Came for happy hour before a concert at the Fillmore. I don't know what took me so long to find this gem, but I'm glad I did. The chi chi (pineapple vodka martini) is delicious! And you can't beat the price. The pot stickers and guacamole were good too. The bartender was really nice and personable. The bar area is small though so it probably pays to get there on the earlier end of happy hour. I'll be back to indulge in more chi chis. read more

La Malinche - Mozzarella sticks and chi chi martini - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

I always enjoy the food here. Try the paella next time you go, the service is excellent!

I often overlook this place in DTSS restaurant options but have enjoyed my food and service there. I wish the aesthetics of the restaurant were better. I think that would attract more patrons but the food is solid if you want good tapas in the area. read more

Don't quote me on this, but La Malinche might have the most happy hour options at the most reasonable prices in downtown Silver Spring. Their low key weeknight HH is only at the bar, but on the Thursday evening that I attended my friend and I had no issue snagging a seat. In fact, we were the first few to show up to the bar in search of libations. The bartender acknowledged and served us immediately and throughout the evening he continued to answer all of our questions and refill our glasses. The atmosphere, though not eye catching, is present and is what you would expect for a cozy tapas restaurant. Dim light, soft music, beautiful murals and friendly staff are on par with most of the little restaurants lining Colesville Road. What's noteworthy about La Malinche are the food and bev offerings. An abundance of tapas options for both veg and non-veg eaters ok the happy hour and regular menus. Happy hour is in the $5-$6 range and regular menu food is in the $6-$12 range, absolutely reasonable...a steal really! Couple that with the awesome drinks all for $7 or less and you've got yourself a good time. My advice to you is to share a $20 pitcher (or two if you're feeling frisky) and bunker down with as many plates as can physically fit in front of you, and go to town. read more

La Malinche - Yucca, guac, plantains...oh my! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Let's just admit it. The DC food industry is saturated with the following: 1-Cupcake shops 2-Tapas/Mezza/Small Plates restaurants For some reason, DC loves to eat lots of little things on small plates. I wasn't expecting too much when I walking into yet another tapas restaurant, this one located in downtown silver spring a a strip with the Fillmore and lots of carry out joints, and I admit I was a bit surprised. Without a doubt, the fish tacos (Tacos Pescado) are the most pleasant surprise on the menu at this Spanish-Mexican tapas restaurant, so let me start off with singing their praises. This restaurant nailed the creamy cilantro lime sauce. One order was two fully loaded fish tacos (with baked tilapia, not fried), with stacks of avocado and onions on top with a corn tortilla (I would have preferred a flour tortilla, but that's this taco's only sin). The Gambas a la Cazuela (shrimp with wine garlic sauce) did have light wine and garlic sauce, but it had a very very distinct saffron flavor as well, so I loved it. The five shrimp that came with it were pretty meaty and large. The Patatas Bravas were a big heaping pile of potatoes and the spicy tomato mayo sauce to dip them in was pretty good. The serving sizes here defy the small plate phenomenon, and that's just fine with me.The service is friendly and prompt, the only thing lacking was that I was not particularly enamored with the Sangria (I had the original tinto), but others have been raving about it, although some Yelper did label a picture of the sangria as "red nasty sangria". I am in agreement. read more

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Great happy hour specials. The food and drinks are also delicious. I suggest the red sangria and the bacon wrapped dates, mussels, croquettes, damnit the entire menu lol read more

So, it didn't take long for me to return for brunch. For $20 you can take advantage of the AYCE brunch. For $30, you can take advantage of the AYCE *and* drink brunch special. If you're looking for a lazy, weekend afternoon this is the perfectly pleasant choice for your wallet. While I didn't find the food remarkable, it was solid - tasty, comforting and came out quickly. More importantly...it's all you can eat, which means you can order a few small plates, split with a friend and re-order the ones you liked most. What I'd order again: Sangria Cava: I will order this over and over again, every time I come here. So light and refreshing. It's sweet, but not overly so. My fave sangria on the menu. Patatas Bravas If you like crisp, cubic home fries, drizzled with chipotle and aioli, you'll love these Benedictos Epspanoles Eggs benedict with serrano ham (one egg, one muffin, one slice of ham per order) Mejillones Steamed mussels are fairly petite, but tasty What I'll pass on: Pan a la Catalana Grilled bread with rubbed tomatoe, garlic and butter. Tasty, but way too greasy for me Bistec Mexicano: Steak is a pretty generous, but the dish was watery and lacked flavor Overall, the brunch is a heck of a deal in a laid back environment. Just book some time for yourself afterwards for a nap. read more

