Anne J.

Absolutely delicious. I am biased as I love Spanish food, but the tapas were amazing and I can't stop making pureed coliflor at home now. Killer wine list too!

Michelle L.

You can't beat the Jaleo Hour! Monday- Friday from 4-7pm. You get to select from a list of $4 tapas- including some of the favorites like the bacon-wrapped dates, and they feature $4 drinks- red wine sangria, several beers on tap, and 5-6 wines by the glass. They also had a few specialty cocktails but they exceeded the $4 price. The $4 menu is only available in the bar area, but there is a good amount of seating and standing room. It draws a large crowd and is definitely a great after work place to meet up. I would recommend the Jaleo hour to a group or to someone who wants to try tapas but wants to ease into it. We were impressed and will be back!

David C.

Great food. Tapas were fantastic especially the Gambas al ajillo (Shrimps with garlic) and the Chorizo casero (Spanish style sausage). One reason I reduced one star was that the Arroz a banda con Gambas (Think Paella) was gummy and smelled very, very fishy. In general though, the ambience was good if a little loud and the service was excellent. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the DC area.

Katie Y.

I'm a Penn Quarter Jaleo fan. Now that I work across the street from the Crystal City Jaleo, I have found myself there a few occasions for happy hours. The bartenders at this Jaleo have consistently been unpleasant, snarky, non-attentive, or just careless about making their guests "happy". The food is reliably good (just as in the original Jaleo), but the bartenders just sap away the fun of happy hour. Que triste!

Gabriella W.

I can't really rate comprehensively because I did not try anything there. The service though, was so bad that I just walked out. My friend and I came wanting to get some Sangria and paella. We were sat down in a crowded little table even though there were a lot of spacious ones available. When the server came, we immediately looked at the drink menus and we ordered a pitcher of sangria. As per usual, the server asked for our IDs. He checked my friend's first. His ID was in his wallet ID place and so my friend gave him the opened wallet with his ID on the transparent pouch. Rudely, he said "I'm not checking your ID this way. You must take it out." so he did. Next, he checked my ID. I am not an American and I do not know how to drive. So, I have my home country's government IDs (not one, but two since I have dual citizenship in other countries). After he checked my first ID, he asked if I have another one so I said that I'm sorry I don't bring my passport out with me all the time and showed him another one. He said he will ask his manager. He left for about 5 minutes and came back and said that they can't serve me drink because I do not have my passport with me which I think is ridiculous. So I told him that it's okay we're not gonna order any drink. And then he rudely said, "Too bad. You should not have tried to order drink anyway." I was shocked by his comment and looked at him and said "Excuse me?" and he rolled his eyes on me. So I looked at my friend and asked him if he wants to leave. Before my friend could even answer, the waiter said, "Maybe you should." That does not stop there, as we gathered our stuff, he added, "goodbye, I hope I'd never see you again." I get better service at McDonald's

Jeff W.

At first I was kind of disappointed at not getting a reservation at Minibar. Then I found this gem around the corner from my hotel. I headed there by myself on Saturday 4/9/11 for a late lunch. Having not gone to many tapas places in recent memory, I had no real basis for comparison. However, this place, between food, service (Antonio was helpful and personable) and its beautiful space will become a hard act to follow. Food wise: Good: beet/citrus salad Very good: (boneless) chicken (thigh) with garlic sauce and parsely pesto, cold fruit soup with cream cheese ice cream either as a dessert or mid-meal palate cleanser Excellent: the fried bacon-wrapped dates. OMG, if they filled these with a tiny bit of a creamy cheese, they'd be promoted from 'excellent' to 'dangerous'. I was going to hit the gym after lunch, so I skipped trying the sangria- but will plan better next time- and will bring some friends!

Dan B.

My family & I (4 total) enjoyed the experience. We ordered the chef's special ($55 per person) and enjoyed many creations I would not have had the knowledge to order. I appreciated the chef coming to our table first and asking about our likes and dislikes The only downside is I felt it was expensive for the amount of food we got., but will go back.

Lee K.

We were in town for a family vacation to DC. We were staying in Arlington so wanted to eat nearby (leaving our daughters back at the hotel:) Truth is, I tried unsuccessfully to get a reservation at Minibar (will have to settle for The Bazaar in Beverly Hills for now). I read the reviews here, which were largely mixed, and now I understand why. I list below the dishes that we tried. The salads were pretty good, especially the endives with goat cheese. However, I found everything else to be salty and/or not very unique. Admittedly, I'm not a huge tapas fan, but I arrived at the restaurant very hungry. Usually, that means everything tastes good. Not so in this case. I'll also call out the Jose Andreas signature gin & tonic as a tasty item (but don't plan to get too happy off that cocktail at $14 per). Sliced apples and fennel salad with Manchego cheese, walnuts and Sherry dressing (subtle flavors with apples especially mellow, which allows for the flavor of the fennel to shine through) Endives with goat cheese, oranges and almonds (anything with goat cheese is good in my book) Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples (meh) Moorish stew of chickpeas and spinach (meh and salty) The very, very famous tapa of shrimp sautéed with garlic (looked like run of the mill shrimp scampi (i.e., swimming in butter)) Traditional 'paella' of fried pasta with shrimp (kind of like salty rice-a-roni with some shrimp in it) Homemade traditional chorizo with potato purée (uh, very salty) Basque cake with semolina cream, cinnamon-vanilla sauce & ice milk (worth a try; unique texture; truthfully, we were using our iphone to locate a Starbucks but couldn't find one that was open, so we stayed for dessert)

Brianne C.

3.5 stars. The lunch specials are a good value. All the sandwiches feature beautiful, crunchy grilled rustic breads, with fillings including Jamon Serrano, chicken, eggplant, and pungent cheeses with truffle oil. If only the soups and plates were not mistakenly staggered.....

Grace Joy L.

After seeing Chef Jose Andres chosen as Chef of the Year from GQ recently, I had to try his restaurants immediately. I have been watching his show on PBS very often and meaning to go for a while now. The Place seemed very open with high ceilings and vibrant hues. Service was good and swift with knowledgeable and attentative servers. Food was overall good. They have a wide selection of entrees along with lunch specials. We ordered several tapas and they were all more than okay. Honey Battered Eggplants were heavenly and Serrano Ham was so good. With wide variety of menu at moderate price, this restaurant is also a perfect place for small group gatherings....more people mean more great tapas to share :)

Henry I.

Great food. Good place for out of town visitors.

Gregg C.

An all-around good tapas restaurant with nice ambience, an impressive wine list and tasty food. We came here on a Saturday night and were a little surprised to find there was no wait. Plenty of people in the restaurant, but everyone was getting a table right away. Good acoustics, too, so despite the restaurant being nearly full, conversation was easy. The wine list was impressive, lots of good Spanish wines at a variety of price points. ($25 to upwards of $65) And the waiters were pretty well-informed about the selection, which is helpful when you don't know the difference between a Garnatxa and a Monastrell. (Garnatxa, as it happens, is the Spanish word for Grenache) We had a good Garnatxa-Syrah blend, not too sweet, semi-dry. And the tapas selection was equally extensive. The patatas bravas had a satisfying kick, the green bean-and-mushroom salad was crisp and fresh, the monkfish was lightly cooked and well-seasoned, and the pan tomate was topped with a sharp, flavorful Manchego cheese. We didn't try the desserts, but several of them sounded interesting, and Jaleo has a good selection of ports and sherries as well. The service was a little too laissez-faire at times -- it took a while to get the check -- but friendly and helpful. The kitchen made a mistake with one of our tapas, and the problem was promptly corrected. One caveat: The selection of vegetable-only tapas is slim, so if you don't eat meat, your options will be a little limited.

Lateasha S.

Wow, surprised by some of the low ratings. I've frequented this location and a few others in DC and I never had a bad experience. My expectations were either met or exceeded. I preferred this location because it was within walking distance from where I lived. It was a fav spot for my coworkers and I to congregate to and discuss life over amazing tapas dishes, drinks, desserts and the bread. I still stop here whenever I'm in town visiting.

Monika M.

the gazpacho and grilled vegetable sandwich were good. and the service was GREAT.

Krystina B.

After hearing good reviews and seeing that Jaleo is a Wash. Post Editor's Pick, two friends and I ended up at the Spanish chain. One word: horrible. We tried the more popular red sangria, which at $22 for a tiny carafe, tasted like clove filled water. The $42 paella was a real disappointment. The rice had no flavor and the seafood was completely overcooked. The only thing we could taste was salt and lots of it. Jaleo's only redeeming quality? It's serrano ham, which was on bread covered with a fresh tomato spread. Unfortunately, ham that I can buy from a local grocer isn't enough to give this place another star.

Tiffany D.

Not the best tapas place I've been to... but it was good... a little different from what I was used to.. the red wine sangria was a bit watered down.. and the Apple Charlotte dessert was too sweet for my taste (their FLAN on the otherhand is AMAZING!!!!!!!)... get the duck!!!.. I LOVE their seafood.. the grilled squid is DELISH!!! as is the traditional shrimps.. the scallops, the salmon... & the short ribs are a little on the salty side but very tender and yummy!!! OHHH and the quail is a MUST!!! the stuffing is SOOOO GOOD!!!! the service was quick and great :)

andrew h.

Full disclosure, I import Spanish wines and Jaleo is an indirect customer of mine. With that said, I had my mother-in-law in town and she had never been to Jaleo and given restaurant week and our late planning Penn Quarter wasn't seeming likely, so off to Crystal City... They have a wide range of tapas from mearly all regions of Spain. The menu changes at least seasonally and the portions are typically small but tasty. Squid, octopus, inards, you've got it. Sherry - Fino (dry) and Oloroso (dry but rich) white wines, red wines, sangira (usually a hit with most folks, but I find better values in the wines) they''ve got those too. Plenty of fun to be had especially if you are with a group that is flexible and willing to share and explore flavors together. I suppose it helps most folks to explain the idea of tapas but at this point any foodie, and for the matter nearly every washingtonian, has heard of and likely understands the concept of tapas, so having the server ask if we had been there before and then try to explain the idea was a bit frustrating. However, I'm glad I was warned about the changes on the menu. The menu changes are in my opinion a mixed bag. Some typical dishes like pulpo al gallego (Galician octocpus) has been eviscerated, euthanised and generally dumbed down. What is typically served on a wooden platter with a few chuncks of wonderfully toothy boiled potato now sits atop a slightly watery pile of mash. God Bless the smoked paprika which saves the dish. On the other hand the apple salad with manchego now showcases that cheese's flavor (by being run through a microplane grater) rather than its typically rubber texture. The fresh squid special was also very good, fresh and not at all over cooked. Don't miss the gazpacho (note to recreate this at home don't forget the good quality sherry vinegar) or the chocolate hazelnut mousse dessert which must be one of my favorites in washington. Still tasty and dependable, but it has lost a bit of its verve and zip.

Scott G.

The food is pretty good. But the lunch is just too expensive for the average person. $12 sandwiches? They are good, so I treat myself once a month.

Meredith R.

Admittedly, I am totally spoiled. I traveled to Barcelona twice last year and feasted on the tapas while I was there. On this side of the Atlantic, it's just not quite the same. (Sigh.) That being said, Jaleo is pretty good. I think it was listed in the Washingtonian cheap eats issue, and I'd really have to politely disagree. Those tapas dishes add up quickly! The servings are pretty small (even for tapas) so it's easy to keep ordering a bunch. (Just so you're aware of it before hand.) It is beautiful inside with nice big windows that look out onto the street. Now that summer is here, they also offer dining al fresco - a lovely option. I heartily recommend the chorizo and mashed potatoes dish. It is SOOOOOO delicious!!

Ka-Loon T.

After a month of long hours and hard work, it was great taking a breather and sitting down with coworkers for a nice relaxing meal. Of course we couldn't decide what we would want to eat, so we decided to go for tapas. Jaleo's is the first place where I've ever had tapas. While quantity is small, their food is pretty darn good. So good, that evidently, our taste buds got the better of us because the bill came to about $130 for 4 people, and quite frankly, I wasn't even full. Now chuck in some sangria or other drinks (which none of us got), and the bill would easily shoot up.

Sunny L.

Mmmm...this was really good! We ordered the following: 1) Ensalada de espinacas con anchoas, naranjas, cebolla y almendras (Spinach salad with anchovies, oranges, onions, almonds and black olives) This was excellent. I never knew that almonds and anchovies would be an amazing flavor pairing. Innovative and tasty. 2) Codorniz con allioli de miel y salsa de romero (Grilled quail with honey alioli and rosemary sauce) The quail was sooo tender and sweet. A bit bizarre eating this tiny little bird with crunchy bones (I felt like a giant eating a chicken!), but it was tasty nonetheless 3) Coca Catalana (Catalan flat bread with Spanish anchovies, onions, black olives, red peppers and Manchego cheese) My boyfriend loved this - a narrow strip of flatbread loaded with yummy toppings. It was a little too flavor-packed and salty for me, though. 4) Chorizo casero tradicional (Traditional skewer of homemade chorizo on garlic mashed potatoes) I thought that this was a tad too salty. Chorizo was good. 5) Datiles con tocino como hace todo el mundo (Traditional fritters of dates and bacon) This was tasty - dates wrapped in bacon, dipped in batter, and then deep fried. The bacon was soft and chewy. Truth be told, I would have liked it better if the bacon had been crispy (I could have done without the batter coating). Maybe I'm just used to the version at my favorite tapas place in LA, A.O.C. (which does dates stuffed with parmesan, wrapped in bacon, and baked until the dates are roasted and the bacon is crispy brown - MMM). 6) Patatas bravas (Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and alioli) Total comfort food. Would have preferred crispier potatoes though. Still, I devoured it. 7) Vieras con romesco (Scallops with Romesco sauce) This came with three pieces - the thin pieces were a bit too overdone and rubbery, but the one thick piece was perfectly cooked and tender. Excellent. The waiter was a little bit brusque, but recommended a great glass of wine. Dessert was divine - basque cake with vanilla ice milk - but by then, I was so full, I could only take a few bites. A few heaven-sent bites, that is. !Sabrosa!

Dave C.

The tapas here are mediocre at best (if you think they are good, you need to try somewhere else, like Las Tapas in Old Town). The service is fair to poor (I once had the waitress ask if everything had come out; while I'm sitting with no plates in front of me). This place is very overhyped and overrated and overpriced. The portions are small, even by tapas standards. You will leave hungry with a lighter wallet.

Gaz H.

The best meal I have had in Crystal City, hands down. Stopped in for lunch on a delightful sunny day and sat outside on a pleasantly shaded table (nice job, trees). Every bit of the food was delicious. The olive, pickle, and Manchego cheese amuse-bouche/appetizer is one of the best use of green olives I have encountered. Followed that with an inspired and flavorful pink Gaspacho with grape tomatoes and small crustini artfully arrayed in the corders of square bowls. Apple, fennel and Manchego salad was a delight, with paper-thin slices of apple and fennel. I had a tuna sandwich, served with egg slices on a crusty, impossibly narrow bread, accompanied by generous dollops of fresh mayo. Dessert was sorbet, which was much enjoyed. The espresso coffee didn't blow my socks off, but so what. Of course, none of this comes cheap and even mostly staying off the main menu and sticking with bottled mineral water to drink managed to spend $40 a head for lunch, all in. A treat, not for every day.

John C.

We have eaten here twice, and both times we were amazed with the taste of the food. This is the kind of food you eat slowly, enjoying every mouth watering bite. This is easily three or four star food as two star prices. We first ordered this salmon tomato dish (whose name escapes me). I am not a huge tomato enthusiast, but I was amazed at how delicious the tomato was. I was so enthralled with the tomato that I can't recall how the salmon tasted. We also enjoyed the grilled chicken. It was tender, and we loved the parsley puree. The sauteed spinach was also noteworthy. Quite simply, it was the best spinach I have ever had. We also ordered lambs, sausage, and trout, and all of it was absolutely delicious. As great as the food was, the service was really bad. Service is a bit more demanding at a tapas restaurant than at a normal restaurant because the customers are ordering two to three times as many dishes. In Jaleo, orders get lost. There is a Jaleo blackhole upon which orders go and never come back. They should make a Star Trek episode out of it. The first time we went, the waiter took 20 minutes to return a cocktail. think that the waiter overheard me complain to my friends, and then remembered the unfulfilled order. He also forgot an entree, and we never received it. In his defense, he did ask if we had received everything, and we had forgotten about the order also. To this day, I don't know if we were charged for the order or not. Most recently, we ordered a cocktail and the waitress never brought it out. I didn't bother to remind her because I had lost interest. A little later, I overheard the same waitress apologizing to the table beside us for forgetting about their beer order. That is 4 lost orders in two trips. Sounds like a management issue...

Jim A.

Jaleo is one of the best tapas bars in America. Period. Jose Andreas understands food - and the ever changing daily and seasonal specials are not to be missed. And almost always on the menu ... calamares a la plancha - comfort food at it's best! Good wines by the glass. The Albarino goes great with the seafood tapas. Only problem with this place is expensive parking for weekday lunch - unless you are able to Metro there. Service can be slow. So what! Enjoy the olives, bread and fruity olive oil - and contemplate the next order. I've dined in Madrid, Barcelona, Costa del Sol, etc. This is the REAL DEAL! JcA

Ross R.

This place used to be so much better, but that time was so long ago. When the Crystal City Jaleo opened, the food was tip top notch and the service was good. Since then, the overall quality has declined. We went with a large group this past weekend and I can't say much has changed since the last time I was there, perhaps 2 years ago. The service was fair, the tapas were ok, although the overall quality has declined in the last few years. Then there was the paella. This $35 dish is meant to serve 2-4 people. There is no way this dish could serve one person, because it was disgusting. This dish was closer to risotto than paella. They used the wrong kind of rice, they cooked it in the wrong kind of pan. The chicken in this dish was chopped up into tiny little pieces and the cartiledge hadn't been cleaned. The mushrooms were horribly wilted and gritty like they hadn't been well cleaned. When we pointed this out the the server, he only shrugged and removed it from the table.

Byron C.

Great food, but since it is a tapas restaurant, should only dine in parties of 4 or less. I was there with a large group of 8+, way too large to get a decent portion of everything ordered. Very friendly service.

Alain L.

Awful is the only word that comes to mind. I am not sure what has happened to this establishment but it is a shame. I have been going to Jaleo for years and it continues to disappoint. The food is just not what it used to be and certainly not worth the price. Specifically, I ordered fried dates with bacon which was served 5 minutes after I placed the order, meaning that they weren't freshly made. For the price they charge I expect more than food that has been sitting under heat lamps. I also ordered a piece of cod, which was hard, stringy and tasteless. It took me several minutes just to chew it, and I sent it back. The other dishes we ordered (e.g. chicken croquette and cod croquette) were equally uninspired.

Melissa B.

I recently stopped into Jaleo on my last business trip to DC. A friend of mine highly recommended it. I was unfortunately disappointed. I ordered 3 different plates and the only one that stood out was the calamari because it was cold and not very tasty. The service was dismal which was weird because we got there well before any type of dinner rush and there were servers within sight at every moment of our visit. Unfortunately, the servers were congregated together chatting so their attention wasn't on the diners. After reading some of the other reviews, maybe we just happened in on an off-night. Perhaps if we had gone in during a rush the servers would have been on their toes and the food would have been more fresh. In any case, I won't go out of my way to go there again next time I'm in DC.

kathryn m.

Just enjoyed drinks and tapas here tonight. I feel as though the ambiance is mostly appealing by the company kept. They are currently featuring 'tomatino' until the 12th - get out and enjoy!

Roxy B.

I went here during happy hour, so tapas and sangria were $4 (which I have to say is all they are worth) My friends and I sampled 7 different tapas, none of which were amazing, but all were pretty decent. Our faves were patatas bravas and the fried dates. The least fave was the potato wrapped chorizo... it was just weird tasting, and I usually love chorizo so I was surprised I didn't like it. The sangria was so-so.. definitely nothing like authentic sangria from Spain, that's for sure. It tasted kind of watery and like they had added club soda to it. There was also only one sangria available on the happy hour menu ("classic") and it would have been nice to have a wider variety like La Tasca offers. But, I thought the tapas were a pretty decent size and more flavorful than those at La Tasca. We had 10 tapas total as dinner for a group of four, and we were all satisfied afterwards. I'd go back, but it's only worth it during happy hour. * Oh, I should note that if you love mayonaisse you will enjoy several of the tapas, such as the calimari, that use mayo as dipping sauce. As strange as it sounds, this I can say is authentic Spanish cuisine... they LOVE mayo. At least my host family did when I was there.

Peter M.

Ahhh, Spanish Tapas. (Appitizer plates) This is a new outgrowth of the fabulous Jaleo in Downtown DC. The menu is similar, in that you recieve small portions, enough for one or two people to share, at a lower price. On average, you need three or four items each to fill up. It's definately popular with the 30 something set, and it's a unique experience if you've never been. The food is well prepared, and for Tapas, the portion size is just right. I highly recommend a group of three or four, so you can each try all the different menu items. You might find something you're not used to, but the meals are pretty authentic to their Spanish roots. They are also one of the few restaurants I know who make their own Sangria. =) About the only bad points I can give them is that their bar, while large and fully stocked - extends down one entire wall of the restaurant. That can make for a very loud Friday or Saturday evening dinner. So loud, that you may not hear your fellow dinners asking to pass a plate. One of the endearing facts are, that they from time to time - have the local dance studio come, and have flamingo dancers parade and dance around the dining area. This is extremely fun to watch and adds to their celebration atmosphere. Watch for their specials, and watch for their tastings. Last year's cheese tasting was a lot of fun, and it was a really good time. Jaleo, I give you two ears, and a tail! Olay!

Stephan O.

Slllllloooooowwwww service. Tapas were good for the most part. The dates wrapped in bacon and fried were very tasty. The calamari was not so good - and the sauce it came with was slightly more flavorful than mayonnaise. .

Melissa B.

My husband is from Spain and he loved this place! As did I! Beautiful atmosphere! Great prices! And amazing, authentic Spanish dishes. We got the arroz a banda paella and it was as close as u can get to the real thing! We also had the mussels, tortilla de la patata, and the bread with Serrano. The flavors were so amazing and could match any pallet whether u r Spanish or not. It makes my mouth water to think about it! And it is not super expensive. Everything I listed (which fed 3) was around $60. Go here! Authentic and just plain delicious food!

Chrystina Z.

Best thing on the menu is fried dates wrapped in bacon. To be fair, anything wrapped in bacon and then deep fried is sure to be a winner. I sort of hate tapas. I'm capable of sharing full-size portions, and it's a lot easier than trying to split 3 miniature croquetas among a table of 4. I digress. Marinated duck confit with pear sauce, served atop rice, is decent. Also tried the soft goat's milk (Caña de cabra, D.O. Murcia) served with apricot and some type of cracker. Eh, can you ever mess up cheese? Only when you go non-fat. Asparagus was asparagus. Sangria was typical. Nothing I especially loved here. I hate the location. Hate it.

Jason H.

Came for happy hour and sat at the bar. Had the endive, orange, and goat cheese tapa which was good but nothing to write home about. Followed that with the squid in its ink tapa which was excellent - tender with a great sauce. The rice though that came with it was too crunchy for my taste. Ended with the garlic shrimp that left me with a taste in my mouth that was really unpleasant. Service also left a lot to be desired slow and got my order wrong. I think the empire is getting too big.

Kelly G.

1 star gambas ajillo, papas arrugas, calamari, & croquetas. 1 star sangria and strong V&Ts 1 star lively atmosphere and colorful decor -1 star surly bartender who served us the $8.50/glass cabernet but charged us for the $11.50/glass cabernet (BOO!) -1 star smoke at the bars. [FYI all Virginia bars who do not independently outlaw this will receive -1star from Kelly G. until the state law goes into effect.]

Shaun T.

Food is pretty good but not amazing. For the price I'd go somewhere else.

K S.

I guess I don't get the tapas thing, at least as interpreted in the US. I've been to Spain, and had tapas for dinner, but at like 9:00 at night. After eating a big lunch mid-day. And they were cheaper. For some reason, lots of local publications put Jaleo on their "cheap eats" list, but that's a total misrepresentation. Yes, many of the tapas are great, and individually they're inexpensive, but if you order enough to make even a light meal, plus a glass of wine or sangria, you're easily past the $20/person mark. I can see returning here for a happy hour, or late-afternoon weekend lunch with girlfriends where you get into one of those unspoken contests over who can eat the least, but it just doesn't do it for me as a lunch or dinner spot. If you do stop here (and I'm not saying you shouldn't, just that you shouldn't come hungry), I can vouch for the patatas bravas, the garlic shrimp, the red peppers stuffed with goat cheese, and the asparagus soup...all very good.

David M.

Fantastic Tapas! Visiting friends in DC and with no reservations rolled in at 9 pm to Jaleo for tapas and their sangria! Ordered a variety of tapas; jamon Iberico, pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso, and vieeras con romesco y mojo verde were the most memorable. Everying we ordered was fastantic and the sangria topped it off! highly recommended for groups at dinner!

Carolyn S.

Hubby and I shared 5 tapas - we were full after 4! The waiter had suggested we order at least 3 or 4 a piece, but we were glad we limited it to a total of 5. The dishes really were all quite small, but we found we didn't need any more than that to fill us up. We ordered a chilled creamy white bean soup with crab (quite unique flavors), a warm green bean salad with apples and apricots (perfect vegetable dish with just the right amount of sweet), grilled chicken with pesto (only 4 bite-sized pieces of chicken on the plate, but very moist), pork sausage with white beans and garlic aioli (wouldn't order that again- a bit dry), and their famous spicy shrimp (good). Dishes just come out to the table whenever they're cooked, no particular order or timing as far as we could tell. Friendly service.

Jake K.

We went here last night in order to celebrate a friend's friend's birthday. Overall, not a bad experience. We ordered many dishes but above all, we had the seafood paella. AWESOME as always and gives me a reason to keep coming back. Since we had 30 in the party, I know it was a bit difficult for the servers to keep up - but honestly, you can split our damn checks. Don't tell me that you insist on keeping it to one check per table just because you want to guarantee the 18% gratuity. Hence, four stars. You're lucky your paella keeps me coming back!!!

Brad Z.

I've noticed a lot of yelpers mentioning that they'd like to try the Paella next time. Here's a tip, don't bother. We ordered about eight tapas that were all very good, but my reason for selecting Jaleo was to try the Paella, and boy was I disappointed. We ordered the traditional chicken and mushroom Paella. Rather than yellow spanish rice, the rice itself was more like risotto and seemed undercooked...a weird texture that was mealy in the middle with none of the crunchiness that a good paella has from the rice browning on the bottom of the pan. The whole mixture was rather gooey--almost like the texture of americanized chinese brownsauce thickened with cornstarch. The chicken was rather tough and boring, and the mushrooms really didn't stand out. The server dutifully asked us how the Paella was, and I honestly told him what I mentioned above. "Oh" was his reply, and then he asked us if we thought it was too salty. But that was it, and out came the check. I don't typically complain about food unless I really don't like it (and me leaving a whole plate of food is pretty indicative that I really didn't like it), but when I have in the past, usually there is a bit more follow up at a restuarant the caliber of Jaleo. I expected better.

mike c.

I have never been so overwhelmed by such a complete evening of the unremarkable. Jaleo was fine. Just fine. The food was fine, the servers were fine, the atmosphere was... fine. I guess if I tripped over something and found myself seated at Jaleo I wouldn't leave. Tapas, as per usual, were a logistical nightmare. The restaurant thoughtfully neglected to make our ordering any easier by providing any sort of writing utensil. We resorted to marking what we wanted on the menu using bread crumbs. That's right, one of the most memorable parts of this meal was the Hansel and Grettle-inspired menu marking. Would a few golf pencils kill you people? As with any astonishingly average tapas place, stick to the Chorizo and bizarre salads and you'll be in good shape. Throw in a few potato-based olive oil marshes and you're in for a culinary thrill ride about as exciting as your local plastic playground slide.

Chris F.

Overall, our dinner at Jaleo was good, and everything was prepared well, but wasn't our taste on most of the dishes we tried. We would likely try it again, and probably will. First off, the cocktails were excellent, one gin & tonic and another that was sherry-based. The tapas were all recommended to us and were definitely tapas-sized, although some were main-portion priced ($12-16, depending on the item). The best plate we tried was the bacon-wrapped dates with goat cheese, absolutely incredible. I thought the patatas were delicious, but there was a mixed review of that. As mentioned, everything was a little expensive, but the decor is really cool. Spanish, but with a modern, urban feel. There was a hair in our food, but I'm tolerant...if you want your female servers wearing hairnets, I think this is pretty unavoidable, regardless of how nice the place is.

Valarie G.

Service was bad as well as the food...won't be back

Eugene O.

The food is a little bit better than the rating suggests (prob. 3.5 stars in quality), but it is incredibly overpriced, even for a tapas place. First, the Sangria (had the red) is good; however, a half carafe (at 15 a pop) will only get you 2 small cocktail glasses of the stuff. I could live with that if the food provided some value, but then the dishes started coming out - $10 for three small scallops? $9 for four small shrimp? Both were lacking in terms of flavor and enjoyment. I did really enjoy the Bacon-wrapped dates, they were fantastic and you got a fair number of them on the dish. The Patatas Bravas was good as well. Everything else was relatively bland (the asparagus, chicken croquettes, and the octopus). Didn't get the dessert and didn't really want to after the experience of the meal. I usually love tapas, but Jaleo didn't do it for me. It seems just a little too trendy and I don't get why people rave about it. The food is nothing special, a lot of the menu is overpriced, and there are just so many better options around that I don't see myself going again. The service was fairly good, but they definitely tried the oversell (3-4 per person, which was too much food) and spent too much time explaining the concept of tapas to me because I made the mistake of saying this was my first time to Jaleo (I've been to many others). All in all, it's just not worth it.

greg p.

Customer service during happy hour was mediocre. Nice atmosphere.

Karen B.

Love Jaleo! The food is fabulous. It can get a bit pricy, if you're not careful, but it is definitely fun to do every now and then.

DJ S.

I was just here the other night for a Christmas party (which had been postponed due to a recent snowpocalypse) and I have to admit, I'm a fan. While there are many places to venture to throughout the area, Jaleo is relatively low key and reasonably priced. The atmosphere is pleasant and the staff is kind and courteous all the way around. You can have a conversation without being drowned out by other patrons and the decor offers a little something for everyone. Having been there a few times now, the above mentioned seems to be fairly consistent and worth the 4 start mention. The tapas are great, the paella is some of the BEST, and the sangrias are worth having a few (...and of course drinking responsibly).

Ashleigh F.

Just got back from lunch at Jaleo, and I was really impressed. I had the lunch combo with the grilled cheese and Apple, Fennel and Manchego salad and it was SO FREAKING GOOD. First of all, the salad was extremely fresh and the flavors were really unique. A regular lettuce salad get old, but this salad came to the table and I was like HUH?, but then soon realized that I really didn't care what was in it because it tasted so good. The grilled cheese was amazing. This grilled cheese puts all other grilled cheese sandwiches to shame. It had manchego, murcia, picón and goat cheese with truffle oil. MMMM...It was so creamy and flavorful, with no "orange cheese" to be seen. There was also a garlicy, sweet creamy sauce on the plate that was delicious. My friends had some watermelon gazpacho that they also said was really good. The actual restaurant was nice. Nothing particularly great about it, but our waiter was very friendly and polite and filled our water glasses quickly. Also, we were seated right away, which was good as we were headed back to work afterwards. All in all, I have to say that lunch at Jaleo was awesome. I will definitely go back. NOTE: Take a stick of gum or some mints if you are going to order the grilled cheese. You will be prepared for a zombie attack because your breath will reeeeek of garlic! (It's worth it though!)

Gregg B.

Love this location, close by parking, usual have a table a day or so out. The food is always good, the drinks tasty. Reasonable prices for the area. Good for a date night.

Amy K.

I was impressed, despite this place being a chain. I was a couple blocks away for a work conference and ended up here two nights in a row. The first night we caught the happy hour. Their happy hour menu is really extensive and has a lot of great options. My favorite dishes of the night, however, were on the regular menu. There was a blackfooted pig sausage with white beans that was to die for. The flavor of the sausage was complex and delicious and the beans balanced the fattier flavor (in the best sense) of the meat. My second favorite was the samorejo cordobes. This is a thicker version of gazpacho with a poached egg and serrano ham. I'm a sucker for eggs (especially perfectly poached eggs) in soup. And the creamy consistency with the salty ham was good enough to prompt me to order it the next night! We also tried nearly all the desserts...we made flan lovers out of two friends that previously hated the stuff. The apple cake was also really delicious and had that comforting flavor/texture you seek from apple desserts. My second night at Jaleo, I had even better customer service than the first. The manager made sure we were comfortable with the menu, approved our selections, and even brought us two complementary boards of cured meats ($15-22 each). I'd definitely go back to this place, and I'm sad it's all the way in Virginia.

Douglas O.

Overall food was very tasty, service was good. The White and Red Sangria both were flavorful and enjoyable to drink. The Tapas, a bit on the overpriced end, and not very flavorful. Items I did enjoy were the Croquette Pollo, Fried bacon wrapped figs, and the goat cheese stuffed peppers. Again, a bit overpriced, 3 people, 1 carafe of sangria, $180 including tip.

Kolina T.

It's restaurant week in D.C.!!! Too bad cab rides to all the different places from Crystal City would have been $30 round trip. This place is a 5 minute walk from the Crystal City Hyatt, so it was easily accessible to me, even though I nearly froze with this winter freeze we're having. The sangria is delicious, though it tasted more like juice than wine. Despite the restaurant week's fixed price menu, my coworker and I ordered from the regular menu: duck confit with pear sauce, rossija (pasta paella with squid), butterfish with.. something, and lamb chops. While the food was tasty, it wasn't spectacular. That said, I'd go again for the convenience factor (and the company's per diem), but there are a LOT of convenient places to go in Crystal City. I did enjoy La Tasca in Old Town Alexandria more, as the food was more interesting and the flamenco was a hit.

Beth H.

This restaurant was an absolute delight. The decor, while bright, it warm and not at all overwhelming. I enjoyed the consistency of their rose motif in the menus, upholstery, etc. We started the meal with a carafe of the red sangria, which was happily flecked with apples, and was not overly sweet. We the bread with tomatoes and Serrano ham and a selection of all the cheeses. The bread was good although I wouldn't have minded a little more flavor from the ham. The cheeses were pleasant, nothing I would write home about. The rice with the duck confit and foie gras cream was....mmm....We also had the garlic shrimp which the waiter reccommended. They were garlic shrimp, good but I've had it before. The two superstars of the evening were the octopus with itty bitty potatoes and the grilled quail. The octopus was so flavorful and tender, really quite delicate and a lovely surprise. The quail was redolent with rosemary, tender and melted in the mouth. The honey aioli was well balanced with the bird. We finished with the flan and the basque cake. Good, but like the shrimp, had it before. The wait staff was great, always there when I needed something, dirty plates did not linger, but they were not in my face and I largely felt alone with the boy. The waiter gave solid recommendations, on the safe side but no disappointments. I will definitely be back!

K F.

Was there for early dinner, 2/28. Good menu, but skip the Rossejat! Billed as small serving, paella substitute, was made with chopped angel hair pasta. Looked like a gooey mess, with no distinguishable flavor; was just not good. May have been acceptable if made with a rice-like pasta, such as orzo. All else was tasty and service was excellent. Watch out, those dishes add up! Bill went to $$$$ for just 2 of us with 2 beers, 2 glasses of wine.

Carol S.

Happy hour seven days a week with great tapas and neat drinks. Awesome Sunday brunch :) Friendly bar staff.

Crista Y.

i liked Jaleo, and given that it is Jose Andres' restaurant I had expectations that were elevated above normal. still i am simple and easy to please when it comes to food. Jaleo was pretty good but a bit too pricey . still i would go back and recommend it, but as a splurge

Ashley T.

More like 1.5 stars. This. Place. Was. AWFUL. I am literally laughing as I write this, because it was so bad I passed the point of being mad about it- I just have to laugh. Just so ridiculous. The ambiance of this space is really great- big vaulted ceilings, bright open space, modern deocor... and that's where all the good things end for me. Let's start with the service. Not only was our server extremely forgetful and inattentive (I LOVE waiting 25 minutes for a beer), but on the rare moments she managed to take the time to check in on our table, she was completely rude. Spilled water all over my girlfriend and just walked away- didn't even apologize or offer a napkin. We actually had to walk over to the server station and get one. My other friend cut off part of her shrimp and this gooey brown liquid came pouring out. She asked the server if that was normal, and the server says, "I don't know, the food here is weird. Just try it." Um... seriously? Now on to the food. 5 people, 2 tapas each. 10 dishes. Not ONE dish was even more than half finished by our entire table. The food was just awful. I went simple, because we had already been there for so long waiting on our server I was just starving and wanted something easy. I got the grilled chicken and the chorizo. I figure two of the safest things on the menu, there's no way these can be bad. Wrong. The chicken was so burned you couldn't even cut some of the pieces off. The portions that weren't as burned were absolutely smothered in oil... I literally almost gagged, it tasted like I put a spoonful of Crisco in my mouth. The chorizo, on the other hand... completely uncooked! ICE COLD, the entire thing- not just the middle. It didn't even have any cooking marks on it! I asked the server about it (my mistake, again) and she said that's the way they all are, and walked off. I sincerely doubt serving raw pork products to customers is business as usual, but who knows? At this point, I wouldn't be surprised. My gf had these fried chicken pieces (like fried chicken pot pie- we didn't realize), again completely uncooked in the middle and tasted like cat food. The only good thing I ate there was the strawberry sorbet at the end, which was fresh and nice. However, I certainly don't appreciate paying $90 for one of the worst meals and service I've ever had. Our entire table went out for a second dinner because it was that bad. It's safe to say you couldn't pay me to eat here again.

Grace B.

Meh ok. BUT GUESS WHAT? We saw a cute little black mouse running out of the kitchen to hide underneath one of the trash bins. I don't know why people like Jaleo so much. It's only smaller portioned food with lots of oil/butter. what's the deal-o? Tonight, we had: 1) potatoes roasted in chili sauce 2) lamb choppies 3) olives 4) gray potatoes in green chutney 5) garlic shrimp 5) chicken crottequettes 6) some tater tot looking white fish thing Not one of them really stood out. I'd say the garlic shrimp was the best though my husband may argue that the lamp choppies were the best. whatevs. Did i mention the cute mouse?

Chris K.

Over priced. I have eaten at all the Jaelo's on multiple occasions and while the food is good, the prices seems to have gone up and the portions seem to have gone down. The final straw was an order of Murcia al vino cheese ($6) to close off the meal. The cheese arrived well presented and consisted of 2 very thin slivers of cheese. This must be an accident? Our server advised this was the standard portion size and muttered that Murcia was an "expensive cheese". Indeed the menu disclaims that portions are a mere 1/2 ounce! This prices the cheese at a whooping $192 a pound!!!! (Murica is available at any decent cheese shop for $17 a pound). Our server got a meager tip, failing at the job to steer me with their own food tip and to avoid the rip off level of cheese prices. Needless to say this was my last visit to Jaelo and you should save yourself the trouble as well.

Regina M.

I have been to Jaleo many times and always enjoyed myself. This was the first time in awhile that I have been there and I was pretty disappointed. We had 6 tapas dishes and they just didn't do it for me. And a couple of them were among my tried and true favorites. Don't know that I will go back...pretty expensive for a "generic," at best, meal.

E E.

I have been increasingly disappointed by Jose Andres restaurants, but I obviously don't learn and return to his restaurants to be disappointed again. I am being somewhat critical since I place Jose Andres in a higher caliber than most chefs in DC. Last night's tapas array: Iberico Ham: I adore Iberico ham. What was wrong with these? Well, slicing technique - shredded pieces of Iberico. Sure, I still devoured them but I expect more than 3 shredded slices of Iberico. Seared bay scallops: Great presentation, placed in the shell reminding me of Little Mermaid. Scallops were overcooked (I think this is the theme in his restaurants) and the pistachios, raspberries and red beet dressing was so dry that it just stuck to the shell. Yellowtail Kingfish: Fishy, fishy, fishy!!! Tasted like cheap canned sardines Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions: Average, nothing spectacular. So once again, I will vow myself not to go to his restaurants unless I happen to be in LA so I can swing by The Bazzar.

Mariah C.

This place was the one ray of sunshine in my recent trip to the DC area. Just as the previous reviewer, we were stranded in VA during the horrible snow storm. We had come into town for a friend's graduation, and his treat to us all to thank us for traveling so far to be with him was dinner at Jaleo. First of all, I loved the decor walking in! The Spanish tiles and details were fab! The bar was MASSIVE, and made for a great focal point of the restaurant. We started out with pitchers of sangria all around, and I have to say, it was great! Light, fruity, delicious! We decided to attack the tapas menu "family style", ordering several items then passing them around to share. Everything that crossed my lips that night was delicioso, but I have to say, my absolute favorite were the patatas bravas and the chorizo. If you live in the area, or are just visiting as we were, please stop in Jaleo, you'll be glad you did!

Steven K.

The food is excellent. The decor is comfortable. For for me, tapas can be problematic when you're dining alone. I started with a salad of apples, fennel, Manchego cheese, walnuts and a Sherry dressing. The apples were sliced almost paper thin and were really kind of fun to eat. The fennel also was sliced thin, but not as thin as the apples. Besides the slices, there also were pieces of diced apples and fennel in the salad. This was a fairly large serving of salad, truly ample for two people. My next item was piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese and grilled. It was served on a pepper puree. I think this was my favorite item. The flavors were fantastic. This also was the smallest item. If two people shared it, they'd each get just a tantalizing sample. My final item was seared salmon with pomegranate on a cauliflower puree. The salmon was perfectly cooked - flaky and moist. The pomegranate seeds added an unusual texture as well as a tart flavor. My only quibble about this dish was the cauliflower puree. There was a flavor in it that tried to dominate and didn't blend well with the fish. This was a nice sized portion that could have been split by two people. So all told, this was a very good meal, and about the right amount of food. But the next time I have tapas, either here or elsewhere, I'll do it with a group (or at least one other person).

Sean O.

Meh, this place was just OK. This strip of restaurants is a big improvement to Crystal City's dismal city scape (but not enough to make me like it, still.) Jaleo was a good addition to this corporate driven area. Yes, I guess it is a chain now, and I hate when cool, local places from the city open up branches in the burbs (at least I think Chinatown was their first location.) but at lest it is not a place you can eat anywhere in the US. The space is huge with really tall ceilings and over sized mirrors and curtains. It is swanky, but it somehow seems cold and suburban still. I think it just looks too new. In contrast to the huge space, the tables are small and cramped. The tapas we OK, a little too 'Americanized' and didn't compare to Spain at all. (After living in Barcelona and traveling Spain for 4 months it's hard to impress me.) I got the calamari which was pretty good except that it was breaded. I wasn't expecting that. Yuck. I also got the asparagus. It was good. After eating my 2 tapas and some bread I left feeling really stuffed and gross. I guess that's my fault. The waiter was really slow and maybe over worked. He took forever to take our order and give us our check. The bus boy was really fast, though. He brought out the food in a timely fashion. I won't be running back to Jaleo anytime soon. If I do return, it will be at the Chinatown location.

