El Camino

Had a lovely brunch at el Camino- I got the shrimp omelette and it was DELICIOUS! There was lots of big shrimp in the omelette. We sat outside on the patio and it was very pleasant.

Took some very picky eaters from out of town to this joint, and they seem to have enjoyed it. So that’s a win! Just FYI, the side order comes in massive portions, you do not need to order an extra rice and/or beans per person, probably one for 2-3 people.

El Camino is a fantastic neighborhood gem, boasting some of the finest steak tacos I've ever tasted in the District. But it's not just the tacos that shine here; their chicken mole is a standout, offering a generous portion bursting with the rich, complex flavors of mole sauce. The inviting "L" shaped bar is always bustling with a few locals, giving it a friendly and approachable vibe. The bartenders are attentive and skilled, ensuring that patrons are well taken care of, and the drinks are not only delicious but also reasonably priced. Additionally, I couldn't help but notice their camino steak dish, which had my mouth watering just looking at it. I can't wait to try it on my next visit! I highly recommend this establishment and look forward to making it a regular hangout.

It was okay. The food didn't have very much flavor. The salsa was cut up into big chunks that were hard to eat. Everything seemed under-salted. The food came with inexplicable buttered boiled broccoli. It tastes like a distant approximation to Mexican food. The steak was pretty good, though, and cooked perfectly.

I’ve been coming here for over 4 years. It’s been my spot and I’ve brought them so much business, but the last few times the treatment has been so bad — glaringly different. I noticed how they treat their white patrons in comparison to me, a black individual, and my black friends. I was really shocked by the switch in behavior, as I have been such a consistent and loyal customer, but no more!

Taco Tuesday is an exceptional deal. tacos delish, service wonderful, and sauces excellent.

I passed this place all the time and finally had the opportunity to eat here, we came for brunch. It's very small and displays local artists work and sells it which was cool. The food was not bad, we ordered the salsa & chips and guac for appetizers, they were good but we paid $10 for a small amount of guac. Then we ordered the Mexican breakfast torta which was good, the omelets which was also good, the chocolate chip cornmeal pancakes I didn't like them at all but the others did and, the French toast because it had orange juice marinated bananas, but they didn't come with it and when we asked the server they didn't know that it came with them and then came back to tell us they ran out. It bothered us a lot that we had to inquire and that they didn't notify us and honestly the French toast looked pretty pathetic and the cherries they were talking about were marichino not real cherries lol. Overall it was good but not great.

Definitely a good place to go to if you pass in the neighborhood and are looking for affordable Mexican food. The service is good and the food is worth the money. I just wish they would add more rice in the initial servings. However, the meat was great and cooked exactly as I asked.

Neighborhood gem!!! El Camino has had different owners, but the feeling of family remains the same. Admittedly, I used to go there for first dates (one of a few places I knew the staff would always keep an eye out)...and I've always made it home safe. Now, beyond that I have only one complaint... they removed the papas from the menu!! Friendly staff Good food consistently! Inside feels like abuelita's cocina Parking can be a pain I wish had a 4.5 to give, but alas these whole numbers!!!

I've gone here multiple times because it's a few blocks away. They have good tacos, nachos are $9 and any of the meat toppings are the same price. So $5 for steak, chicken, chorizo. The service is good, whenever they see your water is low they full it up and the service is super quick. It's good for an after work drink at the bar. So if you are by yourself it's good for that. It also has an outdoor space which is good for the spring and summer time.

I may be bias but El Camino has some of the best service and Mexican food in DC. Now listen it can be hard to find authentic Mexican food but they do a great job at it. Their drinks are 10x better and the crew managing this establishment always welcomes you in like family. If you haven't done so already... try their brunch. THATS a 5 star alone! I come here all the time and they have never disappointed.

Finally stopped in here I pass this place all the time on Rhode Island and it is typically a busy spot. They have great margaritas there are many different flavors and you can get them frozen or traditional. We also tried the fried plantains and the ceviche. All really good and serving traditional Latin American food. Service was great and several TV's inside and out where you can catch the game. They also have a killer happy hour and I would definitely go back to this place.

El Camino has tons of outdoor seating, as well as bar/table seating inside. The food here is so flavorful! They have tons of options on the menu and the pricing is very decent for the area. My favorite taco so far is the salmon taco, it's cooked so well, the sauce is also very creamy and flavorful! They have a great drink menu, with lots of mezcal options, which I really enjoyed. Sitting at the bar, Pedro has always been helpful and welcoming, he makes each drink with precision.

