We were randomly in the area and decided to give this place a try, but it didn't really stand out. The pupusa was a bit dry and lacked the flavor and richness I usually expect. Service was fine and the place itself was okay, but the food just didn't do it for me. Unfortunately, I wouldn't go out of my way to come back. read more

Terrible Service! DO NOT GO. I called ahead to place an order early to EAT THERE I get there & food was ready 10mins early but they packaged it so I told the lady it was to eat there and the lady was super RUDE and was like well we already packed it to go & basically told me I wasn't Allowed to eat there bc of their mistake, they still an hour before closing so I don't understand what the problem was, so I just left because I will not be paying for terrible treatment. read more

I'm surprised with the ratings. I was in the area for a business trip and two colleagues and I wanted to try something a little different. We took an Uber to this strip mall, actually planning to eat at a different restaurant and found them to be closed. The looked at one other restaurant and it was also closed. This was our last option without having to grab another Uber. We all decided we were game and hoped for the best. I saw the Yelp reviews and lowered my expectations. When I saw they had yuca con chicharron . . . I was excited. I love that dish and it's hard to find. The price tag (for a place in that area) was only around $10 so I was expecting a small portion. To be safe, I opted for a second a al carte item and ordered a sweet corn tamale for under $3. One colleague ordered the taco salad (aka tostada ABI) and one ordered a shrimp entree. The taco salad looked great. The shrimp entree looked great. They both said the food was very good. My food was freaking fantastic. The portion of yuca con chicharron was large. It came with the standard pickled cabbage and a small portion this extra fantastic green sauce (tasted like a toasty jalapeno crema). The yuca was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The pork was also crispy but tender under the crusty outside. So good. The tamale was HUGE. The size of a burrito. Sweet and very much like a moist cornbread with corn kernels. Served with a dairy based dip/sauce that seemed to be sour cream with creamed cheese or something like that. I took the leftovers to my hotel room. From that one meal (about $20) I had dinner, a late night snack, and breakfast the next morning. I would seriously love to go there again. Great prices. Decent ambiance. Great food. Large portions. read more

Took my friend out to dinner it was really great The pupusas, beef empanadas Very tasty fried fish Only thing was cold was empanada. De plátano the bartender was very friendly an helpful !!! read more

I have eaten at this restaurant several times. So, I went with my family and we patiently waited for a table. The employees cleaned the table and a waitress gave the table to another family. My wife protested while I was headed towards the front door. I did not spoke to any of the employees about the situation. Bob and Edith's is right next door and I didn't find it necessary to stay. There are a lot of options in the area. If one's patronage is not wanted, why stay?. At the doorway, we decided to go back. I was so turned off by the experience, I stared at the plate and eventually boxed up my meal. It is HIGHLY unlikely that I will return. It was nice knowing this restaurant. Something has changed. BTW The waitress was laughing, while looking at me, when I was initially leaving the restaurant. read more

Nice little place. Excellent guacamole!! Excellent salsa and chips!! Food is great!! Margaritas are the best!! Staff is friendly!! Great little place in a strip mall!!!!! Beer is coldest in town!!! read more

SO you know those places that are SUPER in-the-cut and you dont want to make people aware of what hides behind those doors but it's kinda shitty if you dont? Well this is how I feel about Abi. My in-laws always find the best Spanish food spots and this place was no exception. You walk in and its definitely like a cantina without the drunk guys falling off the stools - very family friendly and diverse. You are greeted by a basket of fresh chips and salsa and, to my surprise, they had Sorrel or as they say té de Jamaica - so good but was a little TOO sweet for me, nothing a bit of ice cant fix. I also grabbed a small order of chicharron to share and it was cooked perfectly! For the entree I ordered the sopa de marisco con crema sin cangrejo - YUMMERS! My wife has pupusa revuleta and honey when I tell you they were piping hot, cheesy and delicious! We've since gone back twice to enjoy their food and next time I'm going to try the carne asada like my father-in-law who murdered his plate! All in all, this spot is definitely in rotation in my good food list so I will be back again and again! read more

The pupusas revueltas & carne asada tacos are delicious! Just make sure you're very clear in your order for no misunderstandings since I had that happen and it wasn't the best experience! read more

Amazing authentic food in a English pub meet Mexican cantina atmosphere. Huge amounts of food at great price; the fajita burrito was the biggest I've ever seen, the weekend-only chicken soup was very flavorful. The papuasas and tamales were perfectly done and flavored. If not that hungry, suggest sharing a meal. read more