Brandy F.

I really feel like any place with so many items on the menu will have some hits and misses, but I tried to remember this is a tapas restaurant and people want a number of choices. The gazpacho was a definite hit and what bumped this rating up to 4 stars. It was just what I needed on a terribly hot summer day. I also enjoyed the potatoes bravas. I tried the cod fritters, but I would not order them again. I was dining with one other person, so we only ordered a few plates to sample. I would definitely return if I was in the area, as there were some tasty sounding dishes on the menu, and I would like to try the paella.

Brenda L.

I went to Jaleo this past Sunday for sangria and some appetizers with a co-worker. I was surpised to find we were just in time for the last stretch of happy hour. We ordered a full carafe of sangria and some tapas off of the happy hour menu. Sangria was poured right away and our tapas arrived in a timely manner. The tapas were delicious. I distinctly remember the manchego fritters with guava sauce and some type of white cheese and it was so good. We finished our food and were slowly sipping on our sangria talking story when in the left corner of my eye I see something moving. I look down to see what I thought was a fly but NO! It was a flipping ROACH!! Yes, a roach at the bar. I was so disgusted. The bartender killed it off not too far from me right on the bar and he looked pretty embarassed. A few minutes later the manager came out to speak with us and explained because of the weather change they had been having some issues with roaches because apparently it's their mating season or something. She said they were going to have an exterminator come in that day. She then apologized again and walked off. Her explanation did nothing for me. A moment later she came back and told us they would take 3 tapas off of our bill and a coupon to come back (buy 1 tapa get 1 free). Honestly, I feel we should've gotten all of our tapas taken off the bill and just paid for the carafe of sangria. I will not be stepping foot in this establishment ever again and I suggest you do the same unless you want to have friendly encounters with little critters.

Shen C.

If you love salty food, this is the place for you. We tried about 8-9 different kinds of tapas. Everything was either too salty or just plain lacking in flavor. The most disappointing was the "famous" shrimp sauteed with garlic. It tasted like it was sauteed with garlic and then dipped in salt. I would have given the food a 1 star, but I did enjoy the grilled quail dish. It comes with a pretty good honey aioli... but my taste buds may have been deceiving me since I had pretty much been licking on salt the whole night prior to ordering the quail.

Richard K.

I eat at a lot of tapas places, this one was firmly in the 'OK' category. The food was good if overpriced. The portion size for the manchengo cheese was tiny, the chorizo was pretty uninspiring but the chicken fritters and potatas bravas were well done. Salt cod balls were so so. Service was very good, the restaurant itself is big and doesn't feel very homely or traditional like a good tapas place should.

Lindsay C.

I was in town for work and a group of us took some clients here since we were staying in Crystal City and it's kind of slim pickins. Overpriced and overrated yes. I was especially disappointed by the paella (shouldn't this be one of their specialties?) hearing exclamations of "mmm this tastes like rice-a-roni" put me over the edge, especially for the $35+ price tag. One of my favs was the bacon wrapped dates mmm, but then again everything is better with bacon involved. The Sangria was also tasty.

Ken W.

I brought my girlfriend here for our Valentine's dinner. Neither of us had been there before. We both had an amazing time. Positives 1. We had an excellent waitress (think her name was Alicia). She was attentive, but not too attentive so as to interrupt conversation. She offered helpful food and drink suggestions when asked. She accurately described the drinks and tapas that we ordered and we had a better idea of what we were tasting as a result. Finally, she was understanding and responsive to our dietary restrictions. Her work allowed us to relax and have a good time. 2. Our chef came out to us, introduced himself, and asked if we had any requests or dietary restrictions. He had a very friendly manner. We felt confident in his hands. It was a nice personal touch. 3. The pomegranate drink was very tasty. The wine pairing option was spot-on. 4. The food we had was fantastic (we ordered the tasting menu). Textures and tastes were combined well, and with elan. Great quality, also great quantity (five courses, each course with 3-4 small dishes). I very much recommend this place. I especially recommend ordering the tasting menu if they are offering it--it felt like a journey through Spain, and that's the idea, right?

Zach W.

Jaleo fits the billing for a typical upscale DC-metro restaurant: overpriced, inauthentic, and bland, both in terms of food and style. I went to Jaleo for the first time on Saturday night with a group of 9. Tapas is well-suited for larger groups, given the communal nature of the way these Spanish dishes are served. The idea is to nibble and pass. Which is exactly what i'm doing now. Nibble. Pass. Next, please. Jaleo in Crystal City is situated on what I've come to think of as Crystal City's Mediocre Row -- a little sister to Pentagon City's Pentagon Row. Every restaurant on this strip lures you with promising menus and award-winning chefs, but then disappoints with uninspiring dishes and small portions. Part of the problem could be the post-apocalyptic feel of Pentagon and Crystal City; it's just hard to feel at home amid such desolate and lonely towers of concrete and glass. The Tapas at Jaleo were fine, really. The food was adequate -- I didn't eat anything that I didn't like, but I wasn't blown away either. After quickly consuming numerous miniature dishes of shrimp, mussels, and various meats, a group of us ordered the chicken and mushroom Paella. The presentation was nice, with the server bringing out a giant skillet and serving each plate directly therefrom. But this famous Spanish rice dish was just OK -- something about it actually turned me off, but I was too hungry from the Tapas teasers to care. The atmosphere at Jaleo is sterile and (to use this word again) inauthentic. The ceilings are really high and the windows enormous, thereby detracting from the cozy, stuffy, and appealingly crowded feel that I usually think of when I go for Tapas. The tables are far apart as well, further isolating patrons from one another (in typical Pentagon/Crystal City fashion). By the time we left, the place had at least filled up, but when we arrived at 7pm, it was half empty...on a Saturday night. After visiting numerous Tapas spots in the US over the years, I'm beginning to accept that the only way to do Tapas right is to go to Spain, and stop pretending.

Len P.

I strongly dislike giving any establishment a single star, especially one with a great location, good menu and that overall appears to be clean but this restaurant failed utterly during my one dining visit there on both service and food quality. While I've eaten at the DC location, and enjoyed it, the Crystal City establishment clearly has a different philosophy when it comes to customer service as my group of friends and I experienced no end of problems during our single dinner there a couple of weeks ago. Examples of what went wrong: Attempting to deliver the wrong dishes to our table repeatedly, never bringing dishes that were repeatedly ordered, never bringing out drink orders, not providing refills, incorrectly cooking a well done steak twice (rare both times), long (15-20 minutes or so) pauses during which the waiters were absent, the manager hiding in the kitchen from numerous angry customers (not just from our table). This is not an exhaustive list, but I think you get the picture. From looking around our table others were experiencing the same types of problems. Frankly after the dining experience we had there I cannot recommend ANYONE eat at this restaurant for any reason. I live roughly 1-2 blocks from it and the next time I want tapas I'll be going to La Tasca in Old Town or elsewhere, because Jaleo is now a Hell-No for me. I have had drinks there a few times in the past and while the bar can be a bit slow it's tolerable. Back to the dining experience - for the dishes that were cooked correctly, food quality was "ok" but certainly not up to the standards of the DC location (which rate as "good") or comparable to the numerous other tapas options in the area.

Janie H.

I attend the same conference every April in Crystal City and yet somehow this restaurant had passed me by until this year and my only regret is that I did not discover it sooner. It was a very enjoyable evening with very attentive service and food that was definitely above average. It was Sunday and they had an All You can Eat Paella special going. For $18 you got 4 courses -- a great deal for DC area. The first course was a yummy gazpacho, followed by your choice of one of 3 salads (we had the beet salad which included pistachios and it was excellent), then you could have as much paella as you wanted. The paella was good, but I had hoped for slightly better. Not disappointing and still flavorful, but not outstanding. The final course was a light, fluffy flan that was just the right size (small but flavorful). I will definitely return, perhaps before the end of the conference as I would like try their tapas as well.

Paige M.

Lunch, dinner, this place is packed! I was drawn inside after seeing the diners on the patios enjoying some delectable small portions. Almost everyone had a Mojito. I made it to the bar for a drink, but unfortunately the wait was too long for a table to try anything more.

Jeff S.

Glutard Friendly! If you have read my other reviews you know I am dating a glutard. This is a girl who cannot eat Wheat. Well she can eat it but she gets bloated a little puffy and doesnt poop for a day or two, thus we try to stay away from anti-glutard places. We were ordering food and I asked if one of the dishes had wheat in it, the waiter suddenly grabbed our menus ran away and came back with a "Glutard" menu. It had lots of glutard dishes and it was good. Overall the food is in general good but because they allow for a non-puffy girlfriend its even better!

Whitney M.

I would normally rank Jaleo higher, more like 5 stars, however I wanted to review their special New Year's Eve celebration. When asked where to go for dinner in the DC Metro area by a friend who would be visiting from Connecticut I immediately recommended Jaleo. We love the place, and so far haven't ordered anything on their tapas menu that we haven't completely adored. Originally we made reservations through Open Table for 8:30pm. Last week some time, an employee from Jaleo's called me and asked if we would like to push our reservation back to the second seating and take part in the New Year's Eve celebration. The $75/person included unlimited tapas, dessert, a cava toast at midnight, part favors, and the 12 grapes that's a good luck tradition in Spain. The unlimited tapas was worth the $75/person so instantly we accepted. We arrived early on New Years Eve, so we had about a 45 minute wait at the bar until we were able to be seated. Not bad, we enjoyed a half carafe of their red wine sangria, which I think is very good. We were seated at 9:00pm sharp, but were unable to actually order food for another 10-15 minutes because the computer system had to be changed over. They did have a limited menu of tapas, but it had a fairly good selection of some of their more popular dishes. I was slightly disappointed that they didn't offer as many of their hot vegetarian dishes. While I'm not a vegetarian, I do find them enjoyable and thought that the menu was a bit skewed and not as "nutritous" as it could have been. The food itself was excellent (as always). We were particularly fond of the patatas bravas, and I adore the manchego and apple salad. It took until nearly 11:30 for me to get my quail, but it did eventually arrive. Which brings me to why I had to score the Jaleo New Year's Eve only three stars. The ordering process wasn't particularly well organized and the food runners didn't seem to understand where the food was going. All the tables placed their orders at the same time so it was increasingly confusing where the food was supposed to go. We were approached several times by food runners who produced tapas that we didn't order but insisted were to come to our table. We got several orders of the same thing and some of the things we ordered specifically never arrived. It seemed disorganized and I wondered if this was the first time that they had tried something like this. Luckily, I don't believe that the chef is capable of producing a bad dish so we were pleased with everything that was brought to us. However, if you're planning on having dinner at Jaleo I would highly recommend eating there on an evening where there is no event planned. We've eaten at both the Washington, D.C. and the Crystal City locations and have never had bad or disorganized service at either one. Because I didn't mention it before... which ever location you eat at, be sure to get the flan for dessert. It is to die for. (Coming from a non-flan eater)

Tivoli G.

I always have an awesome experience at Jaleo. Have been to both locations several time, and the food and service is always great. My favorite location is the one in Crystal City though - the ambiance and interior decorating is just more fun than the location downtown. Plus, the menu is always changing, so there's sometimes a chance to try something new. Hands down, my favorite thing on the menu is the white sangria.

Eileen A.

The vegetable paella was tasty although salty and a bit oily. The wait staff was attentive at the beginning of the meal but slacked off towards the end. Overall a good experience but doesn't quite deserve 5 stars.

Joshua W.

After a cross country flight sitting next to some guy that had to nicknamed "Bubba," I really needed some food and a drink once I got to DC. I wandered over to Jaleo, and it definitely hit the spot. Was I wowed? Not really. But was I satisfied with my meal? Definitely. The décor of the place is very open and modern, and the place seemed to be full of the young hipsters with a few old yuppies thrown in for good measure. They had a pretty good wine selection, a below average beer selection, and a menu that had a wide variety of options. While perusing the menu, I noticed that there were a lot of options available that you could find at pretty much any Spanish tapas restaurant you visit across the country. There wasn't anything on the menu that made me stop and say "Wow, I can't believe they have this. It looks so good." I had the sausage w/ white beans, chorizo wrapped in potato, and shrimp w/ chili flakes, all of which were quite good. I noticed that lots of people around me were getting the paella, which looked really good but I knew there was no way I could eat a whole helping of that myself. The hostess was cute and friendly, but my bartender/server was slow and not that attentive and provided a pretty weak pour of wine each time. All and all, this was a decent meal, but nothing that will make me want to come back again and again.

Julie V.

We first sat in the bar, but after the bar experience decided to veto dining in the restaurant. The drinks barely tasted like there was any alcohol in them, but were for sure charged the price of the "alcohol". (aka, watered down) The appetizer that we ordered was a huge disappointment and the service, if you can call it that, was very poor.

Gayle G.

Every time I get my tapas on here, I always forget how good it is. Tonight hubby and I got a rare night out courtesy of my parent's babysitting (thanks mom and dad). We got five tapas total: A "modern" tapa of seared tuna with bacon and apple slices (it is true, everything is better with bacon) == yum! Our meat tapa choice- chorrizo (sausage) on top of a potato puree= hearty and good. Two veggie tapa selections= beet salad and a chickpea salad. Seasonings were well done on these. Nice and light Calamari- Here is where things faltered a bit. The fried offerings are a bit too greasy. That said, I do heart the bread and olives they offer with the meal. And our waiter was awesome and attentive. Next time, I'm definitely trying the paella...a woman at a table next to us ordered it and it looked totally authentic.

Emily C.

My favorite meal ever was at Jose Andres' restaurant The Bazaar in Los Angeles, so when I visited DC for work, I made sure to go to as many of his restaurants as possible. I was, sadly, disappointed in two of the three I went to- this being one of them. Oh well. I still am a huge fan of Jose Andres, I just wish his staff had better executed his food during my visits.

ROC-it S.

This is my first 5 star review. That's says a lot. I came here on my own because I was visiting CC for work. I only tried 3 things on the menu but they were all fab! Like everyone else the bacon wrapped dates. So wonderfully sweet and savory. And the duck confit with rice and four gras cream!! So yummy, and I'm not a huge duck fan, but it was recommended by the assistant manager. So glad i did. And then the scallops, always a good thing for me. The verde sauce is much better than the romesco that it also comes with. Ask for more verde sauce if you prefer, he offered it to me. And what topped it off for a five star was the free beer I got, since he had an inadvertently poured the wring order for another customer. Score! Would definately be back! Hopefully with a group next time to share and try other things on the menu.

Sarah P.

Great service and a-maz-ing food. The interior is pretty - high ceilings, bright colors, beautiful tile and fresh flowers in the bathroom. Some of the waiters are actually Spanish. I love that. Try the endive "salad" with goat cheese and mandarin oranges, you won't regret it. The patatas bravas and Spanish tortilla (egg with potato and onion) are also delicious. As well they should be. Service at the bar is great. Highly recommended.

Slu S.

I love to watch Jose Andres cook and when I had an opportunity to travel to DC to give a training session for work, I instantly realized that this would be my opportunity to eat at one of his restaurants. Sometimes plans made do not come to fruition. My flights were selected to get in at noon and leave at 8:30 PM. These times left me no options to eat in and still give the training session. What to do? I called the night before an talked to the manager about calling in an order on my way to DCA and picking it up. Cut to the day of travel. Flight lands 1 hour late, training session starts 30 minutes late and with a desperate need for gazpacho, I pick up 15 minutes and end the training session only 15 minutes late. I call for a taxi and then to the restaurant. An order of gazpacho, gambas, chorizo, and flan was picked up with the cab burning the meter outside and minutes later I was dropped at DCA. Eating this food in the ticketing area was embarrassing, yet entirely pleasant given that the food was very good. The chorizo and gazpacho were both great, the gambas and the flan were just good. I would love to sit down and enjoy a meal at Jaleo or another of Andres' restaurants because it was very good just eating it in the lobby of an airport.

Jessica B.

Fun place to go, crowded, nicely decorated but there was nothing great about the food. The flan was the best part. Went during restaurant week and ate off the fixed menu. I had: 1. Pan con tomate y queso Pasamontes (Toasted slices of rustic bread brushed with fresh tomato and Pasamontes farmhouse Manchego cheese) *Good bread but it was topped with soggy tomato liquid and a piece plain sliced cheese) 2. Pimientos del piquillo rellenos de queso (Seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese Catalan cream and oranges) *Great presentation but nothing special 3. Gambas al ajillo (The very, very famous tapa of shrimp sautéed with garlic) *Very fishy shrimp, but the sauce was good when the complimentary bread was dipped into it. 4. Lomo de cerdo con salsa de cabrales (Pork loin with roasted onion and cabrales sauce) *Bland. 5. Flan al estilo tradicional de mamá Marisa con espuma de crema catalana (A classic Spanish custard with 'espuma' of Catalan cream and oranges) *Perfect. We also enjoyed the white sangria which was good.

Duncan P.

Very Very Good! I really liked this place and I would go back if I had the cash but it coast about $70 to fill me up and I nevery really thought of myself as a big eater.

Kathy M.

Big Fan of Jaleo in the city. Was so looking forward to taking some friends here last sat evening - this location is beautiful, it's a bit loud, the service was fine. The food was SALTY we had a bunch of dishes, my favorite insalad russo was not up to par. Food was disappointing. Two in our party had the white summer sangria and enjoyed it very much. Does the chef not taste the food? While we did not complain - I don't ever plan on returning.

vegasone v.

Great Happy Hour food! You can't go wrong with their Sangria and shrimp w/garlic! Friendly bartenders and a hip ambience on a Sun afternoon while catching the game at the bar. Looking forward to next Sunday to try the all you can eat $20 paellas!

Teddy T.

Given that this restaurant is below my building, I've had the chance to try out a fair amount of the tapas on the menu. One of the things I always must order though- the white sangria. It's made out with cava, or sparkling wine, and is a really nice light drink. Especially good with brunch on a lazy weekend. Onto the food!! I am in love with the patatas bravas. I must admit, I liked them better when they were shaped like hash browns but they are still delicious as thin potato slices. Smothered in a tomato based sauce and aioli, they are an absolute delight. Make sure to finish them while they are still hot. The pan with serrano ham is nice starter. The bread is mediocre and the tomato makes it soggy but the quality of the ham is stellar. The serrano ham with melon with sherry vinegar is also quite nice and is an interesting melody of flavors. The lamb with rosemary has nice flavor as does the chicken with salsa verde although on a recent trip, the chicken was overly salted. The lomo is good although not as good as the Peruvians make it. The cut of meat is also skirt steak which can be slightly too chewy. The scallops with red sauce are nicely cooked and are very juicy when they arrive at the table. Chorizo wrapped in potato reminds me of pigs in a blanket- gone even unhealthier. They are a bit greasy and the chorizo isn't anything too special. Also, there is a seafood "pasta" tapa that is not really too special. Savory, but not really worth the money. Overall, not a bad joint but for the prices, the quality of the tapas repertoire could be improved and become more consistent.

Angela G.

Great tapas, I ordered the raw salmon with tomatoes and stuffed olives. The food was delicious but the portions are small especially the cheeses. The service was amazing, very attentive and always keeping up with refills. Try the sangria, by far the best sangria I have had. Over all great experience but not so much on my wallet!

Philip C.

Pretty good food, if a bit salty. Loved the wrinkled potatoes. Good beer selection. Great ambience and friendly staff.

Elesai K.

Not even a month after my 2 star experience with Jaleo DC, I get invited to a birthday party to the Crystal City location. Do I really want to waste more money at Jose Andres' abandoned child? Not really. But you just can't skip a birthday celebration either. Ugh. I'll eat less-than-mediocre food in the name of friendship. I tried to be optimistic though. I haven't been to the CC location, so I was hoping the experience would be better. Pros: nice location, ample parking, less crowded, less wait time Cons: bar service, drinks, food I sat at the bar for a little while. There were at least two bartenders behind the counter at all times, and sometimes more. There were four patrons including myself. Everyone had something in their hands except for me. With two bartenders and four patrons, service should be relatively quick. And it was, but only if they felt like it. None of the bartenders seemed interested in taking my order. The gentleman beside me motioned one of the bartenders, and they came to his beckon with lightning speed. (I am tall enough to be seen over the counter...grrrrr). The kind gentleman kindly instructed the bartender to attend to me, and only then did they take my order. But throughout the time I sat at the bar, I felt seriously ignored. It isn't because I didn't spend enough either. They make the worst sangria at the bar, at least mine was horrid. Isn't the sangria supposed to be the one redeeming menu item at Jaleo? The food was just okay or a miss, but never a hit. Mostly a miss in my book, because how do you go wrong with calamari? The calamari at Jaleo is rubbery without any sort of flavor except for the nauseating smell of the old grease it was fried in. The mussels and the Catalan toast with ham were just okay. The octopus and potatoes were a disappointment, again lacking in the flavor department. The dishes I did actually like and would try again: the cauliflower + dates (I think they were dates), salted small little potatoes with skin. And the one thing I thought was phenomenal: their flan. I have better idea of things to order if I ever find myself at Jaleo ever again. But Jaleo is definitely not a place I will come on my own accord.

Lee T.

Tapas are ok, I find spanard food a bit bland for my taste. Give the Sherry sampler a chance. The bar is pretty nicely designed, well that whole row of restaurants are pretty cool looking. I gave it an extra star for the flamego dancers on Saturday nights, pretty cool show with the dinner.

Lara P.

Very pricey for the very small portions you get and the food is just okay overall. We were very disappointed in the paella we ordered which is both expensive and not anything like what you would get in Spain. It was small, flat, tasteless, very few shrimp and frankly a real dud to us. The Sangria was pretty good but I've had better. The appetizers were fairly good but very small portions. The service was just okay, our waiter seemed too casual, she only came to our table once before we had to flag her down and we were there for over an hour. The experience overall was certainly not good enough to warrant the over $100.00 bill we received just for the two of us and I'm a small eater. I like the location and the outdoor eating area but the okay food, mediocre service, and high prices will keep us from visiting again.

Lauren R.

I really love the concept and atmosphere of Jaleo. I am infatuated with this kind of restaurant (the "overpriced yuppie" kind, as my boyfriend would say), and I love Jose Andres (even more so now that I have experienced Zaytinya which, I must say, beats Jaleo hands down). Though I still enjoyed myself last night, I will admit that Jaleo has gone a bit downhill since I first discovered the DC location years ago. Or maybe its just that the Crystal City location doesn't quite live up to its sister. Or maybe its that this used to be an extravagent treat in college, and now I'm just spoiled. I'm still a Jaleo fan, just less of one. Let's move on. Tapas are best shared by a big group. Important note - a big group of NOT PICKY eaters, otherwise ordering can be painful and chaotic. Also make sure your group isn't looking for the "bang for your buck" or the "leave in a food coma" experience, because you're just not going to get them at this style of restaurant. If you want that, find another place, because the best part about tapas is the ambiance, the festive atmosphere, sharing a slow meal and good conversation with friends (or a romantic evening with a date) and the excitement of trying many different things, just a few bites at a time. Trust me - dining with anyone who will not enjoy this type of meal is just asking for a miserable experience. So once you've found the right group to share the night with, your best bet is to kind of fly by the seat of your pants. Pick out what sounds good on the menu, let everyone at the table throw in a choice or two, ask the waiter for recommendations, add a few of those to the order, then just sit back and wait for the food to start rolling out and hope for the best. But, if you want to plan ahead, the yelpers have given a pretty spot-on overview of the "I want more" versus the "that was a wasted plate". My quick version - make sure you get the quail, fried calamari, and skirt steak. Skip the grilled baby eggplant, definitely skip the "Rossejat" traditional fried pasta paella-style, and I'm even going to say forget the gambas al ajillo; despite its popularity, this dish is more bland than special. And then there's the "verdict is still out" list. On that one I'd put the "slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in a crispy potato", which another reviewer quite acurately described as a version of pigs-in-a-blanket that is pretty much "pigs-in-a-potato-chip". Its not a bad combination, just not... what we expected. I guess that's the point. Oh, and the potatas bravas. Yep, they've changed this dish. Yep, they are now, quite simply, homemade potato chips topped with a big fat dollop of white sauce and another big fat dollop of red sauce. Yep, you're going to feel a little silly for paying for these chips (though its one of the least expensive items on the menu). But yep, they're tasty.

Caroline R.

The food here is great, but the service significantly takes away from the experience. I went with a group of friends and it took forever for us to get our last tapas dish, despite speaking to our waitress twice. We had a clear view into the kitchen and witnessed the staff standing around talking to each other for lengthy periods of time while we were kept waiting. I do recommend the white sangria, absolutely delicious.

theo h.

So day number two in dc , at the food show I met the Austrian beer makers from Schloss Eggenberg and they turned me on to some amAzing beers ie 4 And 6 year old reserves a whole new dimension of beer for me. Now I am at jaleo a restaurant that specializesin tapas operated by One of those national james beArd award winning chefs It's Spanish the chef jose andres Right from the start I am a single guest exceptional informative service Sangria done superbly which led me to rebujito sherry and lemonade perfectly refreshing on a hot summer day Starting off with a rustic baguette accented by Spanish extra Virgin olive Oil with Thyme and a Clove of garlic. SAngria, Rebujito, Bread, Simple high quality ingredients served without fuss. Can't Wait for the Fermin acorn fed wild pork sausages and rabbit confit The menu is so extensive and Spanish authentic i don't know where to stop The pork sausage 4 two inch morsels atop a tomato, eggplant, onion, pesto like sauce = wow. Here comes the rabbit still on the bone in a semi spicy apricot sauce,it falls off the bone, slight game taste then the spice of the sauce then apricot and finishes spicy but dip your fork into the apricot puree and it balances beautifully Sorry I can't go on battery on less than 2 percent and no plug, alas I am in food heaven, who needs to write I will update If needed

Rob W.

We went to Jaleo last night for Spanish Tapas and we had a great time! The Sangria was almost the best we'd ever had and the tapas were tasty. The service was great and we were fortunate to find a free spot to park in a very close garage. The chorizo was great especially mixed with the mushrooms in garlic. The quail and bacalao were good but not great. It's a little pricey, but despite some of my criticism, we had a great time and enjoyed ourselves!

John D.

Have eaten several meals here over the years. Either I have become more discriminating or the quality has declined. My wife loves the Iberico ham so that's all she remembers. The white and red sangria seemed watered down. The marinated olives and Manchego cheese were good. The salted cod fritters were tasty. The duck confit/roast duck on rice with a foie gras sauce was mediocre. The sweet onion with pine nuts and blue cheese was chilled and a nice mix of flavors. The coating on the bacon and date fritters was tough. The chorizo was excellent. All in all a good meal, but I sometimes wonder if great chef's get spread too thin, and focus their interest elsewhere. Jaleo could use some attention and an update.

E Y.

Dinner at the bar last night... Gazpacho, beet salad (yes, it is fabulous!) And shrimp, along with a couple of glasses of a roberto del duoro. Bartender wasn't the best I've had there, but he wasn't bad either. If the bartender was on point it's all 5 stars.

Charles G.

Long story short, awesome!

Jina K.

My fifth time back to Jaleo... Don't know why, but the more I go, the less i'm happy with their dishes. Actually, I was very disappointed. Calamari with green peppers and onion: Olive oil is good, but when the entire dish is soaked is EVO, it's not tasty. It needed a squeeze of lemon ( or something) to balance the oily-ness. Shrimp with butter-lemon sauce: Very disappointed. Shrimp was overcooked. C'mon its not that hard to know when to stop cooking them. Serrano and chorizo were good-- but they're just slices of meat anyways. Scallop (without ham) -- scallops and the sauce it came with was just a weird concoction. The sauce tasted like minced red pepper cooked in olive oil--giving a very sweet flavor. The scallops were very good-just seared. It was very sweet. So, why the red pepper sauce??? 3 stars for the atmosphere and mediocre food. I probably won't go back there for some time.

Lauren C.

I am either an idiot or an eternal optimist. I keep trying Spanish restaurants looking for good Tapas and am never pleasantly surprised. Jaleo's tapas was 'eh' and the service was atrocious. I had to ask the poor young man filling water glasses to fetch our waiter so that we could order. He was the most obliging staff member in the entire restaurant. The tapas, though not bland like others claimed, was just horrible. Either deep fried and sitting in pools of grease or in no way representative of the 'classic' tapas it was supposed to be. I understand that Spanish tortilla will never be done right outside of Spain, but this was ridiculous. The shrimp was ok. But not enough to make me go back.

Mikkela T.

Face value is $5 per cheek at Jaleo with the meat tapas in the $9-12 range. Be prepared to pay the same amount of money as anywhere else (for us $35 per person) for dinner. With four people, we ordered ten dishes and sangria. Some of the dishes like the steak (lomo something) was delicious. Other dishes like the chorizo in potato and garlic sauce was more like pigs in a potato chip blanket. While the pork cheeks were slow roasted to tender, the sauce could have covered any part of the pig and we would have been okay with it. My favorite, other than the steak which was rare and divine, was the dates wrapped in bacon which provided un-assuming looking but crunchy, sweet, fried and salty addictive nuggets (if only I had a bowlful and a good movie!). Jaleo, like the other restaurants in Jose Andres' empire, is well run so their sauces are good. They have to be for me to sop them up with the bread. Otherwise, I'd go away hungry.

Jamie M.

My first introduction to tapas! We've been here three times in the last few months, twice for dinner and once for a retirement luncheon. Every time has been a good experience, albeit pricey when ordering the tapas. At the retirement luncheon I had the pollo bocata, which was really good - I wish they offered them at dinner time. When I went they were having a special where all sandwiches were $7 but I think that might have ended now that it's summer. For dinner we've had a bunch of the tapas but no paella yet. My favorite tapa was the mushroom rice but the steak dishes are also nice. My boyfriend's favorite is the chorizo. The restaurant recommends three tapas per person but I find that usually two plates plus the bread on the table is more than enough food. Even with a party of 15 on a busy day we had excellent & friendly service. We'll definitely be back to try the paella.

Jaye V.

I had a wonderful experience here with my boyfriend; it was really romantic and was the first time I think that he got to do the tapas thing. He's been addicted ever since (or at least ordering family style everywhere we go). There was classical Spanish guitar music there while we dined as well. Great conversation and great wine combined with great music... always makes the food better :). Some of the food I'd give a 3.x score, but the overall experience made it a 4. I prefer the seasonal tapas over the traditional tapas menu because they reflect a little more flair and inventiveness, as well as more interesting ingredients. However, if you're looking for those crazy cutting-edge laboratorio tricks that Jose Andres learned under the chef god Ferran Adria's tutelage at El Bulli in Barcelona, you won't find much of that here. However, the chef did bring them out on Iron Chef America and whipped Bobby Flay's butt. Oh what I would have done to have been a judge at that competition. =)

Yumi W.

Jose Andres's chain are way too salty. Better than oyamel or la tasca but too expensive for what you get. Stop dumping salt on your food....just sprinkle it.

Lynn H.

Good food - nice restaurant spacing/layout. Unless you're starving, don't order more than 4-5 dishes for 2 people. They do try to sell more. We tried bacon wrapped deets, wild mushroom rice, canary styled baby potatoes, and spanish omelet. My favorite were the potatoes! The rice and deets are pretty good too. The omelet wasn't anything special. I've tried the sauteed spinach with pine nuts and roasted sweet onions. Both are a must!

Channah L.

Dining here is sometimes a hit or miss. I have eaten here over 30 times & almost tried everything on menu. What to gravitate towards; the soups, salads & vegetable sides. Their meat dishes leave you wishing for a bit more flavour & wondering with the description why it didn't turn out wonderful. I have never had a bad dish but with this menu it should be wonderful. It is worth checking out & frequenting. Nice ambiance but service is lacking & appears to have high turnover.

Jacob D.

I love Jaleo. Both are amazing, but I like this one better than the one in DC. I love me a tapas bar. This place does not disappoint. Stroll in, grab a Dos Equis and munch on the chips. I like the fritters with dates and bacon to start. I then move to the potatoes and spanish sausage. I finish with the grilled skirt steak. Uhhhh (insert Homer Simpson drool here). Sooooo good.

Amanda G.

Came here on a Friday night. All the food was very good, but I do think was a bit overpriced. The drinks were a bit weak and we actually had to ask the waitress to put more more vodka in the Martini. The restaurant itself is HUGE and a bit overwhelming to me. I much prefer a more cozy dimly lit place. Would be a nice spot to bring your parents, but if you are hungry and want a couple drinks expect to pay about $50 each with tip.

Edward Tj G.

If one is an atheist and is interested in finding out that there is a God I suggest traveling to Jaleo in Crystal City. One can only spend an evening here to realize that there is indeed a man upstairs but not for the reasons you are thinking. If you accept that their is a God you must also accept that there is evil in the world and hence an Anti-God or Devil. Jaleo will prove to you that evil exists, hence the devil exists and therefore there is a God. This place is truly, "Hell on Earth." The service is so lacking that I thought I was dining at a cafeteria. The flavor of the food gave me the same prior thought and finally the wine list was so disturbing I believe I now need professional help to get over it. In the end, should you have the desire to torture someone bring them here. Should you have the desire to end a long or even short relationship with pain and agony, bring them here. Should you have the desire to repent for all your sins, spend an evening here. If you are searching for a nice meal and a relaxing environment... keeping walking.

Amy C.

I first tried Jaleo at the DC location, and I was so excited to find them on Crystal Drive when I moved to Crystal City. The atmosphere here is actually a bit more upscale and impressive than DC, with soaring ceilings and walls of windows. The tapas can add up fast but most are reasonably priced for the quality and shareable portion sizes. This is our go-to place for celebration dinners or meals with out-of-town friends and since the introduction of their happy hour specials it is a great place for a quick weeknight meal that won't break the bank. Food is consistently good and the tapas menu allows you to try things you might normally pass up (I learned to love Brussels sprouts here). The service is attentive, an impressive feat when the waitstaff is dealing with several tables who might order two or three rounds of tapas. They have an extensive wine selection but we always end up with a pitcher or two of their sangria - both the red and the white versions are delicious. My fiance calls it "fruit punch for adults". Parking is the other plus to this location - the garages in Crystal City are free in the evenings and there are two within a block of Jaleo. The metro is also a short walk away.

Robert A.

Expensive, for what we obtained, the quality and the service. $260 for four of us. I would have been better served to go across the street and get a good steak dinner for about the same, or not much more. Not likely to try this place again.

Casey E.

We had 5 tapas, we preferred the bread over all of them. The potatoes bravas were poorly cooked and the sauce did not suffice in flavor. The cured salmon was gross. Apple and fennel salad did not mesh well. The ribs were dry, overcooked and swimming in The sauce year made it edible. The chicken fitters were mushy and tasted uncooked. The service was decent, but we felt constantly bugged and pressured to buy more food. If you want good tapas, it might be a chain, but I'm never disappointed at La Tasca, especially as a vegetarian!

Alexandra M.

First time at jaleo. Second time I've done tapas but it was a first for my family. Our server was great. Explained everything thoroughly, since we had never dined there, and made some awesome suggestions. We were going to do the $18 all you can eat paella, salad and flan (its a sunday special) but my sister and I wanted small plates. The entire table has to order the special. We had the sweet and salty goat cheese (de caña, I believe) awesome. As well as the salted ham and chorizo. The chicken fritters were amazing as well. Then, of course, we ordered the paella. sangria was tasty and i cant wait to go back to try a lot of the other small plates. the paella wasnt as much food as we had hoped -- okay so my dad had hoped. i was still feeling a little hungry but we did dessert somewhere else and for once, i didnt feel like i needed to unbutton my jeans on my birthday. other than the fritters and the dessert that i ate i didnt feel like i had indulged too much. but then whats the point of a birthday? the one negative. they didnt wait until everyone was finished to start clearing plates. i was dissapointed by that. the parking lot is free on the weekends and super short walk.

Bryan J.

Walked in at 7pm on a Friday and was asked if I had a reservation. I did not. I was told there was a 2 hour wait. Upon looking around there were only two table with people at them. There must have been 50 tables empty. Naturally, I thought they were kidding, but no. They were serious. I smiled and left to Kora next doo,r who was happy to serve me.

Inna Z.

Jaleo is great. The food is delicious, the servers never rush you as you are going through the ample menu, and the space is really nice. However, you don't really need to order as much as they suggest. We definitely had food left uneaten.

John N.

My friend wanted to watch football all day at Buffalo Wild Wings and I am so glad that I want too because Jaleo(Jose Andres) restaurant was cross the street but I was so dam full eating at 2 restaurant before I got here so I decided to wait until I get somewhat hungry before trying some of the dishes there. After 2-3 hrs later, I finally got hungry and want across the street and we sat by the bar. I wasn't really that hungry but decided on the squid w/black ink and bacaulo and my friend order the fried pasta w/shrimp. First came out the bacaulo and it was tasty and seasoning just right and the honey aioli help cut the friedness of everything. After that the fried pasta came out and it was good and later on the bartender told us to add the aioli in it and it help bring the flavor out even more. The squid dish came out last and the squid was nice and juicy. The only thing i can say wrong about the dish was we found a pigment in the squid and that tell u that they didn't clean it all the way. Every squid has a see thru pigment inside of them and you need to clean it out careful. Anyway the bartender took it off our check which was thoughtful. The bartender even give me a glass of beer because he found out that I work in a restaurant. That is alway a plus. Overall I enjoy this place alot but I can only give them a 3.5 star because they lack engery in the restaurant. Yes I know it is a sunday night but i would want a place that has more people and the engery. I would easliy come back but i am just glad that i got a chance to try it.

Carla D.

I love love love Jaleo. Jose Andres is a God. I just keep coming back here and always leave satisfied. Some favorites: -Chorizo Palacios- A slightly spicy cured pork sausage, what's not to like? -Jamón Ibérico Fermin- A must. -Tortilla de patatas al momento Spanish omelet- I personally prefer it prepared in the Asturian style, the flavors are right, but the omlet itself is too runny for my taste but to the uninitiated: try it. -Setas al ajillo Organic Tuscarora Farm mushrooms sautéed-- mmmmmm -Croquetas de pollo Traditional chicken fritters- OH GOD YES. Crispy warm flavorful....I want to crawl inside one of these and.. too much? Sufficed to say they are incredible. -Trigueros con romesco Grilled asparagus with romesco sauce- Asparagus is showcased beautifully. -Patatas bravas- This brings me right back to the late night streets of Spain when after dancing all night, my friends and I would stop and get these. -Calamares en su tinta Squid Basque- How this man manages to always showcase the raw flavor of food is beyond me. This is a perfect example of how squid should always taste. His wines are delicious, but the sangria is a good choice too Staff is great and attentive

Elida M.

Although I like the atmosphere of Jaleo in DC better than the one in Crystal City, the food is still great. The only reason I am giving 2 stars is because I came on sunday, when they have the sunday paella ( deal with gazpacho, salad and unlimited paella), and had the deal and also a cava sangria. I don't know who had the idiotic idea of serving the gazpacho on the glasses they serve drinks on, but I had to drink my 34 dol carafe of cava sangria in a glass that smelled and tasted like cucumber. I possibly wouldn't mind if I liked cucumber but unfortunetely I don't. When my boyfriend asked me where I wanted to go for lunch I said: I don't even want to eat, I just one to seat outside with a pitcher of sangria and the sangria is the reason he brought me all the way to Jaleo. I was really let down. I asked the bartender to bring me a pint glass so I could finish my drink.

Asor A.

the endless paella sunday special is awesome! you get a soup, a salad, endless paella, and dessert, for $20! whaaaat. the chicken and mushroom paella is aromatic and delicious. I haven't tried the others. the tapas are good too.. I remember the garlic sauteed shrimp was super good.

Evi D.

Stepped in here on a rainy day while touring apt buildings in Crystal City. There was barely anyone around since it was mid-day on a Saturday. I've traveled/lived in Spain and hadn't had a great Spanish meal in some time. My BF came with, and I got him to try the tasty food that I've had before. Granted it's not anything like living/eating in Spain, but on this side of the Atlantic, I'll definitey take it. We tried: gazpacho, croquetas de pollo, tortillas de patatas, chorizo. All were good, but not fantastic. It was nice place to sit, although I can imagine it'll be loud if there are a lot of people there. Enjoyable, but definitly does not have that true "Spanish" feel to it.

Molly M.

Went for restaurant week and really Enjoyed it. Started with the pan de tomate and endive dish. The endive also had goat cheese and oranges and was very light and fresh and a good start. The pan de tomate was very good too, it had a thin slice of manchego on top of toasted bread with tomatoes. For our second course we had the fried dates and the watermelon salad. The fried dates were ok, but they were very fried. The watermelon salad was good, it was very fresh and had goat cheese and pistachios. The third course included the chicken fritters and creamy rice. Both were very good with strong flavor. The fourth course was the salmon and the pork. The salmon was not great, the least impressive part of the meal. It didn't have much flavor. The pork was good, it had a really good flavor and was in a good sauce. We both had the hazelnut cake and it was very good. Tasted like a ferrer rocher

Katie S.

I have recently fallen in love with chef Andrés (yeah I know, I'm late to this party) and was excited to Jaleo on the list for restaurant week this year. Similar to his Zaytinya RW menu, it is easy to fill up for $35 and completely go overboard if you add things from the regular menu into the mix; and my friends and I did just that! My husband and I arrived early and beat our dinner guests, so we grabbed a drink in the bar while we waited. We both ordered Moscow Mules and were surprised how strongly it looked and tasted like lemonade. I wasn't really prepared for that, but if you like lemonade it's quite good. The bar area was bustling but not overbearing at 7:30 on Thursday night and the bartenders work well as a team. So A+ here. Also, they have Foosball tables as high-tops for groups of 6 or so. Super cute! Once our friends arrived we were seated in a half full restaurant and given both the regular menu and the RW menu (love this!), the cocktail list and the wine list. Our server explained the tapas menu and set the time expectation for the paella and left for a while to let us figure out what we wanted. I opted for a Cuba Libre and was pretty surprised at how bitter it was. We all ended up ordering different things off the RW menu and adding on a couple of tapas from the main menu. Overall I was reasonably pleased with the food and the service but felt a couple of tweaks could be made to really enhance the experience. Some of the dishes were ordered were too oily for my liking ex: the Gambas al ajillo and Pan de cristal con tomate. While a few others were pretty perfect: the 'Rossejat', Vieiras con cus cus de coliflor, Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas, Dátiles con tocino 'como hace todo el mundo', were really good, with the Pollo al ajillo con salsa verde being my favorite. Then, our server disappeared towards the end of our meal as the restaurant cleared out and we were sort of left waiting for a while. Also, I noticed a manager making his rounds to the nearby tables, but never approached us. So I thought that was slightly odd too. But really, the main thing keeping this from a 4 star experience (which is what I think it deserves based on food alone) is the area I had to walk through to get to the restroom and then the restroom itself. I was really surprised to see such disarray. The women's restroom cabinet door is completely off one of it's hinges and just kind of hanging there waiting for someone to knock over and the stalls were not the cleanest. Also, the area between the bathrooms/kitchen/bar area floors were wet and sticky. Apparently someone spilled some red wine (there was still a visible puddle) and no one cleaned it up. Then, since it was a slow night at the end of our meal, the servers were all congregated in one area joking around, so it made getting in and out of there and avoiding the puddle kind of tricky. Overall we had a decent time and the food is good, I just wasn't super impressed with the other facets of the experience.

