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dLeña Washington Reviews
Taste and presentation is everything...
My niece invited me to the Bottomless Brunch on Saturday. Little did I know what to expect when I got there. Yes, I perused the menu slightly before going. But sometimes, things look different once they are right before you. Since she is a Gen Z (and I trust her taste), I let her take the lead in ordering for my sister (her mother) because she had come here before. She started with the Seasonal Fruit Cocktail, Dleña Caesar Salad, Steak and Eggs, and Dleña Crispy Chicken Waffles. Then we felt the need (since our eyes were bigger than our stomachs) for this incredible Crab Guacamole (which was extra, which was every bit worth it, OMG). Then it continued with every dish, more delicious than the next. I intentionally tried not to eat much in the morning because I knew I wanted to try (if possible) a bite or two of everything on the menu. It had nothing to do with the cost of the brunch; it had everything to do with wanting to write a comprehensive review of the meal/experience. I’m so sorry to report that it didn’t happen. When the waiter brought the last couple of dishes, I couldn’t muster enough strength to put another thing in my mouth. But, it’s funny, I could only take two bites off a Churros before leaving; go figure…don’t judge me. My mother was a professional caterer for decades, and she was meticulous about not only the food's taste but also the presentation. dLeña's bottomless brunch was fantastic. Chef Richard Sandoval's food was so flavorful, and every dish presentation was just as meticulous. It is a true sign of a professional who cares about his name and what it represents. More importantly, he loves what he does, which shows in the meal. Thank you, and I look forward to returning to one of the other dining experiences. Unfortunately, I did not take many photos this time because I was fixated on the many dishes coming out. The next time I go there, I will.
Amazing
We dined at dLena this weekend and wow! I went in expecting just another Mexican restaurant experience but was blown away by the everything , especially the food. We ordered the pork bellies and crab guacamole for starters. Both were amazing. For dinner we had the seafood enchiladas and the short rib tacos, which were delicious also. dLena is simply a dining experience I was not prepared for. Our server Ryan was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and guided us in the right direction. This place is off the charts as a dining experience. Highly recommended.
Bottomless Bunch!!!
My friend and I visited this location for Bottomless Brunch and were not disappointed. We sat outside and enjoyed all of the dishes and cocktails. My friend is vegan and did not miss out on the many vegan options available. I tried it all!
Cute place!
So I came here twice and one time is was late night and one time right at five. The first time I came for a birthday dinner and it was cute! I had oysters I just didn’t like the stuff that came on it so next time I’d get workout. I wasn’t too hungry so I ate my steak the next day and it was good! I went back a second time- and this time got the mushroom tacos and they were soooo yummy! 10/10 would recommend! Also I got a mocktail. But yes try them tacos! My friend also got the chicken and she loved it! They also have a dessert of amazing churros for the celebration person and they were really good! I would recommend! Service is good and servers are attentive and nice.
Absolutely Tremendous
Went for my fella’s birthday. These guys literally went out of their way to make it special. Shout out to Mike and especially Justin for truly going the extra mile. Food was phenomenal to say the least. My only regret is that I don’t have enough stomachs to simply try more. Drinks as well An absolutely lovely evening. Atmosphere. Service. Food. Incredible
Best restaurant in the area
The food was amazing. Great wine, soup, tacos, all with attention to detail and fantastic combo of flavors. I will be back.
Amazing
Amazing food, staff, and service. Food was absolutely delicious despite the small portions. Wine was incredible. Will be coming back.
Nice and Cool
It is not a traditional Mexican couisine, but It was good.Food, atmosphere and staff were nice. Nothing to complain. We recommend this restaurant.
Dinner in Washington, DC
LOVED this place!! It’s so hard to get weekend reservations so I came here recently on a Wednesday night—we were seated right away at a high top near the bar. The restaurant is dim-lit and has an intimate ambiance. Food was AMAZING. For appetizers, highly recommend the Maryland Crab Guacamole, Empanadas de Wagyu and Pork Belly—all three were outstanding, well flavored and unique tasting. For entrees, the Medio Pollo Al Carbon (grilled chicken) was okay—the chicken was a bit dry for my preference. The server told us all their food are wood-fire grilled. The Tacos de Short Rib was SO GOOD!! The meat was tender, the chili peanut sauce was interesting (and delicious) and the tortilla pieces gave it a nice crunch. Unfortunately, they don’t let you mix-and-match the taco meat options (each dish comes with 3 tacos). In regards to the overall visual dining experience, I will have to say, the restaurant is a bit TOO dim—I couldn’t see my food clearly because it was too dark and I had to use flash every time I took a food photo. Looks like they have a full bar! Tried the Tamarindo Margarita—pretty tasty, had a sweet and sour kick to it. For dessert, we got the Mil Hojas de Panqueque Argentino, a crepes dessert—it was good and not as overly sweet as you might expect (which I preferred), but wasn’t a fan of the salted caramel ice cream which was way too sweet. Overall, I would love to come back and try more of their dishes! Side note, street parking is hard to find but there is a parking lot across the restaurant for $20.
