UPDATED: Lime Fresh to Open Pentagon Row Location

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by ARLnow.com May 17, 2012 at 11:44 am 5,023 30 Comments

Update on 5/21/12 — A Lime rep says the opening of the company’s new Pentagon Row location has been delayed until Wednesday, May 30.

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is expected to open its second Arlington location in Pentagon City ~~next week~~.

The fast-growing restaurant chain says they’ll be opening in the former Baja Fresh space at Pentagon Row (1101 S. Joyce Street) on ~~Wednesday, May 23~~. As of last night, interior construction was still underway.

Lime Fresh will be open from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Monday through Sunday. No special festivities are planned for the Wednesday opening, but a company rep says a “grand opening fiesta” is being “planned for a date in the near future.”

Lime Fresh opened its first Arlington location, at 2900 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon, in mid-January. Parent company Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on how the location is faring financially, except to say “are excited about the good community response and continuing expansion in the D.C. area.”

Originally launched in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida, Lime Fresh describes itself as a “fast-casual Mexican restaurant” that has “garnered a cult following from locals and celebrities alike throughout Miami.”

Famous for its signature blend of fresh, mouth-watering Mexican dishes, dynamic ambiance, stylized interiors and scrupulous service, Lime was originally conceived in 2004, to complement the vibrant and food-conscious culture of South Beach. Today, Lime delivers light Mexican-style cuisine using fresh produce and meats charbroiled on grills in an exhibition style kitchen. Additionally, all locations feature a signature house-made salsa bar with selections ranging from mild pico de gallo to the spicy habanero salsa, as well as 50 variations of custom hot sauces.

Diners have the option of choosing from a variety of guacamole flavors served with house-made tortilla chips, including the Classic Guac and the Gringo Guac, as well as the Housemade Queso Dip. Entrée favorites include the South Beach Burrito with chicken, jack and cheddar cheese, pico de gallo and shredded lettuce served on a low-carb tortilla; Flautas with chicken, organic black beans, corn, jack and cheddar cheese lightly fried in golden brown, soft yellow corn tortillas and served with a creamy avocado-ranch dipping sauce; and the Surfer Tacos with grilled Mahi Mahi, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and a cool cilantro sauce. Low carb, vegetarian and whole wheat options are also available for health-conscious diners.

Joan Fountain

Parent company Ruby Tuesday declined to comment on how the location is faring financially

I work across the street and I hardly ever see more than one or two people in there, even at the height of lunch hour.
E

this is crazy. do they really think just cause they build the people will come? We went there a few weeks ago and it’s not that great, and that is what others are saying. Stop wasting time and build something revolutionary Lime Fresh.
ClarendonDweller

I wanted to like their Clarendon location. I really did. I was excited about another Mexican option and something to compete with Baja Fresh. Instead, I got a just-okay, nothing special burrito which was fine, but the CHIPS were the deal breaker. They’re the same food-distributor type of chip that you get at the Nats game or anywhere else mass amounts of food is distributed. I get that restaurants order a lot of their food supplies, but they have got to get some better tortilla chips. Even Mexicali Blues, for as bad as their food is, has decent chips!
- Senor
  
  I too was PSYCHED for the Clarendon opening. I like Baja Fresh and Chipotle and love District Taco. I live 1 block away from the Clarendon Lime Fresh location.
  
  Went one time, never going back. The burrito was effectively a lettuce burrito. Chips are a joke. Whole place is a joke. Don’t see how they will last a year.
- CW
  
  Why does everyone hate on Mexicali? I lived in an area with a LOT of authentic Mexican food for 20 years and I think Mexicali is just fine. No, it’s not over-the-top faux-Mex like Trev and his bros will line up at Chipotle for, but it’s pretty decent straightforward food.
  - Vicente Fox
    
    Why?
    
    1) The food is mediocre at best
    2) The margaritas are weak
    3) The service is more often than not lousy
    - CW
      
      I think the food is pretty good; it’s not over-the-top like I said but it’s pretty standard Mex/El Salvadoran food – I think their pupusas and tamales are good, their beans and rice standard. Not all native cuisine tastes the way that the Americanized version of it does! Margaritas are weak everywhere and the lousy service gives me an excuse to sit outside longer.
      - Vicente Fox
        
        What is over-the-top Mexican? Food with flavor? I used to be President down there, so I know my tacos.
      - ClarendonDweller
        
        The best thing about Mexicali is their patio seating. Even though I don’t love them, I do like that they’re a non-chain option in the neighborhood so I don’t really want them to go…just to get better food and service!
  - John Fontain
    
    I don’t get off on ragging on restaurants (which seems to be a past-time of many), but Mexicali is pretty gross. I went there last fall and the food just tasted off. I can’t really decribe it, but the flavors were strange, even on basic dishes (and I’m used to authentic flavors).
  - mapchick
    
