Cafe Citron

I used to LOVE this place. I recently took a friend to cheer her up because she was going thru a hard time. We got there and asked about the specials for the evening, we thought we missed the special priced food for the night (free appetizer with drink purchase) but the bartender told us the specials were until 9 pm. Cool. We went for happy hour mind you and were expecting 2 of our appetizers to be free, because that was the special deal that day . We got the $95 check and neither of our appetizers were free. I called the manager over and she told us the deal ended at 7. I told her the bartender told us otherwise and she took one of our appetizers off but said the other one was 'premium' and was not apart of the special. She was very nice and sweet our entire visit and I really appreciated her. I had ordered a guacamole arapea to take home to eat later. To my disappointment there was literally nothing in the $10 arapea other than cheese. I might give them one more chance because of the manager that night, but this was a highly disappointing visit

I visited Café Citron this weekend while in DC and had a great time overall! The wait to get in was long, but once inside, it made sense. Great drinks, music, dancing, and a lively Latin vibe that made for a fun night. However, I was really disappointed by one experience. Around 3 a.m., after lots of dancing and drinks, I asked a bartender for a glass of water. She smirked and said no, offering instead to sell me a bottle for $5. She said unless I bought a drink directly from her, she wouldn’t give me even a cup of water. I was shocked! especially since denying water to customers, particularly in a bar setting unless they purchase an additional drink, doesn’t seem right and is illegal. I had already spent quite a bit at the bar and simply needed water. It left a sour taste after an otherwise great night. I hope management sees this and addresses this with their staff. I left shortly after because of how unethical it felt.

I had a very bad experience at Café Citron. My phone was stolen inside the venue, and when I tried to speak with the manager, César Cadavid, to request camera footage (there was a camera directly in front of where it happened), he completely refused to help and showed zero empathy about the situation. He didn’t make any effort to assist or even listen with basic concern. Honestly, this shows a total lack of responsibility and humanity from the management. I do not recommend this place at all.

A friend of mine was physically attacked here, and the management did not help her. Recently A friend had her phone stolen directly in front of one of the security cameras. The manager, Cesar, said that he was UNABLE allow us to review the tape, or share it with us, because of a privacy law. I spoke to an attorney, and they confirmed that there is no such law. Based on what I have heard from other people, it seems like there might be some sort of racketeering operation going on. Friends have claimed that the management is aware of a problem where women are being drugged, and refusing to do anything about it.

Lina is the best server I have had in a long time. It was our friend birthday and she brought a horn, lights, sign and had shots ready - it changed the whole vibe! We had a blast!

If you want someone who will remember your order and is super friendly I recommend Mandy. I received my drink order less 2 minutes. Mandy is newer here but I believe she will make top sales soon.

It is a good place to go dancing, if you’re into Latin music this is the place. We had a great time. We didn’t get anything to eat that’s why I didn’t rate it. It could have a better space organization and decoration, the atmosphere could be better with this. The rest was ok.

I got charged an estimated 20.00 dollars for 2 [two] very small tiny 7 oz cups of ginger ale along with a mandatory tipping fee Essentially the waitress charged me almost 20.00 dollars for 1 can of soda. This is textbook PRICE GOUGING!!! When they wanted open up the dance this guy very rudely made everyone sitting move and snatched the stools away. 2 small cup of ginger ale should not cost 20.00 dollars. I’m never going back to the price GOUGING bar again!!

I CALL IT OLD FAITHFUL !! After trying to dance and have some fun at 3 other spots in Dupont (trying to find a new vibe), we ended up where we always know we'll have fun. The DJ (and his wife!) were fantastic, and the free friday shots were flowing ! The bartenders were generous, and the crowd well behaved for the most part... always solid !

Food service ambiance The place the BEST FOOD DRINKS MUSIC Clean place ! She is very kind

Wow, what a fun experience. While I've heard about the dancing at night, I decided to try it for their food. With great happy hour menus (there's a main one and one each day and different times 6-8, and 7-9), it offers a diverse selection of food. I shared a Planchitas Sampler with one other person and it was a perfect amount of food. While usually not a fan of chicharrón, I really enjoyed theirs, but was not a big fan of the chicken. I did enjoy the yuca and plantains! For the drinks, the Bichota is on the sweeter side but otherwise a fun drink and the one I'd recommend The setting is a dark space. I would recommend coming for the dancing over the food, but it's not a bad restaurant to try

I went there with my sister and brother and The attention is terrible, the security are spoiled. The Bouncers name is Cesar my sister and I felt harassed by him.

