On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"I can't say enough good things about this fantastic little find. Former Jaleo Sous Chef, Nicolas Guardado and his wife Reina have opened an…" read more »
Loading...
Been here a bunch of times, most recenlty last Saturday night so time for a review . . .
Enjoyed eating tapas style as usual, getting to try lots of different dishes, not getting bored with any one dish.
New find, dates wrapped in bacon and deep fried was awesome. Always love the salt cod fritters, especially for the honey aioli. Special of duck confit with pear sauce perfectly executed.
Good as usual were the fried calamari, octopus with potatos, lamb chops, beet salad, spinach and pine nuts, and piquillos stuffed with goat cheese.
A little disappointing were the Marinated mushrooms. So garlicky and flavorful in the past, just insipid and flavor-LESS this time. Tried Patatas Bravas and not impressed. Like a plate of unseasoned home fries, wan tomato sauce and a little aioli to add barely enough flavor to register. Hello, salt?
Service was quick and efficient. Probably had 11 dishes on the table within 13 minutes of placing our order. Too bad he forgot to ring in the Grilled Quail as I really wanted to try it! We didn't realize it until we were driving home
Sangria tasty, but seemed weak on the alcohol from what i remembered (and compared to my home-made version).
Not fun screaming at your tablemates either because it is pretty loud on a busy night. Getting across the restaurant to the bathroom is an adventure as well with the lobby and bar jam packed.
Still sticking with 4 stars because the food is always really good, and sometimes great.
During this trip, Jaleo is my second favorite restaurant that I visited. I liked it so much, I requested to go back a second time.
I loved the vegetarian selection. I'm in love with mushrooms and they had so many dishes that included mushrooms; I was in heaven! The Spanish omelet with mushrooms were delicious.
I also enjoyed the lamb chops, endive with goat cheese, mandarin orange, and almonds.
Their dessert selection is amazing. The berry soup with goat cheese ice cream is a must try if you like goat cheese. The flavor isn't intense and it is a bit on the tart side, but it's awesome!
I also fell in love with Counter Culture Coffee because of Jaleo.
I can't say enough nice things. Good food. Good service. Decent price. Highly recommend it for folks visiting Bethesda and the DC area.
I like Jaleo, and I've been to all three locations. The food is consistent, and the atmosphere is very relaxed. Some of my favorite dishes include: garlic shrimp, paella (of course!!), spanish omelet, and the bacon wrapped dates. Yum!
Also, I had a birthday happy hour here with some friends, and everyone had a good time. The sangria special during "Jaleo Hour" was a great deal. Even though we weren't spending a lot of money we received good service at the bar. I didn't feel like we were being hustled out or anything.
Jaleo is a good solid bet, and a fun place to take out of town guests who want to try a new place. Never had a bad experience!
Tapas and sangria weren't bad, but as with most tapas places, Jaleo is, in my opinion, way overpriced for the amount you actually eat. If you are at all $ conscious, you probably shouldn't go here on an empty stomach. For me, the quality of the food and the price are the two main criteria for a high rating. Atmosphere was nice, though, and the servers were all friendly.
Good for some tapas and a few drinks.
Sangria was good but expensive. Food was good but not worth a whole meal's price. Stop in, order a few tapas and have a few drinks.
I was really looking forward to enjoying the food here but the disappointment was so great I doubt that I'll give them a second try. Maybe it was a bad day for them but nothing that we had was great. The codfish fritters were ok but nothing to rave about. We had the chorizzo wrapped in a potato chip and we couldn't finish it. The worst however was the paella. We ordered the chicken paella with chef choice of mushrooms. That dish was probably worse than the dish we had at Oya. There was no flavor whatsoever in this dish not even salt. The chicken in the dish had an awful smell and taste, it was as though the chicken. We had to bites asked for it to go and left. I was hoping that maybe I could add some seasonings to it at home and it would work, but it couldn't be helped I just couldn't get rid of that awful smell and taste of the chicken. Idk maybe the chicken wasn't washed but that is an experience I wouldn't want repeated.
First impressions do count and I will not be visiting any Jaleo in the future.
OH. MY. GOD. Part of me is seriously considering not moving back to NYC this week at risk of not being able to eat at Jaleo more often. This place is incroyable!
Apparently, it was restaurant week? $30 bucks, 4 tapas plates, 1 dessert and a full belly. Can't complain.
What did we order that has me singing a restaurant's praise you may ask?
