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Mon. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 11:30 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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This place does it right - flavorful food, not heavy at all, reasonably portioned and priced. I love that the diverse selection of entrees fit on one side of the page. Keeping it simple so you can order right away and eat soon!
You will clean your plate and not break the bank - perfect harmony!
It's the real deal. So stop settling for sub-par Mexican food and get to La Carta immediately. It's worth the wait, but if you are impatient, then go for a late lunch.
Small restaurant.
REAL AUTHENTIC FOOD (AND STAFF).
Guacamole is alright, not as good as ROSA MEXICANO IN NEW YORK.
Order a Carne Asada (Beef steak with rice, beans) It was descent.
Not expensive, but Not filling.
Dessert.. FLAN????
NOT impressed
I've tasted better mexican, and cheaper, so this is more for the looks.
"Mole! Bloody mole! We aren't supposed to talk about the bloody mole, but there's a bloody mole winking me in the face! I want to cut it off, chop it up, and make guacamoooole!" http://www.youtube.com...
Been here twice, once on a weekend and once on a Thursday. Both times I had to wait 30+min for a table. The Bar is very small, but worth being crowded for the margaritas they mix up.
The Mole is definitly the best thing I have had there, but the fish tacos are also really nice. A little bit on the small side for portions so make sure you get yourself some chips and guacamooooooooooole!
WOAH!!! You will almost certainly wait for a long period of time before you are seated, but this gives you time to stand by the bar and indulge in a perfectly crafted (and strong) margarita...or 2. I believe the food you will eat here is worth the wait.
Mushroom empanadas, chips and guacamole, fish tacos. Mmmmm. Portion size is perfect, service is great, ingredients always fresh. A fun place for date night or with a big group of people.
By far, BEST mexican food I have eaten in Seattle! Love this place..the mole & pork taco's are amazing!! I didn't care too much for the dessert, but everything else was great!
Three of us went for dinner on a wednesday night, finally finding this place without a line outside. By the time the bartender had wedged the lime on our margaritas, our table was ready. Started with chips and tasty guacamole (not mind blowing but enlightening) and then each selected one dish. Smaller mains here are perfect for light to medium eaters or for sharing. Food was quite delicious - we had two mole dishes and empanadas, and all three tasted great. Service was helpful and efficient. Can't give the five star award here until we've gone back to sample more off the menu, which I'm sure will be sooner rather than later.
Recommendations: come on a weeknight to avoid longer wait times, and I would suggest capping it at three to four people. Talking across one of the large, shared tables was a bit difficult, and would be harder with larger groups. Margarita was well-balanced for sweetness but could've been a bit more potent.
This is based off a lunch visit, and I will probably return to try more stuff, but on first investigation I would say its a bit pricey for what you get.
I got the al pastor tacos and some chips and guacamole. The tacos were good, citrus-y, which was nice, and the guac was decent, but for 11 bucks, it wasn't anything that bowled me over. I have had equal or better at pastor at various taco trucks or stands and always cheaper.
I will update after trying some of the mole, but for lunch I think its a bit pricey.
We hit this place during the 9pm Fri evening rush! Had to wait about 20 mins to get seated but after that it was great service. The margaritas are strong and tasty. Tried the halibut tacos and the carne asada tacos first. Both were good, though I'd rank the carna asada above the halibut. The halibut was fresh and cooked well but I didn't think it was the best for a taco dish per se...
The dish that stole the limelight was by far the tamales mole negro. Wow - this was really amazing. The tamale was piping hot and fresh and the mole was wonderful - not too overpowering. The pork in the tamales was succulent. The best meat of the three we tried by far as well. Wish we got more mole dishes!
Oh yeah and the dishes were pretty cheap -- $7-$10 for what we ordered.
Clearly, we had a different experience than those of you who are raving about this place. ..
We were apprehended at the door by a surly little general with a greezy jheri curl (apparently the owner's bro). For whatever reason, he refused to seat our group until the fourth person, who was minutes away, arrived. Of course, in that interim the place filled up, and we had to wait an hour for a spot at the communal table.
The waiters were as charmless as the creep at the door: never cracked a smile, testy when asked questions, no eye contact, dishes slammed down: the works.
I ordered chicken mole, which turned out to be a side dish of thighbone with a little flesh on one side, covered with a lukewarm, corn syrupy mess. The portion was so small I had to eat dinner after dinner. (And, yes, I understand the small plates trend, but if the waiter had been doing his job, he'd have explained to me that this dish wouldn't suffice as a meal in itself.)
