Sometimes, hangover brain will get you in trouble. We couldn't decide where to sup, and ended up in-front of this joint. Fairhaven false Mexican. Bland fish tacos, bad rice, mediocre beans. Tasteless pineapple salsa. They didn't screw up the chips 'n salsa...somehow. Alas! The deck overlooking the Village Green is pretty nice. Should've listened to my brain and consumed the first greasy spoon in sight. read more

I went here today awwwww it was delis hand the staff was excellent. Definitely will return.

A couple years ago, my husband and I were at Jalapeños a cpl times a week. Food wasn't amazing, but plentiful and strong drinks. With new management, happy hour food portions were cut in half, drinks watered down, I have Had to walk up to a server to pay for my meal multiple times, and even though servers are the same-- staff has been trained not to acknowledge regulars I suppose. Servers who I know and have spoke with a hundred times, now ask for my ID and don't acknowledge me, it's odd and unsettling. read more

Same place as Milagro's! Go for their great service and Big Mama's!!

Food was very good, service was marginal. We stopped in at lunch to grab a bite to eat, and seated on the patio, with peek-a-boo views of Bellingham Harbour. The server came out promptly to take our orders (before we had even had a chance to study the menu), but we decided to order drinks. Both of us were dumbfounded at the price of margaritas, but the server didn't seem to understand why. She became short with us, after we said we'd pass, because we didn't want to drop upwards of $12 on a drink. She left and didn't come back for about 15 minutes. After we ordered, she delivered chips and salsa, which were AMAZING and fresh. The food came out fairly quickly, and it was piping hot when it arrived. My burrito was very good, and my dining partner's meal (which I can't remember at the moment) was as well. All very good, but not outstanding. Far from the best Mexican food I've had. That said, it's still miles above any Mexican food I've found in Vancouver, which was really all I was looking for. Overall, the service was pretty non-existent (when our server was there, which was infrequent, she was rather short and seemed bored), the food was slightly above average, and the prices were quite high for the quantity of food served. I'd consider going back in the future, but it's unlikely. There are enough Mexican restaurants in the Bellingham area that I'll keep trying until I find one that wow's me, which Jalapeno's unfortunately didn't. read more

Great food, shitty service. Been there 4 times now. Always about the same. Drinks not filled promptly, no one checked on us after the food was brought to see if we needed anything else for our meal (and we did), and we waited for almost 15 minutes before having to shout to get the waiter's attention to get our bill. read more

We had a nice meal on the upstairs deck on sunny summer day. My daughter had the steak carne asada. It is recommended and is a big portion. She took home 1/3 of the meal. I had the cal do de pollo soup. Also recommended but with added spice. The experience was tainted with slightly slow service and the close quarter of obnoxious customers. Not the restaurant s fault but that's the crowd. Great food and view! Check it out! read more

I stopped in here for some drinks with a friend and found the margarita to be strong and the nachos huge; You could have fed 4 people on one order! I haven't tried the other items on the menu here but I found the cheerful and friendly staff enough of a reason to put it on my places to revisit. read more

Excellent place. Food is reasonable and we've been many times. Prices are good and the servers and friendly. We will be back and I'm craving a big margarita. read more

My uncles love this place and we decided to go for a family meet-up here for dinner. My first impression of the place was of the hostesses who were incredibly friendly and made sure we were taken care of the whole time we were there. My uncles, who had been there for a little while had ordered the chili con queso which came with extra chips and I swear that stuff is like crack. We ate the whole dish and ordered more because it was so good. The actual food that we ordered was good, not great but it was very filling. If you're ordering any of the burritos, they're huge and I'd suggest ordering one for two! Overall this was a wonderful experience, the people were all great, the food was good and great, and I will definitely be back again! read more

Came here for lunch on a weekday. Decent food for a reasonable price. The staff was friendly, courteous, and quick.

Best Mexican place that I can find in Bellingham. They do takeout really well. It can be slow service at times at the restaurant.

