PROS: Great atmosphere with live music on a Saturday night, new space, delicious food, seriously, so good, seated rather quickly at a table for two CONS: Long wait for drinks (more than 15 minutes) and food (more than 35 minutes), no complimentary chips or silverware given until asked, asking for a box at least 5 times before finally getting it, different price on the menu vs what's on your receipt. It's hard to decide how many stars to leave El Aguila (on Randolph Road) because the food was so good that it made up for a lot of things that really need to be addressed. Here it goes...try to keep in mind that this place opened in 2020, but has never operated at, or close to, full capacity due to COVID. This Saturday night is probably one of the first few nights where they have almost fully staffed and at full capacity. It's obvious the staff is still learning and they're also getting used to how to run a successful dinner shift post-COVID. However, there are a couple of things that don't really have excuses: waiting for more than 15 minutes for water and other drinks, being asked multiple times what was ordered, no silverware, no complimentary chips and salsa (until asked), the server talking negatively about the restaurant, asking repeatedly for a box, and mispriced item either on the receipt or the menu. I would also like to add that the Women's bathroom was really gross and needs to be kept better. Also, in light of COVID, there is no reason why a restaurant bathroom doesn't have soap or hand sanitizer at least. I know these are a lot of "bad" things, but there were also some good things about El Aguila. The live music was great and I loved being able to sing along and enjoy the atmosphere. And, the food. We ordered the Plato Grande for 2 and it was plenty of food to fill us up and have leftovers. The margarita was delicious and definitely strong. I thought everything was reasonably priced (even if the menu said $6.99 for Tres Leches but the receipt said $8). I will be coming back to try their lunch service and probably once more to try their dinner service. I really think that with more staff training and getting used to busy nights, this place can improve on their service by a lot! Give it a try and form your own opinion! read more

Came on a great day, it was super empty. Maybe 2 other parties were seated. Got the Plato grande for 2 and it was DELICIOUS! A good portion of food! Seasoning was great! We were 3, ate and still had leftovers. I would say that even though the food and location was great, the service was not the greatest. Our waiter didn't come around enough and kept forgetting things we would ask for. read more

El Aguila - Plato grande - Tex-Mex Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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Excellent food, great service, nice atmosphere with outdoor.seating. very friendly service- Vanessa is wonderful.

The food was excellent and priced right. The staff was attentive, and the restaurant was full of happy customers.

Nice restaurant I really enjoyed the steak tacos. Next time I'll probably get a margarita instead of the mojito but still good. read more

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Haven't had a bad meal here yet. Great selection and service. The stake burrito is fantastic and the chili relleno is appetizer is a meal onto itself. read more

We dropped in to El Aguila on a Saturday night with beautiful weather! The joint was jumping, even at an early hour - lots of diners both indoors and on the patio. We were warned before we were seated that they didn't have a lot of servers that night and they might have delay in service. We got a seat outside on the patio and were served drinks and chips and salsa pretty quickly. We ordered the taquitos as an appetizer and decided on some entrees - a super enchilada for me and fajitas for my friend. The taquitos were tasty - chicken and spices were on point and it was a substantial appetizer. It took a while to get our entrees, but 1) they warned us in advance, and 2) it was truly a gorgeous night to sit outside and talk with my friend. I'm not gonna lie, I would choose a different entree next time. The enchilada was average, as were the beans and rice. Next time I'll get lomo saltado or fajitas - the meat looked divine! There was also music that night - overall a really pleasant experience, and I look forward to going back. read more

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The food is great but what ruined the experience was the waitress telling us much to tip her. It ruined the whole vibe Don't know if I'm going to be back after that experience. read more

After spending an extended time living in Peru, El Aguila is the most authentic ceviche I've had in the US. This restaurant not only has fresh and delicious food, but they have some of THE BEST customer service available. Only drawback is they're so busy that UberEats is only available on weekdays. That alone should tell you how popular and delicious they are. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! read more

Service is horrible. Extremely slow and not attentive. Chips and salsa are below average and too watery. After we ordered and asked for more chips our waitress literally disappeared for over 30 mins. I wouldn't recommend this place at all. read more

