I would definitely NOT recommend this place. Â My fiance and I went around 11:15am for lunch. Â We were one of only about 3 for 4 tables when we arrived, so it definitely was not busy then. Â We were immediately seated and served our drinks and chips and salsa. Â To begin, the chips were stale and the salsa had no flavor aside from tomatoes. Â Shouldn't salsa at a mexican restaurant be spicy? Â Our waitress then took our order and then disappeared for 30 minutes. Â When our food did arrive, the waitress never acknowledged the long wait time and certainly did not offer to compensate us in any way. Â She also did not bring the extra condiments I had requested and only refilled my drink at the end of the meal. Â I was on my one-hour lunch break so once the food did arrive, I had to rush to eat. Â Then we had to wait for her to bring our check for several minutes also. Â She only brought it after we asked another waiter to have her get the check. Â She also never asked how the food was, but quite frankly after waiting 30 minutes for our food, I didn't have time to deal with complaining. This experience was by far very disappointing. Â I checked the rating on Yelp prior to choosing this place. Â I was definitely mislead. Â Taco Bell would have been a better choice.
Review Source:This is truly a Mexican gem in the DMV area. We have been on a lookout for a local go to Mexican restaurant and I believe we have found it!
We happened upon El Paso after looking it up on Yelp and were initially surprised to see the parking lot full on a late Sunday afternoon. That was surely a good sign before we went in :)
We were quickly seated in one of the few empty tables. Service was warm and friendly.
We ordered Lunch Special #6 - Enchilada, burrito with rice and beans and Almuerzo Campesino (carne asada with eggs)
Both dishes were very good - the carne asada was tender and good just right.
The sauce on the enchilada and burrito was the winner of the meal
We also requested for hot salsa along with our chip and boy was it HOT! Not the tabasco hot but the real habanero hot but flavorful.
For dessert we ordered the flan which was good too.
The prices here are very reasonable and with the good service, this place is a winner!
Ok I'm about to sound like a snob! I grew up in TX and spent all my adult life in San Diego, so I tried a lot of pretty good Mexican food. I was not impressed by El Paso. I like the atmosphere and the service, but the food wasn't too good. The queso and the dos equis were good and y husband liked his fajitas, but my food and the salsa was pretty bland (even for this gringa!).
Review Source:La Carreta dish is outstanding and that's just one of so many great dishes here! Â Almost everything is pretty good! Â If you really understand that there is no 'REAL' Mexican food to be found in Northern Virginia, then you'll appreciate the fact that El Paso is almost the best to be found for it moderate prices, family ambience, food value and respective adherence to the semblance of 'American' southwestern/Mexican food. Although everyone's taste is different, this stands above Tippy's and Anita's, yet slightly below Austin - and it does not do EP justice to make this comparison. The advantage and my preference at El Paso is that it lacks the 'chain' mentality, it's family run and the product and environment are authentic. We keep going back to Jose's and his brother's place for more!
Review Source:I'm afraid the chicken was cooked since the day before DRY DRY and TOUGH.
It shouldn't be such a difficult order to Pan Fry or Flash fry a fillet of chicken for a customer.
I had the "Chori Pollo" my girlfriend had some Chicken Burrito.
I told the waiter but he just told the rest. Manager he did not take my complaint to the cheff.
This was a regular spot of ours before we recently moved. Really good Mexican (especially the white cheddar cheese dip). Service is almost always fast, though over the years we had a couple of bad waiter experiences. More recently we'd go here early (5PM) to take the kids (young kids) and it's great since they're not busy then and you can be in and out before the kids get restless. Overall a great local eatery. We will miss it for sure.
Review Source:This is a decent quaint Mexican place near the defunct Springfield Mall. Â For the decor inside it's like a Mexican willy wonka on crack(no disrespect), it's just out there with the different bright colors. Â The food is on par with your average southwestern neighborhood restaurant place I've been a couple times and the fajitas are quality though they always add some more meat to entree... that's for all of these places not just El Paso. Â They can overload you with some onions and peppers though my goodness, I guess that's a good thing to get those veggies. Â What really stands out for me is the Thursday special of the $4 Margaritas. Â They are pretty pretty pretty good and it is for all day not just happy hour so if your in the area stop by to get your mind right there you shouldn't be disappointed and the service is good too.
