El Chilango

Great Mexican-​style tacos, the best in the area. The guys working there are super friendly, and what they do is serve up great tacos with no bs. I love this place. Absolutely blows the other taco places in the area out of the water, and I’m thinking here of District Taco and Chipotle. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chipotle, and District Taco is a nice business. But this is the real deal, and they don’t need burritos as big as your head or 15 types of sauces to do it.
Thank you!

My first Arlington food truck experience! This place was pretty good — I got two chicken tacos. My favorite part about the food was definitely the salsas. The red one was pretty spicy, while the green one was more mild. They added a much needed kick. I’m just personally not a big fan of corn tortillas, but I know that’s the more traditional style. Definitely very good though and cheap. $ 5 for a great lunch. Not too shabby El Chilango, not too shabby.

The tacos are good here and only cost $ 2.50. I didn’t like the pork taco as much, but loved the steak taco. Also they include a bag of limes, sauces, cucumbers, radishes, and another bag of a pickled vegetable. The owner is very friendly, and the wait time for your order can be a little long.

El Chilango is kind of like a hidden gem, tucked away from the main streets and parked on the side of a street right across from the highway. Originally from the West Coast, we’re pretty spoiled with good, authentic Mexican street food so I’ve been on a mission for a good taco place around this area and so happy to discover this food truck!
I ordered a chorizo and the pollo which were severed on double corn tortillas and topped with chopped onions and cilantro with a colorful side of cucumbers, limes, and radishes, and several different containers of salsas and hot sauces, which was exactly what I had hoped for. Both the chorizo and pollo had really great flavor.
My only complaint is that unless you decide to eat there, your tacos will be served on a plate but if you order to-​go (which I did), then your tacos are individually wrapped in foil and put in a bag so it’s a little messier. There’s also nowhere to sit and eat the tacos unless you’re okay with sitting on the sidewalk or eat in your car. Other than that, probably the best authentic tacos in this area and FYI its cash only!

I was born and raised in LOS ANGELES !! So I know tacos these tacos are good!!! The parking situation is not the best but you can deal for some tacos!!!

Ventured over to this truck this week and ordered the chorizo taco and the al pastor taco. The chorizo one was delicious, great flavor, although the taco shell was a little crunchy. The al pastor taco was okay — not amazing but still good, especially when you add the green salsa, radishes and a squeeze of lime. I would definitely go back to try the pollo or carne asada, and probably another chorizo as well :)
Update: I’ve now tried the pollo and the asada. The asada was pretty good, the pollo a little dry/​not as flavorful but that’s chicken for you in general… favorite remains the chorizo.

After hearing so many great things about this taco food truck I finally decided to drag my friend to a backstreet in Arlington and try these tacos with me. Since I moved to D. C i have been on a quest to find some authentic Mexican tacos and El Chilango is a pretty strong contender. As many folks have mentioned, the food truck is a short walk from the Rosslyn metro stop, and even though your friends might think you are just plain crazy and that there’s no food truck, stay calm and walk on. If you start seeing the freeway, don’t worry… it means you are here. And now on to the tacos…
The great:
For $ 2.50 you have the option of carne asada, chorizo, al pastor, lengua, pollo, everything. I thought these tacos were going to be small so I order 5 tacos for myself: 1 chorizo, 2 asada, and 2 al pastor. I was kind of surprised when I got my plate and saw that these tacos are larger than the small things you get elsewhere and maybe 5 was a bit too much for me. Your tacos come in double layer tortillas and topped with cilantro, chopped onions, sliced radishes, and cucumbers. If you don’t want something just let them know and they will remove it. For sauces they have a green (mild) and red sauce (medium) at the front, but if you like spicy food you can ask them for their habanero sauce that’s more like a pico de gallo. Now that’s spicy.
The needs a tad of improvement:
Although my al pastor and chorizo tacos where delicious, the carne asada tacos where missing something missing flavor (maybe seasoning? salt?). Despite this, they were still better than most tacos I have had in the DMV :)
Everything was delicious here and I do not regret eating all 5 tacos aka 10 tortillas say what??? If you decide to eat here instead of taking your tacos to go, don’t be ashamed and just grab your friends and sit on the sidewalk edge… yeah drivers might stare but who cares. They might just be jealous of that plate of tacos you are holding.

