8 Best Mexican Spots in Seattle

Creating the perfect taco is an art form. A science. Many people try and many people fail. You have to know which ingredients go together, how to properly prepare these ingredients, and then get the perfect ratio of said ingredients together in a tortilla. When someone succeeds at all three of these variables then you get fireworks. Taco Fireworks. That's right, explosions of guacamole in the sky.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo (which, full transparency, when doing research we discovered we had no idea what this day was actually in honor of. Educate yourself, people) we compiled you a list of our favorite Mexican places in town. We would like to note that we understand people can be very defensive about their tacos. If your favorite spot isn't on this list maybe it's because we haven't been there or, ya know, maybe it's because your favorite spot is Taco Bell. 

Alright, here we go! 

El Borracho is definitely one of our regular spots in town. We love the food, drinks, and people!

Our recommendation: Tacos de Hongos. Meat lover? Go for the Carnitas Burrito.

Tacos Chukis is a tricky to find dive in Capitol Hill, but so worth finding and waiting in line for these little tacos.

Our recommendation: Adobada Tacos with a Dos Equis

El Camion has a few food trucks around town and are always serving up a wide variety of awesome grub from the window. 

Our recommendation: Fish tacos with a Jarritos (go for the pineapple!)

La Carta de Oaxaca is one of two Mexican restaurants owned by the same family and check off all the boxes for great Mexican food! 

Our recommendation: Mole Negro Oaxaqueno

Cantina de San Patricio is located in Post Alley in Pike Place Market and has a good happy hour with a small patio you can enjoy your drinks on during a sunny day! 

Our recommendation: This one makes the list for their Margs (which is a food group, right?) and outdoor seating.

The Saint would make the list for character alone. It has a unique building and atmosphere and to top it off the food is awesome too.  

Our recommendation: Any of the Quesos Fundidos, and if you are feeling frisky get a flight of their tequilas.

Agua Verde Café & Paddle Club is a fun, sunny day spot. It sits on Lake Union and doubles as a kayak rental hub for paddling around Lake Union. Grab some tacos and a drink, then get out on the lake to enjoy the city!

Our recommendation: Bacalao Tacos and a view of the lake!

The Yard is not a Mexican joint, per se, but they do have some amazing Mexican dishes on the menu and their outdoor seating is the icing on top of the ...err..  salsa on top of the taco?

Our recommendation: Any of their tacos, but especially the Adobada and for something different try the Ensalada Quesadilla.

Honorable Mention: Gracia is new on the scene in Seattle (former Matt's in the Market chef, Chester Gerl, is behind it!) and we haven't had a chance to drop in yet, but we hear it is great so we wanted to include it for everyone to go try. You're welcome.

Our recommendation: We haven't been here yet, so we don't have one! But word on the street is their tamales are awesome.

Let us know your favorite spots in the comments! 

Top 20 Places to Visit at Seattle's Waterfront

The Seattle Waterfront is going through some MAJOR renovations right now, but don't let the construction deter you from visiting. It is a great waterfront and all that clanking and drilling just means they are working to make it even better.

Sidenote: If you haven't checked out the Seattle Waterfront Office on Western Ave. to see what they have in store for us definitely plan that into your next trip! 

Anywho, coming back to the original point, Seattle's waterfront has a lot to offer! Many places have views of Puget Sound that make you want to stay forever and even though it gets crowded in the summer it is a big place, so there are always places to escape and relax (see picnic tables, Pier 66 viewfinders, or a gondola in the Great Wheel). We picked our top 20 favorite places for you the check out. 

Possibly the best hotdog in town.

Picnic tables that come with a view.

FOOD AND DRINK

• Frankfurter serves the best sausages on the waterfront and with a wide variety there is something for everyone. Always add a lemonade to your order-- it is perfectly sweet!
• Elliott's Oyster House is a little pricey, but they are sustainable and responsible with their seafood, so we pay the higher fee. Grab lunch or dinner here and if the day is nice sit on their beautiful patio; we recommend the pan friend oysters or the crab cakes!
• Ivar's has been serving up fish n' chips on the Seattle waterfront since 1938. You can't say you've experienced Seattle without stopping here. 
• The Alaskan Sourdough Bakery wins in our book because they specialize in carbs, one of the most delicious of molecules. These guys make sourdough bread bowls that will put you into sleepy, full-bellied heaven. 
• Copperworks Distillery offers free tastings and tours of their operation for $10 (and more tastings!). Do we need to say more?
• Seattle Bay Creamery fulfills that need you get on a hot summer day walking through the crowds on the waterfront. It's cold, it's creamy, and (if you are smart) it is served in a waffle cone. Seriously, make the right choice and get the waffle cone.
• SixSeven is the swanky restaurant located in The Edgewater at the north end of the waterfront. We can't afford dinner there so we go for happy hour and eat their delicious food for a fraction of the cost. 
• The picnic tables located at the very end of the Pier 56 are some of the best free seats in the house. Take your frankfurter or your picnic lunch down here to enjoy the beauty of Elliott Bay.

