After living in Washington State for four years and seriously missing good Mexican food, I can…read morefinally say... I FOUND IT! The food here genuinely tastes like home cooking fresh, flavorful, comforting, and made with love. I ordered the carne asada plate, and I enjoyed every single bite. Seriously, there was no polite little "I'm full" moment happening here. It was absolutely delicious! Hubby ordered the chicken with soup, and he enjoyed every bite of his meal too. When both of us are sitting there happily eating and barely talking because we're too busy enjoying the food, you know the restaurant did something right! And the best part? We still had enough leftovers to become tomorrow's lunch, and somehow the bill was very reasonable. Delicious dinner and tomorrow's lunch without spending a fortune? That's my kind of math! The service was wonderful too. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and especially thoughtful about my gluten allergy, which I really appreciated. It's always nice to be able to relax and enjoy your meal without feeling like you're conducting a full investigation into every ingredient. The atmosphere is casual but still really nice and inviting perfect for a relaxed lunch or dinner. They also have Happy Hour every day from 3-5 PM, which I definitely want to come back and check out. I don't drink alcohol, so my version of Happy Hour will basically be: more amazing Mexican food at 3 PM. After four years of searching, I think I finally found my Mexican food spot in Washington!

I shared the mole enchiladas and lengua en salsa verde from this Mexican place…read more Of these, the lengua en salsa verde was my favorite. The beef tongue was cooked pretty well. Although it's naturally very fatty, the flavor and juiciness was retained after cooking - so they didn't screw it up. The salsa verde was a very nice accompaniment, as it tasted light, fresh, and a good complement to the fat of the meat. The mole enchiladas were less good. The mole sauce used leaned way too heavily on a sweet flavor - having little to no nuttiness whatsoever. It didn't taste anywhere close to some of the best moles I've had. The enchilada underneath was fine - nothing special. Both dishes came with beans and rice. Both were slightly above average, but nothing to write home about. I would say the portions were well sized in terms of overall amount, but the enchiladas were quite small compared to the beans and rice. With these two dishes we ended up around 28 per person. Overall, it's average Mexican food. 6.5/10

Great menu...super comfortable ....so accommodating , happy hour is fun...lunch is a 'sleeper'…read more.. but an amazing introduction into the place at a very reasonable price

Overall, we had a nice experience. Our server, Jadin, was wonderful! Jadin was very kind,…read moreattentive, and especially patient with our party while we waited for one of our guests to arrive. We really appreciated the hospitality and never felt rushed. As far as the food, for the price point, I do feel we could have gone somewhere else and received better quality. The food wasn't terrible, but it didn't quite meet our expectations for what we paid. The biggest disappointment was our interaction with the bartender on 9/4 around 8:30 PM. Our group approached the bar simply trying to order a round of shots. From the beginning, her attitude came across as unnecessarily rude when she asked whether we had a table. She then looked at our group and said, "First of all, we can't have you up here." We genuinely did not know that guests seated at tables were supposed to order through their server. Had she simply explained that to us politely, we would have apologized, returned to our table, and ordered from there. The policy itself wasn't the issue. It was the way it was communicated. Aside from that interaction, we enjoyed our time and really appreciated Jadin for making our experience a positive one.

I've always wanted to check out D'la Santa. I always heard that Fri and Sats are always busy and…read morethey do not take reservations but walk-ins only. However, I just found out you can put your self on the waitlist on their website if it's busy. Sundays are the best days to go as it's not as busy and they were able to accommodate a big party. The restaurant also has a parking lot for people to park at as well, so that is a plus! The drink menu is very limited, they don't have a full bar. I ordered the skinny margarita and it was good. The food is authentic and if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, D'La Santa is the spot. We ordered the queso and the rajitas. Both appetizers are really good, came out super hot. Highly recommend. I got the carne asada plate and added an extra mini quesadilla. The carne is very seasoned so you have to eat it with the tortilla to balance out the saltiness. The service was fast and our waiter was very attentive.

