Jenni’s

If Herndon had a food truck, Jenni’s would be it. If Herndon has an awesome place that literally checks the boxes of cheap, authentic, and delicious, it’s absolutely Jenni’s. Although their hours and location are a bit odd (isn’t that the same for most gems?), Jenni’s should definitely be added to your lunch routine, as that’s when they’re open for business and that’s when you’re going to want to come here. Venture to the little office park on Spring St. not far from both Downtown Herndon and Reston Town Center, and you’ll find Jenni’s, with fairly ample parking.
Pupusas? They’ve got ‘em, and they’re really delicious and freshly made-​to-​order. They’re just thick enough on the masa to hold in the bean, cheese, and/​or pork filling, but not too thick so that they lose that signature pupusa crispiness on the outside. Jenni’s has a full complement of salsas, hot sauces, and little condiments next to the cash register where you can prepare your accompaniments while you wait on your order. While there are also daily specials featuring tacos, or maybe burritos, my personal recommendation is to come here for the pupusas!
If you want to eat-​in, there are just a few tables inside Jenni’s, so it is probably best to get your order to-​go. In my case, I always seem to be here with friends who want food from The Wiener’s Circle next door, so that works too. The small wait for your food to be prepared, as well as the chance for a queue out the door at peak lunch time, are well worth it for this locally-​owned business and freshly-​prepared food!

Food was great, price was great, food coming out quickly was great! I got the chicken taco and pupusas, which were amazing. Owner was very friendly and helped me order since it was my first time. I would definitely come back here!

The people were really nice but I ordered an 8.95 burger and a flat iron taco and was really disapointed. The burger was far from the well done I asked for though the flavor wasn’t bad. The taco was a joke. Not a single piece of etable steak in the taco it was all fat and trimmings and the taco she’ll wouldn’t even hold together. My coworker ordered the exact same thing and had the same problems as my food. Please don’t make flat iron steak taco the special if your not going to put steak on it.

Unaware of the quality of food in an area mostly consisting of storage units, I decided to try a different taco shop here. Moe’s and Chipotle are my go to taco/​burrito places, but this time I wanted to risk going to an another taco shop.
While driving to the location, I found the times of operation to be odd (only open for lunch) therefore attracting mostly office workers in the area. Pulling up to the place, the restaurant looked very small and possibly unsanitary. As I entered, a staircase welcomed me thinking the restaurant was upstairs as well. But a sharp turn to my left assured me that the restaurant was indeed on the first floor. Looking around, I saw a salsa bar (cheese, pico de gallo, lettuce etc.), the menu (on a large piece of plywood painted black) and a register that now accepts credit cards. I ordered the carne asada tacos (3) which came with avocados on top. The employee then relayed the order in Spanish to the chef behind the counter. Being a party of three, the place was near full capacity as two tables and four seats consisted of the dinning area. (Probably more of a to-​go place) The employee came and served us our meals in a Styrofoam box. We then decorated our tacos with the salsa bar items. «This is really good» I said to my companions as we ate are meals. The tacos had more of a traditional Mexican/​Latin American taste than an americanized Mexican restaurant such as Chipotle. The meat partnered with the items on the salsa bar tasted great.
The dinning area turned out to be clean. The food was better than expected and would come back for another taco.

My fellow Reston/​Herndon commuters who are deprived of food trucks, I’ve found our safe haven. This place has hands down the most authentic place in the area and is priced to freakin please. Hole in the wall too, just how I like em.
Priced at $ 2.50-$ 3.50, this has hands down some of the best tacos in the area. The only caveat is that they don’t have water cups so you have to go next door to the wiener circle to get water.
Will definitely be coming back. Good job, Jennis. Salud.

I was so glad I got here before the lunch crowd stormed in. I ordered my food a little before 12 and as soon as I ordered, there was a line out the door. I didn’t try their tacos, however their pupusas are THE​BOMB​.COM! I am Salvadoran so I have tried my share of pupusas, but I have to say these pupusas top my list! I ordered the cheese and cheese and beans. I am a cheese fanatic and man were these pupusas cheesy! From the looks of it, the tacos are very popular. If you get the chance to come here, try a pupusa or two. Just keep in mind that it may take a little while for your food to come out due to how busy it gets.

Great place to try authentic Mexican food. Went here for lunch. Got chicken tacos and nachos. Very filling and tasty food. Would def try it again!

This place is great, I really don’t understand what the low reviews are hating on. Carne Asada tacos are life changing. Only real gripe is the lack of hours, and any useful information online (menu? phone? hello, this is the 21^st century).

I go here at least once a week. Having lived in TX for 5 years and having a wife who is from TX, my Mexican food standards are pretty high. This place is about as close as it gets. They have the best chile rellano I have ever had and its stuffed with Chirizo. Everything I have had there has been incredible. They have a little condiment bar where you can add cheese, special sauces, pico etc. It was cash only, but now they take credit card. Its Owned by the Weiners circle people so you can go eat there as there is limited seating.