Gazpacho
Endive salad
Croquetas de pollo (Chicken fritters)
Gambas al ajillo (Shrimp)
Arroz cremoso de setas (Wild mushroom rice)
Cebolla asada con queso Picón (Sauteed onions with Picon cheese)
Vieiras con remolacha y pistachos (Scallops)
Lubina con vinagreta de ajos y romero (Sea bass)
I could go into detail about how savory and mouth watering each of these dishes were but we'd be here all day. The chicken fritters, endive salad, and sea bass were definite winners in all these picks.
I am pretty picky about Spanish food, but I think overall the food here is pretty good. I particularly like the patatas bravas. I had a special lobster paella (which was made with Maine lobster, not langostinos) and it was fabulous. Other dishes were good and solid. The red sangria is really tasty, the white is sweet and not my thing.
It's somewhat Americanized, but it's in a great location, the service is always good (in my experience) and the food has always been very good. The restaurant can be noisy and some of the tables are quite close together (read: not all that romantic).
If you'd like to expose your kids to Spanish food though, this is probably a good option. It's loud already and there are plenty of things for them to try safely (beware of head-on shrimp, which could be traumatic for the unitiated). The aforementioned patatas bravas are a good place to start.
I always say this, but it's true here as well, the earlier you come, the better things will go with kids.
Spanish Tapas
I found out about this place after looking up chef Jose Andres online. I'm a semi-fan of his cooking show on PBS, and found out he was based in DC after googling him. Of the many restaurants he has in the VA/DC/MD Metro area, this one of the places I had to check out during my twice yearly visits to the area.
So how was the food? Very enjoyable and very good! We had approximately 8 dishes, including a simple chicken and mushroom paella for lunch. While not all the tapas dishes were something to rave about because they were simple. The ones that stood out were the lamb chops (cooked perfectly and very flavorful), the duck leg (nice large piece cooked very well), fried noodles with shrimp (nice texture and flavor) and the baby potatoes (very good, you can even cook them yourself as he has shown everyone on his show).
All the dishes were very good, and I couldn't complain at all about them. We were there for lunch and the space is very large. Service was very good and I felt that everything I had was worth it. Some items were a bit iffy, like the sausage, but that is generic tapas. If you come here, try some of the more unique items.
Good food, great location. I don't know what people are complaining about. Sure, some dishes won't be as good as others, but that's why you go to a tapas place with friends and sample a whole bunch of dishes!
Three words: Bacon. Wrapped. Date. Single best thing on the menu, the perfect combination of sweet and savory. You may want to get more than one order.
Our waiter the other night was very helpful in navigating the largely Spanish language menu (yes, they have English descriptions next to all the dish names, but it's a lot to take in!) and picking out his favorites from each section. A great way to end the day!
Our lunch here was ok. The tapas weren't the best I've ever had, with the chorizo dish being almost inedible. The bacon wrapped dates were a highlight, and the boyfriend really enjoyed his beet salad. Our server was very nice and gave us a lot of great recommendations for other restaurants in the area. This seems like a good place to go for happy hour or maybe to get a couple of tapas before or after a movie, but I am not certain that I would stop in for a lunch or dinner again.
Perpetually bored by the task of making one's way through an oversized entree, bite after same-old-same-old bite, we adore small plates. And Jaleo does small plates quite nicely - even extremely well.
Our party of five snagged the nice table in the back corner, hard by the kitchen - surprisingly the quietest corner, where conversation was not only possible, but pleasant.
We each ordered 2 tapas. Okay, I ordered 3 - I was feeling peckish.
The plates arrived in no particular order, which encouraged leisurely grazing accompanied by conversation. It's really fun to wait and see what they'll bring next, like opening your presents at your 9th birthday party.
By far the best one was the watermelon with goat cheese. What can I say. YUM. This plate was succeeded by a bowl heaped with little potatoes, perfectly cooked till just tender but without a hint of mush, with a terrific green sauce alongside that I suspect may have contained a smidgen or seven of garlic, along with copious cilantro. These adorable little tubers got popped by the entire party.
The one dish that disappointed was a little omelet with mushrooms. If it had a flavor, that flavor pretty much eluded my taste buds.
My friend was mad for the dates wrapped in a reddish-brown substance that (my husband claims) comes from the bark of the bacon tree.
All this and more went down wonderfully with a bottle of Cava, a light sparkler selling that night for $20. All in all, we had a lovely festive time and spent around $20 per head, tax and tip included - pretty reasonable!
Was it a massive oversized meal, complete with the usual congealed leftovers dumped unappetizingly into a styrofoam container for tomorrow's lunch? If that's your idea of a good restaurant, pass Jaleo by.
