Taqueria Al Lado

The quesabirria and chorizo tacos were slammin. Everything here is gluten free. All around excellent quality of food.

Taqueria Al Lado has some great Mexican food! Get some delicious authentic street tacos or choose from their many many different tequilas, rums, and mezcals. I came with a group of friends and we easily got a big table in the back. I hate paying extra for chips and salsa, but they gave us big portions and the salsas are delicious. I got an Al pastor quesadilla that was incredible- they use the right cheese and get a good crunch on the tortilla. But the tacos seem like the main attraction here. The service was a little slow, but they were friendly and kind. The drinks were delicious, and they reminded me of past trips to Mexico. I would love to come again and work my way through the drink menu!

This is one of the spots in Adams Morgan that I regularly visit for a casual, quick Mexican meal. The service is fast though can be spotty at times depending on the server who is working. For the longest time, I only thought there was one small room with a handful of tables. But on my latest visit, I saw that there is a whole other section in the back just after the bathrooms. Mind blown!I typically sit in the front of the restaurant and love the high top stools that have bar seating looking outside. Note, sitting in this spot is a great allows you to watch all the craziness of Adams Morgan pass by. I've seen a lot of dates at the high top section, which is romantic. Though, it could be awkward since I've had a fair share of people outside come up to me asking me for money since the sidewalk is right outside the open window.The menu is very basic here -- quesadillas, tacos, salads, chips and a drink menu of Tequila, Mezcal, beers and cocktails. I do like that they have a vegan option using jackfruit for the tacos. I typically get 2 tacos and an order of chips and guacamole. The chips and salsa are definitely not worth it. The salsa comes out in squeeze containers that you squeeze onto your chips. It seems less of a dipping salsa and more of just a sauce. Overall, the place is nice and I like the ambiance. The music can get really loud at times but again, I feel like it's based on whoever is working that day!

I am once again disappointed by East Coast Mexican cuisine :(I came by during a day trip to DC per a recommendation by someone who rated this spot as 9/10, which left me excited to try! Parking nearby is tricky; you can turn by the nearby vinyl shop onto the residential areas and try to get lucky with someone leaving so you can secure free street parking. There is 6 indoor tables (for two) + a bench that faces the sidewalk where ~5/6 people can sit at. There is also outdoor (?) patio selection (I did not see this but I heard a group head there and I'm assuming patio = outdoors). Chips and Salsa 3/5, firstly; price wise it's hard to beat; at $2. This came out first and very quickly. The chips are standard, and I was disappointed that the salsa doesn't come out in a small sauce bowl to dip which gives the appearance that it isn't fresh since it comes out of squeezable ketchup style bottles. I tried the green salsa which is mildly spicy and didn't taste bad but again I had no way to see if this was fresh or made in house etc. Al Pastor taco 2.5/5, I would have rated this a 3/5 but given that this was $4.50 for a SINGLE taco I must rate this lower. That price is insane. Cilantro is minimal and the taco is predominantly meat + onion. Some of the onions tasted sweet I almost thought this was corn or pineapple?? The meat was fine. The lime that I got with this was minuscule and barely had any juice to squeeze outSuadero Quesadilla 1.5/5, genuinely so confused what cheese they used for this because it tasted so unique compared to quite literally every other quesadilla I've ever had. The meat was fine but this was predominantly cheese based which would have been fine if I had liked the cheese. I ended up opening the tortillas and eating the meat and leaving the cheese and tortilla behind by my third.

This taqueria is in such a cool spot, with a great bar area opening to the street. They had a fairly extensive menu and I decided to start off with some chips and salsa. It was ok, the salsas were not my favorite. Then I got two tacos -one pastor and one beef. The pastor was underwhelming. I didn't love how they sliced it and that seemed to dry it out, there was no sauciness and it needed more pineapple. The beef was ok, a bit fatty and not a ton of flavor. The tortillas were good and obviously homemade. Service was good and staff was friendly. Overall not my favorite but not bad.

Love this spot! The tacos and quesadillas are filled with meat which makes the price a great value, especially nowadays. Everything is so flavorful and cooked perfectly. The guac was well seasoned and tasted very fresh. This is a great takeout spot but also a great spot to sit by yourself or with some friends. The decor is fun and colorful and theres plenty of seating. The staff is very friendly and the food comes out pretty quickly. Definitely should try if you're craving tacos and you're in the area.

Loved this place a Lado! Aguachiles was spicy and delightful. Coronarita with the perfect pairing and I love that they let you pick any type of liquor and price that way-- mine was perfect with 400 Conejos. Tacos were a little small, but tasted great. There was no bar seating but we were able to grab a two person table on a Friday night with a minimal wait. The table was a little small to fit food, chips, and drinks, but they seemed to make good use of a smallish space. And the service was really fast too.

Got the chicken quesadilla and chips and guac. The quesadilla was surprisingly flavorful and filling, but the chips and guac were disappointing. The chip to guac ratio was far too high :(Wasn't the best meal, but had a cute ambiance facing Columbia Rd.

This place healed me after a long, cold walk in the snow. The bean and cheese tetela was delicious---it was my first time having one and felt like the perfect comfort food. The shrimp aguachiles and quesabirria tacos were also excellent, but the standout of my meal was the menudo---I basically finished my friend's bowl. It was comforting and light but with an indescribable depth of flavor. Also free chip refills!

The food was great and affordable and the service was awesome! Overall a great place to meet up and drink with friends.