Where can i get some good Mexican food (Seattle, Renton: neighborhood, live)

[Djpuma]

Just as the title states: Where can I get some good Mexican food?

Coming from California I was surrounded by a plethora of Mexican food places.

I can't find any good places that actually taste really really good.

I also love street tacos and I can't find any good taco trucks anywhere either.

One last thing, what is up with spelling Asada with a Z, what the hell is Azada?

Thanks
I'm in the Kirkland, Bothell, Eastside area.

[irishimm]

Not sure about the Eastside, but I can speak for Seattle.

I've lived in the San Fran Bay Area and Tucson, AZ (both excellent places for Mexican food) so I feel your pain. It's tough to find good taco trucks and taquerias here. The quality is many many notches below. When I lived in the Bay Area, I would go with friends to different taquerias mutiple times a week and never got tired of the food.

The best Taco Trucks in Seattle are: the one on Graham and Rainier (in a gas station parking lot), one in Sodo near the Showbox Sodo, and one in Highland Park in West Seattle. Ive tried virtually all taco trucks and taquerias in the area, and these are the best. But still, dont expect anything like what you had in California--its a compromise at best. As for taquerias, I have yet to find even one good one. Most (that arent cardboard tasting chains) are downright awful; bland, no flavor, grease without any payoff. Ive never had a good burrito in Seattle. And its horrible, because when done well, Burittos are as good as food gets. Here theyre not edible. Tacos in Seattle are slightly better, but still not very good. If I could bring one of the literally thousands of amazing taquerias in San Francisco, San Jose, or Tucson to Seattle I would be a very happy man. Everytime I return I remember "oh yeah, this is why I love Mexican food!"

Strangely enough, though, Seattle, does have a couple of pretty good sit-down Mexican restaurants in Ballard (of all places). Senor Moose and La Carta de Oaxaca in Ballard actually have some tasty , relatively authentic food and good Margaritas.

However, neither will satisfy your craving for great taqueria food, which is where its really at!

[AzDreamer]

Here's an online rating tool that lets you set the map and search term to find the top rated restaurants in that area. There are links to discussion threads so you can get a feel for why the food is rated the way it was.

Mexican Kirkland | Yelp

We never did find a reliably good Mexican restaurant up here and just cook our own at home. Occasionally we'll try a new spot and sometimes they are ok, but it's on our trips to Arizona that we can really find what we like.

In Spanish azada means hoe, the tool you use to weed your garden. I'm not sure why a restaurant would put that on their menu but I'm not ordering it.

[shoegal111]

I'm glad to finally see others complain about the lack of really good Mexican restaurants/taco stands in Seattle. I complained in one thread and was attacked by locals claiming they had excellent Mexican restaurants. I always found them mediocre at best.

[seattlenextyear]

There's not much Mexican in Kirkland or Bothell. Sante Fe has great Yelp reviews, but to me its just plain ol order-by-number Mexican. Tres Hermanos is better for that style of restaurant. Cactus! is yummy but its more higher end Tex-Mex than Mexican. Stay away from Azteca.

I like Oobas (cantina style) in Redmond pretty ok. I'm guessing it's family friendly too since I always see a bunch of kids in there for dinner.

[SeattlitefromNC]

The problem is demanding Mexican food on the Eastside ... which is exactly where the Mexicans do not live.

Go to where the Mexicans eat if you expect good Mexican food: White Center, babe! Any taco truck in that area will do.

La Carta de Oaxaca is excellent if you insist on staying on the North side of the city.

[Redline]

There's a new taco truck at the Shell on the way down to downtown Kirkland (off 85th). Might be worth checking out (in fact I may check it out today). If you want more of a sitdown place you can always check out Cactus in downtown Kirkland or the other one across the street from it. Then there's another Mexican place on 85th in the Rose Hill area called Tres Hermanos. Ok, you have me wanting Mexican food now.

[CityGirl72]

We are from California too, and when I first moved there I noticed the lack of good mexican food.

But we found that you need to find a good Roach Coach (taco van). They will be the most authentic. We used the one at the starbucks parking lot at the freeway/ Northgate exit. DELICIOUS

We also would go to Gorditos in Greenwood, which was actually pretty damn tasty

Sorry - I don't know of anything on Eastside

[Ira500]

Taqueria El Rinconsito is a better than average small chain. Taco trucks are all over south Seattle and Renton, and the South Park neighborhood is the epicenter of authentic Mexican food in these parts, even moreso than White Center.

[texastrigirl]

Ooba's and Pesos. Sometimes Cactus...but it's expensive. I lived in Texas for 12 years so I have discriminating tastes. Dunno about taco trucks...we don't have too many of them in Sammamish And the best I have had? You would have to drive to Centralia to La Tarasca. More interior Mex but best darn tamales and carnitas I have ever had.