On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: Tex-Mex, Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: Queen AnneCome down and enjoy $3 Tecates and $4 margaritas along with a great $4 food menu! Fresh , homestyle Mexican food! Only at Laredos! Sun-thur
Mon-Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.
Loading...
I love Laredo's "real Mexican" Grill!
If you despise Peso's, go here. It's not Peso's. It's better and there aren't as many striped shirts, and there's elbow room. It's the anti-Peso's.
Anyway, the food is muy tasty cuando tiene hambre. The frijoles barrachos are awesome, as are the Tacos al Carbon. I haven't had a chance to try the rest of the menu, but I will. Wash down whatever you're eating with a Tecate or Modelo Negro. I hear the avacado margarita is deceptively good, in case you're picturing guacamole in a glass. That's not it at all. Try it. I bet you'll be surprised.
After reading all the reviews for the Avocado Margaritas, I decided to check it out. Actually I was ready to come here before that.
Everyone is spot on. Avocado Margaritas are where it's at!! So great and not too sweet. Probably the only blended margarita I like.
I've only been here once and there wasn't too many people in there.
I thought the food was great (Natural Tacos or something was my dish). No meat in there, but the tacos were stuffed with enough other stuff that you didn't really notice.
My only complaint would be that I do remember not liking the salsa that came with the chips once we sat down.
I'm not usually a fan of blended margaritas (a little too froo froo for my taste), but I love Laredos' avocado margarita! One was enough for me though, so I switched to their house margarita for my second. It tasted fairly standard but was really strong!
The food at Laredos Grill is pretty good. I enjoyed the Pollo Laredo, which was a grilled chicken breast stuffed with a mixture of bacon, cheese, olives, onions, chiles and topped with a delicious cheesy beer sauce. The guacamole is good, but I don't like how it contains big chunks of onion and bits of lettuce--and at $8 it's rather expensive.
The service was a bit spotty, due to some initial confusion about whose section we were in. However, everyone was very friendly and fairly reliable about replenishing our drinks. The super-nice server even offered to split our check up for us--and he did it exactly right, five people four ways!
For me the big attraction of Laredos is their fantastic happy hour. They have a number of appetizers for $4 each, $3 Tecates and $4 margaritas! My liver is happy that I don't work nearby.
Any place that serves Shiner Bock is already off to a great start! I was the only person at my table drinking it because everyone was getting rounds of the avocado margaritas. The drinks here tasted great!
The chips, salsa, and queso were tasty. The guac that we ordered was pretty brown, we commented on this to our server and he waived it from our bill. Needless to say I thought the customer service was nice!
The Pollo and Steak Laredo was very tasty. The steak was huge and the Tecate beer cheese sauce on the pollo...OMG i'm hungry again.
Laredos of Queen Anne brings a little taste of Tex-Mex to Seattle. Can't wait to go back!
Avocado Margarita? It tastes like a breakfast smoothie with a kick! Go for one, then hit the House variety (a few times).
This place is a much better hoodie spot than it's former venue, Veil.
Tex-Mex-ish, with great tacos, guac, all of the typical fare - plus awesome chips and spicy, chunky sauces.
Lots of drink options, great service and cool, simple, yet festive decor.
Happy Hour, too.
Been here twice. Good food. Good sports on the TV. Chips and salsa rocks. Very authentic style Mexican. Good variety of drinks. I liked the atmosphere as well. Glad to see some Mexican food in the area. It's a nice change from the 100 Asian places in lower QA.
Went here with a big group for a birthday party. The service was OK, but the food was very bland. There were 10 of us and we all tried different dishes and no one was very happy with their food. I think you can definitely find better food at similar places like Matador or Pesos.
It's nothing special. The food was sub par but the salsa was delicious. They didn't have a simple drink called ICED TEA. They don't have blended drinks, the service was a bit slow- we waited forever for the check.
I'd go back for a beer, some chips and salsa and a bowl of chile con queso, that's about it.
Holy moly!
Last night I was treated to some Seattle rain. I loved it. It was one of the things I was hoping to get to experience on my trip up here. Ya know, soaked jeans up to my knees, big boots to save my feet from water damage and of course plenty of puddle action to splash around in. I knew this image would be mine if I hoped hard enough while in town, but what I didn't expect was the amazing discovery I shoved into my mouth last night!
