Alero Restaurant

So I don’t think the food here is as bad as some Unilocalers say. Definitely not as bad as Austin Grill. It’s not amazing but it’s edible and the margs are better than El Tio. The issue I have it that I came here with a group of nine white people at dinner time in June and they split checks easily without hesitation of fuss. When I came here with five black people at lunch time in march we were told we couldn’t split checks or use more than three cards. Now, it is possible that there system has been updated in that time, or that there is a different lunch and dinner policy. I would love to give them the benefit of doubt considering how many times I’ve patronized this place over the last eight years. But take from that what you will. I’ll probably be back to see if they’ll split checks for a melanated party in the future before writing them off.

Y’all… just don’t do it.
I should have known things weren’t going to go well when the chips and salsa arrived. It was terrible. Like, worse than off brand store salsa. The chips are difficult to describe because they tasted like nothing — absolutely nothing.
We all tried to stay positive and ordered drinks. One friend and I had the Coronarita and our other friend had the Georgia Peach. The friend who ordered the GP said he was instantly filled with regret and promptly followed with a regular margarita.
I ordered cheese dip for the table and sarcastically joked that I hoped it wasn’t Velveeta. Y’all, I’m not certain what was brought to the table was Velveeta, but it definitely was orange and looked like a science project; it was accompanied by what seemed like pita chips. Unfortunately, it did not make up in taste what it lacked in presentation. It was so bad that I sent it back and I’m typically too embarrassed to send food back, no matter how bad.
We replaced the cheese dip with guacamole and it was just okay. One of my friends decided to squeeze some of the lime slices from our margs in it and it was significantly better. Still, I’d just stick with drinks if I found myself back there.
TL;DR: Keep it simple. Order a margarita.

I visited this restaurant Sunday, May 29^th around 3:30 pm. Previously, I had known this place to have terrible customer service but cheap eats /​drinks in a convenient location. On this occasion, however, the bad customer service turned unbearable. The bar staff and wait staff were clearly arguing amongst each other and taking their frustration out on the customers. My lady friend’s card was lost by a bartender and the manager and other staff ignored our requests for information. This is my final straw and will not continue to patronize this place simply for its attractive location.

Their policy is to include 18% gratuity for parties of 6+ or $ 100+. I went with 2 adults and my 2 kids, we spent $ 80 and we were charged the gratuity. It felt weird, like the server was nervous about getting ripped. I didn’t like that.

Never a dry moment here! Great drinks, great music, and great people. I love it here! The atmosphere is super fun always.

The positives: It’s a nice looking restaurant with a lot of outdoor seating. It’s also pretty cheap, and from the other reviews I’ve read, it’s good for nightlife.
The negatives: Food and service were average to bad. We both had enchiladas and didn’t like them. It’s so hard to screw up enchiladas, but they were bland and boring. We went before a show at the Lincoln theater and it was early and dead, but our server pretty much ignored us even though the restaurant was empty.
I am going to another show at the Lincoln in a few months, I will find somewhere else to dine beforehand. This wasn’t worth it.

Not gonna lie. My main reason for loving this place is just how CHEAP yet oh so STRONG the margaritas are. I mean, a true gem. Go for happy hour and u won’t be disappointed. The happy hour menu is also pretty good– except the nachos. NEVER get the nachos unless u like dried on cheese with no flavor.
Bottom line: 2 margaritas and you’ll feel a nice buzz. Now THATS impressive.

GOOD LORD the food is still horrible after all these years!!! Just turrible, Unilocal.I’m not even going into depth.
Just get the chips & salsa and the overpriced margaritas then KICK ROCKS. Find somewhere else to eat a real meal.
And If all else fails…
there’s always LAURIOL PLAZA!

It is a fun restaurant. The staff are very polite and accommodating. I like this place!!! I love the Latino culture! I love to dance in the restaurant to the cool Spanish music!

Overall the atmosphere was really nice, it’s was colorful and the waitress attended to us immediately. I ordered a mango mojito and a Georgia peach drink. Both was mixed well. I also ordered a shrimp quesadilla, it was excellent. It was my girlfriend birthday and they gave her a shot but couldn’t explain to her what it was but it was very sweet and she loved it. I would recommend this restaurant for a happy hour type mood and for a nice summer day.

One word: mediocre.
Mediocre service (what kind of waiter argues repeatedly with the customer?)
Mediocre food (two tacos for $ 18? WTF?)
Outrageous, rip-​off prices for Taco Mac/​Applebees type food.
Save your money and go somewhere else.

My girlfriend and I have been here a couple of times and both time I have had a great experience. The service is fast and the food is great. Definitely a great place to eat!!!

I’ve been here a number of times and I always enjoy it. Their frozen margaritas are delicious-​strawberry is my favorite-​and their service is always very good. Depending on what time you go you may have a different atmosphere but late night on the weekends it is fun and there is always a diverse crowd in there! Also, if it’s your birthday they sing really loudly to you! Their food isn’t the best mexican I’ve ever had but it’s good and their location can’t be beat. I also like that when it’s cold they have outdoor fireplace/​heaters so you can still sit on the patio if you want. I’d recommend this place!

