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Taco Gringos
1510 Olive Way
Seattle, WA 98102
- Hours:
Tue-Sat. 8:00 p.m. - 3:00 a.m.
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Late Night
- Alcohol:
- None
89 reviews for Taco Gringos
Review Highlights
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I dont understand who the health inspector is that checks this place but whatevs ya know. Ima eat there every mothereffin chance I get just cause its the most wackiest taco spot ive ever seen. the food is aight I guess. Dude workin looks like he should be on Always Sunny. They cook on a fricking house stove!!! Whats up with that???!!!
3 STARS CAUSE ITS AIGHT I GUESS!!!!
One of the side perks to hanging out with Yelpers is that "surprise food trips" always work out. Whether it's Becca to Sea Garden for drunken after party shenanigans (where did we start the night again?) or Xav to Taco Gringos after hitting the Bus Stop one night.
$2 per taco, they are small but flavorful. I love the rotating menu of what's fresh and delicious - and have heard nothing but great things about the vegetarian option night after night. Love the hot sauce and condiments in the corner. Small, tight space but worth it. Cash only.
Taco Gringos: Do it. Often.
Given the size, $2 a taco is juuuuust above what I would consider for a good value. But just barely, because these tacos were pretty good. Especially if you load up the spicy sauce that they have in the back corner, which (of course) I had to do.
It's a cute shop that moves pretty quickly, and if you're in the neighborhood it's a great place to swing by and snag some eats. The rotating menu is also nice, and will keep me going back.
Bring cash!
Freakin' Yummy!
I ordered a rabbit, lamb, and 2 vegetarian tacos to-go at 10pm on a Thursday as my farewell to my short time on the hill. What a send off! My order had great quality meats and flavor and = $8 which I think is in the range of fair. The vegetarian was a scalloped potato of some sort and had herbs and toasted crunch of some kind on top. The tacos each came with one(thicker) tortilla. The rabbit taco had a stew like meat quality to it and the lamb taco was tender and sausage like. The tacos mainly consisted of the meat a onion topping or two. There could have been a few things added for the markup vs. amazing taco truck tacos.
I'm a fan of the tiny makeshift grab and go joint... If I am ever in the area I am sure I will be tempted to return
FYI's~
* Open in time for late night eats or for heading home from work late and needing food
* Takeout came in a fish and chips sort of take out basket with paper separating each taco
* Menu written on chalkboard behind the register
* Usually three choices- a normal-ish one, a more exotic offering, and a vegetarian choice
*The ordering took less than 5 minutes with two orders ahead of me
* Parking took 15 minutes plus to find (and I was even looking for illegal parking stops)
* $2 a taco... CASH ONLY
This is our after bars late night munch. Other than the fellow's having a little bit of tude ever so often, this place has good tacos. They usually have 2 meat options and one veg. The options are always fun and different. Some days it could be rabbit, pork, beef, or salt cod, you just never know. They taco's are $2 a piece and are pretty small. You need to order 3-4 for a decent after bars snack.
These tacos are done more authentic that anything else close. No cheese, sour cream, blah blah blah. Just cilantro, and onions on top. Perfect!
Stop by and give them a try. If you like an authentic taco, you won't be disappointed for being in Cap Hill at 2 in the morn.
Three out of three vegetarians agree that the veggie tacos put out by Tacos Gringos are kick ass! Do yourself a favor and get yourself three. These tacos are small and mighty (flavorful).
I bet I could eat like 15 of these, but I usually stick to 3, or 4 if I'm starvin'.
If you have managed to eat more than 10 of these, please send me a message.
OK morons - if you're the type of person trying to decide between pizza and Taco Gringos, just go ahead and skip on over to the pizza place now. If you can't possibly understand walking into a store front (remember this isn't just a little stand or something in a low rent neighborhood - this is an actual building on a main road in Cap Hill) and paying $2 for a small taco, just keep walking right on past the door.
For the rest of you, stop in - look at the menu and then promptly order one of everything. Let the flavors dance around in your mouth and decide which taco deserves the title "today's best taco." Personally I loved the veggie taco option. Super yummy and way more flavorful than I was expecting. The boyf was totally into the tongue claiming it was the best tongue taco he's ever had. (He even went back for two more tongue tacos - after his initial order of all three options.)
Personally, I love the small size. Grab one or two as a snack between happy hours or bar hopping. Grab 3 or 4 for a meal. Perfection!
