Service was poor, waitress was not very amiable. My friend asked if he could have shredded cheese on top of his refried beans which is fairly the norm at most Mexican restaurants. She told us "we don't do that here", but her attitude was one more of, I am just too lazy to accommodate you. Also she was training another young lady, and I think all the lady she was training learned was how to say no to your customer. Later the trainee came back and filled my water up, and turned to walk away while she was still filling my glass and spilled water on my hand and arm, and she didn't even know. My whole experience was one of just not paying attention to your customer and not caring. read more

I wasn't completely impressed with The Matador and the reason why was more about the service than the food. I came here around 8pm one night looking to just have dessert. The hostess sat us away from everyone which I thought was strange and gave us a dinner and drink menu- no dessert menu. She asked right away what we wanted, but we hadn't even looked at the menu yet. My boyfriend was hungry so he actually decided to get a shrimp dish which he said was really good. After browsing and not seeing anything I wanted (dessert!!!!), I asked for the dessert menu (after checking with Yelp to see that they did in fact have one and I wasn't crazy/ making it up in my head) and she gave it to me and proceeded to explain that they were out of one of one of the items (the ice cream with chocolate and rum-pineapple sauce) that I had intended to order. I ordered the fried ice cream instead, which was an ok-tasting but rather small portion of a melted scoop of ice cream covered in toasted coconut and chipotle chocolate. To be noted- we had walked to the restaurant so we both chugged our water before we even ordered and our water wasn't refilled the entire time until the very end of the meal when we asked for the check. We felt rushed and slightly neglected and didn't get the best impression. We will probably go back and have a full on dinner another night though- the small items we did try were yummy and the rest of the menu did sound good, just not what we wanted to eat that night when we were in the mood for dessert. read more

Matador West Seattle - Shrimp appetizer - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Another so-so meal. Not sure what happened, but our orders took 40 minutes to come out, and then one was ice cold when it arrived. I'm guessing that one order from the table was forgotten, and they kept the others around while they went back and cooked the forgotten one. The manager stopped by to apologize and took the ice cold meal off the bill. Drinks seem to be getting smaller: lots of ice and little liquor boost the bottom line, but don't make customers want to go back. Chips and salsa were as good as always. After two ho-hum experiences, will not return. Better to go to the place across the street. read more

I heard good things about The Matador, however it failed to satisfy my taste buds. I ordered the Garlic Prawns which were delicious, but the Nachos and the Mahi Mahi Tacos that the bartender suggested weren't very good at all. The nachos lacked cheese and because there wasn't any kind of meat in it, the nachos ended up tasting like plain chips and cheese (to be honest, your money would be better spend at QDoba since their nachos taste better). As for the Mahi Mahi Tacos, the entire dish was inadequate in their flavoring. For one, the fish didn't have much taste except for a touch of pepper and because the tacos had no lime flavoring it was hard to enjoy what you're eating. The atmosphere, cleanliness and location is great, however the customer service wasn't that amazing. One of the bartenders refilled my friends cup of water but refused to fill mine because it still had some water in it-- I'm not sure of his name but it was very rude and disrespectful. read more

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One of my favorite Mexican food items is tortas. Boy do I love me a good torta and man, did Matador disappoint. I'm almost certain that this was the most uncharacteristic torta sandwich I have ever had. Let's start with the problems: 1. Why the hell am I being served Costco torta bread? 2. Where are all the goodies that make a torta, a torta? Can I have some tomatoes, avocado, jalapenos, mayo, some awesome oaxaca cheese, anything? Nope, not here. 3. Tortas have always been huge sandwiches, this was the side of my palm (see 1. above) 4. Flavors? Hellooooooo, that's why Mexican food is so awesome because they give you such strong, punch you in the mouth flavors. So, Matador, while you may look nice on the inside, your "torta" was a major disappointment. While the al pastor was great, you also managed to create so much wet sloppy mess in my sandwich my bread had the consistency of a warm sponge. Final note, avoid the mojitos here, certainly more to be desired there as well. read more

Always my go to for loaded nachos-and I mean loaded. I'm a big eater and never hold back, but this is definitely a "share" dish. We went on late night happy hour (10 pm-1 am) and the nachos were only $5. We also got one of every taco on the menu, only $1.50 each on HH. Didn't get any drinks tonight, but I am a fan of their strawberry margaritas (definitely on the sweeter side!). Ambiance is very chill (dim lighting, open fire) definitely a place for you and friends (or a date) to come and have a relaxed night. read more