La Malinche - Sangria Cava - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

First time here, we ordered from the happy hour menu. The empanadas were perfectly crispy with tender, juicy, flavorful filling. The sangrias were spot on: not too sweet and just the right balance of fruit, wine, and liquor. The coconut sorbet was the best damn coconut anything I've ever had and the flan was smooth and creamy with a subtle flavor of caramelization. Since then, we have had good and sometimes great experiences here. A solid go-to. 4/5 stars. read more

Food is fantastic. If they spruced up the place, I might come here to eat more often. Mostly, we order in for date night at home. Scallops are beyond and the tortilla espanola tastes like you're in Barcelona! read more

I was there for brunch on Easter with family...it was an all you can eat/drink tapas menu. The food was really really good, I didn't drink, but my family said the mimosas and sangria were good. Some plates took a lot longer to come out than others and our waiter didn't seem to be the most enthusiastic, but he was efficient enough. At first we started to slow, and the tapas were small...so we ramped up the ordering and then we head too much food. The kitchen did get overwhelmed and our food started to take a while to come out. Over all everything was pleasant and we all had a good time. I wanna come try out the regular menu...the ambience was small and cozy. read more

La Malinche - Easter brunch menu - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

I haven't reviewed La Malinche yet? MISTAKE it's amazing! I really want to go back after preparing my belly for their all-you-can-eat (AYCE) brunch experience. Here are some of the items I will ask them to bring multiple portions of at a time: - Pan a la Catalana: simple but good grilled bread with tomato, garlic, & butter - Datiles: I was surprised by how much I loooooved bacon-wrapped dates with cheese (I hate cheese) but these were SUPER good - Croquetas de Pollo: SUCH DELICIOUS CROQUETTES GET THESE but not when I'm there I don't wanna share these ever again - Calamares: you know calamari is usually a safe bet for yum-yum in your tum-tum - Gambas a la Cazula: sauteed shrimp (white wine, garlic) served with bread so you can mop up the nomminess - Churros: YES DO IT YUM SWEET There is a reason this place is doing well on Yelp. The food is great, the people are nice, and it's almost right next to the Fillmore, so the locations is pretty amazing, too. I believe it's $30 for all you can eat and bottomless mimosas/sangria (and only $20 if you don't plan on drinking). I am definitely planning on treating myself when I find the right occasion (loving food counts as an occasion, right?) and having a yummy brunch here again someday soon! P.S. The art is really interesting at La Malinche! I'm assuming the paintings were done by Mexican artists, but it's definitely a conversation piece. Kind of hypnotizing... or how else would you explain how I kept getting hungrier while I was there? read more

La Malinche - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

We love the food here. There are many good options although we often go back to same ones because they are so good - Montaditos, Buey al Jerez, patatas bravas, esparragos, chuleta, veiras, to name just a few. With the great choices even the younger members of the family find food they love. And the staff is very friendly and welcoming. We've eaten here for many years and will continue to do so! read more

Offering a small mixed menu (Spanish and Mexican), with good service I had: Tacos de carne (grilled steak), delicious grilled beef with guacamole and poco de Gallo Unfortunate they only have bottle hot sauce, not a single real hot sauce at the restaurant... My suggestion to the chef is to heat more the tortillas so they will break so easy Recommended! read more

Never disappoints. Only complaint is on cold day the draft from door hits certain tables

I stumbled upon this restaurant in downtown silver spring and let me say I've never been more impressed with a tapas restaurant in my life. The food was amazing! There was not one dish I did not like! My favorite was the croquettes de pollo. They were seasoned and prepared so well it almost tasted like crab meat. It did not taste like seafood but just as creamy and delicious as that. The sauce for the empanadas was a great pair. The scallops were amazing! The bacon wrapped dates were a great way to end our meal with something sweet. The shrimp and the sauce they were soaked in was a perfect combination with the bread. Especially because the bread was toasted just right to where it wasn't to hard or too soft. The octopus was grilled to perfection and tasted great with the mashed potatoes. The mushrooms were seasoned so well that it paired great with everything we got. The lamb chops were also grilled to perfection and the flavors were great with the fingerling potatoes. We got them cooked medium and it came out perfect. We paired the hibiscus margarita with out dinner and it was delicious! Freddy was our waiter and he did a fantastic job and gave us great recommendations on what to get. Huge compliments to the chef and the service, we were very very impressed! Also they have happy hour M-F 4-6 and a $35 all you can eat brunch on the weekends from 11-3! http://www.lamalinchetapas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/La-Malinche-Dinner-Menu.pdf http://www.lamalinchetapas.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/La-Malinche-Brunch-Menu.pdf read more

