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  5. Mount Vernon Square
dLeña, Washington, DC
Award-winning

dLeña

4.6
4.6
1981 Reviews
$31 to $50
Latin American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 72 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Good for special occasions
  • Hot spot
  • Lively
Welcome to dLeña, a Wood-Fire Mexican Cocina & Mezcaleria by Chef Richard Sandoval.

dLeña is derived from the Spanish word “leña,” meaning firewood. The restaurant is centered around it’s wood-burning grill - a nod to the rustic open-fire cooking techniques of Mexico’s past.

The menu transports diners to Mexico through a multi-sensory experience in every bite of the signature smoked entrées, fresh ceviches, and unique sharing plates. The expansive bar features hand-crafted margaritas, Latin cocktails, cervezas and vino.

CHEF'S TABLE EXPERIENCE:
Book an exclusive dining experience at our chef’s table tucked behind the main bar facing into the open kitchen. Chef will prepare eight courses for 160.00 per guest, with an optional beverage pairing for 75.00 per guest. Please visit our Chef's Table OpenTable page to book:
https://www.opentable.com/r/dlena-chef-table-washington

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Contemporary Mexican, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (202) 560-5999
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Richard Sandoval
  • Private party facilities
    Please email events@dlenadc.com for more details
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Area
    Mount Vernon Square
  • Cross Street
    K Street & 5th Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Gallery Place / Chinatown
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining

Experiences

  • New Year's Eve 2025

    US$159.00 per person

    Prepaid

    31 Dec 2024 only
    Join dLeña for an unforgettable New Year’s Eve celebration! Enjoy a four-course dinner for $159 per guest - featuring Chef’s signature dishes alongside new creations including Tuna Tartare Guacamole, Birria Chile Relleno, Filet a la Leña, and sweet treats like our Honey vanilla Cheesecake. Enhance the experience with an optional beverage and or/wine pairing for an additional cost per guest, featuring a welcome drink and expertly curated pairings with each course. Pre-payment is due at booking. Price includes tax & gratuity. Cancellations will not be accepted less than 48 hours from your reservation.
    New Year's Eve 2025 photo

What 1,981 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
dLeña offers a vibrant dining experience in Washington, DC, with "absolutely amazing" food and a lively atmosphere. Guests rave about the bottomless brunch and "incredible" cocktails. The restaurant is praised for its "excellent" service, with standout servers like Troy. Don't miss the crab guacamole and "delicious" short rib tacos.

1,981 Reviews
  1. Diddi

    Washington DC

    38 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    38 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    It took a while to get here. Wish I could say the wait was worth it. It was just “Okay” the menu had a few highlights but mostly felt like alot of ingredients were selected not because they go well together but to make a statement. Due to this do not expect the menu items to have a traditional taste. For some, untraditional Mexican is good and for others it’s not. Thats why I say it’s “Okay”

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  2. Jill

    Greater Boston

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My only challenge with this wonderful restaurant was finding the front door:) The house margarita was perfect and full of flavor. The waitstaff is very attentive - your water glass will be full! The ambiance was warm and visually this was a beautiful spot. and the food.... that was so delicious! The presentation was art. I look forward to revisiting on my next trip here.

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  3. AlexM

    Washington DC

    25 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    25 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing. Short rib tacos and the short ribs were delicious ! They forgot to bring ou my guacamole but they comped that for us. Our server was amazing

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  4. Kristin

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a great experience Friday night! The service was amazing, the drinks were delicious, and the food was great. We enjoyed the chips and salsa, oysters, and the ribeye with broccolini.

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  5. Barbara

    New York City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a wonderful dining experience. Excellent service, ambience & the food was delicious

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  6. Robert

    Washington DC

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    food and service were outstanding !!! would absolutely return

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  7. Margaux

    Washington DC

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 5
    Terrible terrible service. It took over 30 minutes for them to bring drinks and when she did she left it corked on the table for 10 extra minutes while she helped another table. She made us pass everything across the full table instead of walking around. She had us pour our own wine. She spilled a glass of wine on my friend. And it took asking 3 times to get a steak knife for our steak. We were definitely not prioritized because we are younger adults but we spent just as much and deserve good service as well. Very disappointing and the food was lackluster.

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  8. Guillermo

    Washington DC

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was good, some of the food was over salty, the waiter was amazing but the dishes weren’t explain. Music to loud.
    dLeñaResponded 3 days ago
    We’re glad to hear that you enjoyed the food and that your waiter provided amazing service—it’s always our goal to make sure our guests feel taken care of. We apologize if some dishes were too salty and for the lack of dish explanations during your visit. Your insights are invaluable and will help us do better moving forward. We hope you’ll give us another chance to provide you with a more enhanced experience.

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  9. OpenTable Diner

    E. Tennessee

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Very creative and delicious food and drinks. Had the Guava margaritas. One virgin and one regular. They were both good and found that the taste became better once paired with the crab guacamole. I also had another mango margarita that was sweeter and more to my liking. The crab guacamole was our favorite of the three dishes we had. The short rib tacos were beautifully presented and delicious. Nice spices. The wagu empanadas were tasty but not as good as the other two for us. The staff is great and very friendly.
    dLeñaResponded 3 days ago
    We’re so excited hear how much you loved the creative and delicious food and drinks, especially the guava margaritas and how they paired so well with the crab guacamole. It’s wonderful to know the crab guacamole was your favorite, and we’re delighted to hear you also loved the beautifully presented short rib tacos with their nice spices. We appreciate your feedback on the wagyu empanadas and will keep it in mind as we continue to refine our dishes. It’s also great to hear that our friendly staff made your experience even better and we hope it won't be long before your next visit!

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  10. Sanja

    Washington DC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was absolutely amazing, and the prices were very reasonable, making it an excellent value for the quality offered. On top of that, the ambiance was just perfect – cozy, inviting, and with great attention to detail. Highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a memorable meal. I’ll definitely be coming back!
    dLeñaResponded 3 days ago
    Sanja! We’re so delighted and thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the amazing food, and appreciated the cozy and inviting ambiance. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We’re honored by your recommendation and couldn’t be happier to know you’ve had such a memorable experience with us. We appreciate your 5 stars and look forward to seeing you back again soon!

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FAQs

dLeña offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (202) 560-5999.

dLeña is rated 4.6 stars by 1981 OpenTable diners.

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 72 times today
Experiences are available.

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for dLeña

476 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001-2531

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
  • Cross Street
    K Street & 5th Street
  • Area
    Mount Vernon Square
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Contemporary Mexican, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Gallery Place / Chinatown
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Chef Richard Sandoval
  • Additional
    Gluten-free Options, Patio/Outdoor Dining
  • Phone number
    (202) 560-5999
  • Private party facilities
    Please email events@dlenadc.com for more details
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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