50 Best Mexican Restaurants near Darnestown

“The only problem is the stop light but that won't stop me from getting my chicken burrito! The burrito is huge!! It's delicious and affordable and quick. Would like to try others as well that I have seen on the menuParking: Not much parking around lunch and dinner time“

“I ordered the 3 beef tacos (tacos de Birria) that came with a consommé. Amazing. Service was fast and friendly. They are doing some facade changes out front, landlord? My husband had the chicken enchiladas and he really liked them. They give a green sauce with the chips that was very tasty. I would definitely come here again.“

“I am officially ruined. I ordered 2 al pastor & 1 carnitas tacos, and I am blown away. I also ordered a side of chips & guac, and it is THE BEST GUACAMOLE I’VE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE! This is not an exaggeration. I will always and forever crave Tortacos now.“

“Our new favorite taco spot, hands down. Came down to Gaithersburg to go to an unrelated shop which was unfortunately closed; a bit bummed, we looked around, and found this absolute gem.My SO says the SOB tacos remind her of a good, home cooked meal, and I found the chicken reuben to be just as excellent, juicy without being sloppy.My SO also said the margarita was as close to perfect as possible, and I thought the aviation tasted excellent as well.I’m really glad the other place we initially came to this area for was closed, else we may not have stumbled onto S&G. Great food, everyone was friendly. Bit of a drive for folks close to Baltimore (like us), but we’re going to start making it, because this place is THAT good.Parking: Parking on Main Street is competitive during busy hours, but it’s free, and you should be able to find parking within a block or so.“

“The people here are just plain awesome and only their food outshines their awesomeness!We have lunch here at least once a week and El Fresco has never failed to deliver.It is Tex-Mex food made with the absolute freshest of ingredients. We swear you can taste the sunshine in the tomatoes used for the many varieties of salsa. Salsa that comes free with a huge helping of the best chips anywhere.We can vouch for anything shrimp having had both the shrimp quesadillas and the handheld shrimp burritos. Both of these are stuffed with fantastic shrimp and the very best of ingredients. (The burrito the winner of any we have ever had and we have had dozens!) All the proteins are of exceptional quality; pork, chicken, steak, etc.The nachos are in a category by themselves -- A delicious monster size helping which we swore we could not finish but oh, look -- we did!There is a terrific lunch menu which runs until the unusual hour of 4:00 p.m. which accommodates us workaholics who will suddenly look at the clock and realize lunch time has passed!We have not had anything of less than stellar quality in the dozens of times we have eaten here.The restaurant is always found in pristine condition as the manager personally takes the time to clean up on a regular basis; you can tell he takes pride in both the facility and the food.NVCC students take note: El Fresco is directly across the street from campus and it offers a 15% discount for students. Such a deal; we wish we were still in school!Please give El Fresco a try as the food is the best Tex-Mex to be found anywhere in the area.“

“Always a treat to come to this place, the food is always excellent as well as their service.Parking: A bit of an issue turning coming from north of 355 uou may have to make a u turn during rush hour, but coming from south 355 its easyWheelchair accessibility: Wheel chair accessible.“

“This place is a gem. The food is so fresh and delicious. I especially recommend the carnitas tacos and the cheese pupusa, but the chicken tacos are also excellent. Their carnitas and chicken are perfectly seasoned and tender. Everyone I've encountered there has been friendly. If only they had weekend hours! But hey, their food is a great way to treat yourself on a long work day.“

“5 stars for 5 reasons1. Nachos and bowl is so good! I got everything on it and it’s a lot! A lot going on but it’s so delicious! Lengua meat is extra but it’s so worth it. Soft and tender meat.2. Unbeatable prices! Nachos under 10 dollars! This includes Lengua which is beef tongue!3. Quantity is insane! Nachos alone made me super full with everything on it.4. Fast service and no wait at all.5. Nice folks and great service“

“Great food! A little pricy... But there's a reason why it gets so busy. Not only do they have tamale de elote, but you can get it fried and it tastes amazing! Love the plantains. The grilled meats are flavorful. And the taco salad comes in a really yummy edible bowl ?“