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The tapas and desserts are delicious and very reasonable in price! You will love the attentive service. I have been going there for years! read more

I haven't eaten out much during the pandemic, but I went to a celebratory dinner here a couple of weeks ago and wow was it worth it. The food was divine. The alcohol selection was broad and varied for such a small place. We ate outside--they have about 6, spaced tables on a Main Street in silver spring. I was worried it was going to be too noisy outside, but it was just fine. We were the only people there and they stayed a little late for us, which was so kind. The food was wonderful. We got the cheese board which was very generously portioned and tasty. We also got the chorizos, the mushrooms, the shrimp, and one or two other tapas. Everything was wonderful. The waiter was masked and very safe. You can order on your phone if you like. I can't wait to go back! read more

Their all you can eat and drink brunch is so worth the money! The food is so good and the drinks are good too. They have an unlimited brunch menu with good tapas and desserts. Some of my favorite things off the menu were the bacon wrapper in dates, steak and eggs, empanadas, and plantains. They had a lot of drink options too. There was mimosas, Bloody Mary, white and red sangria. All of this was only $35.00. I thought it was a good deal for what we got! I would definitely go back here for brunch. They have brunch on the weekends only (Saturday and Sunday). The last call is at 2:30, so make sure you get there early enough to eat and drink all you want! read more

I like this place but no more, this will be my last time, reson being, wait service was good but the food server's were terrible. The server past by my table and put dirty plates on my table fron the table she was cleaning, while I was eating Never have I experienced this. Also they overcharged me by 4 drinks, all this is not acceptable to me, for that I'm out, for good. But the food was still good mas o menos. read more

Came here for a quick bite before heading to a concert at The Filmore which is just a few doors down. My date and I dined at the bar and had the cutest bartender named Christella. She was super attentive and gave some great suggestions on what to try. They offer Spanish and Mexican tapas. So we ordered a few dishes to share. I would definitely be back to try more. We were pressed for time as we had a show to attend. The red sangria was yummy. It's definitely a must. They have a variety to choose from. We ordered one order of the beef and one order of the chicken empanadas. I really enjoyed both. Along with the sauces that's served with them. My date ordered chicken tacos but said he didn't really care for them and that they were just "ok". I really liked the Calavo y Limón which is their garlic infused guacamole. I was tempted to swipe my finger around the bowl to get the last of it but I'm sure I would've gotten the side eye from my date..LoL read more

La Malinche - Chicken and beef empanadas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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The best food in downtown Silver Spring. Incredible service and flavor in every small plate. Really enjoyed the interior aesthetic and will for sure be back soon. read more

A pleasant place with a different kind of menu and atmosphere for Silver Spring - interesting tapas for a variety of tastes. Glad it has succeeded so long at its downtown location. read more

We walked into La Malinche for lunch feeling a little skeptical but walked out more than pleasantly surprised and already planning specifically what we'd get next visit! We even asked to see their dinner menu before leaving and chose what we'd hypothetically order for dinner--that's always a good sign! I ordered from the "express menu" which includes two tapas and a soft drink for $13. + Datiles (Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese): I've only recently discovered bacon-wrapped dates and these were by far the best I've had yet! Everyone in my family loved these and we ended up ordering two more portions! - Carne Asada: This was just okay--some pieces were sufficiently tender while others a little tougher. There was no guacamole on the plate even though it was included in the description. My cousin ordered a full-sized lunch entree of this and felt that there wasn't much difference between his $14-portion and my two-tapas-for-$13-portion. My dad also got the two tapas special, allowing us to try two more tapas. + Calmari (Calamares Azteca): Tender! + Mussels (Mejillnoes al Vápor): I wanted to order this but was put off by the lemongrass in the description. However, I didn't taste any lemongrass in the broth or the mussels and the mussels were the plumpest I've had in recent memory. We ordered two more portions of this as well! Another homerun dish was the lunch entree my brother and mom ordered--camarones con arroz (sautéed jumbo shrimp over rice). They both raved about it! So all in all, lots of menu items to rave about--mussels, shrimp rice, bacon dates--and on top of that, the service was fantastic. There appeared to only be one waiter serving the whole dining area (at least 6-7 parties dining) and he was very efficient, friendly, and totally on top of everything! read more

