Reviews of Urbano 116 (Restaurant)

Evan Elan

Authentic and top notch. Love that they make their own tortillas which are fantastic. It’s definitely expensive, but worth it. The octopus tacos and bone marrow dish are incredible. The mashed plaintains and mole is also unique. Loved the flan. Overall, a great spot and addition to Old Town. Also — read some complaints about the salsa. It’s smoked which is why it has that unique flavor. People seem to be desiring the salsa they get from a jar at the supermarket. The chips and salsa were one of my favorite things about this place.

melanie tritt

Yum-mazing and excellent service. A foodies dream.

Stephen Szymanski

awesome genuine Medican food. get the cactus appetizer. drinks are all well made

Javi Oliu

The first thing I want to point out was the amazing service. Our waiter, Alex, helped make the whole experience even better! The guacamole was really good! I also had the Milanese tacos (comes with 2 tacos) and the gringa tacos (one larger taco). Both tacos were really good! Also the churros with caramel are a must!

Carla Reta

The place decor is great, great vibe and was excited to try the items on the menu. Once ordered, it took too long to get the orders. Chips and salsa were brought out. Chips were too greasy and salsa had a marshmallow burning taste. Like someone burnt the Chile’s and still made the salsa with them. Couldn’t eat it. Cactus salad was good but over salted. Had an order of lengua and barbacoa tacos. The tortillas were great but the salsas put on the tacos did not have any flavor, no additional salsas were brought out and neither were limes. I know it just opened and they are getting their bearings but do hope they make some adjustments.

Joseph Muniz

Went for brunch and thought everything was delicious. The huevos rancheros were great. The rice is some of the best rice I've ever had. Will definitely come again for lunch or dinner.

Anna Bengtson

We had to wait awhile up at the hightop community table, and the server didn't seem like he was super happy to be there. The drinks were good, though.

sgtquackers

Only went for drinks and appetizers. Apps were good and came out quick. Reasonable prices and pretty good portions for two people. The drinks we're not huge but very good. They were on the high side of what I would consider reasonable prices in this area. Staff was very good and attentive. Even though it was busy they were getting everyone served fast. I will go back and try their food at some point as it was a good experience.

Isaac Brody

Authentically delicious and daringly inventive in both ingredients and execution.

Futral

It’s really difficult to find actual good Mexican food in the DC area. I only know of a few, after trying Urbano it immediately went on the list of top Mexican food joints!

Chandler .Dawson

As someone from Texas not a great place. Has some offerings but definitely a let down. Had the 116 burrito which a very chewy and tough piece of bacon in it. Girlfriend got the tacos (tiny) which were decent. Overall fairly overpriced for what you get.

Mike Rogers

Overpriced drinks, food isn’t worth trying, bad service, decent view, you have to pay for chips and salsa which isn’t good. Happy hour is meh. Go to virtue or chart house.

Leo Slater

Delicious and a bit exotic. Great lunch.

Ivan Aranha

The fish taco should have its own framed picture behind the receptionist table. They had a crisp, buttery shell with the freshest fish I could have sworn must have been caught that early evening. What's most impressive is the attention to seasoning and detail. You can taste the hints of clove, oregano, paprika, and red pepper in the chicken enchiladas. The customary chips come with a unique smoky habonera salsa that screams for a hint of lime. The drinks are pricey and unremarkable but the staff are energetic and seem to enjoy being there and servicing the guests. Couples, families and lone diners will feel welcome.

Dezel Quillen

I enjoyed a late lunch at Urbano 116, Old Town Alexandria’s newest Mexican restaurant. Carnitas & fish tacos, chips & salsa, black beans, fresh avocado and mixed green salad, margaritas, and a delicious banana tart for dessert. Maybe I’ll be adventurous and try the fried grasshoppers (taco) on my next visit. Cheers!

Stephen Kaiser

Still experiencing growing pains. Staff is new. Food was delicious. Could use larger craft beer selection. Overall very enjoyable.

charles burand

Still a new place working out the kinks. Atmosphere; awesome, upbeat, classy, Open, good bar and people watching. Bar tenders; attentive, friendly, knowledgeable. Food hit or miss; good tiny tacos, fresh guacamole w tomatoes on the side, tostadas with pork. Bad, worst salsa in history and the pork main dish with red sauce was inedible. Wine short pours, beer good and great mixed drinks.

