Reviews of Buena Vida Restaurant Clarendon (Restaurant)

306 Bayard

Beautiful restaurant. Great Decor. Service was excellent. Food was very uninspired. We had three different dishes they were okay but nothing special.

Michael Cieslak

My wife and I I had a few hours away from the kids so we decided to check out the rooftop and have a margarita. The margaritas were excellent and the atmosphere was energizing. I thought the margaritas were a little expensive starting at $10 for a basic, but I guess it's Clarendon for you.

David Stewart

EXCELLENT food and even better service... especially upstairs.

Bernie Burns

Being quite familiar with BaBa and Anbar in Clarendon, we decided to check out their new sister restaurant, Buena Vida, located just across the street from them. So true that all good things come in threes! The warm friendliness of the staff coupled with their outstanding food created an evening of highs! Started out with the menudo which had just the right spices! Also as a fan of beef tartare, I had to try their Carne Apache. The beef just melted in my mouth! Was so good! As the entree, the Drunken Chicken was so moist and the mole was rich and spicy! For dessert, had the buñuelos, similar to donut holes, which were gooey, warm and sweet. They also have an outstanding cocktail menu featuring mezcal, one of my favorites! Definitely looking forward to another visit soon (especially after they open their rooftop bar!!)

Sam Grant

Great food

Robin Payton

Awesome restaurant! Food was very flavorful and delectable! Our waiter, Edil was very attentive and personable! So many choices on the menu that we will definitely return to try more!

Ivan Rubio

I decided to take my fiance here on a nice mid-week date. She had sent me an Instagram post about this restaurant opening up. I'm Mexican so when I go to a Mexican restaurant, I usually compare it to my mother's food. High standards, I know. My mother is the greatest chef I've ever met. She makes an incredible chile relleno and a mole that can make me think about it for days. I arrived at this restaurant and ordered the chile relleno, drunken chicken, and buñuelos for dessert. My drinks were a glass of champagne, a drink called "La Guerra", and a margarita. They provided the first two drinks on the house due to some waitlist issues. Their service is incredible. The chile relleno has a cinnamon tasting/ tomato tasting gravy that I'm pretty sure my mother makes all the time. The gravy on the chile relleno reminded me so much of my mother's sauce that I began to use the sauce from it as chips dip as well. Speaking of, the two sauces they gave for the chips (green and red) are incredible. The red has a good kick that can pretty much go on any of your starters and entrees. The drunken chicken tasted EXACTLY like my mother's mole. The chicken is marinated in tequila, beer, and some type of mole-like sauce that really gives the chicken an outstanding and authentic Mexican taste. Lastly, the buñuelos were AMAZING. My mother usually makes these but they're flat instead of donut shaped. They give you a side chocolate sauce that I'm pretty sure has the same ingredients as Chocolate de Abuelita, which I grew up having every time family was over. Overall, this place was fantastic. The service was remarkable. The drinks were amazing. The food was an incredible trip down memory lane of my childhood, my mother's food, and great times with my Mexican culture and family. I highly recommend it and will be coming back!

Mark Holland

Fantastic addition to Clarendon, well done! The food is excellent, the drinks are creative and the space is funky cool. Kudos!

Sarah Race

Food was okay, dessert was GREAT. Look forward to returning as they had just opened and services left something to be desired.

Mariya Somoilov

The place looks nice, very big and modern but the food was really bad, we ordered tacos and they had no taste, we had to add lots of hot sauce to give it at least some flavour. Fix the food

Jonathan Madnick

Place is very nice. Tacos their specialty. Not enough flavor.

Violeta Dusheva

Veryy nice rooftop,I love it!

Elizabeth Shepard

**3.5** made a reservation for around 5:30pm on Saturday on open table and was seated right away upstairs. The ambiance of this place is very nice, very date like, and upscale. The chips and salsa was really delicious, I couldn’t stop eating it. We got the queso which was totally interesting and not what I was expecting. It came out in this really hot mini plan with tortilla, it was pretty solid. I got the COLIMA-STYLE SHELLFISH POZOLE which I did not like. The flavors were good, but i literally got two clams, two mussels (one mussel wasn’t even open) and a shrimp and a piece of fish...for $22. It came with rice and beans that I shared with my friend. Maybe just Clarendon prices. My friend got the chicken and she wasn’t a fan of it either. Maybe we will come back for brunch. The waiter was super nice, I like how they use paper straws.

S N

Everything was good except the food. Judging by other reviews, either we went on the day chef was off or having a bad day. Food quality, temperature, seasoning, taste and use of canned ingredients was very disappointing and unbelievable for prices charged.