Side note: Â If you do order fajitas and you do not finish them and you want to take a doggy bag home, make sure to ask for extra tortillas before you finish/get bill or they will add an extra like $1 or $2 cost for them. Â Sounds cheap but that's what the nice lady told me. Â Now that I think about it, that is cheap as ish, give me more than 3 tortillas for a plate full of veggie juice and I wouldn't have to ask for more tortillas!
I have been to this place years ago when it was a real hole in the wall and had the BEST Mexican food around....fast forward 5 years, meh. They have expanded and the place has been fixed up, so it is much nicer, the portions are large and the food was fresh.
My main complaint is that the Queso came out cold, not once, twice but three times and the waitress acted like it was my fault that it was too cold. I have to think it is because they are much busier now and maybe the quality and service has gone down, the waitress could care less that we were paying customers.
I will give them one more chance and maybe change my star rating, but the last trip got a 2, what it deserved.
I'm from SoCal and have been looking for "real" (i.e., not Salvadorean) Mexican food in the DC area for a loooong time. Â While El Paso isn't going to make you forget your Abuelita's cooking, it's pretty dang good! Â I'm a huge carnitas fan, and they do them up right at El Paso, well seasoned nice and crispy, corn tortillas (if you ask for them) just like the real deal. Â You'll have to get past the garish decor when you go, the furniture inside is an overpowering clash of primary colors that looks like a Mexican carnival ride. Â Reasonably priced, plenty of variety on the menu, great margaritas and Mexican beer on tap.
Review Source:Had a family dinner here last night... four adults and one child. Â We had 2 great orders of enchiladas, 1 big burrito that was much better tasting today for lunch, and then an order of steak fajitas, tacos with queso dip that were all blah.
I was so excited to have a local Mexican restaurant to try, but sad to say that after spending $100 the highlight of my meal should NOT be the salsa. Â :(
I was not pleased with my meal. Â I ordered steak fajitas. Â It was a large amount of food, but was not very tasty. Â the meat was tough and the tortillas were hard. Â the rice and refried beans that came with it had no flavor. Â And the salsa was pretty bland also. Â The only good thing was the tortilla chips.
Review Source:FINALLY!!!
I've been looking for Mexican food that I grew up with in Georgia. El Paso fits the bill.
Food was typical Mexican, priced right and the service was attentive and quick. Lunch specials on the weekend are a plus! Soft drinks weren't that expensive, big menu with standard "mexican" dishes and the queso dip wasn't $10 which seems to be the norm in DC. Will certainly return again.
Being from the West Coast, I try to avoid the commercial chains like Chipotle, On the Border, Chevy's, Baja Fresh etc.
So when my girlfriends dragged me to this place I was a bit hesitant. I have to admit the food was pretty good!
We ordered an assortment of things from their menu and got different margaritas. The lunch specials are a bargain and the portions are generous. They don't skimp on their platters so plenty of food was left over to take home.
The nachos and salsa tasted are homemade so we got those refilled a few times.
However, their service was atrocious and since then I have only ordered take out vice having to put up with their rude wait staff.
Additionally, their guacamole, while fresh, is pureed and they add onions and cilantro into it. Not a fan at all.
My recommendation, next time you have a Chipotle craving, call your order in for carry out and stop at the LA Mart International Grocery Store across the street to pick up a fresh avocado and lime.
Being packed on a Saturday night and not accessible to tourists unless they have a car and really want to hunt out Mexican in Franconia, I knew this was a place frequented by locals craving good Mexican food. El Paso didn't disappoint.
Very attentive waiters brought out fresh chips and salsa as soon we we sat down. The enchaladas with green sauce were great (I'd just add a little hot sauce if you like them spicy). A few Central/South American beers are on tap to wash down the delicious food. Having been to many authentic Mexican restaurants, it is very surprising to find such good food in Northern Virginia.
