Haydee's Restaurant

This is a great place not only for the flavorful food, but also because a few nights a week they have great Kareoke parties, so come along and bring your friends or come to make new ones. You will have a great time.

Everything was delicious. We finished everything that night. Cheese papusa with pickled cabbage (traditional), plaintains, beef nachos.

Would you pay $22 for a fajita that is preheated beef strips with yellow rice and raw onions and bell peppers? No sides like sauce or guacamole or cheese or sour cream (those come at additional $1). We were asked to pre pay $40 at the entrance , to find out the food was not good at all. We went upstairs after having to order at the bar, but they forgot to give us forks so had to go downstairs to get them. After a while they opened the windows next to me because they needed to air up (it’s January) so I had to suffer the cold because it was too cold in the restaurant. Bottom line disappointment with a stomach ache. I am a local and not a picky person, never leave reviews unless it’s really really bad. So yeah.

Good food & drinks, and lovely live music. But one aspect of the decor bothered me enough to write a google review. I love the Pan-Caribbean flag decor in concept. But where is Haiti's flag?? They display flags inspired by Haiti (Colombia & Ecuador), and the flags of imperial countries (Spain & UK), but no flag of Haiti in sight. I hope that it's a minor oversight. But there needs to be a flag of Haiti displayed pronto because many of the other flags displayed would not exist if it were not for Haiti's revolution.

This place always feels like home! The fajitas and the quesadillas are really good and they have the kitchen open until late. A truly gem in the DMV Area.

Delicious 😋 Food and enjoyed the live music 🎶 🎵 👌 ❤️

My favorite place in DC! So much so that I have celebrated my birthday 4 times there. Karaoke is amazing and so is the atmosphere! Haydee and Mary are both amazing and pillars of their community. The only bar that feels like home!

I hosted an event here and Haydee made sure that everything went very smoothly. We had a wonderful time — everything from the food, to the music, to the service was excellent. 11/10 would recommend!

Just speaking on behalf of my karaoke experience here. I've never hung out on Mt Pleasant Street before, and this place has such an inviting interior. There's a bunch of tables, and the decor is dim, yet colorful... and the staff (and patrons) are super friendly! I dropped by on a karaoke night and, like another of my recently discovered spots, the songs run back to back with little break in between... and the DJ is nice too! I was able to sing a few songs and had an absolute blast. The bartender was really sweet -- sign at the DJ booth says you have to support the biz to sing (I don't think it was heavily enforced, but I was happy to), so I grabbed a drink since I was super full from food already. It was tasty and I had water (which was self-serve, kinda), for the rest of my time there. Given how the vibes were, I'd be eager to return to try the food. Great neighborhood staple!

Have no idea what the food is like. It's an old school dive bar and it was our after party post dinner party. Drinks are okay worth the pitcher of margs to keep the buzz going along with some fabulous Karaoke in Spanish!! Órale!

This place is the beacon for all Latino's in DC. The story here is that a husband and wife started this restaurant so the dishes take on a mix of Mexican/Salvadorian due to their respective heritages. This place has a homey family feel and just brings up a lot of memories for those who understand the vibe. The pupusas are reallly good, especially after a night out on the town. This place is the place to go for an after-party/party. The restaurant turns into a karaoke place at night by means of a TV, some microphones and a hdmi chord connecting youtube to the screen. This place just screams nostalgia and if it's not your vibe that's ok. Is it authentic? Sure is. It is this family-owned business's authentic food offering based on their background. Should you visit? YES. Come for a good time with family and friends. Am I craving a pupusa from Haydee's right now? Most likely, yes.

I liked the interior. It has 2 levels. With the lower floor divided between a dance area and a seating area. Has good selection of drinks. Cheese pupusas, chicken, plantains, guacamole. Each item looked fresh. The manager was super and had a big smile. Parking is a bit easier on the 16th street if you can't find any nearby.

