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    Taco El Lago

    4.3 (52 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    The specials that week
    Peg C.

    Been wanting to try Taco El Lago for a while and so the hubs and I went for a late lunch on a weekend. It wasn't crowded at all so we ordered at the counter and got our table right away. The ambiance is chill with some colorful decorations. THE GOOD: Our tacos were delicious and filled nicely. We tried the carne asada, birria, al pastor, quesabirria, chicken tinga, and calabacitas. All were tasty and we would order them again. THE NOT GOOD: I ordered a side of rice and they brought me fries instead. They took away the fries and eventually brought me the rice, but did not change the cost discrepancy. I didn't realize this until I got home, looked at my email receipt and noticed this, as well as being given a 3% surcharge for using a credit card. I would have paid cash had I seen a sign indicating this, but I saw no notice of a 3% surcharge on the menu or the counter area. We will return someday and this time, we will bring cash with us.

    Birria Tacos
    Timothy H.

    Good Mexican restaurant to try! I had 3 of their birria tacos with consume and it was good! The meat was well cooked and the consume was nicely made. The biggest issue for me was the proportion. 3 of these ($18), was definitely not fulfilling enough for me. The service was good. The server answered any questions I had and the food didn't take long to make. The ambiance was good as well. It's nicely decorated inside. The place isn't that big so it can feel a bit tight in there, but it allows more seating because of that.

    All their tacos were generously filled.
    Marcus D.

    The colorful vibe of the place is welcoming. I tried a couple of tacos including their signature Quesabarria with consommé. It's the taco version of a French dip. The taco is filled with barria and cheese and they grilled until the cheese melts. You can dip the taco in the consommé. The consommé was delicious and after I finished my taco I drank every last drop. They are generous with the fillings in the tacos.

    Chorizo breakfast bowl
    Wisnu R.

    Deff a cool mom and pop spot you should check out. We stop by to get some breakfast and surprise by how good the food was and how cool the spot with all the decors. Service was good and the foods are very very nicely priced. We left the spot completley satisfied and looking forward to try their other offering the next time we go. What we got: Chorizo breakfast bowl (4/5) Really good bowl and big portion. Really well seasoned and have good flavors. Chorizo breakfast burrito (4/5) The burrito version if the bowl; cheaper and smaller in portion but taste just as good. We shouldve gotten something different but i wanted a breakfast burrito so thats what i got. Habanero Salsa (5/5) Get it; its spicy but so good but spicy but soooo good!!! Love it. If you're in the area; go try it.

    Asada Quesadilla with a side of rice and black beans, Chicken Tinga Burrito and Quesabirria tacos.
    Jared W.

    I hadn't really heard of this place until my friends suggested trying it out. The inside is my favorite part. Very Mexican vibes which I loved. It was colorful and vibrant. Luckily there weren't that many people inside at the time we went, so we were able to get a table no problem. You order your food at the register first and then sit down where the food is brought to you. The person at the register was patient and helpful, answering questions as they came up. I thought that there were so many good options on their menu but I finally decided to go with an Asada Quesadilla with an additional side of rice and beans. I felt like we didn't have to wait too long for the food, which is always a plus. The quesadilla was cooked well, not being burnt and also not being too soft at the same time. There was a tasteful amount of cheese that didn't overwhelm like I sometimes feel some places do with their quesadillas. The portions were also good and satisfying. One thing is that I wish the rice and beans were included with more of their options as I saw that barely any (if at all) came with them which I feel like is a staple in most Mexican food restaurants. This caused the total price for my meal to be a bit higher than I would have liked. All in all, a decent place to try out if you're in this area.

    Chicken Tinga, Al Pastor, Asada Tacos
    Linda L.

    Think these are my favorite tacos in the Seattle area. Specifically I love their quesabirria tacos with consome it has so much flavor, very meaty, and savory. The meat inside is moist and juicy. I enjoyed the Al pastor with a nice marinade that is not too overpowering and you can still taste the beef flavor. It was also not dry The Asada meat was not chewy and not dry, I would say nothing super special about it but just a solid taco. It tasted reaaaalllly good with their green salsa and some more consome. I don't usually get chicken things outside if there are other meat options, but since they were out of Chorizo when I went I decided to give it a try. It's not too dry for being chicken though which was good. Once again when I squeezed some lime and green salsa on it to moisten it back up it was good. All of the tacos they don't skimp on the meat, it's not an overwhelming amount where I'm dropping meat every second, but I was also never wishing for more meat. It was a good ratio! Each taco was $4 except for the quesabirria with consome which was $6. Service is fast, you can order outside at a take out window or inside. After you order you're given a table number and you can seat yourself inside or outside. It was a hot day so we sat inside and it didn't feel stuffy or anything and it felt relatively clean except for some random on the table. It doesn't seem like they wipe every table after they see a customer leave but I think the people who do eat inside at least clean up after themselves

    Birria Burrito with a side of consume
    Lucy D.

