La Sandia

I’m a huge fan of mexican food and this place does it well. So far I’ve tried the guacamole, salsa & chips and just about all the taco options they have. The guacamole is freshly prepared in front of you and comes in different styles, mild, medium, and hot. I’ve tried the mild and medium and the medium is not as hot as I expected it to be. The salsa is not bad, I personally think tostitos restaurant style salsa is better, and I’ve never had a bad taco from there.
The service is good, I usually go there for work lunches, I’ve only been there for dinner once and it was busy, but still got decent service.

Great place for large groups. The service is fast and the food is great. I really enjoy the guacamole. It can get crowded do to the mall access, but the hosts will seat you quickly and there is plenty of room at the bar. Drinks are ok. I think they are a little weak. I normally just get some tequila to sip on. They have some great variety.

Love this place; some of the best mojitos around, and I will certainly attest to that.
As for their food; I have tried a lot of their entrees, and they are all equally good, however, one of my favorites are the lettuce wrap fajitas (to die for), very clean and very healthy!
Israel the bartender is usually my go to guy, as he knows exactly what o get, my favorite cocktail, and he always takes care of us, leaving us to always come back.

This was our second dinner at La Sandia. The spicy guacamole delivered a good spicy kick! Loved the braised beef tacos, too — tender and flavorful with a side of salsa verde, rice & black beans. I again had the delicious watermelon margarita. It’s refreshing and not overly sweetened. The service was wonderful, especially during a busy Saturday night. The general manager, Juan Avila, graciously came by at the end of our meal to check on us. Thank you, Juan! Everything was wonderful. We will be back and will certainly recommend to our friends!

Happy Hour is such a great deal for this area; margaritas and mojitos are only $ 5 and there’s free chips and salsa! Other happy hour drinks are discounted (definitely under $ 8) and there’s bar food as well. Got the appetizer sampler platter to split and it was delicious. I’ll definitely be back!

Really fantastic! It might be in the mall but the service is great and they’ve got one of the best happy hours in the area! The drinks are right on the money, especially the infused margaritas and traditional mojitos. Real food from real people!

Neat options for margaritas! I had the watermelon/​cucumber margarita and thoroughly enjoyed it.
The shrimp ceviche was good and didn’t last long before we ate it up, however, I will note that I’ve had better ceviche before. For the main course, I had the shrimp tamal which was good, but I should have known they’d fancy it up. The tamal came with whole shrimp on top, which required work because you have to remove the tail and possibly cut up the shrimp before eating. I would have preferred a traditional tamal where everything is inside and requires no work.
Overall, everything is good and I would come back. But it doesn’t beat a «hole in the wall» or road-​side taco stand. ;-)

«My taste buds are so happy!!» Words I spoke tonight as I devoured the baja fish tacos, the Happy Hour Sampler and our pork carnitas entrée. My guy ordered a spicy margarita with a salted rim that made my mouth water, and I had a strawberry frozen margarita. ALLLLLL the food and drinks were excellent. Our bartender was real friendly and helped guide us through the menu with lots of suggestions and her personal favorites. I was very pleased with everything that was served and will return to try other menu items that peaked my interest!

My friend and I happened to be hungry (read: I was ravenous, having not yet had my first meal of the day) and in Tysons around 5 PM on a weekday, and realized we should take advantage of the fact that most places were still having happy hours since we can never seem to make them on regular work days. We checked out the menus of several neighboring restaurants (Seasons 52, Coastal Flats) but one look at La Sandia’s and we were sold.
Their happy hour menu had great options for both food AND drinks, which was refreshing. We ended up deciding on a mango margarita on the rocks ($ 6) and a happy hour sampler ($ 12.50). The margarita was nothing to write home about (or rave on Unilocal about, ha) — it was tasty no doubt but perhaps just a little too sweet for our liking. The sampler though — holy damn! We were very impressed, both by the variety/​taste of items (it included Mexican corn on the cob, taquitos (we got chicken tinga), chipotle-​glazed wings (my personal favorite — a tad bit sweet with a zesty kick), and cheese quesadillas), and the overall value. By the time we’d finished the sampler, we were stuffed and would not have been able to eat anything else had we tried — all for about 10 bucks apiece. Granted, we’d also been munching on chips and salsa while waiting for our food — but regardless, the bottom line is that we left full and satisfied, and optimistic about trying more items off their menu in the future.
The only aspect of the experience that was lacking was the service. The servers were not rude or unfriendly, but were simply not attentive/​present. We had to ask to be served after being seated (since no one had even come around to ask us if we wanted water) and had to remind our waiter to bring us chips and salsa after he seemed to have completely forgotten. That said, they were having a busy evening so I’d give them benefit of the doubt this time around and hope for better service next time.
Overall, a great experience — wonderful happy hour specials (and we later found out happy hour runs till 9, which makes it far more convenient than most!), nice ambience, tasty food, and good bang for your buck. I definitely plan on going back!

