El Centro DF – 14th St

I held a birthday party here and it was a wonderful experience for me and my guests. The events team and staff were helpful and professional, and my friends raved about the great food, drinks and atmosphere. I highly recommend El Centro!

It’s good. Great Happy Hour, fun environment. I highly recommend. They have three floors which allow for various environments depending on your interest for the night. Sometimes the line becomes unnecessarily long, and it’s definitely not as good as it use to be, but overall, I can’t complain.
This is one of those places, where if you’re nice to your bar tenders, you’ll see it in your drinks…

Sarai was awesome on the Taco Tuesday turn up! Food and drinks were great as usual. Try the strawberry basil margarita!

Love El Centro’s bottomless brunch! Thank you Kristyana and Hazel for making our brunch experience so fun. Definitely request them when you come!

Kai and Christiana are easily the best bartenders I have ever had. Friendly personable and funny I wish there was more like them I’ll becoming to more brunches here and bringing my friends here as well they really made an impression on me and my girlfriend. Don’t let the basement fool you that’s the best place in the restaurant.

I’ll share my tip … Forget about getting a table sit at the bar with Sarah … She is el centro and she will give a great experience… But if I’m there please make room lol

I threw a 15-​person engagement dinner here last Saturday night and it was fantastic! We were in the tequilaria downstairs and I could not believe management was so accommodating. They allowed me to bring in balloons, flowers, our own cake and — the HIGHLIGHT — our own Flamenco guitarist/​singer! (FYI — weeks earlier, I called the Georgetown location and they were not willing to let me bring in these ‘extras’…). As the date grew closer, I was nervous how the logistics would work but ‘Danell’ — one of the managers — continued to reassure me they would support my event and all the ‘extras’ I wanted to bring in on my own.
Our waitress, Merlyn, was highly professional, friendly and very accommodating of our large group, festive atmosphere and — the clincher — our separate checks. The food, as always, was excellent and my friends (several from London) raved about the dinner for days. After our dinner was over (around 11PM), in what seemed like minutes, the downstairs turned into the awesome dance-​party it always does on Saturday nights. Since we were already in, we avoided the line and everyone danced all night. Honestly, I am still kind of patting myself on the back… ;)
I did my research before planning this event and it is very rare to find a place in D.C. that will allow what is essentially a private event — with live entertainment — for NO MINIMUM and no harsh restrictions on splitting the check etc. Gracias El Centro, Danell, y Merlyn por TODO. Fue perfecto!!!

This was my first time in Centro, the host and our server were really kind and we had a nice welcoming to start with. We ordered guacamole, and our server made it in front of us. Both of the fish and chicken tacos were really good, they are served with a side of rice and beans. The only down part I can think of would be the prices. Guacamole is about $ 12-​$ 14 which is way more than usual.

Brunch was packed. Bacon Egg and Cheese Tacos were good. Don’t get the pancakes they’re super dry!

Went to happy hour at El Centro and loved it! It had been a while, but baby, there are great things happening at happy hour. Like, their lamb ribs. OMG, they were awesome! It’s a new menu item. You should definitely try them. We did at the suggestion of the excellent staff’s recommendation, Sarai, Mike, Bernadette, and Big Mike! These guys rock!
Very little has changed. That’s a very good thing. Simone, Zeus, Kristyana, Tmac made me feel right at home. This is definitely my regular brunch place and I will be back!
Excellent food and staff. Sarai and Simone rock! We met Manager, Mike, in this trip. This big buy is a class act! Will definitely come back again next week!

Came for happy hour one day. I was disappointed in the food offerings. The flavors just didn’t work well together. Drinks were also pretty forgettable. I doubt I will try this location again.

El centro is my favorite place for bottomless brunch. I’ve been here countless times and the food, price and service does not disappoint! The tapas portion brunch is deliciously satisfying but make sure you wear pants that stretch because you will be full… Full of savory and sweet brunch items such as tacos, Jalisco enchiladas, chile rellenos, el centro dog and chilaquiles. Oh and the guacamole, plantains and churros are a must as well.
Oh oh and did I mention the drinks? I like that they have drinks besides mimosas because too much champagne can be unsettling. My favorite alternatives to mimosas are the watermelon hibiscus fresca and the michelada.
The price for the value is unbelievable because other bottomless brunch places such as Maza and Zengo are around 50 dollars. I wish they had a real rooftop though because most of it is closed off and free parking can be scarce during the weekend. If you want to avoid the crowd, come earlier and then spend the rest of the afternoon in DC being tipsy. What else could be more fun? Also — a special shout out to our waitress Rosa who never let our cups or plates be empty! You are the real MVP!

