Pica Border Grill

I am so sorry to see this place closed. Their Torta was amazing! Quite possibly my favorite sandwich anywhere. They never seemed to be very busy but I always went during the off hours. The only «bad» experience I had was when some kid is never seen before waited on me. He could have cared less that I was there. He not only put my change on the counter instead of in my hand, he didn’t even put out enough effort to put it on my side of the counter. I will miss Pica.

Good place for takeout, but be forewarned that the food preparation takes awhile and the proportions are very small. I’m not a big guy, but I found that I was still hungry after eating an entrée and a side. Overall it was tasty, but there are better places for Mexican food in West Seattle.

The name may suggest this place is only about Mexican/​Tex Mex food, but let me tell you, they make one killer Philly cheese steak. I ordered the mushroom steak with gooey American cheese (any good cheese steak has to have classic American!). The bread was perfectly crusty on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside. The steak was very tender, and the mushrooms tasted nice and fresh. The prices were pretty consistent with what other cheese steaks go for around the area. My only complaint is the wait time. I had actually stopped in here before this most recent trip, but after hearing the wait would be about 45 minutes, I left because I didn’t have the time to wait. This time, I was expecting the wait, so I placed an order (the wait this time was supposed to be 25 minutes), ran an errand, and came pack to pick it up. This worked out nicely; I’d suggest calling ahead or planning on running an errand if you’re getting take out because of these long wait times. That said, I found it to be well worth the wait… the sandwich was just delicious!

Paseo? Who cares? The torta here is mind blowing. So freaking good. If I could I would hire this guy as my private chef and keep the torta away from everyone but me. Selfish move but its that damn good.

My famished tummy took me here. I tried the vegetarian burrito and the chips and salsa. The burrito was huge and I ended up taking half of it home with me. The ingredients tasted fresh and I loved all the different types of sauces they had to try and put on the burrito. The chips were smaller than normal tortilla chips and a little bit thicker but absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the homemade salsa it had a nice kick to it but wasn’t too spicy. All in all it was absolutely yummy to me. I’m stuffed. Plus the owners are super sweet. I will be back.

I wasn’t really impressed with the food. The only thing that stuck out to me was the fresh ingredients. It lacked flavor. The staff is very nice.

Small hole in the wall food places are my favorite! Adding this place to the list.
Their torta is AMAZING. It’s so flavorful, bread is crunchy and soft on the inside. Chips and guac are delicious. Only downside is if it’s busy, it’s going to take awhile to get your food. But I’ll wait for the goodness!

I love this little café! Its one of the few places still serving lunch in the West Seattle area. I usually get the tilapia tacos with mango salsa, but decided to give the philly wrap a tray. Very tasty. There isn’t much seating so I usually do take out. During the summer months I stay for the outdoor seating which is great!

A bit torn on this review. They get 4 stars for trying but the food is the main act, so I have to give them a 2.
This tiny Latin/​American restaurant with its 5 barstools and 3 outdoor tables with room for 3 in line has the heart of a lion. For example, they have a few items like a burrito with choice of meat and then burgers & fries. It’s obvious that what they lack in investment capital they make up for in customer service and the love of cooking. The cashier/​short order cook was grinning ear to ear just to greet me, and his smile grew wide when I ordered a quesadilla, fries and a torta. With just one other person working in the kitchen, which is smaller than my clothes closet, they worked together to get the orders done well. There were 2 orders ahead of mine, and I waited 12 minutes for my order. It was served with a huge smile and gratitude. It was $ 18. When I wrote a tip on the receipt, the guy laughed happily and said he’d give it to the cook.
When I got home, 5 minutes away, I sat down to eat my lunch. The bread on the torta was just ok, and the pork needed salt and was missing something else. It didn’t have much flavor. The fries were stone cold, so they were probably cooked too soon. The quesadilla was small for the price, and it was also cold. They had just put it in a cardboard container instead of wrapping it to stay warm. The cheese wasn’t completely melted, and there wasn’t much of it. I didn’t finish anything I got and ended up having a bowl of cereal.
When I was at the restaurant, I saw the flatscreen TV flashing pictures of their food. Those pictures along with the positive attitude from the cashier has me wondering if they just had an off day on the food. I’m going to try them again. There’s construction going on next door which is why I didn’t eat there.
There’s street parking only, but it’s free. This place is SMALL so don’t bring in a group.
This place has no feeling or ambiance of any kind. It’s like an indoor taco stand. The menus are printed on large pieces of paper tacked to the wall. You can see the pile of dishes and storage in the kitchen. There’s nothing for your eye to look at while waiting for your food except the big TV making you hungrier while it flashes pictures at you of the menu. Don’t bring a date here unless you’re married with kids.
But be nice to the workers. They love to cook and share their food. Try them out.
Food: 2
Service: 4
Parking: 2
Ambiance: 1

FRESH & YUMMY! small, cute, friendly service, FRESH food!
great service! love the place and will be back!