Matador West Seattle - Eating by the fire - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Worst service!!! At 345-4 a gal, who happened to have sat us down, shes a blonde waitress with shoulder lenght that gave us water and that was it, never came back to take our order or give us chips and salsa!!!! She gave us eye contact as did another waitress but ignored us to the point where we walked out!!! This place needs better staff to tends to the customers, rather then make and let them wait!!!! Horrible service PERIOD!!! read more

Four stars for the ambiance and three stars for food. The atmosphere is so cool and the lighting is dim. Perfect for selfies lol There is so much detail in the wall art it's a fun place to eat. The food is mediocre on the other hand. Nothing fantastic about it the only thing I can rave about is the habanero prawns and guacamole. Other than that everything is just blah. read more

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The Matador is a solid restaurant....period. I have been a few times and have enjoyed it every time. My last visit was after work since there was a car accident on the West Seattle Bridge and I figured that I would drop by for happy hour and let the mess fix itself instead of sitting in traffic. I ordered the calamari and the shrimp tacos. Both were fantastic... washed them down with some cold beer and I couldn't ask for a better experience. I think I might find more excuses to return..... read more

We went on a Tuesday night with some friends. The decor is really nice, and the service was pretty good. But, I'm all about the food. I wasn't all that impressed. We started with wings and nachos. Neither were all that spicy, though they were both satisfying. I had the Taco platter, and found the dish plain. A couple of the other plates at the table looked pretty appetizing. I had hoped to spice this up with a little hot sauce, but all they brought me was tapatejo. It's spicy, but also pretty heavy on the vinegar and not what I was hoping for in such a well dressed place. Oh well. read more

Two words: Excellent Service. I'm not often seriously impressed by service. Client service is a hard business, and I expect people in this industry to be friendly and nice. You don't get bonus points with me for doing your job. The Matador service really impressed me. Our original waitress informed us that she was training a new person, just so we knew. Normally new people training means that my order is going be late and incorrect. I would never had known our waiter was new. He got my order correct, brought over drinks right away, and checked in with us accordingly. Our waiter even read my mind. The Matador is nice because of the ambiance. The lighting is intimately dark. The wonderful table next to us, didn't really understand the beauty of this atmosphere and decided that it would be cool to take flash photos of themselves every two seconds. As soon as I gave the crazy eye look to my boyfriend, our waiter actually went up to the table and offered to take a group photo of them so that they didn't have to take so many more. It was very smooth. The food was great. I ordered the steak salad - yum! Good to know: The late night kitchen (happy hour food only) closes at 1 am ... Dinner ends around 11) read more

It's superb. Simply superb. I come here often because of the great food deals and excellent drinks but I stay for the detailed and personable service provided by the bar staff. Max and Dane always show me a good time and deserve a good pat on the back. read more

Happy hour here is great! NACHOSS!! They have really good drinks. I grew up around the area but moved around Junior year of high school, so when I come back around here I always see one or two familiar faces. I think Matador is great for parties up to 5-6 people, but anything larger would be tight and uncomfortable. They have a lot of options on their happy hour menu for food, not so much for drinks. I've never tried anything on their regular menu, but I heard it's good as well. There's plenty of parking around, street and parking lots (within a block away). The only gripe is probably the wait sometimes in the bathroom when it's busy. But other than that, Matador is pretty decent and recommendable! read more

First time in, have been told that it was good. Didn't eat, just had a cocktail and some friendly convo with someone who sat next to me. Definitely the place for mid-20's to early-40's in our neighborhood and, while I felt comfortable there, it was a little trendier than I typically like. That's fine, the drink was good and the people seemed nice. But, when Salt-n-Peppa "Push It" came on, I had to leave. That kind of garbage is more suitable for crappy discos and sportsbars. read more

Margaritas are good, tequila list is long. Dimly lit. Overall customer service is acceptable. The Texas Size Nachos are FANTASTIC - can easily feed two people. Don't come here without ordering it. Everything else on the menu is decent but nothing to write home about. read more

Two words: Nachos, Sangria. Matador has a great happy hour selection and a Sangria drink that compliments the $4 nachos perfectly. I'm a nacho lover and I must say that these are some of the best nachos I've ever had. Additionally, the staff is really helpful and the environment is great. read more

