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    Frelard Tamales

    4.7 (432 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Frelard Tamales Photos

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    FRELARD TAMALES ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Frelard Tamales

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    Great beer selection.
    Allen S.

    Stopped in for dinner after Freemont Octoberfest (the El Suenito beer was served there and was fantastic). Service was a little slow and confusing. Multiple staff was waiting on different tables. Appetizer was OK, Chips were a little hard. Beers were great. They had the roll up door open so the fresh air and breeze made the ambiance nice. Tamale was good. Missed some opportunity for spice or additional Verde sauce. Partners tacos were good as well but she mentioned it was missing something (spice wise). Overall your average Mexican restaurant in Seattle. If you are in the area, it's worth a try but I would not seek it out.

    Chicken tacos and a side of rice and beans (combo meal).  Not worth it.
    Ismael P.

    In the mood for tacos and drove by, so I gave it a try. Disappointed. The tacos are average and so was the service. Although the place was nice and cozy! If you decide to try it, avoid the tacos and go for the tamales.

    Vegan power bowl
    Archie P.

    The restaurant is super spacious and well lit from all of the windows. There's nice music playing in the background and tons of seating. The staff is pretty quick to get your food in. The rice and beans are delicious. I ordered the Sweet potato mole. Their masa ratios are perfect. The tamal wasn't dry or lacking filling. My only critique was of the filling. I couldn't taste the Mole at all because the sweet potato flavor was so strong. I think a regular potato could be delicious and really let the mole shine. Definitely a nice spot to eat and hangout!

    Brian H.

    Yes, I know we're on a taco tour, but this is my detour indulgence. Frelard isn't just about tacos - it's home to Seattle's beloved walk-up tamale window that locals line up for, rain or shine. Inside you'll find a cavernous dining room with more tables than you'd expect, plus a couple of outdoor patio spots for that true PNW sun-chasing vibe. I went straight for their handmade tamales - the earthy richness of a Sweet Potato Mole alongside a decadent Pork Belly wrapped in Mango Salsa. To keep it balanced, I washed it down with a Watermelon Agua Fresca, their house horchata, and even a refreshing mocktail.

    Menu
    Michael X.

    I was in the Ballard area and was looking for a place to check out, and Frelard Tamales popped on my radar. I am a big fan of tamales and was excited to try them at Frelard as the community seems to rate this restaurant well - so we went on a Sunday around dinner time (7PM) and were promptly seated. The restaurant itself is located on a corner of a busy intersection - I wasn't sure on my visit if there was reserved restaurant parking, so I parked a block and half away and walked to the restaurant. I can see it being very difficult to find parking on a busy time of day, so do note that when stopping by. The restaurant itself is casual ambiance wise, there is a bar at the back of the restaurant when you first enter - there are rows of tables and you are allowed to seat yourself. There are QR code menus at each table, but ordering is done through a waiter. We waited about 10 - 15 minutes for our food. I got the one tamale plate with an extra tamale ($16 for plate + $8 for extra tamale = $24) - two flavors being chicken mole and salsa roja pork. You also get an option of two salsa over the tamales - the salsa roja and salsa verde - I thought it was a bit funny that even the waiter was like "The roja isn't spicy at all don't worry about it". The tamales themselves are decent, though they definitely aren't the most flavorful tamales I have had. I was hoping for more fragrance in the tamale and even a bit more salt in the dough part, as the overall taste profile fell a bit flat and had to be hard carried by the filling. I think my favorite out of the two was the salsa roja pork as it had the deeper and harder hitting flavor out of the two tamales. The rice and beans were seasoned decently, and the pickled vegetables were a nice touch. I did see some other reviewers mentioned that the portions are too large but I thought that if you are really hungry, you will spend $24 and still leave hungry. In the end, I think Frelard Tamales is an OK establishment if you are looking to try tamales. Personally, I think I was a bit disappointed with the tamales that I have received at Frelard Tamales, the flavor was a bit lacking from what I expected from a Mexican restaurant. I do think it leans on the pricier side as I have got tamales that were on the cheaper side that had a better blend of flavors. But I could see this being catered more towards a generally safe place to go to if you are looking to please a wide variety of people. This could have been my experience for the day, so also feel free to try it and see for yourself.

