Not a fancy place, pretty basic actually, but the food is solid. Been coming here for years, and I would definitely recommend if you want a sit down spot with good service... some friends and family in Yakima think that this place is one of the best in town and you know I'm not mad at that not gonna lie. I had a pretty good meal last time I was there. They could definitely do more with the place as the personality is lacking for the establishment, food is pretty good! read more

Great food and service Loved the chips and salsa I would recommend if your looking for a great experience read more

We were on our way downtown for some Fresh Hop festivities and I asked Google to show me high rated restaurants along our route; El Pastor was one recommended so we decided to stop for dinner. It was more of a diner feel and not what we expected, but we didn't mind. Our server was attentive and the menu was large with lots of choices. Unfortunately, beyond the chips and salsa the food was not very good. I ordered a small shredded beef burrito plate (deluxe) and my husband ordered the chicken mole. I normally take photos, but didn't get them this time. It's hard to describe the flavor of the food, but mine was very bland which I had a hard time understanding how it was possible, but the meat filling just didn't have any flavor. I finished most of the burrito because I was still hungry after eating plenty of chips and salsa and only ate a few bites of the beans and rice which also lacked flavor. My husband's mole was the most confusing though; the sauce literally tasted like pot roast gravy. I thought he was joking, but then I tasted it for myself. How this is able to be served as mole is beyond me; it literally looked and tasted like gravy. Of course my husband was hangry and needed to eat, so while not inedible it definitely wasn't what he expected. Overall there are so many Mexican restaurants in Yakima that I see no reason to go back. And just for transparency we didn't mention anything to our server about our dissatisfaction because we weren't looking for any discounts and I don't think us saying we didn't enjoy the food at that moment would have been helpful. read more

My name is summer. I'm 9 and I want to say, This is the best restaurant ever. And Jenny is the best waitress ever she's so pretty and she's so pretty. And you should try their food. It's delicious especially the ice tea with lemons. And chips and salsa and guac. And they are tacos. And everybody that works there is really nice. And the guys is super good. You should try it. read more

Service is sooo goooood!!! They were very attentive and replaced our salsa and chips as soon as they seemed low. They asked us many times how everything is tasting and if we needed anything. The servers were happy and talkative to my family. I had to download yelp just to leave this review . Food was delicious and flavorful!! Nice looking restaurant!!! read more

El Pastor Restaurant - 2 Cheese Enchiladas with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Yakima, Washington

My husband and I have been coming here for at least 20 years and it's one of are good to places for Mexican when we can in to town. I enjoy there friendly fast service and the food is the same every time we come. I really appreciate that the place hasn't change in all of these years. read more

I normally get the Chile Colorado burrito and it's always good. It's a burrito that has sauce on it, served with rice and beans. Chips and salsa are good and the staff is very friendly. The place itself is homely looking from the 90's. The horchata is a fountain drink version from a syrup and it's alright. read more

El Pastor Restaurant - El pastor lunch menu - Mexican Near Me - Yakima, Washington

See all

Great food and excellent customer service every time. Their service is a notch above everywhere else we go in Yakima. Keep up the good work.

Wonderful people will wait on you at this restaurant. The food is always perfect and their prices are the best in town. Try it! Is is the best! read more

I like this place!! I used to come here when I was younger w/ my dad, and the food has always been really good! The salsa here is good; you can get the really plain kind or the super SPICY chunky kind! Their ingredients are homemade, and its a local little mexican restaurant. The waiters are very friendly and its just all around a good experience. Good prices too! They have jarritos pop too!!! Love that stuff :) read more

Great food and service! Everyone that works there is always so happy :) My parents LOVE going here. In fact, they go so much they are on a first name basis with almost everyone there. Be careful not to fill up on their chips and salsa -- cause the salsa is the bomb and it's soooo easy to do. Good thing we can take what's left to go for later. If you haven't stopped in here you definitely should. read more

El Pastor Restaurant - Enchilada with rice and beans with 2nd basket of Chips & Salsa! - Mexican Near Me - Yakima, Washington

#frontofhouse #waitstaff #waitr #waitress #waittrainer #customerservice #fohstaff Great Mexican spot in Yakima! So many to choose from and this one did not disappoint. Created swiftly and our waiter was SO NICE. I just wanted to hire him myself! He not only took our orders correctly but also served them correctly. Polite, curious, attentive, efficient, friendly and the food was delicious. read more

The food is pretty bland and terrible. Like a gut bomb to be honest. I'm not a picky eater by any means, but this was rough. Side note, the waiter was an awesome guy who did a great job. Too bad the food is pretty horrible. read more

I had the nachos and he had the chicken tacos. All in all, the salsa was my favorite part of the whole meal. The chips were just alright..but the salsa was good. The nacho's were okay..I asked for a small portion and they gave me the perfect size. I will say the service was fast, friendly, and with a smile. read more

