Jalapenos — Restaurant in Annapolis

When we first pulled up to Jalapenos, I wasn't sure what to expect. It was tucked into a strip mall between a Dollar Tree and a Family Christian Bookstore, and the entrance leads you right in to the bar. We walked in for a late lunch on a Saturday afternoon and the restaurant wasn't empty, but it wasn't exactly busy either. After making our way through the bar, I was surprised at how nice the main dining room was, complete with a large wine display on one of the walls. This was not the typical tex-mex or cheap, local Mexican restaurant atmosphere.

If the ambiance wasn't enough of an indication that this was a unique type of Mexican restaurant, the menu left no doubt. It was obvious Jalapenos featured a variety of authentic Mexican dishes with unique flavors and ways of preparing their food. While snacking on fresh chips and homemade salsa, we perused the menu and debated over what to try. Feeling adventures, I decided to order "Mole" for the first time and was excited to experience this classic Mexican dish. Unfortunately, I can't find it on the restaurant's website menu but I remember it being served with chicken, rice, and beans.

The mole was covering a boneless chicken breast and the rice and beans were served as sides. I tried the mole by itself first and it had a deep, rich flavor - with notes of cinnamon, pepper, and chocolate. Very unique and very flavorful. It paired well with the chicken and I eventually just combined everything on my plate - bringing all the flavors of the mole, chicken, black beans, and rice together. It felt like a sort of Mexican jambalaya and it tasted awesome. It was a generous portion but I was wishing they would bring out another plate full of food.

We left with everyone completely satisfied with their meal, which isn't an easy task. The service was good, the prices were reasonable, and the food was excellent. What started as an apprehensive and nervous walk through the front door, ended with us walking out talking about how much we...

I am a native Southern Californian---grew up on good Mexican food. Where I'm from in San Diego, bad Mexican restaurants just don't stay in business. At the local park, the Mexican ladies used to sell handmade tortillas as a snack. We're the home of El Indio and of Roberto's drive-thrus. In addition, I've spent a lot of time in Mexico, traveled in Latin America, and lived in Spain for a while. The point being, I do know what authentic Mexican food should be. And, I've lived in the Washington DC area for 17 years, constantly lamenting the dearth of really good Mexican food.

Things to really like about this place: Homemade mole sauce. Sangria that is real sangria, not too sweet. An amazing menu with plenty of the things we gringos have come to expect (like burritos) but then a whole lot of other interesting stuff. Black beans instead of refried. A nice selection of other Latin American plates too instead of just Mexican. If your idea of Mexican food is Chevy's, stay home because you're not going to like Jalapeno's, But if like me you've been searching relentlessly hopeing to find just sorta decent Mexican food in the DC area, then this GREAT place is going to be a welcome surprise!

And, the decor is LOVELY. Don't let the strip mall locale fool you. When you walk inside the very plain front door, you are going to be amazed by the beauty inside. It's a cute, romantic little restaurant that serves terrific food at decent prices.

How decent? Well, we were there today for lunch: for two fantastic meals, a beer and a sangria, the price was $36. We thought for sure they left something off the bill, it was so...

A very friendly and welcoming establishment, my family and I have frequently visited here for dinner. Their prices are very fair to the portions provided. The typical complimentary chips and salsa are provided, however they are not your normal restaurant quality. The ingredients are much fresher, and the flavor almost makes you want them as a meal themselves.

My go to is the beef burrito. And this isn't your 3.99 burrito either. I'd say the size and weight is about the average male forearm. You might want to ask for a to-go box from the start.

The service is also extremely fast. A more recent visit, we had 4 orders placed and to our table in under 7 minutes. Everything was perfectly cooked, and just the appropriate temperature to eat immediately.

Being a "new" father, I'd like to point out that this restaurant is young child friendly. We typically bring our own portable feeding seat, but the restaurant does have one to use as well. The staff was very friendly with our child, and that's always a plus in my book.

The only cons I have are very minor. One, is the seats. They are a bit uncomfortable, being very rigid but some are not as padded as the others. You might have to barter with your party to get the more comfortable chair. The other, is the lighting. While I completely understand the dimmer lighting for dinner and the bar, it is a bit too dim. Not like, walking into a table in the middle of the night "dark", but more along the lines of "can we save a few watts on the electric bill".

Overall, I'd highly recommend a visit if you're visiting the area, or if you'd just like a quick...