But if you enjoy grazing on a wide variety of imaginatively prepared dishes that won't break the bank, sampling and savoring bites of this and that, Jaleo is a must-visit.
PS. I was too full, after 3 plates, for the desserts. But a bite never hurt anyone. They all tasted great.
This place is fun if you want to try something new, but the food really is not that great. I've probably only had 1 or 2 small dishes that I liked. And please, do yourself a favor and do not get their paella. At least not the paella with the lobster. It's not lobster. It's lagostinos. Read: small 2 inch long "lobsters" aka crawfish.
Save your money and go to another tapas place.
Arriving right at last call (10PM on a Monday night) we were encouraged to order (quickly), but were not made to feel that we were inconveniencing anyone -- which I appreciated. Got a glass of their Tempranillo (Los Cantos), and it was delicious, so we ordered another. It was the last glass and last bottle, so the bartender gave it to us on the house, another nice touch.
I was afraid that given the expansion over the last years (and Jose's attention elsewhere) that it would start to feel chain-y, but with friendly service and solid food I think it's still a good option.
One tapas we got stood out: sauteed cauliflower - firm to the bite and super savory.
'Here's to good friends
Tonight is kind of special.....'
Remember that??? Is that lion's brew still around?
Welp, we didn't have beer but the previous night was special. And we had a pitcher of sangria instead hehe. My younger bro and a long time pal each had a few hours free so I was one happy bunny.
The pitcher of sangria was refreshing. The mixture of red wine, ice, small chopped apples (only apples, I believe) and, dare I say, orange juice (?) was a fusion of fun. If not OJ, then definitely some kind of fruit juice.
We ordered the paella first since it took 25+ minutes to cook. The Paella Arroz a banda con gambas was our decision. This was a gathering of rice, spices, shrimp, monkfish and cuttlefish. Arrived in the traditional paellera (paella pan) and suitable for 2-4 peeps.
Monkfish is a f-'ugly thing but they are quite tasty - the white fleshy chunks made me smile. The squid-like cuttlefish was cut into small cubes and scattered everywhere. I enjoyed the meaty texture. Shrimps staring back at me were not my cup of tea, but at least the body shells were peeled - now, off with their heads! My mouth was having a party and the special guests didn't disappoint us.
This dish also introduced a spoon size serving of a mayo sauce rich in garlic flavor. Oh garlic, how I love ye.
Please let me backtrack. While we were waiting for the paella, we chose a few tapas so that we don't end up eating the paellera (paella pan) also.
The tapas (appetizers, small dishes) for the evening were:
-Chipirones en su tinta: Squid cooked in black ink and white rice
*Squid black ink sauce was addicting. Heck, I just wanted the ink!
-Rabo de toro con naranjas: Braised boneless oxtail served with oranges, potato puree and red wine sauce
*Rich and hearty tapa.
-Cordero a la brasa con salsa de romero: Grilled lamb chops with rosemary sauce
*Tempted to lick the plate - tangy sauce.
-Croquetas de pollo: Traditional chicken croquetas (chicken fritters)
*Lightly crisp on the outside. The inside had minced chicken w/an almost 'cream of chicken' flavor. Solid texture w/creamy soup outcome. Still appealing.
-Trigueros con romesco: Grilled asparagus with romesco sauce
*Heart the sauce. Similar to a light version of Korean doenjang (fermented soybean paste....mmmmmmmm)
Photos of everything are in my profile and their business profile http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Note: After consulting w/Lester K. then Kevin L., I decided to post some of the pics as local photos. A few are of acceptable quality so it's out there now :)
Our server was spectacular. Timed everything wonderfully and such a gentle soul. What a pleasing and harmonious evening. Thank you my dear pal, A. Now time to burn the eats by shivering away in the bone chilling weather.
Now please keep in mind that we normally visit Jaleo of Bethesda for a simple bite for lunch. We… Read more »
The tapas scheme gets me every time. Coupled with happy hour sangria specials, it's even worse. On Friday evening my train of thought went something like this.
"$3.50 sangrias! Yay, happy hour time."
"Are there any happy hour food specials? No? Oh well."
"I'll just get a few little plates to nibble on as I'm drinking."
"I'm still hungry and this tastes good. I think I'll order some more."
"Did we really just spend $70 on a few nibbles and $3.50 sangria?"
Yes we did. Score one for the tapas again.