I've been coming to this place for years now, and while it used to be my favorite Tex-Mex in West Seattle, I've been increasingly disappointed with it over the past few months. Being that we currently have an extremely high concentration of trendy Mexican restaurants, you'd think a place like Matador would find opportunities to favorably compete with all the other places. Instead, I find that their little menu rewrite came with a side of smaller portions, slower service, and a decline in chips and salsa availability. I mean, seriously. I've been ordering enchiladas for years. All of a sudden, the majority of the plate has been taken over by a sea of crappy black beans, and an enchilada has been removed. When did that happen? My boyfriend, who always orders the burrito (our 2014 resolution is to try new menu items) found it to be smaller as well. Also, when we were there last night, not only was service glacial, my cucumber-jalapeño margarita tasted exactly like a house margarita and was short by an inch. For a drink that took 25 minutes to make, I expected better. Lame. Guess I shouldn't be disappointed. Luckily there's more just like it! read more

Waiter was extremely rude and aggressive. Wait time is ridiculously long and the food isn't that great at all! The drinks are gross, watered down. I was given a dirty fork! Just not to happy with this place! I won't be back, there is a nice brunch restaurant next door wish we would've ate there instead! read more

I want to update my review as a representative of Matador reached out through here which I very much appreciate! I never have issues with the service or food here, so hope that this issue doesn't come up again. read more

I know most people probably see this place as mostly a bar, but I have to say I think the food is solid. I've been to a few of the Matadors and the fajitas don't disappoint. The margaritas are great and from all of my experiences they are not full of themselves. I think the Ballard location is my favorite, but I was over here so what the hec. read more

I stopped by here the last day of street fair, just hungry for a quick bite before heading home- and I was very impressed. Can't believe I hadn't been here before- I've been missing out! It's a great looking place, very open and clean & classy. I sat at the bar and Jimmy, the bartender was super nice. I wasn't in the mood for alcohol, but he whipped me up a tasty virgin drink that had all the flavor of a good mixed drink. I ordered the pork tacos al pastor, and they were AMAZING. Little bits of pineapple to balance out the savory meat- makes my mouth water just thinking about it. The server, Niki, who brought them was all smiles, very friendly and helpful. Oh, and the chips and salsa were excellent, too- just the right amount of salt and spice. I've gone back several times since, mostly for takeout because I have small kids and the place is 21+. They do a great job with takeout, btw. My favorite menu item has to be the blackened fish tacos, but the braised beef tacos (with avocado, yumm) are awesome, and the salads are good, too- grape salad, mmm... :) Oh, and yesterday I picked up an order of their pork flautas, and I'm definitely going back for more of those. I haven't had a single bad experience at Matador yet, and it's seriously become my favorite restaurant in the West Seattle junction. read more

I spent the last couple of days in LA at OMMA Global Hollywood, when I flew back last night arriving at 10pm - I was starved! The problem was where to go, who would have a kitchen open at that time of night? Especially on a week night. Well I drove to California street with my dad and the lights were still on at the Matador. So we decided to check it out, not only was the kitchen still serving, but they have a special happy hour menu. The menu was jam packed with mouth watering items, check it out: Happy Hour Menu $4 and $5 Happy Hour -- Every day from 4pm to 6pm and again from 10pm to 1am Chicken or Shrimp Quesadilla Nachos Spicy Fried Calamari Matador Chili Matador Romaine Salad Roasted Tomato & Chicken Soup Fire Jumbo Prawns Tex-Mex Spring Rolls Ancho-Chipotle Wings Chicken or Steak Tacos Baja Shrimp Tacos Blackened Fish Tacos They have a huge Tequila list which can be a little overwhelming, but I did try out their Matador Margarita. Though I typically have my marg's blended, this was quite tasty regardless. So if you ever find yourself wandering around West Seattle looking for some late night grub other than Taco Bell, I definitely recommend the Matador. read more

