Tampico Grill
42 Washington Blvd, Laurel, MD, 20707
Tampico Grill Menu
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Address :
42 Washington Blvd
Laurel, MD, 20707 - Phone (301) 490-5200
- Website https://www.tampicogrill.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Ben F.
Definitely a nice spot! Good food, friendly staff and clean. They have my vote...
(4)Michele M.
Great food, fast service, great atmosphere!
(4)Alyssa S.
Affordable, delicious, authentic Mexican food with generous portions. The carnitas were delicious and huge! Took me three meals total to finish them all.... The chicken quesadilla was good and cheesy. I wasn't overly impressed with the frozen classic margarita, it was too syrupy and strong. The place is 1970's vinyl booths and the staff speaks limited English, as long as you don't go in creating an entirely custom dish, you should have an enjoyable experience. Good find!
(4)Pd D.
Although Tampico Grill is called TexMex, it is in my opinion more of a traditional Mexican eatery since ground beef options are not prevalent on the menu and can be requested in some instances. This is your standard Mexican quisine with no frills. The one item they do have us coming back for is the Tampico wings. They are a unique flavor of spices and grilled or charred to seal in the flavor. Two other items that I enjoy are the nachos, which are loaded with pico, meat and the works, as well as the Tampico burger. It is nicely grilled and I have had it a few times. I usually will pick up orders to go. Dining in on the weekend before additional staff arrives at lunch time can add some time to your wait as our waiter was also working the food line, and register the few times we visited during weekend lunch. If you are in the area and have the taste for Mexican food, it is worth the visit, especially the wings.
(3)Manny B.
Never going back. Tonight was maybe the fourth time I've been to Tampico Grill and there's only one time I can think of that the service wasn't absolutely atrocious. I should've taken the hint earlier (I know) but to their credit the food is good and the prices are decent so hey, nobody's perfect right? This evening me and my fiancé were one of five tables (no large parties) and ended up sitting there for FORTY minutes before getting up and walking out. Quite literally another couple walked in, got seated AND served while we waited. The guy bussing tables (same guy who seated us) probably walked past us three times and didn't even look our way. My advice? Save yourself some aggravation and just go Mango's Grill (less than two miles away also on route 1). They're superior to Tampico in every way and you won't be stuck waiting hoping that someone will eventually care enough to treat you like a paying customer.
(1)Roberto N.
We've not eaten here in a long long time; The hotel parking restaurant thing is a bit of a turn off to be honest, but once you walk in the door, the folks couldn't be nicer. I grade Mexican restaurants on their refried beans, and their red enchilada sauce. For dinner, I had the red sauced enchiladas, and a sidecar steak taco. Both were excellent- truly excellent. But, the refried beans were just okay. they're not done in the traditional way- they're more like a tex mex soupy bean thing... which might be what you like.
(4)Chris M.
Went to this place on a Tuesday for happy hour. The place was old, dirty, water down their drinks, bartender was mean. The deal is $5 margaritas for HH but they don't put any alcohol in them so you have to buy a shot just to taste anything, so it was a $10 from a generic restaurant supply mix margarita.. Poor.. I had the Nachos, they were not bad.. Overall I would never ever go back.. Chevys does %1000 better job then this place..
(1)Heather M.
Pretty good. Nothing that will blow you straight outta the water but if you're craving some TexMex than this will definitely satisfy.
(3)Ledell W.
Best Food Ever!!! I've been going to Tampico forever. Must try Crab Quesadillas, Lime Dressing, carnitas fajitas, Tingo Taco salad. Mmmmmm. Great price, wholesome atmosphere for family and laid back bar for happy hour. Warning...this place is a diamond in the rough...you'll be hooked. Across from car dealership on RT 1 in Laurel, near Main St. Love it.
(5)Michael K.
Had a very good Monday late lunch. With few other customers in the restaurant, food came immediately from the kitchen to table and refills were provided quickly. Used a restaurant.com coupon, so the meal was a really good value. Good service, good food, ample parking.
(4)Diana H.
We always have good food and service. We've tried lots of dishes in our many trips here. It has a family atmosphere. Maybe not the nicest decor but that doesn't matter when you have flavorful food with a fun staff. (My bf is a jokester.)
(5)Ben F.
Bland dishes. Our party ordered carnitas, mole enchiladas, steak fajitas, and Chile rollenos. Service was very good though (unlike previous comments led me to believe). I was really expecting the dishes to have more flavor. Disappointing.
(2)Brandon M.
I used to live in New Mexico once upon a time... Way back when, I used to go to a joint called Si Señor. A few thousand miles away, this place reminds me of home. The chips and dip were tasty. Salsa being a tad tomatoey... For my main course, I had some sort of rice and chicken dish. Quite good. For desert, sopaipillas. They usually are a bit airier.. These ones were flat... But they slathered them in honey and cinnamon sugar... Good stuff. Friendly service, good prices. A good place to go to.
(4)Princess W.
I didn't like the food not enough seasoning on any of the meals we got shrimp steak and chicken . I rather the Mexican food trucks or el Salvadorian food trucks or the restaurants in Riverdale there food taste more authentic
(2)Rick G.
All previous reviews mention the slow staff- well... no contradiction here. Very slow although to their defense there was a large party (about 20) in the restaurant. I found Lucy very nice and honest about what was really good on the menu. I decided on beef enchiladas and a chile relleno on the side. My friends ordered seafood enchiladas and chile relleno combination platter. The fresh chips and salsa set the stage for a meal that created silence save for the clink of forks hitting plates. It was great. I ordered the Tampico margarita in a salt-rimmed glass and it was exactly what it should've been. My friends finished their mango margaritas in half the time so either they were great or there's going to be a need for an intervention in the near future. I would return but definitely not if I'm pressed for time.
