Cancel

Open app

Search

El Moose

4.0 (1.1k reviews)
ModerateMexican
Closed 9:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 2 weeks ago

Order El Moose Takeout or Delivery

El Moose Photos

Business Info

EL MOOSE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - El Moose

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Crystal H.

I've always wanted to come here as it's a local favorite. But it's a bit of a let down with their prices and the amount of food you get. Most dishes are over $20 and there's not a lot of food. I got their Manchamanteles and the mole was okay, it leaned more sweet than spicy. The other dish was a carne asada and it wasn't very flavorful. The service was fast and friendly, and the restaurant was cute.

Huevos rancheros
Diana C.

The service was very friendly and the ambiance was bright and colorful. We sat near the window and away from the door, but it was still a little chilly inside. The food was good flavor overall, but my meal felt like 60-70% beans and sauce unfortunately. Maybe the issue is with what I ordered, but I was somewhat disappointed with the proportions of the ingredients for the huevos rancheros. They do have quite a few vegetarian options. Not really many vegan options though I suppose some you could just ask them to hold the dairy if needed. I'd definitely give it another try but order something else.

Kathleen F.

Very mid experience. The drinks are super pricy, I was told that the basic margarita is made from a mix for $15 dollars so I ended up ordering the $17 marg instead. We got some really expensive guac that had no flavor and was mainly made up of tomatoes. And then to top it all off, when the food came out the enchilada sauce smothered on my food was sour. My husband did like his skirt steak entree, but it was super small for $27 dollars. The final bill was over $100, so I would certainly not return when there are so many other more affordable and tasty options in Ballard.

Enchiladas De Puya, added eggs.
Samra S.

Oh my gosh, this place! Seriously the best food and service. I'm a regular for brunch, and my absolute go-to is the Enchiladas De Puya--it's simple, yet the flavors are incredibly rich. This time I added eggs which were also cooked to perfection! If you're in Ballard, it's a total must-try. Plus, the staff is super friendly, the vibe feels genuinely authentic, and the spot is always sparkling clean. I never take any photos of my food but this one deserves the extra effort!

Tamarindo margarita (NA) and standard margarine.
Kristina B.

We stopped in for drinks once night right before closing. We were welcomed in and directed to the bar. The bar was vibrant and colorful and the bartender was so kind and fun. We chatted with her the whole time. She made me a non alcoholic tamarindo margarita and a standard one for my fella. The tamarindo version was exceptional! It was tasty, tart, sweet, spicy. So good! I imagine the regular margarita was just as delicious as we both finished them. Everyone the that night was so friendly and helpful. Unfortunately we didn't get to go back for food, but it's on the list of places to go when we return.

Pollo Adobado
Priyanka L.

The ambience is pretty amazing Mexican themed. Food was good palette wise not heavy at all just about subtle. In terms of flavours it needs pepping up! Overall a little hyped, the portion size is small; one can easily devour the whole ordered plate. The on-the-menu drinks are steeply priced. Service was quick. It was difficult to find parking around the neighborhood, there is no restaurant parking facility.

Margaritas
Desiree S.

This place is a gem for sure, what a cute little spot!!! Had a spectacular lunch, the food was delicious and the service was top notch as well!!! I will definitely be back!!!!!

Alambres
Nate H.

El Moose was an incredibly enjoyable experience. We showed up to this place very close to closing time, and they still welcomed us ravenous diners in with open arms when everyone else in Ballard shuddered their doors. We asked for chips and guacamole, but were blown away with what was placed before us. 4 various homemade salsas, fantastic guac, and some sort of mystery spicy peanut sauce. This sauce was the star of the show. I ended up taking it all, hiding it, and using it for my entree. I kept my mouth shut when my friends kept asking "where did that peanut sauce go?!" The menu here is massive. I'd love to go back to try more of it, but the first thing that caught my eye were the alambres. Alambres is always a fun experience because you're making your own path with your meal. The tortillas on the side let you craft an adventure that's packed with powerful flavors. It's easy to drive past El Moose without a second thought as you're entering the heart of Ballard. But it would be a mistake to sleep on it, you'd be missing out!