I know I just recently posted a review for El Centro but this last weekend for my birthday I was able to experience both dinner and the night life (aka dancing) here and I can honestly say I will definitely be returning more often to dance the night away.
For dinner, I wasnt sure where I wanted to grab a bite. There are just sooooo many awesome places in DC and it’s always difficult to choose a location. Or maybe that’s just me? My friends and I arrived at 9pm and since it was kind of packed in the main level we decided to go upstairs to the rooftop. After getting seated I ordered their strawberry basil margarita and I asked the bartender if he recommended any virgin drinks… one of my friends decided to go on a alcohol detox for the month of April. He gladly said he could make a virgin margarita for her. When making the drink he accidentally added alcohol and caught his mistake before he gave it to her. After making a new drink he told us that one would be on the house. Unfortunately, he also told us the kitchen closed at 9pm for the rooftop but we could still get food on the main floor.
So down me moved to the main level. It was difficult to find a seat since by 9pm they don’t take any more reservations. Eventually we grabbed a couple of seats by one of the side tables and we ordered away. My second round was a frozen mango margarita with their steak tacos. Jessie, our server, was very helpful and made sure we had a clean table and utensils. Note: the main level is a free for all. You sit where you can find a seat at one of the 5 communal tables. He also helped us figure out how the whole «secret basement/​dance floor» worked. BTW guys it opens at 11pm.
About this maybe-​not-​so-​secret basement… it feels like everyone and their mother knew about this dance floor but me. I always heard El Centro was the place to go dance but I never understood why. I had been to the rooftop plenty of times thinking this was the dance level but I always left disappointed thinking it wasn’t as great as I thought it was. Turns out I was just on the wrong floor. Around 10:45pm a lot of the people who were sitting started lining up for this dance floor. My friends and I did too. By 11:15 we were inside and it was awesome. Spacious and people dancing everywhere. It wasn’t too crowded but by midnight it was also packed. The music oh the music. Mr. DJ you did an awesome job. You get to dance to a lot of spanish music but also a mixture of english and some house. Unfortunately, if you come past midnight your chances of getting inside this dancing floor are much more slim. A couple of friends came by later in the night and they could’t get inside so they ended up at the rooftop. Also surprisingly you dont get hot and sweaty as with other clubs this is because every 30 minutes or so (maybe less?) you get a nice woosh of air coming down from the ceiling. air blasters? I am not really sure what to call them. Overall it was a great night. A different friends group and I came by the next day and even though we couldn’t get inside the dance floor (it was a little over midnight) this time around, I still think it’s worthy of an upgrade review.

This review is for their weekend bottomless brunch. From 10am to 3pm on Saturdays and Sundays, you can eat an unlimited selection of their brunch menu for two hours for $ 35 (includes brunch drinks like mimosas, michiladas, bloody marys, margaritas, and seasonal aqua fresca cocktails). If you don’t want to have a cocktail, the brunch goes down to $ 25. Coffees, teas, and juices are separate charges.
They have a pretty large selection of brunch items. Starters include guacamole, quesadillas, pozole soup, empanadas, and flautas. They also have quite the selection of tacos from carnitas, steak, bacon/​egg/​cheese, egg/​chorizo, chicken tinga, and nopal. There’s even a section on the menu for sandwiches, sliders, and the El Centro hot dog. Chef’s specials include chile relleno, chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and Mexican benedict egg. Finally, they’ve got sides and sweeter items like nachos, mole fries, seasonal fruit, platanos, and churros with chocolate sauce.
Food-​wise, I’ve had much better Mexican food at tons of other places. I’m not even sure how authentic this place is, despite the first three words of their brunch menu being «authentic Mexican brunch.» I sampled a lot of items — quesadilla, tacos, chile relleno, chilquiles, shrimp cocktail, huevos rancheros — and I have to say that none of the food was particularly impressive. I think this place is suitable if you’re looking for a boozy brunch time but if you want tried and true Mexican food, look elsewhere.
Service was pretty slow too. Our server was friendly enough but there was a lot of miscommunication between the servers and the kitchen because we would get food that we didn’t order several times throughout the two hour time limit. And food that we did order didn’t come out until we mentioned it and then four orders would show up. Good thing it’s all unlimited???
We sat in the «basement» which is a great place to be if you’re afraid of sunlight. It’s dark and dingy down there and at one point the patrons at the table next to us had to evacuate their booth because water suddenly dripped down the walls. Sweet. Let’s move on.
Really should be 2.5 but I’ll round up for the AYCE price and our friendly server.