(4)Missi L.
Not at all what I expected! Heard good things but couldn't get past the dated decor to try it before but tonight the chips were down and I went for it! For me, Tex Mex is basically all the same but in perusing the menu I noticed a dish (yes it had a picture) that I was not familiar with, Shrimp Agave. Wow! Huge flavor and fresh tasting! Tequila lime sauce from what I remember. Kicking myself for not taking a pic myself so you'll have to take my word for it-you want this! Excellent salsa even with the huge chunks of onion, which we fished around and left behind. They may need to clean their ice machine, though, the water tasted a little moldy. Maybe drink a Dos Equis instead! Wine was decently priced at $4 a glass. A nice neighborhood restaurant. I will be back!
(5)Trevor F.
Steak burrito was fantastic. Bartender was cool. Great experience... highly recommended
(5)Kathie P.
Tampico's is a nice little Tex-Mex gem located in the heart of Laurel - nothing fancy at all. The food is great. Their salsa is the best salsa in the area, and the chips are always fresh. I love their specials - Chicken Ranchera, Shrimp Agave (deliciously cooked shrimp with a tequila and pepper cream sauce, salmon and shrimp, and all the seafood specials. I love everything on the specials menu. Tampico also makes a killer margarita. Love, love this place - I usually go about 2 times a month!!! Highly recomend.
(4)Kate C.
We've been looking for a good spot for authentic Tex Mex so we were really excited to try Tampico Grill. We really wanted to like it. The food was... some was great, some was not so great. The salsa was okay but definitely could use some more heat. The steak fajitas and steak tacos were excellent! The mole sauce that came with the enchilada was not good at all. We love mole but we've never had any that tasted like that - the cinnamon came through very strong and not in a good way. The service was awful. There was a male and female server working together. They both stopped by our table at different times but they would also both be gone for long periods of time. It took quite some time before they took our order, our food was brought in stages, it took a while to bring our bill, etc. We noticed it was just the two of them and they were also greeting and bussing tables, etc. When we walked out to leave, we saw the female server sitting at a stool by a counter near the door eating dinner and the male server was in a separate area behind the bar serving patrons - no wonder the service was so slow!! We may come back for the steak tacos and fajitas because they were that good but we may get them to go.
(3)Carmen C.
Still eat at Tampico's at least once a week. Eduardo and Hector (owners) are more than happy to substitute or do a dish a little different when I make a request. Laid back atmosphere. We normally eat in the bar area which has friendly locals.
(5)Mike G.
Yesterday was my first time trying Tampico Grill after passing it a gazillion times. The service was nothing special but quick and straight to the point. For this style of restaurant I didn't expect much in regards to service and got just that. As for the food, I ordered the Enchiladas with chipotle sauce and my wife ordered the enchiladas with mole sauce. Both dishes included cube chicken stuffed in a tortilla topped with cheese and sauce. The tortilla must have been cooked a little too hard or broiled for one second too many, because it was hard and slightly chewy. The flavor of the sauces were decent but overall the enchiladas left a lot to be desired. For Mexican food, I would probably try another restaurant but don't plan on returning to Tampico Grill anytime soon!
(2)Alyssa And Bryan L.
WOW! Great food! I'm a Frequent Tampico customer. I have been going to here for 10 yrs and never been disappointed!!! Great steak and beef in tacos and fajitas, seasoning is simple and wonderful! Very authentic type of place not fancy yet simple and clean restaurant is great for me since they have awesome food I don't care what the place looks like!! Small family owns restaurant and has been using the fam recipes from great great great grandmother SO cool!! They have cheap margaritas @ $5!!! And the FLAN is to die for!!! Dine in or carry out you won't be disappointed! Always check living social or groupon first for a coupon to this place as they always frequently advertise on those sites ;)
(5)Sara C.
Worst Tex-Mex I have ever had! The service is beyond slow! There were only like 5 other people in the establishment when I came. So, there shouldn't have been any reason for me to wait tens minutes to be greeted and then having to get up and ask for a waitress to come and take our drink orders. That should have been a sign to leave, as well ass the dingy look of the place. But, nope I had to get a fix! I've been craving for good Mexican after I moved here from Texas! I ordered a Strawberry Margarita to start, meh! Worst decision ever! How can you mess up a Strawberry Margarita? Well, its possible, because they did. I took one sip and had them take it right back...and no I don't want to order another drink! My friend and I ordered chicken fajitas and steak burrito. I was not impressed at all! It especially shouldn't be too hard to impress anyone with fajitas! Come on its fajitas! I will say the black beans were good, I did enjoy that lol. I won't be coming back here. I haven't given up on my search though! I will find some good Mexican darn it! Oh, Houston how I miss you soo! I love you Houston (in my Beyonce voice) !
(1)Ana G.
