Chicatana
12 people recommend, 1 warns against itvia r/washingtondc13 comments cited below
The comments cited below are a sample of the full tally across 6 threads.
What people say, in short
Chicatana draws strong Mexican-food recommendations. One diner who lived in Los Angeles finds it the closest city option to that experience, while others praise al pastor, grilled carne asada and seafood. A commenter particularly recommends the shrimp cocktail, and another likes the margaritas. The response is not unanimous: diners comparing it with food in Texas, California or Mexico also report average or underwhelming meals. These are individual comparisons, not a guarantee of authenticity.
Address
Chicatana, 1400 Meridian Pl NW, Washington, DC 20010
At a glance
- Signature dishes
- Al pastor, Carne asada, Shrimp cocktail
- Opinions divided
- Yes
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/trippygg in r/washingtondc · Oct 2024taste
Recommends it; says al pastor, tacos and actually grilled carne asada are good.
- Recommendsu/district-of-cholula in r/washingtondc · Apr 2024
Says it is also very good, though the space is really small.
- Recommendsu/dataminimizer in r/washingtondc · Apr 2024taste
Says it is much better than Taqueria Habanero across the street and suggests the ants.
- Recommendsu/fireshighway in r/washingtondc · May 2024taste
Calls it the real deal; praises shrimp cocktail and some of the best margaritas in DC
- Mixedu/123BuleBule in r/washingtondc · Oct 2024taste
Calls it a best local option but only mediocre by Mexican or Texas standards.
- Recommendsu/LocalBearEnthusiast in r/washingtondc · Apr 2024taste
Calls it by far the best on that stretch, as a Californian.
- Recommendsu/Ok_Independence3779 in r/washingtondc · Oct 2024
Highly recommends Chicatana.
- Caveatu/TheTige in r/washingtondc · Apr 2024taste
As a long-time Texas and California resident, was really underwhelmed.
Show all 13 cited comments
- Recommendsu/Due_Bill5038 in r/washingtondc · Dec 2025
Agrees with a late food critic who called it the home of Oaxacan cuisine.
- Recommendsu/HillEasterner in r/washingtondc · Oct 2024
Says Chicatana is legit because it serves chile en nogada.
- Recommendsu/JEASHL in r/washingtondc · Oct 2024
Calls Chicatana a good bet for more focused Mexican food in DC proper.
- Recommendsu/Top_Swim_8266 in r/washingtondc · May 2024
Says it is excellent, though not a hole in the wall.
- Recommendsu/zoom100000 in r/washingtondc · Apr 2024
Surprised it wasn't mentioned, implying it should be.
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Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.