Taqueria el Poblano

Great margaritas, fun-​casual atmosphere, and good food. My go-​to restaurant on the Pike.

This is my favorite neighborhood spot. Usually not too crowded or loud, perfect comfort food after a long week. The tacos are fantastic. Try the tacos al pastor, by far the best thing on the menu.
They do have good margaritas, however their best drink on the menu is the taqueria caipirinha.

We had a great dinner here. We are from Texas so we eat Mexican Food all the time. We had read very good reviews about the chips and salsa and we were not disappointed. Great flavor in the salsa yet not too spicy. We started with the Queso Poblano which was a mixture of melted cheeses with chorizo on top. In Mexico they would call this Queso Flameado. It came with 3 corn tortillas. It was outstanding! Then we split one of the specials: Crab Quesadilla with rice and beans. Although we would have liked a larger serving, it was ample. The flavor was outstanding! Rice and beans were very average. Guacamole was below average.
Very attentive service. They validated our parking ticket so we did not have to pay when leaving the garage. The parking garage is directly behind the restaurant. Very easy access. We went next door for frozen yogurt for desert.
Four stars because the chips, queso and quesadilla were so good. Average on everything else.

This was my first visit, but I will definitely stop in the next time I’m in the area. My server was very courteous & attentive without being overbearing. The lime cooler is a refreshing non-​alcoholic beverage and not too sweet. My shrimp taco wasn’t outstanding but far from disappointing. The chips and salsa were great! If you’re in the area is definitely worth your time.

Delicious shrimp tacos! Very unique cheese enchiladas! We loved it! Service was good! Very clean.

I love this place, people are very nice and bartender Ariel it’s amazing !! He rocks. Best guy! Ask him for the specials.’

After having frequented Taqueria el Poblano many times, I am going on record saying the best casual dining on the Pike. The food is probably some of the best Mexican around, better than Rosa Mexicano, in my opinion. Excellent tacos. Excellent house-​made margaritas and salsa. I had the lump crab quesadillas recently with a side of their cebolittas and it was heavenly. The service is always friendly and prompt. The owner is very hands-​on and friendly and really committed to making sure his customers are satisfied. Patio seating out front is on point and probably the best outdoor spot on the Pike. My new go-​to for a casual meal out!

One of out favorite local neighborhood restaurants, this one is clean, friendly, and easy to find. Parking on the street or with paid voucher behind the storefront. Endless chips and salsa, with very authentic flavors. Shrimp tacos are always a favorite for me.

We love Taqueria Poblano on the Pike! The service and the food are great. This is our go-​to place when we crave a friendly atmosphere and a delicious margarita or two. They truly do serve the best margaritas in the DC Metro area (hence their three-​year City Paper reign).

I visited this place for the first time last week. We arrived in time for the happy hour specials and it was great to sample a lot of food for a reasonable price. The beef taco was phenomenal, as were the stuffed poblano peppers. We also ordered chicken wings and the meatballs, both of which were good (though I preferred the other dishes). The salsa served with the «appetizer» chips was unique with a vague fruity flavor and a nice level of spice without the lasting discomfort some hot spices leave. The service was a little off, though being seated so near the bar, we were getting something more like bar service than typical wait service. The environment and atmosphere was better than most restaurants I’ve been to in the area. While you got the camaraderie of a bar, the noise level wasn’t too bad and holding conversations at a normal volume was easy. Recommended!

Came here thinking it was a real taqueria. They only had 4 tacos in the menu, 4! That’s like going to a pizza place that only sells cheese or pepperoni. I guess it was my fault.
On the plus side, the place is cute.

So close and so good.
Chips and salsa (and hot sauces) were delicious! Good margaritas, but the caipirinhas were AMAZING.
Very authentic green mole, chicken cooked perfectly. We also got meatballs, fish tacos, and chili relleno. All wonderful :)
Thank you!

Totally new perspective on this place. We came back, they remembered how we ordered our tacos, music is audible. Quite nice!

Liked the food and loved the service. Went with husband in summer and they were great to us — and our dog as well. :)
Have gone back several times and the food is consistently good.
Reliable quality + easy access + reasonable prices = Winner!