Best authentic Mexican tacos in the area, hands down! The location is inconvenient since it’s on a random street in courthouse, with limited parking to walk up to this food truck, but the tacos are so worth it! All of them are amazing. And the owner’s name is not coming to mind right now but he’s always working when the truck is open and super nice! He always throws in extra tacos when I order a bunch. Sometimes there’s a big crowd so you may need to wait a bit, but it’ll be worth it!

I don’t know how we heard about this truck but — SERIOUSLY best tacos ever! Jesus and the other guys are so nice! It doesn’t matter what you get! Interesting twist to have cucumber and radish toppings on tacos but it’s great!

This place is amazing one of the best authentic mexican tacos in the dmv period

I love tacos so much that it may be one of my defining characteristics. So trust me when I say that if you like tacos and are a meat eater, you should try this truck.
Parked on a neighborhood street very close to an on ramp to route 50 westbound, El Chilango serves tacos — just tacos — six days a week. My favorite is the tongue, but that can be an acquired taste. I think I’ve tried everything they offer at this point and it’s all delicious. The food comes out pretty quickly and is served with a side of radishes, cucumbers, and lime wedges.
Bring cash, be prepared to stand around or take the food to go, and enjoy some of the best tacos in the DC area.

El Chilango has what I consider the best tacos in the area. They’re authentic and simple but the protein is flavorful and really brings out the taste. Only issue is the location but most of the time it’s nice to walk and change of scenery.
Highly recommend the El Pastor and Lengua (for those brave souls).
I recommend calling ahead as the line can get long.

Best freaking tacos! I’m from California and of course they have some of the best taco places. I’ve been on the hunt for a good taco place in the DMV area… and even though this may not be a sit down restaurant it has the best tacos! They do have a sit down restaurant in DC which I hope to check out soon…
Got the pollo tacos and the meat is perfectly seasoned and cooked! My husband got the carne asada and he preferred the pollo over the carne.
Must try if you’re in the area and want some good authentic tacos!

Love this place. Really tasty tacos with fresh ingredients.
I’ve had every meat, and my favorite is the carne asada, chorizo, and tongue.
Not much I can add to what’s already been said, but what I really love about this truck is the hours and the atmosphere. It’s open most of the day, so if you’re hungry at 3:45…stop on by. It doesn’t need to be dinner or lunch time.
People just stop in, grab some food and either take it home, or stand/​sit next to the truck and eat. It’s terrific.

Hands down one of the best, if not the best, food truck eatery in Arlington. I’m so fortunate to live so close!
The food is so fresh and delicious at reasonable prices! For what to get, I recommend getting the pork and beef mix tacos. SO GOOD.
When they give you your meal, you also get a little bag full of multiple small containers of salsa, some limes, and cucumbers. These ingredients as well as the meat are so savory you won’t believe it’s from a truck! They also have plenty of drinks and refreshments.
On a larger side note, this is yet another example of the huge entrepreneurship revolution we’re seeing in our economy, only with food trucks. Once upon a time, these kinds of meals were thought to be low class and dirty. Now they’re blowing up! It just proves if you want to go out there and test your idea and do something different, you can.
But I digress. Bottom line: go to El Chilango ASAP!!!

My family and I had just finished visiting the Iwo Jima Memorial and it was nearing lunch time. We wanted to eat before we went into Arlington Cemetery because we know we’d be there a while. Thanks to Unilocal,I found this taco truck within a few minutes of the memorial. It did not disappoint.
The proprietors of the truck were very friendly and gracious. While we waited for our tacos, which did not take long, they had us try the «mixto», which was beef and chorizo. It was amazing and we wish we’d have thought to order that for our tacos. My daughter had the chicken, I had chorizo, and my son and wife each had the beef tacos. All were very good. We also received a nice condiment baggy with salsas.
We were visiting from out of state and obviously cannot return to this truck anytime soon, but we highly recommend it to other «tourists» looking for a tasty, quick, affordable, and non-​chain meal.

