Austin Grill

Austin Grill, the place where you go in for some fajitas and tacos, get two grande margaritas and 20 mins later…$ 60! Say wha!!! Lol! We didn’t realize that the grande drinks were so expensive. I’ve always liked AG, love the chips and salsa, and their food is pretty good for Tex-​Mex.
This place seems to always be happening on the weekends and a good place to watch the games on Sunday as well. I’ve heard that this location might be closing soon? Not sure if it’s just a rumor or if it really is going to close. I think that if they do close they should throw a huge parte’! Just saying.

What an insult to tex mex food. I’ve come here once for lunch and it was mediocre… pretty sure taco bell had more seasoning to their tacos than here. The rest of the times I’ve come here was when Buffalo Wild Wings was so packed than we’d come here to drink while waiting for B dubs to clear out for the next game. Their chips taste stale and their salsa is too salty… pass

This location is closing in 3 weeks! Get your fix now!
I swear I am cursed. Every AG that I frequent ends up closing.
Its going to be an American Tap Room :(

Austin, we have a problem and it’s their new menu.
Fish tacos: For starters, it’s served on a flour tortilla. Hello, ever hear of corn? The fish was tilipia and there was so little on both tacos that I had to move the fish from one to make a regular size taco. The fish was dry and unflavorful.
Texas Brisket: Hint: get the sauce on the side. The meat was tender, but dry. It didn’t have the smokiness that I was looking for and it definitely lacked the ring on the brisket itself letting you know that this meat was cooked properly. You just can’t rush a good brisket.
Chicken Avocado Sandwich: The avocado makes the sandwich a moist delight especially with the garlic aioli. Hint: get some extra on the side for the twice fried fries that are quite addictive. The chicken itself gets a rub that if rubbed too much makes the sandwich a heat storm that can stay with you if you don’t like spicy.
Drinks: Jalapeño Margarita… too sweet. Keep it simple.
Austin Grill has a lot of changes to their menu and drinks in the past few years alone and though the atmosphere is still great… the food should go back to the drawing board and make it more authentic to the heart of Austin and it’s varied cultural influences.

Not. So. Much.
When your better choice is Buffalo Chicken Wings you have to start questioning whether it is time to revamp your menu and introduce something that has fresh ingredients and does not taste or appear like it has sat in the fridge for a week in grease.

The food gets 1 star, but the atmosphere gets 3 stars. There was a rock band playing, which was cool. My quesadillas were a bit dry and the Longhorn nachos were not very good.

Hooray! Apparently they must have noticed their old menu wasn’t doing them justice and they actually brought back some of the old items and created a bigger menu again. The margaritas are still great. Their queso appetizer is amazing too!
This place is definitely a tex-​mexy-​type place, NOT a traditional mexican restaurant. If you’re expecting that, you wont be happy.
They do live bands on some nights that I always see advertised, but i’ve never been there on one of those nights.
All in all, we’d visit here again — which is a big improvement since the last review i did of this place.

Not a fan of meglo-​conglom restaurant chains… blah blah blah. You don’t need to hear the spiel again, but I will say, Austin Grill surprised me!
The weather was glorious and my husband and I wanted a quick and simple meal with lots of fruity booze in an nice outdoor setting. We didn’t feel like driving into Bethesda and deal with parking, so we came to the Rockville Town Center. As we walked by the Austin Grill, we noticed that a few of the outside tables were empty.
The hostess quickly seats us, and within moments our server shows up to take our drink order. Note — came to take our drink order. Not bring us water, not recite the day’s specials with the same enthusiasm as a 6^th grader giving an oral report on Life in the Colonies. Take our drink order. Clearly, a server that knows her bones!
Quickly our drinks came out with chips and waters. Only after we have had a chance to get a deep gulp of our beverages did our server take our order. She was clearly tired and frazzeled, but even still, she took our order with a smile, and throughout our meal, she made sure to check up on us a few times.
As for the food… well, it is what it is. I had the steak fajita, which was «OK», but nothing spectacular. Still, it did hit the spot, and we really were looking for a quick and relaxing meal, which Austin Grill definitely delivered.

