LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE. The family that runs it (yes it's family run) is so beyond sweet and the food matches the excellent service! This is my go to restaurant for Mexican food or just needing a snack. The environment is super welcoming and family friendly. I always get the chimichanga but their pozole is delicious too! Highly recommend this place. They deserve way more business and attention than they get! read more

I would recommend this business the best beans and rice and the best tacos. I would say go there. It's wonderful you like Mexican food. The sauces are great and the customer service is wonderful. It is also very clean restaurant. Try it. You'll love it. read more

Me and my friend stopped by here a while ago for some quick lunch. The staff are nice and the food was decent. read more

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El jacalito was a pleasant random restaurant we decided to try. I had the wet asada burrito and husband had the birria tacos. The food was yummy and our server was super friendly. Definitely favoriting this spot read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Front entrance - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

My girlfriend and I met at El Jacalito for dinner for our monthly meet-up. Free parking can be found in the parking lot. Discover is an accepted form of payment. El Jacalito can easily accommodate large parties. Indoors is sparse and on the shabby side. There are a couple TVs mounted on the walls. El Jacalito does not have a bar/lounge area. El Jacalito has two different menus'; a dining menu and a to-go pick-up order menu. During our visit, we were the only patrons dining in. There were several people picking up to-go orders during our visit. Complimentary chips and salsa are provided to snack on while reviewing the menu options. The salsa was mild in heat and thin in consistency. Draft beer is not served; however, Mexican bottled beer is. I slurped on a couple Negra Modelo's for $6 each. My girlfriend ordered the Two Birria Tacos for $15.95. I ordered the Chicken Enchiladas for $18.95. El Jacalito is family owned. Service was chummy. Maria was good-natured and prideful in her food and establishment. Thank you, Maria for your hospitality. Overall, it is important to support family-owned businesses. I plan on sampling several other menu items in the future. read more

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We ordered the pozole and the large tacos. The food was delicious. I only took off a star because of two things: 1. The meat in the pozole still had the bones in it, and when you're eating soup, you don't want to have to pick a chunk of meat out off the spoon, debone it yourself, and put it back into the broth, then dig around to see if you can find other bones that need to be removed. I got the food delivered to me and in the big container of soup, there was a HUGE bone with some meat on it. I feel like this could have been easily removed by the restaurant so the customer doesn't have to. I love that they're cooking the pozole with the bones in the broth, but I think they should be removed before given to the customer. 2. The tacos (again, food was delivered) came without any salsa or hot sauce. I wish it came with at least one little container of salsa! Overall, the food was great. I would order here again. I also want to commend them for the spice level of the pozole. I've had some pretty bland ones but this had a wonderful heat level, especially for Washington where a lot of Mexican food tends to be milder. I'm from Los Angeles and have also lived in Phoenix, both places that have awesome Mexican food that doesn't shy away from heat, so I was happy that El Jacalito didn't serve their food mild like a lot of WA Mexican places do! The posole was very flavorful, and the herb blend was oregano-forward, which I quite liked. I was happy they cut the radish for the pozole into little pieces. Some places give you a big circular slice that's hard to get on a spoon with the other stuff too. Thanks, El Jacalito! read more

In short: A friendly and very well-run place with good food and a menu that's a little longer than a taco shop's and a fair bit shorter than a family-style spot. In long: This is kind of a funky series of strip malls along a busy road headed to and from the freeway. People drive by here dozens of times before they even realize how many good food places are scattered through here, let alone try them all. And that includes me. There's a decent amount of parking here, and inside are a dozen booths and a couple tables. Service is friendly and prompt. You get a menu that's a single laminated sheet, double-sided, with photos. Even in the middle of a warm Saturday afternoon, there were plenty of other people around. The blinds were drawn, and every tune on the speakers featured an accordion. The whole vibe felt a long way from the busy street right outside. They bring the usual salsa, not too thick, with super-crunchy, thick tortilla chips. So good. I checked out a taco and a couple tamales. They offer a few styles of taco; little street tacos, bigger ones with hand-made tortillas, and quesabirria style too. I went with the second one, with carnitas. (4 other kinds of taco meat available to choose from.) Great flavorful tortilla, and really good filling. Not the biggest seasoning punch to the meat, but delicious. Fresh radish, cilantro, and lime, too. They bring out two amazing salsas. So good I asked if they bottled and sold them. The waiter chuckled and said he thought they might be able to work something out, but I didn't press it this time. Only because I already have 20+ bottles of salsa and hot sauce in my house. The tamales were fine, maybe kinda falling apart and getting a tiny bit grainy, but good flavor. I got the rajas and would have loved more fire from the jalapenos. I asked the waiter what else I should try next time, and he immediately said birria, and/or a wet carne burrito. This place is pretty close to my house so I will be back to try those soon for sure. read more

