Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    El Lugar

    4.7 (25 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 2 weeks ago

    El Lugar Photos

    Business Info

    EL LUGAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - El Lugar

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos - El Lugar

    Mangoneada
    Victoria C.

    What can I say? If I could I would live here! The amount of times I've considered moving to the apartments above just for this little tiendita! They have a great selection of snacks and quick drinks- I enjoy their seasonal slushies like the mangona paired with a bag of chips imported straight for Mexico! The service is always prompt and the vibes are immaculate. Special S/O to Nina for always taking good care of us!

    Dining area
    Fabrice F.

    Colorful Mexican restaurant meets bar, meets bodega. The cutest. Incredibly friendly staff. Delicious food. We tried the shredded pork crunch wrap and the steak quesadilla.

    Horchata latte (hot and cold)
    Diana C.

    Food - incredibly reasonable prices despite the location and quality of food. Everything was fresh and tasty and there was a decent selection. The portion sizing makes it easy to share or have a snack or order more and make a meal. Several vegetarian options! Love it! Try the horchata latte because it's magical. Service - everything is fresh made and they were super speedy! She was also great at answering questions and making recommendations! There's also fresh bakery and a mini Mexican grocery store area. Ambiance - Super cute little restaurant area with pretty tables and decor and good music. They have lots of hot sauce to choose from too! I think they probably get a little more bar scene at night? I would call this one of the most underrated Mexican food spots in the area. Def would go back!

    Slushy Paloma and mangonada
    Kaelin H.

    We ordered the slushy Paloma and a mangonada with tequila and when I tell you I dream of the mangonada, I dream about the mangonada!! Also the vibes here are casual and easy-going with a little market to buy some authentic Mexican snacks, ingredients, and more. I can see myself coming back here for another drink for sure, especially that mangonada!

    Loaded nachos and boozy mangonada.
    Britt H.

    Food portions are small however the food is tasty nonetheless. The drinks are very good too and the customer service is friendly. I'd recommend this place if you want a light meal and good drinks. I'd come back here again for happy hour.

    Mangonada! Sooo good
    Andii S.

    Stopped into this Mexican grocery and bar bc extremely intrigued by very cute, very colorful, very aesthetic decor. Love how they chose to display all the cultural knick knacks on the wall. Couldn't resist trying something on their menu and ended up getting the mangonada. It's Jumex mango nectar and chamoy topped with mango chunks and tamarind candy. Soooo good, refreshing, sweet, and sour (when you get one of the yummy tamarind candies). Excited to come back and try one of the alcoholic beverages.

    Chicken Salad Tostadas (front) and Tamales
    CJ G.

    El Lugar is my happy place and I would recommend it to anyone. It's truly a hidden gem, perfect for a quick snack. Or if you're like me who doesn't mind music while working on the laptop, this is a great spot for that as well. The chicken salad tostadas I had were amazing: it's so refreshing and not too heavy. They also make delicious tamales from scratch so make sure to try it out. I'm about to go back and get a bag so I can have them at home! There's also a bar and a little store featuring fun goodies from Mexico. Fair price and great vibes!

    Interior
    Gus M.

    El Lugar is a very quaint and unique spot. I came here with my girlfriend today & I noticed the Jalapeño Cilantro Marg on the board and knew we had to try it. We each got the margarita, one with a cinnamon sugar rim and one with a lavender salt rim. The cinnamon sugar rim has a stronger taste than the lavender rim. but they were super good! We recommend squeezing the lime in the margaritas bc it adds this sweet & tart flavor, which is what we were personally looking for! The aesthetic is what you would expect, it's colorful, fluorescent, and full of mexican culture. They sell mexican candies, drinks, even pottery!! We tried the Jell-o shots as well, they were good not as strong as the margs but tasted good! definitely would recommend this spot!

    Mangonada
    Stephanie B.

    I want this place to do SO WELL. I wish it were even closer to me so I could support it as much as I can. I love that you get options here too! Need some Mexican food items (like my favorite watermelon paleta con chile)? Go to El Lugar. Feeling like chilling at a low key bar? Go to El Lugar. Don't drink alcohol? Don't worry, just get the mangonada TRUST ME. ESPECIALLY on a hot day. Are you hungry? How about just looking for a bite? Don't worry, El Lugar has got you too! We got the Tinga Tostadas while we were there are the esquites to share - both were absolutely fire. The esquites were creamy and bursting with corn flavor. The tostadas were addicting and I wanted another plate of them. The tinga was tender and flavorful without disintegrating & the tostada held up really well with each bite instead of it falling into pieces like tostadas at some places. Not to mention, the service was so speedy and friendly, and I got complimented on my dress (bonus points of course). TLDR: JUST GO TO EL LUGAR. Keep this business alive despite having other Mexican places nearby. This one is a gem and won over my Latina heart.