“We love Guapo’s and come here often. Wait times are long but sometimes you get lucky. The drinks and food are delicious. However I had my first bad experience with a waiter this weekend. I paid the bill with my card and was going to leave a cash tip, the lady saw me select “no tip” and told me “tip is not included” …. I know how tipping works and it should never be excepted but appreciated. It left a sour taste. Especially given we always TIP well. Made me not want to leave anything at all. Very unprofessional!“

“I found the service at this establishment to be satisfactory, and the food was decent, though not exceptional. However, my dining experience was marred by the excessive focus on happy hour margarita specials and the lack of clear separation between the bar area and the dining room. This resulted in loud and disruptive behavior from intoxicated patrons, both at the bar and at nearby tables. Additionally, I observed instances where the server seemed overly eager to continue serving drinks to individuals who were already visibly intoxicated, which detracted from the overall atmosphere and enjoyment of the meal“

“Although it was mostly empty when we visited on a weekday evening, the venue and convenient location are appealing. Friendly staff and fair prices, what's not to like. Being first time here, and not knowing the regular portions and size of the chicken, we ordered the whole chicken family meal with 3 sides. It was much more than we could handle. The chicken was good. I think he gave us an extra piece (leftover?) and perhaps that's why we had so much. The Brussels Sprouts was the star of the place - sweet and savory, delicious. 5 stars! We changed our mind at the last minute, and decided to eat in. Can't say it's the cold temperature, but the chicken was cold to the touch for some reason. Maybe it was the extra piece we got. Regardless, it's worth a trip, and will visit again when I have a craving for Peruvian cuisine.“

“Great place. Lively atmosphere. Happy-hour vibes. Taco alternatives. But slow bar service. And I'm not a fan of ordering drinks from the main cashier. If I'm only drinking, then food service should be separated from drinks. Just my opinion to help speed up customer wait times.“

“The food was good menu selection was good and the service was excellent. This is my first time eating in the Potomac location and I must say that I was quite surprised by the service and menu selection considering that my experience in the north Bethesda location was really awful. Thank you, Potomac gringos and mariachis for restoring my confidence and your food and brand.“

“Best birria tacos I have ever tried in my life. So delicious. And the consume is so good!! Food was fresh and service was great. My husband is a very picky eater so I was hesitant to try a new place but he loves it and this has now become our new taco place. Even my very picky kids enjoyed their quesadillas. I can’t wait to go back and try their other foods!!“

“Good local chain. Order at register and they drop food to you, similar to Nandos. Vegetarian options are a little lackluster.Easy going atmosphere, outside seating if desired. The separate bar area is cool, easy to hop in for happy hour.I personally did not like the Hush puppies, they ended up not being my cup of tea. But I would recommend you try them, my friends liked them. Rest of the food was great. Definitely try the green sauce, it's not spicy and the flavor really pops.Clean restaurant, fast and friendly service, would recommend.Vegetarian options: For entre, they only had veggie tacos, guac on the veggie taco was extra, and the veggie assortment was lacking. Mostly mushrooms, not enough peppers, onions, tomatoes, etc...They do have cheese quesadillas tooGood selection of vegetarian apps though.“

“If you're looking for an international version of a greasy spoon, this is it! Food is superb. Prices are reasonable for anywhere, let alone NOVA. Atmosphere is attractively rough around the edges. And they have good beer on tap. Highly recommend!“

“Fui a Tacos el Pariente el fin de semana pasado y los tacos de birra estaban a otro nivel! El servicio fue excelente y la muchacha que me atendió fue muy atenta. Regresare pronto! I went to Tacos el Pariente last weekend and the tacos de birra were on another level! The service was excellent and the girl who attended me was very attentive. I'll be back soon!“

“We really enjoyed the atmosphere. Beautiful decoration, which transports us to our countries of origin. Delicious food and first-class service. Denise was very attentive and made very good suggestions.I definitely recommend Restaurante Acajutla and we hope to come again.“

“Very good food and service. Nicely decorated seating area. My wife had the special (salmon with pasta) $25 and I had the chile relleno $16. We also had a bowl of guacamole $11. Pretty expensive Mexican food. The back area around the bathroom was dirty and not appealing.“

