New Location - Same boss level food!
Over the past couple years (since moving back to Yakima), we've found no shortage of excellent Mexican food. Having now sampled a majority of the restaurants here, I'd go so far to say that Yakima may have, per capita, some of the best Mexican food in the US! In a town where lines between places start to blur, this spot heartily establishes itself near the top of this Mexican food chain!
We've always felt that to repeatedly go out to a Mexican restaurant, it needs to be either really good (since we can make pretty Mexican cuisine at home) or have something we can't find anywhere else. Game On, says El Parrillon! Not only have they found ways to innovate with standard fare, they've somehow upped the game on chicken!
The place is non-descript an located just off the Mercado de Yakima on 1st street. The interior is bright and colorful and the outside has a huge grill, boasting a flame and hickory smoke that would bring a tear to the eye of any Texas BBQ joint! The best part is the thing is pieces together- the closest thing I've ever seen to this was in Jamaica where we bought chickens from dudes grilling on old pieces of metal from a roof!
FACT: The chicken here is the best chicken we've ever tasted! You're thinking, "why is this dude excited about chicken?" - Try it and you'll see! On the way in, you note the whole birds on the grill and regardless of what you think you want, order extra chicken! It's moist, Smokey, has a little char, is just salty enough and is downright AMAZING! We ate dinner, then ordered a second while chicken for there and to have at home. Our three year old declared it his favorite food on the spot!
The tacos here are equally impressive and while the standard tacos don't stray far from traditional, they have an option that I've never see...the Legendary Tacos Al Hambre! Six street tacos brought together to thematically tackle your hunger! The 12 options include like Cubano, Diablito and Gitano - portions are huge and the flavors incredible! It's actually hard to believe something rivaled the chicken, but they done it!
The third most impressive thing about this place was the salsa bar. Not only was it an amazing array of colors, but the flavor potential was amazing. It ranged from some creamy sauces that relatively mild, all the way up to sauces that most certainly hurt going in and on the way out. It was helpful to ask for an extra plate to try a bunch of different ones.
The guys working here were all super cool, Including the dude outside who was straight up flipping the chickens with a shovel. It was absolutely boss level and everyone was super chill.
Add this to the list of Mexican spots you must try in Yakima, and it'll probably be near the top of your list. The street tacos here were incredible, the tacos al hambre amazing and the chicken absolutely Epic! Go here, you won't be sorry! read more