There’s Mexican food, and then there’s Tex-Mex food. The two are not to be confused, especially at Ometeo. The massive new Northern Virginia venture from Top Chef season 18 winner Gabe Erales and Long Shot Hospitality Group (Dauphine’s, the Salt Line) pays homage to Erales’ upbringing in the borderlands between Texas and Mexico in an inviting space that celebrates Southern hospitality and a unique blend of culinary cultures.
Long Shot Hospitality, the team behind New Orleans-inspired Dauphine’s and seafood spot the Salt Line is getting in the Tex-Mex game. Ometeo is bringing an elevated version of classic, comforting, & nostalgic Tex Mex cuisine to Capital One Center in Tysons, VA.
Inspired by the ingredients, techniques, and heritage from West Texas down to the Gulf Coast, Ometeo's foundation is firmly rooted in Tex Mex tradition all served up in a fun and dynamic environment. The restaurant consists of multiple carefully curated dining spaces and three different bars- Main Bar, Outdoor Bar, and Cadillac Lounge Bar.
The sprawling, 11,000-square-foot newcomer, with room for 240 inside and 75 out, opens for daily dinner service in Capital One Center next week (1640 Capital One Drive, Tysons, Virginia). Ometeo, which gets its name from the native Nahautl words ome (“two”) and teotl (“God”), captures cuisines from both sides of the border. And while Erales is no stranger to Mexican food or Texas cooking, this marks the first time he’s dabbling in both. (Back at his Austin home base, he recently unveiled Yucatán-themed Bacalar and walk-up taco counter Tómalo Taquería.)
The restaurant, three years in the making, represents one of Erales’ first ventures outside of Texas. Reservations are available for four distinct areas : Main Dining, Outdoor Dining, Main Bar Booths, and Cadillac Lounge.
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At Ometeo, the El Paso-born chef brings Tysons some tried-and-true Tex-Mex favorites. “It’s important not to mess up the classics,” he noted, which is why he’s serving a traditional chile con queso with a Texas cheese blend, chile toreado, and pico de gallo. Of course, for an Erales twist, diners can elect to sub in shrimp picadillo for chorizo.
To help bring Ometeo to life, he partnered with chef Kyle Bailey and Jeremy Carman, who are no strangers to bringing regionally-focused dining destinations to D.C. “Everything we do is inspired from where one of us is from,” says Carman. His own Maine upbringing sparked the genesis of the Salt Line, the popular New England seafood house with locations in Navy Yard, Ballston, and Bethesda.
“When we opened Dauphine’s, we modeled it after an old guard New Orleans restaurant in order to keep it comforting and nostalgic, but wanted it to still feel accessible to DMV residents,” says Bailey. And comfort and nostalgia are integral to Tex-Mex cooking.
“Part of the beauty of Tex-Mex is that you’ve likely had a version of the cuisine no matter where you’re from,” he added, “We just wanted to bring an updated version to Capital One Center through more of a chef-driven lens.”
That ethos drives Ometeo’s extensive tortilla program, all of which (in their multiple forms and functions) will be made in-house. That includes the tortilla for the much-hyped quesadilla machete, a foot-long quesadilla not for the faint of heart, as well as for Ometeo’s fajitas, which Bailey is particularly excited about.
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“We’re really interested in exploring the full world of fajitas, taking this humble classic and adding some serious, quality ingredients while maintaining the light-heartedness of the dish,” he says.
For example, the De Res fajitas will feature an optional add-in of bone-in short rib and New York strip steak, while the Del Mar fajitas offer half a lobster, scallops, and squid. These proteins will be accompanied by poblanos, cactus, a puddle of melted cheese, and of course, served on a sizzling platter.
The restaurant will also serve costra tacos with griddled cheese folded into the meat. Erales says a lot of Tex-Mex chains will use pre-cut fajita meat that’s already marinated or injected with a saline solution then emptied from a bag. He says Ometeo will “respectfully” source its meats and make its own marinades for fajitas.
The cocktail menu leans heavily on agave-based spirits, with plenty of margaritas and frozen cocktails fit for a sunny day. Ometeo’s upscale upstairs lounge. The 12,000 square foot space has plenty of space for drinking across its three bars, including on the patio. To make the place feel less cavernous, the restaurant is divided it up into different dining rooms, each decorated with tchotchkes from a Texas antique fair.
The upstairs space has a more upscale “lounge, hotel lobby feel,” according to co-owner Jeremy Carman. The restaurant group’s beverage director Donato Alvarez is behind the agave-spirit-heavy cocktail menu. In addition to the classic lime version, margaritas come in flavors like guava-hibiscus or frozen with mango Jarritos.
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Here's a quick look at what Ometeo offers:
Menu Highlights
“To me, Tex-Mex borrows from the styles of northern Mexicans, Native Americans, and Texan pioneers who cooked over campfires on trails,” he says. “I grew up being so influenced by this blend of cuisines, but have never really cooked professionally in this manner.”
The menu, which Erales describes as “seafood-focused Tex-Mex,” highlights ingredients sourced from the Gulf of Mexico.
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Being a Long Shot production, expect a ton of coastal influence in the way of ceviches, lobster tostadas, or the Salt Line's beloved "stuffies" (stuffed clams) in tamale form. Maine lobsters used for the Salt Line’s lobster rolls appear here in lobster tostadas with a Texas pecan salsa macha. Ometeo’s Maine lobster tostadas with chile toreado mayo and Texas pecan salsa macha.
The kitchen will fashion homemade flour and corn tortillas for tacos, enchiladas, and fajitas, along with lesser-seen dishes like barbecued quail or red chili pork stew.
Ometeo-the Nahuatl word for “two gods,” referring here to Texas and Mexico-also has more familiar Tex-Mex classics covered. Think chile con queso, quesadillas, and enchiladas. Quesadilla machete with chorizo verde.
Customer Reviews
Ometeo offers a vibrant atmosphere with "amazing food" and "sensational drinks." Guests consistently praise its "excellent service" and "authentic flavors," making it a must-visit for Tex-Mex enthusiasts. Highlights include the "best tacos" and "fantastic fajitas." While noise levels can be high, the overall experience at Ometeo is "absolutely phenomenal."
Here is a summary of customer ratings:
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Food | 4.5 |
| Service | 4.6 |
| Ambience | 4.2 |
| Overall | 4.5 |
One diner mentioned, "We (four of us) sat at the bar. Jerry the bartender is great. Very helpful. GM Lerone was very friendly. We enjoyed the queso with chorizo, quesadilla (chicken tinga), pork belly tacos, octopus and chicken fajitas. Everyone enjoyed what they had. Wine list is great; we enjoyed a French white and a Priorat (Spanish red), both reasonably priced. We will be back."
