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.
🔄 Weekly Events
💃 Friday Night DJ Parties
Weekly Friday night parties featuring guest DJs. No cover.
🕺 Saturday Night DJ Parties
Weekly Saturday night parties with live DJs and no cover.
🍺 The Pregame Thursdays
Kick off the weekend every Thursday with rotating DJs and no cover charge.
🥞 Weekend Brunch
Enjoy our specialized brunch menu every Saturday and Sunday.
Happy Hour
Host your group happy hour with a catered menu and special themed cocktails.
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...
