| Address | 3500 Connecticut Ave., Washington, DC 20008 |
|---|---|
| Hours | 11:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Sun–Thurs; 11:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m. Fri-Sat |
| Phone | (202) 966-2530 |
| Fax | (202) 234-9885 |
Food was very good, but one member of our party got sick immediately after eating (while at the restaurant) and the manager was less than sympathetic. Decent Margaritas.
I was really excited to come to Alero for dinner. I've been searching for an authentic Mexican restaurant in the area, but alas, I was disappointed.
The chips and salsa were yummy and the tamales were soft and tasty, but that's where the goodness ended. I think the problem with a lot of Mexican restaurants in the area is that they try too hard to include every dish they could make in latin and south america, so they wind up overstretching and it's not as good. I tried the cerviche (a peruvian dish) and it was really rubbery like it had been in lemon over 24 hours, which is not a safe idea. So, it was good for the traditional dishes, but poor on the other dishes. And they definitely need a service overhaul. I had asked which margarita was good and of course they pointed me to the top shelf margarita, which if you're just adding mix to it, is a major waste, so I ordered the regular margarita and there was sugar in the mix. Bleh. So, it was good, but once again, I continue my search for an authentic, fresh and tasty Mexican restaurant that doesn't cost an arm and a leg!
I was completely disapointed by Alero. The beef was tasteless and the lemonade seemed as if it was made from powder. And the portions seemed quite small and the service was unimpressive. All in all, considering the price, I won't be back.
I would not recommend going to this restaurant unless you enjoy cockroaches for dinner guests. Following a long wait for our meal, a cockroach appeared on the wall next to our table. When the waitress was summoned no apologies were made nor was a manager called over.
The food was decent but a bit over-priced. For a great Mexican meal I'd highly recommend going to Cactus Cantina up the street on Wisconsin Ave or to Guapo's by the AU metro stop.
This is my new favorite restaurant. My old favorite is the Alero in DuPont Circle.
This original Alero has unique second story outdoor balcony dining overlooking the avenue as well as an outdoor deck. One of the dining rooms has been renovated. Charming!
I give the food, best margaritas anywhere and service the same rave reviews as the DuPont location. And it's so easy to get there on Metro.
Nice outdoor seating area but tables are very close together!
I've never had a bad meal at Alero's but I've never had an outstanding one either. The service is always prompt, and attentive... their shrimp fajita is a really wonderful dish to eat on a warm summer night on their outside deck with a pitcher of margarita.
The service can be a little slow but they are so incredibly nice. The menu has a host of choices, with plenty of vegetarian options. The fajitas are especially good, full of different vegetables and served VERY hot. We dine there often and highly recommend it!
We did not have to wait to sit on their lovely patio, which was close enough to Connecticut avenue to have some interesting people watching, but not so close that the fumes bothered us. The candlelight and sparse christmas lights around the deck made the ambiance perfect for a warm summer evening. It was crowded enough so that you felt part of "the scene" but not too crowded where you could hear the details of your neighbors' conversations.
The entire wait staff was very friendly and very attentive. Our waiter, Fridel, was especially charming and accomodating to my boyfriend's picky modifications.
The food arrived in a timely fashion and perfect, which I have found to be difficult with our certain modifications. Everything was very fresh. nothing tasted frozen or tasted like it had sat under a heat lamp for some time.
The only slight dissapointment were the margaritas...they tasted a little watered down than I am used to. But I would definitely return for more. Mainly for the excellent service and ambiance.
If you're looking for a good margarita, Alero is your spot. With a nice outdoor dining deck, sipping a margarita and over looking bustling Connecticut Ave is an excellent summer evening. The food ain't bad, either! The fajitas are fresh and full of tender chicken and vegitables. Being from California, I'm picky about my Mexican food, but this is a totally reasonable Mexican meal for the east coast.
The service was awesome. We were initially told that there would be an hour wait for a patio table so we sat at the bar. They cleared out tables so quickly, we only waited 20 minutes. Our waiter was very amiable and attentive and remembered us from a previous visit.
It was good; you can't go wrong with nachos and a quesadilla after a few drinks. The spinach quesadilla was "the best ever" - real greasy and tasty. The nachos could have had a bit more to them, and the chips had no heft. But it was good for the money.
Alero is a great neighborhood Mexican restaurant. The food is just about as good as that of Cactus Cantina, but the wait is never as long and the space is smaller and does not have quite as manufactured and corporate a feel. I have never tried anything too adventurous at Alero, but I have eaten their taquitos, fajitas (beef, chicken and shrimp), quesadillas, seafood enchiladas, and a few other basic dishes. The guacamole is fresh and tasty, as are the chips and salsa, which are served up for free whether you are there to eat or just enjoying a drink (such as Alero’s delicious frozen margaritas). The service is friendly and swift, and the inside eating area is pleasant enough. I prefer the outside deck because it is great for "people watching" on this busy strip of Connecticut avenue in Cleveland park. Alero is worth a visit for dinner, lunch, or even just a happy hour drink.
When it's hot and all you want is a frozen margarita, Alero is the place to go. The food however, can be pretty sketchy, at least in my experience. Maybe my time in Guatemala sensitized me, but the burritos and enchiladas have not sat well.
The outside seating is a nice touch but it's crowded and in almost always in high demand.
Stick with the chips, salsa, and margaritas and you'll know you've done well.
This is only mexican restaurant you might consider for dinner or sit-and-eat meal in cleveland park area. However, the service was too slow and servers were not paying attention to you. The food was neither impressive nor well-portioned. The lack of anthentic mexican flavor added to my disappointment of the first time to alero.
