El Rey Navy Yard

Came here after the DC United soccer game! It was around 10:30pm and it was still open and I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did. The tacos were absolutely delicious. I tried the spicy margarita and if you like spice that’s a go to!

Tried El Ray's navy yard location because I enjoy their U St location and it's sort of a let down. The menu is limited, if you're going for happy hour only the nachos are on their menu. I did enjoy the drinks. The service was quick and the people were nice. Overall if you're looking for food I'd go somewhere else, there are plenty of options for food and happy hour food in navy yard. The views are the highlight, I'd come back to grab a drink but I'd eat somewhere else. If you're a fan of their U St location I'd lower your expectations. I'm assuming they opened this location with the intentions of this not to be a full restaurant.

Omg the absolute best tacos I've ever had!! Super fun atmosphere. Friendly staff. Amazing food. Menu is small but the food is delicious. They even have this sweet potato taco that is OH EM GEE. I love meat but darn that was so good!!

Came in here to have a cocktail after friends couldn’t decided where to go. Classic Wednesday drama! Ended up getting the frozen seasonal cocktails and they didn’t disappoint. The service was even better. Please ask for Greg if you come in.

I used to live near the Ballston location, so I was excited to see that a new El Rey location was opening up near me in Navy Yard! Came on a Thursday night as a group of two, no wait for a table (first come first serve). Our food came out very quickly after ordering which was nice! I wasn’t a huge fan of the guacamole, but I enjoyed the hamburguesa tacos and the pollo Al pastor tacos. The biggest disappointment is that the Navy Yard menu isn’t as extensive as the Ballston menu (this one is primarily tacos with a few apps, whereas Ballston had nachos, quesadillas, burritos, wings, and more). Not sure if this is because they just opened or if it’s always going to be this limited. Will definitely return when the weather warms up to sit outside on the waterfront patio.

3.5* Appetizers were okay. Nothing special about the guac, didn’t have much flavor in my opinion. Tacos were good, especially the fish and shrimp. Service was really fast, at least when we were there, which was right when they opened so they weren’t busy. The servers were nice too. One thing that put me off is they have no high chairs. I feel like that’s a common courtesy and most restaurants in the area have them (can’t think of one that doesn’t). Maybe they only want a certain clientele.

Anacostia River and FDM Bridge views. Very nice staff who checks up on you at the right time. Vegan options! Or option at least. When I was there it was a sweet potato taco. 😅 Chill place for before & after the game.

I am pleasantly surprised by this place. It has a limited menu and drink selection but what they dont offer in volume, they make up for in taste and quality. Its seems modest in atmosphere but I am totally loving the drinks and food that I have been served.

I love a good happy hour and had been wanting to try El Rey before a Nationals game and it finally worked out this week. You can't beat the beautiful location overlooking the river. They have a nice outdoor seating area but we were hot and decided to eat inside in the A/C. We were shocked when the place was empty at 5:30 pm but realized that people were not eating out because of the federal occupation of DC. Very sad that businesses like this are being harmed... Anyway, we were given a lovely booth and quickly ordered traditional margaritas. I really loved mine, sweet, sour and nice and strong. We stuck to the happy hour menu for food and ordered the chicken tinga taquitos and the elote frito. We got two orders of the taquitos, which came 3 per order. They were packed with chicken and crispy, topped with onions, shredded lettuce, and a delicious crema (I could've used more of that, it was so good!). We shared the frito, which were four little corn fritters. Very tasty and moist. This was plenty of food to satisfy us. We had to have a second round of margs (definitely feeling happy at this point!) and couldn't resist the Dulce Churros for dessert. There was a long delay before the churros came out so our wonderful server, Mary, comped us for them. I have to say I wasn't sure about the chili chocolate sauce they came with but it was mighty tasty! Highly recommend. We really enjoyed our time at El Rey. We definitely want to go back.

