Food Review: Tomatillo Tacqueria - The Forgotten Tacos of Dupont

Lost in the food truck craze of the past year has been one of the more novel street vendors to hit DC recently. Tomatillos Tacqueria, serving tacos and burritos during lunch, opened late last year just south of Dupont Circle in the window of the Big Hunt. Yup, that's right. You stand outside of the window of a dive bar, hand over some bills, and proprietor George Grau puts together your order in front of you. In a window. Got it?

I tried Tomatillos last year when it opened, and I found the tacos (3 for $6) to be just OK. Maybe my expectations were too great and I was half expecting some Mexican granny to be working the tortilla press. Returning again a year later, however, I experienced some much improved Tex-Mex cooking. I ordered my 3 tacos with a different meat in each one--pork, beef, and chicken. Add some not-too-smooth guacamole and other toppings if you please (various salsas, onions, queso fresco, and plenty of lime), and you have some of the best tacos in town. (Although I have yet to make it out to Tacqueria La Placita, which is on my hit list.)

The corn tortillas (two of 'em per taco) are a bit thicker than the traditional ones used in more authentic Mexican tacos, but I'm a friend of more carbs, especially when it allows for more fillings! In any case, the meats featured enough char and seasoning to counter the extra heaviness of their surroundings, especially when topped with the punchy tomatillo and habenero salsas. I do recommend that you request the salsas be applied with a lighter touch, to better taste the meats (and to save your lap). I haven't tried the burritos yet, but with tacos this good, I don't feel like I'm missing out.

Tomatillo is only open during the week from 11:30 until 2pm, and unlike those nomadic food trucks, this street vendor stays in one spot. I'm actually feeling a bit foolish for having pretty much forgotten about Tomatillo Tacqueria while waiting in ridiculous lines for korean tacos and lobster rolls, and I won't make that mistake again.

Rating: 3 stars (out of 4)
Price: $ - Cheap
Recommended: Tacos

Tomatillo Tacqueria
1347 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
Neighborhood: Dupont
Metro: Dupont
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Top Bites - Bread & Brew Sticky Buns

A sticky bun is an indulgent, messy cross between a croissant and a brownie. It's the American way of taking a French staple--the croissant--and making it silly sweet and then adding excessive nuts and some form of sticky syrup on top. Although Wikipedia says the Germans came up with sticky buns, until I sample some for verification in a future trip to Allemagne, I going to pretend that the Americans have perfected it. Sticky buns just reek of Southern American cooking.

Bread & Brew's sticky bun

As one of my favorites pastries, a quality sticky bun is always a salivating find for me, and one for which I am willing to make a detour. Luckily, Bread and Brew, the oddly off-the-radar bakery and cafe near Dupont, serves a fantastic rendition. It's flaky on the edges, dense and rich in the middle like a cinnamon roll, and crunchy and gooey on top. A tad sweet, but well worth a stopover if you're in the 'hood and craving a little dessert. If you're in need of some more serious grub, they have some pretty solid quiches, pizzas, and specials too.

Bread and Brew

1247 20th St, NW

Washington, DC 20036

Get Directions

(202) 466-2676
Metro: Dupont Circle
Neighborhood: Dupont