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Came here for lunch and got the AYCE menu along with some other dishes that I thought would be delicious. The food definitely lived up to the expectation set by Yelp. 5* dishes: scallops, mushrooms 4* dishes: calamari (just the right amount of batter with great taste to it), meatballs, hanger steak, papa rellenas, fried plantains, lamb chops, beef shoulder, buttered shrimp 3* dishes: empanadas, asparagus, spinach, mussels (sauce is tasty with bread, but doesn't really attach to the mussels) 2* dishes: ceviche, Brussels sprouts Service was just mediocre. The waiter never checked on our drinks for refills, but what bothered me most was that the credit card machine was down, and he never bother to tell me that it would have to be cash until after the meal was over. What if I didn't want to pay cash? Or didn't have cash? Or go to the atm and get charged banking fees from both that bank and mine? Overall, food was more than excellent and my family had a wonderful experience. Dishes came out very quickly. Prices are very reasonable read more

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I would leave zero stars if it was possible. A group of 18 came in and the restaurant was completely empty. The staff refused to offer happy hour and looked reluctant to seat us. This was after we tried calling 2 weeks in advance to make a reservation. They missed out on our business and none of us will be going back. read more

I've been here during happy hour and during their unlimited brunch. Their unlimited brunch for $35 includes a wide assortment of food AND drinks!! My friend and I definitely stayed for a while. I loved that the brunch included wide variety of food so they had some meats and veggies if you wanted more heavier/lunch like food. If I remember correctly (the brunch was a while back), they also had some sweet plates if you wanted that. The happy hour was also great! They have deals on drinks (beer, sangrias, margaritas... Deals were from $4.5 to $7 dollars), as well as a variety of food. Their mussels are champ! I also tried their chicken quesadilla which was also real good. They have a wide variety of things, but no sweet plates (I have a major sweet tooth!). Their menu had $5 items and then $6 items. It does add up if you come very hungry and want more than just one drink. The place is cozy, but just big enough to accommodate plenty of people. They have indoor and outdoor seating, which is nice for brunch! read more

Very easy to let your eyes overwhelm your stomach here, but in the best possible way, where you want everything and it's all exactly as good as it sounds but then you have way too much food. Overall a really interesting experience, everything was delicious and I had an amazing time eating my leftovers the next day. read more

Best tapas ever! $20 unlimited tapas at lunch is an amazing deal, and the service is unbeatable. I can't really say anything wrong about this place. I highly recommend the Gambas (shrimp), too! Will visit as soon as I'm in DC again! read more

My wife and I really enjoyed our first visit to La Malinche the other night. Cute little restaurant in the middle of Downtown Silver Spring. Highlights included the Mexican Mule cocktail, chicken skewers, and chicken croquettes. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be visiting again. read more

I had initially wanted to go to Nando's, for old times sale, but then I saw the menu for this place and I was sold!!! We weren't that hungry so just had two things and dessert. First was the lamb chops with fingerling potatoes. Asked for it cooked medium well because I don't like raw meat but it came out about medium. I actually didn't mind because it tasted so good! Needed a bit of salt and pepper but was deliciously tender. Second was the quinoa and cod chef's special. This was yummy! The quinoa had onions, green and red peppers in it. Cod was cooked very well, crispy on the outside, not overdone but wonderfully flaky and moist. To finish we had the flan. It was denser than I'm used to but yummy nonetheless! If I lived in the area this place would be one of my favorites! read more

La Malinche - Yummy lamb chops and fingerling potatoes - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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There everyday happy hour is a real steal! It's a great deal , I highly recommend the meatballs and tacos!