I had a great experience at Haydee's! I went for an international karaoke night, which often happens in Sunday's. Pros: Audience: Great scene, diverse and international crowd of lots of people singing and mingling. Service: Very friendly servers and bartenders. Not pretentious, most speak English and Spanish Prices: Very reasonable/low prices for food and drinks! The cheese quesadilla was only about $8 +tip and very worth it Food/drink quality: didn't have an alcoholic drink, so can't comment on that, but I did have a lemonade and a serving of the cheese quesadilla and fries! The quesadilla was amazing: crispy, very cheesy, warm and came with toppings for free. The quesadilla was pretty large, too--great portion sizes for what you are paying for! The fries were large and filling! Could have maybe used a bit more salt, but overall very enjoyable as well! Cons: None, really! A bit crowded but not too overwhelming. Also a bit difficult to hear or make conversation with the karaoke going on, but to be expected!

Haydee's is a Mt Pleasant neighborhood staple. It's a pretty big restaurant filled with quirks and a great fajita. They often have live music and the weekends are quite loud here. If you want a Mt Pleasant cultural experience, come here!

LOVED IT!! By the time I got there, the party had already started. It was karaoke night. As soon as I walked in, it reminded me of Honduras. It brought me back to my memories. Some of the people singing were also amazing. I have done karaoke probably twice in my life, but last night I ended up singing three songs. I sang more last night than my whole life before. Haha. The people that come to this place are beautiful and welcoming. It feels great when you feel at home.

Delicious salvadorian food!!! I highly recommend! A must go to place. Authentic food, from the beans to the fajitas to the Pupusas. Great service, great ambiance! The fiesta platter has a bit of everything, if you're undecided on what to eat. Must try!!!

Great local Mexican spot in Mt. Pleasant! The restaurant picks up later in the night so if you're looking for a quiet meal come earlier. I love the neighborhood feel and the servers are all kind and courteous. It's not a fast moving restaurant so if you're looking for something really quick it's not the best spot. I typically get the chicken tacos Haydee's. Two chicken tacos with rice and beans for $10 is a steal. Meals come with a small plate of chips (no refills) and homemade salsa that is liquid-like but pretty good. Solid Mexican food for a good price. Nothing fancy. Drinks are fair priced. I get the classic margarita (they have mix too) and they are always good. They don't offer any drink deals though. Live music is always fun and frequent. Easy pay for street parking on Mount Pleasant street. Free 2 hour zoned parking in Mount Pleasant just off the Main Street. Make sure to pay - they ticket hourly.

I had one of the best meals of my life last night delivered from this restaurant. I have never had their food before. This was maybe the most expensive thing on the menu but I was craving salmon, and it was salmon and shrimp. IT COULD NOT HAVE BEEN BETTER AND WAS WORTH EVERY DOLLAR.

Some friends and I were at an event on nearby 16th St. and headed to Haydee's because they had both pupusas and alcohol, while some of the other nearby pupuserias do not have a liquor license. The inside is dark yet festive, with wooden tables and strands of colored Christmas lights. There was a band playing when we arrived and even though it was nice to have live music, and was deafeningly loud despite the fact we'd chosen to sit as far away from them as possible. When they took a break was the most relaxing part of our meal. Then they started playing again. The menu at Haydee's is pretty extensive with the usual Latin cuisine and some other items like chicken wings. My friends were craving pupusas, but were disappointed that they were out of pork and only offering the queso kind. I ordered beef flautas, which came with beans and rice that looked like it had Jolly Green Giant frozen mixed vegetables added in. The flautas appeared to be grilled instead of fried and were fine. The accompanying condiments were heavy on the sour cream but very light on the guacamole. Our server was very nice, but that couldn't make up for food that was less than stellar, the louder than necessary speakers for the band and a long wait to get our credit cards processed when we really, really wanted to leave. Not likely to come back.

Delicious, delicious food!! The staff was so friendly and we are so happy to find this great treasure of a restaurant.

Amazing experience. Karaoke, spicy margaritas, friendly family staff, and great food. What more could you want?

Haydees offers late night Mexican fare at a reasonable price. It should not be overlooked when in search for a place to eat after a night of drinking.

