Which guacamole scored best with DC United’s Ben Olsen, Jaime Moreno, Santino Quaranta,
and Bryan Namoff?

GUACAMOLE may be a classic summer dip, but no two restaurants make it the same way. Whose version strikes the best balance of texture, spice, and citrus?

Our staff first did a blind tasting of nearly 20 guacamoles. We narrowed those down to nine choices, including store-bought (Wholly Guacamole), restaurant chains (Rio Grande, Guapo’s, Chipotle, Rosa Mexicano, Taqueria Poblano), and independent eateries (Surfside, La Sirenita, Lauriol Plaza).

Then we asked tour guac-Ioving DC United players -defender Bryan Namoff mixes up guacamole at least twice a week- to make the final call.

The winner? The guacamole from DC’s Lauriol Plaza (1835 18t1l St., NW; 202-387-0035; lauriolplaza.com), which Bolivian forward Jaime Moreno said had tile best flavor, while other players praised it for being very fresh.

Running a close second was the tomatoey concoction from Rio Grande, which ranked high in our staff tasting as well.

The staff also liked tile smooth, onion-flecked version from Guapo’s Restaurant.

The biggest loser? Wholly Guacamole –available at Safeway, Harris Teeter, and Wegmans– which one player said tasted nothing like guacamole.

Hyattsville’s La Sirenita (4911 Edmonston Rd.; 301-864-0188) was also popular among the soccer players.

Said midfielder Ben Olsen: “Although it’s a touch salty, the cilantro-jalapeno-and tomato ratio was perfect for me.”

KATE NERENBERG –Washington Post Staff Writer – July 2009