El Paso Cafe

Always have a fantastic time at El Paso, but largely includes company and conversation. The restaurant has a decent size parking lot, with lots of seating inside. On the many visits, I've never had to wait more than two minutes to be seated. Staff are very friendly and helpful. Prices are typical menu prices at comparable restaurants. And the food...two of us tried completely new dishes and both loved what we ordered. I got the nacho fries with two beans and no meat, and the flavors literally burst on my tongue, it was so, so good! Highly recommend. Family is returning fairly soon and I've already asked to get a to-go order of that dish. In the past, I've gotten burritos, fajitas, or usual/standard dishes, which have all been delicious, but I like the creativity an established restaurant tried to shake things up a bit for their regular customers. I appreciate it. Everyone enjoyed their meal.

A pretty decent meal. I had the glebe mixed platter which was a filling plate, variety was good my Pina colada was amazing and sweet. Staff were friendly. Would visit again when in the neighborhood

This place is really awesome. The staff was very friendly, food was delicious and the atmosphere was quite nice. I would recommend there carnitas tacos. Good prices and value. Definitely coming back again.

El Paso is always such a solid spot — great food, great atmosphere, and really good service. Jimmy especially deserves a shoutout! Super attentive, friendly, and just on top of everything without ever feeling rushed. You can tell he actually cares about making sure people have a good time. Definitely makes the whole experience even better. The whole staff was on it as it got busy, and all the food smelled incredible.

A solid-tasting, and always-busy offering of Tex-Mex in NOVA, with good drinks and plentiful food. --- My significant other and I visited here on a Friday night. I've visited a few times in the past, and it's always very busy. Tonight was no exception - we got one of the last tables at 5:45 and until we left there was a huge line at the door for a table. The restaurant is well decorated inside, with a nice bar and orange-ish walls. For as busy as this place always is, the space is a bit small and large parties next to each other can feel very crowded. The service was solid, especially for how busy it was. For food and drinks we kept it simple - to go with the chips and salsa I got a Diet Coke and Claudia's Platter, while my partner ordered a Margarita and a Fajita Salad without the Taco Bowl. I really like the Chips and Salsa - chips are fried right and the salsa is flavorful with the perfect amount of spice for 90% of people. The margarita on the rocks was very good, but strong. Would recommend if you're looking to get ahead of your night out. The entrees were solid, although not the best I've had in town. The food is plentiful - especially the platters. However with the loads of cheese it was hard for the flavor and spices of the meet to come through, and while I really liked how the rice was prepared the beans were a bit too liquid and lacking of flavor for my taste. Overall a solid, casual dinner experience outside of the main streets of Arlington. Although be prepared for crowds and a wait if you come during dinner.

As a Hispanic person who is a native Texan, I'm judging this restaurant - which is named "El Paso" and has lots of cool, fun Texas themes all inside the restaurant - according to true authentic Tex-Mex standards. While the atmosphere of this restaurant is decently cozy and spacious, feeling similar to a mid-sizer Texas restaurant, the food leaves much to be desired. Nothing we ate was bad. But you're paying DC prices for food that's (a) not consistently Tex-Mex (there are a lot of other South American cuisines seemingly represented on the menu; nothing wrong with that but it's strange for a place holding itself out as Tex-Mex with a Texas city name), (b) the flavors aren't particularly Tex-Mex, and (c) the ingredients don't seem authentic. Our beans were obviously straight from a can (actually my wife said it tasted exactly like the Old El Paso brand of canned beans, so I guess kudos for name consistency). The flour tortillas were also store-bought and not particularly notable. Salsa lacked spice (but had good smoky flavor). Enchiladas were so-so. Portion sizes were decent. Drink prices were too expensive (DC prices). Overall, this is not a bad restaurant. The atmosphere is peaceful and nice. But if you want authentic Tex-Mex food, you're not going to find it here.

Very surprised by the service I received tonight. Went here many times over the years. I called in my order and went to pick up. When I arrived no one was at the host stand. So I stood there and looked around. The waitresses looked at me and no one came to ask me if I needed help. For over 10 min I stood there and no one came. Then a white group of people came in and the waitress came right away to seat them and walked away. Then stood there again for 5 min before they came to me and asked if I needed something. Then I explained I was there for over 15 min and you even seated the people who came in long after me and I am just picking up food. I talked to the manager who said they dont serve ask questions when ppl are on the phone yet little does she know I was picking up for my sister who just gave birth and helping her and quickly needed to pick up her food. They wasted my time and treated me as if I didn't matter. Then when she opened the food which was 5 min away it was room temp ( chicken enchiladas, rice, beans) I will not return here again. The service was terrible and the manager on duty was okay with treating ppl who had been there many years with disregard.