Today my boyfriend and his brother and I came in, received excellent customer service from the waitress at first. Was very sweet, told me she Hope's I have quick recovery (have a boot on my foot from injury) and THEN we get our food. Literally take a bite and then realize there were LIPSTICK stains and finger prints in the lipstick on the edge of our plate. When we grabbed another waiter, they took it back to the kitchen and brought it back and told us it was the PAN HOLDER.... IT SMELLED LIKE MAKE UP AND WAS OILY LIKE MAKE UP. For one. My boyfriend is a chef and works with the SAME PAN HOLDERS and we were very disappointed that they brought us the same plate WITH MAKE UP still on it and lied to our faces about how the pan holder leaves Mark's on the plates. We paid for our dinner, but we did not tip. Usually we tip really well. Will not be returning to this Restaurant. Integrity is highly suggested. read more

One of the rudest owners i have encountered in the food industry. I got FOOD POISONING from eating their seafood relleno. After contacting the resturaunt days later in order to warn them that their food may be tainted, to help other people not get sick, their manager was very nice and accomodating. However, the next day i received a follow up call from the owner telling me i was a liar and egged me on to contact the health department. So just as a warning be very careful eating here, as the owner has no care for the safety of his customers. The lighting is very dark so be sure to check that the food is cooked all the way read more

Most of the food I eat here is skewed by my "big mama glasses" I have eaten at both all three Jalapeno's locations many a time and I almost always get what I came for, a big mama and greasy Mexican food! I also believe they have a big Papa on the menu but I don't think you can get it unless you listen to biggie smalls, most people don't know that Biggie only drank big mamas not big papas. read more

Best taco Tuesday bar within 35 miles. Also provides Pacifico on tap which is a killer win. Never leave paying more than $15 and always satisfied with service and food quality. read more

I grew up in Los Angeles, and have lived more than a decade in 5 Latin American countries, including Mexico. Jalapenos sucks. The drinks are bad, the food is bad, the service is ok, the staff are very nice. It's truly awful. If you want decent Mexican food, go somewhere else. read more

Solid American style Mexican food & good margaritas Pros: - big menu of known Mexican food items - friendly fast service - delicious spicy salsa - great outdoor deck - generous w the chips Cons: - standard Mexican fare - nothing truly authentic - big drinks but light on booze - strange space on the first floor that used to be an outdoor patio but now enclosed read more

We are located in the Seattle area but from Bellingham. Tried a ton of Mexican places down here but nothing compares!!!

they say they deliver!!! hung up 2 times on us!!!! wont deliver even 2 miles away. absolutely ridiculous!!!!! worst service ever!!!!!

No. Ate here for the first and last time today. First off, they had crammed a ton of extra tables into their downstairs dining room, making several of the tables unusable because you couldn't pull out the chairs. Then, they proceeded to seat us(party of two) at a table where we had to sit side by side and face a dividing wall; weird and awkward. I fully support equal opportunities for folks struggling with their English; no problem there, but in a customer service role, a server needs to be able to effectively communicate. My server did not meet that standard, in fact, it was hard to know if he was even the server(busboy, maybe??) because he did not introduce himself. Ok, then there's the food; it was just OK...it was thankfully Tuesday, so the tacos were cheap. If I had paid FULL price for this sh*t experience, I'd be super pissed. So yeah, you've been warned. It's obvious the ownership gives exactly zero F's about getting repeat business. read more

During a quick trip to Fairhaven, and a stay at the Chysalis, my wife and I visited 3 restaurants. Avenue Bread, good. Dirty Dan Harris', a complete disaster. And Milagro. It was great. Spinach and mushroom enchiladas were delicious. And the bean and cheese burrito appetizer was great, too. I like a chunkier salsa, but flavor was excellent. Service was adequate. Visited Dos Padres down the block a while back and, based on this visit, Milagro is much better. read more

