Los Arrieros Restaurant
7926 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD
20910
301-495-9459
Subway – Silver Spring is the closest, but it’s still not close
Parking – easy street parking
When I was in Colombia, South America, my taste buds weren’t as mature as they are today, so I had to rely on the meals served to me at Colombian households, festivals, and the several Colombian restaurants I’ve been to around the country alongside other Colombians. As I studied the food, I learned what was good and bad. Last weekend I had a craving for Colombian food and remembered one place I went to last summer when a couple Colombians visiting me from Phoenix, Arizona helped me find online. Obviously the food was good enough that it made me return. The place I am referring to is called Los Arrieros Restaurant. It’s actually a Colombian, Mexican, and Dominican restaurant, but the menu is dominated by more Colombian dishes.
The restaurant is located just outside of trendy downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, which is just over the border of Washington, D.C. It’s inconspicuous, so you need to look a little closely for the address. Next door to it is a tattoo shop, and then one more address down is a Colombian grocery store/bakery. If you like what you eat at Los Arrieros, perhaps you can walk down two doors and pick up a few things to prepare at home along with some tasty pastries.
The restaurant is typical of several Colombian eating establishments where it’s part restaurant and part nightclub. You walk into the restaurant where there are murals of scenes of Colombia on the right, a large dancefloor in the middle, and a stage/DJ booth on the left.
7926 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD
20910
301-495-9459
Subway – Silver Spring is the closest, but it’s still not close
Parking – easy street parking
When I was in Colombia, South America, my taste buds weren’t as mature as they are today, so I had to rely on the meals served to me at Colombian households, festivals, and the several Colombian restaurants I’ve been to around the country alongside other Colombians. As I studied the food, I learned what was good and bad. Last weekend I had a craving for Colombian food and remembered one place I went to last summer when a couple Colombians visiting me from Phoenix, Arizona helped me find online. Obviously the food was good enough that it made me return. The place I am referring to is called Los Arrieros Restaurant. It’s actually a Colombian, Mexican, and Dominican restaurant, but the menu is dominated by more Colombian dishes.
The restaurant is located just outside of trendy downtown Silver Spring, Maryland, which is just over the border of Washington, D.C. It’s inconspicuous, so you need to look a little closely for the address. Next door to it is a tattoo shop, and then one more address down is a Colombian grocery store/bakery. If you like what you eat at Los Arrieros, perhaps you can walk down two doors and pick up a few things to prepare at home along with some tasty pastries.
The restaurant is typical of several Colombian eating establishments where it’s part restaurant and part nightclub. You walk into the restaurant where there are murals of scenes of Colombia on the right, a large dancefloor in the middle, and a stage/DJ booth on the left.
Further back is a bar and even farther is an extra section where a few more tables and another bar reside. Even with the music playing loudly in the main area, the rear section is almost like a separate area with its own music. You can imagine the location filling with people as the night ends, and the wee hours of the morning arrive. This last evening we were there, two bands and a DJ were scheduled. Several patrons would get up from their tables to dance on and off throughout dinner. Although I walked in for dinner, they asked if I would stay for “the show,” so they could collect an additional $10 if I were. I didn’t mind, since it’s normal, but the way they did it was left me wondering if they have been duped before. There is Colombian music playing all the time: from musica de recuerdos (old music) to modern day salsa. As I dined, I took photographs of the place, as I usually do, but this must have piqued the curiosity of some, because the owner, Mercedes, came to my table. I chose to tell her what I was doing, and then she became extremely pleasant to us. She recommended some dishes, but I told her I already started. She offered to cook it herself and to call her beforehand the next time I go and assured me that’s she doesn’t live far away. She highly suggested some Dominican dishes, but I told her tonight was reserved for Colombian food, and that I would return, since I can’t remember having authentic Dominican food before. After that meeting, I noticed the waitress was a bit more attentive, but not for long. She must have been having a bad night, since her attitude wasn’t too pleasant, and then she returned to that unpleasantness after a couple smiles. The biggest turnoff of the evening, however, was the bouncer/doorman who came to me again and asked me if I would stay for the show “because if you do, then you pay me $10 for person.” I had to tell him I heard him just fine the first time I walked in, and I am finishing up my dinner. My dinner ran into the beginning of “the show,” which consisted of the DJ playing a song, and a girl dancing. Her dancing was one of something I would see at a nightclub but nothing worthy of paying for, no less calling a show. Because she was dancing on the dancefloor, I couldn’t leave until the dance was over, because the front door was on the opposite side from where my table was located. Before I exited the building, I had to tell the doorman my suggestion of not looking too greedy, to calm down, and it was not very inviting to ask for the coverage charge as much as he did and the way he did it.
