Taco City Taqueria — Restaurant in Seattle

🌮 ✨ Taco City Taqueria – A Columbia City Recess & A Call to Action ✨🍸

I’ll be real with you: I didn’t walk into Taco City as a diehard taco fan. Seattle has let me down more times than I can count when it comes to tacos. My standard was set years ago in Georgia, where pastor tacos turned me into a believer. Since then, every attempt in Seattle—besides one Tex-Mex exception—has been underwhelming.

That changed when I walked from Brain and Body Recess to Taco City Taqueria, following Dr. Thomas’s recommendation.

The Food Experience

🌮 Pastor Tacos – Pineapple-kissed pork with green sauce. Solid flavor and easily the best tacos I’ve had in Washington so far. My only note? If the green sauce had just a little more kick, these would be unstoppable.

🍸 Spiced Watermelon Martini – The true MVP of my plate. Balanced, bold, refreshing—it turned a good meal into an exceptional one.

🌽 Street Corn – Two tasty pieces that held their own. Not as unforgettable as the tacos, but still a solid neighborhood favorite.

The Environment

🎶 Nostalgic music wrapped the entire experience in memory and soul. ✨ Chic, stylish, and welcoming—the environment elevated the vibe without a hint of pretension. 🌿 Patio seating that felt like a private retreat. 🏠 Indoors, the space exceeded my expectations—both warm and elevated, a reflection of ownership done right.

And here’s where I have to give a special shout-out: the MVP of the entire visit was Cesar, who saved me from a nagging bee determined to take my nearly perfect taco. He not only shooed it away but also set me up in a blocked-off VIP patio area so I could enjoy my meal in peace. 🐝 That kind of care doesn’t go unnoticed.

The Service & The People

Owner Kenyatta greeted me with grace and patience, setting the tone of welcome from the start. Her husband Jay, also co-owner, impressed me with his leadership presence, checking in on guests and carrying the kind of quiet responsibility that makes businesses thrive.

My server seemed more focused on another VIP guest, which meant I didn’t get the full service I had hoped for. But I know as a business owner myself—sometimes a single interaction can misrepresent the heart of a whole establishment. Later, Thayra asked if I needed anything else, which I appreciated as a thoughtful close.

👉 Leadership Reflection: Consistently auditing customer experiences matters. Small oversights can cost revenue and impact perception, even in otherwise outstanding environments. It’s a reminder we all need as leaders.

Why This Matters Beyond the Food

Seattle doesn’t have many Black and brown-owned restaurants—and in Columbia City, each one matters. Taco City isn’t just about tacos; it’s about culture, representation, and possibility.

📣 Community Call to Action Support Kenyatta and Jay. Support Cesar and the team. Support Taco City. Support Black and Brown-owned businesses in Columbia City. Every dollar is more than a meal—it’s a statement that keeps doors open and shows kids in the neighborhood what’s possible.

⸻

✨ Final Word Taco City gave me tacos worth craving, a drink worth toasting, and an atmosphere worth savoring. Add Cesar’s bee-saving heroics and the unforgettable Spicy Watermelon Martini, and you’ve got more than a restaurant—you’ve got a rally point for community pride.

📍 Hillman City #BIPOC owned##Seattle #SupportLocal #BlackOwned #SeattleTacos #ColumbiaCityEats

💛 Overall, this almost-perfect experience left me not only satisfied, but craving more...

I do not take this lightly that I’m leaving a bad review. I’ve been to this place twice. The first time was great—good food and friendly service, although the strong smell of bleach and pine-scented cleaner was a bit overwhelming.

(Edited: note to include time and date for management at Taco City Taqueria)

Unfortunately, my second visit today, (Friday may 16, 2025, the hostess was working around 2:45/3pm) was completely different. When we arrived, the waitress dropped the menus on the front counter and gestured for us to seat ourselves, even though there are clear signs saying to wait to be seated. It felt unwelcoming right from the start, but we decided to find ourselves a seat.

When she came to take our order, she rolled her eyes and was noticeably rude. She didn’t make eye contact, didn’t greet us, and grimaced while taking our orders. She didn’t say a single “thank you” or kind word during the entire interaction. We felt very uncomfortable and unwelcome. Ultimately, we decided to leave because of how we were treated.

It’s really disappointing to have such a drastic shift in experience. I hope management takes this kind of feedback seriously—it makes a big difference.

Instead we ended up going one block down for Thai food at Bua 9 Thai Cuisine and they were great, the food was delicious and came out fast and it didn’t smell like cleaning...

If I could do less than one star I would. This is the menu. It says $9.99 for tacos before 1 o'clock. We were definitely there before 1 o'clock, we got the tacos that are pictured and the girl came back with the check for $21.99. when we told her that the check was wrong, she told us that we did not ask to have the lunch price. We did not ask to have the lunch price?? That's literally on your menu. Do we need to be specific as to what we want to pay? When we went to pay, we literally had our credit cards in our hand to pay this girl. She got so up in arms and was yelling at us, saying in front of other customers, that we were trying not to pay, we were there just to eat free. This is not the place to eat free, you ate all your food you have to pay! I asked to talk to a manager, so she called the guy that supposedly owns the place. He was just as rude and was yelling at me that we were trying to eat for free. So instead, we paid our $53 bill! BEWARE WHAT A SCAMMMM!! so rude, and in front of all of the customers that were in the restaurant. She kept telling us we are not trying to pay while we are standing there with our credit card in our hand telling her we just want to pay the amount that is shown on the menu! So rude of the girl that worked there and the guy that owns the place....