Sara Nagpal

I tried to give the benefit of the doubt for this place but I couldn’t find much positives. The waiter was very nice and attentive and the decor is beautiful. The chips and salsa were actually quite good and I had big hopes. The entrees were a huge disappointment. My mother’s “grilled chicken” was not even grilled. No marks showing it was grilled and part of the skin was still raw. My enchilada was okay, but quite sour. I much would’ve enjoyed the same meal from an Uncle Julio’s for a better price and better tasting dish. My brothers shrimp was over cooked. My father’s lamb was so terrible and had a weird after taste that he had to exchange it for another dish. He got lamb ribs instead, which weren’t bad, but I wouldn’t call it much of an improvement either. The texture wasn’t the best. The beans tasted like they were just microwaved straight from the can, and tossed in some sauce. The texture was very crunchy. I feel like this place has a lot of potential but the food was just terribly cooked. Like I said, the staff was very nice for accommodating the way they could, but the food just brought it down. Out of ordering so many dishes, we were hoping at least one of them could have been a winner, but sadly, not one of us was really satisfied with our meal when we left.

Patrick Beck

Good food (pricey), small beer selection, good service

David Alston

Unique brunch with unlimited small plates and mimosas. Great roof top bar with tropical escape theme.

Joseph Raczynski

Mixed bag for happy hour. First, they did a wonderful job renovating the place. It's open, bright, creative - with an amazing mural on the wall. They put in a bar that has an outdoor section - four seats, and also have a garage door for light and airiness. Happy hour food: The chips and salsa were excellent, the tacos were an unusual experience. The brisket taco was perfectly flavored, but they put the contents in corn tortillas that are too large, in addition this taco is so wet, not complaining, that the tortilla breaks down with the first bite. As they would do when I lived in Mexico or at many taco stands, these tacos need to be "double bagged" i.e. they need two tortilla, preferably smaller. If they don't do that, you're going to need a fork and knife and that's criminal to use when eating tacos. The other taco 'chicken' is someone trying to be too creative and it didn't work this go around. It's a variation on a Thai peanut sause with chicken. I don't say these things often on these reviews, it's straight up not good. It's dry. The sauce is off and it's not enjoyable. It also suffered from the same fate as the first, with the tortilla breaking down after bite one. These are really early days here. I'll come back to see how things progress. Always feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @joerazz

jenny wang

Their chips are super good and it is my fav place in DC

Charlotte Overcash

Great atmosphere!! The best margaritas spicey I ever had!!

Richard Ramlall

Stopped off with our cousins and her young daughters and ate on the first floor which is the general Mexican food. Upstairs more formal traditional food and in the rooftop a happening bar and lounge with a great view. It’s owned by the same folks across the street. We met the General Manager Nehad Sjmic who could not have been nicer coming by to speak to the children and checking in on us. He also asked for my opinion on the restaurant. The mark of a great General Manager . We had the guacamole, pork carnitas taco, garlic shrimp, ham and cheese for girls, rice and beans and churros. My only suggestion was for some Mexican rice rather than only white rice. Bar T listed where the server is normally listed but all the staff were super .

John Herbstritt

Incredible view from the roof-top bar and dinning area. Great music and place to relax with a couple friends or larger group.

Arne Adler

Had the rabbit barbacoa in Padilla and pulque. While those terms probably don't translate to you as they didn't for me the dish was excellent. As are the great Margaritas. Service was terrific.

Robyn Guyan

Food was bland. How do you even make Mexican food bland? Highly overpriced as well. Service was competent if not friendly.

Erin Evans

Good food and ok drinks

Zane Bensing

The best place for brunch in Arlington! I have traveled around for other brunches, but this place has it all. Dusan was the best server I’ve ever had. Before I could ask for anything, Dusan had it prepared. 10/10 if you are in Arlington, come to Dusan to have a great time! Yeah what he said. ^

bianca marie uribe

I love this place! My husband and I have been a few times for drinks and appetizers and every time we leave we can't stop talking about how nice our servers are. They are super accommodating and incredibly hospitable, I can't say that about too many other places. Not to mention that they have my favorite drink, the Menina.

Robert Albro

We enjoyed the brunch, and imaginative menu. A fusion of chilango with small plates. Chill vibe, nice view. The three story space, with each level it's own autonomous concept and take on Mexican fare, is open and inviting. That Clarendon intersection has turned into a brunch lover's dream!

Shakti Shukla

Lovely dining room and warm staff. The unlimited brunch is a nice way to try a variety of items. In this smaller format version of each dish, you'll find one of their tasty biscuits keeps appearing. Leave it to the side unless you want mostly bread for lunch. Cocktails are basically free, they charge twenty-five cents each by law.

Emmet Hobgood

Great time! Went on a Wednesday night and sat at the bar. They had a Restaurant Week special which was just a flat price for 3 courses from the regular menu, which was nice. Food was delicious and the staff was really friendly. Nice to see Arlington get a Mexican restaurant with a fresh take on the cuisine and an absolutely lovely atmosphere to go along with it.

moni8459 .

