Top Spanish Cafe & Catering

This place motivated me to write my first Unilocal review! It’s a hidden gem on Georgia Ave. We ordered the seafood paella, carne asada (which was marinated and cooked to order) and a pitcher of sangria. It was all awesome. Highly recommend.

This place has so much potential, and it’s sad to see that they’re not busier. Their food is tasty, cheap (for DC), and very filling. I tried their steak ranchero the other day and couldn’t finish the entire dish even though I tried! It was definitely well-​prepared, and their margaritas are outstanding as well. It seems that their management isn’t too involved as their bartender was the only one working? This is a a hidden gem that needs to be discovered by more people, so I hope it starts to move in the right direction!

Top Spanish is a nice neighborhood tex mex/​spanish restaurant, and great to have in the area. Very laid back and reasonable prices.

I do love the food but was upset after trying to go there tonight. The entire restaurant was locked up as if it wasn’t open. There is a sign on the door saying open Tuesday-​Sunday from 4−11pm (today is Sunday). So I called and the owner answered when I asked if they were open he said no. I questioned the sign on the front of the door saying they should be open and he said it was their choice whether they were going to be open on any day. I love this restaurant and it hurts me to write this I was just shocked by the answer. Take away: always call before going since they do not follow their opening schedule on the door. Mario is still the best!

What I came here waiting to try was the Spanish Seafood Paella. Many bloggers and reviewers had mentioned that the dish was a must-​order, and ever since my first blog about another Spanish eatery. I have been scouting for another locale serving this dish. And this restaurant’s rendition does not disappoint at all. The dish arrived on the table with a ring of opened mussels, surrounding a mound brimming with clams, squid, shrimp, scallops, fish, peas, sweet peppers, and Valencian rice. The kernels of rice were the right kind being the medium-​grain starchier type (should only be this varietal, no other), and they were cooked slightly al dente while exuding some starchiness, perfumed by some real saffron and sweet paprika, and enriched by a good seafood stock. My companion and I were totally amazed by the amount of food, the freshness of the seafood (the mussels were equally briny as the appetizer dish), and the rich flavorings that permeated each morsel. It is a pity that another friend did not make it to this gathering, or not we would have ordered a large pan (paellera) of this Spanish delicacy. Upon speaking with the chef, he told us that his parents hail from Spain, and he sure knows what he is doing with authentic Spanish paella. Yes, the bloggers got this call right, and this seafood wonder cannot be overlooked here, especially when priced at $ 16 per serving!
To read rest of review and view photos, check out my blog at Wongeats.

This is my best kept secret. In expensive great quality food. I usually get the seafood soup I ask the chef the spice it up for me mmmm love it. Its clean. Dont judge a book by its cover. Great Margaritas the bartender Ramon rocks. Will be back very soon.

Great neighborhood joint. From the outside, it looked deceptively like a Tex-​Mex place, but they really specialize in Spanish cuisine. While all the food we’ve had there is delicious, I recommend sticking to the Spanish dishes. Gabriel, the owner and head chef, was very pleasant and made delicious sangria to order.

Smells funny

«I’ve made a huge mistake.»
Based on the Unilocal reviews a group of my friends and I decided to try this place out. We went on Saturday night and our group were the only people in the restaurant. We ordered some chips and guacamole and some nachos. They were decent and arrived on time. The real disappointment was the entrée. The food must have taken at least 45 minutes to arrive. Which I’m assuming is because Top Spanish Café has the worlds slowest microwaves. I had the chicken burrito. It tasted like they dumped a can of brown beans and some microwaved chicken into a tortilla. It had no flavor whatsoever. My buddy had the paella and was equally dissatisfied. To top it off, one of our friends became ill from the mussels.

one of the best Living Social coupon purchases i’ve ever made.
I had the Asopado de Camarones, and it was AMAZING! Excellent Spanish food! (probably one of the best in the DMV!). I will definitely return & recommend to all my friends.

Came here with a friend and had a Scoutmob coupon. I ordered the avocado salad and the nachos. He had the paella and sangria. It was a Sunday and we were the only patrons. The waitress was very nice and attentive and we enjoyed our dinner. My nachos were a hefty plate and my avocado salad was very fresh, with a large bounty of romaine, ripe avocado, and tomatoes. The mango dressing was good, though too sweet for my tastes. I am, not, however, dying to go back but do hope they can continue their business.

Went because of the generous Scoutmob deal they are offering (50% off, max discount $ 25). Enjoyed the food though the paella was overly and the server was very sweet.
Really enjoyed the sangria (1 liter for $ 18) which we got a good 5 glasses out of and they give you nice big glasses garnished with fruit. The Texas Nachos were excellent with what I think were homemade tortilla chips, cheesy, well distributed, with guacamole, and cheap. Also enjoyed the gambas al ajillo (shrimp with garlic).
The seafood paella for two was huge and very flavorful. A dramatic presentation of a big pan of paella, with mussels around the entire rim, with plenty of scallops, calamari, clams, and a piece of fish. The oil content of the dish though is a bit high, probably way too high.
The server was very sweet.
Was willing to order dessert (I always feel guilty using the deals at small businesses that are nice and struggling). But they only had chocolate mouse and lemon pie, odd for a Spanish/​Tex Mex restaurant.
Place was completely empty. It was prime dining time on a Saturday night (albeit a really rainy night that kept things dead). But in the several hours we were there, there were 4 tables total. Though I doubt the 1 water and probable 1 person kitchen staff could handle much more.
Worth a try.