Celebrated a birthday at Cafe Citron last night and it was great. We ate dinner there, I had the planchitas to share (honestly it could have been shared with 4 people), it was so good. After dinner, it turned into a party and we danced the night away. Young or older, you're in for a fun night at CC.

great ambiance and awesome music!!! drinks are cheap and perfect place in dc for dancing!!

Super creepy place for a variety of reasons. Don't recommend coming here. - the people hanging out around the bouncer seem VERY creepy. the recognize you after a whole week. they point it out to you. it's a very scary experience. - the place seems a bit racist with who they let in and don't - this place lacks morals. they only do bag checks on minorities - my friends' wallet was stolen here and management did nothing to help her with this. no empathy, not offering to show security tapes, etc. - crowded and overpriced

This place was amazing! The food was amazing! The service was fantastic! We had a huge variety of things in our group and it was all delicious. Especially enjoyed were the arepas with any filling, the empanadas, and the plátano madura. We are visiting, but we'd go back anytime!

I came here back to back. Once was for the club and ones was for the restaurant. My impressions of the club were that it was a nice vibe, however I would like to see more concrete variety of music playing on the different floors for example, have Reggaeton on one floor, but Chatta on one floor, EDM on another floor etc. I do not like EDM music at all and it was weird hearing it in the middle of Reggaeton... also one of the bars tried to charge me $5 for water. Um... no! As for the dinner, my friends and I had a lot of fun and I really enjoyed my meal. While my meal was enjoyable, I had very limited options on the menu. This restaurant definitely needs some improvements on accommodating for people with dietary restrictions. Literally the only thing on the entire menu that I could eat was the rice and beans and plantains. Like I said, the meal was great, but it's very frustrating to go to a restaurant and have almost no options.

This is not a safe space. The security is irresponsible and at times dangerous. Shoved my friend against the wall. I will not be returning.

Food was okay. The service was great. The atmosphere was very good too! Definitely going back.

The music here is next level. I went here with my friend for her birthday and it was so much fun! The drinks were pretty decent and the price wasn't all too bad. My friend got a little too drunk so the bartender and one of the bouncers gave us water unprompted. The first floor is a little small for dancing but I would come here again

This place is good if you want a night of Latin dancing. PROs: -the drinks were reasonably priced -there is a full menu of food available until 10pm -the music was great: started with salsa and then they played more modern stuff CONs: -the place is small -no dance floor on first floor -was extremely crowded by midnight they stopped letting people in Overall not bad, we had a good time.

This place had such a fun atmosphere. There it's tons of cute decor and Latin music! The food is also very authentic to Latin culture which I appreciate! I would recommend the regular margarita because the strawberry margarita was a little too sweet. And the arepa con queso is delicious!

Came here for the beautiful decor and lively atmosphere but the food was surprisingly really great. I'm still thinking about that lomo saltado! Came here in a large group for dinner so we sat on the balcony. Drinks were strong and although the food took a while to come out, the lomo saltado, beef/chicken empanadas, and tacos were all great. Service was also great (I think being up in the balcony leads to more attentive service because the bartender is right next to you). Music is very loud so don't come here if you want to have a conversation, but the dancing started around 10-11.

Visiting from out of town. I came on a Wednesday and it was poppin! I had no bad experiences. The vibe was great and the service was great. The drinks I got were about $13.50, which wasn't as expensive as where I'm from. They do add a 20% gratitude to ever check, so beware. I didn't mind it because the service was great and I was prepared for more expensive drinks. Friend and I also came at the end of the night, so free shots were being given (not sure if that's always a thing). Highly recommend!

came into my city to visit & never been here but my spanish friends brought me & let me tell ya.. DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!! line was long as dirt but FREE ENTRY!!!! the music is mainly latin upbeat/etc but the tend to slide in some trendy english music. i speak/understand spanish a bit so i was fine lol drinks was LIKE DAAAT & wasn't too pricey!!! when i say jumping... i thought we was gonna bust the floor. when i move back, watch out lmaooo ISSA PARTY!!!!

This place and food are horrible. Taste was awful. Ordered chicharrones and lomo salteado and the cook there has no idea what he is cooking. The food was not seasoned, very bland and chicharrones were not crunchy at all. I would not recommend this place to anyone.​​​​​​​​​​

Service was amazing and so where the drinks. The staff where very friendly and they salsa dance classes going on downstairs. The vibe is cool and trendy. I went for the first time with my friends for my 21st birthday a month ago and we had a great time! I will most definitely come back

Great lively joint with surprisingly good and authentic food. DJ was definitely rocking it!!

