C Says...
So I grew up in Southern California, therefore, I'm an admitted snob when it comes to Mexican food. Since moving to DC 11 years ago (gasp), I have yet to find any Mexican food that's remotely close to home...or to Tijuana. Salvadoran? Check. Peruvian? Check. Mexican? Negative.
For this month's exploits, I decided to try DC's latest Mexican food restaurant even if my expectations were super low walking in the door. Pacifico Cantina in Eastern Market met the low bar I'd set. The mojito was fine; nothing spectacular. After asking the waiter what he preferred, I chose the enchiladas with red mole sauce. It was fine, but I like my enchiladas better. And spicier. Talk about blah.
What Pacifico lacks in flavor (although, I was pleased that they didn't give me a plate full of refried beans and cheese like so many restaurants passing Mexican food off do), it makes up for in outdoor seating. Not only are there tables on the sidewalk, but there's a massive roof deck that would be a lovely setting for a cocktail on a nice day.
---------------------------------------------------
J Says...
It was C's pick and she selected Pacifico Cantina in Eastern Market. Having not heard of such a restaurant (as I've clearly heard of Eastern Market), I looked forward to trying out the latest mexican restaurant in my nearby hood. I should have tempered my expectations.
Starting off with a delicious frozen strawberry margarita (which is pretty hard to screw up), the rest of the meal became less and less flavorful. The complimentary chips and salsa were standard and a bit stale. The chicken with red chili mole "big badass burrito" was surprisingly lacking in flavor, pizazz or any kind of excitement. In fact, I've had more tasty burritos at mass-produced Chipotle. The only "big" impression it made was how "badass" it wasn't.
Intended to double as a celebratory dinner for C's recent house purchase, we opted to leave immediately rather than have another cocktail or, gasp, try a likely-flavorless dessert. It's pretty clear I'm saying adios to Pacifico Cantina for my future business.
Pacifico Cantina, 514 8th Street, SE, Washington, DC, 20003, (202) 507-8143