Like most people who have been to Tacos Gringos, I have no idea when I went, how I ended up there or the people I went with. Nevertheless, I remember the tacos that I had--specifically the combination of confusion and satisfaction upon discovering my taco had mashed potatoes in it. Granted this is just one incarnation of the many, many tacos they dream up (fyi: they always have 3 varieties on any given night; 2 meat + 1 veggie; you never know what you're going to get). It was the most oddly delicious taco I've ever had. Small, cheap and exactly what I needed at the time. The place is literally a little hole in the wall and you pretty much order, get your food, and join the little crowd (there's always a little crowd) outside on the sidewalk and shovel aforementioned tacos into your mouth. Mmmm, so good.
Good drunk food. I would never eat it sober.
As a cook, I really appreciate the simple things done well. Cooking isn't about how many things go into your recipe, or how pretty your plate is; so many people forget to focus on the basics of cooking delicious food first.
These guys are a no nonsense little spot on the hill heading up toward broadway. You can get tacos for 2 bucks that are homemade, slow simmered, and delicious. I've been there a few times in the late hours, though I wish I lived closer so that I could try them again. The last time I was there, they served a rabbit taco, tongue, and also a vegetarian. It seems that each time they will have three options avilable, and they all will taste different. I've also tried their beef bourguignon which was a surprise at a taco stand. There is nowhere to sit, and very little standing room which makes this place a grab and go setting. This is fine with me, because their food is delicious, and I want to eat them tacos pretty darn fast.
Ok, so this place is totally bizarre - you have these young caucasian dudes making tacos like they were raised by a pack of taco-making wild Mexican wolves. They could be like the Romulus and Remus of a new sprawling taco empire that could last a thousand years. Ok, ok, maybe not a thousand years, but at least long enough to provide lots of buzzed Capital Hillites some gosh-darn tasty grub in a very convenient spot.
I don't know how they do it, but they do get their meats right. I totally had a hard time getting myself to taste the rabbit, (I had pet rabbits as a lil' whippersnapper), but once I did, I think I may have eaten dadda bunny back in the day. Now I know why it's usually so crowded in there.
My husband introduced me to Taco Gringos last weekend and wow, it was so good! I have a special place in my heart for taco truck tacos and this was close enough that the guys couldn't go wrong. My husband and I were starving and finally had a chance to walk down around 10:30pm. We ordered $24 worth of tacos that night and we are definitely going again!
I'm hesitant to write an update, as I just reread my original review and laughed until... well... until I stopped. Do yourself a favor and make sure to continue reading after this, as it's 3:40am, I'm tired, full of tacos, and feeling sharp as a ball.
However, I had to up the stars to 5. "Why Will? Why!? None of the other cool kids give this place 5 stars! Why you!?"
Because, dear reader, I FUCKING LOVE THIS PLACE. I eat here about 4 times a week. Or however many times I wind up out at night during the week, which is... yeah about four times at least.
Every time I go in I can count on the food being fresh--cooked that day, with crunchy yellow onions and just the right amount of cilantro and spices. And the meat... I'm rolling the dice on what I'm going to get. Will it be braised beef or pork? Tongue? Rabbit? Goat? Frog legs?
FROG LEGS!?
Yes, dear reader, grab yourself a croissant and go hit the latrine before you shit yourself, because they had frog legs. The first time I ever ate frog legs in my life, and they're stewed in a cajun sauce at Tacos Gringos at like 2am. And I finally tried a veggie taco, which on this particular evening was a mix of potato and cauliflower with curry. Holy crap that was so good I ordered another... three!
No big surprise, these guys recognize me now. We always have a laugh about something or other, and I've found an extra taco in my paper delivery boat of goodness a couple times now. Even when I was drunk. So I say to you, drunk reviewer, you must have been belligerent, as that's the only time I've ever seen these Gringos be hostile towards anyone.
Need cash? There's an ATM in The Elite up the hill. No excuses now! Still hungry? You can head across the street and have pizza if you wish--sometimes those tiny tacos aren't enough--but make sure you stop in and sample whatever exotic meaty goodness they got going on. Tonight!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/24/2008
I'm a big fan of Taco Bell. I'm a bigger fan of more authentic tacos like those served at Mama's, or… Read more »
Awesome!
