El Presidente

We had dinner at El Presidente with another couple for a friend's birthday a few weeks ago and had a great time. Great Mexican food in a really fun environment. We shared queso fundido de chorizo (housemade chorizo with queso mixto, salsa verde, and flour tortillas), aguachile verde (shrimp, hamachi, crab, tomatillo, melon, and jalapeno), huitlacoche quesadilla (roasted zucchini, corn, jalapeno, epazote, avocado and calabaza salsa), Baja tuna tostada (yellowfin tuna, chipotle aioli, avocado, and salsa macha), birria tacos (braised short rib, queso monterrey, red chile consomme), black cod al pastor tacos (morita aioli, limey cabbage, and grilled pineapple), and black bean enchiladas (queso oaxaca, black bean-chipotle sauce, fried plantains, crema, queso fresco). Everything was really good - I'm not even sure I had favorites! The cocktails were also great (they also have wines, lots of mezcals and tequilas, beers, and a couple of NA options). Then there's the service - great. And the decor? Wild. It's the kind of space that is so fun that I start to worry if a place is style over substance, but El Presidente is not. It's the whole package. Decor that makes your jaw drop (so fun) but with great food, drinks, and service. Overall, just a great meal.

Best nachos in DC without a doubt. No competition. I miss them so much. I stopped by El Presidente a couple hours before closing to film a short movie with a friend. Most actresses are paid in cash but that night I was paid with nachos and I would do it again in a heartbeat. All nachos should be baked on a pizza pan it's genius. I almost forgot my lines because wow. The staff here is amazing and super accommodating. Shoutout to Luca, he was the best and made sure that our table was well taken care of!

Very beautiful place. The decor is mesmerizing. Came in during happy hour and enjoyed a light meal. You can never go wrong with a Caesar salad. I also tried the crab tostaditas. The only way I can describe them is a cold crab rangoon on a tortilla chip. I do it to myself every time trying a drink with mezcal, knowing I'm going to say it tastes like a burnt tire lol. Cool place though. The bartender was nice enough. I'd love to come back for dinner.

Ambiance is great! Service was slow and food is good, expensive and nothing memorable! Tell the chef to pick up a spice rack and the food would be better! Carne Asada Tacos: 8/10 Good but would be better with sauces. Mahi Mahi Tacos: 8/10 Again, it was good but lacked flavor. Fried Snapper Chicharrón: 6/10 Do NOT recommend. This was almost $50 and just tasted like fried white fish. There was no seasoning, although a big portion. Save your $ and get tacos.Charred Borocolli: 6/10 Soggy!Side of Rice: 7/10 Simple yet needs seasoning Side of Refried Black Beans: 9/10 can't go wrong with beans. Tres Leches: 7/10 descent but could use more condensed milk. Not very sweet and lacked flavor.

Since my initial review, I have returned a few times. I order the same meal each time, and every time the food consistently delivers on flavor, quality and presentation. The waiter that we had this time was friendly. Unlike the first time, we were given the option to order three versus two tacos, which is a good thing considering that it was one of my concerns during the first visit. We sat indoors this time, which made the experience so much better for me. The ambiance was great. We were seated at a table that was diagonal to the kitchen and I must say that it was one of the cleanest restaurant kitchens that I have ever seen. From what I could see, the work surfaces were amazingly clean, as were the floors. Observing that level of attention to detail in the kitchen added to my experience and appreciation for this establishment.

I live right across the street and I can't get enough!El Presidente is so delicious! I haven't had anything I didn't like. I encourage you to try the fried shrimp appetizer, crab enchiladas, carne asada tacos, and Mexican street corn. My favorite drink is the "put me in coach". On top of excellent food and drinks, the service is good. The servers make great recommendations when asked and they're friendly. The rest of the staff are attentive and kind. The restaurant seems small but it's a nice size and has a vibrant bar scene.

Upon first glance, El Presidente looks like a trendy place for margaritas and nacho platters. As soon as you open the menu, you will find a modern twist on traditional Oaxacan-Mexican flavors and ingredients. Any fan of Mexican culture and cuisine will know how uncommon it is to find items like tlayudas and huitlacoche anywhere outside of Mexico. I was incredibly impressed that items were beautifully plated and prepared in volcanic molacajetes and cast iron skillets. There is precision and detail to attention from everything to their salsas to main entrees. Some must orders for the table: the nacho platters that come as a tray bake with fresh chunks Oaxacan cheese, the taco trios are a little larger than street tacos and have a great variety of proteins, enchiladas are flavorful and savory, I also highly recommend the tlayuda, which is like a thin crispy tortilla with fresh cheese, lettuce, tomato, crema and meat. Oh and absolutely don't skip dessert! The churros and tres leches were a huge hit!Service is excellent and attentive! Highly recommend this place if you have been missing Mexico like I have and want a truly authentic, but boujee dining experience.

Okay the interior of this place is very cute. I loveeeee it. I need to keep track of the places I think would be great for a potential Mad Men night (we dress in 60s business attire & be annoying) because this is definitely a contender. I'd need to try their oysters tho to fully put it on the list.We came for brunch & were pleasantly surprised by the potions, left you satisfied but not full.Dinner next!

If you're reading this and you're like hmm should I get queso fundido? The answer is yes. Went for the chorizo one and it is honestly worth the hype. Had the birria tacos and transparently those were subpar, I've had better; but still solid. The short rib enchiladas my boyfriend got were better.Last, but not least, the plantains are delicious and worth getting as well!

What a fun place! The bar was definitely a statement but you will still enjoy the other room-- luscious reds. Really enjoyed the fresh guacamole! The spicy one wasn't really spicy for me or my friend who tend to like spicy things. The chorizo nachos were delicious and had a nice lil kick. Our crab enchiladas were alright, but we definitely like the items above more.Our drinks were fun and tasty.The service was great and had good recommendations including vegan and vegetarian options. I would definitely like to come back and check out HH!