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Austin Grill - CLOSED
- Nearest Transit:
-
Bethesda Metro Station (Red)
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
38 reviews for Austin Grill
Review Highlights
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"The chips and salsa were re-filled quickly." In 5 reviews -
"I definitely recommend the huevos rancheros, and I wouldn't..." In 3 reviews -
"POOLS of it in my tacos." In 8 reviews
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38 reviews in English
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Review from Brandi K.
Frederick, MD
8/14/2010
Austin Grill is sadly now closed...it is now the American Tap Room.
http://www.bethesdaact... -
Review from Laura V.
Alexandria, VA
1/2/2008
Oh how it pains me to give Austin Grill two stars, but this location is by far the least appealing out of the ones I've been to. Everything about it is just off.
I've been to this location before, and it's always the same, so I finally need to write it down. This location really brings down it's counterparts in DC and Alexandria.
To start off, we get there. TONS of open tables around, but we're told that the wait would be about 15 minutes and given a buzzer. REALLY? I think there were more open tables than tables with customers at them. Even more curious is the fact that the host found time to use the crayons to color one of the kiddie placemats while 4 other parties (and us too) waited to be seated. Finally, after the host decided that he had done a fine work of art, he sat us. We probably should have left as this was all occurring, but at that point, we were more like "bring it on!"
Now, as I've mentioned in reviews of the other Austin Grill locations I've been to, I really like their shrimp tacos. In fact, it's basically the only thing I get and I REALLY like them. So I got the shrimp tacos. I was really taken aback when I got my platter - shrimp tacos, minus the good pesto and spicy mayo sauce I get at other locations, not to mention two measly shrimp on each taco (for $12.99 by the way) and a schload of cabbage. Shrimp and cabbage that's it. Not even CLOSE to the qualtiy or taste of what I'm used to. I don't think we'll even go into the BEVO's special salad that the GVBF had. It was rather pathetic and that lime cilantro dressing was, well, I don't have any words to describe its weirdness.
Now, I will give props to our server. He was a nice kid, very polite and attentive. Definitely the bright spot in the meal.
I think the folks that own the Austin Grill chain really need to pay some attention to this location. The other locations are pretty high quality, with good service and good food. This location only serves to bring a bad name to those other locations. I don't think there will be a next time for this location. We'll simply choose to go somewhere else when we're looking to dine in Bethesda.Listed in: Wholly Guacamole!
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Review from Justin C.
8/29/2008
I must confess I was a good bit hungover when we ate here, but I don't think that would have changed much of the outcome. It's a typical Tex-Mex style bar, with all the tacky shit on the walls you would expect to let you know that it's the real deal, right. I will admit though, that it does usually smell good from the outside.
When I feel like a little rough the day after drinking I usually look for some kind of grease-laden catastrophe to cure what's ailing me, so I decided to go with the aptly named "Hangover Burger Plate." I feel like crap, and they want to serve me crap, how could this go wrong? This thing comes with chili, smoked bacon, onions, roasted jalapenos, queso and a fried egg on top. I think my veins stopped working from just reading about it on the menu.
When it came out I thought they might be on to something, I had never had an egg on a burger, although I had seen it often on tv, and have heard that eggs are great for curing that still-drunk feeling. It was so poorly executed however I was just left with a giant mess and a bun that could hardly support it all. Even worse was the sad excuse for mashed potatoes or grits or whatever they hell they put on the plate beside it, just way too clumpy and not even really warm. To make matters worse, I actually felt less likely to puke before eating there than after, pretty much the opposite of my goal.Listed in: Oh No They Didn't!, Latin Love
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Review from reuben j.
Burlington, VT
Updated - 10/23/2008
I was tired
(okay, lazy)
and you were close.
Close as Natalie Portman is
in my dreams.
So I entered
(the resturant-pervs!)
thinking the second time would
be better.
No, Nada. Nyet, Alas.
My last waitress
apparently has
an equally indifferent
cousin
The dish was
bland, blander, blandest
-baby.