Vacationing in DC for the 1st time. My daughters selected El Paso Cafe. An excellent choice. The food was fantastic in presentation, temperature, and taste. Our server provided excellent service. My daughters opted for the steak fajitas and chicken burrito, and for me, the Maricos Saltados (a combination of shrimp, calamari, and scallops - lots of scallops 😋, rice and mixed veggies). 😋😋😋. Their chips and salsa are made in house, and were delicious. The atmosphere was great to boot.

I like the queso. It is quite good. Servers are nice and the mood is fun. I also get the golden chimichanga. Very good

Thanks to Yelp I stumbled up on this gem. The restaurant is quaint and very welcoming. The chips and salsa were delicious and it was very hard to quit eating while trying to save my appetite for my entree. The margarita was the best I've had in a long time and my sister loved her pina-colada. You can't go wrong here. The menu is extensive and reasonably priced. Get going! You'll be glad yours. Thank me later.

Stopped by for a quick to-go lunch and had the nachos with steak. Unfortunately, they were pretty bland--nothing really stood out. The beans, cheese, and steak all felt plain. I also tried the chili con queso with chorizo. It was just cheese sauce with onions and jalapeños, but surprisingly, it was better than the nachos. Overall, not the best experience. The food just didn't have much flavor.

OMG!!!! The weather was gorgeous today in Arlington, and I thought..."After work, go out and treat yourself!" I did just that! I had the best birria tacos and a pupusa today. The flavors were spot on! Absolutely delicious! I love this neighborhood favorite. I even had more than enough for leftovers to take home. The service is always a pleasure too. My waitress was so nice!! I will definitely return soon. I can't wait for them to open up outdoor dining.

Good food and pleasant experience. Very personable staff and large variety of menu items to choose from and responsibly price.

Came here on a Sunday afternoon. Nice decor. This is a great place to bring the family too or a date night. Staff is friendly and welcoming...I had no idea George Bush JR ate here...if a famous Texan ate here than it has to be great TEXMEX food...which it was.. margaritas amazing ! Highly recomended I will be coming with my family.

It's been years since I've been here, and it will probably be years (or never) before I go back. I've been looking for a replacement for La Union since that place has spiraled downward since Covid. I was hoping this would do the trick and it didn't. On the plus side were the margaritas. There was a good selection of fancy options and it was surprising that there was no upcharge for premium taquilas. There are several reasons why and the most generous is that they are trying to keep things simple. And, regardless of what was in the bottles, the drinks tasted OK. The food was another story. My wife and I shared a plate of their Nachos Special with beef. The beef was overcooked and tough. And there wasn't a lot of "nacho stuff" underneath. It was, all in all, a "mid" experience, as my daughter would say.

The staff was super nice and welcoming. The venue was a pretty traditional Mexican style restaurant, a little dark and a little dated but fine. The food was ok, it just wasn't hot. My cheese was barely warm. It was weird. And the beans and rice had no flavor. I needed hot sauce or salsa to make it better but we were in hurry and I didn't ask.

I dined there on a Saturday night and was seated right away. They have a decent sized menu and everything sounds good. The chips and salsa for the table are great while looking over the menu. I ordered the enchiladas and thought they were fine but I would order something different next time I go there. This was an affordable dinner for two!

El Paso has become my boyfriend's and I go-to place. They are always consistent and always provide friendly service. They aren't anything fancy but a solid place that never disappoints is hard to find. The food is always delicious! I have liked every single thing I've ever ordered. Their rice is good, their beans are so flavorful, both the refried and stewed beans, and all the dishes are prepared well. I don't have a go-to meal because I always get something new since everything is good. I love their mole enchiladas with carnitas, the fajitas, and the burritos. My boyfriend recently got the whole rock fish which was so good! The ceviche is my favorite appetizer. The margaritas are also always on point and they provide unlimited fresh chips and salsa. If you're looking for delicious Mexican food with consistent service and a relaxed welcoming atmosphere then El Paso is your place!

