El Tio Tex-Mex Grill — Restaurant in Virginia

Tex Mex restaurant that delivers on its Sizzling Fajitas! So hard to find sizzling fajitas nowadays in NOVA, can't find them at La Sandia in Tyson's or Cyclone Anya in Mosaic while I don't feel like trekking all the way to Bethesda for Uncle Julio's. Glad that El Tio's got me covered.

The warm soft flour tortillas with a sizzling platter of onions, peppers, squash, carrots, mushrooms with a side of guac and pico de gallo hits the spot! The seasoned yellow Mexican rice was a bit clumpy with subtle flavor that elevated the fajitas. I didn't care for the pinto beans or the sour cream. The only crucial missing ingredient that caught my attention was cheddar cheese. Can't have fajitas without some bold sharp cheese! Asked for some on the side. While I was hoping for 4 tortillas, I was secretly relieved that only 3 tortillas came with the fajitas as I was delightfully stuffed after devouring just 2 of them.

The sweet Mango Margarita with fresh Mango was refreshing and dangerously masked the vodka. Definitely had a brain freeze! My hubby enjoyed the Cadillac Margarita.

The complementary nacho chips are dry and disappointing. The chips are sadly clumped together and folded over on top of each other - so they are not cooked all the way through. They lacked the consistency, crispiness, and moderate saltiness flavor that I was hoping for. The bland salsa was quite runny and also lacked flavor. While I ate just a few chips, my hubby and father-in-law devoured them and successfully completed round #2.

Glad to support a local NOVA chain, there are only a handful of locations in the area. Will be back to satisfy my craving for Sizzling Fajitas and quench my thirst with...

Classic Tex-Mex in the authentic heart of McLean. If that is all you needed to know, stop reading and head over, right now. The chips and salsa are waiting.

El Tio is perfect for when the kids are neither young enough that one would be shopping for cigars (curiously, available next door) nor so much in need of supplementary math that you would want to take them to a Mathnasium (coincidentally, also right next door) nor so much in need of teenage autonomy that they want you to drop them off at a respectsvle distance from the Old Firehouse Teen Center (optimally situated relative to El Tio). Is the genius location an accident?

Now if only Giant would deliver groceries to my car (like Amazon does) while we continue to snarf the delish chips and salsa. Can't wait for progress to reach the heart of McLean. We already have a Total Wine rather than a Border's book store. Is that progress or what?

The strip mall setting is charmingly authentic. The salmon stucco is a Martha Stewart-perfect tone- match. The bottomless chips are fresh and crisp. The salsa picante is perfect to use on one's social enemies - they'd be vaporized in an instant.

The setting is tranquil. Like a sleeper cell, you could drive by it a million times and not know that is here. In this regard it is more like a CIA safe house than its branch in Great Falls (which screams arriviste in Gothic caps).

Nothing like having a Goodyear or a Stewart's nearby to show how McLean can retain its bucolic charm in the face of the forces of redevelopment that periodically rears its green head. I hope they bring back stage coaches and pigeon post. Ye Olde...

Saw this place while driving by and figured why not go eat there, we looked up reviews real quick before because you know. Reviews. A lot of people talked about the large portions and good food and they were not misleading.

I’ve been to countless establishments with similar menus but this place really does give the bang for buck. From the service to the food to the decor and everything in between nothing disappointed. (One side note) this place has two different styles of carne asada entrees which I haven’t seen before. One being labeled carne asada Salvadoreña which is the one I’m used to. The other carne asada come with plantains and something else I forgot.

Anyways, got a big steak, got a big beer, the quesadilla ordered was big, the steak tacos came with huge chunks of tender beef absolutely embarrassing other places I’ve been. The chips light and crispy and the chimole/dip just the way I like it.

Top notch baby,...