While at The Wieners Circle picking up lunch with a friend last week, we were told to walk 2 doors down to get the tacos he had ordered. While in there, I decided to
try out the chicken flautas, which I’d never had before, advertised on the chalkboard. I loved them, and, want more now! A great combination of chicken & cheese in a deep fried taco shell, I will be back.

The inevitable day that Anthony Bourdain decides to do a show about the DC suburbs, I’m sure this place will need to be on his long list of hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurants he should visit.
You can get simple Latin/​Salvadorian fare like Chicken Tinga or other such pulled chicken or pulled pork type concoctions for really cheap and with all the available toppings, make it really tasty as well.
At first glance this place looks very seedy but once you get in, glance at the menu, see the line of people waiting anxiously, you really want to just order something for the hell of it. That’s what I did. To my surprise, the food was excellent. It had a very authentic feel to it, maybe because it seems like you’re actually in someone’s house and they’re making you the food in the back kitchen with no regard to food safety laws.
I’m sure they are fully compliant though, but in either case, I’ve never gotten sick from the food here, only pleasantly happy.
Check it out!

Think «Baja-​Fresh», slight experimentation, with less flavor & on a much smaller scale.
I was so excited to find a new Pupusería in Herndon. Unfortunately the excitement quickly wore off.
We ordered: Shrimp Tacos, Beef Asado Taco, Beef Barbacoa Taco and Pupusa. There was only one kind on the menu (pork and beans w/​cheese). So you cant really call it a Pupuseria. Everything came out bland.
The Cortido (cabbage slaw) lacked all trace of flavor & tang. The only redeeming part of the meal was the pineapple salsa. Although, not authentic to Salvadorian cuisine it mildly tickled my taste-​buds.

If you’re looking for true Mexican-​style tacos, then you’ll be a bit disappointed. This place is definitely an El Salvadoran place, so the style is a bit different.
Jenni’s is run in a similar fashion as the Wiener Circle, where it’s predominantly a do-​it-​yourself kinda place. They will give you your food in Styrofoam boxes and you’ll doctor up any goodies yourself, get your own utensils, and bag your own items. This could be great, except if you’re new to this kind of food, you may not get the full effect of the dish by missing out on some of the key components (ie: pupusa should be eaten with the tomato sauce and cabbage slaw). Also, they have cheese and shredded lettuce here for those that want to dress up their items in a Tex-​Mex/​American fashion.
The toppings bar containing salsas, sauces, etc. is off to the side and seems a bit unappetizing and tired looking. If you do try some of the items there, it’s not very flavorful at all, so in a sense, it’s just adding textural differences in the food, as opposed to enhancing it.
The carne asada taco was the only one that comes topped in the kitchen with a slice of avocado and griddled onions. The al pastor was alright in terms of flavor and tenderness, but I’ve had better elsewhere. The pupusa was extremely large, but poorly made. In a sense, it looked more like a sandwich with the filling oozing out, making it seem that the dough was too thick and had cracked. This sadly, was one of the better items here though. The tamale was the other item that stood out, though it was pretty salty. Wrapped and steamed in banana leaves, chock full of chunks of meat and potato.
If you had to eat and you happened to be really close to this place, then I would probably recommend this place. Otherwise, not worth to drive here if you’re not in the immediate area.
Service here isn’t very friendly.
Cash only!

All right, I’m impressed!
Jenni’s is a little hole in the wall in a strip mall (turquoise roof) next to it’s co-​restaurant Wiener’s Circle. I think it’s breakfast/​lunch only?
It’s probably the best value for the money in the area. Really good food and reasonably priced. Well worth the visit.
Seating is over at Wiener’s Circle as there’s really not any space at Jenni’s. There’s pretty much room to order at the counter, and a salsa bar on the side, and that’s about it.
Food was great, easily as good as what I used to get over in Chambodia (Atlanta) on Buford Highway. I had a taco and a daily special of pork nachos. And while the nachos got a little soggy by the time I got back to the office (I got it to go), the flavors were excellent! And it was inexpensive as well!
Service was good. I talked to the owner (I think?) when I went to Wieners Circle last time, and he was in the kitchen today. Seems like a nice guy, but more importantly, they care about their food.
Plenty of parking, too.

4.5 Stars. Authentic. Cheap. Good.
I came across this place when I was trying The Wiener’s Circle a couple doors down, and the owners also happened to own this place as well. I saw the sign saying, «Autentico — Tacos and Pupusas» and was hoping this wasn’t another faulty claim.
You see, I’m a SoCal guy and I’ve been spoiled with delicious tacos at every corner. I’ve crossed the border and had authentic street tacos that left me licking my fingers. And then I come here, NoVA, a good taco so few and far between that I’ve been left disappointed more times than not. Enter Jenni’s …
The menu is small, drawn up on a whiteboard. Tacos, pupusas, and a special that changes daily. They have chicken, beef, and pork tacos. But wait, what’s this?!? Taco de Lengua (beef tongue), the first clue that I’m at a legit taquería! I order one of those ($ 2.25 + tax) and a pupusa ($ 1.85 + tax), only one kind which is filled with pork and beans. My food comes out, pupusa nice and hot fresh off the griddle and my taco filled generously with lengua. They use two corn tortillas per taco to hold all the meat they pile on. There are slices of avocado on my taco, now I’m really happy. It’s subtle, but I’m a firm believer in the little things making all the difference.
Onto the salsa bar. My goodness, salsa on salsa on salsa and then some more stuff thrown in for good measure! Pico de gallo, pineapple salsa, salsa roja/​verde, limes, sour cream and curtido (a Salvadorian cabbage salad for the pupusa), just to name a few.
The taco de lengua is so tender, delicious and plentiful that the tortillas can’t hold all that weight and eventually gives way. I gladly finish my taco with a fork. The pupusas are just as delicious with a great texture and good filling. It pairs very nicely with the curtido and some hot sauce. Just under $ 5 and I’m stuffed and satisfied.
Oh Jenni’s, you had me at taco de lengua and keep me with every bite I take.