Karin Mahoney

If you're looking for genuine Mexican, NOT Tex-mex, you've found your place. Great decor and vibe, super friendly wait staff. Being brand new, they're still working out the kinks but I know they're aware of what needs help so I think in no time they'll be smooth sailing. If you're into ceviche, the scallop one is a must. Definitely will come back!

Richard Stempniewicz

Small plate, Mexican food, very tasty. Nice selection of cocktails, which will have to wait for non work day.

Cate Brooks

The atmosphere alone is honestly amazing, I’m in love with the vibes here. The drinks are wonderful and the staff is friendly and warm. We talked to Nolan who was knowledgeable and truly welcoming while we were there. Can’t wait to dive further into the tasty menu they have! Truley creative and flavorful options!

Cliff Martin

The mole sauce on the Pork Belly is some of the best I have had. Especially with the chunks of pineapple to soak it up. I wish there was more pineapple. The drinks were good, had the Urbano margarita, and the mezcal with muddled strawberries. Both excellent. The guacamole had a great flavor, and the chips and salsa were great as well.

Eric G

I was excited to try Urbano after hearing all the hype, but honestly, the food just wasn’t great. The Choriqueso was just a greasy congealed skillet of cheese and chorizo with little taste. The Chapulines were served cold and very mushy. The Gringa Taco is $7 for just one taco, and I’ve had better Al Pastor at District Taco. Over hyped and over priced. I don’t plan on going back, very disappointed.

Joahna Hernandez

Beautiful dishes and great flavors. Unfortunately, service is lacking, they don't pay attention to details and keep asking if everything is ok. Our server needs training regarding how to treat children, he meant to be funny and playful with my friends kid but ended up being weird and somehow annoying. He dared to bring a treat without asking permission from his mom, it was almost 9 pm and he brought a chocolate natilla to the 4 yo who obviously ate it all and had a crazy sugar rush.

Darren Hoevel

Amazing dining experience with a flavor explosion with every plate!!! Expect a wait during evening hours, but damn it is delicious!

VICTOR CRIALES

Every location is consistent. It's one of our go to's. Great food, great service, reasonable price.

Arianni Pierre

Easy Five Stars! Seasoned food! Great Guacamole! Strong Drinks! Whenever I am in the area, I will be back!

Shannon Thomas

We love the ceviche amarillo and the margaritas. If you can't take a flight to Cabo...go here

Alexandra Grizas

Always busy, always pretty good. Pozole was tasty but a bit cool when it arrived. Service was fine. Their 4 spicy salsas are delicious, but you have to ask for them. Been a few times and would go again, but it's still got some opportunities.

Maria Teresa Mendez

Great food! Real taste of Mexican food. I’m Mexican and I love Mexican food, so I can tell the chef is using very good ingredients. Love the salsas.

Mo Kotb

the server was overwhelmed with the tables she had so the service suffered. the food we ordered was not as expected but the server didn't have the time to answer any questions.

anthonam

I am shook. This was one of the best dining experiences of my life. The food was special and you can sense the effort that goes into every dish by the depth of flavors. The service was unlike any other turn-n-burn joint in Old Town, taking the time to change silverware and plates with every course. Eskinder’s recommendations blew us out of the water. We went for tacos, ceviche, and guacamole; we ended up getting platanos, ceviche, and braised short-rib mole because of his insights about the menu and the chef’s preparation. We’ll be back. You should go!

Samantha Yeh

Very stylish and authentic Mexican restaurant close to the Alexandria Waterfront on King St. The interior decor is very fun, playful, and feels high-end. The food is delicious and reasonably priced for Old Town. Will definitely be returning to try some of their cocktails!

Matthew Young

Only came for drinks, they were good and the ambiance was nice. Will return and update review after a dinner!

Sarang Parikh

We went about a week after opening and were disappointed with the food and lack or service during lunch. He decor was nice but cannot make up for the lackluster food.

Jeffrey Stokes

I'm Celiac. Don't attempt it if you are too. They say they have gluten free options/alternatives. But cauliflower taco's...come on...really. It's a Mexican restaurant for hippies. No go for me. Sorry, if I missed something.