It was a Saturday night hanging out on Capital Hill. Every place I hit I heard this talk about Taco's...I really did not think about it until I past Taco Gringo that had a overstuffed crowed in a closet size space. I Knew at that point I had to check this place out. The line went fast, I looked at the menu for the day and it offered Beef tongue, Spicy chicken and vegetarian.
Iask one of the employees that was working in a small kitchen with hot pots and a household kitchen stove. I ask him about the menu item "is that Beef,Tongue or Beef Tongue" he replied "Beef tongue" "so beef tongue?" He said "yes, Try it you will like it" Well it was a bit odd for me but I knew people eat it. So I went for it...
It was Great! I ordered 2 more then two spicy chickens, then came back before I went home and got two more Beef Tongues. Hey for a couple of singles you get taco truck style tacos with a twist with great flavor. The spicy chicken was good and lived up to it's name and the beef tongues were chopped up and I dabbed some green sauce and squirted some lime and it took me to tasty town.
A must try!
A friend recently introduced me to Tacos Gringos... even though I've lived across the street from it since it opened, I've just never taken the walk across the street to eat there...
My friend, a native of New Mexico, swears that this is the closest to authentic Mexican food that he has experienced in Seattle... Fresh ingredients, simple but tasty, with only 3 options but those 3 things are done right, who can blame him for his raving reviews.
I whole-heartedly agree! Tacos Gringos kicks ass... make sure to use that lime wedge they give you and squeeze that fresh lime juice on. Also, make sure to add from the squeeze bottles of taco sauce on the back table.... soooo tasty.
Oh, and I *HEART* the Lite Bright.
I feel like this place just gets better and better. I've come here many times and always discover a surprise with every visit.
I love the fact that they have a rotating menu: you're never sure what goodness they're gonna serve you on any given night.
But the template is 3 tacos: 1 vegetarian, 1 normalish kind, and 1 weird, more unusual ingredient.
The vegetarian comes in various different forms: collard greens, field roast, tofu, etc.
The regular normal for-everybody type takes the form of carne asada, chicken, pork, beef, your normal meats. These are solid good old classics and you can never go wrong with any of them. However, the real gems come in the 3rd type of taco they serve, which varies from rabbit meat (YES!!), lengua (tounge), cabeza (head), and the once-in-a-blue-moon rare (I've only eaten it once there) mole'.
At $2/taco, it's definitely pricier than most taco places/trucks, and only comes with one sheet of tortilla. But it's so worth it.
I also like the fact that it's right next to the SAINT. Drink a little tequila there, get the TO GO (tequila and jarritos in the bottle), walk over and get down on some Taco.
Pretty straightforward menu here - beverages and 3-4 taco options. We've been twice, but have been told that there's usually a vegetarian taco and, walking by, I've noticed the tongue taco stays fairly regular. As has already been widely reported, tacos are $2 a pop and can be on their way to your tummy in as little as two bites. Make sure to use the little piece of lime provided as it adds a complementary zip to the taco flavors.
TG opens at 8pm and closes intermittently when the gringos (who I hear both used to work at Campagne) take a beer break at Clever Dunnes. Not to worry, they watch their storefront and head back pretty quickly if they see a customer waiting.
As much as we go to Dinette and The Buck, I'm surprised at how long it's taken us to finally eat at Taco Gringos. This is a perfect place to stop after happy hour and you still feel hungry (but not for a full meal) or after a long night of drinking. Definitely a great alternative to late night hot dog stands!
Just finished up for the night a couple doors down from this place at 11PM on a Thursday night. We walked by the front door and aroma called to us. The white board read that there were braised pork, chicken and peanuts, or vegetarian tacos available for $2 each. Despite the fact that I had had a huge plate of nachos before going out followed by two pints of stout, a shot of Jameson, and a slice of pizza at The Buck, I ordered up the braised pork. It was ready in under two minutes. I devoured it in three bites and walked off a very happy customer.
I'll be back to try their more adventurous eats.
Cheap late night tacos. Fuck yeah.
I came in here the other day after playing rock band at The Crescent with some friends
I had been eying the place for a good few hours and they didn't open till 7. I strolled on in just after they opened and order two beef tacos.
It was sooo good with the cilantro and fresh squeezed lime over top. I used the green taco sauce, per my friends recommendation. Im glad I did because it just made it all the more better.
At $2 a pop im sure I will be back if im in the area.
Dear creators of Taco Gringos:
I LOVE YOU !!!!!!!