Chris C.

Absolutely brilliant! A must try for brunch lunch or dinner. The heuvos with acorn fed shaved prosciutto was to die for at brunch. The coffee is a type of fair trade coffee that escapes me at the moment that was soo wonderful. Mild but rich in flavor (I'm the sissy coffee drinker at our house)...the cheese plate with aged with cinnamon apricots was heavenly. You must have for desert. I know it's odd but do it. I also sampled the acorn fed chirizio and it was perfect. There are some very well taken care of pigs that are served here. If you have any doubts about this place the should be forgotten. José and his team are worthy of top chef champions.

Alexis R.

A welcome sight in Crystal City, Jaleo offered a laid-back bar and tasty tapas. Wine from $8 per glass (Bobal bovale) and $12 for a cocktail (Cuba libre with real mexican coca cola) accompanied our meal. We selected several cheeses from the wide array offered - they were pricey but very unique and tasty. The rey sol libre cheese with apricot was excellent ($7.5) even for a very small portion. We also tried the endive salad and the deep fried dates. The server was friendly, and we even came back the next day for happy hour before heading out for our flight. Happy hour every day was a welcome site with reduced price wine, cocktails and tapas.

Mai P.

The restaurant interior is well designed, spacious, and has quintessential Spanish flair in the curtain accents and the decorations. The service was top notch and our server was well versed in the menu as well as the drink selection. Additionally, being that our group was a mix of new and return customers, the server was patient in explaining the highlights of the menu as well as the nuanced differences in dishes and serving sizes. I was also very impressed with the professional, personable, and polite management as they came to check on our table and present us with the wine/champagne order for our special guest. Bravo. Now, the food. I love tapas and am a big advocate for tapas no matter what city I'm in. However, I will say this, about half the dishes were fabulous and the other half were underwhelming. The highlights would be the recommended shrimp plate (I can't for the life of me remember the name) as well as the potato and sea salt dish (ample serving size and well prepared potatoes), and the gazpacho was beautiful in presentation and delicious. However, the small fried squid was so subtle in flavor it was hard to differentiate between squid and breading. The asparagus were well cooked but again, the flavor was so slight, that it did not accent any other plate well. I was also a little sad to see the small serving sizes on some of the protein. I understand the concept of tapas, and the delicate nature of the style, however for the price I would have appreciated a hair more on each of those dishes. All in all, I enjoyed my time at the restaurant with my friends but would not order the same dishes again. The next time I visit, I will try different items to try for a more holistic feel of the menu.

Sonta J.

Had the limonada. It was the best thing in the place. I loved it! I'd return just for that. I also had an endive, mandarin orange, almond and goat cheese appetizer. Also delicious. There was these cheese potatoes, not bad. And a shrimp in a sauce. Also, not bad. To sum it up, the establishment is okay as is the food. The staff is dull and unremarkable but that limonada is awesome!

Pam C.

Did a light dinner of Gazpacho and a meet and cheese plate. The gazpacho was excellent. Can't complain or rave about my cheese plate. Tried the Iberico ham from the acorn fed pigs of spain, was it good, yes, am I a ham expert, no...so could I really tell a difference, not I, but your palatte might be more refined than mine. Love their outdoor patio and would definitely return.

Pegah Y.

My fiancé and I went to Jaleo for date night last week. I'd previously visited the Jaleo location in Chinatown/Penn Quarter in DC and actually liked the Crystal City location a lot more. The restaurant is classy, the service is excellent and friendly (and extremely efficient!), and the food is delicious! It's tapas-style and they have quite an extensive menu. We had to actually write down all of our orders to recite them back to our waitress. Between the two of us, we ordered some drinks, 5 tapas plates, and a cheese platter. We ordered the following: -Gambas Al Ajillo (shrimp) - This is my favorite dish at Jaleo and I had had it previously when I visited the Chinatown location a few years ago. Perfect sauce and amount of shrimp for a tapas dish. The sauce was so good that I used bread to soak it up after the shrimp was finished. -Bunuelos de Bacalao (Cod) - very perfect and light and airy. I loved the sauce it came with! -Vieiras con pinones (seared scallop and pine nuts) - anyone who knows me well knows I'm a big enthusiast of both Scallops and pine nuts so I loved this dish! And if you've noticed, we ordered a lot of seafood diahes. You really can't go wrong with the seafood dishes at Jaleo! -Pollo al Ajillo con Salsa Verde (chicken with Garlic and sauteed greens) - This was probably my least favorite dish. I had had this before at the other Jaleo and also didn't like it very much. The chicken was a bit rubbery and I wasn't a big fan of the verde sauce, but everyone has a different taste, and the other dishes more than made up for it! -Queso murcia al vino tint (goat cheese and bread) - I actually do not like goat cheese, but this somehow worked well. I really liked the bread and sauce that came with it and it made the cheese a little more bearable. -Cheese Plate - We decided to get 3 cheeses with our cheese plate (San Simon, Queso Manchego Cheese, and Idiazabal). We ordered both cow cheese and goat cheese (for my fiancé) and I actually enjoyed them all. They paired very well with the sides of jam and nuts they came with. -Drinks - My fiancé ordered a cocktail (they have a nice selection of cocktails) and I ordered a Spanish white wine flight, which included 2013 Bodegas La Val from Rias Baixas, Spain, 2013 Jorge Ordonez from Malaga, Spain, and 2013 Pares Balta from Penedes, Spain. The flight of wine was perfect with what we ordered and they were very generous with the serving. I was very impressed with the service as well. They were very efficient about bringing out the dishes, but you didn't feel rushed. Our waitress was very helpful, especially with the drink recommendations. And it's very conveniently located in Crystal City (on 23rd street). There is free public parking in the parking lot across the street after 4pm on Fridays and on weekends. Overall, an amazing date night experience! Thank you again, Jose Andres!

Amer A.

Having eaten at multiple authentic Spanish restaurants in Chicago, we wanted to try this restaurant while visiting DC. We were completely underwhelmed with the flavors. Every dish had a similar, poor, overly salty flavor. Particularly appalling was the paella--tasted nothing like what paella should taste like. We had a large party and tried multiple dishes and they all had the same very bad flavor to them. Only the chicken croquetas were reasonable. The service was actually excellent. Our waitress did a great job of checking in on our large party frequently. Another plus was that there was a separate menu for folks with nut allergies. Overall, despite good service and ambiance, the entire culinary experience was ruined by decidedly substandard food without any evidence of authentic Spanish flavor.

Jacques I.

It's a Spanish-themed restaurant with a red wine list that provides too many options. Well, I guess that could be said for the entire menu. Just like how it's supposed to be, the restaurant has many tapas that are designed for sharing. And of course we could not decide what all to order since the expansive menu reads like a European bistro. We ended up ordering the garlic shrimp, the sauteed cauliflower with dates, the acorn-fed jambon and the classic paella. They also give you bread and olive oil that was addicting. The classic paella takes up to 30 minutes to prepare, but is worth the wait. They bring out the pan that it was cooked in and its served right at your table. It was rich, creamy, hearty and feeds up to four people. We had leftovers with the three of us. From everything we ordered, we enjoyed the jambon the most. You can really taste a difference with the acorn-fed diet because the flavor of the ham was rustic, nutty, and smoky. It was awesome. The restaurant was really busy, so the service was slow. We had to wave down our waiter, to check out. The only other negative is that it's expensive. But if you have a nickel to spend, it's worth trying.

Dani P.

I always enjoy coming to Jaleo. The menu is wide for vegetarians, meat lovers, etc all alike. I usually get the same staple items: potatoes with red sauce and garlic aioli, ham croquettas, and the bacon wrapped dates. I most recently tried their flan... it was absolutely delicious. Drink it with a coffee that isn't too sweet, and it's the perfect after dinner pairing. It is fine dining, so it's a place to go for special occasions and celebrations. If you're looking for a run of the mill place for dinner, this may not be it (unless you're rich? invite me to dinner then?)

Will N.

Really liked it, and it has 4 star potential. Tons of variety with the small plates. Great location in Crystal City. Also, in terms of quality and flavor of food this has to be one of the best tapas places I've ever been to. The downside is, the portion sizes are just too too small even for small plates at the prices they are going for. Most of the good small plates were like 10-12 bucks and there is SO little. Each person will need to order a MINIMUM of 3 small plates to get even close to feeling full, and if you're hungry it will need to be more. However, the flavor is really good so on the food alone I think it's 4 stars. The extra-small portions combined with the sub-par sangria bring it down to 3 stars. I tried both sangria flavors, neither were very good. They didn't have the sweetness right we either of them. One was sickeningly sweet, and the other was too tangy. Service was fantastic. Overall, definitely a spot to go once to check out the small plates, but don't know that I'll be back with those prices. PS: There is a goat-cheese stuffed pepper plate for 7 bucks. It was the best thing there. The flan is also very good.

Jeffrey C.

Great food as always. I wanted gazpacho after sweating through a 100 degree DC day. This restaurant came to mind and the gazpacho didn't disappoint. There are two types - classic red gazpacho, and a white almond and grape gazpacho containing crabmeat. I got the traditional type. Got a nice goat cheese served with bread topped with quince paste - the paste was a little thick and sweet, but the creamy delicious cheese contrasted nicely with it. Also ordered spinach and a hangar steak. The service was a little spotty and the steak took a while. However it was quite tasty, with blue cheese and mustard sauce.

Jose M.

It's good food but for the price, not terribly inspiring. Went there with a group of colleagues. Most of them got the paella sunday special, which includes gazpacho, salad, paella, and flan for $25. It's a good deal. The paella though was just so-so (I sampled it). The flan and gazpacho got positive reviews. I saw a gazpacho "sampler" walked past me that looked intriguing. I had two tapas from the brunch menu: the steak and the pancakes. The steak was over charred on the outside and under seasoned. Although it was cooked just right at rare, it was disappointingly flavorless. The pancakes were great though. They're made with olive oil and brought with honey. I'd recommend those as part of brunch. Others in my party had drinks and I heard no complaints. Service was very good and our poor waiter put up with a lot of questions. He was extremely warm and patient. I liked him.

Laura B.

We tried this place out on a Tuesday evening. The decor is very colorful and fun, making for a great happy hour atmosphere. We tried their sangria happy hour drink, which was delicious and a pretty good deal for $4. Now about the food... I know that with tapas portions are usually a little smaller, but I still thought they were a little too small. I was with one other girl, and we barely had enough for a bite or two of the things we tried between the two of us. I couldn't imagine letting several people try some of the dishes! That said, all of the dishes were presented well. Some of the things we tried were really tasty and interesting, others not so much. If you have an unlimited budget, maybe you can make a meal out of it. We were still hungry after splitting four dishes between us, and we couldn't really afford to find out how many more dishes it would take to fill us up, so it turned into a happy hour with some expensive appetizers and we ended up going somewhere else for dinner.

Chris S.

Still great after more than 100 visits in the past two years. (Not always to eat, sometimes just for cocktails at the bar.) Obviously, I think it's great. I don't care about metaphysical arguments about what is a "real" tapas. The food is darn good! The Jaleo Experience tasting menu with drink pairing is the way to go if you are hungry enough. For $100 they being more courses than you can eat, each with a perfectly paired wine or cocktail. Ala carte is also great if you don't want to be over stuffed, but the tasting menus are the best deal. Happy hour is also excellent, with discounts on several tapas and selected wines. The staff is terrific, whether at a table or the bar. This is one of the few restaurants where I'm happy to eat at the bar. Cocktails are top notch. My favorite is Andre's gin & tonic: a large single ice cube, slice of lime, lemon peel, Citadelle gin, Fever Tree tonic, lemon verbena leaf, and a half dozen juniper berries. Too many great dishes to name them all, but my favorites are the shrimp gambas, oysters gin and tonic (could be a theme here), the pan cristal, the various fritters, and the cheese plates. Everything is perfectly prepared. And, brunch on weekends! The huevos estrellados are great as is the Egg Anjel Murano. I highly recommend Jaleo in Crystal City.

Phil L.

Tapas, expensive as always since you're eating a bunch of them to get a meal. Jaleo specializes in tapas. Being here for the marathon I thought the happy hour specials would help keep the cost down a little bit but boy was I wrong, it was still about $40 after a drink and a few tapas plus tip....and I left feeling a bit unsatisified. The restaurant itself is huge, incredibly high ceilings, large bar area, well decorated. I ate at the bar and on Saturday evening during their happy hour there wasn't much going on so I was served very quickly. I ordered the following tapas: potato + egg + bread, pork belly bread, and the bikini sandwich. The potato + egg omelette creation was odd because it was very clear it was not freshly made and the first thing that came out. The egg was cold....which makes me wonder when the hell did they make this thing and why am I eating it? The pork belly + bread combo with some mushy vegetables was pretty uninspiring. The pork belly was so thin and so small I literally could not taste it over the vegetables that accompanied it. The bikini was a bit of a joke, while good, I was shocked for $6.00 I received four pieces that looked like it was created from a single slice of bread. Nothing here was necessarily bad, but nothing was particularly good. I would have expected much more from this famous chef's restaurant. Quite the disappointment and I was kicking myself for not going to another restaurant. Oh well, live and learn.

Ben S.

Very delicious brunch tapas with unique falvors. We loved the steak and eggs and eggs and bacon both. Absolutely worth a try. They lose a whole star for their coffee. They're trying for something authentic that I just didn't like - their roasts are VERY fruity and I found them to be very gross. Someone else may love it - just not for me!

Steve P.

We went to Jaleo last night as we have hundreds of other times. Tonight was amazingly different! They could not get anything right! From the very start the wine at 57.00 a bottle was corked. My fault I should have sent it back! The salads were not fresh and my wife's had a hair in it! Next we ordered steamed mussels! We were brought mushrooms instead! Did I say I had to ask 5 times for bread! Then five more times for olive oil to go with it! The mussels were a joke! I actually sent them back, the replacements were not much better! Then they brought us some over cooked shrimp! Some of the worst I have ever had! The only somewhat redeeming thing was the Flan. But then the bill was dropped off without asking if we would like anything else! Really a disaster of a night out! I think it will be a long time before we venture to Jaleo! I can't believe there was a Chef in the kitchen last night! That's how bad it was, the food and the service was very poor and even after complaining they did not discount anything to make up for the poor experience! A great Restuarant would have done that! Maybe the 10 million dollar lawsuit is disrupting the business. I don't know but they have serious issues based on the performance last night!

Erica Y.

Consistent food and service. Beautiful space. I still prefer the DC Jaleo but like this location better than Bethesda. Plenty of seats, large space and colorful furnishings. Tapas I recommend, in no particular order- Toasted bread with tomato Garlic shrimp Hanger steak Bacon dates (a must!) Boiled octopus (so tender!) Patatas Bravas (the spicy mayo sauce makes the dish) One dish I'm disappointed with is the scallops. It tastes good still but the scallops seem to get smaller and smaller with each visit. $14 for three small scallops is definitely overpriced. Still we like Jaleo's food and sangria and service and we keep going back!

Chris G.

Meh, that's all I can really say about this place. I would probably only give this restaurant 3 stars for its ambiance and decor. The restaurant itself is beautiful with high ceilings. But my main intention to go to a restaurant is for its food and service. I ordered the paella Sunday special with includes soup, salad, endless paella and dessert. The soup and salad were okay. The paella itself tasted good but portions were bit small. This special is endless paella, but takes 30 minutes to make. So by the time you wait for your next flight of paella you are already full and lost your appetite. You would think they would come ask if you want more beforehand so that they can get it prepared. We ended up getting our dessert before our next dish of paella which was interesting. Anyway, this place seems hyped up but in reality it's just overpriced with tiny portions.

Yola T.

I went to the Paella festival here. It was $30 for all you can eat (5 different paella flavors) and drink (sangria and house wine). The price was great for all of that. The paella flavors were okay. There was seafood, pork, vegan, etc. It wasn't the best paella I ever had, but manageable for that price. Customer service could have been better, maybe they were overwhelmed? Not sure. The manager went over to almost every table except ours. I thought that was kind of rude. If you're going to make rounds, make sure you get every table. We're all paying the same amount of money. This is mainly why I'm giving this a 3. Customer service is not their speciality.

Rita V.

ITs not how you fall, but how you recover... The comeback kid is a bit sleepy, or was on a VERY VERY busy Wednesday night. The kitchen was super slow, and the bartender (GASP!) did not know HOW to make a Vesper, even though the BEST one I have ever had, they served a year ago, same table! SIGH. Service was crazy off kilter, like two high school kids learning to dance and stepping on each others toes. But the staff tried hard to make up for the mishaps - such as frozen tuna carpaccio - which they whisked away, and brought back a perfect dish that we didn't wait until our children went to college to enjoy. The chicken croquetas are a usual treat, are as the bunuelos de baccalao. And Pulpo a la gallega - SOOOOOOOOOO smooth, meaty, with that flavorful olive oil. Food wont disappoint, and the tapas are plump and flavorful. The old fashion was WAY too coyingly sweet, and about a 2 onz pour with a HUGE beautiful ice sphere. SIGH. I love you Jaleo, but it seemed tonight you were a new bride with a headache...

William M.

Visited this locale a few months back and I have to say I wish the portion sizes could have been slightly more. Although I'm not really into tapas, I tried to go along with the menu and explore a bit of their finer options. There have been only a select number of times that I felt as if my hunger was not fully satisfied, in regards to flavor, and sadly this was one of those times. My palate may have been altered a during my stay in D.C. thanks to this experience, really tried to enjoy the meal selection, however I can not justify it in this case.

Dennis L.

So I came for a friend's birthday and I thought my experience here was pretty good! I would actually give the food three stars, but the drinks and service bumped it up an extra star, it was great service. We ordered so much food, I can't remember what we had, a bunch of cheeses and random other protein. My favorite of the night had to be the calamari, fried chicken tatter tots, sorry I really can't remember the actual names of the foods, I'm sure it wasn't called that, it was my first time and my friends had to order, I just ate whatever came in front of me. All these portions are really small and really expensive, but tasted so good. I liked everything we ordered except the rabbit, it was my first time having rabbit, and I now I know that I don't like rabbit. I wish I got the name of our server, he was so nice and flamboyant, always making our table laugh. He checked up on us every now and then, but the ladies who never let our glasses of water go below half, continuously and consistently, were really the stars of the night. I was able to drink the sangria and it was delicious, and I really loved the margarita. Overall, I had a good experience, I don't think I would choose this restaurant regularly, but if my friends ever thought about going to Jaleo, I probably might just have to tag along.

Cynthia L.

Jaleo Hour Review I came here on a Saturday night for "Jaleo Hour," aka happy hour. That's right, on a Saturday! Jaleo serves its happy hour specials everyday from 4:30-7PM. This was a good deal as I found it difficult to find happy hour on a weekend at other popular DC restaurants. I was looking for mainly pre-dinner drinks and tapas and this was a great choice. We arrived at 6:30PM and found the bar area with plenty of open seats. No reservation needed. We were promptly welcomed and given choice of sparking or still water and menus. The drink specials ranged from a $4 sangria to $20 porron. The food averaged about $4-6 per plate. These items were small bites and were good sized for two people to share, although not much food that would lead to a fully satisfying dinner meal. The order: - Porron ($20), a Spanish pitcher with a concoction of vodka, apricot brandy, lime, honey, cinnamon apricot tea, lager, and chardonnay. We loved the porron! It was fun drinking from it and trying not to spill! - Gambas de ajillo ($6) - a delicious shrimp dish. The shrimp was cooked to a great tenderness and the garlicky seasoning was very tasty. - Calamares a la romana ($4) - fried calamari. I liked how the calamari pieces were tender and flavorful. Not overly breaded. - Spanish cured meats ($4) - savory, meaty, fatty cured pork slices served with mini crunchy bread sticks. Good stuff! Service was attentive and friendly. I liked our bartender; she was talkative and engaging! We always had full cups of water and drinks in hand. Overall, I had an amazing time at "Jaleo Hour." Recommended!

Dana Z.

Oyamel is my favorite restaurant in DC. I love ordering a bunch of margaritas and tacos and having a grand old time. Jaleo has a lot of similarities on their menu, but it just doesn't measure up to Oyamel. Yes, they do have awesome happy hour specials. (Like $4 sangrias and apps) But I don't get the "I can't wait to come back here vibe" The foosball tables are kinda cool. Including Jesus the goalie....

Emma S.

Dined for restaurant week 2015. Great food and service. Emmanuel took care of us and we were very pleased by his eloquent service. We enjoyed the Gazpacho, Patatas Fritas, Pork Loin and finished off with the Flan. Everything was delicious and flavorsome. A must try for some authentic Spanish tapas and great service.

Shellie D.

The inconsistency here should be a crime. Some days I love it and some days I'm pissed that I wasted my money and calories on this place. I usually come for lunch and order the lamb sandwich (I can't remember its actual name on the menu). And every time I order it, it's different. Sometimes it's a hot sandwich and sometimes it's a cold sandwich. Sometimes I get a great portion of meat. However, the last time they barely put any lamb and covered the sandwich in aoli. I have had the same problems with consistency when ordering the patas bravas. My biggest pet peeve with this place is customer service. When ever we have had issues with our meal, not once has a manager ever came to the table. After visiting this restaurant over 20 times I can never recall seeing a manager go around and ask people how is everything? And this is a bit shocking for me, being that the owner of this restaurant is so well known in the industry. I love Jaleo but I need them to be more consistent and improve their customer service.

Lydia P.

Wow! Great food, great service and definitely one of the best restaurant in Crystal City. Bright red orange and yellow decor, big window and certainly delicious variety options from the menu. One of the best of Jose Andres restaurant, one of my favorite, aside from Zaytinya. :) Gambas a jillo, Calamares a sutinta that reminded me of my grandma dishes, Patatas bravas, Cabolla asada con queso vald'eon and a few more other dishes I enjoyed that evening. :) Can you tell I'm a foodie? ;) The general manager really taking care of me very well. He greet me as I walked in and take me to my table and ensure from the minute I arrived until the time for me to leave the restaurant I was taken care of by his wait staff. Excellent service indeed. :) I love this restaurant, great happy hour hang out or dinner with your date. Even though I have to make a trip to come back down here, I will certainly do so, it is worth the trip! :) Buen apetito! :)

Jeff D.

We really enjoyed our meal here, though by now things are a bit jumbled. We LOVED the braised short ribs. Those are must. We also enjoyed the garlic shrimp in oil and bacon wrapped dates. Of course we ordered too much, but that always seems to happen at a tapas place. The sangria was great, the energy was excellent and our service was very good. No complaints on expense, we knew what we were getting into. Can't wait to visit again.

Ritzie C.

This may sound weird ... but the food I had at this Jaleo location is far better than what I've had at both DC and Bethesda. We stopped ordering paella at other Jaleos because they always tend to come out salty. However, we decided to try it again since we had an out of town guest with us. (By the way, GREAT place to grab a bite before a flight out of DCA.) Anyway, the paella was perfectly seasoned and the aioli had just the right amount of garlic. The garlic shrimp, likewise, wasn't over-the-top with garlic and the squid in ink came with excellently crisped fried rice. I was happy. My stomach thanks you! The only setback was the suggestion of a seasonal clementine house made soda. Yes, it was delicious with fresh clementine juice and a hint of mint. But $6 delicious? Pass - for $6 there should be alcohol in it.

Q H.

I'd give it a 2.5 if possible, but that would be unfair as our server was very friendly and attentive. The good: the server, scallops, chicken fritters and the sangria. The bad: if this is how paella is supposed to be then I'm glad everyone does it differently. Even I can make better paella than what was served to us. And I don't mean the smaller portion off the small plates menu, I mean the big portion that takes 30 minutes to prepare. Some of the rice grains felt almost uncooked and it was way too salty. Didn't try the dessert; looked interesting though.

Agapi H.

First time trying this place out, so I will need to try it again because I was disappointed. Pro: Great atmosphere and adult crowd. Nice place for large groups, after work drinks, to great place for a date. Great selection of wines and cocktails. The food is delicious, the patatas bravas were outstanding and my favorite, the cordero asado con patatas was excellent the lamb was perfect, the pollo al ajillo was tasty and chicken was very tender. The waitress was attentive and very kind. Cons: The waitress informed us that the meats they use come straight from Spain and they are experiencing delay in shipment, hence the first 5 plates we wanted they were out of. I am kind of a stickler on this, because a restaurant should never be out of anything, let alone 5 plates, I'm sure there were more dishes too. The waitress did however forget one of the plates we ordered, so although it did arrive later, just not with everything else. The forgetfulness was later explained, as the waitress must have just been exhausted, she mistakenly called me sir when giving the bill which was pretty funny but she seemed embarrassed. Overall it still was a good experience, will give it another try.

R M.

During my first visit to DC, I had the pleasure of taking the underground in Crystal City and popping up in front of Jaleo. We enjoyed quick service of drinks, gazpacho, fresh bread and olive oil, Aged jam'on and manchego cheese. It was the perfect early evening meal for a hot Tuesday night. I would recommend for a nice intimate meal or first date, as long as you arrive before 6 pm. It becomes quite busy starting around that time with bigger groups coming in.

Payal D.

To be honest the food was decent but this place gets a 2 based on service because we did not have a good experience with our waiter. Went there last weds for my sisters bday dinner. We ordered the tomato bread (decent), mushroom risotto (amazing!), manchego (not good and only 3 dinky pieces!), and patatas bravas. We originally ordered the patatas bravas that were on the special menu because they came with a cheese instead of the typical sauces. When the dish arrived we realized it was blue cheese on the potatoes asked if we can switch them for the regular patatas bravas because none of the group like blue cheese. It didn't say that it was blue cheese on the menu so it was an honest mistake that any normal restaurant would understand. Ever since that request our waiter seemed to be very angry with us and hardly said a word to us all night! The icing on the cake...my friend brought my sister a cupcake and asked if we could just get a fork. He says yes and then comes over and proceeds to tell us how he should be charging us for bringing in a dessert. It was one little cupcake!!! Most restaurants will bring YOU a dessert on your birthday but instead he chose to give us a lecture. Didn't even wish her a happy birthday! Will not be coming back!

Erin E.

We really like Jaleo, especially the selection of cheeses and their sangria- both white and red. The price can really add up here but occasionally it's worth it and we always end up going back- more than can be said for many places :) Some of the dishes (including the paella) can tend a little salty but this is common with a lot of Spanish food. Also, you can park for free on nights and weekends in the garage across the street. In Crystal City that's a win!

World M.

Go here for desserts and drinks and you will be a happy camper. For the desserts alone I would rate 5/5 stars, but the main tapas plates were just OK. The Andalusian cocktail is, I think, the most perfect cocktail in the world. It's $12 of pure ecstasy. I loved the lamb chops, and while you get only 2 teeny tiny chops, I savored all the meat and flavors down to the bone, and felt like a dog having to give up their prized delicious bone once the waiter came back. I wasn't a fan of the cold coconut milk, almond, and crab soup, but I'm glad I tried it. The tuna wasn't that flavorful to me, but my dining companion liked it. Glad I tried the watermelon salad creation, since I've never had all those flavors together. The chicken fritters tasted like and had the consistency of the contents of a chicken pot pie enclosed in a samosa-type fried pocket. This tapas thing isn't for everyone, since you get tiny portions and pay a lot for those tiny portions, but Jaleo does work hard to make those tiny portions pack as much flavor and excitement as possible. Super expensive for the little food you get, and glad I tried it, but I would only come back again for desserts and cocktails, or if someone else is buying. Our total for 5 or 6 small plates, 4 drinks, and 2 desserts came out to about $170 I think, and I didn't think we went overboard or anything with extravagant choices. Not the place to go if you're ravishingly hungry and want to stuff your face right away. You could probably go here really dressy, but you won't be turned away if you look like a slob, either. A slob in Arlington standards, any way.

Frank H.

After a stressful day of video shooting, a friend and I ran to Jaleo to literally make their happy hour 1 minute before it was over (4:30pm-7:00pm EVERYDAY, it's great, like actually). In our haste and frenzy, we order 5 plates: Calamares a la romana, Dátiles con tocino 'como hace todo el mundo', Patatas bravas, Croqueta del dia, and the Bikini. The first plate, being the fried calamari was overall nice. Perfectly cooked squid so that it's tender and not chewy, served with a really pleasant alioli, a great bite with decent portion size. The fried dates wrapped in bacon were AMAZING. Served on top of some sweet sauce, they were super addicting. Only 5-6 come in an order though, so I'd order multiple of these had I known in advance. The patatas bravas, aka fried potatoes were okay, served with a spicy tomato sauce and some cheese I believe, it was essentially potatoes with the flavor of pizza. Large portion, but meh in terms of flavor. The croqueta of the day was made with chicken, was surprisingly creamy inside, though the chicken was a little dry. The bikini is a pressed panini sandwich with serrano ham and manchego cheese. Very very good. Small though, so I'd order a second one of these next time as well. My friend also got a glass of sangria, which is only $4 during happy hour, and I got a shirley temple. Our bill came out to be around $30, so for all of the previously listed items at that price point, we could not be happier!

Mari A.

3.5... I've only ever been to one other Jose Andres restaurant. And its the one in LA known for its molecular gastronomy. Aside for the $$$$, the experience was delicious. This location unfortunately wasn't quite the same experience. The waiter was really nice. The tapas were pretty big sizes for tapas. The amount of food we got for the restaurant week price was pretty decent. But the quality and taste of the food just wasn't what I was expecting and was just slightly disappointed. What I got: * Sautéed spinach salad with pine nuts and apples- this was okay. * Machengo and Apple Salad- this was pretty good. Love machengo and the apple crunch as a contrast was delicious. * Salmon- this was cooked really well. Tasty and tender. * Chocolate Mousse - my chocolate mousse expert friends enjoyed theirs. This just wasn't my cup of choco. Not sure id come back to this place but would definitely still check out his other restaurants.

K Karan P.

We came because we wanted to do a happy hour stint at one of the local restaurants. Unfortunately the happy hour menu is only at the bar level. The menu looked great with $5-$8 bites but the bar stools are very uncomfortable as they do not have back support. We asked if we could do the happy hour in the restaurant and the answer was no. So we ended up ordering from the regular menu in the restaurant. The waitress (Leiya sp?) was top notch - she spoke eloquently about the menu and the ingredients (how refreshing). We ordered the cod frittata. It came with a dipping sauce - honey aioli with garlic. It was nice but a little salty. (Replacement waiter said cod is cured with salt.) The crabmeat with cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and cauliflower with brandy sauce was refreshing. The signature drink gin and tonic (with juniper berries) was excellent. We will return to Jaleo!

Vivi B.

My husband and I decided to come to Jaleo for a romantic dinner after watching Anthony Bourdain (who we love) appraising Jaleo and it's chef owner Jose Andres, and after trying it we were just amazed! my husband and I eat out very often, and I'm very picky with restaurants, therefore, when I find something that I like I stick to it, and Jaleo defiantly earned it's spot! We picked the Chef's Tasting Menu, where he picked for us a selection of deferent Tapas (a lot of food, make sure that you are hungry), it was just delightful! The chef also paired the Tapas with deferent wines that go with their taste (which we loved), I totally recommend it. The prices are not cheep, but it's well worth it. Service is amazing, atmosphere is worm and cosy. I just loved Jaleo! and it's my new favorite restaurant.

Kimberly S.

In college, a few friends and I stumbled across the DC Jaleo and I had my first foodie experience. It was magical and I forced my parents to take me there to celebrate any occasion I could. I've been a Jose Andres fan ever since. I have been to the Crystal City Jaleo several times for private group party events, dinner with friends and happy hour in the past several years and each time I leave I feel very unsatisfied. I keep telling myself it is just a fluke and it's probably me ordering the wrong thing but after five years I finally have to say: "Meh, I've experienced better." For me, I feel like there is always something off about every dish whether it is the wrong ingredient, texture of food, or amount of spice that goes into it. I've ordered from the vegetarian, meat, and seafood menus and it is almost always leaving me wanting a taste of something more (and not in a good way). However with bad there is always good: + Service is excellent + If you get a chance to try their grilled squid with garlic rice, do so. It is the best thing on their menu! + It's a beautiful, large, space and perfect for group dining

Charlin C.

I dined here today for lunch and had an amazing experience. The food, decor and staff were all great. For lunch I had the Barcelona club sandwich and a side salad. The salad was so tasty and the capers were a nice touch. The only complaint was that the bathroom had a pungent mildew smell that was extremely off putting. I would return to this restaurant and look forward to checking out other locations.

Lauren B.

Words cannot begin to describe my love affair with this restaurant. I come here for Happy Hour quite often $4 sangria (you can't beat 4 dollar sangria especially when made by Carlos.) Carlos is the bomb - top notch bartender. I have never experienced poor service here. All of the wait staff is great. They also have greta deals on their happy hour food. Croquets, shrimp, calamari - all of it is really incredible. In terms of dining for dinner, my father and I love coming to the restaurant. We always order the flan for dessert. Even their coffee is good. I love this restaurant. It's honestly one of my favorite places.

Tzu-Yu H.

I would say Jaleo is probably a 3 star, more like 3 and half stars. Food wise, it definitely depends on what you order. I personally think their seafood items are far better than their meat items. Items to try Fried calamari with aioli sauce- very tasty, especially the aioli ( olive oil mayo with garlic) Steamed mussels with tomato wine sauce- very tasty, the chef definitely know how to cook mussels. They were really tender, and the sauce was to die for. HOWEVER, some have sand in them (if you ever have chewed on something with sand in them, you would've understand the pain and the sound it makes, much like scratching your nails on a blackboard.) Items to avoid Marinated olives with cheese- I am sorry, but this dish is just plain old disappointing, for the same price as the calamari, this came out to be in an oval shaped can about half the size of my hand.....LOL and the cheese are in quarter inch cubes. These are the tiniest cheese I have ever laid my eyes on. They are smaller than the free samples you get from the Whole Food's or regular grocery stores. Grilled lamb in rosemary sauce- This dish had so much promise, but it just came out sad and over-cooked. It was tough and the rosemary sauce was really salty, it had really really nice flavor, and the rosemary aroma came across really nicely, but it's hard to enjoy the dish when it's overly cooked and seasoned. Pork Crackling with tomato salad- For 10 dollars, I was expecting the actually crackling with crispy skin and some delicious flavors, but all I got was cut up tomatoes with some PORK RIND on top. :-( Service- our server was actually very informative, and extremely familiar with the menu. When we were unsatisfied with the cheese and olive, she brought more cheese. When we like the aioli sauce ( my bf dipped his bread in it), she brought more aioli for us. I would say service is a solid 4 and half star. I would have given Jaleo a four star rating.......!!!! But my sangrias was so disappointing I actually wanted to cry. It was really water-down, and lacking the basic flavors of a sangria, which has wine, fresh fruit, and a dash of brandy. Mine just tasted like bad waterdown wine with soda water and cubes of apple. If the booze was good, it can compensate for all the bad dishes. Unfortunately, the food wasn't impressing, nor was the booze, and the tab was even more disappointing. Verdict: The food is on the salty side, stick with the seafood, and don't order the sangria.

Elliot P.

Having patronized the original location for years, I was delighted to find a Crystal City location of Jaleo when looking for a special place for an informal reunion with classmates who all just happened to be in D.C. at the same time. One of our number lives quite a ways out of town, Crystal City was the most mutually convenience in this instance. Well, we made the excellent choice of just ordering the "Chef's Table" experience, were we selected nothing but just let the Chef feed us course after course of exquisite small plates - from cheeses and crunch appetizers, to salads, veggies courses, three different meat courses . . . and it was amazing! When we finally said "no more" it was time for dessert, and, of course, multiple courses there, too! At $55 per person plus beverages it wasn't cheap, but considering the volume, variety and quality of food -- to say nothing of the more than three hours we spent grazing with the full attention of the chef -- it was high, high value and an amazing experience. Highly recommended!

Andrea W.

Went there with 5 friends for drinks on a Saturday night,happy hour had just ended so it was pretty empty.Grabbed a table at the bar and waited around for 20 minutes before the server came to greet us.The beers and sangria weren't anything special, after a night of lackluster service I won't be back

Ronald G.

The food was excellent! Since this is a tapas restaurant, the servings are understandably small. We polished off every dish served and felt very satisfied at the end of the meal. A truly memorable dinner!

Nicole E.

I've never had tapas before, but this was awesome! There were three of us and we shared a pitcher of sangria (very yummy) and shared a whole bunch of dishes. We even left room for desert and it was well worth it. The atmosphere is great, the service was friendly and quick and on top of things ... I don't have anything to complain about - well worth a stop if you're in the area.

Meredith M.

I loved Jaleo. The outside patio made for a great night. Our waitress was very patient, allowing me to wait at one of her outdoor patios on a sunny evening while my friend arrived late. The food was delicious! We had the mussels, bacon wrapped dates, apple fennel salad, asparagus, and chicken-cheese nuggets. Everything was great, especially the dates! If I find myself in Crystal City I will definitely eat here again.

Kelly C.

One of the most incredible meals we've ever had. My family and I have always enjoyed Jaleo, but I've NEVER had service like that before! I felt like I was the queen of Sheba. This is how service should be. Each dish was served to perfection, and let's be honest, the food speaks for itself. However, Diego (our server), Bevin (general manager), and Chef Guzman really made our night. They and many other staff came by our table and ensured we were having the best experience, and it was. If you're looking for a great experience, go to the Jaleo in Crystal City! Free parking after 4pm, and the best folks with whom you'll ever want to dine. Continue the excellent work making your diners feel valued. You made a family's night tonight!

Maria C.

Went last night for dinner at the Chinatown location. The menu and the decor have been revamped! Don't know what they did to the food, but if it was good before, now it's great! On the negative side, they aren't serving the cava sangria by the glass anymore (and I think the upped the price on the pitcher), and they stopped serving complimentary bread and the olive oil with the garlic clove for the table to share. Despite that, kudos on the new menu and the flavors!!

Jude P.

I was in the area visiting when I decided to stop by. The restaurant is beautiful, but the problems I experienced were the following: the portion size were too small, the taste of the food was not good with the exception of the fritters, and it was too pricey.

Nikki F.

We walked in without a reservation but got seats at tables in the bar. Our waiter was very friendly and he and my husband bonded over their respective love of beer. I love Jose Andres' restaurants and Jaleo is not exception, HAd the serrano ham and queso starter which was delicious. How can you go wrong with those ingredients? The eggplant fried with honey was soooooo good. Then tried the papas arrugas- a liiiiittle saly for my taste but also yummy. My favorite dish was the seared piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese. Lots of options...so I think Jaleo is a great place to go with a group.

Randy M.

I must say that my first trip to Jaleo was very very good(just missed great). There's room for improvement but the food was spot on. Over priced as some have said, but i think in that area of town, you know what you're walking into. One bit of annoyance that our party of 9 encountered was our reservation was not fully ready at the appointed time, even though the restaurant called to reconfirm that day. Underestimating the traffic that night we actually got there 20 minutes ahead of our reserved seating time, but it was clear that they werent anywhere near ready for our party. We did eventually get seated, but I have a feeling that the 4 two-tops they pushed together for us was not the original plan. The food was wonderful, we sampled about a 3rd of the tapas menu and one of the palellas. Items that stuck out especially are, the cauliflower, the endive with goat cheese and orange, the steamed mussels, those potatoes, and hangar steak. Things I might skip the next time around are, the scallops(they have several dishes, cant recall exactly which one we got) and the mushrooms.

Tatyana M.

Before I talk about our experience in this restaurant I have to say that we LOVE the cuisine Jose Andres presented to food lovers in his other restaurants like Zaytinia and (unfortunately closed) Cafe Atlantico. We also had an OK experience in his Oyamel. But in this Jaleo location we had a very disappointing experiences and had it twice (I don't think there will be any more because we've decided that enough is enough) Now to the point: AMBIANCE - nice FOOD - promising in menu descriptions but NEVER delivered anything but disappointments in more or less degree depending from the dish. Most of the sauteed or roasted dishes are DRENCHED in oil of very bad quality. Even in "Endives, goat cheese, oranges and almonds" they managed to pour SO much oil it was almost inedible. We had an impression that oil is the MAIN component of their dishes. Speaking of taste it wasn't present in any dish we've tried except of Beet soup (that was OK but definitely wasn't worth $9.50 they charge for it). The dessert ("Apple Charlotte") was basically dough stuffed with applesauce on the top of which was half melted ice cream. Ugh! Our impression was we are sitting in an Italian restaurant of poor quality southern Italian cuisine. Their was NOTHING that reminded us of a wonderful Spain tapas with flavorful sauces and refreshing taste of unique and creative small miracles that are happening in your mouth with every bite. That kind of Spanish Tapas we've experienced in Dali restaurant in Boston and LOOOVED it. I think if Jose Andres tasted the kind of food that his Chefs "create" as Spanish Tapas he would be ashamed for the way his native cuisine is presented here. But he probably haven't been visiting this restaurant for a long time. SERVICE - Pretentiously "nice", intimidating with pushing their opinions about dishes when not even being asked, absent and ignorant when needed, not friendly and all together NOT PROFESSIONAL starting from the hostess and finishing with the waiters. As I mentioned we've been there twice and both times with the different staff we experienced the same kind of service. VALUE - Not good for an experience we had (5 dishes + 1 dessert + 1 coffee + 1 tea = $75 all including) CONCLUSION - NOT RECOMMENDED (particularly if you are a Foodie)

Sonny B.

For lunch today, Sandwich of crab salad and seared cod, o para aquellos de ustedes que hablan español, Bocata de cangrejo y bacalao. Priced at $11.50, a bit on the high-end for a sandwich, hence 3 stars, but well worth it in terms of portion, taste, quality and none of that fake crab bull. Service was quick, less than 10 minutes wait, scarfed the sandwich down and back to work!

Cathy D.

Came here for my birthday. Was not that impressed by their selection and if you are eating tapas, it adds up! Warning: do not have your b-day celebration here. They will allow you to bring in your own cake, but they charge you $1 for each plate you use to serve the cake on.

Farida A.

Jaleo is incredibly overrated! The plates are not cheap and the food is not good! There aren't many tasty vegetarian options, and from what I hear the most popular one - Patatas Bravas - has gone down in quality. Maybe the meat dishes are delicious, because I fail to see why people keep raving about Jaleo.

Mochi K.

The space is big and airy...the hype was up because I've been wanting to try Jaleo for a year now but too hungry to wait in a 40 min line in dc...but the bext best is crystal city accross the water. Manzanas con Manchego..I don't think apple and cheese sounds like a good combo but it was tasty..would get it again Ensaladilla rusa...fancy potato salad and would not get it again Buuelos de bacalao...cod fritters with honey..would eat it every day if I could Morcilla 'Bar La Esquina'...blood sausage..I know it sounds gross but you should try it...at least once in your life..was pretty tasty Patatas bravas...although a tapas staple...didn't really like it and wouldn't get it again Gambas al ajillo..also a tapas staple...it was good but nothing special the pork tapas would good....don't know the name though..sorry PLEASE SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT WHICH WAS AMAZING...I'm a huge dessert dork and apprecaite in house homemade dessert. What I love about their desserts are they're not too sweet with subtle textures and flavors....Totally recommend basque cake with vanilla/cinnamon ice milk and the vanilla pudding!!!

