Mezcal Cantina DC

The reason for leaving the review is truly the margarita. The food was excellent, the service was as well, our waiter was very friendly, atmosphere was great. We ordered one marg and it was good, but the second we got had absolutely no alcohol in it, no question about it. We addressed with the waiter which we have never once complained in our lives about a food or drink, and he brushed it off as being just very sweet. Absolutely no doubt there was no alcohol in it was straight lime for one and strawberry juice for the other. It was very disappointing given it was $16 for each of them. It wasn’t simply a sweet drink, but you can tell there was nothing in it alcohol wise. I would probably go back but would watch the drinks being made next time.

We ate outside on a sunny weekday and really enjoyed our meal. There was a special on mojitps, so my husband and I both each had two during our meal, which were delicious! Our server made fresh guacamole at our table, which was also delicious and then we both really enjoyed our main meals as well.

There was only one waiter during my visit, but amazingly everything was smooth and the food was amazing. Try the guacamole. They make it fresh in front of you.

The waiter's service was excellent. It's been a while since I've been somewhere and received such good service. I spent $102. I ordered three carne asada tacos, and my husband ordered beef and shrimp fajitas. They were good, and I liked them. But my favorite was the guacamole, which is made tableside, and the chips are crispy and hot.

Great mexican food if you're in the area. The taste was great. Super fresh food. There's a bunch of street parking available, so that helps too. The people were friedly,friendly, food doesn't take too long to come out, and the place has a calm environment. Prices are a little on the high side, but then again, what isn't nowadays? Would definitely visit again if I'm in the area.

Yesterday was my second time there and man, those frozen margaritas were hittin’! I only had two and was feelin’ real good. The food was bomb too fresh and seasoned just right. Definitely a spot I’ll keep coming back to

The food was so, so good!!! Great service from the bartender. The only downside is all of their chairs have arms so if you have larger hips it's not a very comfortable experience. We were already there so we stayed.....and I'm really glad we did. The food is so good! But just be aware it's not plus-size friendly. I wouldn't go again just because of that, but it still deserves 5 stars.

I do not live in DC, but I would book another flight just to eat these tacos. I dream of them often. The service and staff were fantastic, and the food is some of the best I have ever had.

Mezcal Cantina was a fantastic find--exactly the kind of spot you want when you're craving bold, flavorful Mexican food in a lively setting. We ordered the combo fajitas for two, and it was an absolute feast. The sizzling platter came loaded with perfectly grilled steak, chicken, and shrimp, all seasoned beautifully and served with sautéed peppers and onions that added just the right amount of char and sweetness. The portion was super generous, and the warm flour tortillas, rice, beans, guac, sour cream, and pico de gallo made it easy to build the perfect bite every time. It was one of those meals where you keep eating long after you're full because it's just that good. Before the main event, we were welcomed with complimentary chips and salsa--and honestly, that salsa deserves its own shoutout. It was fresh, zesty, and had just enough heat to wake up the palate without overpowering it. The chips were warm and crisp, clearly made in-house or at least freshly fried. The service was friendly and attentive, and the atmosphere had a great energy--festive but not too loud, perfect for a casual night out. Mezcal Cantina definitely delivered on flavor, portions, and hospitality. I'll be back for those fajitas again--and maybe a margarita (or two) next time.

On a rainy summer Friday, some friends and I were craving good Mexican food and stumbled upon this lively gem. The place was packed and we managed to grab the last open table, which was a good sign. The energy was vibrant and welcoming. Our server, Carlos (pretty sure that was his name), was fantastic, friendly, attentive, and quick with both our drinks and food. I had the fish tacos, and they were absolutely delicious... fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meals, and the fishbowl margaritas hit the spot. Great vibe, great food, and great service. I'll definitely be back.

The place has a pretty relaxing ambiance and the decor was furnished well. The service was not bad and the server was willing to come over anytime I made eye contact or waved him over. The pricing of the kids size menu was decent and the portions were pretty good too This restaurant does not provide unlimited free chips and salsa even if you order food. You either have to pay $7 or order one of their dips so I ordered a queso con chorizo. The queso con chorizo tasted good, but it was a much smaller portion than expected. The taste of the salsa was below average compared to a chain like Uncle Julio.

