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    El Fresco

    4.2 (196 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order El Fresco Takeout or Delivery

    El Fresco Photos

    Business Info

    EL FRESCO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - El Fresco

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    Shrimp Fajita Guac. Salad
    Chhann S.

    A great local establishment with a great menu of dishes to choose from. The food is prepared fresh to order. Affordable prices and I especially love their Healthy Grilled Shrimp and Guacamole Salad.

    Breakfast Wrap
    Rachel K.

    This place is an Easter egg hiding in plain sight! I can't believe I didn't know about El Fresco sooner. The breakfast wraps are an absolute steal. $3 for a regular and about $2 extra to add meat. The wrap is surprising large despite the cashier telling me it's tiny haha she said you can finish it in 4-5 bites but you definitely cannot. I felt full after just eating 1! On its own it's a little plain but goes really well with the salsas at the salsa bar. I tried one of the wraps with bacon and can't really say that the $2 extra was worth it. Seems like bacon bits were used instead of fresh bacon AND it was a minuscule amount. I almost thought that they forgot to add the bacon because I couldn't even see it. On the other hand, the chorizo was a great addition! There was a lot and the flavor made the wrap taste less plain. I'll definitely be making my way back here to try other items on the menu

    Elote
    Christine R.

    Delicious food and friendly staff! $10 fajitas in Monday and the platter was huge and the peach margarita was amazing! Check them out!

    Have been here multiple times and has never disappointed everything taste so fresh. They have a unique dine in into I love it. Great place to grab a quick lunch! They also have the best chips and salsa!

    Lunch Special #10 Steak Taco
    Norry H.

    So far I tried this place twice for take out under the pandemic time. I ordered online and then went in and picked up. Both times around lunch time, I saw another customer or two inside the store but I could keep social distance. The food was actually fresh and tasty. I really liked the lunch special Steak Tacos that comes rice and beans of your choice. The rice was perfectly prepared and tasted very good with the beans. I will definitely go back again.

    Trisha C.

    This foodhall style restaurant is a hidden gem in the DMV! We found this restaurant on UberEats and were so impressed by everything that we had ordered. We ended up even making another trip to eat there! Their salsa bar offers several options to add the perfect spice to any dish. I especially enjoyed their Mexican pizza! Access to the restaurant is very easy. There is a ton of parking available on the side of the building.

    Arroz con Pollo
    Joseph S.

    I decided to try El Fresco for the first time last night because I have been seeing so many advertisements in the area and also was not in the mood to cook. My order was well packed included utensils, a small sauce cup of salsa, and a tube of sour cream. I got the Arroz Con Pollo and it was flavorful and fun. It came with not only the chicken and rice but also a tortilla and a small salad. The chicken and rice was definitely interesting because it had melted cheese at the top which I wasn't expecting (I didn't really read the description when I ordered it) but I loved! I also enjoyed how well seasoned the rice was as I didn't feel the need to add anything else. I will definitely get take out here again and will probably explore more options on their menu.

    #1- Burrito Deluxe
    Haja G.

    Omg their tacos are so good & fresh. Almost addicting. Especiallyyy the fish & the vegetarian taco. (Add jalapeños & ask for extra lemons) sprinkle lime over them and just wow. Fresh, tasty, and healthy. The veggie taco has like a red onion zucchini base that's seasoned very well and is topped with guacamole (don't forget to add jalapeños for that extra wow taste) The fish on the fish taco is a nice sized fillet pan seared/fried, and their guacamole is really good too. Really fresh what I'm suspecting is in house made tortillas too. They do have to figure out how to get their tortillas not to fall apart during deliveries but it doesn't happen all the time or to all. And their pizzas are still amazing. I like this place, they're simple fresh and tasty.

    Carne Asada Platter and deep fried ice cream.
    Janelle E.

    It took me a while to warm up to them, but now I love El Fresco. I always order the California Burrito. It is scrumptious! It has French fries and guacamole, and to me, it doesn't need any additional salsa. I can't find a picture of the burrito because I usually eat it at soon as I get it. I have had other burritos and for others you may want to add salsa from their assortment at the salsa bar. I noticed their chips are always fresh as well. Unfortunately, the can't find a picture of the California burrito in my camera roll, but trust me, it looks and tastes really good!

    Burrito with Chicken and Steak
    Steve M.

