Loudoun is a cultural and culinary melting pot with a dazzling array of tastes and epicurean traditions. In recent years it’s become a mecca for incredible Latin cuisine – everything from authentic Mexican “street food” to trendy new gourmet restaurants serving the freshest, spiciest, most authentic Hispanic cuisine this side of the Yucatán. To continue the celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, these seven superb restaurants inspired by the history and culture of Hispanic Americans should be on your must-visit list.
La Prensa, Sterling
In 2021, pastry chef and owner of The Conche in Leesburg, Santosh Tiptur opened the new global gourmet “tapas and tacos” outpost named La Prensa in Sterling. This Mexican-influenced restaurant and bar will catch your eye with its sleek and modern interior with seating just diagonal to the bar. Choose from a variety of menu options including chef-made tacos – if you’ve ever wanted to try ginger infused Korean Beef Bulgogi in a taco, this is your chance. If you’re not a beef person, there’s also a Chipotle Adobo Chicken and Queso Cotija. The menu also extends options to quesadillas, enchiladas and a variety of tapas dishes (small plates served with beer or wine).
Bluewater Cocina, Middleburg
This stylish “tacos and tequila” outpost is unique in that it combines a roadside taco truck with a gorgeous England-style country garden, all in the heart of historic downtown Middleburg. Brainchild of boutique Loudoun catering company Bluewater Kitchen, you order your tacos (as well as tortillas, quesadillas, guac et al) from a stand-alone roadside truck and then eat at nearby bench tables under trellised vines or at garden chairs on the lawns, flowers and butterflies all around. Highlights include the Chili Rubbed Carnitas and a Pork Chorizo taco with a tangy fresh cilantro. On top of sodas, enjoy four craft margaritas: Classic, Fresca, Garden Jalapeno and Skinny. In summer we favor the refreshing Fresca made with Luna Azul tequila, a vibrant citrus mix and fresh limes.
Mancha Cocina Mexicana, Leesburg
Stark white walls, minimalist décor, trendy low-lit bar, flourish of tropical greenery… this is a no run-of-the-mill Mexican restaurant. Mexico City-trained chef-owner Chris Muñoz comes from a famous family of restaurateurs in the Maryland-West Virginia region but he breaks the mold at Mancha Cocina, his debut restaurant in Fort Evans Plaza. The menu features an extensive, eclectic array of dishes such as a mango salmon fillet, a chocolate-rich chicken mole (Mole Negra) containing no less than 25 ingredients and a succulent rib-eye steak on layered poblano potatoes. On top of this, you get all the classic apps, condiments and cocktails all so stylishly presented you might think you’re in Madrid or the hippest neighborhood of Mexico City. Talking drinks, make sure to try the mango margarita at the bar and for dessert don’t miss the decadent Tres Leches French Toast. Salut!
Gringo Gordo, Purcellville
The English have Cornish pasties and Australians steak and kidney pies, but when it comes to tasty pockets of meat or veg wrapped in pastry, there’s nothing as delicious as an empañada, supreme snack of the South Americas. Invented by the Spanish 500 years ago but popularized in South America, especially Argentina, try them in Loudoun at the sublime Gringo Gordo on Purcellville’s East Main Street. Eighteen different types are made fresh from Argentine Beef to Mushroom and Kale to fruit-filled Apple Cinamon or Guava. You can also buy family packs of six or 12. Make sure to dip them in homemade spicy chimichurri or chipotle sauce. As for the name, Gringo Gordo is slang for “chubby white guy.” Rest assured you will be piling on a few pounds after discovering GG.
Señor Ramon Taqueria, Leesburg and Sterling
Simple street-style Latin cuisine using traditional family recipes and an astonishing array of fresh ingredients are the hallmarks of this hip gourmet taco temple with locations in Leesburg, Sterling and now Fairfax. “I was inspired by repetitive trips to Mexico, the possibility to be creative with sauces and bringing authentic Mexican street flavors to Virginia,” said Argentine born chef-owner Damian Dajcz. It’s not all Mexican street fare. They do Argentine dishes such as Choripán (sausage sandwich), Milanesa (breaded beef sandwich) and empanadas. Of the more than a dozen taco options on the menu, one is named The Patagonia, a geographic nod to Dajcz’s roots: carne asada (steak), shredded cheese, guac, chimichurri sauce, red pickled onions, cilantro and sour cream. If dining at the Leesburg locale on trendy King Street, pair your dish with a glass of house-made sangria or a craft margarita.
La Taqueria, Leesburg
Located in downtown Leesburg, just a block away from Señor Ramon Taqueria, this is the new kid on the Loudoun taco block. Brainchild of Ana Reyes and her husband Heydan Maza, it’s billed as “authentic tacos and beer” and the bright décor – colorful Frida Kahlo and skeleton tchotchkes – and simple menu instantly transport you south of the border. There are five taco options, gringas (soft flour tortillas filled with cheese, meat and pineapple) and hearty pambazos – tortas filled with potato, chorizo, lettuce and sour cream. As for the sides, you can never go wrong with traditional chips and guac, but other options include spicy papas (Mexican potatoes), grilled onions, grilled nopales (seasoned pads of the prickly pear cactus) and corn on the cob.
Rodeo’s Mexican Grill, Lovettsville
Lovettsville is undergoing a culinary renaissance and this quirky downtown spot is part of that revival. Originally opened and owned by local Victor Juarez and named for the annual charreada (Mexican rodeo) Juarez hosted on his property outside town, the restaurant is now in new hands but still dishes up authentic south-of-the-border comfort food: enchiladas, fajitas, a spicy chili relleno and a superb Steak Ranchero – a T-Bone covered with ranchero sauce and served with rice, beans and tortillas. Plus, you will not taste better chimichangas on this side of Oaxaca. The interior is bright and colorful and there are photographs on the walls of the aforementioned rodeo.
