I came here since I had a restaurant.com certificate for $10 off any meal over $20. I ordered the Ay Jalisco platter and a side salad. The Ay Jalisco platter came with a lot of food; rice and beans, beef and chicken fajitas and three shrimp. It also came with tortillas which were store bought. I was shocked! I would think that a small Mexican place would make their own and could not believe that the tortillas tasted like something from the grocery store. Granted, I'm a little spoiled because my mom makes home made tortillas. However, all of the Mexican restaurants I visit have fresh hand made tortillas. The fajitas were greasy and so was the rice. I'm not one to waste food and always take leftovers. But this time I did not finish my meal or take food home. The menu is very broad and I'm sure they have some great items! But I will skip the Ay Jalisco platter. read more

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Is excellent restaurant love there food the services Carne Asada great place Pastel Tres Leches

AMAZING PLACE!! Love coming here with my family, everyone is soo nice and the food is absolutely amazing. I would definitely recommend this place. It is family friendly and has food for everyone. read more

A little hidden gem in the corner of a strip mall. We started with the chicken nachos, which was huge serving, almost enough for a meal for both of us. I then went with the Steak Salvadoreño for my entree. A large cut of sirlion steak topped with a tasty salsa and with my favorite side dish, plantains. Service was ok, and the decor is a little dated inside. A delicious meal overall, and a place we will go back to. read more

My husband and I, went for dinner to ay Jalisco on 355. Not the first time eating there and the experience was bad!! The chicken wings we order were ICE COLD, how in the heck can you serve cold chicken wings. Soup bowl was chipped. Manager was aware of the situation and nothing was done. Will Never Ever be eating there again! read more

I have been coming here for over 10 years & it's still one of my favorite places. Great services, great food. My favorite is the pollo encebollado. Great ambiance & authentic food. A good mix of people come here. Just great all around. read more

We stopped coming to Ay Jalisco about 4yrs ago due to their lack of Service, unfortunately nothing has changed service is still mediocre, food presentation is poor...portions have diminished and prices are still going up...I am all about supporting small businesses in the community but it's difficult when it's not given back to the customer. Being a Latino customer baffles when the server takes 15-20 min to say hello...yet serves me an appetizer without, Utensils and napkins...the smallest steps of service. I have been waiting over 15min to get a to go counter and the check there only 6 tables seated 2 waiters and I think a supervisor which never came to greet us. Very Sad. read more

I brought my young daughters here since they love Papusas and I had heard good things about this place. All was well until my daughter spotted this little guy and started freaking out about a "rat"! It turned out to be a mouse but nonetheless it's not something you want to see while eating. One of the staff came out with a broom and said he took care of it and asked if I was ready for the check. Needless to say my daughter could not stop carrying on about the mouse and kept thinking one was by her foot! Not the experience you want to have going to a restaurant and then not even an offer of a discount or anything as if it was a norm. read more

Ay Jalisco - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

So I went in to carry out. Asked If they have any platters that would feed 3-4 people. They recommended the "AY JALISCO PLATTER" I asked multiple times If this indeed would be enough to feed 3-4. They said yes. So I ordered and waited. You should have seen my families reaction when I arrived home and they opened up the "Ay Jalisco Platter" We were given 4 pieces of chicken and maybe 3 pieces of steak and they didn't even fill up the beans completely. Maybe carryout here is not your best option when it comes to value. read more

Ay Jalisco - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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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! read more

This is one of the most authentic Spanish food spots in the Gaithersburg area. Friendly staff and family oriented atmosphere. Restaurant style a bit outdated (not fancy) but I'm definitely here for the delicious food! read more

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Went here on a whim with my girlfriend. I was surprised. Very tasty and service was very good. There was some confusion with the price my girls friend ordered but oh well. All worked out. Margaritas are on point! read more

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8 Years later and I still feel the same as my 1st review. This place is the best. Awesome customer service. Friendly staff, great food and atmosphere. I usually get fijitas. Also, the homemade chips and salsa are the best! read more