    Good 4 star Mexican restaurant. Not a lot of seats inside, so this is more of a fast casual place rather than a sit down restaurant. Good food though. Great homemade salsa. Wish they were more liberal with the chips tho. I could have eaten more. Everyone enjoyed their food. Not a lot of complaints. Friendly staff.

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    Guapo's Cocina & Bar

    Guapo's Cocina & Bar

    4.0
    (858 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    I'm a huge fan of Guapo's this is a regular spot for me when I'm in the area. I often come with one…read moreof my best friends and it's his favorite Mexican place in the area also. This specific location is always fairly busy but the food is always fresh and awesome. I'm cureently unable to order anything but the steak fajitas. I'm not sure how they season the steak but it's a flavor I'm always craving an unable to find anywhere else (unless it's a nother Guapo's). This place is big and pretty open, they have a cool little fountain in the middle of the dining area and a bustling bar area too. I'll be back sometime when I'm back in the area.

    I love Guapos. It's a must visit whenever my husband and I come to the area. There are multiple…read morelocations, but we frequent this one the most as it's near one of my husband's best friends. We love Mexican food like many do, but Guapos just always hits the spot. They have lots of delicious dishes but we both always get the Steak Fajitas. You get 10oz of marinated skirt steak and that marinade is fire. The steak comes on a sizzling platter with a side of Mexican butter. Butter y'all! You 100% want to pour that butter all over the steak and the sautéed green peppers and onions. This was a new thing for me, but the flavor is incredible. This steak just melts in your mouth. I'm salivating thinking about it. This entree is way too big of a serving to eat at once, but I typically do and am way too full. It's that good! The Fajitas are served with Mexican rice, a la charra beans, guacamole, lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream and homemade tortillas on the side. The charra beans are also a unique touch. They are hearty and flavorful. Must also brag on their homemade tortillas. To me, the flour is where it's at. They are so soft. You can actually watch them making them fresh from your table. When you put all the fajitas components together and take a bite, it's really delish. Chips and salsa is also stellar, as is their fresh guacamole and queso. If you are going to get a margarita just go ahead and get the large size. They are yummy and it's a better deal than ordering two. Their restaurants are large so lots of tables to accommodate small and large parties alike. It's a casual joint so great for families, celebrations, date night. Service is always quick and attentive, even when they are very busy. If you want a great Mexican meal, come to Guapos. Get those steak fajitas. No notes.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Chimchanga
    Chimchanga
    Chips and Queso

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    Chips and Queso
    Los Carnales Tex Mex Grill

    Los Carnales Tex Mex Grill

    4.3
    (74 reviews)
    4.5 mi

    My friend and I ordered through Uber Eats in the food arrived quickly! All of the food was…read morefantastic! We enjoyed it very much! My friend ordered the skirt steak and he absolutely enjoyed it very much! He actually got a pupusa on the side. And he enjoyed that a lot! I got a stuffed pupusa and it was very tasty! I ordered a cheese enchilada and a beef enchilada, and it came with rice, refried beans, and a salad, which were very tasty!! We both enjoyed our dinners so much that we will be definitely ordering from here again and again!!

    Los Carnales has a great setup, especially if you enjoy sitting near the action. The bar area is…read morespacious with plenty of seating, and we chose to sit right at the bar. The ambience is lively without feeling cramped, which makes it an easy place to settle in after work. Happy Hour: Their happy hour is definitely the main draw. The large margaritas are priced extremely well, and when the mix is right, they're excellent. The only downside is consistency -- sometimes the drinks have a good balance of alcohol, and other times they taste more like lemonade and feel watered down. The appetizer prices are also great. We ordered the fried wings and Mexican rice; both were okay and edible, but not particularly memorable compared to other spots. Service: Service was generally good, but with only one bartender covering the entire bar, there were stretches where he disappeared or was tied up. Nothing terrible, just not the level of attentiveness you get at places with more staff behind the bar. Overall: Despite the inconsistencies, we'd come back. The happy hour prices are hard to beat, and when the drinks hit right, it's worth the visit.