the matador. what can i say... BEST SPICY CHICKEN SANDWICH EVAR!! so, since this location is literally less than a mile away from our house, we come here very often for a very late dinner. i usually get off work late (past 930p) so this is always nice. we always order the dos equis lager pints but recently, they've been coming out as mugs. im assuming that this is because happy hour? it doesnt really make a difference to me... my boyfriend seems to think that his beer tastes better in a pint glass. lol weirdo. anyway, i'd say about 99% of the time, we order the spicy chicken sandwich. i remember the first time i ordered this. i am not big on chicken sandwiches, but on a hunch, i decided to give it a go. omg... so the chicken is grilled with cheese and bacon. it is also slathered with a very nice and spicy (spicy is an understatement... this thing is like hot ghost pepper spicy) slaw. funny thing, i dont like bacon, but i found that the bacon was a very nice compliment to my sandwich. oh, they also add a really nice garlic mayo spread onto the bun. the sandwich is so nice and juicy. its like a slap in the face with the spicy. like literally tears flowing down my face, red hot lips spicy. the juices dripping down my chin left a red welt. so good. so tasty. so flavorful. great texture. the hh salad is really good too. i love the tomatos. chips and salsa are not complimentary if you're ordering from hh only.. but since we always order entrees, our chips and salsa were complimentary. their salsa is so good and fresh. their shrimp cheviche is something that everyone needs to try as well. i tried the chocolate churro once. it was ok. a little cakey for me, but definitely worth a try. overall, great service, great food, great beers, excellent tequila selection. oh, aside from the street parking, there is also a parking lot in the back that is conveniently located near the back end of the restaurant. also, the carne asada sandwich is VERY GOOD. so is the ribeye. you know what, everything here is good. just gooooo get yours nowwww =0) read more

The food was very good. My husband and I split the chicken taco platter and chicken fajitas. I was a little hesitant about the black beans at first, but discovered that they were really very tasty -- not bland at all, but not spiced up too much. In all, a pleasant detour from the usual routine of re-fried beans suffocated in rubbery cheese. The decor seemed a little "gothy." I felt almost like I was in satan's underground lair for the first few minutes, but the overall vibe was good once I was able to take it all in. We plan to visit again soon! read more

Good: roasted asparagus dish seared scallops (just ignore the fact that the sauce looks like a soup) sangria neat decor! Just Okay: spinach-pear salad fries overseasoned with old bay spice (or something like it) Hilarious: women's bathroom stalls were designed for a Big & Tall store. Hiding in these would do absolutely no good in the event of a zombie attack. read more

Great bar food and fun atmosphere. It is one of my favorite spots in West Seattle. My best friend and I used to go there every Monday night for their fantastic happy hour. We love the ambience, the drink menu and the fire pit. It is the perfect spot for a late night snack or even to catch up with a friend. read more

Matador West Seattle - Sangria. My favorite! - Mexican Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have been here several times now, and I still have very mixed feelings about Matador. Yes, the happy hour deal is great, but only on food! I hate how they have no discounted drinks during their happy hour. The food is pretty good. I like an order of the nachos to share, followed by the steak tacos. The garlic prawns, I think, are too rubbery from being over-cooked. I also think they skimp on the number you get on the plate. I also don't think they should be calling them prawns on the menu, they are more "shrimp-sized". The service here can also different depending on which day you come in. I've been here and the service was so frigid and snooty, and then other times our server is obscenely nice and somewhat overbearing and annoying. I guess I'd come back if somebody else wanted to go here, but it's not my absolute first choice for West Seattle eats. read more

Came here for a family dinner with my GF and her family. The atmosphere is extremely loud. I was really annoyed with the level of noise and the fact that the seating was real uncomfortable. I dislike the wood plank bench seats for booths. But whatever that is there style. Also the dim lighting is cool if you are on a date and do not want to see the grenade you took out to dinner, but it would be nice if you could actually see your plate. Food was not real great. I ordered the Fish Taco's but I subbed in ahi instead of the mahi mahi. It was overcooked and dried out. It said "seared" but it def was not when I ate. Also the beans are just black beans not refried and lacked any flavor. They also nickel and dime you for anything you add to it. Places like Azteca and the other "chain" places might not have the most high end "style" food but I would prefer that over the "high end" wannabe authentic style food. Also we had to ask our server for chips and salsa about 20minutes into our dinner. I mean really? You think customer service was important but guess not. No refills on soda? Plus they way the charge for parties over 6 was weird looking on the receipt. I would rather stick to a taqueria truck and not waste the money on spots like this. read more