Of course, it would be AFTER that we buy a new home, that we finally venture into Ay! Jaliso (there is an ! after Ay. Heh.) It doesn't matter that we lived across the street for 4 years and never once ventured in. Nope. Only after we're about to move that we finally go in - and totally regret all the lost years! Ay! Jaliso is a cute little neighborhood dive that slings out fast and tasty Tex-Mex. The food is not haute cuisine by any stretch of the imagination, but it's solid, decent and tasty. This rough and tumble, yet charmingly decoratated with Patron bottles along all the windows, has the standard Tex-Mex fare that one would find at On the Border or what-not. However, a key difference is that the prices are much more reasonable, the food has a lot more flavor and seasonings, and the atmosphere is congenial and relaxed. I ordered the steak fajita, while my husband ordered one of the platters. I was surprised how tender and flavorful my skirt steak was - especially as I just had this same dish at Uncle Julios a mere week or so ago, and it was drenched in butter. Now, don't get me wrong - I loves me some butter...but it shouldn't be the only thing I taste when I'm eating a fajita. This meat was well seasoned (did I detect a hint of smoky ancho?), tender, and delicious. My husband's platter was inhaled within 10 minutes. The one tiny bite of the enchillada that I was able to wrestle away from him was delicious, with a hint of...cinnamon? Normally, I hate cinnamon, but in this dish, it added a suprising complexity to the flavor that was clearly unexpected, but very welcomed. I think for me, the best part of my experience, was the service. Our poor waitress was limping, and she had a cast on her foot. Yet - she was always prompt in serving us, checked up on us regularly, and was pleasant and efficient, although I'm sure that she was in pain. It's service like this, that makes me want to drag every crappy server I've ever encountered, and force them to watch how someone who obviously is injured - yet, is still competant and does their job well (needless to say, we gave her close to a 30% tip...and I almost never tip more then 20%). The only sour notes for us, were the chips, which tasted stale and as if they came out of a bag, and also when my husband asked what their drink specialties were (hoping for a recommendation on a house margarita, or perhaps some crazy delicious concotion), he was recommended "sex on a beach". Huh? But these are small issues to an otherwise delicious and well served meal. As my husband and I were walking out, full and resplendent in our full fatty glory, we both had to agree that this was one of the best Tex-Mex meals we've ever had. Miles beyond better then On the Border or Uncle Julios, and even edged out Guapos. Ay! Jalisco only comes second to Mi Rancho in Silver Spring...and then, it's a close second! read more

My mom Marie, and I LOVE this place. We love the owner and the service is always on point always. The drinks and food are delicious and we love sitting out on the patio and eating/drinking on a nice night. The music is never too loud and the people are local and friendly! read more

Ay Jalisco - The Ay Jalisco margarita!!!!! Mmmmm - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Ay Jalisco has changed. A few years back I used to come to Ay Jalisco at least once a week. Too many times to count, that's how much I loved them and their service. After years of not having gone I finally went back last night (4/12/16). We walked in and there was no direction. No one was available to seat us. (It wasn't even that busy.) No big deal, I wasn't completely annoyed. Fine. We sit down, quickly know what we wanted to order, but we cant find the waiter... Where did he go? From the time we sat down: I went to the bathroom (this was the worst part and I'll get to this in a second), came back drank water, we ate ALL the chips and still no waiter. We are hungry. He finally comes and gets our order, brings more chips and salsa, and our food comes out pretty fast. Fine. THE BATHROOM: I walk into the bathroom and their is a roach on the floor. ALIVE. Not like a small cockroach, this thing was the size of a pinky finger. Like, its been living there since forever. First of all I hate roaches, they are absolutely disgusted creatures. Ay Jalisco has NEVER been this dirty and if it wasn't for me being as hungry as I was I would have left. But we didn't. (I understand that any establishment has roaches, even the cleanest ones, I get that, BUT DON'T LET ME SEE ONE!!) I cringed the rest of the evening thinking about cockroaches crawling all over their back of house and all over the food. If I ever go back to Ay Jalisco I will re-attempt at the one off of 355 but never again will I go to this one. Mostly because of the roach but secondly because the service wasn't great. read more

¡Yo quiero a Ay Jalisco! People who know me know that when it is done right, Mexican food is one of my favorite things in the world. Unfortunately, it is rarely done right. I am happy to say that Ay Jalisco is a wonderful exception to the rule. I went to Ay Jalisco alone on a busy Friday night. It was packed, and except for me, I think everyone there was Latino. The host offered to take me to a table, but I decided that rather than eating alone, I would ask him to seat me at the bar. On seating me, the host asked if I would like anything to drink. Since the name of the place is Ay Jalisco, and Jalisco is the home of tequila, I asked for a margarita. I usually order premium margaritas, but didn't this time. The host brought me my margarita, as well as some freshly made chips and salsa, and said that the bartender would be my server. The margarita was FANTASTIC! I am not sure how they made it, but it did not taste of cheap margarita mix or sweet and sour, as restaurant margaritas often do. The salsa was very mild, and I wondered if they had brought me a mild version because I am not Latino. I asked the bartender if he had a hotter salsa, and he brought me a wonderful bowl with the spiciness I like. I was hungry, so I ordered a fajitas plate with shrimp, chicken AND beef. My dinner came quickly, and all of it was wonderful! My plate came with a basket of Mexican style tortillas. The guy sitting next to me ordered the same thing, but he was Salvadorean, and his basket was full of Salvadorean tortillas. We ended up sharing back and forth. A pleasant surprise with my dinner was that the beans (which were whole, not refried) were absolutely delicious! A lot of restaurants don't pay much attention to their beans and rice, but Ay Jalisco is not among them. My only mistake? Well, I like spicy things, so I ate the grilled serrano chile adorning my plate. It was HOT! Quite a bit hotter than a Jalapeño. I was FORCED to drink two Coronas con limón y sal to ease my pain! read more