The one bright spot of this miserable experience was the barman in the back bar, who was friendly and mixed a mean drink. However, his niceness and efficiency will not be enough to ever coax me back here. I'll hit the real Mexican food in White Center and Burien where they say please and thank you and smile at their customers...
When I get to Heaven (yes, I'm a Jew and a Heathen, but my dog is going one day, and I'll assume he'll work a deal for me), I'm going to sit down to a platter of their chicken mole and never get up again (followed by frites from Le Pichet). The most rich and delicious sauce I've ever tasted. All this and fresh tortillas, properly in house fried tortilla chips, and lightning service from the nice bartender (we sat at the bar, so I don't get all the "service sucks" remarks, frankly.) Place was packed, too.
I've eaten a lot of Mexican food, having lived in the Mission in San Francisco for years - but this is deee-licious. The portions were not large, but honestly folks - does everywhere need to be the Cheesecake Factory? I had a rich meal without falling into food coma. This is how the French eat, you know. I like you, La Carta de Oaxaca. I like you a lot.
Fuuuuuck, this place is the worst it deserves negative stars.. I would be able to review the food if the manager didn't make us get out of our seats because one of our friends went to the store to get medicine. He outright called my friend a liar because we only had the 5 of the 6 at the table. We already had our drinks half drunk when he made us get up. He wouldn't even let us order our friends food that was on his way back. By far the worst customer service I have ever had in my life. He even got one of his busboy goons to stand behind us in a threatening way because we didn't want to get up. When we got up we didn't want to pay for the drinks so he threaten to call the cops on us. PLEASE DO NOT EAT AT THIS PLACE. THEY ARE RUDE AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, I promise to try this place again and order something different.
My enchiladas smelled exactly like sweet pipe tobacco.
The guac was clearly not made from scratch for a small scoop it was $5.
Authentic? I think so....I'll give it another whirl and report back.
I think this could quickly become my favorite mexican restaurant in Seattle. Simply put good quality and fairly authentic (although I am not an expert at this) mexican food. Prices are decent and they make a terrific margarita.
The tortillas were fantastic and I have to say the guacamole put a buckle in my knees.
Parking can be a pain...but let's face it, it's Ballard! Oh..and I skipped dessert here, but Cupcake Royale is right up the street!
This place has good Mexican food. Eating here enabled me to realize that Mexican food is so much more than the cheese-laden, black-pepper-ful stuff that is served at Americanized Mexican restaurants.
Coming here for my roommate's birthday was great, and they were nice enough to seat us (large group of 12+) in the outdoor area in the back. [Make sure everyone arrives on-time, otherwise they won't seat you!] Anyways, we all started with a round of sangrias and margaritas and...they are much stronger than they might appear. I ordered the Mole Negro Oaxaqueno with pork, which was good, although I had hoped the pork would be less tough. I had recommended that a friend order the Posole (pork and hominy stew), and realized later that I should've taken my own advice! Her dish was much tastier. =)
Bland food, crabby waitstaff, long anti-climactic waits, need I say more? One star for good tequilla, but that's all.
This is a stumper. The first time I went, I LOVED the place. The drinks came fast but the food came… Read more »
After three-hundred reviews, I'm not going to say anything that hasn't been said... so that being said.
Go, order really anything and get ready to enjoy!
Who cares if its summer, the Posole is full of flavor, served hot and comes with shredded cabbage, cilantro, diced onions and sliced radishes. The soup had some really tender chunks of pork and some meaty hominy.
It also was accompanied with a couple freshly made tortillas.
If you get there and there's a line, hang-in there, put your name on the list and you'll be rewarded.
The salsa bar looked a bit pathetic... but, they had a nice selection of mild to quasi-hot salsas.
This place is located in Ballard which means it's hard to find parking.
Expect to stand in a line and wait. This place is constantly packed... which means!!! GOOD FOOD. Although there is a line, the line does usually zip by. I don't mind waiting if it means I'll be able to eat their food! Authentic Interior Mexican Food. Oaxaca is known for their mole, cheese and chocolate! And this place does not disappoint. I knew this place was a winner when I was converted to be a mole lover. I typically hate mole... it's sweet with all sorts of nonsense mixed in it, but bless this place for having it spot on. The mole with chicken is spectacular.
I recommend ordering a few dishes and sharing with the table. Their portions are tappas portions. There is a small salsa bar where you can go and scoop your own salsa and pico de gallo to bring back to your table. You will be sitting close quarters with people around you. The place is super tiny!
Amongst other things, their tacos are simply astounding, and their Cadillac Margaritas will knock a grown man off his butt. Their flan is wonderful as are their Pineapple Tamales with ice cream!
