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Guapo’s Cocina & Bar returned to the community where its founding family began life in the United States when it opened in Merrifield in December 2023.
The Rincón family arrived from Colombia in the late 1970s and settled near Gallows Road with four children. In 1990, Hector Rincón opened the first Guapo’s at 4515 Wisconsin Avenue NW in Washington’s Tenleytown neighborhood, where the restaurant continues to operate.
The business has since grown to eight full-service locations across Washington, Maryland and Virginia. It also operates Guapo’s Go, Taquería & Charcoal Chicken locations in Herndon and Manassas.
The company remains family-owned rather than franchised. The founders’ children, all graduates of Fairfax County Public Schools and Virginia universities, oversee daily operations, while members of a third generation are beginning to work in the kitchens.
A return to Gallows Road
Guapo’s opened its Merrifield restaurant in a former Chevys Fresh Mex space at 3052 Gate House Plaza, northwest of the intersection of Route 50 and Gallows Road. The family selected the location partly because of its connection to their first home in Virginia.
A soft opening in late December 2023 drew a busy crowd, according to the restaurant’s marketing team. A grand-opening celebration followed on Jan. 10, 2024, with a DJ and salsa band.
The renovated dining room offers a brighter and more contemporary interpretation of the warm cantina atmosphere found at some older Guapo’s locations. It includes high-top bar seating and a private dining area that can accommodate as many as 60 guests.
The restaurant is wheelchair accessible and has parking in the Gatehouse Plaza lot. Its location also provides relatively easy access from Vienna, Tysons and Fairfax.
Familiar recipes anchor the menu
The Merrifield kitchen uses the established recipes served across the family’s restaurants, including flour tortillas made in-house.
Among the signature starters is Guapomole, prepared tableside with lime, salt and heat. The Camarones Tijuana features jumbo shrimp stuffed with cheese and jalapeños, wrapped in bacon and grilled. It is served over sautéed vegetables with rice, beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream and flour tortillas.
Fajitas arrive on hot cast-iron platters, while the tacos al carbon include three homemade corn tortillas with a choice of protein. Rice, refried beans, onions, cilantro, tomatillo salsa and chile de árbol accompany the tacos.
Other choices include chicharrón ceviche, steak quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos, soups and salads. The tamales consist of sweet corn cake slowly cooked in a corn husk and served with sour cream.
Vegetarian diners can order portobello mushroom fajitas, and vegan options are available throughout the menu. For guests seeking something outside the Tex-Mex lineup, the kitchen makes a beef-and-pork burger topped with bacon, cheese, tomato, house aioli and caramelized onions.
Weekend brunch runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Offerings include huevos rancheros, chorizo-topped tostadas, avocado toast, eggs Benedict and a Tex-Mex egg scramble.
The full bar serves margaritas and other cocktails, with an emphasis on premium tequila. Happy hour is offered from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, with specials on drinks, tacos, nachos and small bites. Cocktails are limited to dine-in customers.
Designed for groups and busy nights
The restaurant’s open, colorful dining room can become lively on weekend evenings. Live music is offered on select weekends, adding to the celebratory atmosphere around the bar.
Its private room is available for corporate gatherings, birthdays, rehearsal dinners and other events. Guapo’s also operates a catering business and a food truck that prepares tacos and charcoal chicken at festivals, weddings, school functions and private events.
Customer reviews frequently praise the Merrifield staff’s attentiveness and mention employees Juan and Jamie by name. Reviewers have also noted that meals tend to arrive hot and promptly. Some diners have raised concerns about the noise during crowded periods and the price of certain dishes, including fajitas priced near $28.
A regional business staying close to home
Despite expanding over more than three decades, the Rincón family has said it intends to remain local for now before considering nationwide growth.
That regional focus is especially visible in Merrifield. By opening near Gallows Road, the family brought its restaurant business back to the Northern Virginia community where its American story started more than 40 years earlier.
The Merrifield restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday, 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Online ordering and delivery are available for surrounding communities, including Merrifield, West Falls Church, Mantua and Vienna Woods.