Joseph Raczynski

I dare say, this was impressive for early days. The salsa alone is worth the visit, if, you like a bold smokey roasted flavor infused into your dips. The other stand out are the ceviches. Will come back for more, but a great start. Always feel free to reach out to me on Twitter @joerazz

Matthew

Amazing. Great food. The ribeye steak is awesome and a large portion. Salsa is excellent.

Amy Weber

Amazing, very tasty offerings with both of trendy and authentic ingredients. Best shrimp ceviche I've ever tasted. The service is second to none. Particularly, Elizabeth, who was our server tonight and she clearly knows that customer service is important. We've found our new go to for Mexican food and will be back over and over again.

Mary Gillman

Love the ceviche.

Mark Greenwood

Really interesting and tasty variety of tacos. A bit pricey, but service is exceptionally fast.

Andy Piazza

Best tacos on the East Coast. The kinda food that makes you want to kiss the chef on his mouth!

Mace Shadid

Get the shrimp ceviche! Awesome decor and food was delicious. I will be back here again.

Katya Ananieva

One of the most exciting new restaurants in Old Town. The food is delicious and authentic. The atmosphere is inviting and chic — I especially love the bar. It’s also really great to see great plant based options — not always easy to find. The corn, black beans, and cauliflower tacos are my favorite! Oh and don’t forget chocolate elote, yum. We also asked the bartender to make us a spicy margaritas off the menu and it was superb! Welcome to the neighborhood.

J Siller

Awesome place! Although the menu is rather small, it is by no means limited - portions are a bit small but the food is delicious. The chef came out to greet us and to make sure that our food was just right, we loved our drinks and the ambiance.

Bentley Schoening

We’ve been twice with friends. The dishes are unique, food is flavorful and overall vibe reminded us of Mexico City. Not perfect from start to finish, but they are new and very busy so I imagine they’ll get better with time. A good addition to Old Town. The manager seemed to care and took action quickly on our feedback.

Mike Brown

Yuppi Mexican food. Happy hour drinks only at bar. Service was terrible. Will not be back.

Lauren Q

Amazing salsa/food and quick service!!

Donna Moore

Ordered fish tacos, octopus tacos and an atole drink. First, if you've never tried Atole, so so here. Like a warm, corny, Horchata, I found it spectacular. The taco shells were awesome and clearly homemade, evocative of corn. The fillings were solid but not spectacular, with the fish a bit bland and the octopus a bit soggy. Free chips and salsa were a good touch.

Rod

Great modern spot in old town! Large tequila selection and interesting cocktails! We arrived late and only ordered drinks. The mezcal strawberry cocktail was different. It had a Smokey strawberry taste that was an odd pairing at first, but each sip got better and better. I can't wait to come back and try their food!

J Foodgeek

Everything was excellent. Had the steak, cauliflower tacos, and churris with the chocolate and the guava sauces. The chocolate sauce is excellent....blows guava sauces away. I really wish the place was more affordable. Also, we ate at bar to avoid 90 minute wait on a Saturday night. The bartender was good...she's ex military.

Emma Katharine

We showed up a little after our reservations and they sat us right away! We tried a little bit of everything, from chips and guac, tacos, to churros. All worth going back! And to top it off their cocktails were amazing. Definitely a great new place in old town

saedah tyler

The food and service is outstanding. Server named KJ great attention. Steak dinners reasonably priced and are some of the best ever. Savache soectacular. Real serious about authentic Mexican dishes. I loved the atmosphere.

Tim F

Unexpectedly good. We had two small plate tacos, a salad, and nothing dissapointed. Nice location, the only negative for me was that the noise level was a little high, and there weren't many people there, Sunday night. So when it's busy I would likely have an issue. The drinks were good too!

Joshua Kallerud

Great atmosphere with friendly staff and quick service! They have a great happy hour that includes a few food and drink choices. Everything is fresh and made in house, the smoked salsa with warm chips is delicious, and the drinks are made well.

Aaron Aaron

Food was great! Drinks were average to not good. Margarita tasted like they used out of date limes

Brian Sostkowski

An authentic food experience for oaxcan style mexican food!

Andrew Loughran

Disappointing. Food was watery, expensive and the wait staff was inpleasant. Loved the decor and location.