Muriel P.

So this was paid for by my company, so i can't complain about the price, but still. Yeah each plate is not much money, but it adds up pretty fast. So this on the side... We had the 2 types of ham who are both delicious, we also had the dry meat which i totally loved (i do like dry meat, obviously, but this was all very tasty). We had paella, that was ok. Mussels were pretty good. Mushroom risotto with cheese, yummy. Plate of cheese good, but most of it the dried apricots that came with it (i usually don't like those things). They were marinated in a lavender thingy, good. Then we had the chicken croquettas, i liked those, not high cuisine, but good. Oh and the shrimps, miam miam good. And lamb too. I ordered the chickpeas and the spinach. Nobody really wanted it and it was not that good. Also did not like much the patatas. I may miss a few things, but that is most of it. The white sangria was slightly good, but i am not much of an expert. Desert, i had the hazelnut chocolate cake, which was just ok. Did not like the basque cake. And yeah right now, i am a little stuffed...

Jalyn H.

Arriba indeed! This not only applies for this particular Jaleo, which I have only frequented once, but for the one in downtown DC. While the Crystal City branch is much less crowded (perhaps because it might be bigger as the previous reviewer has suggested), it doesn't diminish the quality of tapas that you'll get here. La Tasca is quite good as well, but the edge goes to Jaleo for having a less dark and moody atmosphere. Great vibe, without pretentiousness. Whether you're trying the standard patatas bravas or the scrumptious chorizo, you are not likely to find better tapas in the area. Staff is attentive and speedy. Sangria is great, although try not to drink too much. It goes down easily....draw your own conclusions here.

Daniel L.

This place was decent. I half expected a Jose Garces place and ended up realizing very quickly it was nowhere nearly as good as Jose Garces' Amada. I'm sure Jose Andres is a good chef but he needs to redo the place. The dining room we were seated in had no window and were filled with rows of two-seat tables. I hate to compare again, but tapas are suppose to be intimate; you're suppose to share and enjoy together. The two-tops were small and you were sitting so close to other people. As for the tapas, they were just ok. I typically judge a tapas-joint with one dish: the garlic shrimp. Jaleo failed to deliver on this dish. I was expecting maybe two or three big shrimps still with its shell and juicy head filled with delicious bits and loads of olive oil and garlic flavor. However, what came out (as you can see in the pictures on yelp), the dish came with 8 small pre-frozen, de-headed, de-veined, sauted shrimp with a light garlic taste. Good for 3rd graders and the Olive Garden crowd but as Keyshawn Johnson says.. ComMON man! Where is the excitment? Where is the fun of sucking out the shrimp head? Where is the garlic oil to dip bread pieces in? ComMON man! And the veal stew with mushrooms is way too salty. The veal was very tender though. Last but not least, let me explain my disappointment in the pork belly. It didn't taste spanish. It tasted like chinese braised pork belly with five spice. Ok maybe not exactly five spice but it tasted very asian to me. I didn't go to Jaleo for Chinese tasting pork belly. ComMON man! One positive was the drink menu. They have a $14 gin and tonic, which sounds like a huge ripoff, but is worth it to try because the gin is special and the presentation is nice. And the waitress was not very experienced. Nice that she spoke Spanish and pronounced the menu well, but not so nice when she took a nice smoke break and didn't get us any service for 10 minutes (when we needed water to wash down the salty veal). Other dishes were ok, nothing to write home about. Now... Jose Garces' place Amada, is still tapas royalty.

Katie M.

The Crystal City location seems much bigger than the Washington DC location... I think that's because it wasn't as crowded and there was a lot of open space that you don't usually see at the DC location. Regardless I really enjoyed my visit to the Crystal City Jaleo. First off, the floor plan is fabulous, very open and the bar is the center focal point. I could see this place being busy for happy hour since there are a lot of businesses surrounding the restaurant. The food was great as usual- we had the Pan con tomate y jamn serrano, Calamares a la Romana, Salmn con tomate confitado and Costillitas de cordero. For dessert we had Espuma de avellanas y chocolate, essentially it was a chocolate tort- VERY YUMMY!!! Highly recommended!

Sandra P.

I went Friday night with my husband and friends and found the whole experience not very memorable. The few items that were tasty felt overpriced compared to other tapas bars, and the paella that we got was extremely salty. I felt that for the price the food was just ok. Our waiter actually never really came to ask us about how the food was, and when I flagged her down regarding the paella there was not a reasonable response. I will skip this place in the future.

Arthur M.

I've been to Jaleo in DC and had many great meals there. My fiancee lives in Crystal City and lives right across the street from this location so I've gotten to eat here more often in the past two years. I have to say that the Crystal City location is very inconsistent with the quality of the food when compared to the DC location. Some low-lights from our past visits: We were served rare/raw pork loin. I ordered the Salmorejo cordobés (tomato soup with Serrano ham and poached egg) but they forgot to include the Serrano ham. Our order of Bacalao con salsa verde, the cod was completely raw in the center. There are some good things about this location. The grilled cheese at lunch is very good and the gazpacho is excellent. If you have a craving for tapas, avoid this location and go to the one in DC where the quality control is much better.

Amy C.

A friend and I were walking around DC on our way to check out the Cherry Blossoms when we decided to stop into Jaleo to grab some lunch. With no reservations, on Cherry Blossom weekend, we were able to be seated within 5 minutes, which was a nice surprise. The decor of the restaurant was lively, bright and airy. We ordered 7 different tapas dishes and although all the food was delicious, what stood out to us was dessert. We ordered the spanish custard flan. It was so rich and cooked to a perfect consistency. My friend who usually doesn't have a sweet tooth agreed that it was the highlight of the meal. I would definitely go back just to have another bite of that spanish custard flan.

LISA B.

We went to Jaleo especially for the Paella. It was expensive and not very good. We did not finish the Paella because no one wanted more than the first taste. We had 8 tapas and the Paella. Shrimp with garlic was very salty, best tapas was the fried eggplant drizzled with honey and the pork sausage. Will not be returning.

S. L.

Eh. Overpriced and pretty not delicious.

Colleen G.

I am not a huge tapas fan, but I had brunch here last week and really loved it! I had a berry mimosa that was great and (I can't remember the exact name of the dish) a fried egg with bacon over rice... soo delicious! I would definitely come for brunch again.

Scott J.

Had the lunch special with grilled chicken panini sandwich and salad. Food was quite good. Not sure how tapas are but heard they are not as good as other places.

Kurt T.

This place was amazing. Each dish we ordered was better than the last. Great service and interior. Best roasted asparagus I have ever eaten.

Sarina W.

You definitely need reservatiosn when you go here. It gets quite busy. Service was good, lots of tapas to choose from. Very friendly staff and great food. Price is very reasonable too! Definitely a great place to check out!!

I-Chant C.

Totally decent tapas bar. The tapas were all very tasty (especially the scallops, octopus, asparagus and steak), and the service was good. Good atmosphere, no wait on a Saturday for lunch, and prices were fine.

Rachel P.

love this place. love the decor and atmosphere. i always feel warm and cozy here. it's one of those places that's great to go with a small group of people and share lots and lots of tapas. but, just like many others have said...many little dishes, the price really adds up! i've tried many diff tapas, and maybe i'm just not too picky, but i liked everything i tried. i do remember liking any and all the potato dishes, and i tried a rabbit one, and suprisingly liked it. very tasty and tender, despite feeling weird that i was eating a little rabbit...but i digress. maybe i'm biased b/c i love picking at small, varied dishes, but jaleo's is a yummy, fun place to eat. great sangria too! it's about time i go back soon...

David P.

one of our favorites in dc. it can be busy, but there is a full tapas menu at the bar. sangria here is how all tapas restaurants should make it. good combination of both standard and unique items on the menu.

Todd J.

probobly between 2 and 3 stars. Went for HH with a work buddy. Service is great and bartenders are easy going. food is not very good at this location.

jason c.

Five stars don't do Jaleo justice. What a revelation this place is. To start off, the decor is lively and bright with spanish music playing and tv's at the bar playing live la liga soccer games. Not a boring place to eat by any means. The smells of the other dishes eatin in the restaurant come together to create one of the most beautiful aromas Iv'e ever smelled at a restaurant. The menu itself will make your mouth water just looking at it. With an Estrella Damm beer from spain in hand, I looked through the menu to decide what i would have. I went ahead with the three plate combination, which includes dessert and fresh bread for just around $20. I started off with a delcious salad with citrus, romaine lettuce and fresh beets. Then i got the Chicken Coquetas, which are basically a chicken fritter stuffed with cheese which slapped my mouth with an intense creamy chicken flavor. I finished off with a plate of small spanish sausages, which I can't remember what their called wrapped in a thin potato sheet, and calamares a romana(calamari) which were served with a lemon cream aioli. I ended the meal with Flan for dessert. I had a really wonderful experience at Jaleo, and it goes without saying I will be coming here very soon

Penny M.

Oh Yes!!!! Jose Andres I love you! Living in the Northeast, I can only live vicariously through his Tapas cookbook (which I do...) But I finally actuallly dined at Jaleo last Friday evening. It was wonderful. The menu was delightfully eclectic - so many wonderful choices for everyone in my group of four. Noone was disappointed. Service was terrific. Drinks were great. The wine list is excellent - very good Ribera del Dueros for a good price... The atmosphere is great, comfy, casual, festive. The outdoor seating is terrific in the warm weather too. Muy Beuno!

AC P.

I give this place 5 stars! This is the best place for tapas in DC. They are original, nicely priced, delicious and the ambiance is also great. I am Spanish and let me just tell you, this is the real thing!

Becca R.

I was just here on a business trip. Six of us went for dinner on a monday night. Great atmosphere. We all ordered a couple plates each so we could pass and share. We had the Patatas bravas , Croquetas de pollo, Gambas al aijillo , Tortilla de setas de temporada, Vieiras con mojo picn, Dtiles con tocino, Cordero con patatas asadas, Lomo de buey, Pollo al ajillo con salsa verde and the Butifarra casera con 'mongetes'. Everything was amazing, but my favorite was the patatas bravas and the shrimp. SO yummy. We also ordered a pitcher of their homemade sangria. Very tasty. Fun place to go with friends or coworkers. It was way more fun cuz we shared. It is pricey!! Service was good and fast. I highly reccomend it.

Annie C.

All the area Jaleos are a mainstay on my regulars list, and I drop in at least twice a month, usually to the Bethesda location but I find that the VA location has better food probably because it's not as busy. The atmosphere is great, cheery and airy with high-ceilings and bright decor. Service really varies depending on when you go, but I find that the food usually makes up for it. Tapas, small Spanish dishes, are the feature of the menu and my usuals are the scallops (very tender), figs and bacon, sweetbreads (for the adventurous), endives (refreshing) and the cheese, but everything on the menu is worth a try, especially the specials. The drinks are strong and tasty, like the sangria, and definitely save room for some flan or the homemade sorbet for dessert which are sure to not disappoint.

Jim N.

We took a large group from work here today for happy hour and dinner. When we arrived the restaurant was empty. Immediately on arrival we had to track down the bartender who was obviously put out to have to wait on us. Imagine having TO DO YOUR JOB! I don't know how, in this economy, this person has a job. He was truly horrible and reflects poorly on this restaurant chain. We ordered sangria, some beers, wine, and some tapas that took a long time to come out. When they finally came out, they were average. We actually ordered a complete 2nd round of the tapas. After getting frustrated that they never came out, we paid the check and left. I hope our sorry server enjoyed his $1 tip. He truly did no work to deserve it. The person in our party who recommended Jaleo to us was embarrassed and talked to the manager. The best he offered was "the next time you come in I will take care of you". Yeah right. There will be no next time because the service SUCKED and the food was average. We spent $121 (including my more than generous $1 tip) and would have spent $300-400 with decent service. We will never be back you losers.

PC W.

My only problem with tapas in general is that I have to spend a lot to get full. Griping aside, I do like Jaleo. I highly recommend the croquetas, chorizo w/ garlic mash, fried squid and garlic shrimp. Nice atmosphere and decor.

gretchen b.

ehhh.... went here on saturday night for a late dinner and wasn't too impressed. we got a bunch of different dishes and most were just mediocre. they sat us next to this group of extremely loud, obnoxious kids. that sort of ruined most of our meal... +'s - sangria (very flavorful, not too sweet), the lemon rice pudding (at least the meal ended on a good note) not a terrible meal but the hubbs and i both agreed, we don't need to go here again.

Cynthia C.

Went on Saturday hoping to watch the Spain quarter-final game of the World Cup. Yes, we knew it wasn't a sports bar. The place was empty and had absolutely no atmosphere. The bartender was in a bad mood or just plain rude. We had a beer and left quickly. The bartender tried to get us to stay once she realized we were actually leaving - too little too late. I can't imagine the atmosphere is any better at night. It's really dead.

J P.

We just had a Saturday lunch (I know, probably not the most representative time of a typical meal there) at Jaleo. Delicious tapas with decent-sized portions, but the servers were overwhelmed, thus the service was pretty bad. We had to ask for things like bread and it took three attempts to get a refill on my iced tea. Some of our tapas failed to arrive without reminders as well. Most annoyingly though, their wine pours are seriously light. We are not typically complainers, but we did remark to the waiter that we only got about 2/3 of a conventional wine pour. He assured us that that was a full pour at Jaleo. Pretty weak. Jaleo is actually quite typical of tapas restaurants in the US in general: they've taken what's meant to be an intimate, slow-paced dining experience and turned it into rapid-fire small plates and weak drinks served as quickly as possible in order to turn the table for the invariable awaiting throng of patrons. In Spain you spend hours lolling about with a glass of wine and intermittent snacking. In the US, tapas restaurants feel like happy hour at T.G.I. Friday's. Maybe we just need more tapas places so they won't be such a mob scene?

David C.

Good and lots of tapas to choose from and if not for the food come here for the sangria (I prefer the red over the white sangria), it's phenomenal. If it's a nice spring or summer night there is plenty of outdoor seating and plenty of space inside. They have a nice big bar area with live Spanish or Latin music usually playing on the weekends. Service is pretty good on coming around and checking on you to see if you'd like to choose more tapas. Some of my favorite tapas is the duck and suckling pig, which sounds bad but it's actually pretty good.

Todd Y.

Small plates are better than Zaytinya's in DC. Service is good.

prins d.

I've been working as a line cook for 7 years and have been to a prestigious culinary school and worked in great restaurants. I have a critical palette and critical eye for service. Both aspects of this restaurant far exceeded my expectations. I had seen Jose Andrea on TV and honestly did not find his cooking on TV to be all that impressive. Interestingly though Jaleo does an excellent job of finding excellent ingredients and preparing them perfectly in almost every situation. It's been a while since I have eaten there so I can't recall exactly what we ordered. There were six of us and we ordered about 16 tapas total. I ordered the beet salad, quail, and grilled asparagus. All of that was excellent. Everything I tried was very very good. I'm not a huge paella fan but it was the best paella I had ever had in the US. The sangria was amazing too (although not cheap). Our waiter was outstanding and brought us a bunch of free desserts (four free desserts!). Perhaps this was because our bill was around $400 lol. Oh and the dining room was decorated and laid out beautifully too.

I've been to the Jaleo bar in Crystal City just once and I must say that I really liked that place. Jaleo serves more than 50 different tapas and great wines. There are a lot of choices to make before you start eating. My personal recommendation is to chose three different tapas. I promise you that they'll make you full even though it doesn't look like much food. Shark, a very exotic choice, it tasted so great that I'll get it next time. You can't go wrong trying out the three wines combination (red, white, desert wine). The atmosphere is nice and a little bit makes you feel like sitting in a southern spanish fisher village. Beware, prices for the different tapas add up easily.

Colin C.

I have to say that based on the accolades that Jose Andres has collected over the years I was expecting much more from Jaleo. My girlfriend and I had reservations, but that was a decidedly unnecessary precaution being as that the restaurant was half empty when we arrived at 7:30. We started with red sangria (which conveniently enough is only served by the carafe). The first dish out was the patatas brava, which were fabulous. After that, however, it was all downhill. The marinated mussels were rubbery and flavorless. The mushroom and ham croquettes were essentially fried balls of cream of mushroom soup. The bacon wrapped dates were the largest disappointment of the evening. I usually love dates wrapped in salty deliciousness, but these were deep fried in cornmeal and as such just tasted like miniature corn dogs (the worst part was that the menu didn't indicate they were deep fried). The final dish was a trio of good, but far from great, scallops in romesco sauce. Coming from San Francisco I'm used to being so hungry for more tapas that I end up ordering several more after the initial salvo, but after being thoroughly underwhelmed by the first five dishes my girlfriend and I decided to get the check instead. It isn't that Jaleo is bad, because it isn't. It is just that with all the hype surrounding the executive chef I was expecting a great deal more in terms of quality.

Christy L.

Since the entrance we felt welcome and enjoyed every minute of our meal, wine, tapas and dessert.

Sarah A.

Jaleo was a fine restaurant; however, I was expecting the vibe of Chef José Andrés's Zaytinya. The service was a mixture of over-attentiveness by the server and sloppy bussing. The food was good: especially the flaun.

Taylor E.

I love me some Zaytinya, so I had high hopes for Jose Andres' Spanish-style tapas restaurant, Jaleo. Unfortunately, the hype did not match the reality for me. We ordered about 3-4 tapas per person for four people. The first tapas came out less than two minutes after we ordered, and the rest a few minutes later. I don't want to seem ungrateful for the super fast service...however, when I'm paying $40 per person I want to at least feel like the chef took some time to create my meal. It was seriously almost as fast as Chipotle which made me think that they cut corners in the kitchen. I also didn't like any of the tapas that I ordered...even the patatas bravas--which you'd think would be safe--lacked salt. The only thing I enjoyed was the chocolate mousse for dessert. So, on the bright side, the service was speedy. But I felt like we couldn't linger and chat since they put 15 plates in front of us at the same time and we didn't want them to get cold. I would have liked everything to be more spaced and relaxed. The food was also nothing to write home about. I will not be back.

Thomas J.

We've been going to Jaleo a couple times a year for the last dozen years (this and the DC location). Unlike a lot of the tapas places in the area, Jaleo has a stupidly-big menu. Plenty to choose from both in tapas selection and alcohol.

Felipe Z.

We were in DC visiting for work with some of my co-workers that are huge fans of spanish food. We also got to be here for "restaurant week" (i think it was called). So basically we had 4 different plates plus a dessert, for about 30-40 bucks? Super good deal. Everything was extremely tasty, and well done, and pretty. The service was nice, and helpful, and the place seemed pretty popular all night. If you have to have a drink, have the sangria. The pitcher. You'll need it. It's delish.

Robert O.

Great food, terrific dinner with great people! However, had wine spilt on my suit/uniform. Manager agreed to pay for dry-cleaning, but my shirt was not salvageable. Hopefully this will be payed for also. Will update re: service.

Joshua W.

Went here for the first time for a lunch meeting. I was easy toy surprised. Having never eaten tapas, I wasn't sure what to expect. The food was good. The ham we started with had a good flavor, while the shrimp were good and saucy. The potatoes were excellent, and much more than what I was expecting when ordering, the cauliflower Was also delicious. The only thing that keeps this from being a five star rating for me is the atmosphere. We went for an early lunch, and at first the room was empty. However, it didn't take long for it to fill up. Once it did, the room felt crowded and cramped. Overall, a very pleasant experience, I would certainly recommend.

Bethany S.

I don't get the hype. The food was terrible and expensive. We went for restaurant week, but it ended up being about the same price as the menu. $12 for 4 shrimp which were meh? NO thanks. We ended up with 10 tapas and none of them were great, 1 was not even edible (salmon), and 8 were not even worth eating. The only "good" one was chicken croquettes, but nothing special. Save your money. La Tasca is better (although still an overpriced novelty). I won't ever visit here again. It was $80 of unsatisfying overpriced food. Not to mention the water wasn't even cold and the service was slow.... but otherwise it was ok.

Thai T.

Have been to Jaleo a handful of times in the past few years and it has always been a good experience. Only reason I don't frequent it more often is b/c of the presumption that tapas are expensive once you've ordered enough for it to be filling. However, I recently discovered that they have a decent HH(wish I had taken pics), drinks I think were $5-7 and tapas were $3-8. Went with a gal pal and our tab was $38 at the end, with about 3 drinks and 5-6 tapas! Overall, the tapas are yummy and the drinks were strong. Will definitely come here more often now that I know there is a decent HH!

Kelly M.

I decided to dine at Jaleo after seeing the menu on the door. Not many places offer paella. In hindsight, I regret not getting the paella. I figured the tapas would be less expensive and less food, as I was dining alone. I was wrong. This experience was hit-and-miss. First, I booked through Open Table and it worked well. Second, the atmosphere is visually trendy, but loud. The acoustics are poor and at times my server had to repeat himself. Also, The tables are so close that I could hear the guys on either side of me talking about exes and family problems. I would not come here for intimate conversation or more sensitive business dinners. Third, I ordered the Sangria, which was not served until after I received my first plate. The Sangria was okay, but lacked the sweetness that I prefer. I realize everyone is different. All plates but the first were served at the same time. My first plate was the fried, bacon wrapped fig. It reminded me of a high end mini corn dog. I was a little disappointed and think it would have been better without the breading. I have had similar, better figs elsewhere. My second dish was the garlic shrimp. This dish was spectacular! It was most similar to camarones al mojo de ajo, with a pleasant amount of garlic and chili. I used the crusty bread provided to sop up the tasty sauce. My third dish was the braised rabbit over apricot purée. The server could not answer questions about this one, but he assured me it was good. It was good... Tender and moist. The apricot was unusual, but I cannot complain about it. Last, I got the sesame crusted tuna. The quality of the tuna was decent, but it was somewhat bland (even with the peppers). I would have liked this better seared. While I loved the shrimp, there were enough other issues that caused me regret for the price tag that came with this meal. I am not frugal, but do want to feel a meal's price tag matches the experience.

Katy L.

Tapas. So expect to get small dishes. They suggest about 4 dishes to make a meal per person. The food was a little towards the salty side. But I enjoyed the potato fries the most. There's a photo. But I don't recall the actual name. Everything else didn't wow me. But I did still have a good experience. Waitress was extremely helpful and nice.

Brunilda C.

We visited for our 5 year anniversary March 24th, as soon as we sat down we felt we were experiencing a five-star service. Our glasses were never empty and our table never dirty, food was out fast and absolutely delicious. We met the manager that was kind enough to check in with us, what a joy of a man! Very knowledgeable and pleasant, he sent us over 2 incredible desserts. We thought nothing else would fit in our stomachs but after tasting these, we enjoyed every spoonfull of "deliciousness"; thank you so much for giving us one of the best dining experiences ever! Best food, atmosphere and service; highly recommend it.

Steve T.

We tried Jaleo out while on a business trip to the DC area, and we were very pleasantly surprised. The food was excellent, the staff were friendly, and the whole experience made for a nice night out. I will certainly consider dining here again the next time I'm in the area.

Chris C.

Earlier this week, I was invited to a kickoff party for Jose Andres's 11th Annual Paella Festival (July 29th - Aug 11th) at Jaleo Crystal City. The event benefited Jose Andres's charity, World Central Kitchen and was to promote the 2 week long festival. There were a number of paella stations set up for the event, each presenting its own types of flavors. Paellas: Arroz Iberico de bellota - A paella with Iberico belota ribs, sausage, and baby artichokes Arroz Caldoso de Pollo, Conejo, y Acelgas - A soupy rice with chicken, rabbit, and swiss chard Arroz de Verduras de Temporada - Traditional paella of summer vegetables Fideuá Negra con Gambas - A paella of black "fideos" with head-on shrimp and calamari Other Dishes Include: Gazpacho Flan My favorites of the night were the Fideuá Negra con Gambas (shrimp) and the Arroz de Verduras de Temporada (summer vegetables). The Fideuá Negra con Gambas was great due to the texture of the black fideos and the head on tiger shrimp. The summer vegetable paella was a favorite since it had the greatest crust out of all the paellas. It was cooked thoroughly and charred to perfection, which is exactly what a paella should taste like. I definitely need to applaud all the staff at Jaleo Crystal City. The event was run very well and everyone was having a great time. The addition of live music also added to the overall experience. I will probably having a paella craving within the next week so count me in. I'll see you at Jaleo!

David H.

Came to Crystal City for work, with Jaleo right across the building I had to give it a shot. I did the three tapas for $20, which is a pretty good deal. Servings were good and I was pretty satisfied with the three tapas. I had the luxury of having the GM serve me in the bar area, she was fantastic. Very knowledgeable about each of the menu items and recommended dishes that all turned out to be delicious. 1. Pan con tomate with Pasamontes farmhouse Manchengo Almost like a bruschetta.. but way better. Tomato brushed onto bread with huge slices of Manchengo cheese. 2. Patatas bravas* Thick pieces of potato over a spicy tomato sauce covered in an alioli. 3. Gambas al ajillo Generous serving of sauteed shrimp with garlic. The GM brought some bread over for me to dip in the sauce. Next time I am in town with my fiancee... will have to bring her to a Jaleo around town. I would love to try Jose Andres's other joints.

Rob B.

I have been to Jaleo's many times; for lunch, dinner as their downtown location was just around the corner from my place of work. While Chef Andres and crew have updated the hip factor to 11, the food remains central. There are some nice changes to the menu overall. And some additions that seem a bit over the top gratuitous as maybe some young protege wants to mix NYC with Spain. That is a minor aside, because the food is wonderful, a nice selection of tapas tastes from Barcelona to Seville. I recommend lunch over dinner because of the after-work crowds, but you can't go wrong...everyone will find something to love.

Scott M.

The king of tapas in the DC area. One of the first and still one of the best for small bite meals. Be aware that the dishes come out to the table rather randomly, but that's part of the fun... so is sharing all the dishes around the table!

Phil E.

This was my first time to Crystal City and first time to Jaleo which came highly recommended from my hotel (Hyatt Regency). The place is cavernous and really loud. We were there on Thursday evening around 7 and it was packed, loud and somewhat chaotic. Despite the atmosphere the food was amazing. We loved everything we ordered from our pequillo stuffed peppers to our fried bacon wrapped dates, everything was tasty, seasoned and delivered in a timely manner. I would give this more stars but the waiter, what we saw of him, seemed really busy and was hardly at our table. We wanted more wine, for instance, but were unable to order any since he never came back again. Despite the lack of attention the food is really the standout and worth going here to give it a try.

Linda C.

We had a very enjoyable meal here dining al fresco on the patio with our two dogs. The food was amazing as well as the sangrias. The star dish of the night was the Gambas al Ajillo (shrimp in garlic). It was smoky, spicy, and garlicky. We loved that they allow our pooches to sit with us just outside the roped off dining area. Parking is free in the evenings. We will be back!

MaeLing C.

Food is great and the ambiance is charming. I have been eating here for several years. My only complaints are the portion sizes and the prices. The wine shop upstairs is very convenient and the staff will even help you pick out a great bottle of wine. I got hooked after the wine tastings. I wish they would bring they would bring them back. They were fun, and you learned so much about wines, Spain, and pairings.

Jeremy C.

Not much better than La Tasca which is okay. The bar area is pretty cool. There's a foosball tabletop thing which is pretty entertaining for at least 5 minutes. Bartenders are friendly and it's one of the better places to grab a drink on that side of crystal city.

Bud G.

Service was ok but not great ! Waiter spoke broken English & brought the wrong item. Then he was upset when I told him I did not order the item . Ordered a drink and it was not delivered & had to ask for it again. Waiter finally spoke fluent English and we were able to receive what we ordered. Table was not equipped with salt and pepper nor sweetener for iced tea. Service was extremely slow. Never got a tea refill. As someone who has never tried Tapas it is safe to say I never will try this restaurant again.

Craig B.

¡Amazing Tapas! Beautiful restaurant, huge bar. Got the restaurant week menu with my regular crew (cousin, cousin's husband, my roommate). Best gazpacho I ever tasted so creamy. Fried bacon wrapped dates are so addictive! Roast iberico pork was very good. Loved the pear sorbet. Who knew you could make a delicious frozen dessert from pears. Watermelon salad was great and so the arroz with mushrooms. Everything was stunning and service was top notch. Chocolate brioche flan was also the bomb.

Ricardo M.

Food is great however prices are high for what you get. The menu changes frequently enough to keep you engaged. And the best quality is the on site wine shop. Great place to buy a charming assortment of wines if you live in the neighborhood.

Mia N.

The restaurant is beautiful. The tables are small for 2 people though so if you order a lot of plates, I would have hated it. Luckily, there were 3 of us and so we had the table for 4. The service was excellent. The food was good, but at those prices, come on! No wonder I don't do tapas. The last time we did tapas was in Madrid 8 years ago. I remember paying 60 euros, but we had ordered A LOT. At Jaleo we ordered 4 plates and it was $50. No thanks, no more tapas for me. The Spanish omelette, I don't know what I was thinking for $12, but my husband said he could make that for me at home, eggs and potatoes. The plates are teeny and range from $10 to 15. Forget it! They were tasty, but these portions are for models and actors, not for real people!

David E.

I took the family there yesterday for late afternoon Sunday Paella with a couple of additional tapas. I have eaten at the Jaleo in DC and found it to be excellent, and this was every bit as consistent across the board. First off, the staff is impeccable from the warm reception at the front desk, a greeting from the manager (Glenn) who checked in on us during the meal, our server (Ethiopia) who was very attentive and never missed a beat, to their topnotch sommelier (Sherette) who set up a wine flight that went perfectly with the meal. Extra special kudos to Sherette for her knowledge, charm, and delightful conversation and assistance throughout the afternoon. If you haven't eaten at Jaleo you are missing the boat in outstanding Spanish fare. Their Sunday Paella deal for $25 is amazing: salad, soup, selection of unlimited paellas, and a very nice flan for dessert. This past Sunday the paella of the day was a seafood rice dish with a more soupy consistency that was truly excellent, but I think that the paella that they always have (chicken and mushroom paella) is off the charts great. We also had the Gambas Ajillo and their braised lamb dish which are incredible. A great dining experience: delicious food, terrific staff, and a wonderful wine Spanish wine list. It is clear the staff there love what they do. Thanks very much!

Jackie O.

Ate a variety of tapas and everything was good. The carafe of sangria is served straight with ice in the individual glasses which is a nice touch.

Mara E.

We stopped in yesterday during the snow to just grab a drink. The drinks were delicious and the waiter was very helpful. He was easy to talk with and joke with. We didn't try any food but we were overly pleased with the mixed drinks we got and the service.

Lisa W.

I followed a yelp recommendation and ordered paella--awful. A huge unattractive platter of brown food arrived. I hoped the taste would be better than the appearance but no, if anything it was worse. I could taste no saffron, the rice was not tender and the sauce reminded me of brown gravy from the jar. The mushrooms were passable, the chicken not so much. The star is for the sangria, not the best I've had but passable.

Danielle W.

Ok, seriously, are there any restaurants in the DMV area that *aren't* owned by Jose Andres?? Ha, just kidding, I do like the man, and I love the fact that he allows this Jaleo to have a kick-ass affordable happy hour and Sunday paella special. Every weekday, you are able to enjoy $4 sangria and a variety of tapas - an option that simply doesn't exist in the downtown location. There is also a fantastic Sunday all-you-can-eat paella special for dinner. Personally, I've never done it, but I have enjoyed samplings of their paella during the annual Crystal City Wine Festival every fall. And boy, is it tasty! I've enjoyed happy hour here on a variety of occasions. The sangria is fabulous - super tasty and not too sweet. I also loved the variety of tapas available for happy hour (just wish they were available in the outdoor seating area as well). It is a great location to visit after work, but is a bit more desolate on the weekends. Overall, very good ambiance, location, staff and food!

Kristin P.

I am so surprised by the negative reviews I am seeing! We had a party of 16. Our huge order came out in a timely manner, and the servers were attentive and patient. I was a little confused by the wine list, because I don't know much about Spanish wine. We took a chance on two of the cheaper wines, one red and one white - both we're delicious! Everyone agreed, and we ended up ordering 2 more bottles of each. Because of the size of the group, I was able to try a variety of the dishes. Cheeses, bacon wrapped dates, rabbit, potatoes, Brussels.... the list goes on. Forgive me for not remembering the details of the dishes. I can't remember having a bad thing to say about any of the dishes. They even brought me a dessert for my birthday. I highly recommend Jaleo!

Jessica N.

I think if I ordered the paella I may have a different rating but I wasn't too impressed with our tapas selection. We ended up spending a lot of money and left unsatisfied. It'll do if you're trying to avoid chain restaurants in the area, as we were, but I'd just go for the paella - expensive but big and you end up getting more for your money.

Jason W.

Expensive for lack of service and quality of both food and drink. Long waits (20 mins between plates) The dc location is night in day. Take the extra time on the metro for the dc spot.

Laurel M.

Too expensive for inauthentic spanish tapas. The sangria was not properly made. the fruit is supposed to soak for more that 12 minutes (and they were tiny glasses).

Brian W.

Good base menu and very consistent meals. It would be nice to see some more adventure in the specials however.

Rob Y.

Been to this Jose Andres joint twice now. Most recently labor day 2013 weekend. Food (8.5/10.0) = The tapas was great. We ordered: 1. Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples, 2. Grilled marinated chicken served with parsley purée and garlic sauce , 3. Homemade traditional chorizo with olive oil mashed potatoes and cider sauce, 4. MULTIPLE orders of patatas bravas (why multiple? Derp...because it's hella good), 5. Fried dates wrapped in bacon and apple mustard sauce. Also ordered a paella (squid with squid ink and mushrooms). Wasn't that impressed with the paella unfortunately. Was really looking forward to it, because the last time I had it was in Madrid. My problem with the paella we ordered was how incredibly salty it was. Was ok the first few bites, but then it became a chore to eat more of it. And for drinks, we got the sangria. It's worth it. Ambiance (8.5/10.0) = Nice decor. Elements of Jose's Spanish background in the decor. Service (8.0/10.0) = Our waiter was really nice and knew the menu well. There was a lady, who seemed to be only responsible for the water and removing dishes from tables, that annoyed us. She kept trying to remove plates from our table when food was clearly still on the plates. Not sure what her problem was. Overall Opinion = Yea I'll go back. May not try the paellas anymore. But the tapas and sangria are definitely winners.

Holly C.

One of the best meals I have ever had and exceptional service. Garlic shrimp was so good I ordered seconds (oink, oink)

Charles M.

My first visit here. The service was attentive and friendly, but the chaotic atmosphere may have helped cause the few missing and late plates we experienced. The food was creative and sometimes surprising. There were so many choices it can take a long time to order. Something for everyone so it's all good. I would come back.

Doug S.

Firstly, we love tapas. We have been to various different tapas restaurants and have some experience with the things we enjoy. Jaleo just missed the mark. The ambiance of this location is quite beautiful with vibrant colors and great music. Clementine oranges were in season at the time so the restaurant was decorated with the boxes and many dishes featured the oranges. The biggest winners of the meal were the dates and the cheese pairing. A big disappointment was the paella. For how highly touted it was, it fell short of expectations. It was bitter almost inedible. We were surprised when it wasn't made with rice or saffron. The other major disappointment was the portion size. I understand the concept of tapas, but the dishes at Jaleo were almost more of an hors d'oeuvre than a "small plate." The service was great, and the team serving setup kept our table taken care of quite nicely. Final assessment: great environment, good tasting food, great service, small portion size.

Aaron J.

In the hierarchy of Jose Andres tapas restaurants it seems like the king is Minibar, which is probably a bi-annual occasion place for me, Oyamel, which I go to a few times a year, and Jaleo, which I don't go to too often because I prefer Bodega in Georgetown at this price point. Barmini too, with amazing drinks, but that's really essentially just drinks. Minibar is probably my favorite restaurant in DC, even better than Komi. I really, really enjoy Oyamel. But I'm not really feeling Jaleo, especially after this visit. I walked in at 9pm sharp to grab a drink and some tapas. I sat at the bar where one other person was sitting. At 9:02 another gentleman sat down. By 9:05 he already had his order of wine in front of him. By 9:12 someone finally acknowledged my existence, despite the bar back washing dishes in front of me and walking back and forth the whole the time I was seated. Pretty annoying. When I commented on the wait to the bartender who asked me how I was doing, the response was a quick, "oops sorry." Okay...any response but that would have made me feel a little better. I ordered a gin and tonic. I asked for the well gin, i.e. the cheapest they have. The drink was very weak. Almost watered down. I was secretly hoping it might be a little stronger based on my 12 minute wait. Not this time though. I often drink g&ts, know what they should taste like, and this was no good. Ordered patatas bravas, decent with a hint of rawish potato. I just wanted a snack after my wait time, so this is all I got. It was $7 on the menu I believe? Maybe $7.50. The food was okay I guess. I was pretty shocked when I got the bill and saw that that my g&t, a basic drink that used the least expensive gin they had, came up to $12. Normally that's a $6-8 drink anywhere unless you get a top shelf liquor like Bombay Sapphire or whatever. It was like if someone I paid $11 for a Yuengling or something, just totally out of whack price wise. I'm assuming the same thing with top shelf would have been $18 or something, which would be absolutely bonkers. Anyways, the wait for service plus the ridiculously expensive well g&t really put a bad taste in my mouth. The tapas I got was pretty mediocre. It stung to pay $25 for what I got, including tax and a reasonable tip. Bodega in Georgetown has much, much tastier patatas bravas for the same price, plus their regular g&ts are only like $7. It seems like you get a better value and tastier food and what I think is a better atmosphere there. Oyamel and Minibar are amazing and if I wanted to splurge I would go exclusively to those places. But I feel like the value and taste really isn't there for Jaleo, so I will stick with Bodega at this price point.

Chris R.

Visited On Friday night with a friend for dinner. The hostess was friendly and seated us promptly, unfortunately the night quickly went downhill from there. After being seated our waitresses took 20 minutes to bring us bread and ask if we wanted drink orders. After waiting another 20 minutes we finally had to ask another waiter to please find our waitresses. When our food arrived the portions were extremely small and not particularly flavorful. While this experience so far would warant two or three stars what happened next is what brought it down to one. For the final chicken course we ordered the waitress brought out quail instead of chicken. When we told her about the mistake she made, she instisted that we were wrong and placed the food on the table. We spoke with the manager and he apologized for how the waitress acted but this still dosnt make up for the terrible service we received. Finally, when you look at the reviews for Jaleo, there are 51 hidden reviews, most of these are 1 star reviews.

Steve B.

We often take the kids or out of town guests for a food adventure and one our favorite places is Jaleo in D.C. The only problem is they are a block away from the Verizon Center; so if there is an event then they will be busy. Having said that, it is a blast to have dinner with the family while playing foosball. Last night we tried Jaleo in Crystal City and we were happy to find the same great food and friendly wait staff. Our waiter Juan was great, he helped us pick a good wine and walked us through some new items on the menu. We had 2 10 year old boys with us and the tapas portions are the perfect size for trying new things. They both loved the rabbit and bacon covered dates but I think we were all amazed by the "Liquid Olives". There are a lot of things on the menu to explore and I would suggest sharing a couple of cheese plates while deciding. This is a fun place to try new things and even the less adventurous eaters will find things that aren't octopii-like. Eat and enjoy.

Sandy M.

We thoroughly enjoyed Jaleo's Sunday Paella special this afternoon. For $20/person we were served a glass of the best gazpacho I've ever tasted, a salad of lightly dressed mixed greens with beets, citrus, blue cheese and pistachios, followed by an enormous pan of deliciously moist chicken paella and a very nice flan for dessert. We added bacon wrapped dates as an appetizer and 1/2 pitcher of white sangria which was absolutely perfect. I'm not a fan of sangria but theirs won me over. It was all quite lovely and our server was friendly and attentive, even as the restaurant filled up and became quite busy (It was nearly empty when we arrived around 4:00). Next time we have visitors from out of town, I'll bring them here for a memorable Sunday afternoon treat. My only reason for giving Jaleo four stars is that this is based on one visit and I'd like to try the tapas before I decide if a fifth star is warranted.

Alima H.

Tried the Jaleo Experience Chef's Tasting Menu, modified for vegetarians. The food was delicious. Dishes brought out elicited exclamations of delight. The service was impressive. The food and service were worth 5 stars, hands down. Why only three stars? The Chef's Tasting Menu was not well put together, especially for vegetarians. The food was all very rich, and very cheese heavy. After a while I became so full that the experience started to veer from phenomenal to painful. It is a sad state of affairs indeed when luscious desserts elicit grimaces from overstuffed diners. The food was too heavy and I felt ill much of the night and the next day. Jaleo, your food is incredible. If the tasting menus had fewer dishes, or were more balanced with less emphasis on cheese as a replacement for meat, I would be much more likely to come back. For now, I will probably wait for several months before returning, and even then will not go for the tasting menu. I recommend choosing a few dishes and enjoying them fully.

Lauren S.

Overall: I've visited the DC location a couple times and loved it -- this location, however, felt like a cheap imitation. Food: The food honestly wasn't the problem. It tastes pretty similar to the DC location. Good flavors. Our favorites were the bacon wrapped dates, a beef dish with blue cheese, the garlic shrimp and a pork dish that was breaded and stuffed with cheese and ham. Drinks: The basic sangria gets the job done. It isn't overly flavorful, but it has a clean finish, isn't too sweet and is easy to drink. Service: It was a Saturday night, but we had reservations and it was not at all busy. However, somehow, they were out of menus so we only had 1 for the table for about3/4 of the meal. The hostess was obviously more interested in other things than helping people. Our waiter was fine, he was attentive and quick with getting in the orders. Unfortunately, the people clearing plates were a little too attentive - several times we had to almost take the plate out of their hands because we weren't finished. Another point of criticism - we were never given additional clean plates. I'm positive DC does, so it was odd. By the end, our plates were a mess of different sauces - kind of messed up the flavor experience. Atmosphere: Here's where this location really loses points with me. DC feels kind of artistic/eclectic.. at the very least, clever. This location feels like an Applebee's. Ick. Very stark and impersonal - come on, Jose Andres. I expect a lot more out of you!

Jessica D.

Jaleo sticks out in my mind the most, of all the restaurants I ate at while living in DC. I imagine the restaurant proprietor has a great sense of humor, which manifests itself in the delicious tapas delivered in a fragmented, dish-by-dish fashion. My colleague and I indulged in the fried green tomatoes, a potato and special red sauce and gooey cheese, cajun fried shrimp, and chorizo patties. Each was better than the next. The menu can be a bit overwhelming with choices, so I opted to stick with dishes denoted as fan favorites. The fried green tomatoes and fried shrimp were delicately fried, not in a greasy brunch way. The flavors of the fresh tomato were not overwhelmed by oil, which unfortunately underscores many American dishes. The shrimp touted a refined zestiness and sharp crispness. Delicious. The potato and red sauce were reminiscent of a gnocchi, sans italian flair. A nice intermittence between other heartier dishes. Finally, the chorizo patties: better save the best for last. Chorizo will always be one of my favorite meats, and a defining reason why I will never dive into full vegetarianism. Each bite was potently flavorful, no matter how small the size. I savored each and every bite. Each tapa is enough for about two people, three if you are not that hungry, four if you're dining with birds. Prepare yourself for a bustling environment of culinary creativity. Sharing is caring, especially at Jaleo.