This is some of the best Mexican food I have ever had. Salsa is wonderful food was fresh and tasty What a breath of fresh air compared to the other run of the mill options near by. I will definitely be eating here again. read more

Stopped in there today for the first time. Fantastic experience and kind owners. The empanadas and roja salsa were amazing. The empanada was light and fluffy. No complaints here. Give it a try. read more

Lovely family owned spot. Very thankful, welcoming, and friendly owners. Great energy. Nice that they have regular tacos and big tacos, though we opted for only the big ones because we had an appetite. Support local! You get started with chips and salsa on the house. I loved the chips, amazing crispiness and crunch. Would not be surprised if they're made in house. Salsa was fine, though the highlight for me were the chips. Birria comes with four tortillas. Originally thought it was a birria taco but it's the stew version with tortillas on the side. I ordered one of every meat to try and see what I liked most because in the past I've had very chewy asada that pained my jaw to chew and have been afraid of committing to asada since. The tortillas were nothing special, though I think they are also made in house. They held up well for the tacos and presented no issues. I wish they would add a little grease or sauce from the meat to add a bit of flavor. Pollo - a little dry, also not that much chicken. Least favorite by far. Asada - pretty good steak that's sliced in small cubes, not overly chewy. My fourth favorite meat but it was definitely still good. Chorizo - I honestly wasn't sure if I had a chorizo taco as it wasn't obvious. The appearance was obvious, but taste wise I almost thought it was a different way of preparing al pastor for whatever reason because they tasted very similar. Because of this, I give chorizo my third favorite. Al pastor - fatty and grilled perfect. Best meat here by far, usually the best at other taco spots anyways. There was a lovely tangy flavor that I would likely attribute to pineapple. Carnitas - amazing, fatty, and a big portion of meat. Second favorite meat. read more

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If you haven't had handmade tortillas, I highly recommend to visit El Jacalito in Everett. They have Friendly staff. Very good portion sizes. Authentic flavor. Sauces are not too spicy. My husband and I had the quesatacos w consomé and 2 tacos de asada and Al pastor. The tacos are huge. Multiple parking spaces. Clean tables and a lot of sitting. read more

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Just dropped by on a whim (without even checking Yelp) and this place did not disappoint. Food was delicious!! Bf ordered a carnitas burrito which was massive. I ordered the chicken chimichanga and an Al pastor taco - both were amazing but I will be back to try every single taco on the menu. Their handmade tacos are made with fresh handmade tortillas. The Al pastor meat was so flavorful and delicious. Family owned restaurant, service is friendly and attentive. Plenty of booth seating inside. Give this place a try! read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Chimichanga, Al Pastor Taco (handmade), and Carnitas Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

This is really a 2.5 star experience. The good? Delivery was fast and expensive. My 17.00 al pastor burrito was 80% beans and rice and if there was any pineapple in there, I didn't taste it. I got a couple of asada tacos - the three bite tacos, not the bigger ones. They were pretty good, but the meat had a lot of gristle in every bite. I got two empanadas, the kind with chicken cheese and pineapple. No pineapple. Almost no cheese at all. They would have been tasty if they hadn't cheaped out on the filling. I think these were five or six dollars each. I wanted to love this place as a new customer. I just didn't. Way too expensive for low quality ingredients and definite shrinkflation on the amount they give you. I mean the rice and beans are good - but not 17.00 - plus tax and tip- good. Pass. read more

Best authentic Mexican food in town. Highly recommend the Asada and the chips. Family owned restaurant with great vibes. read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Menu - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

Thank you so much for a fabulous custom buffet for our training!! The food was delicious and the customer service was great. HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response Teams. read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

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On our way back home from a long vacation driving to Alaska- randomly stopped here. Holy moly so good! Service was amazing, food was the best we have had the entire trip! read more

This place is amazing. The food is the most authentic Mexican food in Western Washington. I grew up in Los Angeles and know what good Mexican food tastes like and it's not at La Palmera. The food is so delicious, home made tortillas, chips and the salsa is so fresh and delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant. Maria and her husband are so kind and welcoming . read more

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My wife and I just moved here from NC and tonight we found one of the best Mexican Restaurant we have been to in many years. The food was so authentic and flavorful. We so look forward to going back. Hats off to this family restaurant. read more

