El Rey
Category: Taco Bars, Beer Gardens, Happy Hour Spots
Neighborhood: U Street
Price: $$
Address: 919 U St NW, Washington, DC 20001
✨ Vibe
A vibrant, community-cherished U Street staple known for its high-energy Latin atmosphere, industrial-chic design, and spirited crowd.
🍸 Best For
Group outings, happy hour margaritas, pre-concert fuel, sharing plates with friends, and casual weekend dates.
🔥 Highlights
- Signature Birria Tacos: Celebrated for their aromatic seasoning and perfectly crisp tortillas, these are a must-order for any taco enthusiast.
- Exceptional Hospitality: Known for its friendly bar staff and welcoming management, the venue provides a warm, "cared-for" environment that keeps locals coming back.
- Dynamic Shareables: The menu is packed with social favorites like loaded carne asada nachos and golden corn croquettes, ideal for a table full of friends.
ℹ️ Need to Know
- Take advantage of the popular happy hour deals on margaritas and appetizers for a high-value U Street experience.
- Building on its U Street success, El Rey recently opened a massive new waterfront "oasis" location in Navy Yard featuring a 166-seat outdoor patio.
📰 In the News
El Rey Opened in Navy Yard
El Rey has opened a new location in Washington D.C.'s Navy Yard neighborhood at 79 Potomac Avenue, SE. The Mexican-inspired venue offers a variety of tacos and drinks in its newly established Southeast DC space.
Inside El Rey, Navy Yard’s Hottest New Waterfront Oasis
El Rey is a sprawling waterfront coastal cantina in D.C.'s Navy Yard that features a massive 166-seat outdoor patio and views of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. The menu highlights Mexican street food like cheesy elote fritters and "Hamburguesa" tacos alongside an extensive list of creative tequila and mezcal cocktails.
“notice posted for El Rey in the empty space between Solace and All Purpose.”
El Rey has secured a lease for a new Navy Yard location at 79 Potomac Avenue, SE, offering its signature menu of tacos and tequila. The tavern space features a seating capacity of 150 inside along with a large summer garden accommodating 180 guests.
D.C. taqueria El Rey to open new Ballston location next week
El Rey expanded its D.C.-based taqueria concept from U Street NW to a new 6,300-square-foot "margarita garden" in Arlington's Ballston Exchange. The venue features a 50-foot bar with 12 taps, a dedicated "Lucha Libre" takeout area, and exclusive menu items like tortas and birria nachos.
El Rey restaurant on U Street to stay open indefinitely due to outpouring of support
El Rey Mexican Bar and Restaurant on U Street has announced it will remain open indefinitely, reversing a previous decision to close permanently due to the pandemic. The venue credits an outpouring of community support for the decision and plans to continue serving the D.C. area with a focus on its staff and local patrons.
Recent Reviews from Google
$7 nachos for happy hour turned into $16 when I added chicken for $9. You don’t get a lot of chicken so It felt like a ripoff. Cheese was also cold. Automatic gratuity was added but I didn’t find out...
I really enjoyed the food here. The carne asada nachos were delicious, and the corn croquettes were perfect for sharing with friends. I also tried the al pastor and shrimp tacos, and both were great....
Great to back to eat at u street again after 2014. El Rey had the best birria tacos. The crispness of the tortillas and aromatic food.. juicy and delicious. The bartender Joel Cruz amazing. The...
Had dinner here before a concert. Everything was fine, nothing to write home about. I read other reviews about poor service but I thought the bartender was friendly. Food came fast and it was hot!...
On Saturday October 11th my husband and I were visiting from Arizona. Looking for a Latin vibe place and came across El Rey. Bartender was friendly and gave us shots he said it was “ON HIM” well we...
