El Mestizo

Mestizo was OK. Had the enchiladas which were blah and a bit overpriced. I too am used to Mexican restaurants that serve complimentary chips and salsa. Their salsa was a small dish of pico de gallo and a watery substance. The guacamole was very good. They get a 3 star because the wait staff was very nice.

CLOSED!!! What?! I am so sad!
I just drove by and saw the paper on the windows and had to look this up on Unilocal.I can’t believe it!?! It looks like I am not alone in sadness, lots writing their shock to this closure? Perhaps, they had a hard location on first hill but man, they made it so cozy inside and really brightened up the block by Swedish.
I do hope El Mestizo comes back to the same or at least to a nearby central, behi, or sodo location someday!

Months back, we went here for a farewell dinner and I procrastinated on writing my review. Now I learned that they are closed? Wah! I’m sad! Nevertheless, I’m adding my two cents to their reviews for posterity’s sake. And they had free parking on the side of the building with friendly staff too! Sigh…
Our server was spectacular. I wanted to try something new and she recommended their Horchata margarita made with Hornitos reposado, Bailey’s, Cointreau, and horchata. It was SO good! If I wasn’t driving, I would have downed several easily.
They had queso fundido and we ordered it as an appetizer. It came to the table with freshly made tortillas and like locusts descending on lush vegetation, it vanished posthaste. I ordered a tasty cochinita pibil. I could have easily had a second helping too. It was succulent and perfectly seasoned.
I genuinely hope they find another location because their food was simply aces!

El Mestizo is in a bit of a weird, awkward location at the intersection of Broadway and Cherry and the restaurant interior is plain and simple, but the real star here is the food — authentic Mexican food just like the kind I grew up with in Eastern Washington. You won’t find any nachos and gringo tacos here.
What you’ll find is a good selection of different dishes like chile en nogada, pork loin al pastor, and pollo en mole. I had the huaraches which is a big homemade blue corn tortilla slathered with black beans and topped with either pork, chicken, or beef. The blue corn tortilla was excellent, having the perfect consistency. My only criticism was that the pork meat was a little overdone and thus rubbery. I also had the halibut ceviche which was super fresh with an excellent balance between the citrus and salt. My boyfriend had the cochinita nibil which was pork marinated in citrus, wrapped in banana leaves, and then baked and served with fresh tortillas. I high recommend!
They have a variety of margaritas, but we decided to stick with the house margaritas which were amazing. And we are margarita snobs. Their margaritas have the perfect balance of tequila and homemade mix without being too syrupy sweet.

3 star appetizer and husband’s dinner
4 star my dinner
2 star service
We went here on a Thursday so it wasn’t too busy. Didn’t seem like they had a/​c so it was hot! The servers were running around even though they didn’t seem that busy. We got menus and was told they would bring water, which we didn’t get until we asked for it twice.
After we had been there 15 minutes and had been ready to order for a while they asked us to move tables since someone had asked for that table. We did and told them we were ready to order she said she would be right back… This service goes on throughout the rest of dinner you get the idea.
Ordered chips and salsa (also came with guacamole which we didn’t need) since they were not complimentary. It was not worth it the salsas were really watery and not very good.
Husband’s dinner was odd ordered a stuffed pepper and something in it tasted fruity.
My corn tortillas were the best I have ever had. They were fluffy like flour tortillas but I asked and they said the only thing in them is corn. Oh you are wondering what I had with the tortillas? It was beef fajitas pretty much just called something else. It was good, the tortillas made it awesome!

The shrimp. Dear sweet jesus, the shrimp. My life will never be the same again.

