My dish here was actually very tasty - got the lunch portion of carnitas. Came with rice and beans with grilled onions. The plate was small but it was only $10, so still a good deal. Would have liked more protein and less of the beans/rice but meat was very tasty. read more

El Jimador - 30. Carnitas Lunch - Mexican Near Me - Stafford, Virginia

Portion size was very small and the thinnest amount of rice and beans spread into my plate . I had to laugh at it . Drinks are all mixers . If you want good Mexican food , go down the street to el charro ! Great drinks , quality of food and portion size ! read more

El Jimador - Combo plate - 10. Two Chiles Rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Stafford, Virginia

I can't say too much because the friend I was meeting didn't show up. I had already ordered queso and guacamole. My server told me they were known for their guacamole, but I find that to be a damnable lie. I know the table side guacamole was probably better, but the regular guacamole was very bland. I like a lot of lime, pico and tajin in my guacamole, but too each his own. The queso was pretty good, so I sat and ate the queso before getting the check and leaving. Also awkward, a person got up from the bar and immediately collapsed and they had to call an ambulance! The staff handled it extremely well, it was impressive. My server gave me chip refills on multiple occasions, so I have no complaints about my experience. I took pictures of every page in the menu because there were no good menu pics. You're welcome! read more

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Its ok. I would personally rather go to el gran charro bc i think the food and prices are better. Its not a bad choice though.

The food was tasty, and the service was good. The restaurant is new and decorated nicely. We decided to give them a try for dinner and wasn't disappointed. The Fajitas were good. I think that the shrimp are too small, and that they cut their meat a little to finely. The steak would always be overcooked if you want anything that's not well done on that hot plate. Overall, this place is better than other tex mex places in the Stafford area. I would definitely return and try some different things in the future. 4 Stars read more

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Great Mexican restaurant. Me and fella have been here a few times and enjoy it every time. Food was good and the prices were fair. Service is superb and they always are asking if we need anything . Great at anticipating our needs . A++++ read more

El Jimador - Margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Stafford, Virginia

Third visit and this time it was carry out. I could not tell the difference in being in the restaurant or carrying out. Service was very warm and friendly. The atmosphere on a Thursday was not crowded. I'm going to try lunch menu. The food is so good and flavorful and authentic. Loved the way they packaged it up. read more

My wife and I just stopped by to this place, it was very good Quality of food Quality of service, highly recommend read more

Sometimes the food is hit or miss, it tends to be a little salty for my personal taste. The service is always decent and we're always seated very quickly. It's got a cozy, welcoming feel. The reason for the 4 stars is primarily because of the chicharron guacamole. I would almost give them 5 stars solely based on that alone. It's not on the menu but it's a must try. It's about all I order from there now. read more

Food was great! Drinks were great! Service is awesome and the vibe a very laid back. I would highly recommend! read more

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We love the El Jimador in the Celebrate VA part of Stafford, off of Rt17, so when this place opened (just a few days ago) we stopped in for lunch. Came on a weekday and they were so packed, the entire parking lot was packed too! We got a seat outdoors on their patio, which was nice. They definitely need to work through some issues associated with being newly opened and popular (so they're very busy), but overall they're on track to do very well. We opted for their mix fajitas for two and they were tasty, fresh, and served up hot. Overall, not a bad visit, and I look forward to returning. read more

El Jimador - Beef & Chicken Mixed Fajitas for Two - Mexican Near Me - Stafford, Virginia

We just moved to the area and stumbled upon this little gem! The food is absolutely delicious and the restaurant itself is super clean. Definitely A+ from my family and I read more

El Jimador - Mexican Near Me - Stafford, Virginia

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My husband loved all of his dinner, especially that spicy corn on the cob. He said wow, this Mexican food has so much flavor. He's hard to please, so glad he was happy. He also said the Spanish rice was very tasty. My shrimp salad was delicious too. Nice size grilled shrimp with tomatoes and avocado, cucumbers. Salad was very tasty and nice size portion. We had the order delivered and it was great! read more