We pass this El Camino all the time while on Rhode Island Ave, and finally decided to try it. It did not disappoint! The wait staff was great and answered any and all questions we had. I have been twice (so far), and sat outside on both evenings. The first time I tried the El Camino steak, and the second was the Pollo en Mole. Both were great. There are so many options! My wife saw something in what I believed was a Grubhub menu that wasn't on their printed menu, and they accommodated her. I also had the nachos (not pictured). They were great as well. I shall return!

This has always been my favorite neighborhood spot. The quality in food & drink never waivers below phenomenal. I'm not sure who's back there seasoning/cooking their steak, but Food Network needs to get involved and spread that recipe far and wide. I sometimes find myself dreaming of my standing "steak quesadilla+ Mojito sub tequila" order. If it arrives in a short glass, I know I'm in for a fun evening Stop in for happy hour (beer+margarita specials) and Taco Tuesday ($1 off tacos) and join the El Camino Stan club!

I went to El Camino for the All Day Monday Happy Hour. The pre-made batches of margarita and sangria are well worth the price and are both flavors without being overly sweet; they're well balanced. The guacamole was freshly made and we were able to choose a spice level, which was new to me. The bartender was personable even as the restaurant became more busy towards dinner time. The music, staff and environment were authentic very much so resembling my experiences in Mexico.

Highly recommend, great food & service & ambiance. El Camino is a kitschy-cool spot with red-velvet booths serving Southern California-Mexican fare and Latin cocktails.

El Camino is a favorite for Sunday brunch! Was here with my family after mass at St Martins and food was great! Ordered the breakfast steak fajita & it was more than enough food with eggs & potatoes. Everything was well prepared & very flavorful. And hot food was served hot!(The cantaloupe was the best I have eaten all season!) Our group also ordered the salmon with veggies, rice & beans, a salad bowl, and pancakes. Everyone from ages 4 -73 was satisfied. And I should mention that they make a good cup of coffee too! The servers were excellent and the atmosphere was relaxed with good energy.

Ordered takeout for lunch as we've been trying to try smaller spots. Overall the food was decent. The staff are incredibly friendly and it was pretty quiet inside. The shrimp burrito was very yummy. Great amount of shrimp & the guac was delicious. Very fresh. The steak and eggs w/ potatoes was very mediocre. The steak was extremely well done which we're used to but this was VERY well done. Not much flavor in the rice and beans or potatoes. I think we would try other menu items to give it another shot but definitely not getting steak again. Overall it's fine so maybe we just need to branch out with our choices!

Closest to the real thing in DC I like the prices too! It's pretty cool and nifty and whatnot

Excellent food and service!! Top notch mexican food for the DC area. I really enjoyed the Burrito and Fajitas! Julio, one of the bartenders is great. Really personable and very attentive!! Had a great experience and will absolutely be back!

We are a huge fan of this restaurant ever since they reopened. We have been going there quite often. It's super convenient that they are just few steps away from our house. First of all, their service is amazing. We always prefer to sit at the bar. Both their bar tenders are very friendly and offer great recommendations about their drinks and food. We order Margaritas to start off while munching on their free chips and delicious salsa verde. For entrees, they have multiple options ranging from tacos, fajitas, plato grande (meat platter) and steak. I have had it all and love everything. The entree I order mostly depends on my mood. When I get back from a nice workout, I tend to order plato grande which comes with beef, chicken, shrimp, plantains, beans, rice, and sausage. It's humongous and easily serves three people. Absolutely love the taste. I recently ordered steak and it was so good. It was medium rare and served with broccoli, carrots and shrimp. Wow! These two entrees are perfect for me especially after my workout. For tacos, lamb barbacoa taco is my favorite. Absolutely love the way lamb is cooked. Their hot kinda salsa is spicy but delicious. I am thankful that they reopened and that they are just seconds away from our house. Extremely convenient to order out during these tough times. Hope they continue to do well. #thankyouthursday

Okay so I recently moved to DC from Georgia and have been dying for some good affordable hole in the wall Mexican food. And this is now my favorite place. It's down the street from me, the staff is friendly, the drinks are poured heavy, the salmon tacos are *chefs kiss* and don't even get me started on how good the guacamole is. My partner and I are able to get out of here for like $35 with an appetizer one drink a piece and tacos. Which in DC is a steal. Highly recommend. Oh and taco Tuesday's are a dollar off their tacos!!