I’ve been 3 times here by now and tried a variety of items on their menu in the process.
Their salsa and chips are decent and seem to be growing on me more and more each time I am coming here. ;)
The guac is made fresh at the table and definitely a keeper as well.
The chipotle chicken quesadilla is OK, but did not rock my world.
One of my DCs had a steak dish which looked amazing and medium-​rare — he devoured all of it.
I decided to order their Latin Light take on a taco platter during another visit. There was a mix-​up in the kitchen and I did not receive any chicken so that I had to send it back. In the end, I got pieces of chicken breast as well as lettuce wraps, onion and salsa roja, but it did not impress me since the flavor was severely lacking unfortunately.
Overall, i would say that this place is a decent choice for apps and (not too expensive) drinks as well as chips and salsa.

I’ve visited la sandia many times for happy hour but tonight was the first time I came for dinner.
The food was definitely tasty, but nothing too memorable. I ordered veggie tacos and I really liked the corn tortillas they made. The zucchini inside was also made really well. The rice and beans on the side were pretty standard, nothing special. My friend ordered the cheese enchiladas and let me try some of it. The cheese and tortilla itself were pretty good (but then again, how do you mess that up?). The sauce they used on top was a green sauce and it was a little too acidic for my liking.
When we entered the restaurant we were told it was a 15 – 20 minute wait but when we actually went inside it seemed dead so I had no idea why there was a wait when there were so many available tables. It could have been that there weren’t that many servers or they were spread too thin, because the service was excruciatingly slow.
I’ll probably come back to la sandia because it’s convenient location, but I’ll probably stick to the happy hour menu in the future, the dinner menu is definitely overpriced.

We came here on a Friday night. It was super packed but we were seated in less than 10 minutes. The guacamole is okay… as in I can make guacamole better and I’ve never worked at a restaurant. The margaritas were also ok… I’ve had better. Heck. Chili’s has better margaritas than this place. The restaurant is conveniently located though… so If i was starving shopping here again I would try another place. If all those places were too packed then yes I would come here again. I won’t go out of my way to ever eat here again though. It was at most… mediocre.

First off, I love the complimentary chips and salsa they offer! I’ve only been here twice, but I can say their house cocktails and food are all so tasty. I love the pepino cocktail and how it has chili on the rims! It tastes just like Mexican candy. The fajitas here are pretty solid and so are their nachos. The menu is pretty average in pricing as well. They also have happy hour until 9??? I believe.
Also the first time I came here, the bartender concocted my friend and I complimentary cinammony shots! 5 stars to that, ay!

The guacamole was delicious and made right at the table. Good service with prompt and polite waitstaff.
The nachos were also good but used a quest sauce instead of melted cheese (this is a personal pet peeve of mine but perhaps you don’t mind). Other ingredients were fresh and good including the chicken. Pricing is reasonable for its location.
Tip– Sit on the porch and people watch if you can.

Loved each and everything i had! Finally a restaurant that offers good vegetarian food without stuffing it with cheese all over! My husband got me here for my bday lunch and i couldn’t have been happier! Their guacamole is the best i have had so far, and finally a place that offers a vegetarian taco!!! I had the combo meal which had chille relleno (stuffed with a delicious blend of veggies and had a crispy skin), enchilada (delicious stuffing and a nice sauce on it) and the veg taco. Everything was sumptuous even the beans and rice! Havig said that, the chips they served with the salsa were really thick and oily but i am willing to let it go for the meal i had.
Definitely coming back!