On my list when in DC
Very in place. The food was incredible and a great place fir Mexican food lovers. Enjoyed the waygu meat and all appetizers and mains were on point. The place is just great for any occasion
An evening of surprises with a Chef Carlos Camacho
My wife and I recently became very fond of latin cuisine, so we decided on dLena for my birthday celebration, based on a friend’s recommendation. Out of all the restaurants in DC, they offered an affordable yet exquisite chefs tasting experience and wine pairing. Wow! Were we in for a treat. The chefs table is in a private, cosy nook overlooking the amazing wood fired kitchen. We were attended to by the general manager, Cindy Contreras, who was on point to our every need. Shannon, our bar tender, was outstanding as well. However, the best was yet to come. During the experience, we engaged directly with Executive Chef Carlos Camacho, as he explained his inspiration behind every dish he served. We were humbled to be given an opportunity to remark on his dishes, which by the way, were locally sourced and outstanding in quality. They even had a surprise dessert for my birthday. A quintessential moment was at the end of service, when they handed us a gift box to be opened the morning after. All in all, it was a memory and experience to treasure long into the future and we highly recommend you reserve your spot at dLena for your next special occasion.
Incredible Find In DC NW
I really enjoyed my experience here. Had dinner with my fiancé while in a weekend getaway to DC. She found this incredible restaurant on TikTok and it delivered on every promise the website makes. Think high-end Mexican experience minus the rice and beans. You definitely want to try the pork belly and the corn empanadas. Best of all, try the cocktails. They have an extensive selection of mezcal and tequila which are used to make some unique drinks. Try the mezcal old fashioned and you won’t be disappointed. Shout out to Troy for being an incredibly waiter. He really made the whole experience even better with his bright personality and great attentiveness. Also, if you have time, check or Rona downstairs. Drinks are a little expensive, but worth the vibe and the live music. Great date spot.
Good food and drinks; and if you want to be treated like you’re at one of those satire restaurants then dLeña is for you
Good food and drinks; and if you want to be treated like you’re at one of those satire restaurants where you pay them to demean/insult you, then dLeña is the place for you. My fiancé and I have been to dLeña previously, more specifically to their Roja Lounge for drinks and small plates. The drinks were so good that even our friends who were from out of town insisted we go again when they were back in town. I don’t remember anything standout about the service, good or bad. When we saw that they were doing a New Year’s Eve dinner with live music at their Roja Lounge, we were very excited to go with some friends. I booked the reservation, but noticed there was no ability to book the Lounge so I gave them a call to enquire about their NYE event and how seating downstairs would work. I was told that the setup would be as normal downstairs and there would be no reservations, walk-in only. I pushed a little bit on seating and the host insisted that it would be first come, first serve. I thought that was a bit odd on a night as busy as NYE, but didn’t think much of it past that. On NYE we arrived a few minutes early for our reservation and our table wasn’t ready, we were told we could go grab a drink at the bar upstairs or go down to their Roja Lounge. We opted for the lounge to give our friends an idea where we’d be spending the rest of the night after dinner (the ambiance is amazing downstairs). We come downstairs to find every table/lounge area has a RESERVED placard on it. At this point, I was very confused as the person I talked to on the phone insisted that they would not be doing reservations in the lounge, so when we went upstairs, I enquired with the host. She explained that the tables are only for members of their ‘Tequila Locker Program’, I asked why that wasn’t explained to me on the phone when I enquired and eventually was told, “well you don’t understand these people spend 2k every 6 months.” As others have mentioned in their reviews, it seems to be a common occurrence at dLeña that insinuate that you don’t belong or can’t afford certain things. Keep in mind that we ended up spending more than a grand on dinner/drinks for ONE NIGHT, not a locker membership for 6 months. Now to the dinner, we tried to keep a good attitude and not let this ruin our night. The food was good, but nothing to write home about, which wasn’t surprising given how rushed/backlogged the staff was. Upon sitting down, we ordered our first two courses, as we were eating those our server came back and asked what we wanted for our following courses. We were in the middle of eating and enjoying what was pretty good starters, so we hadn’t had time to decide and asked for a bit more time. When our server came back, we were still going back and forth. You could tell she was really stressed and at one point said, “I really hope you guys are ready now”, I don’t blame the server for this as you could tell they overbooked for the night and the serving staff was just trying to keep up by turning tables as quickly as possible. Most “fine dining” restaurants in DC only do a few seatings on NYE for this exact reason, as they take pride in their patrons’ experience over making a quick buck. After dinner we went downstairs to the bathroom and there were still quite a few tables with reserved on them that clearly weren’t occupied, this was around 11pm. While I went to the bathroom my fiancé enquired with the