Fajita Coast

Just received the news that Fajita Coast is closing as of today, 1÷28÷13. We’ve celebrated many happy times there, and drowned our sorrows in the margaritas a few times. Best wishes to JJ and all the staff.

I want to like this place since a couple of good friends always rave about it but I haven’t been impressed.
First time I thought it tastes fairly decent… until I got sick later that night. Pretty sure the food poisoning wad due to this place.
Second time I went I tried to play it safe and just ordered a cheese quesadilla. Nothing much to say about it.
Tonight I tried the crispy tacos but they were anything but. They were so soggy I couldn’t pick them up and eat them. Had to use a fork and knife.

This place is right in my backyard, and yet it took me so long to actually try this place. I will say, I was impressed with the outcome. My partner and I had gone to babe’s that was the previous restaurant this establishment used to be. We actually liked their wings, and were a bit discouraged to come here since we weren’t too happy with their decision to close down.
We finally made it, and low and behold. I had a plentiful and generous portioned salad. I had ordered the chicken barbeque ranch salad with a few changes. I had the house dressing instead of ranch, no beans and regular grilled chicken instead of barbeque drenched chicken. And let me tell you… delish! The lettuce is fresh, nothing fancy but really fresh romaine. The other ingredients are also fresh, chicken is cooked just right. House dressing is good. Avocado was also perfectly ripe.
My girlfriend, (now fiancé!) ordered the seafood enchilada. It was quite tasty but very seafood-​y so if you don’t like that fishy taste, don’t order it. But it’s good and comes with the standard sides. A little pricey for the salad, since it was only chicken and cost about the same as the enchilada which is seafood.

From the street this place looks tiny but they actually have a hidden bottom floor thats huge! The food is pretty good. Not the best Mexican I’ve had. I love, I mean LOVEEEE fajitas so of course I always order them every time I got out for Mexican. I knowww I need to try something new ugh but they’re so darn good! I love making my own and there’s always leftovers. The service was OK, nothing special nothing horribly bad. I went with a big party so I know it can be frustrating but luckily they were able to split the check. With a big group not being able to spilt the check is the worst! Got some swirls, strawberry and lime. They were iiiiight. My favorite part of the night was probably the salsa they give you with chips while waiting for your food. I don’t know what’s in that salsa but it made me want to do the Salsa dance.

I am surprised by the other reviews, which don’t seem to highlight my chief concern with this place. I agree that the atmosphere is a little rough, with all the leftover features from previous tenants, and I agree that parking is a pain. But people don’t seem to be concerned that the price is awfully high, even without drinks (though drinks make it much worse) – what’s up with that?
The thing about Mexican food is that there’s nothing expensive about it. Even great Mexican places are often extremely inexpensive, and if they are upscale than you are paying for the ambiance, not for the ingredients or preparation (for the most part). So it’s pretty difficult to justify $ 18 entrees that are mostly standard Mexican fare, especially in an unassuming space.
…but I keep coming back, because the food is good. Also the outdoor space is fun in the warmer months, and even the inside amongst the sports-​bar-​night-​club ruins is a pleasant place to be. I’m not satisfied with the value, but at the end of the day, I’ve voted with my feet many times now.

Pro: The food was really good. I had a steak fajita salad and my boyfriend had the chicken shrimp enchilladas. His food was really good and a lot of it. The black beans are awesome. The salsa was amazing and fresh.
They do have an outside patio.
Cons: The service was a little slow for us to pay the bill. The décor is a little plain and lacking.
I would get take out from them, but there are better places with with better service across town.

First of all, this place really needs to do a happy hour, it really would make this a more attractive post work day or Saturday afternoon hang-​out place. They have a great outdoor seating area with a massive sand pit and outdoor bar (although I’ve never seen it busy enough for them to have anyone working the outside bar), but it’s always dead.
I’ve been here twice, once for drinks, thinking it would be a good Saturday afternoon location — but unfortunately the lack of happy hour or any kind of specials list and total lack of atmosphere put us off and we promptly moved on to another option. My second visit went a little better.
I took my mum in for a work day lunch and was pleasantly surprised. We opted to go al a carte and both ordered sing tacos of various kinds from the menu rather than the platters. This turned out to be a good decision, we had plenty to eat ordering this way without being over faced.
On watching other diners’ food come out, I can report that the portions are quite large which goes some way to excusing the slightly elevated price of the entrée and platter items. Our tacos were good though, as was the salsa (beware it’s spicy) and the tortillas. Although not the best Mexican food I’ve ever had it was certainly passable and most important, my mum really enjoyed it.
Also bear in mind that parking is a bit of a pain, you have to be careful not to park where you can get towed, so I would advise parking in one of the public park garages further down East West Highway.