Elissa L.

The atmosphere of this place is nice and we had no trouble getting a table, but the food was expensive and disappointing. I've had tapas many times and the servings here were smaller than expected for the prices. Everything was also extremely salty. 3 yucky tapas and 3 drinks (two at the bar on happy hour) was over fifty bucks. I would however come back for happy hour. I had a fantastic sangria for four bucks (normally 8) and there were a handful of tapas offered for more reasonable prices at the bar. The bar staff was very friendly and attentive. Their website advertised happy hour min-fri but apparently it is available Saturdays too. I have a salty taste in my mouth just thinking about this place. It's like everything was marinated in ocean water, including my salad.

Desiree A.

How is it possible this place doesn't have five stars? I've been with friends, family, the husband and by myself at least 20+ times over the past two years. This place consistently delivers courteous, fast and attentive service. It has a ridiculous number of tapas that I love (the scallops, the spinach and pine nuts, the pan con tomate, the beet salad, the rice "paella," the butternut squash soup...the list goes on and on. The best dessert is by far the flan...his grandmother contributed to the creme fraiche recipe and it's ridiculously good. Plus, I rarely have to wait more than ten minutes to get a table and the noise level is just right - loud enough to make you feel like the place is happening but quiet enough that you can hear someone easily across the table. This is by far one of my top five restaurants in the metro DC area. Go.

Jane L.

We ordered about 10 dishes between 2 people, and I was not too impressed by any of them. Sizes were way too small to share, even for tapas, and they were mostly too salty, too saucy, did not taste authentic, and just overall not memorable. I wish I could say something nice about it. But meh, I've experienced better.

Ruoxi C.

Lukewarm service and food. The rabbit came out cold and was too greasy for my taste.

Lisa K.

Great Happy hour! Reasonably priced drink and food from 4:30-7 every day! The sangria is strong not too sweet! And the food is genuine Spanish deliciousness. I got the endives con queso etc and montadito tortilla and was very pleased.

Andrew H.

Thought the food was great and the sangria was very good as well. The food did not take too long to come out and was always fresh and hot. I thought the environment was nice but very modern and sterile in a sense, which loses some points for me because I like the 'Spanish' feel that a lot of other Tapas restaurants have. The wait staff was excellent and was very knowledgeable and courteous. The bill for the 2 of us...around 8 tapas plates, half carafe of sangria, and 1 dessert to split was $155, so $185 after tip. So very pricy.

Marcos R.

Great Tapas at a not so bad price. Went with a group of 4 and tried almost everything on the menu. Highlight was definitely the sweets which were flan with Catalan oranges & apple pie. Great place great vibe. Only downside was it was a fraction touristy which is to be expected in that area and from the name of the chef

Sara A.

Always passed by but never tried this place until today. Sad to say that it wasn't anything special. "Tapas from Spain" were honestly weird and overrated. The fried pasta was a joke and almost all tapas are overpriced and are barely enough for 1 person let alone 2. It wasn't horrible, but definitely not worth a 2nd visit. There are better Spanish tapas places around.

A T.

The food was delicious! The service was great. Try the 4 course special! Easy and fast option!

Stephanie V.

OMG! Love this place! This has quickly become one of my favorite places. The food is amazing, the service is great, and the location is very convenient. It's a great place to do date night or dinner with the girls. We've pretty much tried everything on the menu that does not contain seafood and loved every single dish. The sangria is a hit or miss; it's sometimes fantastic and other times it's quite disappointing. The place is usually quite busy but service is always on point. Sign up for their email list for specials! They seriously need to open one of these in LA!

Sharon W.

Good atmosphere. Very friendly staff. Don't be in a hurry though. I enjoyed 2 out of 3 of the items I ordered. The one I didn't prefer was likely just due to my taste. I went out on a limb & it didn't work out well. But the garlic shrimp was very good.

Mercedes B.

I was so looking forward to this evening only to be disappointed. A few of the tapas were very good, however when the Paella arrived it was disapppointing. I found it so salty we could not eat but a few bites. The service was spotty which added to my reason for giving Jaleo 3 stars. The restaurant was not packed and no real reason for the delay of drink order and an error on a tapas that we ended up agreeing to add to our bill. As I write this review I feel it should not have been added given it was their error. Had I know how the night was going to go we may not have been so willing. I know Jaleo can do better and we'll go to Bethesda next time.

Remie M.

So I was in DC for a day and a half. On my last day, after site seeing and doing tourist attractions, I met up with my cousins, who work in DC. I figured let's out of the non existent parking situation in DC and head 2 VA. Which basically 3 mins away! My cousin chose this place. The only good thing abt this place was the sangria and the chocolate moose cake. (if its even called that, haha) The servers were on top of making sure ur water glass is never empty. Oh since this is a tapas joint, for those that don't know what tapas is, its like small appetizer plates of food. So if u're hungry I suggest finding somewhere else unless u want to spend a grip on food here.

Anne E.

I've been here a few times and I must say that they have the best paella I've ever tried! Their sangria is also one of the reasons why we keep on coming back. Yum! This is a pretty busy restaurant but they're all pleasant here. Looking forward to coming back soon!

Sallie L.

Restaurant week review from last week: Tapas was OK. Sangria was GREAT. Service was spotty My favorite was the garlic shrimp -- good size and good flavor. The date wrapped in bacon was... just meh. Actually, come to think of it, Other than the sangria, shrimp and the flan, I can't say it was very memorable. Service was slow and yes, I do understand it's Saturday but it was very inconsistent throughout the night. I will probably visit again because it has great location and a good atmosphere for date night but will not be my go-to. I was hoping to find THE tapas restaurant around this area but I guess my search will continue!

Rinaldi R.

I have been to Jaleo a couple times before but this is my first time to the Crystal City location. The food is consistently good and the service is top notch. We did not stray to far from typical Spanish tapas dishes such as Pan De Cristal Con Tomate, Croquetas De Pollo and Patatas Bravas; they were very good. Tried the Canelones De Cerdo Gratinados Con Salda Béchamel and Chocolate Hazelnut cake for dessert for the first time which were both delicious. The surprise of the night was the red sangria, which was incredibly tasty yet strong. It went done smooth but you definitely felt it later. So if you're on a date night with your spouse to away from the kids get a carafe (or two) and enjoy yourselves ;) This location was much more chill than the Bethesda and DC locations but still serving the great food with impeccable service. If you live in NoVA you can save yourself a trip over the river and check-out this location. One tip is parking can be slightly painful in Crystal City but not as bad in DC.

Channa P.

This is a pretty good tapas place with a fun menu (in spanish), good wine, and what looked to be decent cocktails. I went in late on a Thursday and the place was decently full. I ordered a few dishes and enjoyed most of them. When we complained about one dish the manager came by the table, asked the problem, and comped it. She wasn't rude, and really handled the situation like a pro. I would go back just to try so many of the dishes.

Kenny B.

Food was decent but the service was slower than a snail's pace. Took forever just to receive the bill after we were finished.

Emily K.

Tried this place on a whim on a Sunday night and loved it. Went a little adventurous and had their rabbit and quail dishes. Delicious. Will definitely be frequenting this place! I love their food!

Noah C.

Super solid tapas, and a pretty reasonable price point given both the pedigree of the chef and the common going rate for tapas that I'm used to in the Bay Area. As usual, my friends and I went for some classics: pan tomate and patatas bravas. Both were good representations of those dishes, with spot-on flavors. We also tried the jamónes sample, which I had been craving the whole day before arriving at Jaleo. I was not let down by this dish; it had all the porcine yumminess I had been craving and desiring. The true knockout dish was the arroz con costillas de cerdo Ibérico de bellota - made with the Iberico pork ribs. I could've kept eating that for hours if my dinner companions weren't already tapping out so fast.

Jared J.

Went here last night and got the restaurant week deal (5 tapas for $35). Great experience overall. The service was excellent. One of my dining companions had a gluten allergy, and our waitress made sure to double check with the kitchen about certain dishes (turns out the onion soup has gluten in it) to ensure everyone had a good meal. I also had no idea that Estrella made a gluten-free beer (that actually tasted like beer). As for the tapas, the pan con tomate tasted just as I remembered it from my time living in Spain. The patatas bravas and flan were also very good. The chorizo and croquetas were mediocre...you only get about four croquetas, which does not feel like a full serving. My only disappointment was with the house sangria. I've had much better elsewhere (I think La Tasca has a few that are better).

Britt W.

Last photo says it all. Only reason it got 2 stars is because the jaleo classic sangria wasn't bad. How sad.

Chelsea C.

As a fan of small plates, I enjoyed every single bite. The service was excellent; the ambiance welcoming; and, the overall experience satisfying. I would absolutely go back.

Lama B.

I actually really enjoyed the food at this Jaleo. I was a little bit apprehensive about this dinner, considering that someone mentioned that Jaleo was the McDonalds of Tapas. I'm going to disagree. Everything was fresh and well prepared, and the salads were the best part of the meal by far. Hit the fennel salad, and the spinach. Really well done. I also enjoyed the sausage very much. For dessert, the flan is well prepared. Overall, the service was great, the portions ample, and the food flavorful and well prepared. Don't hesitate. Just go. Eat.

A T.

I've been here for a lunch and a dinner. It's not a lunch place and dinner is tapas expensive- not bad, but can be expensive. Stick with the paella and you'll be okay. Also watch what you order and watch the prices. Be careful with the specials.

Alan K.

Update! Bottom line: the pricing of the food during happy hour went up, but you can still dine and drink here on the cheap. Definitely maintains its status as one of the best happy hours in the area, but don't bother paying full price, as the food ranges only from "meh" to "pretty good." They have about the same number of tapas items on the HH menu, but not all of them are $4 as before. Some are a little more ($6ish) and one I believe is less, but given how often we end up here, the change is appreciated and probably due. The sangria and two beers (Yuengling and a Sam Adams of some sort) are still $4. You still shouldn't eat here at full price for lunch or dinner, but the brunch is pretty solid. We've tried it 3 times now and they have some really good options. If you order 3-4 brunch tapas per person like the waiter recommends, you will have way too much food--I am a pretty hearty eater and two of us are full after sharing 3-4, so don't go overboard. Also, definitely try the Bloody Gazpacho.

Nathan V.

Very good ethnic Spanish cuisine. Menu is too overwhelming for newbies, which my party, including myself was. Waiter did help out and recommended dish my party enjoyed. The bacon dates, spinach with pine nuts, chicken fritters and vegetable peloa were very good. Margaritas too pricy for size. I would frequent again.

Alison M.

Delicious food with wonderful service. This restaurant is perfect for nice night out or celebration because it can get pricy. I came here to celebrate my husbands mid-week birthday. We didn't feel like venturing into DC, but I like the atmosphere of the Jaleo in DC a bit better, it's got more of a fun, trendy feel. Food was super good, desserts were mediocre.

Laura P.

Still a favorite... highly recommend the shrimp and garlic dish - so good!

Pauline T.

Some dishes were hit or miss. Jose Andres is a really talented chef, especially when he brings in his molecular gastronomy skills. My boss and I ordered about 4 tapas and shared 1 dessert. We had: fried eggplant drizzled with honey-meh nothing special, can make it myself. Tasted like fried bananas from a thai restaurant Sauteed Shrimps with garlic and chili oil- good but there were 6 small shrimps and that was the dish. I'm not a huge shrimp fan so i'm not asking for more shrimp, but something else to accompany it would've been nice. Sauteed spinich with pinenuts and raisins- this was yummy, i enjoyed the sweet from the raisins and bitterness of the spinich and the slight crunch from the pinenuts Wild mushroom rice- this was really flavorful, there could've been truffle oil in there to enhance the mushroom flavor, it was a tad on the saltier side, but good overall flavor. If you are a mushroom lover, this is your dish Dessert Chocolate flan (which is more like a chocolate mousse) with caramalized bread (tastes like toffee) and brioche ice cream (tastes like a caramel/vanilla ice cream). This was all so good! There were a few sprigs of thyme as garnish and when you get a little of each on your spoon its a flavor i can't describe. They all compliment each other so well and the texture of smoothe ice cream, fluffy chocolate flan, and crunchy bread was AMAZING!

Caitlin P.

Bring cash or you will regret it. Went the other night with friends. We had reservations set for 10 people and we asked several times up front if we could split the check at least three ways to make it easier on everyone when the check came. They refused. We wrote down exactly how much to charge on each card and they still messed it up. I signed exactly one receipt and yet today when I checked my bank account I have SIX charges from them totaling over $300, which is nearly half the total check. Wtf? Now I'm going to have to deal with the manager and my bank for weeks to get this fixed. Excellent food, terrible experience.

Holly G.

We stopped in here with about an hour to spare before walking over to Synetic for a show and that was just enough time to speed through the 4-course pre-theatre dining option. Everything was delicious and service was excellent but next time we will allow 1 1/2 - 2 hours to relax and dine the way we would have preferred. And there will be a next time.

Jim W.

Excellent food. Great flavors. Good service. I can only eat here when hubby is away. May have to try it again.

Ryan R.

food is expensive, menu items are confusing and difficult to figure out. Food is all very salty. Restaurant is ok, bar is fine. Just not a big fan.

Nesar J.

I enjoyed the food here, but it was pretty expensive and I don't know if I would say it was worth it. We tried a lot of dishes total of maybe 7 and a few of them being really good. Great place to try, but I wouldn't go again.

Rachel H.

Get the wonderful food of Jaleo without the wait of Penn Quarter. Food is excellent, service is great and the wait is right-we've never had to wait! Leave room for dessert-the olive oil ice cream is worth the trip alone. The bacon wrapped dates are a crowd favorite, my personal favorite is the endives....they aren't to be missed. Oh, and the gazpacho.

Jessica Y.

I love The Bazaar by Jose Andres in LA, so I was pretty excited to check out his tapas restaurant in DC when I was there for a conference! We had a set menu for our party of 82, with three courses of three plates each plus two desserts. While 9 plates may sound like a lot of food, keep in mind that they are shared plates and the portions were not that big. The food was above average, but not mind blowing. My favorite dish was probably the flan we had for dessert. Would I come back again? Probably not for the price, but it wasn't a terrible dining experience.

Joshua T.

Pricey but the food is consistently good, service at this location was awful.

Justine B.

My boyfriend and I went here for an anniversary dinner. We had some time to kill, so we decided to order the sampler and take our time to enjoy each of the (honestly I lost count but I would say there were at least 15 different dishes we got to try) dishes. We drank some of the red sangria and some wine, which our server, William, recommended. Delicious. Every single dish was amazing except, surprisingly, the paella, which I am hoping was just a fluke. The dessert also left a little to be desired. However, my boyfriend and I really enjoyed the creativity the chef showed with both the plating and the flavors (e.g., a chicken fritter-like food was brought out in a shoe-shaped dish, which we were told was the chef's version of "sole food"). The only flaw I could find with the service was that they were over-attentive, coming by to clear plates so often that it became a bit of a nuisance. However it was early on a Monday night and the restaurant was almost empty. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and would definitely go back. I chose "dressy" as the attire, but I also think that on a week night you could probably feel comfortable in nice jeans and a shirt.

Laura D.

This is purely a review for happy hour - a pal and I got four plates and two glasses of sangria each and not only were very happily full, but only cost us about $20 each. I recommend the shrimp, the potatoes and DEFINITELY the manchego cheese (easily one of my favorite things on the planet). I think there are a lot of out-of-towners here because of the airport and hotels, so it doesn't feel as DC as the Chinatown Jaleo, but that's okay.

Mike B.

Descent place, nice and clean pretty classy, good place to stop by and have a few drinks after work.

Sam A.

It was my first time in Jaleo in Crystal City. Probably the best first impression for a Spanish chain. I never had tapas before nor did I know what it was. I went with my sister and her husband and they introduced me to it. After trying a wide variety of tapas I finally chose my favorite, the codfish balls served with aioli. The main course we had was the Paella. The server plated our dish with style. It couldn't stop eating it. It was my first paella and it was everything I'd expect. Then the dessert came. It tasted like it would from a 4-star restaurant. We had the flan which was served with whipped cream and fruit. Also the chocolate muse. The only flaw are the prices which aren't really worth it. But I would definitely recommend to people.

Christine T.

A truly serendipitous find for us. Having run the Marine Corps Marathon earlier that day, we were tired and sore, and really just looking to chill and watch a football game. The local wing joint was PACKED, so we decided to just go and get room service at our Crystal City hotel if need be...but as we left we just happened to see Jaleo across the street...loving Jose Andreas and tapas in general we strolled over to look at the menu. As it was 4:30 on a Sunday there were few folks in the restaurant, and the prospect of quick service plus a brief look at the appetizers was enough to compel us inside. The decor' is beautiful, very NYC with small tables/banquettes close together, high ceilings, dramatic light fixtures, and warm woods throughout. We ordered some cocktails to help with the leg soreness, and began to peruse the menu. Our server was Juan P., and he was so warm and inviting from the start, he made us feel very comfortable. The list of tapas is extensive...I was beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed when DH noticed at the back of the menu a Chef's Tasting for only $55/person. We asked Juan about this and he stated it would be 6 courses, with paired wines if we liked for an additional $30/person. The thought of being taken care of and NOT having to make any food/wine decisions for the evening sounded divine to us. Both the manager and the chef came to the table to ask if we had any allergies/aversions/preferences. We told the chef we were adventuresome eaters and happy to put ourselves in his capable hands. The overall feeling we got is that they would bend over backwards to accommodate your preferences if you like...we were so happy to just relax and experience the food and drink that was brought. It turned out to be truly one of the most memorable dining experiences we've had to date. The meal was incredible, it ended up being 7 courses with dessert and we were beyond stuffed by the end. First course was a delightful selection of cheeses/charcuterie including manchego, chèvre, iberico jamon, and chorizo. Outstanding, and served with a wonderful white Spanish sherry which smelled like a tawny port yet tasted dry with a very creamy mouth feel...an outstanding selection and unlike anything we've ever tried. Second course was an amazing shaved fennel/apple/manchego salad, coupled with endive stuffed with marcona almonds/orange slices/goat cheese, and a wonderful roasted sweet onion with blue cheese and pine nuts. This course was served with a nice Albarino, the perfect contrast to all the acid/fruit notes on the apps. Next course was fried...oh yummy! Cod fritters with honey aioili, creamed chicken fritters, and finally fried bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. All served in adorable mini fryer baskets...to say we were happy campers at this point would be a gross understatement. The next course was spicy shrimp poached in a chile oil, served with a delicious spinach salad with pine nut vinaigrette. Both delicious, and plentiful servings. Our first entree was outstanding, braised rabbit leg over apricot puree, served with a mushroom risotto-like Spanish rice...AMAZING. This was served with a gorgeous red Mendocilla wine. We thought we were finished with savory, but here came the piece de resistance...a pork and foie gras dish served with melted cheese alongside goat cheese stuffed pimientos...this literally felt sinful, a rich gorgeous entree served with a lovely spicy tempranillo wine. Out of this world! Dessert was an espresso chocolate mousse served with hazelnut ice cream and salted caramel...would normally have rated a rave but for the fact that it was served next to the MOST sublime flan with vanilla bean whipped cream...that flan was unbelievably fluffy and light, I'm still dreaming about it. Dessert was served with THREE sweet dessert wine samplings from Spain. In all we spent close to 3 hours here, and never felt rushed though the restaurant was filled to capacity by the time we left. While the food and wine pairings were truly outstanding, it was the very kind and warm service by Juan that made the evening for us...he was happy to give us the details on all the dishes and the wines, and we never wanted for anything, from water refills to bread. His knowledge and professionalism were appreciated, but it was his personality that made this evening one that we will not soon forget. We will look forward to visiting Jaleo again at our next opportunity.

Traveling M.

Slow service & inaccurate order. Very overpriced. $ 68.00 for dinner for two & no alcohol. Food comes out sporadically. A lot of large groups and noise that goes with it. Waiter barely spoke English and was hard to communicate with because he talked too fast.

Frank G.

very good tapas, great decor. very young crowd. wait staff was incredibly attentive. very impressed.

A H.

We love Jaleo, both the Penn Quarter one and the one in Crystal City. This one in Crystal City has a perfect location (pleasant sidewalk, nice neighborhood, walkable from metro), mouth-watering dishes (some of the very best tapas!), a long and varied menu, and great service (efficient and friendly). A reservation is recommended if you plan to come on Friday or Saturday nights.

Adler C.

This looked like a great option when I was searching for food in the area, but Yelp listed closing an hour later than in reality. I'm sure it would've been a decent experience were we given the opportunity to try--unfortunately the rude greeter turned us harshly away. Check the hours thoroughly before making the trip!

Leslie K.

My boyfriend and I came here for dinner and ended up leaving just as hungry as we got there. I realize this is a tapas bar and the portions are small but our bill ended up being $58 for 4 small tapas plates which is ridiculous. We didn't order anything else because it was so expensive and left still hungry. I probably will not go back.

Sarah J.

It's tapas so small portions but it was kinda refreshing to not have an overflowing of food you feel obligated to eat. Portions were small but food was good. My husband raved over the quail and my chicken was a little fatty but good flavor. No kids menu so thankfully I always bring lots of food in my bag. My picky eater wouldn't touch a thing there. It was good and slightly over priced. Meh.

Maria M.

Well... what can I say? Maybe I'm just not a tapas connoisseur.. but this place was definitely not as good as I would have expected a high pricing restaurant. The atmosphere was very nice. It's clean and edgy and modern. They bar looks pretty cool too. I'm sure they may have good alcoholic beverages but I didn't get to try any except for the white wine sangria which was ok. The small plates were not bad. We have the shrimp with garlic sauce, the mussels in white wine, and the quail. All were ok and not really bad at all except for the fact that the shrimp and the quail were a bit salty. But then we ordered the paella - the pork ribs one. Not only did the whole dish smell and taste like pork (which I would normally love), the rice was undercooked and, again, all was too salty. Maybe the other paellas were good.. but this is the big one we ordered and it just wasn't great. I'm not a tapas expert, but I do know what great paella taste like. This was not one of them. The waitress was nice and very accommodating since we went with a rather medium sized group - 7; But not even her can save this place from a 2 star rating. I don't think I'd go back. I love all types of foods... but if i'm going to pay this much for food, i expect above average taste (see my review on the Charleston); Bottom line: I wouldn't go back... but you can give it a try.. maybe you can order something you like and recommend them to me =)

Eric L.

I H-A-T-E Tapas. And DC yuppies continue to support Tapas places, and that's why we continue to get overpriced food for an appetizer. Friends ordered a variety of things and this is all I remember... - Not enough of anything - Steak was tough. - Drinks seem over priced for no reason - Only item that seemed fun and different to eat was the bacon wrapped dates. Only recommend this place for happy hours. Avoid having lunch or dinner at this place since you can get the items of interest on the happy hour menu.

Jarrod B.

Came in for my 830 reservation. At the hostess stand, both the manager and hostess told me I was not in their system, and that there was a 30+ minute wait. I had my phone in hand, and showed them I had my reservation confirmation. The manager began "working" on making it happen, and then told me he was unsure if he could seat me. Pretty sure they took a two top table from a larger party who were not using it, and then sat us in the middle of no where. I felt so uncomfortable. Where the table was positioned, it felt completely out of place, and as if we were forgotten about. Waiters and food runners kept going to other tables with our food before coming to us- so I'm almost certain this is what took place. Ugh, for one of my favorite restaurants in the US - this was not cool. Dishes were amazing, as usual. The manager checked on us about 4-5 times throughout the meal,- because i'm pretty certain he was making sure this wouldn't be an issue- I wasn't happy that he didnt end up doing anything for us. I got the air foam margarita, and I cannot recall the name of the other drink- but both were not very good. Very sour. They tasted more like a powder mix than an actual hand made drink. Far from my experiences at Jaleo in Vegas. Energetic servers who are happy and willing to explain everything in detail without even asking... our waitress here didn't even offer to explain, and was boring and too quiet. I had to ask her to repeat herself like 10 times the entire dinner. I actually tipped 17%, which I probably shouldn't have. I hate to be such a complainer, but I guess the chips didn't fall in line for me on this night. Again, the food was amazing. Can't take away from that. Not sure what happened, but I'm blown away that the manager didn't offer us maybe a free dessert or comp a plate or something? Anything? Disappointed there. Very disappointed. If I'm in DC again, unfortunately this won't be atop my list because of the poor experience.

Amanda B.

I really enjoyed my dinner here. The staff was very helpful, knowledgeable and accommodating. They definitely help cater to the business traveler. We tried about 8 different things and all were really good. It is hard to recommend one dish as they have sooo many. So just go in, ask questions, be adventourous and try some new things...

Rachel A.

All the seafood options were amazing! I don't recommend the pork chop or the chicken fritter but the shrimp sautéed in garlic is to die for!! Very attentive service and by far the best flan I've ever had at a restaurant !!

Jose P.

Esta muey bueno. It was great food great atmosphere very authentic food. Paella was a bit salty but other than that the tapas were good and the wait staff was knowledgeable. Made for a great experience.

Roger M.

We were here about a year ago and enjoyed everything about Jaleo. This most recent visit seemed a bit underwhelming. Our party of four ordered eight tapas plates, and a carafe of sangria, each had Jaleo's great gazpacho soup,. I would say that two dishes per person plus a soup...or three plates is the right amount. Our waiter suggested four...of course he would. ;) The restaurant was packed and quite festive, and while we enjoyed our experience, we found the food rather bland and un-noteworthy.

Cate S.

Decent priced happy hour - mostly if you want to drink red sangria. Unimpressed with the menu. The tapas are cheap but bad value since even for tapas I've never seen such tiny portions. And they are pretty bland. I should mention that I'm one of those people who are perfectly fine with paying for tapas that I deem worthy. These aren't near that category. The space itself is nice. High ceilings, lots of room and a fun, easy vibe. Come here for a first drink or two and maybe move on down the row if you work or live in the area. Otherwise, not thrilling. I certainly do not understand some of the more positive recommendations I received.

Stacy B.

This is my new favorite restaurant. I came here last night for dinner with my mom and it was so good we came back again tonight for dinner. The patatas bravas are delicious and a must have every time. Our favorites tonight were the gazpacho with beets, tomatoes and goat cheese and the bikini sandwiches with ham, manchego and truffles. The red sangria is also delicious. My mom also enjoyed the paella with shrimp and calamari. Last night we enjoyed the trio of cheeses - we weren't sure what to order so our waiter picked for us. They were delicious. All we know is that one was cow, one was goat and one was sheep. The shrimp with garlic was also delicious. I was not a huge fan of the hanger steak though. It was a little too tough for me although the taste was pretty amazing. I can't wait to come back many more times and continue expanding my taste buds. :)

Marie W.

Service: the waitress was very helpful and allowed us to order a restaurant week menu as well as a paella. She was a bit over keen though and kept coming to check if everything was ok - like after every mouthful. This was annoying as we couldn't get into conversation or enjoy the atmosphere as we were interrupted every two seconds. Food: the restaurant week menu allowed you to choose 4 tapas and a desert. Food came quickly and was reasonably spaced out. The bacon wrapped date were a disappointment as they were deep fried and rather greasy. The paella was slightly garlicy and massive in size. Would serve 4-5 people easily. The two of us are probably 1/3 and took the rest home in a box which the servicer was happy to do for us. The chocolate moose was to die for though and so rich perfect for two people to share. Overall this is a good place to go with friends for tapas. Nothing too spectacular but decent food.

Lisa D.

This place is great. I went back last week and had the apple and fennel salad with manchego cheese, the rabbit and some type of fish. And the red sangria. Splendid. So delicious. So worth the priciness.

Tree L.

My cousin's wife recommended that we meet up at Jaleo in D.C.. We started off with the pork rib paella. It was full of flavor. There the rib is still in the bone so just be aware... We also ordered a few tapas. We ordered Aceitunas Ferra Adria liquid olives. The gelatinous olive to burst in your mouth. This is definitely an experience your mouth should have even if you don't like olives. The bacon wrapped dates, garlic shrimp, were tasty as the other tapas dishes we ordered. The apple fennel salad is light and flavorful if you are looking for a light salad. To end the evening, we had the Espuma crujiente de chocolate con leche which is worth getting if you like chocolate. We will look to trying other Jose Andres restaurants.

Erin F.

Most disappointing experience I've had at a Jose Andres restaurant. The food was fine, but the service was so disappointing that I have to give them 2 stars. Everything started out alright. We had a group of 7 people, they told us to get 3-4 tapas per person. We each ordered 3 tapas and a paella as well. We ordered way too much and actually needed to cancel 2-3 dishes. The pacing of the meal started out when they brought us a salad and nothing else. Then they slowly brought 1-2 plates at a time with no rhyme or reason. The last dish that they brought for example was mushrooms al ajillo. The other issue is that they weren't very attentive. They took our plates away when the paella came, but didn't bring us any new plates or folks. They kept bringing tapas, but we didn't have any way to eat them. I had to ask 2-3 times for them to bring us plates. Then it took a long time to get the check. As mentioned above, the pacing for the whole night was off, and it wasn't because the place was packed or anything. It was probably 3/4 full if that. I should be clear that it wasn't the amount of time that we spent at dinner- We were there for about 2 hours. It was the fact that they weren't that attentive and seemed like they weren't concerned for our experience. Additionally, I think that they forgot to bring us bread. All in all, a disappointing meal from a service perspective. The food was fine, as usual, but not enough to make up for the service.

Shannon A.

OK, lets just get this out of the way: TAPAS SUCK. When you have 100 things on the menu, its hard to make them all good and they don't (think TGI FRIDAYS). Also nothing is just fantastic. I go to restaurants, b/c I want 15 dollar drinks, great service and food that is fantastic. You get 3 to 4 dishes that are OK. That isn't good enough. The service is great, but the place is all style....NO SUBSTANCE. Great place to take a new date or try to impress someone from out of town, but if you actually like food. Like to cut meat, see sauces flow, watch vegetables explode, then go someplace else.

Cindy M.

Oh where to start. Our waitress from the start is rude and acts as if we are taking up her night. We are a party of 9, we are your not gut sweetie! Next, the wrong items come out, some items don't not come out at all and at each point, she acts as if it is our fault. We didn't order it or someone at our table must have taken the order someone else didn't receive. To end the night, coffee/espresso is Luke warm at best and when one check shows up.... We asked at the beginning if we would be able to have 3 checks, which we were told would not be a problem. Now at the end she makes each group verify what they had and says it will take a "while" for her to accomplish this. Of you want a great dinner, go somewhere else!!!! Server 712 Ethiopia

Christina S.

You have to go here! Every bite is just simply amazing! Tastes are lil explosions of delish!!! The Sangria is the best I've had. The service was delightful. The food experience is worth every penny spent!!

Adrian S.

JALEO is a great place to enjoy authentic Spanish tapas, and sandwiches. I ordered the Roasted Lamb sandwich which was topped with a salad of tomatoes, and olives, on Ciabatta bread, drizzled with aioli, and I could not have been more satisfied with this food item. I paired this sandwich with an arugula / mixed green salad, topped off with capers and walnuts. The only thing I wish I had ordered was a glass of red wine...but I ordered my items, "To-Go". Wish I had stayed to eat inside, since the interior of this place is amazing. High ceilings, and even a table made from a foosball machine, Jaleo offers a beautiful environment to enjoy the many traditional Spanish foods, while engaging with your surroundings. Outdoor seating is available, but as we are still experiencing this "winter chill", let's just say you're better off eating inside... Just minutes away from the Crystal City Metro stop, Jaleo is easily accessible, and it is very hard to miss. They occupy a corner location, where the exterior is decorated with large white and red Rose stencil patterns...so stop on by if you're hungry!

Swordfish X.

Delicious food and terrific service. A gem in this concrete & impersonal jungle

Will O.

Chaotic and interminable. We were a party of four for dinner on a Tues evening. The noise inside was at flight-deck levels so we elected to eat outside, despite occasional sprinkles. There was one waiter for 18 fully-occupied tables. The first dish of our first round of tapas (two per diner) came more than 45 minutes after we had sat down. The drinks and bread arrived ten minutes later. The last dish of the first round didn't hit the table until more than an hour after the first. The second of the two second-round dishes took nearly another hour. Overall we spent nearly three hours. The food was good, in general. They offer a wide variety of both classic and novel Spanish dishes. Rather expensive for what you get, although some of that is up to the Crystal City location, with its expensive ground rents. All in all it's OK, but I won't be eager to go again.

Arly J.

We stopped for some tapas before returning our car and the restaurant was totally empty. we had a bottle of wine and some tapas. The plato mixto de croquetas and bunuelos de bacaloa were good and the bikini de jamon iberica, queso manchego y trufas. All and all they were small portions. Many other choices in the area. may have better ambiance at lunch or dinner time.

Colin G.

My family and I love Jaleo for many reasons. We have been to the Crystal City location and to the DC location many times. However, there are no changing stations for babies. What's up with that Jose?

Susan L.

Hmmm. This place is okay. Here in MN we have Solera and many other Spanish tapas places that are SO GOOD, that I was expecting a similar, if not better experience from a Jose Andres-type restaurant. I guess I expect too much. Anyway, it was a bit noisy, a bit over salted, and could have been a lot better. Our server was nice, but not knowledgeable about the menu when we asked about certain things. If you are looking for a Spanish version of Applebee's or Olive Garden, this will work out great for you. If you want something more authentic and better tasting - try someplace else.

Jenn M.

Finally getting a chance to try one of Jose Andres' restaurants! My bf treated me to a birthday dinner here. The atmosphere is really nice, I like the decor. Our waitress was kind and was helpful when it came to reading the menu since it was our first time having tapas-style dining. Croquetas de jamon (ham croquettes): it was one of the specialty menu items that night. It was tasty. There was something that tasted a bit on the salty side, it may be the cheese that was used or the ham itself. But nothing a little glass of wine couldn't fix though. ;) Vieiras con puré de calabaza (seared scallops with butternut squash puree): amazingly delicious! Scallops were perfectly cooked! Loved it! Lomo de buey con Valdeón (grilled hanger steak with mustard and Valdeón blue cheese sauce): this was pretty good! I thought the blue cheese would bother me since I'm not a fan, but it complimented the steak well. Great to get for meat lovers! Arroz con costillas de cerdo Ibérico de bellota (paella with pork ribs): you have to get this!!! We loved every bite of it! It tastes similar to Adobo (a filipino dish). Highly recommend this! Paella dishes take about 30 minutes to make so order it early! It's good to share between two people. Pastel de chocolate y avellanas (chocolate hazelnut cake with praline ice cream and salted caramel sauce): our waitress recommended this and she wasn't wrong - it was soooo good! I just love all things chocolate so it was perfect! They even put a candle on it for my birthday. :) Overall, I would give this place a try. We received great service and glad we got to go here.

Mili P.

This review is only for the food. Service/interior here was great: Decided to try out Jaleo since I am a fan of Zaytinya. I assumed it would be just as great since both are under the Jose Andres umbrella. I understand that the style of cuisine is different since one is Greek/Mediterranean and the other is Spanish but the dining experience was just sub par. For the price, Jaleo is not worth its weight. We ordered the chorizo from cured meats, the spicy raw cow cheese, the croquet combo, apple fennel salad, salad with sardine, dates wrapped in bacon, the chorizo wrapped in potato and the hanger steak. Unfortunately nothing really wowed me; nothing to write home to. Also the presentation of the plates, it looked like that just threw the food on top of a glass plate and didn't look very appetizing. For $110 (93+tip), I was expecting more but the food just did not deliver. I am glad to have tried, but unfortunately will not be returning. I don't think the quality is worth the price tag.

Jerry V.

Good tapas, red sangria, and desserts. The all you can eat paella for $20 on Sundays is a great deal!

Ken L.

Low value for high priced small plates - portions that make you go hmmmmm or better yet WTF. Paella, ever since my trip to the Dominican Republic, has become the dish to order. The huge pan that came out had barely any rice and a handful of shrimp. Other tapa dishes like scallops, shrimps, and trout all left the group regretting our visit. Nothing impressive except for high prices. The milk pudding dessert wasn't as bad as we left with a bill approaching $100, starving still. I was embarassed to have invited my friends here for lunch; should have trusted the ratings this time around.

Christa F.

This was my first time visiting Jaleo and we made it JUST under the wire for the Jaleo Hour (HH) and ordered a smattering of Tapas to go with our red Sangria. We would have happily paid full price for everything!! By Tapa Cocoa con escalivada - fantastic Bikini - like panini crackers and very good Endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas - divine Croqueta del jamon - pretty tasty Gambas A Ajillo - lived up to all my expectation and then some Patatas Bravas - good, but a little spicy for my mellow palate This was my first time having Tapas, that I can recall anyway. Not that I am at all unfamiliar with the concept (thank you Food Network and Travel Channel) and I frequently order multiple appetizers at other restaurants in place of an entree because I would rather sample many things. I am a FAN of tapas! Every cuisine should do something like tapas. This was the first time I ate goat cheese that didn't somehow taste like bile to me and if line cooks ever read the uneducated although mostly well intended reviews out here, I would like to personally thank the chef (much love to Jose Andres, but this decision is undoubtedly a little too "in the weeds" for him) who gave me my first taste of truly delicious goat cheese. Three firsts in one night makes me a happy camper :)

Tom W.

Tapas at it's best! What a warm and comfortable environment for dinner and conversation. We dined on a delicious cheese plate as a starter, followed by the scrumptious roasted cauliflower/date/olive bowl. I never knew I liked cauliflower that much! Other must have items include the flank steak served on half blue cheese/half grainy mustard bed. WOW! We had to order a second plate after devouring the first. The signature shrimp and garlic was also tasty, but paled after eating the flank steak. The wine selection is excellent and we enjoyed a reasonably priced Spanish red that was good to the last drop. A wonderful place to enjoy an evening.

Uy T.

First off: Bacon Wrapped Dates are indeed awesome. Also awesome is that they will provide you with bottled water free of charge. Imported from Spain. So fancy. The reason for two stars is one dish: the garlic shrimp. Salty. Salty. Salty. It tasted like each shrimp was dipped in salt. By all means I should've sent it back, but what this dish tells me is that the chef does not taste his or her food. The rest of the meal was just okay (quail, the aforementioned bacon dates, duck confit with foie gras cream, gazpacho). If I hadn't had that garlic shrimp, I would've given the restaurant 4 stars, but the dish was that bad.

Christy M.

The service at this place is absolutely awful. I went to Jaleo for drinks with some friends for my birthday and we got a table near the bar. Our waitress took 20 minutes just to bring us menus and after a friend ordered a beer, it was almost 30 minutes before he actually got it...during which time he went to the bar and got it himself before she actually showed up with the beer he ordered. The worst part about all of this was that the bar area was practically empty when we got there.

Just M.

The food is usually amazing. The service is usually lacking. The noise is usually high. But did I mention the food is usually amazing? Don't bother trying to book a large group; They have a curtained off section with 7 2-tops which they say 'seats a minimum of 16'. You do the math.

Dan M.

Alright im typically not the type to push down a rating based on service but this is one of those rare times where I have to give a fair warning to other yelpers. Maybe a bit harsh but I rarely give out such a low rating but heres the start of the story. So we were deciding on a location for a team dinner and were looking for a casual spot with good variety of food. Naturally Jaleo popped up on the radar and to avoid the city traffic we decided to head over to Crystal City. There are a slew of restaurants in the area and the parking garages nearby although state "permit parking" they are actually free to the public if the gates are open. The restaurant itself is well done so they have a solid set up with multiple tables and a bar. We staggered our arrivals so we had to wait a bit until a good majority of our party joined which is standard I feel. We are seated at a table and we start immediately firing through orders for both drinks and food. We ordered a ton of small plates which included but not limited to the chorizo, lomo de buey con valdez, octopus dishes, bacon wrapped dates, sliders, scallops, and a paella. All the food was good I would say with the lomo de buey really standing out. While good It is an upscale joint so im not sure if the price can really be rationalized for the food but anyway the drinks were solid and made well as well. Here is my biggest issue for this particular night.... We staggered our orders and did not overwhelm from a volume perspective but after we had wrapped the dinner and already walked outside we realized we had missed a significant number of dishes... I know rookie mistake for not really even realizing or really studying the bill but we dropped a good amount of money here. We realized we missed at least two orders of bacon wrapped dates, at least two more orders of the lomo de buey, and the service was just hella slow. Yes the cali in me is coming out. I have been to the jaleo in Bethesda and downtown and they were much better options. Pretty unhappy with the service and the slow nature of it but forgetting at least 4 dishes off an order is pretty unacceptable in my book especially for a high end restaurant which still ended up charging. This may have been fine had the food been really solid but minus the one or two noticeable dishes the food was just ok... The team was pretty unhappy so I think we will stay away from this joint.

Anne-Margaret O.

I was here a Jaleo as part of a reception for a conference I was attending. We had the entire first floor bar and table are for our event. We enjoyed several appetizers and tapas of course. The main dinner event was the huge pan of Paella that was served. The food was very good - great place for an evening reception!

Yasmine B.

What are they doing differently in here? EVERYTHING! The mushroom with rice dish now uses the full mushroom rather than chopping it up whole, it's less salty and simply stunning! The $15 egg dish is worth it! There is something so unusual about this, it seduces your taste buds with the sturgeon caviar and caramelized onions that complement the egg. The shrimp a ajilo is made with ancho chiles, and now they also provide dipping bread. The gentle smokiness of that pepper on the shrimp is deliciously exotic. Jose Andres - please keep this up. I used to think Jaleo was so-so, but after yesterday's dinner I am giving it 5 thumbs up!

Kerri Y.

I was sent here on a recommendation while visiting DC and I loved this place! The service was fantastic, the food was amazing and the atmosphere was clean, modern and fun. In general, I'm a big fan of tapas, small plates and sharing- this combined with the flavorful food won me over! This is one of my favorite places I ate while visiting DC. My favorites were the Dtiles con tocino como hace todo el mundo (Fried dates wrapped in bacon and apple mustard sauce ) and the Coles de Bruselas (A warm salad of brussels sprouts, apricots, apple, grapes and Serrano ham) but my date really enjoyed the Codorniz con salsa de romero y alioli de miel (Grilled quail with rosemary sauce and honey alioli) and the Lomo de buey con Valden (Grilled hanger steak with mustard and Valdeón blue cheese sauce). We also had Berenjenas con miel (Lightly battered eggplant with honey) -YUM YUM The food was so tasty we HAD to get dessert- Chocolate hazelnut cake with praline ice cream and salted caramel sauce- this just made my night. The caramel sauce was so tasty I wanted to lick the plate. I really enjoyed the experience here.

Raye P.

Happy hour is really great, the prices and drink specials are the best. The food is fantastic but boy does this place get loud! I mean people are actually yelling vs. Discussing. Dinner is a lot easier to take. Just be aware you are going to hear every drunk in the place.

Samantha A.