NITTY GRITTY:
I recently met some co-​workers at Austin Grill for happy hour. We arrived on a Friday around 4:30 and were able to put two bar tables together for our group without a problem. The happy hour specials were $ 4 on select draft beer, margaritas and rail drink along with $ 3 on select apps. Needless to say we all indulged in a number of libations at a cheap rate, but I highly recommend double checking the select drinks as my friend mistakenly ordered multiple margaritas that were $ 13 each. By the time we left a live band, present on most Fridays, was setting up.
I stuck to beer for the night (Shiner Bock draft), but was able to taste the margaritas that were ordered at the table. The frozen strawberry swirl was visually appealing and blended well for a nice taste. The pomegranate margarita was also big on taste and, most importantly, alcohol: P. One of the managers was nice enough to buy our table (seven people) a round of shooters. Another manager checked in with us a couple of times as well.
We ordered wings, quesadillas and taquitos, which took quite a while to come out considering the restaurant wasn’t busy. I don’t often do wings, but I sampled them. They had a dry rub on them that was somewhat bland and the meat was fairly dry – the overall taste was just okay. The chicken quesadillas already come with pico de gallo inside, so be sure to special order if you don’t like it. I was disappointed to see that the dressings did not include guacamole, but it did come with sour cream and lettuce dressings. I suppose I shouldn’t expect too much because it was, afterall, only an appetizer. The chicken taquitos were surprisingly tasty. They had a nice crispy, soft exterior and the stuffing well seasoned. It was weird having mashed potatoes contained in the stuffing, but it definitely worked. If you don’t like soft textured/​somewhat mushy foods skip this app. We stayed long enough for dinner and I had split the grilled skirt steak burrito with a friend. It wasn’t anything spectacular, but it did it’s job. It was paired with a side of rice that was a bit dry, but I’m Filipino so I’m partial to sticky rice.
Austin Grill is a proud supporter of the Washington Capitals, so I was surprised to see that the game against Ottawa was not on the biggest screen. I understand that it is March Madness, but when you’re a self-​proclaimed sponsor of a team I’d hope that you would play said teams game on the main screen. I had asked to have a secondary television near our table changed, but was told that it was hooked up to/​also controlled a television upstairs. We were still able to watch the game behind the bar with obstructions here and there.
LONG & SHORT: This is a franchise tex-​mex place (see also TGIFs, Applebees, Ruby Tuesdays and the likes). With that said, can you go there for a standard meal – yes; should you expect a gourmet meal with all the bells and whistles – no. For what is is, Austin Grill is a decent place to go for a low-​key night with friends. The food and drinks were slow to come out, but the servers (bartenders, waiters and managers) were all very nice.

I so didn’t want to lunch here, Americanized Tex-​Mex makes me leery. Once I saw the crazy paint scheme that conjured images of the Taco Bell chihuahua puking rainbows on the walls, I was ready to turn around and walk back out. But no, I’m a good sport. Looked at the cute winter window gels, watched the people go by the Christmas tree in the square across the way, and gave it a try. Don’t judge a restaurant by its décor, right?
We shoved two smaller tables together so we could both sit on the banquette. Chips and salsa came out immediately; chips were fresh and gently salted, salsa was a bit more watery than I like but had a good consistency thanks to some purée mixed in with the dice. I think we mowed through two baskets while we waited for our food. Robert provided excellent service, he was helpful and friendly without being intrusive. Great with the kid at the next table too, even if his mother accurately compared her own child to a runaway bull.
I ordered the tacos al carbon. Patrick opted for the roadhouse burrito, and asked if he could get it with avocado. We were pleasantly surprised when they delivered a fresh avocado, sliced on a side plate; not what we had intended, but certainly proof that it hadn’t been pulled from prep work hours earlier. My tacos came wrapped in foil, and I was a little surprised there were only two instead of three. The accompaniments all tasted fresh, and the grilled skirt steak was cut into reasonably short strips with just a hint of gristle here and there. Rice and beans were pretty standard, ho hum.
Neither of us are dessert people, but Robert snuck up on us with the giant tray of plasticized dessert models. Vaguely repulsive since the a la mode items looked garnished with scoops of mashed potatoes frozen in time, instead of really simulating ice cream. But the twin towers of fried cheesecake made us stare at each other in curious fascination, and we caved to the impulse. Not bad, the cheesecake is molded into a puff pastry sheet, which is rolled up like a skinny burrito and fried. It went well with the sliced strawberry, piping of whipped cream, scoop of ice cream, and generous drizzle of caramel.
Two and a half stars. Not a place I’d return to visit specifically but I was pleasantly surprised to not hate it.