    Food was pretty good! The consume was flavorful and I loved that the burrito was actually filled with meat- something that's hard to find nowadays in Seattle. The place was small, but cute and welcoming. Staff was sweet and fast!

    Andrew Z.

    Came here with a big group after climbing at the nearby bouldering gym, and we were pleasantly surprised at how they were able to accommodate for a large group of ~10 people. I ordered 3 tacos and a Quesaburria. The tacos were pretty standard, and the quesaburria was good but not really as flavorful as I had hoped. The tacos were also not very large, I would definitely should have gotten 5 or 6 tacos which would have been kinda expensive.

    Various tacos
    Celia F.

    So freaking good. From left to right: Al pastor, chicken tinga, and birria. Birria was probably my favorite. There was so much depth in the flavor. The chicken tinga was a close second. The Al pastor was pretty good, but not the best I've had.

    Queso birria, squash taco and breakfast burrito with chorizo
    Sophia W.

    The birria and consommé were good, nice and juicy, good flavor combo. The squash was ok, could use more seasoning and it only has 1 tortilla v the usual 2 for street tacos. Breakfast burrito was ok, the highlight of it was the potatoes. Horchata was a little too sweet for me. Quick service and very nice staff. Plenty of parking and lots of seating.

    Squash burrito
    Payton H.

    This restaurant has such a fun and vibrant vibe inside with the decor. The food, on the other hand, is less vibrant (in flavor). I got the squash burrito and while it was made with fresh ingredients there was a clear lack of seasoning. My boyfriend got the al pastor tacos and reported a similar lack of spice.

    Chicken and birria taco
    Michelle C.

    Stopped in for tacos after a big climb day at the bouldering gym down the street, and this place hit just the spot. It's a small spot with just a few tables inside. Great family owned, casual vibe. Service was quick and tacos were reasonably priced. Definitely a convenient spot! I'd stop by again for a quick bite!

    Asada bowl and horchata
    Jiayi S.

    Such a cute little place tucked on Stone way in Fremont I got an asada bowl and a horchata. The bowl was really good with a pretty decent portion for the price. The horchata was a little too vanilla for me but that could also be because we went late and it was the bottom of the jug. Not really much service since it was order at the counter and self bus but pretty worth! The shrimp tacos were really fire! Simple but well seasoned! 10/10 would go again for a quick bite!

    Dogs allowed in taco el lago. Love em, but not around my food.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Always get the breakfast tacos. Simple but great. It's a cute space, and the owner is a gem.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Love their street tacos! Such great fresh ingredients and fast service- one of my favorite neighborhood spots :)

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    2nd time here and the food is delicious and customer service is great! El Pastor burrito was fantastic!

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food, I'm a regular. Great tacos and burritos every time and very lovely people. Small joint, highly recommend

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The breakfast burritos are amazing! The food is super fresh and the tortillas are delicious. Great food and great service. Love this place!

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    Fogón Cocina Mexicana - Complimentary Bean Tostada

    Fogón Cocina Mexicana

    4.4(2.1k reviews)
    2.6 miCapitol Hill
    $$

    After living in Washington State for four years and seriously missing good Mexican food, I can…read morefinally say... I FOUND IT! The food here genuinely tastes like home cooking fresh, flavorful, comforting, and made with love. I ordered the carne asada plate, and I enjoyed every single bite. Seriously, there was no polite little "I'm full" moment happening here. It was absolutely delicious! Hubby ordered the chicken with soup, and he enjoyed every bite of his meal too. When both of us are sitting there happily eating and barely talking because we're too busy enjoying the food, you know the restaurant did something right! And the best part? We still had enough leftovers to become tomorrow's lunch, and somehow the bill was very reasonable. Delicious dinner and tomorrow's lunch without spending a fortune? That's my kind of math! The service was wonderful too. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, and especially thoughtful about my gluten allergy, which I really appreciated. It's always nice to be able to relax and enjoy your meal without feeling like you're conducting a full investigation into every ingredient. The atmosphere is casual but still really nice and inviting perfect for a relaxed lunch or dinner. They also have Happy Hour every day from 3-5 PM, which I definitely want to come back and check out. I don't drink alcohol, so my version of Happy Hour will basically be: more amazing Mexican food at 3 PM. After four years of searching, I think I finally found my Mexican food spot in Washington!

