If you are ever in Ballard,you need to come check this place out! The drinks are immaculate happy hour was great, our waitress Dara was so amazing! She gave us great recommendations, she was also very attentive during the time we were there. Thank you for great costumer service definitely will be back 10 out of 10. read more

Stopped by last week, the mango stake tacos were 10/10. my server Dara was attentive fast and made my dine in experience delightful. Looking forward for my next visit. read more

Was sat at the patio during happy hour, my waitress Dara recommended some great appetizers! Vibes were good drinks were amazing service was excellent def going back before the warm weather is gone. read more

Had a really nice dinner here on a Saturday night! We accidentally came on a Ballard Seafood fest night, which we thought meant we'd have a nightmare wait but we actually got sat immediately! As always, the ambiance is beautiful and romantic. They were also playing fantastic music and (quietly, thank god) the world cup game by the bar. My food was really good, but very very spicy. I've had this meal before and it wasn't so spicy I could barely eat it, but it was this time. I got the blackened shrimp tacos with beans and rice. I could only eat about 1/4. I do have a low spice tolerance but this felt way beyond needed spice either way. Service was fantastic! read more

Solid happy hour for food, but skip the drinks. The happy hour food is incredible value for the portion sizes. The Brussels sprouts are delicious, and the nachos are massive literally enough to feed about 10 people! On the downside, the drinks were heavily watered down with zero kick, and they aren't even included in happy hour pricing. Great spot if you're going strictly for the food portions, but I'd pass on the cocktails next time. read more

Update June 2026: I've been a customer of Matador for 8 years, celebrating special occasions here and recommending this restaurant to countless friends. We recently had a bad experience with Assistant General Manager Mark being unprofessional and mishandling our payment. We escalated the issue to management by email, and received what sounded like a generic templated response from General Manager Carly, which didn't directly address our specific concerns. I'm disappointed by the lack of care or concern for service for longtime, loyal customers and feel completely unheard by what I considered my favorite restaurant in Ballard. We've noticed service has gone downhill overall lately, but the response from management fell short. I hope things change soon at this location as we'd like to give them another chance. read more

Came for happy hour. There are lots of food options which I appreciate, I believe the happy hour was only food item. We sat outside in the street seating which is on a quiet street. The food came out quick and I was happy with the amount of food for the price. read more

Matador Ballard - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The Matador in Ballard is a really fun spot, especially if you like a lively bar atmosphere. This location feels a bit different from the Redmond one. The main restaurant dining space is a good size and feels comfortable, but the downstairs cantina is much smaller and can get overly crowded. We came for the Illegal tasting event and it was a great time, but the cantina got packed really quickly and I don't think they managed the small space very well for that kind of event. The food here is always good and the portion sizes are great. I almost always end up bringing leftovers home, and a lot of the dishes work really well for sharing. I also love their happy hour menu. It's perfect if you're just going by yourself or want something smaller without committing to a full dinner. They also have a great bar with lots of drink options, and they make really good margaritas. Overall it's a fun place to go, just expect the cantina to get crowded when there's an event or when it's busy. read more

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Happy hour is where it's at... you can't beat a giant plate of nachos for $7 , guacamole and salsa for $7, etc. in general the staff are friendly enough and food is enjoyable. The drinks lack though. Not worth the price tag and margaritas taste watery. This place can get crowded so come early or be prepared to wait a bit. read more

We love going to the Matador whenever doing something in Ballard. Very good location so it is pretty easy to use it as a meeting hub. The food is very good Mexican food. The dip flight is one of our favorites, it comes with bean dip, guacamole and queso dip. The salsa is also very tasty! They also have great and flavorful drinks that we enjoy! Fast and friendly service. Lots of conversations going on around you so it is a little loud. Not so much that you can not have your own conversation though. As I said great meet up hub with very tasty food and drinks. read more

Matador Ballard - Three Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I came for a to go order today. I ordered a quesadilla to go bc I thought it would be the quickest and wouldn't take that long. Place was pretty empty and still waited nearly 30 minutes for a quesadilla. I enjoy the food here but was disappointed in the wait time read more

