An amazing taqueria that gets so many things right. Great freshly made corn tortilla are the foundation for the flavor filled tacos. Barbacoa with goat is really good. The al pastor with traditional pineapple in it is right on target. Chicken tingua poblano is juicy and really nice (may be a little too juicy for the tortillas, but since they are fresh they absorb the juices nicely. A special of grilled octopus was amazing as the octopus was nice and tender (octopus easily turned tough) and full of flavor.
If you are there for late breakfast / brunch the coffee is sweetened and has a nice hint of cinnamon.
In short this place is dead on taqueria and the best in the DC area I've run across in 20 plus years (I don't miss my favorite taqueria's in San Diego, San Francisco Bay Area, and Baja nearly as much as I did and the is better than my of my West Coast favorites I have long loved).
The Lowdown: Everyone has that favorite hole-in-the-wall taco place they claim is “the best”. So when my colleague kept suggesting Taqueria Habanero as the place to try way up on 14th street, I was, to say the least, skeptical. But one bite of their tacos, and I knew I found my new go-to-taqueria.
First Impression: Don’t judge this book by its cover - you’ll miss out if you do. The place is downright ugly. It’s not even half-cute in a hole-in-the-wall cute kind of way. To be honest, it’s architectural and ambiatic nonsense. But it doesn’t matter, because you’re not here to impress anyone, or to be wooed by ambience - you’re here to down some bad ass tacos.
Really appreciated the quick service and complementary tortilla crisps (warm and perfectly crisp!)
The tacos were nothing to write home about. Surprisingly under-seasoned and under-spiced, which is not something you’d expect at a spot like this. It would have been fine if they came with a salsa or something but on their own, they were underwhelming.
I thought the al pastor & tinga tacos were great. Make sure to ask for more of the green salsa, as it pairs very well! Didn’t love the birria tacos.
I ordered one shrimp, one bistec, and one taco al pastor. You have to try them out if you like tacos. The juices and flavor were definitely there with the green salsa YUM!
Took my friends here, and we all had a great experience! Friendly service, warm atmosphere, and great food. We split a taco platter, and I tried both the steak and el pastor tacos. Both were excellent. Fantastic drinks, too. I don’t think you could go wrong with any of them. Would absolutely go back!
Excellent service coupled with great Mexican food is how I would describe this restaurant.
I had tried the green veggie enchiladas which were delicious.
Needless to say, they also served the traditional complementary chips and salsa when you first sit there.
Pulpo was the best taco I've ever had, and I'm fat, and I've had a bunch of tacos working with mostly Hispanic folks. My amigos, for sure. This experience was on another level, fantastic food
Saminda Wijegunawardena
+5
Pretty solid place for tacos, nice staff, and chill vibe.
It's hard to find decent Mexican food on the east coast, and in the DMV it's pretty much all Central American cuisine that you do find. Habanero is welcome in that regard, it has a good assortment of Mexican dishes, including some of the more exotic meats and preparations you won't find in other places around here.
I had 4 tacos. I was hungry yes but not that hungry, they were just super tiny and pricey ($3-4 each) for what you get. You can finish each one in a few bites so it's about a dollar a bite.
The carne asada (steak) and the al pastor (pork) were definitely the standouts, both seasoned well and super flavorful. The chorizo was surprisingly not greasy but lacking in flavor, wouldn't recommend it here. Their pollo (grilled chicken) was completely forgettable but saved only by the salsas.
Speaking of the salsas, both their salsa verde and salsa roja were both delicious. Very fresh. The verde had that familiar tanginess and was great on the steak taco. Their roja packed a little heat and had the nice smokey finish. Good on the pollo.
I'll be back to try more things on the menu.
Had the pleasure to dine in and really enjoyed our time there. First off, the staff was so welcoming to everyone that walked through those doors! The food! We tried tacos - al pastor, nopales, pulpo - all delicious with so much flavor in each bite. The pulpo was cooked perfectly and the meat cooked right!
The enchiladas con mole was a hit! If you go there get this, you will not regret it! Also had the torta milanesa de pollo. An unbelievable chicken cutlet with right ingredients! The bread was soft and had a good light toast on the outside. The flavors in that torta will hit the tastebuds.
If you want to add some spice in your life, try serrano peppers on the side. We had a blast there and can't wait to go back!
10/10 insanely delicious tacos. Been there 3 times and have never been disappointed. Always fresh, quality is great.
Expert note: you can always tell the w restaurants right of the bat by looking at the tortillas, hand made tortillas most of them can be the authentic ones and this one hit the spot. It was phenomenal! The price was great for the area and the orders came out to be good portions. I had the mole poblano. Did not disappoint. I keep seeing the extra charge for chips, I honestly thing free chips all around would gain more than losing but, I was satisfied. Thank you!
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