Judging Restaurants – The Well Dressed Burrito
17 November 2009 12:00 PM | By Prince Of Petworth in Neighborhoods - Dupont Circle, Restaurants, Restaurants - Dupont Circle
The Well Dressed Burrito is located at 1220 19th St, NW in Dupont Circle. I can’t believe I’ve never noticed this spot before. It definitely does have a bit of an odd location in an alley. They do catering and have a carry out menu but does anyone know if you can dine in? And most importantly – how are the burritos?
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17 November 2009 12:04 PM | lol Said:
Yes – they do dine-in (though very small space) and it is a great burrito. I still like Baja Fresh more… but that is just me. They also own CF Folks just down the street which is great if you have their daily specials — posted daily here –> http://www.cffolksrestaurant.com/DailySpecials.htm
17 November 2009 12:25 PM | Justin Said:
Their cinnamon & sugar tortilla chips are amazing!
17 November 2009 12:32 PM | Amanda Said:
The food is awesome! And you can substitute spinach for lettuce, which I love. I wish they had longer hours, though.
17 November 2009 12:33 PM | Nichole Said:
When I worked nearby I was a big fan. (I suppose I still would be if I ever had cause to be in the neighborhood.) The one thing I do remember being less than spectacular was that they often got my order wrong. I’d either call ahead or order in (and yes, the space is very, very small and you have to be careful not to get hit by a truck in the alleyway entrance when you’re coming or going) and often my order would be close to what I asked for, but something was always off. The good thing is that I’m not a picky eater, and 99% of the time, it was something minor enough that I’d just eat it anyway and be happy, but it was always sort of annoying. But, I just looked at it like an adventure: I knew I’d be getting something I was going to enjoy, I just was never quite sure exactly what it would be.
17 November 2009 12:34 PM | Amanda Said:
And yes, you can dine in. I’ve never had a bad experience there.
17 November 2009 12:43 PM | Anonymous Said:
Dine in, yes, with only a handful of tables.
I like that this place isn’t a chain and they have creative burritos–steak with blue cheese, for example–but I wouldn’t travel to the Dupont area to eat there. I work nearby and I do like stopping by occasionally, just to keep some variety in my routine.
The alley entrance adds to the intrigue, for some reason.
17 November 2009 12:46 PM | WDC Said:
How’s the cilantro quotient, on a scale of nowhere-to-be-found to completely-unavoidable?
17 November 2009 12:58 PM | Drew Said:
Isn’t this the old spot of Mister Days?
17 November 2009 12:58 PM | DC Said:
Forget the food, the owner is stunning!
17 November 2009 1:04 PM | Ron Said:
Do they have valet parking? It’s never easy to find a spot on the street in that area.
17 November 2009 1:06 PM | Anonymous Said:
I was always underwhelmed, but enjoyed that it was in an alleyway.
17 November 2009 1:11 PM | Mark Said:
It’s like a speakeasy for Mexican food. What’s cool is after you leave, you notice the number of people in that area walking around with bright yellow WDB bags.
17 November 2009 1:14 PM | ex rowhouse condo dweller Said:
BIG FAN. Best burrito in DC IMO.
17 November 2009 1:35 PM | Anonymous Said:
I second the cilantro question. How bad is it? Is every burrito green because of it?
17 November 2009 1:45 PM | Goot Lemmon Said:
Great burritos, but what I really love about the place is that they use organic, free-range Mexican penguin meat. It’s really delicious and much lower in cholesterol than the usual beef.
17 November 2009 1:52 PM | 13th&Harvard Said:
Their special are good- I’ve had the chicken enchiladas several times. The cinnamon-sugar tortilla chips are very tasty as well.
Definitely worth stoping by if you are in the area for lunch.
17 November 2009 1:54 PM | padrock Said:
So I don’t get it. Why did you go to Well Dressed Burrito, stand outside of Well Dressed Burrito, take pictures of Well Dressed Burrito…and then not go in and actually try any of their food? This could have been an equally informative (or perhaps more informative) article if you had actually eaten some of the food, provided your thoughts on the experience, and then invited discussion.
Also, I love Well Dressed Burrito, a welcome alternative to the eight billion chipotles and baja freshes in the area.
17 November 2009 2:01 PM | Nofiction Said:
I’ve gone here on and off for years, and I’m always underwhelmed…the food is nearly always heavy with very little actual flavor aside from being “spicy”.
17 November 2009 2:06 PM | Prince Of Petworth Said:
@padrock. I take photos of about 10-20 restaurants every weekend. It is really not very realistic to eat at all of them. Secondly, I value the opinions of readers more than anything. I don’t see why that should be upsetting to you. Thirdly, I had already eaten when I took this photo…
17 November 2009 2:44 PM | poo poo Said:
the food is awsome! i’m pretty sure that it’s only open for lunch hours for the businesses nearby.
17 November 2009 3:06 PM | Anonymous Said:
Cilantro factor is negligible to non-existent for everything but the salsas. Most everything is made to order so make sure to ask that they leave it out.
Best burrito in DC (which isn’t saying much), but Tomatillo serving out of the Bug Hunt’s front window is gunning for that crown right now. Their carnitas are superior.
17 November 2009 3:29 PM | future PoP attorney Said:
This was a great spot for great cheap burritos before Chipotle muscled their way into the area.
Used to go there quite often when I worked on Dupont Circle.
17 November 2009 3:45 PM | Petworth Newbie Said:
Valet parking?! Are you kidding me? Hahahahahah. But yes they do make great burritos. Thanks for the tip on the Big (gulp) Hunt. I hate saying that.
17 November 2009 4:09 PM | CP Said:
“I value the opinions of readers more than anything.”
That is the classic hipster ethos, I believe.
17 November 2009 4:54 PM | springroadintoaction Said:
One word: Yes.
17 November 2009 4:55 PM | Jen Said:
Anyone else disturbed by the penguin with a mustache? Shouldn’t it be a burrito all fancied up????
17 November 2009 4:59 PM | DFI Said:
I can’t believe you’ve never been there. It wasn’t too far a walk from 1717. I remember going at least once a month back in the day. The burritos are enormous.
Sam
17 November 2009 8:02 PM | PatrickPATRICK Said:
It get pretty good marks on Yelp.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-well-dressed-burrito-washington
18 November 2009 9:11 AM | Karen Said:
I used to work right by there but never stopped in. My co-workers went on and on about it but I could never find it…probably because it’s in an alley and Julia’s Empanadas was much closer…
18 November 2009 9:40 AM | Nikki Said:
Good for DC, but just like the burrito stand in front of The Big Hunt the salsa is absolute crap. Bring your own
18 November 2009 1:48 PM | Reno Said:
@future PoP attorney: Did it only used to be great before Chipotle “muscled their [sic] way in” because Chipotle is so much more delicious?
18 November 2009 3:55 PM | Claire Said:
I’ve been there once. ‘Twas good. However, I haven’t felt compelled to return.
18 November 2009 5:38 PM | Mike Said:
I believe they are under the same owners as CF Folks across the street. You’ll see the penguin logo on both their signs and take out bags.
Good lunch spot. The Chimichanga with marinated beef is my favorite, nothing like a deep fried burrito.