Okay, first, I need to confess, I am a professional Mexican Foodie! HAHAAA. I know good Mexican food. The place, the vibe the ambiance is gorgeous. I love this sexy little dungeon of a feel. Very beautiful lighting. I love the bar. It's in such a fun location. A great date night place. Great selection of tequila too... esp if you like a nice sipping tequila. The bartender was busy, so kinda slow... but that is okay. The three dips with chips was the bomb. I loved my spicy prawn dish and the guac is really good here. My hubby's soft tacos were SO SO GOOD! We loved the steak the best. I loved everything about this place. Funny side note, I wanted to go to this other fabulous Mexican restaurant across the street (which I love and adore), but my hubby wanted me to try Matador --- so we did--- and I LOVED everything about it! read more

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One of my favorites. The atmosphere in this restaurant is like nowhere else - lit with candles and amber lights, beautiful wood, high ornate ceilings and a gorgeous bar. It can get loud when it's busy, but I wouldn't let that deter you. Service is prompt and friendly. The food is outstanding. I had the opportunity to try the ribeye fajitas at my last visit and was blown away... best fajitas I've had in my life. I chased that with a mezcal flight that featured three different types of mezcal. Matador is definitely on my visit list anytime I'm in Ballard, which isn't often enough! read more

Sooooooo salty the vibe is nice but I couldn't finish the carne asada fajitas. They also overcooked it to medium well It gets loud so it's not really a place for conversation unless you're ok shouting a bit read more

Matador Ballard - Carne asada fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It is rare that I give a full 5 starts because it's difficult to exceed expectations on all fronts. With that said, Matador Ballard earned every star today! From the moment we walked in, the young man who greeted us made us feel welcome. He was so gracious to seat us inside a large table so that we could fit comfortably with the stroller next to us. My daughter had asked to sit outside because "he might cry, we don't want to disturb anyone". The young man immediately said "not at all! we love babies here and the inside isn't full yet, come on in and get comfortable". Our server was the same; warm, friendly and attentive. From there, we had the full menu, the happy hour menu, and the Restaurant Week menu to choose from and they all included incredible options that were so reasonably priced. Happy Hour included the Romaine Salad which was delicious, the dressing was creamy and the pumpkin seeds added crunch. The brussel sprouts were delicious; perfectly cooked and the flavor was insane! The carnitas tacos were also great and priced at $7 for 3 minis. The guacamole came with three salsas and a bowl of chips. All good! We also ordered the chile relleno with carnitas. Unlike anything I've ever eaten before! The chile relleno is filled with rice, beans, cheese and options of chicken, carnitas or picadillo. They come dressed with tortilla chips and with a sauce to dip them in on the plate. Try these! The cocktails menu is extensive - wines, beers, 3 different sangrias, multiple margaritas. All creative and with top notch spirits. The vibes are fun, low key, not stuffy. Playing 90's R&B and Hip Hop and the décor is beautiful; large lanterns and chandeliers throughout the restaurant. Stop in, you will love it! read more

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Excellent Mexican food and service. Our server, Mason, was super attentive and friendly! It's service like this that makes a big impact. We will absolutely be back!! read more

I am from Southern California and we know our Mexican food! The tacos here are exceptional. They are gourmet and the drinks are delicious! I had the blackened salmon taco and watermelon margarita so delicious! My waitress Dara was incredible! Very attentive, very personable, very professional and engaging!! I highly recommend a visit to Matador!! Ask for Dara!!! read more

Matador Ballard - The outdoor patio at Matador is wonderful on a summer day. Take it from a So Cal girl - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went to Matador on a Sunday at 4:30pm with friends and we all really enjoyed their happy hour. Service was good and the ambiance was warm and festive feeling. We shared the roasted Brussel sprouts (amazingly good), guacamole, and chips and salsa. I also got two steak tacos for $7. They were delicious, but wish there had been a warning about the spice level. Both the pico de gallo and red sauce on the tacos were too spicy. Admittedly, I am a lightweight when it comes to spice! Maybe it'd be perfect for you? If you're looking for an affordable happy hour with a fun atmosphere, check out Matador. If you don't like noise, show up earlier at 4pm or 4:30pm and there will be less of a crowd. Also, this is a 21+ place so leave the kids at home. 12/21/2025: Just heard their policy has changed and they now welcome the under-21 crowd. So bring your kiddos! read more