My girlfriend and I had been wanting to try this place for months. Yesterday we went for their bottomless brunch which by the way included alcoholic beverages and dessert!! The bottomless brunch menu was quite extensive. I didn't get a pic of our first plates which were meatballs, french toast, and patatas bravas. The calamari was done to perfection. The sweet potato pancakes were light and had the perfect amount of cinnamon in them. Everything we had was amazingly delicious and the drinks were very good. I had the sangria rosada and sangria blanca. My girlfriend had the sangria cava. We really wanted to order the churros but we were too full. The next time we go there, I am going to order the mussels. read more

La Malinche - Calamares, bruschetta, empanada - Tapas Bars Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

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It's hard to go wrong with bottomless brunch. I wanted a break from the traditional brunch fare, so I chose this place and overall it was great. The Mexican/Salvadorian take on brunch was a pleasant, and welcome break from the norm. Plus, with unlimited tapas and brunch cocktails for $35... you just can't beat it. Here's what I ordered: Pan Catalana: a large slice of toasted bread with a delicious tomato spread that was almost like a bruschetta paste. Very good. French Toast: Light and fluffy and delicious, but they put a ton of powdered sugar are it so it was VERY sweet. I think that it would have been better topped with fresh fruit rather than served with maple syrup... but that is just personal preference. Patatas Bravas: essentially fried potatoes. Bland. No seasoning and no flavor. Wasn't a fan. Calamares: Light and crispy batter, chewy and perfectly fried calamari... and the tomatillo sauce was an excellent compliment to the dish. Delicious! Albondigas: Beef meatballs covered in a sightly smoky marinara sauce. Mmmmm! Platanos Fritos: Thick slices of fried sweet plantain, what's not to love? Empanads: We ordered several of both the beef and chicken empanadas. Those disappeared from the table quickly. Papas Rellenas: Fried mashed potato balls with ground beef inside. Different, but delicious. Bistec Mexicano: Tender, juicy, flavorful steak topped with a fried egg. It was unreal how tender that steak was. Simple dish, but another crowd pleaser at our table. (PRO TIP: The egg is not fried hard unless you ask, so if you don't like runny yolks, make sure to let them know) Mejillones AL Vapor: Steamed Mussels. I have no idea where they got these mussels from, but these things were HUGE!!!! I've never seen mussels that big before. Unfortunately, they were not good at all. Everyone else seemed to enjoy theirs, so maybe the ones I ate did not get a chance to swim in the white wine broth long enough. I'll try them again next time I come. Suffice it to say, there are lots of delicious dishes to choose from. I only wish the service was as good as the food. Our waiter wasn't very pleasant. Not outright rude, but brusque and definitely not welcoming. One of my friends wanted a different brunch cocktail and he very curtly told her that he 'couldn't serve her two drinks at once". She was asking him to bring her a new drink, not another drink, and despite the misunderstanding, there was a much more polite way to convey that. "I'm sorry miss, but our policy states that we can only serve our guests one cocktail at a time. Would you like me to take this one away and bring you a new one?" See? Simple... At times, he looked visibly annoyed and it was more than a little obvious to most of us at the table. We'll have to make sure to ask for a new waiter next time Speaking of cocktails, I was disappointed to find that they tasted watered down. I tried the sangria blanca and the sangria rosada. Both were weak.... I stuck to traditional mimosas after that. Kinda hard to mess up a mimosa. read more

Great establishment. Clean place, Workers are trained properly to deliver great service and attentiveness. Food is delicious. The owners and the managers make sure that you will be a returning costumer. Quite the gem in downtown Silver Spring . read more

Cool people, host at the door. Let me order what I wanted. Custom order Smart dude. Food was good. read more

My husband and I come here for brunch about every other month when we want good food but too lazy to cook. They have an unlimited food and drink menu. The drinks consists of at least 4 different kind of sangrias and the traditional mimosa. They offer an array of food that everyone would be able to pick from. The portions are perfect and you feel like you're getting your money's worth. I took off 1 star because I ordered the muscles during one of my times here and they were very gritty and sandy. I couldn't eat them. read more

Marvelous Spanish food at very reasonable prices. The best deal is happy hour at the bar. Love their patatas bravas, pineapple vodka shooters from a huge container sitting on the bar filled with pineapple, empanadas, etc. They have a paella for two which tempts us mightly but my wife and I have not yet taken the paella plunge. Don't miss this place read more

Great bottomless brunch! Wait staff was attentive and made sure our glasses were always filled! He gave great recommendations from the menu. Churros and calamari were my favorite off the menu! read more

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This is a tapas only kind of place. I wasn't aware of that until I got my "meal" and my boyfriend and I had a great laugh at the small portions. Nonetheless, everything we had was delicious. We had the octopus, carne azade, fajitas, fried plantains, and tres leches. read more

Don't sleep on this place. Literally, one of the best brunch spots in downtown silver spring! The sangria is hitting and so are the food options. The huevos rancheros, potatas bravas and mussels are some of my faves. The service is always great which makes all of the difference! read more