Diego

Came for brunch and had some of the most delicious huevos rancheros I’ve ever ordered. My only gripe was that I had to order guacamole as a side (for a staggering $ 3) because neither guac not avocado came with the meal. The other reason for a docked star was that I arrived about 15 minutes after the rest of my party of 5 others and had to wait for all of their food to arrive before our waiter came back to take my order. So then we had the awkward experience of them trying to be polite and wait or me to get my food while their steaming and delicious looking plates sat in front of them rapidly cooling. My only other gripe is that the waiter didn’t ask how I wanted my eggs and brought a platter of extremely runny over easy eggs when I would’ve ordered fried medium if I had been asked or remembered to mention I enforce the end of his perfunctory visit to our table.
Things I liked: the delicious food (I tried one other dish that was delivered to our table) and the décor. It seems like a pretty great place for happy hour too, and away from the general hub-​bub U St being across from Eatonville.
Came for HH a few more times before this place closed. Best margaritas before El Rey came to town.

Less than mediocre food, decent service, good atmosphere
I came here on a Friday evening for happy hour and my first impression was the great space – not a lot of people (which I preferred) and plenty of room for sitting or dancing (there’s light music on the 2^nd floor).
The food: very blah! The queso for our chips tasted re-​heated and unauthentic. Not very good. For my food I ordered 2 things: chicken flautas as my appetizer and tacos as my entrée. The flautas were tasty, a little cold but tasty. For my tacos I got one steak, one chicken, and one fish taco. All were forgettable. Not bad, just nothing special. My friend ordered the salmon which was TERRIBLE! Maybe it was left out for too long or just went bad, but it tasted spoiled. He returned it for the chicken flautas, which he didn’t get because they mistakenly gave him a chicken quesadilla, which was once again, forgettable. And it had a weird after taste –_​–
Thankfully, his meal was on the house.
The drinks: I ordered the red sangria which was OK. Nothing to write home about. My friend ordered the Canelo, which she hated. Overall their drinks were pretty strong this night.
The service: was pretty good. The waiter/​bartender was helpful and ended up giving one of my friends a free meal after they confused the order.
Overall: I like the space and low-​key atmosphere, but go to Lauriol for better food.

Went last night with friends. This is probably my 4^th/​5^th visit. Located on 14^th & V, unless you take public transportation and/​or Über (or the like), you will circle the block more than once for parking. There’s just no way around that one.
They definitely made good use of that corner lot — it’s spacious. Has outdoor seating for warmer months, front to back seating on the first floor (with a bar) and the same on the 2^nd floor.
Service is hit or miss. Last night, everyone was highly attentive. I’ve also been when I can count how many times I spoke to/​saw my server on one hand minus a thumb and pinkie.
Now the star… you primarily go to Diego for chips, salsa and drinks. My favorite is the Prickly Pear. Now I’m not much of a frozen drink kinda girl but that one is delicious and packs a punch. Unless it changes, that’ll remain my go-​to.
The food is, eh, okay. Nothing to write home about. My favorite item is the guac — it comes with the option of being spicy. Other than that, it’s just a cool place to meet friends for drinks.

Yet another addition to the bustling 14^th St. scene!
We went here for brunch on a sunday, the receptionist was super nice and we were seated pretty quickly. This place is pretty huge so it’s a great way to avoid waiting for hours at other places down the street. Started off with drinks, definitely get the prickly pear margarita!!! It has a wonderful pear-​y taste without being too sickly sweet and they definitely don’t hold back on the tequila ;) my friend got the mojito, but it was overshadowed by the margarita. Guac and chips were yummy and i was definitely starting to get a buzz.
This place is tex-​mex, their website has menus listed as el lunch, el brunch which i found pretty funny haha. since we went for ‘el brunch’, i opted for the mexican omeleta. it was alright, nothing great. the potatoes on the side were cold and i was pretty disappointed :(However, the spinach and cheese enchiladas were pretty good! the side of rice and beans was okay.
I think if i were to go back, it would be for the pear margarita and maybe try the chicken enchiladas.

