Cute place,, busy but friendly staff. Excellent tacos, with great toppings. Fish tacos had a great shredded carrot salad and beef had nice pickled red onions. Hearty and delicious read more

What a joke. We knew the place would be very crowded on Cinco de Mayo, but we had eaten there last fall so decided a long wait would be worth it. So we arrived hungry and thirsty for margaritas about 7pm well before the band started. We waited a little while before we could put our name in with the host, who was wandering around the place while people in line tried to figure out their system (they don't seem to take reservations). Good to go! Next we waited about 40 minutes for a table, though we went up to the counter and ordered 2 margaritas to pass the time. Such nice people in line with us. The host then called 3 parties of 2 people and announced we were all "going upstairs to the couch" (instead of a food table) and that we would all need to "make friends". Again, it was Cinco de Mayo, so we didn't really mind because the place was packed and we were ready for a second round of drinks and some food. 2 of the 6 of us thought it was really lame that we were seated in the far back corner and left the couches. A server came by in another 20 minutes and we could see they were busy so ordered another round and our food at the same time. The 2 people with us did the same. About 35 min later, no drinks yet and not another sighting of our own waitress, so we asked another server who was bringing drinks to people all around us if she could check on our order. She said she would but she didn't come back. Another 10 min or so minutes later we flagged down a 3rd server who also said she would check on our order. Again, our own server never came back upstairs though several drinks were being served to groups all around us. After another 10-15 minutes we were getting annoyed so I went downstairs to see what was up. It was very crowded so I asked a bouncer if he could tell me who I could ask about our order. He said to wait a min and he would go see, but then he didn't come back either! So I approached the bar and our original server was nearby and caught my eye. I asked about our order and she gave me a disgusted look and turned on her heel and walked away! At that point I was also disgusted so I just wanted to pay our tab and leave. I went to the front counter and the "host" came over and asked what was up. I told him we'd been waiting well over an hour for our order but our server never even came back with our drinks. He seemed already agitated and yelled "don't you see what's going on here!" The same bouncer appeared at my side and I said "of course I do but we couldn't even get our drinks, much less our food in about an hour & 15." He asked where we were sitting and I told him he had put us upstairs in the back corner on the couches. He told me he'd get our drinks, but after so many people had already told us that I asked when we could get them. I wondered if I should wait there for them. Now he got really mad and told me to just leave! I thought fine, but I asked "don't you want me to clear our tab?" He said "this is my establishment and I don't need you giving me such attitude so just get the hell out!" I couldn't believe it. I went back upstairs (where still the other 2 people sitting next to us had still not received their drinks or food yet either) and announced we were leaving and good luck to them. The second server we had talked to saw us leaving and then told us the first server never put our order in (so why did I get such attitude from the original server when I asked her about it downstairs? You'd think she would have been nice?) and did we want to close our tab. We told her we had been told by the owner to just leave and that he didn't want us to bother with the tab. So we left and will never go back to such a mismanaged restaurant with an owner who clearly doesn't give a crap about his patrons. I strongly recommend avoiding this restaurant. There are plenty of other Mexican restaurants in town who do want your business, are respectful, and know how to staff and manage their establishments. read more

I have been to AK Mercado's several times. They are great, and open on Monday. The food is great in the beautiful downtown location.

My fiancé and I went here for a late lunch yesterday. We both got the brisket and short rib tacos! These were to die for! They had SO much flavor and were a good, hearty size. We also got a cod taco, which was really good too but hard to compare next to the short rib and brisket taco. Being from California, where good tacos are everywhere, these upscale tacos were the BEST tacos I've ever had. We agreed we would come back to Walla Walla JUST for these tacos! They are that good. They make everything in house- from the tortillas to the sauce to the meats.. OMG I couldn't rave about this place enough! Our waitress, Bailey, was super nice and gave us the background story! We hope to see her next time we go back. Thanks for an amazing lunch!! read more

AK's Mercado - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

It tasted pretty great until I saw the hair poking out of my brisket taco. Would have loved to have a pic of it sticking out of the meat but I wanted to see how far it went and ended up pulling it out. Needless to say it all went in the trash then and ended up in me feeling sick to my stomach. The corn salad was good too, tasted nice. read more