First I'll rate the place in whole: Food is excellent. Great portions and prices. Place is super clean and fun. Awesome music. Next the special review: Ernesto, the manager of Cafe Citron went above and beyond for us!! We are so thankful for him! I called him a day before our anniversary celebration asking if they had anything special they could do for an anniversary package. It had been almost 3 years since my husband had been able to get away for our anniversary due to the pandemic and him being terribly sick before and in the hospital. We were finally ready to go out this year and have a good time. Ernesto explained that although they didn't have anything there to offer, he would help me devise a plan. He went above and beyond, picking up & decorating with the decorations I had ordered, and offering us a spot to park right out front of the place! He and the rest of the staff were so attentive with any need or want we had the whole night. It made for a special experience we will remember the rest of our lives. We will definitely be back! And Ernesto definitely deserves a raise!

Walked in early for a drink. There was no crowd so being a visitor I attempted small talk with the waitress who totally disrespected me after asking a simple question. She waved me off like I was some sort of idiot. Never treated so rude. I dumped my $20 drink out and walked out. I'd never waste my time and money to be so disrespected!!! Her rudeness alone earned this place 1 Star.

We went at a late hour where they still served dinner but eventually turned more into what felt like a night club. If you are looking for a place to grab a bite to eat have drinks and listen to music this a great option for a night out.

A real Latin American style club (at least late night). Busy, bustling, crowded, pulsing latin beats, well-dressed pretty people, people dancing on the booths, staff dancing on the bar-- it's easily the closest I've found in the area (maybe in the US) to the dance clubs I've seen in Latin America. There's 3 levels, a quieter basement, a high-ceiling main floor, and a part-floor overlook upstairs. I love this sort of layout, rather than just one big room. It's not perfect-- service varies a lot depending on the bartender and the crowd. Mixed drinks feel like short pours. The bathroom situation is not great. And those crowds can make it hard to move. But if you know what a proper latin club feels like, you'll enjoy what Cafe Citron has to offer.

Worse place ever I went to go drink with friends for a birthday celebration I bought two long islands and gave him a $50 and he refuse to give me change and only gave me a $5 and then accused me of buying more drinks even though I was with one friend. Long story short by my math I lost 25 dollars. Would not recommend to anyone ever. Have witnesses to Bad service

I've been here I would say a little too many times. I love the vibe and music. Wednesdays, they have salsa classes, and they are FREE. Classes are amazing. Orlando is a great teacher, he makes the classes fun and interactive. Excited to keep continue coming and learning. Weekends are a must go. All three rooms get packed. I can even go on a weekday and enjoy some good reggaeton music with a drink. It is also a great place to meet new friends.

Stopped by for some drinks after dinner. Drinks were horrible, and I hate making these kind of reviews. I didn't try any food so to be fair this review is solely based on drinks and service. But to charge so much for pitchers and give us a full pitcher of sweet and sour mix just doesn't cut it. We tried to send it back and just get shots and the server said there is no sending it back she'll bring us more tequila. Dumped a cup of tequila in the pitcher which did nothing. We then told her again we are sorry but we just didn't want the pitcher, she handed us another cup of a different tequila and said it was the best she can do. We didn't drink the pitcher and wasted $45 bucks. Vibe was cool and music was great but that was really the only reason I gave it 2 stars.

Pranced upon this bar randomly as we passed by and so glad we did! There was a random Vday bar crawl so we took part for only a little while but it was fun while it lasted. Dj played great Latin songs for dancing and salsa dancing. Good music, lively crowd, good drinks, and cute decor! There is a basement and upstairs level too but we didn't get to them. The crowd was a bit young though, not gonna lie.. maybe 21-25 (maybe even some younger). The only annoyances were these same few guys that kept interrupting our dancing when we were clearly not interested.

My favorite place for watching any sort of South American futból. Seriously. The goal celebrations alone are worth the visit, and the food is solid to boot.

We went for the mojitos and felt like we were in a club! Such a fun atmosphere and friendly staff. The food was good too!

I was good for happy hour. 6 dollar margarita can't really beat that until the bartender charges me DOUBLE! For happy hour drinks. 2 drinks for $26 goddam! Prolly won't come back here.. they charged me for premium shots as well when I clearly ordered basic... so yeahhh def not coming back here.

