Taco House, Arlington, Virginia, Mexican Restaurant Details

Food:

This place wasn't great at all!

Food:

I've been eating here for over thirty years and the reviews that talk about beans out of a can, cold food and rude service are just nonsense. Juan, the owner, often greats guests personally and the staff is always friendly. The food is served on plates so hot the wait staff warns you not to touch them. Before I retired I worked a couple blocks away and ate here regularly for lunch and still stop in at least once a week. My personal favorites are the California burrito and the steak fajitas. The quality of the food and service has remained consistently excellent. Known now as Cantina Mexicana, this place serves good food at reasonable prices. In thirty years, I've never been disappointed!

Food:

Place now named Cantina Mexicana

The chips as salsa that started off the dinner were quite good that gave me high hopes for food to come. Boy was i wrong because rest of the dinner was crap! My beef burrito was bland beyond belief, super salty, and so cold that the slice of American cheese wasnt even melted. Really?? AMERICAN cheese slices in at burrito? Beans and rice were out of a can and cooked in the microwave. Asked for something spicy like a habanero hot sauce but all they had was Tabasco which is a shame for a place that serves Mexican food.

Service was good but i should have known something was up when i watched the waiters go get their dinner from the Chinese restaurant down the block.

Bottom line: I really wish i would have gone to taco bell because i would have had better food.

Food:

Food is really good, consistantly. But why I really like this place is the service. They are all over it. You're glass is never empty for long. As soon a you're done, someone clears the table. Refills on chips and salsa while you're still waiting. You get your check as soon as you're ready. they are spot on with service, always. Hard workers.

Food:

It seems like you can't go 50 feet in the DC area without running across some Tex-Mex place or another, but Cantina Mexicana (it's no longer called "Taco House") is our favorite by far, and worth planning a trip around.

In general, it's more on the "Tex" side of "Tex-Mex" than the "Mex". They start you off with fresh, homemade tortilla chips and (usually) two homemade salsas. Their margaritas are outstanding and reasonably priced for the size you get and the area. The entrees are first-rate: our favorites are the Chipolte Chicken, with layers of melted cheese, or the BBQ Steak Fajitas, which come in a two-person size ready to share. I'll admit we've never tried dessert -- we've never had room left.

Service is generally very prompt and always friendly, and there's outdoor seating available during the spring, summer, and fall, right on 23rd Street.

Parking can be a little bit of an issue if you're driving (if you're coming by Metro, it's about a 10-15 minute walk depending on how brisk you want to make it and the timing of the traffic lights). There's some on-street parking and a metered lot out back, and in the evenings and weekends there's ample space in the neighborhoods around Restaurant Row. Things can get busy during rush hour or after work at the end of the week, but it's worth it.

Even though it's not the closest Mex place to where we live, we always make the drive when we're feeling like something spicy; we honestly just haven't found anything that compares.