D.C.’s second Taco Bell Cantina debuted in September. | Tierney Plumb/Eater DC Inside D.C.’s latest edition of the boozy and fully automated offshoot Welcome to the Scene Report, a column in which Eater captures the vibe of a D.C. restaurant at a specific moment in time. When Taco Bell Cantina busted open its boozy Chinatown doors on Monday, September 9, rumor had it the location would eventually operate around the clock. But that didn’t happen. As of last Wednesday, opening hours were just extended to their maximum, from 7 a.m. to 4 a.m. daily. “This location won’t be operating for 24 hours,” a Taco Bell rep told Eater. Nearly a decade after the first Taco Bell Cantina opened in Chicago, the city-centric Live Más offshoot is on an expansion tear across the country. Cantina menus copy those of the some-8,000 Taco Bells around the world, with the main difference being the addition alcoholic beverages. D.C. got its first Cantina in Columbia Heights in 2021, and a third is reportedly en route to U Street NW. Taco Bell At the new (and much more stylish) Cantina in Downtown Los Angeles, walls are covered in guitars and stained glass windows. A “grand opening” white banner still hovers over the entrance of the newest nation’s capital location. Situated in the former home of Irish pub Fado, Taco Bell Cantina specializes in zero-proof slushie Freezes made “twisted” with whiskey, vodka, or tequila. On my first visit, I went with the most popular: a fluorescent-green Mountain Dew Baja Blast. The touch-ordering system suggests adding another shot for $5, but there’s no need. The $7.50 standard version, topped off with a generous, 5-second stream of Jose Cuervo, is cheaper and quicker than many D.C. happy hour cocktails (and available day to night). Chinatown’s six digital kiosks only accept alcohol orders for dine-in service, and IDs get checked by the bartender pre-pour. But there’s no one stopping you from walking out onto the street with your spiked drink. Tierney Plumb/Eater DC Taps framing its pint-sized bar in the back dispense one local brew (DC Brau), plus Miller Lite, Sam Adams Seasonal, and Modelo. October 2024 marked the start of an official new “National Taco Day.” With Taco Bell leading the charge, the annual holiday got changed from October 4 to every first “Taco Tuesday” in October. To celebrate the revised calendar date, Taco Bell’s rewards app members could partake in a wildly tempting deal on October 1, when one of its top-selling tacos cost just $1, every hour, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The demand surge for the one-day promo — limited to 10,000 orders nationwide every hour — caused evident backend issues. One Chinatown customer was unable to redeem his $1 taco because his app simply wouldn’t open. “I’m on the phone with headquarters — this is bullshit. I used my lunch break for this,” the unnamed security guard told Eater, walkie-talkie in tow. When his remote troubleshooting instructions to delete and reinstall the app didn’t work, he stormed out. My own app worked just fine, up until my $1 Chalupa Supreme froze at checkout during its honorary hour at 3 p.m. So I waited until the stroke of 4 p.m. for the normally-$2.99 Doritos Locos Taco to go live for $1 (a Metro employee standing out front was doing the same). Finally, dollar-taco success for us both! Leo Lee Chinatown’s Cantina has only has two actual “bar” stools facing 7th Street NW, plus a handful of sit-down tables lined up along a wall. Leo Lee A “twisted” Mountain Dew Blast and Doritos Locos taco totaled $8.50 on October 1. Based on my visits, the Chinatown Cantina’s scene is a mixed bag. Opening night coincided with the Nicki Minaj concert, and fans in hot-pink cowboy hats whizzed in and out before heading to Capital One Arena across the street. Diners sitting inside were overheard discussing typical D.C. problems like upcoming jury duty and losing an Apple watch over the weekend. Georgetown students in sweats were spotted tapping in orders alongside T-Mobile employees getting off their shift next door. Two televisions inside air 180-degree programming, showing the likes of Flintstones, News Mix, and Wild Card MLB games. The biggest Cantina crowd congregates right out front. Delivery drivers zoom up on scooters in droves to grab bags from a late-night window that now fields orders until 4 a.m. In short, I’m happy to have a new on-demand Taco Bell closer to home. Leo Lee Food delivery drivers pulling up to Chinatown’s Taco Bell Cantina on Monday, September 16. Leo Lee Mobile and delivery orders can be picked up out front until late. Leo Lee Purple balloons bobbing above touch-screen kiosks at the new Chinatown Cantina.