ABI Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Food was ok. Pupusas are good. Service is horrible. Ordered a soup to take home. Soup took longer than our meal. I ordered marisco soup and I get home and they gave me beef soup. I don't eat beef so in the trash. They also charged me for the seafood soup. Highly suggest you skip this spot. read more

Not sure why the reviews are so bad here. This is my go to place for comfort Salvadorian food. I did noticed they added last year chicken pupusas which is the only kind I buy now. I only buy pupusas, casamiento and fried platanos. I don't usually get the refried beans or anything else. Even when I had family visit they loved the casamiento. read more

About a 2-2.5: My husband and I came to Abi Restaurant, as I'd always been curious about it when I would drive to/from work. It's located in a plaza, next to Tippy's Tacos, across the Huntington Metro station. The restaurant was started off in Arlington in '86, by Chef Abi Valle. They offer Salvadorean and Mexican cuisine, in which the menu offers items such as soups, tostadas, fajitas, chimichangas, burritos, tacos, and pupusas. I started off with a cheese pupusa, and it was pretty okay - it had a lot of cheese in, and there was no need for the hot sauce or the slaw that it came with, as it was fine on its own. I also tried their corn tamale, which was more on the runny side T____T My husband had a bistec (steak) platter, and the meat itself was very tough; this came with a side of bland rice and underseasoned veggies, which made the dish quite underwhelming. I had the chimichanga platter, and I was disappointed - the chimichanga was not deep-fried, but the tortilla itself was slightly heated on a non-stick skillet; the filling was okay (I had the steak), but I just wasn't a fan of the soft wrap that should have been crispy! Service was nice, but a little MIA, and there were more people getting their drinks at the bar rather than ordering the food. I'm glad I was able to try out Abi but would not go back! +cheesy pupusas +chimichangas not deep-fried +runny elotes +MIA service read more

See all

Delicious pupusas. Homemade tortillas. High-quality beef used for steak tacos. Fresh veggies. Clean, spacious dining room with eternal immediate seating. This place does both Mexican and Salvadorian food well, and they have become my go-to place when I'm in town and can't make it to Guapo's. I've eaten in and done take-out. Service is so-so, but I can let it go when the food is this good. read more

ABI Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

I have to give another 5stars to this rest'n. Although the outside looks quiet, but the food is so nice. I tried the Pupusas like other recommended. It was very nice and so cheap!! My entree was chicken/shrimp/beef on a hot plate, I forgot the name. It served with 3 pieces of flat bread and side dish. We have to wrap everything together, it was fun and delicious. !!! read more

See all

As several reviewers have already observed, this place is a bit of a hole-in-the-wall, but don't let that stop you from venturing into Abi for there is some really good food here. Now, I have to admit that I was starving when we rolled into this kitschy Salvadorian yum oasis, and after 24 hours without a snack, I was ready to scarf down some good grub. It only took a moment to settle on the roasted chicken with rice and beans, while my dining companion dug into some excellent pupusas. Abi's roasted chicken was crispy and succulent, and I attacked it like a hungry wolf (cue Duran Duran music...ok, ok, maybe Duran Duran was hungry for something else but you get the idea). The service was excellent, and our waitress/bartender made sure that we never ran out of chips and received some tasty guac just for the asking. She did mess up my beer order, but I am certain that it had more to do with lack of enunciation than any language barrier. (Hey, the chips were crispy goodness, and I did say I was starving). In any event, my bartender was kind enough to ignore my caveman-like ways and brought a cold beer with a forgiving smile. The only complaint I have about this spot is that the salsa seemed a bit watery. It could have also been a bit more spicy for my taste, but the creamy refried beans more than made up for this small short coming. I would return to Abi in a heartbeat, for the roasted chicken was hearty and filling. This place was a solid foodie experience, and I look forward to trying some other treats from the menu on my next visit. P.S. The food was so good that I forgot to take a picture of our meal. Next time, camera at the ready. read more

I used to live Alexandria and this was the best place for salvadorean food. Friday I happened to be in Alexandria and decided to visit this place to get what I remember as the best salvadorean food. When they brought out the complimentary chips & salsa, the salsa tasted weird, I should of left then. I ordered my dinner and when it was brought I could look at the beans and tell this was not what I was expecting. The beans were beige in color and tasted like out of a can of refried beans. The taquitos were just off-putting with a weird flavor I could not determine what. This place must have new ownership because the Abi I remember was so good, and this place is just YUCK. read more