Delicious, truly authentic food. I'm so glad I found this place! I had been craving real Mexican…read morefood, and while the pictures looked amazing, I tried not to get my hopes up especially since so many "Mexican restaurants" don't quite capture that true, authentic flavor. We went on a Sunday and I was really hoping to try the tiramisu and bone marrow, but they weren't available at the date and time we went (shed a tear). Still, what we ordered completely made up for it. We had the torta ahogada, costillita en salsa roja, and moyetes dulces and I was honestly blown away. They absolutely nailed the tortas ahogadas. They were so good we ordered three more to go. I would gladly drive that hour and a half again just to eat here. I'll definitely be taking pictures next time! Also great service, they're super nice and attentive.

You never go wrong with Asadero, I was just in the mood for steak and when your in the mood this is…read morethe only place to come to, I've tried other places but the quality and the price is here and no where else. Fight me. Star of the show is always the Vacio but we also ordered burgers for the girls and they loved what they got. We did come in during lunch and they have a great lunch set menu so we also got a few extra sides with out meals   Though I do miss the statue of the lady with the flowers I love the Asadero ambiance and the service ads a nice touch with the flavored waters, where you can select what you want to add to yours. Always a personal and a family fav

I came to Asadero Ballard last weekend for the first time and had a really good experience. We…read moreordered steak and it was served on a hot stone, which kept the steak nice and hot throughout the meal. I enjoyed the experience enough that I decided to come back and celebrate my birthday here with my parents, who flew from Miami to visit me in Seattle. I specifically chose Asadero because I wanted them to have the same experience I had the week before. Unfortunately, my birthday dinner was completely different. We ordered three steaks and all three came out on regular ceramic plates instead of the hot stones we had received the previous week. The steaks were already lukewarm, and they weren't even served with the salt we had received previously--we had to ask for that separately. What made it even more frustrating was looking around the restaurant and seeing other tables receiving their steaks on hot stones while ours were served differently. When we brought this up, we were told that apparently you have to specifically ask for your steak to be served on a hot stone. This was never communicated to us. During our first visit, we never requested a hot stone; the steak was simply served that way. There was also nothing we saw on the menu explaining that it had to be requested, and our server never asked whether we preferred our steaks on regular plates or hot stones. How are customers supposed to know they need to request something that was automatically provided during a previous visit? We explained to the manager that when you're paying a premium price for steak, you expect some level of consistency. The manager did try to make it right by bringing one warm stone to the table after we complained, even though we had ordered three steaks. At that point, I'm not really sure what one stone was supposed to accomplish. Our steaks had already been served lukewarm and the experience was already ruined. The most disappointing part was that this was my birthday dinner. My parents flew from Miami to spend my birthday with me, and I chose Asadero specifically because of how much I enjoyed my first visit. Instead, I spent part of my birthday dinner frustrated and watching the tables around us receive the experience I thought I was bringing my family there for. If serving the steak on a hot stone is by request only, that needs to be clearly communicated on the menu or by the server. Customers shouldn't be expected to somehow know that, especially when the restaurant served the exact same dish differently just one week earlier without us requesting anything. Really disappointing experience and a big regret choosing Asadero for my birthday dinner. Unfortunately, after tonight, I would not recommend it.

Do not skip. La Chingona is legit unique dishes. Amazing flavors!! Ordered the Quisada and…read morecouldn't be happier!

This Goblin swears on all dark magic, that this spot has one of the best fish tacos in Seattle…read more Period. The salsa is fresh, the coating on the fish is crispy and light. The tortillas are fresh and full of corn flavor. The aguas frescas smack like my spiked club into your face. I first tried La Chingona on the road pillaging in Bellevue. I'm so glad I stepped away from the village burning for a second to try their delicious tacos. Is it more expensive than your typical Mexican Plato? Si. Does it taste better than your typical Mexican Plato in Seattle? Si. One other crucial detail. That taco will be buckling under the weight of the toppings. These are not skimpy servings. My shrimp taco was heavy enough to do curls with. Their service is friendly, and precise. To this date, I have never received the wrong order, cold food, a missing drink, etc. Expect hordes of people on the weekends, because you can count on one hand how many Mexican places taste like this in the PNW.

