Mi Tio Mexican Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Alexandria

There were good and bad aspects to our visit. We ordered beef tacos, beef empanadas, and shrimp enchiladas (grilled shrimp served on top of cheese enchiladas).

The good: the seasoned ground beef used in the tacos and the empanadas was flavorful and delicious. Also, in addition to the typical complimentary salsa and chips served when you are seated, they also include a small complimentary bowl of black bean dip, which is also very good. The waitress that served us was also very polite and attentive.

The bad: We had to wait an hour for our food. Also, the grilled shrimp were terrible. They were barely warm, tough, and obviously not made fresh. I would speculate that they are a precooked product that is thrown on the grill for a few seconds just before serving to give it the appearance that it is grilled. Judging from the menu and prices, this restaurant appears to be trying to offer a "higher end" experience. The "grilled shrimp" served to me were completely unacceptable. You should just remove shrimp from your menu if that's what you think passes...

Food is really good but I can’t rate it 5 stars because it claims to be Mexican when it is definitely closer to Tex-Mex / Ameri-Mex type food. The food is great but not authentic which is fine, but label yourselves as such. I come from Texas where places like this clearly state they are Tex-Mex restaurants instead of just saying Mexican food. I would still highly recommend this restaurant to others. I just want to be clear on expectations.

Staff member tend to be friendly with a few that seem like they have no business working a job that has anything to do with customer service. The few outliers are not bad servers, they just need to realize that their job is to serve others and not expect people to tip largely just because they sat at your table. Customer service is a big deal in my book and a few of the staff members here need to learn how to be a little more friendly and helpful to the customers. As I said before, not something worth firing over, just need a little extra training in...

My husband and I ate here after my son was discharged from the hospital yesterday evening. The reviews were good and the menu was vast so we tried this place. We originally sat outside because the weather was nice, but we quickly ended up moving inside because flies were absolutely ridiculous outside on the patio. They were flying all over our food and drinks. We couldn't have a simple conversation without having to swat flies. With the amount of money I am paying for the food, the least they could do is pay a pest control company a monthly fee to spray the patio area. When we moved inside, I still saw flies, so that was our cue to get the ticket. We did have time before moving tables to order drinks and the appetizer sampler plate. I will give the cooks their props because the food was delicious!! The taste of the drinks was good as well! If I go back, I will try to sit at the bar to see if that experience...