Being from Texas, I had to keep in mind that this was not Tex-Mex. The food was awesome! We had cucaraches, which was fried shrimp with a hot sauce, and nacho mama for appetizers. They were both amazing! The sauce is really not too spicy, just a little tangy . Birria tacos were good and cheesy. Everything was good! Service was prompt even though we had reservations. Nice and cozy, with low lighting. I tried a drink- A Piná which wasn't frozen but served over slushy ice. This place is definitely one to put in your rotation.
Dan Murphy
In a town where the options are sparse,A Mexican joint has made its mark.Though authenticity might miss its arc,The flavors, they say, could be far worse,And in décor, it's the universe.A tropical paradise, so they claim,With decorations that kindle a flame.It's not just about a culinary race,But about creating a vibrant space,Where dining feels like a festive game.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Patricia S.
El Presidente Mexican restaurant boasts a stunning interior design, vibrant atmosphere, cozy dim lighting, and top-notch customer service. Our large party had the opportunity to try a variety of drinks, appetizers, and entrées. While the consensus at the table was that the food was okay, some felt they had experienced better Mexican cuisine elsewhere and found the prices to be steep for the quality. Personally, I enjoyed the refreshing frozen pineapple margarita. However, the pineapple and shrimp coctel, a ceviche dish, was disappointing with its watery consistency and lack of flavor. The red snapper with rice, beans, and plantains was deemed average, lacking in taste and depth. Despite the underwhelming food, the standout aspect of the dining experience was the excellent service. Overall, while the ambiance and service were noteworthy, the food fell short of expectations.
Tim S.
Awesome atmosphere. We were seated in the room behind the bar area. Not as loud as the rest of the restaurant. Intimate seating along the sides. Food and service were excellent. We started with nachos. Almost like a Mexican pizza. Shrimp tacos, street corn, chicken tacos, and tortilla soup were all great. Plus a pitcher of very good margaritas.
Jenny Dorlus
The food was great and the decor is beautiful! Our server was disappointing but we still had a great time! Would go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Enchiladas Suizas, Nacho Mama, El Presidente Guacamole
Candace F.
Me and a friend came in just for drinks. Ambiance: this bar is beautiful, the restaurant is also beautiful. The seats at the bar have backs and are super plush and comfortable. The bar is a U-shaped bar. Service: was attentive. Drinks: i got their N.A. beer. I believe it was a lager. It was ok. My friend also got a beer to start. Then he blind tried a tequila and had a tequila tonic with grapefruit peel. It was very nice. Food: as i said before, we did not get food, but we saw some dinner dishes coming past us that i MUST come back and try. There's a fried snapper dish as well as a grilled branzino dish that i will be back to try.
Linda A.
Got to try this restaurant out with a friend! We enjoyed the decors and the atmosphere. The food was delicious albeit a bit on the small side especially for the price! This does not take away from the whole experience however. I would dine here again!Kid-friendliness: You can bring kidsWheelchair accessibility: There is a wheelchair accessible entrance
I am obsessed with this restaurant. It is SO delicious and the service is top notch. The atmosphere is fun and makes you feel like you are not just in a restaurant in DC, but somewhere exotic.
B A
A very aesthetically pleasing and beautifully designed restaurant, but the food left A LOT to be desired. At $41 for 4 pieces of steak (tacos Al carbon) I feel like it was very overpriced, even for DC dining standards. The lamb barbacoa was very salty, the shrimp tacos were simply a flour tortilla, cheese and what looked like a few pieces of boiled shrimp. Standouts were the dessert, we got the churros and tres leches which both tasted homemade and delicious, but that alone is not enough to bring me back here. You’re truly paying for the ambiance here, because at $18 for 3 standard tacos with no sides, there’s TONS of other places in DC with more flavor. The service was nice, the table was cleaned up of food and extra plates between each course and our server was attentive, but the food really lacked that “wow” factor.Vegetarian options: Huitlacoche quesadilla, guacamole
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Churros
Mary Wrotniak
El Presidente gave us a great night!! Food and ambience were both very good, but have to give it 4 stars because our guac came before our margaritas!! It all tasted delicious, but I hate it when this happens.
The food here was delicious (duck tacos, salsa macha, enchiladas and guacamole were standouts). The ambiance is great and honestly the service was some of the best I’ve ever experienced in DC. Would like a few more vegetarian options perhaps.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos, Churros, Chicken Enchiladas, El Presidente Guacamole
Arnab Majumdar
Enjoyed our first visit. Great ambiance, good food and excellent service. I can’t thank our server Niko for an amazingly service making it a memorable evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sonam
The food and drinks were a little overpriced for the overall quality. That said, will definitely go back to try out some other items on the menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Black Cod Al Pastor
Edward Stern
Slow and unattentive servers. What a beautiful early spring day the facility is remarkable. The food, adequate, but overpriced for the quality and choice selection.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
Alyssa Curran
amazing atmosphere, loved the decor. decent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Churros, El Presidente Guacamole
Being from Texas, I had to keep in mind that this was not Tex-Mex. The food was awesome! We had cucaraches, which was fried shrimp with a hot sauce, and nacho mama for appetizers. They were both amazing! The sauce is really not too spicy, just a little tangy . Birria tacos were good and cheesy. Everything was good! Service was prompt even though we had reservations. Nice and cozy, with low lighting. I tried a drink- A Piná which wasn't frozen but served over slushy ice. This place is definitely one to put in your rotation.
