Two corridor restaurants continue to impress D.C. food critics

Looking for critically acclaimed food at affordable prices? Then head to Hybla Valley.

Uhh, Hybla Valley?

Indeed. An area of the corridor more known for its big box stores and chain restaurants is also home to two of the Washington area’s premier affordable eateries. Cosmopolitan Grill and Tacos El Costalilla have been praised by critics for years, and each has recently again made elite lists of the top affordable restaurants in the entire D.C. area.

Cosmopolitan, located at 7770 Richmond Highway (next to the Golds Gym), has been named as one of Washingtonian Magazines’ top 100 “Cheap Eats” in the region. It’s the fifth straight year Cosmopolitan has been named to the Washingtonian list.

Cosmopolitan specializes in Balkan and Eastern European fare. The critics at Washingtonian singled out the Bosnian burger, wiener schnitzel, and crempita dessert for special praise. The review also notes the unassuming charm of Cosmopolitan, where hipness is not a priority.

“There’s something decidedly not now in the atmosphere at this Bosnian gem, its tables laid with workmanlike white cloth and bearing untrendily gargantuan portions,” Washingtonian’s reviewer writes. “You’re ten miles from DC, but it might as well be ten hours.”

Tacos El Costalilla is a short walk down the road at 7862 Richmond Highway, and like Cosmopolitan, it won’t win any customers through its aesthetics. Tucked into a small strip mall featuring ethnic eateries and stores, this taqueria has been a favorite of foodies on Yelp for a number of years, and has recently caught the attention of one of the region’s most prominent food critics.

Tim Carman, who writes The Washington Post’s $20 Diner column, first sang the praises of Tacos El Costalilla back in 2013. Carmen singled out the taqueria’s unique western Mexican roots– the owners hail from the state of Jalisco — for making Costalilla stand out from its competitors in the region.

Fast forward to 2016 and Carman is still a big fan. Last month Costalilla was listed among the $20 Diner’s “five favorite places to dine like a Mexican” in the entire D.C. area.

“Don’t miss the torta ahogada, in which fresh bolillo bread is stuffed with carnitas and dunked into salsa hot enough to smelt ore, or the tacos al vapor, in which offal meat, salsa and garnishes are steamed right inside the tortilla,” Carman writes.