Alambres
Autumn d.

El Moose is very busy on Sundays for brunch. If you want a table go early. The restaurant is colorful and homey. My favorite drink to order is the cafe de olla. We started with the guacamole and salsas. The chips were fresh and tasted like they were actual fried tortillas, that's my favorite way to have chips and salsa. Instead of just the bagged chips. My partner ordered the alambres, which is one of his favorite things to get here! I had the machachas with eggs which was also very good. One of our friends ordered the chorizo with cactus and eggs, she enjoyed her dish as well! She is egg free so eggs were on the side. Our other friend ordered sopas and also enjoyed her food. The only downside is, our friend ordered soy milk in her latte as she is dairy free. She asked the waiter that brought out the drink to confirm it was dairy free and they said it was. A few minutes later, after she drank a sip, another waiter came out and informed us it was not dairy free. They corrected the mistake and brought her a new coffee. Unfortunately, she had already drank it. Just be sure to clarify food allergies when you order.

Watermelon margarita
Cari L.

Solid place for slightly more upscale Mexican fare. They have a great drink menu as well with micheladas and plenty of fruit-forward cocktails. Highly recommend the seasonal watermelon margarita, which is made with fresh watermelon (watch out for seeds though!). Food wise, their mole dishes are jam packed with savory flavors, and they come out piping hot -- definitely a must try. The al pastor street tacos left a little to be desired both in terms of meat flavor and garnish quantity, but this place isn't a taqueria so it's hard to hold that against them. Service was friendly but not very attentive, and we waited awhile to order despite it not being busy.

Chilaquiles w/Shredded Chicken
Libby W.

We used to come here for brunch sometimes, but haven't been since the name changed from Señor Moose to El Moose (ownership change?). Every time I've been, I always got the same thing - chilaquiles with chicken, poached eggs, and salsa verde. I got it for delivery this time and it was just as I remembered (so maybe no ownership change?). Also got some al pastor tacos, which I apparently forgot to photograph. They were beautiful and delicious, though. For some reason, if you're getting delivery, chilaquiles is only avail on the dinner menu. While it's 100% delicious any time of day, for me, it's def more of a brunch food than a dinner food. I don't get why it's not available before dinner unless you're dining in? But whatever, I was excited to get it either way. Glad this place is still around, still putting out amazing food, and now avail for delivery!

Tacos De Carnitas
Shaye V.

This place was so yummy! Authentic Mexican food for sure. We got to try a variety of dishes and none of them were a miss. Price is a little bit on the expensive side. We also got chips, salsa and guacamole and the chips were so freshly made! No notes. The service was quick and friendly. I loved the atmosphere too!

Morgan H.

*CELIAC / GLUTEN FREE REVIEW holy YUM! they have a disclosure on the menu saying 99% of it is GF, and man was it good. we got the al pastor tacos, pollo en mole, and the alambres. Everything was SO DAMN GOOD. staff are very knowledgeable, huge variety of options to choose from, and a safe kitchen.

Chips with salsas...the peanut sauce is amazing!

See all

23 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 2
Love this 5
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 0
Oh no 2

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lisa G.
2
76
13

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

The best flan I have ever had. Such attentive service. And perfect mood setting music the whole time. I cannot wait to come back!

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 1
Love this 7
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Best Palomas and Carne Asada (with roasted poblano) in town! Nice kids menu too so kiddos can build their own tacos.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 27

El Moose Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - El Moose

Can I order Margaritas to go?

Sí. The kits are great to go with your food!

What are their actual hours? Yelp says they are open, but I just tried to go in at 3:45 on a Tuesday and they are closed?