Good space, good music, good drinks. I like coming here when I'm in town because the music is pretty good! If you get there too early though, they play a lot of house mixes. I also love the love drumming! It does get a bit packed, so if you find a good corner near the wall, don't move or someone will take it!

Overal it had good food. Previous reviews rated the place for 30 years and over but there were too many young adults present, not my crowd.

I only party there at night. I'd recommend on going on a Friday night and with some friends. Caution: Saturday nights gets super packed. If you are claustrophobic, then I wouldn't recommend, especially the basement gets super packed.

I couldn't bring myself to write this review for a while because I didn't want to relive the night I had at Cafe Citron, but I think it's important to tell the public and inform management. I tried to contact management through the website but couldn't find a contact. On Saturday, November 16th, we had a party of about 12 people in the basement. We each had only a couple drinks at this point when I see one of the girls from our group start crying and saying, "I don't want to do this anymore, I'm leaving" to a bouncer. I approach the bouncer and ask him what happened and if she's okay (I wasn't close to her and didn't have her number to call). He told me "that's none of your business how she is." I proceeded to tell him that it is my business, she's part of our group and I wanted to know what would be appropriate for me to do. The bouncer interpreted my response as a threat to his position and went on a power trip. This 6 foot something, large man started yelling at me. He hovered over me and yelled obscenities. He told me he was kicking me out for challenging his authority. At this point I get scared and just walk away to the other side of the bar, hoping he leaves me alone. He followed me and continued to yell at me. I got my phone out to try and record him in case he got physical. But that angered him more. I got up and went upstairs where I went to another bouncer who was manning the door. He took me outside to talk to me. He said he could tell I was sober and to just stay upstairs and away from the downstairs bouncer (because even he didn't want to deal with him). The basement bouncer then found me outside and ran out to us pointing his finger and yelling more at me. The upstairs bouncer told him to go back downstairs a few times before he did. I told the upstairs bouncer I wanted to leave but was too scared to go get my coat downstairs so he escorted me downstairs to get it. My friends saw and followed me out. Oh. And what happened to our friend who left crying? We found her alone on the street and she said that while she was getting her coat from our pile of coats, the downstairs bouncer accused her of stealing and yelled at her. She got scared and embarrassed and left. So there's that.

I have been to Citron a twice now. The previous time was without incident. But just tonight, a bouncer abruptly put his hands on my shoulders around 1:30 am and proceeded to pull me toward the exit. I was with my friends, and I wasn't intoxicated or unruly, nor had I done anything to merit being deserved thrown out. And yet I repeatedly asked this bouncer, "Why am I being kicked out?" and he just kept saying, "It's time to go." Thanks to this bouncer, I was separated from my group of friends and left stranded out in Dupont. I spent about an hour unsuccessfully trying to get into the Dupont Metro station to warm up because my friends had already left, and this bouncer had just taken it upon himself to kick me out for reasons he wouldn't even explain to me. Based on the conduct of this bouncer, I feel Citron doesn't care about the safety and well-being of its patrons, and I can't in good conscience recommend anyone else go there. If you want to go out and have fun on the weekend, I don't feel Citron will have your best interest at heart.

Fun bar for some salsa dancing and cheap drinks on a friday night. They have salsa dancing classes most days of the week. The crowd that goes here: Mostly mid 30s, some couples. But honestly even if you're 20's its a good time. Everyone here just wants to have fun. All good vibes. -max

Kind of a dive with not so good customer service. Ceviche and something else I ordered was surprisingly delicious. We got the impression that they are not used to patrons who come for the food--early evening yet several things listed on the menu not available. We weren't interested in dancing there, however we would order take out from them at a future time.

Not a fan! The place is fun if you like very, very loud people. Drinks were ok, entertainment was fun, and service was good, I just couldn't get over the in your face type of loudness.

Wow. I am speechless. Yet so many words to say. It was cinco de mayo. Expected a fun night. Made a reservation 1 week in advance but apparently that does not mean anything. 40 minutes til drink order was taken. We are going on 2 hours here without food. No free cheap tequila shots could possibly make up for the lack of professionalism. Do not come here if you want to eat or drink - just if you want to hear loud music and drink watered down margaritas. Xo

I'm giving this place two stars based on my experience with a Bartender that was poor in customer interaction and seemed to just try to show off more then his position. He stopped serving me after my first drink to which I was okay with so I just went to another Bartender to which he told not to server me. I was fully aware there wasn't a good reason I shouldn't be served so I asked the second Bartender what I could do. (I would have left but my friends were there and my roommate was taking back to our place out in VA, so to not cut his good time short I opted to find a solution.) The manager was nice and he understood. He analyzed the situation and so no probable cause for me not to be served after speaking with both myself and the original Bartender. I was served and that was great but the guy kept being mean and bitter the rest of the time I was there. I don't understand why he was like that but I wish it wouldn't have been like that because the music was great, the enviorment was lit. Everyone seemed to be having a good time and I did too for the most part expect for my interaction with the male Bartender. P.S. The Yelp Check-In Offer is only during Happy Hour according to him if you want to buy the $6 mojito.