Tips on choosing your street snack stand: Look for places with a crowd waiting to be served. Anywhere that kids/​laborers are eating is usually especially good.
I’ve been looking for authentic Mexican street food in Washington DC area based on California standard.
I couldn’t find my Beloved Mission burrito anywhere (also known as a San Francisco burrito or a Mission-​style burrito) in this Metro Area.
so, I looked for Los Angeles style Antojitos Tacos.
I found this place. (or this Taco Truck).
Corn Tortilla only, Cash only.
this is also Central Mexico style tacos: Puebla, Morelos, Hidalgo, Distrito Federal (Federal District /​Mexico City).
the owner, Mr. Jesus Santa Cruz is from Mexico City.
so if you’re from California and looking for Mexican food as close as good as back home, come here.
you will find tacos that almost reminds you of home.

I have found the new front runner for most authentic tasting Mexican food. The staff was friendly, the the tacos were pretty great.
I had two carne asada tacos. The tortillas were greasy and slightly crispy, exactly how you would want them. The tacos were topped with finely chopped cilantro and onions, exactly how you would want them. And the meat, a phenomenal mixture of greasy, and flavorful. There was something missing from the tacos in San Diego that I grew up on and love, but what that is, I’m not sure.
I highly recommend it, and I know I will be back to try the pollo asado and lengua tacos as well.
Did I mention they’re only $ 2.50?

Mmm, decent tacos! I will travel a long way for good food and El Chilango was not easy to find. It felt like a bit of a scavenger hunt locating the truck. it’s located on a side street at the intersection of N Quinn St and N 14^th St, right next to the freeway entrance to 50W.
I visited recently to pick up tacos for my fiancé and I. I got 2 carne asada and 2 chicken tacos between the both of us and still ended up paying less than $ 10. Good deal for tasty tacos! Not the most delicious tacos we’ve ever had (La Mexicana in Alexandria still holds the #1 spot), but very decent and delicious! They come out steaming hot, so make sure to get a bag if you are planning on carrying them for a while.
Service was friendly and quick. Note that they’re cash only so plan accordingly.
I’d visit again if I was in the area, but it’s quite a trek from both Rosslyn and Courthouse.

What delicious tacos! This place is the dictionary definition of a «hidden gem».
The staff is always friendly, and the place is always clean. There is limited seating inside however unbeknown to most people, there is a patio in the back!
I have tried all the tacos here and love them all. There are vegetarian options too for all of my veggie friends!
Besides the regular soda selection, they serve beer and authentic drinks, i.e. horchata or orxata which is deliciously refreshing.
A must go for taco lovers! Can’t wait to go for another quick taco-​luscious dinner again!

Chilango!

Muy bien, amigos!
This place was so good, I signed up just to write a review. Best tacos al pastor I’ve ever had! Mucho gusto, Juan and Jesus — these are two genuinely nice, funny guys. They really make you feel at home, plus they are very adamant about their Mexican heritage. They even gave my friend’s young daughter a chicken (sans toppings) taco on the house!
Seeing as how I ate really unhealthy the past few days, I limited myself to only tres tacos — pollo (not bad), chorizo (tastes like eating bacon), and the al pastor (slow cooked marinated pork yummy goodness). Usually I shy away from the al pastor because other places like Taco DF leave fat and gristle. This one on the other hand was heavenly. Sprinkled with some onion, lime, radish, cucumber and [Homer drool] cilantro and you got yourself a meal! Do yourself a favor and travel to Mexico City, er… Rosslyn and grab a few tacos, you won’t regret it. Did I mention to get the al pastor? Buen provecho!
Edit: I found these guys from a fellow foodie/​yelpers on 14^th St N near rte 50 between Queen and Quinn St, Rosslyn