staff downstairs about what they would do with those tables if no one showed – they said the weren’t sure. In the meantime, our friends had gone upstairs and found 2 seats at the bar, we were very excited that we finally found some seats to enjoy the rest of our night at! My girlfriend and I went to order drinks and were immediately told that she could only serve people who were sitting. At this point we were done with the constant inconveniences of this restaurant and asked for a manager. We explained the series of events to the manager and were met with again with a demeaning tone about how there are some very important people here tonight and constant name dropping of who those people were (director at IBM/Director of DC Parks & Rec), as if that had anything to do with the situation. Last time I checked, my money spends the same as the Director of DC Parks & Rec. After going back and forth, the manager went downstairs and came back up to tell us he may have something downstairs for us. We followed him downstairs to find the “space” he had for us was just that, a space in the corner of the bar with no seating. He said a table may free up and they we’ll need to grab it as soon as staff took the reserved sign off. We decided at this point it was just time to leave, as we would have been in competition with the numerous other parties who also wanted somewhere to sit for the night. Again, if they had just explained that the tables would be completely booked, I would have either made plans. As you can imagine, it is impossible to get into anywhere in DC the night of NYE without a reservation. We noticed the table behind us seemed to also have the impression that they would be able to sit downstairs (or at least the potential to) and were scrambling to try and find a place to continue their night elsewhere. We also overheard multiple other parties complaining about how this was just a cash grab. While I know this review most likely won’t change anything, I do hope that the team takes some time to consider the experience they are providing to their patrons. I understand that NYE is an extremely challenging day in the service industry, but whoever oversees booking decisions is making everything 10x more difficult for their staff and patrons. After reading some of the other reviews where people have had similar experiences, we will not be taking this as a one off because of NYE and won’t be returning.
My Valentine’s Day experience
I came here on Valentine’s Day for the first time with my partner, it was such a wonderful experience. The ambience was incredible. We service was impeccable. The cocktails and food were very delicious. The bartender and chef put creative artistry in the presentation; which was a great touch. Our server was very attentive, personable, and warm. I would definitely recommend this place to others. As we were leaving the restaurant the manager informed us of a rooftop, I will definitely come again with friends or date night for happy hour or dinner. 5 stars all the way! The food and drinks were priced fairly for the quality and service.
BEST Mexican food in DC by far!
We have come here several times now in a large family group and every time I am more impressed than the last! The Mercado is my favorite cocktail but I also really suggest getting one of the Smokey cocktails…the presentation has a serious wow factor you don’t want to miss! I am obsessed with the corn empanadas as an appetizer but also can’t go without ordering the pork belly and oysters. (This is why I suggest going with a group because that way you can order a lot and try everything!) The Wagyu Beef Tiradito is phenomenal. I think my eldest would order 5 of them every time if I allowed it! Another wow factor must-order item is the Tomahawk that they flambee table side and serve with marrow butter. UNREAL. The short rib al carbon is another favorite of mine and I also find myself getting the zanahorias as a side each time. They are kind of addictive. I really love this place because they have created the magic combination of delicious, elevated, creative food served impeccably and in a space that is GORGEOUS. All of that, but they manage to remain unpretentious so you can relax and truly enjoy yourself. I seriously can not say enough good things about D’Leña. Run, don’t walk.
Good but overpriced
Couldn’t really fault the food, it was all tasty and fresh. Atmosphere and decor were good. Our server was friendly and professional in contrast to the staff at the reception who were not as helpful as they could have been. It just didn’t seem worth the money when the check came. However, If you want stylish surroundings and good food and are prepared to pay a bit over the odds then it’s not a bad choice.
Connect with users posting reservations for dLeña Washington
AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with dLeña Washington. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to dLeña Washington at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the dLeña Washington page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* DistinguishedTree58, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* DistinguishedTree58 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to DistinguishedTree58 for any questions Peter may have as DistinguishedTree58 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* DistinguishedTree58 now uses their connections at dLeña Washington to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If DistinguishedTree58 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, DistinguishedTree58 receives the $200 reward which is credited to DistinguishedTree58's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at dLeña Washington!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
