It's been awhile since we have been here and then, we had dinner 2 nights in the row. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have some seating outside which we did the first night. However, smokers go out and smoke and it is right by the outdoor seatings which is extremely undesirable. For that reason, we will never be seated outside again.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The service was good. The food was delicious. The queso was on a little watery side. The guacamole was good. Beef fajitas- the beef was very tender. CHULETAS DE PUERCO: two pork chops. Great flavor. The thinner piece was a little on the dry side. The second piece was perfectly cooked. CAMARONES A LA DIABLA: shrimp was large. Perfectly cooked and flavorful. CAMARONES A LA CREMA / CHIPOTLE- perfect combination of cream and Chipotle. Added extra chicken to the dish. Over, good experience. read more

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I had a solidly mediocre experience here. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Walked in on a Friday night and the place wasn't busy at all (which should have been a ).[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I was greeted and seated promptly. Server took my order; flautas and beef fajitas. Then, crickets. It took WAAAY longer than it should have to get my food, especially since the place wasn't busy half empty. I even ran out of chips and water and had to request refills on both. Flautas came out; they were ok. The beef fajitas though were the most mid fajitas I have ever had. They weren't NOT seasoned, but could definitely have used more. The side beans were meh. The 3 tortillas I had were not nearly enough. And the guac plate was also mid. Just my experience, I'd be willing to try the place again, read more

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The ceviche mixto its good but they give stale hard tortillas that bust your gums. The carne asada is ok. The chicken or beef fajitas are good. And thats all i really get from any Mex restaurant. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]A sweet authentic Mexican spot! It really feels like you could be in Mexico when you walk in![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Don't expect a fancy and done up spot, this is a decent establishments with decent Mexican food![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The margaritas are amazing. They taste very fresh and delicious! I got the steak fajita and tamale. It was all great but my one comment is that the steak was tough to chew, otherwise, it was all delicious and this is a solid place to go for Mexican food. I definitely would go back for the margaritas. read more

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Love the food and variety of choices! Fajitas and platters are great and love the pupusas!

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute place.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food was good, easy parking. Our only complaint was based off miscommunication. When we sat down, we asked for a drink menu and he said they didn't have one. So we asked him what they had - we knew we wanted margaritas haha! He said they had it and we asked how much. He told the table "I don't know, like $10" and we asked him what kind of margs they had. He said mango and peach, so we ordered two. Not sure what was going on but he seemed unsure, maybe new employee, or maybe a bad day? Another person came over, really sweet girl. She said they only had enough mix for mango so we asked again what flavors. She said strawberry so we got two more. She came back with three VERY LARGE margs. I felt like we were in heaven. Well, that's when the bill came. We were shocked that the margs were $18 and paid almost $60 for drinks - one friend mentioning we should have just ordered a pitcher! Had we been told it was $18, we would haven't ordered them at all and gotten something else. I really wish they either had a menu, given us the $10 margs, or the girl and guy server communicated together. No ones fault but just know these margs are $18... read more

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Still love this place for some good papusas or Salvadoran breakfast. We came by specifically for that. The combination of eggs, chorizo, beans, plantains , avocado, cheese and fresh tortillas is just perfect. I always enjoy the fresh chips and salsa,which tends to fill me up. The horchata is probably one of my favorites in the area. read more

Ay Jalisco - Plato tipico - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Great chips and salsa. We were provided two different types of salsa and was told that one was their spicy one. However, I don't think either of them are spicy. I'll never complain about complimentary chips and salsa, as this is often how I'll judge a Mexican restaurant. BOMB salsa is always important. My attempt to have a healthy lunch was getting the chicken salad, which comes inside a deep fried shell LOL. I'll admit that I ate the entire salad, along with the taco shell. J Great dining experience overall. I'll gladly come back for another meal. Fair prices, great service and large parking lot. Can't beat it. read more

Ay Jalisco - AyJalisco Taco Salad - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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Fantastic food and welcoming service! The steak fajitas are flavorful and come out on a sizzling plate. Sides are plentiful and the guacamole is always fresh! Come here at least a few times a month. Highly recommend the Pina colada! read more

