El Tamarindo
1785 Florida Ave. N.W. (202) 328-3660 Metro: Dupont Circle or Woodley Park-Adams Morgan (red line) Price range: Inexpensive ($5-$10 per person)
Perhaps one of the most upsetting things about leaving the comforts of your hometown is finding new favorite restaurants. At first, everything seems just a little bit off and a little bit discomforting. Guapo's probably still insults anyone who grew up on more authentic Mexican food, yet it's a popular and much beloved AU eatery. For those of you on the lookout for a replacement for your favorite Mexican/Salvadoran restaurant back home, look no further than Adams Morgan's El Tamarindo.
El Tamarindo has everything. They're open 'til 2 a.m. on weekdays and 5 a.m. on weekends to satisfy any late-night craving for burritos. They have free wireless Internet and hilariously sparse yet awesomely free parking, which the manager might let you stay at past your meal if you ask nicely. They have a blog and Flickr account proudly advertised on a white board inside the restaurant, just proving that not only can these people deliver the tastiest tacos on the block but they can also do it with technological savvy. The walls are laden with local art and there are the occasional poetry readings.
This is all vital to their location right on the corner of 18th Street and Florida Avenue, a dynamic part of D.C.'s art scene. While 18th Street morphs into a truly terrifying display of alcoholic frenzy every weekend, El Tamarindo is nestled at the very end, providing a sweet sanctuary amidst the sea of barhoppers.
The menu is overwhelmingly large, with an extensive array of classic Mexican and far more nuanced Salvadoran dishes. If you're hungry, go ahead and spring for a moderately priced entr?e or the gigantic crab and shrimp quesadillas, but a word to the wise is that the larger dishes tend to be diluted in flavor and generally disappointing.
The menu focuses heavily on seafood, which can be hit or miss. Guaranteed to please is the a la carte menu, featuring tacos, pupusas, chimichangas and the like for well under $5 each. The tacos in particular are gigantic and come stuffed with mixed greens and a ton of meat. The drinks are noteworthy, too. The margaritas are appropriately tangy and just strong enough for the average lightweight to shed his or her fears. And they're only $20 for a pitcher! Accompany that with one, two or eight beef tacos and a group of five can fill their stomachs and their hearts with the warm love of El Tamarindo food (and tequila) for less than $15 each.
El Tamarindo is the type of place that one passes by without even noticing. It's across the street from a Jumbo Slice and a gay bar, making it easy to pass the place up as yet another standby in the obnoxious array of neon lights and drunken follies. But it's really the type of restaurant that quickly becomes a regular's dream, complete with slow, uninterrupted service and an atmosphere that invites you to stay long after those tacos disappear.