It's not that I've never been to Jaleo. It's not that I'm a newbie to tapas restaurants. It's just that the whole small plates thing completely distorts my sense of wallet and recession. The cheaply priced drinks also exacerbate that sense of distortion.
The food can be tasty. The endives with goat cheese, orange and almonds ($6.50) is delicious, as is the scallops ($8) with pistachios and raspberries (though there are only two scallops included). Even the brussel sprouts (yes, brussel sprouts! $7) with apricots, apple pieces and serrano ham is awesome. These three dishes all do the job of hitting a wide spectrum of tastes and textures, leaving the palate satisfied.
My lesser favorite dishes are the lamb with rosemary sauce (two pieces for $11.50), whose sauce tastes like it's from a jar of Lawry's and shows no hints of rosemary; and the mussels ($8) with bay leaf and salt, which lacks flavor at all besides butter -- which you think would be a good thing, but in this case is so blah. Many a times, I've eaten at Jaleo and inevitably someone orders the patatas bravas and fried calamari. These tend to be good for the first few bites, but then the home fries with spicy sauce turn to mush and the calamari could be straight fried batter for all you know because all you can taste is the garlicky aioli.
In the end, it's fun for a time, but not enough bang for my buck. Not at times like these, when you can get $2 appetizers and drink specials for happy hour elsewhere.
had not been here in years and was surprisingly impressed. the average tapas place is like the average sushi joint: uninspired menu, mediocre execution, very high ratio $:ounce of food. so, as with sushi, when you find a place that either offers a great deal, or provides excellent food at the same price, you've got a rare winner. Jaleo falls into this latter category.
Going in I was interested in about 20% of the menu. By the end of the meal, I wanted to try everything. Here's what rocked today:
- salt cod, oranges, black olives (definitely my favorite dish of the meal)
- sausage and white beans
- bacon wrapped figs
- shrimp in garlic (a classic that they really deliver on)
- fennel/apple salad
- anchovy/idiazabal salad
whole crushed garlic cloves and rosemary in the olive oil was a nice touch, too, although the bread was unexceptional, as was the sangria
I have decided Jaleo is a much better drink destination as opposed to a dining one. I like tapas, in fact, I love tapas at the right place. Some of the food at Jaleo is really good, but all-in-all it is overpriced for something not that spectacular.
But for drinking, I think it is just that spectacular. I love their red sangria...apple and orange slices in a not too overpowering red wine mixture. The white sangria is my fave though. Be prepared to dish out the big bucks since you can only get it in a half or full pitcher. It is delicious cava, brandy, strawberries, mint, and maybe some apple juice. Also be prepared to stumble out of there.
We went on Saturday when the weather was gorgeous and sat outside to watch bustling Bethesda. It is also nice to sit up at the nice bar. The bartenders are always very attentive and you can get tapas their as well if the mood strikes. Probably the best bet is for happy hour with discounted sangria and wine.
I love tapas! Okay, you probably know that I used to live in Spain from my past reviews so I'm quite critical of the American interpretation. However, Jaleo's does them well. Gambas con ajillo, pan con tomate y manchego, y la paella de pescado y mariscos are fabulous. Delicious and authentic flavors. Portions could be a bit larger. The white sangria is popular but it tasted like bubble gum; I'm not a fan.
If you're in Bethesda, Jaleo is a fun place to go with a large group to enjoy some yummy plates. Walking distance from the Metro.
Went here for Happy Hour last week for the first time. Decent happy hour specials. Great sangria though. Okay place - not too memorable. Don't know if I'll be back for an actual meal.
Good for happy hour.
I went yesterday with people from work. The food was fine. I am not a tapas person. Frequently, I think for what restaurants charge neither the quality nor quantity is there. However, this place has great specials between 4:30 and 7 pm. My coworkers ordered the sangria and said it didn't have much kick to it, but it was tasty. This is actually a plus since many of us would be driving later. The service was quite competent and polite. It was a nice time. We were early so it was very quiet, but I could see it being particularly fun when it picked up later in the evening. The long list of happy hour food specials was nice. I will have to go some time when it is not happy hour to try a few things on the rest of the menu, but the happy hour deals were too good to pass up. $4 a plate is a great deal.
I've been here three times so far and I always think it'll get better... but it never does. The reason I was attracted to this place in the beginning was because it's tapas?? There's nothing really special about any of the food there and I feel like I can make everything that comes out of the kitchen. Regardless whether or not I really can or not, if i feel like it's something I can make myself... it's not worth paying $10 for a small dish. It's also very overpriced for something I can stuff in my face with two bites.