Their service was really refreshing. We asked for dessert, and 10 minutes later, the waiter came to the table and told us, "I'm sorry. I forgot to put your order in. Would you still like to order the two desserts?" Blown away by honesty. He didn't lie to us and tell us that the kitchen was slow! He told us he forgot about our table and our desserts. The waiter deserves a smile and a round of applause for his honesty.
I'll give Oaxaca 4 stars just for the bartender. The first time I came here, I came with a date and we were waiting for a table in the bar. We sat up at the bar (luckily, because the bar is super tiny and it gets ridiculously packed!). The first margarita was awesome. The second was even better.
Then came the mezcal. A guy at the end of the bar bought a round of mezcal for us because I was asking the bartender what the difference was as compared to tequila. The tradition is to take the shot of mezcal and then bite on a lime dipped in salt mixed with dried worm... I tried the salt mixture once and almost threw up. No more of that. I guess the guy was so entertained by us, he bought us another 4 rounds of mezcal.
Then came the crickets. Supposedly, people eat these things like sunflower seeds. I tried one, wasn't too bad after 6 drinks. Then I proceeded to get everyone in the bar to try one. I suddenly became the most popular patron, everyone wanted to try the "sunflower-tasting-but-a-little-more-chewy" cooked crickets.
All-in-all a very entertaining night at Oaxaca. We didn't even go to our table when we were called because we were having so much fun in the bar. I've been here several times since, and as far as the food goes, it wasn't to my taste because I am so used to my Grandmother's style of Mexican cooking (a different region of Mexico). Oaxaca flavoring (mole) was a bit too sweet for me. Chips & Guacamole is probably my favorite thing to eat here.
The fact that this place ALWAYS has a wait should tell you something...it is good. Best pico de gallo. They have a little salsa bar inside which is great for the chips and guac you order...a bit of an appetizer to carry you over with your margarita while you wait for your food. Get the chicken mole it is outstanding. Fantastic fresh tortillas with rice to make yourself a little mole taco. I overheard the next table raving about the halibut tacos so I will have to try those next time.
Overall a fun vibrant atmosphere inside and if the weather is great and you get a table outside then even better.
I'm writing this review after my second visit to this place and goddamn if this isn't the best Mexican food I've ever had! Seriously. The food is as authentic as the hype.
Things that make this place awesome:
-few blocks away from where I live
-everything on the menu is less than $10
-salsa bar
-portions are perfect, they're just enough to fill you up, but not to the point of gluttony or wastefulness.
-amazing food both in taste and presentation
The only downside this place has, and it's not really a big deal, is that there is usually a line up and a waiting list to get in. Grab a drink at the bar and this time usually flies by. It's worth the wait!
The Halibut fish tacos are BOMB!
oh geez, this place is awesome!
-the people who work there run a tight ship and keep things organized and timely even at their busiest, which quite frankly, i do not know when they're not!
-the best ( and maybe the largest ) margueritas I have ever had.
-the food.....love, love so much of it. 5 stars to their mole sauce on anything, their salsa bar, the chips and guacamole, some sorta of posada soup I just had, their tamales, the carne asada.....I am sure that as I continue to try more in their menu, that list will just grow. The only thing that I did not care for was their pineapple dessert. Go with the flan.
-this place is a must not miss...
It is against my better judgment to write this and frankly, I'm just selfish but this just might make your day:
Oaxaca now has a deck out back.
Apparently it's been open for a month or so now = where the hell have I been?? Anyway there's a large, communal table and it seats about 16... and for some reason, their margaritas taste better whilst dining out there too.
My favorite place for Mexican food. Most of the dishes are between $5- $8, and are all amazing. Try… Read more »
After hearing my friends rave about this place, I had to try it for myself and I'm so glad that I did. This isn't your typical Mexican place where your plate is loaded with tons of food and slathered in cheese. This place serves authentic Mexican food -- so fresh and genuinely homemade. Our table ordered molotes, mole and halibut tacos . Each dish was a medium sized portion and it was all so delicious. They also have a salsa bar with a variety of salsas. I can't wait to go back and try each and every other dish on the menu.
I'm moving to Seattle later this summer and was recently there for a week looking for houses with my husband. His cousin took us here for some amazing Mexican food, the likes of which we had never seen before. I've been told I'll miss Mexican food, but I actually don't love the stuff all that well to begin with. When you're a vegetarian, you get really tired of combinations of beans and rice, but traditional Oaxacan food opens up new food windows for me.
I had my first ever chile rellano here, and it was fabulous. It was spicy, but cooled down a bit by the delicious, fresh Oaxacan cheese. The portions were spot on for the price, and I love that they spice up their black bean side dishes. I also loved the cranberry margarita I had.