Best nachos u can get in this buisness and tacos customer service is great in here and very friendly servers

Shame on you Yelpers for allowing this spot to only have 3.5 star! This spot is 5 stars all day everyday, 24/7 365! And I should know, I live right across the street and come here regularly. Not once have I been disappointed. I'm not going to tell you about the delicious menu and awesome food, service and drinks, go and find out for your self. What I will do is start a campaign to get EL CAMINO THE 5 stars they deserve! Yelpers unite and join me on my mission!!

This place is casual, delicious, and authentic. I'm originally from San Diego and I would add this to my list of stops if you're looking for good Mexican food. Not to mention the Micheladas hit the spot.

My friends and I had the best time here! The staff was absolutely incredible and so attentive! We had the quac, nachos, and each of us had fajitas and we were so impressed with how tasty everything was. We had (a few) pitchers of margaritas and they were delicious and we even got free shots with our check! I can't wait to go back!

Great food and service. Taco Tuesday deals. Definitely worth checking out. Didn't like that we didn't get an itemized bill - it seemed a but higher than expected.

The food was good. Only giving 3 stars because the service was horrible. You have to order inside and then sit outside to be served. The order taker wasn't very nice and seemed slightly annoyed. The service outside wasn't great either. All of the tables and chairs were in a pile and when they have a guest they put a set together. So we were sitting next to a pile of tables and chairs. Everything is paper.... plates, cups, utensils e.t.c. I just think with COVID restaurants should try to do more and not less. The more is in the customer service. Again food was outstanding. Everything else was blah.

Very good reasonably priced local Mexican spot in Bloomingdale. They have a small patio outside and tables are first come first served. With COVID, you have to order and pay inside and you have the option to carry out or sit at the patio where they will bring you your food which is all in take-out containers. I ordered tacos: mushroom and spinach, corn and queso fresco, and barbacoa. The barbacoa taco was great and not very overpowering. The vegetarian tacos also we're bad. Taco don't come with sour cream, pico de gallo, or guac so if you like those fixing with your tacos be sure to request them when you order. Ordered a side order of chips and guacamole as well. The guac was creamy and fresh but could have used some more lemon. The chips were a bit stale. The drinks were great, especially the frozen mango jalapeno margarita, definitely has a kick! You can get drinks and pitchers to go too!

Ordered three tacos to pickup. All of them were pretty good and I'll be glad to come back and try more. I just wish more of the toppings had been customized to the filling, and that the tortillas had been grilled or otherwise had a bit more texture. Came with a cilantro salsa that seemed delicious but was a little hot for my palette. Tinga: good sauce, tender chicken. Al pastor: enormous hunk of pork, and some pineapple chunks. My favorite of the three. Carnitas: tender, flavorful, thumbs up.

Super reasonably priced. The food is good, margs are great. Awesome happy hour deals.

I love this place. Have been coming here since moving to DC and had the best mojito hands down. The food isn't too expensive but super delicious. The place is reasonably dog friendly and the staff is super sweet and attentive. My fave dishes are the antojitos mixtos, saltados, carne asada, and the wide variety of tacos. Definitely swing by! Highly recommend!

The staff is super nice. This place is consistent in terms of dishes and food is solid with good portions. Veggie nachos are a delight - and love the plantains as well. Tacos are filling and drinks of the day are always great.

Decided to order delivery from here and the food was mediocre. Not only was it mediocre but we found multiple hairs in our food. We had ordered the lamb barbacoa and steak burritos with the coconut flan. The burritos were bland with very little filling but too much sauce on top. All filling was to the side in a separate container which was very confusing. Rice and beans were bland. Additionally the chips that came with the meal was stale. The only item that was decent was the coconut flan. Not ordering from here again.

The food is excellent. I had the Fried Whole Branzino. It was excellent. The staff is very friendly and I look forward to returning to try the Grilled Salmon.

This place is real good we're visiting DC from Miami and they have many Latin restaurants but this in particular was a very pleasant surprise. I recommend the huevos rancheros, enchiladas, pancakes, three tacos, and esquites. We ordered from their brunch menu. It's very cheap too I'm gonna miss it already when we leave.

Good food, great mango margaritas. The restaurant is quite small but wasn't crowded or cramped my any means

Definitely not bad at all. I would come back because the food was decent. Had a chicken burrito that I liked, but definitely not anything above pretty average.

