Came in on a rainy and chilly Friday for lunch with a friend. We shared a meal of street tacos and quesadilla. The food quality was really good. Our server was good and we occupied the table for a long time as we caught up on old times. We were not rushed, not pushed out. This was a good combination for a nice lunch. I will return. read more

I'm about 99% sure they stole my credit card info while I was there and tried to do a 'Remitly' wire transfer to another country. Also the food was terrible and about five times more expensive than it should have been. read more

Way overpriced for what you get. I ordered a taco platter to go, which is 3 tacos and beans and rice, and it was $28. The beans are like a soup, a mixture of pintos and pico de gallo.... weird and not very tasty. I got very small portions of beans and rice as well. read more

We decided to try a new Mexican spot in Old Town. We found street parking easily nearby early Sunday afternoon. Cute colorful restaurant! We were greeted and seated immediately when we arrived. There were maybe 3 or 4 tables total occupied during our visit so not too busy on a Sunday afternoon. There is outdoor seating as well. Our server, who was very friendly, hyped the premium margarita so we gave in and said yes. We also tried the passionfruit margarita. The premium was strong but that's probably what you're going for anyway The passionfruit margarita was delicious but not strong at all. We tried the chips and dip and the Platanos Fritos (plantains with sour cream) to start. Chips were fresh and hot. Salsa was a bit creamy. Never had it like this before but the taste was pretty good. Plantains were perfect! While we didn't order the Guac ( Guacamole Molcajete) , it was brought to our table. We found it to be on the bland side with no hints of cilantro, onion, lime or salt. We saw a few bits of tomato but it tasted just like a plain smashed avocado. Not something we would order again. We decided to try all the street tacos except the vegetarian so we could taste everything. Steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, ground beef, pork (al pastor), carnitas. We also got the 3 street taco platter that came with the Mexican rice and beans. We found the shrimp and fish tacos to be lacking in the quantity of meat. But they were flavorful. The chicken, while plentiful, was dry even with the sauce. The steak, al pastor and carnitas were all packed with meat and delicious but both our Al Pastor tacos were missing the pineapple. The ground beef was my personal favorite but was very greasy. The Mexican rice and pinto beans....Both were just ok. Overall, food was ok we were expecting a bit more flavor. Service was great. Pricing was a bit higher than what we usually pay for a similar order. read more

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We'd give Cuates about 3.5 stars. Most of the food tasted really good, my husband's enchiladas were delicious, and the steak from the beef fajitas was flavorful and well-cooked. That said, a few things really missed the mark. The portion sizes felt small, especially for the price. The salsa was disappointing...it wasn't really salsa at all, more like the leftover juice from pico de gallo after you've eaten the actual vegetables. We even ordered extra salsa thinking maybe they had just gotten to the bottom of the batch, but alas that was just their take on it. Since chips and salsa are one of my favorite parts of Tex-Mex, that was a letdown. The beans were also watery and didn't resemble refried beans as the menu described, more like pinto beans straight from the can with liquid. On the positive side, the patio was lovely and redeemed the experience. Sitting outside on King Street made for a really nice atmosphere on a beautiful day. Overall, Cuates has tasty entrees and a great location, but with small portions and underwhelming sides, I'm not sure it's a spot we'd rush back to. read more

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Food sucked. No flavor, bland and mediocre seasoning, bottled beer was barely cold. Not a great experience. Also, they add on an added 20% gratuity on the check and don't indicate anywhere that they do this. Very confusing when you are checking out as they use a handheld machine and you don't see your breakdown, just the total and tip choices, which are still there for you to choose on the handheld terminal. You don't realize until after you've settled and got the printed receipt - only if you request it- that you just left an additional 20% tip on top of the already added 20% gratuity. Thus leaving a total 40% tip for crap food and worse service. Only 1 server was working all tables, inside and outside and the bar. Overall, this was in my top 5 worst restaurant experiences. read more

Great location, terrible everything else. Margaritas taste like luke warm, sugary, bath tub tequila sludge. Chips are stale, portions are small, prices are really high, slow service. Just bad. Always dead despite good location so I don't know why I'm surprised. read more

Los Cuates - Single TERRIBLE margarita - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

What the actual f*** is this place? This is the worst mexican food I've had. I am not even joking, this is so bad. I swear to you it is not worth it. Please please please read this. Do not give them business. For shame that they are as expensive as they are. What the actual f is this terrible food and service. What the read more