AK's Mercado - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

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Okay, so first off, this is not Andrae's Kitchen any longer (the gas station counter slinging out incredible food.) This is AK's Mercado, a two floor full service restaurant with a couple added vendors. I call that out as its hard to discern on Google since Andrae's Kitchen reviews have populated over to AK's Mercado. I had been very anxious to check out Andrae's Kitchen for quite awhile and went out of my way on a roadtrip to visit Walla Walla for the first time. Not until a few days ahead of my visit did I realize it was now AK's Mercado. Regardless, I was excited! We arrived to a crowd of people waiting for a table, the outdoor spots obviously the most coveted. Unfortunately, after a short wait, we were ushered upstairs. The restaurant is very pretty, but unfortunately we couldn't focus on that. It was absolutely sweltering upstairs with no A/C and no airflow to speak of. The first hot day of the year, just wait until Summer! We asked for a cup of ice for our warm water several times but it never came. We contemplated leaving or waiting longer for an outside table but finally just gave in and tried to enjoy. The margaritas were okay, I had a hard time finding the booze, but the chilled sweetness was a welcome reprieve from the indoor heat. Dinner time. We ordered a shrimp poboy and the bread came to the table hard as a rock. Not a slight crunch, a rock hard baguette that could have hammered a nail. We had the waiter tap on the bread to which they were shocked and said that wasn't right. The remade poboy came back on the fly and it was almost as if the kitchen was punking us. They didn't toast the bread, nothing. It was a soggy mess. You picked up the sandwich and it just flopped over. After inspecting the overly battered shrimp, we realized they were either Oregon pink shrimp or small shrimp which were too small for frying. So you ended up with just bites of breading, not shrimp. I have included a picture so you can see the size of the shrimp (after taking off the breading.) This was the worst poboy I've ever had, by a country mile, and New Orleans would be ashamed. They did remove the poboy from the bill (the waiter was the sole highlight of the visit.) We had the tacos and unfortunately those weren't any better. Wonder why? We had shrimp tacos! No flavor, all breading, just super disappointing. I did have one short rib taco and it didn't have anything to counterbalance the super fatty meat. The menu says the hope is to make AK's Mercado a sort of New Orleans meets Mexico spot; if that's the case, they have failed. It pains me more than anything to write this as I was so excited about the visit, but people need to know and you can make your own decisions to stop in to AK's Mercado or not. read more

AK's Mercado - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

Dropped in for brunch! Comfortable rustic environment with quick and friendly service. I had a couple breakfast tacos and they were delicious. Very moist and flavorful, guisado style! Someone in the group ordered a grilled cheese and it was quite large and tasty. We had a side of beniets and they were very good as well Everything at the table was served prompt and good. I had a bloody mary that proved to be the only disappointment. It was rather small and blandly mixed. Forget about it, the menu is a delight and the joint is cool. ENJOY!!! read more

Pro: speed. Cons: cleanliness, quality, and service. I supported Chef when he had his gas station location so we were excited to try the brick and mortar spot. Not a good first impression. Hubs and I ordered 3 tacos (2 grilled cod, 1 tica) and a house salad (wanted the corn salad, but it wasn't available). The food was unremarkable but arrived quickly... stale croutons on a watery salad, not much cod on the tacos, and lack luster corn tortillas (especially for being touted as homemade on their website). Service was poor (after our food was served, our waitress did not come back; we were there on a Sunday at about 3pm -- aka not busy) and the bathrooms were filthy. The dining area needed to be swept... It felt more like a fast food joint than a sit down spot. It was disappointing b/c we had high hopes and this experience was a let down. I had a better overall impression at the gas station location. Maybe we were there on an off day? Not sure if we'll be back based on this afternoon's visit. read more

The bartender was great, the food was amazing, and the live music was super fun. Locals steered us this direction and so glad we listened to them! read more

You can always count on great food and great drinks. Perfect spot to sit outside with your doggie and people watch.