The food is, for the most part, what you would expect. I really enjoy the fajitas here. Sweet corn tamales will always be a favorite. However, if I have to wait 45 minutes for a tamale after asking three times, the need to feed that craving is non-existant. Almost an hour and a half for an entree? I don't think so. It's difficult to rate this place as low as this since I come here semi-frequently with my family. Unless the owner is in the building, your chance of OK service is out the door. I will continue to give this place more and more chances. I'm waiting for them to win me over again. read more

I want to like this place. I really do. I have neighbors who love it here and are regulars. But I just can't like it. I have been here three times and two of three I had problems. The first time I ate here, I had enchiladas. I'm eating and it feels like I got a bay leaf in my enchilada. No big deal - right? Except when I pull it out of my mouth it's a piece of tape that obviously came off some packaging. [I came to this conclusion because of the "open here" printing on it.] This was not just a small piece of tape as I pulled the remainder out of the enchilada. What is going on in the kitchen that they are letting trash into the food? Inexcusable. My second trip was uneventful although the food was mediocre. On the third trip the person taking our orders didn't bother to add my order to the list. While everyone else at my table was eating they were trying to figure out what happened to my order. Ultimately they placed a new order but they didn't seem to ask for a rush job from the kitchen as many other tables received their food ahead of me. While I may make it back with my neighbors, I can't imagine coming back here for the food or service. read more

Small little neighborhood gem. As all the reviews rave, I had the steak fajitas and they were delicious! The meat was a little overcooked on the end pieces but the middle pieces were great. The marination is what makes the meat so yummo, smelling so good when its delivered to your table sizzling! I also got an appetizer size of the guac which wasn't worth the $$ - something was missing from it - maybe lime? maybe salt? The bf got a steak dish that came out w/ some red sauce which tasted like a tomato base. The meat was cooked well however the dish itself was not as good as the fajitas. Oh! and I got a chicken tamale which had good flavor as well. The portions are big. No problems with the waitstaff. Definately get the restaurant.com coupon if your going to eat here. I give it 4 stars just because the ambience isn't that great.. its kinda run down, patron bottles as decorations, but the food is def great. read more

When you arrive here you'll be excited, but that excitement will quickly fade. This is a neighborhood restaurant that really caters to their regulars. The food is modestly priced and the flavor and quality match that modest price. Seafood ingredients are clearly frozen not fresh. Shrimp fajitas are not shelled. Being served on the standard sizzling skillet is nice, but with full shell on that sizzling skillet becomes a lit more of a hazard and a little less of a treat. The service is just disinterested. Worth skipping with so many other options close by. read more

So we ordered the Surf and Turf and Salmon, which I know aren't 'tex mex" but, for me at least, the pictures on the back looked so good it made me want to try the salmon and I was not disappointed. I loved the yummy creamy sauce poured over the salmon and baby shrimp. My husband enjoyed his surf and turf as well, I tried his steak and thought it was great! Decided to try their flan (it's becoming a tradition apparently ...) and enjoyed it too! My daughter especially likes that they drizzled chocolate and raspberry syrup on top of it, great combination of flavors. read more

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Ay Jalisco is one of my favorite restaurants ever! The staff are always friendly, fun to talk to, courteous, attentive, interesting, some of the best people a person could hope to meet in this world. The food is always delicious, fresh, great portions, and makes you want to return again and again. First experience at Ay Jalisco was in 2005 and we've been going back ever since. Always a great place to have a great time! read more

I liked the menu and the restaurant better when it was Los Chorros. It's not terrible, just too similar with non of the flavorful menu or nostalgia. Will it keep me from returning??? Of course not! I just won't be going out of my way. read more

Great food. Great service. The atmosphere is usually enjoyable but sometimes it fills up so much that it gets loud but not in a bad way. Family friendly and the fajitas are out of this world!!! read more