Looking for some yummy Alaska Junction food times to celebrate our engagment-iversary, we hit up The Matador on a Friday night around 8. We were greeted by a chipper waitress, and seated near the back toward the kitchen doors. Our waitress brought us chips and salsa to start, and we each ordered a margarita. Yumm-O!! I was thinking tex-mex at The Matador would mean some killer mexican food, like a chimichanga or a super mega ultra deluxe burrito. When checking out the menu, I was pleased to find that there was a bit of variety to choose from. I had a hard time deciding, but finally went with with Beef Tenderloin Medallions. My husband ordered the Surf & Turf. Now let's break it down. Beef Tenderloin Medallions - PHENOMENAL!!!! One of the best steaks I have ever had! I'm not even lying! It was a little spicy and oh so yummy! It was served with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Um... I NEVER eat mashed potatoes cause I generally hate them, but I finished these. FINISHED THEM!!!! That's a big deal! Surf & Turf - The skirt steak was great too. The Hubbs ordered the garlic prawns instead of the Habanero prawns, which he was a little bummed about. His dish also came with a side of garlic mashed potatoes and corn. I also generally dislike corn, but this corn was so gooooood! Altogether, our experience here was wonderful! Writing this review makes me want break in and steal someone's garlic mashed potatoes right off their plate. Sadly, I am a terribly slow runner, so that will just have to remain a fantasy. Until we meet again beloved potatoes. read more

Holy shit this place is bomb we ordered this from Postmates. I had the steak/chicken fajitas with black beans that had a hint of chipotle and my wife had the street tacos and chicken tortilla soup. The only thing I didn't care for was the green onions on the fajitas. A+ from this Hispanic customer read more

Fantastic apps and entrees. The guacamole is over priced and underwhelming, but the chips and salsa are delicious. Great beverage selection. Ambiance is rustic and beautiful. Great date spot especially if you can get a seat by the fire. I went back for a business lunch and had to update my review. I had the grilled stuffed jalapeños that were wrapped in BACON! I could eat those daily for the rest of my life. Great take on Chile Rellano as well. I loved it all. read more

Wow! We are always impressed with the amazing service, delicious food, and strong drinks. This is one of our go-to places for a great night!! read more

Great service. They have my favorite zin here. Sangrias are the best I've had. Food is great! Everything on the HH menu is totally yummy. Bartender challenged me to find better nachos in town, I haven't been able to yet.... read more

Great atmosphere! Absolutely love it! Came here for it's happy hour with some friends. Recommend the $5 nacho and you get a HUGE plate of food. Drinks are delicious but pricey. Though it's bartenders didnt mix well some specific drinks we requested for a special 21st birthday celebration. Happy hour from 3-6pm and then again from 10pm to 1am. The background music and noise became too loud late in the evening for us to just chat and relax. read more

Darn you Matador, still no ribs back on the menu!

We were so excited to come here for happy hour, driving for about 20 minutes to get to Seattle. We got here pretty late, so it wasn't too busy, but the service we got made it seem like the place was pretty busy. The waitress was friendly at first, as she took our order. But after we got our food, we couldn't seem to get her attention again. She kept walking by our table to help the table behind us, but would quickly walk back past our table and not make any eye contact. She'd walk past us so quickly, we couldn't even get her attention. We wanted ketchup for our fries and we needed more water. The fries were half gone when we finally stopped her and asked for ketchup and more water. She must have had short-term memory loss, because she never came back with ketchup or water. So we asked another waitress to bring us ketchup and water; she brought the ketchup, but I guess she forgot about the water. We managed to stop our waitress again, and asked for water...I guess that short-term memory loss took over again, because she still forgot to bring us water. Finally, after we were done with our meal, the other waitress remembered to bring us water. I had wanted to order more food, but after all of that, I was so upset I didn't even want to eat there anymore. I would have taken one star away if it weren't for their tasty food. I think I will stick with The Matador in Tacoma. read more

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I have to say, The Matador is a great spot for happy hour in West Seattle. Lots of appetizing food options, all very reasonably priced. The habanero prawns are a favorite of mine, always well cooked with just the right amount of heat. The portion of nachos is enough to feed three to four people and I noticed many tables sharing plates of them during happy hour. If you're unable to find parking on the street, there's a lot in the back that usually has open spots. read more

One of the best happy hours in West Seattle in terms of food. If you don't like tequila-based drinks there wont be very many options for you here, but the pricing on food during happy hour is fuego read more

Service here was good. Food was just okay. Had stale chips and tacos were too greasy. Liked the atmosphere.

why 3.5 stars? when i lived in seattle a few years ago. the mexican food was horrible, i.e. rosarita refried beans and mission flour tortillas being swooned over by ignorant pacific northwesterners. this tasted like a san diego place! i was impressed! read more