Dos Padres Restaurant

I am a huge fan of their happy hour! Not only are drinks discounted but appetizers and nachos are half off. This is my second time enjoying dos Padres delicious black and refrained beans nachos. The plate is packed full of yummy toppings and fills me up!
Great calm environment during the happy hours. Our waitress was very friendly and attentive.

Came up here for a tiny little visit and stopped here for lunch. It’s a little Bellingham dinner. It’s relative old in my opinion. Our waiter was fantastic. I got chicken cheese quesadilla and calamari as an appetizer. My cheese quesadilla was delicious and the chicken basically melted in your mouth along with all the cheese and sour cream. The calamari was really good. Definitely stop by for a quick lunch.

I was hoping to find a slightly more authentic Mexican restaurant… the food and salsa were pretty bland.

Ordered a «low spicy» entrée, and it was so hot I was almost in tears. When I mentioned it to the waiter, it was brushed off. Another time there’s ordered a quesadilla and again, so spicy and felt like it had been microwaved. I am probably just a touch snobby about my Mexican food. More Americanized Mexican but a marvelous late night bar at La Cantina with strong drinks and great bartenders. I do not go here for more than chips and a drink. Their salsa tastes similar to what I purchase at the store, but isn’t horrible. Overall, lower value to my dollar spent (EXCEPT) at the Cantina. Which is worth it, if you’re in a strong drink mood.

Bar? Fun regulars and a pleasant vibe. Food? Oh my god get me out of here. It is just vile stuff.

Dos Padres is my favorite Mexican restaurant in all of Bellingham. I love Taco salads and seek them out anytime I visit a Mexican restaurant. I like the unique lemon vinaigrette dressing on this salad at Dos Padres.

I was just in Fairhaven for a wedding. I wanted something I could take back to my room. I ordered two tacos without the rice and beans to go and asked for some salsa. The young man that took my order was so pleasant. My order was ready so quick. When he handed me the food, he said he also gave me some chips (very nice). I couldn’t believe how big the tacos were. They were delicious and so was the salsa. I’m looking forward to dining there on my next visit.

Among other items on the menu, the taco salad is a classic and one of a kind. Dos Padres was established in 1973, I know, because I have been dining there almost as long! Now located in the Fairhaven district, I enjoyed returning and satisfying my taste buds!
Dean

I had dinner here 2 weeks ago on a Fri night right before close. Normally that means bad service and bad food as they want to close up. Not so this night. The staff was very nice they got me there really good salsa and chips. The chips are just ok Salsa is fresh and really good. they sell it if you want to buy it.
I ordered chicken enchiladas with house sauce and the black beans. The food came out hot and was really really tasty I mean one of the best enchiladas I have had in forever. I must say I have eaten here about 20 times over the last 10 years and this was my best meal here ever great job Dos Padres!

Have gone here for many years. It has been a while, but I remember great food, good salsas. Nice little bar area at night. Friendly Service.

I had a wicked lunch as Dos Padres yesterday with my business partner. The quality of the food was amazing, the service was smiley, and the atmosphere was very chill. I had the Fajita salad which was fresh, tasty, and a great portion size for the price.
After my wicked lunch, I was so full and happy that I left my Credit Card! This is a real bummer, as I live in Vancouver Canada. Convinced I was in for a 5 hour round trip with a weekend border to go pick it up, I called to make sure it was there. Matt, who answered my call, volunteered to mail it back to me. I offered to pay and he refused, electing to act like a good neighbour instead.
They put my needs above their inconvenience, and I intend to stop by every time I am in the area to make sure they know how much I value their commitment to customer service. Besides, I was told I need to try the Nachos next time.
DOS PADRES YOU ROCK!!!

This is the worst Mexican food experience I’ve had. I ordered the shredded beef enchilada, which tasted somewhere between pan and deep fried, had only shredded beef inside, and gave me acid reflux for possibly the third time ever in my life. The dish came with a side of refried beans that straight-​up looked and tasted like it had come from a Bush’s can. The portions of all at my table seemed tiny for regular Mexican food prices. And the cherry on top was our server misquoted the price of the dinner special to us (so my meal cost more than I thought it would), forgot to enter one of our entrees (so their food didn’t arrive until past halfway through our meal), and after we paid the bill and were just chatting and enjoying company, our server abandoned us – no more water, no more possible drink orders, no more service.
Dos Padres felt like an upscale Taco Bell, and I would rather go to Taco Bell.