Three and a half stars for neighborhood grub. The fiesta margaritas are no joke. One pitcher puts me right to bed, but they're definitely a must! Haydee's does a better job with beef than chicken. Sopa de res was excellent, and a large bowl was quite filling; not a huge fan of boiled yuca but at least everything was cooked through. Yuca con carne was executed well (glad to see variants other than pork here) and included curtido. Nachos rancheros were okay, left a bit too long in the oven with charred chip tips. Grilled chicken breast quesadilla was good, toasted exterior and heartily filling. Fajitas burrito was moist and cheesy. Fajita platters are portioned just right for two moderate appetites to share: two tomato wedges, lots of white onion, some green bell pepper. Flour tortillas are pretty plush, beans and rice generic to the point of forgettable. Guacamole and salsa are extremely thin. No problems with the pico de gallo. Three hot sauces on the table, including Cholula. Decor is over the top with year-round Christmas lights and cell service is pretty spotty inside, but there's friendly service, clean bathrooms, more seating upstairs, and a telly over the bar. Future hitlist: ceviche, tacos de carnitas, pork & cheese pupusas.

I've been here a few times and I have to say that my favorite part is the music. The music can be loud sometimes but if it's good, then who cares, right? The food is not bad. I usually get the steak fajitas. Keep in mind that even they call this a restaurant, I veiw it more like a bar. The food portions are bar food sized so that's that. The drinks are what you'd normally expect from a bar (moderately watered down) but the food is good and the music is loud. The place has a nice atmosphere so that's why I keep on returning. Even though this place is classified as Latin American, I have to admit that I cannot tell the difference between this and a Mexican place. However, this is more of a characterization of my own lack of experience than a commentary on the food. The reason I brought this up is even if you're not familiar with Latin American food, you should still try this out as you'll find many familiar Mexican dishes here. Been back several times and will continue to come back.

This place is a neighborhood staple and has the best customer service! Idk why other people are saying otherwise. In covid times (and before) I trust them for the best dining service AND takeout. They care about their customers and the food they are serving!

I just ordered from them (7/20/2019) ....my first experience. My food was delivered on time (as scheduled through GRUBHUB) and the food was still hot (not warm, but hot!) when I received it. I ordered the Fiesta Platter and Chicken Fajita ...it was pretty good (8 out of 10 ...nothing to write home about ...nor complain about) it did the job. It was filling and I received nice portion servings for two. The buffalo wings were extremely delicious. So good I wanted to put in another order of wings only! I will definitely order from them again!

Delicious Mexican and Salvadoran food! The salsa is not too spicy and the chips come out warm. I usually eat like 2 baskets of chips and I can't help it but damn they are good! I always get at least one pork pupusa, they come out perfectly crispy on the outside and on the inside its flavorful, filled with pork and cheese with the cabbage slaw on top. I'm drooling as I'm writing this. For an entree, I like the steak and chicken fajitas. They give a pretty big portion too so definitely come with an appetite. The platanos with beans is also a must! The service here is great and theres never been a problem. The owner is amazing, she's so kind and is usually behind the bar. She makes sure you are happy before you leave. On the weekends, it gets pretty busy so be prepared to wait for a table. Parking is a pain and we usually drive around for a good 15-20 minutes trying to look for a spot. Otherwise, this place has great food with a fun atmosphere.

Neighborhood spots has a lot of qualities. Isn't perfect, but lots to appreciate. Plus their fajitas are awesome

The food was good (not out of this world) and the service was excellent. Gave off a nice vibe! Overall, good experience.

A great spot to chill in PEACE! Food is good and drinks are good as well! Best part its affordable.

Haydees is a nice place in Mt. PLEASANT with good Karoke, decent Tex Mex/Salvadorian food and a lovely and elegant founder - Haydee. However, count the number of drinks consumed because the itemized bill tends to be somewhat informal despite the high tech methods to pay. Plus you may be contributing to Haydee's third restaurant like it or not.