Came across this place from a quick Google search. The waitress gave me great service! Place was very spacious, loved the decor and had great parking! Great selection of food! Unfortunately, the food kind of overpriced and I was underwhelmed. My pupusas and quesadilla were too dry. My partner's meal didn't have enough flavor. read more

This place has the worst possible service for food that is not worth the aggravation. There are much better restaurants nearby, don't waste your time and money. It deserves zero stars but this app insists on at least one. read more

I sat down and within 30 seconds, the bartender was asking if I'm ready to order. He never asked me if I wanted chips or anything to drink. I was prepared to try a meal there. Maybe it wasn't his day. Not sure why he was sooo disinterested in serving me. read more

I think this restaurant is top tier barely any wait the food comes out in like 10 minutes and not to mention the amazing service and amazing food so I think this restaurant deserves 5 stars also the waitress Valeria was amazing thank you El Aguila for the Staggering food and excellent service in conclusion El Aguila is a extremely good choice to go out to eat. read more

We ordered their special which is their "Parrillada".It was amazing. The meat was very tender and it came with a variety of meats including shrimp, chicken, and lobster read more

This is the next Tex-mex Latinx restaurant I've found in the DC region. I usually try the ceviche when I go to a new restaurant because I find it's directly proportional to how good the food is over all. The ceviche here is marvelous!!! It comes with a pickled sweet potato that's fantastic. Please understand that I loathe sweet potatoes in general. I'll eat them here from now on. I had beef fajitas, which were very good, but everybody around me ordered the Marisco soup. I think I missed the boat. Next time! The ambience is top notch, maybe elegant. Service was timely and engaging. The music was authentic, tasteful and not overpowering. I'm giving this restaurant as many stars as I can and I'll be returning. It's my new go-to restaurant for Latinx. read more

This place is right around the corner from me and I can easily walk here. I've been here on many occasions and forget to write a review but I feel obligated to because every time I come here the staff has been very nice and accommodating to some of my allergies such as diary. I really like to sit at the bar and eat because it's less crowded and I love the drinks . The food is very good and the portions for the price is definitely worth it. I'm happy it is right around the corner from me :-) read more

Great food. Excellent fajitas! Nice atmosphere! Wonderful service. We really enjoyed our meal here.

Twice I've tried this restaurant in Colesville and have yet to be served. Hope the service has improved. El Golfo is my go restaurant for Latin American cuisine. Never disappoints read more

I love this place! I have been coming here since they were located on 16th street . Everyone is always very friendly , menu is versatile, and they are accommodating. Diana is a sever I have frequently and she's just great. These days it's difficult to find places with an authentic feel in the area, I suggest giving this place a try. read more

Tonight is the last time I'm ordering from here, the food is just too uneven in quality and value. I've ordered the stuffed shrimp several times over the last couple of years. Sometimes they are stuffed with crabmeat -- and very good. Sometimes - like this evening -- they are stuffed with a crabmeat substitute, and tasteless. The portion is small (four small shrimp) a cup of white rice with a little cilantro and a serving of steamed vegetables. With the flan, it was more than $36, and I could not eat the stuffing. This place aims to please but, no matter whether I arrive on time, or late, to pick up my order I still have to wait for it to be ready. Parking is ample and convenient and the staff is sweet but I'm done. read more

I really enjoy coming here at once a month. The sangria and burritos are delicious. And the service is excellent.

I recently moved to Baltimore County but still meet my friends once a week for dinner in Silver Spring. Once we happened upon El Aguila we have become weekly regulars. The food is always good. The dining room is spacious, and the noise level easily allows us to hear each other which has not always been the case in other restaurants. We have been able to sit and catch up for as long as we want without being rushed out. The service we had from Jonathan on our last outing was superb. For casual, neighborhood dining this is our favorite spot! read more

I recently came here craving tex mex food. For the record this is not traditional tex mex, it is more El Salvadoran and that is per our server. I ordered the steak and chicken fajitas (steak was tender but the chicken was hard and crunchy) it comes with re fried beans which is something I've never seen. Limited rice but the guac was flavorful, just a small scoop though. Our server recommended this dish for me... sigh I also ordered the pupusas because I love them, they come with the same salsa they have for the table chips. The curtido was horrid. It didn't taste good at all!!! The pupusa also lacked flavor. Overall a huge waste of money... read more