I love meat. It's no secret. When I don't have it, I feel like a woman scorned. I can't help it, it's just how I'm wired. So you can imagine the refrigerator comedy that ensued when I arrived in Seattle to crash with my borderline vegan, definitely vegetarian friend. I looked in her icebox and the only thing I recognized was a pack of strawberries. The rest, well, I don't think there was actually any real food in there, although she's been leaving the kitchen with plates of food. Weird.
Anyway, knowing the carnivore buddy she signed up for, she's gone out of her way to try to find me stellar meat places to go buck wild in and Loredo was a supreme choice. They have an unassuming little item called the Steak Laredo on the menu. It's hidden between the Carne Asada Fajitas and a few other traditional sounding dishes, so if you scroll too fast, you might just miss it.
Being the Eagle Eye MeatGoo that I am, however, I didn't miss it at all and asked the bartender if he would recommend that over the fajitas. He said, hands down, get the steak. And so, since I usually believe a man who pours me drinks, I decided to go for a medium rare offering of it and went back to sipping my Avocado Margarita.
Oh, I didn't even go into that yet. This Avocado Marg is a straight up dream! So smooth, so creamy, so rich and deelish. I could bathe in that stuff it was so tasty! Definitely worth ordering one if you are in here. From what it sounds like, they are the only place on the West Coast doing this drink, so get on it, Seattle-ites!
And now back to my steak...
After my steak had been cooked up to perfection, it was carried over with the help of 9 men, okay, that's a slight exaggeration, but the damn thing was HUGE!!! This was no wimpy rib eye. This was a hunk of meat to be reckoned with! It was cooked to a delightful medium rare and covered with fried onions and a jalapeno, cilantro butter that was the perfect flavor palate to combine with the smoky mesquite grilled steak. Lordy bagordy!
Without breaking a sweat, I devoured this monster of meat and never looked back. Paired with a glass of their Tempranillo and it was a true treat and delectable beyond words. I am also making that steak a promise, to never forget it and to talk about it to other meat lovers who may one day cross my path. A truly dazzling steak in a darling venue.
Go, just fucking go, people!! Your meat loving hearts will not be sorry!
This place just popped up in our neighborhood as if by magic and as with any new experience we were skeptical before our first visit. I'm from the southwest and I'm a snob about Mexican food, but as soon as a chomped down on one of their corn tortillas I knew they were made in house. Always a plus!
Great setup inside and it's roomier than the outside corner space looks like it would be so bring your friends. The prices are worth what you get and everyone has always been nice when we've stopped by.
Glad they're my new neighbors now!
My friends recently moved nearby so we decided to check this place out a few nights ago.
We heard the frozen margaritas were pretty yummy, and Jose, the bartender gave us a sample beforehand. One sip, I was sold. Be warned, their margaritas are pretty stiff.
Jose also let us sample a new drink they were testing out - it was a blend of sangria and the frozen margarita. Good thing I knew it had alcohol in it beforehand, otherwise I would have downed the entire thing because it literally just tasted like 7-11 slurpee.
I ordered the fish tacos and my friend ordered the carne asada fries. We also were given a basket of chips and salsa to munch on with our drinks.
The fish tacos were decent, evident by me clearing out my entire plate and my friend stated that the fries were the best fries she's ever had.
The bartenders were great and friendly, especially Jose.
Cute spot, awesome location. I'll definitely be back for some more margaritas.
Granted i pretty much would have loved anything that is 4 blocks from my house....oh wait that's not true, i only went to veil once and then did not return, but back to laredos.
margaritas are killer, i am a picky little thing when it comes to what touches my tequila and have an aversion to margaritas being too sweet. i asked the bartender to make it with just muddled limes and oranges, which usually gets me a dirty look and "oh god, you are one of those high maintenance people", but instead was met with a smoothly delivered "of course, let's make it perfect" and not in that snotty passive aggressive way that seattle loves...but genuinely stoked to make me a drink i would love. i promptly tipped $5 on my one drink to hopefully change the world and make all bartenders believe they will be rewarded for doing their job well.
and lets be honest, i love it when i sit down and someone hands me chips and salsa, instantly i want another cocktail (bless them and their salt suggestive sales marketing).
i have sampled a lot of the food, it is all good, not great, but good. and i will continue to roll down the hill and meet my neighbors!!!