Service is only good the first five minutes. After that, it is all downhill. Our beans and rice were cold (not warm....but cold). Disappointing meal and lackluster service. Would not recommend. read more

good food. nice atmosphere. Service a tad inattentive but the food comes out fairly quick

I chose this restaurant from someone else's review. This review is coming from a 100% Mexican. I was visiting from California to see a friend and his family, so we went in with a party of 6 people. The service was friendly and they spoke Spanish, which made it more welcoming. The menu was about 10 pages long, so it was difficult to decide what to choose. When I order the Camarones Rellegos, the menu noted it was served with 2 sides. I looked at the sides section and there were many choices, so I asked the waiter and he did not know if I could order any of the items in the sides portion. Another waiter had to come later and have me change my side choices, so I chose beans and corn salad. The salsa and chips were good but the table side paste appetizer was not impressive. Once my meal arrived it was visually unimpressive and the taste left a weird mix of pork and maple with no hint of shrimp at all. The beans were pasty and tasted worse than canned beans. The corn was dry and tasteless. I appreciated the manager working with us to hear our concerns. However, I would not return to eat here. Reasons: menu is too complicated, wait staff is not familiar with new menu items, and food quality is sub-par. read more

El Jimador - Camarones Rellegos - Mexican Near Me - Stafford, Virginia

Would like to leave a positive review, their food is good, but tried to call for 15 mins on a Saturday afternoon and REPEATEDLY got voicemail. No way at 3:30pm on a Saturday you are so busy you can't answer your phone Do better. read more

So the first time my husband and I went to this restaurant around the time they opened, we weren't impressed. But went back just to see if it had changed and the experience went way better! They hired a new bartender, all the drinks are great but my personal favorite the prickly pear margarita. The food was great I had the barría tacos, I like their version as it isn't as greasy (even though that is the way it is supposed to be). I went with a friend and the owner just happened to be there and had apologized personally for the long wait on drinks, we didn't complain but he was very attentive. The atmosphere was good, they had live music on Friday when we were there. For a newer location they are my go to especially since I can walk there, parking isn't always available as there are 3 other store fronts and also offer outdoor seating. read more

Although they had a rough start, with overwhelming demand during the first few weeks, they've definitely come around. They are still quite busy, but we were seated promptly and waited on shortly thereafter. The food came commensurate with a cooked to order meal and has been absolutely delicious every time. Oh yeah, chef Francisco's fresh made Tres Leche cake and flan are phenomenal read more

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Well Done!! After a very long wait, and watching them get ready, El Jimador has opened and I must say it was well worth the wait. While I was waiting for my take out order, I was provided with house made tortilla chips and fresh made salsa. And OMG, what a treat that was, as was the smell of my food and all the other patrons food being cooked. It smells amazing!!! First, a military policeman from Quantico came in and stated, this is the only place that reminds her of the authentic Mexican food from New Mexico. Try everything and make sure you check out the drinks. The glassware will tickle your eyes just as the cocktail will. And try the chimichanga sampler as it does not disappoint either. I will be going back on a regular basis. Outstanding design and ambiance and cheers to the wait staff. Every single one of them made me feel like I was the only customer, answering all questions and requests with smiles on their faces like you were visiting relative. read more

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Love this restaurant. We've been a number of times and the wait staff is always so nice. A waiter who wasn't even assigned to our table stopped to say hi to us. Their fajitas, shrimp tacos and mole poblano are excellent! Highly recommend. read more

The peach margarita was good. The jalapeño margarita is exactly what it says. It tastes like the outer bitterness of a jalapeño. Adding tajin would make it better. The Baja Cali burrito was not good and extremely small. The birria tacos were not good either. 3/10 in my opinion. The consume was thick and again, not great. There was an annoying light in the corner where the security camera was that would go off every so often and was extremely annoying. We were hopeful as we hear so many people say to try it but we will never be going here again. Overpriced for the portions. read more