You can tell the place is really popular because it was packed. We just happened to get there at the right moment to snag a table. I would definitely go back once I live here!
Great fish soup, I like how you can assemble your own salsa. Prices are decent.
Get there early since seating is limited.
This place rules. Its freakin busy. But thats because it is the best place in Seattle for some AUTHENTIC, good Oaxacan food that does you right. The wait is usually well worth it.
Despite the long lines, it didn't actually take that long for a table for two on a Wednesday night.
After getting a table, our order was taken quickly, and the chips and salsa delivered quickly. This is where the good part stops. It took another 40 minutes for our food (two standard orders off the menu) to be delivered. It took us about 10 minutes to consume the small portions, and then another 30 minutes to get someone to deliver the bill.
The food was OK, but the service was miserably slow, especially for a Wednesday night. I wouldn't go here again.
Not a local but had to try this place. I went apprehensively since I'm from southern california and some of the best Mexican food north of the border can be found in LA. Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised but the tasty authentic treats available at La Carta de Oaxaca. Maybe I just love Oaxacan food. I took a star away for the ambiance. Not my idea of a nice meal when we're all packed in like sardines and I can barely hear myself think. Reminds me of something I would experience in a trendier West LA but I was turned off by the noise, crowd and unfriendly staff here.
Ahhh Oaxaca.... you are the best thing to ever leave Mexico and land in Seattle.
Ahhh Oaxaca... with your family style bench seating, the "Lady K" and I have met some pretty cool people and overheard some great conversations.
Ahhh Oaxaca... I have no idea how you make your mole but it is a recipe worth stealing!
Ahhh Oaxaca... your tamales are so sweet and savory I cant believe that they are legal.
Ahhh Oaxaca... last night I had crickets for the first time off the secret menu... that will be the last time I do that! :-) (see my photos)
Ahhh Oaxaca... you are the best and there is no other. I don't mind waiting outside in the Seattle rain just to get a quick bite or a drink. You are so worth it!
Ahhh Oaxaca...
Oh MAYN! I've had you on my "to do" list for some time. But you know it's all about the right timing. I've cruised by a handful of times just to pout at all the attention you were getting. I wasn't scared. And then one fine afternoon lunch I came to check-you-out.
All I have to say is that I accept all your shortcomings. I can tune out the Ranchero music, as long as you keep the pico de gallo bowl full, and bring me freshly made tortilla chips & guac. This probably isn't appropriate but I did gnaw the banana leaf wrapped around the tamales to get every lil bit. You are that phenomenal.
Word of advice, go during slower times, early/late lunch to ensure you get a piece. Don't pull the Friday, Saturday night card and bitch n moan. You know this! Don't front.
Thick, dark, viscuous mole...how I crave you every so often. The person who invented you was a genius; people who dislike mole are clinically insane. But, even for those who dislike mole there is pozole at La Carta, a soup common at birthday parties and other occassions.
The thing that separates La Carta de Oaxaca from other Mexican places in Seattle is the attention to detail from the authentic ingredients in the mole to the meat preparation to the homemade tortillas to the salsas. It's all good. Menu items generally range from $6-10 and portion sizes are pretty modest. This is not a blue collar joint where you go to fill a pit in your stomach with huge portion sizes.
I ordered the Mole Negro Oaxaqueno, the house specialty ($9), tacos al pastor ($6) and a Bohemia for about $20 including tax. With two orders you can get something similar to "comida corrida" (running orders of food) in Mexico and leave feeling very satisfied. There are some other impressive menu items as well such as birria and caldo de pescado (like a fish stew/soup).
so i heard from some friends that this place was really good and authentic ...
we had some friend visiting from LA and NY so on saturday night we decided to give this place a chance for our first time.
we drove for about 30 minutes to get there,put our name on the list and it was about 30 minutes wait so we decided to go for drinks to Volterra(read my next review).
30 minutes after we seated and start digging the menu,by that time the smell of the place already made us straving :) everything smelled so good like truly mexican fondita :)
so we orders our chips and guacamole to open our appetite even more the chips were hot and salty just how i like them and the guacamole was tasty meantime we were deciding what to orde,so my GF and i went for halibut tacos,picaditas,tostadas(beef),empanadas, our friends went for the mole,picaditas,entomatadas and shrimp tostadas ...
the food arrive and my halibut tacoes were so damn fresh that they even didn't stand 2 minutes against my mouth :) everything else was so good or i would day SABROSO !!!
see 3 of us were are mexican and we know what to expect from real mexican food so this place has it truly mexican food !!!
prices are good for what you get.
the decor is very interesting i wonder is the guy in the pictures is the owner? who knows only thing i know is that the food is awesome !!
will def come back and bring my fam !
ipb
Went to La Carta...aaaaand...didn't have to wait to be seated! Well, I was there a little before closing, but still. Nice to walk in, and saddle right on up to the "kitchen bar" (got to watch las Chicanas do their magic in the kitchen).
