Mexican Food!

Someone wrote:
: Can anyone recommend a good Mexican place in the Rockville/Bethesda area? : I had to break down and go to CHi Chi's Monday and was not a happy : person afterwards.  Would rather go to a family owned/run place.

  There's a good hole-in-the-wall taco/burrito place called Chela's
about a half-block off of Woodmont in Bethesda (toward the Wisconsin side, within a block of the Bray and Scarff). It's a little hut with all the dish names on paper plates behind the counter (with names like "super burrito", "super-duper burrito", and "new burrito"). About as family-owned as you're gonna get. Carryout only, barbeque beef burritos available on fridays.

 How about an El Salvadorean place? I like Costa Del Sol, across the street from the Rio Grande in Bethesda and ten times more authentic. They have pork, bean, and cheese pupusas, yucca, burritos, etc.

 Hmm, there's a more upscale tapas place over on Wisonsin, I think it's called the Amazonia Grill. It's good too.

  I like Rio Grande's food OK, but it scores about a 2 on my "authenticity
meter".

Carrie L. wrote:
>Someone wrote:
>>Can anyone recommend a good Mexican place in the Rockville/Bethesda area?
>>I had to break down and go to CHi Chi's Monday and was not a happy
>>person afterwards.  Would rather go to a family owned/run place.

Definitely Tia Queta - absolutely excellent (and I'm not a fan of Mexican food, generally) Ellen Paul

>
>Well, it's not exactly in Rockville/Bethesda, rather Calverton/Beltsville
>but I *highly* recommend Sierra's Grill.  It is a family owned/run place
>- doesn't even come close to a chain.  They are on Beltsville Dr.  Great
>chilie rellenos and awesome beans!!
>
>Directions (from Beltway):
>I-95 N to first exit (212) - Calverton.
>Right at first light
>The restaurant is just past McDonalds on the right in a strip mall.  Do
>not confuse it with the chain Plata Grande in the same mall.
>
>I'm hungry now!
>
>Carrie

There's a couple of places that I can recommend. Having lived in Mexico City most of my life has made it difficult for me to go out and eat 'Mexican' food around here (most of the kitchen's around here are Tex-Mex) but, there are some that come quite close...

One of my personal favourites is Lauriol Plaza, it's located around 18th & R in DuPont. While technically, it is South American cooking, they have some good dishes there that are reminiscent of Mexican Cooking ( try the lomo saltado ) The margaritas here are also a definet must try.

There's also Mixtec on 16th & Columbia in Adam's Morgan, a Mexican Restaurant that primarly focuses on Tomato, Lettuce, Sour Cream and Rice plates ( though their Tortas are good ) It's owned by this fellow from Yucatan. You can also find Agua de Horchata and Tamarindo there.

There was also a place in Georgetown ( though I can't remember the street address) called, Enriquetas. I don't know if it's still around, but they even had Mole on the menu. I had the Chiles Rellenos last time I was there and they were pretty decent, not too much batter around the chile and fair sized too.

Lastly there's a new restaurant that just recently opened up on Wilson Blvd (about the height of Courthouse) that I went to try out on Thursday. It's got several different styles of Tacos ( Pastor, Bistec, Tounge) as well as Flautas and Sopes. It's pretty authentic and I'd recommend getting an ice cream from the Lazy Sundae nextdoor for dessert.

As far as places to avoid, all the so called Mexican restaurants in the Tenley Town/AU area are definetly a NO NO. ( Cactus Cantina, Guapos ) too greasy, too little and it's all Tex-Mex.

Regards,
Eric M

Need to know where to get real Mexican food.
DC - Maryland - Virginia.
Are theam resturants the only place to go?
If so where are they?

NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 11:25:09 EDT
Xref:  dc.dining:15480

Try Santa Fe Cafe (1500 Wilson Blvd., Rosslyn) at dinner only.  Some Tex-Mex, some more authentic offerings.  Pretty good food, in general. Very conventional taco place at lunch, though.  Watch out if you like a salad in a large tortilla bowl thing--I call that a "chalupa," but at the Santa Fe, the chalupa salad will get you greens on a bed of chips; you want to order the fiesta salad instead.

A new place just opened up about a week ago at Nutley St. and Rte. 123 (Maple Ave W/Chain Bridge Rd.) in Vienna.  Used to be a Roy Rogers. Have no idea what it's like yet.