I've been there recently with my family for a birthday celebration and had a taste of literally every dish that did NOT have pork or seafood and the only thing that I really enjoyed was the paella. But I've had better paella at different spanish restaurants.
The decor is nice. It's kinda flashy and although there is a bar, it's more of a restaurant feel.
It's hard to believe that this place continues to get better...
Been going there before/after movies since Landmark Cinema opened, and went again last night. Service was great and the food was the best it's been in recent visits.
I recommend, as always, the manchego and apple salad, which has been recently updated to include a few walnuts and shaved fennel. YUMMY!!
I also recommend a new dish of brussels sprouts with serrano ham (not much so it doesn't overpower)...small sweet sprouts made better by a nice tangy coating - must've had some vinegar in it...tasty good.
My only suggesting is that they offer dipping sauce options for the friend calamari....the garlic aioli is getting boring and isn't too subtle.
And of course there are great margaritas and good sangria!
I had a boyfriend once that was a complete jerk. Well, who hasn't? But he was a food snob, so we ate well.
He took me to Jaleo's one night for Spanish tapas. It was orgasmic! (made up for some other things)
The atmosphere is wonderful, but Jaleo's is no secret; expect to wait.
There are rotating items, but I think over the years, I've tried about 70% of the menu. This is my family's go-to restaurant for a nice-but-not-upscale-reliably-delicious restaurant. Gotta say, the one menu item I've never tried but always wanted to is the paella. Other than that, my perennial favorites:
apple and fennel salad with cheese and walnuts
patatas bravas with aioli - this just changed recently, i'm not crazy about the new tomato based sauce accompanying it, but the aioli is tasty!
roasted sweet onions with pine nuts - this i just tried for the first time and was fantastic!
lambchops
fried dates wrapped in bacon - my all-time favorite. if my heart wouldn't explode because of it, i'd eat these babies every day
sangria!
I can honestly say that I've never had anything *bad* here. Not everything is 5 stars, but it's all tasty and I have never once left disappointed.
I know a lot of people are down on this place, so I went in to this meal skeptical.
But it turned out really well!
We stopped in for lunch on our way to a movie and it was a nice, not-too-trendy dining experience.
The problem is there are too many menu choices so it's probably easy to go wrong. To help you decide, we had:
Apple and fennel salad - Very good!
Spinach with raisins and apples - Tasty, but not for everyone. You have to really like cooked spinach.
Chick pea stew - Just so so
Shrimp with garlic - Tasty, but nothing special
Fried cod balls - Very good!
Melon and ham - Very good!
The service was good, other than the fact the bussers seemed a bit too eager to clear our table...they took away the bread half way into the meal!
My experience at this restaurant was only so-so. I brought out a couple friends and my boyfriend to have a dinner with and meet my mother. To start with, the waiter took for EVER to get to our table to get drinks let alone take our order.
We started off with a pitcher of sangria, and I gotta say, that wasn't sangria that was wine with pieces of apple floating in it.
The food was pretty good. If I were basing this review on the flavors of the food alone this place would be a solid 4 star. I loved the olives and bread that came out before hand. I think we were supposed to also have some sort of oil with the bread but the incompetent waiter failed to bring it, even after we asked several times.
I also asked our rude, inattentive server about the chance for cross contamination with my meal (I have a shellfish allergy, and food prepared on the same surface as shellfish can cause me to have a reaction). He explained that there was a chance but that he would speak with the chef. Apparently he failed to do this because I had a reaction that night. And what's worse is he got a complete attitude with me when I tried to explain my allergy to him.
It's also worth noting that your tapas will come out as they're done in the kitchen carried by food runners who really don't speak English. Truth be told, the waiter really didn't do anything and we almost felt bad to tip the jerk. After a meal of roughly $220 for five people we were full but slightly unsatisfied.
Still tipsy from a Sunday happy hour of $4 glasses of wine and half price tapas... figs in bacon, wrinkly potatoes, cheese and a bar character talking at us... she left once she was refused more wine... we stayed to giggle and drink quietly... okay, not quietly! But I didn't cuss.
Disclaimer: I went for lunch during restaurant week. In a way, I don't think it is fair to review a restaurant based on RW experience as restaurants seldom put their best foot forward during restaurant week. Obviously, I am not a big fan of RW -- and don't think it does much to promote the state of dining in greater DC. End of rant.
Well, almost. So for RW lunch at Jaleo they were offering 2 tapas for $12 dollars. First, 2 tapas would run you $13-15 so it isn't much of a savings. Second, unless you are smart about ordering -- many of the tapas servings would leave you hungry if you only had 2 for lunch.