Other people seem to rave about service and think the food is good; frankly, I'm not sure if we even ended up in the same restaurant as each other. Let me start out with the positives: The servers were attentive when it came to keeping us fed with chips and salsa and keeping my glass of water full (I'm boring, and probably not profitable; I always just opt to drink water at restaurants). My arroz con pollo -- my standard fare at any Mexican restaurant I visit -- was good. That's all, just good. As Bellingham goes, I'd say it's middle-of-the-pack: Better than Mi Mexico, not as good as El Gitano. Portion sizes are gigantic. Two meals. At least. I was stuffed, and there's enough to be stuffed again. This could be a good thing or a bad thing; given the quality of the food the other diners at my table got, though, I lean toward bad. Two people each had their own kind of enchilada -- one with red sauce, one with mole. I tried the mole, and it was like eating liquefied Mexican chocolate. As much as I like chocolate, the mole just came across as bland with a side of bitter, entirely unpalatable. The red sauce was equally bland, as was the taco salad eaten by an accompanying diner. The best thing that could be said about the taco salad was "the sour cream is good." Oh, and about that service: I generally figure that service includes such things as cleanliness. Yet, our menus had hair and dried food stuck in them. Not exactly a pleasing way to start your meal. Maybe we caught them on an off day. If we did, it was a VERY off day. read more

A very fun, vibrant, comfortable place. Yummy (yeah, I said 'yummy') food in a fun atmosphere. Try the cheese dip stuff with ground beef. Hit the deck in the summer. Not an employee, but admittedly a regular. read more

Food is very good. I had a shrimp burrito that was perfect. The drink menu is a little overpriced and two extensive. Wish the whole place was just a little simpler read more

Friendly staff "American style" Mexican food. Expensive margaritas

What an amazing find! The salsa was fantastic, the Carnita's Tacos and Chile Verde were perfect. Heading North on I5, this is a must stop. Service was warm and inviting. When we pass through, we will definitely be back. read more

Jalapeno's Mexican Grill - Outside of Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Jalapeno's is not a super authentic Mexican restaurant - however if you are in the mood for a Tex-Mex chow down and some cheap drinks, you've found your spot. Their happy hour specials are worth booking an afternoon off of work for - and sees basic snacky items offered at cheap prices. Especially so is their Big Mama margarita (it is not the best in the world - however it is a good litre and a half, and not lacking in alcohol content by any means). The best part of this place though is the location. On a summer afternoon there is nothing better than chilling out on the veranda, overlooking the square, swatting away the odd wasp, chowing down on enough food to feed you for the weekend and an ice-cold bucket 'o' margarita. Service is almost always superb as well - last time I was in it was my birthday - and after we finished, the girls brought our a giant sombrero, whooped and holla'd with maracas and rattles and gave me a complimentary birthday flan. read more

Girlfriend and I got this place recommended to us by a local business. We weren't disappointed. The best Mexican food we've had to date. Service was good and the drinks were strong! A must if in the area and can't go wrong when they bring you chips and salsa right off the bat. read more

My husband and I swung in to Jalepenos on a weekend getaway because we heard it was delicious, and it definitely lived up to our expectations. I enjoyed a delightful glass of their sangria, and we both ordered the special which was a chicken burrito with avocado salsa, and it was amazing! The burrito was huge for the price, enough to take half back home. Our server, Bianca, had a great sense of humor and encouraged a good time by recommending shots at the end of dinner. She was attentive and did a great job. Whenever we get the chance to visit Bellingham again, we will definitely hit up Jalepenos! read more

My party of three was welcomed into the restaurant and sat quickly. We were ready to eat after being on the water for most of the day. When I asked for an arnold palmer, I recieved iced tea. Then when our server Erika went to refill my water glass she completely missed my glass and I had to ask for a towel which she brought to me along with a stack of napkins. Erika didn't really come to the table except to drop off our food and our tabs which we split 3 ways. When we went to pay for our food we put two credit cards and cash. Erika ran our cards and brought the reciepts to the table. We thought that was the end like it is in every reataurant. ERIKA ended up charging the CREDIT CARD TWICE AND KEEPING THE CASH AS A TIP!!! We will NEVER recommend this shady business to anyone! read more