“The sauces are yummy & I love that you can still get a high quality fast casual meal in Potomac for under $15. Corn tasted super fresh, steak was cooked perfectly tender. The rice bowls were very filling. I would definitely stop by again.“

“We started stopping by Baja Fresh now and then for a quick lunch, and it has quickly become a new favorite lunch spot. The food is fresh, very reasonably priced, large portions and welcoming and polite staff.P.S. the house nachos with salsa they offer everyone as an appetizer is appreciated!“

“The first time I came here was to celebrate my birthday with a few co-worker girlfriends. The girls told them it was my birthday and they came out sang to me ,(I can't recall if this is where I got to wear a sombrero while they sang). We had a good time.... Since then I have visited a few more times as it is in walking distance for me. It's a great place if you want to sip on a margarita on the patio which has a sort of tiki bar vibe at night with the lights...or come watch a match while eating the tasty Mexican & El Salvadoran cuisines. I've tired and enjoyed the ceviche, fajitas, pupusas and margaritas several times. I did not care for the nachos but it was a to-go order and sometimes that can really make a difference when you get nachos. The staff has always been welcoming and friendly. I recommend stopping by!“

“A nice surprise really. My appetizers were the civiche with fried calamari and a cheese pupusa. Both were delicious. The calamari dish had tilapia in it which was also great. For my drinks (which were the real stars) I had a blackberry vodka mule and a Cranberry orange margarita. Both were well made.“

“Love that they have HH from 3p-6p, but not much to choose from, menu was pretty basic. I at least thought there would be some chicken wings on it. I ended up ordering from the regular menu, from HH menu I ordered esquites and Margarita flight. I ordered a shrimp taco ? from the main menu.Esquites ????Shrimp taco bowl ????Margarita flight????Strawberry green tea shot ????“

“First off, this Mexican restaurant never disappoints with the ambience, the fresh foods & drinks made to order, & warm hospitality from the workers. The presentation for these dishes are marvelous, you can tell the chefs pay attention to detail, there's always some pop of color in there & garnishes to complete the look. As I was walking towards the restroom from the bar area, something caught my eye & I look to my left and notice one of the employees making fresh tortillas from this huge machine press. The reliability this could provide me if I had one of these things in my home?? Man.. The ceviche, enchiladas, and honey chipotle salmon are a must if you like seafood. I will say that they only give you 4 chips for the ceviche so if you are looking to munch on more than 4 tortilla chips then you could divulge in the chips the server usually provides that pairs with salsa, & it's free! I love how every dish included some sort of vegetable to make it balanced. The star of the show was the chocolate piñata, a fun & interactive way to get enjoy fresh fruits & indulge in sweet chocolate. Typically, it's ordered on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries & they do give you A LOT OF FRUIT. You may need to take some to go because it's a generous portion.“

“I am #teamconsomméThe consommé - the dip, as I like to call it, is amazing. Bursts of flavor with bits of red onion and fresh cilantro. I’d like to take a bath in it, it’s soooo good. Grab a pork or birria taco - Squeeze a bit of lime juice and dunk. Game over ?Vegetarian options: Vegetarian, Vegan and gluten free options on deckKid-friendliness: Cheesy and delicious. What kid hates cheese?? Fries, ramen and quesadillas and yummy corn.Parking: Most locations have a decent amount of parking“

“Ay Jalisco did a wonderful job catering the rehearsal dinner for our wedding! We have been longtime fans of this local Tex Mex gem, which made Chef Juan and his team the perfect choice to help us celebrate. The food was hot and fresh and our friends and family raved about the spread and of course the margaritas! We highly recommend Ay Jalisco for their outstanding food and amazing service!“

“Thank you again, Chris for all you did for our school for our fundraising night! You were exception to work with and we really appreciate the support you showed our school for our "Dine-In Nite" fundraiser! Thank you! Food was GREAT! Such a better experience than at your competitors (wink, wink) it was NOT an "in and out" as fast as possible feeling, it was, "Welcome to Moe's!" kind of feeling! The restaurant was very clean, welcoming, happy, bright, and food again was great! Your entire staff were helpful and very friendly! Nothing I have ever experienced at your competitor. Thanks again for all you did and for doing such a great job from start to finish and for supporting our school! Def stop by Moe's in Montgomery Village and say hi to Chris! Keep up the great work!“