Love Mexican and TexMex, heard good things about this place, and so perhaps my expectations were a little high. I got the golden chimichanga fried and it was quite delicious, however, I wish I had gotten the chorizo. I'm not really a steak person, but the chimichanga as a whole was delicious. The rice was ..not expected. More bland than what I am used to. I also had the salsa con queso with chorizo, which was also delicious, maybe the best tasting of it all. The Mexican cokes were great so I was delighted to see that available. Service was great no concerns at all. As far as Mexican restaurants go it was good. I can't give it five stars however because I didn't really feel like the food stood out; wish I could do 4.5. It was very typical Mexican, but it wasn't amazing, the same way more traditional Mexican preparation would. All that said it's a nice restaurant.

Okay so I was not impressed with this visit. I went in on a Saturday afternoon and it was very quiet and empty. Although it was empty the food took quite a bit of time to come out. The food and drinks were nothing spectacular. It was mediocre at best. You could definitely buy the ingredients and make everything better at home. The fajita quesadilla was smaller than I expected it and pretty much had chicken and cheese with a sprinkle of onions. There was no seasoning, no flavor. Our waitress was nice...which is why I gave this an extra star but besides that, I didn't feel invited to this space.

Best Mexican food in Northern Virginia served by a group of friendly wait staff that has been the same friendly faces for over 20 years.

All time favorite Mexican restaurant- consistently great food, great service, and great prices.

A solid-tasting, and always-busy offering of Tex-Mex in NOVA, with good drinks and plentiful food. --- My significant other and I visited here on a Friday night. I've visited a few times in the past, and it's always very busy. Tonight was no exception - we got one of the last tables at 5:45 and until we left there was a huge line at the door for a table. The restaurant is well decorated inside, with a nice bar and orange-ish walls. For as busy as this place always is, the space is a bit small and large parties next to each other can feel very crowded. The service was solid, especially for how busy it was. For food and drinks we kept it simple - to go with the chips and salsa I got a Diet Coke and Claudia's Platter, while my partner ordered a Margarita and a Fajita Salad without the Taco Bowl. I really like the Chips and Salsa - chips are fried right and the salsa is flavorful with the perfect amount of spice for 90% of people. The margarita on the rocks was very good, but strong. Would recommend if you're looking to get ahead of your night out. The entrees were solid, although not the best I've had in town. The food is plentiful - especially the platters. However with the loads of cheese it was hard for the flavor and spices of the meet to come through, and while I really liked how the rice was prepared the beans were a bit too liquid and lacking of flavor for my taste. Overall a solid, casual dinner experience outside of the main streets of Arlington. Although be prepared for crowds and a wait if you come during dinner.

NO HEAT! Food and service were okay having no heat is unacceptable. No apologies. No discounts. Some say there has been NO HEAT for over a week.

The service at my last visit to El Paso can only be described as a garbage fire. My husband and I visited for lunch on a Sunday. There were a few people but it wasn't very busy. I tried to order the Gordo Burrito (my favorite) but the waitress said it's only available on the weekday lunch menu and on the weekend customers have to order from the dinner menu. Disappointed, I ordered the El Paso Burrito with white sauce. My husband is on keto, so he got a burrito bowl. When the food came out, we were presented with one El Paso burrito and one Gordo burrito. Our waitress came over and quickly whisked away the Gordo burrito and told me the kitchen already destroyed it (w/o checking) when I asked if I could just have that. I'm not sure what I did to make the waitress hate me so much.

Absolutely outstanding for the excellence and variety of their food and drinks menues. Have been going for decades. My favorit combo is their Taco Salad and a Golden crushed ice Margharita. Their complimentary tacos and salsa are excellent too, as is their friendly and prompt service. So lucky to have this restaurant in Arlington. Been bring friend, relatives and bike groups here for decades. Good parking, too.

The best Margaritas!! Got the strawberry Margarita and it was delicious. This place is definitely a hidden gem. It's been on my list to try based on the raving reviews and it did not disappoint. Ordered the chicken enchiladas and they were delicious. Tasted fresh and very filling. We also ordered the fried ice cream for dessert and it was amazing. Employees were friendly and took our order quickly. The food came out at a reasonable time as well. Would definitely recommend this place to a friend!