We ordered the steak tacos, chicken enchiladas and cheese enchiladas. My husband considers himself a chicken enchilada connoisseur and I can honestly say I have never seen him eat anything so enthusiastically. He even gave the owner a hug on the way out and told me later she's going to be his next wife. We're going back tonight. Amazing food. Great people. read more

If you want legit Mexican food - this IS THE PLACE! Had a generous portion of the chimichanga, perfectly crispy on the outside, tender juicy meet on the inside. Washed it down with horchata which came in a giant jam jar I loved how the horchata had just the right amount of sweetness and cinnamon flavour. We also had the tamales and dannng that too was delicious! The hospitality here felt like coming home to family. We will be back for sure. read more

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I just moved to the area and wanted to give this place a try. It was excellent! I always start with the burrito, El Jacalito's Burrito Al Pastor was just what I needed. Great size, chunky guacamole and well-seasoned meat. There was no shortage of sauce and I appreciate the tortilla chips to scoop up the leftovers. I'll be back to try so much more. Thanks! read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Burrito Al Pastor, chicken tamale, chips, red and green sauce - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

We have lived in the area for 17 years, have tried every single Mexican place including the ones attached to gas stations and El Jacalito is the BEST Mexican food we've had .. Ever! Its location is a little tucked away so we didn't find it until recently, but it is our new go to spot. We ordered the diablo chicken, the shrimp cocktail, and a few tacos. All excellent! Flavorful without being overly salty. Everything tasted very fresh. A variety of hot sauces are brought to the table and they are sooooo good. We ordered a Hortchata to share but ended up getting a second because it was so tasty and refreshing. It's a very generous size as well. The lady working was very warm and welcoming. She took a couple minutes to chat with us and make recommendations, which was appreciated. At the end of our meal, she brought us tamales to sample and we ended up buying 6 to go. They were phenomenal! Hands down the best tamales I've ever had. We plan to go back and try everything once. She mentioned they'll be having a live music and a Margarita special on Cinco De Mayo so we'll probably check that out as well. Business has been hard for them and we'd really like them to be here for a long time so please give them a try! You'll be glad you did. read more

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The food is bland and dry. When we pay the price on the menu does not reflect on the receipt. Overprice that food is not good at all. They don't check if customer needs water, the owner and her daughter are both busy on their phone. Don't waste your money. I don't mind paying as long as quality of food especially supporting mom and pops store. Not this one. See menu and receipts if it's make sense. read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Receipt: carne asada rare ( overcooked)$19.95 ; chimichanga bland greasy $15.95, becerra empanada $4.50 & kids and quesadillas $5.95 - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

Just had craving for Mex food while shopping nearby and saw this place. It's a wonderful surprise. First, parking was plenty, staff was very friendly and most important, food was awesome. Had the Camarones Al mojo and a huge glass of Horchata. Also tried carnitas and Al Pastor Tacos. Price was reasonable considering the servings was huge. Definitely will be back to try the Carne Asada :) read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Mason jar full of Horchata - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

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Very tasty! Great tacos, enchiladas, and tamales! Love the carne asada tacos and their hot sauce (orange) is very good. Will come back and try the other items. Sorry I ate the food before I could take a picture, but here's their menu! read more

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Excelente 100% recomendado super delicioso. Muy buen servicio. un lugar familiar. La atención que nos dieron de primera.

I recently had El Jacalito cater my 50th birthday party at the recommendation of a friend. I grew up in a Mexican family in Southern California, so I am extremely picky about my Mexican food. It has been very difficult to find Mexican food that I like enough to write a review for. El Jacalito knocked it out of the park. I knew I wanted enchiladas, beans, and rice, but I wanted arroz con pollo but it wasn't on their menu. I took the chance and asked and they made it for me! Everything was delicious, including their chips and salsa. I can't wait to go eat at the restaurant, they will be my forever go-to Mexican restaurant and I will tell everyone about them. Great food and amazing family! Thank you for the excellent food for my birthday! read more

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Tried out this new place for lunch. Excellent food, great service, everything we ordered was delicious. Five stars. Will be back!