This place isn't too bad. It's more authentic Mexican than other places around here that I've tried. We came for lunch time. Since the restaurant was on the corner, the front and side of the restaurant has a lot of windows. There was absolutely no need to have any artificial lights on because of the bright sunlight coming through the windows, so all of the lights were off which made me think it was closed at first.The door was open, though so we went in. First, the chips are actually really thick chips and the salsa had a slight tinge of spicy, but not too much. My boyfriend and I tried the combination Fajitas (Steak and Chicken) and it was pretty good. It came out pretty quickly, too. The beans that came out with it were delicioso! And the rice? BANGIN'! We also ordered some Chicharones appetizer. The meat was incredibly dry, but very crunchy. And it came with yucca fries, which were hot and fresh. My boyfriend also ordered a tamale, but he really didn't like it. He said it was hard to chew. We both also ordered a glass of Horchata each. It was sweet and milky and did not have too much cinnamon in it. So overall, very good Fajitas and Horchata, but for Chicharones and tamales, we like Mi Peru (although it is Peruvian) much better. read more

Excellent food! Excellent service! My family and I have been going to Ay Jalisco for more than 10 years and have always had a great experience. Last weekend, we had Ay Jalisco cater my son's graduation party and everything was absolutely delicious and perfect! Plan to do it again for our other kid's graduations. read more

We went to Ay Jalisco for Cinco de Mayo. Not much parking for the strip mall. Ay Jalisco is a big place, with outdoor seating. The soccer game was on inside, but it wasn't as load as the people. The... service... was... slow. That said, the plates were super hot, the food, particularly the beef fajitas, was very good, and the drinks were just fine. That said, there's a house drink featuring tequila with fresh grapefruit, orange, and lemon in a big margarita-style glass. Weak, and with the prices of drinks not listed on the menu, a serious rip-off at... $15.99! Between the expensive drink, the parking, and the slow service, they only get 3 starts, but the food WAS good, so we'll be back. read more

The best pupusas ever! They were perfectly made, perfect cheese/masa ratio. The repollo is sooo good too. The salsa on top was spicy and very flavorful. So many places sell crap pupusas, these were just delicious. I will be ordering again soon! read more

My husband and I have been coming here for 9 years now and we have never had a less-than-stellar experience. The staff is super friendly, welcoming and fun and has been the same people (with a few new additions) since we started coming here. The owner, Juan, always comes to greet us and sometimes gives us tastes of special things he's working on in the kitchen. The food here is consistently delicious and always extremely fresh. Favorites include the ceviche, pupusas (and OMG, the curtido), the fajitas and the soups - we've had the shrimp soup and the beef rib soup and both were outstanding and huge portions. Everything is reasonably priced, including the drinks. I also love that the beers are served with a new frosted mug each round. If you're up for it, the "No te Rajes" fajitas are outstanding and probably my favorite thing on the menu. It's a dish for 2 and means "don't give up" in Spanish and includes a huge pile of beef, chicken, pork ribs, shrimp, and onions, all seasoned, marinated and cooked to sizzling perfection. My mouth is watering just typing this. The ribs are to die for - better than most BBQ joints I've been to. The tortillas are always hot and fresh, as are the guac and pico. It's a little pricey but SO worth it. My husband and I have yet to conquer it in one sitting and always wind up with at least one meal for the next day (if not more). The desserts are also amazing, if you have room! read more

I've heard a lot of wonderful things about this restaurant but my last visit was very disappointing to say the least. Upon arriving it seems as though the air conditioning wasn't working. But we decided to stay we sat at the bar for at least ten minutes with no service until the bus boy asked us if we wanted some water and then he said something in Spanish to the bartender and after five more minutes she finally came over and we order two medium flavored frozen margaritas, queso and chips and wings which came to a grand total of $48 upon closer examination of the itemized bill the two margaritas cost $14.50 each and they tasted mainly of fruit juice and little alcohol. A very disappointing dining experience probably won't return for a while. read more

Just awesome service. Their margaritas are the best. Outdoor seating is available and it is covered. Everyone is wearing face masks. I don't like their salsa and chips that much. Their deserts are delicious. We tried fried ice cream, flan and tres leches. But again hands down to their service. read more