    ‍‍

    Great food, drinks, service, vibes, decor, etc. The loaded nachos live up to the name. Michelada the best I've had in Cap Hill. Let's goooo.

    I was feeling blue from returning from a vacation in Cali and my cousin found this cute spot on tiktok! It was just the perfect pick me up for a cold fall day after being in warm sunshine almost a week. The food, drinks, and vibe were just right here and even got to talk with Nina and the staff. It's nice to have a little piece of our community here and in such a fun way! Reminded me so much of what Cali has, I'm so excited for this spot to blow up and come back regularly! Thanks for cheering me up ladies!

    Bean and cheese burrito with a michelada

    See all

    4 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Tamales wers awesome. Tooke me back to when my friend's mom made them in my youth. Vodka Limeade was great. Will come again.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Britt H.
    27
    303
    64

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 8
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0
    Photo of CJ G.
    58
    58
    79

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Gus M.
    0
    26
    20

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Caitlin S.
    377
    37
    11

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Arty M.
    108
    9
    0

    3 years ago

    Not really Mexican . The pan dulce taste like chemicals and cafe de olla Also taste funky . Over all disappointing

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Amazing service super chill, the overall vibe of the place is very homely a great ambiance! The food is so delicious and very authentic!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hannah H.
    205
    22
    13

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - El Lugar

    You might also consider

    T&T Supermarket

    T&T Supermarket

    3.8
    (62 reviews)
    14.2 mi
    $$

    Yay! We have a T&T in Lynnwood. We became a fan of T&T when we stayed in Vancouver. Our main…read moreattraction was the hot food buffet station since shopping here always meant, yummy food at the end. My 5 year old really enjoys many of their hot food staples. The T&T in Lynnwood doesn't disappoint at all. While it is smaller than the Factoria location, we do not personally have any complaints. The place is not always packed like the Factoria location and that is a a relief. We primarily use the food & bakery sections, live fish, and frozen food sections. One can say they are a bit pricier in comparison to places like Ranch Market who have similar options but we T&T is closer to us than Ranch Market and so we prefer to go here as it is more convenient. They are special items during Boat Festival every year and we absolutely love the bun station during this time. This is also a great place to experiment with a lot of not usually found Asian alcohol in main stream supermarkets unless you are specially going to a specialty shop.

    I am a regular at the T&T in Bellevue and checked out the Lynnwood location recently. It is located…read morein a former Sprouts store on a corner with a Safeway and Trader Joe's across the street. The Bellevue location is larger and that is evident when I checked the offerings here. There is not as much store space, so there is less selection of everything. I found the aisles to be cramped compared to Bellevue. Even when the Bellevue store is packed, I can meander around the crowds. It felt like a maze at this one on a busy weekend afternoon. There is a 99 Ranch nearby in Edmonds and I do prefer it over this T&T based on selection and price. If you do live close to Lynnwood, I do think it is worth shopping at for the T&T private label products and items that T&T carries that 99 does not. But I am going to stick with shopping at the Bellevue location because it is superior to this one.

    Photos
    Plenty shopping carts
    Plenty shopping carts
    Lats salted egg chips in chip aisle
    Lats salted egg chips in chip aisle
    Grand entrance

    See all

    Grand entrance
    Uwajimaya

    Uwajimaya

    4.3
    (1.4k reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Uwajimaya is the model for how all Asian grocery stores should be - pristinely clean, well-stocked,…read moreand bustling. You can get both local and Japanese-imported ingredients, but also popular spices, noodles, and ingredients from other Asian countries, as well - truly an international grocery store. They frequently support local businesses, which will be on display in the bakery and refrigerated sections. Their selection of food and fun goodies are always on rotation, so every visit is different. They even have gauchapon machines at one of the entrance. During the holidays, like Lunar New Year or New Year's holiday, they will feature food related to the cultures that celebrate the respective holidays. Once, they even had a photo feature for fans to meet the singing voice actor of Jinu (Andrew Choi) from Kpop Demon Hunters. Another time, they had Hello Kitty visit. There's a food hall with some delicious food, including their store-brand, Waji's. Uwajimaya is a huge boost to the local community - so glad we have it right next to the light rail for accessibility too.

