Rebeca Victor

Love Dleña down! Best Maryland crab guacamole dip you can have in D.C. I love their Mil Hojas Argentino(crêpes - warm cajeta caramel) it is splendid as well and the ambience is nice. I also had the Birria Barbacoa for lunch and it was tasty. I’d recommend to dine here.

Mahima

dLeña was absolutely phenomenal and worth every penny. The vegetarian options are limited but each one is delicious. The guacamole is good, the corn empanadas are incredibly and the mushroom tacos were so flavorful. I can’t wait to come back here. And the service was great, the staff is so kind.

Maya Peebles

Food was absolutely incredible. Zero complaints. The flavor combinations, attention to detail; everything was perfect. You must try the octopus bone marrow. It was so good, I don’t even have a picture. Our server, Rebecca, was also exceptional! She enhanced an already great experience. Can’t wait to come back!

Nacona Davis

DLeña came highly recommended from a friend and it definitely didn’t disappoint! Sat in the downstairs lounge area which was so cute and intimate and the live music was amazing! The space was a little tighter at some of the tables and you wanna get there before the crowds so you can have your pick of seating. Bar available too. Staff were friendly, gave great food recommendations, and were checking in often. Everything we ordered off the menu (Maryland crab guacamole, bone marrow and popo/octopus, branzino, steak, oysters, wagyu empanadas, elote mac and cheese) came out in good timing, hot, and tasted amazing! Will go back again to try brunch.

+11

Bonnie Perez

My husband and I chose DLeña to celebrate our anniversary, and it exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived, the staff’s genuine care for our experience was unmistakable. Our server Bri set the tone perfectly, greeting us with a warm smile and anniversary wishes before offering thoughtful menu recommendations and patiently answering all our questions. Throughout the evening, she struck that rare balance of being attentive without hovering, checking in at just the right moments. The complimentary anniversary dessert was a delightful surprise that made an already special evening even more memorable. We’re already looking forward to our next visit!

Zaynah L.

Dined at dLeña with my friends last night, and it was such a wonderful experience. Every dish we ordered was delicious, and we could tell the chef puts care and attention to detail into every meal. The flavors were magnificent. Our server, Henry, had amazing energy and made the entire experience even better. He was really fun and attentive, kept checking in, and went above and beyond for us. We really want to try the brunch menu now. We’ll definitely be back!

Denise W.

Everything about my first dining experience here was a 10/10!! Our waitress did an excellent job informing us about the menu options and making recommendations. The service was smooth and reasonably timed. The food is flavorful, fresh and outside of your typical Mexican cuisine. I will certainly be returning to try more items and would highly recommend. A manager even removed our desert after we shared our honest feedback when he asked us.

+4

Pablo

Our experience was truly perfect. My wife and I made reservations (highly recommend) for brunch and everything was perfect. The hosts were quickly and extremely accommodating, we didn’t wait a single second and the entire interaction was perfect. Henry was our server and he was easily one of the best we’ve ever had. He made great conversation, literally read our minds, and took care of everything possible without us having to ask (food, water, drinks, clean-up). The food was absolutely to die for, the brunch menu is a tasting menu so we had a bit of everything and we left completely stuffed. There wasn’t a single thing on the menu that I wouldn’t recommend, everything was cooked to perfection and a lot of things on the menu had a flavor profile that absolutely blew our minds and have never tried before. Some highlight dishes are the fruit cocktail (flavor profile), the chicken and waffles (flavor profile), and the chilaquiles (made perfectly). This is easily one of the best restaurants in DC and I look forward to all our next visits.

+1

ming ming

Visited dLena and had the bottomless brunch today. We enjoyed the great, attentive service and delicious dishes. The brunch had a variety of options and the style was small plates, which is great because we were able to try a lot of different dishes. The seasonal fruit cocktail was a perfect starter to stimulate your appetite. The dishes were thoughtfully seasoned and beautifully presented, making the overall experience stand out.