Beware cows, don't come near Haydee's. Living near Mt. Pleasant has its perks, and one of them includes having Haydee's just around the block. It's a festival mediocre Mexican food that doesn't do anything particularly well, but you still see plenty of people coming in and out. We had a taste for cow meat, so we ventured out to Haydee's on a Friday night. From the outside it may look like a shady bar or night club. You'll find smokers outside huddling near the front door light. Upon walking in, you'll find plenty of distractions - tables, a bar, upstairs seating, flags and other misc Mexican-driven decorations that I wonder if they do it to please the Americans, or it's an attempt to remind themselves the type of food they're serving. As far as food goes, everything is mediocre, down to the glass of water. The NY strip was average, the french fries were pre-cut, the guacamole tasted store-bought, the pineapple juice is from the cans, and margarita glass was average sized. We also ordered steak + shrimp fajitas (yes, we ordered NY strip and steak...cows have been warned). The shrimp tasted they were cooked from frozen - as you can smell the seafood stench. The steak was also poorly cut. But at least their portion size was decent (7 shrimp in the fajitas and plenty of steak for $20). Others have mentioned that it's available on Groupon. Do yourself a favor and buy the Groupon if you haven't been to Haydee's before. It's a good opportunity to see if the appeal of a neighborhood Mexican joint + average food is your thing, or you prefer something different. For us, it's more than likely that it'll take alcohol-induced judgement before we stumble our way back to this place, and settle in for another margarita.

The food here will do, but the pitchers of margaritas are amazing! Make sure you have a DD!

My sister and I decided to have aSunday lunch. Since we had a living social deal, we came to Haydee's. The outside looks like a "hole-in- the- wall", but when we walked into the restaurant, we noticed that there was a lot going on. TV's, a jukebox in the back, a bar lit with Christmas lights, painting all over, and wooden benches. Immediately, our server escorted us to our seats. She quickly brought us water and menus. We ordered the fiesta margarita, and it was strong. We are talking about "knock-you-on-your-butt" strong. For appetizers, I had a cheese pupusa and my sister ordered a pork and cheese pupusa. I loved the sauce that they came with. I HATED the salsa. Although I love onions, the salsa had way too much. I preferred to use the pupusa sauce with my chips. For lunch, I order the veggie enchiladas. The broccoli, carrots,and onions were cooked and seasoned perfectly in the enchiladas. I have never had enchiladas with broccoli, and Haydee's has set a new standard for me and veggie enchiladas. The pinto beans and rice were okay nothing special. My sister order the combo quesadilla, and she LOVED them. She vowed to return for the quesadillas. The restroom is clean, but it deserves a star deducted. Patrons must put the used toilet paper in the trash instead of flushing it. That is disgusting to me. The trash can didn't have a lid... The restaurant and food was a solid four star, but a star was deducted for the restroom. So why is this five stars? Glad you asked :-) The peach fiesta margarita was perfect. It was the perfect compliment to the food. In addition to the good margaritas, the server and bartender were sweethearts. The real star was the server's son, who wasn't older than 6. He sang every song that the bartender put on the jukebox. He was so lively. His energy was infectious. Truly, he made my day with his singing and dancing. I look forward to coming back and trying the fajitas and other menu items. Overall, Haydee's is a restaurant that I would recommend trying. Don't come in expecting anything... This place is the perfect place to start off an evening of fun.

For food, I'd look elsewhere (pupusas are okay) but for great music and events that support really important causes--Haydees is the best in the neighborhood.

I came in early and there is no people in here Service is a bit slow an older lady bartender you wanna

Definitely have to give them a plus for being open late Christmas night. More places need to realize that after spending a day with family and loved ones, people want to get drunk to forgot all of that, Haydee's gave me that this Christmas and I like them for that. Didn't eat at all so I can't comment on the food but I did drink and that was perfect. They have a full bar and variety of specialty cocktails. I was able to sample four different drinks including their number 1 seed which are the margaritas. I must admit they are not shy with the alcohol all the drinks had a nice kick to them but were also well mixed in that while the drink was strong it still had a pleasant flavor as well. Service was friendly, the waitress checked on us regularly to make sure everything was going well. Decor is a tad wacky but fun, nice motorized Santa greeted you as you come through the door with a tray of assorted fun sized candies. Christmas lights were festive and fun and the overall vibe was fun. Definitely worth a visit if only to try the margaritas.