I'd wanted to go to Jaleo forever, and was not disappointed when I finally got there! We had to wait maybe 10-15 minutes for our table, so we grabbed a seat at the bar and tried some of the sangria, which was great. But obviously the real attraction was the tapas. We started with the Flauta de jamon iberico Fermin, which was wonderful. The bread was crispy and the ham was delicious. The bacon-wrapped dates were a surprise hit, and you can't go wrong with patatas bravas. The shrimp with garlic was a highlight as well. To finish, we tried both the olive oil ice cream and the pan con chocolate. I was incredibly impressed by the olive oil ice cream, it was one of my favorite parts of the night and was unexpectedly delicious and refreshing. The other dessert was great as well, but overshadowed by the ice cream for me. The ambiance was nice, apparently very different than the DC restaurant (from what I hear). Definitely a must-try!

Carlos S.

Absolutely fantastic food. I have to admit that the prices were higher than expected; however, the food was great. Not my every-day dining out type of place, but for sure special occasion.

Sherwin S.

I wanted to go to Minibar, but of course it was booked! However, Jaleo was a good introduction to Jose Andres cuisine. Going there for lunch is probably a very different experience than going for dinner. I enjoyed the lunch special sandwich and salad and ordered a few tapas for the table, including the fried artichoke and iberico jamon. There was plenty of food to feed four staring Texans at the table, so don't believe the hype that all tapas are small tiny plates with small tiny portions. The food was excellent...and I cannot wait to go to Saam in Los Angeles!!!

Natasha S.

It's really hard for me to find a chain tapas place that I actually enjoy eating at. While the atmosphere here is nice and comfortable. The food is not that great. They seated us (a group of 10) at a large table, even though we had come during happy hour, they refused to allow us to get happy hour prices unless we sat at the bar. Obviously there was no room for us at the bar, so we had no choice but to order at regular prices. The server wasn't rude, but not the nicest either. We ordered so many different dishes, I can't even begin to mention them all. The ones, I remember that I actually liked was the fried calamari, fried eggplant with honey, grilled chicken and lamb chop. While these were good, these weren't things you couldn't find elsewhere. We also had the seafood paella, which I thought was decent. We also had the grilled steak, fried balls of batter, and duck rice something. I thought everything was standard. We ordered the white sangria which was good and flavorful. It's a bit pricey. We found a bug in our paella, the manager was kind and took it off our bill. But overall, this isn't a place I'd return to. Just wasn't the best tapas I've had. It's decent, but I personally don't find it exciting enough to get me to come back.

Al O.

Maitre d's professional and polite. Waiter attentive, descriptive, and considerate. Ambience fantastic, trendy, upbeat but the din of the restaurant was too high for me to hear my date. Food wasn't as good as I expected for the price. We had the bread with fresh tomato and the goat's milk cheese with raisin walnut bread for starters. Both were very enjoyable. However, we found the salmon dish not well balanced and could not find the crab in the crab dish. The crab dish came with far too much of something else to taste the crab anyway - was it too much green onion?

Jax S.

LOVED the Cava; went for a late lunch. The appetizer bread with tomato and Iberico ham was phenomenal. My partner got the lamb sandwich combo which was also extraordinary. I had the rosemary quail - it was ok, a little tough, but I've never had qual before, it did have a nice flavor.

Xiaotian H.

Some small plates are quite good. I can give 4 to 5 stars to them. However,the most disappointing main course, which I expected the most, is the paella. It was incredibl salty. And what disappointed me the most is they do not cook shrimps or clamps in the paella. Then what is the point to eat paella after all?

Kelly N Z R.

I'm upping my rating to 5 because we returned with a group of 7, of which all but 1 had a dietary restriction (5 vegetarians, 1 gluten-free, 1 shellfish allergy), and the staff accommodated wonderfully and the food was a huge hit. The mushrooms with rice and cheese are amazing, and the papas arrugas with the green mojo are still my favorite. We had several orders at our table and they disappeared. They have GF and vegan menus!

Becky S.

We loved our first visit to Jaleo! We eat tapas quite frequently and this place surprised us! First the restaurant is beautiful! It has that traditional Spanish Tapas decor with the color and the beautiful tiles, only modernized and clean. It's really well laid out so you don't feel like you're sitting really close to another table. Now the food....DELICIOUS. Their menu is so different from a traditional tapas restaurant. My husband and I ordered three items each and a dessert. They had a bacon wrapped trout as a special which was amazing. Very crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The braised rabbit was really good with an amazing apricot puree. The fried cod fritters were strangely addictive with the honey aoili. I know, honey and fried fish balls sounds weird but it was GOOD!! We can't wait to go back with our friends. Which reminds me - this place seems like it would be really good for a group. They have several areas where they can seat anywhere from 10 and more people. And another area that looks like its a little separated from the main dining area that could be used for a private party. The only thing keeping me from giving it 5-stars is it is pricey. We'll go back again to try their paella and see if it's worth bumping up...

Carolina B.

My family and I were hungry and did not know were to go. As we drove, this restaurant caught our attention. As soon as we entered, the staff immediately got us a table for 6, even though the place was really crowded. The service was excellent and extremely fast. When the food arrived, everything looked so well presented and absolutely everything tasted incredible. We ordered the patatas bravas, cheeses, gazpacho, etc and it was outstanding. We had two more of our family members come like about an hour later, but still they were able to accommodate them well and serve them fast as well. As for the dessert, I highly recommend ordering the flan, best flan I have ever tasted in my life (other than my grandmother's, of course) I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone!

Ousa T.

Should have reviewed a few months ago when I went. I remember the food was excellent. Smooth, clean and explosive in flavor. Not a place I would go to regularly because it's pricey, but would totally do for happy hour or a special occasion. the cocktails are awesome and it's nice to eat at a place that offers authentic food rather than catering to the American palate.

Alicia L.

The staff was very friendly and if I were ever in the area and wanted drinks without food this is the place I would choose. The actual food was good, certainly not great, not bad either, just mediocre and a bit under seasoned. We had five small plates and my friend and I both got stomach aches a few hours after we left. The friendly staff got the third star but I was left wishing we'd just gone to Founding Farmers, Carlyle, or even Ted's instead. The sangria was a winner though!

mei s.

This place was an awesome refuge after a long day of sightseeing. We had a friendly waitperson who took care of us and made great recommendations. We ordered a assortment of tapas and a paella with chicken and local mushrooms that was outstanding and so memorable. We couldn't skip the dessert--Basque cake, Olive oil ice cream with grapefruit, Dark chocolate mousse and Rice pudding with marmalade. Delicious and a great interior.

Kristie L.

This place is lucky the food tastes good. I hope I never get Lisa F. as a waitress again... she will probably spit into my food after reading this review. The service is pretty bad-- 0-1 star. My friend (who happened to also review this place) ordered salmon salad. We specifically went to lunch here because that was what she was craving from her first visit. So, SURPRISE! when her food came out and it was a chicken salad dish instead of salmon. We were served by someone other than our waitress, so we had to wait a few minutes before our waitress came close enough to get her attention again. When my friend informed her that the order was wrong, the waitress argued with her! Really, EVEN if she had heard wrong (which I'm guessing she did), the customer is always right! Hello!? We TIP you!!! Lisa F.-- try not to be so RUDE to your customers, maybe they will tip you more generously, and you'll be happier with your job-- people do notice your attitude when you serve them, FYI. Anyway, my mom always taught me to wait until everyone at the table has their food in order to eat, so while my friend's meal was being fixed I sat there and continued to eat the free bread (which doesn't count as eating first, since the other people at the table can eat it too). By the time my friend's meal came out, my dish was cold... but considering that fact, it was still delicious! The duck and rice with foie gras cream was melt-in-my-mouth delicious! I would MAYBE go back just for that! The salmon my friend ordered was wayyyyy undercooked, but maybe it was because they tried to rush a dish back out to us after they messed up the first one? Either way, the salmon was still raw in the middle. So all in all, don't expect service (fast or any kind) when you come here, but the food is pretty good. P.S. I actually wanted to try multiple items on the menu, but after the incident with the waitress, I didn't want to buy anything else aka adding to her tip. I definitely left wanting to try more things, and not full.

Lowell H.

Great food and a fun experience. We did the chef's experience menu, where the chef comes out and talks to you, asks what types of foods you like, and then tailors a menu to your personal preferences. After a nice chat about Minibar, the other restaurant by Jose Andres, he went back to work to make us an amazing meal. They proceeded to bring out a dozen or more plates full of delicious and tasty bites, and a board of cured meat. It's hard to argue with jamon iberico. Highly recommended for a great meal that is worth the price.

Kelsey H.

Jaleo was my Wednesday-night choice of venue to visit with my parents, who are in town this week on vacation. It came recommended by a co-worker, and we were very impressed. It was a gorgeous night, so we opted to dine al fresco. Wise choice, as it was quieter and more peaceful outside and a little loud inside. The waiter recommended getting three plates each and sharing, so that's what we did. My mother and I split a small carafe of sangria. It was delicious. I've had sangria in Spain before and this tasted just like it; tart but sweet, with fresh fruit. The nine plates we ordered were: eggplant salad; two orders of chorizo sausage; cheese-stuffed peppers; grilled chicken with parsley puree; bacon-wrapped dates; patatas fritas; pork sausage with white beans; and grilled shrimp. We also shared a light flan for dessert. Every single dish was outstanding, but my personal favorites were the bacon-wrapped dates, the chorizo sausage and the chicken. My dad raved about the pork sausage, while my mom's favorite dish was the cheese-stuffed peppers. The portions were just enough at roughly three apiece, plus dessert. Any more would have been too much, and any less probably wouldn't have been as filling. This is a great place to come with out-of-towners or a large group. There are so many different plates that the possibilities are endless; you can also opt to share a huge portion of paella, cooked to order. The service was excellent -- our poor waiter took our handwritten list to the kitchen and brought it back, and was very patient with my parents, explaining to them how to best make menu choices. I would definitely love to eat here again, and my parents were already talking about what to try the next time they're in town.

Sean B.

Good lunch sandwiches. They might look a bit pricey, but they are a) BIG b) have better ingredients than any sandwich chain. Lots of ham on the HLT and the lamb sandwich has excellent meat as well. 3 plates for $20 lunch special is also a reasonable deal. Definitely worth going to for lunch and a much better deal than that silly lobster roll truck that pops up from time to time.

Abbas J.

Not too great. The food was very bland (had a smoked cheese plate lamb chops, cod fritters, fingerling potatoes). The sangria was very generic. Bland as well.

Mike F.

Excellente. This location equally as great as the original. Fantastic Tapas, wine, sangria and service. Other reviews that didn't like this location are just wrong. Much like the Lebanese Taverna, every location is different and has its own charm, but the core product - food and service are exceptional.

Thomas E.

Just had the best evening with the mostly friendly bartenders and staff in all of DC. After delicious tapas and sangria's in the bar, the bartenders made us feel most welcome! See you in another year Jaleo for our annual DC trip!!!

Lesley G.

This place had some really unique tapas options, and did a great job on the basics. The pan con tomate with jamon was really fresh and crisp when some places make it really soggy. Also the noodle paella was really unique and good. However, the bravas were not my favorite, and the chicken we ordered was just okay. Overall, I liked it!

Jaime B.

For those that have never in their lives tasted Spanish food, this place is great, but then again, anything is great. But for anyone that has ever tried real Spanish food and is just looking for a slice of heaven around Washington, this place sucks. The food tastes alright, but it is extremely overpriced and not at all authentic. And to add insult to injury, the owner is Spanish, and he has the audacity to call this a Spanish restaurant without even having Crema Catalana in the menu, notwithstanding having lived in Catalonia since he was five years old. I rest my case. Save yourselves $100 for two people (without even having a paella) and go to a real Spanish place. I can't even fathom how this place has more than two stars on Yelp.

Kelsey M.

The food was great and the atmosphere was perfect. I recommend the oxtail sandwich and the sangria was great. There was a lapse in our service but one of the managers noticed and did everything he could to correct it, so no harm done!

Stephanie V.

We stopped in here with the kids after a long day at the zoo. The server was extremely kid-friendly and helped us find items to tempt them. Our older son is a fabulous eater and loved everything from the cheeses, to the quail to the lamb chops. Even our picky eater found he enjoyed the hake special, as well as the sauteed cauliflower. Everything came out in rapid succession and as an entire family we delighted in sampling the variety that came out. We found their wine shop also sold wines at retail prices (to go) and took a bottle with us. It was all expensive, but no more so than other tapas restaurants we've visited. Outstanding.

Jessica F.

Love this place. Great food, great wine and a nice selection of specialty mixed drinks. Cool atmosphere. Great for big groups or happy hour.

Mike C.

Great tapas. Slooow service. Ate in the bar on a Wednesday night when they were not all that busy. Took me 45 minutes to get a beer and tapas. Had a similar experience at a table 9 months earlier so not impressed... Too bad, because the food is good.

Drea G.

Been to Jaleo in Chinatown years ago and have been a fan since I took my first sip of sangria. Had some friends in town this past weekend and I decided to go on Jaleo's website to find the precious sangria recipe. On the homepage I noticed Jaleo had 'Paella Sundays' in the Crystal City location. $20 gazpacho, salad, flan and bottomless paella every Sunday. WHAT?!?!? Booked a reservation minutes later. When we arrived we found out there were $4 sangria. Oh yes. The gazpacho was delicious. Patrons get to choose from three types of salds - I had the verde salad w/anchovies and it was very tasty. My first experience w/anchovies. Ever. Jaleo offers vegetarian or chicken and mushroom paella. We ordered chicken. We only made it though one round and said no mas. Flan for dessert. I personally do not like flan or food that jiggles but my friends enjoyed it. This dinner was $20 well spent. Come hungry or else you will not make it to the first batch of paella. Crystal City is (finally) on the come up.

Aru S.

We went to Jaleo with high expectations. The food was good for the price point, with my only complaint being that the lamb t-bones were a little too fatty. The service, however, was really bad. After we were given our water, the waitress came to take our food order. I'm used to being asked for drinks so I have time to contemplate the menu. No biggie. When we placed our initial order the waitress gave us a sour look and asked if we knew that they served small plates. We said that we did - whenever we have tapas we place orders for additional plates as we proceed through the meal. She took our menus and left. We didn't see her for the rest of the meal. Every time she came to our area of the restaurant, she visited the tables on either side of ours and paid us no regard, most likely assuming us to be stingy (i.e. not ordering endless bottles of wine) and not worth her effort. Our water went unfilled, and we never did get a chance to place follow-on orders. By the time she came around to ask if we wanted to desert we politely accepted the menu and asked for the check. She went to get it and dropped it on our table as she walked past without stopping. I have never experienced service this poor at a restaurant of this caliber.

Steve M.

We had a large group and the waitress made great suggestions on the plates and quantity, She was GREAT. The food was wonderful as well.

Amy C.

I can see how this place fills up with large parties because a third of the restaurant is taken up by long dining table setups. I came by way of a giant birthday party so we were one of the parties taking up one of these tables. Long tables like that just doesn't work outside of The Last Supper since it's hard to communicate with others on the opposite end. I prefer round tables, especially round tables with lazy susans. Tables aside, the food was mediocre. The only tapas I enjoyed were the croquetas de pollo and arroz de pate. The patatas bravas were bland and undercooked. The manchego and jamon Serrano were not up to par. The tortilla española was terrible. How dare they ruin one of the staple dishes in Spain?!

Shanna K.

I have now been to Jaleo's in Las Vegas, Maryland and here, and every time, I've really found it enjoyable. I love tapas, but lots of places that serve tapas aren't very vegetarian friendly. Not here; there are multiple options, and they all taste pretty dang good. I LOVE the apple/fennel/manchego salad, and both my partner and I really enjoyed the baby wrinkled potatoes. For myself, I really really really liked the mushrooms with rice and cheese, and wish we'd had emptier stomachs, so that we could have ordered more to try out. Service was superb, and everyone was incredibly friendly. Wish I lived nearer to one of these place because they are vegetarian, vegan and gluten free friendly, with great service and not too high of prices. Guess I'll have to wait until I'm in DC again!

Robert T.

Jose Andres is a genius and is extremely passionate about food. I have visited the DC and Crystal City location and cannot tell the difference in quality, so assume this review is for both locations. Tapas you must try: Everything Never had a bad one, the cheese selection is superb,a the sangria is very well made! The jewel of Jaleo is little known, it is the paella. The garlic & chicken paella comes with irresistible garlic sauce. You simply must try it. You shant be disappointed.

Todd P.

They have a saying in Texas, "big hat, no cattle". That perfectly describes Jaleo in Crystal City. It puts on the airs of being a fancy Spanish tapas restaurant, but at its core it's mediocre at best, especially when it comes to service which was disjointed at best. We went for lunch with a large party of 13. We were seated quickly enough, but it took them a while to take our order or get us anything to drink. The menu is confusing for anyone who doesn't speak Spanish. I appreciate wanting to be authentic, however headings like "Pescaos Y Mariscos" with no English translation means nothing to me, and all of the dishes are without translations of their titles. Only the descriptions themselves give you an idea of what you're getting. Most of our party got tapas and the way the food came out was a disaster. Courses/dishes came out inconsistently so there were times that some people had food and others didn't, some people had two dishes when others had none, etc. No one felt comfortable eating while the person next to them twiddled their thumbs waiting some times 15-20 minutes between courses. More often than not, most of us would be without water and the runners bringing the food out were confused and often surly. I got the 'JLT' sandwich of "Jamón, lettuce, tomato, Manchego cheese and mayonnaise, on a fresh brioche". Had to look up what jamón was on my iPhone, which said it was the Spanish word for ham but I would liken it to prosciutto. For $3 more, I added a mixed green salad. It was okay, the flavors were good, but it left me flat. The salad was flavorful but tiny. Mixed greens with grated Manchego, pine nuts, capers and a vinaigrette. The sandwich was mostly bread with 1/4" slices of brioche with only a thin sliver of jamon. I might as well have got the grilled cheese because all I tasted was cheese and bread. That's not a bad thing if that's what you order, but there should have been more meat. I asked for no tomato and got it anyway. Not a big deal for me, however someone else waited over an hour for their sandwich and it had to be remade because their request wasn't honored. She ended up having to take it to go. For a place that seems to present itself as fancy, the men's room was a mess. Trash on the floor, toilets needing attention and a broken faucet with the pieces on the counter. Jaleo presents itself as nicer than it is. The prices and menu come off as fancy, but the service and facilities are rough around the edges. The kitchen also obviously can't handle sending out courses together or special requests. While I thought my food was good taste wise, I don't think I'd go back as there is no value to what you get for the price nor is the service all that good.

Charles H.

During restaurant week I stopped by Jaleo to take advantage of the $20.12 for 3 courses plus dessert prix fixe menu. I dined on the: 1) ensalad de remolacha con citricos (salad with red beets, tangerines, valdeon cheese, pistachios with sherry drerssing) 2) gambas al ajillo (shrimp sauteed with garlic) 3) datiles con tocino 'como hace todo el mundo (fried dates, wrapped in bacon) 4) Flan (custard with espuma catalan cream and oranges). My favorite tapas was the fried dates. I enjoyed the taste and aroma of the dates and bacon when cut in half. Yes, bacon goes well with anything! The flan was awesome as well. Not too sweet yet with a creamy sauce and solid texture from the fruit. The only negative was having my flan (desert) come out earlier than expected, e.g. 2nd to last. The bartender noticed the early desert arrival as well. He went to the kitchen to discuss the ordeal with the runners. Hopefully that will not happen to you during restaurant week. The food was delicious and I was actually full from eating the 3 courses and desert.

Alicia B.

I'm surprised more people have't given this place 5 stars. It was AMAZING!!! My husband and I went here last night for date night and left VERY full and just raving about the service and management. We got the chef's special tasting with the wine pairing. Yes it's a bit pricey but we felt it was absolutely, 100% worth the money!! The attention to detail that we got can not be put into words how great it was. We even had 2 managers come over to us and describe the food and wine pairing to us. They were very attentive to us and we appreciated that, especially for the money we were paying. We are more red than white wine drinkers and they very much accommodated that for us. The manager, Glen, came over and told us he was going to start us off with 2 whites that go better with the first 2 courses and then switch to red. We appreciated the tip. You really get your money's worth of food and wine with the Chef special. It was about 10 courses of food, including dessert, and 6 glasses of wine. And they were not tastings of wine, full glasses! We tried to pick our favorite bites but that's just impossible. Yes some were better then others but it was ALL delicious!! We will most definitely be back and want this to be our go-to bar. The management and service were so outstanding we can't wait to get to know them all!!

T N.

Basically a 3.5: I went with a friend of mine to try the Paella brunch special since she had seen the Paella festival the week before. The hostess said that we could split the $20 deal and figure out if we wanted to order more than one Paella if we managed to finish the first one, or if we just wanted to try an additional Paella. For brunch they only have two Paella options: the Paella de pollo y setas silvestres ("A traditional paella of chicken and chef selected mushrooms") and the Arroz de verduras ("A rice made with chef selected vegetables including zucchini, carrots, green and red peppers"). I found that a little odd. I had to look up their menu again but they have other more expensive Paellas that are not included in the deal (presumably they don't make these on Sunday). Their menu for Sunday does not include the price and all the different options/combos just mesh together without any clear separation. The chicken/mushroom Paella was pretty good but nothing to write home about. The total deal came out to be salad, gazpacho, paella, and flan. The salad and flan were pretty good, the gazpacho was pretty tasty but I didn't have any prior experience with gazpacho and it reminded me of French dressing for better or for worse. Since we just had one Paella that was fairly large, we decided not to get a second Paella. I figured that would mean we had to pay for one deal since we had split everything else. When the check came we ended up paying for two Paella Sundays/ Brunch deals. Generally wouldn't be a big deal but they didn't mention that what we had gotten during the meal made it two meals or how they do their math. I wouldn't have a problem with that except for our hostess saying that people split the one deal all the time. Maybe there was miscommunication between the hostess and the waiters, I don't know. We ended up paying for two Paella deals and actually splitting one Paella. The service was pretty good and the food was decent but usually I don't get duped on pricing before I sit down.

Dia D.

We have been to Jaleo in Penn Quarter but this was our first time here. This Jaleo wasn't as busy and wasn't as loud so one could talk to ones dining companions. We arrived around 7 pm on a Saturday night and they were able to seat us in the bar area. We had patatas bravas which were great. We liked the sauce so much our waiter brought us extra sauce for our bread. We also had the seared calamares, the shrimp in garlic, the endive with oranges and goat cheese, the spinach with pine nuts, raisins and apples, and the potatoes with mojo verde. We topped it off with the house made berry sorbet with biscotti. The food was good and arrived quickly. Our waiter, Robert, was great as was the manager Dave.

Danie D.

Was a really great dinner, wines by the glass are great and service was excellent. Just the right amount of attention to make you feel special, but not bothering you once you have a mouthfeel of food. A real treat, highly recommended!

Jennifer H.

Always happy when I end up here. Love the food and drinks there! Can't go wrong with any tapas.

Meredith B.

I adore tapas, I do. I would probably be perfectly happy to eat every meal ever [except breakfast? maybe breakfast too?] formatted in little tiny plates because you get to taste so many different things in a single sitting without making yourself horribly ill... but my bank account does not like tapas, they add up ridiculously quickly. I found, here, that i honestly didn't care. Everything we ordered [I won't go into detail, it was a dozen different things with desserts] was exceptional. I was delighted with the meal, my father was delighted with the meal, my friend was delighted with the meal [he'd never had tapas before, and found it fascinating], the service was quite pleasant, and the sangria was good which I've found is not always as easy as you'd think. I fully intend to go back after saving up for a while.

Nene L.

This Jaleo used to be good. It's never been at the top of my list of best tapas restaurants, but it was always decent and its location was convenient. I recently ate there in early November and was very disappointed. The food quality went down significantly. It didn't taste as good as it used to and many of the dishes were too salty. Customer service also went down and our server seemed very annoyed with our table of three people. After we ordered drinks, we asked for bread. After all, that used to be standard ... but she told us that Jaleo doesn't offer bread anymore. Later, however, one of our dishes came out super salty and there was a lot of sauce that would be terrific for bread dipping so we asked if it were possible to get a helping of bread. Our server gave us a look, sighed, and said, I told you we don't do that, and we politely asked again. She sighed, walked away and a few minutes later came back with stale bread for us. The food just wasn't that good and since the service has clearly gone downhill, I just don't see the point of coming here for anything beyond drinks. A lot of the tapas they have isn't that hard to recreate at home and for not much, either! A few weeks later, I spent $25 at Harris Teeter and created a fabulously delicious 4-dish tapas meal, including that delicious garlic shrimp dish, and though it took some time and work, it was scrumptious and filling, with some bread on the side, of course! It was awesome. I don't think I'll voluntarily return here. For good Spanish tapas worth your money, I recommend Bodega in Georgetown.

jenny m.

Solid spot for tapas. The food wasn't 'oh my god amazing' but we had 7 or 8 different tapas and I've no complaints. The standouts for me were the eggplant fritters with honey and the very, very famous shrimp with garlic. And you must try the Cava sangria - delicious! I never thought to make sangria with Cava before but I'm going to start now! The service was good, drinks came quick, water glass was constantly filled up (read my reviews, I give a star simply for keeping my water filled, I'm a camel, I consume a lot!) and our server was back to check on us numerous times. And while tapas can sometimes get expensive, the bill for 3 hungry gals who had two pitchers of sangria and a bunch of tapas, was very reasonable. If they have outdoor seating, I envision myself going back in a month when the weather warms up, sitting on a patio sippin on that Cava sangria and some light bites...and if I close my eyes, I might even be able to pretend I'm back in Spain :)

Jon W.

Jon- So after the giant snowstorm stranded us in Crystal City, we tried several restaurants on Crystal Drive to no avail. All were closed in the face of the snowpocalypse. Just as we began to fear that our romantic evening would be reduced to eating leftovers from lunch, we stumbled across Jaleo. Thus our evening was not only salvaged, we discovered a real gem. I guess I'm not as harsh as some other folks, but with the tapas that we ordered, how could we not give this place four stars? We ordered five plates- roasted peppers with goat cheese, scallops with butternut squash, rabbit confit, garlic shrimp, and a veal and porcini mushroom stew. Get the shrimp. DEFINITELY get the rabbit and the stew. The rabbit was tender and the stew was hearty. We took the leftover bread and sopped up the bowl. I wanted to lick the plate! Dessert was also great. The Basque cake with ice milk was the perfect blend of flavor (sweet with a little cinnamon bite), texture (soft cake and softer ice milk) and heat (ice cold and piping hot). Well worth it. Jenny- The waiter was very friendly, and gave us a great overview of the menu since it was our first time. They have wines by the bottle at retail price, but we decided to share a half bottle of (red wine) Sangria. The light and fruity taste of the Sangria was a perfect complement to the tapas. The rabbit was definitely my favorite. The portion was nice, the meat was tender, and the apricot puree gave the dish a nice balance of sweet and hearty flavors. Two seafood, two meat, one vegetable plate and a dessert was perfect for the two of us. We were left wanting a little more but our tummies were already quite satisfied. We will definitely be back to try more food!

Chris B.

A CoWorker spoke highly of this place and I did enjoy all the tapas we had. I didn't have to pick, she ordered for us all and I was very pleased!! The Sangria was delicious! I got both the white and the red and liked them both. Definately a place I will hit again when in DC.

Susan F.

Who doesn't love Sangria and dates wrapped in bacon? Totally love the tapas and the Sangria! The hazelnut dessert is also SO good!

Nadine F.

After having tried every dish on Jaleo's happy hour tapas menu and several brunch items, I feel it's time to update my review. Here are the happy hour selections: *Endives - good, and very light *Patatas bravas - a favorite - fried potatoes covered in cheesy and tomato sauces. *Pollo al ajillo - another favorite - chicken is always juicy, and sauce is light and refreshing. *Pan con tomate y queso - Spanish version of bruschetta. Not my favorite, but if you like bruschetta and crusty breads in general, you'l probably like it. *Gambas al ajilla - If you really like shrimp and really like garlic, you'll like this. I enjoy it, but only if I'm really in the mood for it. *Embutidos - A plate of cured meats. Nothing special, in my opinion, but they'd make a nice sandwich. *Ensalada rusa - Wtf? This is just a combination of potato salad and tuna salad. Fine if I need to make a quick lunch at home, but it feels kind of lazy in a restaurant. *Setas al ajillo - This is similar to the shrimp dish, but with mushrooms. It's good, but you'll get sick of it if you eat too much, so I'd only get it if I were sharing with 2 or more additional people. *Calamares - Pretty standard calamari. Good if you're in the mood for it. *Croquetas de pollo - It's not terrible, but it's kind of bland. To me, it tasted like deep fried Campbell's cream of chicken soup. *Bacon-wrapped dates - This is one of my favorites. Sweet, salty, bacony! *Chistorra envuelta - This looks (and tastes) like a beanie weanie wrapped in a potato chip. If that appeals to you, you'll like it. I didn't. And a few brunch items: *Tostada con salmon - I like the idea of a Spanish twist on a nova bagel, but this just wasn't very good. The smoked salmon was so, so fishy. I won't order this again. *Lomo de buey - steak, eggs, and fried potatoes. This was delicious, and it's big enough to be an entree for one person. I will definitely order it again in the future. *Bombas de la Barceloneta - There were kind of boring and bland to me. Anything in a ball that's deep fried has to be extra flavorful to be memorable, and these weren't. *Bloody Gazpacho - One of the best bloody marys I've ever had. Must try! And as far as desserts go, I've only tried the chocolate mousse cake with hazelnut ice cream, and it's so good I've gotten it on repeat visits and have no desire to try anything else. As much as I love Jaleo, and as often as I go there, I still can't justify their prices for regular mealtimes, and so I have to keep it at four stars rather than five.

Lilah B.

Excellent, amazing, wonderful !!! That is all I can really say to explain the astonishing experience I had here.

Andrew K.

A Spanish tapas restaurant that did not meet my expectations at all. The restaurant is nice and service was good but the food was mostly a miss. We started off with the cava sangria which was pretty good. Then we ordered several plates which are around $12-$18. They recommend you order about 3 plates per person and I ordered the quail dish, the ajilo shrimp and the mussels. The quail and mussels were ok but nothing spectacular. The shrimp was a little too salty for me. The biggest disappointment was the paella. I got the famous Iberico de bellota pork ribs paella and the rice was undercooked and the ribs were not very good. For $48, I was hoping for something alot better and this was not good at all. Overall, the other dishes were just average but for being so pricey, I do not think this place is worth it.

Nicole M.

Jaleo is very hit or miss with the exception of the red sangria, which is always a hit! All of the vegetables I have had there are superb and most of the meats are good. Unfortunately, a few times I have received less than stellar meat tapas at Jaleo quality-wise. I suggest forgoing the paella here and get additional tapas plates as the paella is not very good and very overpriced compared with other places. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to the portioning at Jaleo. Tapas are small plates, but some plates contain enough food for only one person to taste, while others could be considered entree size. For example, during my most recent visit, my table received 5 large scallops for $15 and only 3 tiny shoots of roasted asparagus for $13. We had to reorder some tapas for the table to all be able to have a taste while there were leftovers of others. As far as service goes, our server was very knowledgeable about the menu, patient and kind. The wait staff and bar staff are well trained, but the food runners were constantly bringing the wrong items to our table (three times during the meal). and the bussers kept taking away utensils and plates that were still in use. Our table did not have napkins or silverware when we were sat but these were minor complaints that I do not really care about. The decor is very charming and Jaleo has large windows, which is a nice touch. I like that the manager checked on us to ask how our experience was. I like Jaleo and will probably go back at some point, but do not think that the quality warrants the steep price tag- if I am going to pay $50-$75 a person for a tapas dinner, I want impeccable service and excellent food CONSISTENTLY, not just some of the time. Note: There is parking in the garage directly across the street, under the building that has Ruth's Chris in it).

John C.

Bar service is horrible. Even on a slow night they don't seem to care to greet you and provide any level of customer service. I really like the food here, but it can't make up for the lack of personality behind the bar.

Tierra H.

I have been here twice, once for lunch and the other for happy hour. Lunch was really good! They had this deal where you pay a set amount and get like 3 dishes. The fennel and manchego cheese salad was really the standout dish here and I enjoyed it. The shrimp that I had was oily. I don't like shrimp sitting in oil. The taste was good, don't get me wrong, but the oil was not to my liking. The service was great, which is always a plus. So on to happy hour. If you have a bunch of rowdy coworkers celebrating a birthday, this is not where you want to go. There wasn't a whole lot of space, but there were like 15 of us. I think other patrons were looking to enjoy good tapas and sangria. We were as well, just a lot louder. The drink specials were cool. $4 for lots of different drinks and tapas. The service was a little shoddy. I think our server was ovrwhelmed and we were trying to make things easier on him, but he was just frustrated. I think he walked up and saw our large group and that was that. He acted annoyed. Whatever. We still had a lot of fun and it wasn't very expensive. I think I'd stick to lunch there or perhaps happy hour with less people. Parking is free after 4PM at the Crystal City Shops, so that's pretty much a bonus.

Rebecca M.

Best gazpacho in town, affordable lunch specials, and above average wine list make this place fantastic for lunch and not bad for dinner! Living and traveling abroad leaves me more accustomed to a slower-style of service than most Americans expect; as such, service was just "ok" by American standards. Aside from that, the fresh, delicious, and immaculately plated nosh begging to be paired with an inspired wine list always keeps me coming back. Every item tastes remarkably better with the right wine pairing. Ask your server or sommelier--there are a plethora of wines by the glass and one is bound to complement your food choice. A meal without wine is like a day without sunshine!!! No other restaurant in town can come close to celebrity Chef Jose Andreas' glorious Gazpacho estilo Algeciras! On a hot summer day, I pair a Botani Jorge Ordoñez & Co., Moscatel de Alejandría with the beautifully medley of red and yellow tomatoes, cucumber, onion, and bell pepper and wait for my taste buds to explode with just the right texture of puréed sweetness, tang, fruity olive oil and whisper of bite from the peppers magnified exponentially by the crisp acidity in the wine. In the Summer, there's nothing better to graze upon than tapas (thank you, Moorish occupation of the Iberian Peninsula, for bringing the mezza concept all around the Mediterranean!) and Jaleo executes this concept admirably. Other great pairings I've had are highly acidic Sauvignon Blanc--or the Spanish equivalent--with Santa Gadea, a lovely tangy ovine cheese counter-balanced with the sweetness of dried apricot! Mmmmm.... Try the sheeps milk Spanish Manchego cheese (Tangy, creamy and aged in a wicker basket in La Mancha, Spain) paired with Spanish Rioja (Tempranillo) for an exciting contrast--The aging of the Manchego evokes a slightly oilier and sheepish :-) flavor that brings out the beautiful earthiness and dark fruit of the Rioja, while the savory creamy "oiliness" of the cheese does exiting things for the wine's formidable tannins. Hot plates I especially enjoyed (with the same Tempranillo) were Codorniz con salsa de romero y alioli de miel* (super succulent quail with a sweet aioli that I didn't want to share no matter how nice my friend was) and The surprisingly tender Pulpo a la Gallega 'Maestro Alfonso' ( boiled octopus with small fingerling? potatoes). After an aperitif or two, you'll find yourself completely undaunted in picking things off the menu that you're quite sure you can't pronounce. To me, that's half the fun anyway! The ambience is modern and colorful, cheerful even on a rainy overcast day and is really a great place to bring a date, friend, or anyone who will enjoy those complex little bites and sips of Jose Andreas' inspiring creations. Sharing delectable little bites off the same plate paired with global wines that accent and exponentially magnify the flavor profile creates an intimate experience, even if you're surrounded by droves of white collar workers and shorts-clad tourists. As such, it's probably best to go with someone whose company you enjoy! Although I'm a frequent flier for lunch, I've only eaten at Jaleo during dinner hours once-- and that was in DC--so I will write a separate review for that experience. For lunch, though, you absolutely MUST try the gazpacho and experiment with your favorites from small plate offerings and impressive wine list!!

Kerrie N.

This review is for their happy hour which happens to be AWESOME!!! $4 appetizers and drinks...can't beat it! Perfect spot to hit after work for some tasty, inexpensive eats and good sangrias. I think I've had like...everything on the happy hour menu and each dish was a hit! Can't go wrong with this spot if you're looking for a good happy hour!

Jason P.

The list of tapas we ate from favorite to least favorite: Patatas bravas* A Jaleo favorite with spicy tomato sauce and alioli. $7 Wrinkled potatoes in an overly garlicky sauce complimented with a sauce that tasted like canned tomato paste. ***************** Cordero a la brasa con salsa de romero* Grilled lamb T-bones with rosemary sauce $12 Overcooked fatty lamb in a sauce savagely dominated by rosemary ***************** Calamares En Su Tinta basque-style squid stew with ink $11 Rubber squid in tasteless, black goop sauce. ***************** Pollo al ajillo con salsa verde Grilled marinated chicken served with parsley purée and garlic sauce $8 Burnt gas grill marks, greasy sauce and chewy chicken. ***************** Pulpo A La Gallega Maestro Alfonso boiled octopus with pee wee potatoes, pimentón and olive oil $12 Soft mushy canned-like quality. Jose Andres and his ever growing restaurant empire of overpriced, below average food. I can't blame the guy, after all, the bottom line is to make money and the DC area loves what he has to offer. His restaurants are always packed. I don't get it. The emperor has no clothes.

Yutong Z.

Jaleo is one of our favorite restaurants in DC. Love their dessert especially. Hope there will be more options for dessert since we have tried everything!

Holly S.

We always eat tapas at Jaleo in DC when in town, and were thrilled to find another location close to our hotel. Most tapas places serve ridiculously small portions, but Jaleo is on the generous side, and priced moderately, you won't leave broke, or hungry. Our waiter, Juan, was warm and friendly. He suggested 3-4 dishes each, and boy was it a feast. We had the roasted peppers with goat cheese, the fresh baby spinach leaves with raisins and pine nuts, the octopus and potatoes, NY strip, soy chicken, and shrimp with garlic. All were excellent. We came during Paella week, and Juan explained that they were testing out some new paellas to decide on which ones would make it to the menu permanently. My feedback is to can the Rassit, a paella made with pan fried noodles and shrimp. This had an off flavor, and was the first dish we've ever had here that was sub par. I ordered Grey Goose with seltzer, but the bartender made this drink very weak. Probably would not order again.

Spencer C.

Came here for a special occasion with my boyfriend but was SO DISAPPOINTED. Service was super slow. It took 25 minutes to get cocktails, over an hour before we were served any food besides the bread we'd ordered. The server kept asking us what we'd ordered. The sangria was bland and came with half a strawberry for a whole canter. I know it's tapas but food portions were still smaller than average. I guess I'm a tapas snob but this place was awful.

John A.

Great decor but the food was just ok. Friendly staff and good menu selection but I have had better tapas in my life. Would only go back if they have a happy hour with food and drink specials.

Toya J.

I had never been to this location, but after 4pm the parking is free on Fridays. The customer service was attentive, conscientious, and the people appeared to enjoy doing what they do. I love group dinners especially when everyone is open-minded about trying new things. I started out with gambas al ajillo (shrimp in butter and garlic) as my first small plate. Totally the way to go. Full of flavor, the shrimp were tender and fresh, and just enough to get started. Somewhere along the way I had a glass of red wine, medium bodied a blend of 3 grapes, like a sort of house wine. Very good. Jamon Serano, 18 month cured ham was thinly sliced and not too salty, so I picked at one or two scraps of it mainly just to experience it (and passed it on down). I learned the darker ham of the pile is most sought after, as it shows it has aged more gracefully and tends to taste the best. Could I tell the difference? Not really. And finally Paella de pollo, the chicken and mushroom dish with rice. I typically go for a seafood paella, but I did enjoy this! It was very hardy, the chicken was tender, and the red based sauce kept the rice moist and it did not have a tomato taste, contrary to its appearance. I went to the bathroom, and it was clean and well decorated in the same manner as the restaurant. This establishment is totally winning! Yellow and Blue lines Crystal City Stop.

Michele S.

My mom and I have been to this Jaleo location three different times as a part of the Dinner & Theater Package with the Synetic Theater. Each time, it gets better and better. Our most recent visit was on March 2nd. Our waitress was very patient, we expalined that we were going to relax, and enjoy some wine before placing our order. She recommended a wonderful red, Ludovicus; after dinner we went upstairs to the wine shop and bought a bottle for later. The food was amazing. Our favorites were the Patatas Bravas, the Chorizo, and the sauteed spinach. And, the flan is a light, refreshing way to finish the meal. The next time we go to the theater, we're going to order off the regular menu, so we can try some other items. And, we're dying to try the Paella brunch.

Emily A.

I was visiting DC for the weekend and we were interested in going to a tapas restaurant and this was an excellent choice! I've been to many tapas restaurants including ones in Spain and this one is absolutely perfect. Each dish that came out was better then the last. I was there with my friend so we ordered about 4 different things and they each come out one at a time which I loved! I would love to go back next time I'm in DC!!

Michelle B.

I would give this place 3.5 stars. For the most part, the food is good except when they over salt the food. I enjoy the flank steak and the shrimp tapas. The scallops are also pretty good, and I enjoy the Sangria often. I don't think I ever went to Jaleo starving because I know the plates are small and prices vary. I like to go with a couple of friends and share multiple plates just to try new things. The decor is hip and colorful, and the restaurant has a real chill vibe to it.

Jen M.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the other locations I was excited to move to Crystal City and only a 5 minute walk to sangria heaven. Unfortunately, and I've discovered typical of MOST Crystal City establishments, the service was horrible. After being seated we waited 10 minutes before finally going to the hostess to ask to move to a different table, and perhaps one that was actually going to be served. No waiter yet appeared after we moved ourselves but the beverage manager did finally come over to apologize for the lack of service. She offered two glasses of Rose Cava which was nice but we told her we'd also like to order a carafe of sangria as well. She never returned but our drinks showed up. About half way through the cava, a waitress stopped and said "do you want to order some food?" No, "hello, my name is so-n-so and I'll be serving you" or "hello, welcome to Jaleo, have you been here before or have any questions about the menu" - nothing like that. She also had no idea that we were interested in sangria so the beverage manager must have checked out. Fortunately, the FOOD and sangria are still the highlight of the establishment despite the lack of service. For this reason, I give it only 2 stars. I guess I'll go to Penn Qtr for the type of experience I'm used to having at Jaleo.

Beth S.

I've come to expect certain things from Jaleo...the food will be great, the service will start strong, but once we order, the server checks in after the first plates come out, then we won't see him or her again. The order process goes like this...even though we tell them we've been there before, the waiter tells us what is popular and shouldn't be missed. Ok, but the very special shrimp just isn't all that. We get about halfway through our order, maybe 3 tapas per person, and we're told we should probably stop. We say no, we have more to order, the server shakes her head as if we should listen to her. We don't see her again until the last plate has been served. I would much prefer to start with a small order and add on later, but have learned from experience that if I don't order everything at once, we will give up on ordering more and leave hungry. Best bets: potatoes brava, spinach, cauliflower, pimento peppers w goat cheese, calimari, chorizo wrapped in potato chips, gazpacho. Jaleo is my favorite Jose Andres restaurant. The food keeps me coming back!

