While on vacation in Bellingham in July 2026, asked a local where to go for the best Mexican food around. He told us to go to Jalapeno's. We went to the location in Barkley Village. Service was great...fast and friendly. Food was outstanding! We could taste the freshness in the vegetables, salsa, sauces. Chips and salsa were as good as it gets. Tried the enchiladas chipotle and suiza, both chicken and shredded beef. The chipotle sauce was excellent...smoky, spicy, flavorful. The suiza enchiladas were great too. Rice and beans were very fresh and flavorful. Also tried the carne asada tacos. They were very good....plenty of carne with very fresh cilantro and onion. The premium big mamma margaritas were excellent. Restaurant was clean, bathrooms were clean, lighting and ambience were great. We only had 3 days left on our trip when we discovered Jalapeno's. We ate there twice in 3 days....it was that good (July 5 and 6). Note: we live in Henderson Nevada.....suburb of Las Vegas. I wish we had this restaurant in our backyard....it beats all of our local Mexican restaurants. We will be back to Bellingham and we'll definitely eat at Jalapeno's again....and again. read more

Service was quick, friendly and overall the best part of eating here. The food was dismal. The sole reason was salt. Everything tasted very salty. Every bite and every ingredient of the chile verde burrito. The pork was salty, the sauce on top was salty, the cheese and tortilla...salty. And not the kind that enhances the flavor of food the salty taste that overpowers and becomes the flavor. The only few bites that were not salty was the side salad. And the pork was dry. Disappointing. read more

Just ordered 4 simple tacos waited over 40 minutes for a to go order. I hate when restaurants only prioritize dine in.

This is my favorite location. They are dog friendly outside, friendly in general, and are generous in both portion size and drink strength. They have daily specials, and recently changed them so check the facebook page - I'm not sure what they are, except on Taco Tuesdays a house Big Mama is $5.99! Somehow I always get the carnitas, even when I try not to. They're not technically as traditional as some of my Mexican friends would make at home, but gosh darn it they are delicious. I love the steak fajitas, and who doesn't love the BBB. For $35, it's probably the best deal you're going to get in town. And like I said, there are HUGE portions so there's always enough for at least another snack. There's a bar area, a restaurant side, a back room, and an upstairs. I tend to like the bar area most, but have eaten in each of the divisions. Generally service is pretty prompt, and the free chips and salsa keep my occupied until it's time to order. The service is really the best part though - and Leo, the manager, will always say, "See you tomorrow." And who knows, you just might! read more

Came here with the kids since they didn't have school and shared some chicken nachos. The staff was friendly and gave the kids extra cherries with their Shirley temples I bring them to one of jalapeños locations once a month to enjoy nachos the kids love it! read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I was initially hesitant to try this place, uncertain about its quality. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the delicious food and excellent service. The ambiance captures the essence of a delightful Mexican establishment, complete with charming decorations and lively music. Happy hour is all day Thursday - Sunday with great deals on Big Mama, Mini Burritos, Tortilla Chips and more! This is my favorite location of the jalapeños in Bellingham read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Chicken enchiladas with créame sauce - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Always friendly, prompt, service. Love the Crema Enchiladas! Try a side of Ranchero sauce with your chips. read more

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My husband and I stop in around noon for lunch. I was craving the combo fajitas that I had before at their Holly Street location. Jalapenos has three locations and what you get in one is apparently not the same. I was disappointed with my fajitas at the Barkley location. The lack of meat over all was the first difference as well as the lack of bacon strips. There were bacon bits rather then 3 big strips of thick bacons. Second I asked for another salsa option, one that was hotter then the freebie one offer and was given a menu. I was disappointed that it would be an extra $2 for a very small bowl of salsa from the salsa menu. Even worse it was water down and had no heat or favor. Usually most restaurants would offer a hotter version for free. Service was pretty slow considering they had two on lunch duty. The food was lacking and the service was not as attentive at this location compared to our previous experience at their location on Holly Street. Next time I crave Mexican food, think we'll head downtown. read more

