Food

Neighborhood Eats: Rio Grande Cafe

The newer of these Tex-Mex eateries are done in bold fiesta colors and have the look of haciendas complete with patios. That patio may feel like a refuge because noise levels indoors—where twentysomethings crowd the bar and families fill the dining room—can get deafening.

What to get: Little here duplicates what you’d find in the West or Southwest, but the classic margarita is nicely made, and the most satisfying plates are guacamole and chips, smoky pork ribs grilled over mesquite, chicken and beef fajitas, and Friday’s Mexican-style shrimp-and-lobster soup.

Ann Limpert
Executive Food Editor/Critic

Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.