S P.

went there for lunch with a friend who had a layover at the airport nearby. Great place to go since its 5 minutes from the airport. Our waiter was nice and service was good. We ordered several tapas to share and two classes of the timperanna wine. The wine was delicious. Tapas: fright eggplant with honey-- nice taste but way too greasy; cheese with a tomato puree (good, it was cheese-- not room temperature which I would have preferred for cheese); scallops with sweet potato puree: it was good-- scallops needed more flavor. one of the better dishes.; chicken croquettes: delicious option since I do not eat pork or beef. very creamy chicken on the inside; beef tenderloin with blue cheese (did not eat this buy my friend said it was excellent); lump crap over cauliflower (crab was good but smothered with way too much sauce that tasted bad; Dessert: almond cake with ice cream: ate it all. it was a perfect non-chocolate dessert. moist and sweet. I would go back there but the food is not worth the prices. IF they had happy hour specials on there good tapas, I would consider going back.

Melissa R.

The short answer is, you should go. For those of you who require a bit more information, continue reading... Jaleo is a really tasty tapas spot. The service was excellent from hostess to table service. I enjoy dining in restaurants where the staff actually know the menu. I started off with the gazpacho. It was the perfect texture. The rest of my selections included lamb, chorizo wrapped in potoato and watermelon salad. All good choices. I was skeptical about the chorizo wrapped in potato (that just doesn't sound right), but it turned out to be a decent choice. I chose to wash it all down with a couple glasses of sangria. I was a bit surprised at the large size of their portions. You don't really expect that for tapas, but hey, they were good.

Julio M.

Went to Jaleo with my family today after seeing the reviews. We were all disappointed. Ordered arroz negro paella. What a mistake. Rice was burned and extremely greasy. Was only able to eat a small portion. Besides price was extremely pricey for what it is advertised. We also ordered chorizo iberico fermin tapa. Chorizo is what it is but we only received 5 pieces when the menu stated 8. Ordered a drink and had to ask waitress for it time times. Finally after waiting 10 minutes drink came. It was not as if restaurant was full. WHAT A TOTAL DISAPPOINTMENT. Won't go back nor recommend.

Ben S.

Pretty good place but their interpretation of tapas seems a litle long on fried stuff. We really liked a few things, found a few good but not stellar, and sent one back. The hazlenut dessert was sub-par as was the sangria. Price was inline with our expectations.

Katy L.

I would really prefer to give this 2.5 stars, but 3 will do. I was really excited to try Jaleo. I had been trying to convince my fiance to go for awhile, but he was never in the mood. So I found some friends and we went. It was happy hour so we sat in the bar so we could get half off sangria and tapas. The sangria wasn't that potent, but it was rather tasty. Lots of fruit, which I like. We ordered a handful of tapas to share. These shrimp which sorta tasted weird. It's hard to describe, but it was not pleasant. There was chorizo wrapped in potato chips, but the only flavor that came thru was salty with a hint of spice. The bacon wrapped dates, on the other hand, were pretty tasty. I could've eaten a few plates of them. Just the right balance of salty and sweet. We got these chicken fritters that were pretty much like biting on to a fried piece of salt. Gross. Gross. We ended with these endive cups filled with mandarin oranges, goat cheese and almonds (I think). It just didn't seem to go together. I'm glad that this dinner only cost me 12 dollars because it would not have been worth full price. I might be tempted to go again to try the infamous paella, but I'm not sure if I brave enough to venture there again.

Steve R.

When my son said he's taking me for tapas in Arlington, I was excited. I'm a fan of small plate sharing. When I discovered Jaleo is a Jose Andreas restaurant, my expectations skyrocketed. He's one of my favorite celebrity chefs, and his restaurants in Los Angeles and Spain are legendary. Unfortunately, this restaurant did not live up to my high expectations. The dishes were uneven, with some being excellent, and some way below par. If this was the only criterion, I'd give 4 stars, but service is factored in, and the rating of 3 stars reflects that. The waiter rushed us, and gave no suggestions on dishes to order. Also, the dishes came out way too fast, and gave us no time to enjoy our dining experience. So 4 stars for food, and 3 stars overall.

WP L.

Delicious Food!! Really enjoyed our lunch here very nice atmosphere and very friendly and attentive staff. A lil on the pricey side for the portions but it was really good food. Definitely get the hangar steak, spinach, beat salad. Leave room for dessert!

Farris H.

Been to the Paella sundays so often the wait staff recognizes me. Not necessarly a bad thing.

Dina M.

Came here in a group of 4 before a show at the Synetic Theater on Friday night. We were seated immediately. We were very rushed as we had to be at the show in an hour, and mentioned this to the waiter as we sat. He treated us very well with accommodating our time restraints. We immediately ordered a carafe of their classic sangria and it came very quickly and was delicious. We ordered Pan Tomate to begin with. The dish was tasty, but it was a little strange that the fresh tomato on top seemed to be more of a very thin paste. It was also quite salty, but regardless I enjoyed it, just wasn't exactly what I expected. The Fried Cod Fritters were delicious, not a solid piece of cod, but more creamy, flavorful cod inside. The Honey Alioli that it was served with it was a great addition. We also got a selection of three cheeses, which was a good plate to have gotten, but very standard. The blue cheese stood out a bit as an especially good, not too sharp blue, but I can't remember the name of that one. The Wild mushroom rice with mushrooms and Idiazábal cheese was to die for. So cheesy and delicious. No complaints there. The Sautéed spinach, pine nuts, raisins and apples left a little something to be desired. Perhaps more pine nuts or raisins would have helped, and I don't think I noticed any apples at all. Maybe being sauteed in a nicer olive oil would have helped too. Seared scallops with butternut squash purée and oranges were great. The scallops were perfectly seared although I would have liked to have one more scallop for $14. The butternut squash was very tasty too. Finally, we opted for two desserts: Flan - absolutely amazing, very classically served. We thought the second dessert we ordered was a chocolate flan but ended up being more like a little scoop of chocolate ice cream covered in chocolate powder. It was good, but not what we were hoping for. Overall, I was very pleased that we were able to fit this delicious meal into only an hour, although since we were so rushed, we weren't keeping track of costs and the meal ended up being much more expensive than expected. Something to think about next time.

Sheri G.

Jose Andres is so amazing!! Really? Is he? I have to respectfully disagree. After some seriously mediocre dining experiences at Oyamel, America Eats and now Jaleo, Mr. Andres has underwhelmed me too many times. I have to wonder if his reputation is bloated based on stardom. This was my first time at the Crystal City Jaleo. I've been to the downtown location a few times, and I definitely prefer the ambiance there. The CC location seemed a little less inviting. We ended up here because we needed to stay close to my friend's hotel, and she wanted tapas-style food. So, I thought I'd give the famed Jaleo another shot. We got the cheese plate with 6 cheeses which the server dropped to the table and ran away without telling us what they were. Considering the cheeses were all Spanish varieties, they weren't the easiest to distinguish. The accompaniments consisted of syrupy apricots and nothing else. I've been to plenty of places that do a far better cheese plate. For one of my dishes, I opted for Brussel sprouts with Iberico ham. This could have been so much better. It appeared that they steamed the Brussel sprouts which really should have been roasted for better flavor. Really, really bland. I had a much better Brussel spouts dish at Estadio just the other week. My friend got a beet salad that was paired with grapefruit--a bad pairing, IMO. She also had sauteed cauliflower, which again, was lacking in the taste department. It was also buried in a pile of paprika. Meh. I do have to admit that my duck confit and rice dish was really tasty. That was by far and away the best thing placed on the table. It's really not enough to bump up my rating though. Crystal City Jaleo hovers somewhere between a 2 and a 3, and since this is not the first time I've been disappointed with Mr. Andres and other dishes at Jaleo, I'm rounding down. I still want to try Minibar, and if I'm disappointed there, I'm boycotting him all together!

bob c.

Attractive room with high ceilings and ceiling to floor windows for good people watching. Service was prompt. Food was OK, nothing outstanding. Average dishes well executed to produce decent but not above average results. Wine was either overpriced or under selected. Ordered the most expensive glass of red assuming I would get an interesting glass of good wine I had not previously tried. Wrong. Very average glass; either over priced or inappropriately selected. Overall an OK experience, but would not go out of my way to visit here.

Nick D.

I really enjoyed Jaleo for happy hour....great grilled shrimp....and the Sangria was superb. Been there a couple times and the bar staff are always very responsive and friendly. Will make it one of my hangouts. ..!!!

Ken E.

Good tapas and great drink selection. A little foodie flavor in the soulless mass of concrete known as Crystal City. A top choice for the area, right behind the Kabob Palace down the street.

Kelly P.

Gluten Free menu is totally full of gluten (one item even says "on toast") and everything is cross fried- which the waiter tried to convince me to eat (!?) Beware.

Angel W.

3.5 stars. Jaleo in Crystal City was suprisingly empty at 7:00 pm on a Saturday. The service was good but at times when we tried to get the attention of our server we were making all kinds of gestures towards 4 waitstaff and they were all preoccupied in personal conversation. This Jaleo location is clean and fairly quick. They do bring out your food as soon as it is prepared so it can cause some awkwardness if one person gets all of their food and the other person is still waiting. I do like that the portions are small as I don't typically like to be full or overstuffed. This time I had: Ajo blanco - Chilled almond and garlic soup with green grapes. This is the main reason I visit Jaleo. This soup is really good. In the past we have sampled all of their soups from the gaspacho to the chilled watermelon soup. They were all prepared well and turned out to be tasty. Watermelon, tomato, pistachio salad - this is on a side menu but I was told it is so popular that they will be rolling it into their new menu. The dish is a stack of watermelon squares that are drizzled in a nice oil with diced tomatoes. It was very good and refreshing. I belive Jaleo served this dish at the "Washingtonian Best of Party" on skewers and I enjoyed it then too but did not make the connection until later. We also had the Cava Sangria made with Freixenet blanc de blancs Sparkling wine. You can only purchase this by the half pitcher or full pitcher since they do not want to open a bottle of sparkling wine and have it go flat if they only use it to make one glass of sangria. The Cava was okay. A small glass of it definitely gave me a buzz. Jaleo also offers a very extensive menu which is good for large groups. They also have a gluten free menu, if needed.

Chris X M.

Jose Andres does great things, yes. But this location in Crystal City has some serious problems with management. Their A/C was barely working over the holiday weekend and the management was rude and dismissive of the fact it felt like 90 degrees and humid during our attempted dinner here. The staff was not helpful nor friendly and we would not return until they get their act together. The location and venue look great, but we had a very poor experience here.

Ryan M.

This is by far my favorite restaurant. I've also been to Jaleo in DC, but the service doesn't compare to the Arlington location. Great bartenders and wait staff that are very knowledgable of the menu. The tapas are amazing and you want to get a bunch, but the bill can add up quick.

C C.

Over-rated!! I wanted to try this restaurant because I love Zaytinya. But we were disappointed.... The Gambas al ajillo aka "very famous" shrimp was very, very salty! The Arroz mediterráneo paella made with porcini mushrooms, mixed vegetables, green and black olives was ordinary, nothing special. The Gin and Tonic, however, was outstanding!! I would not recommend this place.

Rick G.

Do you really know what tapas are?! It may not be the best or close to perfect traditional Spanish cuisine, but rating it for what it is - it is fairly good! They do a good job at the taste renderings with some dishes, but don't quite hit the upper mark with me! The downside is most folks don't understand tapas, and end up getting the short end of the stick value-wise. Tapas typically are snacks in Spain, here, it's become a way of making more money on smaller dishes. Overall the ambience and service is mediocre, the tastes are above average - but don't expect real Spanish for your taste buds. Don't go their hungry!

L R.

Tried a variety of their small plates. The restaruant is well run and definately upper scale. Everything was reasonable though it is a bit on the spendy side. My favorite was the bacon wrapped dates (delicious).

Linda S.

Two words: Paella Sunday! What a great deal, and a perfect solution for a family get-together. For $20 you get a glass of gazpacho (light and delicious), your choice of 3 salads (I had the beet salad -- wonderful), unlimited chicken & mushroom or veggie paella, and flan. The only drawback is that the whole table has to order it, but it wasn't a problem for us because it was exactly what we all wanted. The paella meal was filling on its own, but we went over the top and ordered some tapas, too. All were delicious, but especially worth a splurge was the "Lomo Ibérico de bellota con pan con tomate". Wow, hands down the best Catalan tomato bread I've had outside of Barcelona, and the combination with the exquisite pork loin (eat the fat, too!) and aioli & mojo is amazing. Service was wonderful -- very attentive without being overbearing -- and a couple of visits by the chef were informative and enjoyable. I noticed that previous reviewers complained about the heat in the dining area. Well, that must have been fixed, and fixed a little too well, because my one and only complaint was that it was so cold that it felt like we were eating in a walk-in cooler. All in all, an impressive and wonderful experience, and highly recommended.

Glenn B.

Food and drinks are good. But don't expect to get out for under $100 for a decent full meal. Apparently "Tapas" is Spanish for Overpriced Nibbles.

Dakota D.

JALEO happy hour!!!!!! 4 dollar for each item on the HH menu, and for their delicious sangria! Try their happy hour (whichever location you try, they are all good, but this one in Crystal City has the largest seating area) and you are sure go back!

Sophia C.

I went there for Paella Sunday with my book club last week and it was such a disappointment. The service was OK. Gazpacho was a little too salty and the Paella was completely under-cooked. The flavors, again, were OK, but too salty here too!! The one thing that is saving me from giving it only 1 star is the flan! It was absolutely delicious! Paella Sunday = rip-off.

Emily K.

Don't go here if you've been to the one in Penn Quarter. Just don't. That's all.

Kevin T.

Jaleo is by far and away the best place in the area to get Spanish Tapas, while you may be better off going to the original location in DC, the "Jaleo Hour" happy hour deal makes the Crystal City location my favorite. The biggest complaint you can lodge at Jaleo is you don't get value for money, 7-22 bucks a tapa when you need 3 to fill you up can get really expensive. At Jaleo Hour you get a pretty good selection at 4 bucks a tapa, which gives you that value. I love the bold flavors of the food and am a fan of the house made Sangria. You may not be as much of a fan as I am but Jaleo is definitely worth a try if you're in the DC area.

Maggie M.

A friend of mine had mentioned to me that Jaleo offers a $20 Paella Sunday dinner. Includes salad, gazpacho, bottomless paella and flan for dessert. Well sign me up! I called a few minutes later and made a reservation. The boyfriend and I got to Jaleo a little before our reservation and decided to order a drink at the bar while we waited for our friends to show. He got the Cube Libre... first it was STRONG 2nd it was delicious! They use imported Coco-Coca from Mexico, it really does taste different. I ordered the Sangria, so strong and so delicious! Sangria $4. Cube Libre $12. We also ordered a tapas (since it was happy hour) all tapas are $4 a pop. We got the endive and goat cheese. OH EM GEEEE was that delicious. All the different textures and flavors. Pure genius. Our friends showed up and we went to our table for our feast! First course you get to choose from three salads. I got the third one, it had cucumbers, tomato's, and peppers along w/ field greens and a very tangy/zesty salad dressing, YUM YUM! 2nd course our gazpacho was amazing! Then comes the delicious chicken and mushrooms paella (they have a veggie one as well) my oh my how delicious their paella is, I could go for some right now! Then the flan came out which was also good. Table of four hungry adults and drinking sangria we only made it through one round of paella. Def a good deal though for $20! All in all I would DEF be back for more of their paella! :D

Amy L.

Delicious food and yummy sangria. I like the pan con tomate and manchengo, the gambas al ajillo and the tortilla espanola most.

Lesley H.

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants in DC until the last time I went we got HORRIBLE service. It took us forever to even just get water on our table. The party next to us got seated after us and got their drinks before we did. The manager noticed that we were slightly irritated and looking around for our waiter and finally came and got our drink order. He found our waiter and told him to come get our food order. This was the last time we saw our waiter. The food came out at a slow pace, and it took us forever to get our bill. I'm not sure if I just didn't notice the lack of service the other times I've been bc I wasn't starving like I was this most recent time. Other than service, the food here is actually great!! and it has some of the best red sangria I have had in the states. The white sangria does sound good in the description but trust me, its not that spectacular. Basically it's just champagne with fruit in it. If you're looking for a place to have a very laid back dinner and you're not starving and can stand to converse and drink while each dish comes out slowly to you, this is a good place, but if you are really hungry and want your food fast, stay far far awayy!

Queenny C.

Amazing experience of GREAT food, and very nice service We ordered various things to share, and everything was so good. I recommend to go with at least a party of 4 up so you will have chance to try many things.

Judy L.

I don't typically write reviews unless service or food has exceeded my expectation or it was just complete flop and waste of my money and time. My family and I decided to dine at Jaleo as we enjoy good Tapas Bar/Restaurants. Half of us are visiting DC from San Francisco, CA and the other half from Los Angeles, CA. We made the mistake of choosing a Tapas bar chain. We learned our lesson that in a chain type restaurants, the food is just not authentic. It was actually pretty pathetic for effort. Honestly... they didn't even have the real authentic seafood paella. We decided to still select a Paella dish with calamari and Shrimp. The seafood didn't taste fresh at all. The calamari was so chewy and just tasted super fishy. what's worse? the rice wasn't even cooked. We were crunching and chewing until our jaws were exhausted. We asked the server what happened to the paella and the explanation was hilarious. He said there should be a layer of crunchy rice and layer of nice soft cooked rice... I don't think he understands the difference between uncooked/undercooked rice and rice that is toasted at the bottom of a pan on open fire cooking which is what it should be not UNDERCOOKED Rice. To top it off. We ordered their special sangria that evening. It tasted like juice infused water and the carafe was filled with 99% ice. We asked about that as well where the wine and fruit were that was supposed to be in the sangria (in a much more cordial way) they said it is so authentic, they just popped open a brand new bottle of wine for it... hmmmmm Bottom line - We had an awful dining experience and immensely disappointed for the high priced/poor quality tapas food.

Nicole R.

Good food, misleading service, sub par sangria. The bacon wrapped dates were delicious, the food was generally good. I've had better tapas, but it's not bad. What really got to me was the waitress suggesting a ham and cheese board to start off the table, and it ended up being $55 charged to our bill. Misleading! She should have pointed to the selections in the menu at LEAST, or not made it seem like it was complimentary! Also, sangria is super weak. It tastes watered down. I had 6 of them and wasn't even the slightest bit tipsy.... So I definitely don't think there was much wine, let alone alcohol in them. Also, it took forever to get drinks once we ordered them. Good food, but overall disappointing meal due to those two factors.

Heba E.

The tapas are actually sizable and very filling. Between my sister and I we ordered 4 dishes and could hardly make it through all of them. We got the red beet salad, fisherman's soup, the duck confit and a cauliflower dish with dates. All of which were so delicious but the duck confit was definitely a winner. I would have liked to see more dates with the cauliflower though. There was basically half a date in there. Still super tasty though. They also have rabbit confit with apricots that I would love to try sometime! The reason for detracting a star is the service. The waiters looked super confused most of the time. Even though the place was packed, a lot of the times you'd find them just standing in the middle looking lost. We ended up being served by 3 waiters. Decor didn't really do much for me either. Sort of bordering on Grand Modern and Classic Andalusian without really achieving either. Overall good quality food. I'd probably be back for happy hour/ drinks and forego the waited service,

Matt C.

Several friends and I met at this location a couple of weeks ago and had a wonderful time there. Having previously lived in DC, I had already been to the capitol-area location and more or less knew what to expect. First of all, the space will surprise you if you're used to their other locations. What it lacked in whitewashed charm, it more than made up for in modern grandeur. The highlight of our evening was the oenophilic passion of their beverage director, Jill Zimorski. For transparency's sake, I should admit that Jill and I worked together about a decade ago at a great, now-defunct, French restaurant in Charlottesville, so I expected her highly-informed approach to our wine service. Jill steered us to multiple bottles of perfectly-pairing and unique wines - and gave us great insight into why these were such interesting bottles. The food and table service were much more than adequate as well. If / when I am back in this part of Northern VA, I will certainly make it a point to return.

Davey R.

WARNING: Not meant for the sake of cheap eats. It's very easy to spend over $50. So, now, the food. I'd recommend the goat cheese-stuffed red peppers and the salmon and raspberries, Patatas (potatoes wrapped in eggs) are nice for cost control, in other words, to keep you from ordering more than you want. Think of them as "stomach stuffers". They bring you unending bread with olive oil/baby garlic/rosemary and will soft sell you on alcohol intermittently, so if that's your thing, you can expect that. Spending about ~$45 for 3 people seems about right. Awesome interior decoration with a pleasingly flareful Spanish interior. Light quantity, high quality. Enjoy!

Debi N.

I've only been here once so with that said, my initial reaction: not impressed. Mind you the first time I ever had sangria and paella was in Barcelona, so my opinion may be bias. The sangria was good, but there was no "wow" factor. I know Virginia law says you cannot pre-batch alcohol (i.e. let the sangria sit over night soaking up the fruit goodness) however I watched the bartender make my sangria and she put the fruit in right before pouring in the fluids and handing it to me. Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of sangria? They could have let the fruit soak just for a little while...couldn't they...what a disappointment... The food: Eh. We had the Paella de pollo y setas silvestres. Good job on not making the rice hard. The texture was good. It is possible to say it was flavorful but lacking some spice? I don't know, there was something missing that made my pallet not crave more. As for the tapas, it really depends on what you order. They do have a nice variety. The presentation was nice but none of the tapas really stood out to me so I don't have a favorite, yet. I will give this place another try since it's so close to my place but I don't think I'd go out of my way. One thing to point out. This place was pretty busy for a Tuesday night.

m t.

I thought this place was pretty good! Really, we liked everything we had. Our service was a bit in attentive but it wasn't anything that would keep me from going back.

Vladimir G.

Have been here in this location over 5 times in the past 6 months. This is truly awesome Spanish food, and I mean Spanish, not Mexican (take note). I've loved their Fisherman Soup, so tasty. I usually get around 3-4 little tapas and it's plenty to get full. Also their beats salad is best I've had to date. Very friendly staff, great attention, moderate prices, always good specials and yummy desserts. Definitely the best restaurant around Crystal City, even comparing to pretentious Morton's down the street.

Jac H.

I really enjoyed Jaleo. I've been here a few times and both the white and red sangrias are great. When going to tapas, you know you're going to spend a little bit more, and your eyes are going to be a bit too big. I have made this mistake a few times here. However, my taste buds are never disappointed. There is some sort of bread with a tomato sauce and manchego (sounds like pizza, amiright?) that is really good -- with and without the manchego! The quail is great, the garlic shrimp is alright, but dipping the bread into the sauce - divine! The squid in the black ink sauce had a nice flavor to it. We also tried the chicken sausage with beans.. not my favorite. I also make the mistake of ordering the "fried noodles" paella style or crispy noodles.. either way not crispy - just has a bunch of what seemed like sliced ham, little shrimp, and a weird mayo sauce... I need to remember not to order that again.I once went here a while back and they had some sort of duck breast - which was my favorite.. however they didn't have it, this past time I went. For dessert we tried the chocolate flan (which tasted more like pudding!), the chocolate cake (which was inbetween a cake and a pudding) and one of the guests with me decided to try sherry .. bad idea. We were recommended the sherry by the waiter, and when he didn't finish it, the waiter offered to bring out a different drink. We just decided to end the night on a good night and not to bother the waitstaff who were all very friendly. My in-laws lived in Spain before and only made the comment that the "garlic shrimp" was not actually the same garlic shrimp as in Spain.. other than that they really are 90% of the time vegetarian so they had no complaints about the other dishes.

Chunnu B.

Personally, I feel like the concept of tapas is a little too hyped up - they're appetizers you eat as a meal. Anyways, I found myself here today to celebrate a friend's birthday. We were a large party and the waiters were good about refilling drinks but were too confused when it came to giving us what we ordered - need some organization. I ordered a chorizo dish and another dish with fingerling potatoes with a delicious green chutney like dipping sauce. I got to sample a few things others had ordered (fried dates, spicy potatoes...) and everything was pretty good. Oh, and their house sangria was just alright - definitely had better. Overall, the place has a nice fun vibe, waiters are okay but unorganized, wouldn't mind coming back. It's just "meh."

Shelly N.

I was hopeful that Jaleo would become my go-to tapas spot. However, after coming for Happy Hour, I'm glad I only paid $4/plate. My friend and I arrived 5 minutes before the start of HH and looked over the menu. By the time we had chatted and decided on a drink, we ordered Sangria and were immediately told that HH hasn't started yet...really? You couldn't give us a drink 2 minutes early and then enter it into the computer? So when we said we'd wait the 2 minutes, the bartender grumbled to a patron at the bar about us being lame. Really?! We saw AND heard you. Thank you to the patron that agreed with us that they would've waited, too. After the start of HH, we ordered our sangrias and received quite a watered down drink. Definitely one of the worst sangrias I've had...ever. I don't know how people can say this is the best they've ever had. I guess it's good f you like watered down red wine. I even ordered a second one to give it the benefit of the doubt...still terrible...and it took 15 minutes to show up. We also got a few plates to share. Gambas al ajillo, calamari, patatas, and some bread with tomato and manchego...all dishes that are standard tapas plates (ie should not be screwed up). I'm not sure if it was the underfried calamari, lack of seasoning on all of the dishes, lukewarm seafood, "aioli" that was simply mayonnaise from a jar, or terrible drinks, but Jaleo, I was embarrassed to have recommended this as a HH spot and will not be back...for HH or dinner. Frankly, The Cheesecake Factory has better appetizers, drinks, and service.

Roxanne G.

Really bad. We have been to Jaleo in Vegas and enjoyed it a lot. Unfortunately, the Jaleo in Crystal City was very bad in comparison. The service was fine, but the food was greasy and just tasted odd. I definitely would not go back again.

Matt N.

I am not into Tapas and after going to this place, that hasn't changed. Jose Andres is your standard egotistical chef pushing a ridiculous menu filled with overpriced cheese and bite size food that comes in mind-blowing small portions. My wife and I racked up a $93.00 food bill and left pretty damn hungry and confused about what exactly I ordered that cost so much. I ordered cod bites that had enough salt in them to warrant a visit to Kaiser Permanente for hypertension the second I left the restaurant. If you're into milk that comes from anything other than a cow, this could potentially become your go to place. They stopped short of serving cheese made with koala milk. I seriously have tasted better cheddar cheese that was an off-brand on the shelves of Harris Teeter. If you give this a go, good luck.

Hilary S.

This was by far one of my worst restaurant expierences I have ever had. Upon arrival, we ordered drinks, but were chatting with our friends and had not looked at the menu. The server in a rush came up to us at least 4 times in 15 mins. Then after the 3rd time decided to ask us, "do you know what you are doing?- this is tapas." Yes, we have all been to tapas. Thanks for clarifying. Our food came, it was all fine and good (standard tapas.) Then, the waitress decided we were done and began clearing our drinks, which were half full. The whole thing was completely absurd. There are too many delicious and well serviced tapas places in this city to ever go back to Jaleo again.

April K.

Visited 3/31/12 and 4/5/12 (edited for spelling) My husband and I were going to spend our 1 year anniversary in Washington DC, and I booked a reservation at Jaleo for our first night in town. This location was right around the corner from our hotel (Marriott Crystal Gateway in Arlington,VA) and within walking distance. +1 for convenience! I had printed the menu a week before we even left and decided I wanted to try at least 2 dozen items! What?! I like to eat! We enjoyed our meal so much we went back our last night in town too. -Gazpacho (chilled red beet soup with goat cheese and oranges): LOVE. This was so good. Had a nice balance of flavors, plus, I love me some cheese, especially goat cheese. Towards the end of the bowl the acid/vinegar was a little strong though. -Sopa de ajo con huevo (garlic and bread soup with slow-cooked egg): Hubby loved this soup. He ordered it again on our second visit, and I ordered my own bowl. Good, not great. The garlic flavor was milder than I anticipated, and the egg gave me a little pause, since I dont really like eggs, but I broke it open and mixed it into the broth and I couldnt tell it was there. -Pan con tomate with jamon Serrano (toasted slices of bread brushed with fresh tomato and topped with ham): My hubby loves bruschetta and enjoyed this. I thought it was okay. I would have chosen to top it with the Manchego cheese though. -Pimientos (seared piquillo peppers filled with goat cheese): Can you guess which one of us ordered these? Delicious. Nicely charred and dripping with melty goat cheese! -Arroz cremoso de setas (wild mushroom rice with Idiazabal cheese): Much like a risotto in texture, the mushroom was so finely chopped I wouldnt have known it was in there. The cheese was kinda weird, it was served as a slice laid on top of the rice, and I assume it was supposed to melt. It did, sortof, but not entirely, so I had to really get my sidefork on. I could have done without the cheese, in this case. Shocked face. -Patatas bravas (fingerling potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli): Good. The small plate was piled so high though, I could only eat so many. My husband refused to try them because of the aioli on top (he hates mayonnaise). Too many for just one person, maybe even two. -Chistorra enveulta en patata frita (chorizo wrapped in crispy potato): Very good!! Kinda greasy, but come on.. it was chorizo sausage wrapped in a very thin slice of potato and then fried, so the potato basically becomes a potato chip. I really liked this! -Gambas al ajillo (shrimp sauteed with garlic): Hubby got this and ate about half of it, he said it was a little too garlicky, and he loves garlic. I tried a bite and it was good, but the flavors were pretty powerful. -Vieiras con pinyones y pedro ximenez (seared scallops with pine nuts and ...): I have no clue what or who Pedro is, but Oh Em Gee were his scallops amazing. They were beautifully seared and served on a bed of two different sauces. I dont know what they were, but I would have licked the plate if I thought I would have got away with it unwitnessed. Worth going back for! -Lomo de buey (grilled skirt steak with piquillo peppers): Good, but not very impressive. Hubby said it was basically fajita meat. -Manzanas con hinojo (salad of sliced apple and fennel): No lettuce at all in this salad, it's made entirely of shaved fennel and apple, had Manchego cheese and walnuts, and a Sherry dressing. Really good! -Tortilla de patatas (omelet with potatoes/onions): Eh.. Hubby liked it, I shrug my shoulders. I'm not a big fan of eggs, as I've already said. Now that we've eaten all that, lets move on to dessert! I couldnt decide between 3 options. After asking our server and discussing it with hubby, I opted for 2 of the 3 desserts for myself, because he was "so full" and "couldnt possibly eat anything else." -Almond cake with iced milk sorbet: Tasty, the cake felt kinda dry/crumbly, but maybe that's how it was supposed to be. The sorbet was nice paired with it though. -Olive oil ice cream with grapefruit: Recommended by our server, I was highly intrigued by the very idea of olive oil ice cream. This was seriously amazing. The ice cream was so smooth and creamy. It definitely had a slightly olive oil flavor, but had just a hint of sweet to it so that it wasnt gross. Paired with the fresh grapefruit sections it was phenomenal. Our server brought 2 spoons with it, and I offered a bite to hubby, but I am really glad he was stuffed! More for me! Overall, loved the place. I wish I lived near Jaleo, I would spend a few weeks trying every single thing on the menu. I would order several things again, but some items I wasnt too impressed with, so it averaged out to 4 stars.

Karen P.

Jaleo in Crystal City, Virginia is a Tapas Bar featuring traditional Spanish dishes. If you've never dined at a Tapas Bar, they encourage each person to order two or three small dishes to share with the entire group, so everyone can enjoy a wide variety of food. Of course, if you're the only person in your party ordering gluten free, your culinary experience will be somewhat limited. Fortunately, Jaleo offers a gluten free menu, but it has a disclaimer for those with gluten allergies. As usual, there's a risk of cross contamination, and the fryer is shared with other non-gluten free foods. That being said, I safely enjoyed a salad with tuna, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and hard-boiled eggs, shrimp sautéed with garlic, and Flan for dessert! Now, I'm off to the gym! After eating a Georgetown Cupcake earlier today and flan tonight, it's time to pay the Piper. =) For more gluten free restaurant reviews, check out KarenInRealLife.com !

Jonathan M.

First time with tapas? Take note...unless you don't mind dropping 70 bucks, you're going to leave hungry. That's not all bad, especially when you're trying to cut the ol' waistline down, but it has to noted. I feel like this place has two distinctive faces. I wish I loved them both equally. But as fate would have it, I cannot. The first thing you'll notice when you enter is the grand design. The copper bar, complete with oxidized glass rings, and the Spanish tiled tables and high back stools. It really is beautiful. The servers and staff are really friendly, and thank god they take the time to explain everything on the menu, as a good amount is in Spanish. But when you look up, all you'll see is a sea of people around you, crushing in at every point of entry. Moving around the bar area during a happy hour is like navigating the Clarendon Ballroom on a brisk Saturday night when O.A.R. is on the ticket. My only real complaint is the food; ironic right? Jose Andreas isn't known for messing this up. But let's face it, some of us are adventurers with noble palates, and some of us aren't. I don't consider myself a heathen, but I get burned here....and burned bad. Chicken with green sauce, not my favorite - slimy, burnt edges, and a cold sauce that just didn't blend with my drink. The Chicken Fritters - like jalapeño poppers with no flavor... I don't get it?!? The beef cuts were amazing, and the Sangria was good, but the crowds are pressing in, the waiters are stressed, the beer selection is minimal, it's all coming to a boil.... I'm on the mountain top of DC cuisine... and I can't even read the bloody menu! It's a fun place to visit. It's crowded. It's exclusive. It's pretty. Somehow, I always leave hungry.

Amigo L.

Been to this place twice and was disappointed both times. Food was too salty!

Gabriel E.

Went on a Wednesday night. My girl and I are tapas aficionados, great service and excellent ambiance. Every dish was awesome - duck, rabbit, sausage, cod salad - crafts of sangria with strawberry and mint. and olives and on and on. I don't think anything there could be considered "bad" Open till 10am on the weekdays. Warning - don't go if you cannot find your wallet - two people - two crafts of sangria and 5 or 6 appetizers and whamo - $200.-- incl. 20% tip. Well worth it though. They treat you the same in flips and jeans as in a three piece suit. Great place for an anniversary.

Eric H.

2 1/2 STARS - The best thing at Jaleo's Crystal City is its pleasing interior but beyond that there's not much to get excited about. We had made reservations but were afforded a less than desirable table, which foreshadowed the quality of our dining experience to come...underwhelming. The menu, has a multitude of tapas choices with delectable, descriptions each one better than the last. However when the reality was brought table side the majority of the tapas fell a bit short of delivering on such lofty promises. Only two (2) tapas out of six (6) were worth ordering again, the bacon wrapped dates (and let's be honest you could wrap a tire with enough bacon and it wouldn't be half bad) and the true winner of the night the Shrimp in garlic pepper sauce (Gambas al ajillo). No question this was very good. The bottom line is Jaleo's prices are sky high with no deals in sight and a poor price to value ratio. The food we experienced was pretty mediocre for the price and if you'd care for any wine, beer or cocktails with your meal expect to pay all the money cause booze is gonna cost you.

S N.

I think this place is overrated! Their Paella is bland and just doesn't taste right. I guess it has a nice atmosphere for happy hour after work on a summer evening. Definitely go for tapas and not main dishes if you eat here.

Sally M.

2.5 Stars. Friendly service. Welcoming decor. But the food was just meh. Granted, I came here for an apartment complex gathering and had a grand ole time meeting my neighbors (such a friendly lot!) and I did like the venue choice (a top-notch place for the area - to be fair, Crystal City doesn't exactly have the sorts of venues I would prefer to frequent [niche hole-in-the-wall mom & pop small businesses with amazingly delicious & unusual food made with fresh ingredients], so for the area, this was great!), but given I've had much better sangria recently in SF (Burma Super Star's White Sangria with Lychee: burmasuperstar.com and I lived in Sevilla, Spain, where I had incredible tortilla, prosciutto, chorizo and paella in Valencia, I just couldn't give more than 3 stars, and even 3 was a bit too high, I'm afraid - given I was a bit underimpressed by both the drink and the food. I'm sorry Jaleo, I still love you, but I must maintain my SF cred and give honest reviews of what matters: the FOOD! :) Again, for the area, this place is stellar! And that's even if we throw in Pentagon City into the bunch. It just doesn't compare when we start looking to Alexandria, DC, or elsewhere (like SF or Spain). I'd like to emphasize my gratitude to my apartment complex, though. Great event! Loved the venue and thanks to everyone who organized it :)

Nat B.

It turned out to be too pricy. We had 7 tapas with my boyfriend and a pitcher of sangria. We spent $120 but were very hungry in 30 minutes. If i ever go back to this place it can be only for wine (they have a good collection) or if someone pays for me.

Yasuo O.

solid service and solid food. I was a bit surprised since the waitress mentioned that the garlic shrimp was her fav and when we had it, it was ok. nothing too special. just a ton of butter, garlic and smaller shrimp than i expected. maybe cause I am from Hawaii and we have awesome seafood or something? Not too sure but.. it was alright. we had a bunch of other things. the drink list was good and extensive. I am not too sure. I think i might be turning into a food snob or something but after going to so many Michellin restaurants, this was just.. uhm.. ok. the setting was casual and I saw more than a few jeans in there too so I guess I went in with the wrong idea? Been to Bazzar in LA and loved it. wasnt expecting it to be so similiar but this is a much more casual faire than there and it worked out.

Michelle S.

Jaleo was recommended by a friend and there just so happened to be a location within walking distance of our hotel (Hyatt Regency Crystal City). We went around dinner time on a saturday night and got a table for 2 without a problem. the restaurant was quite busy. we tried 2 half carafes of wine, neither of which i could find on the online menu and the names escape me. but they were both spanish red wines and both very good. the price for a half carafe (2 large glasses) was very good, about $15 i believe. the tapas was reasonably priced from about $6-12 each. comparable with other tapas restaurants i have been to in michigan, chicago and austin, TX. and the portions were on the large side, 2 of us had a hard time finishing some of them off. we started with the 'Espinacas a la Catalana' -Sautéed spinach, pine nuts,raisins and apples. the combination sounds rather strange but trust me it was very good. and we dipped the bread in the sauce and it was quite tasty. the flavor was on the salty side for me towards the end. then we ordered a special that was a scallop stuffed flaky pastry, empinada i believe. i couldn't find it on the online menu. it was not very warm and the scallops tasted almost fishy. i think this may have been why it was a 'special'. the sauce that was inside did not compliment the scallops at all. i did not enjoy it. i wanted paella but it was rather expensive, well over $30 so i figured this was the second best i could do. 'Rossejat' -Traditional fried pasta, paella style, with shrimp and cooked in a seafood broth. interesting, i have never had fried pasta before. it wasn't really 'fried' or crispy but it was still pretty good. the broth was sort of bland, but i loved the garlic sauce you put on top. my breath was kickin' for hours afterward! i also put this on bread and ate it. 'Mejillones al vapor'- Prince Edward Island mussels steamed with a bay leaf and a pinch of salt. the mussels were excellent, they were hot, very large and the broth was great. again, dipping the bread in the broth is a good idea. like i said before, the portions were rather large. and unfortunately we had no room for dessert. the service was pretty good considering how busy they were. i think we needed out waitress once and had a hard time flagging her down. the water was refilled promptly and the manager even gave us directions to the nearest metro stop. i would love to come back here again and try the paella.

Christy C.

Maybe Tapas were just not for me... I wasnt feeling it really to be perfectly honest. I feel really bad for saying this, but the seafood items I ordered, I thought it's better at a mediocre Red Lobster level. The garlic shrimp... wow.. it's NOT that great to be honest. I had this grilled chicken dish... yeah, not very impressive. We also had this potato balls look alike thing... SOO freakin salty! OMG! You have to soak them into the sauce to make it edible. The mussels... when it came out.. it was cold- WTH? It was just disappointing. Their cheese were decent- I guess that's not too bad. And yeah. I just think for a place so high end, the quality of the food wasnt very consistent to their envt... and price. Sorry, I am probably not going to return.

Chris D.

Could have been awesome, but just wasn't. There are definitely some hits on the menu, but my math shows that you're going to be disappointed with roughly 2/3 of those you order. None of the dishes were bad per se, but they just weren't ones I would order again. If I had to put a label on it, I would say the whole thing has a franchise feel to it. Recommendations: -Cheese Plate -Lamb Chops -Bacon Wrapped Dates I can't say I'd choose to go back.

Mike R.

I've eaten at Jaleo many a time, but it's been awhile and I don't think I was on yelp yet so no reviews. I'm not going to try and list out what to get because the great part about tapas is trying new things and sharing small plates (although the bacon wrapped dates and cod fritters are constants on our order list...so make sure you try those). There's really not much to say. If you like the experience of eating tapas you have to make sure to eat at a Jaleo. Jose Andres is a genius and the food is really tasty. It can get a bit expensive if you can't edit your selections, but I've never left thinking I didn't get my money's worth.

Christina L.

Eggplant with honey. Patatas bravas. Cava sangria. Everything is delicious. During lunch they have 3 tapas for $20 which is a great deal and the same price as two tapas.

Dan J.

I really want to like this place as they have a great bar area and patio, but their food continues to disappoint while also being a little expensive for the ambience and quality of food that you get here.

Jim K.

Love it! The most authentic in the DC area. Great location and atmosphere. No need to beat DC traffic to have great food and a great time. Bring your girlfriend/wife here and she will definitely be impressed.

Philip T.

I went to Jaleo with a friend on a Saturday evening and even then it wasn't too crowded. The food was good but not exceptional and definately felt overpriced. The tapas were good but nothing worth going back for and the paella we got (with chicken and wild mushrooms) was way too salty and can't compare to some of the other paellas I've had in the past. The service was quick and attentive and the atmosphere was very good. In the end, me and my friend spent $90 (!!!!) including tax and tip for three tapas, paella, a shared dessert, and drinks. While it was a fun place to try, I don't plan on returning (and i think my wallet is happy about that too).

Jon H.

