Chicatana

This tiny, no-frills Columbia Heights joint is the unexpected home to fine-dining-level Mexican cooking, spot-on margaritas, and some of DC’s best tacos. Come for the al pastor, carved from the counter grill near the entrance, and stay for delicate handmade tortillas stuffed with popcorn-like chicatana ants. Other striking dishes include a spicy passionfruit ceviche, one-bite gorditas de chicharrón served in a decorative wooden box, and head-on grilled shrimp. For dessert, go for sugar-dusted fritters with dulce de leche—and more crunchy ants on top.