Las Placitas

It is hard to find good Mexican (or El Salvadorian) food in DC. The food here is good here and will definitely satisfy a craving you may have for cheesy-​bean-​tortilla deliciousness… But you are going to have to wait.
Make sure you give yourself about 2 hours if you plan to dine in here.
The service is extremely discombobulated and very slow. We weren’t very happy waiting so long for our food, and neither was anyone in the dining room. It was extremely evident diners were becoming very impatient and hungry. A few glances around the room and nods solidified that other diners were thinking about getting out of their chairs to leave in a huff.
Though the nachos took over an hour, they were loaded up and very delicious. I also enjoyed the beef fajitas that were seasoned well, and came with all the right toppings.
I think next time we will opt for take out!

Not sure how this place got all these four and five star reviews. A bunch of friends and I went to this restaurant early on a Saturday evening. Many tables were still empty, so it wasn’t busy or anything. Despite this, wait service was terrible– I had to flag down the staff for everything from refills of water to a doggy box. It appears the staff have had no training whatsoever.
Additionally, this place doesn’t even seem to have something as basic as a drink menu– my «waiter» rolled out their drink selection very quickly in Spanglish– yes, I understand he isn’t a native English speaker, which is all the more reason why they should just have a written list of what there is to drink. This is basic customer service, Mr. Las Placitas!
When the meal (s) came, there was much confusion– wrong plates being sent to wrong persons, incomplete plates, plates that had condiments like sour cream that the customer specifically asked NOT to have with their meal. It was really pathetic.
The food was ok, which is the only reason they barely got two stars. Mind you, it wasn’t great, but wasn’t bad either. However, do yourself a big favor: skip this place– it’s not worth the hassle of bad management, unskilled wait staff, and mass confusion. DC has too many good Latin restaurants with great service to select from– don’t patronize an amateur place like Las Placitas.

Fresh ingredients, generous helpings, unpretentious atmosphere.
I’m in trouble, I may have fallen in love with this Mexican cuisine.

First trip to the new location last night. New space, same great food and service. Glad that they are able to stay in the area as they are a good reminder of the traditional vibe of the community. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Enjoyed my margarita and chimichanga de pollo. Will be back soon.

Best Guac I’ve ever had! Great salvadoran food and also drinks. They have a small bar and seating outside when it’s nice and and warm.

Drove by and decided to stop and check out the restaurant. Walked in and the place was bright, clean and welcoming. Was immediately greeted, seated and offered complementary chips and salsa. However, the wait time for the waiter to take our order was too long. Had to flag one of the staff to get our waiter. The wait time to get our food was also a bit too long.
I ordered the fried fish. White rice was bland and a bit soft. I did not eat the beans so I cannot tell you how they tasted. The side salad was fresh but again on the bland side. The fish was somewhat tasty but a bit overpriced for this type of type of food and restaurant. I’ve had better Salvadorean food elsewhere and more price compatible for this type of restaurant.
It wasn’t entirely bad food but I expected a bit more seasoning on my food, this food was too bland. Although not entirely a bad experience, I will likely not return to eat here. I should have just ordered pupusas.

If I could 0 stars I would rate it a –0 experience. We came here today for lunch. The server completely ignored us for 20mins until I had to get up and go to the bar to request for a server. We still ended up waiting another 5mins for someone to come over and ask us if we wanted WATER or to place our order. This entire time a the table next to us (2 people, same amount as us) got there later than us and received their food while we were JUST NOW being given WATER. We also watched as other came in and were completely IGNORED. The servers just strutted past those waiting. One lady had to get up from her table and go to the bar to get her drink order. After 30mins of waiting we left so frustrated at our experience. I will never visit this establishment again. I’ve never felt like a restaurant was doing me a favor of letting me sit before in my life. Awful experience. We walked to Banana Café. Happy. Cinco. De. Mayo.

This is the best Mexican/​Salvadoran food I have had in DC. The only reason that I did not give it a full five stars is because the staff is never very attentive. Regardless, I continue to go back.
The taquitos and pupusas are both a must try!

Las Placitas is the polar opposite of your standard stuffy DC restaurant. It is such a personable environment you feel that you are eating at a friend’s home. The Papusas seriously rocked my world. This place has great food and some serious charm!

Wow! Drove by this place mid-​week and it was packed — always a good sign. The fajitas were so tasty and the margaritas were great, too. Very friendly and welcoming staff. The service was a bit slow but I don’t mind waiting for food that’s clearly being freshly prepared. Went back for a second visit within two weeks — it’s my local favorite now! Some people don’t like the noise level but I think it’s a sign of customers having a good time!