So after that fun first Saturday night, I dropped in for some food for their official opening tonight. They were out of the chicken asado (stuffed with bacon and onions, looks great -- cut 'em a break for not having everything tonight). The bartender recommended the pork taco plate, the shrimp tacos, the Laredo steak he said was excellent ($14.95 - just added since Saturday), and the house carne asada fajitas. I had the fajitas, and an avacodo margarita, also new to the drink menu.
The avocado in margarita, made with real lime juice, and yes, real avocado (imagine that!) is a great drink . The avocado adds a sweetness and smoothness and goes really well with the tang of the lime. Good stuff.
The salsa didn't come in a huge bowl this time, just small mini-servings of both red and green salsas, and they were good, and replenished when I asked.
The carne asada plate featured thick, sliced chunk of marinated beef -- very tender and flavorful. House-made tortillas come with their special beans -- with a sweet lime flavor in them. The guac is delicious, but it was just a small scoop so I wish they were more generous with it. I guess I got enough avocado fix with my margarita, though, right?
But that's not all. The plate also had an assortment of mexican grilled veggies, sweet thick grilled onions, and a poblano pepper stuffed with melted cheese. That pepper adds a perfect spice to the food, as spicy as you want, based on how much you decide to eat, but the flavor was a perfect mix of sweet and hot, and complemented the rest of the plate beautifully. The plate balanced out well with sweet, spicy (with the pepper), and salty flavors. Very good.
The waiter was accomodating, and friendly. He did leave me hanging a bit after my meal to train another waiter on the order system, but that's understandable for the first night -- he got to me quickly enough.
Overall, I'm very happy to have a place like this move into the neighborhood, and with greek, sushi, American (the Crow), Thai, and Vietnemese nearby, I certainly am pleased to see a good mexican restaurant/bar move in to this neck of the lower Queen Anne woods.
By the way, there is a bar, but the restaurant area accepts people under 21.
So I'm adding a star for the enjoyable fajita plate, and good menu. Off to a great start, Laredo. I'll definitely be back to try their other menu items.
Su I wnt to teh grande opneing private parteee tonite and had a drank are too. The drianks are… Read more »
"There's a new Tex-Mex place where Veil use to be" exclaimed my boyfriend. I love Tex-Mex so it wasn't to difficult to get me to try this place. Laredos is in its first week of business so clearly they are some wrinkles to iron out, but it did have some great points.
The avocado margarita was yummy. It's a very unusual drink, and I didn't think I would like it. The avocado puree compliments the tangy lime flavor of a traditional margarita. The puree also makes this drink super creamy and the bartenders don't skimp on the booze. The boyfriend had the sangria which was very refreshing.
The drinks were a bit pricey, but I was surprised at how inexpensive the food was!
For my meal, I ordered the carne asada. I have to say I enjoyed everything about the meal except the carne asada. The meat could have been more flavorful. However, everything else on my plate was delicious. The beans were very well seasoned, the grilled vegetables were cooked to perfection and the stuffed poblano pepper was spicy and flavorful. I also really enjoyed the green salsa.
The wrinkles that need to be ironed out is that the service is a bit slow. It's a new place and that takes a bit of time to fall in place. Overall, I had a good experience at Laredos. I will be back and will try the pork tacos next time.
Three and a half stars if I could....Laredo's has an interesting menu, good options on individual or plate dishes, nice sangria, and friendly staff. I hope to head back and add a star once I try a few more offerings!
Little sis and I headed over to check out the new neighborhood spot, a welcome addition to the fairly non-existent dining scene in that area of Queen Anne. She went for a gordita, and I had the pork achiote tacos (two, soft) with rice, beans, and what they call a Mexican vegetable ragu but was really some hefty pieces of squash, onion, and pepper scattered in wedges on the side of the plate.
