Friday, July 31, 2009

La Loma: The Door is Open, but only because there is a door stopper


La Loma (316 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002) is one of those places that proves the age old saying "location, location, location." It is steps away from the Capitol building and the Senate Office Buildings, providing a audience of people who constantly need to eat and drink, and are generally too busy to actually care about how good what they are eating or drinking actually is.

This, combined with a lack of any other Mexican on the Senate side of the Hill, are probably why La Loma still exists.

With all that being said, it is not that terrible. The service is consistently friendly and prompt; they recognize that they are serving people who are generally pretty busy, and they have become good at reading your desired pace of your meal. The beers are cold, the margaritas are decent, and the selection of Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes is large. The portions and prices are also pretty decent, but I don't know many people who can handle too large of portions of greasy Mexican food.

Greasiness may be the key problem here, although lack of traditional flavor and pre-prepared tasting ingredients could be a close second. Today I ordered chicken quesadillas which came swimming in a pool of grease that was quickly causing the bottom tortilla to transition from crisp to soggy. Try as I might, I can't seem to create that much grease when I make quesadillas at home. The other dish that we had, while also average in taste, demonstrated the type of service that makes people willing to put up with average Mexican.

The other reviewer wasn't too hungry, and decided to go with a single taco, which is a nice option to have on a menu. At 4.25, this isn't too cheap, but it is also a lot less than the actual dishes on the menu. Thus, many restaurants would probably just give you a taco on an empty plate. Not at La Loma, they served it with their traditional accompaniments, including pico de gallo and rice. A nice touch that other places may not think of or care to do when such an inexpensive item is all that is ordered.

Another plus is the patio in the front of the restaurant. It is always nice to have an outdoor dining option for lunch or happy hour, and La Loma is one of the few places that offers that perk as well.

La Loma is not great, but it has a great location. They do what they can to keep their customers happy, and so while we don't love the food, when we have a craving for a Mexican fix nearby the Hill, we will head back again.

La Loma
316 Massachusetts Ave NE
Washington, DC 20002
(202) 548-2550

No comments:

Post a Comment