Randomly popped in for margaritas and wound up having guacamole and a chicken quesadilla too. Everything was so so except the guacamole which is what carried this review to receiving 3 stars (bc without guacamole it would've been 2 stars). Service was decent and they have both indoor and outdoor seating. read more

Los Cuates - GUACAMOLE MOLCAJETE - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Came here because I had heard great things. For the price, I would say it is overhyped. The guacamole was deceiving as it's in a large molcajete, but there wasn't much in it. The little amount that was in there was delicious though. I ordered the shredded beef burrito. The meat was tender and flavorful. The rice and beans were fine. The service was friendly and it didn't take too long to get the food. They have tables and bar seating as options. read more

Los Cuates - SHREDDED BEEF BURRITO - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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This is a comfortable Mexican place with great chips and salsa. The service was good. I tried the Chile Relleno plate, which was prominent on their menu. It came with beans and rice, which were excellent. The chilies were not great. They did not roast them before putting them in the fryer, which caused them to be undercooked and crunchy. It was not great. I don't think I would go back again. read more

I knew when we walked in and said we only wanted drinks and saw the look on the bartender's face that this wasn't going to be a good experience. A server came up and gave us chips and we tried to refuse but she already laid them down. I have aligners in so I can't eat without removing them and I was not prepared for that. She ended up taking our order and told the bartender what we wanted. He took his time making us the margaritas and helped other customers while he already had ours mostly done. I could tell by the plastic gallon he poured the mix from that it was gonna suck. Worst margarita we've ever had. Premium margaritas that came out of a cheap margarita mix were supposed to have GranMa and Patron and didn't see either bottle involved and two shots of Corazon reposado came out to sixty bucks. read more

First of all, the prices on the website and the menu in the window are wrong, they are higher by a couple dollars when you get inside. Both my boyfriend and I got sick from the food here. Also, they automatically add a 20% gratuity to your bill (even for just 2 people!). The waitress never showed me the bill, just took my card. Once I realized I had left an ENORMOUS extra tip (I had to ask for my receipt), they did refund the additional tip, making me think they do this scammy behavior all the time. Beware! read more

A spectacular dining experience. I, who love tender flank steaks, shrimp and chicken, savored the sizzling medley of all meats on a bed of a delicious grilled onion and pepper veggies, served as "Fajitas" on the menu. Add the rice with beans, soft tortillas and a separate helping of a tomato salad with onions and other greens and spices with a heap of sour cream became even more delectable with the grand finale, being home made Lechze dessert. Don't forget to ask for a Margarita with the tortilla chips and various dips to start your Mexican gourmet feast. The authentic atmosphere, music lively bar scene and friendly staff top it off as my favorite spot for authentic Mexican cuisine as a destination not to miss. read more

Los Cuates - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Food was ok, service ok, ambiance needs cleaned. Found a Groupon for this place and thought we'd try it out. Honestly I don't think it was worth the Groupon price. The server was quite curt, the other guy was asked to bring us a to go container and never came back. We ordered mojcate and specifically asked if it had nopales. He wasn't lieing. Cactus out of a can or jar. This is more of a New Mexico restaurant. You have your texmex and New Mexico styles. This is definitely there. No we do not recommend for food at all. read more

Fantastic find. Server was very nice and allowed us to be seated a few minutes early. Ordered the absolutely best margarita I've ever tasted. More tart than overly tequila-y tasting. I got the breakfast burrito and was very happy. Wife and daughter got ground beef and chicken tacos. Chicken was delicious, but the ground beef was a bit too salty for my liking. Overall, very happy. We'll go back. read more

The food here is okay but not great. It is very much average but with no distinguishing features and a lack of seasoning as well as varied levels of execution. While some items are good, others are below standard. The wait times are also quite long. I suppose both of my quibbles may be understood within the context of being in a prime location and the difficulties that come with such. If you are in a hurry, this is definitely not a good choice. Likewise, If you're expecting excellence, this is also not a good choice. If you, however, just want a hearty meal and happen to be in the middle of Alexandria / Falls Church, this is an opportune, passable choice! However it is quite pricey, so bear that in mind. If the food yields a C- on its own merits, I would assign a D+ when accounting for total value of experience. While I'm unsure if things have changed within the few years since I've been to the DC location, I am quite sad as I have had a couple of high 3 star to borderline 4 star experiences there in days long past. read more