In a town where the options are sparse,A Mexican joint has made its mark.Though authenticity might miss its arc,The flavors, they say, could be far worse,And in décor, it's the universe.A tropical paradise, so they claim,With decorations that kindle a flame.It's not just about a culinary race,But about creating a vibrant space,Where dining feels like a festive game.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
El Presidente Mexican restaurant boasts a stunning interior design, vibrant atmosphere, cozy dim lighting, and top-notch customer service. Our large party had the opportunity to try a variety of drinks, appetizers, and entrées. While the consensus at the table was that the food was okay, some felt they had experienced better Mexican cuisine elsewhere and found the prices to be steep for the quality. Personally, I enjoyed the refreshing frozen pineapple margarita. However, the pineapple and shrimp coctel, a ceviche dish, was disappointing with its watery consistency and lack of flavor. The red snapper with rice, beans, and plantains was deemed average, lacking in taste and depth. Despite the underwhelming food, the standout aspect of the dining experience was the excellent service. Overall, while the ambiance and service were noteworthy, the food fell short of expectations.
Awesome atmosphere. We were seated in the room behind the bar area. Not as loud as the rest of the restaurant. Intimate seating along the sides. Food and service were excellent. We started with nachos. Almost like a Mexican pizza. Shrimp tacos, street corn, chicken tacos, and tortilla soup were all great. Plus a pitcher of very good margaritas.
The food was great and the decor is beautiful! Our server was disappointing but we still had a great time! Would go again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 2
Recommended dishes: Enchiladas Suizas, Nacho Mama, El Presidente Guacamole
Me and a friend came in just for drinks. Ambiance: this bar is beautiful, the restaurant is also beautiful. The seats at the bar have backs and are super plush and comfortable. The bar is a U-shaped bar. Service: was attentive. Drinks: i got their N.A. beer. I believe it was a lager. It was ok. My friend also got a beer to start. Then he blind tried a tequila and had a tequila tonic with grapefruit peel. It was very nice. Food: as i said before, we did not get food, but we saw some dinner dishes coming past us that i MUST come back and try. There's a fried snapper dish as well as a grilled branzino dish that i will be back to try.
Got to try this restaurant out with a friend! We enjoyed the decors and the atmosphere. The food was delicious albeit a bit on the small side especially for the price! This does not take away from the whole experience however. I would dine here again!Kid-friendliness: You can bring kidsWheelchair accessibility: There is a wheelchair accessible entrance
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos, Carne Asada Tacos, Shrimp Tacos
I am obsessed with this restaurant. It is SO delicious and the service is top notch. The atmosphere is fun and makes you feel like you are not just in a restaurant in DC, but somewhere exotic.
A very aesthetically pleasing and beautifully designed restaurant, but the food left A LOT to be desired. At $41 for 4 pieces of steak (tacos Al carbon) I feel like it was very overpriced, even for DC dining standards. The lamb barbacoa was very salty, the shrimp tacos were simply a flour tortilla, cheese and what looked like a few pieces of boiled shrimp. Standouts were the dessert, we got the churros and tres leches which both tasted homemade and delicious, but that alone is not enough to bring me back here. You’re truly paying for the ambiance here, because at $18 for 3 standard tacos with no sides, there’s TONS of other places in DC with more flavor. The service was nice, the table was cleaned up of food and extra plates between each course and our server was attentive, but the food really lacked that “wow” factor.Vegetarian options: Huitlacoche quesadilla, guacamole
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Churros
El Presidente gave us a great night!! Food and ambience were both very good, but have to give it 4 stars because our guac came before our margaritas!! It all tasted delicious, but I hate it when this happens.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
The food here was delicious (duck tacos, salsa macha, enchiladas and guacamole were standouts). The ambiance is great and honestly the service was some of the best I’ve ever experienced in DC. Would like a few more vegetarian options perhaps.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Birria Tacos, Churros, Chicken Enchiladas, El Presidente Guacamole
Enjoyed our first visit. Great ambiance, good food and excellent service. I can’t thank our server Niko for an amazingly service making it a memorable evening.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food and drinks were a little overpriced for the overall quality. That said, will definitely go back to try out some other items on the menu!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Black Cod Al Pastor
Slow and unattentive servers. What a beautiful early spring day the facility is remarkable. The food, adequate, but overpriced for the quality and choice selection.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
amazing atmosphere, loved the decor. decent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Churros, El Presidente Guacamole