Sophisticated Tex-Mex at Georgetown Guapo’s
By • September 6, 2018 3 1354
It’s obvious the level of service is of great concern to the proprietors of the new Guapo’s at Washington Harbour in Georgetown.
I had a chance to lunch there on a Sunday recently, and found a table in the shade and a friendly waiter within seconds of arrival. Those infamous warm chips arrive in front of you before you can say “and some salsa too, please.”
After that, I indulged in the cheese enchiladas with the requisite rice and bean sides. My entree was delivered to my table within 10 minutes.
Nathan Breedlove is the executive chef and Sergio Galindo the sous chef of this latest iteration of Guapo’s, bringing culinary sophistication to the casual Tex-Mex eatery. Breedlove is an alum of José Andrés’s ThinkFoodGroup family of restaurants, as well as the scene-y Le Diplomate.
But this Guapo’s has something that Le Diplomate never will: spectacular views of the Potomac.
The ceviche bar instituted at other locations is already a big hit at the new location, perfect for tacos and margaritas on a sultry weekend afternoon.
The menu includes children’s choices but is also robust enough for the most enthusiastic of Mexican diners. Steaming fajitas, pancho platters, seafood offerings and quail are just a few of the gems for eclectic palates.
Guacamole prepared table-side. Georgetowner photo.
There are also plenty of salads for the carb-conscious, but I defy you to resist those darn chips. And the fried ice cream is another challenge for even the most stoic diners.
But the most pressing reason to check out Guapo’s is the al fresco option. The patio offers views of the courtyard and is dog- and kid-friendly. This is the perfect place to ring in the end of summer, preferably with a tequila in hand.
Private events are being marketed on the website. And, if you’d rather celebrate on your own patio at home, online ordering is available for grab-and-go customers.
I must have gone to an entirely different Guapo’s this past sunday. My group’s experience there was awful. Perfectly nice server, but everything else was totally bland (and my shrimp were essentially raw), the salsa was watery and tasteless, and the chips were nothing to write home about. Add in the drinks ranged from bland to bad, and it will be a long time before we go again. We live in Georgetown and had been hoping for another option for Mexican.
As a resident of Georgetown for 29 years, I have tried almost every local restaurant and remember even the long lost Tex-Mex place on the back of the old mall…where Pinstripes is now. I was looking forward to this place, and took a group of friends this past Sunday. The tacos I had were very good, but the tortillas are flour not corn. The appetizers were bland at best, the chips and salsa had no flavor. My partners shrimp dish was so undercooked as to be health threatening. The service was slow, in part to our server covering way too much space in and outside. The drinks were good, but even they couldn’t improve one of the worst overall dining experiences I have had in Georgetown. I was t expecting Fiola Mare or even Booeymongers, but I was expecting more from a highly regarded brand. It is new and may improve, but I will never know because first impressions matter. Sadly, I am also done with the Georgetownwr, given you deleted a comment by my fiancé about this place earlier today…so I have to assume this is a fluff piece for pay and not marked as a paid advertisement. Oh well, maybe Tom Siietsama can get another 0 star review from the place…we have passed the word along to him as one of our party of four knows him.
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