Tampico has solid Mexican food; however, the service is abysmal. I have been to the restaurant maybe 4 times over the past couple of years, and for some reason I always seem to forget that service is rendered at a tortoise-like speed. I recently had my last and final visit where after being seated and given water and the obligatory chips and salsa, my fiancé and I waited for 30-45 minutes without anyone returning to our table to take our order. Although there were only two people waiting tables, there were only about 4-5 parties, including ours, in the restaurant. The last time I checked a 2:1 ratio of waitstaff to customers is a light load. During that time I also watched the two waiters spend time clearing and cleaning tables around us without saying a word us, even though we clearly still had menus, indicating we hadn't ordered. I also saw a couple order and get their food while we waited (meaning the kitchen wasn't the cause for the holdup). We eventually decided to leave, after getting up and tracking down one waitress to see if there was a charge for the chips and salsa. She said it was free and added that she didn't come to our table because she thought the other guy was helping us. There are several other Mexican/Central American restaurants in Laurel, so unless you want to wait until the end of time for average tacos, try somewhere else out. Mango's Grill (a mile or two further south on Route 1) is great.
(1)G M.
Food was definitely authentic and delicious. Sat by the bar area because the restaurant side seemed family oriented. Whole in the wall type.
(4)Taheerah B.
I usually get take-out, but I finally had a chance to dine in, and the place was really clean and pleasant. It was only four people in the place (my dining companion and another couple), so it was nice and quiet. My food was great, and the server was attentive. Finally, I had a chance to get their house sangria. Although it was tasty, there wasn't any fruit... Although I had a great dining experience, I am sticking to take out.
(4)Craig W.
Been going to Tampico for many years for lunch. Most occasions that we have been there the food has been really good. As other posters have stated the service is either hit or miss. Five+ years ago and prior it seemed like we consistently got great service while dining in. Very attentive and quick. Over time the service has definitely degraded. Sometimes it is OK but there has been times where we feel that we have been forgotten about. Drink/Chip/Salsa refills may be slow or don't happen at all. We love their salsa. Its very fresh tasting and flavorful. The chicken and steak used in their tacos and burritos are very tasty. For a period of time they had a lunch special menu which made it more attractive to eat lunch there. They have discontinued this over the last few months. If their service continues to decline, we will be eating there less. At one point, we were eating lunch there every couple of weeks but recently it has been probably closer to once every 6-8 weeks. 5 years ago, my review would have been 5 stars for being an awesome hole the wall with fantastic food and great service.
(3)Jennifer R.
One of our favorite places to eat in Laurel. Food is never a disappointment and neither are the margaritas! Amazing steak too in the burritos and fajitas. Highly recommend!
(5)Tommy H.
Excellent fajitas. Surprisingly the best steak sub in the city also. All around a great restaurant. A regular stop on my dining list.
(5)Chi L.
Food here tastes authentic!! Been here many times, and the dishes are very tasty and fresh. I have tried the chicken quesadilla, chicken burrito and sample appetisers- all were amazing !! The complimentary chips and salsa are pretty good too.. Chips are nice and warm! The restaurant itself seems a bit run down and decent in cleanliness. Service was ok, seems abit slow on a non busy time.
(4)Shannon P.
Great food and customer service! Sometimes the service can be a little slow but it is so worth it. My husband and I come here often during the week and have always been impressed. We've had the sampler appetizer, salsa, burritos, fajitas, salad, steak (don't remember the Spanish name of that entree) and the chimichanga and everything has been delicious! I have also ordered margaritas here before. The strawberry margarita is ok. I've also had a regular lime margarita. It was really strong and nothing special. This probably isn't your place to visit if you are wanting margaritas but the food is really good!
(4)Miesha D.
I'm a very picky eater I had steak scrimp and chicken fajitas (large about 16$)! It was very yummy but steak with tough I wouldn't eat it in my tortilla but it was still delicious great customer service and a good mexican restaurant. Chip was extra hard they gave us salsa was ok. My fiancé had the Baked salmon with crabmeat (16$) he said it was yummy but the lemon sauce wasn't so good I would definitely go back! Like tomorrow! Glad I found a good restarant in my new neighborhood :)
(4)Steffany H.
Mehhh! No... More like Ugh! After living in AZ for 13 years, I frequently get a craving for Mexican food but rarely try anything in the DC area because, well.... Mexican food here isn't good or authentic. Not sure why I continue to do this to myself, but I was disappointed (yet again) when we tried Tampico Grill. We came in on a weeknight around 6 and the first thing in my mind was a margarita. I ordered a strawberry blended and it was decent. Nothing to write home about. The place isn't the cleanest place on earth and the decor looks very shabby. I ignore all signs not to continue but did anyway. I ordered tacos, one steak one shrimp. The steak was well seasoned, way overlooked and the shrimp was pretty non existent. In fact, it was cut up into small chunks like I couldn't handle the whole damn shrimp. Come on dude! The "sauces" used were beyond bland. My friend ordered the chicken chimi (one of my fav Mexican dishes) and the outside wasn't even crispy. A chimi is deep fried people! When the waitress came over to ask if we wanted dessert I almost laughed. No thanks honey....
(2)James H.
The food is okay, authentic but the service is not the best. Glasses are always dirty and the bar is never clean. Will only order take out from now on.
(3)Kevin S.
Went for lunch and had the chicken enchiladas. Service and food were both good. We come here once a month at least due to the quality of the food and it's at a great price. We fed a family of 6 for under $70 with tip.
(5)Eric S.
Absolutely love this place, you can find me here at least once a week. Food is great and the place has a nice atmosphere. Food service can be a little slow in the dining room but bar area is great. Reasonably priced. Highly recommend. 4.5
(4)Ashley H.
