Taqueria El Rinconsito

[girl chow]

I really enjoy Burrito Loco too--I like their beans, their chiles rellenos, coctel de camarones, tortas, tacos rancheros (fried tacos) and usually their pozole (last time I had it it wasn't good--had to send it back--they were so nice and apologized profusely). My husband really likes their burritos as well.

Burrito Loco's ceviche makes me salivate just thinking about it.

Clicky here for lots of info on Burrito Loco and other local taquerias.

[elswinger]

I like is Gordita's in Greenwood and Ooba Tooba's in Redmond. Gordita's is "healthy" Mexican food but you couldn't tell by eating it. It's great! They have a great Carne Asada and their burritos are huge!!

I've only been to Ooba's once because I don't have a car, but if it were conveniantly located in Seattle I'd eat there everyday. I had a great pork taco with pineapple salsa.

[seacrotty]

Though I have yet to find a taqueria in Seattle as good as La Taqueria in the San Francisco Mission District, Burrito Loco in U-Village is one of my favorites up here.  They have a very good Carne Asada taco.

<sigh>.

Now you've gone and gotten me all homesick by talking about San Francisco taquerias. My fave is El Castillito on Church @ Market (right across from the Church St. Safeway). If you travel down there on a regular basis and have access to a car, do yourself a favor and visit Fiesta del Mar, in Shoreline (note: be sure to go to the original one on Shoreline Blvd., not the pale imitation Fiesta del Mar Too). Simply the best Mexican plate food you'll ever have in your entire life.

Okay, back to the Pac NW...

I can't get behind Gorditas, but Oobas in Redmond rocks my world! Their Woodinville location is just as yummy.

cameron

[Dej]

I don't know if this was already mentioned elsewhere in this forum or not, but just in case any of you didn't know it, taqueria el rinconsito opened a new location in NE bellevue on 140th ave ne just south of ne 24th st (same strip mall as wibbley's and taj palace). I haven't been to any of the other locations so I can't compare, but I've been really happy with it, especially as an alternative to the taco truck over on 148th (and especially for carnitas tacos).

alex

[sequim]

Next time you feel like an expedition, consider trying Muy Macho in South Park.  It goes back and forth between them and Rinconsito for my favorite tacos.

Okay, as a West Seattleite I have to admit to not knowing where South Park is except in TV-land. But I'd sure be interested in some directions to Muy Macho, Tighe!

I always get lost going into south end land, but I sure do prefer it over the U district nightmare...

[tighe]

Next time you feel like an expedition, consider trying Muy Macho in South Park.  It goes back and forth between them and Rinconsito for my favorite tacos.

Okay, as a West Seattleite I have to admit to not knowing where South Park is except in TV-land. But I'd sure be interested in some directions to Muy Macho, Tighe!

I always get lost going into south end land, but I sure do prefer it over the U district nightmare...

All ya gotta do is roll down the hill heading east!

Muy Macho

8515 14th Ave S

Mapquest

There are a handful of other good Mexican places along 14th as well.

[sequim]

Ah yes, the spot I always get sucked into, that no-man's land when I'm trying to find a shortcut back to West Seattle!

Thanks Tighe. And I'm always looking out for good mexican places, like taco trucks and such. I'm sure you've been to the Salvadoran Bakery in White Center? Not Mexican but interesting twist on latino food.

[grilledcheese]

i'm somewhat surprised to see the overwhelming rinconsito love... a friend of mine loves it (especially because it's open so late) and after hearing him rave for months about, my boyfriend and i tried it last spring... and felt supremely gut-bombed afterward. our hearts belong solidly to the taqueria guaymas on roxbury (we're west seattle/south end folks, too). guaymas' can vary (wildly at times) from location to location, of course, but this one in white center is wonderful. we eat there about once a week and are never, ever disappointed. anyone know what the deal is w/ guaymas? is there one central owner in seattle or?

[kieran]

After all this chitchat about taquerias I went and tried Rinconsito for lunch today (the one on the eastside). It was good, but I think I ordered the wrong thing (pollo ranchero platter). Both of my lunch partners got more standard taco/sopes taco truck fare, and I think I'll go with that next time.

Always nice to expand my workday lunch options for days I don't bring from home!

[ScorchedPalate]

Went with 2 coworkers to the Bellevue location today. They were advertising a special of 79-cent tacos, so (in the interest of research) I ordered four: chicken, spicy pork, shredded beef, and carnitas. I heard the cashier call for 2 carnitas, but I figured "ok, whatever" and let it go: either I'd get an extra taco or one of the others would be carnitas instead of what I ordered. (I've learned to let the universe give me the right food.) Then the cashier handed me a soda cup. When I said "Oh, I didn't order a drink" she replied "the combo includes a free drink." Huh, what combo?

Anyway, I paid and walked away. Looking at my receipt while I was waiting for my food, I found that I had paid a lot more than 79x4, or even 79x5+tax -- the bill was close to $6! When I asked the cashier what was up with the extra taco, she said "Oh, we don't have the 4-taco combo right now, because the 5-taco special is a better deal."

Again: "What combo?! Can't I just have 4 tacos for 79 cents each??" pointing to the sign on her cash register.

I was met with an uncomprehending stare.

Finally I decided it wasn't worth holding up the whole freaking line and gave up. So my $3 lunch set me back almost twice what it should have cost. Not that it was a bad deal considering what I got, but I ended up with an extra taco and a 'free' drink, both of which I didn't want.

