La Puerta Verde

Located in Ivy City, La Puerta Verde translates as "The Green Door", and is Chef Ari Gejdenson's, of Mindful Restaurant Group, homage to the Mexican culture and influences found throughout the city. In Mexico the color green represents hope. Ari was inspired to create La Puerta Verde after working alongside so many passionate and talented people in the restaurant industry that left Mexico and now call DC their home. Over the years people have shared pieces of their Mexican culture and cuisine with him which he fell in love with.  Check out my initial preview from January 2017.

The decor is fresh with traditional talavera tiles, vibrant colorful murals by local artist Miss Chelove, and repurposed cargo containers that bring smart rustic charm that contrast with the large original warehouse columns.

We returned for Hora Feliz (Happy Hour) on this Cinco de Mayo, naturally, where the tacos are only $2 each.  Choose from Carne Asada - grilled mojo marinated beef skirt steak; Al Pastor - grilled anchiote chili marinated pork with pineapple; Tinga - tomato and chipotle braised chicken; Lengua - tender braised beef tongue; Hongos - roasted mushrooms with Oaxaca cheese; Chorizo - spicy pork sausage; or Pescado - cumin crusted fried cod with mango slaw.

We also ordered the Elote Loco - corn on the cob with spicy citrus mayo, chili, and cojita cheese for only $4.  Though quite messy to eat, I had no shame in licking my fingers clean afterwards.

Hora Feliz drink specials include Classica Margarita ($8), Paloma ($7), and Sangria ($5) plus Dos Equis Amber or Pacifico for $5.  After having a couple of these cocktails and enjoying the bustling vibe, our appetite grew and so we decided to order some more food from the regular dinner menu.

The Ceviche de Huachinango ($14) made with red snapper, cucumber, mango, grilled serrano, red onion, corn nuts, and spicy lime dressing was incredibly bright and refreshing.  We loved this dish!

For something a bit more substantial, we ordered the Mole Verde con Pollo ($20) - roasted chicken breast on top of a green pepita mole, with grilled onions and cactus salad served with cilantro rice and vegetarian black beans.  The mole was very subtle in spice and added a luxurious element to the tender chicken, creating a very comforting dish.

To compliment the chicken, I ordered the LPV Margarita ($10) made with smoky Mezcal, fresh lime juice and cilantro.  They added actual cilantro juice to make it bright green, a slight twist from the original version I had back in January, but delicious nevertheless!

It quickly got crowded, yet we had excellent service sitting at the bar.  Luckily, we were able to catch a free Lyft back home after all those drinks (they had a Cinco de Mayo special going on), as the Metro is not as easily accessible in this part of the neighborhood yet.  Regardless, the Mexican fare at La Puerta Verde is authentic, fresh, and tasty in a fun and inviting atmosphere ranking La Puerta Verde pretty high up on my best restaurant list.

Total Rating: 4.73
Food: 5, Price: 4, Service: 4.5, Ambience: 5, Accessibility: 4.5