I live in Columbia and eat there once a week."
>> "If you haven't heard of it, you should check out the Santa Fe Cafe in Rosslyn. It is one of the few places that use Hatch chiles for most everything and is, in fact, the base for the New Mexico State Society."
>> The attorney for Mi Rancho owners Jose Alvarez and Albino Castro in Silver Spring wrote in to recommend the Tex-Mex eatery. I have long maintained that Tex-Mex is NOT authentic Mexican food, but I've never eaten there, so I'm not sure whether they offer the real deal as well. I assume the attorney billed the hour for writing me that email.
>> "For terrific Baja California food, head to Taqueria el Poblano on Lee Hwy in Arlington. Margaritas are totally baja - not slurpee fern bar fare. Chips and salsa also authentic to Ensenada area. Anything on menu is carefully prepared and the decor is creative and colorful."
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Why would you EXPECT authentic Mexican food to be present in an area with a miniscule Mexican Population? The Irony is that the writer hit it right on the head in the article....We have good Salvadoran food, because we ACTUALLY HAVE Salvadorans....
There are a couple of fairly-authentic Mexican restaurants way out in Leesburg, but I can't remember what they're called, and I don't know if they're even still open. I guess this was a waste of a reply.
And yes, there really are plenty of Mexicans in the DC area, even if they don't live in the city.
It's not as much of an expectation as it is a hope, at least for me.
Just like I hope that each new pizza place that isn't of the gourmet/woodburning-oven variety, will serve an excellent slice of pizza.
Hopes a bitch and then you die, or something like that.
There are many thousands more Mexicans in the DC area now than there were just five or ten years ago. You just have to drive out to Manassas or down to Woodbridge to get decent Mexican food. Route 1 (Richmond Highway) from just south of the Occoquan bridge on south nearly to Quantico is lined with plenty of decent (though cheap), authentic Mexican places. You can even get decent cerveza michelada at some places. I haven't been to Manassas in quite a while, but I would be willing to bet you can get some decent Mexican food out that way, too (I mean, heck, if the KKK is passing out leaflets, there ought to be some decent Mexican joints).
If you don't want to leave the District, well, then you're stuck with Salvadoran food.
I'm not a great judge of Mexican food, so take this with a grain of salt, but I've had some pretty good food from the Well Dressed Buritto. But maybe I just thought it was cool because I felt like I was getting food from some sort of a Mexican food speakeasy.
Also, does anyone actually like long walks on the beach? They're kinda tough on the ankles.
I guess you people don't get out to Riverdale very often. El Tapatio of Kenilworth Avenue is probably the best.
I'm with #1. Whining about lousy Mexican food in DC is like bitching about the lousy gyros in Bangalore.
You know, La Lomita at 13th and Penn SE, in DC right by Potomac Ave Metro has some pretty decent Mexican food, although it's definitely a little Tex. Great Margaritas and a lots of room on their outdoor patio. Looks a bit divey from the outside, but it's well worth it, if they're open...
Being a native Tucsonian as well, I feel your pain Sommer. My friends are tired of me telling them that their favorite restaurants serve sucky Mexican Food (Lorial Plaza comes to mind). I've pretty much given up and just make sure that I eat plenty of Mexican food when I go visit the 'rents back in AZ.
El Paso Mexican Restaurant on Commerce Street in Springfield, VA. Its the closest I've found to the authentic Mexican I grew up eating in Denver and Sante Fe.
I put the Tortilla Factory in Herndon's salsa up against any that I've had. The food is not as good as the salsa, but it's worth the trip for the salsa alone. Plus you can buy the salsa and bring it home.
I went to Sante Fe Cafe once a few years ago and it was horrible. There may have been some Velveeta involved.
Maybe I can get a lead while Mexican fans descend on this post: I have been looking for somewhere that serves Pibil in the DC area (preferably in DC, but I'll travel a ways), but no luck. Anyone have a spot to recommend?
It's funny, I'm about to move to Glasgow next week, and already miss the Mexican food I grew up with in DC. I read an entry in a guidebook for a Mexican restaurant in Edinburgh that praised it because the chef "has actually studied in Mexico!" The man charges four-star prices for this pleasure. It's all relative I guess.
#7:
I go to La Lomita a lot because it's in my neighborhood and I like the feel of it, but it's definitely not authentic in my opinion. The margaritas are decent when it's busy, but if it's a slow time they are bound to be watery.
As a native of Buffalo, NY, I would like to point out that what Hooters and the like call Buffalo wings are grossly inferior to those that are actually produced in Western New York (hint - if you're eating them with ranch dressing, you're doing it all wrong). Similarly, my boyfriend refuses to eat DC's attempts at pastrami as they inevitably come up short of what he is used to in New York.
DC does have several unique cuisines and that's worth celebrating.