A solid, no-frills tex mex haven. Price for the value is adequate, service is friendly, and the fajitas are plenty!

Quaint and comfortable, El Paso Cafe is a staple in Virginia Square. Super awesome customer service and decent drinks make this a nice spot. I visited a few weeks ago for lunch. Food quality wasn't the best. I would rate it an average 3. I had the crispy tacos and queso. The queso was bland and the tacos were average. Maybe I need to try more items on the menu to get a better array of their cuisine.

I will definitely be returning....closest I've gotten to good TexMex since leaving Texas. BEST enchiladas outside of Texas.

I really try to support small and local businesses right now during this pandemic but wow, today was not anyone's day including the ubereats driver. The poor ubereats delivery driver had to wait 45 minutes and then El Paso handed him the order and it was leaking everywhere already. This delivery man had to deliver it to us 45 minutes late, leaving, cold, soggy, and just looked like no one tried to make this meal. We still tipped the driver because it's not his fault. We used to love El Paso, always good service when we dine in and also when we order through ubereats before the pandemic happened but seriously, what happened?! Please see photos of you need a photographic explanation. It is unacceptable that food is packed that way and it is no way even edible or appetizing. We ended up throwing the food away and getting another order from another local Hispanic restaurant. Just overall upset because we really liked this place and it's crazy how we are expected to support local businesses right now but some businesses have forgotten the quality of food or disregarded that loyal customers like us still care about them. Unfortunately will not be coming back to El Paso anymore or ordering from there.

Food was great and came out quickly. No wait for a table on Wednesday night. Staff was nice.

Service was good automatic 20% for party of 3 is weird. Didn't see it on menu but server said it was the standard after I asked about it.

One of the families favorite local restaurants. I have been here half a dozen times throughout the years. Stopped in this week, food was good, hot, very fast and in abundance! Will return!

First time eating in the restaurant Had a wide assortment to try the menu Started with maduros and queso with chorizo and a Margarita A great start But filling I ordered an enchilada assortment And a tall cold beer All very tasty but most of the food ended up in a box to takeaway Enjoyed the very next day I look forward to my next visit and trying even more from the menu

I ordered a burrito bowl it wasn't very seasoned and when I asked for hot sauce it was not hot at all it was like tomato soup. The waitress wasn't that nice either.

Our first time here and we thought it was excellent. A small restaurant with great service and excellent food. We had the quest and guacamole with our chips followed with the chicken burrito and a few margaritas. We finished with some Fried Ice Cream which was delicious. I would recommend this place and I know we will be back to try a few other dishes.

I still love El Paso cafe after all these years. Excellent Tex Mex fare not too far from the Ballston neighborhood in Arlington. This is your spot for cheesy goodness platters and crisp chips and salsa. I recently had trouble ordering over the phone because it was so busy that no one answered--which is frankly wonderful given how hard the pandemic has been on small businesses. My fear was that they'd closed. Instead, I'm glad El Paso is going strong! Swung by and ordered in person for carry out. Service was fast and the food was great as always. All the platters have been delicious. I'm especially a fan of anything with their chile relleno (stuffed with cheese, not meat). The vegetarian Glebe platter is one of my new favorites. Portions are generous. Parking can be a bit tight, but it probably won't be an issue if you're like me and still sticking to carry out food.

This review is for lunch indoors on a Thursday afternoon. bar: Margaritas are buyer beware. We ordered two large house margaritas. Apparently, those are $18 each. To make matters worse, they are not particularly good or strong margaritas. service: Our server was prompt and polite. Place was not busy at 1pm. food: Try to not eat too many chips and salsa before your food arrives. We both ordered the lunch special called The California but it rang up as Two Tacos, which is exactly what it is. My wife had shredded chicken and ground beef. I had chorizo and carnitas. Our verdict? Shredded chicken, then the carnitas. This plate comes with excellent refried beans and great rice. details: Parking is always tough. There are spots, you just have to be patient. It's touchless ordering through a QR code, but they still hand carry your card to run it? There's some outdoor seating under a tent, but it's too hot in August.