No more laziness.
No more next time.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/28/2008
Sometimes, slow is good (need I say more?). But not when you are at a restaurant, and the waiter or… Read more »
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Review from Yong L.
2/26/2007
I have never met baby-back ribs that I didn't like . . . until I went to Austin Grill. It takes conscious effort, or determined ineptitude, to transform a naturally fatty cut of meat into something so tough that you need a steak knife to cut through the overcooked crusty flesh. And the dry rub was nothing special. I wish I could give zero stars, but alas yelp makes me give at least 1 star. So here's the one . . . but I meant zero.
I suppose next time, I'll just order the beer. Surely they can't mess up beer. -
Review from Ani P.
11/29/2009
I guess if you want Tex-Mex, this place is decent.
I was out and about with the in-laws in Bethesda. They're all Cali natives and were jonsing for Mexican food. I warned them that the Mexican food is basically non-existent around here. Back and for the debate went about food. Hunger struck. No decisions were reached. Somehow we ended up deciding on Tex-Mex.
Decor/ambiance = Diner-ish
Service = Our waitress was a sweetie pie. Our food came out fast. I:t was easy to fit our double stroller in the restaurant.
I ordered the huevos rancheros. My waitress was awesome, she honored my low-fat/healthy requests (egg white substitutes, corn tortilla over white flour tortillas -- I'm such a pain, my corn tortillas were drenched in oil and she exchanged them for non-greasy tortillas). My eggs were sucky. I'm generally a sucker for huevos rancheros, just not at Austin Grill.
The boys (bro-in-law and hubby) like their burritos. But they're cool with any form of meat and cheese. Plus, they were starving and hunger is the best sauce.
The only delish item on the menu was the Texas size margaritas. The margarita was huge and we all got tipsy early afternoon. Hubster and I ordered our margarita with high end liquor -- nice and smooth.
The food is pricey for what it is. It's hard paying a ridic amount for basic and mostly bland huevos rancheros or Tex-Mex style burritos after eating at taquerias in SoCal. -
Review from Tom D.
Washington, DC
8/19/2008
The food was not so good -- and the service was worse. We waited for everything -- utensils came a few minutes after the food (which took a while) -- and we never managed to get napkins. Seemed like the manager's main task was going to half of the tables to apologize for this and or that.
Someone at our table ordered the chicken burrito -- he swore it wasn't chicken, someone at our table thought it was, he wasn't convinced. I know the saying "tastes like chicken" -- but chicken that doesn't taste like chicken?
I had a cup of chili and it was good, but I didn't care for anything else -- not even the chips and salsa.
The whole experience was like an episode of Fawlty Towers -- I kept expecting Manuel to show up.
Will not return. -
Review from Alyce M.
Baltimore, MD
10/5/2007
This sucked. It gets one star for serving food when I was hungry .. that's it.
The salsa and chips were good and they did have a decent vegetarian selection...... I ordered the chile con queso which tasted like a nasty cheez whiz/velveeta/grease combo which I strong advise people to stay far away from.
The service sucked. It took the waiter at least 20 minutes to take our orders after getting the drinks (which he messed up). After taking our orders, he returned 5 minutes later to ask us more questions about our orders which took even more time to explain to him (he kept asking the same questions over and over).
My main course was so-so (chicken enchiladas). My vegetarian friend liked hers (vegetable tacos) though.
This place is not worth a repeat visit.Listed in: Places I love to hate.
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Review from John W.
East Elmhurst, NY
8/21/2006
Tex Mex Cuisine.
There are so many restaurants in Maryland that I have yet to try, and I'm only able to eat at so many when I come visit twice a year. This is one of the places that I enjoy eating at. Even though I'm not much of a Tex-Mex fan, I don't mind eating here.
The fajitas are done very well, and their food tastes fresh. The salsa and tortilla chips are very tasty and you can't stop eating them. I've also had the ribs here which are done quite well. One thing I have yet to try are the fish tacos. A friend has ordered them and it looks very good.