I went with a Mexican spicy beer...aka a Michalada. It was different, and not too bad.
I was a bit famished and my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and I went for the pollo empanadas and the Tamales de Mole' Negro. Before I had my entrees I did have me some mouth-watering chips and guac (yes, the salsa bar is muy bueno).
Once the empanadas & tamales were dropped, I was feelin it. I shoulda been a little more "conservative", but I just couldn't say "no" to this food. Then there's the salsa bar.
La Carta in one word: Burp.
Sorry...I meant to say EXCELLENCE.
First off, this is my first Yelp-influenced experience. I picked this place because it had tons of… Read more »
Tequil-ya, tequil-ya you are my Achilles' heel! *hic!* Oh, the nights when we've crowded our way in among the hordes of happy, friendly, tipsy patrons; all snugged up to the bar ogling the pageantry of mass margarita creation like kids lined up to for animal balloons. Ngaaaaah, shaken, not stirred with a soupçon of Cointreau thank you very much! Let me just say, when these bad boys & some nachos are the only thing in your hands while waiting for your number to be called, exuberant cheering for other people's tables, buying shots for random strangers in blue & gold who suffer from a rare subset of Tourette's ("Go Bears!"), & starting all words with the sound "sh" is de rigeur. *hic!*
On the occasions that we've made it to the table without a scant forest of agave in our bellies we've been happily sated. The tamales de mole negro has dark sweet mole with a hint of raisins, fluffy masa, looking like a tropical present wrapped in banana leaves. Hearty & filling but not heavy & coma-inducing. If you're a starchophile, check out the molotes: potatoes & beef sausage with salty Oaxaqueno cheese fried in a tortilla. It sounds like a post-clubbing gut-bomb but actually isn't greasy. And who doesn't love the halibut tacos with a creamy smoked chipotle sauce? Most items come in threes which makes for sharing & good-natured poaching.
Sigh. All this reminiscing about my favorite hangouts in Sea-town is making me hungry & maudlin. *hic!*
This is one of my favorite places in ballard. Incredibly priced for the great food. Only problem is that it is always packed and rarely get a chance to eat there because of the parking and long lines. A must if you have never been.
I'd sell my brother for dinner here. Any takers?
Points that keep me coming back, regardless of the sometimes crazy lines of people waiting -
margaritas that are fresh
the best chips and guacamole you can find
the freshest tortillas around
chicken mole that pleases me...and I normally hate mole
smokey tostadas
simple carne tacos
authentic enchiladas with egg
lovely photos covering the walls
Sure it's crowded, but here's a tip. Go after 9:30 pm. They're open to 11pm on weeknights and midnight on weekends. It was 9:40 on a Saturday night and surprisingly I was able to walk straight in and sat at the bar in the back.
I ordered the fish soup which is pretty much a bowl of spicy fishy goodness with carrots and some sort of squash. The bartender was way friendly and even though the main dining room was bustling, my food came out pretty quick.
I left 2 empty bottles of Pacifico, some fish bones, and a soup bowl licked clean in my wake. I then proceeded to drop a $20 bill ($15 plus a generous tip) on the bar and thanked the bartender as I was a very happy man.
Finally left the Eastside early enough to get in this place before it becomes a madhouse. The Mole lived up to its billing--really good. That being said, the food here is really heavy. One entree probably feeds a a normal family of 6. OK, I exaggerate.
Anyhow, this place is worth trying. Don't know if I'd go back, but worth trying once.
I've been here several times since they opened and the food is consistently great and consistently authentic! Don't expect much in the way of service, as I said, it's authentic!
There is a ton of hype for this place, and it is certainly unique. However, I do not think it's all everyone is giving it credit for. To begin with the wait to get in the place is huge, we waited the better part of an hour just to get squished into a small table with no buffer between other parties.
The food is good, but not great. It is nice to have some semi-authentic Mexican food, but I wouldn't classify it as great. The serving sizes I thought were kind of small and pricey for what you got.
There is better mexican in this town, though I will give them props that they have a different twist on a traditional Mexican joint.
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Mexican
Seattle, WA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Green Lake
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Ballard
Category: Latin American
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