The gordita was pronouced as quite good; two thick fluffy bread rounds with chicken tinga nestled between, and served with shredded Romaine lettuce, tiny tomato chunks, and crumbly cotija. My pork achiote tacos were lovely; the pork was smooth, tongue-tender, and bathed in the enticing orange spicy oil you only get from a good dosing of pimenton. The pinto beans were perfect; they aren't vegetarian (pieces of bacon floating within), but had a slight smoky citrusy flavor, weren't piping hot but closer to palate temps, and had tiny pieces of onion and tomato. The veggies were slightly less impressive; they had an overwhelming smoky flavor which seemed just a little too over the top, as if an additive as opposed to an aroma of grilling and char.
All the flavors were fresh, the meats tender, and the sangria quite good (strong, slightly sweet, smooth and thick on the palate). I have my eye on a few things to try next time (the chile relleno looks amazing!), and hope to check out the more inventive items and add a star.
Some of the worst Mexican food I've had in Seattle. I think the bar for average Mexican grub has been set by Azteca and Jalisco's. If you can't come in at that level, don't even bother.
That said, they're going to do well. It's a good place for drinks. It opened near my place a few weeks ago and has been packed on weekends with skanks and douchebags.
It's operated by the same folks as Talarico's, another douchebag bar with a mediocre restaurant inside.
Do not be afraid of the avocado margarita. In fact, go right ahead and order one immediately just so you can say you did. It's a sweet margarita treat whose only resemblance to an avocado is the fantastic green color and the fact that it's kind of a thick.
Anyway, how things change in a year! I threw my 25th birthday party at Veil, and returned 1 year later for a friend's birthday party under the same roof. Smart of them to change the entrance. Smart of them to serve food 'til 1am in the hopes of catching a late-night crowd. Smart of them to serve tex-mex, because generally everyone likes that, whereas Veil definitely an upscale foodie experience.
I wasn't deterred by the prices- bottles of wine are $18-$20, the Avocado Marg is about $9, and a regular marg is $6.50. The food was alright - the queso fundido was good and the nachos were topped with a ton of guacamole.
This works for a neighborhood spot, but I doubt I'll go back because the location is out of my way.
Great idea and they've done a great job with the interior- but.......
Everything was really bland.
And the drinks cost as much- or more- than the food.
The food is very reasonably priced. The Drinks are Muy Expensive!
Ordered the Pork Tacos and Carne Asada and both needed seasoning badly. They don't put salt on the table and were really busy we we had an impossible time finding our server to request some.
The highlight of both dishes were the home made tortillas. The texture is amazing and they taste a million times better than the store bought version. The stuffed Poblano with the Carne Asada was nice too.
My other beef is that cocktails should not cost as much- more more- than your food does. I tried the much talked about Avocado Margarita and it was good don't get me wrong- but it's $8. My Pork Tacos were $8. Carne Asada was about $13.
I did see a Rib Eye Steak go to the next table over that looked mighty delicious- and that's only $15. I will try it next time for sure.....
They put out nice warm chips and two great salsas when you sit down. One's a green tomatillo salsa with avocado in it and the other is a spicier (but not nearly spicy enough!!!) red, tomato based salsa.
I like the location and the bar looks great- but I think I'll stick to Peso's at Happy Hour for good affordable, Mexican food in QA.
These guys need to add seasoning and lower their drink prices if they want to survive with a place as successful as Peso's nearby.........
Our server Enrique was super friendly and attentive. We started with Tacos al Pastor - OK I could eat those all night.
The Flautitas were nothing to write home about, though the accompanying salsa was great.. Nice presentations on all the dishes we had. We had the chicken quesadillas and thought they could have used more kick.
The Simple Salad at happy hour time is a great deal at $3. Very large for an appetizer.
Of the drinks we had, the house margarita was better than the Lone Star, which, having hibiscus, you'd think would be a foofy drink - it is not! It's not sweet. Drink prices even at happy hour did not make us terribly happy.
I like having Laredo's in the neighborhood. My two suggestions: kick the spices UP a notch and the drink prices DOWN a notch.
Laredos the antithesis of the previous restaurant at this location, Veil. Laredos is reasonable in price, serves nice portions, has friendly service, is not pretentious in anyway, has nice decor, lighting, spacious seating, etc. No doubt the Veil staff turned out some nice food but the concept and execution was not to my liking, Laredos is.
