I ordered the steak enchiladas with guajillo sauce — and it was a game-changer. The dish came out sizzling hot, plated beautifully with just the right balance of color and aroma. The steak was tender and perfectly seasoned, not overpowered by salt or spice, but elevated by the rich, smoky depth of the guajillo sauce. That sauce — earthy, slightly tangy, and layered with just enough heat — tied everything together like a culinary signature move.
The handmade tortillas soaked up the sauce without falling apart, showing real craftsmanship in the kitchen. Every bite hit a harmony of textures — juicy steak, smooth sauce, a touch of crema, and that subtle char from the tortilla edges. Even the sides were on point: fluffy rice and slow-simmered beans that tasted like they’d been made from scratch that morning.
If you’re looking for the real deal — not a Tex-Mex imitation — this spot delivers. Authentic flavor, uncompromising execution, and a guajillo sauce worth writing home about.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Connor Molineaux
Very Friendly crew and great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
James M
Good food! They have a very wide menu. I tried several dishes over a week in McLean, all were good. Try their Wings! Try their Ribs! Great draft beer too.
A mark of how good this place is, was to see the number of families dining there, even celebrating birthdays. The staff are delightful and thoughtful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jesse Melero
Let me tell you me being a Latino from Los Angeles California. I came here for work and decided to try their Mexican food here. Their Mexican food is delicious. Their staff is very humble and welcoming and their drinks and the bar staff is amazing. I love their food and I will definitely come back here. The next time I’m in McLean Virginia. My wife is Mexican and I get home cooked meals every day and this food at the restaurant is delicious especially their drinks. Cómo te digo, la comida está deliciosa, te lo recomiendo. I highly recommend it’s What it means
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bartłomiej L
You really get a bang for your buck - for 20$ I got a burrito, refried beans, rice, veggies and 2 fresh corn tortillas, not to mention the complimentary water and nachos with pico de gallo. Taste wise - the food was great and tortillas were soft and fresh. I highly recommend giving it a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jeff Dunn
Stopped in for a late lunch while I was in the neighborhood and I’m glad I did. The lunch burrito bowl was spot-on — fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Service was excellent as well — Kevin took great care of me and made the experience even better. Definitely worth a visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paul Scholl
Very good food at a reasonable price. The service was excellent! We had the table side made guacamole as an appetizer which I highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Review
They are definitely watering down their drinks. Super concerning I paid $50 to get bamboozled here, went to another bar down the street the next day asked for the same thing and had a totally different experience. Disgusting behavior.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amber Keyser
Good is great. Service was great. Perhaps the slipperiest floor I've ever encountered
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ray M
El Tio is the heartbeat of the neighborhood...always buzzing, always delicious, and always welcoming.
I’ve been coming here for years, and I’ve never seen it slow down and for good reason. The staff and management set the tone with genuine hospitality, making every visit feel like a celebration. Even on the busiest nights, service is impressively quick and attentive.
The food? Absolutely outstanding. Fresh, vibrant, and seasoned to perfection, every dish bursts with authentic flavor. It’s no wonder the place is packed night after night.
El Tio isn’t just my go-to spot, it’s hands down one of DC’s best Mexican restaurants.
Good food, most consistently nice staff I've ever seen
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Aravind Thyagarajan
Great place. Too bad that they had to close 😢
Courtney Courtney
This is my third time dining in, and unfortunately, the service continues to disappoint. Today was especially frustrating — it took far too long for a server to even acknowledge me. I was never offered water, and once my food arrived, no one returned to check in or offer anything else. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all, so there’s really no excuse. Consistent poor service like this makes it hard to want to come back.
Timothy Smith
It's a great family restaurant. Food and service are perfect, along with the price and portion sizes. You can order drinks, but there's NO BAR.
DaveGSound
Wife and I went there midday for her birthday lunch... loved it! Great real food!!! The manager (who also seated us) was earnestly kind and welcoming to the point I thought he was the business owner... The staff was also quite attentive and the restaurant was very clean. A new favorite place! Oh, the prices are suprisingly good too!
