Super Bowl weekend is more synonymous with cheesy, saucy foods than it is with a football game. Back in 2014, we provided you with some great options for the MVP of Super Bowl snacks—nachos. But since then, the nacho scene in D.C. has only expanded. You might think that we’ve long passed the point of innovation when it comes to cheese on chips, but you’d be wrong. The basic formula for nachos continues to see new tweaks. To many delicious bites! Let us know in the comments if we missed your favorite.—Rachel Kurzius
The ’87 Cutlass Supreme nachos at Texas Jack’s. (Photo by Travis Mitchell)
TEXAS JACK’S: Clarendon’s newest barbecue restaurant is drawing rave reviews for its succulent smoked meats. The restaurant features some excellent sides, including the ’87 Cutlass Supreme nachos, which come in two sizes and are great for sharing or eating as a meal. They’re topped with cheese and hot sauces, cilantro, and green onions. Go all the way and add some smokey pulled pork or brisket on top, too. You can score them for a slight discount during weekday happy hour at the bar from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.—Travis Mitchell
Texas Jack’s is located at 2761 Washington Blvd, Arlington, VA.
TONIC: If you’re a nacho enthusiast looking something a little unconventional (read: delicious), the absolutely genius tot-chos of Tonic Restaurant are for you. That’s right. The culinary madmen at Tonic have replaced tortilla chips with tater tots, piling those golden brown potatoes high with chicken, black beans, jalapenos, salsa, guacamole, and, of course, cheese. So much cheese. Each order of tot-chos gives you a heaping helping, so don’t worry about running out when your happy hour mates inevitably start stealing off your plate.—Jonelle Walker
Tonic Restaurant is located at 2036 G Street NW.
TRUSTY’S: Trusty’s has the best nachos in D.C. No question, full stop, theirs are the best. I’ll admit it, I’m just as surprised as you are. In my eyes the best nachos are ones where the chips are fresh, layered with nicely chopped vegetables, and where cheese is not of the highly processed variety. Trusty’s does not provide the kind of nachos that I tend to prefer (or so I thought). We’re talking dive-bar-bowling-alley-rough-night-bad-dreams-regret-your-life-extra-three-hours-at-the-gym nachos. An Everest of corn chips arrives, loaded with nacho cheese, black beans, tomato, onion, salsa, and a veritable river of sour cream. An extra dollar (one dollar!) gets you the addition of either beef or chicken chili. You’ll hate yourself afterwards, but no other nachos in D.C. will get your neurons firing in quite the same way. Just make sure to order them with a friend, because eating a full portion alone might send you to the morgue with an embolism.”—Jacob Dean
Trusty’s is located at 1420 Pennsylvania Ave SE.
EL REY: The key to excellent nachos is balance, balance, balance. There’s nothing worse than eating the top layer of chips, only to find that you’ve also finished off all of the toppings (which should also be layered throughout the overlapping chips). El Rey, in its infinite wisdom, makes sure that chips at the bottom get just as much queso, jalapenos, beans (beans! the most underrated and essential part of any great nacho), and cilantro as those on top. For $3 more (the nachos are $7), you can add your choice of carne asada, al pastor pork, or chicken. My special recommendation is to order the nachos out of the take-out window on a drunken Saturday night and plop down to munch them on a nearby bench so you can watch the revelry on U Street unfold.—Rachel Kurzius
El Rey is located at 919 U Street NW.
HARD TIMES CAFE: My favorite food to get during a Nationals game at the Park is the veggie chili nachos at Hard Times just behind section 105. I always feel bad for people when I see them with those regular stadium nachos with a sad side of boring old cheese dip. Nachos from Hard Times come with a heaping pile of chili (veggie or meat), jalapeños and shredded cheese. Top them with chopped onions and peppers, and grab a couple forks because these nachos are a full meal built for two. In the off-season and throughout the year, you can enjoy your nachos feast at any Hard Times location in the area.—Lynne Venart
Hard Times Cafe has multiple locations in the D.C. area.
ROSA MEXICANO: Nacho enthusiasts generally take cheese as a given, but Rosa Mexicano raises the bar by including three varieties on its nachos: white cheddar, queso fresco, and Menomita. It also includes guacamole as a given, which deserves a nice round of applause considering how many places charge extra for it. I’m often skeptical of nachos from chain restaurants, but this version is far more than an obligatory menu entry.—Rachel Kurzius
Rosa Mexicano is located at 575 7th Street NW.
WICKED BLOOM: I’m lucky because Wicked Bloom is a short (less than five minutes, seriously) walk from my house, which meant that on Friday, January 22, as Snowzilla was setting in, I rounded up the neighbors so we could all trek to the bar … for nachos. It takes seriously good bar food to really compete with drinks, but the brisket chili nachos at Wicked Bloom do the trick. You may think you don’t need brisket and chili on your nachos, and you’d be wrong. The entire dish is peppered with the smoky hallmark of DCity Smokehouse barbecue, given extra bite with fresh cilantro, and slathered in cheese (as all proper nachos are). Pile a chip high, dunk it into sour cream, and you’ll forget things like staring down hours of shoveling.—Elizabeth Traynor
Wicked Bloom DC Social Club is located at 1540 North Capitol Street NW.
OLD GLORY: This Georgetown BBQ spot’s nachos are loaded as they come—atop a bed of homemade tortilla chips you’ll find all of the usual suspects: lots of cheddar cheese, guacamole, jalapeños, sour cream, pico de gallo, and even some fritos. What makes “Old Glory Style” nachos special is the choice of meat you can add, including chili, brisket, and chicken. Wash it all down with Old Glory’s extensive bourbon collection.—Rachel Kurzius
Old Glory Bar-B-Que is located at 3139 M St NW.
See Part 1 of the area’s best nachos.