Too inconsistent for my liking, and there's better Mexican anyway. I've been twice and both times I got the carnitas chimichanga. The first time, it was flavorful and delicious, along with the rice and beans that accompanied it. We also had fried ice cream the first time, which was perfectly fried and quite good. The second time I visited, everything was bland and just not good. I barely finished the chimichanga, and didn't touch the rice and beans. I do like their chips and salsa and their margaritas, even if they do use sour mix. I like that you can get a jumbo-sized margarita. Service has always been good, but I can't spend on mediocrity and inconsistency.

I visited this restaurant based off my friend's rave review. He ate here quite frequently and was in love with the food so i can only assume that they MAY have had an off day. INTERIOR: It was the usual run of the mill Tex Mex decor. No complaints. SERVICE: Service left a lot to be desired. We had to wait a really long time to get our food even though the restaurant was mostly empty. The person next to us came an half an hour after our arrival and got her food pretty quickly. She didn't order an appetizer so we had no idea why all of her food came out before ours especially after ordering a similar dish. We noticed other people were served before us also. FOOD: We pretty much filled up on drinks after waiting a long time. The drinks were great and i found a lot that i wanted to try. I was hoping that the food was worth waiting for but sadly it wasn't. The food photos on the Yelp page look delicious but the taste didn't match the visual for me. We ordered the Carne Asada and the Golden Chimichanga. Most of the elements were good such as the guacamole, pico de gallo, rice and the salsa. But found the main component of the Carne Asada, which was the steak, wasn't seasoned very well and the beans were pretty salty which was atypical. I've been to quite a few different Mexican restaurants in the past few months so I've had a range of experiences and I'd have to say out of all of them, this was one of my least favorites. With exception of service which seems to be a common complaint, i'll just chalk it up to an off day but i don't think i'll return.

I hate to do this because I have loved this restaurant since 2000. Went in tonight for the first time in quite a while. I must say I was disappointed by the non attentive staff as well as the quality of the food. We ordered yuca con chicharron. The only thing good was the yuca. The chicharon was very greasy as well as overcooked. For dinner we ordered the fajitas. The beef was cooked well. The chicken was dry and stuck to the pan. Additionally, there were very few onions and zero bell peppers (which is normally a staple of the dish). The server was non attentive and didnt return at all throughout the meal. Instead she'd sit down with her back to her tables. Overall I try to never give 1 star. I only gave two stars because of past experiences.

High 3.5. Ambiance is fun (read: Friday night mariachi band) but LOUD. Love love the margs here, both frozen and on the rocks. The basic ones are great, the flavored ones are great, can't go wrong. I enjoy the food too but find it a little pricey-- almost $20 for fajitas but some of the taco and burrito meals are more reasonable. I've tried nachos, a salad, burritos, tacos, chimichangas and liked them all. My biggest complaint is that service is usually quite slow. Definitely worth a stop if you're in the mood for Tex-mex and margs.

Been coming here for years and think that the quality has fallen over the past few visits. Food and margarita drinks good, but not great. And as expected, the prices have risen steadily over the years. For this visit, we waited 30 minutes for a table and when seated, the space was cramped. They save larger tables for bigger parties who may get seated ahead of you. Service was slow as the kitchen was busy with the large parties. For whatever reason there were a lot of young families there. Mariachi band is a good novelty but gets old after 30 minutes of Happy Birthday. The roaming 6 piece group adds to the lack of space. As mentioned food is good. Combination platters are big enough and chips / salsa keep coming. Menu is big. Chicken filling tasted old - not bad but not fresh. Think this place has outgrown its capabilities and capacities due to its popularity.

My boyfriend and I were really excited to try a new Mexican restaurant, but unfortunately this place was just not great. The queso was bland, and his fajita quesadilla was pretty much cold coming out. It also was extremely tiny for $15. In other words, I could've made both of those items at home. The Golden Chimichanga was the only good food we purchased here today. On top of that, I am not sure if the restaurant was under staffed, but the service was terrible. The waitress gave us cold vibes, and barely checked up on us. Took us 30 minutes to get the queso and a water refill, and an hour for a food to show up cold.

Omg!! We found a texmex spot!! Being from South Texas (near Rio Grande Valley), this was a treat! Excellent chips & salsa, good guac, and perfect margaritas! We got fish tacos, enchiladas, and a burrito. They were all so flavorful and delicious! We will absolutely be back!