    I shared the mole enchiladas and lengua en salsa verde from this Mexican place…read more Of these, the lengua en salsa verde was my favorite. The beef tongue was cooked pretty well. Although it's naturally very fatty, the flavor and juiciness was retained after cooking - so they didn't screw it up. The salsa verde was a very nice accompaniment, as it tasted light, fresh, and a good complement to the fat of the meat. The mole enchiladas were less good. The mole sauce used leaned way too heavily on a sweet flavor - having little to no nuttiness whatsoever. It didn't taste anywhere close to some of the best moles I've had. The enchilada underneath was fine - nothing special. Both dishes came with beans and rice. Both were slightly above average, but nothing to write home about. I would say the portions were well sized in terms of overall amount, but the enchiladas were quite small compared to the beans and rice. With these two dishes we ended up around 28 per person. Overall, it's average Mexican food. 6.5/10

    Photos
    Fogón Cocina Mexicana
    Fogón Cocina Mexicana - Happy Hour Quesadillas Fritas

    Happy Hour Quesadillas Fritas

    Fogón Cocina Mexicana - Happy Hour Chips and Salsa

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    Happy Hour Chips and Salsa

    Koko's - Guacamole Chips & Salsa

    Koko's

    4.4(201 reviews)
    2.9 miFirst Hill

    Great menu...super comfortable ....so accommodating , happy hour is fun...lunch is a 'sleeper'…read more.. but an amazing introduction into the place at a very reasonable price

    Overall, we had a nice experience. Our server, Jadin, was wonderful! Jadin was very kind,…read moreattentive, and especially patient with our party while we waited for one of our guests to arrive. We really appreciated the hospitality and never felt rushed. As far as the food, for the price point, I do feel we could have gone somewhere else and received better quality. The food wasn't terrible, but it didn't quite meet our expectations for what we paid. The biggest disappointment was our interaction with the bartender on 9/4 around 8:30 PM. Our group approached the bar simply trying to order a round of shots. From the beginning, her attitude came across as unnecessarily rude when she asked whether we had a table. She then looked at our group and said, "First of all, we can't have you up here." We genuinely did not know that guests seated at tables were supposed to order through their server. Had she simply explained that to us politely, we would have apologized, returned to our table, and ordered from there. The policy itself wasn't the issue. It was the way it was communicated. Aside from that interaction, we enjoyed our time and really appreciated Jadin for making our experience a positive one.

    Photos
    Koko's - Mocktail Marg

    Mocktail Marg

    Koko's - Chorizo Guacamole Burger

    Chorizo Guacamole Burger

    Koko's - Happy Hour Koko Margarita

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    Happy Hour Koko Margarita

    D' La Santa - Flan & Tiramisu

    D' La Santa

    4.5(563 reviews)
    1.2 miCapitol Hill
    $$

    I've always wanted to check out D'la Santa. I always heard that Fri and Sats are always busy and…read morethey do not take reservations but walk-ins only. However, I just found out you can put your self on the waitlist on their website if it's busy. Sundays are the best days to go as it's not as busy and they were able to accommodate a big party. The restaurant also has a parking lot for people to park at as well, so that is a plus! The drink menu is very limited, they don't have a full bar. I ordered the skinny margarita and it was good. The food is authentic and if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, D'La Santa is the spot. We ordered the queso and the rajitas. Both appetizers are really good, came out super hot. Highly recommend. I got the carne asada plate and added an extra mini quesadilla. The carne is very seasoned so you have to eat it with the tortilla to balance out the saltiness. The service was fast and our waiter was very attentive.