AK's Mercado is delicious. Peak tourist season on a weekend they can get slammed. On those occasions even takeout can be a bit slow. The staff are generally nice, but can be very busy. The restaurant has a casual feel but fun. I find myself having to shift my perspective on pricing here because there are so many places in town to get delicious cheep tacos and tortas. But they have items other taquerias don't. Check it out for sure, but come with an open mind. read more

Come here often and never disappoints. Great cocktails and even greater food. Super friendly service too, even when they seem to be short staffed they do their best :) read more

AK's Mercado - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

-Service was marginal. Our waitress never asked us how our food was neither after it was served nor when we asked for our check. -Food was edible, but definitely not great. Any flavor that might have been present in both of our entrees (Shrimp Tacos and Brisket Sandwich) were overwhelmed by spice (hot). Overall - better than McDonald's, but would choose Red Robin 10 times out of 10 over this place. read more

That was the single worst experience in a restaurant of any kind that I have ever had. We never got our order, or even a second cocktail. When we tried to check on our order for the third time (as we were ignored by our supposed waitress), we were given attitude by the clown who claimed to be the owner, who actually had the nerve to tell us to "get the hell out of here". I would avoid this restaurant. Two hours of our lives that we will never get back. Supposed owner is a jackass. Doesn't deserve to be in a position of serving the public. read more

Would love to rate the food, but we never got it. The people who were seated after us, their food looked good. When we asked if we could get the drinks we ordered 30minutes ago, the guy who looked like the manager said they were "REALLY FUCKING BUSY" so we left. Then they deleted my review on FB, Instagram. And blocked me. Guess that is one way to make sure they don't get anything but positive feedback. read more

I have been to AK's twice now while visiting Walla Walla and they were amazing both times! Great staff and great ambiance! Their Mangonada was refreshing and tasty. Today we got the Tinga, Short Rib, Cod, and Brisket tacos! The Tinga is by far my favorite! read more

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This is my favorite restaurant. I've been a fan of Andre since he moved into the farmer's co-op gas station. While I still feel that was a superior dining experience the translation to staple of downtown has been generally solid. The menue is sadly stripped down from its older days but what remains has been unwaveringly appetizing. My rare 5 star rating hangs firmly on the merit of the tacos though the burgers, fries, corn salad, and fried seasonal vegetables (asparagus and I believe zucchini are both a thing) are all scrumptious. The service is fine though longer wairs can happen at busy times. The ambience is rad. I love the comfortable, casual feel of the loft, the main floor, or the patio. I hate being wrong about good taste and I recommend this place to everyone. read more

I'm from San Diego... I've had tacos throughout the country and Mexico. These are some of the best tacos I remember ever having. Of course they are on the more expensive side...but, not by much. The brisket taco is outrageous...the quality of the meat itself, smoked in a smoker out back that the chef built himself, would be reason enough to go here. But, of course, you also have the cocktails (quality margarita), others entrees and friendly staff. I'm a fan... read more

AK's Mercado - Brisket tacos and a pork tinga taco.... - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

We stopped in on a busy Saturday afternoon but didn't have to wait long to be seated for 6 people. Communication was great from several people while we waited, and they assured us we'd get seated soon. I only had a grilled cod taco but it was good and the tortilla itself was SO delicious! read more

The food was very good, but the service was really slow. We enjoyed the ambience and that made the long wait a little better.

I'm so confused by all the bad reviews on this restaurant. Yes, it's not the same menu as the gas station, but the food is delicious. The dining room is completely packed for lunch and dinner and the drinks are on point. Go Tuesday for the special pork taco. The shrimp tacos could be my favorite outside of PV Mexico. The mezcal Negroni is the best. And the corn beer is scrumptious. Stay away from the haters and do yourself a favor and go eat here. read more

