Los Tios Grill — Restaurant in Alexandria

Needed a night away from the kitchen and decided on eating at Los Tios. We got a great spot outside (ambiance gets the two stars) but unfortunately, that was the only good thing about our dining experience. We were extremely disappointed in both service and food quality. It started when my water came with a piece of onion in it (should have taken that as a hint of how the rest of the meal would go). I ordered a steak burrito and my wife (a vegetarian) ordered bean tacos. Ordering, she told our server she was a vegetarian and could not eat any meat. Her tacos came out next to a bed of yellow Mexican rice. Unsure about the rice, she asked the server if there was any meat in the rice and he advised her it had chicken broth in it...not sure what part of “I don’t eat any meat” he didn’t get. And my burrito was sub-par with poor quality meat (not looking for wagyu beef here, folks).

Then at one point, the waiter walked over to our table and put a chair next to us, and walked away. Didn’t ask, didn’t say anything...no idea what the purpose was; however, I do think our decision to NOT order any alcoholic drinks (increasing bill) may have played a role in why our service went downhill...just my opinion.

My wife later called and chatted with a manager to express her disappointment with her dinner. He apologized and told her next time to order white rice. She was happy to let him know that she wouldn’t be returning.

We live in Alexandria, and love Del Ray’s local shops and food spots, but last nights visit to Los Tios definitely put a bad taste in our mouths and we will not...

I'll begin by saying I actually love Los Tios. The food is delicious 95% of the time, and good the other 5%. Most of the servers are very friendly and the drinks are very tasty. Unfortunately, we only go every 3-4 weeks at this point and always forget what happens until it's too late (hence the star rating). The last several times we've gone, including tonight, and numerous other times throughout the years, we ask for regular margaritas. We don't notice until we get the bill, but they bring the large size (which costs more than our actual meals!) and then when we get the bill and bring up that we asked for regular (small) drinks, they take the stance of 'well you already drank it.' You could try and argue that we should explicitly say SMALL and we should know what size they bring out just by looking at it a guess. But at the end of the day, it's their jobs as servers to clarify if they're not sure what we asked for, instead of just assuming we want a $16 drink versus the less expensive regular size. They USED to ask, and occasionally we would get the large one when they asked. It seems kind of sleazy, and something I'd expect to see at a small, struggling restaurant, not a popular and successful one. And then to have the servers not even apologize or offer to discount the drinks, it's very disappointing. Again, the food is great and drinks tasty, but this keeps happening and it's...

This is an exceptionally difficult review for me to write, but I feel it necessary to share my experience at this particular establishment. Although the setting may provide a modest ambiance synonymous with a middle-range restaurant, the price of the drinks is anything but modest.

A focal point of my dissatisfaction centers around a pair of Tequila shots. As a newcomer to the world of Tequila, I sought guidance from our server, who recommended a duo of shots without disclosing their prices upfront, an oversight I deemed to be unintentional at that moment.

My perception, however, quickly shifted when I received the bill - a whopping $36 for the two shots. To put it into perspective, this is the equivalent of what two main courses would typically cost in a restaurant of this caliber. Needless to say, I was astounded by the exorbitant price, a cost I would expect at a high-end lounge, not a middle-of-the-road Mexican restaurant.

The absence of price transparency and the unreasonably steep cost for a simple request have left a bitter taste, stronger than any Tequila. Unfortunately, due to these reasons, I cannot recommend this establishment until there are significant changes in their pricing policy and transparency. Consider this a cautionary tale - always ask for the prices, especially for...