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Food was delicious and huge portions- get the guacamole!! Staff is friendly and amazing. Happy hour is perfect. Can't wait to go back! read more

Los Cuates - Enchiladas and margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Wandered into this place while exploring old town. Sat at the bar with a friend. Cool little spot. Colorful vibe. When the bartender came over we asked about the happy hour menu (as it was not included in the menu they handed us ) He reached behind the counter and pulled out the small menu, very begrudgingly. Ordered the house margaritas and some chips and salsa. The margaritas were well flavored, but stingy on the tequila. The chips were crisp and delicious but the salsa was about as basic as it could possibly have been. When the bartender finally came back over (he basically forgot about us once we got our drinks) we asked if they had a spicy salsa. He did have a VERY good sauce hidden away. That made the meal significantly better. Wouldn't recommend going out of your way to find this place but if you want a quick margarita while walking around it's worth a stop read more

Los Cuates - Exterior - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Nobody working. Terrible food. Overpriced. Go anywhere else but here for Mexican food!

Went here for karaoke a few weeks ago. It was about 10:30/11 pm on a Saturday night. The location is higher up in Old Town and not near the water. The pros: karaoke - you can sing quickly without waiting 2+ hours. The food was also good but their menu was more limited. The molcajete guacamole was fresh and delicious. The quesadillas (steak + cheese) were also great. Also ordered skinny margs and these were good. Lastly, I liked the interior - lights and bright yellow - definitely a fun spot! The cons: the taxes on the bill were high - there is an 11% tax + a 3% card tax. Overall, I enjoyed karaoke, the food, and the lack of line to sing so I'll be back- probably just with cash next time. read more

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They serve food in volcanic rock bowls or something that looks like it. My wife and I got 2 Mexican molcajete dishes that were served in molcajetes. A molcajete is a mortar bowl made from fine grain lava rock. It is used to grind spices, make salsa and guacamole, and keep food hot. It is also the name of 2 dishes that we tried. A guacamole dish and a bubbling hot entree. We tried 4 items. 1) Guacamole Molcajete It had mashed avocados, tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and cilantro. It was served in a heavy molcajete rock bowl. The avocado flavor overpowered everything. There were light flavors of lime, onion, salt, pepper, jalapeños, tomato, and cilantro. The flavor was the sum of the parts with a little salt and pepper. Good but not great guacamole. The tortilla chips were fine. 2) Combo Arrecheras Molcajete You get a choice of meat. We picked steak and shrimp. It had scallions, nopales, jalapeno, avocado, and panela cheese in a homemade red and green sauce. It was served in a HOT molcajete with Mexican rice, refried beans, and 3 soft corn tortillas on the side. The tortillas were small, five inches in diameter. The steak was tender, moist, and savory with a good charred flavor. The shrimp were large size, tender, and moist. Nopales is green catus with the spines and bumps removed. It looked like strips of green pepper. It tasted like grassy green pepper with a touch of citrus and tartness. Panela cheese is in the cottage cheese family. It was pan-fried and had a texture like super firm tofu. It was very salty with no other flavor. The sauce was spicy hot and salty with flavors of red chiles, vinegar, lime, onion, and sugar for balance. The rice had a hint of saffron and salt. The beans were well seasoned and soft. Putting a bit of everything in a tortilla is the way to eat this. It was well-rounded and flavorful with lots of depth. The food was simmering in the molcajete, so take out anything that might overcook. 3) Seafood Burrito It was a large flour tortilla rolled with scallops, shrimp, and veracruz sauce. It was covered with melted white and yellow cheeses. Served with Mexican rice, refried beans, pico de gallo, and sour cream on the side. The seafood was cooked to perfection. It had tender moist medium-size shrimp and very small scallops that were delicate.The sauce had flavors of mild white cheese and milk. It added a little umami and sweetness. The melted cheeses on top were mild in flavor. The pico de gallo had lime juice, tomatoes, cilantro, onions, salt, and pepper. It was made right! The sour cream was typical. The rest were the same as above. My wife put everything on the burrito, and it was very tasty. It had flavors that were spicy, salty, savory, sour, and sweet. That's what I call well-rounded. 4) Sopaipillas It had 7 small squares of deep-fried puff pastries covered with powdered sugar. The cinnamon was missing. They were placed around a scoop of vanilla ice cream that was topped with honey and strawberry syrup. Only two were fully puffed and the others were partially puffed. They were all thick and slightly chewy with a modest crispness. Except for the powdered sugar, they tasted bland. The honey helped. The taste and texture of the sopaipillas were not good or fresh. The rest was typical. The service was polite, helpful, and slow. Our server was making drinks at the bar while taking care of customers indoors and outdoors. They have a bar with 8 chairs. The dining rooms and restrooms were relatively clean. Parking is available on the street or in 2 parking lots. One is behind ESP Tea and Coffee and the other is across the street from Misha's. This place opened in 2014. It is part of a company that has 3 locations: Georgetown, Falls Church, and Old Town. We were pleasantly surprised by the food. Our dishes had the expected flavors and then some. They don't skimp on spices to save money. Unfortunately, finding fresh sopaipillas these days is hard. Too many places freeze them. I recommend a visit if you're in the area. read more