    Salsa Roja Pork Tamale and Chicken Mole 2 tamale plate
    Crystal H.

    Frelard Tamales is attached to El Suenito brewery but you can just order food if you want. They have daily tamale specials and a variety of core tamales. There's also other Mexican dishes but given their name, seems like they're known for their tamales! We ordered two tamales plate, so it comes with rice, beans, and pickled vegetables (carrots). We ordered their crema and cotija on the side. I really like their salsa roja chicken, it was so flavorful. Their chicken mole was good too but the salsa over powered the mole. Their salsa is just so good. Tamales came out nice and piping hot already unwrapped. Presentation is pretty nice too!

    Salsa Roja Pork Tamale
    Ben F.

    Love it. New fave. Finally got a chance to sit down. We sat outside on a sunny Monday afternoon. The food is exceptional. Traditional but still unique.

    Pam W.

    This is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in Seattle! Their tamales are perfectly rich and flavorful. We also really love their tacos - they're always packed with ingredients. The pork, in particular, is consistently very tender and juicy. The service is friendly and nice, and they're great at explaining things we don't understand. Plus, it's very fast! They also host events, but we haven't had a chance to attend. It's a lively spot to grab a light bite, perfect for weekday evenings when you're feeling too lazy to cook. (The food pictures are take-out)

    Salsa Roja Pork Tamale
    Nate H.

    I've been a Frelard Tamales loyalist for years, so I knew that when they moved into their new spot AND had beers, that it was destiny for me to love it. And I was not disappointed... I was fired up to see that the place was poppin' when I came in, love to see a new restaurant thriving in The Center of the Universe. Being able to order a full tamale meal and sit down with them is a game changer for the overall tamale experience. The presentation (see picture) takes it to a different level. They let you pick between green or red sauce and absolutely drown these tamales in them. They also open up the corn husk for you so you don't have to play any games, straight to business. Same tamales as always, packed with a flavor punch right to the face, and absolutely stuffed with meat or veggies. The rice and beans were also fantastic, turning this meal into a masterpiece. We also ordered the chips and guacamole. The guacamole was very good, and the chips seemed to be homemade as well. They were a little bit hard though, so I wouldn't recommend those to the dentally challenged. That would be my only critique, but not worthy of a deduction of a star. The vibery is also top notch here, I would come just to hang out and have a beer as well. It looks like they're also putting on a bunch of events in the community that look like a blast. Well done, Frelard Tamales .

    Salsa Verde Chicken Tamale
    Makayla C.

    Sooo good and great value! The beans and rice were so delicious too. Everything on the plate was top tier and full of flavor. Staff were also super kind :) Place was clean and had fun vibes. Not very busy either.

    Giante burrito

    Mixed Feelings After Years of Loyalty As a longtime Seattle resident and vegan, I've been frequenting Frelard Tamales since their Green Lake days--usually sticking to their tamales, beans, and rice, which were reliably satisfying. I was excited to discover their Fremont location recently and had a good first experience with the vegan al Pastor tacos. Flavorful, comforting, and aligned with what I've come to expect. However, my most recent visit left me disappointed. After receiving a promotional text (which I don't recall opting into), I stopped by to try their weekend special: the gigantic burrito with vegan mushrooms. I wasn't aware that the mushrooms came in a barbecue-style preparation, which drastically shifted the flavor profile--unexpected for a Mexican dish, but I'll own that oversight. The chips and salsa were a letdown. The chips were unusually thick, overcooked, and had a texture unlike any tortilla chip I've encountered in 45 years. The salsa tasted generic, like something from a bulk store--not bad, but not memorable. The burrito itself was a tale of two halves. The first was tolerable despite the barbecue flavor, but the second half contained mushrooms that were nearly raw and unpleasantly chewy. I had to discreetly spit out several bites, which is not something I take lightly. I shared my concerns with the waitress calmly and respectfully. She still charged me the full amount, and when I expressed disappointment afterward, she admitted she was new and unsure how to respond. I suggested she pass the feedback to a manager, but it didn't seem like that would happen. I also noticed other tables waiting long stretches for food, and overheard a nearby diner mention understaffing--something I unfortunately observed firsthand. The Fremont space is lovely, but the experience felt misaligned with what a restaurant should prioritize: quality food and attentive service. It seems the business may be more focused on cultural programming and community events than on delivering a consistent, satisfying dining experience. While I appreciate their broader mission, I hope they recalibrate to ensure that the basics--flavor, texture, and hospitality--aren't overlooked.