I would do a solid 3.5 to 4.0
Food Freshness: 4.0
Food Selection: 4.0
Value: 4.0
Service: 3.0
I do not drink, so I cannot speak to the award winning margaritas, but I do love that they have egg burritos and tacos on the weekend for brunch. Their free salsa is good and differs from other Mexican restaurants in it is sweet (like a tomatillo but more pink than green) and has just a little spice with the sweetness.
My boyfriend really loves their burritos!
I like that they have plenty of vegetarian options that are NOT mushrooms. I also like that they don’t overfill the burritos with just rice (they give a good ratio of the meat or veggies and beans to the rice).
The service is tough… it is inconsistent. I’ve come in and found no one at the hostess stand (hey, at least give me a sign to seat myself, I have no trouble with it). Also, the server brings the food out hot and fresh but the actual waiter or waitress can be slow to respond/​follow-​up to see if additional chips or drinks are needed while waiting and then again after the meal has been finished and ready for the check (I stacked the plates and pushed them to the end of the table to signal attention).
Don’t forget to ask for a parking voucher if you’ve parked in the neighboring garage! I love that it is still largely free to visit and shop in Penrose.

…And yet another disappointing experience. Do I draw the worst out of people when I come here? For 3 years I’ve begrudgingly dined here on someone else’s suggestion, and I will go every time hoping for a different experience than the last. Yet I keep experiencing the same lackluster service and mediocrity fare they offer.
They say they were voted best margarita for 20xx… well, my question is how? Is the majority of the population who frequent here completely disillusioned or is it just me who happens to disagree with the majority? This is mind blowing and a question that will forever linger in my thoughts.
Like my last 4 reviews, everything I feel still remains the same unchanged.

The service gets this place to three stars. Our server, Amanda, was very attentive and was still nice after we sent our first appetizer back.
Appetizers: The queso is block cheese and butter baked in a small ceramic dish. It was very greasy and heavy. After spooning out three spoonfuls of butter I was pretty much done. Replaced it with taquitos which were okay.
Drinks: Apparently they won a reader’s choice award from the City Paper for having the best margaritas. Meh. It was okay. Nothing to write home about.
Entrée: We both ordered the chicken tacos al carbon. Good sized portion. Food was not very flavorful.
We won’t be returning, and this place gets an overall ‘Meh’.

Came here to try the award winning margarita! It tasted like fresh squeezed lime juice over ice. Yum! It was definitely good and the service at the bar was good too!
After waiting for just a few minutes we snagged a table outside… But once seated we had to flag someone down to place a food order… So the service could have been better. But the food came quickly and it was good! My cousin liked her crab quesadilla and I really enjoyed my cumin marinated chicken burrito. It was huge! I couldn’t even finish it.
Overall it was a good experience and the prices were great and the food and drinks were tasty. I’ll probably be back sooner than later.

I came here this weekend with my boyfriend after passing by almost weekly. Boy was I glad we came! Those margaritas, the best I’ve ever had, still amaze me. I mean I had 3 and I was ready for 4 (believe me) but we had to go. Try for yourself, trust me.
I ordered the vegetarian tostada (per the waitresses suggestion). I was confused and wasn’t sure what to get and she told me she likes it better than the chicken so I went for it. Glad I did and it was huge and I ate the whole thing. My boyfriend got the fish tacos and he loved them. They were beer battered and fried if I remember correctly (fried is the part I remember).
I almost forgot! The nachos and dip at the beginning — literally the perfect salsa I have ever tasted. I absolutely hate (and I mean hate) that jarred salsa mix that are served at restaurants. THIS is the exact opposite. So delicious, we asked for a second at our table!
My server was lovely and I truly wish I remembered her name to give her the credit she deserved. All the staff we came across on Friday night were great.
I’ll definitely be back for the whole shebang!

There is only 1 redeeming factor about this place and that is the Margaritas.
Other than that, this place is rather dull as a Mexican place. The food is okay, but nothing to write home about. Just another regular Mexican place you can find in anywhere USA. There are no extra ordinary or extra fresh or special anything to this place.
The interior decorating is also super atrocious. This looks like some 8 year old nightmare turned into reality via vinyl. I shuttered just looking at the place.
They are nice with giving parking passes though.