I'll be honest, I only go to Haydee's to get super drunk off their margaritas and for that this restaurant is great. Do yourself a favor and upgrade from the Classic margarita to the Fiesta margarita. It's more pricey but it's 50% more alcohol. The classic margarita is more sweet than potent. But enough about the margaritas, Haydee's also has really yummy steak fajitas and they are very generous with their portions. The only fault of Haydee's is their salsa which is honestly terrible and is actually more like watery pico de gallo. You really can't complain too much because the salsa is free but come on Haydee's, it's not hard to make a halfway decent salsa. I go to Haydee's regularly and especially when I'm craving a margarita night, which tends to be quite often. Look out for the Groupon which they put out regularly as well.

I simply love coming here. On any given night, you might walk in to a relatively empty restaurant, a packed karaoke drag night, people watching a game on tv, or even a live band playing in the open area. No matter the calm or chaos happening on the guest side, the back kitchen and servers deliver a consistently great meal. Haydee's is such a welcoming neighborhood establishment that it's easy to think you're meeting at a friends house for dinner than going into a restaurant. They are always kind and friendly. Also, this is one of the few places I know that keeps their kitchen open very, very late, if you feel you need a late night take out on your way home after bars close. The food isn't some trendy Jose Andres type cuisine. It's basic, but done well. My go to orders are: Haydees wings Enchiladas Beef nachos Chicken or steak fajitas

Food was dayum good. Actually came here to give pupusas a second shot. My bestie and 10 yr old son killed them. Annihilated. Then we had the enchiladas and those were good. I was feeling a bit adventurous and decided to try something new, so I ordered a glass of the marañon. It is a fruit of the cashew plant. Very sweet, tastes slightly nutty with notes of pepper (it looks like a bell pepper). 'Twas quite delish. Everyone at the table agreed I made a good decision. The horchata is pretty good too. It's my usual go to beverage at a Mexican joint. Try the marañon. You won't regret it.

Being a local of Mount Pleasant, born and raised in DC I've seen a lot of businesses come and go, but haydees has been here from the beginning. Let me tell you about the owner of Haydees restaurant, her name is actually haydee and her husband is called Mario who is actually the head chief, she's all about supporting the city and none-profit Latin base groups and a hard core republican. Despite political parties, she's an amazing individual. Will always make you feel welcomed. Now, Can anyone say BEST comfort food? The food is super rich and totally delicious, Hispanic style. I've tried everything on the menu so far and love the fajitas and quesadillas. Personally, all the margaritas frozen or classic are amazing but potent, light weights you will dance while intoxicated trust me, I do all the time haha. If you have a large party I recommend the pitchers but I am more of a beer kind of guy but you won't be disappointed on the drinking selection. The service, very attentive and friendly. If you have a large party they'll still take good care of you. The music scene here is great; they have varieties of bands that come all the way from different parts of the DMV area to play. The bands play weekdays or weekdays from jazz to pop culture. Best karaoke in the city too, they do all kinds of songs not just Spanish. You'll have a blast. I give this wonderful restaurant 5 stars, all the way!

Hadee's is an experience, great owner, great staff, get the fajitas and stay for the music. Calamity Row plays here often along with many other great musicians, plus Mariacchi on weekends! OLE!

This has to be my fav spot to hang with my folks and just karaoke the night away. The service is quick and friendly! Seriously coming back l!!!'n

Amazing portions ! The fajita is really big , you can split with two people . I had the grilled salmon it was delicious too ! And the chips and salsa are really good .

A hidden gem. This place has a ton of personality. The restaurant is covered with beads, discos, and good vibes. Its the perfect neighborhood bar to stop by to get drinks, and dance.

Needless to say, the food is hands down phenomenal! You are being docked two stars because you have judgemental servers! I come maybe once every other week. I have only had two pleasant servers. My last trip with my kids, the woman assumed I would not tip her and added 15% gratuity to my check. I have been a severe for 13 years so she was set for 25-30% until she added it with only three guest and check was $37. They make bartender always looks over me for other customers to serve while I have been standing there. I guess since I come from work I must not have the hipster look they believe will tip properly. That's my only complaint. Haydee is a wonderful and nice woman. When she is around its a better place!

