El Andariego

i had a very good meal here one time. the food was solid, and margaritas were fine but strong. on a second visit, though, the service was sincere but very slow, and the kitchen and bar couldn’t do anything right. the margaritas were sweet to the point of being undrinkable. i couldn’t cut the meat with a steak knife. and everything stayed on the bill. it was my last visit. i am embarrassed that i brought my wife here, having told her it would be a nice experience.

Wonderful place to eat. Food excellent, not greasy and the prices are great. I have been their customer since they open the restaurant. The owners Jaime and Christina are wonderful hostess, and greed you in a friendly manner when you come in. Last time I ate there, I had a sea food special dish, it was superb.

Definite kid friendly — if want more quiet be sure to ask for dining room.
Chile con queso very soupy and runny but service fast as Saturday nite crowd builds.
Group agreed that grilled meat in Tacos al Carbon (in flour tortilla w/​nice white rice w/​tiny chopped veggies and bowl of whole beans) was best surprise. Any menu item that has ‘al carbon’ is a winner. Tender juicy inside w/​serious crispy outer skin — pick the meat .
Crab/​shrimp quesadilla take a pass. Crabmeat was so canned it was like tuna fish w/​Old Bay… nary a texture of shrimp either
Margaritas decent — pleased w/​minimal ice in glass. Fried ice cream was frozen and pre-​prepped — but kids couldn’t tell difference.
Agree w/​previous reviews that portion sizes are on the upside. Worth a stop for certain

Montgomery County is SATURATED with Tex-​Mex, Latino, and El Salvadorian places, so it’s easy to make a comparison. El Andariego is THE BEST around. No where else beats their fajitas. The margarita choices are plentiful and out-​of-​this world delicious. The staff is as friendly as can be (and as plentiful as the margaritas!). Owners work on site and greet you at the door every time you visit. While we’ve rarely had to stand to wait, every time we’ve gone to El Andariego, no matter what day, the place is PACKED. Can’t say enough about this wonderful, local spot!

It small and can be a little loud, but it’s fun and has a lively atmosphere. I’ve tried more than half of their menu and I love it all. The staff is super sweet and there is always an owner present.

Great service and best pupusas in the area. We’ve been coming here for years and will continue to do so. Try the bread pudding for dessert.

Good staples here like fajitas but every now and then have some good specials like crab cakes and Chilean sea bass. Portions are also good size overall. I personally like the thicker chips they have versus other restaurants and their salsa is not watery. Service is not the fastest but they are pretty attentive. Overall good atmosphere, especially when they have live music. Drinks are not terrible but fall short in quality.

Great service. Dinner delivery was slow, but we had time to drink plenty of margaritas, which were amazing, and enjoy the company of our fellow diners. The food was above average Mexican fare. This place gets super crowded after 6ish and the parking lot is tiny, so go early!

This is a family-​friendly restaurant with great food and drinks, very friendly and professional service, pleasant and comfortable atmosphere. This is our family’s first restaurant of choice in the area.

We moved to Olney a year ago and our niece told us that we have to come here! Now this place has become one of our favorite restaurants. Food is so delicious, atmosphere is great, and the service is top notch! The fajitas are the best! Their stuffed jalapeños are to die for!

amazing mexican! Best margarita you’ll find in the area. AND pitchers are half price on mondays! food is great too, i specifically love the fajitas. Last time I was there, they got my order wrong the first time (i ordered shrimp enchiladas and they gave me chicken) but more than made up for it when they boxed up the chicken to take home and brought me the shrimp in less than 5 minutes, free of charge! great chips and salsa too. a classic mexican ambiance with good service and a nice bar area. accommodating for big parties.