Really not very good food. They’ve been in business since 1973 (ish?), and I think this is an example of a restaurant that has been around a long time and therefore thinks it doesn’t need to try anymore. And I’ll say, the place was full of people on a Friday night. The food is blah/​boring. Nothing seems special, and the ingredients seem cheap. The beans seem like they come from a can and the presentation of food isn’t very good. Tortillas and chips also seem like they come from a bag. I got vegetarian fajitas and it was mediocre. My partner got the cheese and green chili enchiladas and there was just way too much gross cheese. Not the delicious kind of high quality cheese that makes enchiladas good. Just gross fat with little flavor. I also thought the bill was higher than average for Bellingham.
The waitress was friendly and the atmosphere is kind of nice.
Overall, I recommend going to Jalepeno’s downtown instead. Even though the food there isn’t great either, it seems better for some reason, plus you’ve got a great view and good margaritas. And it’s cheap!

The first time you go to Dos, you might not understand why people rave about it so much. Come by the bar area a few times and you soon will become a regular. The atmosphere is relaxed, and most patrons know each other and the staff well. Its very easy to go for one drink and find yourself still there hours later. Drinks can be a lil spendy, half off apps makes it worth it. Their chicken is to die for. I would suggest adding it to the nachos. Not your stereotypical American Mexican food, which I appreciate. Also, there is a room with a bar downstairs you can rent out for super cheap, (35 bucks I think,) and they will provide you with a bartender!

My friend and I stopped here for dinner around 5pm on a Friday. We were promptly seated and told that we had come at the right time because it was Happy Hour! ½ priced appetizers and Nachos. After looking over the menu I decided on the Spicy Chicken Nachos while my friend chose the Bean Nachos with half pinto and half black beans. While we waited our very kind and energetic waiter brought us warm chips and salsa. The salsa was the best salsa I have ever had! Spicy yet sweet. Our nacho plates came heaping and hot. I enjoyed the chicken plate very much but it wasn’t that spicy. My friend loved her bean nachos. I almost wish I had gotten her meal!
By the end of our meal business had picked up tremendously and our waiter was busy so it took a while to flag him down but that was ok because he was so accommodating and nice. Over all we both enjoyed our meal here. I hope you enjoy yours too!

I have to say that this was one the best Mexican restaurants that I have ever been too. The beans and rice were fresh and the tacos were flavorful and the right portions. They had awesome corn tortillas (that is hard to find sometimes).
It took awhile for us to be seated, but I think that was because there was only one waitress. She was friendly and very helpful though. The atmosphere is low key and relaxing – it didn’t have that cheesy Mexican-​restaurant vibe that you usually get. All in all, it was great experience, and I can’t imagine wanting to go anyplace else for Mexican food.

Carpet smells musty. It’s probably a pretty clean place, but the carpet just makes the whole place seem old and dirty.
Waitress would not bring us chips and salsa. Not sure why, but she just ignored is until it was time to take our order. Then she took our order and left. We finally got them about 5 minutes before the food.
Nachos were pretty good though.
Overall not bad, but there are way too many good Mexican places in town to mess with this place again.
(Casa Que Pasa!!)

