El Tio Mexican Restaurant

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Location/Curb Appeal: Matt

We at Thurber Party of 4 like to take risks. We live life on the wild side and push it to the limit. So this week we boldly ventured into a new, untapped region of Greater Falls Church located along the westward reaches of Lee Highway just inside the Beltway. To get to El Tio from where we live, you must first pass an enormous graveyard. Spooky! However, if you come across the rolling hills of the mini-golf park, you’ve gone too far. Once you’ve arrived in the right location, you’ll find El Tio prominently situated in a strip mall surrounded by others businesses that I know absolutely nothing about (my personal favorite being “Unisex Hair Design”…what about that name will entice people to get a haircut there? It sounds more like a very unattractive type of hairstyle or at the very least the descriptive subtitle of a salon…but not the sole name of the establishment!). Whatever brave new ground we might have covered to get there, once we arrived we found ourselves back in very familiar territory with El Tio. Being from Texas, a restaurant that proudly declares itself as a “Tex-Mex Grill” is right in my wheelhouse. Even the colorful lettering and cartoon-ish cactus on the sign made me feel right at home. In short, the exterior of El Tio is bright, clean and welcoming, and it rightly gives you the sense that you know exactly what you’re getting into with a place like this.

Rating: 2.5 Thurbs

Food & Beverage: Mark

I give my somewhat deep/shallow apologizes to our weekly readers. To those who find strength to make it through another grueling week by the consistency and fidelity of thurber party of 4, I am truly sorry.

The food was good. For those of you familiar with the mexican restaurants with 100 different combinatIons and liter sized beer mugs, the food was a solid nacho bove.

Also, I would have named the restaurant Mio tio. I know grammatically that doesn't make sense, but neither does calling your restaurant The Uncle. Rhyming is better.

Rating: 3.5 Thurbs

Service & Cost: Brian

Prior to our departure for El Tio Tex/Mex Restaurant, our guest of honor, Maggie Delahoyde, made the comment: “Do you think they’ll have chips and salsa?” I literally bet my life they would, and lucky for me, El Tio came through successfully. This would be the dominant theme of the night. In another rare turn of events, Thurber Party of 4 had the unique pleasure of visiting a Falls Church establishment that pleased everyone. Specifically, within the realm of service and cost, El Tio did not disappoint.

Upon entering a capacious dining room, the hostess greeted us and quickly pushed tables together to accommodate our party. As we all know, the speed at which those previously mentioned chips and salsa are delivered to your table is the litmus test for any Tex/Mex establishment. A +, El Tio. Additionally, our food and drink orders were taken and delivered promptly. Each person’s meal arrived hot and in quick succession.

Regarding cost, El Tio tends the favor the pricier side of similar restaurants. Our dishes were priced in the 12$ to $16 range. However, each platter served was of generous proportion and nice presentation. As I’ve stated in past reviews, El Tio falls under the rubric of “you get what you pay for.” But, in contrast to Taco Laredo, you can rest assured it will be money well spent.

Rating: 3.0 Thurbs

Ambience & Entertainment: Tommy

BP and I have often seen El Tio while on the way to satisfy a roast beef fix at Arby’s (I am not paid to mention them, no), and commented that we thought this would be a good place to take the blog. Well-kept exterior, clean interior, and a new-looking sign all point toward a place you’d want to visit even if you weren’t running the 16th most popular suburban town food blog in northern Virginia.

As I walked in the door, I immediately noticed a big open space to the right, which I would suspect is reserved for weekend nights and dancing. The large bar was more than enough for the 0 patrons seated there, and we found that all of the visitors had chosen the dining area instead. Walls were painted bright yellow, and an almost too friendly orange sun and moon watched over us as we ate our food. A huge painting from a scene from Siete Novias para Siete Hermanos adorned the wall (that’s a Spanish joke for you, look it up), with who we guess is “El Tio” smoking a cigarette and having way too many folds in his garment in the background. Matt’s iPhone readily identified the Spanish jams, kicked off by Los Tigres del Norte, and followed by other songs that sounded just like them. El Tio kicked the romance up a notch at 8:13pm, dimming the lights and making it impossible to take pictures of your food (take note, fellas: if you don’t have a blog, don’t take pictures of your food on your dates). Interesting décor and living up to all the usual expectations for a Tex-Mex establishment means you won’t be disappointed with The Uncle.

Rating: 3.0 Thurbs

Overall Rating: 3.0 Thurbs

Guest of Honor Review: Maggie Delahoyde (observe Mags' before-dinner preparation)

Well, in all honesty, I never thought this day would arrive and therefore never had faith this paragraph would be written. So it was quite a surprise, and true honor, to find out that I had been selected as Guest of Honor for the Thurber Party, and told by none other than Christian Bale: A true delight. So the night finally arrived and the expectations were high. very high. And as luck would have it, El Tio was quite good. I have to say I was a little relieved we weren't embarking on some hole-in-the-wall place with no electricity. These Thurber boys know no fear when it comes to The Falls Church restaurant selections. And although I had a slight twinge in my heart that I was cheating on my first true love, Uncle Julio's Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant, I had a delicious meal at a restaurant whose name translates to "The Uncle". Coincidence? I think not. Although my love for Uncle Julio will never be replaced or diminished, El Tio was pretty tasty. And it was my inaugural venture with a chimichanga! Good food, great company, and the expectations were not disappointed.