Low-​cost food with an authentic taste. I could be swayed to upgrade to a 4-​star in a second trip, but the awkward link with the Weiner Circle next door for credit cards and seating in addition to the inability to handle a lot of people (although it looked like that was a rare situation for them).
The food was different at a low cost. It’s a definite must try again esp. for the price, but could be better in a lot of ways.

Today I decided to venture out with my coworker for lunch while she got her car washed. As we were driving along I happened to notice this little shopping center with quirky names–
, Chen’s kitchen, Jenni’s Tacos, Wiener’s Circle… wait Jenni’s Tacos! Awh shyt let me look them up on my trusty Unilocal app… Yes, these were the words I said in my head.
So I looked it up and saw Mike R’s great review and told my co-​worker we just HAD to stop there. So we did. Upon arriving I noticed it was a small clean little take-​out only spot. CASH ONLY too by the way!
We walk in… mmmmmm the smell of yummy spices, tortillas, & pupusa’s blending together… NOW for the real test. So the guy walks out from the back smiling and welcomes us, informs us of today’s specials. Of course me being me and my picky self (I blame my mom cause she is a chef) I ask some basic questions about the meats they offer, etc. and then we proceed to order. (by the way all of the meats are pulled/​shredded)
My coworker wanted 1 chicken and I got 1 Al Pastor and 2 beef barbacoa… he went to the back to get the tortillas and then comes to the front to get the meat and places a fresh cut piece of avocado on it. OMG the meat smells soooooo good.
Ok, I’m officially excited! Apparently they have been opened for 8 months (all this time and I never knew!?) and they use authentic Mexican recipes.
He hands me the container with tacos and instructs me to go visit the toppings bar! (I’m a condiment fiend so of course I’m instantly in heaven) I pay and head directly over (did I mention the tacos are $ 2.25 each?) So they have a fresh mango habanero sauce, chiltomate sauce, a tomato based sauce, fresh cilantro, fresh salsa, fresh pineapple salsa, sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, & curtido (fresh pickled cabbage eaten with pupusa’s);then a selection of hot sauces. so I loaded my tacos up packed it up and headed to the car. Man the yummy smells of our tacos seeped through the bags and made us so hungry. So we get back to the office and I got pulled into a meeting… NO MY TACOS!!! 15 mins later I finally get to sink my teeth in! WOW so darn good and not super soggy or chewy since I had to let them sit for a little longer than I would’ve liked… I started with the al pastor and I ate the beef. While the pork was really good and tender the Beef was my favorite. SOOOO YUMMY!!!
I HIGHLY recommend you visit this little gem tucked away on spring street! Definitely worth your money! Your tastebuds WILL thank you!!!

This place was opened in the past year I believe and I have been to it several times over the past couple months. It is run by the same folks who run «the weiner circle and/​or Great Falls Gourmet catering». The menu is pretty limited, but what they make is pretty darn good. What I have tried are the Beef Tacos, the Pork Tacos, and the Pupusas. I think I spelled that right. Pardon my Spanish, please. I’m working on it.
Anyhow, its a takeout only type of place, although I hear you can walk your food around the corner and eat inside the Weiner Circle if you so choose. The tacos and papusas run a couple bucks a pop and are made to order with fresh ingredients. They have a salsa/​toppings bar in the waiting area where you can scoop on what you want as well as a couple bottles of hot sauce.
My favorite is the beef tacos, they are great. Both my coworker and I were smiling and nodding our heads at each other with cheeks full of the beefy goodness last time we went. The nice pieces of avocado seal the deal for me.
They also usually have a special of the day on the menu board… one time it was fish tacos, another time it was a burrito. I have yet to try them yet, usually because I go here when I want something small like a couple tacos. But one day I will bring my A game and take on the burrito!
It’s a little hard to find this place if you don’t know where it is already… its in the shopping center with the bluish teal awnings that also house Mr. Pepperoni and Chen’s Kitchen, and were Jamaica Jamaica used to be if anyone else remembers that place.
This would be my first choice in places in Herndon to go for Tacos.
For what they are set up to be, its pretty darn close to a 5 star… maybe if they expand their menu a little bit, I’ll bump em up a star.
Thanks.