I'll come here again whenever I can -
Review from Holly A.
Chicago, IL
4/22/2009
I'm a Chicago native, and have grown up on really tasty Mexican food. Upon moving to Maryland, I realized that finding even okay Mexican would be fine with me, but that's been crazy difficult. (Why? How the hell should I know...)
That being said, Austin Grill covers the okay Mexican (well, Tex Mex...) well enough. The food is a bit more expensive than I would like (comparable to Applebee's and the like), but the food was pretty good. I didn't experience the extremely crappy customer service others noticed, but I did go on a busy evening, so the waiter was a bit slow. (Which I find totally understandable on a Friday night.)
What really made me happy was the delicious chips and salsa. I'm a picky salsa eater. I don't like big chunks of things, so the salsa at Austin Grill really did it for me. It was a little too mild for my tastes, but so is most salsa.
My meal was a shrimp enchilada with rice and beans. The rice and beans were pretty meh, but the enchilada was very crave-satisfying.
While not perfect, the food was good, and the service was pretty quick. I would have liked a faster chip refill, but in all fairness, we did polish the chips off pretty quick. -
Review from Kate B.
Portsmouth, NH
8/26/2008
Apparently I'm in the minority on this one, but I thought that Bethesda's Austin Grill had pretty darn good Tex Mex food. In fact, my friend from Arizona, the one who's always griping about "real" Mexican -- said this was the "closest-to-Mexican Tex Mex" she's ever had.
I went with a group of more than a dozen, sans reservation, and they were able to seat us fairly quickly & efficiently in our own little nook of the restaurant. Chips & salsa were waiting for us, refills came quickly (& free!), & extra plates & napkins were made abundant upon request. Although the queso-made-with-beer sort of tasted like it'd been made with cigarette ashes, too, the salsa (the one on the table) was, hands down, some of the best salsa I've had in a long while (& also quickly refilled). The restaurant was super-clean & bright, very welcoming -- & totally handicap-accessible!
Our meals came out relatively quickly, & we all left happy & extremely full. My Longhorn Nachos were individually topped, which is great news for someone as messy as me (i.e. no melty cheese sliding down my chin or my elbows), & they were delish -- I asked for extra corn to give them some extra oomph, & that was delivered speedily & free. What's more, all of our portions were HUGE for relatively little money, so we all took leftovers home for lunch the next day.
I mean, Tex Mex is Tex Mex -- & it gets a bad rap for being "fake Mexican." But if you look at Tex Mex as a genre in its own right, Austin Grill is pretty darn good. -
Review from Amanda M.
2/4/2009
Average, all-around.
I definitely recommend trying the carnitas pork (I asked for it in a burrito, which they were happy to accommodate) and the green chile sauce. My friend had the carnitas fajitas and was only able to put back about half of the generous portion - but she enjoyed it, and was also grateful for the gluten-free menu! The tortilla chips were not the best, and the salsa was nothing special either.
Service was so-so. We waited about 15 minutes to get a table on a Friday night, despite there being a handful of empty two-person tables visible the entire time we were waiting. The restaurant itself seems like it is in need of some TLC - the bathroom is old, paint is chipped, etc. Also, the menus were SO greasy! Ew! Between the greasy menus and the sticky booths, I got a really dirty vibe from the place. I much prefer the downtown location.
There are enough other options within a few blocks of this place that I doubt I'll be back. -
Review from Mary S.
Springfield, VA
4/25/2008
I normally dislike chain restaurants, but the in-laws wanted to meet for dinner and they wanted to go to Austin Grill. In the interest of family harmony, I agreed. I was not expecting much after the reviews I have read here.
The service was great. (Maybe the management read the Yelp reviews and made changes). We had a group of 7 and were promptly greeted and offered drinks. Our waiter answered our questions and was very friendly. The chips and salsa were re-filled quickly . We are some chip eating people, so this is a huge plus.
