2004 Fall Dining Guide
By Tom Sietsema
Washington Post Magazine
Sunday, October 17, 2004

Ding-dong! The bell rings every time someone walks through the door on a Sunday afternoon, which turns out to be a lot. If your weekend visit is anything like mine, expect to find a room full of Spanish speakers and a jukebox turned up to compete with their many voices. The place is a confection of white walls, pink trim and too many fake flowers to count. Service? You line up at a counter in the rear to place your order from the small Mexican menu, take a number, then try to find a spare seat before the food is cooked (and delivered by a waitress who swims through the crowd as easily as a fish through water). Chances are, locating a free spot won't be easy. But chances are, you're going to like whatever shows up on your table. Mucho. Tacos made with pork, tongue and even goat are all enormously satisfying, as is the shredded beef flauta beneath its cover of lettuce and cheese. Sliced radishes, scallions and lemon wedges dress up the plates; think of it all as fast food with slow-cooked appeal. Forget soda -- a meal here begs for horchata, that milky and refreshing blend of rice, almonds, cinnamon and sugar. Do your ears hurt? Are your taste buds happy? Si, on both counts.