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Taco salad was the perfect lunch choice for me today! This is a modern take on the taco salad light and no big crusty shell to deal with so flavorful. Be warned if you don't like carbs you're gonna want to ask for the rice on the side because it comes in the dish. Happy hour starts at three and last until 530 and they have really good deals on margaritas and tacos for only three dollars each. Definitely a nice experience here. read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Taco salad - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Every server here is amazing. I go here because the drinks are very affordable but I wouldnt recommend much of the food. Great place to grab a snack and some drinks with a group. read more

Jalapeno's is pretty much my go-to spot for Mexican food when I'm in the Barkley area. This two-story location boasts a great bar area, where there's usually plenty of seating and the margaritas are dangerously strong (I'm looking at you, Big Mama)! Like the other Jalapeno's locations, their salsa is phenomenal. And if you go on their famous Taco Tuesday, you can enjoy cheap tacos and a full-fledged salsa bar with your Mama. Yum yum! Service is always friendly here, but it can be a little slow when things get busy. Bonus points for all-day happy hour on Sundays! read more

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My sister and I came here on a Friday night, we ordered big mamas and relished the end of the work week. Service started out a little slow, unusual, it seems they weren't aware that they had sat guests outside on the sidewalk. After our drinks arrived, our assigned waitress stated that she just gotten back from break and was there to take care of us. The food we ordered arrived shortly. Both fairly typical dishes, with refried beans and rice, I had enchiladas and my companion had fish tacos. The server raved about the fish in the fish tacos. She said the fish was fresh halibut, the best fish she'd had in the tacos at jalapeños. The service she offered ended up being quite enjoyable, she was funny, and made our visit very enjoyable. We've been here many times and the Big Mama Margarita is always on our go to list. This time they were not quite as good as they've been in the past but still a formidable cocktail. read more

Walked in on a whim to check out their food after hearing lots of good things about Jalapenos from co workers. It was great stumbling upon their $2 taco tuesdays which meant they also had a salsa bar for chips! I thoroughly enjoyed their green salsa and getting to add extra cilantro. Ambiance and decor is pretty standard for any Mexican place I've seen in Bellingham, super busy and bright colors from a variety of decorations on the walls/piñatas hanging from the ceiling... It was a busy dinner service but my friend and I were seated quickly. We ordered a burrito and green enchilada combination along with the chicken fajitas. The burrito and enchilada were good but not on par with the restaurant we often frequent downtown as the sauces used were not as flavorful as we're used to. The fajitas smelled super good and according to my friend were something they'd order again. Unfortunately service wasn't the best as it seemed they were always running from one point to another (understandable) but my friend had to ask for water refills from three different people before they were able to get around to us. I'm definitely willing to come back again, maybe just on another night. read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Chicken Fajitas. Also comes with tortillas, beans and rice - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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The food was good but they charged me $4.50 plus tax for one soda that was mostly ice, then charged me $4.50 again for a refill. $9...seriously?! read more

Wife and I ate their with another couple Prices are a bit too high in my opinion I got the chicken and rice and it was quite good Others also thought their dishes were good They need to lower prices for me to eat there more than rarely read more

STEPHANIE IS AMAZING we went here during happy hour and got King Kong nachos, taquitos, a quesadilla, and the dip trio. Everything was AMAZING. Our server, Stephanie, was so attentive, so lovely and so funny. She made coming here such a great experience! Amazing service and great food. read more

This a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that serves typical TexMex food. Wait staff is friendly and will seat you promptly. You can select outdoor patio seating on wrought iron chairs, stools at the bar, or booths or tables for larger parties. Free chips and salsa are delivered to your table along with your drink order. Food is always served piping hot, on plates as big as a sombrero. Combos come with rice and beans, but even ordering ala carte, you will probably need a doggie bag. Free street parking is available on both sides of the restaurant. If you come when its busy at the lunch hour or on weekend nights, there is always plenty of parking at Haggens next door. I've been to this location several times for both lunch and dinner. The food is decent for the PNW. The service is always friendly. The margaritas have a kick, and the price is reasonable considering the amount of food you get. read more