The food was pretty good for a chain place and plentiful. The Margaritas were OK. El Mariachi (See previous review) wins the Best Margarita Reward.
All in all-a pretty good experience. We were expecting the worst after reading the Yelp reviews and were pleasantly surprised. -
Review from Rosemarie F.
Gainesville, VA
7/6/2009
With all the wonderful eateries in downtown Bethesda we ended up here after the AT&T National Sunday night. Don't ask.
Anyway haven't been to one of their restaurants in a while as there are other favorites of mine for tex/mex type of fare.
That being said it was not bad and hit the spot in our tummies. Started with the Austin wings and I could have made a meal out of them.
Ribs were very good and would order them again. Nicely cooked and the BBQ sauce was not overwhelmingly sweet. Nice contrast between the spice rub and the sauce. So would recommend this.
I had the Asada, which was really strange tasting. I only had 2 bites and really did not like the flavor. It may have been the cut. However the mashed sweet potatoes and corn/lima bean succatash was very good. The sweet potatoes had some spice to it and not a lot of added sugar that a lot of other places add.
Think this might make a better lunch than dinner option.
EXCELLENT Patron Marguritas!! HAPPY HOUR! -
Review from Martin B.
College Park, MD
12/29/2009
Shoooooot partn'r, this here saloon is practically robbin' y'all like Billy the Kid!
I have visited Austin Grill many times. Mostly when I was young and didn't have a care in the world. I didn't have to pay for food or anything like that. Then today, my girlfriend and I were walking in the unforgiving frost and needed some place to eat. Austin Grill was the closest place and so we went.
To start, the service was pretty slow. Friendly nonetheless, but slow, especially surprising since it wasn't packed. The chips are tasty and hold up well to dipping.
My girlfriend got this steak burrito that she said was pretty good... and by the looks of it it seemed good... but it was also expensive. Eleven bucks. My chicken tacos were not much cheaper, I think around 9 bucks. The tacos were somewhat filling, but I think I would have starved had it not been for the pre-meal chips.
So we paid around $30 (including tip) for that meal. That's not good. For that price we should have gotten a much bigger and tastier meal. If you're looking for a sit-down tex mex restaurant, go a bit further and do business at Rio Grande Cafe. And if your'e strapped for cash go to Chipotle... it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper for the same amount of food and arguably tastier. -
Review from John K.
Bethesda, MD
11/16/2008
Not bad, but go to Rio Grande instead.
Food is okay. Typical Mexican. The best thing on the menu IMO is the pork BBQ sandwich. I do like the weed killer hot sauce, a legitimately hot, hot sauce for a chain restaurant like this.
Margaritas are bland, with typical over-sweet margarita mix. They apparently haven't caught on to the high-end tequila trend, as ordering patron is a total waste as their mix would hide the taste of turpentine, much less a nice tequila like Patron.
The one in Silver Spring has interesting performers at night, but no such thing here.
-John -
Review from Jonathan M.
Washington, DC
7/17/2009
So my girlfriend and I had the rare opportunity to put the nachos and margaritas of two tex-mex restaurants head to head: Austin Grill and Uncle Julio's.
Walking past Austin Grill we were lured in by these huge margaritas the size of my head. Couldn't pass up that opportunity.
Asked the bartender, and she said they were basically 3 margies for about the price of 2. Sweet...or maybe not.
After polishing one off I felt as though I had finished a single beer. not worth the $15.50
Got the nachos. They literally give you 12 tortilla chips with cheese and a small pile of lettuce and sour cream. W. T. F. Seriously austin grill, I thought you were all about texas sized. When I order nachos, I want a freakin' foot high pile.
So we left Austin Grill (to her credit, the bartender hooked us up cause I think she saw our reaction to this tiny plate of food. I gave her a huge tip)
On to Uncle Julio's. Fantastic Margaritas! Oh my god. Really really tasty. Came in glass 1/4 the size of the "Texas" margarita at Austin Grill, but about the same amount of kick.