This weekend, I was craving Mexican food and tried El Mestizo for the first time. That was all it took — I’m hooked! A couple of delicious margaritas made me think I better come back for Margarita Mondays some time!
We started off by splitting a chicken mole tamale & I think all of my tamales from here on out have to be chicken mole! Delicious! There were so many entrees that looked good, we asked our server for recommendations. Two of the dishes she recommended were the Alambres («fajitas on steroids») and the Chile en Nogada. I’m not typically one who likes the taste of peppers, but her description of the Chile en Nogada convinced me to order — I was not disappointed! The pepper was stuffed with ground beef and pears and some other fruit, topped with a creamy sauce that was both savory and sweet, with pomegranate seeds! It came with some rice, and she recommended mixing the rice with the pepper/​meat in a homemade tortilla… try it! It’s great!
Everything on the menu was really reasonably priced — $ 15 and under — and if our sample was any indication, I’ll have to come back until I try everything!

I’m not sure where the previous reviewer normally goes for «authentic» Mexican where there’s always complimentary chips and one-​size-​fits-​all salsa and an end-​of-​meal sopapilla, but… that’s not really how it’s done. El Mestizo is AMAZINGLY good. Tortillas are made in-​house, and the cilantro and pico de gallo always taste delicious and super fresh. I’ve only been for lunch for their taco plate — 3 loaded, made-​to-​order tacos for $ 6? Where else in Seattle, especially downtown or Pill Hill, can you find that kind of deal? I always get the chorizo, carne asada, and cochinita pibil, but the chicken and fish are delicious too.
I’m from Texas. My extended family is from South Texas and Mexico. I know good Mexican food when I eat it. I’ve always bemoaned the paltry selection of Latin food in Seattle and have tried more completely sub-​par Mexican food than I care to mention in my 4.5 years here, so I was incredibly skeptical when I was dragged along for lunch by a coworker one day. «It’s SO good!» She wasn’t joking. Go there, and get some mandarin Jarritos while you’re at it.

Went for dinner while in Seattle. Was impressed by everything.
Food– 5 Stars
Awesome encliladas mole (huge too).
Maybe the best flour tortilla I have ever had.
Awesome queso fundidos.
Yummy flan «impossible».
Drinks– 5 Stars
Very good house margaritas.
Service– 4 Stars
Nice and friendly but a little slow on the drinks.
Atmosphere– 4 Stars
Cool inside, could definitely see it getting loud.
Value– 5 Stars
A ton of great food for the $$$.

The food and the atmosphere is great here!
I ordered the Cochinita Pibil and a Horchata to drink and both were amazing! The meat was nice and tender and packed with spices! The dish came with delicious tortillas you could use to make your own tacos with! Meat comes with a side of rice and some pickled radishes (i think) that were also very tasty. The portions were so big that I had to take some home to enjoy at a later point.
The service was nice and friendly! The menu items were priced around the teens (between $ 12 to $ 18 dollars).
It was all street parking, but it was very easy to find.

I work at one of the hospitals within a few blocks of this place, and it took me months to give it a try for lunch. I’m glad I did, and it’s a regular lunch spot for me and my co-​workers now. I usually get the tacos, sometimes the ensalata del mestizo, and the tamales. They are all very good.
NOW, I want to get into the AMAZING dinner I had there. I’ve only been for dinner once. EVERY dish on our table was ASTOUNDING. The Carne Asada was the best I’ve had. Ever. The meat was perfectly flavored, not too salty, and it was JUICY and TENDER, not like the beef-​jerky that most mexican restaurants around town serve. There were camarrones on another plate to die for, mole that was spectacular on another, and we ended up getting 3 deserts (between 4 of us) and loved them too.
So, just in case all the other positive reviews didn’t already convince you, there you go.

The restaurant looks rundown from the outside, so I had my hope up high that this was going to be authentic. I was wrong. Elements of an authentic Mexican restaurant which it lacks:
(1) Complimentary bottomless chips and salsa. A real Mexican place will not ask you if you want your salsa mild, medium, or spicy, they will just bring it out and put it on your table. Additional, it will NOT charge you 7 dollars for mediocre salsa and stale chips.
(2) Complimentary sopaipilla at the end of the meal. They didn’t even have sopaipilla on their menu!
I was very disappointed with this place, because I had high expectations. However, they do make good Horchata. Also, I liked the pork and pineapple combination in my taco, that was the best part of my meal. Their tacos looks like tacos from the taco truck, but unfortunately, in general, don’t taste as good as the taco trucks.

