La Sandia Tysons Corner Center La Sandia

La Sandia

Tysons Corner Center
7852L Tysons Corner Ctr. (Rte. 7)
McLean, VA 22102
Map
Cuisine: Mexican
Splashy and raucous, La Sandia pitches its message to a youngish crowd looking for brimming margaritas and stuffed burritos.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner daily

Features

  • Parking garage
  • Dress code: Casual
  • Full bar
  • Reservations suggested


La Sandia Restaurant Review:


Glitzy, noisy and modern Mexicano, Richard Sandoval’s Northern Virginia eatery (he also owns DC’s Zengo and the two El Centro D.F. locations) serves not an upscale rendition of classical Mexican fare or even an experimental take on Tex-Mex eats. The menu stays put in familiar territory: think nachos and shrimp quesadilla appetizers, and fajitas and chiles rellenos for entrées. Two offbeat dishes are the chicken mole, an updated version of the turkey-based original, and the pork carnitas, with the meat bathed in its own hot fat and the sides of guacamole and beans forgettable. Perhaps the best bet is the queso fundido appetizer, a blend of three cheeses with the option of mushroom or chorizo add-ins. The margaritas are good, the caipirinhas not so. For shoppers on the run, the restaurant offers a Vamonos Express Lunch that includes the choice of a starter, soup or half-portion-size salad from the featured menu, plus the choice of an entrée.