One of the many ships in Argosy's fleet.

The Great Wheel gives excellent views.

ATTRACTIONS

• Argosy Locks Cruise is one of the touristy things Seattle offers that we FULLY recommend (for god's sake, stay away from those duck tours). Even for locals it is a treat to learn about the history of Seattle and little known facts and experiencing something many of us might not any other way: going through the locks.
• Seattle Aquarium is not the best aquarium in the world, we aren't going to lead you there under false pretenses, but it is still a place where you can see marine life that you would not be able to see otherwise. Kids will love the otters and the jellyfish.
• Seattle Great Wheel is a new addition to our waterfront, some love it, some hate it. Regardless of which camp you are in it is a unique way to see the city. On a clear day a ride in one of the gondola's is spectacular (and if you are afraid of heights it will also be terrifying). 
• Clipper Whale Watching Tours leave from the Seattle waterfront and are something that you should absolutely shell out the $$ for if possible. Our advice? Go for the Orca day trip in the summer because...well...you get to see Orcas. Killer Whales. Like Free Willy. It's unreal.
• The Edgewater was built for the 1962 World Fair (along with the Space Needle) and it is a Seattle establishment. Everything about it screams Pacific Northwest. The Edgewater was made famous when the Beatles stayed here on their 1964 World Tour and fished out of their hotel window into Elliott Bay. Since then it has become the place for rock legends to stay with the likes of Led Zepplin, David Bowie, and The Rolling Stones on the list. 
• Street Artists are usually present along the busier stretches of the waterfront and can be very talented. Don't overlook them just because they aren't selling in a traditional storefront.
• The Carousel in Miner's Landing is a great stop for people with kids. It is a bit hard to track down if you don't know where you are looking, but once you go inside the building labeled "Miner's Landing" it is all the way back at the very far end. 
• Pier 66 Viewfinders are located up the steps/elevator by Anthony's Fish House (in a big red building). This is a great, free way to see the city and doubles as a nice place to eat lunch.
• Take a Washington State Ferry ride to Bainbridge Island for a whopping $7/per person for a round trip. The trip takes 30 minutes each way and it isn't out of the ordinary to see whales on the journey. Once you get to Bainbridge check out its cute, island-town shopping and restaurants. 

The viewfinders are free!

The beautiful Edgewater Hotel.

SHOPPING

• Ye Olde Curiosity Shop is one of the weirdest shops in Seattle and we love it. People of all ages can enjoy all the strange items for sale. Our favorite: the mounted animal butts, because obviously the heads get too much attention. 
• Pirates Plunder is a shop in Miner's Landing that sells Seattle-themed items. We usually don't recommend these shops, but they have done a better job than most of collecting items you don't see at all the run-of-the-mill tourist shops. So in a nutshell, go here for the best variety of Sleepless in Seattle t-shirts and magnets.
• Seattle Antique Market is an antique heaven located right across the street from the Seattle Great Wheel. Go in to check out all their antique and vintage goodies. You can get lost for ages.

Ahoy! These pirates welcome you to Pirates Plunder!

Bonus points: If you want to walk all the way down the Seattle Waterfront (about 1.5 miles) you will run right into the Olympic Sculpture Park, one of our favorite parks in Seattle, which we featured on the blog earlier this year. 

Ultimate Challenge: Start at the ferry terminal and walk the length of the Seattle Waterfront. You can actually walk all the way to Elliott Bay Marina in Magnolia on paved sidewalks. It is almost five miles of scenic paths along Puget Sound.

Sidewalk signs so you don't get lost.

Little waterfront details.

Steepest Street in Seattle

If you are a local you are familiar with the joy of Seattle streets and if you are visiting and plan on renting a car, let's just say you were warned. It can be overwhelming to try and navigate our crazy shaped neighborhoods, but it is also something that gives Seattle some of its charm. 

A while back we were doing some research and found out the steepest street in Seattle is E. Roy St. in Capitol Hill Between 25th and 26th Ave. E. We obviously had to go check it out seeing as this is something right up our alley, a quirky, little-known spot in the city. With a 26% slope it becomes pretty hilarious/terrifying to visit. Once you arrive it is so fun to look at all the houses built on this massive hill and imagine how awesome these residents' calf muscles must be. 

If you want some other things to do when you go check it out we also recommend the Haunted Coke Machine (written about on the blog here) or grabbing a bite to eat at Cafe Flora or for a sweet snack Hello Robin (Mackles'more and Birthday Cake are our favs).

How to Wine in Woodinville

Acres of vineyards in Woodinville.

Woodinville is a wonderful little town 30 minutes outside of Seattle. Although Seattle has enough to keep you busy for ages, if you want wine, you have to go to Woodinville. You can visit famous Northwest wineries like Chateau St. Michelle as well as tiny boutique wineries, all which serve up an amazing variety of wines.

