Tijuana Mexican Cafe

Looking for good sit-down Mexican food can be a real crap shoot in the DC area -- many of the places are either low-quality (in terms of ingredients and/or taste) or prepare the dishes in a way that just isn't standard, good old fashioned Mexican-American food. But this place gets it all right. First, though, a couple clarifications: the name of the place is Tijuana's (I believe it's a local chain, but I've never been to the other branches; I'm not sure how to get Insider Pages to correct the spelling). Also, there are several little Mexican/Guatemalan places on this city block, so be sure to go to the one with the big green awning out front. Not to knock the other places, but Tijuana's is the one I'm recommending here. Also, I have to confess: my wife and I get the same dish pretty much every time (chimichanga), so I can't really say much about the rest of the menu:-). But that dish (and the standard complimentary nachos) say a lot about the restaurant: the ingredients and condiments are high-quality (e.g., good white meat chicken, freshly made chips) and unique, but still true to what you'll find in any good Mexican place -- it's the best chimichanga I've ever had, actually, extremely flavorful. The ambiance isn't for everyone -- there's nothing wrong with it (I like it), but they do have a bar and occasional karaoke/jukebox music, so if that kind of stuff turns you off, just order the food to go). The staff are very very friendly, and the prices are on the cheap end. If you like Mexican food at all and live anywhere near Silver Spring, this is the place to go -- I was so happy and relieved once I finally found it, after trying several bad or so-so places).

Posted 03/13/08 | Report Abuse

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