First, I don't normally do reviews this early after a new opening, but I'll make an exception for Stafford, since we have only a small handful of good restaurants. I intend to update this in a few months after they have ironed out the kinks. I want everyone to know this review is based on a few visits, and definitely not because I had 1 great or 1 bad experience. We've eaten here a number of times and here's the things we ordered - fajitas, burritos, tacos, chimichangas, sampler platter, wings, fried egg rolls thing with meat (name?), chicken soup, and lava cake. 9/10 - Decor Beautiful dining area with an inviting and fun outdoor patio. No expense was spared on the tile work and lighting. The ambiance elevates the dining experience, at least for me. 4/10 - Service Unsurprisingly poor to mediocre as most new restaurant experience. I anticipate this will improve the longer they are open. Be patient going in, or you will most likely be frustrated. 7/10 - Food Presentation The plating of the majority of the dishes I've had, have been better and more appealing than the normal/average Mexican restaurant. However, there's another similar restaurant in Stafford that they should aspire to emulate (IYKYK). 8/10 - Food Quality You can tell when a restaurant uses the highest quality ingredients and definitely El Jimador is one of those places. This is absolutely the most important element to making truly great food. 6/10 - Food Taste, Depth of Flavor, and Aroma I think the chicken soup is pretty awesome, could use salt and pepper, easily fixed at the table. Their mango habanero wings are excellent as well. As for the rest... I found everything else to be unremarkable. When I think of really great Mexican food, I want to taste spice, feel heat, and lots of bold balanced flavors that add a depth to the dining experience. I don't get that here, it's as if there dishes are dulled down to somehow appeal to the masses, and that's losing touch with what they are supposed to be. This score for Food Taste... is the one I'm most concerned about. Unfortunately, I don't think this score will improve. I honestly hope it will, because I need a place like El Jimador on my go to list. Depending on what you are looking for in a dining experience, those elements are what will define your personal review. But, for those of you who are looking to be wowed by big bold flavors, who savor every bite, enjoying every note present in their meal. Well, you will most likely leave saying that was nice, but inside feeling like something was lost, missing. Then you might feel a little disappointed and wanting more. read more

I went there last week and they brought our drinks like in 15 minutes and food at 30 minutes and usually 20 minutes and the waitress didn't even pay attention to the food and drinks but the food was great just pay more attention to the drinks and food read more

Good food and great service! Very good prices too on the food. Plenty of tasty combo meals for around $10 !! I've eaten here about a dozen times since it opened up a few months ago, for both lunch and dinner. Friendly employees. Highly recommend as I am becoming a regular. read more

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Food was not great. Service was not great. Check was very expensive for the experience. I would not recommend.

Quite the waste... Why open a restaurant with the same name as another Mexican restaurant minutes away on 17, and then remind you are not them when we call? Ordered the Pollo Loco and nothing was loco about the meal and missing the tortillas. The "El Jimador Special Sauce" couldn't hide the undead ones chicken drowning n within the sauce. The Flautas were bland, some how the accompanying lettuce, tasted like cabbage. The cheese dip, was watered down. The only star earned was due to the smokey salsa which was Ok. read more

If you are Mexican, this is not for you. I was hoping for some good Mexican food, and this was not it. Wife got fajitas that had no flavor. Daughter got the Cali burrito and only took two bites. My chile relleno was not a chile relleno. If you value your money, go spend it on something good. I feel like I was scammed for $60. That chef needs to reevaluate things. read more

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We just had a wonderful date night dinner at El Jimador in Stafford, VA. We were seated immediately in comfortable chairs at a center table. It did not feel cramped or bustling given the small appearance of the place. Our server, Heydi was friendly & attentive. Beverages were brought quickly and filled as needed. Each part of the meal arrived in a timely manner and as ordered. The guacamole tasted just like mine minus the cilantro. (Many people don't care for it so it's often left out unless requested. We were brought a bowl of cilantro.) The salsa was also very good. I ordered the Tierra y Mar without cheese sauce but with a side of grated cheese. It arrived as ordered and was delicious. Full of scallops, shrimp, chicken, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, onions, & pepper, & a side of Mexican rice. Very good!!! My husband got the steak & chicken fajitas that came with beans, rice, and fajita toppings & tortillas. He had no complaints with portion nor taste! We shared a Mexican Street Corn on the cob. It was very sweet, creamy, and flavorful. We left with full bellies & happy taste buds! If you haven't tried them ,give them a chance. Low reviews may be due to being newly opened and working out the kinks. We have no complaints!!! read more