They close at 3 from lunch then open again at 5pm

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Mexican 45,250 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Koko's - Guacamole Chips & Salsa

Koko's

(188 reviews)

First Hill

A nice Mexican restaurant in Capitol Hill. I went here for Sunday dinner and it was not busy, but…read morereservations are suggested. The decor here is pretty colorful and ornate. We sat near the bar high top and ordered Mexican corn and poblano cashew enchilada with carnitas. Both dishes were enough for 2 people to share. The Mexican corn is fairly standard, with cotija and some chips to supplement the dish. Portions were quite decent and the corn was fairly good. The cheese is nicely melted for that nice long cheese pull. The poblano cashew enchiladas were very delicious. After all, people say that's the dish that makes them stand out. There are 3 pieces of enchiladas with a generous amount of carnitas. There's also some pickled onions and other fixings to enhance the dish. The sauce was rich yet not too heavy. Service was really good. They checked up on us once in a while and ensured prompt water refills. The whole experience from the food to the decor to the service, is top notch and worth the above average price tag.

such a cute spot for delicious mexican food and tasty cocktails in seattle. the vibes are…read moredefinitely more upscale and moody, so this is one of those places that i'd say is good for a girls night out, date night, or just showing visitors around. service is great, our waiter was super sweet and helpful. the staff also cleared our table pretty swiftly and even offered us new plates at one point, which i really appreciated. one of my friends also came here for her birthday and she got a little something on the house, so i can definitely say service is top-notch! foodwise, even though koko's is more expensive than your average mexican spot (you're totally paying for ambiance and service too though), the portions are heaping. i barely finished my enchiladas and all of my friends took their meals to-go. (those burritos are massive omg.) the mole enchiladas were SOOO good, as were the cashew poblano enchiladas. their sauces are so yummy and the presentation was on-point for both enchiladas. i also had a bite of my friend's carne en morita which is a slow cooked pork dish, and i was obsessed. the only thing i'd say to pass on would be the tacos. drinks were also great and had amazing presentation. i was very satisfied with my carajillo and my friend's passion fruit mojito was also very tasty (you could NOT taste the alc in it i swear) overall, koko's is a great spot if you're looking to dress up for a cute night out but also craving some tasty mexican food.

Asadero Ballard

Asadero Ballard

(1.5k reviews)

$$

Ballard

Everything was top notch, delicious and excellent. Perhaps one of the best steak dinners I have had…read morein any restaurant anywhere.

Immediately upon being seated we were greeted with a platter of fresh fruit, cucumber and mint to…read moreadd to our water glasses. SUCH an incredible and unique touch/experience. The table also has two glass bottles of water for refilling as needed which I always appreciate. We started with the Bone Marrow and Queso Fundido and both were delicious. 10/10, no notes. I typically don't like Queso Fundido because it gets so greasy and the cheese hardens fast but this was flavorful, spreadable and the chorizo was a nice compliment not the main event. The Bone Marrow was exactly what you'd expect! So yummy. For our mains we got the Buenos Aires Torta (actually the reason we came to try Asadero) and the shrimp tacos. The bread for the Torta was flavorful and perfectly toasted. The steak was delicious and the chimichurri was so good I just wish there was more! My husband got the tacos and he said they were also very good! After we finished eating we were offered peppermint tea (complimentary) which was another really unexpected and unique touch/experience! The service from everyone was great. Very friendly. Quick service. The establishment was clean and so cozy but also upscale in a very chill way. Bathrooms were clean and smelled good with cute decor. It's not a huge place but I think that's what allows for such an attentive experience. From start to finish we really enjoyed ourselves and will absolutely be back with friends or family!

Pancita - Beef brisket suadero tacos

Pancita

(91 reviews)

Ravenna

Excellent! The food, service and ambiance were all top notch. I love how cozy the corner restaurant…read moreis. The food was delicious- we started with the sourdough, then the Caesar, brisket tacos and finally the chorizo-stuffed trout. All of the ingredients were high quality and prepared perfectly. We loved every bite and will absolutely be back.

