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Buena Vida - Arlington, Arlington, VA

Buena Vida - Arlington

4.1
4.1
769 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today
  • Hot spot
  • Good for special occasions
  • Lively
Buena Vida promises more than great food; it provides a space to make memories. We pride ourselves in guiding customers through a curated menu, going beyond the expectations of hospitality, and leaving them to enjoy the company they are with.

Our tables are a gathering place for good conversation and community so people feel energized by the creativity of the food and drinks, excellent service, and time with loved ones.

Each table has 2h time limit. 2h time limit does not apply for reservations made after 1:00pm on Saturday and Sunday due to service closure at 3:00pm.
Rooftop seating cannot be reserved and it is only available on first come-first served basis. Unlimited dining is not available on our rooftop - a la carte menu will be offered instead. Rooftop will not be open for brunch service.
To best meet our standard, we highly recommend against the Buena Vida Experience service 1h prior to kitchen closing.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Traditional Mexican, Latin American
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (703) 888-1259
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Ismael Lopez
  • Area
    Arlington
  • Cross Street
    Filmore Street
  • Parking details
    Street parking or Public lot
  • Public transit
    Buena Vida is located at 2900 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia 22201, just two blocks from the<br />Clarendon metro accessible on the orange and silver lines. Parking is available in the Colonial<br />Parking Garage at 1303 North Filmore Street.
  • Additional
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
Gift card

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What 769 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 3.9Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Buena Vida in Arlington offers a vibrant atmosphere with standout "great food and ambiance." Diners praise the "fantastic brunch" and Taco Tuesday as highlights. While the "friendly staff" and delicious margaritas enhance the experience, some mention slower service and inconsistent air conditioning. Ideal for casual gatherings and flavorful small plates!

769 Reviews
  1. Juan Carlos

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    It’s okay. Not the best. We had better expectations.

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  2. George

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 1 December 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 1
    Came here for our anniversary. Got the the four course meal. Menu items are not updated with the current offerings and typos exist like 'Al Pator' vs. 'Al Pastor'. There was this big loud hvac fan machine behind us for the majority of the dinner. The manager asked if we wanted to order anything other than appetizers as we were waiting for our 2nd course. Mussels ala Diabla had one piece of burned bread and my wife got food poising from the salmon as it is the only item we did not share together. The staff are nice and bilingual (English/Spanish). Restaurant is on the 3rd floor, need to take an elevator from the ground floor Green Pig Bistro restaurant.

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  3. Carrie

    Washington DC

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic Brunch! Great place for family special events!
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 6 December 2024
    Thank you for the wonderful feedback, Carrie! We're so glad you enjoyed your brunch and found it to be a great spot for family special events. We look forward to hosting you again soon!

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  4. Cayla

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on 26 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    great food and ambiance and wonderful service! would highly recommend
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 6 December 2024
    Thank you for the great feedback, Cayla! We're so glad you enjoyed the food, ambiance, and service. We truly appreciate your recommendation and look forward to welcoming you back!

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  5. Morgan

    Toledo

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 23 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Took a while for the food to be brought to us, also one of the appetizers wasn’t what I had asked the waiter for
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 6 December 2024
    Thank you for sharing your feedback, Morgan. We apologize for the wait and for the mix-up with your appetizer. We’ll work to ensure a more efficient service next time and make sure orders are accurate. We hope to have the chance to serve you again soon!

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  6. Bianca

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on 21 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Sharable’s are barely enough for one person. Portion sizes are more like tapas. The Pork belly was tough and too sweet. The salsa tasted like smoke. Drinks- missing the alcohol. But the ambience was great, beautiful place but food and price need significant improvement.
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 22 November 2024
    Thank you for your honest feedback, Bianca. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the ambiance, but we’re sorry the food and drinks didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll take your comments into account and work on improving portion sizes, flavor balance, and drink strength. We appreciate you sharing your experience and hope to have the chance to provide a better visit next time.

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  7. Jilanne

    Washington DC

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 21 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first time at Buena Vida though we live in the neighborhood and have walked by a million times. Can't believe we waited so long to dine in! Food and drinks were incredible and surprisingly fairly priced (especially compared to most good places in the DMV). The atmosphere was great as well. We can't wait to be back and bring friends!
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 6 December 2024
    Thank you for sharing your experience, Jilanne! We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your first visit to Buena Vida. It's great to know that the food, drinks, and atmosphere exceeded your expectations. We look forward to welcoming you and your friends back soon!

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  8. Chrissy

    Washington DC

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 16 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Not really worth it. Drinks are cheap but good. Beautiful restaurant. Food not that good.
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 22 November 2024
    Dear Chrissy Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the drinks and the atmosphere, but we’re sorry the food didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll work on improving the menu and hope you’ll give us another try in the future.

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  9. Jessica

    New York City

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 15 November 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Our server was clearly disinterested and serving us and every table in his section. There were multiple points in the evening, where we had to flag him down and when he was at the bar chatting with other employees. One of the meals we ordered was a steak fajita. The meat was entirely fat and a very, very poor quality. 
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 22 November 2024
    Dear Jessica, Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for the experience you had, and we’re sorry to hear that the service and food did not meet your expectations. This is not the standard we strive for, and we will address both the service and quality issues you've mentioned with our team. We value your input and hope you’ll give us another chance to make it right.

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  10. Kirchy

    Washington DC

    17 reviews

    2.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on 11 November 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Beautiful restaurant. Unfortunately they weren’t properly staffed and the food was meh for the price. Not a ton of flavor. Nothing really wrong with it. But meh. Bar tender had easily 15 tables to manage in addition to a full bar. Not a good look! (Also not her fault.). I hope they get it together…
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on 15 November 2024
    Thank you for your honest feedback, Kirchy. We apologize for the staffing issues and the food not meeting your expectations. We're committed to improving our service and menu. We appreciate your patience and hope you'll give us another chance in the future.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Buena Vida - Arlington offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (703) 888-1259.

Buena Vida - Arlington is rated 4.1 stars by 769 OpenTable diners.

Buena Vida - Arlington does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 11 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Buena Vida - Arlington

2900 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1, Arlington, VA 22201

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    Filmore Street
  • Area
    Arlington
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Traditional Mexican, Latin American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street parking or Public lot
  • Public transit
    Buena Vida is located at 2900 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia 22201, just two blocks from theClarendon metro accessible on the orange and silver lines. Parking is available in the ColonialParking Garage at 1303 North Filmore Street.
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Ismael Lopez
  • Additional
    Dog Friendly, Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Vegan
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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