Los Toltecos

We went last night and it was good - not great, not bad. Wait staff was excellent.

 

Got takeout last night. The place was packed on a Wednesday night (took that as a good sign). Very good chips n' salsa while I waited. Menu had a great selection - more like a traditional/authentic Mexican restaurant than it's predecessor. Fajitas travelled surprisingly well and tasted good, though not even close to Uncle Julio's. Looks like this should be a good, much-needed, serviceable local option for Mexican food.

 

We're going again this weekend with friends. They've been to the Sterling location so they know the food.

 

Went once again tonight (with another couple). It was very busy. We all had a great meal and will go back.

 

T8erman loved the waitstaff because they kept the beer coming.

It was OK. I wouldn't go so far to say it was "good" as T8erman did. Queso just absolutely sucks. Watery, thin, and tasteless. Impossible to keep on a chip. On that subject, I think the chips and salsa are below average for the area. Hope they do well--its clear they have lots of fans. But I'll take Anita's over them every time.

 

Long time fans of the Sterling location. Hit it for the first time this weekend. At 5:30pm (we head out early since we have kids) and the wait staff was hurried, perhaps overwhelmed, without a full restaurant. Disorganized. When the cook brought the food out and then dropped one of the kids on the ground there wasn't any communication to get it replaced. Drinks weren't terribly slow, but not terribly fast either. After writing this, it sounds like I was more disappointed than I probably was. It certainly wasn't great though.

 

Went last night for an early dinner around 5:30. Our waitress was wonderful, making sure we had everything we needed, and keeping our drinks refilled. I thought that their chori/cheese dip was amazing, and liked their salsa. It could have been a bit spicier for me but the hubby loved it. My fajitas were great and hubby's chicken quesadilla was also quite yummy. All in all we look forward to going back many times.

 

Are you talking about the queso? What is chori? I'm curious, because you can't possibly have had the same queso we had last week. Tell me why you thought it was good? Was it thick and flavorful and cheesy?

Just trying to determine if we were there on a night something was wrong. Ours was about the color, consistency, and flavor of milk. Sadly, I am not exaggerating.

 

It was a white queso cheese topped with chorizo sausage. It was not super thick, but I don't like my queso that way....it thicker than milk, but not as thick as sour cream. I think it was the sausage that tipped the flavor for me. Yum

 

Went for the second time today for lunch. No problems with service, but my husband was right....there is too much salt. We both ordered different than our first visit and it was clear on the steak and chicken that they are HEAVILY preserved which makes me long for Chipotle fresh. I was so hoping for better Mexican restaurant food, but this is not it.

 

Im with T8ergirl - queso was awful. Food was sort of blah. I will give it another try, but in general- I didnt think it was that great.

 

No comment on the food as we haven't tried it but I'm not happy that they just spammed the house with one of those annoying fliers that get delivered and put in your front door, alerting thieves to come rob the house if you happen to miss removing them.

 

Yeah, but you'd have to be mad at Merry Maids, Oprea Cafe, and the numerous other joints that do the same damn thing. I hate them TOO!

 

My husband and I ate there last night. We liked it. I had chicken poblano enchiladas w/mole sauce. It was delish. Margaritas were good and the chori dip was very good. Sopapillas for dessert- needed more honey, but still good.
Wait staff was very good, food came out fast. (tuesday night though..not that busy)

We are fans of the the Sterling location and will enjoy this location equally.

 

Apparently it's not possible to order a solo appetizer at Los Toltecos. On two separate visits, my wife has been told by the server that she needs to order an entree.

This makes no sense to me. A sale is a sale- why alienate a customer?

 

Tried to go there last night for Cinco de Mayo. At 7:30pm, it was a 40 minute wait for a party of 2.

 

We were quoted a 40-minute wait as well, but it actually took 20 (and spent that time at the bar). I think that was her standard response, since they had no idea. The poor hostess did the best that she could in that crazy enironment (I felt bad for her), but service wasn't bad and food was tasty!

 

Went Last night, service was fast, food great overall a solid 7 out of 10. The only bad thing is that they don't have a soup, which is really uncommon for a family style Mexican restaurant, Tortilla, Caldode res, or anything. The salsa could be a bit hotter in my opinion. It's not bad, defiantly no worse than Anatia's.

 

It's open...been there twice so far. Very nice, especially sitting outside!!!

 

I always take the food reviews on this board with a grain of salt since someone will always find a fault with one of the local restaurants. If the food is good, it's too expensive. If the food is inexpensive, the quality sucks. And so on and so forth.

Personally, I like Los Toltecos. I've been going to the one in Sterling for years for lunch and its a pretty good option. You pick a combo, it comes out quickly, and it's decent. Is it the best Mexican food in the area? No. But when I don't want to drive to Picante in Chantilly or Uncle Julio's/Rio Grande in Reston, I go here and I know what I'm getting -- consistent "authentic" middle-of-the-road Mexican fare. Just about every town has one and it is what it is.

Haven't had the queso, so I can't comment. I think the salsa is pretty good -- it's mild with fresh onion and the heat caters to the lowest common denominator. If you want it hotter, put hot sauce in it.

Went to the Ashburn location a couple of weeks ago and the service was good and the food was the same as it always is. Ordered a frozen drink and have to say, it was pretty stiff, which isn't something to complain about.

I'll be back. For those who don't like Los Totecos, Chipotle/McDonald's is always down the street, as is Moe's. Not to mention Taco Bell. Reason I mention these three is that that you never see reviews on fast food joints. Why is that?