Visited this place for dinner on the way home from a road trip and oh my what a find! Looking at the menu I was hesitant, but I went with the server suggestions and was NOT disappointed! The hostess was gracious and the food was flavorful and delicious. Highly recommend for authentic Mexican food! This review was based on the following entrees. Enchiladas with steak, and carnitas and flan for dessert. read more

Believe the hype. I don't even miss having chips and salsa; the pickled carrots are addictively delicious and I've come to prefer them because by starting the meal with carrots instead of chips, I actually have room to savor my entree. And there is so much to savor here. The tamales are the best I've had since I moved out of Phoenix 25 years ago. Such light, fluffy masa surrounds such tender, savory fillings. Pork or chicken, you can't go wrong. Speaking of pork, the carnitas is boasted of rightfully here. It's amazing. Save room for flan, especially if you like custards. It's melt-in-your-mouth caramel custard heaven. Not at all surprised to read that people are driving from Portland to eat here. I've lived in San Diego, Phoenix, Las Cruces, and Fort Worth and La Tarasca ranks with the best Mexican food those cities have to offer. read more

Having lived in San Francisco for forty-two years, my move back to Washington lacked one experience - authentic Mexican food like I used to get in the Mission District of San Francisco. Well, on Cinco de Mayo, I found my local go to Mexican restaurant. La Tarasca is a wonderful authentic Mexican restaurant. The people are friendly and the service is excellent, but most of all the polo con mole (chicken with mole sauce) was better than any mole I have had in Mexico. This restaurant is a real gem that is run by a family that knows what real Mexican food is all about. No American chips and salsa, only some of the best authentic Mexican food I have ever had. The waitress even knew some of the regulars by their first name. You can bet I will be a regular at this place. read more

Driving to Seattle from Portland, hit Yelp to de what was good nearby, L la Tarasca came up and we decided to try it, I love small homemade restaurants. I am very glad We did! Delicious! Hade the house specialty Carnitas , Yum, I ate every bit of it. If you're hungry and in the area I highly recommend this place read more

Very good food! Carnitas were muy rico! Parents loved their food and my wife wanted more!

So good. I haven't had Mexican food this good since, well, ever. Service was extremely friendly and helpful. Will be back! read more

Nice little place. Nice service and the food was clean and non-greasy. Far cry from franchise Azteca. Ordered the Carnita (pulled pork). It was really good, polished off the plate. Friendly for kids. A tip, the restaurant is very close to the big Centralia sign that hangs across Main Street. read more

If I am every in the area I go out of my way to eat here. The best Mexican I have ever had. read more

Ate there last night. Get the flan. Get the flan. Get the flan! My husband's favorite are the chile rellenos, but I'm a huge fan of the enchiladas. Those potatoes are divine! Make sure to try the specials and the family recipe stuff. This place is legit, as you can probably see by the other reviews! read more

So delicious! A friend raved about the food for several weeks, and we finally decided to take a quick trek down to good ol' Lewis County to check it out. We arrived about 6:30 on Saturday evening. The place was POPPIN'!! We were greeted by the owner, very sweet. The picked carrots were DELICIOUS! Very addictive. I ordered the carnitas, my friend ordered the Mole. Friend loved her food, I wasn't a fan of the flavor of it. But the chicken was SO tender. My carnitas were great. Tender. Flavorful. I truly enjoyed the experience. Looking forward to returning! read more

This is authentic food from Michoacán Mexico. Five stars all the way. This restaurant doesn't need Yelp to sell itself. They've been in business for over 20 years - way before Yelp. The carnitas was a great choice and the tortillas are fresh made for you. Having traveled to Michoacán, its great to eat family recipes from the area. read more

Corn tortillas are incredibly good and their carnitas is worth ordering for sure. Service is excellent and they really appreciate your business. read more

So good! The carnitas were incredible. I could eat those pickled carrots all day. The lady there (who I'm assuming runs the restaurant) is great. She is sweet and hospitable, yet cuts through the BS of small talk that so many other places feel they need to do in order to succeed. La Tarasca lets the food do the talking for itself. Simple as that. 10/10 would recommend. read more

Best authentic Mexican food I've ever eaten. Had the family recipe dishes. Definitely will be back when I'm passing through again.