Bonus: They always have good specials and if you live in Alexandria/Arlington they have coupons in the tons of junk flyers you get every week in the mail for buy one/get one entrees.
Made a pretty good standard frozen margarita. The service was good and the decor, while a little cheesy, is not off-putting.
The food was great, I went with some massive pouched steak with cheese on top affair called the "El Volcansito". It was definitely great, causing me to definitely overeat a bit...
Apparently they have good specials here as well. A good reason to come back.
Came here for Cinco de Mayo, and very glad we did. Â It's a solid, traditional-cheap-American-Mexican restaurant. Â The atmosphere is great, the prices reasonable, and it was slammed even early on Cinco de Mayo. Â They were serving drinks in the waiting area (a bench and a few chairs). Â Great signs.
First the benchmark: the salsa was good; Garlicky and cilantroey.
The order:
3 soft tacos: bean, beef, and cheese for $6. really like ground beef, beans were baconey. Note to self: next time get combo with one ground beef taco and one cheese enchilada with flour tortillas topped with cheese.
Tacos Mexicanos (flour): Carne asada, carnitas, al pastor. Absolutely perfect order; all three were fantastic. Â
Also enjoyed a Dos Equis and a 32 oz corona.
They even had their own Cinco de Mayo - t-shirts, which shows a dedicated following. Next Cinco we'll call ahead with a reservation.
I go here at least once per week.
This is one of the best Mexican restaurants I've been to in this area. The food tastes very fresh. The tortilla chips even taste fresh. The salsa tastes homemade. The huge burritos are enough for 4 stars alone. They are very meat and potatoes Mexican here. This is not a Jose Andres inspired restaurant or a tapas hangout. This is right on the same level as Outback Steakhouse for me.
The staff is helpful, but at the same time they have a very cold demeanor about them, sort of like their robots. The atmosphere is kinda annoying too. It definitely feels Mexican, but a little retro. I think a more modern decor could really attract more attention to this place, because the food is excellent.
+ Great Burritos
+ Very fresh tasting food. Good quality  here.
- Staff are robots
+ Good jumbo Maragritas
I like the El Presidente Margarita. It's all that I've had there, but they do it so well I can't think to order anything else.
Definitely, a place to checkout
Beware the jumbo La Presidente Margarita at this place. I sucked one down after a long and hot day of vacationing, and the rest of the meal was a blur to me.
My wife tells me that the homemade chips and salsa are great, and that her fajitas were quite tasty. I'll bet that they were, but I don't remember much of the experience. Consider yourself forewarned!
Meh.....mayyyyybe a 2.5, but didn't think it warranted rounding up. Â
Service was good, food was okay, margarita was NOT good, atmosphere a bit kitschy.
I had the chimichangas and my friend had the taco salad. Â The guac was pretty mediocre. Â My margarita tasted like cheap, sweet mix. Â
I mayyyy consider going back to sit on their deck for a beer.
Having just returned from a week in Mexico for my honeymoon and having eaten in little mom and pop hole in the wall restaurants, I can tell you that this is not good Mexican food. Â It is also not good Tex Mex food.
I had dinner there with my sister on Monday evening. She raved about how good it's been to her so I'm like eh, why not - I'm in the neighborhood.
It's very large inside and very colorful. Â Almost to the point where I felt like I was trapped in a Mexican version of Joseph's Technicolor Poncho.
My review of the food:
* Chips and salsa: Chips were obviously homemade (a bonus) but they were very bland. The salsa was pretty darn delicious.
* Carne Asada: Â The cut of meat I was served was atrociously overcooked with zero seasoning. Â I could've fried up the bottom of my shoes that evening and gotten something tastier and more pleasing to my palate.
* Mexican Rice: Â No seasoning. Â Just basically Minute Rice with what seemed to be frozen mixed vegetables mixed in. Gross.