Listen, I'm vegetarian and can't enjoy all the bites on the menu -- and I can tell you right now,…read moreI'd wait outside in the rain to eat the veggie bites, drinks, and desserts they offer. Legitimately that good. I honestly came by Pancita from an Eater article and Instagram post and jokingly suggested it to my friend when we already had dinner/drink plans. We both collectively lost our minds and decided, it was DOUBLE DINNER night and made 8:15 pm resys at Pancita. I do highly recommend reservations by the way, esp on weekend nights. We thankfully found street parking just outside and were seated promptly. Truly loved how simple and charming the interior was. I'll be honest, we were dying from 1st dinner even though we only ate a few bites but being gluttons, we got the tomato salad (my favorite bite of the entire evening), my friend got the suadero tacos for herself, and I ordered the enfrijoladas (mushroom) with a side of tortillas -- I couldn't resist! Everything I tasted was delicious and I am honestly planning my next trip back ASAP. We, of course, couldn't resist dessert cause WHEN I TELL YOU THAT CORN CAKE HAS MY ENTIRE HEART. If the capslock wasn't apparent, the dessert was incredible, giantly sized, and lives rent free in my head 5ever. Do yourself a favor and go to Pancita; it is one of the rare spots that deserves every bit of the hype being sent its way.

I'm Chilango (México City ex-pat). While the dishes are not exactly traditional, they are for sure…read morean elevated version of them. The portions are perfect, nobody needs the giant American portions that many Mexican restaurants serve, The food is clearly prepared at high quality with beautiful plating styles. We went with a group so we ordered many dishes to share. My favorite was the tacos de suadero, Smokey tender fatty meat in blue corn tortillas, the tuna tostadas are excellent! And the mole delightful, although the meat with it was a bit chewy. Great drinks!! And for dessert I've got a delicious carajillo (Mexican espresso martini). Definitely getting back!!

I was lured in off the street by the beautiful mural and decor. I normally forget to take pictures…read moreof restaurant interiors but I liked this place enough that it was the first thing I did! The staff (owners? Not sure, I know there's another location in Pike's Place) were friendly and seemed like they wanted to be sure that we enjoyed our food. Definitely not the cheapest Mexican restaurant around, but you're paying for the attention to detail and carefully sourced ingredients. My food was really tasty. The way their ordering works for most menu items is you pick your antojito and then your guisado (the "vessel" and "filling," I guess). I went with gorditas with chicken. All the antojitos are made with hand-made masa (nixtamal corn dough) that uses carefully sourced heirloom maize (corn), and the gorditas were no exception. The masa was really tasty and the texture was perfect. The chicken guisado was good, and I think I'll try another type depending on what they have available the next time stop in during lunch. The refried beans were really tasty and might've been my favorite thing on the plate besides the masa. My tamarind agua fresca was also delicious, but it could've been less sweet. My friend ordered tamales with pork, which I'm told were also delicious and very tender. Both dishes were also plated very beautifully.

Really lovely people working here! They were able to accommodate our group of 5 kind of last…read moreminute. The menu has a variety of good options and everyone cleaned their plates. The inside is really fun and has a lot of pretty mosaics and murals and nice touches like the little jars of different corns.