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Amazing service, food came out in about 15 minutes. Ambiance was great too with nice music that our Spanish exchange student understood. Total rating from the group was 5 stars, would recommend. read more

Service is great. Sometimes good sometimes okay, but NEVER bad. The people behind the bar are particularly friendly, as well as the hosts and hostesses. The decorations and atmosphere are perfection. The food is great, the selection is amazing as well. When my boyfriend was stationed here, we would go here often together. He is in North Carolina now, and misses El Jimador. He loves Mexican and hasn't found anything that comes close to this place down there. Their queso and salsa are incredible. The amount of food you get with meals is satisfying. I recommend the birria tacos and the enchiladas or taco salad if you're coming for a first time. Additionally, their mojitos are TO DIE FOR. They even have cute little Christmas mojitos and margaritas for the holiday season. This Monday I got some food here and shared it with my coworkers and we all loved it. I just absolutely love it here. read more

Chips were garbage. Taco and burritos meat and sauce were underwhelming. Onions in the rice. Filled my coke up atleast a decent speed but could have been better. Ambience sucked. Also charge a credit card fee. My stomach isn't feeling well after eating there. read more

I hesitate to review a place after opening only a couple of days ago but I was inspired by the experience. This location took an extremely long time to open and after spending time there last night, it now makes sense. The chaos that ensued in front of us was entertaining at most. Trainwreck comes to mind. The chef wandered out to the bar frequently to give the bartenders and staff a good old fashioned dressing down. The waiters could not understand how their drink orders were mixed up, misinterpreted, and just plain wrong. The food took over an hour to arrive and I can honestly say I've never been to a similar style restaurant where it ever took more than 15 minutes. Quality was not impressive either. The fajitas left much to be desired and the chimichangas fell flat. Guacamole was less than par. What I can say about the staff is they were very friendly and I really wanted this to be a better dining experience. This is a "new management" issue and should right itself with experience hopefully. However, I will continue to provide patronage to other locations as the food is substantially better. And for the line of people outside the door, I hope your experiences were better than ours. read more

For a place that just opened food was great! Street corn was hot and with a cold strip which was odd. Brought out appetizers but no plates to eat the appetizers off of. Constantly refilled drinks and chips which was nice and great job clearing plates. Wife had Mexican street fish tacos that were excellent and I had Texan Nachos that was also very good. Portion sizes were decent and a good value. Would recommend and go again. Small place with limited seating and parking lot is not designed for many vehicles either so if you go during prime hours be prepared to wait. read more

Best Mexican food in Stafford! We have been waiting for a great Mexican place . This place checked all the boxes ! Great atmosphere , great decor , great food and great service ! We will 100 percent be back :) read more

Absolutely love El Jimador , both locations are amazing!! Excellent service & food! The restaurant is always a vibe!

Margaritas are amazing. Birria Tacos are absolutely delicious. Shrimp tacos with mango salsa - to die for. Yes, it takes a little bit for the food to come out. It just opened people! Give it time. read more

I went to the new El Jimador Mexican Restaurant in Stafford tonight. I got the Chicken Burrito & my husband got the Steak & Chicken Fajitas, and the street corn and some egg rolls. Everything was very good and plentiful. I will definitely go again. Only con is they have a ToGo charge. I don't like that and the containers are not even reusable. JMO read more

My wife & I have dined here on two occasions and thoroughly enjoyed our meals each time. The food is high quality and the service is excellent. We've both been in the Southwestern US and have always enjoyed true Mexican cuisine. El Jimador hits the mark quite well on all points. read more

Service and food was so much better than first time. Food on point, service great! Great job