Over priced , the food is-nothing special for the price. The menu is very limited and the dishes taste like truck-food. Very small tortillas and just a bit of meat. Drinks are not good at all. Service was poor, waitresses were more into making sure they enter all charges and info is in the system, than getting the food and drinks to the tables. First floor sucks and looks messy, but second floor and roof look very nice.

Marshall Grossman

Went for brunch. The wait staff was wonderful and friendly. The food was sub par unfortunately. Went to the downstairs part for drinks later that evening and had a horrible experience. It was loud, cocktails were bad, and the bartender was awful.

Kelly Thompson

Great Servers! Thanks Zak!

John Weiler

Had cocktails on the roof, great vibe!

Jose Camargo

Queso fundido was delicious! The cheese and the 3 included salsas were very tasty and made for great combos with the included corn tortillas. The tortas are basically just hamburgers, but nevertheless very tasty--the Oaxaca cheese on the fried chicken torta is a great addition. Very nice staff, very accommodating to my friend and their dog in the outdoor seating area.

daniel binelli

I hate to be a complainer but I have to be honest here. Bad service, even worse burritos. I ordered the lime chicken burrito which ended up being a cold wrap, tons of romaine lettuce with a few small chunks of chicken and very watery beans. Just the worst “burrito” I’ve ever had the displeasure of experiencing in my life and costing $17. Also waited about 45 minutes for a margarita after asking 3 different servers.

Robert Kennedy

It's okay

Jeanie P

Came here on a whim with a friend and we left thoroughly impressed! Ambience & service was amazing - very polite, attentive and friendly staff. Menu is Fantastic - all the offerings were so unique. Every drink and dish we ordered was spot on in flavor, seasoning and heat. Couldn’t stop gushing about the food and ended up making a reservation for a future date before leaving. Can’t wait to come back! Only suggestion is to add one or two more vegetarian dishes, otherwise this place is perfect!

Han E

We came here for the first time. We were told by tge bartender that it had 3 levels and each level is a different experience. The first level is "Street food" the 2nd level is a more upscale dining. 3rd level is rooftop with a party like atmosphere. We had tacos and a couple of margaritas on the first level. The tacos was tasteless. The margaritas were average. So we wrapped it uo and went on to the other levels. To our surprise, they were all the same offerings. We le t dissatisfied and disappointed.

Mikayla Rai

My boyfriend took me to buena vida for our anniversary this past weekend, it was both of our first times there. The restaurant design itself is so tastefully done. We loved the open layout and the color schemes, it created such a pleasant and upbeat atmosphere to be in. We came for brunch and both did the unlimited brunch special. Unfortunately, the kitchen was having difficulties putting out certain dishes due to some unforeseen circumstances. Apparently Ambar had a fire and 300 reservations had to be moved into buena vida. The staff was still incredibly accommodating, and attentive. Instead of having us wait endlessly for the food we ordered to come out, they kept bringing us other delicious dishes. We got to try things we weren’t necessarily going to order, including the steak salad - which was phenomenal! However, we never got to have the lamb chorizo and eggs we had originally ordered. After waiting for a while and eating other food, they told us they wouldn’t be able to make it that day. Additionally, the smoked salmon benedict was a little disappointing. The cornbread that came with it was pretty dry in the middle and the top was burned. But we did have the best gauc we’ve ever had at a restaurant! And the cocktails were incredible, just like Baba! We have been going to Baba for some time now and love it there! The food and the service is amazing. The general manager actually recognized us in buena vida! He was so nice and apologetic for the food coming out so slowly. All in all we really enjoyed our time there! They even had a bouquet of flowers waiting for me for our anniversary. We definitely want to come back to try the rest of the dishes!

Ruben Brown

The brunch all you can eat special is great.

Allie Hansen

LOVE!!! Wow, what a fabulous and unique experience from start to finish. People: Staff and management were all wonderful and (tactfully) SUPER attentive and nice. Laura was an absolute pleasure!!! Everyone seemed happy :) Atmosphere: The decor is so on point, I could live there. Absolute. Perfection. Bevs: Yummy classic marg and a very well-done Mexican spin on an Old Fashioned, and a solidly decent house cab sav. And the water runners deserve a damn medal!! Apps and Starters: Ceviche was super solid, I personally loved the abundance of pineapple. Great, thick and hearty chips. Shrimp Mojo Isleno was terrific -- super fresh, and thoughtfully balanced with fried plantains despite its fire-y appearance. Queso was uniquely delicious, rosemary was a tad strong for my taste but still completely addictive with accompanying warm fresh tortillas. Tons of options between these 2 categories so I can't wait to try them all! Main: Pozole was incredibly flavorful and fresh, yet gentle; again, quality ingredients and cute presentation. Sea bass was delightful, a gorgeous cut and sear; sauce was lovely, accompanying vegetables were ok. Also loved the family-style rice and black beans, and more hot tortillas. Dessert: The doughnuts were lite and airy yet simultaneously lavishly decadent. I should have ordered a cafe to pair, but I was too full already :) Value: Tremendous! Very reasonable prices and, in combination with the atmosphere, 5 star service and touches, and the quality and uniqueness of the meal, Buena Vida nails it. The perfect place to enjoy an evening whether with a date or family or friends, or even solo. Bottom line: The Street Guys have made another winning restaurant and I cannot wait to return!!!

