I really wanted to love this place, but it's just okay for me. I've eaten here three times, thinking it would grow on me, but it just didn't. Their mole is pretty good and I like their beans but nothing really stands out for me. But their service is very good and the server (owner?) is always very friendly. I'd go back, but wouldn't go out of my way for the place. read more

I'm from California, so its safe to say that ive had my fair share of damn good Mexican and taqueria food. La Tarasca is easily some of the best mexican food I've had in my entire life... Driving up on the way up to Canada, this place caught my eye as a great dinner place from the reviews i read already on yelp. as soon as I walked in the door i knew that this is the place to be, i was welcomed as if it was my home and i found the decor spot on. Our waiter (which i assume was the owner) was incredibly friendly recommended the carnitas (their specialty) to us as well as explained some of her family heritage, it really made me happy to see that this family business has been successful since 1997 using their authentic family recipes. The pickled carrots were amazing to start out with and the tamarindo was the best ive had. When it came to the food, i was blown away, the carnitas were delicious, so tender that no knife was needed. The homemade tortillas, once again, the best ive ever had. The beans, the rice, everything on that plate was so flavorful that I was almost sad when i scraped the plate clean. The Flan was also, yes again, the best Ive had, and normally Im not a fan of flan. Its pretty hard to explain how good this place is in words and how memorable this dining experience was. I look forward to eating here again on my way back from Canada and expect it to be just as good as the first time. This is a must-go-to place if your in the area or driving up hwy 5. 5 stars without a doubt. read more

Food was delicious. Best mexican I have had in a long time. Prices were reasonable. Beer and wine only.

Special tonight is chile verde Pork. Excellent. Great handmade corn tortillas great service with a beautiful smile!

What a lovely place! It was packed tonight for good reason. They are so welcoming and generous. The food was delicious. I wish I could learn how to make their beans and rice. The masa on the tamale was light and fluffy. The carnitas were amazing and my husbands all time favorite carne asana tacos were Muy Bueno. read more

Delicious. We were staying at great wolf lodge and came here for dinner. Everyone loved it kids included.

As advertised here in other reviews - a wonderful meal not to be missed if in the area. We were staying at Great Wolf Lodge and felt the need to venture out of the resort for this one meal - glad we did. read more

Always an excellent meal. Friendly staff and authentic Mexican dishes. We love the Chile Colorado and Chile verde.

I've been here on two occasions: the first time I ordered the posole. I have had so many different types of posole and I have grown up eating posole but this posole was bland. The soup had really no flavor to me, I added a lot of oregano, the powder chile they have, lime, and I still couldn't get much flavor from it. The hominy and meat however were cooked perfectly. The second time I went I ordered chicken sopes with rice and beans. I guess I shouldn't expect all sopes to be the same since a lot of Mexican food is different from one state to another but I just couldn't believe how oily and soggy these sopes were. Also, I should have asked about the chicken, I'm used to the chicken on sopes, on tostadas, in flautas or a majority of Mexican food to be chicken breast but this meat was mostly dark meat which I hate. The rice and beans were really good though. And I also had horchata which was also very good. The servers were really nice and the place was nice as well. I would come back and maybe just order the carnitas which is the dish they are known for. read more

Great food and excellent service. The best Mexican food I've tasted in the state of Washington. We tried the menudo, carnitas and carne asada. All were perfect. Worth coming back to try more dishes. read more

Wow, what a find! Everything you'd want from a family-run Mexican restaurant, and great homemade corn tortillas!

We tried just about everything on the menu and all was delicious. The carnitas were amazing. So moist and flavorful. Tamale was perfect balance of masa and meat. The Pazole was full of hominy and fresh cabbage with the carnitas. The horchata is homemade and awesome. Don't miss this great little place on your way from PDX to Seattle. read more

AMAZING FOOD! If you want drink of a fancy restaurant go elsewhere. The food is perfect.

They don't need to serve chips! The pickled carrots are a great alternative. The owner was really nice an took the time to explain her food and recommendations. The carnitas were so flavorful and the adobada tacos are amazing! Definitely go here read more

We were driving through on our way from Seattle to Portland and randomly found this place. Delicious authentic food and great service. Super friendly! Love it! read more

Absolutely love the family vibe of this place! The pickled carrots were great and the carnitas were what you'd hope for. Delicious.