    I also got terrible, terrible service at Mexicali and have refused to ever go back. Give me Rio Grande Cafe or Guapos in Shirlington any day over Mexicali Blues.
    - Compassionate Connor
      
      el paso cafe on Pershing Street~~~!!!
Justin Russo

I got a chicken burrito that had about .005 grams of chicken in it. I’ve never been back.
Southeast Ben

Really wish their was a realtime blog docked on the page somewhere so that I could waste more time. Hitting refresh and hoping for interesting Trevor-esque articles to generate humerous responses is sort of stressing me out today.
- WeiQiang
  
  Relax, brah … wanna grab some pizza?
Vinh An Nguyen

I hate the artificial “friendliness” that Lime Fresh forces on its workers. They try to act like every customer (few as they are) are their BFF and it just comes off as annoying and fake. I too predict they’ll be closed within a year.
Zach

I hope it’s closed within a year, but these well-capitalized chain places can hang on forever it seems.

California Tortilla in Courthouse, which is absolutely horrible, seems to be empty all the time too but it’s still there taking up good retail space…
- Dart
  
  True dat.
SMDC

Lime Fresh blows. I gave it a chance. I hate cilantro, so I ordered something without the “cilantro cream sauce” that came on the fish taco. When the dish arrived covered in cilantro cream sauce, I politely asked for a new one. Then, an employee rudely came from behind the counter to tell me that “it’s not spicy” and tried to force me to eat it the way I didn’t order. No thanks. None of your business why I don’t want the sauce. Give me what I ordered.

Wasn’t that good anyways. I’ll stick with Baja Fresh.
Tre

I have been frequenting the Clarendon location for their surfer fish taco and beef/cheese taco…. plus the chips with some Alligator Sauce on em. Food quality is a ton better than Baja Not-So-Fresh (everything tastes like old used oil there… and I used to love that place for the better part of a decade).
John Fontain

I’d describe Lime Fresh as inconsistent. The first time, I loved it. The second and third times, just mediocre.

This goes for both the taste of the food and the poriton sizes. Our first visit, the kid’s taco had a reasonable amount of ground beef. The third time, barely two teaspoons worth (really, it was laughable). The kids tacos were so dinky, my kids ending up wanting three of them each. That’s $7.50 each (for three tacos). For a couple bucks, I could have gotten them more food of comparable quality at Taco Bell.

And I do wish they had a bean and rice side dish option. I’d rather have two tacos and beans and rice than eat three tacos and a few chips. But the way it’s set up now, you’d pay an arm and a leg to add seperate rice and separate beans to your order. Hey, this reminds me a lot of Taqueria Poblano!

There’s no reason they couldn’t make money letting you add a side of rice and a side of beans for a buck each.
PCityM

From growing up in Chicago, I miss excellent, cheap Mexican food. That said I have come to expect less in NOVA and DC. So… Honestly I think Lime Fresh is fine and better than Baja. Also, the first time I went they messed up my order, which I did not discover until I got home. I called and the manager sent an employee to deliver the missing goods. I was impressed that they were trying. So as far as service goes, I have been happy and am looking forward to the Pentagon City location opening.
I Like Burritos

Why does ArlNow continue continue to refer to this place as “Lime Fresh”. The place is just called Lime…and its a Fresh Mexican Grill. Look at their website.
Joe

Hope none of you had gotten your hopes up this week for some Lime fresh mexican grill in your lives.

Looks like they are delayed yet again. Boards still over windows, seats all up, and looks like they are still doing work in the kitchen front line area.
- Joe
  
  It appears they have known it would be June 5th since last
  Wednesday.
  
  https://twitter.com/limefreshmex/status/205355501612040192
  
  Maybe this article should be updated.
Rachel

I always thought it was decent and I’m looking forward to it opening on Pentagon Row (yeah that’s mostly cause it’s right across the street). But still.

If you want excellent burritos, Pedro and Vinny’s on Columbia Pike is where to go. If you want good tacos, Lime Fresh works.
- Joe
  
  I have been looking forward to it opening for two weeks. Unfortunately with all the date push backs, they will only get one week of attention from me.
  
  Chipotle in the mall is slated to open on the 12th I have been told. The day before Nando’s opens.
Matt

Signs on the door today say the Fresh Lime is also opening on the 12th
- Joe
  
  Hope you weren’t wanting to eat there tonight! The sign changed. Grand opening is tomorrow… not today.
  
  It is now a Friends and Family night on 6/12 and grand opening 6/13. Surprised they can keep friends how often they change the date.
  
  On a side note, Go to Nandos tomorrow instead. They open tomorrow and have their s–t together. I went for dinner on Monday to their RSVP event. I KNOW that they will be open tomorrow, so make some reliable plans go with Nandos Peri Peri instead.
M

The pentagon row location is no better. Inconsistency really is their main issue. They are incredibly skimpy with meat on tacos, salads, etc. and their salsas taste completely different each time I am there. I really wanted to like it, but I will probably never go back….

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