My family and I come here at least once a month because it is so consistently good! The family that owns the restaurant is so nice. It's a bit of a hole in the wall, and I think that that is why it is not more popular. I love their salsa! I wish they sold it so I could use it all the time. read more

Never thought the best place to enjoy Mexican food in Bham would be a restaurant in a strip mall! This is-hands down-the best Mexican restaurant in Bellingham and being a fan of Mexican food, you can trust that I've pretty much tried them all around here. The salsa is to die for! It's so good, I could drink it. The chicken taquitos with the spicy jelly-AMAZING! I will definitely be back-many, many more times!! read more

In our search for decent Mexican food in Bellingham, we have marked another off the list... the service was good but food was less than to be desired. Chips tasted funny like they were fried in old oil and the two entrees we ordered had no flavor. Salsa wasn't good either. Asked for hot sauce to add some flavor and all they offered was Tapatio. Very disappointing, we will continue our search! read more

This native Texan gives this place a full 5 star rating. Enchiladas and tamales are on point. Margarita on the rocks was fresh and strong (no weak sweet and sour stuff here). Delicious fresh salsa and warm chips. Friendly and speedy service. Will definitely be back! read more

El Rinconcito - Churros! - Mexican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

The food is exquisite and great quality!! My favorite place in town to get Mexican food. The fajitas are to die for. But the service is really what sets them apart from the competition. They are very attentive and friendly and it gives the restaurant a homey feel. read more

This place is actually really good! Its location is a little bit strange, but was really cool because my sister lived nearby. She loves Mexican food and used to live in Arizona right next to the border. She love this place and thought it was some of the best Mexican food around, I agreed and ate there frequently! read more

I'm a Mexican food snob, and I found this restaurant to be the best Mexican in Bellingham, hands down. Awesome beef enchiladas and awesome chips and salsa!! Also, the owner is so friendly. I will definitely return. read more

Been going here since I was a child. Love the family that works here. Love the food, it's cheap and good.

Despite the restaurant being nearly empty, service was slow and waitstaff were nowhere to be found. The food was good, though sweeter than your average Mexican place. Overall, I'm not eager to return, but I wouldn't tell people not to come. read more

El Rin is the best place in town. I typical eat there twice a month. I have never had bad service or a bad meal. I had take out last night. Best meal on the menu is the 2 beef burritos with rice and beans. read more

Very nice, family run neighborhood eatery. Absolutely authentic Mexican fare, ample portions, and excellent prices. Nothing fancy here, just good food and excellent service. You'll quickly become a regular! read more

Very welcoming staff. I had the special, enchiladas with chipotle sauce. Very tasty. Large portions, quick service, clean washrooms. Lots of customers on a Wed. evening. We will be back! read more

A great restaurant.Very great food. I love El Rinconcito.One of my favorite Mexican restaurant in Bellingham.I love it.The waiters and waitresses are very nice. Your food comes very fast and that is nice. Great food for a great price also.You should definitely go there. read more

Best in town. Salsa is the best around. Always fast service. Have tried just about everything on the menu and haven't found anything bad. Pork was a little on the dry side once but otherwise no complaints. read more

I find myself thinking of El Rinconcito often- pining away for it, in fact, now that I live in Hawaii and cannot find a decent Mexican restaurant to save my life. El Rinconcito has great memories, both of the food and the fantastically friendly service. Everything feels and tastes authentic, the flavors are spot on, and the family who runs it are super nice and funny. I would pay a lot of money to transport this restaurant to Honolulu. Hey, a girl can dream... read more

Is the mexican the best? Maybe not. The food is drowning in beans and rice...but, this place has what so many local Bellingham restaurants lack...a graciousness and appreciation for your business. If you want to go to a place where you're treated like family, a place that is ideal for your children (they brought a high chair for my daughter's doll!)...and a place where you can eat and run while feeling great about your choice to spend your money locally...this is the place. read more

Oh, it's a cheap Mexican restaurant, a cheap Mexican restaurant run by Mexicans. Going to dinner here in high school guaranteed I'd see at least 3 of my friends. read more

The tomatillo sauce is excellent! It was on the Enchiladas Suiza I had but I suggest any dish in which it is used. Mango cheesecake for dessert was divine. Service was excellent. Loved the beans with pico de gallo with the chips and the salsa too. I struggled to save room for dessert. Buena apetit! read more

Ordered my food Togo and when he told me the price it was more than it said. I asked why. He wanted to charge me $.50 for the Togo container. I walked out. It's the principle of the matter here. Are they going to charge a price for the server if you eat there. Or what about the dishwasher, electricity, or napkins? It's just silly. It cost more to have someone eat in house than to do take out. No business smarts. read more

Eaten here for years great family owned business

Best Mexican food I've had and the service is quick and friendly.