I ordered tap water to drink and it had such a bad smell and aftertaste that it was impossible to drink more than one sip of. I asked the waiter to bring me a diet coke instead......it never arrived with that waiter. Â A different waiter brought our meal and then ended up attending to us the rest of the meal - he was very good. Â The first waiter looked like Sheldon from 'Big Bang Theory' but was far less entertaining.
My sister's pomegranate margarita was pretty slammin' though.
Just a vile, vile meal. Don't waste your time or your dollars.
I think we keep coming back for the decor. Â The food is on the better side of mediocre. Â I really like the salsa. Â Last night we tried the queso dip for the first time and it was really good -- and that is saying a lot because I'm generally not hugly into queso. Â The service was good and fast and I left disgustingly full. Â
All and all, this place is pretty good.
I went to El Paso with high expectations but I was not impress with their food at all. Â I ordered 2 enchiladas and my boyfriend got a chicken taco and took 30 minutes to get our food. Â Guacamole is not fresh is actually pre-maid, rice was hard.
Not a good experience. Â Service was not bad at all.
Best Tex-Mex in the DC area.
In 12 years of living in the DC area, El Paso wins the crown for best Tex-Mex that my wife (from Texas) and I (from NC) have found... and we've done lots of searching. Granted, El Paso might not rate a full five star rating if we were in San Antonio, but in Springfield, VA... this place is AWESOME!
I'm a big fan of the white cheese that El Paso uses (try the queso and chorizo dip... it is greasy goodness), and their refried beans and black beans are both tasty sides. I typically go basic with my ordering (tacos, fajitas, etc.), but I've also enjoyed some of their entrees, like the pollo loco, which are good.
The service has always been good-to-great whenever I've gone in, and the place has the cozy vibe that I want in a family place.
PRO TIP: There are often good coupons for this place, but beware, there are a few odd limitations (day of week or item).
My wife and I just moved here a year ago from San Diego, so I would like to think we know what good Mexican food taste like. Â We have eaten here a few times now, and each time we come away full and satisfied. Â Now I am not saying they are they best, but in this area, they are ahead of most places.
The price is pretty avgerage, with good drink prices.
I can see us going back many times.
I actually like the over the top decor outside -- blow up palm trees in the summer and one of those massive blow up snow globes in the winter, it kinda brightens up this usually drab part of Springfield.
I work around the corner, so I like I can walk over at lunch and get carry out. Â I haven't ever sat down to eat, so I can't really comment on service. Â As far as their food is concerned, it is good quality for the cost. Â I can get chips and salsa, two enchiladas with rice and beans and a (very large size) side of guac for $10. Â I like the enchiladas a lot -- beef and chicken are my faves, and I like they aren't covered too heavily with cheese. Â I hate when enchiladas feel like a brick in your stomach after eating them.
Per the recommendation of our friends (who have been to El Paso three times), we decided to go for dinner with them here.
From other reviews, you'd think this place looks pretty terrible from the outside. I didn't think it looked like as terrible as others described, but then again, I'm from the boonies of Michigan where one restaurant had a 10 foot chicken standing outside the restaurant.... Anyhow, the inside is decorated with paintings, Mexican/Azteca-themed decor, etc.
We went on a Saturday night, and the place was booming. We were seated promptly. Â A giant basket of complimentary chips and two bowls of mild salsa were set on the table (they don't skimp like other Mexican restaurants on either). The chips and salsa were on par with other joints.
Cervezas - Â I started off with the homemade sangria (I'd skip it if I were you - tasted more like some fruit juice with 7-Up and three pieces of fruit, and my husband ordered the Dos Equis. They had a good Mexican beer selection (Pacifico, Sol, Dos Equis), but alas, still no Indio (a very delicious Mexican beer that has not yet made it's way to the States). They had an extensive list of margaritas with no prices listed. I passed on the margarita, because a lot of times the margaritas in Mexican restaurants can be Gut Rot City. I'd love to hear someone's review of their margaritas.
Onwards and upwards to the food: Prior to arriving, I had done some Yelp research, and saw all the grand reviews of the queso. I ordered an appetizer of it. The queso was creamier than other quesos, as some other yelpers have said, and it was a hit with all four guests at the table. We devoured it, so suffice to say, it was rather delicious. And, we got a rather large bowl of it for only $4.49.
