Our Washingtonian Recommends lists bring you the best places to eat, drink, and be entertained—all selected by Washingtonian editors.
This post has been updated from an earlier version.
Amparo Fondita
2002 P St., NW
The shortlist of breakfast items at Christian Irabien’s Dupont hotspot include well-crafted burritos stuffed with black beans, scrambled eggs, and either chorizo or carne asada. Quality doesn’t come cheap—choosing the latter meat will boost your burrito’s pricetag to $30.
Baker’s Daughter
1065 Wisconsin Ave., NW; 1402 Okie St NE; 1201 K St., NW
Texas-style breakfast burritos are on the menu at Gravitas chef Matt Baker’s casual cafes, which open daily at 7 AM (Georgetown and K Street) and 8 AM (Ivy City) with all-day breakfast. The plump roll-ups come stuffed with fillings like egg, cheese, and chorizo, or vegetarian potato and caramelized onion, each with a side of roasted-tomato salsa.
Chaia
615 I St., NW; 3207 Grace St., NW
Egg tacos, once a weekend-only offering at these “farm-to-taco” spots, are now an everyday treat. Scrambled local eggs are tucked in griddled corn tortillas with black beans, queso fresco, jalapeños, and cilantro.
District Taco
Multiple locations in DC, MD, and VA
The homegrown chain dishes up several styles of breakfast tacos at select locations. All include eggs, cheese, and crispy potatoes—bacon or chorizo is up to you.
La Tejana
3211 Mount Pleasant St., NW
This ever-popular carryout specializes in one thing only: killer Texas-inspired breakfast tacos on beautifully made flour tortillas. Fillings include 2Fifty barbecue brisket, house-cured chorizo, and a nice selection of vegetarian options.
Little Miner
4308 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood; 39 Maryland Ave., Rockville; 1110 Congress St., NE (takeout/delivery only)
Later in the day, these taquerias turn out carne asada ramen and birria cheesesteaks. It’s breakfast menu—served starting at 7 AM in Brentwood and Rockville—plays it straighter, with offerings like eggy breakfast burritos, birria-and-egg tacos, and corn pancakes.
Locals Tacos and Tequila
20789 Great Falls Plaza, Sterling; 8326 Old Keene Mill Rd., Springfield
These colorful taquerias have plenty of options ranging from birria tacos to seafood. Breakfast tacos make an appearance on the all-day menu with eggs, cheddar, chorizo, pickled onions, and pico de gallo, and you can round out a platter with rice and beans.
Monstera
3299 K St., NW
Lucky Buns chef/owner Alex McCoy’s Georgetown breakfast shop specializes in San Diego-style roll-ups, which can come stuffed with French fries, cumin-roasted eggplant, and barbacoa.
Muchas Gracias
5029 Connecticut Ave., NW
The lunch and menus at this Chevy Chase DC spot serve up flour-tortilla-wrapped breakfast burritos with chorizo, beans, scrambled eggs, and fiery habanero/carrot salsa.
Paraiso
1101 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
The Capitol Hill Mexican restaurant offers breakfast tacos, burritos, and quesadillas on its weekday breakfast (starting at 8:30 AM) and weekend brunch menus. Try queso-scrambled eggs with ham, or egg-and-potato hash with chile escabeche.
Republic Cantina
43 N St., NW
This Tex-Mex cafe has become a breakfast-taco destination—and a steady delivery option—for weekday mornings or weekend brunch. There are several styles of morning tacos, all wrapped in fluffy homemade flour tortillas native to Texas and northern Mexico. Try a simple bacon-and-egg version with cheddar and scallions, or another with carne guisada (braised beef in chili gravy) with egg, cheddar, scallions, and tortilla crisps.
San Pancho
7056 Carroll Ave., Takoma Park
Takoma Park became a dining destination this year, in part thanks to this burrito shop from the folks behind nearby Cielo Rojo. Get an imported, Sonoran-style flour tortilla loaded with chorizo (vegan or regular) or barbacoa, or just go for egg-and-cheese. Don’t overlook the side of avocado salad verde.
Surfside
33 District Sq., SW; 1800 N St., NW; 4200 Wisconsin Ave., NW
Try the Tonga taco with scrambled eggs, chorizo, potatoes, poblano peppers, refried beans, and queso fresco in house-made corn tortillas. At the Tenleytown branch, weekend brunch brings a variety of Mexican-American breakfast options.
Taco Bamba
Multiple locations in DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia
Chef Victor Albisu is known for his creative tacos—think kung pao shrimp or Lebanese-style chicken—but mornings run more classic at his taqueria empire. An all-day breakfast taco arrives with a cheddar omelet, plus chorizo, guacamole, pickled onions, cilantro, cotija cheese, and pico de gallo. You’ll also find dishes like a bacon-egg-and-cheese empanada or chilaquiles.
Taqueria la Placita
5020 Edmonston Rd., Hyattsville
The lauded Hyattsville taqueria doesn’t serve breakfast tacos, per se, though the morning menu features several hearty egg platters with beans, rice, optional breakfast meats, and a side of tortillas if you feel like wrapping.
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.
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.
