Lauriol Plaza

Area: Dupont Circle (Red Line Dupont Circle metro stop)
Location: 1835 18th St. NW, Washington, DC 20009
Cuisine: Mexican
Cost: $$

Lauriol Plaza has had a LOT of hype. Ever since I have been in DC all I ever hear about is everyone going to Lauriol Plaza for happy hour to order their famous pitchers of margharitas. I must admit, they are DELICIOUS! I can probably finish one alone. But it is always more fun to share. Anywho, I'm transgressing. I've always heard so much hype about Lauriol Plazas drinks and their food. Now I definitely agree with everyone on the drinks part, because like I said the margharita's are a must have. They also offer some pretty decent selection of beers, if you are a beer person. Me, not so much.

Lauriol Plaza has outdoor seating outside, which is where I usually like to sit because I love people watching. There are two floors, a bar at the front of the restaurant, and an outdoor deck upstairs on the second floor. It is almost always a long wait to get a table. Oh, and parking is usually pretty bad, they have valet, but they usually fill up pretty quick. My suggestion, park far and just walk, use public transportation, or just save the Earth and walk.

The service can be iffy. Sometimes the waiters take forever but they are usually so on point you don't even notice it. As long as the margharitas are flowing I'm not complaining. They serve you salsa and chips to tide you over while you wait, which is always nice and I almost always end up asking for a second batch. The food itself, well it's pretty average. I'm not really a fan of the entrees. The mussells are pretty amazing, which is why I'm constantly being dragged to dine there, even against my will. The avacado salad is pretty good as well. Healthy, but fills you right on up. The tamales and enchiladas are okay, but your safer ordering the quesadillas. There is more hype to this place than the food is really worth. But hey if your the type to follow the hype, this place is definitely it, as it's always packed (all floors including the outdoor seating), and the drinks and mussells can con you into coming back time and time again.