First time trying this place. Ordered carry out. The gentleman I spoke with on the phone had a very thick accent and didn't ask for a name or tell me how long it would be. I had mild concern at this point. I waited at my house for about 5 minutes and then made the short drive to the restaurant. If you don't know it's there, you might miss Tampico. It's a building with green and yellow on it hiding just past Aamco on the left side of rt 1s. From the outside this place looks like it might be a bit dive-y, but it's cozy and colorful inside. The food was ready when I arrived. I ordered a veggie burrito with chipotle sauce and my fiance ordered a steak quesadilla. Less than 20 dollars later I was out the door. I got home and the food was still piping hot. I just have to mention how in love I am with their carry out containers. They're aluminum and about the size of pie dishes with a plain paper circle as a lid instead of your typical plastic. It's almost like you're opening a food present! Or maybe I just felt that way because I was so hungry lol. The burrito was huge - definitely enough for two meals (but it was so good I had to pull myself away from trying to eat in just one). I like that you get to pick your own sauce, when applicable. The chipotle was one of the hot sauces listed. It was good and had a nice kick to it without being overwhelmingly spicy. The fillings of the burrito tasted very fresh - definitely good quality ingredients. I'm not usually a huge rice fan but I was even impressed with the rice. I'm definitely hitting this little gem up again. Maybe I'll do it up eat-in style with a margarita in my hand next time ;)
(4)Puneet M.
Just as the review states, Ok not bad. We were in the area and we had a hankering for some Mexican food (which happens just about every day! lol) so we Yelped it and Bam Tampico came up. We checked the reviews and said lets go check it out :) Tampico is a decent sized place with a large bar area where you can watch sports, drink, and just hang out, but we came here to eat so we sat in the dining room area. As some of the other reviews have said, you def. get a down home diner feel, from the plastic table cloths to the old diner building that the restaurant is in. The menu is a pretty standard Mexican food menu, but the thing that sets them apart is their array of sauces. They have 6+ sauces that you can choose from when ordering. From very mild cream sauce to a hot (wasn't a bit of hot to me but I'm brown) pepper sauce. This makes each and every dish unique, a def. plus! We ordered two platters, 1. Super combo (Chicken Taco, enchilada and Taquito) $12 and two mushroom enchiladas$8. The food was decent, a bit over cooked and the chicken was slightly chewy.. but still flavorful. One thing we did notice was that everything seemed slightly over cooked, basically dried out. The Mushroom enchiladas I am told were good, but needed a good amount of extra sauce since they were slightly dried out. So over all the food was ok. Over cooked, and not as tasty as most other good mex. places. The highlights of the visit were 1. service (very quick and pleasant to talk to) and 2. the Chips and Salsa(Chips were nice and warm when they were brought out and the salsa tasty, fresh, and zesty) . So overall 2.5-3 stars, not horrible by any strain, but not great... Prob wouldn't go out of my way to try it again. Cheers Mates!
(3)Dawn R.
I was doing some work in Laurel and referred to my trusty Yelp iPhone app to find someplace good for lunch. I came across Tampico which was close by and had great reviews, so off I went! As some of the other reviewers have mentioned, the location looks like an old diner, so if you're not paying attention you may not notice it. The parking lot was kind of full when I arrived, so I was very surprised to find only a couple of tables filled when I got inside. I was seated relatively quickly, and my drink, chips and salsa were soon brought to the table. The chips were nice and fresh, not too greasy, but could have used a little more salt. The salsa was very good.....nice chunks of tomato, peppers, and onions and dark enough to have some heat to it without melting my tongue. I ordered some enchiladas and was surprised to learn they have six different sauces to choose from for them.....pretty cool! I decided on the ranchero sauce, and sat back with my book to wait while I listened to another patron's expletive laced rant about one of her co-workers. (Whoever Latonya is, she might want to be careful getting into her car after work, that's all I'm gonna say about that!) My enchiladas were a bit disappointing.....the ranchero sauce was too sweet, and there was entirely too much onion in the enchiladas. But the black beans and rice were good, so I'm hoping that their other menu items are better. I don't know if I'll go back to find out, but my advice to anyone else is to NOT get the enchiladas, and if you do, stay away from the ranchero sauce. But with my lunch coming to less than $7, I guess you get what you pay for.
(3)Ben A.
this place used to be really good. it seems to have gone downhill a little bit, in that they used to have really affordable specials that I was told they don't offer anymore. it's a shame, the service used to be wonderful. the guy would refill your soda which they don't seem to do anymore either. I don't know if they were just having a bad day, but after years of a good experience, my last visit there was a huge disappointment
(2)Kate T.
I LOVE Tampico! My family and I go here at least twice per month. The atmosphere is quaint and the servers are all very attentive. I don't know what in the world they do with their steak, but it is so wonderful I have to order it every time I go back. Chips are always fresh and their house-made hot sauce is a must!
(5)Rafael G.
Good food and service the place is too old and need of some tlc. Price are very reasonably.
(3)Amber B.
I really wanted to give this place a chance since it has a four star, not sure why. The service was not terrible like people stated. But the food was not appetizing. It did not taste like Mexican food, at all. Although the people are nice, I will have to pass.
(1)Jeff K.
By far our favorite Mexican place in all of Maryland. I highly recommend the fajitas. The chips and salsa are awesome. The rice is awesome. Love the green sauce on enchiladas. Service has never been disappointing. We've been there well over 20 times. Every time we go to a different Mexican restaurant we wonder why and feel like we are cheating.
(5)Mabel T.
