50 Best Latin American Restaurants near Kensington

“Crisp & Juicy delivers exactly what its name promises—perfectly cooked Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken that’s both mouthwateringly juicy on the inside and satisfyingly crisp on the outside. The chicken is marinated in traditional Peruvian spices, slow-roasted, and served with a smoky, addictive flavor that’s hard to replicate. Their signature green and yellow sauces take everything to the next level—whether you’re dipping the chicken, fries, or even just spooning it straight. It’s simple, flavorful, and consistently well-executed.

Beyond the chicken, the sides round out the experience: yuca fries that are golden and crunchy, flavorful rice, and plantains that add a touch of sweetness. The portions are generous, the service is quick, and the vibe is laid-back—perfect for takeout or a casual meal. Crisp & Juicy doesn’t try to be fancy—it just does one thing really well: comfort food with bold flavor. It’s the kind of place that turns first-timers into loyal regulars“

“Great food great service!“

“Pub like atmosphere with an eclectic menu. Service was pretty good, and certainly helpful and friendly. The menu is somewhat like a tapas place in that the portions are fairly small and if you go hungry, you may need to order more than one. Has an outside area, heated, where you enjoy the official bird song of Washington DC - the police siren.“

“Joy has to be one of the best dine in experiences i’ve had in a while! Definitely a new favorite restaurant. The food was amazing, my girlfriend and I especially enjoyed the Batí Batí. Service was also really good, everyone was very attentive and kind. 10/10 from the both of us!! Wonderful“

“Brunch is amazing. Bottomless margaritas and the churros are excellent!“

“Elegant setting. Beautiful decor. Stellar service. Innovative and delectable cuisine. Bonus points for mocktail options.“

“Great joint. Food is innovative and subtle, drawing flavor from unexpected places (as opposed to piling on the salt), and the menu has great variety, in terms of proteins, flavors, and array of dishes.
Add a fun, curated wine list, and exceptional service, all at abundantly reasonable prices, and this is one of the best pure meals you’ll get in the area.
L&C is still growing into the space, and it isn’t helped by some shabby, dated surroundings—but so much care has gone into this place, I’m really hopeful they’ll hang on and help revitalize that whole neck of the woods…“

“Nice! The food was good and a very accommodating staff.“

“Deliciosas empanadas y aperitivos con ese sabor Panameño que nos identifica y una atención excelente“

“It is a high end dining experience for sure. Beautiful setting. Lots of silverware and settings. Many courses. Lots of staff interaction that takes place over three hours. With all that said, only one course -- the soup -- was excellent. The other food was good, interesting, and unusual. Glad we went. For the price point, over $300 for the two of us, not in a rush to go back. I am glad to see a one star Michelin vegan restaurant in DC.“

“First time here & very much enjoyed w/ my girlfriends. Exceptional fabulous service w/ our server, Miguel. All staff wonderful & friendly! This South American cuisine is delicious, the atmosphere & decor beautiful ?? I highly recommend this place , looking forward in going back to experience the night life w/ music & dancing:)“

“Mi esposo y yo fuimos hoy por primera vez. Las atenciones fueron espectaculares y la comida riquísima. Esperamos volver pronto. Gracias a Rocio por tratarnos tan bien.“

“I just had a company meeting here and it was excellent! Service and food was phenomenal as always. I can’t thank them enough for providing a great atmosphere for me and my company. I will definitely be having a team meeting here again.“

“The Saga is a great experience from start to finish. When you walk in, the space is beautiful, light-filled, and spacious. You're greeted, seated quickly, and the entire team works together to help ensure you and your party are having a great time. We ordered the tapas tour, which was a whirlwind of delicious and inventive small plates. Some of our favorites were the fried calamari, the Spanish sausage, the bacon-wrapped blue cheese-stuffed dates, and the spicy olive oil marinated shrimp. Incredible!! For dessert, we couldn't resist a small cheese plate and the tropical-flavored dessert. We also got some mango sorbet to top it all off. The only comment I'd make about the tapas tour experience is that I wished the tapas came out at a more paced speed, so that we could savor each dish more individually. But really, I also could have asked for that and I think the team would have accommodated the request! What an amazing time, thank you so much to everyone on the team!“

“I sat in the bar and had the hilachas guatemaltecas, and it was excellent and included homemade corn tortillas. The hilachas stew was a bit more potato heavy than I expected but that did not detract from the experience. It was also my first time having it, so it was a learning experience for me.

The service at the bar was excellent. I overheard people saying that the server was the cutest! She was incredibly nice and definitely makes you feel welcomed and seems excited that you’re there as a customer. It’s refreshing to receive such nice treatment.

The west facing windows bring afternoon light, and it has a cute ambience that would be great for a small group, a couple, or even just one person to grab lunch or dinner.

The “booth” side seating has a cushion for your bottom, but the wall is your back. There are several other tables with all chairs though, and there are two small sidewalk tables outside.“

“Nice draft bar And good food“

“Had a wonderful dinner with friends - service was great and food unique and delicious! Highly recommend!“

“Un luga con un ambiente super higienico y fresco. Las atenciones fueron de primera, la comida fresca y con muy buen sabor. Yo sali muy satisfecha, ? por favor espero que sigan con la misma calidad. Muchas gracias al Señor Ariel y su equipo de trabajo. God bless you“

“Very cute and clean out of the way Salvadoran restaurant. Worth a stop if you’re in the area! Had a great weekend lunch, tried the papusas (get the revueltas!) and tacos, as well as a couple different margaritas. Very reasonably priced and really delicious.