Not awful. Not the best Mexican food around, either. Things start off well with chips and salsa that are pretty decent and made in-​house. Very reminiscent of the same at Cactus Cantina, one of the better Mexican spots in DC, which I understand has some shared ownership.
Service was a bit slow. Once we placed our order, the waiter went missing and never returned to refill our drinks and chips and salsa until the food had actually arrived. It was a rainy Sunday afternoon and there were only about 3 other occupied tables.
Based on the name of the place, we figured the combination fajitas were a good bet. They were okay but not remarkable. The portion was okay, but the beef and chicken were both overcooked and a bit under seasoned. The vegetables were mostly alright, though the single orange piece of nearly raw supermarket tomato and half-​roasted jalapeño were wasted as garnish.
The beans were good, the rice was dry. The pico de gallo and guacamole were inarguably fresh but kind of bland. Come to think of it, I wonder if they had run completely out of limes and salt that day?
The place has obvious, but eminently fixable flaws. Three businesses have closed in this location during the past few years. It still bears the floorplan of the nightclub and the football field floorpaint of the sportsbar. I’m more than willing to give it another try if they pick up their game.

Do love Mexican Food? Omg! If so this is a bang for your buck! I can truly say it is the best Mexican outside of DC. The prices are really nicely priced and the drinks are as good as the food.
If you have been to Lauriol Plaza and enjoy it they are almost the same. The menus are pretty much identical. This is a great place to eat and management is very nice and willing to go the extra mile for customers!
If you love LP but don’t want to travel all the way to NW DC give this place a try! I promise you wont regret this experience at all!

I was not at all impressed with my visit here. I convinced my friends to go, saying I’d heard good things, but I was really disappointed.
It took them about fifteen minutes for someone to come and ask us if we wanted drinks or anything, and by that point we were ready to order. The table behind us had been there longer than us, and nobody had taken their order earlier (although someone had gotten them drinks before we got there).
We ordered, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time, but it was not good. The steak in my fajitas was very tasty, but there were only about two slices of onions and one green pepper to go with it. There was a teeny tiny bit of pico and guac to go with it, and nothing else. No sour cream, no cheese. I asked for sour cream, and I got charged $ 1.95 for it. My friend got enchiladas, and they were just not good. The sauce was bland and yet had a weird aftertaste. She sent them back.
On top of it all, the prices were pretty high. For that price, I expect decent Mexican food — I could have gotten better at the chain Don Pablos!
Additionally, there was no toilet paper in the women’s restroom, and while I told the manager, I don’t think anyone took care of it.
All in all it was completely lackluster, and I felt horrible for making my friends go there, when we could have gone somewhere else that would have been both cheaper and better.

Have you been here yet? Honestly, this place has some of the best Mexican food in the area. The prices are reasonable, and the drinks are as good as the food.
At the beginning of the meal, you’re served complimentary chips and salsa. The chips are fresh-​made, and the salsa is smoky and spicy — easily the best I’ve had around here.
It gets better. Every single margarita is amazing and you get a nice full mug — not just a stemmed cocktail glass. The house margarita is great, and you get that much more value for each notch above that they offer (gold or cadillac). The mojitos here are fantastic — easily outranking most others nearby. The sangria is top notch as well.
This place easily has the best nachos in Silver Spring, and among the top two nachos in the D.C. metro area (counting Guapos). The beans and rice served here — commonly served on the side for many entrees — are also incredible, though note that the pinto beans are cooked with bacon (important if you’re vegetarian, and delicious if not).
Recently I also tried one of their sauteed meals. This place not only has all the basic staples (tacos, enchilada, nachos, fajitas), they have some high-​end dishes that are reasonably priced (under $ 20). I tried one of their sauteed shrimp dishes and it was incredible. My boyfriend tried the steak with sauteed onions and was also very impressed.
In all, I hope this place sticks around, because it deserves to much more than its predecessor in this space! This is delicious food and should be sampled by anyone who loves Tex-​Mex or Cuban cuisine.

Came for a late lunch with the boyfriend on a Saturday afternoon. The place was empty. The server was friendly, however, he misunderstood my order… thus it was wrong. What I did get was pretty good — however, I was trying to avoid cheese since I’m lactose intolerant. Oh well.
We will be back at least to give it another shot. However, I agree with some other reviewers it does seem to be a bit pricey, and it the décor could use some work.

My father once told me that you should judge a restaurant by the care they put into preparing their most common foods. In the case of this Tex-​Mex establishment, their enchiladas. Since trying the cheese enchiladas at Fajita Coast, I have been hard-​pressed to find another that is even half as good. It begins and ends with the cheese. It’s delicious and there is tons of it. No other restaurant I know puts this much cheese on anything. It’s almost embarrassing the amount of cheese they put on these things– a sentiment quickly dismissed once you bite into them. Their fajitas are very good as well. The Asada Ranchera, also smothered in cheese, is delicious and always served HOT! Their chips, which are promptly brought out when you sit down, are authentic (imported from Texas) and plentiful. To drink I recommend a half pitcher of margarita… to start.
My experiences there have always been pleasant. The parking situation is not ideal but by no means difficult. it does tend to busy in the evening on weekends but the service never seems to suffer.

