The food was decent; but the atmosphere and waitress were lousy. Let's start with the fact that it was too loud for conversation when we sat down. Then the waitress turned the music up higher... More

The food was decent; but the atmosphere and waitress were lousy. Let's start with the fact that it was too loud for conversation when we sat down. Then the waitress turned the music up higher because her favorite song came on. (Another waiter came along and turned it down a minute later.) She mocked us for not reading the menu carefully; then made a suggestion for what to order. But, the food arrived without the ingredient she suggested. The kitchen was quick; but, we didn't get what we asked for. The beer was lukewarm. And she never came back to get us another round. So, don't waste your time at this place. I sure won't. Pros: Decor, food, beer selection Cons: Hostile wait staff; loud music
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First off, the hipster staff have such a chip on their shoulder that it seems like doing their job is a gigantic pain in the ass. When we sat down at a table on the deck (which was scattered with... More

First off, the hipster staff have such a chip on their shoulder that it seems like doing their job is a gigantic pain in the ass. When we sat down at a table on the deck (which was scattered with slops of salsa and food bits), our server didn't even greet us or offer to wipe off the table. She just threw down some menus and asked us what we wanted to drink with a sigh of contempt. Gee, hate your job much? I've worked in food service and know that waiting on people isn't a delight, but when your livelihood depends on tips, perhaps you'd best try and be cordial to your customers. The margaritas were good, but it took forever to get a refill. Oh, that's right...our server was too busy letting her boyfriend stick his tongue in her ear to notice. She also brought us the wrong bill. It's not like she had a lot of tables either..she was just simply lazy. Our dishes were so-so, nothing to write home about and I noticed that surrounding tables had to send their food back because it was incorrect. Could it be because our server didn't bother to write anything down? A few other notes of interest: 1. The server working the other side of the deck had her shorts hanging halfway down her ass so you could see her panty wedge. Not attractive and something people eating really don't want to see. She also stood in the middle of her tables gabbing on her cell phone, grabbing her crotch. Several people noticed and were amazed and disgusted. I thought, "Who hired these people?" Later, said waitress also decided to light up right there on the deck. One table had to move because she was blowing smoke in their faces. Uh, does the 25-foot rule mean anything? Nice customer service. I don't care how "alternative" you are, but it's common courtesy not to subject people to your illicit scratching and cigarette smoke. 2. My boyfriend walked by the bar on his way to the bathroom and noticed the staff was using hot glasses, fresh out of the dishwasher, to scoop ice. That's a major health code violation. Don't even bother with this place. The staff think they are too cool-for-school to do what they were hired for - to serve people food, and do it in a pleasant way. They really should find another line of work where people appreciate the abuse, like perhaps in a tattoo parlor.
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I love going to this place. I believe that it use to be a restaurant before. Located where phinney and greenwood meet, this bar looks like a house. Good food at a good price, which I think you... More

I love going to this place. I believe that it use to be a restaurant before. Located where phinney and greenwood meet, this bar looks like a house. Good food at a good price, which I think you can order until 10. Good barritos, nachoes, sandwiches. It can be pretty crowded around dinner time because most people are there for the food at that time. Never meet a person there that didn't mind having a random conversation. The clientele is usually a mix, but sometimes more on the punk/rock side. Always free pool. Mon-Fri they have happy hour from 4-7. Sun-Thur they have late night happy hour 10-12:30, each night having a different drink special. They have a good sized porch with about 8 tables, so you can still drink while your having a cigarette. A few times during the week they have a DJ, or two, I'm not sure. The batenders are great, helps if you are friendly and nice with them as it is with anyone you ever meet. They have some of the best music I have ever seen in a jute box. The owner hangs out on his days off sometimes, he's a great guy. I know that he use to own another bar awhile back some where in seattle, I'm sure you've heard of it, but at the moment I can't remember the name. You can ask the owner if you choose to go to El Chupacabra. Free street parking. Pros: food, drinks, music Cons: No happy hour Fri-Sat
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I posted this originally as a reply to someone else's review but wanted to make sure it made it under the review heading as well. The ladies that own this place aren't known for their pleasant... More

I posted this originally as a reply to someone else's review but wanted to make sure it made it under the review heading as well. The ladies that own this place aren't known for their pleasant demeanors. I live in the area and after a couple of times having bad service I decided it wasn't worth the cheap eats to go there anymore. I was even more dismayed when I learned that when residential neighbors complained about noise that the women that own this joint actually physically threatened their neighbors. They've also done a fine job of pissing off the owner of the Red Mill Burgers across the street so that they now block off their parking lot at night to prevent their patrons from parking there - which it is their lot and they can decide who does and doesn't park there even when their own business is closed after 9pm. I've found over time that the people that mostly hang out at EC are their friends and that does cause most of the problems with service. Could it be that the owners decided it was easier to open a restaurant where they could just charge their friends for the chance to party with them?
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Try the burritos, but order them for takeout. The 75 cent surcharge would be worth saving the hassle of dealing with the service.