“Freaking amazing place! Do not let the size of this place fool you! It may be small in size, but it is absolutely amazing in every other regard! The service is phenomenal (Janet is the best), the food is wonderful, the drinks are exactly what you need (legit one of the best margaritas I’ve EVER had!!), and the vibe of the spot is very nice!! I just moved to area last night and while searching for some local restaurants I found Dulcinea, soooo glad I did, and I can’t wait to get back!“

“This place is one of my all time favorites....the Elvis platter...and the Chuychanga are the best!! The creamy jalapeno dip is better than the salsa for dipping. My kids LOVE their burger so much they still order it now that they are too big for the kids menu.“

“Wow what an amazing hidden gem. I got 3 tacos, carne asada and lengua. The lengua was probably the best taco I’ve had in this area honestly. It was extremely tender and absurdly flavorful. The tortillas they use for the tacos are fresh and flavorful as well. Highly recommend this place if you are looking for great tacos ?“

“I love Anita's for Taco Tuesday. The server was kind enough to help me with my Spanish and deserves a raise. I had to explain to our server in Spanish that my friend, Emma Hammersley, was going to have a birthday and they immediately brought out a small dessert. The Taco salad is nicer than Wendy's and tacos were better than Taco Bell and Taco Bamba.Vegetarian options: BeansKid-friendliness: Children's menu“

“The fish celantro stuff was fantastic!The beans were like a runny gravy.The garlic shrimp was served on the shell and very difficult to chew.The phone was in the booth behind me and kept ringing during the meal.I asked them to move it somewhere else, but I don’t think they know English.“

“Giving 4 stars because I had one of the absolute best steak quesadillas I’ve ever had here a week or two ago. I went back today but it seems they switched the meat and I am not sure how to feel about it… :( also there’s a blob of mayonnaise in place of sour cream. Maybe an off day?“

“We have been to Juanita's twice now...a true hidden gem! The family is so nice, excellent service and truly delicious food. The prices are extremely reasonable for the amount and quality of the food that you get. This time, we tried the beef, chicken, and shrimp fajitas, the carnitas burrito, and the chips and salsa (I wish they sold it in bottles). The chips were clearly made while we were waiting...I've never had any like them! Absolutely delicious and packed with flavor and freshness. We're adding Juanita's to our regular rotation :)“

“Took my niece to lunch at the Spectrum Ave location and were immediately greeted by the sweetest man working by the entrance. He couldn’t have been more welcoming and my niece talked about him for the rest of the day when someone asked how lunch went. The man who took our order was also super friendly. It was a nice change of pace to be in such a warm atmosphere. Great job!“

“I recently dined at Los Toltecos in Dulles Town Center and had a noteworthy experience. The highlight of our meal was the molcajete texano, a generously portioned dish recommended by our waitress, which was delicious and ample enough to satisfy two or even three people. However, be prepared to order extra sides like tortillas, rice, and beans if sharing among a group. The restaurant offers reasonable prices and benefits from the ample parking available at the mall, making it easily accessible. On the downside, the service was a bit lacking; our waitress didn't check on us as often as we would have liked. Despite this, the overall experience was pleasant, with the quality of the food standing out as a strong point.“

“We stop in every time we’re in town and have loved the food, friendly atmosphere, and great service every time. This last time we showed up not long after they opened, and when I asked for a whole wheat tortilla, the sweet woman made me one immediately. Then when I asked for a veggie style salad, the second woman offered me the new fajita veggies and made happily chatted with the other woman that was working the grill, making sure I would have fresh fajita veggies. Then we went to pay and the last worker was so friendly as well. He confirmed our order and made sure that we had everything we needed. The food was cooked to perfection. I love that I can go to Cafe Rio miles away from our old home town and can get the same great food with even better service.“