What a disappointing visit to La Sandia this past week, especially given how good this restaurant was when it first opened. We were seated in the ‘outdoor area’ (the tables that are in the mall space) and, within 60 seconds of our being seated, our server asked, «What are you eating?» Having just sat down with barely any time to look at the menu, we asked for a bit more time. Just like in Groundhog Day, 60 seconds later… «What are you eating?» This happened FOUR TIMES — and you’ll notice there was never any of the usual pleasantries welcoming us to the restaurant. I’ll spare you the details of the rest of the service experience, but to say that the service was brusque and impersonal would be an understatement, and we didn’t appreciate his display of impatience. So much for hospitality.
The food didn’t provide much solace from the service. Just okay guacamole, ordered spicy but medium at best. Meals served on metal plates reminiscent of what you’d see at a campground. There’s obviously been some tinkering to the menu, since previously travel-​worthy dishes were now a pale reflection of their former selves — case in point, the BBQ chicken salad, which used to be one of the best salads in the area, but now was basically what tasted to me like a pile of cole slaw with an overcooked chicken breast basted with BBQ sauce. (No, I didn’t finish it.)
The only time we saw a spark of enthusiasm from our server was when he brought the check (hmmmm). By then, it was way too late to change our feelings about the evening, with the table unanimous in crossing La Sandia off of our lists.

So this joint is charming and offers some really tasty Mexican fare. Sure it is located in the mall, but this fact doesn’t mean you can’t find some wonderful treats on their menu. Also, the décor at La Sandia doesn’t feel like you are in the mall at all; it feels more like you popped into a mom and pop restaurant than some corporate giant’s attempt at real Mexican food.
We had a round of habanero infused margaritas which were very good, but I lost my heart to La Sandia’s non-​alcoholic watermelon and cucumber water.(I think when it was all said and done, I had three glasses of this juicy freshness.) We paired our drinks with an order of pork nachos that were laced with a mole sauce, something that I had never seen done before. The nachos were fantastic, a fresh mix of pork goodness and chocolaty mole sauce perfection. Yum!
This place is a winner, and I will definitely return the next time I am in the area. Our server was friendly and the bathrooms were immaculate. My only complaint– and it is a small one at that– is that our server was a bit swamped. Still, when you got his attention, he was fantastic.

Stopped in on a whim and definitely enjoyed their happy hour. This is located on the bottom level Tyson’s Corner Mall, near the other bars and restaurants just underneath the movie theaters.
There is visible signage out front advertising their happy hours (4pm-​9pm). They offer specials of bottomless guac ($ 5) for 2, that’s right 2 people can eat guac all night for $ 5. It’s really more than you can eat. We ordered this and did not even request a second batch. It was tasty, but was lacking in some spices.
We sat at the bar and the staff was excellent. They offered up freshly fried chips and salsa. Again, the salsa was just a tad bland, but they do offer a habanero salsa, so ask for that. We came on a Tuesday, and the bar offers a $ 2 taco special. We tried the beef and carnitas tacos. They were full of meat on a fresh corn tortilla. It came with minimum condiments and would have been nice to have some pico or something but for $ 2, I can’t be too picky.
The drink specials range from $ 2(beer) to $ 5/​$ 6 margaritas, sangrias, mojitos. I also dabbled in some tequila sampling for a mere $ 10. It was house tequila but for $ 10, it was tasty.

Convenient after shopping the mall.
The place is great and the atmosphere is fun.
The food is also good. Love the guacamole and chips. And the complimentary chips and salsa are addicting! I could keep eating them!
The tortilla soup is good. Good amount of goodness in the soup. The tacos are also really good. Soft tacos filled with the filling of your choice and sauces on the side. Always a good choice if you want a little Mexican food.

Come here and expect: gourmet Mexican food at reasonable price, wonderful happy hour specials that change daily, Great social setting for a meet up or for a casual date
What I got from it: I come from an area with a plethora of Mexican restaurants: Southern California. It’s obvious to me how much DC lacks Mexican restaurants, so yes, I’ve missed them!!!
Thank God for La Sandía! First of all, the Monday happy hour offers $ 5 for bottomless guacamole… not just any kind but the fresh-​chunky-​awesome kind! Our server actually preempted our desire for more and had brought another one after 10 minutes. #winning
Have a vegetarian or vegan friend? Definitely order the vegetarian fajitas, you’ll not be disappointed! They toss in some awesome spices just to make everything on that hotplate delicioso.
Their hottest chicken wings are actually not too hot, just tasty if you can stand little heat; the chocolate ice cream is divine; the churros are definitely worth your time!
Their brunch is a list of breakfast entrées, so don’t come here and expect a typical Mexican buffet, which I do miss. But if you love mole, definitely try the «carnitas sopes eggs Benedict with mole.» That’s a load of beautiful words begging you to try it.
I love this place so much I even kept the pen to write this review.