As stated elsewhere on this site, we are not wine experts, but this isn't to say we don't love wine — we do. All kinds. No discrimination here. Kristina is known to drink wine others have deemed "bad" with a smile on her face. That being said, if we are going to send you to Woodinville you need to have a basic understanding of wine as well as some advice on the best places to visit, so we brought in our expert, Amy L. Dickson, to give you the lay of the land. Literally.

Q: What are the basic "types" of wine? 

That's a big first question! Most of the wine on the world market is dry wine, regardless of if it's red or white. You'll also find fortified wines, dessert wines, and of course, sparkling wines. I could go into so much more detail...over a glass of wine, of course.

Q: Are there "seasons" for wine? 

I would say the "seasons" for wine are driven by what you're eating in that season. For instance, Beaujolais wine goes incredibly well with turkey and cranberry dishes, so I drink more of it in the fall. Rosé is just delish with springtime salmon dishes and lightly treated vegetables. Cabernet Sauvignon, the powerhouse of the WA harvest, is like a meal in itself and keeps me warm through the winter months.

Q: What exactly are you supposed to do when someone hands you a glass of wine at a winery and looks at you expectantly? 

Say thank you and taste it.

Seriously, what you do with your wine is up to you. Winemakers and tasting room staff know that wine is a subjective experience. Not every wine will appeal to every person. Take the glass and smell it. Note the aromas and bouquets, then give it a little swirl and smell again. Did anything change? Taste it, hold it in your mouth, roll it around a little and see where the primary flavors pop out. Then, if you want to, swallow.

Q: Why the spit buckets? I want to swallow my wine.

Most people do, but some tasters want to taste a large variety of wines in a single day. Aside from exhausting the palate if tasting all day, PNW wines contain a fair amount of alcohol. People spit or dump when they want to enjoy the taste and flavor of a wine without becoming intoxicated. If you encounter a bad wine or one you don't like, it's perfectly acceptable to pour it out.

Q: Dry vs... 

Sweet or semi-dry. This is a measure of the residual sugar left in the wine when it goes into the bottle. A wine is considered “dry” when all of the grape sugar is converted to alcohol during fermentation, while a sweet wine still has some residual sugar. “Semi-dry” or “off dry” wines may appear mildly sweet to the taster.

Q: Is wine organic? Is it vegetarian?

Wine is made from grapes, and like any other fruit or vegetable, it can be grown organically, so winemakers can make organic wine. This is a decision made in the vineyards. Same thing about wine being vegetarian, only this decision is made in the winemaking process. It's not uncommon for winemakers to use fining agents that remove proteins and impurities from the wine. Popular animal-derived fining agents used include blood and bone marrow, casein (milk protein), egg albumen, fish oil, gelatin, and isinglass (gelatin from fish bladder membranes). Yum!

Q: Also, what's the deal with sulfites?

Sulfites are used to keep wine "fresh" so to speak and are added during winemaking. By law, the addition of sulfites is stated on most bottles because there are a very few people with strong sulfite allergies. But don't worry: The amount of sulfites found in dry red wine is a tiny fraction of what you'd find in dried fruit or even french fries.

Q: Why are there different size and shape wine glasses? Which do you use and when?

Wine glasses are designed to help you get the most out of your wine tasting experience. The shape of the glass helps deliver a consistent aroma. So many glasses because, well, there are a lot of different types of wine out there! Seattle wine pro/sommelier/personal hero Madeline Puckette offers a great video resource on her website, Wine Folly. Check it out!

Q. What's the point of smelling the cork and should I ask to do this?

Smelling a cork helps you detect wine cork taint known as Trichloroanisole (TCA). But if this has happened to the bottle, you'll smell it in the wine too (musty, wet dog smell). Skip the cork and start with your wine. If you suspect TCA taint, then inspect the cork, but only if you want to.

Q. How long does wine last once open?

This varies depending on the type of wine and how it's stored. Some fortified wines can be fine for weeks once opened! But if it's a glass bottle of wine, bank on 3-5 days. Put your resealed red wine someplace cool and dark and your resealed white wine in the fridge.

Q. What does it mean when someone says the wine has "nice legs?"

This is a measure of glycerin in the wine, an indicator of alcohol or sugar in your wine. More or heavier "legs" just means your sweet, alcoholic drink might give you a case of the "wine flu" tomorrow. It's not a measure of quality.

Q. When wine tasting, what type of wine do you start and end with and why?

Most wineries pour light to dark. Here in Woodinville you don't often get sparkling wines, so you'll likely encounter light whites and rosé wines first, then move through to light/medium/heavy reds.

Q. What's your favorite Seattle area or Woodinville winery that is good for beginners? 

Walking around the Warehouse District in Woodinville is a great place to start, especially in the fall during harvest and crush. Many of these winemakers will be making their next vintages right there in the backs of the buildings. You can even volunteer to help!

At last count Woodinville sported 108 tasting rooms, so it's tough for me to pick a favorite. They are all my children. Salud!

Tasting at Sparkman Cellars.

Aging wine in barrels.

Adams Bench Winery

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75

Photos by Amy L. Dickson and Sarah Mathews