So I opted for a sandwich -- I had the grilled sausage with peppers -- it was quite good. I also liked the gazpacho. They should serve it with potato chips.......or what they call patatas bravas.
Start new rant (sorry). Patatas bravas are not potato chips! I don't know what they were thinking when the stopped serving patatas bravas and started serving patatas chipas. These are not close to any patatas bravas you would find in Spain any real Spanish restaurant. I would love to see the reaction if they ever tried this in Spain.
Jose Andres, I admire you. You are a great chef, a great personality -- and have done much for the local food scene, but this is beyond comprehension. I have been a fan of Jaleo for quite some time, it's not the best Spanish food I have had, but it is good and it's a fun place to go with friends -- but trying to pass off potato chips as patatas bravas? (End of rant....sorry!).
So, at least for lunch the sandwiches are the best bet -- and they are quite good and come with a side. Next time I am asking for potato chips to see what they serve....
I'll admit, I'm not a tapas specialist as I've only been to two tapas restaurants in my life, but I love Jaleo. I've only been to the Bethesda location, but I've been coming here for years. Tapas restaurants consist of small dishes that are shared. The tapas are fantastic if you're looking for a light dinner after you've overdosed on popcorn at the movie theater or if you're going out with a group of friends.
Obviously during peak dinner hours, it may be difficult to get a table. I've never had a problem with the service no matter how crowded. Even though I guzzle water, my glass is always refilled promptly, empty plates cleared in a timely manner, and I've never had to wait very long for food. If there's a wait for a table, you can always eat at the bar, which I did once on New Year's Eve a long time ago.
Some dishes to recommend include but are not limited to Patatas Bravas, Espinacas a la Catalana (rather simple, but delicious), Tortilla de patatas, Gambas al ajillo, and Buñuelos de bacalao (be careful! This dish is hot temperature wise). I've never had anything that tasted bad here, but keep an eye on what you order. If you start adding on more dishes, your meal can get to be a little bit pricey. When I was poorer, I used to make a list to keep track of how much I was spending.
Also, the bathrooms are very clean. When going to the bathroom (left past the bar) look at the doors carefully. If there is a male bull fighter, it is the men's bathroom. If there is a female flamenco dancer, it is the women's bathroom. It seems pretty straight forward, but I've seen people staring at the doors in confusion.
I highly recommend Jaleo as a delicious restaurant especially if you're looking for a light dinner. It's definitely great for a group, and if you need to wait for a table on a busy night, it's worth the wait.
In my dreams I live in a garret, I struggle to make the rent, and I am desperately unlucky in love. But I have my art and my taste and my sensibilities and in my little village of Cadaques all the cafe owners extend me limitless credit knowing that one day I will become a great surrealist artist and I will make them and my little corner of Spain famous.
The reality is of course I am suburban guy working 9 to 5 and paying a mortgage. ( and CapitalOne are extending me endless credit ) But sit me in Jaleo, give me some fine white sangria, some skirt steak, croquettes and sausage and white beans ( the beet salad was just OK) and my dreams somehow seem more real.
I have spent my life avoiding sangria - it always seemed like a non-drinker's drink to me. I had white sangria for the first time today - and only because I was five minutes late and my friend had ordered a pitcher. My God, it grabbed me by the throat and screamed S-U-M-M-E-R at me.
I don't have much experience with Spanish tapas, but this play was pretty good. I had the red sangria and it was ok, although the fruit in it was delicious. Some plates I have tried here are Manzanas, which is slice apple salad with cheese. This was very unique and pretty good. The calamari here is very delicious and probably my favorite plate I had here. I also tried a chicken dish, which was very tasty, but very small in portion. I also had other seafood dishes, which were decent enough, but not memorable. Overall, this place is okay and I am sure those who are a fan of these types of food will enjoy it very much.
It was partly our fault. It was 7:30 on a Saturday night, and we didn't make reservations. We had called earlier in the day to make reservations, but were told that the only openings left was for 9:45. We decided to play with fate - and got burned. Such is the destiny of those who dare play footsie with fate, I suppose.