El Centro knows how to do it right! On Saturday morning we did a birthday brunch here and the food and service could not have been better. We had a reservation about a month in advance for the table to ensure that we had plenty of space for our party. Upon arriving, we we’re told that our table was currently occupied, but would be available shortly. 20 minutes later, the group who was seated at our table finally decided to get up and leave. We were finally seated and to make up for the wait our waiter brought us copious amounts of chips to nibble on while we looked over the menu.
We all opted to do the $ 35 dollars all you can eat/​drink deal which lasts for 2 hours. For those people who do not want to drink at brunch, they also offer $ 25 all you can eat. We ordered a ton of food and everything that came out was truly sensational. As a vegetarian I was a little nervous that I would have trouble eating here, but there was plenty for me to chose from!
Overall, I would highly recommend El Centro for a brunch with friends. We had an absolutely wonderful time, with top-​notch service at all times. I will be back.

I’ve only been here for happy hour but I’ve enjoyed it each time. The space (both downstairs and upstairs) is spacious and can accommodate big groups. The rooftop bar upstairs has a great, cheery atmosphere during the summer AND winter days (thank you heaters!).
My favorite appetizers are the chorizo sliders, and the magaritas are usually just what you need after a long day.

Amazing start with the Carne Asada quesadilla and the Mimosa glass was always half full. Ask for Kristyana her smile is welcoming and her service was flawless…

Kristyana is amazing and a delightful addition to my Saturday! She kept the bottomless mimosas coming and the food was amazing! Thank you

Mezcal was amazing. We got an assortment of tacos. The duck taco was good, the duck was a bit dry though. The cactus taco was pretty awful and fell apart. This place is more about the atmosphere than the food. We were sat downstairs, where it was romantic and nicely lit. The beans and rice that came with our meal were pretty bad too. Bland! They lacked that deep Mexican seasoning that you look for. I would say this place is comparable to Chevys, but you pay more.

I’ve been to all of Richard Sandoval’s brunches in the DC area and this is the worst.
I came here one Saturday morning with a few of my girlfriends for brunch. We were seated downstairs, which was very dark and very unbrunch-​like in my opinion (yes I made up a word). I like my brunches bright and lively! Our waiter seemed like he might have been new because he seemed dazed and confused the whole time. It took us 20 minutes just to get drinks. The drinks were pretty good, I had the mimosa and margarita, but that was just about the best part. Our dishes came out one by one, but very slowly. At all other all you can eat brunches, I typically order 2 – 3 dishes at a time and they come out one by one, but within a 10 minute total time span. There was never a point where I didn’t have something to eat in front of me. At El Centro, I would finish one dish and have to wait another 10 – 15 minutes before I got the next dish. After awhile, I didn’t even care anymore because everything seemed to taste the same anyway. It might have been the salsa that was put on everything, but everything just seemed to taste like tortilla, meat, and salsa with an occasional egg. After a while I stopped ordering and not because I was full, but because I was tired of tasting the same thing over and over again. Maybe I’ll try out this place for nightlife but I won’t be back for brunch.

This review is for our amazing brunch with Christiana (spelling?!). If you’re in the mood for a gluttonous journey that will sit you on your a** the rest of the day, head to El Centro! The food was delicious, and the diversity of drink choices is fun! Started with a michelada, then heading over to mimosas! Christiana just kept the food coming, and when we liked something we ordered another round of it! Such a fun way to spend your Saturday.

