I finally found the quality of Mexican Food I expect in Seattle!
Sunday, November 04, 2007
As a SoCal native I have looked high and low throughout Seattle to find "good" mexican food. I'm not looking for southwestern cuisine or New Mexican food or healthy mexican food. I want the greasy refried beans with red enchilada sauce and large flour tortillas with crispy tortilla chips and spicy salsa. I found it at El Chupacabra.
Frankly, you don't come here for the service. You come here for a cold mexican beer and a plate full of calories. Seat yourself at any open table and grab a menu if you see one lying around or ask the waitress. I tend to avoid the bar since it's a bit cramped and the bartender scares me a little bit (but I think this is all part of his plan.) The shrimp enchiladas have been on the specials board for as long as I can remember and thank goodness for that b/c they are damn delicious. The pork carnitas are great too though I found the tacos to be lacking in substance. If you want to chow down, order a burrito. Don't forget to order chips and salsa when you order drinks since they cost $1 or 2 and don't come automatically.
Don't be offended if you're not treated as their favorite customer - El Chupacabra serves no-nonsense Mexican food. I've never been treated poorly but I've also never asked for special accomodations. If people hate the service so much, they do offer takeout.
Pros: Greasy Mexican Food!
Cons: Street parking is sometimes hard to come by