We arrived at Jaleo at 8 and were told that there would be a "45 minute - 1 hour wait" for our party of three. Well, considering that we were told 9:45 for reservations, we felt that we were doing pretty good, and went up to the bar. 45 minutes and several drinks later, I went to check up on how much longer (mostly to decide if we should order another drink, now or later), and the hostess briskly assured me that they were "clearing the tables now". Great! I head back to the bar and shared the good news. As we waited for the tables "to be cleared", we noticed that several parties - that had arrived after us - were already seated and eating. But as my husband pointed out, those were couples, and tables of 2 are easier to seat then tables of 3. We wait 25 minutes more for the "tables to be cleared", before I went to check up at the hostess stand again. The hostess, while not rude, was very brusque and assured me that we would get the very next table. I would have probably been kinder in my thoughts (and this review), if I wasn't told nearly 30 minutes before, that they were "clearing the tables" for us. Fortunately, this hostess wasn't lying, and within 5 minutes, our buzzer goes off, and we were seated in the corner, which was private (which was good, considering some of our off colored humor).
Perhaps it's just my tastebuds, but the tapas were pretty much hit or miss with me. A few exceptional dishes were the grilled lamb chops (cordero a la brasa), which were tender, juicy and perfectly medium rare, the sauteed shrimp (gambas al ajillo), which were so flavorful and succulent that I dipped my bread into the sauce, the sauteed spinach (espinacas a la catalana), and the seared scallops (vieriras con remolacha y pistachios), which was served with pistachios and raspberries. However, the rest of the dishes were very "meh" to me. The rossejat (fried seafood pasta - paella style) was limp and oily, and the seafood seemed over cooked. The potato salad with tuna (ensaladilla rusa) was basically potato salad with canned tuna mixed in, very weak in my estimation. The wild mushroom rice, while flavorful and had the consistency of a creamy risotto was underdone as the center of the rice was hard..
My other problem with the tapas, was the pricing. Let's take for example the lamb chops. For $11.50, we received two small lamb chops. Yes, they were perfectly seasoned and quite delicious, however I would expect more then 4 oz of lamb (including bone - so really, 2.5 oz) for that price. Or the scallops, which was $8 for two small-medium pieces of scallops. The pricing just didn't seem to align with the portions. Yes, I understand that Jaleo is a more "upscale" and yuppy restaurant, but that still doesn't excuse the price gouging. I admit that I'm a little spoiled by dim-sum, where little dishes of food - just like tapas - cost only $2.50. Yes, the atmosphere isn't quite as nice, but the food generally tastes better, and you will leave satisfied.
In the beginning, our server was a bit curt with us, brushing us off and rushing through the menu and the options. However, between our raunchy jokes, and our overall jovial mood, I think we thawed her out. By the end of the meal, she was much nicer and took the time to chat with us about some of the ingredients on the menu and some of her own personal recommendations. No matter how busy the dining room, she was very prompt in checking on us, and making sure that we had our food and had our drinks replenished often. In addition, once she found out that this was a birthday dinner, she brought out a dish of sorbet (which was gross - I think it was sugar-free or something - but the sentiment was appreciated) with a candle for him.
I am not faulting Jaleo for making us wait for a table (again, Saturday night with no reservations), however, I am disappointed that our "45 minutes to 1 hour wait" turned into an hour and 20 minutes. While some dishes are quite marvelous, between the mediocre dishes and the pricing, I really can't give Jaleo more then 3 stars. I may come back - but only with reservations.
I just don't think it's that good. I am really sorry to have to say that. There are so many people who desperately love this place and I want to be part of that crowd (every time I go).
I simply find myself disappointed when MAYBE 1 out 6 tapas ordered make me go "mmm."
Perhaps I'm biased against chain restaurants (particularly ethnic ones).
So, my take on this place is that you can definitely find better without looking too hard. But if you happen to be in Bethesda, it's not bad. I wouldn't necessarily DIScourage anyone from eating here, I'd simply ENcourage you to try somewhere else :)
Let me preface this review by saying I'd normally give Jaleo 3.5 stars, but since you can't do halves, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt with four stars since I plan on a return trip. That being said...
I've been trying to get to Jaleo for a while now. Heard good things about it, it just didn't happen. But it's birthday weekend AND they extended their Restaurant Week specials, so heeeeeeellyeah! Its karma, baby!!
Friday night reservations at the Bethesda location are must because the place definitely gets crowded. We were good to go, and quickly ordered a pricey (in my opinion) full carafe of sangria. However, I will say that it was the 'carafe that kept on giving' - my glass never seemed empty and the beverage was quite yummy!
On to the food!!
The traditional seafood stew was tasty, but a bit salty. But the gazpacho - holy crapinoli! SOOO GOOD! It was fresh and light - the perfect blend of tomato, cucumber, cilantro and I think I even tasted a bit of crème fraiche in there! YUM!