Now then, the food…
Both times I walked in to a relatively empty restaurant, and both times I was hesitant to stay, since these were prime times (Friday and Saturday evenings), and I was thinking the food wouldn’t be that good. Each time I was wrong. The food is not the best Colombian food, but it’s definitely far from the worst. Being 20 minutes from downtown D.C. and from my residence, I’m more than happy to attend a table to fill my craving. For appetizers, I had an order of arepa y chorizo (sausage), an order of arepa y morcilla (blood sausage), and an order of arepa y queso (cheese). It seems that many countries have their bread: Mexico has tortilla, Ethiopia has injera, Italia has Italian bread, France has the French bread, and so on; Colombia has arepa. It’s made with corn meal, typically about the size of your hand, and about a ½ inch thick. The chorizo has a very rich flavor, and is much more different than a breakfast pork sausage or an Italian sausage. It has its own flavor where the closest I’ve compared it to was the sausage served at Jaleo, a Spanish tapas restaurant. The morcilla is made with cow’s blood and stuffed with rice. The casing provides a crisp texture but still somewhat messy when slicing. My recommendation is to simply put it in your arepa, and bite it – like a hot dog. The cheese is queso fresco, which is fresh cheese from the farm. I was disappointed with this, because the description states it’s arepa with cheese, which is typical, but also typical is to make the arepa with the cheese as part of the mix. It was good, but the latter is how it was served, so there’s no cheese to accompany it but already in it. Since my expectations were different, I was somewhat let down.
Now then, the food…
Both times I walked in to a relatively empty restaurant, and both times I was hesitant to stay, since these were prime times (Friday and Saturday evenings), and I was thinking the food wouldn’t be that good. Each time I was wrong. The food is not the best Colombian food, but it’s definitely far from the worst. Being 20 minutes from downtown D.C. and from my residence, I’m more than happy to attend a table to fill my craving. For appetizers, I had an order of arepa y chorizo (sausage), an order of arepa y morcilla (blood sausage), and an order of arepa y queso (cheese). It seems that many countries have their bread: Mexico has tortilla, Ethiopia has injera, Italia has Italian bread, France has the French bread, and so on; Colombia has arepa. It’s made with corn meal, typically about the size of your hand, and about a ½ inch thick. The chorizo has a very rich flavor, and is much more different than a breakfast pork sausage or an Italian sausage. It has its own flavor where the closest I’ve compared it to was the sausage served at Jaleo, a Spanish tapas restaurant. The morcilla is made with cow’s blood and stuffed with rice. The casing provides a crisp texture but still somewhat messy when slicing. My recommendation is to simply put it in your arepa, and bite it – like a hot dog. The cheese is queso fresco, which is fresh cheese from the farm. I was disappointed with this, because the description states it’s arepa with cheese, which is typical, but also typical is to make the arepa with the cheese as part of the mix. It was good, but the latter is how it was served, so there’s no cheese to accompany it but already in it. Since my expectations were different, I was somewhat let down.
For dinner, I had the Bandeja Colombiana. It’s essentially a rancher’s meal, where it consists of plantains, beans, rice, churrasco (steak), chicharron (fried pork), arepa, and avocado. I have never seen Colombian food as something elegant, but the flavors area almost always wonderful. Here was another example. Everything was placed on the plate, running into each other, but delicious. Ah yes, just like you would see in a house i.e. authentic. (I think plating technique is the last thing on a grandmother’s mind when making and serving the food.) The plantains, well… it’s one of the rare foods that I don’t like. I tried a corner but was reminded why I don’t eat them, and immediately transferred the two long pieces to another plate. There was enough rice on the plate to make any Asian person satisfied. Although Asians are known for eating rice, it is very much a staple of Latino food. The beans were just beans, which means they were good. The avocado was simply a piece of garnish, but I definitely enjoy that much more than parsley. The two highlights of this plate are the chicharron and the churrasco. The chicharron wasn’t as good as I’m used to, but it was still tasty. It’s like pork rinds where it’s fried pork skin, but there’s meat on it. You can eat it whole, but then you feel guilty, since the top layer is fat. But oh, it’s so good. Yours truly left most of it behind, though. But my favorite part of the dish was the churrasco, which was flank steak with a wonderful flavor and cooked just right. It was not charred, and it was juicy. The portion was well-sized and even to the point that it hung over the edge of the large plate.
