Fairfax County General :
Fairfax Underground
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Welcome to Fairfax Underground, a project site designed to improve communication among residents of Fairfax County, VA. Feel free to post anything Northern Virginia residents would find interesting.
Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
lalala
()
Date: May 18, 2014 10:28PM
Love Mexican food but haven't found anything great in the area. Anyone remember Chi Chi's in springfield? not authentic, but good food. Anyone know of anything out there that is any good? tHANKS!
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
Pedro's cousin
()
Date: May 19, 2014 12:37AM
Try tippy taco or taco bell, both very good!
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
Joselopezsmith
()
Date: May 19, 2014 01:50AM
Uncle Julio's
Guapos
On the Border
Chevys
Sweetwater Tavern has great fajitas
Baja Fresh is good for fast food Mexican.
I'm NOT a fan of Austin , California Tortilla, or Cafe Rio. They are ok, but not great.
Last resort would be Chipotle, Anita's, Tippys Taco House, and Taco Bell.
Guapos
On the Border
Chevys
Sweetwater Tavern has great fajitas
Baja Fresh is good for fast food Mexican.
I'm NOT a fan of Austin , California Tortilla, or Cafe Rio. They are ok, but not great.
Last resort would be Chipotle, Anita's, Tippys Taco House, and Taco Bell.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
NS 13
()
Date: May 19, 2014 07:29AM
El Gaso
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
It's Everywhere
()
Date: May 19, 2014 02:29PM
Joselopezsmith Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sweetwater Tavern has great fajitas
The same fajitas are also available at Silverado in Annandale, another GAR restaurant. Tequila Grande at Nutley and 123 in Vienna meanwhile has an extensive menu. The stuff I've tried has been quite good. Cheap too.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Sweetwater Tavern has great fajitas
The same fajitas are also available at Silverado in Annandale, another GAR restaurant. Tequila Grande at Nutley and 123 in Vienna meanwhile has an extensive menu. The stuff I've tried has been quite good. Cheap too.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
eesh
()
Date: May 19, 2014 02:37PM
I missed that fried ice cream.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
matt 703
()
Date: May 19, 2014 03:43PM
I miss Tia's. $2 Dos Equis drafts and good all you can eat chips/salsa - can't beat that when you're young and cheap.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
VG
()
Date: May 21, 2014 09:41AM
Yeah, actually there's a pretty decent one in Springfield, if you're nearby:
http://www.elpasomexicanrestaurants.com/main.html
There's also one I remember out in...Chantilly?...I think, off the main highway. It's on a lot all by itself, almost looks like an old house...someone help me out, I forget what it was, but it was FANTASTIC. Went after a show at the Dulles convention center, so in that area. Wasn't a chain.
http://www.elpasomexicanrestaurants.com/main.html
There's also one I remember out in...Chantilly?...I think, off the main highway. It's on a lot all by itself, almost looks like an old house...someone help me out, I forget what it was, but it was FANTASTIC. Went after a show at the Dulles convention center, so in that area. Wasn't a chain.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
Fairfaxian
()
Date: May 21, 2014 10:01AM
There are plenty of them that are better than Chi-Chis ever was.
El Paso in Springfield
El Tio in Falls Church
Taco Bamba in Falls Church
Three personal favorites.
El Paso in Springfield
El Tio in Falls Church
Taco Bamba in Falls Church
Three personal favorites.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
montezuma's revenge
()
Date: May 21, 2014 11:47AM
Don Pablo's ain't bad in small doses
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
eater of tacos
()
Date: May 21, 2014 08:13PM
eesh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I missed that fried ice cream.
+1. The two things I remember most about Chi Chis were their fried ice cream and their chips and salsa. The jars of Chi Chis branded salsa available in stores nowadays is nowhere near as great as the salsa served in the restaurants.
If you're looking for a similar, mass market chain:
Uncle Julio's
On the Border
Regional chain:
Guapo's
Local chain:
El Paso
-------------------------------------------------------
> I missed that fried ice cream.
+1. The two things I remember most about Chi Chis were their fried ice cream and their chips and salsa. The jars of Chi Chis branded salsa available in stores nowadays is nowhere near as great as the salsa served in the restaurants.
