I think this was the first time (and hopefully not the last time) visiting a Tex-Mex AND Salvadorian restaurant. While folks at my table went with Tex-Mex options, I decided to go with a Salvadorian option. In particular, I went with the Sopa de Marisocos, which was served with fish, a whole crab, mussels, shrimps, clams, and eggs. I thought the 20 dollar price tag as pretty fair considering how much seafood was in the bowl of soup. Although I thought the soup should have come with rice, I did not realize that the soup was served with tortillas. I guess the tortillas were the rice substitute. Overall, I thought the soup was very delicious and seasoned very well. I'm glad that I followed the waitress' advice and went with the addition of cream to the soup because it elevated the soup's flavor. Besides the soup, I had my fair share of margaritas. I thought the margaritas were mixed well because they were not too sweet or acidic for me. Also, the restaurant has happy hour most days until 6 pm (or was it 7 pm?). I have to say that I must visit again, because there are a lot of things on the menu that I would like to try during my next visitS. Overall, I thought the service was impeccable. Our bartender, who later became our waitress, was very helpful in making recommendations and suggestions regarding the menu. Also, she was very patient because it took us a while to finally order food - although we did order plenty of margaritas while deciding on what to eat. The restaurant is a decent size with both indoor and outdoor seating. From the way the tables are arranged, El Gavilan looks like it is very accommodating for medium sized groups. The restaurant does have parking; however, the parking lot is a bit tight. read more

El Gavilan Restaurant - Sopa de Marisocos about 20 bucks. - Latin American Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

I have been on a horrible luck streak, and feel bad leaving bad reviews. But, dinner from El Gavilan was nearly inedible. I ordered plantains and a chimichanga. The plantains were reduced to a thick paste, overcooked to the consistency of baby food and lacking in any flavour. The chimichanga was not browned at all. It looked like a burrito, but the tortilla was simply dry. Not fried. Dried. Inside, there was little but shredded chicken -- dry and bland. It was served with white rice (?!?!) And a dollop of sour cream -- no salsa, no gauc, nothing. Tex Mex for people who don't like spices, flavour, or taste. read more

Okay why did I just find out about this place? I have been going to El Golfo's for years, not knowing that this place was right across. I give this place three stars cause of their yummy frozen drinks, but the food and service was not that great. I would go back just for the frozen drinks! The food not so much. However, the food is good enough. I got the chicken wings which were not saucy. I was excited about saucy wings, but they were just fried with batter. The wings were real crispy and juicy, but I wanted more sauce on it. I also got the cheese quesadilla which were good, but just bland. I wish it came with some vegetables like salsa and lettuce. I got the strawberry and guava daiquiri with rum added to it. I did wish the drink was stronger, but it was still really good. Going back for the drinks! read more

El Gavilan Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

See all

Great customer service and amazing food! The Workers are very polite and friendly. Been coming since I was a little kid and I totally recommend! read more

My family & I really like getting take out from here. Food is always great, special orders are ok & they actually follow through on the requests. Very friendly service. read more

Here's the good- the food is consistently pretty good and homemade tasting. The service from the serving staff has also always been really friendly and considerate, we have a toddler and they're always wonderful with her. The bad? The service is at times almost laughably slow. I've called on a Tuesday night, been told 45 minutes for a simple order and shown up to find the place dead. In person we waited an hour yesterday for tacos, enchiladas and a pupusa. I suspect this is the kitchen more than the waitstaff and as the food is generally really good quality, I think they may make everything to order and really take their time. Still one wishes that they could work on this a bit. Aside from the wait times this place is so much better than the competition next door and they could easily become a local favorite with 5 star reviews. read more

they took 1 hole hour to bring my family our food,we only got 1quisadilla and 2 orders of puposas

Came here for a dinner date and had a pretty good time. We were sat right away, and started off with some taquitos. They came out pretty fast and were tasty. For dinner I had the chimichanga with chicken. The waitress asked if I wanted grilled or fried and thought she meant the chicken ‍ so I said grilled. I was disappointed when it came out and realized she had meant the whole thing. It was pretty good in the end. The beans and rice were a bit bland. Realizing most of the reviews were about how good the steak was - I wish I had got something with that. My husband got the Santa Fe Burrito and I had a bite - so yummy! Decor was nice, there was a solo guy singing karaoke that was a bit distracting, but other than that a pretty good time. Hope to be back to try the steak! read more

El Gavilan Restaurant - Beef Or Chicken Chimichanga (grilled) - Latin American Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

See all

We had this delivered, enjoyed everything had the beef soup, three enchiladas meal and a cabbage tomato appetizer, nothing special but nothing bad, will go back but most likely pick it up. read more