    Photos
    Los Carnales Tex Mex Grill
    Pupusa mixta
    Pupusa mixta
    Chilaquiles Verdes

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    Chilaquiles Verdes
    Costa Azul

    Costa Azul

    4.7
    (10 reviews)
    4.2 mi

    I had never been to Costa Azul before. I came in while my kid was finishing up a birthday party…read morearound the corner. All I wanted was a Coke, chips and salsa, and queso. I had no idea that they offered a small bowl of complementary ceviche, which is actually really good. Like, so good, that I'm going to have to go back just to get that. The queso was also good. It was the standard white queso that I commonly associate with the Midwest because for the longest I couldn't get it on the East Coast, but it's not queso fundido. They offer Coke from a fountain, which is a huge plus. And the salsa was really good. The chips and salsa were free, so they absolutely get bonus points for that. It was a random Saturday evening when I came in, and they were setting up for what looked like live music and a fun night. The service was really good and parking was easy since it's in a plaza. I would highly recommend this place. They were fast and super sweet.

    We went to Costa Azul for dinner recently as we were looking for a new place to try in the area…read more The restaurant was packed when we arrived, but we were seated right away. While looking at the menu, we were served the complimentary chips and salsa which was good. For entrees, we had Filete ala Crema, al Gusto Soup, and Tacos (I forgot which one specifically). The serving sizes were humongous! The Filete ala Crema could probably we shared by 2-3 people. I could say the same for the soup and the tacos. We could say that the seafood was fresh - no funny smells and the food was prepared well. The prices were reasonable. We would love to go back for when we are craving for seafood.

    Photos
    Costa Azul
    Torre De Mariscos
    Torre De Mariscos
    Cerveza 6 Locos

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    Cerveza 6 Locos
    Chuy's

    Chuy's

    3.8
    (599 reviews)
    5.4 mi
    $$

    The manager at this location is absolutely amazing! The food always tastes really great and the…read moreprices are so reasonable in this economy! We accidentally got someone else's order at carry out and The manager personally remade my food and spoke with me on the phone to make it right. They even brought the food to us! We've also always had good service inside with everyone being very friendly!

    My wife and I had been to this restaurant on prior occasion although didn't realize it until we…read morearrived. We were promptly seated for dinner and my wife asked for a ginger beer to which the server indicated he didn't think they served ginger beer. My wife indicated that it's on the menu so the server lost instant credibility by saying they didn't have it, and didn't bother to say he would go check. The server brought chips and salsa which we thought were ok. The chips were really thin and the salsa was runny to the point I got it all over the table. Despite asking the server for napkins, he didn't bring any after 10 mins of waiting. I ended up going to the kitchen and asking if I could have napkins and brought them back to the table myself. Totally ridiculous that a customer has to serve themself. Restaurant cleanliness appeared to be problematic with napkins and debris on the floor, and tables that took 30 mins to get cleaned after patrons left. My wife had fajitas and thought they were good. I had a burrito that had a very thick tortilla to the point I felt like I was eating bread. Some of the steak in the burrito was medium-rare despite not being asked for my preference of how I wanted it cooked. You would think that would be well done in this instance. Needless to say, my wife said we're not returning and I'm not going to fight her over it. I don't recall our first experience being this way but the service and food have definitely changed for the worst.

    Photos
    GUACAMOLE - Fresh avocados & Salsa Fresca, all mashed up.
    GUACAMOLE - Fresh avocados & Salsa Fresca, all mashed up.
    PANCHOS - Tostada chips, refried beans, cheese and your choice of fajita chicken, fajita beef or seasoned ground beef.
    PANCHOS - Tostada chips, refried beans, cheese and your choice of fajita chicken, fajita beef or seasoned ground beef.
    QUESADILLAS  - Flour tortillas stuffed with cheese, green chiles & onion. Served with guacamole, sour cream & tomatoes.

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    QUESADILLAS - Flour tortillas stuffed with cheese, green chiles & onion. Served with guacamole, sour cream & tomatoes.
    Pueblos Tex-Mex Grill

    Pueblos Tex-Mex Grill

    3.7
    (135 reviews)
    2.8 mi

    Went here with coworkers and we're all liked the food. The salsa was good. It's very thin, but I…read moreliked the flavor. We also ordered queso which was good also. The atmosphere is pretty much standard. I really liked what I ordered, but I can't remember the name. I know to coworkers ordered fajitas and they said they were really good. I'd definitely go back.