Thank you Kristanna! We had a great brunch experience this afternoon. She had the food and drinks flowing. Also, catered to everyone’s dietary concerns and palette. I highly recommend this place and ask for Kristanna.

We went for bottomless brunch, which is a total scam. The waiters are either too few or instructed to come to your tables intermittently.
The food was ok, not great. Some was great, some was tasteless, a lot sat under a heatlamp for a long time before it came to us. Honestly, it would probably be good enough for the price if it was actually unlimited and the service made it a good experience. The Margaritas were weak, but still yummy, not gross.
But parts of our food orders kept getting lost. People around us were grumbling about waiting for drinks. Our waiter would be MIA when we wanted to order more of anything. The last straw was when we requested a fourth round of (very weak) margaritas — we had to remind our waiter twice, and still waited 40+ min for them. They never came. Even once we were aggravated, frustrated and just tired of it and just wanted to leave, the waiter was MIA to even request the check. After a long wait, we had to calculate or own bill, tax, and tip so we could leave without screwing over waitstaff (who knows whose fault this is and there’s a lot of runners).
I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone, not when there are so many good bottomless brunches in DC. When we left, a guy on the street asked how it was. We sent him to Teds Bulletin.

My main complain about this place is the security because every week I hear someone got something stolen. Last year my whole wallet was taken from my purse and the manager did not care or tried to help me. When I told that to people, several responded they had coats, wallets and purses stolen there. In terms of security, if there is an emergency, I am concern for the evacuation routes and safety.
I also hate the huge line to enter, when sometimes the place is not even that crowded.

Great food, awesome bartender T-​Mac and plenty of menu options. Parking is an issue but that’s just how it is in DC.

Dropped in here for a late lunch on a weekday afternoon. Overall I’d say it’s good.
We were looking for a light lunch so we split an appetizer of chorizo and potatoes and a roast pork torta.
Both were good. Both were slightly lacking, to my taste. The chorizo was a touch salty and the potatoes were a bit less crisp than advertised but it was edible. The roast pork on the torta was very good, but except for a bit of avocado, it was a roast pork sandwich. I like my tortas smeared with refritos and cheese as well as avocado.
Service was attentive and friendly. The agua frescas offered were interesting Cait had the watermelon with tequila. Prices were reasonable.
Definitely worth a visit if not more exploration of the menu.

El Centro gets 5 stars because I can’t think of a reason to take one away.
Food was great, drinks were great, service was exemplary.
We came here for brunch when Ted’s Bulletin told us there would be a 1.5 hour wait, and I’m glad we did. El Centro didn’t have any tables for our 15ish people, but they squeezed all of us at their downstairs bar and immediately got out chips and salsa and drinks and took our orders. Most of us got unlimited food ($ 25) or unlimited food and drink ($ 35). And unlike at Masa 14 (or maybe because we were sitting at the bar) we did have the option of ordering a la carte if we wanted to. The manager made sure we were all put on individual tabs from the start so that checking out would be easy, and I was impressed by the speed with which he got our large party seated and situated.
I had the spiked hibiscus agua fresca and two margaritas. The margaritas were a little salty, but they had a nice amount of alcohol, as did the hibiscus drink. My friend had the pineapple and watermelon frescas as well and reported that those were delicious.
For food, everything we ordered was good. AND service was fast. My recommendations would be to get the chicken quesadilla over the carne asada one, and the carnitas taco over the steak or nopal ones. I would also highly recommend the picadillo empanada. And please, don’t leave without trying their churros. I’m usually ambivalent about churros, but the ones they make at El Centro are crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, and the perfect end to a pretty epic brunch.

Didn’t try the food.
As far as the drinks go, I thought I would never love another tequila bar again; in a stunning turn of events, I have a crush on El Centro.

This sister establishment has delicious food just as the one in Georgetown. However, service was a little confusing, we had to ask for chips and salsa and wait for them for several minutes. There were also three different people waiting on us which was weird because we didn’t know who our personal server was. Plus, it was not that busy when we went in but we still had to wait for a table to be set and we were not invited to the table after it was because the lady left without saying she was finished. I’d go back because I love the food though.