This is quickly becoming one of my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants in the HoCo area! It's a great family-style diner complete with plastic tablecloths, multi-colored lighting, etc...but the atmosphere is so cozy. Must get their margaritas--my favorites are their classic and frozen mango. Every time I've had one it's got the right blend of tequila and sweetness. I've had their shrimp tacos, which were DEEE-LISH!! The shrimp was cold, nice and juicy mixed with some lime juice and greens and went really well with the room temperature tortillas. You get 3 reasonable-sized tacos with your order and sides. I was barely able to finish 2 of the tacos (probably because I had my fill of their homemade chips & salsa). Their chicken enchilada is also good and a HUGE portion. It also comes with sour cream and homemade guac and beans. Bottom line, you leave full and satisfied but without a huge dent in your wallet.
(4)Ivor E.
Great place to eat. Looks a littl run down from the outside. The food is fresh and delicious been here many times. If you are looking for some good tex mex food this is the spot to go. Friendly staff and timely service. My recommendation the tortilla soup one of the best I ever had!! Bartender told us he wasn't a real bar tender margarita was alright.
(4)Courtney C.
Carryout again! The basics: ask for corn tortillas with your soft tacos, the side of veggies are really good. The guacamole has avocado chunks in it and tastes fresh. Another successful meal.
(4)Tara B.
This is our go-to TexMex place. We come here at least once a month. Delicious food at quality prices. And the staff is always friendly. The place isn't much to look at but its great.
(5)Terri D.
"THIS IS THE BEST" is what I kept hearing my husband say while he was eating his carnitas. He doesn't usually get so excited about anything, but he did yesterday as we went there for a very fast lunch. I had the steak burrito and both dishes were served extremely fast and the best we have ever eaten! We were up there to see a play and only had a 1/2 hr to eat, so we couldn't really savor the food like it should have been. We will definitely find an excuse to head up there (60 miles) so we can eat there again! Highly recommend!!!!
(5)A. P.
Everything is homemade and delicious. The fajitas are amazing. The shrimp are large, plump, seasoned and cooked to perfection. The steak is tender. Try the limeade....it is refreshing on a hot day. This place should be packed, all day long. Cold Dos Equis on tap..... Free chips and salsa..... Always coupons in one of the Laurel Flyers and Tuesdays are Fajitas night!!!
(5)Jessica S.
My family and I have been patrons of this restaurant since it opened. It is owned by two brothers who are very friendly. The food is the best Tex-Mex I have ever had. Prices are amazing. You get a lot of food for your money. I have never been disappointment with anything we have ordered. You can dine in or carry out. Don't let the outside of the building sway you not to go in. Looks like a little old diner but the inside is clean. I recommend their taquitos, cheese steak (bell peppers, green peppers and onions), fajitas, queso, and salsa
(5)Julie G.
This place is excellent and a real surprise given the location and the look of the place. It's a secret great restaurant. Everything is fresh and the family that runs it is super courteous. We were regulars before we moved to southern California and believe it or not, I do miss it!
(4)David I.
Extremely disappointed with this place. It seems every time we go back, the service somehow manages to get worse. We've eaten here probably 5 or 6 times now. On all visits it was clear they needed more help in the main area, as the 1 waiter is running around like crazy (or nowhere to be seen) while tables are left waiting. On our most recent visit, it was us and one other group in the place. They had already been served food, so really it was just us. Our chips and salsa with drinks came quickly. We ordered our food, when suddenly 4 or 5 other tables walked in. Shouldn't be a problem, right? Well, roughly 40 minutes later (probably longer) we finally got our food. I was close to the point of having them charge us for our drinks and walking out. Such a shame, good food but really bad service. This is probably the last time we'll eat here.
(2)Louie B.
Amazing food! Amazing service!
(5)Dedrie S.
I have driven by this place so many times and wondered how it was. Tried it last night with a Restaurant.com gift certificate and we will definitely be going back. This will be our new spot for Mexican food in Laurel. All the previous reviews were accurate...it's clean and quiet, the service is a bit slow but the food is soooo worth it. I had the steak burrito and he had the Chimichanga. Both were very good the meat was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. It was way to much food we had to take to go boxes....and the price is AWESOME. We paid under twenty dollars for the food...we had to drink a bunch in order to spend the minimum $50 to use the gift certificate. The service was slow especially since the bar was empty but the food more than made up for it. The restaurant is also deathly quiet...no music, no TV...just the sound of people chewing lol. I will be back...this is a hidden gem in the heart of Laurel.
(4)Jeff P.
* I got a Groupon for here. We ate there on a Friday night. I got the El President. The food was pretty bad. The Enrichetta was small and had little taste. The Tamale was dry and stuck together. The Chicken Taco was like eating little squares of rubber. It was not very hot at all. The beans look like pork and beans. Not the dark pintos beans or re-fried bean you usually get. The cheese sauce was not very good either. The service was fine, and the Margarita was great but way too small. If I go back there I will just drinks and eat some chips, like I did the last time I was there on Main Street Festival Day. There are many more better Mexican restaurants in Laurel.
(1)pureflusher P.
We got this on a groupon. We were a little mad at first becouse it took about 45 minutes for a food to get there. Once the food got there it made our frowns turn upside down:) The food is great! you can tell everything is homemade. Only 4 stars becouse the wait needs to be improved. Update: the service has gotten a lot better. Going 5 stars now!!
(5)Lew O.