Christ, give it a rest already. I'm a Polack from Cleveland, yet you don't hear me constantly griping about the lack of real pierogi and kielbasa in this city.
You want real Mexican food? Learn to cook!
And I can't stand the cheesesteaks, and someone else from NY hates the food carts, and someone from the midwest can't get a good bratwurst, and some other uptight californian can't get a salad with the proper ratio of arugala to feta cheese blah blah blah.
I very much enjoy Taqueria Distrito Federal in Columbia Heights.
I've heard great things about Brentwood Grill, 4308 Rhode Island Ave.
Definitely say La Lomita is more Tex Mex than Mexican. Good, cheap and a short walk to Metro, but I don't think it's what the poster's looking for.
As for pastrami, the only deli worth going to in DC is Deli City. Period. The pastrami is about as close to Katz' as you're likely to find outside NYC. And their Reuben Sandwich makes the slop you'll find at Krupins look like something the dog coughed up.
Another vote for Taqueria Distrito Federal in Columbia Heights - I've been there twice, and the tacos are pretty good. I had a tripe taco that was delicious, if anyone is looking for that level of authenticity.
I just got back from backpacking around Mexico, and Tacos Pepitos on Columbia in Adams Morgan, is a pretty accurate representation of what you'll find in casual restaurants throughout the country. Also Casa Oaxaca on 18th is my pick for the best upscale Mexican in the district.
I thought Casa Oaxaca was crap. Crap enough that I feel compelled to mention it. Drinks were overpriced and undersized.
There is next to nothing on the menu for vegetarians. When I asked what else, aside from the 1 dish marked on the menu as veggie-friendly, might be done as a vegetarian dish, I was informed I could get their special plate w/out the grasshoppers. Sure.
The veggie tacos were the blandest thing I've ever eaten in any Mexican restaurant, and service was slow and inept.
One a positive note, their fried plantain/black bean appetizer was good, though overcooked.
Definitely Taqueria D.F.
I'm from Oxnard CA.. I know Mexican!
P.S. they even have Pozole!!! Nothing better in DC. Guaranteed!
Hasn't anyone here ever been to Mixtec at 18th and Columbia? It's been around longer than just about anything else on Columbia Road today. Next door to Pasta Mia. That place is authentic, cheap, and damn good.
yes, tacos pepitos II is pretty authentic (and they deliver!) - no sour cream or guac and they've got 4 sorts of pork tacos as well as cabeza (beef cheeks) and lengua (tongue) which, compared to what i've tasted in the dingiest places in the mission district in SF, is pretty spot on. they also have these roasted burritos for the gringos. alas, as i saw yesterday, it's for sale. let's hope they can keep the mexicanness alive!
A third vote for Taqueria Distrito Federal. Went there for the first time a couple weeks ago on a recommendation from a friend, and found ambience and food that put me immediately back in SF's Mission District. White buckets of aquas fresca, fresh tamales, seven types of meat -- including carnitas, chorizo, and (for the brave or stupid) menudo, and spanish-only menus.
A little taste of home.
There is a little place in Springfield, I think it is called Taco Bell, and you can drive your car right up to a window and order. I found it to be very authentic and cheap. THeir workers even speak Mexican.
Guest 13 -
Good luck in ra weedge. If you care, here are some recommendations from an ex-local:
10-deck of Embassy-Regal.
Buckfast
Hun lager (McEwans, even though they no longer sponsor the Huns)
Soapbar hash
That's all there is on offer in Glasgow.
I'm a native (southern) Californian and the only thing I miss almost as much as my family and the beach is Mexican food. Tex-mex included. Cafe Oaxaca is just OK and I agree that their drinks were overpriced, but I am also a vegetarian and believe they had more than one option. Lauriol Plaza has entirely mediocre food but a good amount of outdoor seating, so I can't rip on them too much. Anywhere have decent breakfast burritos around here?
Offering up a tex mex restaurant for someone who wants authentic mexican is a drive by worthy offense. As is just listing a place because you like the salsa...but the food is not that good. Real helpful people.
Guests #16 & 17 nail the issue: this area is full of highly-educated professionals who are either from other towns w/good food (e.g., SF, NYC) or have lived in them, & constantly complain about the lack of decent [fill-in-the-blank] food without doing anything about it. The high cost of living prevents many poorer immigrants from opening restaurants, particularly in the District, & many of the immigrants who do open restaurants are also professionals who don't have their heart in it &/or the local community isn't large or wealthy enough to support top-notch quality (here I'm thinking particularly of the dearth of good Chinese). The bottom line: ff you really, really want a particular cuisine, you're going to have to DIY, i.e., learn how to cook & open your own restaurant or hire a chef from out of town & bankroll the operation.