Stopped in with a friend before a movie to get some tacos. They have a deal for three dollars off their tacos on Tuesdays, which makes them about $17 for three tacos. I surprisingly switched gears and actually ordered the taco salad with shredded chicken. The salad "bowl" was a fried tortilla which is always fun and the chicken was good, but there was a definite lack of salad and way too much sour cream. My salad turned decidedly soupy which wasn't as fun to eat (or look at!) I might go again if I was in the area on a Tuesday, but hold the sour cream please.

I have been here a few times and think it is decent Tex mex for the area. I would compare to a slightly better version of Chevy's. So if you are expecting authentic Mexican food you will probably be let down. That said I have not had anything here I wouldn't eat again and have a decent Hh deal with 1/2 off nachos and quesadillas. They also do a carafe of wine for 24 dollars which is a great deal for the area. So would recommend if you're in the mood for some decent Tex-Mex in the Chinatown area

The birria egg rolls were DIVINE!!!!! The table-side guac left much to desire. The seating was very cramped. The server was amazing, fun, and attentive.

We couldn't help stopping here. They had 1/2 price apps from 4pm to 6m. 1 word: DELICIOSO the nachos have beef and chicken, not greasy at all. Perfect for about 2-3 people We also ordered a steak quesadilla... wow the meat was seasoned just right. We ordered the aguas freacas - horchata. It was very sweet and well worth it ... and you get free refills... not a lot of places do that for the aguas frescas. Service was awesome. Our mesero or server was excellent. Super accommodating and we were outside and even the cook came out and asked if everything was good. The place is nice inside but we loved being outside for the atmosphere and the music is varied not all one genre. Loved it!!!!

The food was good, the margarita was delicious and the service was amazing. This restaurant is located in a shopping area plaza so we stopped in for lunch. There was plenty of parking and the bathroom was clean with a changing table available. The decor was very nice

I came here for a work trip and ended up coming here twice! It was our favorite place for the whole weekend. The staff was funny but also attentive. The food was simple awesome. The chefs were able to accommodate our orders and the drinks didn't take long to get it was really to walk downstairs off the street to entire this restaurant. I will be coming back another day!

I enjoyed the ambience! Love the decor. I didn't order food. Ordered a salty dog. Mason the bartender did a good job on my salty dog

Wish I could give a 3,5 -- First the staff (Daniel) are very good. Knowledgeable of the menu and good recommendations. And very engaging and responsive. Food: Con Queso with Chorizo took me back to my childhood. This was the chorizo we used to cook at home. Tasty! Ordered the fajitas - meh the steak was a little tough maybe it was cut. Charro beans are black beans not pinto soup beans and I'm sorry but they tasted tlike canned black beans. But the Rice was like we made at home GOOD!! If you like spicy order chili de árbol. It's disappointing they charge you for it but it's worth the extra cost. Margaritas! The house marg with flavor are good enough. Jalapeño Marg is fresh and Great! Tried La Flor (don't order) but the Qaxacanite very good! If I come back it will be for the cocktails and queso. Maybe I'll try the Mojarra Frita or Molcajete Cabo! ‍ Oh and the MUSIC is great, it's a good mix of Mexican and Tejano.

My friends and I went here randomly because it was walking distance from our previous location. Noah was our server and he was great! He was very accommodating and knew the menu very well. I ordered the tropical mama, although it was a bit pricey, it was very tasty. I also had the vegetarian quesadilla. It was all very good I just would have used a little more seasoning. It's good spot to bring your friends

Mezcal Cantina almost earned 5 stars from me if it weren't for a few mishaps that took place during my visit. There's a lot to love about this spot! I really enjoyed the food and will definitely be back to try more items on of the menu. However, a few service mishaps kept it from being a wonderful experience. Here's my breakdown of my experience: Environment It's a lovely space with lots of character. They have both outside and indoor dining space plus a full bar and plenty of seating. My only critique: the chairs in the dining area were quite small and really uncomfortable. Other than that, the ambiance was great and felt welcoming. Service The service had room for improvement and is the main reason i deducted a point. A miscommunication around the Taquitos order left us disappointed. The menu described it as "2 chicken, 2 shredded beef," so we assumed we were receiving 4 taquitos. However we only got two and when we asked for clarification, they argued bit that it was clear and then admitted that it was a typo but didn't offer any resolution aside from a quick apology - no discounts or additional taquitos, nothing. This response was underwhelming and put a damper on our experience. I included a picture in my review so future diners can know what to expect. Aside from this, the service was fine, but we were hoping for a little more attention to customer satisfaction. Food and Drinks Now the food was amazing! I had the chicken quesadillas and they were filling and delicious. I will definitely come back just for them and will definitely try other items on the menu. We overall enjoyed the food and are excited to see what else they have to offer. The drinks were fine and i would love to explore more of the cocktail menu to find a standout favorite. Overall Mezcal Cantina offers good vibes and really delicious food. With some improvements to the service and menu clarity, they could easily earn a full five stars from me! I'm excited to return and try more of what they have to offer.