Monica Phillips

Great atmosphere at the bar. Berman tender with slicked back har has lots of personality. Spare ribs are full of flavor. And the mole didn't disappoint!

Harry Gross

A good crowd, but bar staff seemed less interested in friendly service. Bartender dropped off a menu to me and walked away and returned 5-6 minutes later. Drinks were fine and what is expected from bars in the same line. Pricey for tap beer with 1 beer at 7.77 after tax. Worst part is the salsa was terrible. I am unsure what makes the salsa so poor, but I couldn't bear more than 2 bites. Speaking with others at the bar, the conconcen was very poor. Overall, I will not be returning to this location.

Alison Cavicchio

For all the hype this place has been getting I thought we were in for an incredible, unique Mexican meal. The food was good but nothing special- just basic tacos, enchiladas and other entrees. We tried the cactus appetizer which looked delicious but was not very good. The margaritas were good but again, nothing new. Overall I think this is very overpriced for what it is- over $200 for four people. I’d recommend just going to your basic Mexican or even Tex Mex spot instead and spending 1/4 of the price.

Jeanette Wages Eaglin

Wonderful food and great atmosphere. Try the octopus tacos, they are phenomenal. Seasonal drinks are always creative and delicious. It can get a bit loud so maybe don't come here to have a serious conversation but if you want a fun, happy energy, this is your place.

Jimmy Garcia

Good food, reasonable prices but the menu is indeed pretty short if I remember correctly there's about 16 or 17 different is foods/snacks to choose from. The ambient was nice, good spanish music and spanish Mexican food.

William Bates

If you are a traveler and are expecting some good Tex Mex, steer clear. This place isn't that bad, it's just not that good. Overpriced single tacos that lack and real flavor other than cheese and bread. The atmosphere is also just weird. Margaritas definitely sucked, just margarita mix and a quarter shot. Just another mediocre mexican place trying to be upscale or different and falling quite short of anything passable as desirable.

Alex Perry

Mexico City at it's finest with good influence from surrounding regions. Reasonable prices, excellent drinks. Get the old Oaxacan or mezcal mule for a drink. All the food is excellent.

Jason Baird

A must visit in old town. Great food and service.

Rex Rhyne

Food was great. You've definately got to try the in house salsa. Great smoky flavor. The drinks were good. Only reason not a 5 is because of how loud it is. Hopefully they'll get some sound panels in to cut down on the noise so you can have a conversation.

Rusty Lingenfelter

Among the best in Old Town. From the drinks, to the appetizers, to the entrees, everything was unique. What a treasure.

Dan Gentry

Really good food and a nice atmosphere.

Brian Lempin

What a great addition to old town Alexandria. Welcomed with a smiling face, sat at the highntable in the front window that was open to the street. Such a great warm day, Justin the bartender helped with items on the menu and made us absolutely great margaritas. Forgot the name but something like the 116. Every item we had was just amazing. I will definitely be coming back! I heard brunch is great too.

Kimberly Bender

Insanely over-priced, mediocre tacos. French toast was good, but once again 1 slice of brioche, with some tres leches and berries does not equal $15.00 well spent. Our service wasn’t great, we sat at the bar and watched the bartender go around and talk to everyone but us, and then do a bunch of dishes without even acknowledging us (it wasn’t slammed, but it wasn’t slow either). We waited over 10 minutes to even before she took our order. We should have followed our first instincts and went straight to Pizza Paradiso.

Robert Eby

Atmosphere is fun, but the food was disappointing. Terrible portion sizes, bland flavor, and generally unappetizing. You will pay top dollar for a pretty plate of food and great service, but leave feeling unsatisfied and ripped off.

British Connection

Love AUTHENTIC Mexican Food? Well this isn't the place for you. Chips and Salsa was by far the best part of our meal, and the chips were stale, although the salsa was really good. Cauliflower Tacos bland. Cod Tacos were forgettable Chicken Enchillada, The Chicken tasted like it had been boiled with dirty water. Waiter was under the impression that my name was Honey? So it's a no from me.

Jacqueline

Meh. Too bright. Too pricy. Too greasy.

Isaiah Ruffin

Great spot. Food is good and imaginative. But the service was off my last visit. There were tons of people running food... But to the wrong table. It was probably just new restaurant jitters. The happy hour drink menu is good... The food hit or miss.