Outside of the shortage of good ethnic food, I should add that the high cost of living in this area & the lack of creative types also reduces the number of people willing to work in the food industry (which, after all, is an entertainment industry), both on the cooking & the serving end. NYC, LA, & SF are expensive, too, but they're "the show" & not a backwater like the DC area.
mixtec in adam's morgan has some pretty dynamite mole. distrito federal on 14th and Oak has excellent burritos (and the friendlies owner you will ever meet who will deliver your food personally) and there are great tamales at il rincocito II on Park and 14th. mt. pleasant and columbia heights are full of hole in the wall places with some pretty damn good food...just gotta work up the courage to go in.
While I was a little disappointed with my dining experience there, Jose Andres' Oyamel claims to be "100% Mexican." At least that is what the waiter repeatedly said to us!
blahblahblah.
If you *still* haven't heard of Prof. Tyler Cowen and his venerated ethnic food blog (note, all food is ethnic), then please familiarize yourself with it. DO IT AND STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT DC FOOD!!! ARRRG!
www dot tylercowensethnicdiningguide dot com
Scroll down - you can search by cuisine type and location. There is no need to thank me for introducing you to this incredible resource. Thank Prof. Cowen. He was recently highlighted in Washingtonian too...
32 and 33. You are both contradicting yourselves. Cost of living reducing the quality of ethnic food + san fran and nyc have the best ethnic food = makes no sense.
Fact of the matter is San Fran is no less of a backwater than D.C., if either is a backwater. San Fran is a glorified backwater with exceptionally good food.
Otherwise, I agree with many here: There is no good Polish/Greek/Italian/Mexican Etc blah blah blah food. Well, duh. None of these are a great surprise. The big shame/embarrassment is that there is no decent Chesapeake food in D.C. either.
Another vote for Tacos Pepitos on Columbia. Reminds me of the burrito/taco joints I used to hit up between classes at UC Santa Barbara, but with fewer health code violations.
Soy Mexicano de Los Angeles, con padres Sonorenses. Thus I know my carne asada - Pepito's, D.F., and the places in Riverdale are better than most, but not as good at making the carne asada as La Mexicana Bakery on Arlington Drive, just off Route 1, about 2 miles south of the Beltway.
Their carnitas tacos are awesome, too.
Cheese does not belong in a taco, by the way.
For Oaxacan and DF-style cuisine, Philly's Los Catrines (a.k.a. Tequilas) is one of the best I've had. On Locust, just off Rittenhouse square - it's worth a day trip.
Mixtec not only has authentic Mexican food but authentic rats as well. http://dcist.com/2007/04/04/inside_editions.php
Mixtec in Adams Morgan serves Menudo, which I consider authentic Mexican (even if their entire menu is not). Also, I know Anita's generally doesn't server real mexican food, but at some of the locations on certain days, if you order from the takout room (at least at the Fairfax location) they have Red Pozole or Menudo y Pozole, which is very good as well. I often have a craving for this Mexican soup, but cannot find it in many spots.
Also - Taco's Pepitos Bakery II in adams morgan claims to be real Mexican. I haven't been, but I will be going. According to the owner (from the Washington Post review), "In this area, I see a lot of places that say they have Mexican food but it's not really Mexican food," says Pepitos owner Joe Molina, 39, a native of Mexico City. "This is our interpretation of the authentic Mexican food where I come from."
Totally agree, Sommer. And I think that the first commenter pretty much hit the nail on the head too. What's more, I don't think that the problem of a lack of decent Mexican food is unique to D.C.; it's an East Coast issue. Even in New York, you generally can't find Mexican fare anywhere close to what you'd get from a random truck in California. If, however, you want food that most closely approximates the good stuff, you should head up to the so-called "Little Mexico" on Kenilworth Avenue in Bladensburg. El Tapatio is perhaps the best of the small lot up there.
37, I wrote 32 & 33 & I'm not contradicting myself. 1st, I didn't write that SF & NYC have the best ethnic food (heck, the San Gabriel Valley in SoCal has better Chinese than anything in SF), though they do have better ethnic food than DC. To the extent that SF & NYC do have the "best" ethnic food, the best is to be found in the suburbs & cheaper/less gentrified areas (e.g., Queens in NY has better Chinese than Chinatown). I think the fact that the inner city places are also better than DC is more of a function of the sheer size & density of their ethnic populations & greater competition among restaurants (e.g., SF has @ least 3 Chinatowns).
2nd, having lived in the Bay Area in college, I agree that SF is a backwater on many fronts (despite its reputation for cosmopolitanism), but not when it comes to food. For foodies, SF is a big player.
Finally, aside from ethnic demographics, I mentioned the high cost of living *&* the shortage of creative types as impacting the food industry & both NYC & SF have more creative types than DC (i.e., in my experience, struggling actors make better waiters than struggling foreign affairs PhD candidates).