DC has had a rough year. In the last 12 months, its citizens have lived through a pandemic, the Capitol insurrection, and a soul-crushing ZooLights experience. We deserve something good, right?
Well, look no further: The Taco Bell Cantina is opening in Columbia Heights later this month. PopVille first reported that the opening date is set for April 21. We confirmed the date with Taco Bell.
What exactly is a Taco Bell Cantina, you ask? It is seemingly kind of like a regular Taco Bell, except with an open-concept kitchen, a fancier dining room, and some new menu items. (I know this because I literally Googled “What is Taco Bell Cantina?”)
Oh, and here’s the kicker: Most of them serve alcohol. Which means that soon you may have the option to get lit on something called a “Twisted Freeze” while eating a Crunchwrap Supreme.
This impending Cantina is not without its controversy. Some DC people are pro-Cantina, and others see it as a commercial embarrassment in a neighborhood that already has several authentic Mexican restaurants. (This debate, of course, largely played out on Twitter.)
Whatever your stance, you can pregame the DC Cantina location’s grand opening by visiting the existing Alexandria Cantina. Because in the words of Taco Bell: “Live más.”
Mimi Montgomery joined Washingtonian in 2018. She’s written for The Washington Post, Garden & Gun, Outside Magazine, Washington City Paper, DCist, and PoPVille. Originally from North Carolina, she now lives in Del Ray.