I don't know what you do to your delicious pulled pork tacos but HOT DAMN they are perfection!!!!
They could be made from kittens & I'd still eat the hell out of them (OK... I am kidding. I wouldn't really eat a kitten. Unless it scratched me. Then all bets are off!).
I think about them (the tacos, not kittens. although, i do think about kittens a lot too) constantly & want to shove them down my neck several times a day. Please figure out a way to be open LONGER !!!!!!!
Your tacos make me & my belly very, very happy.
THANK YOU FOR COMING INTO MY LIFE !!!!!
Will you be my new BFF ????
Never eaten here for anything other than post-boozing snack, but it certainly suits that purpose. Tasty, quick and cheap (even if the tacos do only last two or three bites) and friendly, efficient service -- Lovin it. Never had a taco from here that I didn't like, but --surprisingly -- the vegetarian ones are usually my favorite. Anything with the carrot puree or mashed potatoes is well worth it.
I will be the first to admit that being an Australian living in Seattle, I don't really have much of a leg to stand on when judging mexican food.
But what I can say is that the tacos are great! I wish they were even just a little bit bigger (to satisfy the stomach that whisky previously raped) They do taste quite fresh and flavorful. definitely a better alternative to Dick's drive through or something of that manner.
I also love the small menu. choice is over rated.
Squash in my taco? Uh...No thanks. I too ended up at a pizzeria immediately after consuming one of these hideous tacos (for the record, the pizza ruled).
The taco left an awful taste in my mouth and brought me close to vomiting on the side of the street.
Hungry around midnite? Running low on cash? Have a penchant for tacos?
Go visit the boys @ Tacos Gringos, conveniently located 2 blocks away from where I live.
They serve up a pretty tasty treat for $2 each and add a little sass to each order.
*shrug* I enjoyed my veggie tacos. I have nothing to bitch about.
Yummy tacos. Open late. Win-win situation.
Cash only!
2 dolla make you holla!! Seriously.
After quenching my thirst at the Elite, I shimmied down to Taco Gringos for some asada love per recommendations from several Yelpers. First, you can't tell me that 2 bucks for a taco isn't a steal. Second, I personally think two or three tacos is equivalent to the perfect snack/almost meal. And thirdly, you cannot go wrong with fresh grilled meat, cilantro, pico de gallo and fresh limes. It's just not possible.
Not a place to travel to per say but definitely a good spot to stop in at if you're in the hood. Most def.
Yes, while the tacos are ok, many of them are .... just ok. Some of them are great!
The real problem is the price. Authentic sized tacos, so you need like three or four, and that's just a snack. At $2 a taco, they cost too much. Also the green sauce isn't very good.
LOWER THE TACO PRICE! All you people marking this as a one $, you're fooling yourselves, while you can spend a couple bucks, you're going to be over the ten mark with four tiny tacos and a drink!
I may have been drunk(same with my buddy) but when we discovered this place it was love at first bite. Goat tacos? Sure, por que no? Por que they taste like a dream. Por que they were only two dollars.... por que... la passion!
But in all honesty when all was said and done we collectively ate thirty two goat tacos, don't ask me to figure out how much that is divided in two, cause I will not do it. But that number added up over the course of a night after leaving and returning over the course of an hour, each time learning what we had lost and loving it all the more when we returned to it... like an under appreciated lover. Well friend and I are both from California, so we have that much more proximity credentials to Mexico to make an educated decision on how bomb these are! Enjoy!
in a word...yum!
The food is amazing, always different, always fresh. Nightly there are 3 options - 2 meat and one veggie. DE-LICIOUS! It is the best thing to come to this side of the hill
Chorizo! Duck! Lengua! Rabbit! Menudo!
By our powers combined, we are Taco Gringos' more eclectic and well implemented omnivore-friendly selections.
Late on any given evening you will find:
- two meat and one vegetarian rotating taco options
- a few packaged drink selections including tamarind soda ($1)
- friendly staff
- the appearance of cleanliness
- strong flavor enhancing hot sauce
Without any fiscally irresponsible frills like:
- seating
- a counter
- a real kitchen
- a credit card machine
- a menu with more than three items
Still, you can't go wrong for a late night snack, right?
Unfortunately, Yoda and many male self-help books are wrong - size matters. $2/taco (tax included) for 3-4 bites of anything besides the likes of wagyu, foie gras or toro makes me feel like a drunken but well-intentioned slut whose impaired judgment was deftly exploited. Even 3 for $5 would be comfortable if a bit sleazy, but at the current pricing I feel a little dirty every time I return.