It can be difficult finding good Tex-Mex in the DC area; I love other cuisines from Central America, but sometimes I have a hankering for what I grew up eating in the SW US, and I have a soft spot for bean burritos. Most of the time when you order a "bean burrito" here in the DC area, you get pot beans (e.g., think of Chipotle), which are simply cooked whole beans. It's easy to see in your burrito as the whole beans are still intact. But, my weakness is for frijoles refritos (refried beans) which are made by squashing pot beans and heating in a pan to lightly toast them and to remove some water. Usually some kind of oil is added, which is traditionally lard (not my preference), but can certainly be any number of vegetable oils. There are usually additional spices added (epazote is fairly common). Often the beans are then given a creamier texture by putting in some kind of blender. The end result is a delicious filling for a burrito that is much more flavorful than plain pot beans. While frijoles refritos, in a Mexican context, are usually made from pinto beans, you can make them from pretty much any kind of bean. When I've found frijoles refritos at Salvadoran or Guatemalan restaurants, for instance, they're often made from black beans. The taste is a bit different, but they're still good. So, on to the main point: El Gavilan makes a very tasty bean burrito filled with frijoles refritos. It's plain -- just the toasted tortilla filled with beans--but it's very good. It would be great if they could take this a step further and offer a burrito mojado (wet burrito) in which a refried bean burrito is covered with enchilada sauce and cheese and then baked. (Burritos mojados are almost impossible to find in the DC area. The only other restaurant that I've found that makes them is Guapo's.) On a related note, El Gavilan's enchiladas are also very good and I prefer their pupusas because they're not so oily. read more

This place from the 90s until prior to the pandemic had great authentic food. I grew up in the neighborhood close by. Recently, the food and portions have fallen off significantly and I will not be eating here again after over 2 decades of patronage. There are simply much better options at the prices in the area. read more

I went in there today to get some food and the place was so nice fancy and clean. All the waitresses were in red tshirt and they were nice and friendly. The place has a big. Ar which has some decent drinks and beers. The food itself is not like crazy good but it good enough for me not to complain about it, adding to that good service alsywas plays a rule. Parking is very big and has many spots near by if it was full. read more

See all

I visit El gavilan with my mon We were hungry and decided to go there. They had tables out side the weather was nice. We order a ceviche to start but I was very disappointed because the ceviche taste old and the shrimp had no taste they put a lot of lime I like ceviche but I had never taste anything like this. Next we order Carne Asada and a fajita mix it good flavor. I will be returning here again but I will not recommend anybody to order Ceviche. As far as the service it was ok not the friendless. I just enjoy the time being with my mother. read more

El Gavilan Restaurant - a bottle of corona extra - Latin American Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Another fantastic Latin option in the Takoma Park area! Absolutely need to try their pupusa Loroco. The cheese they use in their pupusa and enchilada is fantastic! read more

Great service, they make you feel quite at home. Grreat selection on the menu with varying options and varying prices. The atmosphere is typical of a TexMex place. Food is fresh and excellent in taste. Be sure to get a pupuresia with your meal. read more

El Gavilan Restaurant - Shrimp and Crab Quesadilla - Latin American Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

See all

food is excellent, wasn't happy with the service because I ordered take out and I was charge a tip on my bill something that I didn't thing it should be added to my receipt I ask the waitress name Flor and said they have to charge that now. I went online and they are not supposed to do it like that. Otherwise it would be a 5 star. read more

Amazing food, small yet welcoming staff, and great customer service. Not being from any Spanish speaking country, nor having any Spanish blood in me, still doesnt stop me from experiencing many different small spots in our area that offer this authentic cuisine. Gavilan has definitely been my go-to always. The NY steak Tejado entree was absolutely to die for!! read more

El Gavilan Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

I love this place. Have had the guacamole, veggie fajitas, chicken quesadillas, steak taco and enchiladas, pork tamale, rice and beans and seriously ALL of it was delicious! The salsa and chips are amazing too! Service is always good and friendly. They also have live music some nights which is always a party. Price is right and location is convenient to silver spring. Definitely one of my favorite neighborhood spots now. read more

My wife and I love this spot. Service is great and food is top notch. Delicioso mhmmmmmm.

Really great food. We love the burritos a d chimichangas. The ceviche is also amazing. This little gem in silver spring definitely deserves some extra love. read more

They have outstanding guacamole as an appetizer. The food overall is not bad quality.

We love it here and miss eating outside now that it's December (Covid times). Steak/shrimp fajita platter is our go-to, fried whole fish is so good, plus their enchiladas and pupusas are highly recommended. I was skeptical for some reason but their wings are really good too. In non-Covid times it's a great spot for drinks and always bustling, not to mention karaoke. read more

Excellent food and service.....felt welcome the moment I walked in the door and ordered. The food came quickly and was absolutely delicious. My last visit was 5 years ago and the restaurant recently made a few changes....all positive changes. Definitely going back......and worth going. read more

I called to see if there was karaoke tonight, what a let down! Some guy preformed all night when I thought he was done after 20 minutes.