Husband and I came here because we were running errands in Rockville, and I had purchased a Groupon certificate a while back.
We were seated immediately, and received prompt beverage and chips and salsa service. I usually am not a fan of blended salsa (vs. chunky salsa) but this was good stuff. It was not runny or watery, it was still a thick consistency. It actually had a bit of a kick to it, which was a nice surprise. Those blended salsas can be so dang bland. We were pleasantly surprised by the chips too, because they were crisp and did not taste like they came out of a bag.
We ordered the Chicken Taquitos, which have chicken, cheese, and GARLIC MASHED POTATOES in them. What is this? Why was I not informed about this? I have since concluded that everything should be stuffed with garlic mashed potatoes, and that’s an order.
I had the Austin Chicken Sandwich which was really fresh and actually homemade tasting. French fries were perfectly cooked for my taste.
Scott had the Steak Burrito, which he enjoyed, but perhaps had too many beans for his taste. That’s also a tough sell, because his heart lies with Guapo’s when it comes to Mexican.
I wanted to get the full Austin Grill picture, so we ordered the pie of the day, which was Tres Leches. You heard that right – pie of the day. They have re-​imagined the traditional Tres Leches into a homemade pie. The server informed me that it was made in house that morning. I kind of view supporting house-​made desserts the same as supporting local artists. I will pay more for something local and «handmade,» but the $ 6.50 might be about $ 1 too high. The taste was of Tres Leches, although obviously the consistency was different. The crust was homemade and flaky, although a little thick on the bottom. Not too sweet, good dessert.
The manager delivered our appetizer, and she noticed that I was Unilocaling. She stopped by a few more times to make sure we were OK, and to give me a «Rewards Club» card. For every $ 100 you spend, you get $ 15. That’s a pretty cool deal. $ 100 in things stuffed with mashed potatoes so I can buy $ 15 more of things stuffed with mashed potatoes? No problem.
Food spillage? Iced tea down the front :-(

I had read many of the so-​so reviews of Austin Grill in Rockville, and was almost scared off. I had been many times to the location on Wisconsin Ave in DC, and liked it a lot. Because we wanted to do movie & Mex, have drinks before and not worry about a DUI, and the fact that I had gotten a $ 45 parking ticket when I was ONE MINUTE OVER THE METER, and a mediocre meal the last time I went to Bethesda and Uncle Julio’s, I was game to try Rockville and the Austin Grill
I made a reservation online, which they had when I arrived. We were seated w no wait and the place was clean. I was a little disappointed that there is no door to separate the kitchen’s neon lights from the dining area, but other than that, the seating was Tex Mex as expected; not elegant, but functional. Nicer than the last «real» tex-​mex I went to in October 2010 in AUSTIN, TX, Juan in A Million, one of Austins own top Mexican restaurants. The place looked and felt real.
I love black beans, even average ones are much better than any re-​fried beans. I ordered Carnita’s tacos and my date ordered steak tacos. My date and I both substituted black beans for red w no prob or price. Speaking of price it was $ 9.95 each and both meals were great. The carnitas were sweet, and had a barbeque flavor; they were unique! Pico de gayo was fresh, the plate had sour cream and a decent guacomole. Tortillas were hot and fresh, even the salsa was spicy and fresh. It had been refrigerated and was colder than I liked, but it was really good. The portions were just perfect; really couldn’t have eaten any more. Our server, Alex, was hospitable; the manager came by and inquired twice about our satisfaction.
We had parked in the garage underneath (only $ 1 after 630 pm!) As we walked back to the garage after the movie, we decided to go for one more drink back at Austin Grill. There was a band playing 80s favs (no cover charge) and we had one more drink, listened to tunes for about an hour seated at the bar. The bar area was crowded, but the 30ish crowd was friendly. It is no smoking of course. The second set of wait staff we saw were young, friendly, offered more chips and that spicy salsa and made us (two 60+ boomers) feel very
a younger crowd. I had two great visits and would recommend it w/​o hesitation.