I love this place, but you won’t. Not yet. Not the first time. For me, 15 years ago, Dos Padre’s was an acquired taste. Fast forward to now, and it’s tied for the first place spot on my list of favorite places to eat dinner in Bellingham.
What you shouldn’t do is expect regular ol’ American/​Mexican fare, because you won’t get it here. On my most recent visit, yesterday, after well over a decade of patronize their establishment, I learned that they are going for the «San Francisco Mexican» style fare. What that means, I’m not sure.
So, to avoid disappointment, don’t go there expect the same thing you’d get at Mi Mexico or Jalapeño’s. Dos Padre’s is different than any other restaurant in town. How is it different? Well, that’s hard to explain. I suppose I could say it’s more wholesome, kinda hippie, and it’s not just smothered in cheddar cheese and hidden by shredded iceberg lettuce. It has thought behind it… and it’s damn delicious.
I rarely get anything other than the «pick two» combination, because somehow I MUST end up with a taste of their taco salad. I don’t know what it is about that thing, but it’s honestly the best I’ve ever had, and it’s NOTHING like what you are thinking about right now. Basically, it’s exactly what I just dissed. Iceberg lettuce. But, somehow they transform it into this pile of deliciousness, adding their tangy salad dressing, some crunched up corn chips, tomatoes, sprouts, and some cheese. I have to admit that it’s better if you get a little chicken on it, because their chicken is stewed, shredded, and amazing with this salad, but it is still ok without. This salad is NOT what you get elsewhere. There’s no sour cream, no guac, no crispy shell, the meat is on top instead of the bottom, there’s no beans… it really is just what I listed above. It’s a-​maz-​ing.
So, having said that, I ventured onto something different last night and got the plate that resembles the Mexican Flag, and has one each of a ground beef, a cheese, and a shredded chicken enchilada, all with different toppings — salsa verde, sour cream, and red sauce. I didn’t care much for the ground beef one, but the other two were the bomb diggity. Yes, they use cheddar, but whatever brand it is can be considered the tastiest, chewiest, best cheddar cheese I’ve ever had. It’s oddly good. Of course, they serve everything with the obligatory rice and beans, which IMO are both dry and forgettable, but who cares. Everything else is super good.
If the complimentary salsa is too sweet or mild for you, which it is for me, ask for the spicier version. I highly prefer this over the original.
The Cantina is hoppin’ which regulars whom you can deduce have been there since 11am. The friendly waitress will confirm your suspicions. Happy hour is great, although they surprisingly don’t offer much in the way of drink specials, their appetizers are all half off. We had the taquitos with pork, served with chipotle cream and avocado cream dipping sauces. We enjoyed them.
The service last night was top notch. I wish I would have caught her name, but I can describe her and a nice girl, presumably in her mid 20s (?) with very dark hair and a significant amount of makeup on. She said she works two full time jobs. This young lady was spot on with her service skills. She was sweet, prompt, informative, busy… everything you’d want in a waitress. So, if you are the owner of Dos Padres and you know who I’m speaking of — GIVE THAT GIRL A RAISE!!! She was awesome.
All in all, Dos Padres is one of Bellingham’s finest. Go there with an open mind, sample a few things off the menu, and it’ll soon be in your regular rotation, too.

We’ve been coming to «Dos» for years — their bar has one of the more eclectic vibes in Bellingham, the drinks are strong, and the bartender is super friendly. My favorite night to visit is Monday, when the margaritas are on special — $ 3.75 for a single or, if you’re brave, $ 7.50 for the better-​call-​a-​cab double. The dude also makes a mean bloody caesar if you’re not in a tequila mood, plus they’ve got some good local beers on tap and, of course, the standard Mexican brands by the bottle.
Food-​wise, I’ve never been disappointed here. It’s classic, hot, cheesy, American-​style Mexican at its finest. I really like the chile rellenos, and they make a great enchilada too. The late-​night bar menu leaves a lot to be desire (just deep fried stuff or chips/​salsa — nothing off of the regular menu, unfortunately). Their prices are decent, and the décor is traditional south-​of-​the-​border without a lot of kitsch.
This is also a good place to meet a group of friends — there’s a nice, intimate little alcove area right inside the door with plenty of seating and an interesting conversation piece hanging surreptitiously on the wall. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

We actually came to the Dos Padres Bar on New Year’s day during the Rose Bowl.
We soon realized it was a Stanford friendly crowd (Stanford fell to Michigan State 24 – 20 in the 100^th Rose Bowl).
This bar, on this day, seemed a bit like Cheers… everyone knew everyone. We sat down at the first seats we saw and, 15 minutes later when we realized everyone knew each other, we wondered whose seats we’d taken when we sat down! Waiters from the restaurant came and sat with patrons, the bartender would linger for longer than normal at some tables. The bartender seemed to know what everyone else was having. Funny, I’ve never been in that situation before.
The bartender was very friendly and busy. The busy-​ness seemed to impact her ability to prioritize and execute what she needed to do. Our drinks came 10 minutes after ordering, but our chips and salsa didn’t come until we asked a 2^nd time, 30 minutes later. Our second drink took even longer than the first.
There are lots of TVs in this bar, a good thing on New Year’s Day. It was a good place to watch the game.