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Guardado's: Restaurant Reviews

4918 Del Ray Ave, Bethesda, MD 20814-2512
301-986-4920
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Ranked #14 of 190 restaurants in Bethesda
Price range: $10 - $15
Cuisines: Latin, Spanish, Tapas, Salvadoran
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Restaurant details
Good for: Families with children
Dining options: Reservations, Dessert
Dining style: Casual Dining
Cross street: Old Georgetown RD
Transit: ride-on 34
Description: Guardado's serves up authentic, flavorful dishes from Spain and Latin America, in a casual and inviting atmosphere, in the heart of Bethesda, Maryland. We now offer Brunch on Sundays Chef Nicolas Guardado and his wife Reyna opened Guardado's Restaurant in 2007. Guardado brought with him a wealth of experience, rising through the ranks at local-area tapas restaurant Jaleo to a seasoned head chef. Now, he is infusing that knowledge into his own restaurant, as well as adding some popular Latin American entrees and some traditional dishes from his native Salvadorean background to Guardado's extensive menu. The menu ranges from robust entrees to tasty tapas to delectable desserts. Notable recommendations include Gambas al Ajillo, Papas Fritas, Pimientos del Piquillo, Tilapia y Camarones, and Paella Valenciana, to name only a few. Daily specials for lunch and dinner let you sample the mouth-watering cuisine from Spain to countries in Central and South America, at affordable.
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35 reviews from our community

88% Recommend
    18
    13
    4
    0
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Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
There are newer reviews for Guardado's
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Virginia Beach, Virginia
Senior Contributor
47 reviews 47 reviews
29 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 17 cities Reviews in 17 cities
84 helpful votes 84 helpful votes
“Excellent tapas”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 12, 2012 via mobile

When ever we visit someplace new we always try to eat at a locally owned establishment. Looking for good tapas we decided to give Guardado's a try. The place is a cozy little place and looks like it could have been imported from Central or South America. On street parking is threadbare, but there is a public parking garage directly across the street.

The hostess was most accommodating and seated us promptly. Within minutes of being seated our waiter was right there to take drink orders and offering suggestions. I must say he was spot on with the golden margaritas as they we delicious and potent. Everything on the menu looked great and we settled for the vieras y portabelos. The scallop was pan seared perfectly, the shroom was huge and the basil oil was perfect. The carne a la parrilla was a large cut of tender meat covered in a delicious sauce. It was large enough for small eaters to eat as a meal. The highlight was the pulpo a la gallega. Oh my how they got the octopus so incredibly tender. The potatoes frita was also done well, but the octopus was so good that even my wife who was not a fan of it is now converted.

My hats off to Guardados, they have an excellent staff and incredible tapas. We will most certainly be back on our next visit.

    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 5 of 5 stars Food
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Rockville, Maryland
Senior Reviewer
10 reviews 10 reviews
7 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 5 cities Reviews in 5 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
“They Did It Again!!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed October 9, 2012 via mobile

We had Guardado's cater our granddaughter's baptism and, boy, they did another fantastic job! It was such a special day and Reyna and her daughter were wonderful! Again, absolutely delicious foods and Sangria. Thank you AGAIN:-)

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Maryland
Senior Contributor
21 reviews 21 reviews
13 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 12 cities Reviews in 12 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
“Terrific Tapas”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 2, 2012 via mobile

My husband and I have eaten several times at Guardado's and on each occasion came away happy and overfed. We've only eaten from the Tapas menu but that's what we were there for. We've been disappointed in a few of our choices but these are the stars for us: mussels (ask for extra bread and don't let them take the dish away. Soak up the sauce with bread! It's delish); scallops with endive and lobster sauce; the strip steak (sauce is wonderful); sauteed spinach with oranges, raisins and almonds; fried potatoes, stuffed endive with goat cheese; Spanish sausage with garlic mashed pots. We found the shrimp Tapas are a little bland. The Sangria is wonderful. Our service has been outstanding and the atmosphere is casual. If you enjoy sauces and bread, this is the place to come. Don't be shy in asking for more bread and the waiters enjoy a little chat.

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USA
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
14 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 20 cities Reviews in 20 cities
51 helpful votes 51 helpful votes
“Hidden gem turns out wonderful family-style tapas”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed August 9, 2012

No, you won't see shots of the interior gracing the cover of Architectural Digest but you come here for the food and old-world family charm and service. Have eaten here several times now and the food is consistent and some of the best tapas in the area (and it's been a struggle finding good tapas). Don't miss the sauteed spinach and the stand-by tortilla espanola.

The only thing I beg of the chef is to try a few new dishes once in a while as the menu seems to be fairly static.

  • Visited February 2012
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 3 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 4 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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Toronto, Canada
Reviewer
3 reviews 3 reviews
3 restaurant reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
3 helpful votes 3 helpful votes
“Good food at a good price”
4 of 5 stars Reviewed July 15, 2012

This is a real find! Thank you, Trip Advisor. The service is excellent and exceptionally attentive and pleasant. The dishes were very tasty: I had the gambas with chorizo, the ceviche and a ensalada de las casa. Only criticism was the the ceviche was a bit too spicy and really too salty and the gambas were a little expensive ($7.95) for the quantity. But overall a great experience!

  • Visited July 2012
    • 4 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Atmosphere
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
    • 4 of 5 stars Food
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