Don’t get to this out of the way place on the country roads except once in awhile, but it was a special place when I found it several years ago. First couple of times I stopped in for a quick few papusas and corn tamales, and I was hooked, they were amazingly perfect, delicious, light, and not greasy. Then I tried the tortilla soup, and the broth was home made with fresh zucchini and a small ear of corn (!), it was one of the best things I ever tasted. I embarrassingly always polished off the chips and salsa, and was never disappointed. Fajitas (with fresh tortillas!) are my usual go-​to, but several times I had the special, ranging from camarones (shrimp) in garlic tomato sauce to chicken mole poblano; everything was always great, including the large portions for the reasonable price. The margaritas and sangria were so good I left more than once in the daylight a little tipsy, and one hot summer day I remember the Corona served in a frosted mug was intensely satisfying. I started bringing my sister from NY here (back road on the way home from BWI) whenever she came to see me, and she totally fell in love with it too (she even makes her own tortilla soup now); we would order all my above favorites and split an entrée or two and dessert, so we could get to taste as many lovely things as possible. The wait staff was über friendly and efficient (I even got to know one by name), the chubby little Hispanic lady cook sometimes came out of the kitchen so you could tell her in your best Spanglish how good everything was, and the owner would always come to your table and be a gracious host by asking how you were doing (he even escorted me to the ladies room once because there is a uneven floor and he was afraid I would fall.) Then, the last time I went a few months ago, everything was different; no familiar faces, no perfect tamales or chicken broth, the food was just average, forgettable. I don’t know if the place was sold or just having an off night, but I felt like an old friend died, and almost cried when I left. I will try again next time I’m in the area, but if I don’t see the old magic back, it’ll be the last time.

My fanily loved the enchiladas but my sopa de mariscos was awful reheated soup with no flavor at all, seemed they microwaved the soup and put the seafood on top no lemon on the soup.
Chips and salsa could add more salt to the chips and the salsa needs more seasoning.
Service was excellent, the only mistake server should have asked why I did not eat the my soup.
Will try them again

Amazing customer service. Terrific salsa and fantastic food. I had fajitas which had generous portions. I’m happy to have plenty for lunch tomorrow. They have a wonderful juice called Marrone. Not sure if that is spelled correctly. Amazing sangria, mojitos and lovely wine selection. I’ve been several times and never have been disappointed. On Tuesdays, they do an incredible Italian night. Very good portions and great prices.

Very average food. The chips and salsa were below average quality but the steak fajita and beef burrito were exactly as I’d expect it.
The service was great in my experience and the restaurant interior was clean and organized.

I go here pretty often and have never been disappointed. There’s usually live music in the evenings which is nice. The staff is really nice. Margaritas are awesome and the food is amazing. I try to get something different every time I go so I can try everything. So far, I’ve enjoyed everything!

Their pup usas were excellent! I had the bean and cheese. Not oily like other places. Their tacos were well seasoned. The service was great. The owner came to greet us and asked if we needed anything. Great experience. Will definitely come back.

Great service, good food and good margaritas. I got there late but I was seated right away. The server was extremely polite and full of life! Great for a date night!

Service was sparse, food was extremely bland. Not a very friendly place. I won’t be back.

The food is GOOD. Really good. And I’d rave about that but I’d rather take the time to tell u a lil story.
Ok so dig the scene: a very long face, wanders in on Xmas eve at 745 pm. They close at 9. The very long face has alot on her Mind so she also stares at the 3 pg menu for 20 minutes. Enter the hero: Jose the French chef moonlighting as a waiter. (No for realsies!) Who remembered me from the ONE time I came previously to dine. The owner asks me, «you’re alone? On Xmas? I can’t believe! Why?» And I must’ve looked like I was about to cry a river because Jose sprang outta nowhere, and pulled out all the stops, jokes, funny questions, stories, if he could spin plates I honestly believe he would’ve to prevent tears. I insisted that I take the food to go and he and 3 other waitresses tried there best to convey that I was where I was supposed to be and to not dare not dine in. I ate right there. My very affordable tab came and I tipped twice the amount of the bill. I wanted them to know just how much their empathy meant to me.
I know you all don’t tune into Unilocal for a sob story, but I believe in credit where credit is due. If you’re ever off Olney Sandy Spring Rd, PLEASE give this cute lil restaurant your business. You couldn’t find a nicer run family owned business with great food and the customer service GOLD standard on lock! Merry Christmas!

Muy buena comida, los dueños y el personal ofrecen una excelente atención y el lugar es muy acogedor. La sopa de papas y Camarones al ajillo estuvieron deliciosos. Definitivamente lo recomendamos.