Tacos El Costalilla

These tacos are really, really good! I love al pastor, and it’s excellent here. Plus, the prices are about half of what you’d pay at some trendy taqueria in the District. I wouldn’t necessarily drive way out of my way to go here, but if you’re craving authentic tacos and in south Alexandria, this is a place you must visit.

Great tacos and great service. Just wish they had beers.
Fresh tacos made to order with your fixings on the side. Good sauces, fresh toppings, and they’re always very friendly.
Their chairs promote good posture haha. You’ll understand once you check them out.

I’ve spent the last 4 years without a decent taco joint to frequent when I just don’t feel like making them musket. I found a hole in the wall Mexican restaurant in Alexandria, VA. The smells were so inviting, looked at the menu choices and just had to order one of each taco… you know, to just make sure they were legit. OMG they were soooo delicious. Features are 1) carne Asada 2) birria, 3) beef cheek, 4) tongue, 5) brain, 6) tripe, 7) pork carnitas, and 8) carnaza (everything).

Finally found a place in VA with some good tacos the only thing missing is a Beer other than that the food is good

The real deal. Tacos de lengua are buttery smooth and the torta ahogada will blow your head off (as it’s supposed to). Wash it down with some homemade jugo de melon.

This place is legit. We went here with my family after we toured Mt. Vernon and couldn’t have been more pleased.
Upon arrival, there were pretty much no other white folks around, which is always a good sign for authenticity.
We tried carne asada, carnitas, and al pastor (pork) tacos. All were great. Rice and beans were delicious and filthy (read: lard) as you would hope for in a place like this. The sopes were pretty meh.
I liked the salsa bar and having the ability to pile on the onions/​cilantro/​limes/​radishes.
It was Mother’s Day and some kind man was walking around passing out roses.

Excellent ceviche tostada with lots of seafood chunks. Asada burrito was better than average. No fountain drinks just bottles and cans but good variety. Really fast service

I came here for dinner. I ordered 2 Tacos al Pastor and an order of Flautas. Both were good. The Tacos al Pastor were spot on. Awesome Mexican food. A+

I really like this place. I’m giving it a 5 star rating because I really do think it’s the most authentic. I really wish I used to work off route 7 because this place was actually my go to. The taco I usually get is the chicken one doubled corn tortilla and then they have a self serve bar where you can add condiments for your liking depending on how you want to dress your taco. My favorite is their pickles jalenpenos, carrots, and onions. Not even kidding so good– and the salsas and hot sauce is all made from scratch. Def worth trying if you’re in the area. Also don’t judge it just because it kinda has and outside sketch vibe.

Forget district taco, this place serves up legit Mexican food quickly and deliciously. We’ve been here three times already, and we take the car in gladly from Old Town to come here. Friendly and welcoming, you can’t go wrong eating here. Chorizo, carnitas and everything is on point here. Makes me feel like I’m back in Mexico City. Love it here!

Awesome authentic mexican food. I was excited to see homemade pesole but I tried had tacos and a tamale. All were excellent and the tamale tasted made from scrstch. They also had in house juices which they gave my wife a free tameric to try (it was excellent). Great taco joint to try…

I’m giving Tacos El Costalilla a one star rating because I found a large bone in my burrito. I understand that mistakes happen but when I called them to notify them of the bones in their Birria (sauced beef) they said it was ‘normal’. I tried to explain that bones of that size are not ‘normal’ in what is supposed to be a boneless beef burrito. I don’t know if he understood the severity of what could happen if someone choked or swallowed a bone of that size and sharpness. This is why I’m letting you all know, so that you will take the extra precautions if you do decide to eat a burrito there.

Soy de Mexico y tengo viviendo en el area 3 años, de todos los lugares que eh provado este lugar es el mejor, excelente servicio al cliente, la comida es autentica y no tex-​mex o al estilo como california, las salsa son hechas fresas y no de una jarra o lata, mi única queja es que me queda lejos de donde vivo.
Translation…
Best Authentic Mexican restauran in the area recommended from a Mexican who grew up in Mexico, this is not your average tex-​mex or Cali style place where you’ll find salsa and chips at every table, the service is great and the salsas are fresh and home made not from a can or a Jar, my only complaint is that I don’t live close enough to visit this place more often.
P.S Another great thing about this place is that you may have to practice your spanish to order :)

I work in the area and have been looking for a decent lunch place. Other positive Unilocal reviews led me to trying Tacos El Costalilla. Located in a strip mall, it looks unassuming on the outside. Inside is a colorful and cozy restaurant. I had my order planned ahead of time since we don’t have too much time to grab lunch. I ordered the carne asada and pastor tacos and the carne asada sopes at the recommendation of my coworker. I took my food to go but was surprised on how many containers I had (three total). My packages of yumminess included the tacos, sopes, toppings– lettuce, onion, cilantro, and salsa, and napkins. Napkins are a must. I love how flavorful the tacos were! The meats were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I’ve never had a sopes and I was pleasantly surprised. I had to work for my lunch that day but it was worth it.
Awesome place, affordable prices, and great choice for authentic tacos.