I gave up on finding Mexican food or anything similar to TexMex while living in DC, and I think Haydee's was the tipping point. I love that it's in the neighborhood and I hear they have live music during the weekends, however, I went once to dine and won't be going back. It was national margarita day and I visited them for a simple frozen delight and pupusas, but the waitress didn't know what a frozen margarita was and the pupusa was greasy and still soft. Also, if you know anything about salsa, then you'll learn that their salsa is Salvadoreño and not Mexicano. Sad. Try to avoid, if possible.

Well, I can say one thing about this place, it's very festive. ~Giant waving Santas on an inflatable couch? Check. ~ Wide assortment of random portraits, every where? Check ~ 3,500 statues of The Virgin Mary? Check. ~Blinking lights of every color in every nook and cranny? Check. I gotta say, I really enjoyed this place. Food was good, cheap and filling. Highly recommend the enchiladas combos. Two enchiladas, beans, rice, guac, for only $7.50. Holla. We had a very patient waitress who deal with our large party in a quick and timely matter. Glasses always filled, questions always answered. And she magically appeared every time our margarita pitcher was empty. A+ for that service. My two complaints were this: 1. The bathroom. Ladies good luck on the whole "pop a squat" for the extra sanitary. These are some tight stalls and if you had more than one margarita, and you do the whole kind-of-lean-forward thing, you'll hit your head, guaranteed. 2. Not-so-friendly neighbors. Friends and I got called "f-ing white bitches" on the way out for no apparent reason. Aren't we all just here for some good food?

On the recommendation from one of the bartenders at the Raven, my partner in tequila and I had dinner at Haydee's earlier this week. This place is freaking dangerous! We ordered 10 beers, two entrees, and two shots of Patron and the bill was only $60! The food was scrumptious and plentiful. I opted for the burrito, but I will return specifically for a steak. How can you pass up a T-Bone for $12.50? The bartender was welcoming and amiable. She is the kind of person that creates regulars out of pop-in customers like me. The décor was eccentric to say the least. You know those people that go completely apeshit with the decorations during holidays; not just Christmas, but ALL holidays? Haydee's kind of looks like the attic of the house of one of those people. It seriously makes me bitter to think back on the countless nights I've spent at the Raven just nibbling a bag of chips to appease my grumbling tummy, when I could have been feasting across the street at Haydee's. I'm also more than a little concerned that I may never go back to the Raven since the drinks at Haydee's are even cheaper. Damn.

This place is a freak show wonderland. I love it. The food is cheap and you're practically falling out of your chair after two margaritas. I agree with the people who are saying the food is "good enough." Mexican is pretty basic, and I don't really like the guacamole here, but other aspects of the Haydee's experience serve as compensation for that. Watch out for the creepy mechanical Santa they put out during the holidays though -- I thought it was a real guy. PS -- Happy hour goes until MIDNIGHT some nights. PPS-- I was with Kori when we were called "f-ing white bitches." To the mean lady exiting a black hot rod: If you are reading this, your comment really hurt our feelings.

Shout out to my bestie Adam J. who rocked his review by telling us that Haydee's almost always has a groupon or livingsocial so there is NO excuse to not get the whole pitcher of classic margaritas and get white girl wasted. In a brief side note, I believe that the preceding racial stereotype would be more accurate if it was "Asian girl wasted"...but I didn't create it, so with that, I'll bow out. I like to throw off the nice ladies at Haydee's by speaking Spanish to them when I walk in and then switching to English once I've sat down. They can't figure out I'm a gringa--keeps them on their toes. The pork and cheese pupusas are the bomb diggity. The mixed fajitas are fucking amazing. The tequila force is strong with Haydee's. The decoration inside is like someone let an 8 year old with ADD loose in there and was like "here, you decorate now." But that's part of the charm, dude. Stop being a stuck up asshole and just pick up what they're tryna lay down: solid food, charming atmosphere, no frills, no pretension---just love and tequila. Have fun!

Literally the best time ever. Coming from Spanish Harlem in NYC - this reminds me a little bit home and always a great time.

