Lauriol Plaza

1835 18th St. NW

As I stated in my "restaurants I should note here", almost everyone I've talked to in D.C. is familiar with Lauriol Plaza.  So much so, that I need not go on and on here, but seeing as I just reviewed Alero, I should note Lauriol.  Most conversations about D.C. Mexican food quickly arrive at the same conclusion: Mexican in D.C. is disappointing, except Lauriol.

Lauriol is usually packed; however, Snowmageddon served as excellent cover for me to sneak an out-of-town friend into Lauriol.  It also helped that his hotel was nearby.  Lauriol was not busy at all.  Not dead, but not busy.

First, the chips were rather good.  Not spectacular, but slightly better than Alero's.  My swirl margarita was good, but not as good as whatever crazy specialty margarita I ordered at Alero the week before.

I ordered beef fajitas with cheese and sour cream (extra).  Our food arrived almost as soon as we had ordered it.  I guess when you're used to being packed, you can whip it out quickly when the house isn't even close to full.  Quality did not seem to be sacrificed as the fajitas were delicious.  They are comparable to Uncle Julio's Chicago location, although the edge goes to Uncle Julio's as still the best restaurant fajitas I have ever had (also known as Rio Grande here in D.C., although I have not yet been to a D.C. location).  My friend also had beef fajitas.  Prices were good, with most in $10 to $17 range.

As for decor and atmosphere.  We sat on the first floor by the windows on the far end.  My back was to the windows, but my friend really enjoyed the view of Snowmageddon's early stages.  Although I really like the 3rd floor, I really liked the atmosphere and decor of the first floor as well.  

Alero

Although I did not think to review it on here at any point prior to this, I have eaten at 3 of Alero's D.C. locations: Cleveland Park, U Street, and Dupont Circle.  As one might guess, my not remembering them means that they were not especially memorable, although the company in each instance was.

Alero (Dupont Circle location) - 1724 Connecticut Ave NW

Recently I ate at the Dupont Circle location.  The chips and salsa were good.  Nothing special, but not bad.  I started with some kind of specialty frozen margarita with some blackberry liquor or something in it.  I can't find it in their on-line menu.  It was very good and others followed suit.

The meal itself was disappointing.  I ordered beef enchiladas.  They weren't bad, but they were bland and almost watery tasting.  No zing from any spiciness, not much flavor from the cheese, no savoriness from the meat.  Just kind of unobjectionable enchiladas.

The scene and ambiance pretty good.  The Dupont Circle location is a long, somewhat dark, narrow room with interior brick.  Our party sat in a somewhat hidden enclave at the back of the restaurant.  The enclave was a bit tight, not just for a party of our size, but for anyone who wants to sit across from each other.  Still, it was nice.

The other locations:

Alero (U Street location) - 1301 U Street NW

It has been a while, but I remember ordering something a bit more interesting and less common than an enchilada.  I believe that I remember a similar result though: acceptable, but not exciting food.  Also, I think that my margarita was pretty good.  Again, the physical restaurant was pretty good.  We ate outside in Alero's large enclosed area out front and it was fun.  Based on this location's proximity to me, the good margaritas, and the outdoor area, it seems like a fun place to get together for a happy hour during the summer - but perhaps not to impress anyone with the food.

Alero (Cleveland Park location) - 3500 Connecticut Ave NW

Okay, I last visited this location 3 years ago.  I don't know if I had anything other than the free chips and a margarita.  Again, the margarita was good and the chips were solid.  The location is smaller and less done-up than the others.  It's more of a niche.