    Vegetarian nachos
    Karishma A.

    **vegetarian review** Lemme start off by I like frelard tamales and have often done take outs for tamales and enjoyed that. I plan to still do that in future. The jalapeno cheese tamale is sooo good. The review here is for my in store meal for non tamale items. Personally I thought non tamale items are little underwhelming. To me they were pricey and not as flavourful. The nachos here were very basic for $14 without added proteins $6 for mushrooms. To me lack of any veggies like onions and tomatoes or some sauce - left this to mainly carry the flavour of refried beans and cheese. The special quesadillas were $13 for 2 taco size quesadillas with squash blossom and cheese. This was little different than other places but still felt expensive. The service was good and the place had awesome atmosphere . I guess tamales set the bar high so I was expecting more ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

    Emily T.

    These tamales were soo tasty! And the price is very reasonable! My husband and I made a stop here to grab some food so we could enjoy at Greenlake! We found parking on the street across the way. It's a small window where you can order and take it to go. We had the lunch special which came with a tamale of choice and rice and beans. I got the salsa roja pork and my husband got the chicken mole. We also ordered chips and guac and a watermelon agua fresca (the largest size which strangely had a lid with no straw hole so we had to drink it without the lid), and they sold tres lecheria tres leches cake so we bought one of those to try out! It was a hearty meal for sure! The tamales were very good and the rice and beans made a nice accompaniment. Really enjoyed our meal and would come back again!

    Sweet Potato Mole tamal combo with salsa verde

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    6 months ago

    Best tamales I've ever had. Hands down. Ambiance could be improved. Service was confusing, no drink refills.

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    Page 1 of 11

    Ask the Community - Frelard Tamales

    Any outdoor seating nearby?

    Greenlake park has lots of seating and picnic options and is 3-4 blocks away.

    Is there any cilantro used in your tamales?

    I can't speak to the official answer, but I'm extremely cilantro averse and happy to say I did not see or taste any cilantro in the tamales when I ordered a variety of their styles this week!

    Are your tamales made with fresh masa? If so do you have fresh masa available for purchase?

    Yes our tamales are made with fresh masa. Unfortunately, we do not sell our masa.

    What kind of masa do you use? Organic or at least non-GMO?

    Hi Ricardo: our masa is neither at this time. We have tested two organic corn flour brands but neither have provided the results we desired. We still hope to find a good replacement in the near future.

    What is the white stuff on top of some of the tamales?

    I think you’re referring to the pictures showing the tamales with Mexican sour cream on them. We don’t put it on the tamale, we pack it on the side for you to enjoy at your own pace or you can skip it entirely.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Koko's - Guacamole Chips & Salsa

    Koko's

    4.4(204 reviews)
    3.3 mi•First Hill

    Incredible food, beautiful interiors, and extra friendly service! The prices are very reasonable,…read morethe fancy plating makes it look like high dining. Impressed with all the dishes at the table all around, can't wait to come back and try everything. Thank you!