This place is amazing and the tamales are to die for!! Plus Marina and Lola are so friendly! Family owned and operated!

I went again and had the chicken mole. The sauce was incredible but the chicken was so overcooked and dry I was thankful I was given a generous amount of sauce to make it edible. We also ordered flan which was amazing. My husband ordered a dish with beef and said his meat was overcooked as well. If it wasn't for the chewy meat the meal would have been 5 star. read more

Don't worry about the absence of chips and salsa, because they are more than made up for by the quality of the food at this authentic Mexican restaurant. They bring pickled carrots as soon as you're seated - delicious and a whole lot better for you than the non-authentic chips and salsa you get at Americanized Mexican restaurants. The homemade tortillas are a revelation; after eating here, I'd take them every time over those grease-soaked chips everywhere else. The food was so good that we'll make a point of eating here next time we drive from Seattle to Portland. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it! read more

The best Mexican food between Portland and Seattle. Clean, friendly, authentic, delicious and reasonable prices. The mole is to die for and the shredded pork is tender and flavorful. Don't settle for less, come in and enjoy the meal, you won't regret it! read more

Mexican food north of the border doesn't get much better than this... I love the pickled carrots instead of chips before the meal arrives and the main course is always tasty. Definitely worth the trip to Centralia for a great meal at an ever better price!! read more

This place is a breath of fresh air after dining in some truly awful Mexican places around the state. I am a native Californian ex-pat, and I have been so disappointed in the Mexican food here in Washington. No more! La Tarasca serves great food, some excellent Mexican beer and has great service. I had the chicken mole - which is probably the best I have ever had. Large chicken portion with a delightful sauce, fresh totillas, all washed washed down with an icy cold Negra Modelo beer. It doesn't get any better than that :-) I go back every time I am in town. read more

La Tarasca is my favorite Mexican restaurant ever! It's not your typical Mexican place. They don't use much cheese and they don't serve chips and salsa. I don't miss them though. They serve Mexican food authentic to Michoacan, where the owner is from. If you want to order a la carte, I recommend the tamales. They are the best! (And very large but inexpensive, too.) The tortillas are handmade and delicious. read more

I grew up in San Diego and I still prefer good Mexican food to any other. I've also traveled quite a bit. This is the best Mexican food I've ever eaten, north of the border. Chili colorado is so good - I always get an order to go (in addition to whatever I eat while I'm there). Mama (yes grandma does the cooking) always has a special - try it. If you happen to get there just as the pork tamales are coming out of the oven, order two. read more

Incredible! Worth the drive...im telling everyone i know about the colorado sauce! Thank you!

Hands down BEST Mexican food in the area. EVERYTHING on the menu is excellent, and it's real, traditional style Mexican. No chips (don't even ask...), and no "fajitas". You owe it to yourself to at least try this place once. La Tarasca is in a class by itself. I love the chicken mole... read more

Interested in cheesy, red sauce "mexican" food with huge flour tortilla quesadilla's for the kiddos while you and the missus load up on chips and red salsa? Then please do not go here and ruin the dining experience of others with your sour faces and complaining. If you want to have something authentic and not processed for the 'merican palette - then buckle in and get ready for a great meal vacation of flavors and enjoyment. read more

Fast service, authentic cuisine! A great place to get a great Mexican meal in Centralia with excellent service!

I wish I could clone this restaurant and put it in my city. I used to go there regularly when I worked in the area, and everything I've tried there is delicious. The flavors are complex and authentic, so this yummy food is not for people who like American style Mexican food drenched in cheddar cheese. read more

Known for their Caritas which were great but everything we had was. Pineapple tamales were mind blowing, never would have thought of it. Very authentic and an easy jaunt from the mall. read more

Delicious HOMEMADE Mexican food. Everything is made in house and is fresh and yummy. Not the typical Tex-Mex style the other local Mexican restaurants offer. No, they don't serve chips and salsa and they don't serve hard liquor, so no margaritas. If that's mainly what you're looking for this will not be the place for you. If you want fresh delicious house made corn tortillas and wonderful pork carnitas and a plate of food not covered with gloppy cheese then this should be the place for you. read more

We have been to La Tarasca many times over the years. The food is great, however, their prices are beyond the value.

