Now, when it comes down to ordering food from the menu, it's more of a challenge. You can't go wrong with any of their margaritas, but you can go wrong with some of their food. You shouldn't go in expecting authenticity. The best bet: to eat the Brazilian salad. The vinaigrette has a delicious tang to it, and the avocados are ripened close to perfection. The chicken enchiladas are decent, but nothing special. There's a special there--shrimp prepared in a Spanish style with a cream sauce--that I would recommend. I've never had the dish in Spain that I can remember, but it tastes better than many of the other options on the menu. Friends of mine have also had the bistec (or carne) salteado(a), which is better than the straight up Mexican fare--the burritos, enchiladas, and chiles rellenos.

Go to Lauriol Plaza expecting to be fully satisfied by delicious drinks, which offset the mediocre (but cheap) food. If you don't like the Dupont scene, go a little farther up between Georgetown and Glover Park and hit up Lauriol Plaza's sister restaurant, Cactus Cantina, which also has indoor and outdoor seating.

Located in the trendy Dupont Circle area, LP is housed in a large, airy building with lots of windows and rooftop seating for the summers and spring. The waiters are friendly -- even while juggling massive amounts of customers, they never fail to greet you with a smile. This summer, while interning in DC, my co-workers and I had many half-days at work where we'd lock the doors early and head out to LP to beat the crowds of other interns, public policy champs, and the like.

Although it costs about 24 bucks, the pitchers of peach-rita (blended, not on rocks) are well worth it and so pretty to look at! They also offer mango-ritas and stawberry margaritas. Along with pitchers of margaritas, you could get a classic Sangria. They also have a selections of tequila shots, cervesas, and a long list of wines.

The food, of course, is a mix of your classic Tex-Mex faves, but on top of that, they offer some Spanish specialties like my favorite, paella, which comes loaded with seafood and tastes wonderful. I never eat it alone, though -- the portion is quite large, so usually a friend and I split an order of quesadillas and the paella. Some other dishes I've tried and have enjoyed are the Brazilian Salad, the chicken and beef combo fajitas, and the chicken platter that came with chicken enchilada, chicken taco, and chicken tamale.

The prices are anywhere from $4-10 for appetizers, $8-10 for salads, and $8-15 for main dishes. I highly recommend going to Lauriol many, many times.