It’s Cinco de Mayo, get your margarita on. (Photo at Espita Mezcaleria by Rey Lopez.)
It’s Cinco de Mayo, and it’s Thursday, which means this day is pretty much a loss. More widely celebrated in the U.S. than in Mexico, Americans often mistakenly refer to Cinco de Mayo as Mexican Independence Day (which is a different holiday altogether); May 5th is actually the observance of the Mexican Army’s victory over French occupiers in the Battle of Puebla, so French food would not definitely not be in order. While D.C. is more known for Salvadoran than Mexican food, you can be guaranteed a Cinco de Mayo celebration at most any restaurant featuring Central American food, so tackle that to-do list and skip out early for a little Franco-Mexican-fueled fiesta.
With 250 tequilas on hand, El Centro D.F. (two locations: 1819 14th Street NW and 1218 Wisconsin Avenue NW) is a likely spot for any observance of Mexico’s 1862 triumph. Starting at 4 p.m., diners can nosh on the $20 bottomless buffet, featuring tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, tostadas, and churros, along with $6 margaritas and $5 Mexican beers.
Agua 301 (301 Water Street SE) has been celebrating all week, but today you’ll find $3 bottles of Corona and their $6 Sauza margaritas, made with agave and a splash of fresh orange juice. Happy hour starts at 3:30 p.m., featuring spicy chipotle mussels, crispy battered fish tacos, and their version of a Philly cheesesteak, beef barbacoa flautas: shredded braised beef topped with caramelized onions, queso fundido, and roasted poblano rajas.
New kid on the block Espita Mezcaleria (1250 9th Street NW) is offering up $5 fried oyster tacos starting at 5 p.m.; guest mezcalier Arik Torren, founder of Fidencio Spirits, will be putting together customized flights of mezcal throughout the evening.
If you decide to skip out on work altogether, El Camino (108 Rhode Island Avenue NW) will hook you up beginning at 11 a.m. with such staples as taquitos and burritos, but you might want to check out the Plato Molcajete—a traditional Mexican dish with a mix of chicken, steak, shrimp and cactus served in a molacajete with rice, beans & tortillas for $24. Margaritas and sangria will be available by the glass or pitcher all day.
And while today may have dawned gloomy and chilly, some of us prefer to pretend that we’re basking in the Mexican sunshine and Cantina Marina (600 Water Street SW) is happy to indulge our fantasies starting at 11:30 a.m. While not strictly a Mexican restaurant, Cantina’s waterfront location provides the right backdrop and since Cinco de Mayo happens to fall on “Stay Thirsty Thursday”, we can load up on $4.50 Dos Equis pints while gorging on Super Nachos topped off with chili, shrimp, steak, andouille sausage, queso, and jalapeños.
Just outside D.C. city limits on the Orange Line, Fuego Cocina y Tequileria (2800 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington) is getting the party started at noon with authentic fare like Elote Loco—“Crazy Corn”—and vegetable empanadas. Margaritas will be on hand, of course, along with Fuego’s traditional Thursday cocktail, the Jarritos Paloma, made with Jarritos brand grapefruit soda, fresh lime juice, and tequila.
