Two popular Mexican restaurants are closing forever in Washington, DC
Mexican food fans will have two fewer choices in the nation's capital.
Whenever I visit my daughter, who lives in Washington, D.C., I'm amazed by the sheer variety of food we can find there.
We've had fantastic falafel for $5 at Falafel Inc. in Georgetown, Michelin-star quality Middle Eastern and North African cuisine at Maydan, and everything in between.
We have also had a couple of favorite taco spots over the years, and now two are closing.
Two long-standing Mexican restaurants that helped define Washington, D.C'.s casual dining scene are shutting their doors for good, marking the end of an era in two of the city's most popular neighborhoods. El Centro D.F. in Georgetown and Alero on U Street will soon serve their final meals. Image source: Getty Images
El Centro D.F. says goodbye to Georgetown
El Centro D.F., the stylish taqueria from Richard Sandoval Hospitality, will permanently close its Georgetown location on Sunday, June 29. The restaurant opened in 2013 in the space formerly occupied by the Third Edition bar at 1218 Wisconsin Avenue NW. Designed with Mexico City flair, the two-story cantina quickly became a hotspot for locals and tourists, offering upscale Mexican fare in a warm, eclectic setting.
The 160-seat restaurant features soaring vaulted ceilings, reclaimed wood accents, and custom murals crafted with metal and vintage Mexican newspapers. One of the venue's standout features is its spacious back garden patio, which includes a full bar and a cozy fire pit — perfect for late-night margaritas or weekend brunches.
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El Centro D.F. in Georgetown was the second location. The original was in Logan Circle but closed in 2020 after nearly a decade in business. While these neighborhood outposts are disappearing, fans of Richard Sandoval's cuisine won't be entirely out of luck: his wood-fired Latin restaurant dLeña remains open in the Mount Vernon Triangle, and an El Centro D.F. location continues to operate at Reagan National Airport.
On the restaurant's Facebook page today, the message to customers is: "Say adiós with salt and lime
