50 Best Latin American Restaurants near Kensington

“First time having Crisp and Juicy. Was referred by someone who know good Peruvian food. It did not disappoint! The rice and beans were flavorful and smooth. The chicken was juicy and well seasoned down to the bone. The coleslaw had a perfect balance between sweet and salty and the plantains were fried to perfection. I highly recommend!“

“Brunch is amazing. Bottomless margaritas and the churros are excellent!“

“Great food great service!“

“A consistently great spot in the neighborhood no matter what time of day. Excellent coffee drinks and pastry items (especially the Guava Pastry) in the morning, lunch options for a real meal, and cocktails and food for dinner. Food can be a little expensive depending on the dish, but there has never been a bad one! Cocktails are always creative and well balanced as well.“

“Elegant setting. Beautiful decor. Stellar service. Innovative and delectable cuisine. Bonus points for mocktail options.“

“The atmosphere here is amazing, you immediately relax. The drinks were incredible and the food was out of this world! The best dining experience I’ve had in years, I left with a giant smile on my face. Wish Anthony Bourdain was alive to taste this place.“

“Nice place and fantastic show“

“I got the pollo frito with tostones on the side and a little pickled slaw on top. It was delicious - reminded me of how my grandma fried chicken. Crispy and flavorful. The tostones were crispy too. I just wish you got one more piece of chicken for $18. Overall, totally worth it.“

“Deliciosas empanadas y aperitivos con ese sabor Panameño que nos identifica y una atención excelente“

“First time here & very much enjoyed w/ my girlfriends. Exceptional fabulous service w/ our server, Miguel. All staff wonderful & friendly! This South American cuisine is delicious, the atmosphere & decor beautiful ?? I highly recommend this place , looking forward in going back to experience the night life w/ music & dancing:)“

“Sin duda alguna un restaurante con el toque de la abuela. Comida rica y servicio excelente. Comerás como en casa de la abuela .“

“Mama Chepas is fantastic and should be packed all the time! They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week- no easy feat! Everything I've had there has been delicious. Favorites are Pollo con Tejadas, pupusas, fajitas, birria tacos, fish tacos, and bread pudding. Even their rice and beans are super flavorful! Portions are generous, prices are fair, and taste is outstanding. And the service is fast and friendly. It's easy to order takeout online as well. Don't sleep on this hidden gem!!! Let's make sure they stay in the neighborhood for a long time!“

“I had a late lunch and ordered the churrasco (skirt steak.) What I got was a riot of delicious flavors. The steak was topped with sautéed onions and parsley with a grilled Serrano. The last is not for the faint of heart. The sides included rice, pico de gallo and a South American version of mixed vegetables with a Peruvian green sauce in the middle. Freshly fried tortillas with cilantro chutney came separately. Did I say that it was all flavorful? The only thing I didn't like was the saltiness of the rice. While rice needs salt, it should never be noticeable especially to the extent of competing for dominance. This is why I had to dock a star. I should mention that my meal was gluten-free.“

“Nice draft bar And good food“

“Bar tenders were delightful, the view of the Capitol at night was spectacular and the food was so good I went back the following night to eat the same thing again! Chef stopped at the tables to check on his guests and thank them for coming!“

“While I haven't visited this restaurant in-person, my orders through GrubHub have been on point!! The chicken is flavorful and seasoned well, and juicy. The sides are filling and are also very good. I got the brussel sprouts and fries. The brussel sprouts are coated with a carmelized type of ingredient that packs a big much. The only negative about them is that they are usually pretty big which makes it hard to eat them whole like normal sized ones, so keep a knife handy to cut them smaller. The fries were also very good. I must say the sauces are probably the best I've had out of all similar chicken spots, especially the green sauce!! Oh my, my, my!!! I just had them for lunch today and I'm really contemplating on ordering them for dinner - they are just that good!“

“The food is excellent.! Come here and see...“

“Latin comfort food; good beer selection; everything on the menu is excellent“

“We walked into this unassuming neighborhood restaurant in Bethesda after seeing rather positive reviews, and walked out pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious, flavorful, but not overwhelmingly seasoned. We loved most of our dishes especially the seafood saffron soup, sautéed shrimp with garlic, octopus, grilled squid, stuffed Portobello mushrooms. Lovely desserts got the flan con naranja and the chocolate mousse cake. Highly recommended.“

“10/10, took my wife for our 15 year anniversary and she loved, every delicious bite, every plate had a story to tell,such a wonderful and memorable experience. Gracias!!!“

“I am so happy to have a restaurant of this caliber in Friendship Heights. It's the sort of dining experience I expect to have downtown but I'm thrilled to have it just around the corner from my home. We came in without reservations on a Saturday night and had no problem getting a table (again, a place like this would be packed if it were downtown or somewhere like U Street). The food, cocktails, and service were great. Jose took good care of us. They are not kidding when they say the XL plates are meant to be shared--we split the short rib sandwich and it was massive. We ordered a few appetizers and the scallops with the toasted bread was our favorite (maybe ask for more bread so you can fully soak up that excellent parmesan sauce!). And leave room for dessert! We had the ube ice cream and it was fantastic.“

“Saga restaurant in DC offers a delightful dining experience with its fresh vegetables and fruit, complemented by a selection of top-quality teas. The attentive staff ensures a pleasant atmosphere, adding to the overall enjoyment of the meal.“

“Found restaurant while looking for an affordable place near our downtown hotel within walking distance. Food was great. Wish there had been a little better description when ordering, but it likely would have caused me to order more. Wish they had fountain soda rather then cans only.“

“The chicken is always amazing!!“

“We fell across this place accidentally. The food was well presented and well cooked. The place is clean and quiet--a family run place, good for a family outing.“

