What an adorable place. Unfortunately, I just discovered as they are closing (like, for good). Some friends have gone for years and I can see why. The shrimp Veracruz dish I had was excellent and I tried some of my friend's mole. I don't always care for mole but theirs was excellent. read more

Fantastic restaurant for 50 years! So sorry they closed. I named my Dog Tia in honor of this restaurant.

I love this family owned restaurant! They have the best salsa in Bethesda. I had my birthday dinner and my boyfriend's birthday dinner there and they made it wonderful! I love the upstairs patio. It feels so homey and has tvs. Pitchers of margs are a must! read more

Decided to visit on a Lazy Sunday. Restaurant was quiet. Went up to the second floor which is the roof bar. Reminded me so much of an authentic mexican spot, transported me to Puebla, Rivera Maya, Todos los Santos and other places. We ordered tecate, margaritas and the guacamole to start. The guacamole was super fresh!!!.Chunky and flavorful just a bit too much onion. For main, we ordered beef tacos roquetas and steak tacos. I have to start with the rice, it was perfectly done. The texture was right, grainy and it was flavorful. The frijoles were average for my taste buds, I believed they needed a bit more salt. The beef roquetas are panfried rolled tortillas with shredded beef inside and green and red sauce on top. They were crispy, juicy and very tasty. The steak tacos were also delicious. The steak itself was well cooked and it was a good amount of meat per taco. Thank you to our server/bartender. You were amazing. Definetely recommend and will come back. read more

Tia Queta is one of our favorite places to eat in Bethesda. We eat there at least once a week and are so happy with each and every visit. John, the manager, welcomes us and at this point knows our order without us saying it. The original owners are there and also greet us with a wave and a smile. The atmosphere is the best of any place we have been in Bethesda. It's like you are walking into Mexico- and not fake Mexico - real Mexico. They have an authentic rooftop which is so pleasant and fun - rare for Bethesda. Get the frozen margaritas, a must and the guacamole and chips. We love the shrimp, flounder, and special gluten-free taquitos. They prepare the food exactly as we like it and have no qualms about substitutions making the meal exactly to our liking! Give it a try. It's a wonderful experience! read more

My favorite mole in all of the DC area! We sat on the rooftop balcony and it was a fun atmosphere. We had a great waiter. If you like mole, this is the best around! read more

Tia Queta - Mole chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

We have been going to Tia Queta since they opened in the early 80s. In their first location the lines would be out the door and Roberto would pass out margaritas to us while we waited. Their excellent, authentic, food has always been first rate. This is not Tex-Mex but really fine Mexican cuisine. We moved from the area over twenty years ago but had the opportunity to dine there last week. Their enchiladas suizas and camarones papatzul are as good as they were 45 years ago as well as the margaritas! After seeing the film Like Water for Chocolate, where they make chiles en nogada, we made a bee-line to Tia Queta where they made it for us. They now make it around the holidays and it's absolutely delicious. It was wonderful to see Roberto and Mary after so many years. read more

My family and I have been eating at Tia Queta for around 40+ years; from its original location to its current one. Never a bad meal, and one of the few Mexican restaurants in the area that actually makes a Mole (top notch at that). Everyone is polite amongst the staff, providing a pleasant dining experience. Cozy seating with ceramics and glassware on the walls. It's a welcoming visit every time, always a great meal, and never a disappointment. While always being easy on the wallet. read more

Tia Queta - Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Just had dinner here tonight, me and my husband have been coming here for years now. Excellent cuisine at really reasonable prices for Bethesda. This place has consistently served the best variety of camaron/shrimp dishes I have ever had. I like them so much that I never ordered anything else. The Margarita's are great as well. The service is always outstanding. There is something to be said about a family run business that has endured over 30 years in Bethesda, through construction, COVID etc. read more

Excellent food and the most beautiful atmosphere in Bethesda. Excellent food, very knowledgeable staff. Love the guac and mole! read more

Tia Queta - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Even though it's in our neighborhood, we hadn't heard of it in the almost 5 years we've been here. Better late than never! Best chicken mole ever! Excellent service and pleasant surroundings on their roof top terrace. Guacamole was a little blah though. read more

Best mole in the area. Feels like you're at a grandma's house eating home cooked food in the best way.