It's only been open a couple weeks and both my visits here were nice experiences. Tasty simple Mexican food. I've sampled fish tacos, roasted pork tacos, enchiladas and chile relleno. Nice sides that comes with your meals are rice, roasted vegetables and stewed beans. They say the avocado margarita is a must try. This place is a welcome addition to the area.
I still miss Veil. Sigh.
But it's nice to see something in the space once occupied by one of my favorite neighborhood spots. I can easily see Laredos becoming a new hangout when I feel like staying close to home.
The atmosphere is laid back amongst fairly typical urban Mexican-American decor. The remodel was extensive, creating an entirely new and inviting entrance and gutting the interior to reveal heavy wood beams and brick walls.
There is quite a bit of bar seating, but a limited number of tables, so call ahead for reservations if coming for dinner with a group of four or more.
The menu is fairly standard fare at very reasonable prices ($8.50 for two tacos plus rice, beans, barbecued veggies). The drinks are set at downtown Seattle prices ( I think my avocado margarita -- surprisingly creamy and yummy! -- was about $9 or $10). Service was superb and prompt.
The food, while good, didn't blow me away and the drink list wasn't especially creative (with the exception of the avo margi), but this spot is certainly a tasty addition to the neighborhood.
This place was packed on Friday night but that's always a good sign. It was within walking distance from my friend's house. Tried the chicken mole enchiladas which was yummy but not the best mole sauce I've ever had. Food averages between 10-15$ and drinks are about $7. Try the sangria and frozen margaritas!
This place is relatively new, and the menu and prices are still in flux, but as of now, I love it.
Free chips + salsa. Chips are fresh and warm, salty and delicate, as good as any that I've ever had. The salsa is okay.
Drink prices are what you'd expect for this neighborhood ($7-10). Beers are $4. Nice beer selection. Mixed drink quality is outstanding.
Food happy hour from 9-midnight weekdays. Great value. Food quality was good, but I only tried the tacos so far.
I don't understand other reviews that complain about the food prices being comparable to drink prices. Why would that be a problem? Anyway, the food prices have gone up across the board by about $2-3 in the past few weeks, but they're still reasonable. Most non-happy hour entree prices are now in the $10-15 range.
I live in the neighborhood, but I'd go back even if I didn't.
Went to check out the new Queen Anne spot this week-unfortunately I never made it to Veil because it's such an odd location, so I hope Laredo does better than the former residents.
Immediately, it reminds me a little to much of Peso's - it's super popular Queen Anne sister. The menu is somewhat similar, as is the decor. Laredo does have a bit more of a down home, casual feel however. I was immediately surprised with how CHEAP their menu is. Definitely a great price point to compete against most of the other high-end restaurants in lower Queen Anne.
The food = meh. I wasn't in love. I split shrimp tacos with my sister. They only came with one shrimp a piece in each taco! The beans and rice were well seasoned. A girlfriend of mine ordered the carne asada, which was good. But I still think Peso's carne asada hits it out of the park. Another girlfriend of mine ordered the potato-filled flautas, which were literally flavorless. We had to dip them in beans and salsa to make them edible.
I also tried this famous avocado margarita, which I didn't love as much as everyone else. It just tasted like a lime margarita, so I felt like I was drinking a fat shake- the avocado just added calories, not flavor. The sangria, however, I thought was fab!
I will give this place another try, however. Perhaps for happy hour. I did find the bar inviting, and I would like to support a local place in my neighborhood!
I have been to Laredo's twice since the opening, and have no complaints. The service has been great - friendly and welcoming. They didn't even fuss when our party doubled in size and we had to move from the bar to the restaurant, and request split checks.
Personally, I really like the food. The chips and salsa are quick and bottomless, and very salty (yum!). On my last trip I ordered the Tostada de Tinga which I found very tasty, light, and healthy, which is a rare find in a "mexican" restaurant. I think its about $5.50, and with fresh ingredients its a great buy. I also did try the avocado margarita, not something I'm craving a 2nd of right away, but I apperciate the creative idea and it actually wasn't bad at all!