Food was good though a bit on the pricy side. Customer service was good. Our waiter, I forget his name (chubby, talkative and friendly chap) was awesome. Will return in the near future. read more

Great food but not worth the wait. Won't be back. 20 min wait for a table on Saturday night (not a bad thing). The app came out quick, as did the drinks. But then didn't get entrees for a whopping 45 minutes after that. We watched people get seated, and get served their entrees before us. We got fajitas, nothing crazy. My kids were not happy, to say the least. It's a shame because we all enjoyed the food (eventually) but would rather not go through that again. read more

Was OK. Food was not anything special. Large place ,friendly service , but a little slow. read more

Ordered the fried calamari, they must come from restaurant depot and I didn't know Restaurant Depot sells cheap stuffs like that, well, the sauce has no taste either fajitas tasted bland too . fresh salsa has no taste, not sour , not sweet, not salty, no flavor , must use a lot of msg, my mouth was burning . Very disappointed read more

El Aguila - The question is who fries this cheap, frozen calamari better ? me or them? why would you go to the restaurant for frozen , processed food? - Tex-Mex Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

not impressed, service was weak, food was okay. Quantity versus quality, not coming back read more

We went to El Águila with my husband and my daughter and we had the best server ever, her name is Kelly and she is a great server, I order a house salad with steak and it was so good, my husband order a mix of tacos and they weren't really crispy and they fall in parts. But anything else was great. I also recommend the Beer Rita and is the best thing I ever try. Highly recommend. The place is so big and nice and the other staff also where really nice with us. read more

El Aguila - Classic Margarita - Tex-Mex Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

I Brought 3 md state youth wrestlers to eat here. They all ordered quesadillas with fries. It was a packed Friday night with 20-30 min wait times for a table. the food came out fast and ate all of it. I will be back back to try more menu items. read more

The staff is friendly. The service was excellent! The food was super tasty!!! 100% recommend this restaurant.

came to celebrate my birthday with my family. We had to the ceviche 10/10, delicious!! Serve 100/10, Jonathan did a great job!

I've been here at least a dozen time if not more. This place is excellent - clean, open and airy. The fajitas el Aguila is abundant and flavorful. Service is usually excellent to but a few occasions it has been a little slow. The chicken that is used in the fajitas is probably the best chicken I've ever had in fajitas, seriously. Nice outdoor patio too even though the view isn't great. On our regular rotation of places to go. Glad to have them in the neighborhood. read more

Again we order food i ordered a lomo ssltado my son ordered a tbone steak.25 minutes later the server comesback and inform us there is no tbone available 25 minutes.its been 35 minutes and we still have not gotten our food.this place needs better management. No manager on the floor.the food is good here but service is horrible read more

Food was ok at the very best. They don't offer free refills and they won't let you know ahead of time. Definitely won't be back

Best drinks in town. Love the clean feel with the floor to ceiling windows. The patio seems to be very popular but we opted to stay at the bar, food is good we ordered to go while indulging in this crazy fun margarita flight. read more

El Aguila - These drinks are the best in town! My friend and I have been coming for them almost every weekend. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Outside it looks like nothing special. My family wanted to go out to eat so we drove up the street to the new restaurant. I wasn't expecting much but the food was was amazing! Everything was seasoned well and cooked tender. The drinks were phenomenal as well! Can't wait to be back. read more

This is my favorite Tex-Mex restaurant in the area. The food and drinks are good. Plus the staff is always awesome. When I need a pick-me-up, I come here. Kudos to Ruben! Great service and kindness goes a long way. read more

So good, I considered keeping it to myself! But then I want them to do well and stick around, so.... The vegetable fajitas were very well seasoned, not bland like that at some places. The sides were plentiful and delicious, and matched the main courses. I noticed the atmosphere was festive inside, so I'm definitely eating in once this pandemic passes. Until then, I'll be picking up more El Aguila! read more