Another fun night at Matador. Great service, a beautiful save w/ a great vibe. Very busy night yet not too loud, we could hear each other talk yeah! read more

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I had an excellent time at the Matador today. Our server Dara was excellent, very fast service and provided an excellent experience. I'm definitely coming back again. read more

Matador Ballard - Steak nachos - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the better happy hours out there! Most famously known for their grande nachos, which are $7. Add $3.50 for most protein and $5 for marinated steak. I happen to see the menu advertising free nachos if you download their app so I did - basically $7 discount since the protein surcharge is not included. We also got the guacamole dish for $7 which also had 2 different types of salsa. I think just go for the nachos because one order is more than enough to feed 2 people. When we saw the plate, no kidding. This is on top of complimentary chips and salsa. We pretty much paid $12+tax+tip for 2 dishes which is very hard to beat for happy hour or even just a meal in Seattle these days, and we had leftovers of the nachos. It was not too busy Monday 5:30pm, just know that happy hour is 4-6pm for the earlier times. read more

Matador Ballard - The spread - IG @bougiefoodieboi - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A quick errand run in Ballard turned into a full-blown quest to survive the parking madness, find a killer late lunch, and secure a well-deserved Marg....enter Matador! This area of Ballard requires patience for parking. There's a small paid lot across the street and another next to the restaurant, but with the sheer volume of restaurants and cars crammed into one area, you'll probably do a few laps in the one-way-street labyrinth. Bring your game face or better yet, just Uber. Once inside, the place is a total vibe. Intricate ironwork decor is everywhere (apparently crafted by one of the owners himself), adding to the cool, rustic aesthetic, more so Spanish Spain Vibes than Mexican. Next time, we're snagging seats at the end of the bar near the door because there's a cozy little fireplace situation happening there. We landed right in that golden hour transition between late lunch, happy hour (which, by the way, has a killer menu), and dinner. Solid, solid Mexican food. My husband's Matador Quesadillas were next-level definitely an upgraded version of the classic. That garlic crema was absolutely unreal, they should put it on everything. My Matador Bowl with Chorizo was a hefty portion, super flavorful, and exactly what I was craving. The Margs? Fantastic. They know what they're doing here. My strawberry pomegranate margarita for Margarita Day was just delicious, not too sweet, slightly salty, and made with incredibly smooth tequila. Definitely the kind of drink that goes down a little too easily. The only slight buzzkill........We thought the chips and salsa were complimentary... until the bill arrived with a sneaky $2.50 charge. Not a dealbreaker, but a heads-up would've been nice. That said, we'd still pay for it again because the salsa is fantastic, it had this nice roasted fresh, homemade flavor. Definitely some of the best we've had. Guess it's just a sign of the times with inflation hitting everything, even the once-free chips and salsa aren't safe! Also, the 20% auto-grat with no option to adjust was a bit of a surprise, what if we want to tip more? Don't get me wrong, we're all for recognizing hardworking hospitality staff, so happy to pay for it. But it's always nice to have a choice. Service was a little stretched thin on this visit, our bartender was also running the door, and while our server greeted us promptly, placing our order took a bit longer than expected. Would we come back? Absolutely. There aren't a ton of spots the other side of the bridge in Seattle serving up Mexican food with this level of quality and freshness. Plus, that happy hour is worth the trip alone. Next time, we're coming in an Uber, sit by that fireplace, order more margs and extra garlic crema. read more

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My boyfriend and I are regulars at the Matador we come about every other week for HH. It's close to home and you can't beat the food specials. Our favorite is the Habanero Prawns we love them so much we each get our own. We love the habanero sauce and usually get a side to put on other things. Our usual bartender is Josh and he's always great to interact with and really knowledgeable. read more

