Taqueria Al Lado

Taqueria al Lado Opens in Adams Morgan With Top-Notch Tortillas and Open-Air Patio | Eater DC

"I found a casual Adams Morgan spot where Rolando Frias ties his Ecuadorian roots, schooling in Mexico and Canada, and Culinary School of America training into a focused tribute to Mexican street food that grinds its own masa on-site. Opened in late January next to Osteria al Volo (where he remains chef and partner), the concise one-page menu offers tacos ($4), quesadillas ($8), huaraches ($8) and salads ($12) with proteins such as al pastor (cooled with pineapple), lengua, chicken tinga, and a vegan jackfruit braised in an onion-tomato base; you’ll also find triangular masa tetelas from Oaxaca, where Frias traveled for research. Tempura-battered cod arrives on a handsome blue-corn tortilla with crunchy cabbage slaw and chipotle crema, and the nationwide birria craze appears here as chuck roast braised in a crimson broth (also as quesabirria with melty Oaxacan cheese); a duo of aguachiles and passionfruit pastries round out the menu, which is entirely gluten-free and will soon include an all-you-can-eat weekend brunch. Frias sources sacks of heirloom white olotillo corn from a small Oaxacan farm and nixtamalizes the corn on the premises—one of the few places in town to do so—treating it with lime, boiling, drying and grinding under volcanic stone so the single, strong, stretchy tortillas (not double-stacked) can hold the toppings. The refurbished space features an open kitchen and a heated, open-air back patio strung with lights and murals; it’s cozy and unpretentious, designed for everyday lunches where you can get a good meal and a drink for about $20. Cocktails receive attention too: staff press lemon and lime daily, tamarind appears in several drinks, and margaritas come frozen or on the rocks with tequila or mezcal, including options from small growers Frias wants to spotlight." - Evan Caplan