    Delicious, truly authentic food. I'm so glad I found this place! I had been craving real Mexican…read morefood, and while the pictures looked amazing, I tried not to get my hopes up especially since so many "Mexican restaurants" don't quite capture that true, authentic flavor. We went on a Sunday and I was really hoping to try the tiramisu and bone marrow, but they weren't available at the date and time we went (shed a tear). Still, what we ordered completely made up for it. We had the torta ahogada, costillita en salsa roja, and moyetes dulces and I was honestly blown away. They absolutely nailed the tortas ahogadas. They were so good we ordered three more to go. I would gladly drive that hour and a half again just to eat here. I'll definitely be taking pictures next time! Also great service, they're super nice and attentive.

    Photos
    D' La Santa - Really cool inside, with a faux lantern tree that makes it a special place to eat. But quite noisy at peak hours.

    Really cool inside, with a faux lantern tree that makes it a special place to eat. But quite noisy at peak hours.

    D' La Santa - D'la Santa Parrillada

    D'la Santa Parrillada

    D' La Santa - Tacoarte

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    Tacoarte

    Pancita - Beef brisket suadero tacos

    Pancita

    4.4(97 reviews)
    2.5 miRavenna

    Listen, I'm vegetarian and can't enjoy all the bites on the menu -- and I can tell you right now,…read moreI'd wait outside in the rain to eat the veggie bites, drinks, and desserts they offer. Legitimately that good. I honestly came by Pancita from an Eater article and Instagram post and jokingly suggested it to my friend when we already had dinner/drink plans. We both collectively lost our minds and decided, it was DOUBLE DINNER night and made 8:15 pm resys at Pancita. I do highly recommend reservations by the way, esp on weekend nights. We thankfully found street parking just outside and were seated promptly. Truly loved how simple and charming the interior was. I'll be honest, we were dying from 1st dinner even though we only ate a few bites but being gluttons, we got the tomato salad (my favorite bite of the entire evening), my friend got the suadero tacos for herself, and I ordered the enfrijoladas (mushroom) with a side of tortillas -- I couldn't resist! Everything I tasted was delicious and I am honestly planning my next trip back ASAP. We, of course, couldn't resist dessert cause WHEN I TELL YOU THAT CORN CAKE HAS MY ENTIRE HEART. If the capslock wasn't apparent, the dessert was incredible, giantly sized, and lives rent free in my head 5ever. Do yourself a favor and go to Pancita; it is one of the rare spots that deserves every bit of the hype being sent its way.

    I'm Chilango (México City ex-pat). While the dishes are not exactly traditional, they are for sure…read morean elevated version of them. The portions are perfect, nobody needs the giant American portions that many Mexican restaurants serve, The food is clearly prepared at high quality with beautiful plating styles. We went with a group so we ordered many dishes to share. My favorite was the tacos de suadero, Smokey tender fatty meat in blue corn tortillas, the tuna tostadas are excellent! And the mole delightful, although the meat with it was a bit chewy. Great drinks!! And for dessert I've got a delicious carajillo (Mexican espresso martini). Definitely getting back!!

    Photos
    Pancita - Interior

    Interior

    Pancita - Grilled pork chop with pipian verde, salsa macha, trumpet mushroom, beech mushroom, charred onion, scallion, garlic scrape and cilantro

    Grilled pork chop with pipian verde, salsa macha, trumpet mushroom, beech mushroom, charred onion, scallion, garlic scrape and cilantro

    Pancita - Earl Grey Horchata

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    Earl Grey Horchata

    Maiz Molino - Dip sampler

    Maiz Molino

    4.4(128 reviews)
    2.4 miDenny Triangle
    $$

    I was lured in off the street by the beautiful mural and decor. I normally forget to take pictures…read moreof restaurant interiors but I liked this place enough that it was the first thing I did! The staff (owners? Not sure, I know there's another location in Pike's Place) were friendly and seemed like they wanted to be sure that we enjoyed our food. Definitely not the cheapest Mexican restaurant around, but you're paying for the attention to detail and carefully sourced ingredients. My food was really tasty. The way their ordering works for most menu items is you pick your antojito and then your guisado (the "vessel" and "filling," I guess). I went with gorditas with chicken. All the antojitos are made with hand-made masa (nixtamal corn dough) that uses carefully sourced heirloom maize (corn), and the gorditas were no exception. The masa was really tasty and the texture was perfect. The chicken guisado was good, and I think I'll try another type depending on what they have available the next time stop in during lunch. The refried beans were really tasty and might've been my favorite thing on the plate besides the masa. My tamarind agua fresca was also delicious, but it could've been less sweet. My friend ordered tamales with pork, which I'm told were also delicious and very tender. Both dishes were also plated very beautifully.