For my main meal, I ordered the combo meal ($8.50) of a beef burrito and a cheese quesadilla. The beef burrito was a little too dry for my liking. The cheese quesadilla featured the white cheese, and was just as it tasted when I studied abroad in Mexico and my host mother made them.
My husband ordered the chicken and beef  taquito meal. He thought it was "alright," but thinks he may have just made a bad selection (I told him to go with the burritos per my Yelpers, but he didn't listen :-)). Our other guest ordered the campesino fajitas with chorizo and chicken. The plate was overflowing with vegetables and meat, and looked absolutely delicious. His wife ordered the steak tacos, which looked like what one would imagine. All of our meals came with large helpings of rice and beans. The food servings were huge, and I left with a doggie bag.
The service was good, contrary to some other reviews. Our server was very attentive, and stopped by several times to check on us. And, nothing was anything close to "Mexico time."
All in all, my husband and I spent right around $35 for our meal. Prices like this are hard to come by for a dinner for two in the DC Metro area sometimes - especially for the amount of food we received. The food was good for the most part, so we'll be back!
Also, as a side note, you can find coupons in the mail a lot of times. There's usually $2, $5 or $10 off a certain amount spent; B1G!F entree; or a free dessert with orders over $25.
Surprise, surprise! Â If you drive past this place you'd think, "I'd never go there...EVER." Â The decor isn't too inviting or exciting, but the food is just plan AWESOME. Â This is one of those places that sneak up on you, when you look at it. Â You may think "What the hell is this?" Although once you eat, you know its heaven.
Let me tell you the free chips and salsa is very good, and the full bar is a plus. Â I ordered the chicken queso, and let's not forget that it was "SUPER" as stated on the menu. Â It was HUGE!! Â (That's what she said). Â None the less it was extremely delicious. Â My food was nice and hot, very tasteful, and well seasoned. Â The chicken was tender and juicy, like good chicken should be cooked. Â YOU WILL BE FULL. Â Each entree seems to provide enough to keep you full and satisfied. Â
Let me mention that the pico de gallo was on point!!!!
Trust me you will be surprised with how great this stuff is. Â But if you don't like it, don't worry, like all Mexican food, it won't be with you too long anyways ;).
Enjoy folks
I am a big proponent of this place - I have been going to El Paso regularly for nearly ten years, and this restaurant actually hosted my wedding rehearsal dinner. Â As a Los Angeles transplant to the DC area, El Paso is the only place I've found that serves mexican food the way I'm accustomed to it... I wouldn't call it "authentic mexican," but it's certainly pretty close to what you'd get at a 2 or 3 star Mexican food joint in the southwest US. Â The restaurant interior is well appointed and enthusiastically decorated. Â The portions and drinks are mammoth, prices are cheap, and service is usually blazing fast. Â The enchiladas are highly recommended, a bit greasy but not over the top and deliciously satisfying. Â They also have phenomenal guacamole. Â
I would recommend El Paso for couples, families, occasional margarita happy hours, fourth dates, fifth dates, and wedding rehearsal dinners.
El Paso Mexican restaurant was your typical Tex-Mex restaurant serving the usual tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. Â We had a $25 <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FRestaurant.com&s=0aab4cbd731f3d3b0d1453050d3abc56a8c80bd214e25469c7555b750dca8a51" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://Restaurant.com</a> gift certificate where the minimum purchase was at least $35. Â This proved quite difficult for two people because most dishes were priced below $10. Â For that amount of money at a place like El Paso, you could easily get 2 entrees, an appetizer, dessert, and drinks without breaking the bank.
The thick and crispy tortilla chips were absolutely addictive. Â We ate them up like MSG-coated instant ramen straight from the bag. Â That might not sound very appealing because you can't do this with most American brands but go to any Asian grocery store, pick up a pack of ramen with a baseball figure, and you'll become an addict too. Â The salsa was unusual because it was more like a marinara sauce but it's thick and chunky enough that it's a great compliment to the tortilla chips.