This place truly is a hidden gem, as others have said, and the kind of local establishment that I’d really like to see be successful. It has a beautiful interior, with wood-​paneled walls and bar area. It would make a great date location because of the nice restaurant space– just make sure your date is seated facing away from the window as there is a strip club across the street. The new buildings in the area suggest that this is an up-​and-​coming area that is developing in the right direction.
We ordered nearly all the vegetarian options: guacamole & chips, veggie nachos, and veggie burritos. The guacamole was not good, just not flavorful enough or avacado-​y enough. The nachos, however, were delicious, and my favorite part of the meal. They had plenty of topping, and sauteed vegetables tossed in added flavor along with the beans and cheese. Yum. The vegetarian burritos were similar, with beans and veggies inside, lettuce and pico de gallo on the side, and a serving of rice that I found boring enough not to eat. The prices were very reasonable, and we left well-​satisfied. This place gets bonus points for having a large and pristine clean bathroom. The only thing that will keep us from returning frequently is the lack of diverse vegetarian options, but given that it’s a Spanish restaurant, that’s not surprising.

This is a great local spot for some home grown spanish food. The portions are HUGE and you can’t beat the price. I love feeling like a family is cooking for me and I would definitely recommend the place to ANYONE.
Plus, the sangria is delicious…

Ordered take-​out while I was in the neighborhood and was not pleased. First, the order took about 30 – 40 minutes and I only had one dish! Second, the carne asada I ordered was burnt. I know that I had said well-​done, but seriously, it was like a piece of tree bark in appearance and in texture. If I had not gotten take-​out I would’ve demanded my money back (since a new order probably would taken another 40 minutes).
The only redeeming characteristic was the waitress. She was slow but pretty nice.

Best Mexican in the Petworth area! I love the fajitas, my boyfriend loves his steak dish and he’s not even a big fan of Mexican or Spanish food, and I love the nachos. The nachos might be my favorite because they are full of toppings. The service is great as I am always greeted with a smile and given great service when I go.
Great find in my area!

I’ve been craving a good paella for a while. But it seems it’s hard to find around here. And sadly… I’m still looking.
Seafood paella: A bit on the greasy side. The scallops tasted near old, but the fish was pretty good. It was missing some thing (s). It wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great. I left with a lingering feeling of dissatisfaction. The server was friendly and sweet though.

5 stars! They have lowered some prices (a chicken burrito is now only $ 8) and they have increased their portions sizes (nachos).
The paella for $ 16 is literally overflowing with seafood and so delicious. Really, really generous portions. My favorite dish here.
I LOVE the huge nachos ($ 5.75) and vegetarian black bean soup ($ 4) too.
The last thing I thought I would change about this place is a bit cheaper drinks /​more happy hour specials and hopefully filling it with more customers. They’ve made progress on the drink prices! The house red wine is $ 5.50 for a really large glass — a great deal– and a miller lite is only $ 3.50! Happy hour only lasts from 4 – 6 though.

Top Spanish is a great addition to Georgia avenue. Their entrees are really well prepared and the service is great. They still seem to be using a temporary menu so i hope that their offerings will continue to grow.
I thought it was odd that they didn’t have a drink list or dessert menu, but that certainly wont stop me from eating here in the future.

I had lunch here today. And it was FANTASTIC.
I ordered the grilled chicken topped with a pinot grigio, lemon and butter sauce, artichoke hearts and capers. Sides were sauteed, crisp veggies.
It would have been easy to screw up this dish, and I was a little skeptical ordering it. I’m sitting in a brand new, admittedly poorly named restaurant across the street from The House (yes, THAT House) on Georgia Ave. I really want to like this place and I’ve heard that it was worthy. So in the interest of culinary spelunking, here I am.
So often am I disappointed in my gastronomic explorations that my sensibilities have admittedly become jaded. There likely would be
FAR too many capers, the boneless chicken would probably be dry and tough and what are the odds that the zucchini, broccoli and cauliflower will be limp and forgettable?
WRONG; it was a light, tender, and beautifully balanced ensemble. The chef owner brought his creation to table himself, beaming and happy. And he should be; the man can cook!
My dining companion had an equally delightful Argentine Churrasco (cooked perfectly medium rare) with fresh chimichurri and sides of warm beets with zingy cornichon and diced, deliciously browned potatoes.
The sangria was snappy and refreshing too.
I will be back to try the paella, the rock fish, the serrano ham-​wrapped shrimp and scallops, the interesting soups, and yes, even the nachos, damn-​it.
Afterward, I might even go to The House one night. In the interest of cultural spelunking, of course.