Jalapeños not only has the best Mexican food, but the staff and service is hands down awesome! We had a going away party tonight, with our group being about 20 people, and Marcia our server was AMAZING! She was just the sweetest; great and prompt service, very attentive, and was so great! We had the back area of the restaurant for our group and it was perfect and were well taken care of. We made it in time for Happy Hour drinks and appetizers, always love the chips & salsa, and delicious food. I had the Strawberry Chicka Rocks Margarita, Malibu Margarita and the beef Happy Hour Quesadilla; all delicious! And who doesn't love that when you get drinks at Jalapeños, you get a heavy pour! Thank you so much for accommodating our group, great service, and being such a great place we love coming back to! read more

I just stopped in here the other night for a quick drink and an appetizer with a friend and it was an overall good experience. The server was very prompt. We got water, chips and salsa right away which was nice. After about 5 min the waiter came and took our drink order and order. Our drinks and appetizer came out really quickly! The waiter would check on us every now and then to see how we were doing. Overall a good experience! Friendly attentive staff Free chips and good salsa! A lot of seating Outdoor seating read more

The food at Jalapenos is always delicious and the service is great! I tried the pork carnitas this time and they were fantastic! Crispy on the outside and tender inside, not to spicy and nicely seasoned. There was enough for left overs and equally yummy the next day! read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Pretty bar! - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Came here for dinner an was highly disappointed, the Piña colada I ordered tasted like lightly flavored ice, definitely couldn't taste any alcohol an very little pina colada mixer !! I ordered the steak fajitas they were simply ok. I don't think I'll go back, I will say the service was good, server was fast and friendly, I asked when ordering if I should try the Hawaiian fajitas, she hesitated and then said oh they're very popular, I appreciate her honesty and I'm glad I didn't get that . read more

My ex-husband always said that this was a restaurant, so I gave them a try! I am not usually a fan of "onions," I was so observed with them on my fajitas! I liked having my own tablet (as opposed to a booth)......I felt happy and healthy! read more

Always busy and staff in a hurry, but it's a nice energy and the food is good. I love the appetizer sampler to share with friends!

I have enjoyed this restaurant before but haven't been for quite awhile ( COVID). Went yesterday and was so very disappointed. I had Le Crema enchiladas and it was so bland in taste it wasn't worth eating. My son said the same about how selection. The best thing was the chips and salsa and it wasn't special. And the prices are quite a bit higher. I understand that but not if the food isn't good. read more

I'm from Texas where Mexican food is viewed as a sacred passage to Nirvana...Northern Washington definitely ain't Texas when it comes to Mexican food. Taco Bell is the quintessential Mexican food here. At least that's what I thought until we visited Jalapenos in Bellingham. What a refreshing upgrade from the others. Service: Marissa was our bartender and server. She's, by far, the best server we've had in the area. She's sweet, kind, outgoing, and pours her margaritas with gusto. Lots of fun and a lovely lady. Give her a raise because she deserves it. Food: After eating at Mi Mexico, and every other Mexican food place in town, we were waiting for another boring, crappy meal with no spice and worse quality. The rice is always held over from the day before and the meats are less than tasty. Jalapenos was a completely different experience. The sauces are fresh, well prepared, and perfectly spiced. I had the beef chimichanga which was heaven on a plate and my wife had chicken burrito. What an awesome meal! You won't be disappointed. Drinks: Margaritas were like you'd get in Mexico City. Lots of tequila and fresh lime juice. Just make sure you take a long walk before driving home. They're supercharged so practice your excuses for the highway patrol before driving home. Prices: We were there for happy hour so the prices were extra low but I'd gladly pay full price here. Well worth the money. Atmosphere: Downtown chic. I usually prefer dive restaurants with great food but this place is a bit more upscale and chic compared to the other Mexican places in Bellingham. Very busy but not overwhelming. Service was quick and friendly. Summary: This is the very best Mexican food we've had so far in Washington. Excellent quality from the staff, food, service, drinks, and everything else. Run, don't walk, to Jalapenos when you have a Mexican food craving. read more