Okay okay- we went back for a 2nd try this weekend. We went back on a Friday night at around 9pm, and as predicted in my previous review, this place was much funner and *hip* at night. Mariachi band blastin', jukebox taking over on their breaks... place was packed! Ordered a pitcher of margaritas (not too strong, not too dull).. and I ordered the tilapia soft tacos this time. Pretty darn good! A lot of food for what we were paying for. The tacos were a delicious blend of pan fried tilapia and caramelized onions. I have to say, I was impressed. Service was happy, friendly, and the food arrived in a normal amount of time (no mircowaving tonight!). Just goes to show, try twice before writing a Yelp review. :)

I really wanted Haydee's food to be as delicious as its atmosphere was eccentric so I could christen the place a mecca for Mexican food in a city with few options for this cuisine. Alas, nothing about Haydee's food and drink was particularly good. I got the Tacos Mexicanos, which was pretty gross. I'm still open to giving the fajitas a chance, as they smelled quite (deceptively?) good and my co-worker's plantains with beans and sour cream were pretty delicious and very cheap. The worst thing here was surprisingly the plain margarita, which was an atrocious fluorescent green liquid that was equal parts sweet and salty to pungent effect. At least this potent combination was cheap ($17 per pitcher, $4.50 a glass), and at least our server was friendly and the atmosphere delightful. For that, I'll let Haydee's escape with a 3 star review. It really does pay to wait a few visits to review a restaurant, because I went back here last night and had a very pleasing experience with the pupusas. Both the pork and cheese and the cheese are good bets, and the cole slaw is crisp and not watery. The margaritas are still nasty though but hella strong. (And they inspire me to use "hella" as a modifier). Eclecticisms that I noticed on my second visit to Haydee's included: -a stark and kind of cheesy oil renderance of what looked to be Mary and Baby Jesus -a second floor balcony with seating, which goes unused -Christmas lights strung in various corners of the room -tinsel hung near the Christmas lights -a man peaking cryptically into the window from outside -a giant screen with TV programming of Enrique Iglesias music videos projected onto it (apparently, Enrique is now sans mole)

I'd been to Haydee's before, and knew exactly what to expect, but I think this visit really bumped it up from three stars to four for me. Look, it's nothing super special. The food isn't AMAZING, the service isn't AMAZING, it's dark, sometimes the tables are kinda wet. But it's the general vibe of the place. People come there to spend time with their friends, their families, their partners. The moment you step inside it's hard not to be happy. Between the Christmas lights, the karaoke on Tuesdays, and the relatively intimate seating options, it's hard not to feel super comfortable and at-ease. Another surprise (though I had read the Yelp reviews, so I knew what to expect), but their wings are actually really good. Crispy on the outside but perfectly juicy meat. The sauce isn't crazy, or anything like, ridiculous - just standard hot sauce. And it was awesome. I had the shrimp taco salad, which was tasty, and the beau had a burrito of some kind, which he inhaled. I will say, every time a server walked past with fajitas, it made us wish we had ordered those, instead. The fajita plates were PILED with meats and veggies. It looked like a lot of people were splitting them, too. So that's something to keep in mind. But look, if you're in MtP and need a little pick-me-up, go to Haydee's. You'll walk out feeling full, maybe a little bit drunk, and with a big smile on your face.

Oh, no. I am getting old....The boy who once liked walking through gritty environs in order to eat ( or sit, or anything, for that matter) is, if not dead, in a state of-how can we say it- "transition." (The scociological schizophrenia that is Columbia Heights/Mount Pleasant and my inner Richter scale do not get along) Nonetheless, I did enjoy my first meal at Haydee's this past weekend. Nothing stupendous, but very flavorful. And our waitress was so nice. The other stuff I mentioned... well, that's why God made therapists... And retirement communities... (hahahahah)

These bitches water down the bottles and drinks!!. Make sure to ask for a sealed bottle. They purposely know what they are doing. Remember. ASK FOR a Sealed bottle!!

I am in a food coma while writing this. Cheap, good, with nice people... you can't go wrong. I had a chicken burrito which was great and enough for lunch tomorrow. But here are 3 more reasons to go: 1.) Awesome green habenero hot sauce that i don't see too many places. 2.) YUCA!!!!! So yummy. 3.) Scenery. There is so much to look at you'll have to go more than once. I hope i have convinced you but if i haven't than there is more room for me. : )