Lately, I have been spending a lot many weekend nights here — honestly more than I would care to admit! That being said, I do like the vibe of this place. Being a Spanish music lover, I love going to the terrace bar for the music and the ambiance. The place attracts a decent crowd (usually) — lots of bachelorette and birthday parties, mostly fun. The drinks however, totally suck! So I suggest getting drunk elsewhere before coming here — haha!
The lines can be super long after midnight, so come early. I don’t recall paying a cover ever, but I believe they start charging some amount ($ 5 or $ 10) after midnight.
I think the basement area is totally overhyped and grossly claustrophobic. Haven’t ever eaten here, so no reviews for the food!
All in all, fun place to hang out and jam to Spanish music once Ina while!

My previous review was based mostly on late night bites and dancing. My most recent experience is the bottomless brunch. Pretty much everything was mediocre at best, utilized the same ingredients in different forms…
The only thing I really liked were the churros, and when we requested the marshmallow cream, they came out with sour cream instead. umm… no. Never again.
Drinks were strong though.

I have really become a fan of El Centro. The service at this location is great… we fell in love with Cyd one Friday night! She was sweet, attentive, engaged in conversation with us, and provided some insight on her favorite dishes.
Friday nights here can be a little crazy because it turns into more of a club than a restaurant around 10pm.
All of the servers we’ve had have been great at this location and the food has always been great as well.
This complementary chips and salsa are a great start to the meal. The El Centro Margarita is my go to (regular, strawberry, and mango are all yummy!) I LOVE the Traditional Guacamole… it is made table side and has a very fresh taste. For my meal, my regular order has become the Steak Fajitas and I choose the creamy cotija rice, black beans, and plantains for my sides. My husband loves the Pork Spare Ribs with black beans and the plantains.
We have been here for happy hour as well and the drinks taste just as great for less money! El Centro has become one of our go-​tos for Mexican in DC.

** Food = 3.5 Stars **
Finally made it here for the unlimited bottomless brunch for a friend’s birthday. My friend made a reservation for a table of 12, which I was thankful for. It was much easier to order everything off the menu to try a bit of all the items without feeling like you wouldn’t be able to move afterwards. No complaints with service, our waitress was attentive and catered to all our requests. While I didn’t participate in the boozy part of the deal, everyone at the table said the drinks were really strong. Recommend telling the bartender to take it down a notch if you don’t just want to taste straight up alcohol or order juice to tone it down.
Eventually most of the menu items tasted similar and utilized the same ingredients, corn tortilla, avocado, cheese, eggs, and salsa. Sadly there were only two menu items that stood out to me, the El Centro Dog & Chile Relleno con Huevo. I could’ve had ten of the El Centro Dogs and would’ve been content with my meal! One bite into the hot dog and I could taste the smokey/​grilled flavor, it was definitely not like your average hot dog. Chile Relleno con Huevo is a must order, the vegetable stuffed chili is fried on the outside and is placed on this amazing and flavorful chipotle sauce. There’s so much going on with the sauce that you don’t know what to think about it at first other than the fact that you’ll probably just want to drink the rest of it up.
Other than the two items mentioned, there were other generic menu items that I thought were great but who pays $ 35 for AYCE to just eat simple foods? Guacamole was fresh and is always a must order at a mexican restaurant. Their quesadilla was delish as well, I wouldn’t expect anything less. Shrimp cocktail was better than I expected it to be, it was all about the sauce.
For the rest of the menu items ordered, they didn’t leave an impression on me nor did I want to ask for a second serving. I tried the breakfast enchilada, mexican benedict, huevos rancheros, and the jalapeño chorizo slider. Ideal items for mexican brunch but nothing special.
For dessert, recommend churros and the platanos! Both dishes were definitely the best way to end the meal and will make you wanting more.
Don’t think I would come here again for the unlimited brunch, but I wouldn’t mind coming by for the happy hour or trying out one of their chef special items for dinner.

