The Freshest Mexican food in Alexandria and pretty strong margaritas! Was in the mood for chips, salsa, and margarita and stumbled upon Los Cuates while walking down king street. Inside was super cute and your standard theme Mexican restaurant and being a rainy Saturday the restaurant was pretty empty for lunch time. Our server sat us quickly and was very accommodating when we asked to watch the US Open. I would give the service 5 stars but I'm giving only 4 because I think the salsa could be better. Maybe blend it up and add some cilantro? Was super watery and lots of onions but enjoyed it none the less. Their menu is super extensive, like so many choices but I decided to get the spinach enchiladas and my boyfriend got the seafood. I was expected your standard refried beans and rice but omg everything was so fresh and you get guacamole and sour cream! I was delightfully surprised and couldn't finish anything and finished my left overs for breakfast lol. You can also get mole sauce or spicy queso on top for an extra $1.50 and so worth it. Not sure if I would come back here when visiting Alexandria again because there are so many restaurants to try but I would definitely recommend if you are in the mood for Mexican, give this a try. (There is also a location in Georgetown). read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I would give them zeros stars if I could!! They charged an automatic 20% tip and 3% credit card service charge!

Really wanted to like this place. Atmosphere is great, service seemed friendly at first. The salsa was lackluster but fine given it was free. The chips were great - crisp & light. The guac was a good portion and fresh, but bland - not enough flavor aside from the avocado (even though I specified "spicy" when they asked me what heat level). The guacamole did not have a price listed and was "market price." The shrimp street tacos were phenomenal and fresh and light, but they took forever to arrive (40+ minutes just for 2?) and I needed to remind the waiter multiple times to check on my order. There were only 2 other small tables with customers at the time. Finally, the billing practices here seem really deceptive. The final bill came with no prices but listed my order and said "11% sales tax" and then "3% credit card fee" at bottom. I'm ok with the card fee if that listed that way, but come on, no prices on the final bill? And 11% "sales tax" in Alexandria? The waiter tried to explain that they ran out of receipt paper (not true) or that their system was bad and could not print prices at the time. It took ~30minutes to settle the bill and see prices (non-itemized total finally was shown to me finally on the card reader screen) even though I asked for it when my tacos arrived. Server kept "forgetting" I was waiting on him, even though I was the last one left in the restaurant (but still before 9pm and was well before close on a Monday). Sad to say I won't be back. The food I ordered was non-greasy and overall tasty, I would return if they fixed their service and pricing issues. read more

Service was great. Music was great. Overall vibe was amazing. I've been here multiple times and have always enjoyed. Food is average but still hits the spot. Drinks are amazing. Overall would recommend! read more

Food was delicious. The taco shells were light with perfect crisp. It tastes all homemade. Mangorita drink was just as great. read more

Los Cuates - Front of restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Zero stars! Did not order food. Just 1 beer (domestic) while friends sang karaoke. My card was charged $25.00. Disputing charge with credit card company. Ridiculous! read more

Looks like people come for the margaritas, to be fair I am from CA and maybe I have unrealistic expectations for Mexican food but this did not hit the mark of anything remotely Mexican. The food was bland the meat was chewy. It just wasn't a great experience. The service and ambiance was great, just expected the food to be half decent. read more

I have been on a search to new places. I bartender was very sweet and attentive the place was clean and no weird smells. That is always a plus for me!! I really wanted to give this place and shot but the drink orders alone weren't the best. I feel that the place has potential and I for one will always give a place a 2nd shot. So I ordered a Bloody Mary. The taste was good. I know what was put in it cause I asked. Clamato and Tabasco sauce, phew the flavor was way to Spicey for me. I can't say what it needed to make it better. In any event, I was not able to drink it. It was way to spicy. She switched to a mimosa. That good. The margarita was a little on the syrupy sweet side. Not like ones I have had before. The chip sauce Unfortunately needs a little more flavor, maybe more lime and the ingredients chopped up a little more. Again I will try it again. Just hope the experience will be better. read more

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The outdoor seating was pretty nice, had a few frozen margaritas, it was lovely. The salsa & chips were ok, nothing to write home about. Before covid I have had dinner here and it was not bad. We didn't eat this time. It was not crowded, relaxing. read more

Delicious food and even better service. Large portions and everything was super tasty. Chips and salsa were chefs kiss.