We came here for Sunday brunch and had their unlimited mimosas which was a hoot and a half! :) I ordered the breakfast burrito meanwhile my friends ordered omelets/​scrambles with seafood mixed in.
My friend ordered his omelet with crab in it and when he first received it, he commented that their was barely any crab in it. Instead of ignoring or brushing him off, the server took his comment to the chef who returned with another omelet filled with HELLA crab. Good service and response to the guests needs.

This is no doubt my fav DC Mexican dinner spot. Service is always exceptional and the margaritas are killer. As many times as I have been here I have never had a bad experience. Last night however was crowded and we waited about 20min for a table. The wait was not a prob — it was Friday night and you have to expect a wait. The only thing that didn’t go well was the food came out cold (I HATE COLD TACOS). But the server was super nice and offered to make up for it and I declined. Well, everyone deserves an error now and then.
The tip here is to beware of food temp during busy nights. Despite this experience I can’t wait to come back soon.

Came here just for happy hour. The drinks were fruity and strong. I shared a happy hour dish, I think calamari and no complaints. Looking at the dishes other people were ordering I definitely want to come back!

Sad, sad, sad. We have been coming to Diego since they first opened and it quickly became one of our most favorite places in DC — even our choice above Lauriol Plaza — and that’s saying a lot for us. But we just learned Sunday evening that it has new owners, who are apparently not very nice to the staff, and who will be changing the entire menu making it all TAPAS! Are you nuts??? There is a tapas restaurant down the street! If we wanted tapas, we would go there.
You have something great and you’re going to mess with it? If it’s not broken, don’t fix it! Leave the menu as it is. Leave EVERYTHING as it is! Everyone comes to Diego because the food is consistent, we know what we order is what we will get, and we like it just like it is.

My friend and I were craving for some Mexican food and decided to check this place out. Not to mention, I was swooned in by the $ 5 sangria’s. The food was really good and well portioned. I enjoyed my drinks too.
Real chill environment and the music is pretty good.

One recent weekend, a friend surprised me by coming into town last-​minute. After a quick happy hour, he quickly became quite famished from his trip. Not having reservations, we wandered up 14^th looking for a place that would feed us. Diego is kinda far up on 14^th (I believe V is the cross-​street) so maybe that’s why it wasn’t super crowded. Anyways, we were very grateful to have a speedy service and a delicious meal. Good margaritas, queso and enchiladas.

No wait on a weekend night right off U street, I’ll take it!
Two friends and I decided we were hungry around 8:30 on a Friday night and walked over to 14^th street with no plans and no reservations. This meant most places were off limits. We almost succumbed to street food when we saw Diego in the distance and decided to give it a go. We were seated immediately inside by the window walls which open directly the patio. I loved the sliding window walls.
I found the menu to be really affordable and filled with all of the Mexican restaurant classics. We started with a pitcher of margaritas for $ 30. We each got about 2 and a half drinks out of it. Unlike a lot of places, Diego doesn’t half way fill their pitchers with ice. In fact, I had to ask for more ice because after the first drink, all of the ice was gone. We also started with some salsa, chips and chili con queso. The cheese dip was pretty excellent.
I ended up ordering the fish tacos. Three tacos comes served with grilled white fish, cooked onions and a slaw of sorts. It also comes with rice, beans, pico, sour cream and guacamole for $ 12.95. I could only finish two tacos and about half of my rice and beans. They were all solid.
The service was good too. Our waiter kept the chips coming and our water glasses full. I will say that I don’t think Diego is anything too special. The menu isn’t especially exciting, the interiors aren’t super unique and the food wasn’t mind blowing. Overall a good dinner though and I would absolutely give lunch or brunch a try.