Nachos....WTF!!!!! we got like 10 chips again. Bethesda is weird. Regardless, these nachos were way tastier, mostly cause they had cumin in the beans, and it came with guacamole, and jalapenos. Austin's Grill's nachos are supposed to come with jalapenos but I couldn't see or taste them.
Uncle Julio's is without a doubt the winner. Don't even bother with Austin Grill. -
Review from Aaron M.
1/4/2010
Wow. I've lived in Bethesda all my life. I remember when Bethesda Row and the rest of downtown Bethesda was becoming what it is today. Austin Grill opened; my family used to go all the time. It was, and still is, one of our favorite places in downtown Bethesda.
Now, I realize I'm in an extremely small minority here, so I'll go into as much detail as I can. First off, the food. I'm a total sucker for Tex-Mex, Mexican, basically anything with the three letters "MEX" in the name. Authenticity is important with some cuisines, but not Mexican, at least to me. I also happen to be a total sucker for enchiladas, which I always get here. They are always delicious, they let you pick the sauce that you want, with varying degrees of spiciness, and they are covered in melted cheese. YUM! Oh, and did I mention that they give FREE chips and salsa? Don't take this for granted, people, srsly: there are some restaurants that charge up to $3 for each basket. Anyways, the enchiladas have always been good.
Service has always been good, except with one waitress who is a serious B*#%$. But, I haven't seen her there in a while. Gone, perhaps?
Bottom line: stop hating on Austin Grill. Hey, I'm from Bethesda, lived here all my life. I love to be just as snobby as the next person. But it's not THAT bad; in fact, it's quite tasty. -
Review from Adam L.
Mid-Cambridge, MA
7/18/2010
I just love this place :) Service was excellent and friendly. Never had their burger until today, tried the Hangover Burger, friend and I split that and the chorizo burrito. Burger was EXCELLENT, I was surprised just how much flavor it had.
Have been a fan since their original Wisconsin Ave. location, used to walk up weekly from Georgetown to do laundry and have lunch. Now they only need to open one in Portland, if only I had the money, I could to open one myself :) -
Review from Michelle L.
Del Mar, CA
4/13/2010
This has been my favorite location in the chain and luckily for me, it is in my hometown, Bethesda. I have always had friendly and efficient service, the decor is a little nicer than some of the others. The floor to ceiling windows add more light and the food quality has been consistently good.
One of my favorites here is Bevo's salad with chicken, which has a nice amount of spice with fresh, hot grilled chicken on top. Chicken or mixed fajitas are also always good - as well as even the --- chicken sandwich. Too bad they don't offer their key lime pie for $2 special any longer - as it was actually pretty good and a nice size for the $2 price.
They just discontinued their e-club and migrated everyone over to their Rewards club. It's a card you give them each time you go and it gives you a $10 credit as a welcome gift and a $20 additional credit for your birthday. Rewards add up quickly as - making it easy to get all kinds of future discounts. -
Review from Chris E.
Gardendale, AL
3/6/2007
Tex-Mex is Tex-Mex. It is all the same anywhere you go. I have had better tex-mex from a street corner Taco stand. The saving factor on this place is the live music and the service.
They have an old ticket number system for seating people which is great. That way you can just put the ticket in your pocket as opposed to a large pager that weighs you down as you are waiting. In fact when I was waiting for a seat the Bar was easy access and with friendly service. There was not a long Wait at 7:00 on a Friday night. Check this place out for a little night time fun but don't expect the "golden taco." -
Review from Thuy L.
Washington, DC
6/2/2009
Pros: The corn soup or chilli I tried was surprisingly tasty. It had a nice kick to it and was fairly cheesy. The salsa is blended, which I like. Key lime pie is under $3! Who can beat that?
Cons: I ordered carne asada once and I think they brought me out a grilled whoopie cushion. I sent it back and couldn't return for a few months.