__

Beautiful setup and great atmosphere, slightly too pricey.

Jennifer Henderson

Great food you really cant beat their bottomless brunch and dinner special. the servers are very knowledgeable about the food and the decor is amazing... kind of makes you feel like you're in miami or any beach town on a nice day

Emily Miller

Husband and I went in for an early dinner not sure what to expect, but left still hungry and $25 lighter. We spilt 3 tacos al pastor and a small guacamole. The tacos were average and the guacamole wasn’t not worth it. Do yourself a favor and go across the street to Mexi Cali Blues or even better go to the taco truck in Rosslyn. You’ll get better food at a cheaper price. Bartender was nice and gave the girls beside us free tacos. No such luck for us.

Vanessa

This place was terrible the food was not good at all. I do not recommend this place to anyone! But I do have to say the waiter was outstanding. Very nice guy!

Loren Gordon

Great location, ok food and drinks

undraltsetseg tudev

nice service

Elina Guralnik

Truly disappointing...Nothing authentic about this place as far as Mexican food goes. Moreover, the food was just unacceptable. Very limited menu with mostly diner-style offerings for brunch, such that we had a hard time deciding what to order. I ordered the basic of the basics- huevos rancheros- and truth be told, I have never seen this poor of an execution of an egg. Overcooked and dry, resting on sad circles of rubbery corn tortillas...I could not bring myself to order another batch or anything else for that matter. My family's entrees were just as disappointing. All the food arrived cold and tasteless...This was one of the few times we went to a place without checking the reviews or the menu, hoping to be pleasantly surprised for a Sunday brunch. I hope this place invests in hiring real chefs and stops pretending to be what they are not.

marco arjona

(Translated by Google) Cozy and casual. Good Mexican food and variety of drinks. Relaxed atmosphere with very good service and friendly staff. (Original) Acogedor y casual. Buena comida mexicana y variedad de bebidas. Ambiente relajado con muy buen servicio y personal amable.

Julio Roque

Really good vibes service 8.5 the food amazing

Iva Lazarevic

Good food, great service

Sarah Fawson

What a shame. They did a good job renovating the design of the place but the food is just straight up not good. It is not even remotely close to a semblance of Mexican food. Everything has a unique addition that is totally unnecessary. For example: Let's look at rosemary and queso. Separately these ingredients are excellent, but they do not belong together in a Mexican appetizer. The sea bass I ordered was lukewarm and nothing special and it came with flavorless rice and beans like everything does. My husband's lamb was so salty that he couldn't finish it. I did get a wine that was pretty good. The free chips and salsa were my favorite part.

Greg Moran

Service was mediocre, and the food was good. Not overwhelmed by the overall composition of the dishes. Atmosphere was fun, but not enough to bring us back.

Andjela Sarenac

Love everything about this place. This is my New favorite restaurant besides Ambar !

Luis Eduardo Giraldo

I was walking by with my family and we decided to pop in. Space is very open and inviting with nice seating inside and out with the 2nd floor being the most welcoming from my perspective. We were greeted well and very much looking forward to our meal. Then the service and the food came out and it was downhill from there. Waited for 20 min to get a salad and quesadillas for the kids. The drinks did not come out until after the food arrived so call it 25/30 min from when we sat down. Mind you, this was 2:30/45 in the afternoon and it was not too busy. The rice and beans didn’t have any flavor, the tacos were poor with the tortilla being soggy and bland. And the drinks were anything but tasty. The real topper was all of this cost $103 bucks. Don’t waste your money here.

Bora Durdu

Truly authentic Mexican food, great ambience. Welcome additional to the neighborhood...

Julie Evans

Underwhelming. The Modern Margarita was terribly weak, the Shishito peppers were more oil than vegetable, the rabbit meat was cooked perfectly and the sauce was good, but it was a tiny portion for $29, and the Bunelos pastry was not light or flavorful. Our server was very nice, but the service slowed noticeably when the restaurant got half full. It's still pretty new, so I'd go back again and give it another shot during Happy Hour, but for my money - it wasn't a good value or a terribly worthwhile experience. It is a beautifully decorated restaurant and they've definitely upgraded the space from when it was La Tasca.