Great experience. We were greeted by the friendliest host ever. After we were seated our waiter came quickly and then brought great sangria and margaritas. Mouth watering tapas started our journey to an incredible dinner- we had the paella. Bread pudding for dessert. The serving sizes were huge- brought home 1/2 of my dinner and most of my bread pudding- just as good the next day! The restaurant was clean, well run and friendly. This place is a must! read more

A family favorite. Food is always good. The owner met us at the door and led us to our table. He then offered us another table a bit more out of the way. Great service and food. As already mentioned, don't let the shopping center facade fool you. read more

Exceptional food. Go for their variety of their Tapas; 3 of them are more than plenty and you get a nice different tastes. Love their Sangrias and margaritas. read more

Friendly and quick service, and THE BEST Spanish food in town! Try the Paella, and the croquetas.... Both my favorites and remind me of my time in Spain! Also very good Mexican food... fajitas are always a hit here! Check Jalapeños out, you won't be disappointed! Yes...it is in a strip mall next to a Christian Bookstore and a Dollar Store, but you will be thanking God for the wonderful meal you had and wishing you had a dollar for everytime I told you that you wouldn't realize you were in a strip mall once you sat down,so it all works out! (There is also a Home Depot, fan store, and Sally Beauty Supply store what used to be called the Hechinger Shopping Plaza, but I don't have any stupid jokes about them.) read more

One of my absolute favorite restaurants in Annapolis and has been for the past 10 years. Everything every time has has been great, from the food to the service, the decor and the drinks, I can't say enough good things about this place. read more

I've heard so many rave reviews about Jalapenos that I had to try it. I was very disappointed with the ropa vieja I ordered. They had a Latin jazz type singer which to me was annoying to talk over. I get it that it's a "fancy" Spanish and mexican place but the food was bland and overpriced. Service and sangria were good. read more

I love jalapenos, not too much to say other than stick to the tapas so you get to try more things. The service can't be beat. The happy hour is like stealing from the place it is so cheap for what you are getting. Also the seating is very comfortable unlike most restaurants nowadays. read more

I must say I was very skeptical about dining here after arriving at the location but the reviews online were very good so we decided to give it a try anyway. We are so glad we did! The atmosphere inside was great! The wait staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was really relaxing. We especially enjoyed the decor and guitar player nearby our table. The food and margaritas were exceptional! Don't let the outside fool you! Give Jalapenos a try - but MAKE RESERVATIONS! They are quite busy especially on the weekends! read more

Best margaritas in Annapolis, seafood is superb -arguably the best everyday restaurant because of its consistency.

From what I heard - I thought this was going to be great! The atmosphere is nice and the waitress was good - Sadly, it was over-priced mediocre mexican food. It did not taste "authentic" at all. Ill pay for good food and this was not it. ***The 3 stars are for the atmosphere and the waitress. read more

You might be surprised by this restaurant stuck in a strip mall across from the new Annapolis Town Center. I've been going here for years and it never disappoints. They have both tapas and regular entrees. They do get busy so be sure to make reservations ahead of time unless you're willing to wait. Service is great as is the owner. All of the dishes I have had here are excellent and I've brought my toddler here multiple times and they've been very accommodating. I like that they have regular food on the kids menu and not just kid food. One of the best Mexican/Spanish restaurants in the area hands down! read more

Terrific fish tacos and great service, really looking forward to trying many of the other menu items.

Thank you yelpers! Found this hidden gem while in town on business. Had the "gringas de pescado" (fish tacos) on daily special. Served with fried yucca n salad. Lots of flavor and plenty to fill me up. This place is in a strip center and looks plain, so I might not have tried it otherwise. :) read more

I think that the food was good. Weird that they didn't have beef tacos for the 12 year old that I was with but to each is own. Terrible service and the waitress was so rude that I am sitting at this table writing this review. Don't waste your time. Go somewhere else. read more

While the location makes you wonder what you're walking into, this place is friendly, attentive service and accommodating. The food is hot, flavorful and well presented. You can't go wrong. The guac and chips are very tasty and plentiful. Decent selection of beer. read more

We ate here on a Sunday evening. At first glance we were concerned as the location between a religious store and a dollar store in a strip mall was off putting. As soon as we walked in we knew it would be a great restaurant. A nice clientele. We were greeted and seated immediately. Our host took my friends crutches and helped him get seated. The menu is a huge selection of tapas and entrees. We ordered a variety of starters and a few drinks. The food was some of the best southwest/Latin/Mexican we ever encountered. The service was impeccable. The prices were moderate. Frankly, we would have paid much more. My new favorite for southwest fare. read more