Jalapeno's in Fairhaven needs to take a few lessons from the one on Holly St. The service is lacking, The Arroz Con Pollo was dry and didn't have bell peppers in it. There were barely any mushrooms in it and what was there were slivers. Mistakes were made and things were forgotten. Instead of walking around to each person to put meals, drinks, etc. down they would pass the items across the table which put the server's arm in your face. I hope they get it together in Fairhaven because they're giving Jalapeno's a bad name. read more

We used to be regular at Jalapeno's in Fairhaven about 3 years ago. Back then, the staff was amazing. The service was through the roof. We recently went there for lunch and it was a completely different restaurant. It took forever to get a beer (we almost walked out). The table next to us ordered after us and got their food first. It was not clear that the Tuesday Taco Bar was just meat on a tortilla. I asked about the salsa bar and didn't get any info on it. I was just told it was down stairs. Everything was so slow and the server was rude. It is so disappointing to see such a good place turn to so back. I wouldn't even give it one star. read more

My friend and I from Vancouver, stopped in for lunch. $20 US for beef fajitas, $30 for two. We didn't see that on the menu until too late but the waitress didn't bring it up either so we paid $40 US. Truthfully the food was presented well, but there was no flavor. We took home half of it for dinner that night and once reheated, nothing at all. The home made taco sauce was excellent. Other than that ... I'm sure Happy hour is great but we were visiting, driving, so no Happy hour for us. Won't return as there are better, less expensive places all over town! read more

Wow, for even the upper west coast. This Mexican restaurant was very very good. It's just too bad we didn't go in the evening. I bet the atmosphere was just as amazing. If your looking for good Mexican food. This is the place. read more

This place is bad. It looks good from the outside, nice looking outdoor seating, with a fireplace and balcony. However, that doesn't make up for nearly inedible food. Meaning, I could sort of eat the fajitas, but my wife really couldn't eat the wet burrito. Usually a "wet" burrito isnt actually swimming in water, and the chicken isn't in a tight pile in the middle of a 2 foot wide mess of beans in a flour tortilla. Just flavorless, poor quality meat, cooked badly. Service not great either, I'd call it "bored". Chips were unsalted and greasy, salsa was just ok. There are lots of places to eat in Fairhaven, I suspect this place is mostly for drinking. read more

A big disappointment. I had a hankering for Mexican food and was by myself. My partner does not like Mexican food, and having lived in Southern California for many years, I really miss the cuisine. Once in awhile when I am by myself, I treat myself to a Mexican meal. This time I was in Fairhaven and saw Milagro. I drove around the block five times to find a parking space not far from the door. (I am disabled and can't walk far.) By the time I found one, I was really hungry and looked forward to a Fairhaven level special meal. The restaurant seemed short staffed and the staff they do have have to run up and down the stairs to serve those many who chose the upper level. Staff were as friendly as they could have been given their work load. The wait for food was longer than it should have been - especially considering the simplicity of the meals I saw served. Nothing complex, as nearly as I could tell. I could see only two people in the kitchen and it was lunch time. The food was a huge disappointment. The most fresh tasting part of the meal was the salsa provided with the chips. The lettuce tasted metallic and was not fresh. The refried beans were almost liquid and bland and the cheese on top of them was spare and did not liven up the dish at all. The rice did not taste freshly made or flavorful. The entree was adequate but not tasty. My meal cost almost $10. and I had not ordered a drink. Taco Bell would have been a better buy, IMO. My advice to Milagro would be to focus like crazy on the quality of their food. IMO, they may have focused on their bar - especially their margaritas - over their food. That won't work for long. Maybe they think people in the PNW don't know good Mexican food, but those of us who do, would never tolerate such low quality offerings as representative. The restroom was clean enough and stocked with supplies. The serving area was average in cleanliness and organization. read more

Margarita - does it have any tequila? Food arrives - oops forgot to heat it! We'll get to that. Be back soon... Ordered a beer. You did? Service- One nice server seemed to care but everyone else had that "what? you want something? attitude Should I return? Absolutely NOT EVER AGAIN! read more

Would have been nice to know the happy hour doesn't apply on cinco de mayo before ordering. Strong drinks but wouldn't pay full price for the bland food. read more

My evening improved after I threw up. You may like it if you find Taco Time authentic.