A few nights ago my family and I went to one of the more favorite local restaurants, Tequila Grande (in Oakton). At Tequila Grande, guests should be aware that the “grande” in the name is by no means a joke. The portions and quality at TG are unmatched for this classical Mexican eatery. The interior of the restaurant is very comforting as the orange painted walls and many windows present a homely vibe. The menu at Tequila Grande offers an array of different Mexican specialties like carne asada, enchiladas, and tacos in addition to more Americanized menu options like burritos and chimichangas.

When we arrived were greeted with chips and salsa as we perused the menu. As customary at Tequila Grande we started off with their fresh guacamole. The guacamole is smooth and spicy and served in a very charming blue corn tortilla bowl that gets slowly devoured with the dip. For dinner, I ordered the biggest menu item they have, the burrito-gordo. This is the biggest burrito I have ever experienced in my life. It is overflowing with flavorful ground beef, stewed chicken, re-fried beans, and Spanish rice. The burrito is also covered in cheese, pico-de-gallo, and sour cream. As terrifying as it looks coming straight at you it is an extremely delicious burrito with a dense and hearty filling that leaves you stuffed for several days. As usual, however, I was only able to eat half the burrito and saved the rest for later (which is perfectly fine as it heats up great).

My father ordered his favorite, the enchiladas. His go-to combination, which he highly recommends to anyone ordering enchiladas is one shredded beef, one cheese and onion, and one stewed chicken. I had a portion of some of his as we were all sharing and the winner to me was the tender shredded beef enchilada. All of them come smothered in sauce and cheese served alongside beans and rice.

My sister and mother shared a combination of chicken and shrimp fajitas. As they were picking at my burrito I grabbed a small flour tortilla and scooped the grilled shrimp, caramelized onions and soft bell peppers into the tortilla. I topped it with some sour cream, salsa and lettuce and had a fantastic albeit wet mini shrimp taco.

The food at tequila grande may be grande but that does not at all undercut its quality. Being a small family establishment tequila grande manages to have some of the best Mexican food while also having a lovely atmosphere all for a reasonable price in local midtown Vienna. It is somewhere you should definitely consider the next time you are in the mood for a fiesta of flavor.

-ARM

Editor’s Note 12/20/2020: Tequila Grande was recently rebranded as Mama Tigre (under the same ownership). It is now fusion of Mexican and Indian cuisines.