I really, really wanted to like this place. We'd heard through word of mouth that they were serving…read moredishes straight out of Mexico City, so on a whim one Friday night, my partner and I grabbed a 7:45 reservation--which, honestly, might've been the first sign. I'm usually a fan of a smaller, curated menu because it suggests care in sourcing and execution. But for us, the execution just didn't land. Everything is served family-style, but the portion sizes didn't justify the price point. We started with the sourdough and butter spread, and it was a letdown right away. The bread was hard as a rock, and the butter--while sounding interesting--came slightly burnt and didn't feel worth $11 for two pieces. Next was the albacore tuna tostada. As someone who travels to Mexico City often, I was genuinely excited for this. But it leaned heavily on avocado, with barely any tuna to balance it out. For $25 and only two tostadas, it felt pretty stingy. The rapini quesadilla sounded promising but ended up tasting mostly like broccolini and mushrooms--nothing that really stood out or justified the dish. We finished with the 21-day dry-aged steak, which, at $59, felt like it should've been a highlight. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. It came out essentially raw, which I didn't mind in theory, but it was incredibly chewy and lacked flavor. It was difficult to cut and even harder to enjoy. The tortillas were nice, and the demi-glaze had potential, but overall it just didn't come together. Even the refried beans on the side were underwhelming--something you could easily find done better at a casual spot. On the bright side, the mezcal margarita with a tajín rim was excellent--well-balanced and probably the highlight of the night. And the service was warm and attentive, which I appreciated. But overall, for the prices and the hype, this place just didn't do it for me. Maybe we ordered wrong, but I've had much better elsewhere. I hate to say it, but I probably won't be back.

Maiz Molino - Dip sampler

Maiz Molino

(125 reviews)

$$

Denny Triangle

Went back to Maiz Molino recently on a Sunday night for dinner w/ friends. I was disappointed to…read moresee that the menu has changed a lot (and not just seasonally, but just a completely different menu) since the last time I visited (maybe a year ago or so). Before it seemed like Maiz Molino was focusing on elevated, unique Mexican dishes (shown in the pics in my prior review such as short rib, and other sort of "fusion" dishes, and more seafood focused, etc.) Now, the menu seems way more generic and casual like enchiladas, tacos, quesadillas, tamales, etc. just offered w/ different proteins. They are still focusing on maiz but just a bit more generic in the preparation and offerings. Also, they had 2 separate menus which was a bit confusing. One is a generic all day menu and then another menu had brunch and dinner on it. It was around 5:30 p.m. but they were out of a particular steak dish that we were interested in. Service was friendly. We had enchiladas, a dip sampler (for appetizer) and Tlacoyos. Everything was fine but nothing really stood out, sadly. It wasn't very busy while we were there, so hoping that they are doing ok as a business. I would love to come back if they brought back the old menu w/ things that you cannot really find elsewhere, including the great cocktail menu and desserts that were offered previously.

This place WOW-ed me. My fiance and I didn't make reservations the day before Valentine's Day and…read morethought we would just try our luck. So many of our regular spots had lines out the door, which was no surprise, but we ended up getting a table here. Figured Mexican food is hard to mess up. Started with drinks- THE BEST MARGARITA I HAVE EVER HAD. It was perfectly balanced, fresh, just perfect to me. My fiance got a horchata and loved it too. They have an option where you can try ALL of their dips for $20, which I couldn't resist. It was so fun, they had like 9 different ones! I got the shrimp tacos and they were so flavorful that I almost gasped. The creamy sauce, crunchy veggie toppers, smooth avocado, and perfectly cooked shrimp...just wow. I will be dreaming about this dish for years to come. I am a pescatarian and gluten free and there were TONS of options for me. They mostly use corn for everything, not flour. The staff was gracious and kind. They seemed a little understaffed but truly made the most of it and made every table feel attended to and special, which was so lovely. Really cool vibe- lots of art and special touches. A really cool place that I can't wait to recommend to friends.

El Moose - mexican - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...