No waiting on a weekday during the dinner hour although we were too late for happy hour. Good fish tacos--grilled not fried. And the side of beans and rice were especially good. Skip the chips! When I said we were going to a movie the waitress volunteered that next time I should tell her and the order would come out even faster but it was already prompt. Try them if you are in the neighborhood .... read more

I use to come here all the time with the family and ever since they lost some of their good waitresses the service has gone down hill. Here's a tip if you want a tip be more friendly and at least act like you wanna be a waitress. I had to try it one more time and same results probably won't be coming back there anytime soon. Not sizzling. read more

Taco Today deals are ! Chicken fajitas for $10, and it's a generous portion. So tasty. The mini margaritas are the perfect size. Service was great and super friendly. They had a to go out rider ready for us after dining in ready in minutes. Fun atmosphere and location. read more

I met with some friends for dinner and drinks on a Friday night. It was busy but we were able to get a table in good time. Our waitress didn't do a great job this evening. Water and table service was provided to 2/3 people. When asked for a glass of water, the waitress told me to take the glass from one of the other people. Apparently she didn't want to be troubled with a glass of water. 2/3 people ordered margaritas, 3 margaritas were brought to the table. The waitress took food orders from 2/3 people and quickly walked away. I had to call her back for the third person to order. Food arrived and I had to ask for silverware. One person in the group was overcharged. The waitress didn't allow the person to finish speaking before she rushed off, as if she had already known the billing mistake. I would give 2 stars but gave 3 because the food was good. The margaritas are WAY overpriced for the quality. Be sure to go at happy hour. read more

Well, hola there Jalapeños! Great place for street tacos on Tuesday's along with their All Day Happy Hour. The Fresh Salsa Bar is icing on the cake.... er .... cinnamon on the churros. We must have ordered their entire stock of street tacos and used the condiments at the salsa bar to top them off: tomatillo salsa, red salsa, radish, onions, cilantro, and limes. The happy hour Big Mama Rocks margaritas have a smokey tequila that's delicious! I had the Paloma because I love grapefruit and this margarita has a grapefruit soda that makes the drink. We will absolutely be back! read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Went here for a late lunch, chips and fresh tasting salsa brought out pretty quickly. I ordered from the lunch specials and my wife from the main menu entrees. Her Fiesta platter was huge, good variety to get the feel for what they make here (this was our first time). I had the carne asada taco special, which was two chopped carne asada tacos on corn tortillas. Carne was tender and moist, not at all dried out like it can get when chopped like that. Neither plate came with a side of guacamole, and the "three peppers rated" hot salsa that we ordered was definitely Bellingham hot not El Paso hot. Both plates came with the ubiquitous beans and rice and a dollop of sour cream on top of some shredded lettuce. Beans were pretty good as I finished off hers as well... Over all decor and atmosphere was pretty much standard Mexican restaurant, a little dated and a bit cheesy (queso-y?). Soccer game on the tv, sound was down though so it wasn't obtrusive. Prices were a bit on the high side, $35 for our food and two iced teas, but not outrageous. All in all, pretty good and warranting a return visit. read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Carne Asada taco plate - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Well... Jalapenos in Barkley is a tricky place for me to rate. I only go to Jalapenos in Bellingham if it is happy hour, which they have daily in the early afternoon and later evenings and all day on Sundays. They have phenomenal food specials during this time if you buy an alcoholic beverage. The drink specials are good on happy hour but I recommend their flavored Mojitos...never on special but oh so perfectly crafted! I'd say their Big Mama margarita on the rocks is probably the most popular drink and they are made REALLY strong- plus they are included in happy hour prices! If you do not go during happy hour, expect overly charged meals. There are plenty of done Mexican restaurants in Bellingham that serve food just as good with lower prices. Regardless of when you go, service is hit and miss. The waitresses and waiter are very friendly but can be hard to come by for some reason. At other times they are on it and you never need to request a drink or chip/salsa refill! The salsa is really tasty so refills on that are usually needed. I recommend this resturant for Happy hour! Not for a meal. read more

This is a fun place to come for strong drinks and decent chips. :) They have great drink specials and lunch specials as well.