Had heard REALLY good things about this place for brunch (heard it’s ALWAYS packed at night).
I arrived to find the place ½ full… signal #1 for brunch on a Sunday with large open windows and outdoor seating on a NICE day.
I had to WAIT for the person to come to the check-​in booth because there was NO ONE THERE when I arrived… signal #2.
I was promptly seated and my guest hadn’t arrived yet. I was given salsa and chips. I asked if the chips were corn or flour. She stated «corn». I said, «all corn?». She said, «yes». I said, «I am asking because I have a wheat allergy»
**enter crickets riiiiiiiiiight here**
She then states, «Lemme go check». It took about 10 minutes for me to get an answer. Meanwhile, that salsa was screaming my name at the table with a bowl of chips I was unsure if I could eat!
So, find out, the chips are ALL CORN… the jury is out on that because I feel mighty bloated right now.
Okay, so I order a cadillac margarita (YUM) to drink and water. I snacked on the chips and salsa until my guest arrived. Once she arrived, we ordered. My friend specifically stated she wanted a side of BACON with her order (she said this about 3 times). She ordered the french toast. I ordered the mushroom omelette with a side of chorizo. The server immediately returns to out table and says to me, «You wanted the Huevos Con Chorizo, right?» Um, NO .If you can’t remember what people ordered, try writing it down.
When my friend gets her order, there is a side of beans, not bacon. The server insisted she said BEANS, when my friend CLEARLY said BACON 3 times. My omelette… the eggs tasted «gamey» (you know, like lamb/​goat that hasn’t been marinated well). I forced myself to eat about ½ of it because I was so hungry. My friend finally got her bacon.
They had the windows open, but BEES kept coming in and flying all over the place (along with flies). Not cool.
The food was sub-​par, but my drink was good. The salsa was amazing, but I can’t say I’d return for brunch.

Diego was ok. I would have liked a little more inspiration in the menu.
The prices were great! A plate of steak fajita’s for $ 15 is not bad at all. The steakl was seasoned well and the portion was a nice size. Way too many onions on the plate! It was a sea of onions with only a few peppers. Next time, through in some zucchini or something to make the plate a little less heavy.
My fish tacos were $ 13, also, not too bad. My one complaint was my tacos had such a thick layer of onions on top, i couldn’t tell where the onion stopped and the fish started. Also, what kind of fish? My guess is tilapia. I would prefer a meatier fish like mahi but that’s just me. People like knowing what kind of fish they are eating.
The drinks were very good and reasonably prices. They had a bunch of different margarita’s to choose from. I got the blood orange and it was fantastic!
There was no line so we got a table right away. That’s always a plus.
All in all, not a bad place is you are looking for good ol’ Mexican food.

3.5 stars from me!!! Came during happy hour bartenders were super nice! Either DC so far in the few weeks I’ve been here have the nicest bartenders or I’m just a breath of fresh air because I’m a friendly person who just move here… cause I’ve had the greatest experience with servers in my life! I had the chicken burito and my gf had the chicken tacos… Both were pretty good. salsa was super good!!! not authentic Mexican but tastes on par with American Mexican restaurants that are average. The servings look small which they were but they were only 8 dollars so the value was pretty good! Good spot for groups that want a decent happy hour and good space friendly staff and decent food

love how easy it was to make a reservation here the day of!
came here friday night for dinner + drinks before going out. certainly enjoyed my experience! our waiter was very attentive and the basket of chips + salsa was always full (which is both good, yet bad). the red sangria was delicious and we even got a little sample of the passion picante randomly on the house!
i had the diego salad with steak which was good and filling. my steak was done right, but came out a bit cold but at that point i was buzzed and didn’t want to make a fuss. my friend had the steak enchilada and her steak was on point so i happily had her leftovers!
would definitely come back for brunch or to give the tacos a try. it’s in a great location and the ambience is lovely.

Very disappointed on most fronts, and in retrospect, I wish I followed my instinct and went to Tacqueria National or even Pica Taco. But, I sense there is some potential here.
Can’t complain about the service — our server was mostly prompt, courteous, and overall a nice guy. We sat outside on a Sunday evening, and the place was quiet, both in and out. Salsa and chips were memorable in that we were surprised at its blandness. Salsa especially had the potential to be so good, but it fell flat. The taste itself was fresh, but it lacked seasoning and heat of any type.
I had the chile relleno, which again, lacked seasoning, and was mostly a mushy concoction of a too-​small and over-​battered chile, stuffed with a less than appetizing cheese. The sauce was a tad sweet for me, and overall the dish just didn’t work.
I will say the spicy salsa verde served with the fish tacos was a high point, but even then, the serving of that salsa to my dining partner and the serving to me were completely different. Mine was very spicy — her’s was not.
I mostly regret coming here, but hope this place can turn it around. I generally love «Mexican» food in the way we Americans are accustomed to it, but even this is taking it a bit far…