If Mexican..., Spanish food is what you really really want so I tell you - don't be afraid of the outside look of Jalapenos, it's a hidden gem! Discover Jalapenos. Lovely, beautiful, elegant decor, and bright atmosphere dining space (ala Manhattan socielite) offering fantastic food at unbelievably reasonable price. I am really impressed. Go see for yourself - inside, and be transformed. Chimchigas is different but delicious; it looks healthier because it is not top loaded with red sauce but cucumber and tomatoes, and variety of spices. I had Picadillo Cubano (I asked the server and he enthusiastically recommended it). I enjoyed it. The food size is close to perfect. Either way shape or form, you can't go wrong with any food you pick at Jalapenos. read more

Best happy hour in Annapolis. Great food. Wonderful sangria and margaritas!

This is a great tapas restaurant in Annapolis. If you've tried other tapas eateries like Jaleo's, this is better. The dishes are very fresh and clearly the chef knows how to season dishes with great balance. We enjoyed a range of vegetable, fish, poultry, and beef dishes from the menu--all were quite delicious. I would recommend reservations--we've been turned away for drop-ins a few times (and went nearby to Sin Fronteras, another great spot). The fifth star is held back a couple reasons, namely the strip mall venue and the final tab (which seemed pretty steep for the experience). read more

If you're coming here for Mexican food, it's ok. Go to Sin Fronteras for that. But the real reason to come here is for the Spanish Tapas. This is the real deal. We ordered at least 10 different things with a table of four. Every bite was devoured. Delicious and beautifully presented. Great service too. Dip the delicious hot rolls in all of the sauces that are in the dishes you order. You're Welcome! read more

The food here has always been really good. Awesome menu with great variety. The service however is always pretty close to awful. We've been here at all times of day and days of the week but regardless we always end up with slow (and not due to being busy) service. More than one occasion I've had a server standing in the POS area on their phone while we were trying to get their attention for one thing or another. I feel like some re-training and attitude adjustment would impact this place greatly! read more

Jalapenos suffers the fate of many good restaurants - it's so reliable that you forget that it is there. Anyway, I had a chance to grab a quick lunch today and can say that I hope to be back soon. For those that have never been, the difference between the outside & the inside is night & day. The shopping center is somewhat decrepit, making the neighboring country buffet look more at home than anything related to fine dining. But, once you get inside, it's like entering a beautiful estate in Spain or Mexico. And a nice shout out to the staff as they always give a warm welcome and good service. The food is a mix of Spanish, Cuban and Mexican. As I'm sucker for mole sauce, I went with the enchiladas with chorizo, which was great. At the other end of the table was a Mexican salad, which seemed to have a great variety of really fresh ingredients. As I mentioned, a quick lunch so nothing more to report. Based on past visits, I'm pretty confident that the rest of the menu is killer as well. read more

My favorite restaurant! Go on The weekend for their specials. I always order the fish special and have never been disappointed. Lamb shanks are also great. Margaritas are wonderful. Don't let the location fool you; the interior makes up for it. Owner and staff are always helpful and friendly. A real gem! read more

This is by far the best restaurant in Annapolis. We have been here a few times now and have never had a bad experience. We went yesterday and it was a little busy so our waitress wasn't able to (or just didn't) come to our table more than 4 times in 1.5 hours we were there which was irritating when we wanted another drink. This is the only instance of that happening though and other than that it's literally the best and authentic food around. A++ would suggest the muscles, Gambas Al Ajillo and Pollo Mexicano -- the tapas are definitely the way to go. read more

I know this restaurant gets a lot of great reviews but I think it's overrated. It's a decent restaurant but for the $$$ I pay here I can get a just as good meal somewhere else. I understand there's the atmosphere at the bar, kind of quaint but it's dark in there. The food is ok but I could eat at some other mexican restaurants/fast food and have a similar meal at much cheaper prices. Think California Tortilla, etc. read more

One of the better restaurants in the area. I think their Spanish food is the better part of the menu. Tapas of course. The filet with cabrales is probably my favorite. I highly suspect the older gentleman who often greets you at the door is the owner. If so, in my opinion that's always a very good sign at a restaurant. I've never been disappointed. read more

