Where is a good italian, mexican, or steakhouse style resturant in DC, where the dining is casual (meaning Khakis and a nice shirt would safice for both myself and husband)?

Hey Sarah - This isn't Mexican per se, but Red Sage downtown is "southwest-inspired". They have an upstairs seating area which is casual. It can be kind of loud though. For more standard Tex-Mex, there is Austin Grill which is also downtown, near the MCI center.

There are about a million steakhouses to choose from (all the chains are represented - Capital Grille, Morton's, and the like) but Nick & Stef's (in the MCI center arena) is probably the least stuffy. I've only been there for lunch though.

(I will probably get in trouble for saying this but ... I wouldn't even bother with Italian food here, it's not that great. ;P But Al Tiramisu in Dupont Circle was not bad.)

I think opinions of Italian food must vary a lot, as I think DC has quite decent Italian restaurants but really is not good in the Mexican dept. They rarely even have real Mexican (there are not that many Mexicans in DC, most Hispanics here are other nationalities, it seems to me, mainly El Salvadorean), but what they call Tex-Mex or there is El Salvadorean which will claim to be Mexican/Salvadorean to appeal to those who don't want Salvadorean but I don't think is usually very good if you want Mexican. I would not eat Mexican here, but if you want, I'd recommend Lauriol Plaza on 18th St or Cactus Cantina up Conn. Ave. in Cleveland Park. I used to live in Los Angeles many years where you got better Mexican than in DC from corner fast-food places.

Al Tiramisu is good Italian, also perhaps Red Tomato near 20th and M and I like Anna Maria's on Connecticut Ave above Dupont Circle--that is owned and run by an Italian, I've met him, and it's a very comfortable and pretty little restaurant IMO. I am partial to that place because I've been going there for years and the manager really cares about the food and customer's satisfaction. It's not haute cuisine, but you won't get that at a casual place. Some good Italian restaurants here are rather expensive and not casual. If you just want a very good pizza, Pizza Paradiso near Dupont Circle is good, but it's too noisy and small and trendy for my taste.

I rarely eat in steakhouses and don't know any real casual ones except Annie's Paramount Steak House on 17th which is casual and probably adequate, but I haven't eaten there and it's not going to be the quality of more expensive places.

Only after their numbers slowly dwindled from fifty to eight, did the dwarves begin to suspect "Hungry".

We love Guapo's on Wisconsin, about 2 miles up from Georgetown. Huge portions and great service. The magaritas are wonderful too.