Our go to place in downtown WallaWalla is AK's Mercado Chef Andrae Bopp has perfected the Art of Smoked Brisket along with a myriad of In House made sauces that complement all of the tacos and sandwiches at Mercado, Bailey seated us quickly as they have a large interior with well spaced tables plus the Spacious patio seating is pet friendly. Bailey and Michael each serving cool water in bowls and House made doggie treats to our Tank and Pistol. Fresh baked Dog Treats are also for sale in bags to go. Jacob offered use water as we looked over the extensive menu of unique Appetizers, taco choices, sandwiches and breakfast offerings. Voodoo Fries are Bursting with flavor House made potato fries covered with brisket, sauces and a touch of fresh peppers. The 3 taco plates are more than filling and the choice of flavor is unlimited from vegetarian, fish, shrimp, short rib, brisket and specialty tacos served on Tuesday and Thursday. Sauces are served on the side by request if you're not sure about spicy or flavors profiles. We enjoyed the Voodoo Fries, Brisket, Short Rib, Cod and Shrimp Tacos with the Garlic, Chipotle, Salsa Verde and a squeeze of fresh lime Delicious every bite AK's Mercado also serves Draft beer locally brewed for them by Quirk Brewing and also Local Burwood IPA along with a large assortment of other beers, Local Wines and not to forget Cocktails Crafted by Seattleite Transplant and Waitsburg's Own Jim German and today served by long time local Restauranteur Blythe Andrae has surrounded himself with hard working knowledgeable professionals and the Service and Food does the talking. Stop in, Drink, Eat, see old friends and meet new ones at Mercado. Non alcoholic drinks are available and all ages are welcome. read more

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I first discovered Andrae's kitchen when he was working out of the gas station. I just love his new restaurant! My daughter used to live in Walla Walla and moved away last year. We came to town last weekend for a girls wine tasting trip and meals at Andrae's. We ate at Andrae's three days in a row. Just loved it!!! We got to meet one of his workers, Bailey. She was so friendly. We really connected with her. I am sure the chef knows what an asset to this business she is. Bailey you are appreciated! read more

The vibe and decor seemed fun... We were informed when we arrived with a party of 6 that we would have an automatic 20% gratuity and only one check. We always tip nicely so this is a bit of an unhappy greeting. We were seated at a dark table and none of us could see the menu. We finally decided on fish tacos and brisket sandwich. I truly love a good fish taco and this looked good, but there was some really hot dressing that made required drinking much water in order to eat. Almost everyone in the party felt like the sauce was way too hot. All in all I think I would try other restaurants. I truly like to give a good review, but I think this place could improve. At least tell the customers, "By the way, we serve most everything was a very spicy aoili sauce." read more

With all the fancy-ass restaurants in Walla2, this is consistently the best dining experience in town. Fantastic tacos, local beers, margaritas. Definitely an upscale taco joint, but totally worth a visit. read more

Amazing food, the tacos were great!! Price was great my husband had the gyro that was huge. A Must try

When you're here you're family!!!!!!!!!!!! I look forward to every mezcal Monday!!!!! read more

Just had an amazing breakfast at AK Mercado. The eggs Benedict were the best. Homemade English muffin, topped with smoked Tasso ham and grilled onions. The egg perfectly poached. My wife had the homemade Chorizo Breakfast burrito. To top it off, we took a blueberry scone home for the road. Only suggestion, go early for breakfast to avoid any lines and so you have time to take a nap before tasting rooms open! So good!! read more

AK's Mercado - Eggs Benedict with Homemade English muffin and smoked Tasso ham. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Walla Walla, Washington

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So, this is a new review since Bopp moved to downtown Walla Walla. We ordered 6 wings, three tacos - a fried fish, fried shrimp and a short rib, and an order of Voodoo fries with al pastor. First, the fried fish taco ended up being a grilled taco. The tacos were tasteless... The wings were super salty and just doused in hot sauce (we left three wings - after trying a third one just to see whether the first two were off). No, same taste - salty and sour. The fries were horrendous - again, super salty and filled with what looked like a 1/2 lb of hot peppers... We left 2/3 of the order and did not take any of the food back home with us. The waitstaff did not even bother to correct the error on the fish taco and charged us the entire amount - wow!!!! read more

Really great and flavorful food! Obviously Andrae takes great pride in building flavors while being authentic to the dishes he creates. Cocktails were ok, I expected a more diverse cocktail menu focused on mezcal and/or tequila. But the Mezcal Negroni was delicious and a fun twist on the classic. read more

