Buzzworthy: A Beer Garden on H St and Orlando beats DC...again.

Whew, keeping up with all the openings and closings is hard work in this town. One of the most eagerly anticipated openings this year, the Biergarten Haus will hopefully open this weekend. And, if you're on 14th St after a late night out, be sure to check out the newly opened Point Chaud Cafe and Crepes.

Latest updates to the New & Coming Soon page:

Dupont Circle
Lupe Mexican Cuisine (Opening Soon)
1214 18th St NW · Washington DC
--DC really needs a stellar Mexican restaurant, but this location (most recently Sesto Senso) is not a promising one, given the bar crawling on the weekends. (via Prince of Petworth)


H Street
Biergarten Haus (Opening June 11th)
1355 H St NE · Washington DC
--Any new eating and drinking place with a patio is welcome, but a German-styled beer garden with a huge patio is eagerly anticipated! Its opening has been delayed several months, but it should be opening any day now. (via Going Out Gurus)


Logan Circle
Point Chaud Cafe and Crepes (Now Open)
1736 14th St NW · Washington DC
--This neighborhood could definitely use some inexpensive food options, and even better, they will stay open until 3 AM on the weekends. (via 14th & You)


Penn Quarter
Cuba Libre (September 2010)
801A Ninth St NW · Washington DC
--If the DC branch of this Philly-based restaurant is going to be anything like their Orlando location, the space is going to be huge and will channel Havana via Disney's design team (not necessarily a bad thing). The food may be middling, but it's all about the rum drinks and Latin dance nights, right? (via PQ Living)

Carmine's (Opening Soon)
425 7th St NW · Washington DC
--Family-style Italian from a NYC-based restaurant in what will be one of the largest restaurants in town. Eh, I'll reserve judgement until it opens.(via Washington Post)

Corn fungus...it's what's for dinner. (Super Tacos)

Sir Noshalot Says:
At least it should be if you find yourself in Adams Morgan, near Super Tacos and Bakery, née Pepito's II. Black and slimy generally goes on my "do not eat" list, but huitlacoche is an exception, an earthy, savory Mexican delicacy. The name's Aztec for "raven shit," but don't let that deter you; near as I can tell, it refers to the shit-eating grin you'll have as you savor each bite. It's packed into Super's quesadilla Mexicana along with sweet corn, oozing queso fresco, and a tangy green salsa. The masa wrapper can be a little too tough, but this is a minor annoyance compared to the luscious mess within.

Rating: 4 out of 4 blight-ridden kernels
Recommended: quesadilla Mexicana, carnitas taco


According to A-lo:
Once upon a time, Pepitos II was my reliable go-to shack for cheap Mexican fare in Adams Morgan. A name change to Super Tacos seems to have wrought more than just superficial evolution. I'm not sure if the joint is under new ownership, but the consistency of the food has unfortunately become suspect. However, that's not to say that you can't get some very satisfying Mexican food here, but be warned that results may vary.

My favorite item used to be the carnitas tacos, which were crispy, juicy, and flavorful. The carnitas tacos are still very good, but they're now a bit too dense and lack that magical crispyness that previously elevated them to one of my favorite foods in the city. The tacos are still better, in my opinion, than those found at Taqueria Distrito Federal in Columbia Heights, which are slightly overrated.

As Sir Noshalot describes, the Quesadillas Mexicans are indeed worthy of purchasing, although I'm less smitten with the huitlacoche—it's different and tasty but needs some more punch. I'm more partial to the gorditas which are perfectly fried with a remarkably flavorful meat filling.

Overall, Super Tacos is still the place for fast, tasty, and cheap Mexican in the city. It's located in Adams Morgan, so you can't ask for a more convenient location. Just be sure to load up on the free sauces, and if you have a bad experience, don't be discouraged from trying the same dish again. I'll be sure to report back in case they regain their previously stellar touch.

Rating: 3 stars
Recommended: Carnitas tacos, gorditas, Quesadillas Mexicanas


Super Tacos and Bakery
1762 Columbia Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-232-7121 (they deliver!)

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