I wanted to like Jaleo so badly, no joke. I've read about his food, went to a couple of tastings at the farmers market (Zaytinya is next on my list) and had some really high expectations here. First off, I was a little unsure about the atmosphere. While the size of the location really allows for plentiful tables and lower wait times (which is really awesome considering how popular Jose Andres' restaurants are), the high ceilings and spaced out, manufacturing line furniture really disconnected me from the experience. I'm used to tapas bars that are small, dark, rich woody, colorful, and intimate (which I know makes lines long for those kind of places). On to the food. The sangria was delicious (we had the red, as opposed to the popular white sangria here), not too sweet, and full of fruit. I found it a little weird that it was all apples, but I'm no sangria expert. We started off with the Papas Arrugas. To be honest, I was so excited about this dish. Baby potatoes with mojo verde. But what they forgot to mention is this thing is CAKED in salt. It is so freaking salty. In fact, it is so salty that everything I ate afterwards felt like it was too salty. The only way to eat it is to literally wash the potato in the mojo verde. Its so salty some potatoes are white colored because of the salt. WTF is up with that? Anyways, next up we had the tortilla espanola (called the tortilla patatas al memento), which was really good. I was expecting what most places serve which is a thicker version - this version really just reminded me of an omelette pancake served with potato chips on top. Nevertheless, the flavor was really good. Wish there had been a sauce (we ended up using the mojo verde). Duck with rice and foie gras sauce. To me, one of the best dishes of the night (although it felt salty, but I'm sure that was from the potatoes lingering in my mouth). The duck was thin and flavorful, the rice was perfect, and the foie gras sauce was light and savory. And the size of the dish was HUGE, so it was a great value item. Next up, the Bacon Fried Dates and Pan Con Tomate. The pan con, which is tomato and garlic rubbed into toast, was HUGE and flavorful, super great value. The bacon fried dates, while potentially amazing, were a little disappointing to me. I'm not used to a deep fried version, so it could be preference, but I found that deep frying them removed the texture of the bacon and it ended up tasting like dates fried in bacon flavored batter. In fact, we ended up not finishing this dish. It tasted like NYC street food, only not the best kind. The service is quick but we had a variety of bus boys/girls and very little of our actual server (other than taking order and giving us the check), and it was so abrupt we never go to tell them our opinion. Total cost was decent though, about $27 a person, so that's a good thing, especially since with larger groups it could potentially be even better value. To be honest, I really want to give Jaleo another try. I think we ordered some of the more non-traditional dishes, and we left thinking we should have gotten the normals (mussels, shrimp, ham, etc), but I still thought that given all the hype and positive opinion, we could have picked any combination of dishes and had a great experience. Ultimately, we were really disappointed, not entirely because of the food but because we really really really wanted to like this place and it fell short....really short. I will definitely give it another try, just maybe somewhere down the road. On the other hand, I'm pretty confident Zaytinya will be awesome. I hope.

Kimberly W.

We love this place. We went here for date night and this place never ever disappoints. We have a very short wait and ordered drinks from the bar while we waited. The bartender was fantastic and mixed up two wonderful Old Fashioneds. They really do well with their drinks. Yum. For dinner we ordered the recommended 4 tapas per person. We really could have gone with three, four left no room for dessert. The best thing ordered by far was the scallops. Just amazing and perfectly cooked. Another go to gem for us is the endive. We also ordered gin and tonic oysters, grilled hanger steak, pork canelones and garbanzo beans. All Good. The only plate we didn't like and could have done with out was the shrimp sauteed in garlic. It was very salty. That was the exception because everything else including the service was amazing !

Howard T.

Seared Scallops - This was the starter and we thoroughly enjoyed these. They we're perfectly cooked and we practically licked the plate clean. This was probably the only good dish of the night. Grilled Pork Sausages with White Beans - I think my date said it best when she said "I could go to Costco and make better sausages". The sausages were over cooked and a tad bit dry. The flavor was lacking and honestly thought the white beans should have been replaced with corn. Grilled Hanger Steak - Not too bad. There wasn't really anything special about this despite the waiters high praises. Pork Ribs Paella - What a waste. This dish was way too salty and my date didn't even want to eat it. I think I should have gotten some panda express instead.

Ben S.

Extended another week of restaurant week!! Woohoo! I came here for lunch and was Jose Andres has impressed once again. We were promptly seated even though they didn't open for 10 min and were allow to sit at the table. After a few minute our waiter came over and offered us complimentary water. My first dish was the Ensalada Rusa. It was a delicous concoction of potato salad, tuna and mayo. It was excellent but much sweeter than I thought it was going be. My second dish was the shrimp is oil and spicies. It was incredible and the sauce was unlike nothing i've ever tasted before. I used the bread to soak up all the sauce and oil until it was all gone! My 3rd course was the pork lion over roasted onions and cabrales sauce. This was very good and the onions paired with the pork and sauce quite nicely. This dish was too heavy for lunch. My dessert choice was chocolate mousse with hazelnut ice cream!! MmmMmm! I will definately be coming back here to try other tapas!

Lori H.

I am a fan of tapas, just love the idea of small plates of food and variety. I came here on a Friday night with my date. We ordered the charcuterie which was excellent. The garlic shrimp was phenomenal. The bacon wrapped date was disappointing. I have had better Sangria at other restaurants. I liked this place and will eat here again to try their other dishes.

Foodie C.

Well WARNING stay away save your hard earned $ This place used to be so much better. I have been to Spain and this place was pretty true to it's roots a few years ago. The food was not impressive There is nothing special about it The chicken tasted like the mall samples from a food court. The beef was ok but it was 3-4 bites for $11 really??? The croquettes tasted like microwaveable ones from a grocery store. Simply put the portions are a rip off and so small it's almost a joke. They should change small plates title to tiny plates. Service HORRIBLE. Our waitress was MIA up until the end when she tried to milk us for a good tip. Our check pushed close to $200 for 4 people. What a rip off! When I grow up I want to be a famous chef have an awesome looking restaurant Serve sub par food and charge 100 times what I paid for it and have people think it's Awesome Oh and date a super model:-)

Tiger C.

During my banker career in Seattle, this would have been the optimal lunch time banker spot to prep for Thursday nights. Can you think of a more banker way to prepare for Bankers on Thursday nights, than to indulge in sophisticated tapas and elegant sandwiches during the lunch power hour? The seating here is fantastic, you get a view of the power players from the top down depending on which level seating you are laying flat. The sunshine outside during lunch gives you enough vitamin D to prepare for the late night that will spring in a few hours. Lamb sandwich is tasty, great thin cuts of meat, buttery bread, and great pairings of toppings in the mix. Cold orange colored soup segued into the meal as well as the carb load when you first sit down. Great food, fantastic energy, just make sure you do not get anything on your links or tie before the evening hits.

Diego D.

The tapas here are as un-authentic as possible. The prosciutto tasted like any you could get at the supermarket, their manchego cheese had no flavor, the Sangria had less than no flavor, and the waitresses were quite unhelpful. We are from Argentina and expected some authenticity to the tapas, but this place was a huge disappointment, especially considering their prices.

Elisha R.

We went here for dinner on a Saturday night and were surprised to only wait less than 20 minutes for a table outside. Sangria was delicious and service was superb! Our waitress was very knowledgable and patient with our decision making on what tapas to choose. We decided on some bruschetta, cauliflower, shrimp, spinach and crab meat which was all delicious. We had another round of food a bit later to include eggplant and chicken which was also delicious. Great food and atmosphere! Service was great and we were able to stay and drink for awhile without feeling rushed out of the restaurant. Overall great place to try multiple dishes and have some great sangria!

Jeffrey S.

I have been to Jaleo a few times over the years, but never felt compelled to write a review until my most recent experience this past weekend. One of the main reasons I chose to do this is that it has been some time since my last visit to Jaleo and in the mean time I have been to a couple other tapas restaurants. Those visits to other tapas restaurants really helped solidify my opinion of Jaleo as being a very good place to enjoy tapas. On my recent dining experience with a friend we ordered the following: Course 1: Salpicón de cangrejo and Gambas al ajillo - The crab meat "salad" was incredibly light and was accompanied by finely chopped chives, red pepper, cucumber and cauliflower. The shrimp in garlic is a traditional tapas dish around Spain and was done perfectly here. Course 2: Trucha a la Navarra and Lomo Ibérico de bellota con pan con tomate - The trout was perfectly cooked and being wrapped is Serano ham was a nice touch. Lomo seemed to be common on the menu so what better than to go with Jose's Way special. With four slices of brushed tomato bread this worked very nicely. Course 3: Arroz de pato 'Jean-Louis Palladin' and Conejo en salmorejo con puré de albaricoques - The duck confit rice dish was so delicious I could not help but burn my tongue eating it. And finally the rabbit confit was a completely different and unexpected take on confit and the apricot purée was almost a dessert to top it off. While deciding what to order, I noted to my dining companion how much I like a really good gazpacho. They commented how I was nuts to want to order a cold soup on a 30 degree day. As I am also a fan of a good Bloody Mary, I opted for the Bloody Gazpacho - two birds, one stone. A delicious Bloody Mary/Gazpacho combination. Overall we order too much and ate too much, but in doing so, it solidified my opinion of Jaleo as being one of the best the area has to offer.

John G.

Tapas were up and down. Loved the quail thought the shrimp and omelet were boring. Bacon wrapped dates were dry but could have been great. As a change had the white sangria which was very good (not too sweet). Service was excellent outside the slightly insulting explanation of what a tapas was.

Ashley M.

YES!!!! The only thing that I can say is that after having the duck here, I was ready to find the chef and provide him with a male heir. This is wonderful, better-than-sex duck and rice. It is an experience! I lived in Spain for a long time and never ate Spanish food better than the food served here.

Gio D.

Nothing really special here. The atmosphere is cool and the food is decent, but don't expect to be blown away. This place is slightly better than La Tasca and pretty much on par with Cava (although Cava is more mediterranean style). The prices can vary from a fairly affordable meal to really expensive depending on your preferences. Although as you might have guessed, not many of the cheaper dishes are that good and the more expensive ones are too pricey for the quality of food. as an alternative, I recommend you try Fuego in Clarendon.

Yolanda S.

Three starts is an average of two separate visits. Visit 1 (five stars) Work party with 10 people. We had a wonderful table, where we could see and hear everyone at our table Everyone ordered some sort of sandwhich and 1/2 salad or soup combination. Everyone seemed very satisfied (except one of my colleagues who self-identified as having a boring palete). The service was supurb! We brought in cupcakes from outside. The server did a wonderful job serving the cupcakes to everyone in the group. I have to admit that I would have been upset to pay the $2 "cake cutting" fee for every person, but the server charged us the $2 three times (instead of 10). I was happy to pay that! Visit 2 (two stars) Lunch with one colleage. We sat on the porch, which was WONDERFUL! I ordered the Jamon, tomatoe, and cheese sandwich. I was trying to be more "healthy" than the grilled cheese. This sandwich was the GREASIEST sandwich I have ever had (including cheeseburgers). The greasiest EVER. It was slathered in mayonaise; the bread seemed to be grilled in 1/2 stick of butter; and it seemed that the lettuce had dressing on it. The damn thing hurt my stomach. It was hard to eat; my hands were super gross. I kept half of it for the next day (I don't know why). The bread just "melted" - probably an indication of how much grease was on it). The 1/2 salad was covered in cheese, too much dressing and capers (which seemed odd). I definitely won't be planning on going back to JALEO, unless I am invited by someone else.

J. W.

I came here for restaurant week and left with a smile on my face. the servers were really friendly, even though the place was packed and they had multiple tables. And the food was fantastic! Braised lamb, chicken fritters, spicy mashed potatos with tomato aioli, the list goes on and on. I would've gotten the entire menu if I could afford it. I highly recommend giving this place a try if you've never been.

Lea C.

I'm ashamed of myself for not reviewing Jaleo until now given my intense love for it. The fact that this particular location is across the street from my office is just bad news for my bank account. I first discovered Jaleo when a local recommended the Penn Quarter location for dinner when I was in town with friends like 6 years ago. We went, had an AMAZING meal (which was also everyone's first taste of tapas). Since that first time, I made a visit to Jaleo every time I was in DC, and tapas is my fav way to eat. Now I live here, and I eat at Jaleo after work more times than I probably should. My go to dishes are: patatas bravas, pan con tomate, gazpacho, goat cheese-stuffed piquillos, bacon-wrapped dates (literally my all-time favorite tapa anywhere), creamy rice with mushrooms, and the quail. Additionally, the chicken and mushroom paella is stupendous (and even better the next day). One of the cooks was even nice enough to publish a similar recipe for it in Washingtonian Mag! I'm gonna order some imported Bomba rice and a paella pan and get to work on that. Granted, the service at this particular location is a bit slow, even on a slow day, but the food more than makes up for it. The price is totally average for tapas. Thanks to the brilliance of José Andrés, we have tapas for the masses in the US. It has totally changed my world for the better.

Jelly F.

The duck confit, the cod fritter, were incredible.

David K.

Disclaimer: I have been to MANY Jose Andres' restaurants, and loved them. 7/8/12, a NIGHTMARE. We sat in the bar. It was VERY HOT inside. GRANTED, it was a very hot day in DC, but there were plenty of other places locally we had gone that were perfectly comfortable. It was a terrible dining experience. I brought two friends of mine from out of town that are also big fans of Jose Andres. They were equally disappointed. Coupled with the heat, the service was HORRENDOUS. The person that waited on us was VERY unprofessional. He was condescending to my out-of-town guests, unfriendly, and all around BAD. To add insult to injury, when we told the server to clear our check because it was too hot in the restaurant, he walked away without even taking our credit card. The icing on the cake was that the three of us WITNESSED our server drinking alcohol in plain view of the bar while he was on duty. Before we were ready to leave, a manager came over to our table, knowing we were disgruntled, and made EXCUSES for the place being too hot. She never said, for example, I'm sorry but we will get someone here right away to fix the air conditioning, or I'm sorry, we will comp you something for your discomfort. INEXCUSABLE for a place at this price point. I'm SHOCKED that Jose Andres would allow this at one of his establishments. I will tell everyone I know in the DC area about this experience until service improves.

Craig D.

3.5 = Overall for Food & Service...Although we were slightly disappointed b/k the quality didn't coincide with the HIGH prices. OUR MENU Jaleo Sangria = 4 (Very good) Quail = 4 (Very Good) Jamon Iberico de Bellota (ham) = 3.5 (good) Ajo Blanco Con Congreio (soup) = 3.5 (good) Manchego Cheese = 2.5 (not good) Omelette = 3 (Ok but too salty) Paella (Pork Ribs) = 2 (Not good & OVERPRICED) Custard = 4.5 (Second Best Creme Caramel we've had) Basque Cake = 3.5 (good) Olive Oil Ice Cream = 3.5 (interesting, but good) Coffee (organic) = 3.5 (good) NOTES * There's a Parking Garage across the street. And stick with the Tapas...b/k the Paellas are Overpriced and not that good.

Seema G.

We went for restaurant week and being vegetarian they did allow us to change one of the courses so we could have a vegetarian dish. I've been to this location and the one in Bethesda and DC and I always have a good time. This is probably the first time i got dessert from them and it was amazing! I was so full from the other courses I couldn't finish it :( The service, food, and ambience are all good. The sangria is also excellent! What more could you want? This place has consistent service all the time.

Debbie D.

I went here on a recent Thursday evening. It was not too crowded. I like the open space and the high ceilings. The grilled cheese was good. It had many different cheeses in it., and a special sauce on the plate. This is definitely not the grilled cheese you grew up on. The Cava Sangria was good. It was the first time I ever had a sangria that was not red. It is definitely on the sweet side. Service was good. The bread they served us was good and plentiful. Overall, a decent place.

Margaret B.

I have to say, for all of the hype this restaurant gets the food was certainly beyond underwhelming. Pros: the atmosphere, wines, and service. It is a great place to go for some happy hour drinks and the restaurant is certainly nice. The service was pretty good too. I've tried a couple of their "cheaper" wines and they were decent. I don't recall having tried a bad tasting wine. Cons: the food. The food really was awful. I've been to this restaurant on 3 separate occasions and every dish i've tried i haven't been able to finish, because it did not taste good. I was very surprised that the food at a restaurant owned by a renowned Spanish chef could be so not delicious, over-hyped and over-priced. Pan con tomate: this was the worst pan con tomate i have ever had. it was pieces of french bread topped with soggy non-flavorful tomato watery paste. Really Jaleo? I can make better pan con tomate than this. Jamon Serrano: don't be fooled by the upscale appearance of the restaurant or the prices, this jamon serrano is NOT a top quality jamon. I am a very big fan of chorizo, jamon serrano, lomo, salchichon, i've tried every type there is and love them all. I was very disappointed in Jaleo's jamon serrano. Certainly not a good quality ham, and very disappointed that i ordered this at a Spanish tapas restaurant owned by a well-known Spanish chef. Chorizo Palacios: I laughed when i saw the miniature plate of nickle sized pieces of chorizo for $8. I understand good chorizo will be pricey to buy here in the U.S. but wow, i did not expect that. At least the chorizo was alright. But I can buy chorizo that tastes just as good and is cheaper at Costco. (Sorry Jose Andres, but it's true). Croquetas de Pollo: these were just a sad, sad, ball of watery stew like chicken wrapped in bread crumbs. I didn't even finish 1 croqueta, that's how disgusting this was. Gambas al Ajillo: These were the only dish my dad and I actually finished at the restaurant, and they weren't even that great either. They were very oily and lacked flavor. It did not taste like a garlic roasted shrimp dish, it tasted like shrimp covered in cooking oil. I still don't understand why so many people love this place, I might be biased since I am Latina, but I can tell you, no one in my Italian-Latina family would ever pay to eat at this place again. I don't recommend it to anyone, especially to other Latinos. Save your money and try a different tapas place.

Jae K.

Good food, lots of choices and def impressed for a local chain. Usually all the food on the menu is worth atleast trying out once, although some of the Paellas last few times were off. Staff is friendly, except for the bar. Been to the bar twice and both, the service was subpar, such as the bartender walking by without asking me for an order, even though there's only 3 of us at the whole bar... However, tapas are good, def better than some of the places I've had when I used to be in LA

Jennifer L.

While they try to be high-end, they really just are not. The quality of the food has really gone downhill in the past year or so. Though, I would rather go to the Crystal City Jaleo than the one in Penn Quarter. The remodel of that one is horrendous!

Anon M.

Very good Spanish tapas--I love the olive oil ice cream dessert (trust me). Been here a number of times--overall, I can't argue with the service nor the food here. It's expensive but I think it's worth going to. However, I will say that the cheese and meats could be more like actual Spain, and I would prefer greater attempts at authenticity.

James S.

We were looking for a nice dinner for NYE. So, having been to the Jaleo's in DC a number of times with good experiences I was quick to accept the suggestion of trying the Jaleo's in Arlington. The experience was very disappointing. Our group opted to go to the restaurant earlier in the evening for the ala carte menu rather than the prix fixe menu offered later in the evening. We were sat quickly after arriving for our 8pm reservation and then proceeded to wait for 10 -15 minutes to be acknowledged by the staff. Red Sangria was watery, tasteless and overprices for the serving size. The White (Cava) Sangria was better but still overpriced. We ordered quite a few items from the menu and these came out one at a time as they were ready. The food was fairly good: Lamb was very good, Gambas Ajillo were nice and garlicky, Manchego con Tomate was a nice light and fresh dish, Calamari was bland, Croquetas were fresh and nicely seasoned, Patatas Bravas were delicious - with a nice spicy kick, Endibias con Queso was fresh and light, the Cod fritters were somewhat bland (stay with the Croquetas instead). Food service was a MESS. Food runners were confused about our dishes and each dish seemed to come out one at a time. There were multiple occasions that runners attempted to "re-deliver" food to our table and a number of other occasions that the runner tried to deliver the wrong food. One dish was sent back TWICE for being under-cooked and still came out undercooked - the dish was never done properly and was taken off of our check. The waiter never checked back on satisfaction either during or after our meal. After eating it took quite awhile to find a waiter in order to look at dessert menus. We ordered coffees and after dinner drinks. The waiter brought the coffee but never returned to the table to check on dessert or even to refill coffee. We never received our after dinner drink. Finally, frustrated, we asked for the check - which the waiter was quick to deliver. However, he never came back to collect the money/make change and we ended up having to go to the bar in order to make our own change. There were a number of tables at the same time who were also looking around for a waiter in order to pay their checks. I actually sought out the manager to tell him how disappointed we were with the service but he had little to say or offer in the way of an apology. Having worked in the restaurant biz for over 12 years I have an appreciation for the hard work and attention to detail that is required to affect a positive dining experience. Given the fact that NYE is one of the busiest nights of the year I would have expected a more "well oiled" staff for the evening. I might have even had more sympathy if the restaurant had been full. However, when we left the restaurant was barely 3/4 full and did not appear to even be on a wait. It is unlikely that I will return to the Crystal Drive location. Though I will likely still go to the DC Jaleo's when I am in the area.

Jeff E.

I went with a few colleagues during lunch and had a good experience. There wasn't a wait, so we were promptly seated in the nicely decorated area. In addition to the normal menu, they have a lunch menu featuring various sandwiches for ~$10, plus an array of tapas (3 for $20). I did the combo; for $11 you get a full sandwich and either gazpacho or mixed greens. Plus, you get free bread and olive oil. I had the chicken eggplant sandwich on toasty bread with the gazpacho; both were good! I also tried the grilled cheese which was a winner as well. I would return again (hopefully when I could try their sangria...)

Jeffrey F.

Came here recently for some tapas/dinner. It was ok. Just okay. The tapas are mostly pretty standard. We had a tortilla, some fried calamari, the quail, patatas bravas, and the pan con tomate. The quail was excellent. The calamari was a little too greasy and not very crispy, but tasty enough. Hard to mess up a tortilla. The bread was very good. The patatas bravas were not. Not crisp. And there was no brava in the sauce. It was not the least bit spicy. I had the standard red sangria and I must say it was terrible. It tasted like red wine that had been open for several days poured over ice. Not fruity or flavorful at all. No hint of anything added -- spices, brandy, anything?? -- terrible. Finally, I hate to pick nits but when your server asks if you've been there before, I expect him to provide some relevant information. Our server asked this and when we said "no" proceeded to tell us what tapas were. Um, yeah, we know that. You asked if we'd been HERE before, not if we'd ever had tapas. He was nice enough though. (This happens to me a lot in DC. What gives?) The space is nice. The service was quick and attentive. The food was just ok.

Matthew C.

Great restaurant. Execution is fantastic. Mini potato tortilla - fantastic - very eggy and yummy. Pato negro ham - stunning. Chorizo wrapped in potato - not my favorite. Fish soup - excellent. Oxtail - very good. Service is excellent and they have a great selection of Spanish wines by the glass.

Heather G.

Oh tapas, how I adore thee. My favorites here are the chicken croquettes and the spanish omelette. I had some sort fish croquette with honey drizzle that was almost orgasmic. I also particularly enjoy the seafood paella. And the red sangria....it makes me so crunk! The Crystal City location is not as good as the DC location, I've found. But that's okay. It still makes me happy!

Charolastra M.

Good food, cavernous space, small portions, high prices. Jose Andres knows he is the biggest chef's name in town, and he charges accordingly. Ambiance: Huge space. Almost too big. Nice decor, great for a group. A bit loud for a dinner date/romatic outing. 4/5. Food: some really innovative dishes here. The endive salad w/ mandarin oranges and goat cheese is excellent. 4.5/5. Octopus w/ potatoes is also quite tasty, w/ perfect texture of the octopus 4/5. Service: Bad. Inattentive wait staff, even though the restaurant was empty. 2/5. Disappointed they don't provide free bread. You'd think that for all the money you're spending, they'd at least try to ensure you left w/ a full belly. Hmmm, maybe not. Come here for the happy hour. Cheaper tapas, same good (not great) quality. 3/5 overall.

Arturo C.

Muy ricas tapas. After eating at La Tasca once and deciding the tapas there are pathetic and overpriced I steered clear of DC "Spanish" restaurants for a while, until today. I went to this Jaleo locationin Crystal City for happy hour, yeah they got happy hour on Saturday! The tapa plates were sizable and above all actually tasty. Had some awesome croquetas, calamares, fresh tomato bread and ensalada rusa. Every dish was great. I ended with a Basque cake that hit the right spot. Service was great and happy hour prices were affordable. Very good experience, especially after having mediocre dining experience at Oyamel a few weeks ago. I guess Jose Andres is not all hype like I presumed.

Isabel B.

I'm sorry, but try as I might, I just can't like Jaleo. I don't know why it just doesn't measure up to the other Jose Andreas restaurants (Zaytinya, Oyamel, etc). As I've already mentioned, I've been a couple of times before, never impressed, but this time I went back because it was a friend's birthday and he chose it. They had a pretty good lunch deal going on: Either half salad and half sandwich, or full salad and half soup for $11. There was only one choice of vegetarian sandwich so at first I opted for the half soup half sandwich. The waiter said there were two options for soup of the day: the squash soup or the gazpacho. Since it was cold out I went for the hot soup, but was promptly told that they ran out... or never made it, or something. SO THEN I had to change it to the fennel apple salad and sandwich. When they brought out the sandwich I was a little surprised by how big it was, there was certainly nothing "half" about it... Also, it appeared to be drizzled with oil, for no reason at all. The oil on the bread, combined with the oiliness of the vegetables made for a very greasy, soggy sandwhich. It did, however, come accompanied by a delicious tomato-ey sauce. The dish's saving grace. No complains on the salad, it was great and very fresh. I guess each time I come to Jaleo, the flavor is lacking and the oiliness abounds. THAT's what I don't like about Jaleo. Plus, its dishes aren't as creative as those found in Oyamel. But cost-wise, good deal. Giant sandwich and designer salad for $11?? Can't even find that at Cosi, across the street.

Nicole O.

On our second attempt to visit Jaleo (because apparently they are closed on Mondays), we were finally able to enter the doorway. We visited the location in Crystal City, but there are two other ones (Bethesda, Downtown DC). I love the high ceilings here (in fact, I think it's a Crystal City trend), and it has an indoor cafe feeling-complete with LIVE music. It was a little loud at first, but as I got used to it, it really added to the atmosphere. Jaleo has an impressive wine selection (unfortunately, I don't care that much for wine), so I opted for some special mixed drink (mojito lemonade I think) that I had to send back for some more lemonade because it was too strong. There were many great sounding things on the menu, but I didn't know many of the ingredients, and the menu reads like it is in Spanish (similar to Lupa's in NYC, but with Italian). We got several dishes, and the amount of food was not always relative to the price. Some dishes we ordered: Pan con tomate (Toasted slices of rustic bread brushed with fresh tomatoes), Chistorra envuelta en patata frita (Slightly spicy chorizo wrapped in a crispy potato), Codorniz con salsa de romero y alioli con miel (Grilled quail with rosemary sauce and honey alioli), and Calamari with garlic alioli, though other tapas staples such as bacon wrapped dates, or slightly unusual "pork cheeks" sounded good. Jaleo, staying true to it's Spanish roots, is also famous for it's paella, and has several varieties in house, similar to pizza at an Italian restaurant.

Shushu F.

3 of us went to Jaleo because it is recommended by most of people. We ordered Arroz a banda con gambas and seafood soup. The seafood soup was good, very tasty. However, the paellas was awful!! It was overcooked, the rice tastes bitter, hard and the shrimp is salty. We asked to change another one, but still salty. We were all disappointed! The waiter was too busy to serve us. We have been waiting for 15 min to get dishes ordered, and keep on waiving to waiter to serve us.

Jon W.

I've been a fan of Jaleo ever since I started going to the original Penn Quarter location 14 years ago. On the plus side, the range of tapas far exceed any of the other players, like Boqueria and Estadio. And the specials offer up new and inventive dishes (like my recent blood sausage fritter with apple sauce-really good). My problem is mostly with what should be the old stand-bys--the dishes my wife and I have enjoyed since the beginning. It started with the tortilla, now the tortilla al momento, that is much more eggy and served hot. And then the recipe for the gambas al ajillo changed. Much less garlicky and more of a sweet taste to the sauce. Not bad, but in both cases I much preferred the original recipe. And now, they have messed with the sangria. It tasted overwhelmingly of cinnamon. Far different from what I have had before. Maybe it was always there and whoever made this batch was just way heavy handed, but given prior experience, I cant' help thinking Jose just got bored with the way it was and changed it up. I recognize this is more about personal taste than quality (or lack thereof) in the food. However, in the future, I'll probably skip Jaleo and go to one of its competitors (or sister restaurants Zaytinya and Oyamel).

Jess T.

Jaleo is my favorite restaurant in the area. Everything from the food to the service is 5 star quality. It seems they have increased their portion sizes too so now I usually order 3 dishes instead of 4. I like how they constantly reinvent certain dishes. The manchango and green apple salad has go through several transformations over the last few years and each time it is even better. The hanger steak is another favorite. Basically, everything on the menu is fantastic. The service is another highlight. I normally don't care about service as long as it's not atrociously bad, but at Jaleo I actually did notice how great the service was. I've been to the Bethesda location and the Crystal City one, and both are great. I highly recommend them!

Corrie S.

I bought José Andrés tapas book the summer before last and wanted to make every item in the book for my upcoming tapas party. I remember thinking at the time, "I hope I get to Washington D.C. some time so I can try the restaurant (I'm from Montana). Fast forward a little more than a year, and here we are, living in Arlington temporarily for my husband's job! We went on a Sunday in the afternoon and had a lovely late lunch. Our waitress was very friendly. -Platter of all cured meats: good -Pan con tomate: so simple, so good. Crisp-crusted, yummy bread, tangy tomato, flavorful olive oil. Loved it. -Piquillo peppers stuffed with goat cheese: nice -Apple and fennel salad with Manchego and walnuts: delicious and beautiful -Chistorra envuelta en patata frita: as another reviewer described, this is a small chunk of link chorizo, wrapped with a very thin slice of potato. When the whole thing is deep-fried, the potato turns into a potato chip. C'mon, you gotta love it! -Gambas al ajillo: shrimp with chiles and garlic, classic and delicious combo -Grilled quail with rosemary sauce and a honey alioli: blew my mind! Next time, I'm getting MY OWN, maybe even two. I wanted to keep eating... Yes pricey, but but worth it. I can't wait to go back.

Nicky B.

We came here for lunch during a work day. They have a nice 3 for $20 deal with the tapas. I had the lamb chops, patatas bravas and the Serrano ham wrapped trout. I would definitely get the trout again - crispy and delicious. My lamb chops came out well done even though I asked for medium rare, but they quickly brought out another order. Patatas bravas were good...though I've never met an order of patatas bravas that I didn't like. The service was a bit slow for a lunch crowd, though our group was rather large. She also brought one check for a big group of complete strangers, so we had to ask her to split them up. I know this is a pain, but with no one carrying around cash these days, you should at least ask....save everyone the time. They also have $4 sangria for happy hour too, definitely worth it to stop by there after work...or during work.

Julien W.

A great restaurant with a lot of tasty dishes. The sangria is a little weak, but overall I'd definitely come back for a happy hour or dinner with friends

Irena N.

The food: the definition of bland. The paella tastes like nothing - as if they forgot to use salt, pepper, or any other spice. The same goes for all the other tapas dishes that I normally love - the garlic shrimp in olive oil, the grilled scallops, the sauteed spinach with raisins and pine nuts, the fried potatoes with aioli... Disappointing all around. The sangria: gross. Watery and just... reminded me of Kool-Aid that had gone bad. Never again. The service: our waiter was always around and very attentive. However, he got nearly everything we ordered wrong. We got things we didn't order, we got multiple orders of the same thing when we'd only asked for one, and several things we DID order just didn't show up (but did show up on the check.) I mean, he tried, but seriously? It was a Wednesday night. It wasn't that busy. There's no reason for such sloppy service. Go to La Tasca instead. Or the Jaleo in Bethesda. This one is awful. This was my second time going back and the first time was just as bad - I only agreed to return hoping they'd been having an off night. But alas... It was a waste of money and time.

Ferdinand H.

I happen to like the ambiance, but I'm not as much a fan of the price point. The tapas are tasty, and the sangria is not bad at all... Materials are a bit cold, but the layout is quite open. I've been to Tapas places I like a great deal more...

Harold P.

First of all we should've known why the restaurant was not busy on Saturday night for dinner. Well after we had our dinner we figured out why. Sangria - Looks that after of a couple of years the size of a pitcher was reduced to a half and the price is the same Patatas bravas - Looked like boiled potatos with sauce on top and re heated on a microwave Gamas- Were floating on oil, no taste at all Cordero - re heated on microwave, dry. NO TASTE Vieiras - no taste, still had SAND in them eww!! Chorizo - not as good as before, anyone could of cooked that and sliced it in 5 pieces. Disappointing Croqutas De pollo - BAD soggy Conejo- Really BAD i cant believe that you cant sell a fresh dish. Even the conejo was microwaved! I dont want to continue with the rest of the items because everything was bad.

Max H.

Yet another review where I wish I could give half-stars (4.5, in this case). The food was excellent to amazing, and the service was very good, but the timing of the plates seemed slightly rushed. The hams and chorizo were probably some of the best meats I've had, the chorizo rich and fatty without feeling too greasy, and the hams lean but far from dry. The ajo blanco con congrejo surprised me...I expected to tolerate the grapes in the almond and garlic soup with crab, but I found myself wanting a half a grape in every bite. And yes, the dates wrapped in bacon were as good as everyone says they are. They were slightly thicker, drier, and more potent than the figs that I had similarly prepared before, but I didn't mind because the slight chewiness made them last as long as the bacon. My favorite dish was actually the Cebolla asada con queso Valdeón, or browned onions with pine nuts and blue cheese. I could have eaten 3 or 4 plates of this, as I love both sauteed onions and bleu cheese, but had never had them like this (although come to think of it, they are one of my favorite combinations of burger toppings). The squid sauteed in ink was nice and tender, with the ink actually not quite as strong as I'm used to, and the rice tasted lightly toasted or fried, which made it stand up nicely in texture to the very tender squid. Make sure you try the white sangria; the nice dry acidity of the white wine balanced out the typical fruity sweetness of the sangria, giving it more of a cocktail kind of feel.

chris k.

We stopped in late night for a meql afyer a long drive. A little pricey but tasty. We ate well but not like pigs and for four of us the meal came to $185. We had an assortment of croquettes, Iberian ham, shrimp (gambas al ajillo), potatoes in sauce Catalan style, chorizo wrapped in potatoes and fried, creamy rice with wild mushrooms, asparagus with a tangy sauce, and my favorite ; ham and date wrapped croquettes. The latter had a nice balance of saltiness and and sweetness. We finished off with flan and a chocolate desert I cant recall the name of. Both were excellent and the flan was the best I've had in years... light and "melt in your mouth creamy". Wine selection is fair but they do have some nice Spanish selections. Staff was friendly and helpful even though we arrived right before closing.

Jess W.

Went here the other night for a weeknight girl's night dinner with three friends. Absolutely loved the ambiance and the noise level was perfect for us to be able to hold our own conversation and enjoy the meal. The white sangria was amazing (I'm going to try to copy my own recipe this weekend) and continued to order that by the carafe all night. All of the items on the menu that I ordered were delicious. I have no complaints with anything that we chose. No complaints on service and the bill was affordable in the end. Definitely a must try!

Daniel B.

I had never heard of tapas before, actually had to wikipedia them right before arriving at Jaleo. The whole idea of tapas and this style of restaurant was new to me and my girlfriend but once things started rolling I was quite impressed. I think the tapas that we ordered were a pretty good taste of the variety on the menu although we didn't focus too much on the seafood so I can't speak to that specifically. All in all the food was good but I was more in it for a different style and the atmosphere. Atmosphere itself was great and a really cool place to try something new. If you are looking for a different experience check out Jaleo.

Elizabeth S.

Ay! Not sure where all the hate is coming from. Judged on its own merit - on service and flavor - this place is great. I had the privilege to join the family here over my dad's birthday celebration weekend. We made it in around brunch time, so that menu was still available, along with the general lunch menu. Okay, I admit it: they're a little big on the upsell. They suggest three to four tapas per person, and we sort of bought in. All in all, here's what we went for: gazpacho, classic tomato and egg soup, calamari, eggplant with honey, dates wrapped in bacon, steak with egg and potatoes, goat cheese stuffed peppers, cheese selection, mushroom scrambled eggs, tomatoes and toast and the rice pudding with lemon marmalade. Wowza! I was pleased with the whole meal. The bread served at the table is brought along with olive oil poured over fresh crushed garlic and herbs, which was especially addictive and fresh tasting. As for the tapas, I really enjoyed them all. They don't lie on the menu, though: you will want to eat those bacon-wrapped dates every day! Otherwise, I would say that the calamari is standard for what you will find at good Mediterranean places, with a tasty aoli. The gazpacho is not to miss - seriously, it's super fresh and tangy, definitely one chilled soup you want to take a chance on even in cold weather. The cheese selection is solid if a little on the meager side, and the tomato soup is slightly underwhelming. However, the eggplant with honey was really great, with a nice crunchy tender texture and mellow, full flavor. Really a great treatment for eggplant. The tomato toast is also nice and filling, good old fashioned comfort food. The boys finished off the brunch dishes, which they reported to be fabulous. I will mention that the rice pudding, which is a dish I absolutely adore, was unusual, but fantastic. The rice had that paella-like crunch to it, but the whipped milk and lemon marmalade made it absolutely exotic and surprising. Go for it~!

Lindsey O.

One of my favorite tapas spots to date. I have visited multiple Jaleo locations, and the service & food is stellar throughout. The food is amazing & their Sangria is excellent. An absolute must for tapas lovers.

Dawn M.

I am basing my review on Jaleo's "Jaleo Hour;" I would probably never come here for lunch or dinner because of the prices. My friend and I stopped here on a Friday evening after work for a few drinks and appetizers. We wanted to sit outside and enjoy the beautiful weather, but weren't sure we would get the happy hour specials if we didn't sit at the bar. It took a while for somebody to come take our order, which was the only downside to our evening. We both tried the $4 sangria, which was delicious and refreshing. I think my favorite of the 3 appetizers we ordered was probably the endive dish--endives filled with goat cheese, slivered almonds, and mandarin oranges, topped with fresh chives. We also ordered a delicious shrimp dish with a garlic sauce, and chicken croquettes. I would definitely come here again!

Charlie B.

Trendy, good prices. The food is good. Noise level a bit loud, but that was due to the people around me who seemed to be oblivious.

Scott V.

Jose Andres would have hated this dinner too. I'll bring him a doggie bag up to Bethesda if he wants me to prove it. It pains me to write this review, since Jose Andres is so charming, but we had an awful dinner at Jaleo in Crystal City for their all you can eat paella dinner special on Sunday night. It's only $18 per person, which for Jaleo is a great deal. We'll start off with the positives. As always at Jaleo, they give you bread which you can dip in some olive oil with rosemary and a clove of garlic. This is always good. Then, they give you salad options. We had the verde salad and the beet salad. Both were okay. The problem is that the paella is awful. The "famous" chicken and mushroom paella was a saucy tomato paste-laden glutinous mass. The "mediterranean" (vegetable) paella, looked great, but it has so much dried thyme in it that it was almost inedible. We've had better paella in Barcelona (which isn't really fair), but we've also had better paella that we've made at home from a NY Times recipe. nytimes.com/2007/09/05/d… Honestly, we want to love Jaleo. We love Jose and his quirky "Made in es-Spain" show on PBS. The tapas here are generally good - some winners, some losers, but overall a good meal. Happy hour is your best bet. Just stay away from the paella night!!

Amy C.

Great paella and the Paella Sunday is amazing value. Loved the flan. Gazpacho was a bit thick and too beety for me (not what I was used to in Madrid last summer)...I was also missing the cucumbers and other veggies to add into it, but overall delicious still. Did I mention their Sunday paella special? :)

Tony B.

Stopped in for a happy hour drink and appetizers with some colleagues the other night. Very attentive service, especially working through some food allergies that one of our group has, nice happy hour selection of food and drinks. The food was delicious. I look forward to trying a full meal at Jaleo soon.

Thuyanh P.

The hubby surprised me w/ reservations at Jaleo for my birthday. We double-dated w/ my brother and sister in law and we were hungry! We basically had to order 3 plates per person b/c the portions were so tiny. We knew full well that it was tapas, but come on! $8 for 7-8 little bacon wrapped dates?? We liked most of the plates, but it was far too overpriced. Here's a run-down of our menu: Fisherman's soup - Good, but small and a tad salty Rice w/ duck confit - Good Roasted eggplant - Plain Chickpeas and spinach - Good Fried squid - A tad soggy and salty, but not bad. Probably the only thing we ordered that looked "normal" sized. Chicken fritters - WTH?? Tasted like they deep-fried chicken noodle soup! Shrimp sautéed w/ garlic - Salty! Grilled lamb chops - Good, but small Bacon-wrapped dates - Good, but small Hanger steak - Good, but small Grilled quail - Good, but small. The quail had its wings out and legs-crossed at the ankles...really weird to look at. Seared trout wrapped w/ Serrano ham - Plain. The trout had no seasoning what so ever. And now that I remember, there was NO SERRANO HAM!! WTF?? Plus, the service the so-so. Our waitress was never outright rude, but at times curt and seemed slightly annoyed w/ us - we are not young/rowdy/sloppy. But so sorry to inconvenience her anyway. Overall: Good, but small/salty/pricey. Semi-bitch waitress. No thanks.

Andy G.

I was very, very impressed with my recent visit to the "new" (not that new, but new to me) Jaleo in Crystal City. The dramatic two-story space, with long red drapes and an eclectic mix of light fixtures sets the stage for dramatic cuisine. I dined alone, and at the bar, so didn't have the usually conviviality of tapas to accompany my meal. No matter, I had futbol I didn't understand and a friendly bartender. I started with "Aceitunas marinadas con queso Manchego" which was what the menu asked "May we recommend?": (Marinated olives with Manchego cheese, for the un-Espanoled.) It was a large sardine-like can filled with a variety of olives, cornichons, pearl onions, a few slices of citrus rind and Manchego cheese and was worth every penny of the $7 it cost. You'll like it even more if you share it with 1 or 2 people (but not more... you'll want to order more!). It was all good (especially the Manchego), but one of the olives -- a dark one, not sure what kind -- just melted in my mouth. This matched well with a glass of the Mantel Blanco '09 ($7.50). That is a Sauvignon Blanc from Rueda, by the way. I think Rueda is in Spain. Beyond that...you're on your own. Next, on the bartender's/my server's reco, I had a bowl of "Ajo blanco con cangrejo" (Chilled almond and garlic soup with crabmeat and green grapes). Yes, it sounds odd, but it worked well. I could taste the garlic, but I wouldn't call it "garlicky." The toasted almonds and grapes created an interesting texture, too. And I stretched the glass of Sauv Blanc into this course, thankfully. I ended with -- again, on my server's recommendation -- Lomo de Buey (Grilled hanger steak with piquillo peppers). At $11.50 it was one of the most expensive tapas on the menu. And I almost ordered a second serving it was so good. Paired with a glass of the Campos Reales '08 ($8, a Tempranillo from La Mancha, which I'm certain is a wine region in Spain), it was the highlight of the meal. (And after the soup, that's saying something!) The meat was intensely flavored, but not spicy. It was cooked medium rare (per -- am I sounding like a broken record? -- recommendation). It was so good, I made it last probably 20 minutes, cutting each slice into multiple pieces so I could savor it that much longer. The Tempranillo was a perfect complement to it. I know that tapas are all about variety, but when I stay in the area again and visit Jaleo, I might just order the same things. I highly recommend the restaurant. For all the buzz about Chef J

Dan W.

It's a good place for tapas especially if you're bored of the other restaurants. I think they have some pretty neat creations. If you can definitely try to catch their hapy hours, makes me feel even better about paying for the amount of food I get. They also have pretty decent sangrias, not necessarily red. My friend and I went here on a Friday night after the happy hours. It was not too crowded inside but there's never seats outside. That was the reason why we went because we thought it would be a line. The place is nicely decorated in bright colors (red) and the service was good but could be better.

Melissa L.

I bring out-of-towners here for dinner after a day of sight seeing (ending at the Pentagon), and everyone is always delighted. The food is always great, and it doesn't feel like a chain restaurant at all.