Columbia Heights Hit Taqueria Habanero Expands to Edgewood Next Month

One of D.C.’s top taquerias is coming to a shiny new Northeast food hall in early March. Taqueria Habanero and Bar Alegria, a 26-seat offshoot of the Habanero family’s Tequila & Mezcal, will open in tandem inside the newly named Bryant Street Market (formerly the Bevy).

Founded by husband-and-wife chef duo Dio and Mirna Montero, Taqueria Habanero offers a spot-on taste of Mexican street foods from their native Puebla. Its chicken tinga, shrimp, and fish tacos in particular are flavorful and filling, balanced atop perfectly crisp corn tortillas. Such regional specialties have generated a devoted following since its 2014 debut in Columbia Heights, with a follow-up location in College Park that caters to University of Maryland students.

Yicela Alvarado, Habanero’s director of operations and the family’s oldest daughter, takes the reins of the new Northeast locations (670 Rhode Island Avenue NE). The Taqueria Habanero stall will serve a scaled-down menu that skips over some of the entrees found at the original. Tacos with fresh green and red salsas, quesadillas, and tortas all make the cut for lunch and dinner, plus rotating specials beyond tacos to keep regulars “on their toes,” says Alvarado.

A breakfast menu served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. will center around eggy burritos sent out through a sliding window. A dine-in menu runs from 11 a.m. until as late as 11 p.m. on weekends.

Grizform Design Architects/rendering

Bar Alegria builds on the success of Tequila & Mezcal, the family’s 14th Street NW agave bar that opened on Taqueria Habanero’s same strip in 2019. The L-shaped bar will showcase more than just margaritas and Mexican spirits, looping in Latin flavors like hibiscus, various fruits, and cacao to make an espresso martini. A draft and bottled beer list will swing from Mexican brews like Pacifico to local favorites like Streetcar 82 Brewing Co. in Hyattsville. A canned cocktail system will allow patrons to take the party to-go.

In lieu of traditional happy hour, the bar will offer a “martini hour” to let drinkers sample dirty and pineapple martinis in mini portions. The bar will open around 3 p.m. and close at 11 p.m. on weekends. A weekend brunch program is in the works. Other partners on the project include Will Martinez and Barmini alum and beverage director José Cox.

The flashy new food hall, situated at the base of the Chase residential building, will also fill out with vendors Blowfish Poke and Tiger Sugar in early March and Bold Dumpling later this spring. Located near the Rhode Island Avenue Metro station, MRP Realty’s rapidly expanding Bryant Street development also includes Alamo Drafthouse and incoming pickleball pad Kraken Kourts.