Fairly expensive - but it's DC after all, so maybe not their fault - with food that was good, but not great. I liked the chicken dish I got, but most everything else was't anything terribly special. Very friendly staff which I appreciated - and the interior is really nice looking. They have a nice patio outside which is always popping - seems like people like it overall!

I came here for happy hour with a few friends. Overall this place was fine. My friend's drink tasted off to the point she needed to get a new drink since we were worried it wasn't good to consume. The food was ok, we got quesadillas that were nothing to write home about. Some good points are that the portions were large and the ambiance was nice. I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

The food was delicious! Miguel & Carlos were awesome and took great care of me & my girlfriends. It was my friend's birthday and they sure put on an awesome celebration for us. The homemade tortillas were warm & scrumptious!

They are amazing every body is extremely kind . I appreciate the staff they are great . Every single person made sure my visit was a great visit. They go above and beyond. Food very fresh

Went here for taco Tuesday, they don't have much for Taco Tuesday specials. The margaritas were watered down. Host was nice, I sat at the bar and the decor was cute. Customer service took the rating down. Bartender didn't specify extra sauce was an additional charge. Also if you ask for extra sauce it's $3. Other tables were offered chips and salsa and I was not, I didn't even receive any water when I sat down. Also prices too high for them to be serving can food.

Tourist trap - don't fall for it. Super lazy "cooking" aka everything tastes premade/microwaved and has 0 flavor. Even my frozen margarita was melted.

Recently ate here with a friend while on a trip. Service was great! Food was decent. I ordered the three taco meal, all carnitas tacos. The ambiance was chill. I would recommend to others.

Food was okay. Guac and margs were great but they were unfortunately very understaffed and messed up my order 3 times. Could be a great spot. Just need to work out the kinks!

If I could give it 0 stars, I would. Service was fine, but the food was horrible. Chicken was dry and they microwaved white American cheese on top of our food. They also used Parmesan cheese and called it cotija. Chips had a weird aftertaste like they were fried in old oil or refried old chips. Guacamole was brown and salsa had no seasoning or lime. The rice was clearing sitting in a heat lamp all night; there were bits of super dry pieces and none of it was homogeneous. To call this Mexican food, let alone food in general is a stretch of the imagination. Do not come here.

I would say that there's nothing particularly special or awful about this place. This salsa was OK but exceptionally mild. We asked for salsa refill a few times and then when it did come, they brought the sugary mango salsa but my partner's diabetic so we ended up having to toss that out. Vegetarian options are very limited, and it is extremely loud at least when we were in there. On the upside, the food is pretty tasty, the guacamole was delicious and the weight staff was friendly enough. Also, they have individual bathroom stalls with their own doors so that's nice.

Great atmosphere. Miggy the bartender is superb and friendly. I will return any time near the arena, for sure.

Food was delicious. Only complaint is the dip trio was so small for the price of 15.99$. It was three, 1 oz containers. And the house salsa was mediocre.

Realllly good carne asada tacos. Great service and atmosphere! Avoid getting the dip trio- too pricy for a very small portion.

Been here twice for happy hours. Drinks are delicious and the steak quesadilla was SO GOOD. I cant wait to go back and try more things. It will be hard to pass on the steak quesadilla though.

Went before a Caps game and was not disappointed! "Skinny Margaritas" were spot on. Guacamole made at the table was amazing and the carne asada and arroz con pollo was very good. You won't be disappointed with this place...hidden gem in Chinatown!

My husband and I have a new pre-Caps game restaurant. Great service and food!! The three tacos (Tex-Mex style) with choripollo was AMAZING!! I was shocked by the delicious flavors. Enjoy.

My third visit and looking to try something different on each visit. This time I ordered the Taco Salad. Very disappointed. It was a small Taco Shell with just a dollop of ground beef under a lot of cream cheese. Until I put my fork in , I did not think there was anything other than cream cheese. It was awful. I did not say anything because I don't. I just never go back. Had some Taquitos because I was hungry and then some ice cream. Oh well. Was hoping I had a new place to go to on the block. Felt I needed to warn people not to order the Taco Salad.