The tacos themselves would have been a good deal at $0.79, slighly less stunning at the regular price of (I think) $1.29. The chicken was good and spicy (little bits, not asado); the spicy pork was similar. Both the carnitas and the beef tacos were half full of big globs of unrendered fat (yuck! glad I didn't have a burrito -- at least I could pull them out of the taco) and noticibly lacking in crispiness.

I wouldn't say the food was bad, and maybe this was a case of having too-high expectations (and a fair bit of feeling cranky 'cause I got the stupid gringa treatment), but.... I dunno. Based on this trip, El Rinconsito ranks high in the "tasty and authentic" department -- and that gets a lot of points in my book -- but it's just not "oh my god" amazing. I'm glad I never made a special trip to Burien for it.

~Anita

fixin' a typo, changing an adjective

Edited August 25, 2004 by ScorchedPalate (log)

[SeaGal]

Wow, it sounds like there may a difference in pricing and quality between the Burien and Eastside locations. I think my 4-taco combo at the Burien store was $4.69 (according to my earlier post which I would insert here, but have no idea how to do) and included a large Tamarind drink. The quality of the meats was quite good and wasn't overly fatty. (the pork adobado was the best IMO). Darn, I was looking forward to the (somewhat) closer Eastside location, but I may still have to continue goin' south.

They should have honored the posted price of $.79 per taco. Too bad you had such a frustrating experience.

Jan

[ScorchedPalate]

I think the 4-taco combo is $4.69 in Bellevue, too, but the 5-taco combo was $4.99. The cashier is right: it -is- a better deal *if* you want another taco, which I didn't. So it must've been around $5.50 with tax... "close to $6" was perhaps an overstatement.

But even the "$4.99 5-taco+drink" special is a poor deal when they're offering the 79-cent tacos.

I'm willing to give them another whirl, given the level of eG love they've accumulated -- wanna meet for lunch some day, Jan? But I gotta say, this particular trip was underwhelming.

~A

[mangiabene]

I too am a fan of Rinconsito, but since this thread started more than a year ago, I'll say that I think the quality has slipped. The prices have gone up as well. So, while I was super enthused at first, now I don't get that cartwheeling feel when I go. Still good, just not stellar.

[SeaGal]

I think the 4-taco combo is $4.69 in Bellevue, too, but the 5-taco combo was $4.99. The cashier is right: it -is- a better deal *if* you want another taco, which I didn't. So it must've been around $5.50 with tax... "close to $6" was perhaps an overstatement.

But even the "$4.99 5-taco+drink" special is a poor deal when they're offering the 79-cent tacos.

I'm willing to give them another whirl, given the level of eG love they've accumulated -- wanna meet for lunch some day, Jan? But I gotta say, this particular trip was underwhelming.

~A

Anita, sounds like a good idea. I'll be out of town for the next week or so though, but I'd love to after I get back. Do they have the good salsa bar?

Also, I totally agree--the $.79 per taco is a better deal than either combo. I had a hard time finishing all 4 tacos ('cause I had them with avocado), and I also wouldn't want a 5th unless I'd wanted 5 tacos to start with.

Jan

(And who knows, maybe I was just really hungry the day I went, resulting in sensory miscalculation of the taco goodness. I really should try them again. )

[ScorchedPalate]

I'll be out of town for the next week or so though, but I'd love to after I get back. Do they have the good salsa bar?

Cool, PM me when you return and we'll schedule. Anyone else who wants to come along is very welcome, too.

I want to try the enchiladas and/or the sopes next time, and maybe a burrito (but not of carnitas!). Alas, they didn't seem to have chiles rellenos, which is a standby for me.

I don't know what the 'good salsa bar' consists of -- having never been to the other locales -- but the salsa bar here was workmanlike: A big container of escabeche (heavy on the carrots, light on the chiles, just right on the onions), lime wedges, radishes cut on the bias, and two salsas: one red, one green. The green was reasonably good, the red was watery and not to my taste.

~A

[tighe]

I'm a pretty big Rinconsito fan, but have to admit that the one I go to in SeaTac has seemed uneven in the last year. Specifically, the problem Anita had, with the big fatty pieces in the carnitas at times. Ick. I wonder if it happens when they're particularly busy and just aren't cooking the meat long enough.

Muy Macho is more consistent, but after seeing them near the top of the charts in terms of health code violations and the fact that they mysteriously stopped serving beer, it can be problematic too.

[LaurieA-B]

The previous praise and Matthew's Seattle Times review were based on south end locations, so perhaps the Bellevue location is less than stellar? (Or perhaps not, considering tighe's comments.) I've never considered it "oh my god amazing," just a place that I would be delighted to have in my neighborhood. The two Guaymas locations on Broadway are, I think, not as good and more expensive than Rinconsito. Regarding price, I vaguely remember that on my last visits Rinconsito offered a 79-cent chicken taco special; perhaps that was the source of confusion (not to excuse the poor service Anita received). At least if you have to have a free drink, they offer tamarindo and horchata.

[mark918]

The best place I've eaten tacos at in the last six months was Casa El Dorado, referenced in this thread:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=39484

Tacos are still a buck, the tortillas are great, and you can get the chorizo to go, take it home, serve it to your friends, and look like a hero.