I really like that they offer the Mexican coke (no corn syrup good old sugar)
I might not be the best person to review authentic Mexican because I am more of a flour tortilla girl over corn and I know that is not authentic. We ordered the Ensalada de Nopal (Cactus strips, tomatoes, red onions and fresh herbs) as an appetizer. The waitress recommended it but it was too authentic for my tastes. My boyfriend ordered the the Enchiladas de Mole and I ordered the Carne Asada. We both were not the hugest fans of the Enchiladas but thoroughly enjoyed the Carne Asada. Even the corn tortillas were delicious because they were homemade. I would definitely come again for the Carne Asada, I would just go with a different type of appetizer such as Tortilla soup or a Quesadilla. Prior reviewers seemed to have enjoyed those items. The server was very nice.

Just ate here again tonight using the Groupon we picked up a couple weeks ago. The mole was so delicious last time, I just had to get it again. And I was not disappointed. Plus, enough leftovers for another meal! My companions each ordered the Huarachas, one chicken, one carne aside, and both were extremely
start we had the chips, salsas, and guacamole. The chips were thick, freshly heated, and perfectly seasoned. The pico de gallo had a nice flavor and was very fresh. The hot salsa wasn’t too hot. The guacamole was the perfect blend of chunk and creamy with a nice texture, fresh flavor, and just a hint of spice. I also ordered a chicken verde tamale and it was HUGE! I could probably have just eaten that plus the chips. It was wrapped in banana leaves, not a corn husk, and was well mixed.
The wait staff was super pleasant, just like last time, and very attentive.
Go here. You won’t be disappointed.

I’m pretty torn about this place. Initially, I wanted to love it and by all standards, I didn’t have a terrible experience here nor was I disappointed by the food that we were served. This place suffers from what I call the dreaded «blahs». I wanted to fall in love with the décor, the authenticity of their dishes, their warm informal service. but, I just couldn’t stomach it.
I read reviews that this was the «best mexican food in seattle» and I just have to beg to differ. We ordered the Alambres and the Conchinita Pibil. Both were tasty, the meats sauteed well, but we were not blown away by the offerings.
On the other hand, the drinks were spectacular! We ordered the Chela-​rita, Coconut Margarita, Horchata Margarita and the Mango Jalapeño Margarita. HOLY COW! All were highly delicious and inventive!
The service was great when the server was around but was fairy sporadic and inattentive. It wasn’t too busy and our water glasses continued to stay unfilled until we requested a refill.
The food was good but I probably wont be back.

It all came together for us yesterday evening at El Mestizo, in large part due to the live music which they have every Wednesday night. Two musicians, a man and woman, played bolero-​style ballads on a variety instruments –they sang too. Very enjoyable, and we bought their CD which they had available at the restaurant.
On our next visit (and yes, there will be a next visit), we plan on coming for Sunday brunch, which goes from 10am-​2pm.
We started out with a round of beer. JP ordered Bohemian, which came in a chilled glass with salt crystals around the rim. I had Negra Modelo, served from the tap.
All our dishes were excellent. Service and the speed we got our dishes were very good. For appetizers, we had the queso fundido and tortilla soup. Outside of a little restaurant in Coalcoman, Michoacan, this is the best queso fundido I have ever had (likely made even better by the green chili it contained). The soft corn/​flour tortillas were great.
The tortilla soup was simply the best I have ever had. Containing very compelling flavors (probably including roasted chili pepper), corn and white cheese, this sopa was perfect.
My entrée was the Chile en Nogada, which was a poblano chili stuffed with ground beef, spices and fruit and topped/​surrounded with the most exquisite and delicious cream sauce. I ate it as slowly as possible to savor the flavors.
JP ordered chicken pozole. This is an acquired taste. When JP excitedly announces that his mom is making pozole, I have to buck up and feign how delicious I think it is (when I’m really thinking it tastes so gamy). However, with the dried oregano, radish slices and shredded cabbage that El Mestizo provided with the pozole, it was pretty good (JP thought it was outstanding).
So if you like Nuestra Cocina on Division in Portland, you will love El Mestizo!
One final note: there was actually plenty of street parking available on Broadway and Jefferson Streets.

