Ballard denizens have been lining up at this family-owned Mexican restaurant since it opened in 2003 to sample the pools of rich, savory-sweet mole over chicken; the hand-crushed guacamole; the breaded steak; and a spirit list with more than 40 types of mezcal. Though there have been newer, trendier offshoots (like El Mezcalito in Queen Anne), it’s difficult to replicate the intimacy of the original.

This Lower Queen Anne Mexican restaurant receives shockingly little recognition considering the breadth and consistent quality of its menu. The red pozole here is deeply satisfying with big, juicy, tender pieces of pork, and the green ceviche is balanced and generously portioned. Go on a weekday lunch and you’ll have the restaurant almost all to yourself.

The party is in the back at this Greenwood grocery store, which doubles as a restaurant. Get the quesadillas with tinga de res, enormous carnitas tacos, or come by on weekends when there's an even fuller array of soups, meats, and crispy tacos, including barbacoa.

After five years as a food truck, El Cabrito became a brick-and mortar-restaurant in Burien’s Ambaum Boulevard in 2019. Owner Leticia Sánchez started making moles with her grandmother in Oaxaca when she was five years old, and the years of experience show in the expertly balanced mole coloradito that pools around her pork enchiladas, and in dishes like the molotes (fried masa dumplings filled with potato and chorizo), drowned in smoky morita pepper and avocado salsas, all served on brightly hued ceramics. Sanchez also serves weekly specials like rockfish ceviche, and banana leaf green mole tamales are available during the winter. There’s a few indoor seats at El Cabrito and a few tables on a covered patio behind the restaurant.

This food truck chain has three locations in the north end and one in West Seattle, which is good, because you never want to be too far away from one of the city’s most reliable takeout Mexican options. The tortas and burritos are each good for a meal and a half (or half a meal if you’re bulking), the Los Gallos Rojos (three tortillas stuffed with chicken) showcases El Camion’s tender meat, and the salsa selection is top-notch — you’ll want to get the chipotle and at least two others.

With lattes, soul-soothing burritos, and a miniscule seating area bursting with potted plants and porcelain statuettes, Wallingford’s Mas Cafe is an ideal bohemian hobbit hole. Originally a takeout operation that opened in August 2020, this cafe is now an ideal laid-back breakfast spot. Get the slightly spicy chorizo burrito: Packed with potatoes, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, and a generous portion of peppers and caramelized onions, it gives off a Tex-Mex texture and flavor. Since seating is often limited, have a backup plan to make a picnic of it at nearby Gas Works Park. 

Queen Anne's slice of a restaurant was the original, and its still worth a visit under its new name El Mezcalito. But this Capitol Hill restaurant (now under separate ownership) is much larger, with a huge bar, beautiful decor, and open rooftop where diners can savor an impressive selection of smoky mezcal-based cocktails while sampling complex Oaxacan moles and dishes like camerones a la diabla and whole fried fish.

From a farmers market favorite to a permanent tamale window near Green Lake, this popular Mexican spot from founders Osbaldo Hernandez and Dennis Ramey (with Hernandez’s parents helping to run the operation) serves half-pound tamales packed with rich flavors. The salsa roja pork and the salsa verde chicken versions are not to be missed, but the shop also serves vegan and vegetarian options, including tamales filled with sweet potato and mole and salsa roja and jackfruit. Everything is served pickled onions and carrots and best washed down with the house-made agua de horchata. Diners can also bring home bags of frozen tamales to steam at home.

Just steps from the Beacon Hill light rail station, Rosa Juarez is cooking up mouth-watering antojitos (street snacks) from her tent stand in Plaza Roberto Maestas. Opened in 2019 through El Centro de la Raza’s incubator program, Juarez’s specialties include tlayuda, a traditional Oaxacan dish best described as a crispy stuffed quesadilla with fillings ranging from chicken tinga to beef lengua, and sopes, puffy corn tortillas served with salsa roja and tostada toppings. For a special savory/sweet dessert don’t miss the cinnamon-spiced tamale with a flan-like condensed milk filling.

Janet Becerra’s hyped-up pop-up recently turned into a permanent restaurant, and it’s a good thing it did because there’s no Mexican place in the city doing what she does. Maitake mushroom tostadas, coho salmon served in a perfectly spiced cascabel chile sauce, creamy Earl Gray horchata made with black rice — the rotating dinner menu turns familiar dishes into fine-dining stars. You could have a great meal just on the tortillas though, which are made in-house from masa nixtamalized in-house. 

This new Columbia City restaurant from Jack’s Barbecue owner Jack Timmons offers his signature Texas brisket in tacos and enchiladas, serves with one of the better mezcal selections in the city. It also recently started serving brunch with options like huevos rancheros, and yes, Texas-style breakfast tacos. While there are some traditional Mexican dishes like ceviche here, the standouts are the Tex-Mex options.