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Buena Vida - Arlington, Arlington, VA

Buena Vida - Arlington

4.1
4.1
766 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today
  • Lively
  • Great for happy hour
  • Hot spot
Buena Vida promises more than great food; it provides a space to make memories. We pride ourselves in guiding customers through a curated menu, going beyond the expectations of hospitality, and leaving them to enjoy the company they are with.

Our tables are a gathering place for good conversation and community so people feel energized by the creativity of the food and drinks, excellent service, and time with loved ones.

Each table has 2h time limit. 2h time limit does not apply for reservations made after 1:00pm on Saturday and Sunday due to service closure at 3:00pm.
Rooftop seating cannot be reserved and it is only available on first come-first served basis. Unlimited dining is not available on our rooftop - a la carte menu will be offered instead. Rooftop will not be open for brunch service.
To best meet our standard, we highly recommend against the Buena Vida Experience service 1h prior to kitchen closing.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Traditional Mexican, Latin American
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (703) 888-1259
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Ismael Lopez
  • Neighborhood
    Arlington
  • Cross street
    Filmore Street
  • Parking details
    Street parking or Public lot
  • Public transit
    Buena Vida is located at 2900 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia 22201, just two blocks from the<br />Clarendon metro accessible on the orange and silver lines. Parking is available in the Colonial<br />Parking Garage at 1303 North Filmore Street.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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What 766 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.1
4.1 based on recent ratings
  • 3.9Food
  • 3.8Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.8Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Buena Vida - Arlington offers a vibrant dining experience with standout tacos and a lively atmosphere. "Best tacos I've ever had!" Guests praise the delicious brunch options and creative cocktails. The rooftop ambiance is perfect for Instagram moments, although service can be slow at times. Enjoyable for casual gatherings, but note the limited brunch menu and potential AC issues during summer.

766 Reviews
  1. Cayla

    Washington DC

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    great food and ambiance and wonderful service! would highly recommend

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  2. Morgan

    Toledo

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Took a while for the food to be brought to us, also one of the appetizers wasn’t what I had asked the waiter for

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  3. Bianca

    Washington DC

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Sharable’s are barely enough for one person. Portion sizes are more like tapas. The Pork belly was tough and too sweet. The salsa tasted like smoke. Drinks- missing the alcohol. But the ambience was great, beautiful place but food and price need significant improvement.
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded 5 days ago
    Thank you for your honest feedback, Bianca. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the ambiance, but we’re sorry the food and drinks didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll take your comments into account and work on improving portion sizes, flavor balance, and drink strength. We appreciate you sharing your experience and hope to have the chance to provide a better visit next time.

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  4. Jilanne

    Washington DC

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first time at Buena Vida though we live in the neighborhood and have walked by a million times. Can't believe we waited so long to dine in! Food and drinks were incredible and surprisingly fairly priced (especially compared to most good places in the DMV). The atmosphere was great as well. We can't wait to be back and bring friends!

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  5. Chrissy

    Washington DC

    5 reviews

    3.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Not really worth it. Drinks are cheap but good. Beautiful restaurant. Food not that good.
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded 5 days ago
    Dear Chrissy Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed the drinks and the atmosphere, but we’re sorry the food didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll work on improving the menu and hope you’ll give us another try in the future.

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  6. Jessica

    New York City

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 15, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Our server was clearly disinterested and serving us and every table in his section. There were multiple points in the evening, where we had to flag him down and when he was at the bar chatting with other employees. One of the meals we ordered was a steak fajita. The meat was entirely fat and a very, very poor quality. 
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded 5 days ago
    Dear Jessica, Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for the experience you had, and we’re sorry to hear that the service and food did not meet your expectations. This is not the standard we strive for, and we will address both the service and quality issues you've mentioned with our team. We value your input and hope you’ll give us another chance to make it right.

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  7. Kirchy

    Washington DC

    17 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on November 11, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    Beautiful restaurant. Unfortunately they weren’t properly staffed and the food was meh for the price. Not a ton of flavor. Nothing really wrong with it. But meh. Bar tender had easily 15 tables to manage in addition to a full bar. Not a good look! (Also not her fault.). I hope they get it together…
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on November 15, 2024
    Thank you for your honest feedback, Kirchy. We apologize for the staffing issues and the food not meeting your expectations. We're committed to improving our service and menu. We appreciate your patience and hope you'll give us another chance in the future.

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  8. Veronica

    Washington DC

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 1, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Ate at the rooftop bar. Ordered nachos, calamari, and guacamole. We drank beers and margaritas too. The green salsa that comes with the guacamole was the best part. The draft beers were flat.
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on November 15, 2024
    Thank you for your feedback, Veronica. We're glad you enjoyed the green salsa with the guacamole, but we’re sorry to hear the draft beers and other items didn’t meet your expectations. We’ll address the quality issues and hope you’ll give us another chance in the future.

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  9. Meredith

    Washington DC

    33 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on September 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is good overall but the portions are definitely inconsistent. There needs to be an upgrade to their coffee situation beyond drip black. The rooftop ambiance is beautiful and worth an event!
    Buena Vida - ArlingtonResponded on November 15, 2024
    Thank you for the feedback, Meredith! We're glad you enjoyed the food and rooftop ambiance. We appreciate your suggestions about portion consistency and coffee options and will take them into consideration for improvement. Hope to see you again soon!

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  10. Susan

    Washington DC

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    We ordered an appetizer and it came after our entrees. The service was slow and seemed disorganized. The food was just average and not worth the wait.

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FAQs

Buena Vida - Arlington is rated 4.1 stars by 766 OpenTable diners.

Buena Vida - Arlington does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 11 times today
Google Map for Buena Vida - Arlington

2900 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1, Arlington, VA 22201

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Filmore Street
  • Neighborhood
    Arlington
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–10:00 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–11:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican, Traditional Mexican, Latin American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street parking or Public lot
  • Public transit
    Buena Vida is located at 2900 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, Virginia 22201, just two blocks from theClarendon metro accessible on the orange and silver lines. Parking is available in the ColonialParking Garage at 1303 North Filmore Street.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ismael Lopez
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Gift card

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card
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