Great drinks and good customer service is amazing I think they knew I love chips and salsa

Server was mad that we didn't want to order more food because we just wanted a drink and an appetizer. The server told us it was taco Tuesday so it was buy 2 tacos get one free. Tacos were good but we were charged more than it cost for 3 tacos? Server was visibly upset we didn't want to spend more money. Rubbed us the wrong way and he totally screwed us on the bill too. read more

Everything was great!!! I have a milk allergy and they checked everything and the food was wonderful!

I've never had a bad meal from Los Cuates. I always start with the guacamole and margaritas! The margaritas are so fresh, have a nice balance of sour and sweet to them and they HIT in terms of alcohol strength! AMAZING! I always get the steak and shrimp fajitas for my entree and most recently, I ordered the shrimp and steak street tacos for lunch on DoorDash. The shrimp street tacos were PHENOMENAL. Authentic with solely onions, cilantro accompanied with a small to-go container of their green crema sauce. *Chef's kiss*. I was underwhelmed by the steak street tacos, but I think it's because I ruined them by microwaving them and messing up the texture of the steak. They also have amazing ribs here, too! So, so tender and authentic! Just the perfect balance of smokiness and sweetness! I highly reccommend visiting Los Cuates. Friendly staff, efficient service and amazing food! read more

Starting off with four stars on Cinco de Mayo- they have obviously been swamped yet I walked right in as a party of one. 3 minute wait from seating until the chips and salsa arrived. The salsa needs blending but they are packed, otherwise the flavors are perfect. The water-boy is very attentive in keeping my water glass full and the margarita - tasty. The enchiladas, shredded beef, are on par with an "good" restaurant in El Paso, TX!! The sopaipillas are very good as well and come petite rather than the traditional large ones, which is a nice treat and they are not greasy! The beans and rice are just OK otherwise this would be a 5-star rating but the service is every bit 5-star.i read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Excellent food and wonderful server Susanna. We will be back. Love the Quinoa Salad. The house margaritas are refreshing.

Really appreciated them squeezing us in on a Saturday night but I would say everything was just ok especially considering the prices. The margaritas were very sweet. I had the fish tacos which are supposed to come with a mole sauce and I was really excited for that but it didn't really taste like mole. The fish was cooked nicely though. Guac was decent. read more

We come here every time we are in DC. Started this tradition about 5 years ago. We are often waited on by Manuel who is awesome. Always make sure we are happy with our service, drinks and meals. The table guacamole is the best. You can get it Mild, Medium or Hot. Had the Chile Relleno with beef this time. Best ever! read more

Los Cuates - Table Guacamole Dip Appetizer and Margaritas! - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I greatly enjoyed my meal at Los Cuates. I ordered chicken in a saffron sauce that included with shrimp, black beans, white rice, and veggies. I almost ordered another dish that had cooked plantains, and I would probably get that next time I go there. Anyway, the sauce was tasty, and I was glad there was so many good sides that came with the chicken. The only thing that would have improved my meal was having a small stack of tortillas on the side so I could make my own tacos. I also enjoyed the passion fruit juice, which had great taste. And the restaurant had a nice atmosphere with splendid decor. read more

Los Cuates - There's chicken with shrimp, veggies, black beans, & rice. The radishes may be from someone else in my family. I got a passion fruit juice. - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I really enjoy visiting Los Cuates when I get a fajita craving. I've always been seated quickly and provided chips and salsa to munch on while reviewing the menu. I'll start with the drinks. I like the 12oz skinny margarita. They will try to upsell you to a larger size but 12oz is a nice normal sized drink. My favorite dish is the chicken fajitas. The potions are big and the spices they use to season the chicken are really really good. The two major drawbacks are the bathrooms were dirty when we visited last and the lock didn't work on one of the stalls. Also, the prices are a little high compared to other similar restaurants in the area, but the food is delicious! read more

Los Cuates - Chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I was really looking forward to their grand opening, but alas, they bungled the liqueur license issue so that moment was rather uneventful...seriously, Mexican restaurant without Margaritas is almost crime against God or something. So I waited until I can have my delicious Margarita which was quite yummy, but the ambiance and overall feel of Los Cuates was a bit lacking. Again this may change over time, but for me this joint is just o.k. I only had their nachos, which was quite a version from your average mountain of chips. No, their version was a plate of individually garnished chips, which is remmenisant of the original version of nachos. To be fair, it was quite filling, and although it didn't have the visiual appeal of the Americanized version served in most restaurants, I would order it again. For me, this spot will need another visit before I can really settle on a star rating, but for now, 3 stars it is. read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