If you're looking for a similar, mass market chain:
Uncle Julio's
On the Border
Regional chain:
Guapo's
Local chain:
El Paso
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
wGktW
()
Date: May 21, 2014 08:32PM
Why would anyone care whether a restaurant of any kind was national, regional, or local? Good food is good food, and the other stuff isn't. Why would there be a standard other than that?
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
eater of tacos
()
Date: May 21, 2014 08:46PM
wGktW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why would anyone care whether a restaurant of any
> kind was national, regional, or local? Good food
> is good food, and the other stuff isn't. Why
> would there be a standard other than that?
If you recall Chi Chis, it had a particular mass market pop-Mexican themed atmosphere. If that large chain atmosphere is important to Lalala, then the mass market chains like Uncle Julio's or On the Border may provide the atmosphere and theming what Lalala is looking for.
You see, moron, that's why I wrote, "If you're looking for a similar, mass market chain..."
Or if Lalala is looking for similar sort of Americanized Mexican meal without the chain sort of atmosphere, then a regional chain like Guapo's may be in order.
Or if Lalala is looking for neither the chain atmosphere nor a similar level of food, Lalala may want to check into a local chain like El Paso.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Why would anyone care whether a restaurant of any
> kind was national, regional, or local? Good food
> is good food, and the other stuff isn't. Why
> would there be a standard other than that?
If you recall Chi Chis, it had a particular mass market pop-Mexican themed atmosphere. If that large chain atmosphere is important to Lalala, then the mass market chains like Uncle Julio's or On the Border may provide the atmosphere and theming what Lalala is looking for.
You see, moron, that's why I wrote, "If you're looking for a similar, mass market chain..."
Or if Lalala is looking for similar sort of Americanized Mexican meal without the chain sort of atmosphere, then a regional chain like Guapo's may be in order.
Or if Lalala is looking for neither the chain atmosphere nor a similar level of food, Lalala may want to check into a local chain like El Paso.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
yourmom
()
Date: May 22, 2014 09:24PM
Chi Chi's was the WORST Mexican restaurant in the area. Just an FYI -- I worked at the Fair Oaks Mall Chi Chi's back in the day and I also went to the Springfield Chi Chi's right before it shut down b/c my girlfriend at the time lived right across the street. The only thing I have to say is that their salsa was TERRIBLE...absolutely awful. Probably the worst salsa of any Mexican restaurant in the area...including fast food joints. The food was ok but the atmosphere sucked.
The good places IMO are Cyclone Anaya, El Tio, Uncle Julio's, El Paso, Tequila Grande, Guapos, and La Sandia in Tysons Mall. Other pretty good joints are On the Border and Chevy's. Anita's is average and Tippy's sucks dick. As for fast food joints, Chipotle and Qdoba are my favorites. California Tortilla, Moe's and Baja Fresh are probably next on the list...not my favorite but I could eat there any time.
The good places IMO are Cyclone Anaya, El Tio, Uncle Julio's, El Paso, Tequila Grande, Guapos, and La Sandia in Tysons Mall. Other pretty good joints are On the Border and Chevy's. Anita's is average and Tippy's sucks dick. As for fast food joints, Chipotle and Qdoba are my favorites. California Tortilla, Moe's and Baja Fresh are probably next on the list...not my favorite but I could eat there any time.
Re: Any Mexican Restaurants like Chi Chis around still?
Posted by:
GHA
()
Date: May 22, 2014 09:55PM
VG Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah, actually there's a pretty decent one in
> Springfield, if you're nearby:
>
> http://www.elpasomexicanrestaurants.com/main.html
>
>
> There's also one I remember out
> in...Chantilly?...I think, off the main highway.
> It's on a lot all by itself, almost looks like an
> old house...someone help me out, I forget what it
> was, but it was FANTASTIC. Went after a show at
> the Dulles convention center, so in that area.
> Wasn't a chain.
Anita's?
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yeah, actually there's a pretty decent one in
> Springfield, if you're nearby:
>
> http://www.elpasomexicanrestaurants.com/main.html
>
>
> There's also one I remember out
> in...Chantilly?...I think, off the main highway.
> It's on a lot all by itself, almost looks like an
> old house...someone help me out, I forget what it
> was, but it was FANTASTIC. Went after a show at
> the Dulles convention center, so in that area.
> Wasn't a chain.
Anita's?