El Gallito — Restaurant in Seattle

Family owned and operated for several decades now, it's a spot where the locals go so as a visitor from the other coast I'm thankful I'm in the know!

Ambiance reminded me of all the mom and pop places I've visited all over Mexico, where you feel like you're being welcomed into someone's dining room and not just a cold commercial looking space. I was told that their menu used to be VERY extensive until the pandemic happened and it forced them to condense their menu down considerably.

Regardless, everything from the freshly fried tortilla chips to the spicy and mouthwatering salsa, their flavor packed carne asada, the oozy gooey cheese packed chili rellano and the ginormous torta were all freshly made, deliciously seasoned and outstanding texturally too! I LOVED LOVED that their Mexican rice was not just colored steamed mushy white rice that most places quickly whip up but properly prepared Mexican rice: rice sauteed in a little oil til golden brown toasted, then seasoned with garlic onions and some peppers and colored and further flavored with some tomato puree. This was perfection. Their refried beans were also given lots of time and love as it was deliciously flavorful as well!

Service was a little slow but it just gave us more time to talk and eat more of their addicting salsa and chips! It's a MUST visit every time you're in...

Everywhere I have ever lived I try to find a favorite Mexican place. This one is it for Seattle. Granted, I've been here only a little over half a year, and this place gets an immediate boost by being close to where I live. But it is truly wonderful, fulfilling pretty much every criterion I have for my favorite kind of Mexican food restaurant: delicious food, cheap prices, and reliably good (and again, cheap) margaritas. The chips are real, the salsa doesn't come from a jar, and I've never had a bad meal here. Note, this is NOT fancy food. My partner described it as "comfort food." I've had a lot of Mexican food in my life, in my home and across several states, and there are a lot of different kinds. Some come from specific regions of Mexico. Some are more faithful to a style which was developed in Mexico before the Spanish or before it evolved in the U.S. El Gallito is standard Mexican-American food. And it's great. Sure, it won't be everyone's favorite. If you like your Mexican food hipsterishly esoteric, healthified beyond recognition as Mexican food, or you have a lot of dietary restrictions, you cannot eat here. You won't care for it. But if you want delicious, genuine, unpretentious Mexican food in a nice atmosphere with friendly staff and possibly the cheapest margaritas you can find this close to Capitol Hill,...

I get pretty critical with Mexican food.

A lot of Mexican restaurants tend to over saturate their dishes with salsa. Unfortunately, this restaurant does the same. I would consider it Tex-Mex

I have eaten foods in Guadalajara, Mexico City, Nayarit, and Ameca. None of which drench food with salsa and cheese. This is why I gave 4 stars instead of 5.

But the food was great! They have a good selections of tacos, a fantastic menu layout, and the best Mexican beer. I did not ask if they had caguamas or familiar beers, but I wouldn't be surprised if they have them. (I hope!)

There is plentiful space for a party, or enough space for two. The music reminds me of the 2 years I spent living in Mexico. It was a very immersive atmosphere.

They have all the basics, but I havent tasted the seafood yet. I am looking forward to it though!

There was only one server when I was there, but she was on top of her game!

The tamarind drink and Jamaica drink tasted great. Not too sweet or sour.

Overall, this is a great restaurant, and will DEFINITELY be there again. I just wish the food wasn't drenched in cheese and salsa like many restaurants in the USA. But that tends to be a trend, so I don't blame them for sticking to what works here in the USA.

Great work, and thanks for...