We've been here a few times without incident, but dinner two nights ago almost sent me to the ER. This is not an exaggeration - I was sick more than fifteen times throughout the night and was in the kind of pain that brings involuntary tears to your eyes. It was really horrible. I'm an adventurous eater with no food allergies of any kind, so I was not expecting this after ordering basic chips and fajitas. By 3am my husband was asking to take me to hospital, but I didn't want to risk this during COVID and managed to hold out to see my regular doctor the next morning. She immediately diagnosed me with food poisoning - possible salmonella - and now I am on several medications. Service was also poor - the waiter walked away while my husband was still ordering, even though we were straight to the point and were not being difficult in any way. We also got charged for something we didn't order, the wrong food was put down on our table and then given to someone else, and the restroom was absolutely filthy, with urine in the toilets and paper strewn on the floor. I do not recommend this place - I'm not overly fussy about cleanliness most of the time but nobody should be getting seriously, violently ill from a night out. read more

Service was alright, nothing over the top. I ordered chicken fajitas platter. The food was quite bland and not very tasteful. The flour tortillas felt like they where microwaved.. I wouldn't recommend.. Having awful heartburn with bad after taste. read more

Los Cuates - Chicken and Veggie Fajitas. - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The food here was quite average, however the service made the experience almost unbearable. The restaurant was not even very busy but the waiter and manager still managed to forget things about our order, even specific requests we made. The food was average at best, definitely subpar for the area. Overcall it was edible and didn't taste bad. The margaritas were pretty good. read more

We had dinner at Lis Cuates a few days after they opened and loved the food. Tamales con pollo were excellent...soft corn and tender chicken. No liquor license yet. read more

Los Cuates - Tamales con pollo - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Great little hole in the wall ! We came late night. Food was great. Skinny margaritas were perfect and loaded with tequila lol. Cebiche was great need a little bit of more lime juice but it was fresh !We will come back read more

Los Cuates - Tres leches - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Alexandria Location. Great Environment, Really came Alive in the Afternoon/Evening during Happy Hour. Children Friendly. (Myself, Newborn, and Baby's Mom.) Awesome Service and Management. Food Presentation's was Beautiful! Taste was 8/10 Drinks were Nice 8/10. Enjoyable, strong enough for me to get Buzzed but not drunk. Great Taste but can still taste the Liquor. Will be a returning again! read more

I ordered takeout and the food was terrible, it was flavorless other than a ton of salt. None of my family finished their food. A friend then took me here and I was hoping dining in would be better, it wasn't. It's pretty hard to mess up chips and salsa, but they did it. I ordered the fajitas, the veggies were covered in grease and again super salty. Very disappointed. read more

Los Cuates has gone down hill!! I've been a regular patron of this restaurant over the years and have seen significant changes take place over a period of time. Sadly, this place has lost its quality in food and service. I'm so disappointed to see issues that were previously existent, were never fixed or merely resolved. Very doubtful that I'll return or will recommend to people. First impression and quickly noticeable as you walk in, is the extremely warm temperature. This issue alone makes the experience uncomfortable and hard to enjoy a meal in a pleasant atmosphere. However, the AC has not worked properly in years and tonight was no exception. It was cooler outside when we stepped out after our over $100 meal... and temperature outside was 74°! The expensive Cadillac margaritas were prepared out of some pre-mixed blend of ingredients that were rather tasteless and hardly had a trace of tequila. This was one of my favorite drinks to order as they were flavorful in the past but no longer the case. Lastly, food items like pinto beans, yellow rice, beef enchiladas, tamales, arracheras de molcajete have a bland taste or no taste at all. It seems as they're cutting corners in an effort to save money and consequently hurting quality, taste, atmosphere and the overall customer experience. read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Oh this restaurant was a really nice surprise. Found it just walking by and the food smelled amazing. The chili replenish were cooked perfectly not too spicy but just the right amount of kick. Tacos were fresh and full of flavor. Even the rice was probably the most favorable Mexican rice I've ever had. Oh and if you get the lemonade you will be in heaven. read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I can't recommend this restaurant. The service was poor. The food was just ok. The beans were really bland. The tortillas were stale. The salsa was just large pieces of tomato in red water. Our waiter was missing most of the time and not much better when he was present. I got the wrong item. The prices aren't marked for the drinks. Margaritas are $35 EACH. Yes. For a margarita. read more

THE BEST queso. Nice wait staff. Authentic Mexican vibes and decor & they have karaoke

For me, this was some of the worst Mexican food i have ever had. I had a bean burrito which came with a side of rice and beans. I appreciated that they put the salsa and guac on the side. The burrito had cheese melted on it which was a nice touch. However, the burrito just wasn't that good. The beans are not a refried beans but more of a liquid bean. The beans had more flavor than the rice, but still just not very good. The rice was bland, but had peas and small carrot chunks which is common amongst Mexican rice, so no issues there. The rice was just very bland. I know Mexico is a very diverse country and that has to be taken into account when it comes to food, but the food here is mediocre at best in my opinion. read more