I needed tacos, and I needed them bad. So bad in fact that I told my girlfriend that if we do not get tacos in Yakima then the terrorists will win. Well, we have defeated the terrorists because I had tacos. And they were OK. Not the greatest tacos I have had. I thought the chicken was a little dry and they didn't put any tomatoes in my tacos. I was too hungry to say anything. The rice and beans were pretty decent as well. Other than that the salsa was pretty tasty, my girlfriend's nachos were OK, and the service was quick with a smile. Zipzap Zubidy Bop! read more

I wish I had gotten our waiter's name because he was spectacular! We were the large group with MANY children there tonight and he was on point. He got everyone's order correct, kept our drinks filled and all around attentive. He overheard us toasting our teammates and brought the kids a free dessert! When the coin machine ate my 5 year old's quarter, he turned around and gave her another quarter to try again. He was great! As for our food, I ordered the small burrito. It was perfectly sized and priced just right. My refried beans were a tad too salty but I think I have that complaint at every Mexican restaurant we eat at. My husband had the carne asada and devoured the steak. My son's taquitos were perfect. He had no complaints. My other children had nachos (huge portion!) and the babies split a small taco with beans and rice. All in all good food, excellent service! read more

This is my parent's favorite mexican restaurant in Yakima. It's family owned and run, and everyone that works there is fantasitc! I never stray from what I order: a large ground beef burrito with rice and beans. It hits the spot! If you're looking for 'authentic' mexican, hit up a taco truck, or go to el gruillense, over on 1st st. El pastor is more americanized-meaning it's not the kind of food you'd find people of mexican heritage eating on a regular basis-but that doesn't mean it doesn't taste good! Oh, and as an aside, this place was called "the donut shop" for years (I think since the '50's? Before the current ownership, they had little jukeboxes at every table and served yummy yummy breakfasts. (anyone remember this?) Can't go wrong here! read more

Hubby and I were driving through and felt like Mexican so we decided to give this place a go. Glad we did... really, really good! The only down fall for me was that they didn't have homemade flour tortillas. Chips and salsa were okay until we asked for some hotter salsa, then thats when shit got real! If you like some spice then ask your waiter for some of their hot salsa. So good! Which speaking of servers they were VERY friendly and professional. Service was fast, glasses were always full. They would keep the chips coming if we wanted but we didn't want to fill up on chips so opted out for more. So Hubs had the chili Colorado, flavor was on point. Comes with beans and rice and flour tortillas. Their rice is just how I like it. Not to wet but not to dry, just perfect! And for the flour tortillas being store bought they were pretty authentic not just your mission brand or anything. So that's good to know. I had the their flautas (shredded beef) they were soooo good! Comes with rice and beans as well. Huge portions! Three good size flautas that has a bed of shredded lettuce on top with shredded cheese, tomatoes and olives. So if you don't like olives then make sure you ask to hold the olives. But they were perfectly crispy and not super greasy and THEN I took that first bite and they put cheese with their meat! So there was perfectly melted cheese in the middle with your meat. Mind blown!! Sooo good! We had a wonderful experience here and would def recommend and go back! read more

See all

Asking for a Mexican restaurant in Yakima is like asking for a rollercoaster at Disney World. But this one was the closest to me when I used the Yelp app on my Blackberry, so I gave it a shot since I'd never been there. I agree that this food is a bit "Americanized." A pretty standard menu with what I would consider to be Mexican comfort food. But that's exactly what I wanted at the time. I had a combo with a chicken enchilada and a pork tamale that came with rice, beans, lettuce, tomato, guacamole & sour cream. And they gave me a nice frosted pint glass with my Dos Equis. The best part was that I ordered churros to go and they were homemade, with apple filling and lots of whip cream and strawberries. These were better than I expected. The building is very old and really could use a makeover. It smelled faintly like cigarettes when I walked in the door. There were dividers above the wood laminate booths with etched glass outdoor scenes of mountains and elk and ducks on them...? Pretty obvious that this hasn't always been a Mexican restaurant. If they made some aesthetic improvements I would give it another star. This is a family owned restaurant with great friendly service. My water was refilled before it was half gone, I got chips and salsa about 30 seconds after sitting down, and they were quick with the bill when I was ready to get going. Not the classiest, but a relaxed place to grab some dinner. read more

Food was great, no complaints and we had ONE server for over 20 people. He was so impressive! Pollo a la Crema was amazing! Try the Diablo sauce! read more

Got the take out 2 enchiladas and rice and beans .. Absolutely the the best in Yakima!! The salsa tasted so fresh. Price was very very reasonable...100% recommend.. read more

Love going here!! Family restaurant all around!! Been going here since day one from my childhood and now as a tradition for my own.