This is the restaurant my Salvadoran rock masons recommend. They are right! Love the papusas and tamales. I was bad and filled up on these and never ate my meal until I got it home! read more

Really disappointed in this restaurant. Staff used to be very friendly but now they don't care. I went in after work to grab a drink and some dinner. I was not greeted until minutes later, when I was sat I wasn't explained that the menu was online so I waited for a menu. Three different tables came in and got offered drinks and were explain about the menu while we waited for someone to acknowledge us. After the tables after us got their food yet they had just acknowledged us for our drinks, I decided to step out. When I went for my check I was even asked if something was wrong they just gave me my total. Very bad service if your a couple and not a guy they don't really care about serving you! They judge a book by its cover and just really focus on men. read more

The food here brings me back to home. The waitress was great and food was awesome! I ordered lomo saltado, pupusas and sopa de res. Portions exceed expectations and freshness was here. May take a minute to receive food but it's worth the wait, IT'S FRESH!! It's 'home' cooked not fast food ;) read more

See all

The parrillada is quite good. And the pupusas are also very good. It is good that all their sauces are not spicy so you can control the taste. As soon as you seat down you get chips with a non spicy and delicious tomato sauce. A friendly neighborhood restaurant. read more

ABI Restaurant - This is the address of the restaurant near the Huntington metro. - Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

See all

We ordered pupusas to go after a long workout. When we got to the restaurant, the lighting was dark and they were playing hardcore Eminem, luckily we ordered ours to go. When we got home, we started eating the pupusas and there wasn't enough pork and cheese in the pupusas, it tasted like we were eating just maseca. Our family used to go when it was just a carry out, and the food was really good then. Not sure if we'll ever make it back after the last experience though. read more

This was my 1st time here, so I didn't know what to expect. Mine was a take out order, although there were a few dine in patrons because of the coronavirus and Alexandria lifting the shut down restrictions recently, it was very crowded. My order took way too long and I was disappointed with the black beans. I didn't see any beans, it consisted of puréed beans. Not acceptable. I won't be going back. read more

Amazing food. We got pupusas, steak burrito and the steak and chicken fajitas. Everything was amazing. The steak didn't even need anything extra although their salsa verde is super spicy and delicious! read more

I had the chicken enchiladas this week. Awful. Cold, stale tortillas filled with tasteless overcooked chicken. A tablespoon of watery salsa and a scattering of shredded packaged cheese was thrown on top, That was it, no sauce, nothing melted. And the refried beans were thin, soupy, insipid. The rice was good, perfectly cooked and savory. I won't be going back anytime soon, that's for sure. read more

Great spot for a quick, cheap, flavorful lunch. You get a ton of food for very little money. Amazing pupusas! Great service; I don't eat cheese and everything's easily modifiable. The salsa is also great, really fresh tasting. Service is friendly but anticipate that this isn't a quick lunch. Worth the wait. read more

I've been coming to abi's for over 10 years , i love their pupusas , they are my favorite after my grandma's . They are good sized and very filled up. El plato tipico is my all time favorite here the steak is great, and i love their refried beans , coming here brings me back memories of having dinner with my dad , food still taste just as good ! read more

Great atmosphere, wonderful prices and loved the music. The margarita was really good and garlic shrimp were great. Love this place and the price. read more

This incident happened on my 2nd visit. There will not be a 3rd. I ordered a Chimichanga (fried). I ordered my 1st trip and it was VERY tasty. I ordered it again on the 2nd trip looking forward to it being the same. I pick it up because it is huge. Inspect it 360. Nothing was found on the outside. I cut it in half and begin eating it. About halfway through the half, I start gagging on a toothpick that was hidden inside the food. That I did not see and that was not sticking out of the food because It was hidden. I am waiting to talk to the owner. The food was expensive, and the salsa was terrible BUT the food was great until that moment. Hopefully, I can speak to the owner and have her review these Cudos and complaints. If she can't figure a way to address these to resolution a lawyer might have to get involved on this one! read more

Been coming for years. Las Pupusas con todo de arroz. Chefs kiss. Siempre buen servicio de las dueñas.

