Hidden in the heart of the H Street Corridor, Chupacabra is the best underrated Mexican hotspot. With authentic Mexican flavors, and great happy hour deals, Chupacabra is the place to go grab food and drinks with friends…
Chupacabra started as a food truck during the beginning of the D.C. food truck craze. Soon after starting as a food truck, Chupacabra decided to open a brick and mortar storefront and used the kitchen they cooked in for the food truck to do so. The interior of the restaurant is small, however, outside Chupacabra has a cool happy hour atmosphere with a large covered patio filled with picnic benches and paintings of skeletons riding bicycles.
The majority of the menu at Chupacabra is or can be made gluten-free! I recommend starting with the Chips and Guacamole. The chips are crispy, lightly salted corn tortilla chips, and the guacamole is creamy yet spicy. The chips were so addicting I almost ate an entire order by myself!
Most of Chupacabra’s menu works as a build-your-own-meal. Gluten-free options include the Tacos (just ask for corn tortillas,) the Rice & Bean Bowl, and the Tostadas. From there you pick your meat. All meat options, with the exception of the Pollo Sofrito and the Chorizo are gluten-free. The Rice & Bean bowl is the heartiest option. Paired with the Al Pastor and one of Chupacabra’s many salsa options, the bowl was one of my favorite dishes. If you prefer beef over pork, try the Beef Barbaco Taco with some salsa to add a bit of a kick. Also, Chupacabra offers a vegetarian and vegan option as well. In any style of meal, you can order the Primavera filling (squash and eggplant with chipotle black beans) to make the option vegetarian/vegan.
The Yuca Con Chicharrones is a customer favorite and is also gluten-free. One of the guys at Chupacabra while I was there ordered two orders just for himself and was raving about how good they were; from that I knew I had to try them. After tasting the Yuca Con Chicarrones, it was easy to see why it was a customer favorite. The yuca was fried golden brown and served with a house salsa and seasoned crispy pork medallions. By the time I finished my order I was wishing for more of the yuca fries.
To add some flavor and kick to your meal, Chupacabra has a salsa bar filled with a variety of options, and all of the salsa options are gluten-free. The salsas range from the very mild Verde to the burning hot Ghost Scorpion and Inferno. The Ghost Scorpion salsa is made from dried ghost peppers and Trinidadian scorpion chilies. The Inferno salsa is so hot you need to sign a wavier before trying it.
In terms of drinks, Chupacabra advertises PBR and beer specials but fear not; for those gluten-free patrons, Chupacabra also offers frozen swirled margaritas for happy hour.
Chupacabra offers great authentic Mexican/Latin food. With a knowledgeable staff, extensive gluten-free menu, and inexpensive options, Chupacabra is the place to go to hang out with friends at happy hour or to grab a quick meal.