The food was ok. (Burrito had more lettuce than meat, that is for sure) I may be a gringo, but I do NOT need the greeter calling me "Amigo" a bunch of times (and only using that much Spanish) for me to know I am in a Mexican restaurant. Enough with that junk! Either speak to me in English or Spanish, please, but not that condescending one word of Spanish mixed with English.. (I speak both, believe it or not) Plus my MAIN complaint is I came in for cheap lunch special. Then I get the bill for more money than what I ordered and the waitress calmly says well, I got you the bigger (and more expensive) one. If I WANTED to spend more than I intended, I would have TOLD YOU! Or, you could have asked me if I wanted to upgrade. WHAT A RIP OFF. Yeah, only a buck, but it was MY buck! I would have argued but I had to leave (And had to rush up front to pay as they didn't come back for the credit card, either. Poor service in general.) Not too sure I'll be back but if I do and they pull this stunt again, I simply won't pay for more than what I ordered. read more

This is one of several excellent Mexican food places in Bellingham. We are truly blessed to have such great selection of Mexican restaurants in this town. I have gone to Jalapeño's on Barkley a few times: the food has always been top-notch in flavor and quality. The staff is very friendly, the location is very convenient, and parking is ample and easy. If you are looking for great Mexican food, I'd put Jalapeño's near the top of your list. read more

Today I had a craving for good Mexican and one the my Hub's friends recommended Jalapeños. We had to go into Bellingham so why not? We were quickly greeted & seated by our server with a smile. Modelo Negros on tap were order and the chips & salsa followed. The salsa was fresh & chunky with veggies. Not too chunky--just right! Not too hot--just right. This was the first time I can remember having to ask for seconds on salsa BEFORE the entrees! HELLO--GOOD STUFF! Hubs got the lunch chicken fajitas and I got a shredded beef chimichanga with beans & rice. Now, back home in Alabama, when I asked for jalapeños I would get them on the side in a bowl--not here. The food came out--hot & fresh. The fajitas were not on a sizzling pan-just plated; but the tortillas, they were made fresh, tender & steaming. Now where are those jalapeños I asked for? Hmm, maybe they forgot? NO!! Those babies were tucked inside the chimichanga along with cheese and the most delicious shredded beef! SCORE!! I enjoyed my lunch so much and can't wait to go back for more! Maybe one of their signature Margaritas will be just what I need to end my day? We shall see.... read more

Jalapeño's - Barkley - Just some of the Tequila offerings. Looks like ALL of it is Top Shelf. - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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One of our favorites. The food and service are great. We've been here probably 25 times. Surprised to see any bad reviews. Have a big mama and chill people. P.S.. See you tomorrow. read more

The service is so nice (i.e. A waitress gave us happy hour 1 minute after and another chased a man out of the restaurant to give him back his hat he forgot). The Mexican food is a tiny bit Americanized. But it is oh, so, good. Every trip to Bellingham I'm down to stop here. It's never too full and has a festive decor. I recommend getting the white and creamy Queso and anything with Carne Asada. The chips have a very authentic taste to them, which is a good sign in a Mexican restaurant. Oh~ did I mention they serve several flavors of margaritas in the size of either Chica, Big Mama, or Big Papa? The Big Mama is at least 20oz. Get your party on over here. read more

Terrible! Don't eat here. They put lettuce in their burritos. Need I say more?! That is all.

I grew up in California surrounded by an assortment of authentic and good quality Mexican food. All I have to say about Jalapeño's is it's DELICIOUS....if you're white. This is so white washed I don't even believe it should be able to call itself Mexican cuisine, most of Bellingham's population is old white people so I guess that's why it's popular here but if you're looking for authenticity don't come here. read more