Good food, quick service, but more importantly, the staff was friendly and cheerful. He even offered extra avocado when we asked for no sour cream. Homemade salsa was tasty! Definitely worth the stop on our road trip from Seattle. read more

Very friendly service and really good food. Nothing fancy - just real good. If you have a craving for Mexican food, this is a good place to stop read more

Great service but the food is horrible and bland. Camarones a la diabla were horrible. The shrimp was bland tasted like it came from the freezer then microwaved and placed in the sauce. read more

Quite surprised. Hadn't been here in years but was tired of the same old thing. The restaurant hasn't been remolded in years but it's still charming because it's family run. Staff is very attentive and polite. Ordered the enchiladas and the sauce is homemade and delicious!! Best I've had compared to El porton or El mirador!! Can't wait to come back and try something else! read more

Best Mexican food in Yakima. Been eating here since they opened. Ask for the Terry 5 next time you're in, you'll love it!! read more

El Pastor Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Yakima, Washington

El Pastor is so good. They never disappoint. My wife loves the carne asada and fajitas. I love the enchiladas, any kind of them. The best part of the place though is the salsa. They usually have it prepared and stored in pitchers in a fridge at their bar. I'd like to sneak up when no one is looking and get one of those pitchers and put a straw in it and just drink the salsa. It's that good. read more

I am, and always will be, a loyal fan of El Pastor. Try El Pastor; but don't expect to come here for ambience. The building is old and it used to be a diner years ago. It hasn't been updated or renovated at all, really; but in some ways, despite what some others posted about it, I actually think it brings to its appeal a bit: it's completely unpretentious. This is a family restaurant and the service is some of the best out there. The salsa is the best in town, if you ask me. I have been coming here off and on for many years (I've moved back and forth from Yakima a lot), and I have always been impressed with how the staff/owners even remembered where I was living abroad, and when I'd come back (like once a year), would actually still remember the place where my friend and I would sit (every time) and even what I ordered. I have a real soft spot for a place like that. I now have a daughter and they are so great with her. It's very family-friendly. The owner says to us, "Hey, Muchachas!" like we're his good friends. So my daughter adores this guy and tells me regularly how she wants to go to the "muchacha place." (She's three.) In terms of the food: I think it's very, very good and on the cheap side, financially. read more

I lived in Yakima in 1995-1996 and ate at el pastor most days! Loved it! Best chips and salsa on planet. Sergio and his brother are fantastic. read more

Whenever I am wanting Mexican food in Yakima, my first thought is El Pastor! This family-run restaurant has great customer service and is a favorite of my in-laws. While the food is more Americanized than other Mexican restaurants in Yakima, it's a friendly place with good food. The salsa is excellent! read more

The first guy was a bit off. El Pastor is family owned and operated has been in the valley a long time. They make everything they serve from scratch tortillas chips salsa tamales everything is from scratch. It is not "Americanised" as he said it was. It is real Mexican food. They have 3 things on the menu that are American, a cheese burger, a hamburger, and chicken strips. The guys in there are funny the prices are right and if you frequent there like we do they address you by name. Its a wonderful place to go dine out. I've been to other Mexican restaurants and they are awful compared to El Pastor. read more

Good family owned restaurant. Really like the tacos and salsa. Very friendly staff. Prices are about average.

I did a little research to have some fine Mexican food while I had a chance to visit Yakima a few days ago and found this one and decided to try it out. The food was great and tasted like they were made from scratch. My wife and I were satisfied with their food. The people at the restaurant were also very friendly. I gave 4 start just because I could not easily find easier access for the stroller I was carrying for my baby. Ither than that it was just great. : ) read more

looks like a hole in the wall and the place is a little run down. staff is friendly and the food is very good. very authentic. read more

I've been going to El Pastor for 20 years and I love them! They have the best salsa, the best Chile relleno and overall , the best Mexican food in Yakima....in my opinion. Love them! read more

Been a customer since they opened! Great 'Americanized' Mexican food! The salsa is AMAZING!

If you are looking for friendly, attentive, courteous people, El Pastor is a great place for that. My dad took us there almost every Friday since I was 11 or 12 years old. The last time I was there with him (Mind you, I'm 35), the host asked me "Where's your sister, muchacha?" It means a lot when they care so much about their customers that they remember you. I don't care that the decor isn't "modernized." It's unique and it's simply referred to as "Dad's place" when we're deciding where to go for dinner. LOVE that place! read more

My family and I were in town to a relative. On the first night we ate at El Mirador (near the Walmart), and because of the terrible experience there, we were weary to try Mexican food again. Thanks to yelp, I convinced my folks to try El Pastor. We all were surprised at how opposite both places were from each other -- especially since El Mirador was "more commerical." El Pastor far surpasses El Mirador in food and in service. Their menu isn't complicated. We all enjoyed the meals we ordered AND my father couldn't stop eating the salsa that came with the chips. The waiter was beyond friendly and made sure that our drinks and chips & salsa was always full. The waiter went above and beyond as to get us an address out of the local phone book so that we could input it into our GPS as we were headed to our next destination. Exceptionally noted: The Picadillo (beef) Enchilada that my other order was delicious and the Chicken Taco Salad I order was good, too! If you want good service and finger-linking food, go to El Pastor first. Don't believe me? Ask the dishes! read more