    Really lovely people working here! They were able to accommodate our group of 5 kind of last…read moreminute. The menu has a variety of good options and everyone cleaned their plates. The inside is really fun and has a lot of pretty mosaics and murals and nice touches like the little jars of different corns.

    Photos
    Maiz Molino - Taco plate

    Taco plate

    Maiz Molino - Elote risotto at Maíz Molino in South Lake Union.

    Elote risotto at Maíz Molino in South Lake Union.

    Maiz Molino - Three Tacos plate with chicken, pork and veggies

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    Three Tacos plate with chicken, pork and veggies

    Hatch Cantina - Beautiful bar

    Hatch Cantina

    4.3(419 reviews)
    2.6 miBelltown
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    Full bar

    READ THIS. I'm very excited to tell you this horrible story pleaseeeee read it. Just to let you…read moreknow the waiter was rude from the moment we walked in.So I came into this restaurant with my old friend to have some yummy food and we sat down. My friend asked for a frozen margarita but the waiter in a very rude way said we don't do that here. Whatever. Very rude and upset my friend. We did have plans after this so we were excited to get our food ordered but this waiter decided to ignore us for a good 20 mins before FINALLY taking our order (place was not very busy) and before he did he'd periodically walk by and glare at us. Ridiculous. When we got the food I took a bite of the hatch chilli rellono (I'm bad at spelling) which was NOT advertised as being spicy. But I myself like spicy things so it wouldn't have been an issue except when I took a bite of one of the two and it BURNED. This dish was not supposed to be spicy at all. It was bad and I had to spit it out. Very spicy as in bad. My stomach hurt a lot from the extreme ness. Meanwhile my friend was confused. She ate the whole one she had been eating then went on to finish mine thinking I was crazy for my reaction. She took a bite and was surprised very much by the spiciness!!!! Her stomach hurt a lot too. So for some reason there was a hot spot. Sabatoge? I'm not against it as when the waiter came back and we told him the story he didn't look shocked at all and even hid a laugh. HORRIBLE. But the non spicy one was good said my friend. I'll never know. Come here at your own risk. Not to mention how hot it was when they had a perfectly fine working ac. The food left us sick for hours. 3/10 ( I gave three since the non sabatoged one was good)

    This has been bookmarked for a while and the only regret I have is that I didn't get here sooner…read more This food is terrific, the vibe is hilarious, the servers are downright fantastic. Andrew (our server) introduced us to his sidekick, who was in training. Love that personal, hands on approach for a mew team member, and Sidekick did a great job in monitoring our table and replenishing water. Have to stop here and express my appreciation for Andrew and how he took the time to explain the philosophy and genuine team vibe of the restaurant. Oftentimes when a restaurant adds a flat 20% gratuity, you get the feeling this is not passed on to the servers. Not so here. He explained that it's shared among the servers, bar, and other staff, with only a bit retained by management, but even that finds its way into their wages. Terrific work environment and happy to see it. It definitely shows in the level of service. But we're here to eat. Didn't take a picture, but one of my dining companions ordered the burrito with red chili sauce and it was very good. Just the right amount of heat in the sauce. The Cantina celebrates Taco Tuesday, so I took advantage of this. You get the opportunity to try 5 different street tacos for the low price of $15. For another $4 you order it fully loaded which is a steal (guac, pickled onions, lettuce, giardano, crema, and another lovely sauce). Each of the tacos were really delicious and packed full of flavor. I especially enjoyed the cauliflower and the beef. Was surprised how much I liked the popcorn chicken - still juicy and not greasy in the least. Andrew treated us to a round of the hatch green chili. I was delighted because it was a dish I wanted to try. He described it perfectly: a little kick, but you can't stop eating it. He was right. A bowl of this in the winter with their cornbread (which I'm confident will be delicious) will preempt a winter cold. The sauces on the table are not to be ignored either. The green chili sauce was fruity with a little heat, the scorpion chili brings the heat, but their homemade chili oil is phenomenal. I could put this on everything. In short, the Cantina delivers. Excellent food, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and fun staff, and a cool vibe. I'll bet the cocktails will also be good. Definitely adding to the regular rotation!

    Photos
    Hatch Cantina - Happy hour

    Happy hour

    Hatch Cantina
    Hatch Cantina - Interior (4/8/23)

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    Interior (4/8/23)

    Taco El Lago - mexican - Updated September 2026

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