Another dish I had a lot of was the Sopa de Marisco (seafood soup). Ever have seafood soup where you wonder where all the seafood was after you only finished a few spoonfuls with some bits you were unsure of? This is not the case. It comes in a large bowl, and just looking at it makes you think you’re going to be full. You want to doublecheck the menu to ensure this isn’t a dish made for two people, but rest assured, it’s all yours. There are scallions, decent-sized pieces of cod fish (I think), vegetables, clams in their shells, and more. The soup was white, but not creamy. The texture of the soup, however, did feel somewhat creamy. The flavor was splendid, and almost every spoonful gives you a gift of a piece of seafood.
The last time I was at this place, I thoroughly enjoyed the beef tongue in a red sauce. I don’t remember what it’s called, but it was something like Lengua en Salsa. Delicious.
For drinks, you can’t go wrong with a licuado. It’s simply milk or water with fruit. (You tell them with agua (water) or milk (leche) – I highly suggest milk). There are many fruits to choose from, whether it’s blueberry, mango, passionfruit, and more. Try mango!
For dessert, I had an order of Brevas (dates) y Arequipe (dulce de leche) and an order of Guayaba (guava paste) y Queso. The Brevas y Arequipe is really good if you like dates filled with dulce de leche. Dulce de leche (translated: sweet milk) is a brown, thick sauce made with caramel. It has bits of a crunchy texture that makes it very enjoyable, but one may feel guilty eating this wonderful sweetness. Guayaba y Queso may sound strange (it did to me for many years), but the saltiness of the farmer’s fresh cheese goes so well with the sweet guava paste. It’s a combination that I normally do not like, but this is different. They work so well with each other. I look forward to finishing my meal for this.
In conclusion, the staff could have been better, the owner was delightful, and the meal was well done. The entire dinner was around $35, so it’s well-priced. It would be a good place to go with friends to eat, drink, and salsa/meringue/cumbia the night away. Just remember to bring your money for the cover charge, because the bouncer/doorman may remind you if you don’t pay it.
Overall: B-
Food: B
Service: C-
Atmosphere: B
Price: B
The last time I was at this place, I thoroughly enjoyed the beef tongue in a red sauce. I don’t remember what it’s called, but it was something like Lengua en Salsa. Delicious.
For drinks, you can’t go wrong with a licuado. It’s simply milk or water with fruit. (You tell them with agua (water) or milk (leche) – I highly suggest milk). There are many fruits to choose from, whether it’s blueberry, mango, passionfruit, and more. Try mango!
For dessert, I had an order of Brevas (dates) y Arequipe (dulce de leche) and an order of Guayaba (guava paste) y Queso. The Brevas y Arequipe is really good if you like dates filled with dulce de leche. Dulce de leche (translated: sweet milk) is a brown, thick sauce made with caramel. It has bits of a crunchy texture that makes it very enjoyable, but one may feel guilty eating this wonderful sweetness. Guayaba y Queso may sound strange (it did to me for many years), but the saltiness of the farmer’s fresh cheese goes so well with the sweet guava paste. It’s a combination that I normally do not like, but this is different. They work so well with each other. I look forward to finishing my meal for this.
In conclusion, the staff could have been better, the owner was delightful, and the meal was well done. The entire dinner was around $35, so it’s well-priced. It would be a good place to go with friends to eat, drink, and salsa/meringue/cumbia the night away. Just remember to bring your money for the cover charge, because the bouncer/doorman may remind you if you don’t pay it.
Overall: B-
Food: B
Service: C-
Atmosphere: B
Price: B
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