Overall, this is a dive bar with surprisingly good food that suffers from some problems. One problem I noticed that my queso dip was spoiled: it had a foul aftertaste and shouldn't have been served to customers. The other problem is that the bar area had the stink of a poorly maintained frat house, specifically like unmopped alcohol and vomit. Considering these two observations, I'm sure that the kitchen is disgusting. The steak burrito I ordered was good: the meat was grilled nicely, the overall portion size was big, and the sides were nice: sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and rice. I saw some other customers being served a grilled shrimp dish that was very well prepared. The restaurant was moderately busy. The prices were not unreasonable, but should be lower considering that the restaurant is so dirty. The quickest alternative to this place is Toucan Taco, which is a shabbier venue that serves crappier food and is somewhat more expensive. Farther south on Baltimore Avenue is Paraiso, which is much better than Tampico Grill.
(2)Janelle M.
Tampico is a little restaurant in north Laurel, that, had it not been for stellar Yelp reviews, we likely never would have found, or tried. And we would have missed out on a great neighborhood gem. Tampico has become our standard go-to for Mexican food. It's very close to our house, and even better, just a block away from the Laurel MARC station. The chips and salsa that come to the table within seconds of sitting down are good, and also fresh. Their salads are good (the cilantro lime dressing is AWESOME), their flautas are fantastic. My husband has ordered the fish tacos, which he loved. Tampico had no problem at all putting together a custom kids plate for our little finicky eater, and she is more than happy to come back anytime too. The decor is kitschy and dated, but since you're not there to eat the sombrero on the wall, who cares? The food is great, the beer is cold (though the beer options aren't exactly plentiful), the servers are attentive.
(4)Jamie D.
Visited.. 10/27/12-My friend and I decided to grab lunch and catch up. Very yummy good. We both enjoyed the taco salad, which was very big and yummy. Both of us did not finish even half of the salad, go for the small size! The que o was very warm and good, would return here again!!!
(4)Eric H.
Excellent fresh Tex-Mex in a family-owned restaurant. If you are tired of the chain Tex-Mex wrecks, Tampico Grill is the real deal. Freshly prepared, authentic Tex-Mex in a relaxed atmosphere make for a great experience. Their prices are quite reasonable, and local coupons abound, making TG an even better deal. You can order burritos and enchiladas with a choice of sauces, and their Mole is very good. My favorite is their Grilled Mahi-Mahi Taco, served on soft tacos with onions, pico and guac on the side and chipotle mayonnaise. For a refreshingly non-alcoholic drink, try their carbonated limeade. The place is also kid-friendly, and my 5-year-old loves their cheese quesadillas. I like supporting local, family-owned businesses and Tampico Grill is one of the best.
(4)Tracey b.
I love this place. I always get the tacos and they never disapoint. Very good prices too.....
(5)David M.
Tampico Grill, Laurel What happened to my review??? Maybe I wrote it on another review site and just thought I posted it here. Oh well, I came in to update the review details and bump up its stars anyway. I've seen this place change over the years since say... 2006? It starting for me as a kind of Medium place that my friends liked but which I was less enthused about, then it improved to the point I actually liked it. Then it became annoyingly inconsistent before going downhill to the point I began calling ahead to ask if it was still there. Finally in summer 2011, shortly after I posted my review which is now missing, it suddenly got its act together and became both superb and consistent. Understand, there is nothing about the appearance of this place, inside or out, to suggest it ever could be superb, but unless you go in there looking for good coffee (ugh!) you won't be disappointed. If you do want good coffee, go one block South to the Tastee Diner. I personally tend to order the Steak Fajitas and a large Guacamole, and not much else, personally but sometimes I'll beg a sample of whatever one of my friends is raving about. As far as I know, nobody has ever complained about anything there (except the coffee). I think I'll make a point of talking to the manager about that so I can take that disclaimer out of this review. As I tend to say any time I'm talking about any of my three favorite Mexican Restaurants, my three favs are This one, the LaPalapa in Ellicott City, and the LaPaz in Frederick. It isn't even so much a matter of favorites as much as where I happen to be at the time. The Lapaz has the best ambience, service, salsa and mixed drinks, the La Palapa has the best desserts and Steak Fajitas that are unlike those anywhere else, and... What does the Tampico have going for it?? Oh, right! Of the three it is the most convenient for myself and my friends while still actually being better than most any other convenient Mexican restaurant *and* I don't need to make special arrangements in advance like I need to for some other places. There's actually a fourth Mexican place I reviewed here which I like very much, the Cancun Grill. Unlike this place it has some annoying issues which require me to plan ahead days in advance so that they can accommodate us. It's worth it I suppose, but its not what I'd call convenient. The Tampico is easy, pleasant and as good for a cozy first date as it is for a large group. PS: There is a popular misconception that this restaurant is "attached" to the motel behind it. It is a completely separate entity. The reason for the confusion is that when the motel was a Howard Johnson's, this was its diner. Times change.
(5)Richard H.
I was swayed by the good reviews here, but as soon as I walked in the place, I knew what I was in for. The chips were stale, the salsa bland. I ordered a bunch of things a la carte to get a feel for the place. I have to admit I liked the guacamole, very fresh. The hard shell taco was not bad, but not good either. The chile relleno was inedible (literally). The enchilada was hard from overcooking, and it came with the world's worst mole sauce. Half my food (including all of the chile relleno) was on my plate when I left. If you want decent Tex-Mex, go to the R&R Taqueria up the road, or Azul 17 in Columbia.
(2)Hoyt H.
