La Malinche Spanish and Mexican Tapas — Restaurant in Silver Spring

Disappointing Experience and Unfair Charges at La Malinche

I recently visited La Malinche and was left utterly disappointed by both the service and billing practices. My experience began on a confusing note - I arrived just five minutes before the end of Sunday brunch, and was assured I wouldn't be charged for the brunch. Despite this, the staff aggressively pushed me to order both a drink and food, creating an uncomfortable situation as the brunch period was technically over.

This confusion escalated when I realized I wasn't given the option to order from the regular menu. It would have been more logical and customer-friendly to either allow me to choose from the regular menu or to simply charge me for the drink and the small plate I ordered. Instead, I was billed a whopping $41, a charge that seemed unjustified and not in line with what I was led to believe.

In addition, the waitress assigned to our table was inattentive, and I found myself having to flag down another server just to place an order. This lack of attentiveness made our dining experience feel neglected and unwelcoming.

It's disheartening when a restaurant not only fails to deliver on its promises but also seems intent on overcharging customers under confusing pretenses. It felt like both my time and money were not valued here, and the unfriendly attitude of the staff only added to the disappointment. Patrons deserve transparency, fairness, and hospitality - all of which were noticeably absent during my visit. I will not come...

I've been here for brunch and dinner, it is an underrated jewel in the silver spring dining scene.

For brunch my table all decided to do the bottomless option which gives you as many tapas and brunch cocktails as you want from a selected list. There are also a la carte items if you prefer a more streamlined brunch. We were determined to try everything on the bottomless menu and the standouts for us were the patatas bravas, the croquettes, the steak and eggs, and the eggs benedict. I could eat those patatas bravas every day, crisp cubes of potato drizzled with two sauces, a smoky Chipotle aioli and a roasted pepper tomato. The steak and eggs featured a perfectly cooked and well-seasoned steak. The croquettes crunchy exterior hid succulent creamy fillings. One thing I especially appreciated is the care that goes into their sauces, each one is flavorful, with great texture, and designed to perfectly complement the dish it accompanies.

For dinner, we picked a few tapas and a pitcher of sangria tinta to share. I had to have the patatas bravas again, and we also ordered calamari, pan catalana (slices of toasted bread with a fresh tomato puree drizzled in olive oil, deceptively simple yet delicious), and a small cheese plate.

The service is mannerly, unrushed and efficient, even when very busy (the brunch got super crowded). The sangria is excellent, well-rounded flavor and crisply sweet without being cloying. The atmosphere is understated and open, and the restrooms are clean. Highly...

It's okay to get an order wrong, but to get frustrated when asked to fix it is another issue. I got 2 dishes with no forks and no napkins So I came back forgetting the second fork and a lemon or lime for my fish order. The dude acted so frustrated he grabbed a lime cut it in half and handed it to me. On top of that he charged me extra for something I never ordered. Again, I asked for him to correct it and it's an attitude problem. Then I was told I called the wrong number 😂 one man showed me there are 2 numbers and said I called the kitchen and for some reason that's why this happen? So it's my fault? Look that's not my problem y'all gotta handle that with Google. The girl apologized right before she handed me the check but it's all irrelevant bc by the time the whole ordeal was done the food was cold. Never coming back. You can tell the older men do not like Black ppl and are uneducated based on there lack of reasoning. The type to gossip behind the backs of Black ppl despite receiving the money from them. I tipped the girl only bc she was running the place and I respect the hustle. But if anything, a quality restaurant would have compensated instead of making excuses. Probably never heard of the golden rule. It wouldn't surprise me if this restaurant goes out...