My family and I have been coming to El Paso for years now! The Arlington/Ballston area used to not have many good Mexican spots to go to for a long time so this was the go-to. Parking can be a little tight there at times, but generally when we visit we're able to get a table right away. My usual order is the veggie fajitas and they always hit the spot. Service is always great and people are super friendly. I wouldn't say its the best Mexican food I've ever been to, but it's definitely a solid and classic option. Will visit again in the future! 4 stars!

Been a regular for decades at El Paso Cafe on North Pershing Street off Glebe Road in Arlington. El Paso has been open since 1992. Most recently we came here for a Mothers Day late lunch early dinner. Service A+ Cleanliness A+ Ambiance A+ Food A+. Love this place! BTW, all adult females received a long-stem rose at the conclusion of your meal! Touch of class. We started with a couple appetizers; Gambas al Ajillo (Prawns in garlic butter sauce served with crispy slices of bread) and Pupusa de Queso and Pupusa Revuelta. Of course the pupusas are served with the traditional curdido, a lightly fermented cabbage slaw with a touch of salsa. I cannot describe how incredibly fresh all the ingredients were and how fresh and hot they were when reaching our table. Only downside to this was my wife's frozen margarita was really boring, lacking flavor or any hint of tequila. For entrees we had a mix of steak quesadillas, steak fajitas and Mario's platter (cheese enchilada, beef enchilada & crispy taco beef). All were served exactly as ordered. Give El Paso a try you will not regret it. Outstanding!

I had high hopes for this place when I walked in. Had a Tex-Mex ambiance with lots of different colored lights and many Tex-Mex decorations. The restaurant was crowded, but we were seated pretty quickly. It seemed like I would get the authentic real-deal Tex-Mex food. Sadly, my expectations were not met. I ordered the duo tacos with shredded chicken. The duo tacos came with rice, beans, and pico de gallo. The rice wasn't cooked properly, as the consistency was not the same throughout. Never great when you have to chew through some hard pieces of rice. The shredded chicken didn't taste like real, authentic chicken. It was more like chicken out of the package, something from a lunchable. Complimentary chips and salsa were brought over which were fine. The service was good, but if your food isn't up to par, it ruins the overall experience. Can't see myself coming back to this place.

I love going to El Paso Cafe! I randomly picked their seafood enchiladas one day and ever since I just can't get enough! The service is always good. They have a big space so it's never packed when I go usually right after lunch time to miss the rush. Their drinks are STRONG so well worth the price!

This place is always fun with great service and obviously excellent food. It is definitely a neighborhood go to. It is not fancy, but it is delicious and authentic.

The service the was great!!! The margs were very tasty! The food was very good! My party had a really good time!

I love it! Everything was authentic and delicious! They made my daughter's birthday great!

Started with queso and guacamole. The queso was spicier than I remember but still delicious. The salsa was flavorful as well. Good guacamole. Warm crispy chips. Hard to stop eating them! Attentive service and enthusiastic mariachi players were the norm throughout the meal. I had "Ana's Platter" but substituted a beef taco. It was good. I loved the chile relleno. The cheese oozed out as soon as I dug into it. The chicken enchilada was stuffed with chicken and maybe just a little dry. Something was a little spicy too. The giant margarita helped. I really like this place and everyone I bring here enjoys the atmosphere, food, and service.

First off-- I really loved this place. I will explain why I'm giving 3 stars after I explain what I did like about it. I liked that they sat us right away, that the margs were good and that our food came out fast. There was also a band in there that was really great. The atmosphere was good. Now the things I didn't like. First off there was a homeless man walking around everyone's tables. He wouldn't leave and no one was asking him to leave. He sat next to a couple eating and was disturbing them. Another thing I didn't like was that they add gratuity and did not let me know when giving me the check. I left a &50 tip. Then realized the next morning that they sneaked on the gratuity already. So I basically gave a 40% tip. I felt sick for losing that money. The tortilla soup was also not good.

Came here for a Happy hour and farewell for a co-worker on a Friday. The food was moderate and service terribly slow. We waited too long to put in our order and to get the food itself. We waited about an hour to get our checks which could not be separate because the system would not allow it... I had the burrito el Paso. My tip for restaurants is to get the item that has the name of the place on it and you can't go wrong. Portion was big and I was satisfied. Mariachi band was great.

Everything was...fine. The food was fine, the service was fine. The ambience was LOUD, but I guess that's fine for a Friday night. Wouldn't come back, though.