I'm torn between giving this place 2 and 3 stars. To sum it up, my service was good and nothing was 'wrong' with my food or experience, but the food itself was lacking and subtlety more expensive than you'd expect for a Mexican restaurant on the smaller side in this part of town. I started with the margarita. At $8, not a bad deal necessarily. However, the drink was really small, the salt was only on half of the rim, and overall it just tasted overly salty and watered down--essentially not what you want for a drink you just paid $8 for. The food was similarly disappointing. I got the chicken taco, al pastor, and fish taco, and nothing really stood out. The fish taco was served with a heavily breaded fish which wasn't what I expected, and I couldn't get the small tortillas to stay together when I picked them up, so I ended up eating the tacos with my fork. The salsa we ordered to the table was tasty, but it seemed like it should have just been included. Essentially, go to El Chucho in Columbia Heights for better food or El Techo up the street for a better view. If my meal had been $20 instead of $30, this place might've gotten an extra star. However, the food quality and ambience of this place is not quite up to bar with the price point.

I feel like Yelp lied to me on this one, I eat a lot of authentic Mexican and I really don't even know what this is. As other reviewers have notes the $5 margarita is small, not severed in a traditional margarita glass, watery, sour, and was only salted on 1/8th of the rim. The chips and salsa is decent (not complimentary), but the salsa is severed in small box shaped dishes that the chips don't fit in. They were kind enough to let me order a half size of guacamole, which was fresh but lacked seasoning. I ordered a la carte, an al pastor Taco and a pollo asada. Al pastor was swimming in an overly sweet sauce while the chicken was dry. Meat and other fillings were scare, except for an abundance of tomatoes though. Tacos were wrapped in one small corn tortilla. The spicy corn was decent, however there was far too much crema sauce. Also, their refried beans are made with black beans, I am aware they are used in some parts of Mexico, but Tex-Mex and Northern Mexico normally uses pinto beans. I feel it is commonplace enough to use pinto; that black should have been specified. Also, side note I really dislike places that don't offer ice in water. I know it's fairly common, especially in the city but chilled water in the summer makes all the difference. But yes, disappointed sums this one up and it isn't cheap either.

Great authentic Mexican food. The Guacamole and Margaritas here are amazing. The service is great. I come here so often the waitress Jasmine knows my name!

If I could give 0 stars I would. I came to el Camino hoping for an enjoyable experience. Instead I experienced what I believe is covert racism and poor service to top it off. I ordered the hibiscus mule. It tasted like old gym shoes. I asked the server to switch out the drink.... Instead he told me that he hadn't received any other complaints (in a snarky tone). I told him I wasn't concerned about other customer reviews on the drink. He ended up switching out the drink for a Cadillac margarita. I had my legs resting on the chair to elevate (sometimes my ankle swells after a long day of walking). Another server/ or maybe manager walks over and tells me to put my legs down. I asked "excuse me" just to make Sure I heard him well... and he repeated himself. I oblige.... Because god forbid I'm labeled as an angry black woman. To top it off... I think chips and salsa are pretty standard at a "Mexican" restaurant. We got our chips and salsa 35 minutes after we'd been sitting down waiting for our freaking food. Would not recommend....& not coming back.

Loved the spicy mango margarita and my selection of tacos - chicken, salmon, and al pastor. I also ordered the esquites and they were full of flavor.

Stopped in for a nightcap & quick snack & Bartender Mick was pretty darn cool. He had a great personality & really enjoyed doing his job. Tried a new red wine since he didn't have Malbec & the glass of Prosecco was very good. I wasn't feeling the chips & salsa, expected a better homemade garden style salsa due to the Catina vibe. A good comeback spot for late night drinks though :-)

This place has reopened, but I'm very sorry to report it's lost a lot of its charm. The decor is cheaper than it used to be, and the food really isn't that good, both in terms of quality and flavor. My chicken mole was unappealing - it tasted like the mole came out of a can and about a quarter of the plate was taken up with unappetizing steamed broccoli. My friend's soltanes seemed to have been made with frozen French fries. Which would've been fine if the price reflected that, but it's a bit spendy. And the margarita tasted like it came from a mix. The place was deserted tonight, and I wish I'd left instead of wasting almost 60 bucks on a dinner I didn't enjoy in the slightest.

Food served on cool thrift-store Grandma plates! Quest fundido cheese has nice smoky does not melt well--not easy to manipulate an scoop on a tortilla. Think pizza cheese or melted sting cheese Pork shoulder quesadilla: same cheese. Don't let it get cold Bc the cheese solidified a bit. The pork is tender and has great flavor. The solid winner were the tacos. Fish and shrimp to be exact. The fish tacos were light and flavorful. Shrimp tacos were my second favorite. Tasted a little heavier, probably due to the spicy sauce drizzled on them. They have a late night happy hour 1030p to close with $5 drinks and $1 chips and salsa. FYI.