Craving a chimichanga and decided to try Ay Jalisco out. Although smaller than usual/I would have liked, the chimichanga came with a good amount of shredded beef that was tender and had good flavor to it. The burrito was fried well and not greasy. Side of rice was standard. Enjoyed the charro beans, which were tender and had a flavorful broth. Also tried the yuca con chicharron and beef taquitos. Was not a fan of the yuca at all. Was pretty bland and seemed undercooked. The chicharron on the other hand was on point. Crispy and meaty! I'd skip the taquitos as the meat was pretty dry/somewhat rough. Overall Ay Jalisco was a decent place to get Tex Mex from. My delivery arrived pretty quickly and food was still hot when it got to my door. Don't think this restaurant wille be my go to when I'm craving Tex Mex/chimichanga, but I'd give it another try and order other items off their memu. read more

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Loved the food. Appreciated the service. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Liked the music and would like it even better if it weren't so loud.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Adjust the volume on the music so that conversation can be enjoyed over what really is very tasty food and I'll be happy to give a five star review next time.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Pretty average Mexican food, could use some personal attention to spices, sauces and sides which would help. Busy nights service can be slow, but their great drinks make waiting worthwhile. read more

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Chief Juan, Jorge, Johnny, Roberto and the rest of the crew are the BEST! Amazing food!

The food is amazing and the service is good too. The people are very nice and take accommodations well. Their margaritas are also awesome !!

I've been going to this restaurant for over 10 years. Owner and staff are very friendly. I primarily get the fajitas, steak and or chicken. Both are very good. I prefer the refried beans but they have other options also. Chips and salsa are a free appetizer And are very very good. read more

I stopped in for a late dinner about 30 minutes before they closed. I got chili relleno and two pupusa revuelta. They were both good and the waitresses were very nice. read more

Absolutely horrible food. We ordered several dishes including the Tilapia filet. It was horrendous and I finally decided to write a review as it is not the first time that the food is just awful, be it the meat the chicken or the fish. We are never ever going there again. They lost a very loyal customer!!! read more

The customer service was impeccable. My husband and I came in and the staff welcomed us with open arms. They were truly accommodating. I love horchata and theirs were simply the greatest. We ordered Salvadoran enchiladas, which were packed with fresh ingredients and flavor. It was also nice they gave me my food when it was ready first. Our server/bartender said they didn't want the baby to wait lol. Im 9 months pregnant. He offered food recommendations for us as well and making sure I can have the food without it upsetting my stomach. Very thoughtful. My husband got the Mexican steak and he thoroughly enjoyed it. It was the extra care in the staff and delicious food that will make it an easy decision for us to return after baby has arrived! Thank you so much! read more

Ay Jalisco - Enchilada Salvadoreñas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

The car was still warm having just returned home from work. "Let's eat out, whaddya say?" She answered "Let's not drive far okay?" So back into the warm car we went. Three blocks away was all it was - We opted to eat inside as it was a bit too chilly at 28 degrees on the deck. The wife ordered their POLLO ENCEBOLLADO - Chicken breast sauteed with onions, tomatoes and green peppers, served with rice, beans and salad. So good! I ordered their "Chefs Recommendations" - Butterfly shrimp, chicken, beef fajitas served with rice, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and tortillas. So so good! We've loved this place for years! read more

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This is the place for pupusas. Forget all the other places. This is the spot!!! Service is always great. I even got my co workers hooked on this place! Depending on the night you might see a band. Ill list my favorite dishes and apps pupusas. Chicken is my favorite. Ceviche is good if you wanna eat lite, and taquitos dorados. Shrimp fajitas, chicken tamales, seafood soup is a must on cold winter nights, chimichanga with ranchera sauce is a must. Ive never had any problems. All my orders were tasty and served piping hot. They offer carryout but its best to eat in. read more

I love this place! We going to this restaurant almost 7 years. Their supa de reso and beef fajitas are so delicious! Very cozy environment, feels like family. During these warm days, it is so nice to sit outside. I'll definitely be back, the waiters were friendly and attentive! read more

Ay Jalisco - Beef fajitas - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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There needs to be a better system to handle when too many orders are coming via phone and too many patrons are eating in your establishment. I called and placed an order and was told the wait would be 40 minutes. That's double the normal the time it normally takes which implied they must be busy. When I arrived 45 minutes later, there was a line out the door. 3 families in-front of me were clearly disgruntled from waiting as long as they had been. It makes no sense to make a customer wait in line for their pick up if perhaps their food is already ready for pick up! 30 minutes after I waited, I finally get to pay for my food. I give them my name & the gentleman goes to what I thought was retrieve my food. After several minutes of waiting, another cashier appears and ask if I'm picking up. I expressed I had paid already & was waiting. She goes back & gets my order. I get home & unfortunately all the food was cold. The pupusas & the two steaks. What's more ironic is the previous family asked "is our food still warm?" Prior to taking their order & the gentleman laughed & said "we just made it". read more