Gray Dahl

Bad service. Incompetent manager

Nathan Hurtz

Tacos were amazing! The staff were kind and considerate, especially with our infant in tow!

Robert A

My wife and I came this past weekend, but we weren't sure what to expect. I thought it was just your of the mill Mexican place, but I could not have been any more wrong. Thrillist named Urbano 116 as one of the top 30 Mexican restaurants in the country. It's located right on King Street and there are few tables to sit at outside. On the inside they have great neon signs with a wrap around bar, followed by the dining tables. For dinner, we tried a couple of different drinks and a handful of items from the dinner menu including their guacamole, octopus tacos, ceviche Amarillo, carne asada tacos, churros, and the mama Jamaica, shandis Mojito, hibiscus margarita. Wow! The food is incredible! Everything was so good! As for our server. He really took care of us. He got our food out to us quickly and correctly. The restaurant itself is well taken care of and clean. Both my wife and I were highly impressed. We're definitely going to try and plan another visit here soon. Keep up the great work Urbano 116!

Andrew Alessandra

You can't get anymore authentic than this place. Everything is executed with precision. Every dish has been thought out to ensure maximum flavor. Drinks are superb. I don't normally have dessert at a restaurant because it's always an after thought. Definitely try the flan. You will not regret it.

Emily Recupero

Came here with high expectations based on the cool atmosphere but ultimately had a really disappointing experience. The cauliflower taco as well as the fish taco had really unsatisfying flavors. We also asked for a side of black beans but were told that there was pork in them. When we asked if we could get them without the pork, the waiter said no. Really disappointed by this, especially because the menu specifically listed that vegetarian options of certain dishes were available. Don’t understand why some dishes could be made vegetarian while others can’t. Seems pretty ridiculous also considering how many people don’t eat pork. Overall a subpar experience.

Jarrod Thomas

The atmosphere is good, but they don't do any of the food as well as your neighborhood Mexican restaurant, and they charge twice as much. We had choriqueso, chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, margaritas and churros. The churros were excellent, and bumped this to 2 stars, but nothing else tasted like it was actually seasoned. It's as if the chefs had made a concious choice to avoid salt, which seems odd when you are serving drinks literally coated in rock salt. I should've saved some of it to make the food edible. Ultimately, I left the enchiladas uneaten. They were extremely disappointing. One of my go to Mexican favorites, these were maybe the worst I've ever had. The chicken was bland. The sauce was tasteless. The tortillas were dry and crumbly. Perhaps they do something else better, but not these. The response to my complaint was to offer some hot sauce. Ultimately, if you're more interested in the drinks and atmosphere than the food, try it. If you care about flavor, go elsewhere.

Briana Wagner

Great bar service, cauliflower taco, and melon mezcal drink. Delicious. Go earlier to avoid loud music.

John Chadwell

Food was decent. But, service was well below expectations. We sat for 40 minutes before we had anything but water. Also, the place is deafening inside.

Luca Melendez

I came here for the late night menu with a friend and the food was good. The bartender was really kind and professional but the bar back (white man with longer hair) was trying to take advantage of my drunk friend. My friend asked the bar back for recommendations for the best sipping tequila and he replied “if I were you I would get the most expensive thing on the menu.” Pretty unprofessional if you ask me, and as a server with 6 years experience that’s not how I would treat a customer

Jess Mears

I had drinks and desserts here once before at the bar with no problem. On a successive visit, a friend and I had terrible customer service. I ordered a salad and it had half a cup of vinaigrette at the bottom, obviously too much salad dressing. Our server went MIA. I had to go ask a person that appeared to be a manager to bring our check. It's unfortunate I had a bad customer service experience here because I really like their salsa, which is served in a very small dish. When we asked for more salsa, our server seemed to have forgotten the request and also us... as the server never returned.

C DJ

Reviews for Urbano 116 have been mixed but our experience was all good. We went for brunch on a Sunday and ordered the ceviche, tlayuda, burrito, enfrijoladas, pozole, omelette and they did not disappoint.

Jorge G

Can't think of anything really good to say. The tortillas were stale corn that fell apart. Quality of the food poor. Drinks were below par. Overpriced, and under served in terms of portion size. Alexandria you can do better. The server was great, however

G.W. Estep

We are from Texas where we have great Mexican food and this is one of the best Mexican food restaurants we've been to in a while. The salsa is really amazing. So much so we bought 4 jars to take home with us!