Nice place! Good and tasty food! Super nice service ever!!! Visited few times and tryed multiple dishes there,and all the time food is awesome, and ladies who work there are super friendly and always can help you to find your best food! Enjoying staying there! read more

Service can be slow!! currently waiting an hour simply to get appetizers. I mean c'maybe n: If you aren't equipped to serve people, let them know before seating them. Waiting an hour after being seated just for an appetizer not acceptable. read more

Good Service! This place is the prime example of welcoming all cultures. Just because your clientele and cuisine is focused on one culture doesnt mean you have to alienate others. And at this place I felt welcomed! Like I was visiting an El Salvadorian tourist trap (in a good way). The food was delicious. The wait time was acceptable and the food came out hot, fresh and ready! The waiter was courteous, communicated well and was very attentive. My Mango Colada was a little bit sour but that only means they used fresh mangoes that were prolly a lil underripe (its not really mango season). Love it! read more

What a disappointment. Walking in the door, I immediately have to pause and make sure I am not in a daycare center. At 7:30 in the evening, I definitely did not expect to be assaulted by the sound of screaming children. But there they were, running around completely unchecked. Not a great start--but hey, a terrible atmosphere is worth dealing with for a great restaurant, right? The meal starts with chips--thick, bland chips accompanied by tasteless and cold salsa. This stuff could have just been poured out of a Tostitos jar. We order the steak Salvadorian style and the pork chops. Both were overcooked, to the point where the chops were covered in char. There were good flavors there, but they were lost to a terrible preparation. The prices are unjustifiably high. The food is neither good enough or in large enough quantities to justify $13 for a plate. To top it all off, the service was inattentive--we weren't checked on once during our meal and had to wave someone down for the bill. I was really hoping to find a latin food gem near home. Maybe there is one out there, but it isn't El Gavilan. read more

As I was wandering around the area looking at what options there were, I saw the smokestack above the kitchen in this place belch. Suddenly the outside was filled with smell of grilled steak. If that didn't entice me to check it out nothing would. Very much similar to El Golfo down the street, really nice service and a bit more varied menu. The place also has a stage off to the side where they sometimes will have live music, so check ahead of time for this if you are not expecting it. Basic menu, carne asada, enchilladas, fajitas, and a real great corn tamale ecspecially. Sangria and basic margaritas but without real lime juice will be here served with honesty and sincerity. read more

Great place to visit for some authentic Salvadorian food. If you're looking for "American" Tex Mex, this isn't the place for you; their Tacos for example are solid with corn tortillas, meat, and a Salvadorian slaw, none of this cheese, lettuce, and tomato that you'll see in Taco Bell. When visiting here with my wife a few weeks back, it was a Sunday night, and it was pretty light crowd, quiet atmosphere, but still had a vibe of being a local neighborhood restaurant. We were promptly seated, and before we placed our order for drinks/appetizers, we were presented with chips/salsa, which is one of my benchmark criteria for "good" Latin American restaurants. The chips were thick and sturdy, not these thin obviously factory made chips, in a pretty spicy salsa. Our Food was all presented promptly, between our Pupusa appetizers to our entrees, and the plates were enormous, such that we both felt stuffed when we left with no time for dessert. Everything came out promptly, and was delivered with attentive, yet not overbearing service. One of my wife's only complaints was that they seemed to have the AC on full blast, and it wasn't too terribly hot of a day, so that plus cold drinks was a bit uncomfortable. Overall though, El Gavilan provides a great value in the quantity and quality of food for the price, and is a good neighborhood Latin American stop. read more

Huevos Rancheros...yum...Actually they're only on the lunch menu, the staff lets me order it whenever I want. The food here is very good and fresh; their chips and salsa are terrific, as are the plantains and beans. My boyfriend had a steak and thought it was pretty good. My friend (who is Salvadorena) loves the shrimp lunch special. The fajitas and seafood look really good, but I've never tried them. The margaritas are decent. I usually order huevos rancheros or piece together a meal from the side dish section, so my meals are usually pretty cheap. Regular dishes are more in the $8-15 range. On weekends they have a guy with a keyboard singing, which can be quite loud, but still fun. I've never had to wait for a table here, but it's always pretty busy and has been around for quite a while. Lots of neighborhood people come in for good food. The atmosphere isn't that great, but I prefer El Gavilan to Samantha's or El Golfo. read more

Was invited here by friends... Ordered carne a la parrilla... To start we received chips and salsa... The chips didn't feel stale and the sauce was flavorful. I got my food and it was wonderful. Meat was tender,soft, and savory .. Rice was tasty and the beans were good. Overall a nice restaurant and pretty authentic.. read more

See all

Love this place - we were introduced by some of our El Salvadorian friends & we've now been eating there for well over a year! My faves are the pork/cheese papusas, and while I have enjoyed everything I have ordered, typically stick with fajitas. The servers do not speak or understand English that well, but they do a great job keeping tabs on your drinks, and if you need anything throughout your dining experience. I'm in agreement with Phil D., the music, while great, is overwhelming to ANY level of conversation. That would be one area of suggestion from me - keep the music, just quieter. I must say, El Gavilan is very consistent & authentic! Consistency is one of the things that I look for most in order for a restaurant to make it to my favorites list. read more

Service was a little slow and the beer was cool at best but the food was excellent! Would definitely try them again!