No go. The waitress we had was not it. She was very condescending acting like she didn't understand me. I said what I wanted in English and Spanish but somehow she could understand the man I was with perfectly clearly. Which is weird because I'm fluent in both. She didn't check in on us after bringing the food. She was just really loud and super nice when I asked for the check but rude the complete time. Definitely a place where drunk people hang out not a vibe. read more

The sopa de res is a beast. Homemade soup with full of meat, Incredible taste, thanks to stuff for all ingredients. read more

Ay Jalisco - Sopa de res. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

Still haven't change yall hours too yall some dickheads, I went to two restaraunts this night and they both had the hours wrong online but the other restaraunt fixed it quickly, which I can respect much more than y'all having a 1 star review for a week and not giving a shit. Definitly do not come here read more

Ay Jalisco is a nice little Sal-Mex (Salvadorean-Mexican) restaurant in upper Gaithersburg. They offer a full Salvadorean menu (pupusas, chorizo con queso, mar y tierra), as well as an extensive Mexican menu that leans towards Tex-Mex (burritos, tacos, tamales, enchiladas, and steak & chicken fajitas). And their grilled shrimp and baby back pork ribs (costillas) are to die for! There are vegetarian options on and off the menu (the vegetables in the veggie fajitas may come steamed unless you ask for the verduras asadas) and they even offer lard-free refried beans(!), and the kids menu ranges from quesadillas to chicken strips and hamburguesas con papas (fries, not fathers). Prices are great - far less than you'd expect to pay at a chain Tex-Mex restaurant, and the food is plentiful - they provide free refills on your sodas, chips, and salsa. And even if your Spanish isn't as good as Senora Peggy Hill's, the servers are all speak flluent English, although many of this popular joint's customers might not. Thanks to Ay Jalisco, we can say "Adios" to Chevy's!!! read more

Went here for the first and was pleasantly surprised by great food, a clean restaurant, friendly service and a huge menu! I have been driving by this place for YEARs and have never had the urge to stop in. It just looks like it'd be the typical dated run-down Gaithersburg restaurant that you see all over "airpark." But it isn't. It is a well maintained place with nice patio seating and a huge menu with steak, seafood, chicken, soups and deserts. White tablecloths with white parchment paper that is changed with each customer. I had the Carne Asada (they called it Carne a La Parrilla) which was served fajita style with a sizzling pan and condiments, but it was not sliced as you'd expect to find Carne Asada. It was a very tender delicious piece of meat. The food at the other tables all looked pretty good. It was your typical Mexican fare but the portions of everything seemed large and I didn't hear anyone complaining. The chips they bring out are fresh, the salsa is good, and the SPICY salsa (ask for it) is excellent. I'll definitely come back and I won't be afraid to bring the family! (NOTE, I used to have this review posted on the 355 location and didn't realize the mistake. So I moved it here. I have no idea if the 355 location is any good or even if it is the same owners) read more

I've been coming to Ay Jalisco since I was a teenager and it's fantastic. The Ay Jalisco combo and the Shrimp Cocktail are my go to choices but I also love their Pupusas and appetizer platter. If you're in a drinking mood, try the Sangria! read more

Ay Jalisco - a plate of food on a table - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

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I passed by here so many times on my way to bootcamp. I finally got to try this place out and it's not bad. It's a hole-in-wall Mexican restaurant. The complementary chips and salsa here are better than the ones served at Guapo's. My friend ordered the Appetizer Sampler, which came with chicken wings, taquitos, quesadilla, and nachos. It also came with guacamole and sour cream. I only liked the guacamole. Everything was too baked or fried, therefore too dry. They have a pretty decent amount of items on their menu. It was difficult to make up my mind, but I ended up ordering the Tres Amigos Enchiladas (beef, chicken, and cheese). it came with yellow rice, beans, and guacamole. The beef enchilada and rice was good. The chicken enchilada was dry. Skip the cheese enchilada. It's way too cheesy. I would come back again here if I'm in the area and in the mood for Mexican. Service was great and the prices are decent for the amount of food you get! read more

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Absolutely love the pupusas here made an order to take back to family . Pupusa La made to order. Excellent! Recommend