After hearing people rave about this place for happy hour for a while, I finally came. I got a margarita, nachos, and street tacos and everything was so good! Can you believe the nachos and tacos are only $7 each? I even brought home leftovers. I also got the guacamole which came with two salsas, both were so limey and so good. I sat at the bar and shared my margarita with my partner, the bartender was really nice and asked if we wanted it to split into two little cups. It was definitely super packed for a Tuesday at 5pm, and I can see why. -1 star because there are no drinks on the happy hour menu, but the food is so worth it, plus they give you chips and salsa to start as well! read more

Matador Ballard - Nachos, Matador Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Had an okay experience here a few months ago. Came in for a Kraken game and let the server know as soon as we sat down that I had a gluten allergy. I explained what it meant and asked about what options were available to me. Our server let me know that she talked to the cooks and made sure of what I could order. I got just two tacos and after they were put in front of me the server came back and said "don't eat that, it has gluten actually." While I do appreciate not getting glutened, it is a bit scary that it almost happened. As a celiac, not totally sure we can trust it here but our service was quick and everyone else's food looked great. read more

Once again reiterating, this is an unbeatable happy hour. The food is good and our server was also very friendly! The haba prawns stood out to me, but you can't really go wrong with this HH imo! read more

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Yummy food. Fine drinks. You could definitely get better for cheaper, but it's still a nice place! read more

Matador Ballard - Bar area - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The food is delicious. I ordered Dip Flight it is certainly worth every bite. All the three dips were well decorated and very tasty. Matador bowl is another tasty dish. It is more than enough i quantity. The interior is dark and a bit noisy. The staff is nice. The service was slow. But that gives you time to chat. There is a wait time and no reservations. (They lost a star for that) read more

Matador Ballard - Dip Flight - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Best happy hour in Seattle! Food was great quality and great price Parking is free street parking Great for a late night meal! read more

Matador Ballard - Take & Bake Nachos - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The ambiance here is great and so is the staff!! The nachos are so tasty, and loaded up, there's a bunch of them! They also have a non alcoholic mint drink that was quite delicious as well. Really loved it here read more

Matador Ballard - Nachos with carnitas - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love it here!!!!!!! Braised carnitas goes soooooo hard. Shout out Dara!!!!!!!!! 5/5 10/10

Had an amazing time once again at Matador! The food was great, there was a lunar eclipse, and Dara was an amazing server

Dara is a great server ! Chips and salsa are addictive. I got the fish tacos and they were great!

Love this place! Always helpful when we show up with a big group and the food is so good. Happy hour is amazing and regular table is worth the wait too. Dara is a great server! read more

Beautiful summer day so we sat outside, took some time for someone to come take our drink orders. Drinks were yummo. We got a variety of dishes and they were all delicious. Guacamole, quesadillas/ chile releno was delicious and we tried beyond street taco ( def a surprise) will go back fur it. Ended with a mezcal flight. read more

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Food was good. Got quesabirrias and street corn on the cob delivered. Took an hour to cook the food. Update: the restaurant reached out to me and it turns out my experience was a one time thing. They weren't aware that DoorDash orders update slowly. My food shouldn't have taken long to cook. They were so nice and kind. I'll definitely seek out their restaurants when I'm back in town. Changed my review from three to five stars. read more

A great Mexican restaurant to eat at! Heads up, parking can be terrible and expensive. There are some free 2 hour parking spots, but it's a bit of walking to the restaurant. I had their enchiladas divorciadas ($18.5), which was pretty good! Portioning was good and the pricing seemed reasonable. The sauce on the enchiladas was very tasty and the chicken was well cooked. They give chips and salsa on the house and it was good as well. I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. Very nice lightning and can be a place for a date, an occasion, or even just to hangout. There's plenty of seating here. The service was good. Server was attentive and helpful and the food didn't take long to make. If I'm around Ballard, I would definitely come back here! read more

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Dara was the best waitress!!! She made us get the fajitas and it was SO good. Everything was so good

Natalie was an amazing bartender and provided great service! I will be coming back soon, highly recommend!!

went there last night enjoyed my meal. Everyone was so friendly but my waitress Dara was helpful and gave good recommendations.