I ordered from here on Uber Eats. I ordered the side of red salsa for $12.95. When I got it, it was a tiny 1 oz cup of salsa. What a scam. The other food I ordered was not too tasty either. Very average. But the 1 star is for the incredibly expensive salsa. read more

This place is ok. Popped in for a light meal on Saturday afternoon. It is pretty dark in the restaurant. I sat on the end of the bar which I don't recommend because it seems to be the setup area for the bar and servers even though there are bar stools. I enjoyed my small mango margarita. They have small, regular and huge margaritas. I guess UFC is very popular at this bar because it seems to be a focus of happy hours and it's what was on the bar TVs. I had the cheese enchilada plate which was good but not the best I've ever had. They seemed slow to clear the tables and bar area after patrons were gone. Not the best Mexican food, I've had in Alexandria but it was ok. read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I'm sooooo confused by the bad reviews! We happened by tonight after working a busy day at our own restaurant catering to the carry crowd during the Covid-19 quarantine. The burrito, chimichanga. Queso blanco and the 32oz Margarita togo were beyond amazing. I rather liked the beans that so many have trashed and the rice..while I'm sure it was fine, after my burrito there was no room for it so I will have to save that for later! I will look forward to when I can dine in, for now, my margarita isn't going to drink itself. read more

I don't usually write reviews but after my experience here I need to. Came in on a Saturday afternoon around 4pm for some margaritas with friends. This place has some of the rudest staff. Was pretty crowded when we came in both inside & outside but there were tables available. We asked if we could sit outside and the server barely looked at us and said there was no seating outdoors. We then asked to sit inside and he very rudely told us to sit at one table. Between me and my 2 friends we each ordered a marg, guacamole and plantains. Guac was bland and plantains were soggy, marg was good though. After 30 min when we were only halfway done our drinks, our waiter comes up to us and says we have to order more food or we have to leave since we didn't order enough. Mind you we had just ordered a $12 margarita each and the restaurant had completely cleared out by this point. All outside tables were empty and most indoors were as well. I think the waiter just wanted more money honestly and was upset that he wouldn't get as big a 'tip' if we didn't order more. Like who does that to a paying customer? We were rushed out by that point; waiter basically slammed the check down and came as soon as we put the card. If the restaurant was busy I could see why they'd want us to leave if we didn't want more, but we weren't even done with our food when he did this! Anyway this is probably the worst customer service I've experienced, no other restaurant has ever kicked me out for not ordering enough food. All staff was rude and just care about how much money you'll give them. I'm giving this place a 2 because the margs were actually pretty good. Will not be coming back. read more

We drove into town in the evening and found our lodging's then took a short walk on King Street well several blocks actually. Looked at several menus on various doors and chose to go back to Los Cuates as outside diners were all smiling and lots of animated conversations. We chose to go inside for the air conditioning and enjoyed a couple cold beers and an order of tacos for mom for one and steak fajitas for dad and enchiladas for the young man. Excellent selection on the menu and friendly staff. We will certainly go back soon! read more

We ordered delivery tonight and the food arrived cold and soggy. The rice and beans were also cold and bland. Interesting take on beans: cover in water, add three pieces of shredded cheese. It was like bean soup. The two picture show the complete lack of quality control. The pork had no flavor, it was like they didn't season anything. read more

Los Cuates - This is supposed to be a chimichanga. I think it's supposed to have mole on top. It's only 6" long. - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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This was the worst Mexican restaurant that we have ever eaten at. Location was great right on King Street. They need to add staff not enough staff to customer ratio. This place is the most expensive Mexican restaurant I've ever had and that would be acceptable but the quality of the food was horrible. The guacamole was $14. It was basically avocado little to no seasoning a couple of flakes of cilantro a few 10 slices of onion, no tomato no flavor. The cheese sauce had too much flour in it so it just tasted like flour paste. I had the seafood enchiladas they were bland and over cooked with no sauce on them so basically tortilla shrimp teeny tiny scallops with cheese on top and super dry. My daughters steak quesadilla looked fine. However, my wife ordered a pork burrito which they forgot to put on the order so it came 10 minutes after everybody else had finished eating their food. The burrito was bland, lacked salt and garlic or any flavor what so ever. No hot sauce on the table. Asked for some and they told us they didn't have any :( read more