Address: | 1521 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98101, USA |
Phone: | +1 206-538-0440 |
Site: | elborrachoseattle.com |
Rating: | 4.2 |
Working: | 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–11PM |
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Lyman J. Lee
TL;DR: If the tacos are good, we wont be returning to find out. In general, the food is either really bad or just bland at best. None of our food was cooked well either. We also experienced extraordinarily slow service. Food: Happy Hour dinner for 2. Ordered chips and guac, nachos (vegetarian), and a carnitas burrito. On the positive side, the guacamole is pretty great, but could use a bit of salt. Its either crushed or partially crushed avocado rather than the blended soup most places will give you. Thats about the last positive thing I have to say about this place. The house salsa is uninspiring and we ended up going to grab some chipotle and habanero to dump in there just to give it a flavor profile. The nachos were layered in a fashion that made it difficult to a good mix of toppings (i.e. the beans are at the bottom rather than mixed in). The cheese on the nachos wasnt even melted. The carnitas are bland and the burrito is mostly lettuce and unmelted cheese. Drinks: A couple of margaritas: El House, Hibiscus, & Pineapple Serrano. The El house is mediocre and unbalanced and the lemon over complicates it. The hibiscus tastes like tequila and watered down gatorade with a cinnamon sugar rim. The pineapple serrano tasted like a poorly made Piña colada and the serrano part of it was almost entirely missing. It was basically just tequila and pineapple juice. If these are their specials, I dread to find out what the "el cheapo" tastes like. Service: The service was unbelievably slow and mostly ignored our table. Food took a long time, the check took longer, and paying took longer than that. We sat for nearly 30 minutes just trying to pay for our meal with empty plates and glasses on the table.
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Shelley Steinhorst
I didnt go in here for a long time because it didnt seem that appealing from the outside (and I was so sad that they replaced the delicious Ethiopian restaurant that used to be my favorite...) - I finally let curiosity get the best of me and went in to try some guac, chips, salsa and some spicy soup. The soup was great - never had anything like that before, the salsa and guac were great too. The chips did not seem home made to me (Im a chips snob) but they were adequate. So all in all, I will come back because its close to where I live and I believe the others who say the tacos (not really my thing) and other food is delicious. Its delicious enough considering this expensive location and the prices are okay considering the good quality ingredients. My waiting staff (at busy lunch time) were a bit slow (but the place was packed!) but absolutely friendly - perhaps because I was friendly (and patient) too?
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Sam Yang
Conclusion: very close to authentic Mexican tacos Ive had while living in Merida Yucatan. Recommend cochinita pibil and camarón! This was the second restaurant closest to what I had at the taquerias in Mexico. I lived in Merida Yucatan for nearly 9 years, and had many opportunities to try tacos de cochinita pibil, al pastor, mariscos, etc. So far, the best taqueria in the US, in my opinion, is the one in Sausalito, CA (refer to my other review) and Ill give this restaurant the second place. The only downside was orchata and jamaica. * This was a review based on my personal experience; I acknowledge that every person has unique preferences and taste buds.
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Bre Thompson
Wont go back! Visited this past Saturday night and the bar wasnt busy at all. The bartender told us he would serve us im a minute... 10 minutes pass and hes asked everyone around us for there order but us. Ordered a double shot and the total was $24 which i knew was bullshit since i work in the market and then he only gave me $8 back when i gave him $40! On top of already tipping himseld he tried to not give me exact change. I dont think hes ever seen me before since Ive never seen him but will deff not be going back.
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Andrea Falling
Great place for more authentic mexican food! Their tacos are amazing, and they have great options for vegans AND vegetarians! Looking for a cheap drink? Go for a double El-Cheapo (made with fresh lime juice). This place fills up quick, so expect to wait outside if they are full - or grab a table on the patio (great people watching)! Last thing to note is the entry area is the bar (21+), but the side/back enterance leads you into an all ages dining area.
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Anne Marcus
El Borracho is a great place to stop in for lunch or a fun happy hour. Their all day $4 margaritas are not bad for $4. I enjoy their wide range of street tacos and their giant plates of nachos. Make sure you have many napkins handy for either one! The tacos are saucy and juicy and the nachos are cheesy good. They have house made salsas from chipotle to habanjero. The prices are reasonable so you can try out the variety of tacos they do offer.
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Daniel Castillo
They offer vegan options which is rare for a Mexican cuisine but a huge bonus for their patrons. Prices are moderate considering the type of food but their Happy Hour makes certain items on their menu very affordable. The one area that needs improvement is the flavor and seasoning of their tacos and salsas. I grew up eating Mexican food on a consistent basis. It is little bland for my taste. However, the its a good environment to eat with friends.
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badger bloodthunder
Food is good but service on a Wednesday afternoon sucks. We asked for salt and got silverware, forks and knives for the nachos and tacos we ordered. We were asked if we wanted refills on our cokes. I said yes, My wife didnt answer cause hers was half full. Hers was taken when the new drinks were delivered. They were diet not regular coke. There were less than 10 tables with customers so it wasnt that busy. Our server must have been high as a kite
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Cody Sharp
For me, its all about the happy hour specials here. They have extremely cheap but amazingly good tacos during happy hour as well as good drink specials. The barbacoa tacos are my favorite. The happy hour tacos are on the small side, like street tacos. I think I ate 13 in one sitting. Coming from Texas, its good to find a place that can make quality margaritas, tacos, and has a decent tequila selection.
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Hezi Choo
On business solo & was craving Mexican... Totally busy at 6pm but it was just me so I luckily got a bar seat with no wait. Really great guacamole... & possibly the best carnitas Ive had in a long time. Tried the beef tongue & loved it. Really really reasonably priced. . Would definitely recommend... Lots of groups... Eating or just hanging after work. Exhaustive Margarita menu & tequila list.
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Scott Jordan
Great place for happy hour! I got a beer, chips & guac, and 2 tacos for $9! And everything was delicious. The guac was scrape-the-bowl good. Other reviewers have mentioned issues with the service, but I had no problem. I arrived at the tail end of happy hour and the place was packed. But I was seated quickly and the service was fast and friendly despite the crowd. Ill definitely be back!
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Abhijat Saraswat
Delicious food, reasonably priced at a great location. This is perfect for locals and tourist alike. Situated at the Pike Place Market, it makes for a great spot for dinner (or any other meal). The burritos are delicious and plentiful. For a special treat try and come here for their happy hour. During the happy hour they serve $1 and $2 tacos when purchased with a beverage ($4).