El Camino recently reopened. And rumor was similar to before but better food. I was thrilled at that prospect right in my neighborhood. We went earlier this week. The staff were very friendly and attentive. BUT the food was a great disappointment. I had the limo saltado, and it was extremely bland. And my fiancé had 3 tacos, which were bland and very dry. He didn't even eat the third one at all. Sadly, this looks like a place we won't be returning to.

The carnitas mole enchiladas are fantastic! Ask for more guacamole because it comes with some automatically but not enough in ny opinion.

Sloan: The water here is exceptionally crisp. The food takes a littleeee long to come out, but it is definitely worth it. I'm obsessed with the vibes. The ration of chips we received the first time we came here was a little sparse. However, on our second visit, we were met with a surplus of tortilla chips. Ava: sitting outside I am immediately transported to a pleasant --dare I say-- beach like setting. The star they have made out of lights is unfortunately lopsided.

This place is a not so hidden gem. My friend and I went in yesterday for dinner and had the best experience. We started off with the guacamole---get that, you will regret not getting it. We also got the habanero mango margaritas and OMG.....so good. I got the shrimp fajitas and my friend got the steak fajitas. Both came out quick and hot.I could tell from what was being served to us and those around us that they make everything fresh and I was super impressed. The wait staff is courteous, always around if you need them and just all around awesome. I will be going back as soon as possible!

I was out with a friend to get my mind off stuff. I don't get out much, so when I do, I'm determined to have fun. This poor place had to hear me unwind with my friend and that requires tequila, apparently. Thank you all for putting up with us I also feel like we should get compensated for our entertainment

More like 3.5 stars but decided it was good enough to round up. Stopped in on a whim for Saturday brunch (well we consulted an old post from "B!tches that Brunch"). We were a bit disappointed that the menu changed & other Yelp reviews, which we checked while there were underwhelming but we dived right in. The steak with eggs over medium came with home fries, black beans & fruit. The dish was very flavorful. The beau ordered the shrimp omlet which came with the same sides. Also very flavorful. He's very critical so when he likes the food, you know it's good. I was relieved that we got a good cook; we did play it safe with our selections but the food was very good! The restaurant traffic was light around 1230ish; we were one of two tables & our server was very attentive. We also got bottomless mimosas which were reasonably priced & were refilled promptly. The decor was a bit lackluster but I'm happy my food & dining experience were great. I admired the plants on the window ledge & the server very generously provided me a potted clipping of the plant to take home - I named it El Camino! We will be back to try dinner & happy hour.

Great drinks, tasty snacks, service is always over the top amazing. Go for frozen mango habanero margaritas, hibiscus mules, margs on the rocks, and loaded nachos.

So I def understand business are struggling however this business is horrible. The owner was our server so I would have thought she would have been more understanding. We were seated for an hour and 45 mins and when we inquired about our food we were told all kinds of stories. Patrons who were seated 40 mins after us ate and left and we were told they serve smallest orders to large so if you have a party larger than two I suggest you stay away from this place!!

Delicious food and great service. The lamb, corn, shrimp, chips were all amazing! Love this as our neighborhood spot.

Delicious traditional Mexican food - with all the fixin's (rice, beans, salsa fresca) .... good variety of dishes. Good vibe, charming environment, solid food presentation, and friendly service. It's not the same as the upscale place - but I'm okay with that - we need solid good diverse food in the neighborhood and this fits the bill perfectly. Kid friendly, salsa/chips served immediately, and yummy frozen drinks.

El Camino's front patio is probably the only thing it has going for it. Although people do tout their cheap happy hour, their margaritas are weak, watery, and sour, so I don't know that a $5 margarita there would even be enticing. We were there at 8:30pm on a Friday and thus forced to pay a whopping $33 for a pitcher! Most egregiously, they do not give you complimentary chips and salsa, which should be obligatory at every Mexican restaurant. Sucking it up, we opted to cough up the $2.50 anyway, but the waitress never brought any to our table because she had apparently forgotten. Sigh. In general, the servers seem very unhappy, which perhaps contributes to their lack of attention to detail and to friendly customer service. A couple of my friends had the tacos, which were nothing to write home about. It's a shame that El Camino is so mediocre because, given its location in a row of popular establishments and appealing patio, it could bring a lot of joy to the lives of Bloomingdale residents.