I really wanted to like this place.
Being «Of the Hood» I thought, you know, why not?
We walked in, Saturday at 5. The place smelled like the restrooms. The Entire place.
so, we tried to get that wafting smell of Eau de Toilet (literally) out of our senses by having some Sangria. Blech! it tasted as if the either used: the worse wine possible for this concoction, or wine that was starting to turn.
!Never have Spanish Beverages at a Central American joint.
The food was just okay. Nothing actually worth writing on about…
So, after reading these reviews, I wonder, Did we just get there at a bad time? Did the crew walk out, and left a new crew working? Did the plumbing erupt, and was out of the owners control? So many questions. I dont think I ever care to find the answers for.
Is there anything terribly wrong?
No. Just nothing Outstanding.

I must admit that the unassuming outside of this restaurant would be a deterrent for most. HOWEVER, the food is outstanding. Living in the District, I have not had a good Mexican meal in forever. Sure, I’ve had good margaritas (which this place also has), but the District just doesn’t match up food-​wise. I have never had a bad meal here. My co-​workers and I have the best lunches. Their chips are fantastic and they are more than willing to refill them as many times as you’d like which is necessary because.
(the downside) the service is VERY slow. I only give this 4 and not 5 stars because if you’re looking for a quick meal, this is NOT it. Lunches here take well over an hour and almost 2. The food takes a while to order, takes a while to come out once it’s been ordered, and the check takes a while too, but if you’re in good company, you have the time to wait, and you really want great food, this is the Mexican restaurant you’ve been looking for.

I was craving for some tex mex and I didn’t want to go far since I was sick this week, so I Unilocaled up a decent tex mex place nearby, and found FJ.
I’m judging solely on food since I ordered pick up. The food was decent but for the price, I expected better. They are pretty generous with their portions but my carne asada was just not as flavorful as it could have been.
Still searching for my fav local tex mex place!

I wanted to take my mother out for a special dinner. I was thinking that I could take her to one of the schmancy restaurants I’ve had a chance to dine at over the past year or so and show off a little.
So when I asked her what she wanted to do and what kind of food she felt like experiencing, I was a little disappointed when she told me she only wanted to go around the corner to Fajita Coast.
Really, Mom?
Since it was a «school night» she didn’t want to head into the city and the only craving she had was for a fajita. Hey, it’s her day so I just shrugged and forged onward.
I’ve passed this place a million times located just off University Blvd, in a rather barren strip. I used to think that it was a chain because the signage looks a little mainstream to me. We found parking in the small lot in the back, and walked into the spacious, festive and casual open space with very few diners on a Wednesday evening.
Our waitress was warm and charming, always ready to help and check on us. I almost felt as if I was a guest in her home the way she treated us.
I ordered the shrimp and chicken enchilada and to my surprise it was delicious. The enchilada was stuffed with huge shrimp and flavorful chicken, topped with plenty of gooey cheese and served with rice, beans and sour cream. No complaints here! My mom was also very pleased with her fajita plate and had plenty to take home after. We also split a frozen, mango margarita and although it was a sad, little virgin, it hit the spot.
I’m glad we had a chance to check this place out. Prices were extremely reasonable, portions are large, environment is casual and the food was solid.
Great place for a quick Tex-​Mex fix!

We had a really good lunch here.
The service was decent — not extraordinary, but not bad.
The food was good — not extraordinary or something to write home to mom about, but it was satisfying. Big thumbs-​up for their light and crispy tortilla chips and thick flavorful salsa. Also, big thumbs up that I did NOT get an MSG headache afterwards — I thought their ingredients seemed pretty fresh.
Atmosphere was good — not spectacular, but not uncomfortable.
All-​in-​all, a GOOD and ENJOYABLE meal. There just wasn’t anything to really make me say «wow!» and worthy of bumping it up to 4 stars.

House-​made chips and spicy salsa are really good here. The hot salsa made my nose run. It arrived promptly at our table while we perused the menu and the full page of specials. I was tempted to order the mahi mahi fish taco special, but my appetite wasn’t large. My friend and I both ordered a cheese and onion enchilada ala carte for $ 4.50. They are really cheesy and not overly doused in enchilada sauce. We both liked them. I had a side of guacamole which was two golf ball-​sized scoops. It was fresh, but not the best out there. It could of used some cilantro to spice it up a bit. my friend liked her side of Mexican rice.
All in all, a good meal. Service was good. Some of the entrees are a bit pricey for a casual place. However, I might be willing to pay $ 14.95 for their fish tacos next time.

Carne Asada. Repeat after me. Carne Asada. Oh, man. Want to spend 15 bucks and have the best seasoned steak you’ll ever have? There ya go. Carne Asada.
Ok, that’s all that really needs to be said here. Great people, SUPER salsa for the chips, good, but not incredible guacamole, great portions, good pricing.
Carne Asada.