Taqueria el Poblano — Restaurant in Virginia

I'm not from the area and needed some good Mexican food. This one had good reviews and I went for it. The hostess was awesome and gave me some good recommendations based on her favorites. It was just me and I felt like I was kind of put in the corner and forgotten about after taking me seat. When the waitress did arrived to take my order she suggested a margarita and I declined. I was there for the food but I could see how it could be a great spot for their famous margaritas. I munched on some chips and loved their salsa. I told myself that my hotel was closed and I would be back every night for dinner if it was as good as the chips and salsa.

The steak tampiqueño arrived hot and smelling delicious. Unfortunately, it was good enough to eat but not amazing and full of abuela's sabor like I craved.. The beans, rice, and even steak lacked authentic flavor, or any flavor really. I'm a huge lover of good beans and rice but almost couldn't finish the beans because there was no party in my mouth when eating.

BUT the cheese and onion enchiladas were somewhere between wonderful and amazing. I would have liked some more water during my dinner but the next time I saw the waitress was with the check so I paid and left. I live in an area with zero Mexican options so it was good to be in a colorful room with music and smells that make me happy and had an authentic feel but it wasn't as good as I expected.

I was there for a work event and mentioned it to some coworkers who live in the area and their answer was the greater DC area is not an easy place to find solid Mexican food. For that I'm going with three stars as it was average in an area of average to below average Mexican food options. It may be the best in the area but it wasn't the best I have ever had or what I needed to leave with a happy belly and a side of flan...

This place isn't bad, it's just that it isn't good at all... everything is VERY bland. The service was friendly, prompt, and the drinks were quick and well made. As an appetizer, I had queso and chips. Although the queso appeared boiling and covered in chorizo, it just didn't taste as good as it looked. It didn't taste good at all, sadly. The chips were also lacking something... just didn't even have corn flavor and certainly no salt. For main course I ordered the enchiladas which is a favorite for me. Unfortunately they just had no spices to make them seem like Mexican food. It seemed like a tortilla wrapped around some meat. Even the rice and beans were generic and bland. The side of guacamole was actually pretty good, I admit. My husband had something... we cant even remember because it was just so forgettable. The ambiance of the place was nice and it got crowded, so we may just have different expectations than others. It is a nice, clean, and well run restaurant, just wished for...

Beyond disappointed in my experience here. This was my mom and I’d first time here and we were very excited. My mom initially asked for the grilled fish of the day, but after finding out it was salmon, changed her mind and decided to go with the fish tacos instead. When the food came out, they brought the salmon AND the fish tacos. I told the waiter, Josue, it was a misunderstanding but he didn’t seem receptive. He was rather rude and didn’t offer up any solutions. I thought this was very unprofessional given he was the one who made the mistake. The food was mediocre and the service was disappointing. I wouldn’t recommend...