+2

Dana Kang

celebrated a friend's birthday here and it was a great experience! the mushroom queso was amazing and had a fiery taste. I got the pork rib tacos and they had good crunch with just the right amount of spice. they also gave us free churros with a candle which was so nice of them! the food is served on a wooden plate that kind of adds to the whole aesthetic. 10/10 recommend for a special occasion!

+1

Came here for the second time two nights ago to celebrate my husband’s birthday, and I definitely will be coming back. The restaurant is so pretty, the food was delicious, the cocktails were amazing (you have to try the Mercado), and our server was kind and attentive! My only complaint is that the tables are far too close together, at least where we sat in the restaurant. We felt elbow to elbow with the tables on either side of us. We could hear everything both pairs next to us were talking about (not their fault we were all seated so closely to each other). This made it hard for it to feel like an intimate dinner with my husband and we could barely hear each other. It was hard to hear what our server was saying because of where she’d have to stand to speak to us without disrupting the tables next to us. I feel like taking out just one of the tables in the section we were sat in would help so much to avoid this for future customers. Despite this, we still really enjoyed our food and cocktails!

Christopher Jolly

The steak was cooked to perfection. The broccolini was alright would have just doubled up on the carrots because the sauce paired perfectly with the steak. Would highly recommend and return. The bartender was very nice and knowledgeable. Live music is certainly a place. Plenty of comfortable seating throughout.

Austin Graff

On a Tuesday, a friend of mine and I walked into dLena to their basement mezcal bar. They don’t take reservations, but we easily got a table. The entire space is slick. The menu includes mezcal and tequila cocktails and even flights. Their full food menu is available by request. Hungry, I ordered their guacamole and corn empanadas. Both were good, but the corn empanadas were the winners. Their version of a margaritas refreshing!

+7

Tangee Augustin

I recently visited this restaurant for bottomless brunch, and while the food and atmosphere were absolutely incredible — every dish was fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented — I unfortunately had an experience that left me deeply uncomfortable. A couple seated near us was in the midst of a very tense situation where the man was verbally abusive toward his wife. It was difficult to witness, and what made it worse was that the waitress continued to serve him additional alcoholic beverages despite clearly noticing his behavior. My party even checked in on the woman in the restroom, as she was visibly upset and crying. We brought our concerns to the manager, but their response felt very dismissive and lacked any sense of urgency or empathy. To make matters worse, we later learned that the waitress serving the couple was actually the man’s sister, which explained her overly friendly demeanor but also made the situation feel even more inappropriate given how unsafe it appeared for the woman involved. I want to emphasize that the food, drinks, and ambience were truly excellent — definitely worth the cost and a spot I would recommend for brunch. However, I sincerely hope the management takes incidents like this more seriously in the future and provides staff with better training on how to respond when guests appear to be in distress. It was a very triggering and disappointing situation that momentarily overshadowed an otherwise wonderful dining experience.

+5

Tijwanna Phillips

I hosted my daughter's 31st birthday celebration. I selected Dleña for brunch. There were 11 guest in group. Nora, the events coordinator was very curt in her delivery of the news that DLeña is only equipped roti house 1 large group at a time. Our group would either have to find a different restaurant or take the 10am slot on a Saturday am. We decided to take the 10am slot. I was the first from the group to arrive. I came with balloons, a birthday cake and a birthday sash and tiara. Upon my arrival I was met by a slew of dry and uninviting staffers at the front desk. One very rude young lady informed me that balloons were not allowed in the restaurant(she didn't even bother to greet me first). The look on her face said "why are you here, you don't belong here)." There was one staffer that was nice and she was the one who seated us when our party arrived. I did all that I could to ensure that my daughter enjoyed her celebration. That meant I held my peace and waited to write this detailed review. The food was tasty and we enjoyed our time together. Some of our guest thought that the order that the food was helterskelter but we all thought the food was good. I personally thought some items took too long to come from the kitchen. We made it work. Our focus was enjoying our time together. Onlookers smiled as they watched us celebrating my daughter's life. The cost of the gathering was $1022($67/person for bottomless plates,bottomless mimosas, $20(for my two mocktail drinks- therefore my meal and drinks cost $87 instead of $67-hadI been told that the mocktail cost was not included, I would have ordered something that was included),taxes, a 20%tip(automatically added), and any fees. I additionally added another 8% to the tip for a total of a 28%tip(not bad for people that look like me. The bright spots were, the young lady that seated or party, Megan(the regional manager), Samatha(part of the management team) and the male manager on duty during our visit). I try to always focus on the positives. My habit of doing this ensured that our first visit to DLeña was positive, despite the shortcomings. I have a background and history in hospitality. I was disappointed in the overall experience. I was really happy that my daughter and her guest enjoyed themselves because they weren't aware of the negative energy I received.