Excellent food and excellent service. Not too noisy which is something I appreciated. I had the white sangria and the guacamole which were great. Then I had fajitas which were tasty and a huge portion. I would totally recommend this place. I was a bit worried about parking in Bethesda on a Saturday night, but it was easy and not a problem. I will definitely be going back to this place. read more

Went to Tia Queta after seeing a show at the Shakespeare Theatre. My husband and I both ordered Pollo En Salsa Verde which is one of my favorites. John, our waiter is fantastic, very friendly and attentive! The Margarita's and Sangria are great. read more

My first time. I love their mole sauce. I've only had mole once before at smother place and not impressed. The mole at Tia Quetta is HEAVEN!! I should have stopped at my 2'd chicken enchilada but stuffed myself because it was so delicious!! It's not a chocolate sauce as one may think but has dark chocolate in it . The red sangria also excellent but the chips were stale however very good salsa. I'll be a regular for the mole read more

The absolutely the hands down best mole sauce ever created - first time here and wow Enchilada shredded delicious chicken with mole sauce!!

My favorite restaurant for over 30 years. Not TexMex, but just delicious, high quality dinners. The cream of black bean soup is the best ever, the nachos (not a pile of yuck), but individually prepared. The margaritas are awesome. Enchiladas de mole - OMG so good. The roof top deck --you feel like you are in Mexico - read more

Aesthetic Appeal & Atmosphere: The atmosphere in their upstairs restaurant magically takes you to a Mexican taqueria with real authenticity Service: The service is always good and I haven't had to wait long to be waited on, served, or to ask any questions. The staff is right on point here! Meal Quality: Their sauces are the real deal from their Verde to Mole sauce! They can put it on anything and its a winning combination! I've been here three times within the last 6 weeks and I'm just getting revved up! This place has some of the best real Mexican food in the DC area Aesthetic Appeal & Atmosphere: 5 of 5 Service: 5 of 5 Meal & Drinks Quality: 6 of 5 (I know this is not mathematically possible but it gets the point across) read more

See ya, Queta! Very friendly staff but okay food so not enough for me to want to go back. I ordered carne asada medium rare and the steak came out medium. It was good but still, didn't follow instructions. Didn't care for the tamale, it was a bit congealed. The guacamole, beans and rice were not memorable either. The mango margarita was tasty and strong. read more

I occasionally work in the Woodmont Triangle area and I have to say this is perhaps my favorite restaurant in the whole of Bethesda. The food is superb- totally delicious and authentic. I highly recommend the Enchiladas Suizas, Queso con Tequila (FLAMBING queso with tequila on top), and the spiked coffee (one of the most delicious beverages I've ever had- especially on a cold night). On top of this, the service was wonderful and the atmosphere warm and quirky. I've gone out of my way to take multiple friends to this charming hidden gem- I could not recommend it more. read more

This is THE authentic, family-owned spot that my husband turned me onto. Like I will actually fight someone for this business. Get the red snapper in guajillo pepper sauce (not sure if it's in the menu - the menu is only a suggestion, which is incredible) or the chicken mole. It makes all other chicken mole taste like garbage. I'm serious, it will ruin you. It is so deep, so smokey, so comforting. Come in with the whole family and tuck into some real Mexican food. Leave Uncle Julio's for the tourists. Andy is a hoot (mainly because he teases my husband, which gives me a break from doing so) and Roberto is always around to greet you! Best family, amazing service, and flavors you cannot get anywhere else. read more

Great Food and Location 1) Place was clean and neat. 2) Waiter and staff were friendly and polite read more

Tia Queta - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

I have lived in Bethesda for seven years, and I had never been to this restaurant before. But it was written up in Bethesda Magazine, so I thought I'd check it out. The place in fine enough, and the waiter was very attentive and nice (he even gave us a free dessert when the one we ordered wasn't available). But the rest of the food was nothing to write home about, and it was extremely overpriced for what it was. I paid over $30 for a margarita, guacamole, three of the tiniest tacos I've ever seen, and a pitiful amount of rice and beans. I could have gotten a HUGE platter of enchiladas and more at Uncle Julio's for just over half the cost. If you want Mexican food in Bethesda, this is NOT the place to go! read more

Tia Queta is consistently wonderful. The food is some of the best around and definitely comparable to things I got in Mexico. Overall, dishes are packed with flavor and come with a nice manageable side--though the portions have recently gotten a little smaller unfortunately. Tacos Rooquetas, Enchiladas Suizas/ de mole are all fantastic options. The specials look great and some of the seafood. Wonderful variety at bar--quite decent and fun drinks. Atmosphere is wonderful, unchanging decor that maintains a certain charm, but not modern. It's the same wait staff, usually very friendly. Food authentic and w/ extensive menu, party facility too! Wish they would put a cover underneath the chips in the basket though! Try it! Buen provecho. Recently had excellent baked bannana desert--though the buenuellos are bland in my opinion. P.S. parking nearby and rooftop is great in summer. read more