El Mestizo has really tasty tamales! The menu said to ask for availability and I got lucky today. I chose the chicken mole tamale and I couldn’t believe how much flavor it had. Most of the Mexican restaurants I’ve tried in Seattle that serve tamales tend to be a little bland but not El Mestizo’s! There’s also a bit of heat in the taste which was a pleasant surprise.
I also ordered a carne asada taco and this was juicy and was spiced well. The meat was slightly tender. The staff that works here are fun to talk to as well. I’m adding this to my list of restaurants to hit up during lunch!

If I could give 3 ½ stars, I would. I went to this place for lunch with a friend (it’s so close, just down the street from my work) and was happy to find that it wasn’t that crowded (despite reading reviews saying it was very busy) which works great for me during my lunch so I have more time to enjoy my food. My friend and I decided to split a burrito and order a bowl of the Sopa Azteca.
The burrito was yummy– we ordered the carne asada (which was marinated just right and cooked to be soft, not tough) and filled it with everything imaginable. The guac was pretty pricey $ 1.25 (if I remember right) just to add some?! But it was pretty tasty guac if you ask me.
The Sopa Azteca was great– something different than your ordinary «tortilla soup» at generic Mexican restaurants. This soup was creamy with a tomato base and had lots of good toppings.
We would definitely come back here for another luncheon– probably not so much for dinner as the prices look a little high.

El Mestizo is a lovely new little spot perched just at the top of the hill where Broadway slopes south and James/​Cherry slopes east, an area devoid of anything falling into the category of «destination» (unless you’re in need of a hospital). Yet I think El Mestizo, given a bit of time, may become known as the sole occupant of that category.
The man and I walked over on a recent weekend afternoon, eager (okay, I was eager) to try out not only a new place but a new taqueria. To me, the mark of excellent Mexican food is if I think back to my childhood and realize that I wouldn’t know what a single dish, aside from chips, tacos, and guacamole, might involve. And although I’ve walked into many a real Mexican joint since then, I have to say that I never before encountered either huaraches or cochinita bibil. Holy God, am I glad I did…
Huaraches are indeed sandal-​shaped, but the resemblance ends there. A substantial masa cake made with pinto beans, it’s covered in a thin layer of queso fresco and a succulent heap of the aforementioned pork. Think savory, melting like butter in your mouth, roasted for days in achiote sauce… and then stop thinking and go eat some.
The man’s pollo tacos were nicely spiced, but the tortillas (to me) were a bit oily as opposed to simply pliable. Yet portions were generous, and the requisite onion, cilantro, and radish appeared on cue. Chips were fantastic, the El Mestizo margarita made with care (and plenty of fresh lime juice!), and service was incredibly friendly and welcoming.
El Mestizo’s internal space is nice; not upscale, but certainly more tastefully decorated than what you might assume just from walking by on the street. The only downside, for me, was the salsa, which is actually a pico de gallo: too bland. Fresh, yes, but no spice other than the cool vibrancy of the generous cilantro. I’d love to see a little salsa bar show up someday, and I promise I’ll keep going back to look for it and, um, eat some more cochinita bibil…

went back here to check out the dinner menu. I like how they basically took several recipies from around Mexico to come up with their dinner selection. I went with my new food crush the Conchinita Pibil, this time dinner portion which comes with fresh tortilla and rice. TASTY! They even snuck a few handmade blue corn tortilla in tthe cute little tortilla cozy which of course forever won me over to their cause.
The service was very good and everyone who worked there was friendly, enquiring how my meal went.
Please come here and keep this place in business!