Abi provides good quality food for a very reasonable price. The place is dated as many reviews pointed out, but the attitude of staff and the food I tried which was very good taste and size makes up for the dated decor. I recommend you give it a try; for some people it will be a gem of a find and for others, they may be turned off. I will go back. For the record, the picture of the burrito was after I cut it open to make sure it was cooked the way I like it, which it was. read more

ABI Restaurant - Steak burrito took up the whole plate when it came out. Good burrito. - Bars Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I will never go back to this restaurant anymore! Me and my friend went in and found the restaurant really busy because of a soccer game, which was understandable. When we walked in, the ladies at the front told us, the place is going to be really busy and that everyone was there to watch the game. I happen to peep that there was a family that got done eating and when i asked the ladies to ask the customers if they were done, they made it seem like they was there to watch the game. I kindly asked the family if they were leaving and they truthfully told me that they were. The manager or whoever she is, told me i wasnt allowed to ask the group, and that basically we could go somewhere else. Ive been eating here since i was 8 and I have never experienced rude, unacceptable customer service!! Never again!!!! read more

This place is awesome! My daughter got a shrimp taco and it was very juicy, tasted amazing! The salsa and chips were excellent. I got myself beans, salsa, rice, and steak. I absolutely LOVED the steak! Although, this place is brilliant. Deserves 5 stars. read more

The food was good, but when we recieved the check they charged for each ice tea refill. When I asked, they said they brew it fresh...what a joke. May not be back due to this... read more

This place is bigger than it looks from the outside and shares the end of a strip mall building with a Latin market. Big squashy booths line the left side of the place and the bar lines the right side, with seven or eight four-tops running between them. Plenty of seating for pretty much any size party. If the owners were really concerned about accommodating large crowds, they could really squeeze in a lot more seating, but I like the open feel of the place. Couple that with the casual and under-lit ambience and it feels a lot more like a bar than a restaurant, but maybe that is one of the reasons I liked it as well. There were tons of people lining up to pick up their phone in orders, a few bottoms that appeared to be solidly cemented to their bar stools, and a few people sharing the booth seating. I ordered the tacos al carbon and got two beef tongue tacos and one regular beef. The tongue was tender and perfectly cooked with grilled onions and tomatoes to make a lovely and savory stewed sauce that reminded me more of a coulis. The beef was chewy and flavorful. The guacamole was da bombtastic! My frozen strawberry margarita was sickly sweet and totally hit the spot. It also led me home for a nap before I could continue on with my day... not necessarily because it was strong, but just the large amount of food, a little booze, and too much sugar put me in a freaking coma. As for the service, which is bitterly complained about on other yelp reviews, it is slow and lazy, but not in a bad way. What I mean to say is that you should drop your need to rush anything when you come in here. Chillax, enjoy your friends or a book and take things as they come. The tongue tacos needed to be cooked for me, and that is simply going to take time. Time I had and wasn't concerned about. The waitress never let my water glass empty, and she was concerned enough about me to help me navigate the menu and make the right choices. read more

Abi is delicious! My husband and I decided to order takeout lunch from Abi today after exploring our options in our new neighborhood. Needless to say, we were not disappointed! I tried the chicken tacos and my husband had a steak burrito. I don't know the proper name for these because I don't have a menu to look at but when I called over the phone, I was able to order them without one. My tacos were delicious! The chicken was grilled and seasoned to perfection and the tortilla was amazing. I tried the hand-made corn tortillas and I highly recommend them. They aren't your typical thin corn tortillas so be prepared to have something a little more like a papusa thickness wise. The side accompaniments were also delicious; the tomato, lettuce, onion and cilantro salsa fresca was extremely fresh as well as a home made guacamole that tasted better than any i've had in the DC area. I also really enjoyed the spicy verde sauce that came on the side that appears to also be home made. My husband's steak burrito was also very good. I stole a bite and wasn't disappointed. We will definitely be back to Abi! read more

If I could give this restaurant zero stars, I would. This place is terrible. The service was bad, the waitress came over twice in the whole hour we were there. Most importantly, the food was terrible. IF you are going to offer different types of Hispanic foods, make sure you know how to make them, don't just make them up and add tomato sauce. read more

Just plain horrible, the food is bland it should be packed with flavor but it isn't. Had the steak strips and it wasn't good not cooked to order. There was no air conditioning it was absolutely unbearable I had to get going just to get to my car. Complete let down. read more

Service is bad and the food is one of the worst I've had they don't even deserve the tip they automatically add to bill.

Ordered the Steak with Plantains. Food was bland. Waitress was horrible. Took half an hour just to get water! I would eat there again only because my roommates spanish and he likes the place. read more

Terrible taste, the chairs it's really old, bad service I will not repeat, the soup seafood One claw One blue crab A pice fry fish A lot condiment Cream. read more