Tia Queta - Baked Banana Dessert--yum - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

If you can't resist this shlotskies-gone-wild tatty decor... come drunk. Fall-off-your-beach-flipflop-drunk. The service seems friendly but it's slow (why are there so many people in this place?), the chips are cold and out of the bag, the salsa is watery and bland, the drinks came via commuter bus, the veggie fajita vegetables were British public school boiled (does it make you think of Cancun bronzed bods?), the melted cheese was cold, and the best thing were the warm flour tortillas (so at least they know how to use the microwave). Sure, they have mole on the menu... so what, you wanna try it in a place like this? Only $46 for two people (and we were being gracious about the tip). Call now for a blah bland pasty white... it's online now... have your credit card handy... it's, ooh, ahhh, waiting for you... read more

Tia Queta - Blah veggies - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I used to come here back in the 80s and 90s but something happened with management or the owner, but it's not what it used to be. The food is still decent but not for that price. It's been around forever and looks like its best days are behind it. So many great Mexican places around that are great. read more

3.5 stars *TL;DR - A-OK! Good Mexican food! Service could be a little better.* Came here on a Thursday night... in the summer, can go upstairs for rooftop seating. I have been meaning to come here for the longest of time. I mean, WHY wouldn't you want to go to a restaurant with a STOPLIGHT on top of the house? Came in and it was seat yourself style, we were handed a menu right away. Complimentary chips/salsa were also brought promptly. The chips were good, the salsa tasted like it was from a can/jar but I ain't complaining. Twas good. The service was a bit spotty. It took a little to get the server's attention to get our orders. In addition, we also had to get their attention to bring us silverware. That being said, it wasn't anything to get upset over. The food was wonderful! Make sure you don't come here with tex-mex expectations... otherwise, you'll leave feeling unsatisfied. This afterall, is not texmex! Sangria (red) - Very tasty! Apples, oranges, and more! Chiles Rellenos - If you happen to like dishes where one type of food is stuffed with another type of food, you'll love this dish! Stuffed with cheese an fried in batter of egg whites covered in a lightly savory tomato & onion blend, how could one not love it? The cheeseeeee! Rice and beans on the side were okay. Tamales - Corn meal with chicken, moist enough and perfect with the green mole sauce provided to dip in. So cute, I hope the service is better next time but other than that, I'd be back for the food! read more

Tia Queta - Complimentary chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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This was our third visit and it keeps improving every time!! The whole staff - especially John - was very accommodating and welcoming, so much so that it felt like home. It is super family friendly and has a great rooftop in the warmer months. The downstairs is cozy and colorful, despite the nondescript storefront from the outside. As for food, the Shrimp Papatzul was delicious and their fajitas are also on point. The guac was fresh and delicious, and the chips are crispy and overflowing. A win win all around. We are excited to go back soon! read more

We used to live in Bethesda & this was our go to Mexican spot. Since moving to Fairfax in 2012, we have missed this place! We decided to make the drive recently, and it was just as good as we remembered! Sangria = amazing as always! My husband got the Pescado Yucateco, & I got the Pescado ala Mexicana. Both were delicious! As long as we live in the DMV we will keep coming back! read more

We were here for a large function, so my experience is based on a buffet-style offering. First of all, this place is a lot bigger than it seems from the outside - there's a second floor with a huge room in the back. Service was excellent, and the bar staff was very friendly... The margaritas and other tropical drinks were huge. The appetizers served were good and your standard fare (baked beans and cheese on a crunchy tortilla shell). For the dinner, they offered rice, refried beans, a very nicely done chicken and a midlinds to so-so fish. read more

Customer Service: Spotty. No hostess. Seat yourself. Servers all took turn serving us Drinks: Tia Queta Special Margarita, pretty strong, but not bad if you like tequila Sangria lots of fruit and ice *prices are not labeled. we should have asked how much the pitchers were turned out to be $30/each. Yikes!* Appetizers: Queso. Didn't realize it was broiled. It was stringy and cheese.. not too bad. Hard to eat with chips. We thought we were getting the gooey cheese sauce. Oops! Chips and salsa were pretty good! Entrees: Tacos Roquetas, crunchy and delicious Fajitas de Camaron, shrimp was not overcooked but they could have been cleaned a bit better... read more