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I did not enjoy the food at all. The rice was cold and tasted like it had been cooked a day or two before. The drinks we're not good either.

Very average experience. Came with some gals for a chill dinner. Started off with some queso that tasted like expired cheese and no one had ever tasted anything like it. We each ordered a margarita that was pretty good. Three of us got quesadillas and the other 2 girls split fajitas. Everything was very average and tasted just like something I could have made at home. Over $200 later and a very mid dinner. read more

Quick seating. Sever pleasant and very quick with drinks. Beers nice and cold. Salsa a little too runny but taste good. Guacamole good; standard Chicken and empanada fair at best. Salads : Taco salad really bad. And basic. Big pieces of lettuce tomatoes and onion. Tropical salad was good. Food has to get better for this price point. read more

Strong and delish margaritas plus good Mexican food! Love the chips and salsa to start. Overall we left stuffed and happy after enjoying some yummy margaritas and food. We sat outside on one of there outdoor tables on the sidewalk on King St. The Chile Relleno was different flavor / batter than I'm used to but it was very good!! The shrimp Camarones fajitas came out steaming! It was an interesting dish with jalapeño and cheese stuffed shrimp. read more

Los Cuates - BlackBerry Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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quite literally the worst dining experience i've ever had. despite there being no one in the restaurant (which should have been a red flag on a saturday night with good location) it took over 15 minutes to get a glass of water and over an hour and 15 minutes to get our food. the kitchen staff very clearly forgot about our order... the salsa was tasteless, the prices were high for small portions, very mediocre food, not enough staff. i would warn anyone thinking of eating here, go ANYWHERE ELSE. could not be worse. my whole table left in a foul mood, truly awful experience. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. I found it on the way to somewhere else and ended up stopping here instead because I didn't want to go further with the heat. The service was great and quick! I ordered a fresh lemonade which came out in a margarita glass and it was sooo good! I would stop here again just for that. I ordered a sweet corn tamale which was a nice treat and the sour cream it came with must have had a touch of lime which took the appetizer to a new level for me. For food I ordered a chicken quesadilla which was pretty good. Not bad for a quick lunch. I also tried the fried ice cream. Not my favorite fried ice cream but it wasn't bad. I would definitely stop by again. read more

There is not much to say about Los Cuates that I would say is positive. My girlfriend and I came here on a Saturday at noon. The ambiance was nice, colorful, and fun. Seating was a bit awkward when we walked in as we were not greeted by a hostess and unsure on if it was free seating or not. There was only 1 other table seated in the restaurant, everything else was empty. Once seated, we were greeted quickly and received our drinks fast. Two waters. We were served Chips & Salsa. Easily the worst I have ever had. I am a Texas Native and honestly could say I have probably had 100s of different Salsa's and this one was probably the only one I would say is gross. Maybe I am just not cultured enough, but the Salsa tasted like Pasta/Marinara sauce. For entrees, we opted for the Chicken Burrito and Chicken Enchiladas. The beans were not good, they looked like the beans British people have for breakfast. The burrito, enchiladas, and rice were good and we ate them but honestly, I could make better at home which is unfortunate considering these were $18 entrees each after tax! Would not be surprised if these were just frozen meals heated up in a microwave. After our plates were taken away, we had to wait 10minutes before we received our bill. At this point, the restaurant was empty so no idea what took so long. There was no toilet paper in the bathrooms and they felt dirty. For the two entrees plus tip it was $45. My girlfriend, felt nauseous a couple hours later from what she thinks was because of the food and vomited up her lunch. I was ok and had no health issue. There are so many amazing restaurants in Old Town and way better Mexican. I do NOT recommend this place and will not be back. If you want Mexican I'd recommend going to the Taco Bell Cantina down the street over this place. It'll be more worth it I promise. read more