Overall, I would avoid any steaks there, but I would definitely eat here for lunch. -
Review from Jess H.
Winthrop, MA
5/6/2009
We had just landed at Dulles from Boston. The boyfriend's parents picked us up, and we headed into Bethesda for brunch at the Austin Grill. It was Saturday around 11 AM, and we were seated promptly at the booth we requested. We were given a generous serving of warm, tasty chips and cool, medium-spiced salsa (excellent salsa, by the way), and the server promptly brought us water and the orange juice we requested. (She also greeted us with a friendly "y'all.")
All four of us got the huevos rancheros, which doesn't make for much variety in terms of reviewing, but I'll do the best I can. We each got a plate with two fried eggs covered in cheese and ranchera sauce, beans, Mexican rice, and two folded tortillas. My boyfriend and I both opted to fill our tortillas with a variety of the tasty Tex-Mex goodness in front of us; the first one worked well, but the second was pretty soggy by the time I got to it (since it was sitting on the eggs and ranchera sauce) and it fell apart on me, so I used my knife and fork to eat the rest. My boyfriend's parents each used their tortillas for dipping. The food was filling, tasty, and all-around relatively good Tex-Mex. No one in our party had any complaints.
Service was prompt and friendly, but the restaurant was pretty empty at that time of morning--I've noticed that others have had service issues during peak times. Brunch, at least, was moderately-priced. I definitely recommend the huevos rancheros, and I wouldn't hesitate to go to the Austin Grill again. -
Review from Nicole L.
8/13/2007
The food is not good - it was salty and greasy. The type of tex-mex that makes you feel overloaded with heavy food. The server also forgot to return the credit card back to my boyfriend, we had go back to Bethesda to get it.
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Review from Candace K.
Gaithersburg, MD
6/16/2008
The service is utter crap, but my boss loves this place so I end up going way more than I want to. I have yet to find a dish that doesn't make me sick around 3 pm. Just not good food and bad service if it weren't for him I'd never go back but alas...
Listed in: Lunch Spots
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Review from Becky T.
2/12/2007
I haven't been back to this place in a while. It wasn't very memorable except that my friends and I all agreed that the portions were really small for the price and mediocre at best. I'd rather do Chipotle than this.
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Review from Michelle B.
Landover, MD
10/4/2009
This place is just bad...I mean, it is really, truly bad. Even 24 hours later, I'm kicking myself for wasting my money here. Our server was nice enough but dude clearly had short-term memory issues. He'd just completely forget stuff and try to play it off when he showed up with it. "Yeah, I had to make sure they got the margarita right." Dude I ordered that margarita nearly 20 mins. ago. I'd have way more respect if you just owned up to forgetting it. My poor nephew never got his soft drink refill so Austin Grill isn't even above hurting the feelings of children! This was further evidenced by that hard @ss brick advertised as a "brownie." After sending it back, we received it's replacement - brick top, brownie bottom. The food is sooo greasy. And I'm firmly on Team Grease, but d@mn...POOLS of it in my tacos? Seriously? Austin Grill Bethesda can kick rocks.
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Review from Addy C.
9/24/2008 3 photos
Nothing special -- after all, it's a chain restaurant. Lunch specials available on weekends. Came with the family last Saturday for lunch b/c my parents like Tex-Mex. We ordered the Marinated Chicken & Steak fajitas, the Migas Huevos, the Chicken Tacos plate, and the Chicken Enchiladas plate. Nothing to yelp home about - food was ok. Portions generous. Service good. Best part was the location - Bethesda Row is a great little area for strolling, shopping, & eating. I won't be coming back to Austin Grill but I'm definitely interested in trying some of the cooler-looking restaurants the next time I'm in the area.
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Review from Michael C.
Ashburn, VA
12/27/2008
I've had a lot of great experiences there with friends, family, and colleagues. The food is excellent and consistent around the Washington DC metropolitan area. I wish we had one locally in Ashburn. Sadly, the one in Bethesda doesn't take reservations so it's hard to judge whether to go there or not while you're near Barnes & Noble. But if you strike out, you're in Bethesda, which is always a good choice.