The entrees were hearty but mediocre. Â The fajita combination platter for one ($14.99 for beef, chicken, and shrimp) was easily enough for two but it tasted like a bad Chinese stir fry - dried meat with too much oil and too much soy sauce. Â The refried beans and Spanish rice were equally underwhelming. Â The enchilada supreme platter ($9.99) was edible but not particularly noteworthy.
Dessert, on the other hand, was surprisingly excellent. Â The flan ($4.50) was a very generous portion and not too sweet. Â The texture was consistent throughout like silken tofu without any part being curdled. Â It was also very dense in contrast the light and airy Jell-O version you could buy from a grocery store. Â The pastry tres leches ($3.99) cake was also very good with layers of heavy pastry cream in between evenly soaked layers of cake. Â I would recommend asking them not to add the chocolate syrup because it actually ruins the delicate tres leches flavor. Â Coffee and Diet Coke ($1.99 each) rounded off the total bill.
Overall, El Paso Mexican Restaurant is pretty ordinary but I'd definitely return for tortilla chips and desserts. Â [Original Visit: December 16, 2009]
The pastoral murals will make you giggle, and the decor feels a bit dated, but El Paso is a good place for a Mexican meal. And, let's just say the food at the table greets you warmly.
The white corn chips are perfectly warm, delicately crisp, and have a hint of sweetness. The salsa, while a bit thick and lacking heat, showcases the dark, lightly bitter flavor of slow-roasted tomatoes. And the chorizo floating on a light vessel filled with melted cheese is rich with paprika and sweet spices. Yum!
The main plates are enormous, filled with quesadillas oozing salty cheeses and smoky bites of grilled steak, al pastor burritos stuffed with hunks of tender shoulder, chorizo, and the freshest tomato, onion, and cilantro salad I have encountered in Virginia, and delicate chicken enchiladas, the meat dense, nicely seasoned, and moist.
It is impossible to finish the contents of a plate, but if an appetizer siddles up to your table, then your meal is perfectly portioned for two. Recommended.
Nope. I didn't like this place.
Once in blue moon do I crave Tex-Mex. (Not the Chipotle or Baja Fresh "kind".) El Paso was the closest restaurant specializing in this awfully Americanized cuisine in my 'hood besides Anita's. I've already been to Anita's, but wanted to try something different that night.
The restaurant is definitely showing its age from the outside. Inside, however, it's festively decorated with Mexican motifs, knick-knacks, and artwork, but a tad overdone and unoriginal in a Tex-Mex theme.
Part of being an authentic Mexican restaurant is not trying to look like a Mexican restaurant. It should be natural, not forced. Then again, this isn't really a complaint, just an observation.
The lights were dimmed very low. Perhaps my eyes are deteriorating, but it could've been a bit brighter to read the menu. I didn't see a bar, but dimmed lighting would've been more appropriate for a drinking atmosphere.
The menu was wide, but not exactly diverse. One can make 20 different dishes from tortillas, refried beans, and rice. Curtis and I order the Cheese Burritos, Bean Burrito and Cheese Enchilada from their vegetarian section. I thought the food was very lackluster, and eventually unappetizing. The more I ate the more disappointed I was. I came to realize that it was possibly the worst Mexican food I have had since I last dared to step into Taco Bell.
Sorry, it's truth. The food looked like pig slop. (No offense to pigs. I love pigs.)
The wait service seemed attentive and friendly at first, but as our dinner progressed, the less we saw of our waitress. She and another man might have been the only servers in that part of the restaurant (there's additional space in the back).
The best part about El Paso were their drink sizes. When you order soda, it will come in a 32 ounce glass. Yipes! If you can down the 7-11 Big Gulp, then you might be able to finish this monster.
I left El Paso, vowing not to return again. (My favorite Tex-Mex restaurant is La Tolteca in Rehoboth, Delaware. I regret not going to the location in Fairfax Station.)
What made matters worse was that Curtis got extremely sick to his stomach shortly after. What a pleasant lasting impression!
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