Such a great family owned restaurant. The food is great and so are the people. Everytime I go, I try something new and it's always just wonderful read more

JUST WOW. I highly recommend giving this place a try. This restaurant is not far from Centralia Outlets. I love the chile relleno, it was spectacular--I wish it was de-seeded but that was my only gripe with it. I had the chile verde and that was very tasty but NOTE it is spicy. I would definitely come back here. read more

The adobada taco with the homemade tortilla was incredible. Tasty salsas and nice service

Food and service was amazing. This is real, authentic Mexican food! Thank you for the fast and friendly service! We will defiantly be back!

The food was fine. I'd give this restaurant a 4, but I thought it was too pricey. It was good, but not good enough to justify the price. PROS: Authentic, good tortillas, rice and beans CONS: Just because something is authentic doesn't mean it is necessarigoing to be better food than something that isn't. read more

I have been coming here for years and years. The staff is wonderful, and we are treated like family. I say "surprise me" every time, and have never had something I didn't like. The tamales are to die for, and the adobada tacos are great. However, you really can't go wrong. If you're feeling adventurous, try the menudo! read more

This was a great place to eat! We were craving Mexican food but hoping to find something better than the normal soggy, sauce-soaked concoction with a side of rice and beans. We were pleasantly surprised with this place, I got their house special Carnitas and it was perfect! The meat was so tender and flavorful. The homemade tortillas were perfect. My bf got the enchiladas, which he said were perfect. The meat was on the side but it didn't matter at all, it's traditional food from their region of Mexico served the traditional way. They take pride in their food and that was obvious, it was very fresh and filling. read more

Great food and friendly service. The carnitas were very good. I would definitely come back.

This colorful family restaurant serves authentic and delicious food from southwest Mexico. As the signs say - they do NOT serve chips. So if that's a problem, try someplace else. But if you are looking for some outstanding homemade Mexican food, try the carnitas, the chicken mole, or the adobado tacos. The homemade corn tortillas alone are worth the trip. read more

Truly the best Mexican food I have ever had!!!!! I think I will intentionally starve myself and take the short drive off of I5 when ever I'm heading south. Wonderful staff and restaurant which makes you feel at home. read more

Fantastic Mexican food authentic to Michoacan and five stars because it's so good and reasonably priced. Can't go wrong with the Poblano Rellenos. Every entree I have had at La Tarasca has been excellent. Pickled carrots are served as a healthy alternative to chips. More like antipasto to cleanse the palate. If you are seeking cheesy and gooey American-influenced Mexican dinner then you will very likely loathe this place! It isn't on par with most below average Mexican restaurants. You'll be satiated and get plenty of satisfaction when the uniquely and deliciously spiced entree is served! Wonderful home made masa tortillas compliment the meal. The flan for dessert is better than even in most expensive Mexican restaurants, La Tarasca's flan is smooth as silk, full of rich flavor and yet reasonably priced. You enjoy your meal in a casual, but pleasantly decorated and festive atmosphere. Good service presented by a family who really knows how to cook! If you like authentic Mexican food, go out of your way to frequent this place! read more

Excellent authentic food. The owner takes great pride in her restaurant and the meals. The restaurant is very clean as well as the bathrooms. They do not serve chips as that is not native to the area. However the pickled carrots are outstanding. Highly recommend this quaint restaurant. read more

After reading all of the reviews on Yelp, I had to try this restaurant. I was not disappointed. I have driven by this restaurant and been interested for years, but I had never stopped in. What a mistake. I have missed out on this exceptional place. My wife and I walked in and we were greeted immediately with a very warm greeting and smile. We were offered to sit any where that was open. Our wonderful host was the only one working the front of the house but she worked the tiny dining room like a pro. She made sure everyone was enjoying their food and seemed to genuinely gain a sense of pride by the positive replies. I had the Carnitas, a Tamale (they were freshly cooked, I had to try), and agua fresca de tamarindo (a drink at the advice of the wonderful host). My wife (not a very adventurous type, especially when it comes to her food) had a quesadilla and a bean taquitos tarascos (since she is a HUGE fan of mole sauce). We both loved our selects. So much so, my wife said we have to come back here with the kids sometime soon. I had told my wife about the reviews of this place before and she was a apprehensive about the homemade corn tortillas. She is a big fan of flour and hates corn. After eating these corn tortillas, she was very impressed. They were the best either of us had ever had. We highly recommend La Tarasca to anyone. We will definitely be back. Thank you La Tarasca and Yelp for directing here. AWESOME!!! read more