Taco Gringos is a one trick pony with a passable trick for a meager but sustainable career - a steady fallback and a relationship of convenience but never truly the object of my affection.
yummmm. i have had some of the weirdest tacos here and loved every one of them. fava beans? beets? cabbage? i always look apprehensive but order anyway and devour it, licking my fingers.
my meat eating friends have been happy with the strange fare they've ordered, too. rabbit? tongue? lamb tacos? oh my!
if you are anything other than curious (like actually hungry), order at least two because they are small, tasty, and possibly addictive.
The cod is my favorite.
I will totally miss it if I can't have it anymore. like if I moved,, or something.
I was thinking two pieces of tortilla per taco.
but maybe their tortilla is not good enough to be doubled.
----
I was thinking of this when I was drunk.
but sometimes truth comes out intoxicated,,,,No?
Don't get me wrong, these things make an awesome snack. Especially when drinking. That is the key. I wonder the ratio of drunk to sober customers at this place. Do sober people ever go here?
So, here's the deal: the tacos are good. They are just tiny, very small. The ingredients are bomb (I ate several rabbit tacos) and their hot sauce rules. I heard they were $1, but they were $2. They are the perfect size for $1 tacos, not quite enough to justify $2.
My suggestion: get one (remember, they do taste good) then to fill up your stomach go to Amantes and get a decent pizza slice for $2.50.
Analogous to going out on a date with a hot guy with no personality, I liked the idea of this place infinitely more than the execution.
After slurping strawberry infused tequila at The Saint, I sauntered over to Tacos Gringos and I was pleased to see that for once, they were open when I was actually in need of a taco.
The beef taco was tender and well seasoned, but yeah...hella small. This thing took only took 2-3 bites to eat. I would have loved some fresh cojita cheese on top, but nah...it was just a little dollop of stewed beef on a sticky, steamed corn tortilla.
I would have liked to try something other than beef, but tripe just wasn't sounding good (and does it ever??)!
This place is fine. I like the tacos. In fact, some of them I really love. But they're pretty small ($2 each) and usually very, very salty. Don't get me wrong-- I love salty food, but these are extra salty. I love that it's open late, but I'd rather go to the cream cheese hot dog place at 10th and Pike instead for late night food on Capitol Hill.
The perfect spot to go at drunk thirty when you're jonesing for food! On my way home from the Crescent, I was delighted to actually walk by this when they were open! (They're only open from 8pm-230am).
For a mere $2 per taco, I find it to be a pretty good deal. You'll need 3 or 4 for an actual meal, but one or two is perfect for that midnight snack. They have different tacos every night. So far, I've tried the beef tacos and the pork tacos and liked them both. It's no Rancho Bravo, but still really yummy!
What I REALLY love here are the hot sauces you slather your tacos with. The spicy red one is oh so good and packs enough heat to make this Korean girl tear up a little. The mild green sauce is tangy and tempers the heat of the red. Both were absolutely delicious on my tacos.
What I would like for them to change is to have more veggies/less meat on the tacos. And two tortillas per taco, not just one.
All in all, a great little taco joint! Oh and I should mention their eclectic selection of magazines that you can skim while eating. My personal faves: Cat Fancy and American Cheerleader magazine.
Best $2 tacos in town.
They are open really really late (except Sunday and Monday, don't try to go there then - you will be disappointed)
The menu is always revolving and has a very interesting selection of ingredients from pulled pork to rabbit to alligator to veggies. If you're in the area, you gotta try it!
First off, it's Tacos Gringos, not Taco Gringos. Their signage and website is incorrect. Tacos Gringos just sounds better to my honkey hear.
They have veg tacos. Constantly.
They don't have what the veg taco is on the board, which is sad. It's always really fucking good, unless it's cauliflower, because nobody like cauliflower. They also have freaky meat tacos, but I'll let somebody else review those.
Hey Tacos Gringos Guys!!! Please put what the veg taco filling is on the chalkboard. I'd totally come in more often. Oh, and my roommate wants to bang one of you... put the veg taco filling on the chalkboard and I'll make it happen.
Taco Gringos is the home of good little soft tacos. They're 2 bucks apiece, and pretty much perfect for mixing and matching for a late night snack.
Please note, drunken late night snack seekers: this place is cash only.