Visited with the boyfriend last Sunday for a pre-Cinco De Mayo dinner. We had been looking for something new within close distance of his house, and restuarant.com had a coupon for Ay Jalisco. The food was very good, but I am hesitating to give 4 stars because of some issues with service. Service was not lacking, but the boyfriend ordered fajitas which came out very quickly.....with no plate and no tortillas. For ten minutes after I tried to catch the attention of any wait staff, none of whom I could seem to tack down. Finally I got up and approached who I know now is the owner, asking for tortillas so he could eat his food while it was still hot. He came through immediately. My food was still missing, but I was not in a big hurry--since it was our first time I simply wanted the boyfriend to try the fajitas while they were still nice and hot. Mine came out a few minutes later, the owner apologized--no harm no foul. His fajitas were very good. My burritos were also very good. I didn't love the rice, but adding some salsa to them fixed that right up. We WILL return, and I hope to bump the three up to a four--I doubt it will be an issue. read more

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Completely yummy, very reasonable prices, nice wait staff - feels like family in here even though I am not Latina. Highly recommended!

I had the bistec a caballo. The meat was a bit tough to eat but it wasn't bad. I don't go at a busy time so the service was pretty quick.

My favorite Tex-Mex restaurant since I came to this area. There is a wide selection of Tex-Mex food and drinks. I always receive the best service from Ricardo and Jorge, also from Chef Juan. read more

Food was pretty decent. HOWEVER the service was absolutely garbage!! They made us wait after having a reservation, told us they gave the table away -_- and then as we got seated they got all of our orders wrong. Plus they took my tortilla after I said I wanted a to go box. Save your time and go to a place other than this one! First and last time going to this place. read more

We love Ay Jalisco thank you so much to the chef For cook all the delicious meals and thank you to all nice workers read more

Tasty, tasty, tasty! This is a gem in Gaithersburg. Fresh food and friendly service for the entire family can be found here. The restaurant is clean, welcoming and homey feeling. They're fairly busy on the weekends so plan accordingly. The bar is incorporated into the dinning room but the patrons are well behaved. The chicharrones and fresh salsa are my fave here. Recommendations: Camarones a la crema Ay Jalisco Platter Shrimp Fajitas All of the margaritas Enjoys! read more

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This is AUTHENTIC Tex-Mex! Best local non-chain in the area! The food is always flavorful. I enjoy every bite. I like all the food, but the taquitos, chicken ensebollado and tamals is my go to. I have taken friends, family, co-workers here throughout the years they go without me and/or bring their friends/family. What makes this restuarant a bit different than the others? I have always seen the owner (Juan) here and he always greets you with a smile. He will work the room, come to every table and introduce himself as well as ask hows your food, anything he can get you? and he thanks you for coming. In addition, you will see him taking orders and serving food to his patrons. Well lets get to the good stuff... Price: Affordable Food: Authentic and absolutely delicious Menu: Variety from salads, soups, fish, chicken, beef, desserts (yum). Service: Attentive and Quick Staff: Friendly and helpful Atmosphere: warm colors, latin decor, TVs, full bar Seating: Outside patio and inside booths and table with chairs. Happy Eats! read more

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This place is like a hidden gem off Snouffer School Road. Everyone keeps saying Mexican Mexican Mexican, but if i'm not mistaken, i believe it's El Salvadorean. Either way, the place has great food! LOL. I've been here twice and each time the service was pretty good. Maybe it was the group i was with (Military), I dunno. But you come in, sit down, they come ask for drinks and bring chips and salsa. I ordered the Steak Al Caballo. Lemme say, it was great! Steak came how I wanted it, with sauteed onions, and two eggs (NOT how I wanted them) on top with a drizzle of sauce that is a little spicy. Side of rice and refried beans (custom swap from salad i think). It was delicious, even though the eggs weren't exactly how i wanted it. I've been reluctant to find a "Mexican" restaurant that I've really liked since I was in Tennessee (see other review). .:my2cents:. Good food. Good service. One little mishap with my eggs, but that's minor. They could spark up the place from being so dark and gloomy though. It's like half the lights in the restaurant are turned off. The bar area is very empty/naked, just stools and the bar table. Nothing else. With all that said, go check it out for yourself! read more

Ay Jalisco - Steak Al Caballo - Tex-Mex Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I love this place. I like la carne a la parrilla. Service is always great. Price point is below average for the area. It's my go to joint whenever I am in gaithersburg. read more