Very pleasant service. Good chips and salsa. Good menu options, and the food was "authentic ". We will be returning many times. read more

I had a long day at work and was looking for somewhere close to my house to eat and I happendto stumble across their restaurant. I called and placed an order to go and when I walked in there I saw two workers which I'm assuming is the owner and her husband. I ordered a shrimp burrito expecting a small little thing that is overpriced but when I get there she handed me this big ass burrito and she had the sweetest soul. I could tell she was tired but her energy trying to maintain and hold down her business while just her and her husband you could tell that she's a hard worker and if you're debating on if you go here you should00% go. I love supporting small businesses and having this encounter with her made my day. You may work hard but there are some who work harder just to hold their fort down she was so appreciative and welcoming even though she told me that she had a long day and was super tired. her daughter had just left and a bunch of people came in at once while it was just her husband. If you get a chance to meet her tell her that you're grateful for her because there is not a lot of people who will pour their heart and soul into their food the way she does. read more

I took my family here for dinner, we had just moved to the area and were looking for a good Mexican restaurant. Did not disappoint! Food was great, owner was very friendly. I had the flautas, my family got the enchiladas Verde, shrimp salad and steak salad. I liked the shrimp salad the best. Gotta check out El Jacalito! read more

This place doesn't look like much on the outside, but if you're wanting authentic Mexican food, you HAVE to stop in here. That scene in Ratatouille where the food critic is transported back to his childhood? That's what this food is for me. I've ordered multiple things on the menu, and everything is ALWAYS fantastic. The two angels running this place really put their heart and soul into the food and it really shows. The empanadas are my favorite. Classic light, crispy shell, stuffed with THE BEST meat and cheese (you can pick what kind you want) and their salsas they serve with everything are both DELICIOUS. If you haven't yet, head in. You won't regret it. read more

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Food was beyond expectations hot sauce was on point and fajitas were sizzling will 100% be back read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Sizzling chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

Noticed this restaurant had recently opened so my boyfriend and I decided to give them a try. First impression, the staff was very warm and welcoming and the food was excellent. Their salsa is authentic and very aromatic and their tortillas are handmade. We ordered some carne asada and shrimp tacos--both were cooked perfecty. They are also not stingy with the shrimp! I would definitely come here again and I'm so glad it's only a walk away from where I live. P.S. They have an awesome promotion, first time goers get a free tamale! read more

First thing is this place is Super Clean‼ we received fast service and The food was good too‼

Amazing service with very quick response time, the servers were very eager to give me my food warm and in time, I ordered a torta that tasted just how I imagined while my wife ordered tacos in which she mentioned that the tortillas were fresh and hand made. Great work read more

I really like this family owned hole in the wall Mexican restaurant. When you're lucky sometimes they make the tortilla chips fresh and it's all warm. Also last time we came we they had a special menu with pork jowl which was delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Holy cow! The restaurant is best kept secret in Everett! The food absolutely delicious and so fresh. The owner Maria makes THE BEST chicken tamales ever. We ordered our food to go. We had the Pollo Asada and it came with tortillas, generous rice and beans, homemade chips and homemade salsa on the side. We also ordered the pollo tacos and it comes its with fresh limes and radishes on the side. The inside of the establishment is very clean, with beautiful decor and you can tell they take great care of everything. I will definitely be back! read more

El Jacalito Mexican Restaurant - Chicken Tamales - Mexican Near Me - Everett, Washington

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It's like mamas Mexican food. Very authentic, and fits my hole in the wall is best for mexican food theory. Spacious and clean too. The owner was very personable, likes to laugh and joke around. I asked her if she has the 'mojarra frita' tonight, labeled tilapia on the menu. She peers over the counter and goes "No, but I do have Negra Modello, Corona, Dos Equis, and ..."I say, "Uhhh, I said 'moharra freetah.'" "Ohhh, no it's been a slow day amigo, yes, yes, I have it." When she came out to take the order later, I point at the menu, so I want the tee-La-pia. "I bring you only tortillas and salsa, " she says. Jokes aside, the 'wet' carnitas burrito my wife ordered was huge and delicious. The fish was great too. I love the big white corn soft tortillas. Good sauces. We share the fish and tortillas, to end up with about 2/3rds of a huge carne Assada burrito to share for breakfast in a day or two. This makes the list of local places to add to the stop by list. Support your good mom and pop restaurants folks! You'll love it, and they have beer! read more

DEFINITELY RECOMMEND! Stop and take a moment to visit this place! They are open for dine in and take out! We got the fresh handmade tacos and the chimichanga plate! More then enough food as we took some it home! The chips, guacamole, and salsa is so fresh too! We don't go out for Mexican food much but when we do we like to go to a "home" style cooking experience and we have found our new place! Please check it out and support this small business! Was surprised they just opened up! If your craving tacos and similar dishes please visit them! read more