Best restaurant in Lewis County! The food is authentic and tastes amazing. The service is beyond friendly. This place is always packed. 5 Stars. read more

We have been going to La Tarasca for the past 10 years. I love their chili rellenos, flan, carnitas, spicy carrots, chili verde and I can go on. My husband loves their soups. I love their homemade corn tortillas. Their tamales are fantastic. The beans and rice are delicous too. I can't say enough - go try this place. This is a family restaurant and they are very friendly. Note, they are closed on Tuesdays. A great stop between Portland and Olympia. read more

Woohoo, La Tarasca is our restaurant of choice! The chili Rellenos are to die for, and the chili verde dinner is out of this world. My husband swears by the carnitas, and my boys will do an entire days' worth of chores just to get an order of rice and beans with a quasadilla on the side. This is a hard working family-owned enterprise, and they take great pride in the Ayala family name. You won't be disappointed! read more

Our family decided after a long lapse to give La Tarasca another try after reading all of the rave reviews on this website. We ordered the specialty of the house which is carnitas. It was very dry and without taste. We were never asked during our meal if everything was o.k. Maybe we came on an off night. read more

Delish! Colorful interior. Great service. It's my favorite place to eat in Centralia (out of the four or so restaurants I've been to that I've found on Yelp). Recommend! read more

Perhaps the "best" Mexican I have had "west of Yakima!" I would consider taking a friend there for chow -even though I live in N. Tacoma! Frijoles don't conform to what you usually get - sort of sloppy - so enjoy licking your fingers. Tortillas (corn) are kick-ass! At least two friends who have always "hated" maize tortillas said they'd come back just for the tortillas! The "carrots" (rather than chips & sauce) is a delight especially if you are watching carbs or salt! And when you ask for jalapeños, you get "real" jalapeños, not nacho-sliced rounds out of a can! Their "specialty" is carnitas - appropriately tender and easily "pulled" to be used in the wonderful tortillas. The pico de gallo was lightly seasoned and a nice enhancement to the frijoles y roz (beans & rice.) There salsa verde was "good" - tasty, nicely textured, some viscosity, short on zip/spiciness (to my taste!) I have done Mexican in several places (to include Queretaro, Mexico, Mexico DF, Ensenada, Puerto V, Los Angeles, Las Cruces, NM, El Paso/San Antonio/Ft Worth,TX, and several places in AZ.)This rates as one of the best experiences for the price. read more

I had gone here years ago and didn't have that fond of a memory of the place but after a friend raved about it recently I figured I had better give it another try. I was encouraged by all of the good reviews. When we got there I was hopeful because it busting with happy customers. I enjoy the low key sort of funky feel of the old recuperated drive-in that the place occupies. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves and the staff was scurrying around getting things done. We were greeted by a very cheerful waitress who seated us quickly and took our orders. It seemed like I was on my way to having my mind changed. I ordered something with steak strips and my friend had chile relleno. All was looking good until the food arrived. One problem I have with the average Mexican restaurant is what I call "plop, plop and glop", which is your basic rice, beans and some sort of stuff in a brown somewhat Mexican tasting sauce. It always comes to the table like it was just served up in an institutional kitchen. It doesn't seem to matter what you order, all of the plates look alike. I wasn't disappointed in this area. There was nothing interesting about my food other than it was edible and I was hungry. There were some nice pickled carrots in a dish for appetizers that I scarfed. The waitress was very pleasant but was so busy that she was not able to get back to us other than a quick pass to ask how we were doing. I did remember that they had a great flan and on that they didn't disappoint. When I eat out I am looking for something that excites my taste buds, my eyes and my spirit, not plop, plop and glop. The food was OK, the staff was great but the food was not very interesting or flavorful. If you don't like excitement when you eat then you certainly won't be disappointed here. read more

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