My husband and I stopped here after riding the horrible Metro for over an hour. We were in need of some food before going to a Muay Thai fight down the street. This place was able to get us in for the time of night and of course I was so hungry I didn’t check Unilocal.BIG MISTAKE!
We learned that they had Happy Hour on Saturdays. Score!!! So we ordered a Matrimonio which was a swirl. I was thinking Uncle Julios and sadly I was wrong. It couldn’t taste any booze and it was overly sweet. The house margarita I had later tasted like like they skipped the booze and added in water down margarita mix.
My husband and I were also seated at a small two top near the bar. This was horrible because we had ordered the GUADALAJARA PLATTER Fajitas which had a combination of chicken, steak, shrimp, and pork. The fajitas included a sizzling platter of vegetables, Mexican rice, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, shredded cheese and flour tortillas. We barely had any room on our table for all this food which was very frustrating when trying to eat. We had to shuffle and rearrange everything when trying to make only one fajita.
Anyway the food was nothing special at all and very bland. The best thing was the probably the Mexican rice. An odd thing that happen was the pork was actually a half rack of ribs!!! WTF??? I had assumed that pork meant like pork pieces not ribs. I tried to eat the ribs as is but the sauce was gross. No go in my book.

I’m confused by the negative reviews. The food was amazing; the service was prompt; the location is great; and the décor was very cute. We had chimichangas, enchiladas, and burritos, all of which were really well made. The prices could have been better, but they were reasonable considering the location. I would definitely recommend this place if you enjoy good Mexican food in a really fun atmosphere.

How I feel about Alero… Meh. The bartender had a problem making my boyfriend a Manhattan. They brought him an old fashion when he sent it back, they brought him burbon straight up, and then they brought him a manhattan that was unbearable strong.
The food was fine. Nothing great nor horrible. I think the one that used to be in Columbia Hts was better.

My friend and I stopped here for a quick drink and appetizer after work last Friday for happy hour. It was raining that day and my alma mater’s (Howard U.) homecoming weekend so because of its close proximity to campus I expected it to be packed and a wait before getting seated. Thankfully, it was not a wait. We sat down and I ordered a matrimonio margarita and he ordered 2 Manhattans. My drink was sooooo good! Not like that typical frozen margarita brain freeze. And his Manhattans were pretty awesome too! We also ordered 2 entrees. I had the chicken chimichanga and he had the enchiladas. I tried his enchiladas didn’t really care for it. But my chimichanga was fried so well with so much flavor! The added guac, sour cream and salsa on the side with rice and beans made it the perfect dinner on a rainy evening.

A couple friends and I cam to Alero after hitting up a different spot for happy hour. We wanted some more drinks and some food. All three of us got appetizers. One of my friends and I split the calamari and a chicken quesadilla. The calamari was cooked well but the dipping sauce was pretty bland and boring. The description said that it was a three chili and cocktail sauce blend. Well if there was a chili in this cocktail sauce — I didn’t taste it. The chicken quesadilla hit the spot — simple but done right. Our other friend got the steak nachos which looked pretty good. I may have to try some nachos next time.
We sat outside in the patio area. There was music playing but it was much louder and seemed like a better time inside. It was a Friday night when we were there.

I went to Alero for their weekend happy hour. My drink was delicious. It was a twist of two flavors. The waiter provided us with complementary chips and salsa which were pretty good. I enjoyed my time at Alero.
Note– they have plenty of outdoor seating.

This is a night life review. I’ve walked by alero too many times to count and decided to finally stop in on a Saturday night. I’d say it was around midnight as the night was just getting started. There was no line to get in which may or may not be a bad sign depending on what you are looking for. There is a decent dance floor and the music seemed to be a mix between edm and top 40. The transitions were smooth, so the music was fine by my standards. You also have space to dance if that’s your thing. The drinks were dc, as usual, so this isn’t necessarily the place to come for affordable (cheap) drinks. I’d say this place is probably the best for a group with a good mix. It’s not a packed place but that’s probably what I enjoyed, the ability to have a conversation with someone. I typically rate nightlife place on 5 things so here’s how I think alero stacks up.
Music: 3.5÷5
Good music the night I was there, mostly EDM and some club music.
Venue: 3.5÷5
Decent space with places to sit
Drinks: 2.5÷5
Typical dc prices, nothing special but nothing horrible either.
Dancing: ⁴⁄₅
Plenty space to move (*disclaimer I’m not guaranteeing that you’ll find someone to dance with, that depends on you and if you have a creep factor)
Social Atmosphere: ⁴⁄₅
I was definitely able to interact with people and the vibe was more friendly than standoffish.
I’d definitely head back another time to check it out, possible edit to 4 stars after future visits.