I'm giving three stars because it was OK just not excellent. I would not go out of my way to go back there. I go to a lot of Mexican restaurants so I have high standards and they missed the mark on a few things. The first thing that I taste (&review) when I'm at any Mexican establishment is the salsa and chips. The chips were clearly not homemade. They were these round corn tortilla chips that are served at most movie theaters. Not a good first impression. The salsa was greasy and looked more like tomato sauce than an authentic salsa. I was disappointed in the salsa and chips. The chicken quesadilla was so good! I really enjoyed that. I ordered it because I thought how made can you screw up quesadilla ? Well, they did a fabulous job with them. Order these when you go!! Skip the 'ritas and order one of the Mexican beer selections. The margarita was not very good... too tangy and not enough tequilla to make it worth it! read more

Tia Queta - chicken quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Some of the best and freshest Mexican food! We always get the steak fajitas and they come out so fresh and delicious. The quesadilla is probably one of the best I have ever had. It's so cheesy! read more

Wow!!! This place is a blast!!! Just rolled in the other day for a bite and a quick drink... couldn't have found a spot better that afternoon! Andy was the ultimate host and the food was super. Wonderful Mexican beer selection too!! I'll be back soon!!! Tracy C. read more

Great food and service! We ordered guacamole, chicken quesadillas, and chicken tamales. The guacamole was some of the best I've ever had, I would come back for that on its own but the quesadillas and tamales were also great. In addition to the food we ordered there was the standard free chips and salsa (I personally prefer spicy salsa and this was not spicy at all, but still delicious in its own way) and a small sample of the Crepas. The Crepas were AMAZING and if I had not been so full I would've ordered a full size portion to also have. In addition to the food we also had great service, the primary server was very friendly and attentive and a gentleman who I assume was the owner also popped over to check on us (as well as chatting for a bit as we were on our way out). Finally, this place also has a super cool atmosphere. From the decorations and the music it just gives off a very authentic vibe. 10/10 would recommend! read more

The rice tastes like it's from a box, the refried beans taste like it's from a can. The chips taste like they're ordered from a food facility. Who puts lettuce in a side of guac?!?! Hate to say it but this is not real Mexican food!! read more

I'll start with the positives: The service was excellent. Our server was attentive, friendly and we felt welcome. We sat on the rooftop deck, which was pleasant. The restaurant downstairs smelled horrible like old, rancid oil, so the breeze upstairs was a welcome change. The music was excellent too. The food was not good. The chips tasted stale and like rancid oil. The salsa was weird and oily. I got the tamales, and the chicken inside tasted so chickeny. It was seriously the chickeniest chicken. Tamales don't come with refried beans and rice for some reason, but came with an iceberg lettuce salad, which I didn't eat because I couldn't stomach the dressing they gave me (it was a very gelatinous italian dressing). The husband got enchiladas swisas, which he said were't bad. Maybe just the tamales aren't great there? I was hoping for a more authentic experience, and this just wasn't it. I was pretty disappointed. read more

The food is awesome. We ordered to go for lunch. My friends and I were really happy with the food. The guacamole came with chips. The portion really generous. The place looks like piece of Mexico. I highly recommend it if you are in hunt for a good Mexican food. read more

I came here with a friend after studying. It is a welcoming, hole in the wall restaurant i hadn't come across before. We went to the second floor to eat. The chips and salsa are good, they seem pretty homemade, and my friend says it reminds him of his grandmother's recipe. I had a margarita, which was really good (could taste the tequila!). There is a bit of a wait, but it allowed us to practice more. I had some stewed chicken which was okay, but my friend's enchiladas were great. Those enchiladas were mesmerizing. Will come back just for those! read more

If you like seafood served up in a savory South of the Border way, Tia Queta is the place. Every time we've eaten here (over the past 25 years), the fish dishes set the standard for every "Mexican" restaurant in the DC area. Last night we feasted on fresh snapper, grouper tacos, jumbo shrimp veracruzana and ceviche. The owner is also an avid fisherman, so sometimes the restaurant's patrons are able to benefit from some of his success on the water. The service is excellent, the staff is super friendly and they've got an excellent tequila & beer selection. That said, if you're just looking for frozen margaritas, chips and salsa, go to some other fajita factory for your taste of Tex-Mex. The chips & salsa are average, but if you've got a favorite style of margarita, they will serve it up RIGHT. Bottom line, I gave Tia Queta 5 stars because on a bang for the buck basis its a fantastic place and you will not find better authentically prepared Mexican seafood fare anywhere in DC. read more