    This was one of the most disappointing restaurant experiences we've had in a long time…read more We decided to try this place for dinner on a weekend evening and were surprised by how empty it was. At first we assumed maybe we had just come after a rush, but after seeing the condition of the dining area and the overall service, it became easier to understand why the restaurant was so quiet. Given how slow the restaurant was, we expected attentive service. We placed a fairly simple family order, and the waiter even wrote everything down, which initially gave us confidence the order would be handled correctly. Unfortunately, things went downhill from there. We were served chips and salsa while waiting for the food. When we asked for more chips, the waiter brought another basket but completely ignored the fact that the salsa was nearly gone as well -- despite placing the chips directly next to the empty container. Small details like that reflect a lack of attentiveness and basic customer awareness. The bigger issue came when the food arrived. Three separate orders were incorrect, and not minor mistakes either. Considering how empty the restaurant was, this was especially frustrating. When we pointed out the mistakes, the dishes were taken back, but they returned suspiciously fast and appeared to have simply been altered rather than remade properly. For example, sauces and toppings that were incorrectly added seemed hastily scraped off instead of the meals being freshly prepared. That is not how order corrections should be handled, especially when food allergies or dietary restrictions could potentially be involved. I understand service standards have declined in many places over the last several years, but this experience was genuinely far below expectations. Between the inattentive service, multiple incorrect orders, and poor handling of corrections, the entire dinner felt rushed and careless.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Sangrita
    Sangrita
    Sangrita

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    Sangrita
    Don Luis

    Don Luis

    3.8
    (135 reviews)
    2.3 mi

    Had a great experience at Don Luis Restaurant! The food was delicious, full of flavor, and came out…read morefresh and hot.i ordered pozole it was amazing and the tacos de flauta were sooooo good But what really made our visit stand out was our waitress, Dora. She was incredibly kind, attentive, and made us feel genuinely welcomed from start to finish. You can tell she truly cares about her customers, and that kind of service makes all the difference. We loved everything about this place and will definitely be coming back. Highly recommend asking for Dora if you go--she's amazing! ¡Tuvimos una excelente experiencia en Don Luis Restaurant! La comida estaba deliciosa, llena de sabor, y llegó fresca y caliente. Pero lo que realmente hizo especial nuestra visita fue nuestra mesera, Dora. Fue increíblemente amable, atenta y nos hizo sentir muy bienvenidos desde el principio hasta el final. Se nota que realmente le importan sus clientes, y ese tipo de servicio hace toda la diferencia. Nos encantó todo de este lugar y definitivamente volveremos. ¡Lo recomendamos mucho! Si van, pidan a Dora--¡es increíble!

    Literally the most authentic tacos I've had in a long time -- straight-up perfection. The flavors…read morehit like you're standing on a street corner in Mexico, no shortcuts, no watered-down seasoning. Fresh tortillas, juicy meat, and that real homemade taste you can't fake. Hands down the best tacos around. If you haven't tried them yet, you're seriously missing out.

    Photos
    Don Luis
    Chef soup
    Chef soup
    Don Luis

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    Taco Chinoz & Bar

    Taco Chinoz & Bar

    4.6
    (254 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Amazing amazing taco spot in Cville! I normally go for authentic Mexican but the fusion tacos here…read moreare outstanding! I love the beef bulgogi taco and the Korean crispy fried chicken soy garlic taco. Definitely life changing tacos. These pair well with a Modelo or a margarita! The service is always top notch here. Everyone that works here is great, friendly, attentive, and make you feel like family. But a major shoutout to Nancy for being awesome, caring, and for always making it a welcoming and fun place. As for the ambiance, can't beat the K-pop music and vids, the decor, and the mini claw gaming stands! You might win a cool prize! This is a must on your list! See you there!

    Came here with my family because they were craving tacos and I suggested we try a new place. This…read moreplace is pretty and I love the decor and all the little details and trinkets everywhere. Tacos chinoz is a sit down restaurant but it's more of a casual vibe. Our service was fast but our server didn't have the friendliest energy. My family all liked their meals, especially the birria tacos. The Buldak fries are also delicious and super spicy! However, our nacho appetizer wasn't what we expected. The nachos are basically movie theater nachos and movie theater nacho cheese as you can see in the picture with just carne asada and toppings thrown on top. I would not recommend anyone get these. This place has a really unique menu and plenty of new dishes to come back and try. They also have a great drink selection. This place is also a bit expensive.

    Photos
    Taco Chinoz & Bar
    Fish taco, Beef Birria taco
    Fish taco, Beef Birria taco
    Loaded Buldak Fries

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    Loaded Buldak Fries

    El Fresco - mexican - Updated June 2026

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