    My son and his best friend have been nagging me for YEARS to come here so my wife and i did…read moreyesterday. My single, nagging question is "What took me so long??" No idea. The store's far larger than I'd imagined and carries far more stuff. The produce dept. got me right away when I found GREEN lemongrass (almost impossible to find in my county), black garlic, large fresh ginger--and garlic scapes (they call it spring garlic). I was especially hoping to find garlic scapes since I just discovered them and have already found a great stir-fry recipe for them. A also bought some soy sauces along with an XO sauce that are hard to find in regular supermarkets. Yes, I already have stir-fry plans for all of them. There's far more food stuff I could've bought but the question that decided me against it was "Who else in the house will eat it other than me?" The meats pre-sliced for Korean/Japanese dishes tempted me but were pricey. Besides I own a meat slicer. The one thing I didn't find which was my sole disappoint was Shaoxing wine, a Chinese rice win. They carried the cooking version but not the drinking one. Contrast that with shelves filled with Japanese sakes. I prefer Shaoxing for stir-fry dishes and already have some at home so the disappoint wasn't too great. We rarely get to Seattle so it'll be a while until we re-visit the store. The good news is that a new Uwajimaya will open in Tacoma next year. We plan to shop there a lot more often. Definitely a store worth visiting even if you don't cook Asian dishes. they carry all kinds of cooking stuff--including woks, rice makers, and lots of gadgets. Our son's friend even bought travel chopsticks. I told him he'll be required to whip those out at our next Chinese stir-fry dinner. He better like black garlic and garlic scapes.

    Photos
    Uwajimaya
    Outside
    Outside
    Sushi burrito spicy salmon

    See all

    Sushi burrito spicy salmon
    Goodies Mediterranean Market

    Goodies Mediterranean Market

    4.6
    (175 reviews)
    8.0 mi
    $

    The gentleman running the store helped me find exactly what I needed and told me how to use it…read moreproperly when I had no idea how to proceed with a new recipe. Very pleasant and patient with me when I knew so little.

    I'm honestly disappointed to write this review…read more I've been shopping at Goodies for about six months now. They sell dukkah (along with other condiments and seasonings) that are hard for me to find, which saves me the time of making them myself. I've also been buying my lamb from them. On July 3, I purchased two packs of lamb chops. One pack was perfectly fine, but the other was clearly spoiled. I still cooked the good pack, but it wasn't enough for everyone to have. I've been cooking lamb for years--I know how it should smell and how it should look. This meat was off. I called the next day to let them know, and they told me they would replace it. I explained that I live over an hour away, so I wouldn't be able to come back until I was in the area again. They assured me they would still honor the exchange. When I came in today, I was met with so much rudeness that I was honestly shocked. I felt embarrassed by the way I was treated. I had really enjoyed supporting this small business up until this point. Because I was so shaken by the interaction, I didn't even realize until I got home that I had originally purchased a six-pack of lamb chops, but I was only given a four-pack in exchange. When I returned the spoiled meat, the woman behind the counter insisted she would "never sell meat like that." I tried to show her the timestamped photo I had taken of the meat when I purchased it, but she refused to even look at it. At one point she said she "didn't know what my deal was," and then suggested it was somehow my refrigerator's fault before asking, rather dismissively, "Well, what do you want?" I'm a very understanding person. When you're selling raw meat, sometimes things happen. Products can spoil. I wasn't looking for an argument--I simply expected for the issue to be handled professionally and with kindness. Instead, I was treated as though I was trying to cause a problem. I'm sure many people will continue to shop here without issue. However, left feeling like I wasn't afforded the same courtesy or respect that other customers might have received. Maybe I would have been treated differently had I looked different. I can't say that for certain, but I also can't think of another reason I was met with such hostility when I approached the situation politely and respectfully from the very beginning. No customer should leave feeling the way I did. The top pack of lamb pictured was perfect. The bottom pack smelled bad and was greenish in person. As you can see via time stamp - I purchased the lamb on the 3rd and began to cook it on the 4th of July.

    Photos
    When I flipped the lamb over to inspect it after seasoning the other pack it looked like this.
    When I flipped the lamb over to inspect it after seasoning the other pack it looked like this.
    Cardamom tea, Turkish coffee. Kefir cheese. Making a mental note.
    Cardamom tea, Turkish coffee. Kefir cheese. Making a mental note.
    So many spices!

    See all

    So many spices!

    El Lugar - intlgrocery - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...