Next we tried the roasted sweet onions sprinkled with pine nuts, blue cheese and a bit of balsamic vinegar. Eh - you live and learn. Next!!
The organic egg topped with caviar and served with toasted brioche - very good, although the toasted brioche was a little overpowering, thus the caviar couldn't truly be appreciated.
The seared bay scallops with sofrito, Serrano ham and wine was a little too oily, and the texture was a bit mushy, IMO.
The grilled quail with rosemary sauce and honey alioli was tasty, but the presentation left much to be desired. It was like looking at a grilled bloated frog spread-eagle on a plate garnished with rosemary (see pic). Just doesn't make you want to eat it. But eat it, we did - after laughing at it. It was 'okay' thanks to the accompanying sauces - or maybe it was the sangria making us all giddy...?
We also ordered some organic marinated mushrooms and a garlic shrimp dish. Both were wonderful - no sangria needed.
Overall, I was glad to finally visit Jaleo, and I'll definitely go back for seconds and thirds - if only for the gazpacho, it's worth it! The ambiance was great, the location is terrific, and the staff was wonderful (thanks Laura L.)! We had a great time.
I don't understand the naysayers.
The boyfriend and I went here on a whim this Saturday evening. The place was pleasantly buzzing, with a nice (albeit suburban) crowd. A pitcher of red sangria was just what the doctor ordered.
Our server, Laura, was excellent. She sounded Spanish of accent, so I would pronounce her name La-oo-ra. But never mind that.
All the tapas we had were great. We had patatas bravas (loved the chip-like potatoes and the savory sauces), gambas, green peas with romesco sauce, wild mushroom rice, Daniel Moynihan sausage, and fried pasta (rossejat). We cleaned our plates. Now granted, we almost ALWAYS clear our plates but sometimes we complain about the quality of the food when doing so. At Jaleo, we had no complaints.
It's okay.
White win sangria is very tasty though pricey.
Tapas are good though nothing exceptional.
-John
Great place to eat but only if you are not looking for the authentic thing.
Jaleo could be describe as part Spanish fusion food part authentic Spanish food. Chef Jose tries to please Americans palate with "tapas modernas" but if you really want to taste the real Spanish flavor order some of the "tapas clasicas", like the "croquetas de pollo", "tortilla de patatas" or "gambas al ajillo" and of course you can not forget the "Sangria", very nice and sweet.
Best time to go is with a group, everyone order two tapas and pass them along.
Went on a Saturday night (it was prom night -- apparently the hip prom kids were here too) and sat at the bar. No wait, and we got our favorite bartender. The patatas bravas are no longer chips, they're hunks of fingerling potatoes. Yay!
But I write this review not about the food or drink, but the clientele. I am sooo glad that I'm not single, cruising the mean streets of the DC metro area.
So we're sitting at the bar, and there's this guy next to me who is clearly by himself, nursing gin and tonics. White dress shirt fresh from the cleaners, and looks clean cut. Seems like a nice guy. Ok, so he orders his 2nd drink and asks for the check -- in passable Spanish. Finally (she must have been an hour late), this flashy girl comes in and it's sooo clearly a blind date. He offers her his seat (bonus point) and she doesn't take it, but just stands at the bar assertively. She gets carded and pulls out a Gucci wallet, and then quizzes him on what kind of car he drives...it's a smart car (ding ding ding!). She pushes, and he admits that he got the smart car for financial reasons (more alarm bells for her). Now his buzzer goes off and they move toward a table, but she hasn't paid for her drink yet -- he says, "Have you paid for that?" and the glare he gets, o my! But he recovers quickly, with a "Let me get this for you." The bartender (a class act), insists that it her drink is on the house. And off they go.
It's in a great location, and very popular, so be prepared to wait. We waited like 10 minutes for a… Read more »
drink specials for happy hour are nice, especially if you enjoy wine, but I don't. Don't come for the food, calamari was wayyy to salty, the chicken fritters were just bad.
Happy Hour
Bethesda, MD
Perrys Thanksgiving Weekend…
Neighborhood: Adams Morgan
Bethesda, MD
Category: Seafood
Bethesda, MD
Category: Restaurants
Bethesda, MD
Category: French
Bethesda, MD
Category: Spanish
Bethesda, MD
Category: Middle Eastern
Bethesda is full of dining choices. These are my…
Places that have given me a cross contamination…
For a place named after a Church Bethesda has a…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
No matter how much I try to expand my horizons, we…
The DC 'burbs, Volume I: Bethesda. I'm in Bethesda…