I like latino music and i came out with friend of my to enjoy my night at Cafe Citron! Unfortunately the security guy was unprofessional and disrespectful!. As soon as i got my drink he asked to get up and took the bar stool with certain manners! This place needs a new security crew. I wouldnt recommend this place to anyone!

I've come to this spot a couple times. Over all I've learned a couple things. The drinks are not super strong and a little on the pricey side. The food is pretty good and depending on what you get is either over priced or under priced. But I still like it. My favorite thing about this place is the dancing and dance lessons. I've seen a bachata lesson that loooked super fun so I went back and actually participated in a salsa lesson. It was so much fun. I had a blast. The instructor is funny and informative. I definitely thought I was the worst dancer there but I didn't feel like I was being stared at. I'll go back.

We had a reservation for two on a Saturday night. We arrived on time for the happy-hour menu, so we decided to order a Passion Fruit Margarita Pitcher and arepas. Since we only ordered one dish, I don't think that I'm qualified to say if the overall food is good or bad. What I can say, however, is that the arepas weren't great. The Margarita Pitcher was a bit too sweet and the tequila to passion fruit ratio was off. In terms of the overall ambiance, the place has an in-house Dj. There isn't much happening from 7-11 pm. It picked up afterward since there was a line to get in. Overall, it didn't meet my expectations. I was expecting to be a Latin lounge/bar with more Latin music and better food instead of Americanize Latin food and playing pop and EDM music.

good vibe and lots more great people. not sure on drinks since we only got patron shot but seems reasonable for everyone.

Horrible experience. I am of age and was harassed by 3 bouncers for having a "fake" ID. I understand being thorough but this was unnecessary. I do not know how the vetting process is but clearly they are not trained well enough to tell the difference since my ID was in fact real. Bouncers we're overall extremely rude, hostile, and it was extremely embarrassing-- I had to fight for them to hand me my ID back and then after my friends got involved they finally let me in. Will not be giving them my business and avoid this establishment if you want to have a good night out.

I have so many memories in this place, always dancing. Tonight we stop by for a few hours to get our dance on. As always the DJ was on the spot with great vibes.

I would rate this 4.5 stars if Yelp would allow me. I was afraid to make reservations for my friends birthday after reading Yelp reviews. I took a dive and did it anyway because that's what cool Yelpers do... ignore Yelp reviews and experience $hit firsthand. I made dinner reservations for a Saturday night for 8. For $15 they covered the table with metallic confetti and had a patron bottle with helium balloons and sparkle sticks. Nice touch. They gave my friend a slice of fudge chocolate cake with a sparkler and everyone at the table complimentary shots. Loved it. It really added a nice touch from the establishment. The waitress we had was so sweet and attentive. The food was quite awesome! The cheese, chicken and beef empanadas were delicious. Ceviche was on point. We all enjoyed the food we ordered. Around 10:00 they moved some chairs on the main floor and it turned into another dance floor. I didn't give it 5 stars because the music mix wasn't the best. Throw in a top 40 song every now and then Mr. DJ. I thought they would mix better or have better music. I would return for dinner, not dancing. Even though there are 3 floors you'll feel crammed like a sardine in a can.

We had a reservation at 8 pm and they didn't bring our food out until 10 PM AND IT WASN'T EVEN CORRECT. The service was absolutely trash.

AMAZING place !!! Delicious food and great hand crafted cocktails ! The best margaritas and mojitos I've tried in the entire Washington DC (that's actually what this place is famous for and why I decided to give it a visit). The music, ambience and vibe made me feel like I was somewhere in Latin America. So if you want to submerge in Latin culture, learn or practice some Spanish, dance some Salsa, or just simply go out to a nice bar/lounge/restaurant or club they do have all that. They even have some Spanish classes for ppl who want to practice their knowledge of Spanish. And there are FREE Salsa classes for those who are interested in learning how to dance !