Try the burritos, but order them for takeout. The 75 cent surcharge would be worth saving the hassle of dealing with the service.
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Had heard good things about this place from friends and decided on Saturday night to finally check it out. Rolling up in front of the place, and catching the vibe coming off the porch, I was... More

Had heard good things about this place from friends and decided on Saturday night to finally check it out. Rolling up in front of the place, and catching the vibe coming off the porch, I was actually excited as it looked exactly what we were looking for. Never judge a book by its cover. A few minutes after scoring a table on the patio it quickly became clear that we were in for a long night. It took us 15 minutes to even be acknowledged, and this was by another server apologizing that we had not been helped and suggested it would only be another minute as our server was in the restroom. I think she actually was in the bar taking shots because when she finally did appear it was obvious that she was shit faced. Completely drunk. She even admitted this to her buddies sitting at the table behind us, and I quote: "If i have another drink I'll fall down and hurt myself". She could not even hold the menus when she was handing them out. At that point she took the drink order, which she actually got right, then took her sweet as time bring them back, about 5-10 minutes. She took our order, without pen and paper (a neat trick if you can get it right), and had to ask me and a friend three times each what we wanted before she left. Then funny part is we both had ordered EXACTLY the same thing. We sat back and enjoyed the sun and the drinks for a good half hour before the food came. This was not that big of a deal as we really were not in an hurry, after all it was Saturday afternoon/evening. The problem was that we had also asked for water, never got it. A third place setting as there were three of us, never got that either. The food, it really is pretty good. I do admit that the burrito I had was easily in the top 5% of all burritos I have ever eaten. But the service just kept getting worse. Another round of drinks were order, too bad only 2 of the three ever made it back from the bar. Then when we had finished eating the waitress looked right at us, and our clean plates, nodded, and just walked away. 20 minutes later she reappeared and tried to make some "quirky small talk". Pretty sure that was more about trying to salvage a tip than anything else. Now things really get bad. We were charged for the Margarita that we ordered but never got. When we disputed this she looked right at me and just said "No." I politely explained that we did in fact never get this, and pointed to the table still had all the empty bottles and clean plates as she had also over looked the need to do that part of her job. After agreeing to fix the check she reappeared with the corrected bill, in glass of dirty water. I am not making this up. At this point we had enough. We left exactly what was owed and not a penny more. I have never in my life stiffed a server, even on the occasion when service was sub-par. Not this time, no way. The poor service was not due to being rushed or understaffed, that would have been understood (I used to wait tables). This was just pure laziness, no doubt enhanced by her elevated BAC. As good as the food was I would never condescend to give them my again. In fact I hope they go out of business. But I hope the chef lands someplace where the service matches his skill.
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This is an absolutely great place to wile away a summer happy hour…if you don’t mind waiting around. The food and drink specials are great (cheap, spicy and strong…a good combination), but I agree... More

This is an absolutely great place to wile away a summer happy hour…if you don’t mind waiting around. The food and drink specials are great (cheap, spicy and strong…a good combination), but I agree with some of the other posters here that the staff seems somewhat…altered. Running the gamut from slightly high to totally strung out, they could care less about you, or your order. Nevertheless, the deck is cool, the jukebox is hot and the people-watching is primo at this neighborhood joint.
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The food was great, the service was great, the owner and patio posse even spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get the outdoor heater working so we could sit outside on a rather chilly... More

The food was great, the service was great, the owner and patio posse even spent an inordinate amount of time trying to get the outdoor heater working so we could sit outside on a rather chilly night. We waited about 10 mins for a table to open up...I found The Red One and her flailing, personality, skills with entertaining children and quickness on the floor totally refreshing. I even earned a nickname myself. I loved the place and recommend it for cheap, great eats. bThe pork carnitas burrito was excellent!! We'll definitely go back. xo, The Black One Pros: service, food Cons: size
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Most of the reviews you see about this bar are written by yuppie invaders that are trying to make us quit smoking, quit drinking, so our inhibitions are controlled at all times. The staff is down to... More

Most of the reviews you see about this bar are written by yuppie invaders that are trying to make us quit smoking, quit drinking, so our inhibitions are controlled at all times. The staff is down to earth unique. They act the same while working as they do on the street, trust me, I ran into the red one at the market she came flailing up to me recongnizing my face and what I had to drink, and thanked me for coming into the bar, my pleasure. If you want good food and your staff not care about you go to Gorditos, if you want to feel like you're in the center of the universe in some sort of fun, entertaining, organized chaos, go here. The staff is great (the two tattooed girls a fav for my husband and I) The food is great (yummy Enchiladas) The drinks are great.
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We've been to El Chupacabra a half dozen times and we always come away feeling that the service is horrible but the food and drinks are *almost* worth it. Usually the staff is simply too busy to be... More

We've been to El Chupacabra a half dozen times and we always come away feeling that the service is horrible but the food and drinks are *almost* worth it. Usually the staff is simply too busy to be attentive (especially in summer) but last night the bartender -- who was loud and abrupt to us -- kept yelling over our heads to some personal friends of hers sitting at a table behind us. Combined with the louder-than-usual stereo, this made for an uncomfortable situation. We couldn't ignore the activity around us, but were in no way included in it either. It's a shame, because the food is inexpensive and tasty, and the Margaritas are great, but we've had too many bad experiences with the staff to consider it a regular destination. Pros: Inexpensive Cons: Abrasive Staff
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