This is the best Mexican food I've had on the east coast. So much better than the usual franchise food. We've tried many of the entrees and they've all been great. You get to choose which sauce you want them cooked in (my favorites are the chipotle and green sauce). Good chips and salsa as well. Tasty margaritas and friendly service too.
(5)Mark D.
First timers; we stopped in for a late Sunday lunch. We were quickly seated and the waiter was attentitive. Chips were fresh, the salsa excellent, and the guacamole tasty. I had a beef burrito stuffed with grilled steak which seemed to be cooked on a wood fire. My wife ordered "El Presidente", a combo that included a superbly authentic tamale. We will definitely be back - it was one of the best Mexican meals we've ever eaten.
(4)Toya D.
One of Laurel's best kept secrets, Tampico Grill is an excellent hole-in-the-wall for Tex-Mex. Great for Carry Out or dine in. The bar area is cool, too and equipped with a few (small) TVs. Piping hot food, ice cold beverages, affordable meal deals and friendly staff. The free warm chips and fresh salsa are a good touch. $15 goes far here.
(4)Nick C.
Nothing fancy, just great Mexican food. It has all the staples and some surprises (steak and cheese?). The best thing on the menu - and I kid you not - is the plain chicken taco. It's grilled and flavorful in a way that chicken tacos typically aren't. Also, some fantastic carnitas that are really citrusy served with peppers.
(4)Phong N.
I usually order carry out. The steak fajitas and steak burritos are good
(4)Joshua S.
i work in Laurel on 198 but i live in baltimore. theres so many little local places where i work that i try to try something new everyday for lunch. tuesday it was time to ty Tampico grill. with the help of Yelp.com users and one of my co workers i set off having no idea what to get and once i saw there menu it was even tougher to decide. after about 20 mins of reading the entire menu and salivating i decided to try the carnitas with chipotle sauce on the side. the chips and dip that were deliver to the table before dinner were great, mainly the fresh salsa. the carnitas were so moist and flavorful and were HEAVENLY with the chipotle mayo and chipotle sauce on the side :) the reason i gave Tampico 3 starts as opposed to 4 was the service was not very friendly. not bad enough to complain but def worth mentioning (maybe my server was having a rough day??). the second turn off for me was that i had to swat away a few flies so they would not touch my food during most of the time I was eating. overall I would recommend this place for take out, at least for your first trip so that you will fall in love with the food.
(3)Mike R.
Was looking for a Mexican place to satisfy my after drinking craving, decided to check it out because of the reviews on Yelp. It's decent Mexican food, like others have said it's OK, not bad. I tried the chicken burrito with the "hot" (pepper) sauce, it wasn't hot at all. Chicken was good, solid flavor, good guacamole. I also got a steak taco, it was good, like real good. My BFF got the Chicken barbacoa and she loved it. I had a little of her and I agree. So while this ins't AWESOME Mexican, it is passable and will satisfy your taste.
(3)El V.
We visited with a large party of 18. Service was fantastic for such a big group. I had a combo platter. Really good well seasoned meat. yummy pinto beans. great salsa. Definitely going back. Perfect for a big group.
(4)Bekki H.
Tampico is awesome! The food is fantastic--with great options for vegetarians as well. They serve Mexican (or as they call it Tex-Mex) food as well as some American standards (like burgers). It is a hole in the wall, it is a bit of a dive, but so what? The food is delicious. It is reasonably priced and the portions are generous. The staff is really friendly and they have a decent bar. We eat there all the time and I'm constantly recommending it to people. My husband and I are both vegetarians (not vegan), so we typically get a veggie burrito, or black bean and cheese, or enchiladas, or portabello fajita, or a few other menu items that they will gladly make with black beans or veggies instead of meat.
(5)Viv J.
This place was good but not the best. I had the Sampler and it was tasty. One draw back, was the server Jackie. She was not that attentive to our party. We had to ask for stuff twice such as salsa, refills, and hot sauce. Which was surprising because it wasn't that busy! If you want AWESOME MEXICAN, I would recommend Chapala which is off of 198. The food, atmosphere, and service is much better.
(2)Andrea H.
Favorite Tex-mex food around. I heard about this place when I was in High School. One of my classmates his parents owned the place. My mom loves is and first took me there a few years ago. Its so good always. The beef you usually would think would be ground beef but no its steak and the meat is always grilled soo good. My boyfriend doesnt really like mexi food but I took him here and guess what... he really really enjoyed it!
(5)Angela M.
I'll admit, I would have overlooked this place and being that Laurel really isn't my regular stomping ground I may never have come here. One night after a show at the Venus Theatre, just a stone's throw away, the cast giggled down the street to have margaritas and to unwind. I became ridiculously excited by the fact that they have a jukebox in the bar, just because I love having control over the music, but alas 'twas broken. They were kind enough to refund me my dollar. Really, the inside is very plain, but because they lack being pretentious, the prices are quite nice. We got a pitcher of margaritas, chips and salsa and I had the wings. Those wings were really good. I'd fancy some of those wings right now (yeah, I'm putting that word into rotation again) but it's not likely I'll have them until I'm in Laurel again. They were beautifully seasoned, crunchy and spicy - for those of you that eat things that walk. The warm, fresh chips were offered with heavily-onioned salsa, but since I like raw onion, the large chunks did not bother me at all. Tampico wasn't really busy at all, granted we were there at 9:30pm on a Saturday, but they do sell liquor... I had a good time and the service was polite. I recommend.
(4)Mikia C.