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Review from Brian M.
Washington, DC
7/26/2008
The unfortunate impetus to even write this is the fact that the service is slow and indifferent, the food way too corporate (and somehow over cheesed, salted, sized, and greased), and the location so utterly opposed to such a performance. Why is it that other establishments on the same street seem so polished - or welcoming - and of decent quality for the price? Because the Austin Grill sets the bar LOW, so low the Washington Sports Club on the opposite corner moved up the hill to WI Ave. Maybe the Earth will open and swallow the place, the tourist attraction would be a better use of the location...what a bummer.
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Review from Jeremy L.
Bethesda, MD
9/1/2008
I went here with a friend for brunch on Saturday. We both ordered avocado and tomato omelets, which came with some potato something or other. The atmosphere and service were OK - maybe because the place was pretty empty when we came-, but the food and coffee were pretty awful. Nothing tasted fresh or well-cooked.
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Review from Eric G.
Bethesda, MD
7/18/2009
I haven't been here in quite a while, but the last time I ate here, the service was slow and the food was less than tasty. This had been the case several times in a row at that point. I had previously enjoyed my meals there, and once the experience went downhill, I kept returning, hoping it would be different. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Tom K.
Reston, VA
5/16/2008
If you want chain TexMex, go to Chevy's or Rio Grande. They are both MUCH, MUCH better than Austin Grill and only a few blocks away.
The food here is just ok. Nothing too good and nothing too bad. Service is ok though it can be slow. The worst part is the drinks. I love a good margarita, but at Austin Grill, $10 will get you the most tasteless watered down margarita in the DC area. And you get half the size of any other $10 margarita around (so at least you won't have to throw away as much!)
Do yourself a favor and find something else. -
Review from Raymond W.
Cambridge, MA
10/11/2008
Typical Tex Mex Chain. I ordered Grilled Ahi Tuna Tacos that were juicy and filling, but rice, beans, and everything else was pretty standard tex mex fare. The restaurant was fairly noisy even though it wasn't fully packed during the later dinner hours. My friend said his grilled shrimp salad didn't have enough shrimp (5?) and my other friend said his John Ely? platter was pretty good.
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Review from Jelila M.
11/13/2009
This is far from the best Tex-Mex I've had, but it is definitely the best of the few Mexican choices in Bethesda. One reason I keep going back is the salsa - you can taste the fresh cilantro, and it's blended to a perfect consistency. Their chili is always tasty, made with steak instead of ground beef, and just spicy enough. Also good are the enchiladas, and some of the brunch items like the huevos rancheros or Migas plate. I was disappointed by the wings (salty, grilled taste but lacking in flavor), and the tacos al carbon (steak was too tough).
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Review from Abhi K.
Bethesda, MD
4/5/2010
I don't understand how this place manages to stay open in the heart of Bethesda. If a place like Levante's next door closed, then why hasn't this place? The food was overpriced and small portions. The bar is laughable. The only reason I am giving it two stars is because the food was edible. I reserve one star for the absolute worst of places.
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Review from Frank F.
Bethesda, MD
5/12/2010
Convivial atmosphere and friendly, attentive service. Too bad the food sucked. Thankfully the place closed. Let's hope the replacement raises the culinary bar a bit.
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Review from Matarsak Z.
Bethesda, MD
10/6/2009
Why is this place still in business? When I look around Bethesda Row, I am perplexed at finding this place continues to exist. I gave it four tries, each a year to two years apart, usually at the insistence of a companion wanting Mexican, and in each instance barely edible food, bad margaritas and poor service made me want to get up and leave before the meal ended. The food is just BAD. Avoid at all costs. I truly hope this place is replaced someday soon with something more interesting. I will never return. Its good to see that Yelp accurately reflects what a poor choice this makes for any evening out.