    Overall, we had a nice experience. Our server, Jadin, was wonderful! Jadin was very kind,…read moreattentive, and especially patient with our party while we waited for one of our guests to arrive. We really appreciated the hospitality and never felt rushed. As far as the food, for the price point, I do feel we could have gone somewhere else and received better quality. The food wasn't terrible, but it didn't quite meet our expectations for what we paid. The biggest disappointment was our interaction with the bartender on 9/4 around 8:30 PM. Our group approached the bar simply trying to order a round of shots. From the beginning, her attitude came across as unnecessarily rude when she asked whether we had a table. She then looked at our group and said, "First of all, we can't have you up here." We genuinely did not know that guests seated at tables were supposed to order through their server. Had she simply explained that to us politely, we would have apologized, returned to our table, and ordered from there. The policy itself wasn't the issue. It was the way it was communicated. Aside from that interaction, we enjoyed our time and really appreciated Jadin for making our experience a positive one.

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    Koko's - Mocktail Marg

    Mocktail Marg

    Koko's - Chorizo Guacamole Burger

    Chorizo Guacamole Burger

    Koko's - Happy Hour Koko Margarita

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    D' La Santa - Flan & Tiramisu

    D' La Santa

    4.5(564 reviews)
    1.9 mi•Capitol Hill
    •$$

    So excited to see more Mexican places open in the Seattle area! Such a cute brunch spot with…read moredelicious food. Ordered the cafe de olla and absolutely loved it. It was sweet, as expected, but not overly sweet. We got pan dulce with the coffee and both the concha and puerquito were fantastic. Both of the green and red sauces for the chilaquiles were tasty, but I think I ended up liking the red just a tad bit more. They were pretty equal in taste! My absolute favorite dish from this experience were the chicharrones. They cooked the pork amazingly and it complimented the salsas perfectly. Great spot! Can definitely see the hype behind this place and am excited to come back at some point again!

    I've always wanted to check out D'la Santa. I always heard that Fri and Sats are always busy and…read morethey do not take reservations but walk-ins only. However, I just found out you can put your self on the waitlist on their website if it's busy. Sundays are the best days to go as it's not as busy and they were able to accommodate a big party. The restaurant also has a parking lot for people to park at as well, so that is a plus! The drink menu is very limited, they don't have a full bar. I ordered the skinny margarita and it was good. The food is authentic and if you are looking for authentic Mexican food, D'La Santa is the spot. We ordered the queso and the rajitas. Both appetizers are really good, came out super hot. Highly recommend. I got the carne asada plate and added an extra mini quesadilla. The carne is very seasoned so you have to eat it with the tortilla to balance out the saltiness. The service was fast and our waiter was very attentive.

    Photos
    D' La Santa - Really cool inside, with a faux lantern tree that makes it a special place to eat. But quite noisy at peak hours.

    Really cool inside, with a faux lantern tree that makes it a special place to eat. But quite noisy at peak hours.

    D' La Santa - D'la Santa Parrillada

    D'la Santa Parrillada

    D' La Santa - Tacoarte

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    Tacoarte

    La Chingona

    La Chingona

    4.6(248 reviews)
    5.8 mi
    •$$

    This Goblin swears on all dark magic, that this spot has one of the best fish tacos in Seattle…read more Period. The salsa is fresh, the coating on the fish is crispy and light. The tortillas are fresh and full of corn flavor. The aguas frescas smack like my spiked club into your face. I first tried La Chingona on the road pillaging in Bellevue. I'm so glad I stepped away from the village burning for a second to try their delicious tacos. Is it more expensive than your typical Mexican Plato? Si. Does it taste better than your typical Mexican Plato in Seattle? Si. One other crucial detail. That taco will be buckling under the weight of the toppings. These are not skimpy servings. My shrimp taco was heavy enough to do curls with. Their service is friendly, and precise. To this date, I have never received the wrong order, cold food, a missing drink, etc. Expect hordes of people on the weekends, because you can count on one hand how many Mexican places taste like this in the PNW.