Any place that has "the best of" something in DC for me is a 5-star place in my book. For grilled fajitas, these guys far out-do the likes of Guapo's, Rosa Mexicano, and Uncle Julio's to name a few big name Tex-Mex chains in the area. For El Plato Gavilán (shrimp + steak and/or chicken) fajitas, expect to pay $17.75 which is pretty fair for the area. They also do live Latino music / karaoke on weekends which really adds to the ambience and feeling of authenticity. Great place to go for groups and celebrations! read more

See all

We ordered the Flowers platter and two pupusas (our usual order.) We usually only go on fridays or sundays, never Saturdays (and never will on Saturdays.) This has to be the worst experience we've gotten out of the restaurants we usually go to (La Sierra's Grill in Calverton is good.) The Chile relleno had either very very little or no egg in it at all, the Chile wrap tasted like unseasoned seaweed and the Chile relleno itself was so greasy, it was uncomfortable to eat. The chicken taco's chicken meat was dry, the chicken enchilada was completely dry. The pupusas (beans and cheese) were good but they forgot to give us the cabbage and salsa. We've come here and ordered food to go only on Friday nights (they weren't as packed) but this is the first time we ordered food to go on a Saturday night. I called and they could barely hear me because there was too much sound in their background, so we went into the restaurant to order. The place was packed so maybe that's why the food was worse than usual. The floors were also really slippery for some reason. Not sure if they have a completely different cook on Saturdays but the food was really disappointing. If you're ever going to go eat in the restaurant or order food to go, go during lunch on Sunday's or order food to go on Friday nights. Saturday's are a complete no-go. This was by far, the worst experience we've had at any Salvadorian or Texmex restaurant in the whole area. It's such a shame because we've always had better service on days that they're not that packed. Their food is usually on point on the days we order food. But after this experience, we'll for sure think twice before ordering food here. read more

The food really deserves 5 stars. Especially the steak taco's del carbon!! The chicken quesadilla is pretty awesome as well. They have a real diverse menu with tex mex and traditional Salvadorian food. The Tostones are great. I wish they would add mofungo to their menu. I would stay away from the fried ice cream if you don't like coconut flakes. Coconut flakes and I just don't agree. The drink menu is pretty good. I would avoid the $5 house margarita though. It's a very shallow glass. Go for the bigger margaritas they are a little pricey but a better value. The building itself is a little outdated and the bad Spanish karaoke later in the weekend nights can be a little bothersome. For me and my wife it can be very funny. The owner is very friendly and seems to take time to get to know his guests. All in all it's a great neighborhood hang with great food!! read more

This place has been around since I was a teenager. I come here every so often when I am in the mood for a corn tamale and fajita. Their ceviche is also good. I really do enjoy their food but the wait staff is a hit or miss. They usually have some form of live music entertainment on the weekend. I have no complaints about their food except for the waiting time and sometimes their wait staff are not so friendly. read more

See all

We recently went into El Gavilan for the first time in years. Not that our previous experience was bad, it just wasn't remarkable. The music was ok, the food was ok, the parking was ok. But we gave it another try because we were in the mood for enchiladas. We decided to do take out (read above comment about ok music). But things have changed! The music was really good as we waited for our order. The new owner/manager, John, was friendly and attentive. He told us about special musical events coming up at the restaurant that we don't want to miss. The food was great! All the right sides, the right amount of cheese and great seasoning. The parking, well, that is still ok, can't do much to improve what's there...but the food and service and music were so much improved we're going to be back in a couple weeks, rather than a couple of years! read more

I have been here for lunch and dinner. Lunch was an amazing value. Me and my girlfriend feasted for 20 bux! I had the tortilla soup which comes with a taco and pico de gallo and guac. The guac could use a little work, but besides that it was perfect. My girlfriend got the tacos, and although she ordered beef and got chicken, she didn't care and enjoyed it thoroughly (were pretty easy but we know good food). Good service. We also got a couple of 2 dollar pupusas which were also yummy and came with the traditional slaw. The warm chips and house salsa that was on the table within minutes were a great start (no charge.) We also got christmas day takeout and REALLY feasted for $35 bux. Chichurron was dangerously delicious. I had enough leftovers for dinner the next day. Open late, and yes it can be very loud in there! read more