Casco Antiguo — Restaurant in Seattle

Our first time in Seattle, we were walking around for a while looking for a place to eat during lunch hour. We stumbled in to this place after seeing a good crowd and inviting atmosphere.

We got seated immediately. We sat next to a the large window. As we looked around it was a nice place, but being next to window we can definitely feel the heat.

Well let’s get down to the nitty gritty. It was my wife and I plus our twin sons who are 17 years. We started with appetizers, chips with salsa and guacamole, guacamole was fresh and salsa had a great flavor, chips definitely held up to the constant dipping. I ordered a michelada which was ok, the mix stated that it was house made. Michelada mix should have a tomato base, lime, and general spices and seasoning, definitely didn’t order another one. Everyone else was drinking like warm water, which is fine but some ice would have been nice.

Let’s get to the food. Myself I orders two taco types. One was rajas con queso and the other was alambres. Good flavor on both tacos and the tortillas tasted homemade. The tacos were definitely bigger than I expected and overall pretty good.

My wife had the chicken enchiladas. I saw she wasn’t enjoying them, so I took a bite. The enchiladas were smothered in a mole sauce topped with a few garnishes. Mole was ok and the chicken lacked seasoning.

My sons, one had a chicken burrito and the other had quesabirrias. Kids were enjoying it but then again 17 year olds eat a flip flop if hungry enough. I also took a bite and noticed that both had same style of beef. What I mean is cubbed up asada. Quesabirria should not be cubed, meat should be slow braised beef. The dipping broth for the quesabirria was lacking the right flavors.

Side dishes we ordered esquite, beans and smashed corn. The esquite was actually really good, it had a great lime flavor and I really enjoyed. The beans decent as they were your standard Tex Mex style seasoning. Finally the corn smash, ehh…

Overall it was ok, if your huuuuuuuuungry and don’t have any other options try it out. If you are looking for authentic definitely not the spot.

Thanks for the full bellies, sun burn and...

Let's start with the good, the ambiance is nice especially on a beautiful summer night like when I went where the air is a crisp 70°F and a gentle breeze that makes your soul warm, you walk up to see this beautiful exterior with the draping lights in the patio; very welcoming. The interior is spacious and a pretty cantina. A fun and cozy vibe. Then you sit down.

The chairs inside, uncomfortable, no back support. The menu, typical Mexican fare. All the usual suspects are here. Vegetarian menu is limited and who I went with ordered the mushroom enchiladas. I tasted it. We both agreed it had no flavor except mushroom, I'll give it a 3/10.

What I ordered, the camrone tacos, well it sufficed. Shrimp was cooked well, crema and cabbage was fine and even with my added habanero sauce, didn't make a mess all over me. It was better than average but not spectacular. I've had better elsewhere. But it wasn't bad. So it's a 6/10. Like it's fine. Good even. But not super stoked about the price for the quality at $23.

Also this cantina is a la carté so rice and beans were extra -- $6 for a tiny skillet of it! It wasn't good rice or beans. I begrudgingly ate it because I was hungry. I still give it a 4/10. At 3 or less I'll just burn the money and not eat it, sorry starving children in Africa. 🙃

Service? Well, I guess we got service. Didn't catch her name. She wasn't impolite or polite. But never checked on us once and never asked if we wanted dessert. I mean I actually think I would have passed but still, service non-existent. 2/10

How this place stays in business with subpar quality I must think is just because of hungry compliant Amazonians since it's right in Westlake. But if you want a better Amazonian food spot right next door go to Cinque Terre (Italian) which is actually worth the money, or for better camrones -- Cactus. Yes it's a small local chain but better food for the same cost. Especially their camrones. Pass on this place. It's pretty but your wallet will thank...

There were three small parties ahead of me when I arrived, but I was alone and seated quickly after accepting to sit at the bar. This place is always busy, and for good reason. The bartender was great - he was constantly making drinks but still took my order and got my beverage in short order. Flautas De Queso were quite good - like a crispy rolled quesadilla, nice and gooey cheesy on the inside. The accompanying dipping sauce had great flavor and just the right amount of spicy kick, which was a perfect addition to the mild cheese. I also ordered the Cochinita tacos, and oh boy did I make the right choice. The tortillas were soft and fresh, and heaped with a generous amount of meat which had fantastic flavor. The 'yucatan style' seasoning had a wonderful depth of spices without being overpowering, and although I was full by the time I finished my mouth wanted more! Initially I wasn't too impressed by the cleanliness of the place - there were small bits of debris in random places acrcoss the floor, and tables of unbussed dishes. As I sat at the bar I kept getting a strong whiff of what seemed like green olives, but coulnd't quite locate where it was coming from. The tacos could have used more onions which were rather sparse, but they were delicious nonetheless. I was bit disappointed my Jarritos was served at room temperature with a meager amount of ice - it was 93 degrees outside today, and I like my beverages cold. The prices of menu items were quite fair, and I felt like I got a good amount of food for the total cost. The bartender deserved a healthy tip for his efforts. Because quality and taste of the food carries heavy weight with my ratings, this was a 4.5 star visit but I'm rounding due to the few items which fell a bit short of calling it amazing. I will definitely return to try some other menu items, and recommend this...