“Great food and delightful Service. Bartender Nelson is the best“

“La bicicletta was delicious! Dropped by for a mid-day brunch and was super impressed by the food. I got two breakfast tacos- one guisada and one chorizo. My sister got the veggie enchiladas. Portions were very generous and ingredients seemed super fresh. Check them out!“

“Nice really nice small Guatemalan restaurant in the heart of Washington DC!Service was really good (one lady show) perfect. Waiting time was short!Food was great… Guate tamales extremely good… freshly fried chicken empanadas!! Guac n chips.. guac could be a bit more, true Guatemalan flavor… and crema… good crema! Yes Guatemala crema flavor!“

“Un luga con un ambiente super higienico y fresco. Las atenciones fueron de primera, la comida fresca y con muy buen sabor. Yo sali muy satisfecha, ? por favor espero que sigan con la misma calidad. Muchas gracias al Señor Ariel y su equipo de trabajo. God bless you“

“I just had a company meeting here and it was excellent! Service and food was phenomenal as always. I can’t thank them enough for providing a great atmosphere for me and my company. I will definitely be having a team meeting here again.“

“Fantastic, fabulous, everything on the menu is amazing. Wait staff is really good as service and completely.“

“Been here dozens of times over the years. And the rumors are true. Easily the best pollo a la brasa place in the area. Chicken and sauces are reliably excellent and very reasonably priced. Feeding a family of four with room to spare for $22 is something you can't even do at McDonalds these days. Sides are limited in variety, but they're ok. Only gripe is the fried yuca is often chewy, hard, and/or dry. But skip that menu item, and you'll be fine.“

“Amazing food, great service! Loved it. I wish I lived closer. The beer came with the frostiest mug I've ever had. Lomo saltado was excellent. I've never had a plantain empanada before but I will now be looking for them at every latin American restaurant I go to. Didn't love UFC on every TV in the place. At the bar no problem, but it didn't fit the rest of the restaurant. Small gripe among an otherwise excellent meal. Definitely recommend Don Jorge's!Parking: Parking lot was a little tight as the restaurant filled up but we found a space upon arrival.Kid-friendliness: Super kid friendly. Large kids menu and they all come with juice and ice cream.Wheelchair accessibility: Someone came in sitting in a wheelchair while we were eating and it looked like they could easily navigate to their table.“

“good food --- many choices“

“Delicious food and great service!“

“Good and healthy easy ti get there and fast service“

“family friendly and fantastic food!!“

“My wife and I came for our anniversary celebration. Our server, Gabby, was so knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive. We especially enjoyed the Churrasco roll, the Limo y Lima (cocktail), and the Latino Heat (mocktail). Even though we didn’t have a reservation, the staff did a phenomenal job acknowledging our special night and making the experience special. We will certainly be back.“

“We were a little hesitant because of how small the store front was but it ended up being absolutely delightful! We had the empanadas as an appetizer, they were delicious. The bread was such a great consistency, better than the best cornbread. I had the carne asada, and it was so fresh and delicious. All of the food was very authentic! I even tried a new drink, not alcoholic, it was like a tea that was cold but somewhat spicy. It was delicious !! We will definitely be going back for another round ;-) Service was very quick and polite as well.“

“Son muy amables bien servicio las bebidas excelentes muy buena comida yo les recomiendo“

“When you need a taste of Bolivia, whether you are Bolivian or not, stop by Saya Salteña in DC. Their food is great! They have salteñas, humintas, relleno de papa, cuñapes, sopa de mani, and so much more. Oh, how could I forget, they have my favorite, mocochinchi. And to add the cherry on top their customer service is superb! A definite must have.Vegetarian options: They have vegetarian salteñas.“

“Arepa Zone has great food and service. I've tried multiple things here, and some of the entrees that I would personally recommend to people are the canosa arepa, pabellon arepa, and arepa domino. There's also the pabellon bowl, which you can choose between beef, chicken, pork, and veggie. I love how, with the beef pabellon bowl, the beef is cooked with a sort of stew flavor, while the beans don't have too much liquid, as it can be sometimes with Chipotle. There's also a good amount of basmati rice, which could use a bit more flavoring in my opinion, but the flavor of the plantain complements the beef.Overall, I highly recommend the pabellon bowls and arepas. Arepas are quite filling, so I would say that they are worth the price you receive. Pabellon bowls are fairly reasonable for being in DC.Vegetarian options: They have vegan and vegetarian arepas, and veggie pabellon bowlsDietary restrictions: They offer gluten-free options.Wheelchair accessibility: It is in Western Market, which has a ramp.“

“Great food and attentive service.“

“Great tacos Nice atmosphere“

“muy bueno y son muy amables“

“We ate in J&J when staying I the area. The food was fantastic. Service was friendly and welcoming. Would definitely recommend.“

“Food was authentic and extremely good. The drinks were spot on also, I'd drive hours just to go back. I will say the host/ess was not friendly or inviting which caused us to worry about the service. In that respect our waiter was friendly and outstanding!Vegetarian options: I think they can make most dish vegetarian but it would be nice to have some type of vegetarian/vegan dish that would be somewhat authentic.Dietary restrictions: Accommodating as they can be.“

“I can only tell what I have seen in this place. I haven't eaten here yet. I only come here for business. But I can tell you from what I see the place is crowded and when I look around the place everybody is smiling while they're eating and that indicates they are enjoyi g the food.“

“Always great service /food/drinks we will always return“

“Absolutely amazing. I've been craving birria and when I saw that they had a birria pizza I was so excited. The green salsa was spicy and delicious ask my toddler he wouldn't stop dipping his piece in it. The birria it's self is juicy and perfectly seasoned. The Jamaica drink is incredible never had it till tonight. The staff are very friendly. Definitely coming back.“