Great to see you all back! It feels like home when I am here, and the owner and team do their best to be warm and kind. It looks clean and simple — just what i want in a standard Salvadorian joint. If it were fancy, it would beg a red flag.
Stick to the Salvadorian specialties. If you live spend time in the DC area and expect a place like this to have good ‘Mexican’ food, you will be mistaken. The owners, servers and chefs are all Salvadorian. So that food is going to be good. Sometimes they make things in the kitchen for just the crew which is amazing.
Papusa, Carnitas, Tamale, ceviche and the seafood soup are their best things. Use discretion and go after those. grab a cheap margarita during happy hour, and make sure to visit a family run place like this.
Capitol Hill is becoming more and more corporate. Nice looking restaurant groups with very similar local american food that most people seem to like, but like much of the area, the family-​run joint is disappearing.
thats why this is a five. to me. Don’t change guys!

This place was awesome! We ordered the chicken tortilla soup and Salvadorian sampler platter. Everything was great and we were checked on frequently to ensure everything was to our liking. Elmer also brought us some fresh guacamole to welcome us to their restaurant. It’s great and authentic Mexican and Salvadorian food! Come hungry.

Talk about a Hidden Gem. The chicken, shrimp, and beef fajitas were out of this world. Everything was seasoned to perfection. Strawberry margarita wasn point and awesome. I’ll definitely come back

Friendly staff. Clean place. Has football (soccer) on two small tvs. Margarita was average. Salsa was ok, chips was fresh & lite. Sopa marisco (seafood soup) was ok. Broth was ok, had shrimp, scallops, squid & oysters. 3 each. It also had a lot of carrots & cucumber. I’ve had better. No one came to check on me or if the food was good. I don’t see the big hype. Very close to the navy yard, so that was nice.
Also charged me an extra $ 1 for the soup. When I showed the staff that it was listed in the menu for $ 5.95, she said the owner changed the price. I suggest they update their menu or be true to what’s advertised.

Was excited to see that this place was t vine but only relocated. Got Carryout items on my lunch break with some co-​workers. I told them how great the food was because I do consider myself a Mexican food connoisseur or sorts lol. Well this particular time I was el wrongo! The food was cold, basic and bland. The salsa was the worst ever attempt ever made in history. The staff seems a little aloof and the bar is a bit of a mess and seems thrown together. Always wondered if they ever mo Ed or renovated would they ever get a fountain soda machine and you guessed it they did not.
They use to be good and this time they weren’t by a long shot.
I guess my old spot has lost its flavor! Sad day in enchilada history.
Adiós!

I love the food and the service is always on point. We visit at least two times per week and on the weekend. When I have quest from out of town I bring them to my favorite restaurant. My quest enjoy the food and the drinks. Family fun on Capital Hill.

Las Placitas recently moved from Eastern Market to just under the bridge on the edge of Barracks Row in between the Row and Navy Yard. That is to say, if the line at nearby Rose’s Luxury is 12 blocks long rather than the normal 11 blocks, Las Placitas may be a good alternative.
Las Placitas is a no thrills one room restaurant that serves El Salvadoran food. The staff are attentive and the moment you sit down, they serve you chips and salsa and a glass of water. The chips tasted a little stale and the salsa was just okay.
I ordered the shrimp burrito and it did come out on a large platter. Unlike most places where they put 2 – 3 shrimps in the burrito, Las Placitas had shrimp throughout! Props for that!

These guys have been around forever (I remember eating at the original location when I first started working at the Navy Yard in 1990) and they’ve been remarkably consistent over that quarter century. It’s the usual Salvadorean Mex you can find all over town: every combination of meat, beans, cheese, rice, and tortillas you could want. One of the few places you can leave stuffed for less than $ 15. Service can be hit or miss (had to ask for water three times, twice after I’d already got my food). About the worst you could say is that it’s kinda underseasoned, but there’s salt and hot sauce on the table for a reason. Bonus points for free chips and salsa. Beats the pants off Pacifico Cantina, Banana Café, and Agua 301.

The food was good. But there was no spice. It took forever to get a refill and when I did the waitresses had a little attitude with me. The 2 female waitresses were in a horrible mood. I was scared to even ask for a refill. I had an empty cup most of the time I was here. They need to hire better wait staff.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! The new location has not affected the quality of the dishes. Still family run by the nicest people you will ever meet. Loma Saltado is the best around, and the prices are great. The sangria will put a smile on your face, as will the best margaritas north of the border!

Excellent food with even better service! This family business will go out of their way to make you feel at home and give you some awesome
food. They’ll send you home with full bellies and new friends. Try this place out!

The service is really good. lots of options for vegetarians. The place is affordable, cozy and has incredible food. would definitely do the typical vegetarian platter again.