I can definitely vouch for this spots tacos!! I've been here before, just their spot Uptown. I had no idea they were also at the Navy Yard!?! You know what that means right? Time to get some tacos!! Let's GO!! . Where I am: @elrey_dc . Location Reviewed: 79 Lotomac Ave., S.E. Washington D.C. . Items Reviewed: STAMP!! Their Cherry Limeade ($9 with cherry juice, lime juice, & soda water). Refreshing, sweet but sour!! STAMP!! Their Chips & Queso Chorizo ($13 with tortilla chips, melted queso, & chorizo). Get this!! Cheesy, a zing in that chorizo, I could eat a bucket of this!! I added guac for $6 too...STAMP! LIKE THAT! Their Elote Frito ($13 Cheesy sweet corn fritters, chipotle mayo, & Tajin). Sweet, savory, corny!! Round fried cornbread!! STAMP!! Their Chicken Quesadilla ($16 with grilled chicken, Oaxaca cheese, sour cream, pickled onions, salad, & lime creama in a flour tortilla). Juicy chicken, well seasoned, flour tortillas hit different to me!! The Tacos *2 per order* Their Hamburguesa Tacos ($15 with club sauce, shrettuce, American cheese, & pickles). Surprisingly tasty!! A we made burger in a tortilla!! LIKE THAT! Their Carne Asada Tacos ($14 with grilled flank steak, charred scallion salsa, queso fresco, & cilantro). Well seasoned steak, with that charred scallion taste!! STAMP!! Their Crispy Cod Tacos ($14 Masa fried with shaved cabbage, curtido, lime crema, & hot sauce). Beer battered Cod, crispy, & spicy!! STAMP!! Their Churros ($9 with cinnamon , sugar, & ancho chili chocolate sauce). The chocolate had heat to it!! . Customer Service: On Point. . Parking: Rough on the street, but it's paid garages everywhere. . Recommendations: Get that Quesadilla, & try that hamburger taco!! . Accessibility: It's wheelchair friendly, & it's differently abled persons friendly. 5 Stars=STAMP 4 1/2 Stars=LIKE THAT 4 Stars=DELICIOUS 3 Stars=DECENT 2 Stars=PASS 1 Star=NAH #Bigschlimsreviews

Waterfront restaurant? Don't mind if I dooooo! Ok this spot is a vibe, especially before a game! The indoor and outdoor space can't be beat. Awesome for small or large groups, just go! We kept it light with salt and pepper calamari, crispy cod tacos, nacho, a coke, and a HH margarita! Our favorite bites were the tacos and nachos, we didn't loveeeee the calamari and so wouldn't order again if we return (oh we willlll be back!) They take orders using an app, so be prepared for that! All in all, a cool experience!

The new El Rey location is at a beautiful location right by the water in Navy Yard. The space is really open and perfect for a summer day/evening grabbing food with friends. They have plenty of TV's scattered throughout and they also have the QR codes set up so that you can order your meal/drinks right away. What I didn't love so much about this location is that the food runners/servers never really checked up on you. They dropped food and then would go look off into the distance or start socializing on their phones. I say this because it was so difficult to talk to someone after receiving really bad guacamole. The guac tasted like it came from a package at Costco unfortunately. The Al pastor tacos were decent. They tasted fresh but the filling to taco ratio was not there. The meat was super skimp. After wanting one more taco my friend and I decided to split the cheeseburger taco and it was not good. Super greasy and lacked a sauce. For now I would only recommend this El Rey location if you're coming for drinks and a nice view. The food is a little off.

So the food is excellent! We ordered some hamburgesea tacos, some chips and quac, and the sheet pan nachos with steak. All were very delicious. We felt like the atmosphere of the restaurant was a nice vibe. Here's the thing you need to know. You basically seat yourself. Someone will bring you water. You will use the QR code at the table to see the menu, then open your own tab to order. A server will bring your food out, but other than that, no one will check on you unless you flag them down or add more to your tab. When finished, we closed out our tab online and paid. Here was our dilemma...do you tip typical restaurant tips? No one seated us, helped us with the menu, answered questions, or refilled water unless flagged down. I definitely would eat here again as the food was great, but just know the service is not typical.

My best Mexican spot in the neighbourhood, and in the best location. The good: service here was rapid. They use qr code ordering which I am not always thrilled with but the kitchen and servers were on top of their game with every order while we were there. The food was also great, I have not been thrilled with some of the other Mexican options in Navy Yard and was thrilled that this spot has opened up. The dining area is also a great evening hangout with a covered patio overlooking the river. The mediocre: I got nothing to complain about all fire. They even let me bring my dog! The bad: my only complaint is that this place is not closer to my apartment. See you at happy hour!!

If you are looking for authentic hispanic food and drinks, this is not the place. It's a bummer because this is such a great location and I had high hopes - but it seems to be more of a pre-game or post-game drinking spot with low quality food. Would not recommend.

El ray is a New Mexican restaurant in Navy Yard that opened this year. Food is average and service is horribly slow. If you are going there during game day, think again.

This place is pretty good in a nice day like today its 80 out and I sat outside with the breeze coming off the water. The food was good. You had to order from the code on the table. Which was cool. Be a nice spot for a hapoy hour. The food was like small like a tapas though. It was worth it.

The front dining area of El Rey is vibrant and inviting, setting the tone for a cozy and fun dinner experience. I had the carne asada taco, which was delicious -- the hot sauce added a nice extra kick. I paired it with chips and salsa and a refreshing cocktail, all of which hit the spot. Service was quick and smooth with no issues at all. I'll definitely be back!

Great food, quick and easy place! We got our food instantly, the quesadillas, pastor tacos and chorizo tacos were wonderful!

Food and Service was great. I got the short ribs and ate off the platter for days. The portions were huge.