READ THIS. I'm very excited to tell you this horrible story pleaseeeee read it. Just to let you…read moreknow the waiter was rude from the moment we walked in.So I came into this restaurant with my old friend to have some yummy food and we sat down. My friend asked for a frozen margarita but the waiter in a very rude way said we don't do that here. Whatever. Very rude and upset my friend. We did have plans after this so we were excited to get our food ordered but this waiter decided to ignore us for a good 20 mins before FINALLY taking our order (place was not very busy) and before he did he'd periodically walk by and glare at us. Ridiculous. When we got the food I took a bite of the hatch chilli rellono (I'm bad at spelling) which was NOT advertised as being spicy. But I myself like spicy things so it wouldn't have been an issue except when I took a bite of one of the two and it BURNED. This dish was not supposed to be spicy at all. It was bad and I had to spit it out. Very spicy as in bad. My stomach hurt a lot from the extreme ness. Meanwhile my friend was confused. She ate the whole one she had been eating then went on to finish mine thinking I was crazy for my reaction. She took a bite and was surprised very much by the spiciness!!!! Her stomach hurt a lot too. So for some reason there was a hot spot. Sabatoge? I'm not against it as when the waiter came back and we told him the story he didn't look shocked at all and even hid a laugh. HORRIBLE. But the non spicy one was good said my friend. I'll never know. Come here at your own risk. Not to mention how hot it was when they had a perfectly fine working ac. The food left us sick for hours. 3/10 ( I gave three since the non sabatoged one was good)

This has been bookmarked for a while and the only regret I have is that I didn't get here sooner…read more This food is terrific, the vibe is hilarious, the servers are downright fantastic. Andrew (our server) introduced us to his sidekick, who was in training. Love that personal, hands on approach for a mew team member, and Sidekick did a great job in monitoring our table and replenishing water. Have to stop here and express my appreciation for Andrew and how he took the time to explain the philosophy and genuine team vibe of the restaurant. Oftentimes when a restaurant adds a flat 20% gratuity, you get the feeling this is not passed on to the servers. Not so here. He explained that it's shared among the servers, bar, and other staff, with only a bit retained by management, but even that finds its way into their wages. Terrific work environment and happy to see it. It definitely shows in the level of service. But we're here to eat. Didn't take a picture, but one of my dining companions ordered the burrito with red chili sauce and it was very good. Just the right amount of heat in the sauce. The Cantina celebrates Taco Tuesday, so I took advantage of this. You get the opportunity to try 5 different street tacos for the low price of $15. For another $4 you order it fully loaded which is a steal (guac, pickled onions, lettuce, giardano, crema, and another lovely sauce). Each of the tacos were really delicious and packed full of flavor. I especially enjoyed the cauliflower and the beef. Was surprised how much I liked the popcorn chicken - still juicy and not greasy in the least. Andrew treated us to a round of the hatch green chili. I was delighted because it was a dish I wanted to try. He described it perfectly: a little kick, but you can't stop eating it. He was right. A bowl of this in the winter with their cornbread (which I'm confident will be delicious) will preempt a winter cold. The sauces on the table are not to be ignored either. The green chili sauce was fruity with a little heat, the scorpion chili brings the heat, but their homemade chili oil is phenomenal. I could put this on everything. In short, the Cantina delivers. Excellent food, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and fun staff, and a cool vibe. I'll bet the cocktails will also be good. Definitely adding to the regular rotation!

Place was great! The AC was blasting but the food was awesome and the kids cleared their plates!!read more

The food was absolutely delicious, and the service was outstanding! If you're looking for authentic…read moreMexican food, this is the place to go. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and made with care. Highly recommend, I can't wait to come back!

Went Friday for family dinner. Staff was so nice squeezing us in before another reservations,…read moreswitching out as poorly made drink order. Sharing kids coloring sheet! Resulted in a wonderful meal. Food was mostly good. I don't recommend the Dino kids dish but our tacos and quesiabria were delicious. Don't they white sangria unless you want a savory drink. Also end with churros they were delicious and fresh We'll be back

We had a great experience enjoying the happy hour (ends at 6p) on a Friday. We made a reservation…read moreand are glad we did because it was packed. We brought a lap infant and the staff was accommodative and helped us find space to park our stroller. I enjoyed the margaritas, especially the blood orange margarita. You can get a double for just $5 more at happy hour! We enjoyed the food. The guacamole and chips were great and fresh. The street corn was delicious. I got three tacos: two fish and one pork belly. Honestly the fish tacos were pretty dry, I wouldn't order them again. However the pork belly taco was excellent.