“This Pupusas Express is one of my go-to dine in spots in Herndon. The team here is always attentive at helping out. The wings are super crispy and well seasoned without additional sauce. The plantains are always served ripe with a side of beans and crema. The pupusas here are filled with your filling of choice and never greasy. Would recommend“

“The Great Falls location our goto Friday night with the kids. The food is great and the manager is a real pleasure. I love the Margaritas and the beers on tap as well. We often bring friends and they always remark what a great place to unwind from a long week!“

“The food is fantastic! We got way too much, but now we have lunch for tomorrow. Service is good and the staff is very friendly. I like how they used Tajín/salt/lime on the margarita rims. The restaurant is just the right side and decorated nicely. Definitely coming back to try the ceviche!“

“Best pupusas ive had here in Md. Great quality. Pupusas came out hot! And fresh. Let me say ive been to various pupuserias like in wheaton, langley park but this one in my opinion topped them off. That said i can only say that for the pupusas. The burrito were ok since they went heavy on the rice.“

“The service is great and the food is delicious, they prepare it to order so it can take some time especially since it can get busy at the new location they are in. It's just a typical street spot in a commercial area so not any exciting vibes but worth the affort.“

“Went to Local's Tacos and tequila (Sterling) the other week with friends. We started with the nachos (picture attached) and margaritas. The nachos are 2nd to none with plenty of toppings, real cheese, melted in broiler and really tasty. For my entree I had the combo steak and chicken) fajitas which were really of tasty and plenty of food. The service is prompt and friendly. The atmosphere is exactly what you want in a Mexican restaurant. Local's Taco & Tequila thanks for offering great food and service. I'll be back soon. Cheers!“

“We have eaten here dozens of times, never had a bad meal. The prices are very fair especially if you get the daily meal deal. The line can be a bit long at peak times so try to avoid that if possible. You cannot beat taco Tuesday!Dietary restrictions: They can substitute corn tortillas for flour tortillas for those that choose gluten free.“

“Amazing food! We actually searched a bit on Google (we were tourists staying for a few days in February) found this place and went for a quick lunch after getting some groceries. Very flavourful, I’d say pretty authentic too, and very good value. We got exactly what we expected and loved it!They are focused mainly on takeaways, so not the best arrangement for searing, but they had a couple of tables so we chose to eat and go. The owner was very nice and spoke to us for a while about the business and how they’ve come up.“

“Went here for the first time with a bunch of friends. The atmosphere was nice, the waiting staff all super nice and work as a team which is nice to see. The margarita I had was good, not too strong but perfect for a Monday night. I loved my quesadilla. The chips were crispy and not too oily, and the sauce was really good but not spicy hot. A friend ordered the pinapple with seafood. I wish I had taken a picture. It was like nothing I'd ever seen before, and my friend said it was delicious. Next time, I will order that! Everyone was happy with their orders. They were super nice and allowed each of us to pay separately, which not all restaurants like to do. The food also came out fast and sizzling hot! Loved the whole experience. ❤️“

“I have been coming to this restaurant since it opened. I have always been very happy with their food. I really wanted a chicken chimichanga which I have had numerous times before at this restaurant. To my surprise this time they looked like Taquitos. I wanted the enclosed chimichanga with the tender chicken. This time it was not enclosed and of course the chicken was dry and crisp when it came out. I asked the waitress if it was the House special chimichangas that I ordered and she said yes. I told her I was accustomed to the enclosed chimichanga where the meat stays tender. She said that is only available in the seafood or fajita deluxe chimichanga which she would be happy to switch out for me. I didn't want seafood and I didn't want a steak and chicken combination, I was just really looking forward to a simple chicken chimichanga that wasn't dry. And of course I will never ever send anything back, I have seen way too many movies of what could be done if you send your food back and I don't want to chance it. I will go back again to this restaurant but I will never order the House Special Chimichanga's again. There is plenty of other good Mexican restaurants in Hagerstown that I can get the chimichanga that I want and not taquito looking chimichanga's. The taquitos that I was served tasted fine but I was just really looking forward to a simple chicken chimichanga so I left unsatisfied. The margarita did help get me through my disappointment. Best margaritas in Hagerstown.“