Pasion Tequila — Restaurant in Bothell

I was excited to try this restaurant based on reviews, but it was an absolute disaster.

From the start, the table salsa was watery and tasteless, like they gave us the leftover dregs of a container with nothing but liquid and a few scraps of cilantro. The service was unfriendly, and I suspect it’s because my family appeared Hispanic.

As a server myself, I know the unfair stereotype about Hispanics being poor tippers, but that’s no excuse for the treatment we received. I left a 10% tip only because I know servers have to tip out bussers and bartenders, but honestly, the food was so disgusting I didn’t even want to pay the check. The food was beyond awful I’ve eaten at and worked in many Mexican restaurants around Seattle, and this was the worst. As a Mexican who knows how to cook classic dishes, I found their chile relleno to be an insult to the culture and history of this beloved dish. It wasn’t a chile relleno just a piece of chile with cheese and canned salsa on top, nothing like the traditional Mexican recipe. The tamale tasted like it had been frozen for months and then overcooked in a pot all day. The rice was undercooked, crunchy, and so bad that even my rice-obsessed toddler wouldn’t touch it. The enchilada was decent with a good amount of meat, but it was drowned in cheap, overly salty canned salsa. My husband’s fajitas were so overcooked that the peppers were unrecognizable, and his rice had the same crunchy issue. No one checked on us after the food was served. We had to ask the hostess for our check, and despite the servers noticing we barely ate and didn’t want to-go boxes, no one asked if everything was okay. My husband does video reviews for restaurants, and they’re lucky he wasn’t there to record this experience. Spending $80 on this meal felt like throwing money in the trash. I won’t be back, and I hope they stop ripping people off with dishes that rely on nothing but canned...

Unassuming fabulous restaurant tucked into Bothell's scattering of businesses along Bothell Way NE.

The waiter 'seemed' new with an unassuming smile and willingness to provide great service. Typically, I order fajitas which are a favourite, but there was an intriguing enchilada Lorena on the menu. When I asked the waiter which is better, his eyes lit up describing the deliciousness of the Lorena. He agreed fajitas are always great!

But he encouraged me; I might try the Enchilada Lorena. I have to admit something about the prawns, onion, and tomato enchilada in a lite creamy spinach and mushroom white sauce topped with red ranchero sauce, called my name too!

I couldn't have been more pleased. I only needed to follow the brightness in our waiter's eyes for what specular tastes arrived. 2 superb and unexpected things were the prawns cut in chunks so you could easily savour the taste, unlike some restaurants that include seafood only to pulverize it so you don't know what you are eating. The second was to find full fresh spinach leaves inside the enchilada as well as in the cooked white sauce. It was an absolute win-win of a decision.

Our young waiters decision to recommend from his heart made for a great experience on my 1st time at this restaurant. It was easy to leave him a 40% tip!

Great food, great staff, lovely local restaurant, and I...

My wife and I went here and left about $35 short and disappointed. The service was generic. We were generally welcomed, but weren't paid too much attention to during our stay. It wasn't busy. The food tasted good, but the biggest let down was the fact that we ordered the Pasion Tequila 'signature' dish of Ribeye with a side of cooked prawns, garlic, and mushrooms. The dish claims something like "Must try this!" next to the item name on the menu. This item also fell under a specific section of the menu named "Traditional Mexican Cuisine", which made it sound less American like your average Mexican restaurant dish. The dish was just a skirt steak (which was cooked well), with beans, rice, and the prawns, garlic, and mushrooms. There wasn't anything "traditional" that stood out from your standard skirt steak dish from any other Mexican restaurant.

I can't complain about the taste of the food, really. It all tasted standard, but we certainly didn't taste any "passion" or "heart" in the food that was served to us. We probably won't be...