I always come here when in the area. It is always excellent and the staff is friendly. Plus the artwork/​murals are cool to look at. I need to try everything on the menu though. Love it

Another great find for delicious tacos. The nice thing about this joint is that your tacos come only with your choice of meat on top of two tasty tortillas. The dressing is left up to you at the salsa bar. Onions, cilantro, lime, hot, medium and mild salsa and best of all freshly sliced radashes!

Every time my husband and I come here, we order a modest amount of tacos. And every time we finish our modest number of tacos, we look at each other and say, «Damnit, I want more.» And EVERY SINGLE TIME, we go back up to the counter and order more tacos.
Now, we don’t do this because the meal is not satisfying. Quite the contrary – we do this because the tacos are THAT good. We can never just have one serving.
Warning: on your first visit, you will look at the tacos, sigh, and think, «No wonder the price is so cheap…» But then you load up the taco with onions and cilantro and lime dressing and salsa at the toppings bar, and all of a sudden you realize it’s a very fair portion. I always go for the spiced pork and carnitas.
The only reason I didn’t give this place 5 stars is because the ambience is a little intimidating for first timers. This place is a hole-​in-​the-​wall. Had I not read Unilocal reviews prior to coming here, I would not have known what to order or do. Don’t let the façade deter you!

Wow! This is some of the best food I’ve had since being in Latin America. The burrito asada was absolutely superb with real attention to detail to provide magnificent flavor.
The customer service was great.
The place reminded me of restaurants in El Salvador. It’s a happening place with a constant stream of customers.
If isn’t the question… but when. I’ll be back.

The Best Burrito That I Have Ever Had!!! I have to admit that at first glance I had my doubts about this place, for it is located in a somewhat sketchy looking strip mall off Rt 1. However, once I stepped through its doors I knew that I was in foodie heaven, for it was loaded with families enjoying some very yummy looking fare. Several customers who were munching on Tacos El Costilla’s yummy tacos gave me a knowing nod, and I made my way to the menu to find a picture menu overhead that was, I am happy to say, very useful.
I scanned the menu once or twice and saw that they had Menudo!! – no not the band that spawned Ricky Martin, but the traditional Mexican soup made with tripe and red chili pepper base. I made a note of it for a future visit and set my sights one of their massive burritos. What can I say about this burrito perfection other than the spicy pork was so succulent, so authentically juicy that I could swear that I was back on the streets of Mexico nauching on delicious street food. Oh, and was it load? You bet your burrito loving ass it was, my friend, but it just wasn’t stuffed with a random sprinkling of ingredients, for the chief had expertly layered the beans, rice, pork, guac and sour cream so that every bite was a orchestra of flavor. With each bite my eyes rolled up in my head like Homer Simpson eating a doughnut. simply delicious.
Another factor which earns this place 5 stars is that it is obviously family run and they seem to take a lot of pride in their establishment. This is the kind of taco joint that makes you proud to be a Unilocaler, proud to get the word out and help out the little guy. However, judging by their Unilocal reviews, they really don’t need my help: Like Christopher Columbus, I was certain that I had discovered a new world only to realize after checking out Unilocal that many a Lief Erickson Unilocaler had trumped my discover ages ago.
Well, no matter, for it is new to me, and everything here is awesome. The food is authentic and reasonably priced to the point where it is so inexpensive that you almost feel like you’re stealing. Oh, and they are very friendly and welcoming so much so that I plan on going back today; after all, that menudo is calling my name. Again, I’m not talking about Ricky Martin singing, «She Bangs», fellow foodies, but I am certain that every thing on Tacos El Costalilla’s menu Bangs. Oh, She Bangs indeed.

Here’s a few facts about me:
1. I can eat tacos everyday of my life.
2. Mexican food is a staple in my household.
3. My child’s middle name is likely to be Taco.
Having got that off my chest, I’ve been on a mission to find GOOD Mexican food since I’ve been in the area. Much to my chagrin, I’ve discovered not only a lack of authentic Mexican food, but a common misconception of what constitutes Mexican food.
Living in VA doesn’t make matters any better. I’ve learned to steer clear of establishments that advertise «Mexican & El Salvadorian Food.» It’s likely to be crap. I refuse to enjoy eating at a Mexican food establishment that doesn’t sell horchata and if there is no pasole on the menu, you’ve pretty much given yourself an «F» in my book. Needless to say, my expectations are always negatively skewed when it comes to trying out Mexican food establishments.
I came for the tacos. I was hungry and I wanted tacos. Mexican tacos. I ordered carne asada, al pastor and chicken with a al pastor sope. I typically go with the hottest salsa; theirs was a roasted red pepper and one tomatillo of the same heat intensity (although the cashier told me the salsa roja was hotter).
The verdict: I didn’t fancy the salsa roja, but it absolutely worked on top of the seasoned meat. I like that they tried to stay close the the idea of Mexican tacos. And to keep it real, that sope was so good I had to take one home. The al pastor was seasoned very well. I licked my fingers on this one.
The carne asada taco was my second favorite. It was also seasoned well and paired well with their salsa roja.
Over all I was very satisfied (if I had tried this place in CA I don’t know how much truth this statement would hold).