Food was great. Went on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't particularly busy, so the service was quick. Will definitely visit again. read more

Los Cuates - CHICKEN, STEAK, & SHRIMP ARRECHERAS - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Not a fantastic experience, definitely some room for improvement. My partner and I came here for dinner and we stood by the entrance for well over 5 minutes watching at least 3-4 different staff members walk past us and completely ignore us. Finally, we had to flag down a server to get seated, which was less than ideal. When we were seated, they gave us chips and salsa, which were good, but I asked for the salsa to be refilled once and the refill never came. We both ordered mango margaritas on the rocks but received them frozen. We're not too picky so we didn't press the issue. They were on the stronger side, which was nice. I had the chile rellenos, which were good - I got two sizable peppers stuffed with cheese and nicely fried. The refried beans were a touch bland for my taste. We ordered the churros for dessert and are sorry we did. They took forever to come out and weren't even warm, as if they had been sitting. They were filled with some apple filling that both of us didn't enjoy. Definitely skip the churros. May or may not be back, but leaning towards the latter since Old Town has so many great options. read more

Los Cuates - Chile rellenos - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Excellent! Great margaritas , great food, service great! Ambiance great... would highly recommend!

I wish I could go lower than 1 star and don't order iced tea, they give you just water. Good quality is also below par.

Really bad experience from word go and all around. First, the entrance is not stroller friendly or for that matter wheelchair or ADA friendly. Second, the place wasn't busy at all and our server waited a solid 10 minutes before coming over. Third, even though it was a Tuesday, Happy Hour prices did not apply since it was July 4th. Fourth, they were out of the beer I ordered. Fifth, they charge a 3% credit card processing fee. Sixth, they call the credit card processing fee a "tax." Seventh, they suggest tipping on the total including sales tax and their credit card processing fee. Eighth, I'm generally not super price conscious but once you screw up seven times suddenly the $11.00 queso starts to piss me off. Will absolutely never be back. read more

Los Cuates - Credit Card Processing Fee, $11 queso. - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Great spot on King Street but most of the entrees were not very good. Chips salsa and guacamole were bland and low quality. Margaritas was not very flavorful, service was slow and prices were high. read more

We came here and we sat outside. Nice patio and super friendly service. Got the carne asada fajitas, delicious. The vibe is chill, good drinks. Also got the street tacos, shrimp and beef, tasted great. read more

Los Cuates - Carne Asada Fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Late dinner in a Friday. Was able to sit outside. Very close quarters but great people watching. Service was poor, very difficult to get our server, restaurant was not very busy at this time. Food arrived at different times and was mediocre. Could tell it was under the heat lamps for a bit, soggy taco. Loud mouth drinkers cursing up a storm in the restaurant. read more

Wow! Stumbled into Los Cuates on a whim while walking with the family. We (young black family) don't typically receive service like this in old town ava / king st area. Never a hugely terrible experience but today we were treated like royalty, not to mention the food was phenomenal. Quality, authentic Mexican food. We ordered a quesadilla and chimichanga. Both were excellent the grill was nice and buttered for the 'dilla. Luis the manager was delightful and came to personally check on is multiple times through our meal. Will have to check out one of the other locations soon. read more

Los Cuates - caronarita - Mexican Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

They tried awkwardly jamming us in a 2-top squeezed between 3 other tables. When we asked to move to the open 4-top we were told by the manager we can't...then 2 people walked in minutes later and were sat there. The waiter clearly hated his job, the chips were cold and stale, the salsa was water. Ordered a margarita and it might be the worst I've ever had. We aren't "get up and leave" people...but we left cash for the terrible Marg and left. The Taco Bell Cantina down the street is a better choice. read more

random lunch idea && a good one! they have a lunch promo going on right now && got $7.95 i gott the bowl && added shrimp which was only $4 more -amazing just to begin there! plus the portion size is bigger than expected. our server was great. i may have had her before but she is always sweet && attentive. good vibing music && cute sombrero hats as lampshades giving a funky look are super cute. happy hour looked like it had some good specials too! read more