What are some of the words that I can use to describe my brunch experience… subpar, underwhelming, misstep, blah.
So…pretty excited to try out D.F., as it was one of my stops for brunches with thee «unlimited mimosas,» I mean who can beat that? Anywho reservations were made and heeerrree we go. This place is a lot bigger than what one would expect. Fair sized main floor, decent sized basement; although much more dim to me. Totally not airy or bruchy enough for me and of course the rooftop.
For brunch you have three options; a la carte, unlimited food or unlimited food AND drank. Duh you know which one I got. The food is tapas, if you order something expect to get ONE, unless you specify that you would like multiples. I had to continuously remind myself of this throughout the duration of my experience. Unlimited drank include mimosas, bloody Mary’s, margaritas, aqua frescos (spiked) among others.
To begin we started with the aqua fresca, flavors were pineapple, hibiscus and watermelon. Mixed with tequila, refreshing I suppose, but it just didn’t do it for me. I didn’t even finish it, and I hate wasting liquor. Whomp whomp!
To begin we tried the chicken and steak quesadillas, and the empanada. I preferred the chicken to the steak as it surprisingly had way more flavor. The steak for some reason was totally missing something. The empanada was pretty good.
The tacos; egg and chorizo were less than to be desired. I don’t think I tasted anything other than egg. I didn’t finish it. Although authentic, I’m not a fan of the corn tortilla.
The chorizo and jalapeño burger came with cheese, avacado and pickled onion. I just didn’t care for it. I didn’t like the mixtures of the two meats, I’m not sure if it wasn’t cooked properly, as it was dry, or if the flavors simply didn’t marry well with one another. Another thing that I bit but didn’t finish.
The open faced grilled cheese, reminded me of toasted french bread with egg. Nothing special here folks.
The churro was none like I have ever had. Not crisply fried, not sprinkled in cinnamon and sugar… I was totally unimpressed.
Our server, was sweet but at times I felt that she forgot about us and our quest to have our drinks refilled. What was excitement, evaporated as I left not really enjoying my experience. Oh the one saving grace I suppose:
There was dope music though. Jam jam jam on the one!
I can’t say that I’ll purposely return.

Came here with 2 friends on a weekend and had a good time. They were slightly understaffed, but all things considered the service was pretty good.
We ordered a pitcher of margaritas that we were pleased with. As an appetizer we ordered the Queso Fundido with Chorizo. It was super tasty even if ours was a bit over-​cooked. For dinner I ordered the Jalisco Shrimp & Crab Enchiladas. The cream fresca sauce on the enchiladas was out of this world! The plantains were pretty good, and the cilantro rice was just okay.
Overall I was very pleased with my meal and I would definitely come back again!

We visited El Centro for afternoon drinks on a warm Saturday afternoon, after walking around Meridien Hill Park (about a 15 minute walk away from this restaurant). I remember having visited El Centro late at night a few years ago and this place looks quite different during the day.
I ordered a mimosa and my fiancé ordered a margarita. The drinks were decent but nothing extraordinary and slightly overpriced for what we were getting. We also ordered tableside guacamole. It was a decent portion, but was a bit too sour and didn’t taste super fresh.
They do have a bottomless brunch you can partake in for $ 35 (all you can eat and drink), but I didn’t really like the items on their menu and we had already eaten lunch elsewhere. Seems like a very typical DC sort of place to have a bottomless brunch.
Overall, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this place. It seemed a bit dirty and rowdy and service just wasn’t the best.
I would probably visit another restaurant instead next time I’m on 14^th Street.

Tuve la peor de las experiencias visitando el Club. Fui agredido por una clienta y cuando aparecio seguridad, ni siquiera preguntaron ambas versiones, asumieron que yo era el culpable y me sacaron a la fuerza.

I love this place, the food is delish and the Mojito Mexicano esta MUY bien. I was brought here by a friend of mine and have been back like 10 times since. We had a nice long dinner on a friday, starting with cocktails and tableside made guacamole. We sat in the basement, which has a great dark, romantic, foreign feel to it; like stepping into a late night joint in Mexico. After we finished, the tables were pushed aside and dancing took place well into the evening.
I may never end my night here, but it sure is a good start! The Mexican Mojitos are a great way to unwind after a stressful week and let your hair down, plus the DJ isn’t to bad and the patio/​basement areas are a nice change of pace from the usual.
The food is also a great plus, quick and fresh, with a unique twist on classic favorites. Try the Cactus, you will not be disappointed!