Walked in for take out while waiting for my husband. Staff is very friendly. Food was good! I travel a ton and love a good find. If I am back in the area I would definitely visit again. read more

Average prices, good food. What you'd expect from your everyday sit-down Mexican restaurant. No complaints.

No bueno. Food came out almost instantly. Salsa does not have a lot of flavor. The food was all sort of bland and tasted the same.

Service was good. My carne asada was very flavorful and tasty even though the meat was well done. The tortilla soup was bland. The chips and salsa was okay. It's more common to have chips that are thin a warm than cold thick chips. I just expected better with all those high reviews. In my opinion the restaurant is average. read more

Prompt, hot food. Courteous staff. We ordered a variety. Dry tamale, fresh chips, scant amount condiments (sour cream, guacamole, etc.). Accommodating wait staff, though. Nothing stood out as being particularly delicious. read more

Excellent gluten free options and a super friendly atmosphere. Owner knew almost everyone who walked in the door -- GREAT local spot. Highly recommend. read more

Best Tortilla soup in town.Lois's homemade salsa is to die for, served with fresh warm chips.Moderate pricing and ample servings.Open for lunch at 11 and until 9 for dinner.Beer and wine served. read more

This is a great restaurant. The service was quick and friendly. The staff was warm and very nice. The food was delicious and reasonably priced. This was my first visit but definitely not my last. I'm new to this area--new to the State of Washington, for that matter--and am very happy to have found this restaurant (thanks to Yelp!). I'm looking forward to returning and taking other friends and family members with me. read more

Usually yelp is a very useful tool for finding a good restaurant when you're away from home. In this case, yelp really missed the mark. I was initially drawn to the high rating for this restaurant. Although that is usually sufficient to make a decision, on this occasion I even spent time reading the individual reviews. Almost all were filled with high praise, including the most recent reviews. I saw only one really negative review where the reviewer thought the food was truly bad, despite the fact that he was from Vancouver where the average Mexican restaurant is much worse than in Northern Washington. It turns out his review was incredibly accurate. I lived in the southwest US for many years, so I'm used to eating good Mexican food, but I still can't fathom how this place would get such good reviews. We ordered standard items: tacos, chimichangas, and enchiladas. Amazingly, each item was completely devoid of flavor. I couldn't even tell that the refried beans were actually, in fact, made from beans. Others have commented on the salsa, but it was basically tomato juice with onions; some of the worst I've had. Perhaps there was some confusion about which restaurant this is? Several people referenced "El Rinconcito" and not "El Rinconcito 2", so perhaps that has something to do with it. read more

Wonderful service. Everyone was so nice. Food was good. It was clean. I will make an effort to go back. Really friendly place.

Just had lunch. Wow! Order the chipotle sauce on your enchilada! It's spicy and such intense flavor! Fabulous!

Good friendly service, especially from the owner himself. He is the nicest owner I've ever encountered at a restaurant. The building and the atmosphere is so-so, as is the quality of the food. It is pretty good but definitely not elite status. However, the prices are fair for the quality of the food. I hit it up for lunch most of the time. read more

What a bummer. The ingredients here are of the lowest quality. Sysco systems junk food for sure. Lard in the beans, pre-shreadded cheese and lettacue, crispy white tomatoes, lowsy tortillas. The free salsa was a nice touch though. Filling if not nutritious or flavorful. Pass. read more

I love the food, the service and the salsa. Been coming here for 15 years and they are the epitome of a family restaurant. Highly recommended. read more

The food here is good and the cooks cooked my food the way I want. I have only eaten here twice and the staff here are very friendly

The place has always been our go to "I don't want to cook dinner tonight" place. We have been customers for 10. + years. Never we have been disappointed. Like others have said the best chips and pico sauce of any place in town. read more

If you are looking for authentic mexican cuisine, look no further. This is the best mexican restaurant in Bellingham. Great menu, perfect sized portions served fresh and hot. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. Check it out, you won't be disappointed! read more

We have been going here for 30+ years. The only place we eat Mexican; hands down, best fresh salsa any where. Wait staff is great, service and food is always consistent and fast. Their food truck across from the museum is fast and reasonably priced; try the fish tacos. read more

This place, El Rinconcito, surprised us. Because we always try to save money when buying, we got a special offer to visit here from a discount coupon guide book, and it was one of those beautiful, unexpected experiences. Pleasant, good people, literally run this restaurant themselves, it seems quite clear. They care about customers, and their food is great. We will return, with or without the coupon discounts, because it's simply worth it -- and they deserve to hear some credit for their excellent treatment of guests. read more