I love this restaurant. The tortillas are delicious. I usually recommend whatever the special might be. The other day I had pork and green beans with corn and tomato. It sounds odd, but it was exceptionally delicious. Lots of sauce to sop up with the tortillas. And of course, you have to save room for flan. What I really like about this place is that you can get dinner that isn't necessarily what a lot of people expect at a restaurant like this. It really is like you've been invited over to a friends house ( a friend that makes yummy food) for dinner. I love the specialty drinks. Horchata is sweet, but refreshing with a touch of cinnamon. The Hibiscus tea is so delicious. And the tamarind drink is also great. Always get one of these with your meal. ALWAYS. read more

I have to say I don't get the chance to eat here much, but when I do I always get the pozole or one of their tacos with rice and beans. The pozole comes topped w cabbage, diced onion, and radish. It is served with homemade tortillas. I get this soup to go when I am sick and nothing seems to make me feel better! The tacos you can have deep fried or not, but regardless of what you choose they are excellent. My husband also loves the endless bowl of pickled carrots they serve while you are waiting for your meal. Yes, it is small, but the friendly service totally makes up for any amount of smallness, and I think it is nice that they are actually able to talk and interact with their customers and get to know them. They are so friendly, and personable, we love to go here. read more

Excellent homemade meals every time I travel the 40 miles to get here. I love this place, the people, and the food! The Carne en su Jugo soup accompanied by fresh made corn tortillas brings pleasant memories of childhood summers. The pork tamales are to die for! And their flan...heaven! read more

My husband and I came here for lunch a week ago and we really enjoyed our lunch. I ordered the chili relleno and my husband got the carnitas. The chili itself was good but I didn't care too much for the egg batter but it still was very good. My husband's carnitas were very good and the tortillas are amazing! The next time we go I will definitely be trying the tamales and flan. The price is somewhat high for the portion but we don't mind paying for delicious Mexican food! read more

All the other reviews are right! The food here is exceptional!!! Got here just as the tamales were coming out of the oven and they are the best I've had in over a decade and living in Texas! Update*if I could give them higher than 5 stars I would. My 2 year old completely melted down and I took him to the car. She was so nice! She boxed everything up and even brought it out to the car!!!! Above and beyond in EVERY WAY!!! read more

Where is my sixth star for this place? I love Mexican food and have eaten at hundreds of restaurants but this is my absolute favorite bar none. I've tried most of the menu items and they are all wonderful, but their chile verde is my fave. Their flan is also great. The posole is amazing as are their tamales. These ladies from Michoacan know their cuisine and are so friendly. We live a half-hour away but think nothing of making the drive. Don't expect chips and salsa, this is authentic non-Americanized Mexican food. read more

This place is great. Classic Mexican food that is quick and tasty. This is an excellent option when you are road tripping between Seattle and Portland. read more

Stopped here again. Had the pollo con mole again. Excellent as usual. My wife had the posole and it looked great. We also ordered jalapeños

Little family restaurant with wonderfully authentic mom and daughter cuisine. No chips. No WiFi. Lots of love.

My absolute favorite Mexican place in Washington! Food is so fresh and delicious. The adobada tacos are amazing. Love the intimate feel, family run business! read more

Among the best authentic Mexican food in the PNW (my wife is Hispanic she would know). The food was melt in your mouth good, the staff friendly and engaging. If you're visiting Great Wolf Lodge and like Mexican food, it is worth the 5 min drive. On a scale of 1-5 -- 1 being Muchas Gracias/Taco Bell, this is a very solid 5 stars. read more

I've been eating here with my family for the past 22 years, since they opened the restaurant. Always amazing food. The family who owns and works at the restaurant have always been super friendly. I've never had a bad experience here in 22 years! read more

First time here and can't wait to go back! Excellent all the way through. Very authentic and delicious. I had the tostadas and they tasted so much like my grandmas recipe. read more