The hamburger we had was not good , they globes so much sauce on it that it would not stay on the bun and we had to take it off and eat it that way . The coleslaw was horrible . We couldn't eat it after the first bite . Not worth the 50+++ dollars we spent and the tip on top . The waitress could have cared less . I was a waitress for years and just looking at our plates she have asked us if the food was okay . I tried to call the manager, left my name and phone number. Called back two days later and they were closed. He never returned the phone call . I still have my receipt , and by the way we live in Tri- Cities and go to Walla Walla often . I have never written a review like this but here it is , the truth... read more

Another shining example of the people of Walla Walla. This place does everything right; they make their own tortillas, serve banging drinks and the food is solid. The servers were all hustling and were very personable with bright spirits and great attention. The only knock I have is while I get it you are serving tacos and bowls it would not hurt to have one or two more whiskies available. read more

Food is great and full of flavor. People here are over the top at customer service! Highly recommend for a great lunch spot! Try the nachos!

Street tacos are fantastic, and there are many fillings available. They work around food allergies beautifully.

Great customer service. Loved the tortillas! The tacos are very heavy on the meat side and not enough freshness to balance out the rich salty meat. Would of been nice to have fresh pico and guacamole on the menu. read more

YUMMY! Oh my! I recommend the Brisket Taco and the Grilled Cod Tacos! Delicious! The Mexican Street Corn is the Bomb! The Frozen drinks are Incredible! Excellent! Excellent such Awesome Flavors! read more

Me and my girlfriends went in last night and we were all so impressed with our experience. We went on Friday night and Cinco De Mayo, and surprisingly they had a band playing who were awesome. The restaurant was packed. We were initially discouraged by the long line, but the hostess was managing everything so well and getting people seated very quickly. She definitely knew what she was doing! We were seated pretty quickly regarding how packed the place was, and our server was super friendly and on top of it. We ordered margaritas and they were AMAZING. You can't miss those margaritas. We had a great time in all aspects. The drinks, service and environment were all amazing. It sucks to see people on here putting so much effort in to write a bad review, the employees were all clearly young in there and they were hauling ass! This is a place you can't miss. Thanks AK Mercado for a fabulous night! read more

We sat outside and shared nachos which were some of the best nachos I've ever had. The drinks were great as well. Highly recommend.

Not impressed! This place tries very hard to be an artisan taco place. It isn't upscale at all. Paper napkins, paper lined baskets, and drinks were not fountain drinks... they're out of a bottle with a solo cup of ice. It was sooo loud in there. Although the lighting sets an ambiance, you can't see the menus in the dark (and I have perfect vision without glasses or contacts). We used the light from our phones and ordered tacos. First of all, they don't have just regular carne asada tacos. We had brisket tacos. They were NOT good! Brisket does NOT belong on a taco. Yuk! Really, no steak or carne asada, really?! We had tinga tacos, which we liked. We had the voodoo fries, which were the best part of the meal. The server was friendly but we had to have her repeat herself several times because we couldn't hear her over the noise. The kitchen messed up our order and had to remake our tacos, so they let us keep the mistake tacos, even though we weren't going to eat them because it wasn't what we ordered. Not at all impressed with this place! Eat somewhere else -- unless you're newly 21 and are looking for a loud party crowd or for going out for drinks and to get a little rowdy. Personally, I'd rather have taco truck, it tastes better and it's a hell of a lot cheaper too. Our total bill was $76 for this crap. Never again. Update: They stated that their tacos and voodoo fries were gluten free, as I have a gluten intolerance/ celiac. Something in their menu contained gluten. Not sure if it was the brisket or the voodoo fries. I've been sick ALL day, while out of town, and this has ruined our trip. GF BEWARE!!! read more

The Brisket Sandwich was highly recommended by an extremely bubbly great bartender. Who did an amazing job, but could not overcome the driest, brisket I have had in 50 years. When I brought this to the attention of the bartender they where kind enough to discount my dinner 25%, when I only ate half of it and had to drink half gallon of water after said brisket. It appears to me they left the brisket under a heat lamp for hours to accomplish this, because drying out a a fatty piece of beef, took some effort. read more