Restaurant Reviews - Capitol Hill Mexican

One great thing about working on Capitol Hill is that you're never short of somewhere to grab an after-work margarita and bottomless chips and salsa to cure the stress of the day. Here are my reviews of three Mexican restaurants on Capitol Hill.

Best after-work margarita - La Loma

La Loma patio

On a warm, sunny day in Washington, DC, the place to be after work is La Loma. Located on Massachusetts Ave. between 3rd and 4th St. NE, northeast of the Capitol, La Loma has a great outdoor patio, perfect for sipping tasty strawberry margaritas (the best I've found on the Hill), and munching on bottomless chips and salsa. The food's great too. Also the best Mexican food I've found on the Hill. I've never eaten inside, the patio is where it's at. They don't take reservations for the patio, so you usually have to wait, especially if it's the first nice day in a while. But the waiters will bring you drinks while you wait, so it's ok! It's the furthest Mexican restaurant (of the three I'm reviewing here) from the Hill, but definitely worth the walk to get outside on a sunny day. Would highly recommend it.
The Facts:

• Menu - all the usual Mexican dishes. Roommate and I have had the fajitas al carbon, chicken flautas and beef and cheese enchiladas, all very tasty. The amount of guacamole is a little skimpy, but it's good. The chips are very hard, but the salsa is delicious.
• Price - $8.95-$17.95 for dinner, about a dollar cheaper for lunch. I think margaritas were about $7.
• Location - 316 Massachusetts Ave. NE (closest metro is Union Station)
• Hours - Mon.-Fri. 11a.m.-11p.m., Sat. 11a.m.-midnight, Sun. noon-10p.m.
• Rating - *****

Best location - Tortilla Coast

outside Tortilla Coast

I'm not sure how it happened, but this restaurant may have landed the best location in Washington, DC. Tortilla Coast sits on the corner of 1st St. SE and D St. SE, only a block south of the Capitol South Metro, and may be the closest restaurant to any of the House office buildings. Thanks to this location, it is always jammed packed during lunch and after work, often with congressmen and hill staffers.
Don't let the crowds fool you though. This is not an indication of how delicious Tortilla Coast is. The food here is very average. So are the margaritas. The service is below average. Slow when it's busy and lazy when it's not. The best thing there is the chips. Salsa's not bad, but the chips are perfectly crispy, thin and yummy. The tortillas are good too. They're homemade, crispy, and greasy (in a good way). I usually get the quesadillas. They're not bad. Not great, but do the job if you're hungry and in need of some Mexican. They serve brunch on Sundays. I haven't been, but I've heard good things about the huevos rancheros. And, as all DC restaurants seem to, they serve a patriotic menu-item - a "stars and stripes" margarita, swirled with blue curacao.
Overall, only go here if your first priority is location. If not, go elsewhere.
The facts:

• Menu - "Tex-Mex." Good tortillas and chips, average everything else. They also serve burgers, if you realize once you're there that you don't want Mexican. Margaritas, also served in pitchers.
• Price - entrees are $8.95 - $14.95
• Location - 400 1st St. SE, across the street from the Capitol South metro. 
• Hours - Mon.-Wed. 11:30am-10:00pm, Thur.-Fri. 11:30am-11:00pm, Sat. 11:30 am-10:00pm, Sun. 11:00am-9:00pm
• Rating: *****

Best hole-in-the-wall - La Lomita Dos

outside La Lomita Dos

The first time I ate here was with the chief of staff of a congressman I cover, on his recommendation. He told me everyone on the Hill always lunches at Tortilla Coast, but La Lomita Dos has much better food. He's absolutely right. This place is the definition of a hole-in-the-wall. It's very tiny and it doesn't have great curb appeal, not unlike most of the restaurants on Pennsylvania Ave. Outside it is marked by a little green and white striped awning, and inside it has a more authentic feel than Tortilla Coast. Good chips and salsa. One of the best taco salads I've ever had. And, while I didn't drink this myself, I noticed a patron next to me drinking a margarita the size of his head. In my opinion, this is some of the best Mexican food on the Hill. Go here on your lunch break instead of Tortilla Coast.
The Facts:

• Menu: This menu is HUGE! They have just about every Mexican entree you could think of. Several salads, tortilla soup, seafood, meat, fajitas, all the usual favorites and lots of different combinations. Even vegetarian and kids' meals. Margaritas (of course), beers (lots of imported ones too), house wines and homemade sangria.
• Price: $9.95-$17.95 for entrees. Margaritas are $5.95-$9.95, pitchers are $29.95-$47.95. Domestic beers are $3.95, imported are $4.50.
• Location: 308 Pennsylvania Ave. SE (between 3rd and 4th St. SE), nearest metro is Capitol South
• Hours: Daily 11:00am-3:00pm, 5:00pm-10:00pm
• Rating: *****