Wow! This place is tucked away in amongst stores and it is a goldmine! It is across the road from Towne Centre, you'd use the same parking lot as if to go to Home Depot, but it's acoss the other side from HD. We first came here a while ago just for drinks and they had a wonderful three-piece smooth jazz group playing. Our friends highly recommended this place so we gave it a go. My husband had a Margherita which was delicious and strong! Not being overly hungry, we settled on sharing 3 Tapas plates. We had a beef Quesadilla which gave us 2 pieces each. It was perfect, and HOT! We went for the added extra of some jalapenos and it was worth it. Then we had chorizo which had been barbequed and came out as a whole sausage which we had to cut. No issues with that at all. It's the best chorizo I've ever had. Finally we had an asparagus dish. Even if you're not a fan of asparagus (like my husband who kindly agreed to have it because I fancied it!) it was cooked perfectly - not too crips and not too limp. We left feeling full but not overly so. I would whole-heartedly recommend this place and will certainly be returning! read more

Agree with another reviewer - don't judge the book by its cover, or in this case the restaurant by its location. Delicious (albeit expensive) Mexican food. Surprising ambiance once you walk through the doors. Great service, from the host to the server. On one visit they had live music of just the right variety (pleasant, flamingo? style guitar music adding to the evening, not too loud). I'm not sure how frequently they have live music since it wasn't there on another visit but it may have been weekend vs. weekday (can't recall). For cheap casual Mexican for the family, head down to Chevy's instead (and I'm not knocking Chevy's) but check this place out for a date night or place to linger over dinner with friends. read more

This is a hidden gem, a discovery worth making. You don't expect this kind of quality hidden away in a strip mall. The Spanish specialties are as good as the Mexican ones. Everything here, from the service, down to the attention to detail in food preparation is first rate calibre. read more

Love this place....so many choices. The best happy hour in Annapolis!!

I had a really enjoyable meal at Jalapeno's. Happened to be there when appetizers were $5.00, so I ate three of them, plus a Caesar salad. All well-prepared, nothing outstanding, but really enjoyable. Service was leisurely, but the staff were all really friendly. The menu is large and diverse--fish, meats, and some vegetarian options (though my mushrooms were clearly cooked in butter, so not so great for vegans). There was a band playing in the back room; you might want to ask before go if you'd rather be some place quiet. read more

Very good Tapas food the steak is amazing. The service is excellent. And the atmosphere is very comfortable.

Excellent Spanish/Mexican cuisine. The chips and salsa were on point and the guac was very fresh. We (my husband and I) got three tapas to share: tamales, empanadas, and chorizo. All were incredible. The atmosphere was pleasant and the service great. Definitely coming back! read more

This is a high end Mexican restaurant. Usually I only go to the divey places for Mexican food as it tends to be more authentic and better, but this place offers a more romantic experience and great tasting food. I got the fish and it was great. The sauces tasted freshly made and the wait staff was very friendly. I only give this place 4 stars because it is a bit pricey. read more

Overall the place is 4 stars, but that's with a 3 and a half for food and a a strong 4 for service..

You're definitely going to want reservations here if you're planning for a Friday or Saturday night. It's a trendy and romantic little spot. Though the name says Mexican, they serve Spanish (European) style food too. The interior has a rich, earthy and very heartwarming feel. Service was quick and on the dot. The food was fantastic, but don't come here expecting a reasonably priced meal. The tapas were wonderful comfort food for your mouth, but $8 for a two piece appetizer is painful for your wallet. Margaritas were excellent! Overall, this place is definitely worth visiting. I have nothing but praise for the food! Since it's a bit on the pricey end, I'd save the trip for a special occasion when you've got a reason to splurge and celebrate! read more

Great food & good price! Best time to go is the happy hour 4-7 they have $5-7 tapas! The staff are always friendly. Place gets pretty packed at like 4:15 and doors open at 4:00! Get there early or prepare to wait! read more

We went a few days before St. Patrick's day 2008 on a Thursday night and they were cram packed and short staffed, but still very personable. We made the (mistake) of ordering all Tapas which didn't seem to be up to snuff. Nothing bad, but nothing really great or jumped out at us, either. Given the lousy location (as stated by another reviewer), we'll prolly be hard pressed to go back there again, just given that there are so many excellent restaurants in Annapolis. read more

The first time we ate here we loved it, albeit the sangria needs some oomph! But the last 2 times we dined here were very disappointing. We had a reservation for 8:00 but they didn't seat us until 8:20. All 4 at our table decided on the tapas and we ordered 12 different tapas. They were all fair and noone at the table raved about any of the dishes. After 2 disappointing visits, it will be a while before we return. read more

Dont let the strip mall store front fool you- this place has wonderful apps and tapas and full entrees- we stumbled on this recommended on Yelp when we brought our son to the USNA ... And we will definitely be back! Everything was amazing - the popular saucy shrimp was a winner as was the lamb and awesome chorizo! The Spanish wines recommended by the great waitstaff were delish! So excited to go back! read more