This place is a little divey but the food is so good!
The vegetarian avocado burrito is delicious! Their rice is also really good. The burrito is huge and a really good value. I always get take-​out when I come here because they have very limited seating inside.
One time there was some confusion overall about what I ordered (not really sure what happened) and I received a meat burrito (which was the exact same thing that my boyfriend ordered right before me) but I wasn’t that mad because I really like this place, overall. I didn’t realize it until I got home and didn’t have the opportunity to get another burrito, unfortunately. Next time I just made sure to articulate more clearly on my part that I wanted the vegetarian avocado burrito.
I wish they offered a vegetarian bean torta.

I have mixed feelings about his place. I had a burger and fries which were really great but then, soon afterwards, I got a really bad stomach ache. Well, the burger and fries were so dang good I ended up going back just a few days later, and everything came out fine.
The burgers are seasoned with a sort of taco seasoning and the fries remind me of the childhood crinkle cut fries except they are a whole lot better than my mom ever pulled off. (sorry mom)
On sunny days their outdoor seating is just perfect, not so close to the busy junction that you get exhaust up in your face but with enough foot traffic to keep your eyes entertained.

So here it is a year latter. I try to eat here every day. Let me say the food is better every time. Really an amazing feat to make it better each and every time. I finish my meal, feeling full, but I want more and will most definitely be back. Thank you so very much Sandra Miguel and family.
Franklin L. Piehl

First time here, we will definitely be back! Delicious and FRESH food. Quaint, small, and no «cliché» Mexican restaurant atmosphere. It feels like going over to your friends house for dinner and their mom is cooking.
Fresh homemade tortillas, fresh homemade chips, great salsas. Great place.

Great place for a no-​frills, quick lunch. They have free wifi that reaches the 7 – 8 outdoor seats, too. Menu has the basics, and most people will be able to find something they’d like. Seating area inside is small, so not a good place for groups. Won’t dent your wallet, and that’s nice to find in West Seattle.
Will return.

This place is awesome.
The proprietors are really nice. My first time there, they got my to-​go order wrong and chased me down the street when they realized it!
Really tasty food, and the homemade chips are perfectly crispy. I love the carne asada burrito.

The pork torta is on a whole different level. Let’s all get on it’s level and give Pica some more recognition!
Juicy pork and spicy, homemade chorizo, salty cotija, tangy salsa, and creamy avocado, all on top of a toasted bolilo roll. It is one of those meals that even when you are full, you can’t stop eating because it is that delicious. This sandwich haunts my dreams — I crave it all of the time. It is a little bit out of the way, but everyone needs to go support this little, local shop. You will be happy that you did!

I tried the burrito (pork), and it was fine. They seem to use good quality ingredients. Be sure to ask for their house-​made hot sauce. Pretty modest drink selection. Some Mexican sodas would be a nice touch.
Overall OK. Definitely better than McD’s or JackITB.

I just moved here from San Diego where I was surrounded by Mexican food. Sigh… I miss it. Anyway, I was looking for a burger place for lunch one day and drove right past Pica and said, Burger Shmurger I want Mexican! I walk up to this empty place and was a little hesitant. Once in I was greeted by an older gentleman, the owner, and his son. I order the Pork Torta and chips and salsa.
A few minutes later I’m eating freshly made, crunchy chips with fresh tasting salsa. I also have this delicious looking torta (seen in the photos). It has pork, chorizo, mexican cheese, avocado… etc. It was perfect. This is one of the few mexican places I’ve eaten at that tasted completely fresh. It is over an hour past when I finished and I feel fine. Normally I feel really full and nasty, but I feel great.
I love it and will definitely be back. I hope this place drums up some more business so they can stay open. I can’t wait to go back and try the other things on the menu.

Still in the never ending search for a decent burrito in Seattle … I hit Pica with an open mind and an appetite in overdrive. Ordered the one burrito option on the menu. Choice of meats are beef, pork, chicken plus vegetarian. I saw chorizo on another part of the menu, so made my choice with that. Add $ 0.50 for jalapenos.
The burrito was overwhelmingly comprised of rice and beans. Very little meat, salsa etc. The beans were mashed or refried and black. Kinda salty. Not much flavor besides that. Just a very underwhelming experience. I’m guessing the burrito is not their signature dish.
Chips were warm, very thick and I’m pretty sure house made. Had a touch of french fry flavor to them. The guacamole was fresh and very mild.
I think this is an owner-​operator place. I commend individuals for sticking their necks out to make a living in this tough economy. Service was quick and with a smile. I’ll try them again for a torta or burger.