I’ve had papusas from several places, these are handmade and very fresh.“

“Latin comfort food; good beer selection; everything on the menu is excellent“

“My wife and I was walking around after taking care of business at the U.S. Passport Agency office down the street. Great food. Wonderful service to add also. When my wife and I are back in this area again will for sure come back to this establishment. 5 star all the way!“

“DMV Empanadas had a pop-up shop at the Navy Yard Farmers Market. This was my first time trying them. And OMG!!! They were so good. So tasty. Not a lot salt. Wife had the veggie one while I had the chicken salteña. They did not disappoint!! If y'all weren't so far up in Gaithersburg, I'd go right now to get some more! Actually, I'll be hitting them at another farmers market tomorrow in DC!
YUMMMMMMMMMY!“

“Went with a small group and the service was amazing. Friendly staff and owner with quick service. Food was delicious. I had pupusas, guacamole and chips, tamales with house made sour cream, and chicken. I definitely recommend you enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner here.“

“the best arepas i have had outside of Venezuela.“

“Very good happy hour! (4-7pm) The prices are affordable and the aperol spritz is a very good size compared to other restaurants that give a small glass. I recommend the nachos and tacos to share. The service is a little slow but it can be improved.“

“the food is delicious. the plate are serve with good amount of food. customer service os very kind. 100%“

“10/10, took my wife for our 15 year anniversary and she loved, every delicious bite, every plate had a story to tell,such a wonderful and memorable experience. Gracias!!!“

“the best arepas i have had outside of Venezuela.“

“se los recomiendo todo muy bueno 👌“

“Very small restaurant but very home like. It’s a nice space. The staff are nice and caring. The service is very quick as well. Been coming to this place since I was a kid and I still go. I always order the carne asada tacos and the tacos are so cheap and it’s generous with the size of it.

Parking: It’s like 5-6 spots on the right side of the restaurant.“

“fast service, great food, and the best Peruvian-style chicken in Columbia Heights.“

“I felt like some Dominican food specifically, chicharron de pollo (fried chicken) and tostones (fried plantains). The food was delicious and plentiful. It's in a strip mall and has an adjoining lounge which may double as a dance floor.“

“Wow! The pupusas were delicious! I ordered the Pupusa de Pollo and the special that night, the Pupusa with Shrimp. The restaurant also offers tacos, salads and soups. Do not forget to order a smoothie to go with your pupusas. The banana smoothie was just that: smooth and satisfyingly sweet with the savory pupusas.“

“muy buena comida se los recomiendo“

“I found this place on DoorDash and took a chance, they did not disappoint. I always get the Tacos De Birria and it’s always still hot when I get it so I know it’s fresh. So cheesy and lots of meat and full of flavor . I’m afraid to go anywhere else to get Birria tacos cause I feel other places won’t be as good as this place. I definitely recommend Polleria Tres Amigos to anyone 😊“

“This is my favorite place! I drive from Columbia to here almost every weekends because I love the vibe, the food, the drinks and they are very kind and professional and hard working. I love to support this business and I recommend it to anyone who is into Hispanic food and reggaeton! Absolutely amazing lounge!“

“Great delivery in Navy Yard and awesome foooood!!!“

“We sat at the bar. Delicious food and drinks. Great service. We came twice on our trip to D.C.“

“The vibe is good. The service was very very slow. They kept forgetting to put things in. Not sure if they were short staffed. Don’t waste your time with the chips and dips. They tasted like store bought guacamole and salsa and cheap dollar store bag chips. But other wise the Citron sampler was amazing! We only one drink because again the service was slow. But overall I would try this place again because of the vibe and music.“

“Consistently AWESOME!“

“Is always a pleasure to go to Guardados, food is delicious, everyone is friendly and is so nice to see the owner coming to the tables and talk to costumers.
Not expensive and great food, drinks and deserts, this time we tried different Paella but my favorite is Paella Negra, different flavor, is just perfect for me and you should try it.“

“….…………………………………………….. xxx“

“Always great service /food/drinks we will always return“

“We were a little hesitant because of how small the store front was but it ended up being absolutely delightful! We had the empanadas as an appetizer, they were delicious. The bread was such a great consistency, better than the best cornbread. I had the carne asada, and it was so fresh and delicious. All of the food was very authentic! I even tried a new drink, not alcoholic, it was like a tea that was cold but somewhat spicy. It was delicious !! We will definitely be going back for another round ;-) Service was very quick and polite as well.“

“Absolutely incredible every single time. Crisp & Juicy lives up to its name — the rotisserie chicken is perfectly seasoned, fall-off-the-bone tender, and packed with flavor. The skin is crispy in all the right ways, and the meat stays juicy no matter what you order.

The sides are just as good — especially the yuca fries and plantains. Everything tastes homemade and fresh. I also have to shout out the green sauce — dangerously good and goes with literally everything on the menu.

The staff are always friendly and quick, even when it’s busy. You can tell they care about their food and their customers. Whether you’re grabbing takeout or dining in, it’s consistently a great experience. Easily one of my favorite spots — I’ll keep coming back again and again. Highly recommend!

For real this place is really good“

“Especiales del día de la madre pra ti presiosa diamante 💎 de Dios feliz día de las madres Puedes disfrutar tu plato favorito por un economico presio ven y disfruta 😉“

“The perfect hole in the wall. Classic, quality Mexican food. Sizes good portions, reasonable prices, you can feed two people to beyond full with a drink for $30, it’s all freshly made in house to order and turn around pick up is never longer that 15/20mins. Special shout out to the chicken burrito and the horchata.“

“Rico té esperamos lo mejor de la comida y ambiente ♥️🥰🥰“

“Fantastic, fabulous, everything on the menu is amazing. Wait staff is really good as service and completely.“