This was my first time trying food from this place. My parents came to visit from out of town and I had the bright suggestion to try Tampico Grill. The food was such a disappointment, I don't know where to begin. I had the cheese enchilada meal with black beans, spanish rice, sour cream, and guacamole. The enchilada was an overcooked hard mess. The black beans and spanish rice were tasteless. The guacamole brown bland goop. The best part of the meal was the sour cream. I should have had an inkling of how bad the food must have been when I came around the corner and saw my dear dad sitting at the table holding his head as he tried to eat his tilapia fillet. My mother had the chicken enchilada and seconded how overcooked, actually hers looked downright burnt, it was. Also, I was looking forward to enjoying creamy queso goodness, but was greeted by a runny, soupy, sour, orange concotion that literally made me gag. They forgot my ranchera sauce (I loooove condiments) after the lady I placed my order with over the phone hyped this sauce to no end. Well, as awful as all the food was, the ranchera sauce was probably just as bad. Save your palate and your money.
(1)Rhonda S.
Dang it, I hate it when I can only give 2 stars, but just as the description says " meh, I've had better". I've had better food, chips, guac etc at chipotle. Will not be back.
(2)Jul A.
Is not fancy but their food is good and reasonable price. Excellent Guacamole and Carnitas!
(4)Sheena C.
This place is really good. Not a fancy place, more casual but the food was super flavorful and quite good. Went on a Saturday afternoon and almost no one was there so got served quickly. Service was good and food was great. No complaints.
(4)Mei-ye J.
Tampico has pretty good food. The restaurant itself is very modest and the service can be slow, but it makes up for that in the taste of their food, the bargain prices, the friendly employees, and clean restrooms. I've enjoyed all the items my friends and I've ever ordered in the two times we've visited. I think if the owner would spend some money on overhead and marketing this could definitely be a hotter spot.
(3)Candace M.
As Carrie B. suggested, the prices are a bargain here. I initially decided to give this spot a try after I received a coupon in the mail for Tampico. Four of us ventured there with a 20% off your bill coupon. The four of us ate different entrees and we were all very happy with our food. Our bill came to $40 after the coupon - which is a steal for 4 dinners!!! The only thing that I'll mention is that it does seem like it takes a while to get your food - and there's hardly ever anyone in the restaurant Thats it ... thats my one mini-complaint about Tampico. Everything else - great.
(4)Matt S.
A nIce, family friendly, family run mexican restaurant. We've been going here for years. We love the food, the service, and the prices. It is very casual. We recommend the house lime dressing, very refreshing. We've also been happy with the LimeAid and Margaritas. Note: when they say beef, they don'y mean ground beef, they mean steak! Yum.
(4)K. S.
This place has the best fajitas in town.Those alone are what keep me coming back. I've tried the chicken, steak, and carnitas, and they are all excellent. Only other thing I've ever had there was a burrito, which was also delicious. The service is always great, and the staff is friendly. The decor is pretty plain, although with Christmas lights turned on year-round and a red and green interior, it seems they really like Christmas. Only disappointment so far: the chips are pretty tasteless and the salsa is overly garlicky. But alas, the chips and salsa are free, so it's no big deal. Overall, I like this place and will continue to come back.
(5)Amber W.
Shrimp tacos were good!
(3)KELSEY V.
My husband and I stumbled upon this place last Saturday and were very impressed. I had the veggi burrito with ranchero sauce, rice and beans and it was excellent. My husband got the "El Presidente" and loved his as well. We went back on Sunday morning for breakfast and had juevos rancheros. I can't wait to go back again. This place will make you forget all about Don Pablos.
(5)De T.
I love this place. . .the margaritas are awesome! The food is yummy! The service is always great! Never had a bad meal there. The only thing I wish is that I lived closer by so I could eat there more often! iViva de Tampico!
(5)P B.
My friend and I were looking for a good food and decided to support a local "mom and pop" eatery and found Tampico. We were greeted by a very friendly young man with a smile. We were seated quickly, the restaurant was very clean and had nice piped in music. The food was so FRESH and delicious! The fries were nice and crunchy and the amount of food was a great quality for the price. I look forward to coming back and bringing others with me.
(4)Robin S.
All I can say is yummy, but the service sucks!
(2)Whats In A N.
Not much better than a taco bell and certainly not any cleaner. The inside had a funky sort of moldy smell and the meat was very dried-out in the tacos. It's sad if this is one of the better Mexican (or "Tex-Mex") in the area. On the plus side: The service was good and the prices weren't too high.
(2)Carrie B.
This place may not be much to look at (it kind of resembles an old photo hut?) but they have FANTASTIC Mexican cuisine! The staff is very friendly and attentive with limitless chips and salsa and refills of beverages. Every time I have come here, I have ordered something different and I've never been disappointed. The food is not at all greasy as some Mexican fare tends to be and they have a menu of sauces to choose from to top off your entree - all very good! The prices here are a bargain too. I highly recommend!!
(5)Mrs A J.
I don't get all the 5 stars. I am being generous with a 1. Def not the best I've had. Maybe Tex mex in the area is lacking. Would go again for fajitas only-but most likely NOT. Queso was awful. Salsa and chips subpar. Rice overcooked. Maybe had we come earlier in night food would have been better...
(1)Dave L.
One of the few Living Social offers that has led me to come back to. Never had a bad meal there and when you think about it,that is a huge compliment. Try it ....you will not be disappointed.
(5)Nicholas N.
Good food great service and happy hour deals! How does a mexican restaurant have such great chicken wings!! Haha loved them. Clean fun environment.
(4)