I haven't been to a Tex-Mex restaurant in a while, so please consider this review with that in mind. I arrived at about 20 minutes past 4pm to a dining room with 2 people in it. I later realized that one of those folks was wait staff and the other must have been her boyfriend or brother from his loud departure exclaiming Adios to the staff in the kitchen...I think it was the kitchen staff he was addressing. I moseyed in and selected a booth close to the door and the bar tender arrived behind me while I was removing my coat. He stood patiently while I folded my topcoat and laid it on the seat, then I slid into what I then realized was a booth with a paper tablecloth--cool, I can write my budget notes on it and take them home. I asked if there was beer on tap and sadly, the answer was no. I said, bottle beer it is. The bar tender started to name a few domestics and I said, no, how about a good Mexican beer, what do you recommend? At that point I realized that I was being rude and talking over him. I said, I'm sorry, what were you saying? He said, you want Miller Lite? I repeated myself and he said, oh Corona. Anyway, I guess he was hoping I would choose Miller-maybe it's overstocked? I reviewed the menu and ordered Beef Nachos $6.95. Again, please remember my opening statement about not visiting a Mexican restaurant in a while... The nachos arrived on one smaller plate on top of a larger one. The 2 handfuls of chips, 2lbs of cheese, watery pinto beans, and something that resembled beef was on the upper plate. The lower plate had a nice garnish of lettuce for the bed, and then a little less than a quarter cup of Jalapeños, Guacamole, fresh chopped Salsa and sour cream. The condiments were the best part! Unfortunately the melted cheese was over 1/4 thick on the top chips and none on the bottom chips. Those were as limp as a dishrag from the watery beans. I must say, the beans were very tasty minus all the liquid. I would rather not venturing a guess on the mystery meat. The total bill was $17.15 that included 2 beers, so when I got up to put my coat on and walk over to the bar to pay my tab, I just flipped a $20 and said good luck. Oh I forgot to mention 3 things: 1. The Salsa music was so loud that I couldn't hear the phone ding when I got messages. I keep it low, but come on. 2. The bartender must have been emptying the equivalent of one weeks accumulated silverware one handful at a time and throwing it into a tray for what felt like almost 15 minutes and 3. At some point during my 35 minute visit, the bar tender at the front and the wait staff at the far back of the restaurant were carrying on a conversation for close to 10 minutes that could be CLEARLY heard above the music. I eventually looked up from surfing Facebook on my phone before I think they got the hint. 3 stars since I ate most of the chips as you can see from the check in photo. What can I say, I am a chip hound! The sides were good, but I don't even know that they weren't purchased at SAMs Club. Good luck on your visit. I hope you find things better than I did. read more

Ay Jalisco - Beautiful long bar! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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We tried the steak fajitas and the steak burrito. For the money, you get a decent portion, but not significantly more than you would at any other Mexican restaurant. The prices are comparable to what you would get at, say, Chevy's, and if I recall correctly, the steak at Chevy's is more tender. The steak you get for the fajitas and in the burrito here was on the tough and chewy side, maybe overcooked. My friend who had spent time in Texas and was hoping for a real Tex-Mex said the marinade for the fajitas is not the lime marinade as might be expected. As someone else mentioned, the wait staff are not that attentive; you may have to get up yourself to get more salsa. Pro (or con): any chile you may find on your plate is probably going to be pretty powerful stuff. Perhaps if we knew Juan our food might have been better? read more

I came here because of a poll from the Moco-Show on Instagram. The food was tasteless, the service was slow, the servers were rude and not happy to be there. Not to mention the place was dirty. I would recommend Villa Maya over this place. 10000x better and cleaner and friendlier. read more

Ay Jalisco is an amazing place. It has amazing food. The salsa, guacamole, tortilla chips, etc. I ordered the Pupusas; really yummy. Not the best I will admit but still amazing from the range of 1-10 it's def an 8. The plantains are also good. To make a long review short. Amazing food all the way. :) read more

This is an authentic mexican restaurant with good food and good drinks. The margaritas are really potent and good and if you get the grande size, it's huge and you won't need another drink for the night. I got the beef burrito and that was really good and you get the guacomole, sour cream and salsa on the side. The shrimp soup is also pretty good. The servers are nice and most of the people who eat here are mexican so you know it's legit. read more

We have been looking for a decent tex mex spot in Rockville/Gaithersburg and so far this is the closest we have found (though we really wish chuy's or el paso down in springfield were close by). They have terrific size portions, though it is a little pricey. Chicken fajitas are pretty good- that would be my recommendation. read more

Everything about our plate was amazing (see video). The steak was tender and salted perfectly, the chicken was moist and I've never had ribs with that flavor. The reminded me of a Pueblo style mole sauce that uses fried peppers and carbonize tortilla that have been ground up. Really good read more

Solid TexMex food, not as authentic as I would have expected. If you want a quick, tasty, local bite, Ay Jalisco will do the trick... but that's about as far as it goes. It is fairly average "Mexican" fare. read more