Fajitas
Cactus Cantina and Lauriol Plaza
You’ll hear the sizzle before you see the platter of smoking steak, chicken, and buttery shrimp (we also love the lamb special), sided with housemade flour tortillas. 3300 Wisconsin Ave., NW (Cactus Cantina); 1835 18th St., NW (Lauriol Plaza).
Nachos
Our biggest beef about nachos: skimpy toppings. This revamped and relocated taqueria dishes up the opposite: sheet-pan nachos lavished with salsa, housemade queso, jalapeños, black beans, avocado, and crispy shrimp. 301 Pennsylvania Ave., SE.
Seafood Taco
As the name of this suburban chainlet suggests, piscine tacos are the thing to get. Specifically, the signature beer-battered white fish (it changes seasonally) with slaw and creamy, tangy sauce. Tysons, Bethesda (Wildwood Center and Bethesda Row),Cabin John.
Spicy Margaritas
If you’re a serious spice fiend, go for the tamarind margarita infused with three chilies at this Mex-Indian spot. If you prefer a subtler heat, the lime-jalapeño is the way to go. 10443 White Granite Dr., Oakton.
Breakfast Tacos
Houston native Matt Baker’s toasty, tightly rolled beauties are so overstuffed, they’re more like mini breakfast burritos. Inside are perfectly seasoned scrambled eggs, cheese, and either bacon, crumbly chorizo, or roasted potato. Ivy City, downtown DC, Penn Quarter.
Takeout Taco Kits
José Andrés’s Penn Quarter Mexican spot has been dishing up superior tacos for 18 years. Now you can get neatly packaged, assemble-yourself versions with mushrooms, chicken, or baby pig delivered to your own kitchen. 401 Seventh St., NW.
Takeout Tortillas
This Truxton Circle Tex-Mex destination sells par-cooked housemade flour tortillas in packs of ten. All they need is a turn in a hot skillet. 43 N St., NW.
Seafood Cocktail
Oysters, shrimp, and crab—marinated in cool, citrusy tomato broth—are piled into the bountiful Vuelve a la Vida bowl at this seafood-focused Columbia Heights dining room. 3704 14th St., NW.
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.
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.
