They began with a Virginia-roving food truck, then settled into a Arlington brick-and-mortar, but District Taco co-owners Marc Wallace and Osiris Hoil are finally living up to the “District” in their brand name with their new 35-seat Penn Quarter location. The concept is fairly simple: It offers up customizable tacos, burritos, salads, and quesadillas, all made under the watchful eye of Hoil’s brother/chef, Eric.
For tacos, start by picking fresh corn or flour tortillas, and then choose either breakfast tacos (scrambled eggs or egg whites, cheese, potatoes) or the lunch/dinner variety, stuffed with slow-cooked pork carnitas, marinated grilled chicken, or shaved steak. After that, pile on unlimited toppings like zingy pico de gallo, cilantro, guacamole, and crumbly Mexican chorizo, then take a spin around the salsa bar, where three types pack varying amounts of heat.
There’s also spicy shrimp ceviche, huevos rancheros, nachos, and bacon-topped queso. Look for a beer license in the coming weeks.
District Taco. 1309 F St., NW; districttaco.com. Open daily from 7 AM to 10 PM.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