I'm excited to go back and try more things on their menu, and more drinks. Hopefully their cool vibe, decor, and friendly service will keep them in business for a Long Time! I suppose I can see the similarities to Pesos, but I disagree that it won't last and is "too similar". It's on the quieter side of Queen Anne, a good 10 min walk away, there is no bumping Top 40 music.
Laredo's is an AWESOME addition to the Queen Anne neighborhood! The food is well priced and delicious - and the staff is great as well.
I love Mexican food and I've always wanted to go to Texas to try real Tex-Mex cuisine. If Laredo is authentic, Tex-Mex is not at all what I was expecting (rich, spicy, creative) and I'm scratching the trip to Texas off my list.
I agree with the reviewers who say the food at Laredo is bland. I must have used a half bottle of hot sauce to liven up my meal (Carne asada, guac, cheese dip). The total absence of any red chile flavor was truly disappointing. Their food seems like Mexican food with the spices eliminated to appeal to the most basic tastes.
It seems like a fun bar, and the staff is very nice, but if you're in the mood for really good Mexican, skip it.
Stopped in tonight with some friends who live up the street from the place. Very busy for a thursday night but we were able to get a seat immediately, yay! Chips and salsa came and the salsa, which is hit or miss at a lot of places, was yummy! The three of us scarfed both down pretty quickly and were promptly refilled. Ordered our food. I had the chicken enchiladas, and one friend had the fish tacos and the other had some sort of pork tenderloin tacos I believe. We all were incredibly happy with our meals! I love that they give you grilled veggies like red onions, squash and red and green bell peppers with your meal, so tasty. Plates were cleared quickly and checks brought out, even separated for us, in a timely fashion. Not so fast though to make it seem like we were being rushed. Anyways, perfect meal, perfect service, will definitely be hitting this place up on a regular basis!
good chips. nice decor. i liked the bar area with the seating on side and the other. food was pretty dood. half serving is huge. good standard margarata. Had the feel of eastside Peso's. Yeah East side. Good early and late happy hour. Finally a more full service local bar/eatery for eastide lower queen anne. Good quick attentive service for our first visit. Will update review as we go more often. Good place to meet with friends.
The location and atmoshpere are pretty cool but the pros end there. Being a big fan of Mexican food I naturally compare the food at Laredo's to other Seattle Mexican food joints such as Matador, Cactus, etc... and Laredo's food is way behind those other establishments. In addition, both my girlfriend and I felt that the server was trying to hurry us out the door.
On the same block as my condo bldg so I was dying to try--finally made it there last night. The place still smells new--a complete 180 from Veil. All of the food (fish tacos & tacos el pastor) we had was flavorful, but not spicy (fine by me). If you want spicy, ask for the hot sauce. It's not a ton of food, but reasonably priced when you consider that you get rice, beans, and "Mexican" veggies. Unfortunately, the drinks are not up to par. The house margarita was awful--tasted like Mr. & Mrs. T's mix, not fresh at all. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars for the food--I'll be back to try their weekend brunch when that gets going!
Plus, get a buy-one-get-one free coupon for joining their email club!
I really wanted to like this place. I live and work in the neighborhood, love Mexican food, and am always ready to discover the Worlds Best Margarita. My first experience there was mixed: reasonably good pork tacos washed down with the the worst margarita I've ever had. I could make a better one with a half-melted lime Slurpee and a small splash of cheap tequila. (I became suspicious when they said that their house marg was blended).
The decor was not bad, if a bit formulaic. The service was good. I've been back once since then, where I stuck to beer and tried their quesadilla. Again, not bad, but nothing to get excited about. For the record, I did note on this second visit that others at the bar were being served traditional rocks margs with salt, so it's possible that they've stepped up their game in that area. I'll pass, though.. there are too many places in Seattle that have great margaritas and good food.
One final note about the scene. The other reviewer that observed the younger, douchebag-filled weekend crowd (like Pesos) was right on. If that's not your scene, try the place on week night.
I went there on a weekday and it was a blast. We had missed happy hour but we still had drinks which were really good. Then we also ordered some food and I have to say, it was some of the best mex I have had. I am a local so I know I will be going back. The service was very good. They were pleasant and helpful, but also gave us time when we weren't ready to order yet. I think its a great addition to Queen Anne