When the first Austin Grill opened in Glover Park in the early 1990s everyone loved it. It was novel and the food was GOOD. As the chain expanded in DC the commitment to interesting and well-​prepared food seems to have gone downhill. We went to the one in Bethesda several times. The margaritas were always good, but the food was mediocre and the service choppy… so we transferred our mexican loyalty to Rio Grand (where the food is always consistently good, not great).
After several years we made another foray to an Austin Grill — this time in Rockville.
Not. Going. Back.
Server was unskilled and slow. Drinks were slow to come and disappointing and unimpressive for $ 12. One of the meals was not even room temperature and took over fifteen minutes to be returned to the table… by that time most of us were done. Drinks were forgotten, no refills, etc.
A hugely disappointing experience. Adiós.

All I have to say is:
Every Tuesday Kids Eat FREE! If you want my business Rockville– those are magical words.
If I had 2 kids, I’d be here EVERY Tuesday because they offer TWO kids meals for every ONE adult entrée purchased. Yeah– you heard me right.
The happy hour is only at the bar, but whatever! Just grab it at the bar and head back to your seat! ;p
Work it Mommies! ;p
I really don’t like Tex Mex food– so for me its about live music, appetizers, kids meals, and margaritas! Olé!

It’s a chain. If you’re expecting Rick Bayless, move on.
That being said, I came here with a LARGE group and they were more than accommodating. Food and drinks were brought out at the same time (gold star for that!), and the servers checked on us an appropriate number of times.
The ambiance is very Applebees/​TGIFridays, but c’est la vie.
I ordered the cheese enchiladas. Were they the best I’ve had in my life? Hell no. Did they do the trick during a lunch hour birthday lunch? Sure. My only complaint is the menu says you get salsa, sour cream and guacamole on the side, but when the plate arrived, there was less than a teaspoon of each. To me, that’s an absurdly skimpy portion, but oh well.

Ok, so I used to tolerate my husband’s occasional Austin Grill cravings. It’s text mex, there are veggie options, decent drinks and we can walk to it. But then, someone at Austin Grill decided to change the menu and make everything worse.
No more mix and match items. No more included drink menu (I liked trying different margaritas!) I never liked it, but the food has actually gotten worse! The beans and rice served with everything are pretty nasty and they stopped selling fried cheesecake. The service is SLOW. When there’s a live band you’re like «oh boy! A live band!» but it’s WAY too loud to eat in there with friends when a band is playing.
In conclusion, there are about 20 better options in Rockville town square, go to one of them instead.

This place is significantly less crowded than G.B. is for happy hour — so it’s nice to be able to grab a chair and relax. The only other thing that keeps me coming back is their quesadillas! I wasn’t expecting such wonderfully delicious quesadillas here — but they’re actually pretty darn good! Nothing else on the menu really stands out for me, but quesadillas and a couple of drinks — and happy hour at Austin Grill has done as well.

When you have to ASK for chips and salsa, as the bartender is serving your lunch entrée…
completely unacceptable.
Business must be slow, as I was given a frequent visitor card… buy 5 meals at the bar, and the 6^th is free. Not sure one free meal is worth five sub-​par dining experiences.

I came here for lunch and it was practically empty. The chips and salsa that came out first were really salty and wasn’t very good. I ordered the carne asada medium and it was very chewy and tough. The service was so so and they didn’t have any lunch specials other than a hamburger or chicken sandwich. Overpriced for lunch and I didn’t think the food here was good enough that I would give it another chance.

Been here twice. Only reason I came back was because Gordon Biersch was too crowded. The first time our service was horrid. Took forever and the food was mostly cold when it arrived. The burrito my sister ordered was 70% lettuce and tomatoes.
The 2^nd time, I sat at the bar to watch the Redskins game and the food was still mediocre at best. The prices for beers is a bit odd, since some that would normally be cheap were more expensive. Weird. Anyway, i wouldn’t touch this place again