Noreen Qamar

DLena Roja Lounge is definitely a looker — gorgeous décor, average crowd, and music that keeps the vibe alive. But when it comes to the drinks… let’s just say my dirty martini was more mildly inconvenienced than dirty. It looked oddly yellow — was it too dirty? 🤔 Who knows. I’m no martini connoisseur, but I’ve had my fair share, and this one didn’t quite hit right. I ended up returning it and switching to a glass of Cabernet instead. Not so “speakeasy” vibes, honestly. The photos are Instagram-worthy but a bit overrated, and the bartender looked fresh out of mixology class. Service was slow, and with no reservations, snagging a good table felt like playing musical chairs in heels. Still, the ambiance is chic, and the space itself has serious potential. Maybe I was just having an off day — the traffic getting there was horrendous, and after all that, I felt I deserved a well-prepped libation. Thank God I wasn’t drinking on an empty stomach. Dressed to the 9s and left disappointed — gorgeous space, average drinks, and a reminder that sometimes the prettiest lounges don’t always pour the strongest stories. 🍸💅

+4

Miyoki Iman

Visited on 11/09 from NYC to celebrate my boyfriends birthday. The hosts were warm and welcoming. They also made sure to acknowledge my boyfriends birthday. The SA’s were also so kind and attentive throughout our meal. However, our server Giselle was unpleasant. She did not acknowledge his birthday and when we asked at the end she mentioned giving him churros reluctantly. It was super uncomfortable & pretty awkward. She was also not attentive. Having to ask and mention kind of ruined the experience and vibe. Especially because i called in advance to ensure my boyfriend had a wonderful experience instead of an awkward end to dinner after spending so much money.

Evelyn Cortes

It took me a while to write this because of how genuinely upset we were leaving this restaurant. We had been looking forward to dining here for weeks. We first saw it on TikTok, read glowing reviews on food blogs, and it was easily the restaurant we were most excited for on our culinary vacation across DC. Unfortunately, the experience fell short in too many ways. We asked to move to a different table since we’re not fans of bar-height seating, and were met with a noticeable pause before the waitress went to check if it was “allowed,” which immediately set an awkward tone for the evening, making us feel like an inconvenience. The atmosphere itself is lovely, and the decor is aesthetically pleasing. However, we were seated next to an open door to the patio and spent most of the meal fending off mosquitoes. To top it off, the tassel light fixture above our table was visibly covered in thick clumps of dust. We ordered several tapas, excited to try a variety of dishes. Our most anticipated taste test was the crab guacamole. Unfortunately, it was a major disappointment. It tasted overwhelmingly of red onion and lemon juice, completely drowning out any flavor of crab or avocado. The corn soup sounded great on paper but was another miss. Overly sweet, oddly gritty, and with barely any crab. The wagyu beef empanadas were good, but so are the beef empanadas at my local bakery, if you get my point. The pork belly was the most delicious of what we tried, and yet, it was dry. The servers who attended to us weren’t very personable, except for one gentleman who provided us with complimentary drinks. He was incredibly polite and friendly, checking on us twice throughout the night as he cleared our table. Overall, between the service, the food, and the setting, Dleña just didn’t live up to our expectations. I don't know what else to say except we were genuinely baffled by how bad of an experience we had. Foregoing the negatives about the ambience and staff, the food was the biggest disappointment. Perhaps if one doesn't have a genuine idea of what good Mexican food is supposed to taste like, then they would enjoy this.