I ordered the steak enchiladas with guajillo sauce — and it was a game-changer. The dish came out sizzling hot, plated beautifully with just the right balance of color and aroma. The steak was tender and perfectly seasoned, not overpowered by salt or spice, but elevated by the rich, smoky depth of the guajillo sauce. That sauce — earthy, slightly tangy, and layered with just enough heat — tied everything together like a culinary signature move.
The handmade tortillas soaked up the sauce without falling apart, showing real craftsmanship in the kitchen. Every bite hit a harmony of textures — juicy steak, smooth sauce, a touch of crema, and that subtle char from the tortilla edges. Even the sides were on point: fluffy rice and slow-simmered beans that tasted like they’d been made from scratch that morning.
If you’re looking for the real deal — not a Tex-Mex imitation — this spot delivers. Authentic flavor, uncompromising execution, and a guajillo sauce worth writing home about.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very Friendly crew and great food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good food! They have a very wide menu. I tried several dishes over a week in McLean, all were good. Try their Wings! Try their Ribs! Great draft beer too.
A mark of how good this place is, was to see the number of families dining there, even celebrating birthdays. The staff are delightful and thoughtful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Let me tell you me being a Latino from Los Angeles California. I came here for work and decided to try their Mexican food here. Their Mexican food is delicious. Their staff is very humble and welcoming and their drinks and the bar staff is amazing. I love their food and I will definitely come back here. The next time I’m in McLean Virginia. My wife is Mexican and I get home cooked meals every day and this food at the restaurant is delicious especially their drinks. Cómo te digo, la comida está deliciosa, te lo recomiendo. I highly recommend it’s What it means
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
You really get a bang for your buck - for 20$ I got a burrito, refried beans, rice, veggies and 2 fresh corn tortillas, not to mention the complimentary water and nachos with pico de gallo.
Taste wise - the food was great and tortillas were soft and fresh.
I highly recommend giving it a try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stopped in for a late lunch while I was in the neighborhood and I’m glad I did. The lunch burrito bowl was spot-on — fresh, flavorful, and satisfying. Service was excellent as well — Kevin took great care of me and made the experience even better. Definitely worth a visit!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Very good food at a reasonable price. The service was excellent! We had the table side made guacamole as an appetizer which I highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
They are definitely watering down their drinks. Super concerning I paid $50 to get bamboozled here, went to another bar down the street the next day asked for the same thing and had a totally different experience. Disgusting behavior.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Good is great. Service was great. Perhaps the slipperiest floor I've ever encountered
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
El Tio is the heartbeat of the neighborhood...always buzzing, always delicious, and always welcoming.
I’ve been coming here for years, and I’ve never seen it slow down and for good reason. The staff and management set the tone with genuine hospitality, making every visit feel like a celebration. Even on the busiest nights, service is impressively quick and attentive.
The food? Absolutely outstanding. Fresh, vibrant, and seasoned to perfection, every dish bursts with authentic flavor. It’s no wonder the place is packed night after night.
El Tio isn’t just my go-to spot, it’s hands down one of DC’s best Mexican restaurants.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Good food, most consistently nice staff I've ever seen
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great place. Too bad that they had to close 😢
This is my third time dining in, and unfortunately, the service continues to disappoint. Today was especially frustrating — it took far too long for a server to even acknowledge me. I was never offered water, and once my food arrived, no one returned to check in or offer anything else. The restaurant wasn’t busy at all, so there’s really no excuse. Consistent poor service like this makes it hard to want to come back.
It's a great family restaurant. Food and service are perfect, along with the price and portion sizes. You can order drinks, but there's NO BAR.
Wife and I went there midday for her birthday lunch... loved it! Great real food!!!
The manager (who also seated us) was earnestly kind and welcoming to the point I thought he was the business owner... The staff was also quite attentive and the restaurant was very clean. A new favorite place! Oh, the prices are suprisingly good too!
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