    We came here for my mom's birthday lunch and honestly couldn't have picked a better spot…read more The owner was genuinely one of the sweetest people ever. She was dressed in the most beautiful Día de los Muertos-inspired makeup and outfit, and she brought such a warm, welcoming energy to the whole experience. It really made the meal feel special from the moment we walked in. She took our order herself and surprised us with complimentary conchas on the house, which was such a thoughtful touch. As someone who loves Mexican pastries, that instantly won me over. For food, I ordered the pozole and it was incredible rich, comforting, and full of flavor. My mom and sister got the fish tacos and they couldn't stop talking about them. Fresh, well-seasoned, and just really well done overall. This place made my mom's birthday lunch feel so memorable. Between the amazing food and the hospitality, we'll definitely be coming back for both the pozole and fish tacos again.

    Photos
    La Chingona - Wall mural by Valeria Ortiz

    Wall mural by Valeria Ortiz

    La Chingona - Shrimp tacos

    Shrimp tacos

    La Chingona - Fish & shrimp tacos

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    Fish & shrimp tacos

    Pancita - Beef brisket suadero tacos

    Pancita

    4.4(98 reviews)
    3.1 mi•Ravenna

    This place isn't easy to get to. If you were to walk from the nearest light rail station, it takes…read moreabout 35 minutes - so the only other option is taking a bus from there. Despite the trek, I'm pretty happy to say that this was absolutely worth it as maybe the highest quality Mexican food in the Seattle area. The dishes here are not what you find at your typical Mexican restaurant. There's no chips and salsa, and the menu is small - only around 4 entrees and 4 small plates, along with a few appetizers. It's best to come here with someone else and find things to share - which is what I did with the small plates, since some of them come with two per order. We ended up ordering the maiz sourdough, the albacore tostadas, the brisket tacos, and tetela - finishing with the pan de elote for dessert. I'll start with what is absolutely their signature dish - the albacore tuna tostadas. I'm willing to say that this is the best dish I've ever had at a Mexican restaurant. It comes in two tostadas - each with raw albacore tuna, mayo, avocado, and fried leeks - and oh my goodness is it spectacular. Everything starts from the base of it all - the tostada itself, which is so far and away the best tostada I've ever had it's not even a debate. Years of having tostadas shatter, or even crack on each bite left me fully unprepared for what was to come; a tostada that behaves like an architecturally sound disc. Seriously, you take a bite of this and the entire rest of it remains wholly intact. It's like a miracle. The texture reminds me of a Frito, it's got those slightly raised bumps and a similar thickness. And I haven't even gotten to the toppings yet. The raw tuna on top is perfect sashimi - it's soft, just fatty enough, and absolutely slides through your mouth at the lightest chew. There's also a lot more of it on the tostada than I expected. The kewpie mayo has a surprising spice to it - like the best version of spicy mayo that you've had; except it has a bit of a smoky flavor to it as well. The avocado adds earthiness, chill-ness, and a good level of fat. Lastly, the fried leeks on top provide that extra crunchy layer just to cap it all off. It's simply one of the best constructed dishes I've seen. It took a lot of willpower not to order another set of these. The other two small plates were good, but don't quite match up. The brisket tacos are small, but filled with toppings, including a ton of the dry-aged suadero. This beef was very good, containing a lot of fat and being quite juicy in each bite. I also loved the tortillas, which were some of the best corn tortillas I've had. It's clear they nixtamalize the corn used for these in-house. Still, this didn't feel that much more than a good taco. The tetela was also fine, but nothing too special as mostly just eggplant on the inside. Something else that was amazing though, was the maiz sourdough we ordered. It's easily one of the best bread appetizers I've had. The outside is so crispy without being too chewy, while the inside is hot, fluffy, and so easy to tear apart. I simply can't get over how amazing the crust is on this bread - it wraps all the way around, and is baked to absolute perfection. The included honey butter is also really well salted and sweet, but I do wish there was more of it. For dessert, we had the pan de elote - which is a sweet corn cake with blackberry jam and a whipped cream. I found the whipped cream fascinating; rather than being too sweat, it instead had a lighter flavor that focused more on the soft and creamy texture than traditional whipped cream. The combination of the super-fresh blackberry jam and texture of the whipped cream added a ton of moisture to the corn cake - which otherwise resembled kind of a sweet cornbread. Also, the portions on the cake were crazy good. All that said, this is quite an expensive place. For what we had, per person it ended up being over $60 without any drinks. For the tostada and tacos especially, you're paying 10+ dollars/person for a single tostada or taco. I would say it's worth the price for the tostada, but not for the taco. Overall, it is certainly high-end, but the quality of food here is so high it's an absolute recommend from me. 9.25/10

