Imagine being in Nantucket, a small beach town on the East Coast with a cuisine of seafood to match the small beach-town atmosphere. Now let’s take this a step further: imagine getting a hit of some serious late night drunchies, wishing all you could do is smell the ocean air and enjoy some Nantucket-inspired tacos in the heart of DC. Well, luckily for you, this fantasy is now a reality with Chef David Scribner’s Surfside taco shacks, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
I got the chance to talk with Scribner and ask him about what compelled him to create a taco shack inspired by Nantucket in the heart of the bustling city of DC. He told me that he and his co-owner, Bo Blair, spent many years in Nantucket and wanted to bring the laid-back, ocean vibe to the streets of DC. He also felt passionately about offering a menu filled with familiar Nantucket ingredients but adding a twist- in the form of Mexican flavors. In comes Surfside, a low-key taco joint perfect for families, DC workers and students to get their fill of Nantucket inspired themes elevated by the flavors of Mexico.
Scribner takes pride in the fact that his Surfside restaurants are so accessible- from young to old, college kids on a budget to families, Surfside is perfect for everyone. I got the opportunity to try three of his signature surfside dishes, which also happened to be some of his favorites.
First, I got to try the Cabo San Lucas, which are steak tacos with roasted poblano peppers, onions and lime sour cream. The steak was cut into perfectly thin strips, making the meat both hearty but tender. The meat was cooked perfectly for the taco- a nice medium, which made the meat juicy and it melted in my mouth. The perfect accent were the roasted poblano peppers, which added a light kick- but not too strong as to overpower the other flavors.
Next, I tried the Nevis, which are grilled shrimp tacos. The shrimp was marinated in a simple marinade filled with Mexican spices, which added a lovely flavor to the dish. The mango salsa was the perfect complement to the dish, adding a sweet and crunchy bite. I loved how simple yet complex the dish was, and how everything fit perfectly with one another to create the perfect seafood taco.
Finally, I had the chance to try the Martha’s Vineyard quesadilla, which was by far my favorite of the three. I liked it mainly because it was packed with vegetables, but it didn’t feel like it was (since I’m not the biggest fan of veggies). The mushrooms added a nice heartiness to the dish while the sweet roasted corn added a crunchy bite, all enrobed with gooey, melted cheese. A quesadilla can’t get much better than that!
Overall, my visit with Chef Scribner was a learning experience that I’m eager to share with the AU community. Surfside also happens to be delivered through DoorDash, which is perfect for all the students who spend too much time in Club Lib and need to get something healthy, fresh and quick for dinner (and you can use the code DOORDASHAU for free delivery from Surfside!) It’s DuPont Circle location is also open 24/7 for all of you who are looking to go somewhere other than Domino’s for your late night drunchies.