Lisa Estep

Absolutely Incredible! Being from Texas, we've had a lot of Mexico food, but this ranks up at the top! Thank you Vicki for the roots of how Urbano 116 came about. We visit the area every year, so for sure we'll be back!

Rennee Hubb

This evening my family and I walked into Urbano. As we stood there in front of the hostess and several staff, no one acknowledged us. We stood there for over 5 minutes as the staff talked amongst themselves. We were out celebrating my daughter and friends birthday. My daughter walked away in disbelief and hurt. I must say that we will NEVER Patronize this restaurant again and I highly recommend you do the same.

kevin kocher

Absolutely wonderful experience. We went for valentines the staff was friendly and very helpful explaining things. We had the lamb, which I highly recommend, as well as the cauliflower and fish tacos and churros for desert. I honestly couldn’t say enough kind words. It is a must for the Alexandria area.

Kayla Urena

Delicious churros with caramel sauce MUST Have

Alex Roach

Decent margs, great atmosphere!

Thomas Watson

Nice decor, good space, good service. Tried the small plates tacos - very pricey for 2 unimpressive, 1- to 2-bite tacos. You'd do much better to go to Don Taco up the road.

nick Last

Odd atmosphere. Pushy waiter. Over priced

Tiffany Locus

The tacos are very good but super expensive

Kat Doucette

Price point standard for Old Town. The food was fantastic! The staff was attentive and manager stopped by to check on us. The restaurant does get loud (we sat in the back). And probably not a good kid spot. But great for a group or a couples night out.

Food Lama

Great food and drinks. Cooler style than most restaurants in Old Town. But seriously, why ruin it with a TV in the bar?

Hilda Kroll

Great meal, excellent service, wonderful atmosphere. As soon as the chips arrive with the warm, smoky salsa you know the food is going to be special. This was my first time eating here so Julia, my delightful server, helped me choose the torta de cerdo for lunch. Absolutely delicious and enough for two people to share. Erica also stopped by to make sure everything was okay and to keep my water glass filled and pack up my leftover chips. An all around feel-good experience.

Guillermo Mora

Very authentic Mexican food

P B

Omg is good! Had great service, amazing ceviche and esquistes. Alex was the best waiter. Wow! What a meal. Jose was so helpful also.

John Crane

Food was excellent, menu limited, and service good.

Tricia Hatridge

Out of most of the menu by 7pm. What food was available, came out cold/ cool. Want so badly for this place to be good because Old Town needs something like this. Awesome decorating but that doesn’t fill my empty stomach.

Susan Reinertson

Delicious. Remains my favorite new place on lower King. They need to step up service though. Inattentive service consistent both at tables and at the bar.

Janice Crongeyer

Awesome vibe, upscale Mexican inspired food and cocktails. Love the decor and the staff is outstanding!

Suyoung Jin

Delicious food! And Nice customer service!

Perks Advisor

Nice new trendy restaurant in the rather staid Old Town area. For this reason alone I applaud the effort. The restaurant has a very stylish interior with some cool lighting giving the place some energy. I really enjoyed the quac especially the smoky salsa, which was excellent. The service was enthusiastic and prompt. The main courses need some refinement. The Mexican Pizza was difficult to eat and the sauces overwhelmed the tacos (in addition to ones provided). I assume these kinks will work out over time.

Lynn Vendinello

I know that the restaurant has just opened so there will be growing pains and I do hope it grows through them, but here is what I noticed on our recent visit. The wait staff needs more training on the dishes. I order a corn soup that came with some liquid in a tea kettle. The waitress had a really difficult time making the kettle work and when asked what was in the kettle, she did not know and had to ask the chef. The chips and salsa came after we got our meal as opposed to before and the chips, although homemade, were greasy and way too salty. The salsa was awesome! I ordered three tacos. The fish taco was fishy and way over breaded!. I couldn't tell much difference between the lamb and the carnitas tacos they tasted exactly the same and the corn tortillas were hard. The margarita was excellent and the atmosphere is lovely. Please work on the food and staff training. We will be back again soon

Jason Fogarty

The food and atmosphere is outstanding.