    Listen, I'm vegetarian and can't enjoy all the bites on the menu -- and I can tell you right now,…read moreI'd wait outside in the rain to eat the veggie bites, drinks, and desserts they offer. Legitimately that good. I honestly came by Pancita from an Eater article and Instagram post and jokingly suggested it to my friend when we already had dinner/drink plans. We both collectively lost our minds and decided, it was DOUBLE DINNER night and made 8:15 pm resys at Pancita. I do highly recommend reservations by the way, esp on weekend nights. We thankfully found street parking just outside and were seated promptly. Truly loved how simple and charming the interior was. I'll be honest, we were dying from 1st dinner even though we only ate a few bites but being gluttons, we got the tomato salad (my favorite bite of the entire evening), my friend got the suadero tacos for herself, and I ordered the enfrijoladas (mushroom) with a side of tortillas -- I couldn't resist! Everything I tasted was delicious and I am honestly planning my next trip back ASAP. We, of course, couldn't resist dessert cause WHEN I TELL YOU THAT CORN CAKE HAS MY ENTIRE HEART. If the capslock wasn't apparent, the dessert was incredible, giantly sized, and lives rent free in my head 5ever. Do yourself a favor and go to Pancita; it is one of the rare spots that deserves every bit of the hype being sent its way.

    Photos
    Pancita - Interior

    Interior

    Pancita - Grilled pork chop with pipian verde, salsa macha, trumpet mushroom, beech mushroom, charred onion, scallion, garlic scrape and cilantro

    Grilled pork chop with pipian verde, salsa macha, trumpet mushroom, beech mushroom, charred onion, scallion, garlic scrape and cilantro

    Pancita - Earl Grey Horchata

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    Earl Grey Horchata

    Maiz Molino - Dip sampler

    Maiz Molino

    4.4(130 reviews)
    2.6 mi•Denny Triangle
    •$$

    I was lured in off the street by the beautiful mural and decor. I normally forget to take pictures…read moreof restaurant interiors but I liked this place enough that it was the first thing I did! The staff (owners? Not sure, I know there's another location in Pike's Place) were friendly and seemed like they wanted to be sure that we enjoyed our food. Definitely not the cheapest Mexican restaurant around, but you're paying for the attention to detail and carefully sourced ingredients. My food was really tasty. The way their ordering works for most menu items is you pick your antojito and then your guisado (the "vessel" and "filling," I guess). I went with gorditas with chicken. All the antojitos are made with hand-made masa (nixtamal corn dough) that uses carefully sourced heirloom maize (corn), and the gorditas were no exception. The masa was really tasty and the texture was perfect. The chicken guisado was good, and I think I'll try another type depending on what they have available the next time stop in during lunch. The refried beans were really tasty and might've been my favorite thing on the plate besides the masa. My tamarind agua fresca was also delicious, but it could've been less sweet. My friend ordered tamales with pork, which I'm told were also delicious and very tender. Both dishes were also plated very beautifully.

    Really lovely people working here! They were able to accommodate our group of 5 kind of last…read moreminute. The menu has a variety of good options and everyone cleaned their plates. The inside is really fun and has a lot of pretty mosaics and murals and nice touches like the little jars of different corns.

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    Maiz Molino - Taco plate

    Taco plate

    Maiz Molino - Elote risotto at Maíz Molino in South Lake Union.

    Elote risotto at Maíz Molino in South Lake Union.

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    Three Tacos plate with chicken, pork and veggies

    Frelard Tamales - mexican - Updated September 2026

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