The food and Happy Hour at Diego’s is pretty good. I found it best if you make a reservation, because this place gets packed. The 1^st floor is pretty nice a bit more cozy. Happy Hour is only at the bar on the 2^nd floor. I had the enchiladas with shredded chicken with pinto beans and rice. It was a tasty dish and I liked that it wasn’t too heavy! Note if you are doing vegetarian the pinto beans contain meat, whereas the black beans are vegan. I’m not sure if this is stated clearly on the menu.
The 30+ year old something people on the 2^nd floor that I observed, come in here to get wasted. The bartenders have outgoing personalities for what they do and apparently know how to get these people riled up. One had me laughing, because he was moving his hips as though he had a hoola hoop around his waist while he was pouring the drinks.
A friend and I were trying to eat at the bar and we were hearing a bunch of hootin’ and hollerin’, every 2 minutes glasses were being broken over the floor. Thought I was at a Greek wedding… geesh. All I was thinking is these people need to chill !
Better yet I think I will just go to a restaurant that is a little more calm where I can eat, relax, and not have to worry about cutting my foot.
I like this place as a pregame spot, but not sure if I would return for dinner on the 2^nd floor.

Went on a Friday night. Loved the drinks, and the atmosphere. They had a live DJ upstairs, which was pretty cool. For a Friday, they did shut things down a little early. They stopped serving food around 10, and knowing me, I need a little nibble when I drink.
The mojitos were amazing, and I would defiently reccomend getting them, when you go. I just need to get there a little eariler, so I can actually try out dinner.

My amazing friends kidnapped me on Saturday night for my birthday — they surprised me with dinner at Lost Society which is a block down from Diego. Since we arrived in DC early — what else do we do but have some pre dinner drinks?
We got to Diego around 5:30 — the bar area wasn’t super crowded so the four of us grabbed a few bar stools and ordered drinks and an order of guacamole!
When you check in at Diego, there is an offer for a free peach sangria which I decidedly though would start my night off in the right direction! I’ve notice sometimes using the check in offers that the servers/​bartenders are less than thrilled, I am sure they see «free» and think ugh… no tip. This was absolutely not the case here. Our bartender got right on our drinks and served up phenomenal sangria which I happily inhaled.
One of the drinks caught my attention — something called a Canelo. Its tequila, pineapple juice, lime and cinnamon, now I am a tequila fan but sometimes this alcohol and ruin a drink, this concoction was perfection. I immediate emptied that one and ordered a second.
Our cutie patootie bartender just smiled.
The guacamole station is pretty unique. At the end of the bar, there is a small island with a man smashing avocados, tomatoes and all the fixin’s to make a stellar bowl of yumminess. I think the four of us took all of about 8 minutes to empty the authentic stone bowl (shaped like a pig I believe).
Since we were headed to dinner elsewhere we didn’t get a chance to order from the entrée menu, but based of the experience we had I have bookmarked Diego and can’t wait to get back.

Stopped into Diego for a few hours before heading to dinner at Lost Society. We sat at the bar since we were there to enjoy a few adult beverages. We were not disappointed in any way here!
The place is beautiful — at 5pm it was dimly lit but warm and welcoming.
The service was impeccable — kind, attentive and quick.
The drinks were on point, packing a major punch without losing the enjoyable flavors.
We ordered the guacamole when we got there to tide us over until dinner. It was so fresh and delicious! It is made to order and even if you couldn’t see them at the station making it (which you can) the taste alone proves it.
I like that they give you complimentary chips and fresh salsa. They were enjoyed very much as well.
Another plus: clean, well-​stocked bathrooms!
I’ve been told that the steak tacos here are amazing and a MUST try. I look forward to returning to Diego and doing just that!